Cruising alone can be a lot of fun, but it also comes at a cost.
Solo cruisers can expect to pay a ‘solo supplement’ on most cruises, which means that you could end up paying substantially more than you would if you were cruising with another person.
Below are the cruise lines that I recommend when asked to recommend a cruise to a solo cruiser.
Cruises are priced per person but are usually based on two people sharing. Some cruise lines have solo-specific cabins and many have onboard activities designed to bring solo cruisers together.
I have personally cruised on all cruise lines mentioned below, but haven’t sailed in solo cabins on all of them.
Saga is a 50+ cruise line focusing on ’boutique British’ cruising.
They have two purpose-built boutique sister ships, Spirit of Discovery (launched 2019) and Spirit of Adventure (launched 2021).
Both ships feature all-balcony cabins, cater exclusively to guests over 50, and offer all-inclusive dining and drinks.
I was lucky enough to be invited onboard the Spirit of Adventure. I was blown away by the ship and was lucky enough to stay in a solo balcony cabin, which was HUGE.
Onboard Cruise Experience
Saga includes a lot in their cruise fare. Gratuities, drinks with meals and WiFi are all included, as well as transfers.
Saga cruises also include your travel insurance, so once you’ve paid for the cruise fare, there is very little extra that you’ll have to spend.
The service and food provided by Saga are second to none.
I honestly wish they didn’t have the 50+ age restriction because I’d be quite happy to cruise on their ships!
Why Are Saga Cruises Good For Solo Cruisers?
Saga’s Spirit of Discovery has over 100 solo cabins. This is amazing!
The solo cabins range in size and price, but I was lucky enough to stay in a ‘deluxe solo balcony cabin’. It was far bigger than any cabin that I’ve ever had before, and the fact that it is for a solo cruiser makes it even more amazing.
All solo cabins on Spirit of Discovery have balconies.On other lines, solo cabins are mostly insidecabins.
Solo cabins are often small and tucked away in rubbish locations. This isn’t the case on Spirit of Discovery! The cabin shown in the video below is the balcony cabin S507.
There were so many little touches that I really loved:
UK plug sockets
USB sockets by the bed
Guidelight by the bathroom door
HUGE walk-in wardrobe
Kettle
1.5x size balcony!
Solo Events
Saga also has a number of events designed to bring solo cruisers together.
Possible cons:
No variety in Ship Design
British Experience
50+ Cruise Line
The cost
I personally don’t think of the “British experience” as a con. I love the endless cups of tea and little British touches.
Having UK plug sockets in the cabins is so helpful. If you would prefer a more multicultural cruise experience, Saga may not be for you.
I really do think that it is a shame Saga are a 50+ cruise line. I loved my time on Spirit of Discovery, but I am too young to book a cruise on her!
Other Things To Consider
You must be 50+ to cruise with Saga.
If you are cruising with somebody over 50 and you are 40+, this is allowed. Saga is very strict on this age restriction, and there are no exceptions.
I actually tried to order a brochure from the Saga website recently, and it wouldn’t let me until I pretended I was 50!
Saga certainly aren’t cheap, but there is a lot included in the cruise fare.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line are one of the largest and most popular cruise lines.
They’re popular with younger cruisers, families, people who cruise solo – and me! Norwegian Cruise Line are widely regarded as being one of the best cruise lines for solo cruisers.
They don’t just offer solo cabins; they also provide solo events and lounges.
The solo cabins aren’t just used by people cruising alone but also by families who might have a member travelling alone, for example, a grandparent.
The solo cabins also offer a great option for groups of friends cruising together who may not want to share a cabin.
Have a look at the solo cabin I stayed in on Norwegian Breakaway here:
Onboard Cruise Experience
Norwegian Cruise Line is all about freedom of choice and flexibility.
There are no formal nights and no official dress codes on any of the ships. Cruisers can eat when and where they want whenever they are hungry.
On a number of the ships, food is available 24 hours a day.
The daily schedule on Norwegian cruises is always busy; there are activities taking place around the ship constantly.
If ever you have a spare minute, you can go for a walk, and you will definitely bump into an event going on somewhere.
This is one of my favourite things about cruising with Norwegian Cruise Line.
Me (right) and my cousin Libby in front of the Norwegian Spirit, on my first-ever cruise!
Why Are Norwegian Cruise Line Good For Solo Cruisers?
In my opinion, Norwegian Cruise Line offers more for solo cruisers than any other cruise line.
The Norwegian Epic was the first ship to have a designated solo space on the ship and all Norwegian Cruise Line ships since have featured a similar area.
Norwegian Cruise Line have solo cabins which are all located together. They usually interconnect and will have a central solo lounge for the studio cruisers to spend time in.
Norwegian also offers oceanview and balcony cabins for solos, which is great!
The best experiences last a lifetime – solo travel is one of them. When you cruise solo with Norwegian, you’ll enjoy freedom and choice. Choose from Solo Balcony, Oceanview, Inside rooms and Studios. And all Solo Staterooms include access to our Studio Lounge. The best part? The savings! Solo Staterooms are priced for one. So come aboard with friends or family – or take time to meet new people, then watch the sunset from your private balcony. After all, you’re pretty good company.
Norwegian Cruise Line
Possible Cons
Not all ships are the same
Not all of Norwegians ships were designed for solo cabins, and as a result, the facilities vary by ship.
The smaller/older ships are some of my favourites, but it is the newer ships that have better solo facilities.
Norwegian Epic was the first to have a solo-specific lounge, and all ships since this date have the same features.
