YOUR TRAVEL
All... by... myself...
I know plenty of people who are doing it “all by myself”. The fact of the matter is, we are all generally living longer and of course it is impossible to manage relationships perfectly so that we might stay together for longer. To wit, a group of my golfing girlfriends now travel in pairs – or a pack – and refer to themselves as ‘Widows of the World’. Then too, many people have been single all their lives and are keenly aware of the limitations, and some positives too, of holidaying alone. We have a lot of clients who travel solo and cost is definitely the biggest inhibitor of more frequent trips. And cost causes the most angst. The airfare is easy – it’s the accommodation ‘single supplement’ that often kills interest. In fact, if I had a dollar for every client who complained about single supplements, I’d be a very rich woman. Alas, it is not as simple, or unfair, as it might seem – you’re paying for the whole room (not half a room) and while you may not be consuming as much (soap/towels etc), one person invariably spends less than two (1 dinner, fewer drinks and so on). Your potential allround consumption is more important to the hotelier or cruise line than what you will save them on costs. The other major inhibitor to travelling solo is the concern that you might not enjoy yourself alone, that no-one will talk to you and you’ll stick out – sad as a wallflower dining by yourself each evening. My response? Be brave! There’s a whole
world out there waiting for you, and you don’t have to do it alone if you don’t crave solitude. Some river cruise lines now designate certain cruises, or certain room types year-round with no single supplement. And they actively promote this benefit so that lots of singles will take up the invitation to join other singles and enjoy each other’s company. Another cruise line has gone one step further by designing single rooms - slightly smaller than a double room but roomy enough with access to a special singles lounge. Hotels find it a little more difficult to offer special single rates but do look more favourably at better pricing in the off-season. I know this may seem a cop-out and yes, not everyone wants to travel when it’s cold or wet but all seasons have their magic. Or you can consider staying at hotels which have single rooms – these are more often found in older hotels in capital cities such as London or Vienna. They are easier to find than you think. Nor do you have to do all the work yourself. At the upper end of the market, Bill Peach Journeys is a great example of a company which wields its market power to extract special rates for singles, even at peak times, regularly offering singles prices and departures. There are also tour companies, many journeying to exotic lands, that do not differentiate pricing between single and twin share. Never say never.
charges was a woman taking her first holiday as a widow. Her agent asked me to keep an eye out for this gentle soul. And indeed I did. At first. Around four days into our 15-night cruise, she told me she’d been to the ship’s singles gathering, met five other singles and was now happily dining and sightseeing with similarly open-minded ‘solos’. By the end of the cruise, she and a few others had buddied up and were already planning more travel together. All this after only two weeks away. It was all possible because M was open to the idea that she might still have a great time as a solo – and she chose a cruise that offered special pricing for singles. Ditto if you have a special interest. Pamela Fairburn’s Paint Canada, in conjunction with Trendsetter Travel, is a perfect example of where you will slot right in as a single or a couple - you can be a photographer (Ross) or a knitter (Dorothy) and still have a great time. So if you’re thinking of travelling alone, please don’t despair. The travel industry has moved to meet many of your needs. Come and tell us about your dreams and we’ll see what we can do for you.
Words by
Adrienne Witteman Managing Director
Trendsetter Travel & Cruise Centre 9428 5900 I www.trendsettertravel.com.au
This brings me to the issue of loneliness, or aloneness. I was recently host on a cruise around NZ and one of my TVO MARCH 2019 27
