Solo Cruises: The Ultimate Guide to Cruising Solo

Table Of Content

• The Best Cruise Lines for Solo Travelers
• Cruises for Singles in Their 50s
• Planning and Booking Your Solo Cruise
• No. 7: Princess Cruises
• Best Cruises for Solo Travelers: Top Picks and Expert Recommendations

If you prefer a more casual atmosphere, there are usually buffet-style dining options available where you can choose from a wide variety of dishes, catering to different tastes. Finding a bartender you get along with so you can have your own “local” bar on the ship is an easy way to feel comfortable in a lounge while cruising solo. Just because you’re cruising solo doesn’t mean you have to be alone, unless you want to be, of course. Celebrity’s cruises have onboard activities to suit everyone, from thrilling entertainment and live music to guest speaker series and guided meditations.

The Best Cruise Lines for Solo Travelers

The Studio Lounge is typically designed for solo travelers, where you can relax, chat with fellow cruisers, and maybe even meet a new travel buddy. If you’re budget-minded, Royal Caribbean International scores big points for solo travelers by waiving the single supplement fee on select cruises. This means that those who book Royal Caribbean International’s single staterooms won’t be charged a fee (usually 10% to 100%) to occupy a room meant for two people.

Cruises for Singles in Their 50s

As an added benefit, singles in the Norwegian Studios get exclusive key card access to the Studio Complex and Lounge. This is a shared private area to mingle, have a drink, watch TV, and maybe meet someone with whom you could enjoy the rest of the cruise. In the morning, you and your new friend(s) can relax in the Lounge with a cup of complimentary coffee or espresso. Just be sure to avoid these things polite people never do on a cruise. European river cruises are the only option that Riviera offers for solo travellers, with seven routes that cover the continent’s main rivers. Prices include all the same features as a standard booking – such as excursions, onboard meals and Wi-Fi – but with spacious single occupancy cabins and welcome dinners to help you meet people.

Planning and Booking Your Solo Cruise

The Queen Mary 2’s Queen’s Room has the largest dance floor of any cruise ship, while the Golden Lion is a famed gathering place in the tradition of an English pub. For live entertainment, the Queen Victoria’s Royal Court Theatre features West-End style shows and more. If you’re looking for a fun solo getaway, it doesn’t get much better than Norwegian. Norwegian cruise ships have a great night life and plenty of onboard activities like Laster Tag, Go Karting and waterslides. Virgin is a new cruise line and launched with its first ship the Scarlet Lady.

Royal Caribbean ships with solo cabins include Quantum of the Seas, Spectrum of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas and Odyssey of the Seas, which each feature 28 studio cabins for solo travelers. Royal Caribbean offers these in a mix of virtual balcony cabins (inside cabins) and solo balcony rooms with 55-square-foot open-air terraces. Studio units all come with full-size beds and range in size from 101 to 119 square feet. This means that even if you are looking to enjoy a vacation at sea as a solo cruiser, you end up paying extra to have a stateroom all to yourself. The handsome, custom-designed single-studio staterooms—an industry first—provide solo cruisers with an affordable and stylish way to set sail.

The caveat is that cruise lines that cater to mature travelers are often targeted at couples, with solo travelers skewing older. Silversea Cruises offers a unique and luxurious solo cruising experience. The luxury cruise line provides a welcoming atmosphere for solo travelers. Grand Circle Cruise Line has been an industry leader when it comes to solo travel, thanks to small-group (no more than 47 people) shore excursions and free or low-cost single supplements. A roommate matching program helps pair same-gender travelers, and an online forum allows solo travelers to start connecting well before the departure date.

G Adventures: Small group adventures at sea

The 5 best cruise lines for solo travelers - The Points Guy

The 5 best cruise lines for solo travelers.

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It also has four ships in Europe that each have two dedicated solo cabins that carry no single supplement. It has fitted its older ships with 14 ‘Solo Staterooms’, all of which offer magnificent sea views. Tauck claims to have specialised in solo travel for over 90 years, and today this translates to special solo savings and no single supplement on European river cruises.

The second in Celebrity’s Edge series of ocean liners is the cruise line’s ship with most single staterooms (24), increasing your odds of meeting other single cruisers. The ship itself is stunning and the cabins spacious for single foodies looking for a solo vacation at sea, but the culinary scene on the Celebrity Apex is the star of this show. It’s a dining experience unparalleled in the world of cruising, which makes it perfect for a solo foodie wanting to taste adventure. To ensure that you enjoy every single bite, you have to avoid getting sick on a cruise. Although Silversea Cruises doesn’t offer specific single cabins, they have low single supplements. Sliverseas single supplements start as low as 10% on selected voyages, making it more affordable for solo travelers to enjoy the luxury and comfort of their own private space.

Final Thoughts on Best Cruises for Solo Travelers

While cruising is, overall, incredibly safe, crime on board can happen. Like any form of travel, it's best not to let your guard down, especially if you go off alone with someone you've just met. An editor I once knew found her true love on an expedition-style cruise.

