Solo Cruises on Small Ships: Single Supplements and the Best Lines

A solo cruise on a small ship is one of the best ways to travel alone. The community is small and welcoming, so you make friends by the second day, and you are never lost in a crowd. The one thing to understand is the single supplement, the extra a solo guest pays for a cabin built for two. Some lines waive it, and many run solo deals. This guide explains the supplement, the best lines for solo travelers, the social side, and the voyages we book.

Understanding the Single Supplement

The single supplement exists because ship pricing is built around two people sharing a cabin. A cabin priced to earn from two guests leaves a shortfall when only one books. The supplement covers that gap. It ranges widely. At the low end, some lines charge a modest premium of 25 to 50 percent for the privacy of a cabin to yourself. At the high end, a full 100 percent supplement means a solo guest pays what two would, in effect buying the empty second berth.

The good news is that the range runs all the way down to zero. Some lines have made waiving the supplement part of their appeal, and many others run solo promotions through the year. The supplement is the single biggest factor in solo cruise value, so it pays to know where to look.

The Best Lines for Solo Travelers

A few lines stand out. Tauck waives the supplement entirely on certain cabin categories, with no asterisks, which makes it a genuine favorite for solo travelers. AmaWaterways and Avalon both run frequent solo savings on European rivers, often cutting or removing the supplement on selected sailings. Seabourn offers solo opportunities at the luxury ocean level, and National Geographic and Lindblad suits the active solo traveler especially well. Each opens a different door for traveling alone.

The Social Side

This is where small ships really shine for solo travelers. On a ship of a hundred guests, you are a person, not a face in a crowd. The open-seating dining means you can join a different table each night, and the crew quietly make sure no one is left out. On expeditions, the shared adventure breaks the ice fastest of all, since everyone bonds over the same Zodiac landings and wildlife. Many solo travelers arrive nervous and leave with a group of friends.

Practical Tips for Solo Travel

A little planning helps. Hunt for sailings with reduced or waived supplements, since they change often and an advisor can track them for you. Choose a sociable line and itinerary, with expeditions and river cruises among the friendliest. Join the hosted dinners and the briefings, which are the easiest way to meet people. Pick a cabin you will enjoy your own time in, since you are not sharing it. And book early, because the solo deals and the best single cabins sell out fast.

Recommended Solo Voyages

Each fare is a starting per-person price, and live dates sit on the itinerary page. Solo supplements vary, so ask us for the current solo terms on each.

• No supplement on some cabins: the Essence of the Douro on Tauck, from around $2,290.
• Frequent solo deals: the Best of the Danube on AmaWaterways, from around $1,629.
• The active solo trip: the Alaska's Inside Passage with National Geographic and Lindblad, from around $5,527.

Booking Solo with Us

We book solo travelers every week and can hunt down the sailings with the best solo value, then match you to a sociable ship and itinerary.

Booking through us, you can also join the Small Ship Travel Loyalty Program, a four-tier program that pays members 2 to 5 percent back per booking, plus perks like cabin upgrades and concierge access. The credit builds across every cruise line we book.

Related Reading

• Small Ship Cruise FAQ: the questions we get asked most.
• Best First European River Cruise: a friendly first solo trip.
• What Is an Expedition Cruise?: the most sociable way to travel alone.
• Tauck River Cruises Review: a favorite for solo travelers.

Sources

Recommendations here come from our own bookings and the operators' published itineraries.

• Small Ship Travel.