Best Cruise Lines for the Single Traveler

Sailing solo is one of the greatest travel experiences you will ever have. A stateroom to yourself with nobody else’s plans or needs to cater to. It is a truly you-focused experience. So why doesn’t everyone do it? Cruise lines base all of their pricing on double occupancy, so to sail alone you essentially pay double. Still, the savvy traveler will tell you that with a little flexibility and opportunism, solo cruising doesn’t have to break the bank. You must be ready to leap when those single supplements come around. A single supplement is a discount on the double occupancy rate. Luxury Cruise Connections has compiled a list of the top 5 Luxury Cruise Lines that frequently offer single rates:

1. Vantage Deluxe World Travel hangs its hat on being the number one luxury cruise line for single cruisers. Vantage maintains a running list of itineraries with reduced single rates. Not only that but they provide additional information and services focused on solo travelers. Features like a list of the top solo cruises for women and services like roommate matching are rare in the cruise industry. Vantage has made it a pillar of their hospitality. 
   
   Vantage offers luxury river, small-ship ocean cruising, Expedition cruising, and Land Adventures. This means there is no shortage of options for the solo traveler. The Ocean ships accommodate under 200 guests and they do offer solo staterooms. Vantage is an all-inclusive 5-star luxury onboard and provides complimentary business class upgrades on their flights*, free transfers, and complimentary shore excursions in port. As a travel advisor, I suggest solo travelers look at vantage first.
    
2. Ponant does not hang their hat on solo travel, but they also do not discourage it. Ponant is a genuine 5-star luxury brand, with a state-of-the-art fleet of ocean and expedition vessels. They have an outstanding partnership with Smithsonian Journeys. They also frequently offer single supplements as low as 100%. That means you pay for yourself and that’s it. This is the gold standard. I mentioned before, however, that you have to be opportunistic. When your travel advisor finds them you have to act fast. Most solo supplements get better the closer to the departure of the ship. 
    
3. Silversea Cruises is a household name in white-glove, traditional luxury cruising. They are a leading all-inclusive brand with offerings in the small ship and expedition markets. Once again, flexibility and opportunism come into play for the remaining brands on this list. In fact, depending on when you are reading this and what the cruise lines are doing, these remaining rankings could be considered interchangeable. Silversea has a large list of solo rates as low as 125% single supplement. Not bad considering the going rate for Silverseas top-end itineraries can be over $100,000 for double occupancy on a top-tier suite. Silversea will offer solo rates closer to sailing and during the shoulder seasons. I wouldn’t expect to find solo supplements on holiday sailings, or other exclusive itineraries until the cruise line has a pretty good idea of what the capacity of that itinerary will be. Don’t abandon hope but have a backup plan if possible.
    
4. Seabourn Cruises is another top Luxury Brand. Seabourn is all-inclusive on board but does not include flights or shore excursions (with the exception of expeditions). That being said, Seabourn’s small vessels, and unique itineraries, frequently find space for the solo traveler. Similar to Silversea, the supplement rates are often as low as 125%. It is not unheard of to find a true single rate, close to sailing but don’t miss out by sitting around hoping for one.
    
5. Scenic Cruises is the final entry on this list. Scenic is an excellent river and contemporary yacht brand. Their Scenic Space-Ships (river ships) and the Scenic Eclipse, their Magnum Opus Expedition Yacht, frequently offer single supplements. Just like Seabourn and Silversea, if you see it book it. Timing is key. The cruise lines control the capacity of the solo options and will remove them during periods of high demand.

To close, these 5 brands are frequently offering solo rates to Luxury Cruisers. More and more brands are making accommodations as solo travel becomes more popular. The trend seems to have started at the contemporary and premium levels with lines like Celebrity and Virgin even making accommodations specifically for solo cruisers. The Luxury brands take a little more finesse on the guests’ part. That is where Luxury Cruise Connections and our expert travel advisors come in. We keep a running list of which cruise lines are offering solo rates. We are always happy to help.