Best Cruise Lines For A Singles Cruise
If you are a solo traveler wanting to go on a cruise then it can be difficult to find a cruise liner that is going to be affordable. Most of the big, established companies will expect you to pay a single supplement fee where you effectively have to cover the cost of two travelers.
The reason for this is due to the fact that the vast majority of rooms are designed with two people in mind and therefore the company will feel as though they will be losing money by selling such a room to a solo traveler.
Thankfully there are options out there or the single cruiser and there more companies who are either reducing the single supplement, creating single staterooms or allowing tour operators to book a large number of rooms for singles cruises.
What do you want out of your singles cruise?
Before looking at various websites for different companies you need to ask yourself what you are planning to get out of your cruise vacation. For the solo traveler, there are many different types of vacations you can have onboard a ship but it depends on what you want.
If you are looking to meet fellow singles then you would ideally look for a solo cruise or at least a cruise liner that will have singles events. This will give you the opportunity to meet new people and have a great laugh in the process.
It could be though, that you simply want to relax and have some ‘me time’ to yourself for a week or more. If this is you then you would simply look for a company that has solo cabins or reduced single supplements and not care about any singles events.
The reason this is important is that it will change the type of cruises that are available to you. Cruises for singles are rarer and sell out quickly and so do single cabins on more regular cruise lines. It’s up to you to choose which type of break you’d prefer.
Are you happy to match staterooms with other solo travelers?
Another key question to ask yourself is if you are willing to share a room with someone, or not. On singles only cruises and other types of cruise ship you will have the option to be matched with another solo traveler of the same gender and therefore traveling supplement free.
While this might sound like a great adventure for some and a good way to meet a new friends, some others would prefer the privacy of their own cabin. The downside here though, is that a lot of ships have very few or no single person cabins and therefore it is not an option.
The alternative to this is to find someone that you are going to be more comfortable with and this can be done in one of two ways. Firstly you could travel with an existing single friend who loves cruising or alternatively there are online forums where you are able to search for potential roommates.
The best cruise lines for singles cruises
There are many great cruise companies out there but not all of them are good at catering to solo travelers. Here we will look at some of the best to give you a great choice in finding a company who is going to make your time onboard as easy and welcoming as possible.
Start our FREE cruise price alerts to never miss a deal again.
1. Norwegian Cruise Line
The Norwegian Cruise Line is a company that will come up a lot in searches for the best singles cruise liners as they were the first to make cabins specifically for solo cruisers, and plenty of them at that. The Norwegian Epic was made with 128 studio rooms and they have four other ships that also have a large number of singles rooms.
As well as that, they will often have events for solo travelers and a lounge near the single staterooms where the solo travelers would be able to get acquainted on their journey. They are a great choice for anyone looking to get away and avoid the single supplement.
2. Holland America Line
Unfortunately, most companies won’t offer the vast number of single beds that we see with Norwegian Cruise Line and the majority of others will only have a handful, if any. Holland America Line is an example of this as their Koningsdam ship has 12 cabins.
What Holland America does offer though, is their single partners program so that you will be able to be matched with fellow single travelers. On top of that will be welcome events, cocktail parties and other activities for single cruisers to enjoy.
3. Royal Caribbean Cruises
One aspect of going on a cruise on your own that scares a lot of people is having to dine with couples and feeling like the odd one out. Royal Caribbean are one of a few companies who will offer a singles table during dining so that you don’t have to be on your own.
Three of their main ships have 28 singles cabins and it is a company that is known for plenty of fun activities onboard such as rock-climbing walls, surfing and observation pods. They cater for singles and you’ll never be short of things to do.
4. Crystal Cruises
Crystal Cruises is a company that has a good reputation when it comes to being friendly for solo travelers. Not only will it allow you to dine with other singles but they will often host solo nights in specific restaurants for you to have an even more enjoyable time.
There are going to be plenty of other activities out there for singles too when they are onboard the ship. Shore excursions for solo travelers are also available and plenty of different features will be offered to make sure that you are never left alone if you don’t want to be and always have options available to meet other singles.
5. Cunard Line
Cunard are known as one of the most elegant cruise vacation companies that sail the seas and they will be able to offer a limited amount of solo cabins on their ships which are all beautiful and very well fitted, leaving you with a luxurious experience.
