What improves your chances of finding a solo bargain?

Where, when and how to look for the rare sailings that offer better value for one.

Genuine solo bargains are rare, but they do exist. The best I have found was a five-night positioning cruise from Hamburg to Southampton for £139, when others around the dining table had paid £600 to £700.

Where to look

Positioning and off-peak sailings tend to offer the best value. Cruise lines that provide dedicated solo cabins or reduced single supplements on selected sailings are the places I start looking.

When to look

Prices and solo availability change by ship, date and cabin grade. Checking regularly, and being flexible on dates and destinations, improves your chances considerably.

How to check

Always compare the final one-person price, not the headline per-person fare. The listings on this site show observed one-person prices where the data supplies them, so you can see what a solo traveller would actually pay.