The best cruise lines for solo travellers
There was a time when your only option as a solo cruiser was to pay the (exorbitant) single supplement and have a double cabin to yourself. Not any more. Many cruise lines are coming to realise that singles are a market worth catering for.
Norwegian Cruise Line
With Norwegian, you’d prefer to be travelling solo just so you can access the exclusive singles’ lounge. Called the Living Room, this quiet space is just for guests staying in the studio cabins and has drinks and snacks all day, comfy couches and flat screen TVs. With only a handful of studios onboard ships with thousands of passengers, the Living Room is never crowded and one of the most pleasant places to be. The studios themselves are also seriously stylish (though quite petite) and located in a separate area accessible only by keycard, which provides more security for singles.
Holland America Line
HAL (as it’s known in the industry) has a long history of encouraging its single passengers to buddy up. Single travellers of the same sex can be matched up and share a room, paying the standard rate for a double (though they will have to pay the single supplement rate if no match is found). If you don’t fancy sharing with a stranger, the line’s newest ship, Koningsdam, will be launched in early 2016 and be the first to include purpose built solo cabins. HAL also runs a Single Partners Program on every cruise that organises activities for solo travellers, like trivia, dance classes, wine tasting, lectures and shore excursions.
River cruising
River cruising is a great option for the solo traveller. Though the ships don’t generally have solo cabins (with a maximum of around 100 cabins onboard, space is at a premium) but many will waive the single supplement fare. Tauck and AmaWaterways offer great deals for singles in Europe. The small size of the ship also means that you’ll be able to mingle with the group rather than feeling overwhelmed by thousands of new faces.
Azamara Club Cruises
This premium line operates small ships with just under 700 passengers each. There are no single cabins but it is one of the few ocean lines to offer singles a low surcharge of just 25 per cent on the standard double rate (compared to other lines where it can be up to 80 per cent). It’s a popular line for solo cruisers so you will likely meet up with some like-minded folks over a sundowner.
Royal Caribbean
Two of Royal Caribbean’s newest ships, the Quantum and Anthem of the Seas, both have 28 single cabins onboard. Half of the cabins have spacious balconies while the rest have the line’s innovative “virtual balconies” – essentially a huge TV screen on one wall that plays real time footage of the outside, so it feels like you’re looking out a window.