Tips for Single Travelers to Save on Supplement Charges

Single Travelers Don't Need to Pay More! Proven Tips to Avoid Single Supplement Charges

Single Travelers Dont Need to Pay More!
Proven Tips to Overcome the Single Supplement Blues

LOCKPORT, IL (PRWEB) November 3, 2003-- Tammy Weiler, singles travel expert and president of Singles Travel International, finds the most frequent comment that she hears from single travelers is "How do I avoid the single supplement? I feel penalized because Im single." Weiler offers the following ideas for single people who wish to fulfill their desires to travel the world, but not have to pay a price for being single.

There are many ways to take advantage of opportunities so you dont end up paying a fortune to travel alone. Here are some proven tips to overcome the single supplement blues.

1. Travel with a friend.
I know what youre saying, "Ive tried that and I cant ever find anyone to go with me when I have the time off." Okay, understood. But, its always a good place to start. You never know when one of your friends will be ready and willing to go. With that said, lets look at some other alternatives.

2. Find new friends.
As they say, anything thats worth something is worth working for. Think of this as an investment in your future. If you are a true wanderlust, then isnt it worth the time to find other people who share your travel interest? Theyre out there, but it may take some time to find them. Here are a couple ways to find other single travelers.
•   Join a local singles club or singles church group. Join with the intention to find a travel companion rather than a life companion.
•   Next time youre on a cruise, take the time to attend singles events. Again, go with the intention to find a cruise mate. Youll be amazed at how the picture changes when you take the pressure off of finding a soul mate.
•   Search the internet for companies that specialize in singles-only travel. Most have a roommate share program. On these tours, your odds are excellent for finding a future travel companion. You may not get the roommate of your dreams the first time around, but you most certainly will find at least one person on the tour with whom you share some common interests.

3. Travel in the shoulder or off-season.
For more independent travelers, one of the best ways to save on accommodations is to travel or cruise in the shoulder or off-season. Rates at hotels and cruise lines have three seasons: high, shoulder, and low. Low season may be during periods of time when weather is not the greatest, but it may also be at a time when its not generally convenient for the majority of the population to travel. Some examples are Caribbean cruising in the fall (hurricane season), ANY destination the week after New Years, midweek travel to Las Vegas and weekend travel to big cities where business travelers dominate weekdays and hotels are empty on Friday and Saturday nights.

4. Make friends with the onboard staff or a cruise line employee.
Now, not all of our suggestions will apply to every traveler, but to each his/her own. So, one way to get a free or reduced cruise is to become friends with a staff member on your next cruise. Most staff members have benefits and may invite friends and family for a fraction of the cost. Ok, its out there, but if youre single, why not!

5. Negotiate on board.
Heres a little trick that the cruise industry would rather not advertise, however, its not a guarantee. So this recommendation is for those travelers that are willing to take a roommate in the first place. Sign up for a share with the cruise line or one of the single tour companies. Once youre onboard, if the ship is NOT full, you may be able to negotiate a much better rate for your own cabin.

6. Ask about a guaranteed share program.
Many of the cruise lines and tour companies have a guaranteed share program. In other words, you may have your travel agent reserve your cruise or tour and request that the company provide a roommate for you. There are restrictions so ask your agent or check with each company directly.

7. Look for cruise line offering sailings with no single supplements.
Lower single supplements do exist on several of the smaller or more upscale cruise lines, such as Cruise West, Crystal, Seabourn and many of the river vessels. In addition, many of the major cruise lines have begun offering specific sailings with lower or no single supplement.

8. Find a company specializing in singles travel.
Travel companies that specialize in singles travel, such as Singles Travel International (www.singlestravelintl.com), actually receive advanced "no single supplement" rates from the cruise lines that they do business with. Some charge a small fee for the service, but it is well worth the investment to get your hands on this information quickly and effortlessly. In addition, Singles Travel International has been successfully matching roommates for 10 years.

About Tammy Weiler: Tammy Weiler has traveled as a single for over 25 years. She began as a flight attendant for Pan Am just after graduating from Northern Illinois University and then later creating incentive travel programs for fortune 100 companies while working for a sales promotion agency in New York. She has always loved taking people to new and exciting places and checking out new destinations for her clients. Her only problem was that when she went on vacation, she found it increasingly difficult to find a traveling companion. After talking to other singles she realized that she was not alone in her dilemma. That is when the idea for her own business struck her: Why not link single travelers together and make travel a more rewarding experience for everyone? Since founding Singles Travel International, based in Lockport, IL, Tammy has been creating custom designed itineraries and operating tours that accommodate the needs of the single traveler.

Singles Travel International: With over 20 years of experience in travel consulting, Singles Travel International provides worry-free travel that meets the unique needs of solo travelers. Every group is accompanied by at least one Singles Travel International escort whos available 24 hours a day to provide assistance or answer questions. Although a Singles Travel International trip is a terrific way to meet people, travelers can be as involved as they'd like in the tour activities, spending their time with the group or relaxing and exploring on their own. Singles Travel International guarantees solo travelers a roommate, when requested, providing the traveler signs up and pays in full by the final payment date for each program. Singles Travel International is headquartered in Lockport, IL.

For more information: Contact Tammy Weiler, Singles Travel International (www.singlestravelintl.com), at 877-SOLO-TRIP (765-6874) or (815) 836-9950.

Media contact: Beth Peterson, (708) 383-5989 or email beth@petersonmktg.com.

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