For fortysomething singles looking for onboard romance, we suggest a studio cabin for seven nights on NCL's new Norwegian Viva bound for the Caribbean. A seven-day Norwegian Fjords cruise aboard Princess Cruises' Sky Princess is an additional option for travelers hoping to explore another part of the world best seen from a ship. Upscale, bigger cruises on ships from Princess, Holland America, and Celebrity will likely appeal to cruisers in their 40s, McDaniel says.

Norwegian was the first cruise company to build ships with cabins and lounge areas that were specifically for solo travellers, and there are now around 1,000 solo cabins across its ships. When embarking on a solo cruise, you’ll find plenty of opportunities for socializing and dining. Lounges and bars onboard offer a setting to meet fellow travelers, while various dining options cater to your preferences and help you connect with others over a delightful meal. Norwegian Cruise Line is well known among solo travelers for its extensive solo cabins and friendly atmosphere. They have been credited with starting the trend of offering more solo cabins on cruise ships.

Virgin has a private beach club that will surely rank as one of the best beaches in the world. Finally, solo travel allows you to keep your vacation stress free and worry-free by having no one else’s needs but your own that have to be taken into consideration. Even if you don't meet the partner of your dreams, you'll enjoy a fantastic cruise vacation.

Solo travelers particularly love the cruise line’s focus on traditional cruising and the social onboard atmosphere. Cunard Line places solo travelers at dinner tables with other solo cruisers, making it easy to mingle and make friends. We’ve chosen the best cruise lines based on the number of single cabins, solo supplement pricing, social atmosphere onboard, and the number of onboard group activities. Viking Cruises often offers single supplement promotions as low as 25%, along with reduced airfare for select European river cruises. There's no assigned seating aboard Viking vessels, which makes it easy to dine with like-minded travelers, and a few of Viking's ships have single staterooms. If you're looking to make a transatlantic voyage, Cunard offers solo cabins on the Queen Mary 2, the iconic ship known for its transatlantic crossings between London and New York.

For example, Norwegian Cruise Line offers studio cabins for single travelers that include access to an exclusive lounge with complimentary espresso and snacks. "One of the benefits of sailing as a single is cruises are generally social. That's how they're designed," McDaniel says. "If you're somebody who's comfortable traveling by themselves and looks to make friends on vacation, there's no shortage of people you're going to meet."

Solo bookings also include the ‘superior’ drinks package, which gives guests an extensive selection of alcoholic drinks available both at lunch and between 6pm and midnight. The Rhine and Moselle package is their most affordable, starting in Cologne and taking you to beautiful towns like Koblenz and Rudesheim. Norwegian Cruise Line started the single cabin trend by being the first cruise line to offer rooms for one. Ft, Norwegian’s studio cabins are definitely small, but solo cruisers will get exclusive access to the Studio Lounge, a shared space designed for socializing.

Solo on the high seas? Here are the best cruise lines for singles

Table Of Content

• 7Best cruise lines for solo travelers 2024
• Best cruises for singles over 40
• Silversea Cruises: Luxury solo cruising
• Single Supplement
• Participate in Activities
• The 5 best cruise lines for solo travelers

When it comes to costs, solo cruisers often face higher fares due to single supplements. Make sure to explore cruise lines that offer reduced or waived single supplements. Seasonal sales, last-minute deals, and promotional offers can also make your solo cruise more affordable. Websites can offer valuable information that can help you choose the right cruise line. Look for cruise lines that cater to solo cruisers, as they often provide amenities and activities tailored for individual travelers. With their comfortable staterooms and numerous itineraries, you can immerse yourself in European river cruise destinations while enjoying the company of fellow solo travelers.

7Best cruise lines for solo travelers 2024

Seabourn Cruises is ideal for solo cruisers who want a little luxury in their vacation. The line's small ships, with their cozy and social atmosphere, mean that singles won't be overlooked. That's a bonus for solo cruisers looking to hop on any of the line's itineraries, including a Seabourn Mediterranean cruise.

Best cruises for singles over 40

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Single staterooms provide a comfortable space for solo travelers while still offering the opportunity for mingling with other guests onboard. They usually include a twin bed, a private bathroom, and some storage space. These cozy, compact cabins often come with access to a communal lounge area exclusive to studio guests, giving you the opportunity to meet and socialize with fellow solo travelers. There are options for solo cruisers to book shore excursions withe the cruise line, which can provide a safe and comforting way to visit cruise ports of call. Meaning that solo cruisers usually have to pay the cruise fare of 2 people in a cabin.

Silversea Cruises: Luxury solo cruising

They married within months of returning home and now have two children. Whether it was the thrill of the expedition, the forced digital detox of a remote destination or the close quarters of a small ship, their relationship clearly blossomed on board. Expert travel tips, dream destination inspiration, and timely travel news delivered to your inbox daily. Sail along the Rhine, Main, and Danube rivers on Viking's Grand European Tour, which starts in Amsterdam and ends in Budapest.

They operate an impressive fleet of privately-owned river ships throughout Europe, where you can explore in small groups (38 on average) aboard Grand Circle's 86- to 162-passenger ships. A welcome reception with Champagne is held on every voyage with a large number of solos. Most voyages of more than 10 days also have gentleman hosts onboard as dance partners and shore excursion escorts. On Silversea's expedition sailings, you can also share meals with ship naturalists and expedition guides who join passengers in public dining venues. From my experience, they are always amenable to a friendly dining companion and some good conversation.

