A cruise might be an effective way to journey solo; it’s convivial and secure however as adventurous as you need it to be. However punitive single dietary supplements are the largest bugbear of solo travellers. Fortunately, market forces are at work and cruise traces are regularly incorporating extra and higher single cabins into new ships, or providing higher offers for solos. You simply should know the place to look — and it’s important to be fast to snap up offers. Listed below are among the greatest gives round for the time being, all for solo occupancy except specified.
Saga’s fashionable however snug Spirit of Discovery has a formidable 109 single cabins throughout a number of classes — a fifth of the lodging, basically — all with non-public balcony and the identical facilities because the double cabins. The over-50s line actually takes care of solo travellers, with get-togethers, a singles’ lunch, hosted eating tables and a buddy system for these on the lookout for firm on a shore tour. This late summer time cruise from Dover visits Guernsey, the Isles of Scilly, Falmouth, Torquay and Portsmouth, with included excursions to the Abbey Gardens on Tresco and round Portsmouth.
Particulars Seven nights’ all-inclusive from £4,092pp, together with two excursions, suggestions, journey insurance coverage and a chauffeured automotive to and from the port, departing from Dover on September 5 (journey.saga.co.uk)
2. Cairo and the Nile
This escorted tour and cruise of Egypt consists of visiting the temple at Karnak
GETTY IMAGES
Discover Cairo and higher Egypt on an escorted tour that’s solely for solo travellers aged over 50. You’ll have 4 nights on the Cairo Marriott, with visits to the Pyramids of Giza and the brand new Grand Egyptian Museum included, adopted by seven on the 52-cabin Steigenberger Regency, a five-star Nile cruiser solely chartered by the solo journey specialist One Traveller. Sail from Luxor to Aswan and again, visiting Karnak and Luxor temples, the Valley of the Kings (together with Tutankhamun’s tomb), Kom Ombo and Aswan Excessive Dam. There’s a felucca journey on the Nile too. The journey is totally escorted by two tour managers and two Egyptologists — and you’ll select an additional perk between a automotive from residence to the airport, a pre-cruise in a single day at an airport resort or regional flights.
Particulars Eleven nights’ full board from £4,990pp, together with flights, excursions, Egyptian visa, suggestions and drinks on the ship, departing on November 12 (onetraveller.co.uk)
3. Spring in Antarctica
See penguin colonies on an Antarctica cruise
GETTY IMAGES
Snow-draped Antarctica and its thrilling wildlife encounters can appear unattainable for solo travellers due to sky-high single dietary supplements. However journey with G Adventures on the venerable however cosy G Expedition, which carries 134 company, and you’ll make the most of their cabin-share scheme, the place you’re buddied up with a traveller of the identical gender. This 12-night expedition from Ushuaia visits the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic peninsula, with Zodiac landings the place you possibly can spot penguin colonies and seals. There are alternatives to kayak, camp on the ice and courageous the polar plunge along with your new companions. Travelling this early within the season means the icy landscapes can be pristine too.
Particulars Twelve nights from £7,499pp, together with one evening half-board in an Ushuaia resort, 11 full board on the ship and day by day landings and Zodiac exploration, departing from Ushuaia on November 11 (gadventures.com). Fly to Ushuaia by way of Buenos Aires
• 11 of the best destinations for solo travellers
4. Solos solely on the Danube
The Hungarian parliament in Budapest
GETTY IMAGES
Riviera Journey has some nice offers for solo travellers. This Danube cruise crusing round-trip from Budapest is a particular departure for solos, with a tour escort, so you possibly can count on a sociable vibe as you discover Bratislava, Dürnstein, Salzburg and Vienna. Excursions are included so the times are stuffed with shared experiences. You’ll sail on the model new MS Riviera Radiance, launching this yr and carrying 178 passengers in boutique model with sensible decor, a swimming pool and a selection of three locations to eat.
Particulars Seven nights’ all-inclusive from £2,599pp, together with flights and excursions, departing from Budapest on November 3 (rivieratravel.co.uk)
5. Expedition to Svalbard
Seek for polar bears in Svalbard on this Arctic expedition
ALAMY
AE Expeditions is extra-friendly to solo travellers and has lately introduced that it’s dedicating ten cabins on each Arctic and Antarctica crusing for single use, with no complement. The Australian-owned line additionally gives a cabin-share scheme on its smooth expedition ships, which is a superb alternative, as expedition voyages are by no means low-cost. On this journey from Longyearbyen within the distant Svalbard archipelago, you’ll seek for polar bears, walruses, bearded seals and Arctic foxes, in addition to a spectacular array of seabirds, with day by day hikes and Zodiac exploration.
Particulars Seven nights’ full board from £9,621pp, in a triple-share cabin, together with all expedition actions, drinks with meals, home flights and expedition jacket, departing from Oslo on June 11, 2026 (aexpeditions.co.uk). Fly to Oslo
6. Mediterranean in spring
You may discover the delights of the Amalfi Coast on a crusing with Windstar Cruises — observe the one complement is much lower than many different cruise traces
GETTY IMAGES
Windstar Cruises is providing solo dietary supplements of simply 20 per cent (to place this in perspective, 100 per cent is the standard on most cruise traces) on chosen sailings. One is that this springtime meander from Rome to Athens, which has some great ports of name: an in a single day in Sorrento; Messina for Taormina in Sicily; Gythion, a fairly Peloponnese city; and fortified Monemvasia. You’ll cruise on the four-masted Wind Spirit, a crusing yacht carrying simply 148 company, sufficiently small to have a pleasant, convivial ambiance.
