How to Solo Travel on a Cruise: The Complete Guide for Women Traveling Alone
- Raelyna Catalon
- 8 hours ago
- 6 min read
Solo Travel Series 4 of 4
Solo cruising is one of the best-kept secrets in travel — and one of the most underrated options for women who want to travel independently without the logistics of planning everything from scratch.
Think about what a cruise actually offers: your accommodation moves with you, your meals are included, the entertainment is on board, and you wake up in a new destination every day or two. For a solo traveler, that eliminates an enormous number of the friction points that make independent travel daunting — late-night arrivals in unfamiliar cities, finding restaurants alone, navigating public transport with luggage in a foreign language.
The catch? The single supplement. Let's deal with that first.
The Single Supplement: What It Is and How to Beat It
Most cruise lines price their cabins for two people. When you book alone, many charge a 'single supplement' — effectively making you pay for the second, empty bed. This can add 50–100% to the cost of your cabin, which understandably puts a lot of solo travelers off.
But here's the thing: the single supplement is increasingly negotiable, and there are several ways around it.
How to avoid or reduce the single supplement:
Book a single cabin — several cruise lines now offer solo-specific cabins designed for one person, priced accordingly. Norwegian Cruise Line pioneered this with their 'Studio' cabins, and others have followed.
Look for single supplement waivers — cruise lines periodically run promotions that waive or reduce the single supplement, particularly in Wave Season (January–March) and on repositioning sailings.
Choose a solo-friendly cruise line — some lines are simply more welcoming of solo travelers and offer better single pricing as standard.
Book a guaranteed cabin — on some sailings you can book a 'guaranteed' cabin at a lower price without selecting your specific room, and solo travelers sometimes pay less this way.
Use a specialist travel agent — a cruise-focused travel advisor has access to deals and promotions that aren't always available direct.
The Best Cruise Lines for Solo Female Travelers
Not all cruise lines are equally welcoming of solo travelers. Here are the ones consistently recommended by women cruising alone.
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL)
NCL deserves its reputation as the pioneer of solo cruise travel. Their Studio cabins — solo-occupancy rooms with no single supplement — are a game-changer. The Studio Lounge, exclusive to solo travelers, has become a genuine community hub where solo cruisers meet, share tips, and often end up exploring ports together.
Princess Cruises
Princess has a strong reputation among solo female travelers, particularly those in the 40+ demographic. The ships are large enough to have genuine variety but not so overwhelming that navigating alone feels daunting. Single supplement pricing is reasonable and waivers are frequent.
Cunard
For the solo traveler who wants luxury and a more classic ocean liner experience, Cunard is exceptional. The single supplement is higher, but the experience — the ballroom dancing, the formal dinners, the extraordinary transatlantic crossings — is genuinely unlike anything else at sea. Single staterooms are available on Queen Mary 2.
MSC Cruises
MSC offers some of the best value for solo travelers in the European market, particularly on Mediterranean itineraries. Single supplement policies have improved significantly in recent years.
Choosing Your Itinerary: What Works Best for Solo Women
The itinerary matters as much as the ship when you're traveling alone. Here's what to consider.
Mediterranean sailings — ideal for first-time solo cruisers. Well-known ports, strong existing cruise infrastructure, easy to navigate independently or join a ship's tour. The Greece and Croatia routes are particularly rewarding.
Caribbean itineraries — high on beach time and relaxation, easy to navigate, and social ships tend to make solo mixing easier. Slightly more party-focused than European sailings — worth knowing before you book.
Northern Europe and Scandinavia — stunning itineraries visiting Norwegian fjords, Iceland, and the Baltic cities. Smaller ships often used on these routes create a more intimate solo experience.
Transatlantic crossings — the hidden gem of solo cruising. Six or seven days at sea with nothing but ocean, excellent weather, and the peculiar freedom of having nowhere to be. The Queen Mary 2 Southampton to New York crossing is a bucket list experience.
River cruises — a smaller scale experience that some solo travelers find more comfortable than ocean cruising. The social dynamic on a river ship is closer to a house party than a resort — everyone knows each other by day two.
Safety on a Cruise as a Solo Woman
Cruise ships are among the safest travel environments in the world for solo women. The contained nature of the ship, the presence of staff, the security procedures at ports — all of these create a level of protection that independent land travel doesn't offer. That said, common sense still applies.
Keep your cabin number private — share it only with people you genuinely trust. The solo traveler's version of not broadcasting your hotel room.
Use the in-room safe — for your passport, backup cash, and any valuables when you're off the ship.
Stay aware of your drinks — on board and in port. The same rules that apply on land apply at sea.
Cruise line shore excursions for remote ports — in ports where you're less confident navigating independently, booking through the cruise line offers both convenience and the security of a managed return time.
Travel insurance that covers cruises specifically — standard travel insurance doesn't always cover medical evacuation at sea. Check your policy.
The Social Life of a Solo Cruiser
Here's the part solo traveler myths get wrong: you will not be alone on a cruise unless you choose to be.
The social infrastructure of a cruise ship is specifically designed to bring strangers together. The communal dining tables where you're seated with other guests. The cocktail parties for solo travelers that many cruise lines now host. The studio lounge. The cooking classes. The trivia nights. The shore excursions where you're naturally grouped with fellow passengers.
Solo cruisers consistently report that they met more people and had richer social experiences on their sailing than they expected. Many leave with friendships that survive well beyond the disembarkation terminal.
Tips for meeting people as a solo cruiser:
Opt for shared dining tables rather than a table for one at dinner — at least for the first few nights
Attend the solo traveler meet-and-greet if your cruise line offers one (most now do)
Join one group activity per sea day — trivia, dance class, cooking demonstration
Sit at the bar or in social areas for a drink before dinner rather than heading straight to your cabin
Book a shore excursion through the ship at least once — it's the easiest way to spend a day with other travelers
Packing for a Solo Cruise
Cruising has its own packing logic. Unlike independent travel where you carry everything yourself, on a cruise your luggage goes directly to your cabin — which means you have slightly more flexibility on quantity.
However, cabin storage is limited, particularly in interior and ocean view rooms. Pack smart.
Check the dress code — most cruise lines have formal nights requiring at minimum smart casual; some Cunard sailings require black tie
Pack one formal outfit if your cruise line has formal nights
Reef-safe sunscreen — increasingly required at ports in the Caribbean and Mediterranean
Motion sickness medication — even if you don't usually get seasick, rough seas can catch anyone off guard
A light layer for ship air conditioning — ships run cold, particularly in dining rooms and theatres
A small day bag for ports — you don't need your main luggage for shore excursions
→ Read next: Solo Female Travel Packing List: What I Always Bring (and What I Leave at Home)
Is Solo Cruising Right for You?
If you want the freedom of solo travel with fewer of the daily logistics — if you want to wake up somewhere new without having to find your next accommodation, figure out a new transport system, or navigate a restaurant alone — solo cruising might be the closest thing to an ideal first solo experience.
It's also an extraordinary way to experience destinations you might not otherwise access easily: the Norwegian fjords, the Greek islands, the Caribbean's smaller islands, the Baltic capitals. The ship handles the getting there; you handle the experiencing it.
That's a pretty good deal.
Happy Travels!
Raelyna
🛳️ Ready to Plan Your Solo Cruise? Bags & Tags Travel specializes in cruise planning for solo travelers — from finding the right itinerary and cruise line to navigating single supplement pricing and securing the best available deals. Whether you're a first-time cruiser or a seasoned sailor looking for your next solo adventure, get in touch for a free consultation. |
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