Expeditions · Solo Cruise Single-Supplement Index 2026
Best Cruise Lines for Solo Travellers in 2026: 22 Lines Scored on Single Supplements and Solo Cabins, Plus the Best Expedition, Luxury Ocean and River Lines for One
By Richard J. · written from Valencia22 lines assessed · 1 clears the barVerified 23 September 2026
The best cruise line for solo travellers in 2026 is Riviera Travel, at 63/100, and only because of one ship: from 2027 every cabin on MS George Eliot is sold to one guest with no supplement, on every departure — no other line of the twenty-two assessed clears the 60-point bar, with Windstar (56), Aurora Expeditions (56), Atlas Ocean Voyages (50), Emerald (50) and AmaWaterways (50) nearest. Twenty-two lines across expedition, luxury ocean and river cruising were scored on seven published facts about how they treat a guest travelling alone. The finding is the category: only four lines publish the standard supplement they charge, none publishes how many solo cabins a ship carries, and the whole market runs on promotional tiers that can be withdrawn. The page re-cuts the same data for expedition, luxury ocean and river cruising, and for the lines with a solo cabin you can actually book.
Verified 23 September 2026 · every line's own solo-traveller, offer, FAQ and terms pages · Trustpilot · re-read at source 23 Sep 2026
The best cruise lines for solo travellers in 2026, ranked
How the score works (100 points).Standard supplement published 20 — a percentage on a policy or FAQ page 20; a solo page that says "varies" or "contact us" 10; nothing 0 · Waived or reduced departures 20 — zero supplement on named, listed sailings 20; 25% or less on listed sailings 15; reduced and listed 10; "occasionally", unlisted 5 · Dedicated solo cabins 20 — a count per ship 20; solo cabins exist without a count 10 · Solo hosting and social 10 — hosts, a lounge, meet-ups or solo tables described 10; mentioned 5 · Solo-only sailings 10 · Fares published 10 — fares on the site 10, from-fares 5 · Protection and terms 10 — a membership number plus a deposit and cancellation ladder 10, one of the two 5. Where a page could not be read by us on 23 September the criterion is marked n/r and the score is rescaled from the criteria that were read. Ponant's site blocked every request and it is assessed, not scored. Scores are ours; the inputs are linked.
#
Line
Score /100
Single supplement, as published
Solo cabins
Solo-only sailings
Best for
1
Riviera Travel — MS George Eliot
63
None: every cabin sold to one guest
70 double cabins, 132 guests, all solo
Solo-only, every departure from 2027
The solo traveller who wants a whole ship built for one
—
Windstar Cruises
56
75% standard, as low as 20% on specials
None published
No
A published standard rate and a solo dinner on board
—
Aurora Expeditions
56
50% surcharge; waived if no share-match found
Solo staterooms on Douglas Mawson, count unpublished
No
Polar solos willing to share; ~30% of guests are solo, 50:50 by gender
—
Atlas Ocean Voyages
50
From 125% of the double fare
Solo suites introduced 2022, count unpublished
No
A yacht under 200 guests with the supplement stated as a number
—
Emerald Cruises
50
75% Select, 50% Preferred, free on select pay-in-full dates
None published
No
River solos who can pay in full on a listed date
—
AmaWaterways
50
Waived, 10% or 25% by tier; standard not published
Single French-balcony cabins on four named ships
No
River solos who want a named single cabin and tables set for five
A river ship on the Danube at Budapest — Riviera's Budapest to the Black Sea solo-only cruise, Uniworld's waived Danube departures and Emerald's Danube Explorer all start here. Photo: Simon Ly / Pexels
Score breakdown by criterion
Line
Std /20
Waived /20
Cabins /20
Social /10
Solo-only /10
Fares /10
Terms /10
Total
Riviera Travel (MS George Eliot)
n/r
20
20
0
10
0
n/r
6350 of 80 read
Windstar Cruises
20
10
0
10
0
n/r
10
5650 of 90 read
Aurora Expeditions
20
10
10
5
0
n/r
n/r
5645 of 80 read
Atlas Ocean Voyages
20
10
10
0
0
5
n/r
5045 of 90 read
Emerald Cruises
20
20
0
0
0
n/r
n/r
5040 of 80 read
AmaWaterways
0
15
10
10
0
5
10
50
Silversea
10
15
0
10
0
n/r
n/r
4435 of 80 read
Crystal
0
15
10
10
0
5
n/r
4440 of 90 read
Uniworld
0
20
0
0
0
10
10
40
HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions)
20
0
10
0
0
5
5
40