As well as the luxury onboard, there will be plenty to do for single travelers. Having trivia nights, single dining and gentlemen hosts will allow you to have a relaxing time on the ship where you will be able to fully enjoy yourself and have a great time with fellow solo travelers.
6. Princess Cruises
On a Princess cruise there will be plenty of options for the solo traveler. Singles only nights are held where you are going to be able to have a great chance of meeting someone and enjoy a party with your fellow single cruisers.
They will also offer a lot of onboard activities that are catered for single travelers too. This is offered up the plenty of sports activities, relaxation and fun at the likes of casinos too. The only downside is a lack of single cabins but they make solo cruisers feel very welcome.
Using travel agents or a tour operator to book your singles cruise
As a solo traveler you have two options if you want to go on a cruise and mingle with other single travelers and that is to either book directly with a ship that caters specifically for solo travelers or you can book through a company that will organize singles cruises.
The benefit of booking with a travel agency is that they will be able to offer you a vacation with specific events that will be organized with singles in mind. This will allow you a space to be able to enjoy yourself knowing that you are going to be in the company of fellow single travelers.
With these types of tours and cruises though you will often have double occupancy with two single beds instead of a double bed. This might suit the more adventurous travelers but for a lot of people they’d prefer to just be in a room on their own.
While some ships will be able to offer some events with singles in mind, these companies will be all about the single trip and therefore will have a lot more available to you. You will have to pay an extra charge for these services with your upfront costs but a lot of people will see it as value for money, especially if you are looking to find a partner and new friends.
Sign up and we'll send the best cruise deals to your inbox.
How much will I pay for a singles cruise?
As a solo traveler it’s going to be hard to find anywhere that is going to be half the cost of what a couple has to pay, as you will either have to pay for one of the limited numbers of studio cabins, pay a single supplement charge or go through a company that will offer singles cruises.
For those that don’t know, the single supplement is standard in the travel industry and is the expectation that a solo traveler will pay the same price for a double room as a couple would. This means that many rooms will be double the price which can restrict solo travelers to only a certain amount of cruises, unless they want to pay excessive fees.
Some companies like Norwegian Cruise Line will offer reduced rates on their single supplements when it comes to their regular rooms but you will find that if you wanted your own double cabin, the vast majority of cruise liners are going to expect you to pay a very hefty fee in order to board the ship.
The single cabins that are available on these ships are reasonably priced with the downside being that you are often limited for choice on the type of rooms that are available when compared to couples. The studios are going to be smaller rooms and are usually situated on the inside of the ship and therefore you don’t have the option of paying a little extra for a balcony.
It could be said that these ships carry a hidden single supplement charge to them. As a ballpark example, if you take an inside double stateroom and an inside studio room, if you paid around $1,000 for the double room you’d be expected to pay around $800 for a studio room. Even though this would be cheaper than getting a double room, the couple would be paying $500 each for a room that is only marginally bigger with the same amenities.
For these reasons, getting a single cabin is still going to be expensive but not as expensive as many other options. As we have discussed earlier, the cheapest way of enjoying a cruise as a single is going to be to match up with other travelers to share the price of a double room. While the options are out where, you just need to be wise about what you are spending and how to save some money during your cruise.
Decide which cruise line best for YOU
As we can see, despite the market being made with couples in mind, there are still going to be a lot of options when it comes to solo travelers. Thankfully you can choose from some great cruise lines who not only won’t make you break the bank to travel on their ships but will put events in place for you to meet fellow singles.
There are websites out there which are going to help you have a singles cruise experience and these can be very fun to travel on. This these types of companies, you usually have to split the cost with a fellow passenger and pay a little bit extra for booking with a 3rd party companies and to attend all the events and activities that they will offer.
Splitting the cost with a fellow traveler is a great way to ensure that your journey is as cheap as possible but this is not going to be for everyone. If you are going to be doing this on a regular cruise then you also aren’t going to see a lot of singles events to help meet fellow singles.
The best option for you is going to depend on your personality and how you want to spend your time away. Just because you are single doesn’t mean that you have to stay at home or go on a regular vacation. With these great cruise liners, you are going to be able to enjoy the wonderful cruise experience without breaking the bank.