River cruise line CroisiEurope has waived its single supplement on all departures this year, provided bookings are made before 30 June.

The offer is valid on all new bookings on CroisiEurope cruises on the French canals, European rivers, Adriatic coast, the Volga, the Mekong and in Africa. It is not valid on its New Year cruises.

The line’s move underscores the growing importance of singles. CroisiEurope joins a number of lines making similar offers, or increasing the number of singles cabins.

John Fair, CroisiEurope’s UK sales director said the company received “ a spike in interest” in the UK and other markets from single travellers who often have to pay a premium fare or single supplement for sailing alone.
“I think it is just another innovative way of selling river cruises. It is important that we have a whole array of marketing initiatives. This is a way to satisfy demand,” Mr Fair said.

CroisiEurope has “no limit” on the number of cabins solo passengers can book on its ships, he told Travel Weekly UK.

The line has recently expanded its fleet to a total of 55 vessels with the addition of MS Van Gogh and MS Renoir, both sailing in France, and the new build paddlewheel ship MS Elbe Princesse II, designed to cruise the Elbe and Vltava rivers between Berlin and Prague.

Both MS Van Gogh and MS Renoir have been completely redesigned to accommodate 105 passengers in 54 WiFi-connected cabins.

MS Van Gogh will cruise from Lyon on the Rhone and Saone Rivers while MS Renoir will sail on the Seine between Paris and Honfleur.

The new build, MS Elbe Princesse II is the sister ship to MS Elbe Princesse and will have the same paddlewheel technology that gives the vessels a low draft. It will have 45 cabins including three single cabins.

The line has plans to build another new ship MS Amalia Rodrigues which will cruise the Douro, its sixth vessel on the river.