Your Journey, Your Way: The Luxury of Travelling Solo
Five luxury cruise lines are cutting the single supplement, and our two hosted sailings have solo rates too.
Picture coffee on your balcony while the Danube slides past the Wachau vineyards. Lunch in a Lisbon square that runs long because nobody's waiting on you. Dinner with people you met that morning, and then a suite that's all yours.
More and more of my clients travel alone, and most of them aren't settling for anything. They just don't want to wait for someone else's calendar to line up. The cruise lines have finally noticed.
Solo travel is growing fast
Uniworld says its solo bookings in 2023 were up 31% over 2019, and solo women were up 61%. A jump like that gets a cruise line's attention. I'm seeing more cabins built for one, welcome receptions for solo guests, small-group outings, and the change that matters most to your budget: smaller single supplements, or none at all.
Some of my solo clients are newly retired. Some have lost a spouse. Some have a partner who'd rather stay home with the dog. Right now, all of them have more good options than I've seen in years.
Why a cruise works so well on your own
Travelling alone can feel like a lot to organize. A cruise takes most of that off your plate. You unpack once and the ship moves you from city to city overnight. Transfers and guided excursions are arranged for you, so you're never stuck figuring out a strange train station by yourself (unless that's your idea of fun).
You can join a shared table at dinner or sign up for a cooking class, then disappear to your veranda with a book when you've had enough people. On the lines below, meals, wine and many excursions are included, so there's no splitting the bill and no surprise charges at the end.
And the ships are small, river ships especially. By the second day the bartender knows your drink and you've probably found a couple of people to sit with.
What a single supplement is
Cruise fares are quoted per person, assuming two people share a cabin. Book that cabin for one and the line usually charges a single supplement to make up the difference, often 100% of the fare. So you'd pay double.
Luxury lines now soften that in a few ways. Some waive the supplement completely on certain sailings, so you pay the same per-person fare as a couple. Others cut it to somewhere between 10% and 50%. A few have built cabins meant for one person and priced that way.
Every one of these deals is limited to certain sailings and cabin categories, and the lines only release so many. The good ones go early, which is a big part of why it pays to have someone watching for them.
Solo offers worth knowing about right now
Explora Journeys: A Journey of One
Explora feels more like a European resort than a cruise ship. Every suite faces the ocean and has its own terrace, and the pace on board is slow in the best way.
Under its A Journey of One offer, Explora charges no solo supplement at all on select journeys and a reduced one on others. It covers the Ocean Terrace, Ocean Grand Terrace and Ocean Penthouse suites, and you can combine it with Explora's Early Booking Benefit. Their ships spend summer in the Mediterranean and winter in the Caribbean, with Atlantic crossings in between.
Oceania Cruises: for the solo traveller who travels to eat
Oceania's whole identity is the food, and it has quietly become one of the easiest ocean lines for solo guests. On select sailings and categories, the single supplement is reduced by up to 50%.
Oceania has also built cabins for one. Vista and Allura have Concierge Level Solo Veranda Staterooms, about 270 square feet with a private veranda and access to the Concierge Lounge. Regatta, Insignia, Nautica and Sirena have Solo Oceanview Staterooms. The line went adults-only in January 2026, which suits the calm, grown-up feel of the ships.
Uniworld: no supplement on select 2027 sailings
Uniworld's ships are decorated like boutique hotels, with antiques and original art, and carry about 120 guests on average. The fare covers fine wines and spirits, excursions, gratuities and transfers.
For 2027, Uniworld has waived the single supplement on select departures and cabin categories in Europe. They only release a limited number of these, and they've sold out quickly in past years. If you've been thinking about the Danube, the Rhine, the Seine or the Douro, now's a good time to look.
Silversea: ultra-luxury at a 25% supplement
Silversea has butler service in every suite and itineraries that reach from the Mediterranean to Antarctica. On selected voyages, solo travellers pay a supplement of just 25%, on suites up to Deluxe Veranda across most of the fleet.
Every voyage starts with a champagne reception for solo guests, and some sailings bring Gentlemen Hosts on board as dance partners and dinner companions.
