Cruise News Newsletter - Cruises for Solo Travelers

CRUISE NEWS

February 19, 2025

Dear Traveler,

There are many reasons why travelers decide to voyage on a cruise on their own. Maybe their significant other doesn't like cruising or is prone to motion sickness. Or maybe they have more vacation time than family & friends and are willing to sail on their own to see more of the world.

I have many clients who are solo cruisers and the reasons they sail on their own are as varied as when & where they like to cruise. But while their reasons for sailing solo vary, the one thing they all agree on is wanting to avoid high cruise fare single supplements. Cruise fares are usually priced on a per guest basis, but the fares assume double occupancy of the staterooms. When only one guest books a stateroom, the cruise lines add a surcharge called a single supplement to offset the fact that the cruise line is not getting a 2nd fare for double occupancy. Standard single supplements on a typical cruise are generally in the range of +50-75%, meaning solo guests pay 1.5-1.75x the stated double occupancy per guest fare. For expedition cruises and premium suites (usually penthouse and above), the supplement is typically +100%.

If you are interested in an expedition cruise, I'd recommend finding a friend or family member who also wants to go on that bucket list trip because a solo traveler is paying the price of two guests. But for classic cruise itineraries, it pays to look at the itineraries where cruise lines have lowered their solo supplements. Many cruise lines offer special solo supplement rates of +25% on specific itineraries, others go as low as +10-15%, and sometimes cruise lines offer cruises with no single supplements or +0% (though this mostly occurs as part of a short-term promotion).

In addition to getting the benefit of a low single supplement, since these itineraries are sure to attract a lot of solo travelers, they generally offer special onboard amenities to solo guests. Evening cocktail hours for solo guests to meet each other are common, as are large tables at meals for solo guests to dine together. Some cruise lines even have crew members available to be dance partners of solo guests.

If you've been interested in trying a cruise but didn't want to sail on your own, I encourage you to reconsider and I'm happy to discuss cruise itineraries perfect for a solo traveler.

Best,

David

Owner, Barclay & Company Travel

CRUISE NEWS

USEFUL INSIGHTS ON THE LUXURY CRUISE SEGMENT

Many cruise lines offer low single supplements on a portion of their cruise sailings, but I've found these cruise lines to offer some of the lowest single supplements on a wide selection of their sailings, offering many itinerary options for solo cruisers.

Explora Journeys (EXPLORA II)

7-night A Journey through Legendary Marvels & Cultural Fusion

July 6-13, 2026

Round-trip from Athens on the new EXPLORA II, this itinerary visits some of the most famous Greek Islands and overnights in Istanbul, allowing guests extra time in this wonderous city. While sailing the Aegean Sea, guests can enjoy Mediterranean cuisine in the Med Yacht Club, elevated Italian cuisine in Anthology, or eat at one of the many other dining venues on board.

For Ocean Terrace category suites, the single supplement for this itinerary is only +25%.

More Explora Journeys Reduce Single Supplement Fares

Silversea (Silver Cloud)

14-night Lautoka to Lautoka

May 6-20, 2025

Round-trip from Lautoka, Fiji, this cruise visits many of the island nations in Oceania, including Fiji, Tuvalu, Samoa, and Tonga. Guests can book a port-to-port fare, which in addition to the on-board all-inclusiveness of Silversea, also includes excursions in each port. Or they can select the door-to-door fare, which includes home-to-airport transfers, airport-to-ship transfers, and economy airfare (upgradable to business class for an additional fee).

For veranda category suites, the single supplement for this itinerary is only +25%.

More Silversea Reduce Single Supplement Fares

Regent Seven Seas (Seven Seas Explorer)

7-night Anchorage (Whittier) to Vancouver

June 4-11, 2025

A classic Alaska cruise itinerary, from Anchorage to Vancouver, this sailing allows solo travelers to experience one of the last frontiers. Guests will get to experience both cruising into a fjord to see a massive glacier and stops at quaint towns along the Alaskan coastline. Guests can book an all-inclusive fare, or add the Ultimate Upgrade which adds transfers and airfare.

For Deluxe Veranda (G1, G2) and Veranda (H) category suites, the single supplement for this itinerary is only +10%.

More Regent Seven Seas Reduce Single Supplement Fares

Ponant (Le Bellot)

8-night Celtic Voyage: The Hebrides and the Irish Sea – with Smithsonian Journeys

May 4-12, 2025

Ponant is a luxury French cruise line that caters to an international mix of travelers (about half are from English speaking countries so English is also spoken onboard). The Le Bellot is one of the Explorer class ships, designed to visit ports larger ships cannot and offers a number of unique onboard features like the Blue Eye, an underwater multi-sensory lounge. This cruise also includes guest speakers from Smithsonian Journeys.

For most suite categories, there is no single supplement for this itinerary (+0%) or on 188 other sailings currently planned for Ponant ships.

More Ponant Reduce Single Supplement Fares

Read my blog post: Getting to know Ponant Cruises