Solo Travelers

We at VACAYA believe life begins at the edge of your comfort zone. That’s why we encourage all single travelers to throw caution to the four winds and travel with us. We fully recognize that traveling alone can oftentimes be a scary prospect, but remember… at VACAYA you’re never alone for long (unless you want to be, of course). And here are a few tips to help you get on your way!

VACAYA’s “Solo Traveling with Ease Program” (or STEP) will pair you with another solo traveler to share a room, ensuring your costs are kept to a minimum. However, before you join STEP, there are a few things you can do on your own first.

The online VACAYA community is incredibly welcoming. Each of our vacations has an official Facebook Event Page. This is a great resource for finding other solo travelers who are also looking for a roommate. In our experience, the most successful pairings are those initiated by the people actually looking. Simply post on our event page that you’re seeking a roommate and let others come directly to you. This method gives you the opportunity to interview prospective roommates beforehand, allowing you to make a strong pre-cruise bond. Assuming you find a match on your own, you can both simply book a room together as any friends would.

If you don’t find a suitable roommate on your own, that’s where we can help. Please keep in mind, though, that VACAYA reserves the right to deny participation in our Solo Traveling with Ease Program if any conditions surrounding your participation would infringe on the enjoyment of your assigned roommate’s experience in any way (as a basic example, if you require a CPAP Machine).

Solo Traveling with Ease Program, Step-by-Step

Traveling by yourself shouldn’t be more expensive. We treat single travelers to the same benefits as everyone else, which is why we don’t charge single supplements when we partner you with a roommate. STEP attempts to bring like-minded individuals together to share their VACAYA experience.

Just follow these easy steps and you’ll be well on your way to being matched with a (hopefully) perfect roommate.

Step 1
Choose a STEP room category on the specific vacation you desire. For cruises, you’ll typically see a choice of Interior, Oceanview, or Verandah stateroom categories. Choosing a room category will place you in the pool of solo travelers also looking for that particular room type.

Step 2
Complete your STEP booking and then enjoy the countdown to your vacation! But do keep in mind that because STEP pairings are ever-shifting before each event, you won’t actually meet your roommate until you get to the ship or resort. But take comfort in knowing that you’ve been paired to the very best of our ability. And it goes without saying, but we’ll say it anyway… this program is only as successful as each participants’ respect for their roommate’s needs and privacy. So in other words… be a great roommate!

Step 3
Once all of our STEP participants are in the system, we’ll send you an online questionnaire, which gives VACAYA insight into the type of roommate you’ll be and the type of roommate you’re looking for. Everyone loves to travel, but not everyone loves to travel the same way. Ultimately, your smoking preference will be the largest deciding factor as to your roommate, but our Vacation Planners will do their very best to pair you with someone with like interests.

Step 4
Come to our STEP mixer on the first day of your vacation. That’ll give you a chance to meet other program participants and build your very own VACAYA community of fearless adventurers!

One final note about STEP: if you sign up for the program and later, on your own, find someone to join you, just give our Vacation Planners a ring and we can get you and your roommate all set up in a non-STEP room.

Don’t want to share a room? No problem. Sometimes it’s just more convenient and comfortable to have your own room, which is why we offer single travelers a “My Own Room” option – a single room all to yourself. At our Oasis resorts, we offer a single supplement on an as-available basis. While we have less flexibility on our cruises, if you’re willing to pay both halves of the normal double occupancy and gratuities rate (plus one port charge fee), we are happy to accommodate you in your own room.

Never traveled solo before? We can get you sorted. Check out some of our most frequently asked questions, or get in touch with us any time!