AmaWaterways Expands Solo Occupancy Options

[HostDave]

Courting the solo traveler market, AmaWaterways is earmarking a number of double-occupancy staterooms for solo occupancy without the single additional supplement on every river cruise in Europe, Asia and Africa.

The move eliminates the dreaded single supplement from a limited number of base category, double-occupancy staterooms — which means solos should book early to reserve these cabins.

“We continue to see high demand in this fast-growing market and are delighted to introduce even more options for our solo travelers,” said Kristin Karst, executive vice president and co-owner of AmaWaterways.

The base category staterooms are located on the lowest level of the ships, which means they won’t have any kind of balcony, French or otherwise, but will have windows that don’t open.

Many AmaWaterways ships already have 140-square-foot solo-occupancy cabins that can be booked without a single supplement. Now, additional 170-square-foot double-occupancy cabins are being made available for singles without the additional cost.

The moves make sense as more cruise lines cater to the solo market. Since most cruise cabins are intended for two people, a single supplement has traditionally been charged to make up for the cost of the second person’s fare. Sometimes the single supplement can double the cost for a solo traveler. Plus, river cruise staterooms on the lowest level often are in least demand, as most vacationers prefer to have windows that open or balconies on higher decks.

Among the itineraries with more single cabins for 2015 and 2016:

• “The Enchanting Rhine,” a seven-night cruise from Amsterdam to Basel, priced from $2,599

• “Melodies of the Danube,” seven nights from Budapest to Vilshofen, starting at $2,599

• “Paris & Normandy,” a seven-night round-trip from Paris, from $2,899

• “Provence & Spain,” a seven-night cruise from Lyon to Arles, starting at $2,899

• “Taste of Bordeaux,” seven nights round-trip from Bordeaux, from $2,899

• “Tulip Time Cruise,” a seven-night round-trip from Amsterdam, starting at $2,499

• “Vietnam, Cambodia & the Riches of the Mekong,” seven nights from Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City, priced from $2,299

All rates are per person for cruise-only itineraries, based on an entry-level category stateroom unless stated otherwise. The offer is not combinable with any other promotions or discounts, is capacity controlled, and is limited to availability.