As the crew lined the gangway, glaciers and mountains filled my view, and I snapped a selfie to document the surreal moment from where I stood at the north bank of the Beagle Channel in Ushuaia, Argentina. I was destined for Antarctica, and the ship in front of me would be the vessel that brought me to my seventh continent.
That solitary picture proved I had chosen to venture beyond my comfort zone, but more importantly, it served as a stark reminder I was completely alone: no friends, family members or loved ones to hold my bags or take photos for me. I had come alone and was about to embark on my first solo cruise of my life.
I prepared for my first solo journey by assuming I would be the only single traveler on board that Polar Latitudes ship. Little did I know I would soon be surrounded by a group of six other solo cruisers — of all ages, races and life stages — who would form our own little cruise family during that 13-day voyage. Together we shared in the excitement of our Antarctic journey, rejoiced alongside one another as we celebrated birthdays and life changes and, yes, took pictures for each other without having to ask.
Although solo travel on cruises has risen in popularity over the decades, historically it has been reserved for the wealthy or those willing to pay nearly 125–200 percent of the published per-person price (also known as the single supplement). But all that is changing as savvy cruise lines welcome solo travelers with new amenities and increased incentives. Today nearly half of all people taking trips with Intrepid Travel are going solo, and luxury tour operator Adventure Life reports a dramatic increase in its single traveler cruise bookings.
“The rise in solo cruising has followed the rise in solo travel in general,” explained Monika Sundem, CEO, Adventure Life, “and the trend has only grown as cruise operators have made their policies more solo-friendly. They now understand that by reducing or waiving single supplements, ships will be closer to fully booked than with a strict single supplement policy. Four cabins with solo travelers in them is much preferred to four unoccupied cabins.”
Sundem notes many of the cruise operators Adventure Life partners with have begun to offer single share programs as a way solo cruisers can avoid the single supplement altogether. These programs include an option to share a cabin with another traveler of the same gender for half the price of the room, even if a cabin-mate can’t be found.
Many cruise lines — like Windstar and Princess Cruises — offer a reduced single supplement, with solo travelers paying a fraction of the full price for a private cabin, while Norwegian Cruise Line was the first to build staterooms and common areas specifically for single cruisers, launching its studio staterooms in 2010. The studios measure about 100 square feet but come with perks like access to the singles lounge and plenty of meetups, happy hours and solo traveler bar crawls. Other cruise lines quickly followed suit, and now Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, P&O, MSC, Cunard and Holland America Line all offer single cabins on some or all of their fleet.
Not only staterooms get more solo traveler-friendly; shore excursions and onboard entertainment are getting in on the single fun, too. Riviera River Cruises, for example, now tailors programming to solo travelers that includes options like walking tours with expert local guides or guided wine tastings in Burgundy.

© RIVIERA RIVER CRUISES
RIVIERA RIVER CRUISES
River cruises ride the solo traveler wave as well, with Riviera River Cruises currently the only cruise line to offer a dedicated solo traveler cruise. On those cruises, every cabin on the ship is reserved for solo travelers, without any single supplement or extra fee.
“We entered the North American market about four years ago and wanted to differentiate ourselves from other river cruise lines,” said Marilyn Conroy, executive vice president of sales and marketing in North America, Riviera River Cruises. “One of the ways to do that was to focus on a growing market that our competition wasn’t focusing on: the solo traveler. In addition to having at least five cabins on every departure with no single supplement, we decided to offer our solo traveler cruises, with no single supplement across all cabin grades throughout the ship.”
Conroy notes single travelers come from all walks of life; and although a number of its solo cruisers are single, many of them aren’t. “They may have different interests than their spouse and want to go on a trip on their own, or they want to go with a friend but not share a cabin,” she said.
“In my view, the solo cruise trend will continue and grow,” added Conroy. “More and more people want to travel with friends but have their own cabin or want to travel on their own and be around other solos. The single population has grown significantly over the past five years, and there’s no reason why this trend won’t continue.”
Read This Next
Introducing
FX Excursions
FX Excursions offers the chance for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in destinations around the world.
#globility
Insta FeedDaily
Mar 30, 2023A New Type of Art Experience: Rotterdam’s Depot Boijman’s Van Beuningen Opens
A little more a year ago, Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, designed by architectural firm MVRDV, opened to the public in Rotterdam. At Depot, everything revolves around the interaction between the visitors and more than 151,000 works stored in various areas of the unique building.
Sponsored Content
Share Your Travel Preferences with Global Traveler in a Short Survey & Win
Learning more about our readers’ travel habits and preferences ensures Global Traveler delivers the content you desire. As the travel industry has adapted and changed over the last few years, it’s more important than ever to connect. To best meet your short- and long-term travel content needs, please help us!
Daily
Mar 29, 20234 Spring Hotel Openings
With the start of spring, travelers have their choice of new design-centric boutique properties opening in the coming months. Check out these properties for travel inspiration.
eFlyer Reviews
Mar 29, 2023Elk Cove Inn & Spa Review
Mendocino County is a self-contained universe of effortless, California-centric joy enveloped within the Redwood Forest National and State Parks, the rocky Pacific Coast and several prime wine production areas like Anderson Valley. If Highway 1 and Route 128 are the ribbons holding this package together, Elk Cove Inn & Spa can be considered the bow. Mendocino Coast’s first vacation destination, established in 1968, is an ideal 16-room gateway to the destination.
Sponsored Content
Enter to Win $500 and Get Six Months’ Free Access to the New GT App
Now through May 8, sign up for a free six-month trial of the Global Traveler app and be automatically entered for a chance to win a $500 gift card of your choice for Amazon, Apple or American Express.
eFlyer News
Mar 29, 2023YOTEL to Open YOTELPAD London Stratford in Late 2023
YOTEL recently announced plans to open YOTELPAD London Stratford at the end of this year, making it the seventh YOTEL property in the United Kingdom and third in London, joining YOTEL London City and YOTEL London Shoreditch. YOTEL currently features properties in the United States and United Kingdom, with hotels in Boston, New York, San Francisco and, more recently, Washington, D.C.
Last-Minute Spring Deals from SIXT
eFlyer Deals
Mar 29, 2023Daily
Mar 29, 2023Get in the Spirit for the Coronation with These 4 Red Savannah Itineraries
This May, London celebrates as King Charles III will officially be crowned in the coronation. To help travelers get into the royal spirit, Red Savannah recently introduced a variety of itineraries and destinations in the United Kingdom, including the homes of monarchs and historical figures, castles and gardens.
Sponsored Content
Exclusive Savings: Cruise Along the Danube River with Global Traveler
Exclusive Sailing with Global Traveler
Daily
Mar 29, 2023Set Sail on a California River Cruise with American Cruise Lines
Love small-ship cruising and the California coast? You’re in luck: American Cruise Lines offers an eight-day San Francisco Bay excursion, taking in some of the best wine country in the United States. The itinerary for American Jazz — one of 10 new riverboats in American Cruise Lines fleet — includes ports in San Francisco, Stockton, Sacramento and Vallejo. Sailing time takes in San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay and the Napa and San Joaquin rivers. American Jazz reaches the California Coast following a repositioning journey from Mississippi, including a transit through the Panama Canal.
ShareThis