A Turkish gulet on a day cruise in Antalya.
No, I'm not afraid of the water. I'm not even afraid of pirates. The reason I won't go on a cruise boils down to two words: single supplement.
I recently looked into going on a cruise with my parents. I was looking for something in the summer that wouldn't require my parents to fly from California to or from Europe or the East Coast, so it looked like Alaska was the best option. I found a cruise on an upscale line my parents approve of, so Mom asked her travel agent to look into it.
Well, this was an expensive cruise to begin with, but when we learned that the single supplement was 100% that changed the price from extravagant to ridiculous. So we'll do something else; we've all been to Alaska and have no impending need to return.
But it got me thinking: Why such a stiff punishment for single folks? I mean, I understand that I always pay more for a hotel room as a single than half the cost of a double room, but paying for two, especially when the price includes food and drink, does not seem fair.
Some cruise lines offer the "solution" of finding you a roommate. Really? This isn't summer camp. It's a luxury vacation for which I'm paying top dollar. Why on earth would I want to share a bedroom with a complete stranger?
I don't see why cruise ships don't have rooms specifically designed for singles. Between the younger boomers who never married and the aging widows, there are many single people traveling alone these days. It's time for cruise lines to recognize that reality and adjust for it. Until then I'll limit my cruising to day trips from Antalya's harbor.
Okay, rant over.