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Phyllis Stoller has a BA from Tufts University, an MA from New York University and a Finance Degree from the University of the South Bank, London England. Phyllis Stoller founded and managed for 16 years, the largest tour operator for women in North America. She was voted top in women’s travel by Travel & Leisure Magazine,the first to receive this honor. Phyllis has appeared on The Today Show, CNN, Lifetime TV for Women and others. She is a consultant on marketing to women.
Phyllis now resides in New York City and London, England and is affiliated with ECPS Consulting Corporation in New York. She prides herself on her family: husband, Eric, a ‘keeper’, sons Nick (comedy writer and director of Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and Matt , a progressive political strategist who works with liberal Democratic candidates. Phyllis can be reached at Phyllisnycity@gmail.com.
Past Articles
TRAVEL TIPS FOR TOMATOES
Summer vacation deals for solo women travelers
by Phyllis Stoller
There is not a day that I do not get travel brochures in the mail or by email. There are the 2 for 1 offers on cruises. FREE air and FREE excursions. Extra nights at hotels. Spa treatments galore and last minute air tickets can actually be cheaper than those bought in advance.
But most of the hotel and cruise deals do nothing for the solo woman traveler. There is the dreaded Single Supplement, the penalty for being one person in a two person cabin. Single supplements are a tradition in the travel industry and it is only in recent years that some are melting.
The Single Supplement is based on some solid business bases. Two in a cruise cabin for instance shop more in the ship’s stores, drink more, use the amenities more and are thus more proftable per square foot. But with free liquor, free excursions and spa goodies being given away, this additional profit is less than ever. Single Supplements are quoted as a percentage of the double rate.
51% of US women now live singly and women are more than 50% of all business travelers . So why are the cruises in particular still penalizing us women who travel alone. If you look at cruise line websites you will not find a section called Single Travelers or Women. In fact under Rates you find only prices for two persons sharing a cabin! For up to date single deals-if they exist- you have to call the cruise line directly. Expect some agents to be surprised at your questions.
Here are some things to ask:
1. Do you waive the single supplement for solo travelers? (Note: most are women in fact)
2. Do you have a table where solos can eat so as not to be alone? (Women statistically express that eating alone is intimidating and paying for their wine when couples are at that same table).
3. Is there an effort to welcome solos by inviting them to any special events?
4. Do you arrange shares if needed?
5. Do you take extra care picking up people arriving singly, especially women? (Airport transfers are a source of worry to women especially overseas).
6. Where on your website do you address solo travelers?
--A few cruises offer single deals. They are usually used as a last ditch to sell slow moving inventory which obviously means you will not get the pick of the litter.
-Not one cruise line had a table for people traveling solo.
--Not one cruise line had special arrangements to welcome solos. Booking with agents who have special business arrangements with cruise lines might open this door for you. Also Platinum Amex Card holders also get invited to additional welcomes.
--Only Holland America promoted share arrangements for solo travelers.
--Not one had special attention for women arriving solo from the airport to the ship. They all stressed that every passenger is transferred the same way. (Many women say that the time after airplane arrival and before seeing the Meet and Greet guide is their worst few minutes).
-Not one site I searched had information for single or women travelers. Some had single supplement deals buried under Specials and a very few actually put these deals in visible areas of their sites.
There are a few savings are out there but some come and go with general bookings.
www.rssc.com: Deluxe Regent has single deals but only a few at a surcharge of 15-30% are listed under specials. I called the company. A long wait on the line was worth uncovering some departures where there is no single supplement at all. Tel: 1-877-505-5370.
www.Oceaniacruises.com Deluxe Oceania had lots of single deals in the 25-50% range and since these are long cruises, this line ranks as the best for variety. 1-866-765-3630.
www.HollandAmerica.com offered the only share program I could find. It is based on age and gender in a very limited number of cabins’ you will pay no single charges. 1-877-932-4259 (Ironically Carnival, the parent of Holland America, did not have single deals worth pursuing-theirs were 150-200% albeit on low priced trips).
www.Elegant Cruises.com This small ship destination based cruise line has great single pricing from 25-50% which is a new promotion in 2009 1-800-683-6767
http://www.oattravel.com Overseas Adventure travel recently offered FREE single supplements on 16 small ship adventure cruises. 1-800-493-6824
www.Crystalcruises.com, www.Silversea.com plus www.WindstarCruises.com No deals here. But kudos to Silverseas for at least putting single rates clearly on their site!
Call tour companies and in this case cruises frequently for single cabin inventory, and “talk” to the cruise titans. Remind them women count, and we are a larger proportion of the economy in non cyclical jobs in government, schools and healthcare! And yes and tell them to add a few photos in their brochures with women just having a getaway without that white haired golf shirted man.
PS I am married myself, but love some time to do my thing and after researching this article, decided to take a cruise by myself on one of those small ships. I’ll wear the baseball cap with my sons’ college on it as a identity marker, will chat with others on the deck, do a few group activities, bring lots of great books, and eat dinner happily alone knowing I can skip the main course and go right for the dessert. Do it once and you will do it again, promise.
Next column I will be listing some ways to make solo travel fulfilling and much easier….
For more great tips, visit Phyllis at the Examiner.