AmaWaterways: several ways to save
AmaWaterways is one of the best-rated river lines out there, and it gives solo travellers a few different options. On select 2027 Europe sailings, the single supplement is waived in most cabin categories, balconies included. Other sailings in Europe, Colombia and Asia carry a 10% supplement, and some entry-level cabins in Europe and on the Mekong are at 25%.
AmaCello, AmaDante, AmaDolce and AmaLyra also have a handful of solo cabins with French balconies and no supplement at all. Solo guests get invited to small-group excursions and get-togethers on board, which makes meeting people easy.
At a glance
Explora Journeys (luxury ocean): no supplement on select journeys, reduced on others
Oceania Cruises (ocean, food-focused): supplement cut by up to 50%, plus solo cabins
Uniworld (boutique river, all-inclusive): supplement waived on select 2027 departures
Silversea (ultra-luxury ocean and expedition): 25% supplement on selected voyages
AmaWaterways (luxury river): waived, 10% or 25% depending on the sailing, plus solo cabins
River or ocean?
A river cruise docks right in town, so you can walk off the ship and be in the old quarter in five minutes. The groups are smaller and the ships are social. In Europe you get a different village nearly every day.
An ocean voyage gives you more room, more restaurants, and sea days with nothing planned. It also gets you to islands and coastlines a river ship can't reach.
If you can't decide, give me a call and we'll talk it through.
My tips for cruising solo
Book early. Solo cabins and waived-supplement fares are limited on every sailing, and they're usually the first to go.
Compare the whole fare. A 25% supplement on an all-inclusive line can cost less in the end than a cheaper fare where you pay for every drink, tip and excursion.
Ask about upgrades. Some solo offers apply to higher categories too, and a veranda makes a big difference when the space is all yours.
Add a few nights before or after. Paris, Budapest, Lisbon and Barcelona are all easy to tack onto a sailing.
Go to the welcome reception. It's the easiest way to meet people on the first night.
Sort out insurance and documents early. You'll want good travel insurance, and passport, visa and entry rules vary by country. I'll go through all of it with you well before you leave.
Travel solo with a little company: our hosted journeys
If you like the idea of going on your own but want a group to fall back on, a hosted sailing is a good fit. My colleague Elaine Saint and I come along for the whole trip. You'll have people to sit with at dinner from the first night and someone handling the details, and you're still free to go off and explore by yourself. Solo travellers are welcome on both of our upcoming sailings, and we have special solo rates.
Brilliant Bordeaux with Uniworld, September 19, 2027
Seven nights round trip from Bordeaux on the S.S. Bon Voyage, right in harvest season. We'll visit châteaux in the Médoc, walk the vineyards around Cadillac and see the Citadel of Blaye on the Gironde. Uniworld includes fine wines and spirits, guided excursions, gratuities and Wi-Fi in the fare.
Hosted group fares from $5,599 CAD per person
Solo travellers: ask me about our special solo rate. Solo spots are limited.
Japan and Korea with Azamara, May 12 to 24, 2028
Twelve nights from Tokyo (Yokohama) to Seoul (Incheon) on the small Azamara Pursuit. We overnight in Kobe, which gives you time to get to Kyoto. After that come the hot springs in Beppu, the floating torii gate at Miyajima, Sakurajima volcano across the bay from Kagoshima, and Yeosu on Korea's south coast. Pursuit stays late in port, so we'll have evenings ashore. Beer, wine and spirits, gratuities, several restaurants and a Signature AzAmazing Evening are included, worth over $4,500 by Azamara's count. Pre- and post-cruise packages are available.
Hosted group fares (CAD per person, taxes included): Inside $5,539, Oceanview $6,139, Balcony $7,859
Solo travellers: ask me about our special solo rate. Group space is limited.
Both sailings have limited space, and solo spots go first. Send me a message and I'll hold one for you while we talk.
Ready to go?
Tell me where you've been wanting to go and when, and I'll find the sailing and the solo offer that fits.
Dale, Travel With Dale | Expedia Cruises
110 W Esplanade, North Vancouver, BC
604.985.7447 ext. 105 · dalegraham@expediacruises.com
travelwithdale.ca
Offers mentioned are current at the time of writing (November 2026), apply to select sailings and stateroom categories, are capacity-controlled and may change or be withdrawn without notice. Hosted group fares are per person in CAD, based on double occupancy, and subject to availability until booked. Contact me for current availability and solo pricing.
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