According to Janet Groene, author of Fantastic Discounts & Deals for Anyone
Over 50 (Cold Spring Press, $9.95), 
the top eight winter deals for seniors
traveling solo are as follows:
1. Relive your favorite Daphne DuMaurier novel (Rebecca, Jamaica Inn, Freshmen' Creek) in Devon and Cornwall in southwest England. Tramp windswept trails, sip tea by the fire, walk seaside cliffs in the off season when sea spume blows with white fury. Sleep under quilts or a featherbed in a cozy bed and breakfast inn for under US$50 nightly including a farmhand breakfast. In low season, no single supplement applies. Booking is available online only.
Details: www.cartwheelholidays.com.
2. Cruise West, a company known for small ships that nudge into harbors that cruise liners can't visit, is going winter whale watching in Baja. For one price get a single cabin, meals, programs, exploring in zippy Zodiacs with professional naturalists, taxes and port fees. Sign now for early booking discounts. Note: AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) members also get a US$100 shipboard credit.
Details: Tel. 1-888-851-8133, www.cruisewest.com.
3. Cypress Gardens Adventure Park, in Winter Haven Florida, had a near-death experience with hurricanes and financial woes but is open again with gardens that have been awesome since 1938. New are rides, a killer coaster, and concerts. The butterfly conservatory and glass-bottom boats are still here. Seniors pay US$5 less than the US$34.95 admission and get a second day free within six days.
Details: Tel. 1-863-324-2111, www.cypressgardens.com.
4. Fort Myers Florida is so eager to show how well it survived the 2004 hurricanes, motel rooms go to seniors for as little as US$47.50 – that' available at the Quality Hotel Historic District. Other senior discounts are found at the ultra-classy Hyatt Regency Coconut Point (from US$132.50), Admiral Lehigh Golf Resort (US$67.50) and Holiday Inn Riverwalk (from US$72). Prices are per room, single or double.
Details: Tel. 1-800-237-6444, www.fortmyerssanibel.com .
5. Homewood Mountain Resort, Homewood California, on the west shore of Lake Tahoe, offers Senior Moment Mondays when guests over 62 get a lift ticket, lunch, and a group lesson for US$25. Buy lift tickets for two days in a row for US$10 a day.
Details: Tel. 1-877-525-7669. If you're 75 or over, lift tickets are free at Squaw Valley USA, 1-530-583-6985.
6. Juneau Alaska is a hushed wonderland in winter after cruise crowds leave. See nightly aurora borealis spectacles and Native American events. Hike snowy woods, go dog-mushing, and dine in snug restaurants and pubs. Seniors 55 and better (AARP members 50+) get a single or double room with full breakfast at the Best Western Grandma' Feather Bed for US$107.96 nightly.
Details: Tel. 1-800-982-3785.
7. Norway is the "old country" to thousands of North Americans who love visiting their ancestors' homeland. With Norwegian Coastal Voyage, sail the fjords in a snug, single cabin with private bath. Attend winter festivals in fishing villages, feast on Norwegian specialties, and be hilariously initiated when you cross the Arctic Circle. Only in winter can you see northern lights at their best.
Seniors age 67 and up get US$115 off per person; no single supplement is charged through March 31, 2005. A single traveler 50 and up can combine two or three NCV promotional offers: the waived single supplement (winter only), the AARP discount and, if they're age 67 and up, additional senior savings of US$95 to US$170 per person. It' great for friends traveling together in separate cabins because they each get the AARP discount.
Details: Tel. 1-800-323-7436, www.coastalvoyage.com.
8. Born in 1955? French Country Waterways operates a fleet of luxury hotel barges that cruise the sliver-size canals of France, winding through endless fields of mustard or lavender, past quaint locks, and picture book villages.
Usually the single supplement is sky high on board Esprit, but in 2005, French Country Waterways invites anyone born in 1955 to a "Jubilee Event" hosted by the crew of the Esprit. A solo traveler can celebrate a 50th birthday cruising in the Côte d'Or region of Burgundy and enjoy a 50% reduction off both the cabin rate and the supplement. That brings the price down to US$2,345, or US$2,545 depending on the season. Almost everything is included in the cost – a cabin all to yourself, fabulous cuisine, wine with meals, and side trips.
Details: Dial 1-800-222-1236 in the US and 1-781-934-2454 elsewhere, or go to the website: www.fcwl.com.
Janet Groene is the author of Fantastic Discounts & Deals for Anyone Over 50! Her book lists hundreds of other deals for seniors at home and on the go. The US$9.95 book is available through book stores, or telephone tollfree 1-888-866-6631.