SINGLE LIFE

LEASE
1988 TRUCKS
FOR LESS H!

1

Cruising

Continued from preceding page

/2 TON PICKUP

STK. NO XT3288

1 3 9 58

*

S•10 PICKUP

STK. NO. T3426

$ 1 59 99 *

ASTRO CARGO VAN

382
2

STK. NO, XT3227

6*

*Lease pymt. based on approved credit on 48 mos. closed end,
72,000 total mileage w/6$ per mile extra charge. To get total
amt. multiply pymt. times 48. Subject to 4% use tax, 1st mo. in
advance, sec. dept. equal to 1st mo. pymt., plate cost extra.

348.7000

HOURS:
Mon. & Thu.
'til 9:00
Tu., Wed., Fri.
'til 6:00

42355 GRAND RIVER

Just East of Novi Rd., Novi

MARLA FELDMAN

LEASING MANAGER

eluding one in Eilat, Israel.
Rotenberg adds,
"Everybody thinks that Club
Med is just real wild and nude
beaches and all kind of stuff.
But it doesn't really have to
be. It could be, just, great
beachfront activities and good
food and having other people
around. And being able to go
alone," any time of year.
Prices are of great concern
to singles. For single sea
travelers, the economics are
improving. Until recently
they normally paid at least
150 percent more per person
than couples paid for the
same cabin. That gave singles
two choices — either overpay
or share a cabin. The latter
option is not popular. "Some
people are reluctant to share
a cabin with a stranger," says
Rotenberg.
Now many cruises have a
"guaranteed singles" pro-
gram. Singles pay several
hundered dollars more than
the least-expensive two-
person cabin and are
guaranteed a cabin, chosen by
the company upon embarka-
tion. So they get a lower rate
than they used to, but do not
have an assigned cabin until
their trip begins.
"They're going to wind up
with what's left over," ex-
plains Weinberg. "But what's
usually left over is the higher-
priced cabins. So it's allowing
them to travel at a not much
different rate than what a
double-occupancy thing
would run. So they're over-
paying maybe $300, but
they're going to wind up in a
cabin equal in value to what
they're paying for.
"So it's for somebody a lit-
tle bit more flexible, who's
willing to say 'Hey, I don't
mind waiting until the end to
find out where I'm sleeping,
as long as they're guarantee-
ing me a cabin! And they're
probably going to wind up
with a good cabin. So it's a
nice deal!"
Lieberman says singles like
a package where "everything
comes included (in the basic
price) so they know what
they're going to pay up front.
Especially the younger peo-
ple, they're into, how much is
the whole trip, all included."
Rotenberg agrees, and says
that the standard Club-Med-
or-cruise idea literally fits the
bill. With Club Med, she says,
"They know up front what
they're going to be spending,
they know the activities that
are available to them at the
different Club med resorts.
With the cruise, too, they
know up front what they're
spending, they know that the
entertainment is taken care
of, their meals are taken care
of, everything except their

miscellaneous items and
alcohol, cocktails.
"They know that there are
usually other singles on
board. But even if there
aren't, they're still sitting at
a table having their meals
with other people and sitting
next to other people during a
show and sitting out on deck
chairs with other people. So
they're just not alone!'
Most singles, say the agents
interviewed, look for one-
week trips which cost less
than $2,000.
Lil Ankers of Berkley 'Iburs
cited some less-expensive,
close-to-home alternative
trips of interest to singles.
The agency did a New Year's
eve "Mystery Trip" to Toron-
to, and plans other such trips
— which include a murder
mystery performance — this
year. "That's something
(singles) could have a lot of
fun with," says Ankers.
Ankers also says that single
travelers are not all young.
She is putting together a trip
to Chicago for "mature
singles . . . it's going to be a
dancing weekend. One night
they're going to have dancing
— this particular singles
group likes ballroom dancing
—they're going to be dancing
and (having) dinner. The
other night they're going to
be going to, I think, a dinner
theater."
The trend in the amount of
travel done by singles seems
to be slightly up in recent
years, but not greatly so.
Lieberman believes that
singles are traveling "more
and more," in the past two
years. "I think what it is," she
adds, "is singles aren't really
afraid to travel and they feel
like if they can travel and be
part of a group or meet other
people, then instead of stay-
ing home, it's a good way," to
meet people.
Rotenberg drew the op-
posite reaction when she
organized a singles travel
club three years ago. A total
of 80 people signed up as
members, but their interest
waned and no trips were
booked. "At this point," she
recalls, "I had the feeling that
people didn't want to be singl-
ed out as singles!'
She maintains "that
singles would like to be able
to do more different things!'
with their vacations. She
recently filed for a name of a
new singles travel group,
"Singles Only," but has done
nothing more with it — yet. "I
really would like to promote
travel for singles . . . I think
that single people are looking
for some direction as to where
they can go and have a good
time and be with other peo-
ple. Forget the word 'single,'