We are three ladies looking for a spring cruise break. However we keep finding big supplements for single travellers, as we would like a cabin each. Do you know of any companies that can help? Janice Holmes, Cambridge

Sunday Times travel expert, Richard Green, responds: It's tough going trying to find out which cruise lines have either small single supplements, or better still, none at all.

The lines say they have to charge to make extra to single travellers, to make up for the revenue lost by that empty bed in your cabin ­ most cabins are doubles. Also, one less passenger onboard means one less person spending their money on drinks, shore excursions and the like.

Some ships do have single cabins, but these tend to be in the older vessels.

Newer ships are generally fitted with more standardised two-person cabins.

Cruise companies with single-friendly pricing include Hurtigruten, which specialises in Norway, the Arctic and Antarctica, and has no supplements on many of its cruises; The Italian line, MSC Cruises, which has many cruises with £100 single supplements; P&O Cruises which charges from 25% to 95% extra; and Crystal Cruises has about the lowest supplement in the ultra luxury cruise market, from 25%.

Also, if you book early enough with Silversea Cruises supplements start at 125%, but rise to 200% as the ship fills. Peter Deilmann Cruises has 36 single cabins onboard its flagship, the Deutschland, and some on its fleet of river cruise vessels too. Some have supplements of less than 20%. Regent Seven Seas Cruises has supplements from 10% to 100%, but average about 40%.

Voyages of Discovery has winter cruises with 15% supplements, and no supplements on some of its winter Antarctic voyages.

For more information on cruises for single travellers, visit www.discover-cruises.co.uk

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