Single supplement

And so?

The so, is there is a trend in the travel industry to stop charging single supplements. Rick Steve’s tours charge single supplements.

In today's Washington Post for those with access.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2025/09/24/solo-travel-charges-hotels-cruises-tours/

Some tour companies charge a single supplement and others roll the cost equation for the group to pay for it. When I have traveled solo on a RS tour, I don’t feel like I am “punished” other than I wish the extra single supplement cost wasn’t due upfront at the time of making the reservation.

i am often traveling independently - no tour. Traveling solo with your own room - even the smaller single rooms costs more than two people traveling together & sharing the cost of a room.

The single supplement on a land based tour usually isn't too overwhelming. I really like RS policy of a straight $50 day single supplement charge. I can see that the cost for a room that contains 1 person vs. 2 people is a higher cost to the tour company.

There are some companies that build it into their costs, but these are often more expensive than a tour that adds the single supplement. Some companies, like Gate 1, have a sale about twice a year where they waive single supplements. I try to buy their tours/cruises at that time.

Cruising is where the 100 % single supplement is actually quite unfair. Where there is only one person in the cabin vs. two, there is also only 1 person eating those 3 (or perhaps 5) meals a day. The cruise companies complain that they lose money on bar tabs and casino play with only one person in the cabin. Thoughtful shopping makes the difference here and the search engine cruiseplum.com has a special tool for finding cruises with low to no single supplement charges.

This has been discussed before. For the record, I don’t consider the single supplement to be “punishment.” I think of it as an opportunity for me to have privacy and and minimize any “issues” that come with sharing a small room with a stranger.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/tours/mandatory-single-supplement

I can see that the cost for a room that contains 1 person vs. 2 people is a higher cost to the tour company.

Bingo

I do not see single supplements as punishment, it is the reality of the cost of solo travel -

Traveling solo with your own room - even the smaller single rooms costs more than two people traveling together & sharing the cost of a room.

Like this. Along the way I stopped booking solo/single rooms. I did stay at a place last year that actually had rates based on occupancy reserved for a room and I got a lower rate being solo.

I plan my own travel and I do not do the things that necessitate single supplements - I've never missed out on anything. The only issue I ever really bump up against is the small tours & activities that require a minimum of two bookings for the activity to happen. If it is something I want to do, and I am the first potential booking, I have to hope for another individual wanting to book or a couple traveling together to actually book, before I can book myself.

I don't mind a modest single supplement. I think the RS tours fall in that category.

Now cruising is a different world. What the cruise companies charge solo travelers compared to what they charge couples sharing a cabin is punitive.

”The only issue I ever really bump up against is the small tours & activities that require a minimum of two bookings for the activity to happen. If it is something I want to do, and I am the first potential booking, I have to hope for another individual wanting to book or a couple traveling together to actually book, before I can book myself.”

VAP’s issue is valid and one that I have run into when traveling solo. For my last few trips, I have bookmarked activity ideas and then reserved some of them while I am on the trip. And I always have a Plan B in case one of them notifies me that they didn’t receive enough people. Sarah Murdoch, one of Rick’s former guides, recommends signing up as two people if you really want to do a specific activity. I haven’t gone that far, yet.