Particulars Seven nights’ full board from £2,899pp, departing from Rome on April 23 (windstarcruises.co.uk). Fly to Rome
7. Canary Islands with a number
Lanzarote is simply one of many stops on this Canary Islands journey
ALAMY
Solo travellers typically fear they’ll be the one ones not coupled up, wherein case, a hosted, singles-only group journey is the reply. The Cardiff-based Ardour for Cruises gives common hosted departures on which you’ll be able to count on gatherings reminiscent of espresso mornings, group pre-dinner drinks, shared eating tables, pre-excursion meet-ups and even breakfast get-togethers. So whereas this 14-night Canaries cruise is on P&O Cruises’ 5,200-passenger Iona, you shouldn’t really feel misplaced in a crowd. Ports of name embrace Madeira, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Cadiz, La Coruña and Vigo.
Particulars Fourteen nights’ full board from £1,775pp, departing from Southampton on November 7, 2026 (passionforcruises.co.uk)
8. Venice by small ship
The colorful Burano islands
GETTY IMAGES
The French-owned CroisiEurope is celebrating 25 years of crusing on the Venice Lagoon by launching a no single complement supply for cruises departing between March and June 2025. The 154-passenger MS Michelangelo docks on the Giudecca Canal, inside strolling distance of Piazza San Marco, and potters across the lagoon with visits to Murano and Burano islands, Mantua and a facet journey to Verona. Whereas most passengers are French, all departures are “worldwide” and there’s at all times a smattering of different nationalities. Better of all, on the nights if you’re docked alongside in Venice, you possibly can discover town after the crowds have thinned.
Particulars Six nights’ all-inclusive from £1,033pp, departing from Venice on March 29 (croisieurope.co.uk). Fly to Venice
• 15 of the best river cruises in Europe for 2025
9. Norway’s Coastal Categorical
The northern lights over Sommaroy in Norway
GETTY IMAGES
Hurtigruten’s Coastal Categorical ships ply the route between Bergen and Kirkenes, within the far north subsequent to the Russian border, yr spherical. Month-to-month gives are launched for solo travellers, eradicating the one complement, so maintain checking. The spherical journey takes 12 days and also you’ll cease at 34 ports starting from tiny fishing villages to cities reminiscent of Alesund and Tromso, a main spot for seeing the northern lights — a robust risk in November, when this voyage departs. Non-obligatory excursions embrace guided walks, a go to to the North Cape, a tour of the Snow Resort at Kirkenes, husky sledding, a brewery go to and a midnight live performance in Tromso cathedral. This departure is on the Kong Harald, a hybrid-powered ship with cosy remark lounges, two sizzling tubs, three eating places and a bakery. All of the meals is sustainably sourced and impressed by Norwegian delicacies.
Particulars Eleven nights’ full board from £2,660pp, together with flights, departing from Bergen on November 1 (hurtigruten.com)
10. Aegean in model
Some Crystal cruises name at Mykonos
GETTY IMAGES
The ultra-luxury line Crystal has launched a tempting promotion for solos, with zero dietary supplements on two cabin classes on some cruises all through 2025. Meander via the Greek islands on the 606-passenger Crystal Symphony, which was totally refitted in 2023, on a cruise from Athens to Nafplion, Mykonos, Rhodes, Kusadasi (for Ephesus) and Patmos. There’s an attractive pool deck on board and one of many eating places, Umi Uma, is overseen by the superstar chef Nobu Matsuhisa. All cabins have butler service — and on this cruise, you’ll have an ocean view. No poky inside cabins right here.
Particulars Seven nights’ all-inclusive from £4,050pp, departing from Athens on August 2 (crystalcruises.com). Fly to Athens
The right way to be a sensible solo cruiser
All too usually, the one complement on a cruise is 100 per cent, which appears grossly unfair as a solo traveller will not be going to make use of double the assets (meals, drink, service, seats within the theatre and on tour buses) like a pair. So it’s important to be sensible, versatile, and able to pounce. Solo cabins are at all times snapped up as quickly as they go on sale so have interaction a savvy journey agent to provide you with a warning earlier than a brand new season is launched. Lots of the massive on-line brokers have pages on their web sites devoted to solo journey; take a look at Panache Cruises (panachecruises.com), ROL Cruise (rolcruise.co.uk) and Iglu Cruise (iglucruise.com). All of the cruise traces have late offers pages too, which regularly embrace diminished single dietary supplements, though you’ll must confirm whether or not these are severe gives reasonably than a paltry 10 per cent off.
Additionally take a look at solo specialist tour operators. Simply You (justyou.co.uk), One Traveller (see above, onetraveller.co.uk) and Solos Holidays (solosholidays.com) all supply cruises. Be part of a Fb discussion board; Cruises for Solos, for instance, has 91,000 members, whereas Cruise Critic (cruisecritic.co.uk) is one other strategy to meet fellow solos.. Skilled cruisers could be a part of a “roll name” for his or her forthcoming cruise, for instance, and band collectively to rearrange unbiased excursions that undercut these of the cruise line.
Do you’ve got any suggestions for solo cruisers? Tell us within the feedback beneath
Become a subscriber and, together with limitless digital entry to The Occasions and The Sunday Occasions, you possibly can get pleasure from a set of journey gives and competitions curated by our trusted journey companions, particularly for Occasions+ members
Join the travel newsletter and observe us on Instagram and X