Best cruise for active singles

Going on a cruise alone? Here are the 8 best solo cruise cabins - Cruise Blog

Going on a cruise alone? Here are the 8 best solo cruise cabins.

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Holland America's Single Partners Program, available on most voyages, offers events for solo travelers like cocktail mixers and games, too. Of course, it's not just a low price that makes for a good solo cruise. Just as important for many people traveling alone is the opportunity to meet other like-minded solo travelers through meet-and-greet receptions and organized group dining for solo cruisers. Oceania voyages make it easy to meet like-minded travellers with solo meet-and-greet events, large mixed dining tables, mixed shore excursions and single-traveller activities such as art classes. Destinations range from the Mediterranean and Scandinavia to South Africa and the tropics, meaning solo travellers have opportunities to see a large portion of the world alone.

In fact, paying the double occupancy fare can end up being cheaper than cruising with a more expensive cruise line. The great thing about Royal Caribbean is that many of the ships in their fleet have solo staterooms. Virgin Voyages is the newest major cruise line and they have a beautiful fleet of ships that is amazing for single cruisers. From dressy dinners to the moon's glow on the ocean waves, cruising can feel like a setting straight from a Hollywood film. Though not as simple as swiping right, cruising to meet other singles has appeal.

Each cabin features a memory foam bed, a separate seating area, and a private balcony. Royal Caribbean has more single cruise cabins than the average cruise line. Daily activities will keep you entertained while onboard, while organised excursions or solo trips let you see a magnificent range of towns and cities at your leisure. Solo-specific events mean that meeting other travellers is as easy as sitting down to dinner, while you’ll have a comfortable solo cabin to come back to at the end of each day. Choose the right cruise and you’ll get all of this while avoiding the common ‘singles surcharge’.

Keep an eye out for their solo traveler promotions throughout the year to take advantage of reduced or waived single supplements. You’ll find plenty of opportunities to make friends and socialize with other solo cruisers. Join group activities like trivia nights, poolside games, and themed deck parties3. These events provide casual, low-pressure ways to connect with fellow passengers and build lasting memories. If you’re interested in classes, many cruise lines offer a diverse selection that caters to solo travelers.

On Princess cruise ships, you’ll find singles only get-togethers and other activities where you could meet new people. If you’re looking for an affordable cruise as a solo traveler, consider booking a cruise outside of the peak season for the best price. Solo cruisers will meet others interested in experiencing Christmas trees glittering with thousands of lights, bells ringing from cathedral towers, and adorable European children regaling visitors with carols. The best secret in cruising right now is that AmaWaterways is waiving the single supplement cost on select ships in Europe with specially designed 140-square-foot, single-occupancy staterooms and French balconies. Every cruise ship has its own secrets waiting to be discovered, but here are some secrets that cruise lines won’t tell you. However, some cruise lines are tailored to single travelers, and offer discounts for the solo traveler.

With single staterooms aboard Queen Mary 2, Cunard now offers single-occupancy cabins (many with ocean views) on most ships, including the smaller Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria. On Edge-series ships, the larger single stateroom with infinite veranda is perfect for solo cruise guests, a generous 184 square feet including the veranda space. Oceania Cruises offers single passengers a lower fare on select sailings. This is a great way that Oceania encourages solo cruisers to come onboard their ships.

Cruising with MSC is a great way to travel the world at an affordable price. Single parents who vacation with their youngsters might want to add Disney Cruise Line to the list. Another cruise line that works well for young singles is Virgin Voyages, which is child-free and has rooms and activities designed for singles. Try short three- to five-night cruises on low-cost mainstream lines like Carnival, Norwegian Cruise Line or Royal Caribbean, where you'll find more young adults and more of a party scene. Singles on a budget can also save money cruising on older, smaller ships across the mainstream fleets, which typically have lower cruise fares. Your vessel's daily activity schedule is also a good place to find other singles.

In this article I’m going share some tips for finding your perfect cruise line as well as tell all my fellow solo cruisers about how much fun they’re missing out on by not taking these vacations alone. Single travelers in their 60s and older with a large travel budget should consider luxury cruise lines like Seabourn Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Silversea Cruises. All of these cater to singles with reduced supplement charges and singles meet-and-greets.

Check the Royal Caribbean app to find out when your ship hosts a solo get-together to mix and mingle with other solo travelers. Solo travelers will have plenty of opportunities to socialize and mingle with fellow passengers. The biggest perk of booking Norwegian Cruise Line’s single rooms is access to the exclusive Studio Complex and Lounge. The shared social space features a bar, TV, and an area for single passengers to mingle and meet other solo travelers. NCL’s Studio staterooms are tailored for your single cruising experience.

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Virgin Voyages is an 18+ cruise line, so it’s more likely that you’ll be mixing with other adults your age, rather than families which can be typical on many cruise ships. However, in recent years cruising has gained popularity for solo cruisers as well. Oceania, Azamara and Holland America are tops on this list, especially on their shorter cruises that attract still-working professionals.