Cruise lines are increasingly focusing on solo cruisers, which I think is exciting!
Larger ships can be busy
On the larger ships, you have to book theatre shows in advance, and you may find yourself lining up for things.
This isn’t a Norwegian-specific problem, but it is something that comes with cruising on mega-ships, of which Norwegian have quite a few.
Other Things To Consider
One of my favourite things about Norwegian Cruise Line is the ‘waterfront’, which features on the newer ships.
The waterfront is a promenade deck which is lined with bars and restaurants.
Have a look at what the newer Norwegian ships have to offer cruisers here:
P&O Cruises is a British cruise line owned and operated by Carnival Ltd.
If you are from the UK, you have probably seen TV advertisements for P&O cruises as they advertise heavily to attract the British market.
That said, passengers from other parts of the world are always welcome.
Onboard Cruise Experience
The majority of cruisers on P&O cruises are from the UK. I found the other guests to be extremely friendly and polite.
P&O offer a number of cruises from Southampton and often offers short cruises.
You’ll find British favourites in the restaurants and the buffet on P&O cruises. There is a kettle with tea and coffee-making facilities in all the cabins, too!
P&O do have formal nights on the older ship,s and the dress codes are usually strictly adhered to.
Men often wear tuxedos, and women wear long evening gowns. It is possible to avoid the formal nights if you don’t want to dress up although I believe this would be a real shame! Try it at least once.
P&O offer both fixed and flexible dining. Table sharing is usually an option, but it is also not required.
P&O’s newer, larger ships, Iona and Arvia, are less formal and traditional if you want a more relaxed cruise.
Review from our Facebook group:
Have cruised solo twice so far with P&O, and another one coming up in a couple of weeks. Did a week to the fjords and also a 3 week transatlantic. Both brilliant cruises and never had a problem with being on my own; always people to socialise with if you feel like it. Would definitely recommend it.
Adam
Find out about my cruise on P&Os biggest ship, Arvia here:
Why Are P&O Cruises Good For Solo Cruisers?
P&O offer both inside, outside and balcony cabins for solo cruisers.
We offer single cabins, or if you’d like more space, we can offer a bigger room to make your travels extra special. When you stay in our cabins, you’ll have all the luxuries that are needed to make your solo travel a home away from home. There is also a room service menu for you to enjoy as you relax in your cabin.
P&O Cruises
P&O Britannia Solo Inside Cabin
P&O Britannia solo Balcony Cabin
P&O Britannia solo Balcony Cabin
Possible Cons
No solo lounge or area reserved for solos
Formal dress/nights
I know some people LOVE formal nights, but some people also really hate it.
The formal nights on P&O are quite formal and might not be to everybody’s taste. You would be much better to book a cruise on Arvia and Iona if you want a more relaxed, informal cruise.
You never have to participate in formal nights if you don’t want to. You can eat in the buffet or in a speciality restaurant.
MSC provides some of the best value cruises around.
MSC are an Italian cruise line, and guests onboard speak a variety of languages. Announcements and entertainment happen in multiple languages, but the staff on MSC cruises do speak English.
I’ve been on many MSC cruises, and there has always been a high percentage of English speakers onboard.
MSC are very popular with families and young cruisers; they have solo cabins on their newer ships and occasionally have ‘no solo supplement’ promotions.
One of the best things about MSC Cruises, in my opinion, is that their itineraries are extremely flexible.
Guests are able to embark and disembark the ship in almost any cruise port, which means that you can really tailor the cruise to you.
On most cruises, you’ll have a set embarkation and disembarkation date and won’t be able to change this.
Because guests board and disembark every day, there isn’t a traditional ‘first/last’ night show, and muster drills are completed every day.
I recently took a cruise on one of MSC’s newest and largest ships, MSC World Europa. I had a “quirky” cabin! Find out what I thought of that here:
Why Are MSC Cruise Line Good For Solo Cruisers?
MSC have solo cabins on MSC:
Meraviglia
Bellissima
Seaside
Seaview
Grandiosa
Euribia
World Europa
World America
MSC don’t, as far as I am aware, hold solo meetups or events, but I put MSC on this list because of how fun and friendly the atmosphere is onboard.
I believe MSC cruises are among the best for making friends.
I’m not sure if this is to do with the fact that multiple languages are spoken on board, but just speaking the same language as your fellow guests feels as though it automatically makes you friends.
Possible Cons
Upselling
MSC cruises are pretty cheap, which means that they’ll try to ‘up-sell’ you drinks packages and dining when you’re on board.
On other cruise lines, this will usually stop after the first night, but because guests embark every day with MSC Cruises, the upsell seems to happen a lot more.
The food may not be to the taste of cruisers used to American or British cruise lines.
I have never had any problems with the food on MSC Cruises.
I took 5 friends with me on the MSC Meraviglia and nobody ever had any complaints.
The food was all hot and the portions were of a decent size. That said, cruisers used to big American/British portions may not like the food on MSC.
Look at real photos and find out all about the food on MSC here:
Enjoying my free (Loyalty perk) speciality meal in “Hola” Speciality Restaurant – MSC World Europa
Other Options:
The following cruise lines also have solo cabins, but I haven’t personally tried any of their solo options.
(I don’t recommend anything unless I have first-hand experience!)
Ambassador
Fred Olsen
Holland America
Royal Caribbean
Cunard
Virgin Voyages
My brother travelled solo and had a standard ocean-view cabin on Celebrity Infinity. The ship wasn’t full, and the solo suppliment was far cheaper than normal.
Before You Go
Find out everything you need to know about solo cruising here:
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