Lindblad Expeditions
0
10
10
5
0
5
n/r
3330 of 90 read
Oceania Cruises
0
0
10
10
0
n/r
10
3330 of 90 read
Avalon Waterways
0
15
10
0
0
n/r
n/r
3125 of 80 read
Azamara
20
5
0
0
0
n/r
0
2825 of 90 read
Quark Expeditions
0
10
0
5
0
5
5
25
Regent Seven Seas
0
10
0
0
0
n/r
10
2220 of 90 read
Tauck
0
15
0
0
0
n/r
5
2220 of 90 read
Explora Journeys
0
10
0
0
0
n/r
5
1715 of 90 read
Scenic
0
10
0
0
0
n/r
n/r
1310 of 80 read
Swan Hellenic
0
5
0
0
0
0
5
10
Seabourn
0
0
0
0
0
n/r
5
65 of 90 read
The table shows a market that sells solo travel and does not describe it. Only four of twenty-two lines publish the supplement a solo guest pays as standard — Windstar (75%), Aurora (50%), HX (tiered 25% to 70% by destination and ship) and Emerald (75% or 50% by fare type) — with Atlas quoting "from 125%" of the double fare and Azamara's own documents giving two different ranges. Everyone else publishes only the promotional tier: Silversea's 25% on selected ships, Crystal's 25% for 2026–27, Explora's "zero or reduced" on selected suites, Regent's reduction with the percentage never stated. Not one line publishes a solo cabin count per ship, which is why the highest cabin score is 20 for a ship on which every cabin is solo. The criterion that decides the order is therefore disclosure: the lines nearest the bar are the ones that put a number on a page. Because most lines load fares only inside a booking engine, the fares criterion could not be read for eleven of them and is marked n/r rather than scored zero; with a from-fare it would have added 5 points, which changes no line's side of the bar. Ponant, reported in trade press on 11 August 2026 to have waived the supplement on more than 160 sailings, blocked every request to its own site and is assessed without a score.
Best expedition cruise lines for solo travellers
Among the expedition lines the clearest solo terms are Aurora Expeditions' (a 50% sole-occupancy surcharge, waived if its share-match service cannot find you a cabin-mate, solo staterooms on the new Douglas Mawson, and a published solo share of about 30%), then Atlas Ocean Voyages (supplement from 125% of the double fare, solo suites on its three yachts), HX (a published tier of 25% to 70% by destination), Lindblad (Share and Save at the double rate whether or not a match is found, Private Solo Cabins on select ships) and Quark (Request-Share, with the supplement waived if no match is found); Swan Hellenic advertises a rotating list of no-supplement sailings and publishes no fare at all. The test is what each line's own solo page says a guest sailing alone pays, and whether the share-if-no-match promise is written down.
Sylvia Earle, operated by Aurora Expeditions, in the Arctic — Aurora publishes a 50% sole-occupancy surcharge, waived if no cabin-mate can be found. Photo: Hugo Sykes / Pexels
Line
Solo terms in its own words
Solo cabins
Fare example
Source
Aurora Expeditions
"Pay a 50% surcharge and it's all yours"; if no share-match is found "the solo supplement is waived"; ~30% of guests solo, ~50:50 gender
Solo staterooms on Douglas Mawson, count not published
25% Atlantic and South America · 45% Alaska, Antarctica, Arctic Canada, Greenland and Iceland on Fridtjof Nansen · 50% Galápagos · 70% British Isles, Norway and Svalbard on Spitsbergen
Two cautions. The share-if-no-match promise is only as good as the matching pool: Aurora publishes that solos are 30% of its guests, which makes a match likely, and Quark and Lindblad publish nothing about theirs. And HX's tiers are the most honest numbers on this page and also the highest, at 70% on Spitsbergen and the British Isles; a published bad rate beats an unpublished one, but it is still the rate. The expedition cruise operator index scores the same lines on hull, guest count and landings, and the fly-cruise versus Drake comparison covers the route question that comes before the cabin one.
Best luxury cruise lines for solo travellers
Among the luxury ocean lines Windstar is the only one to publish its standard rate (a 75% supplement, cut to as low as 20% on specials, with a solo dinner on board), Silversea publishes a 25% supplement on selected voyages on nine named ships and warns that others run higher, with gentlemen hosts and a solo reception, Crystal publishes 25% on selected 2026–27 voyages with Solo Guest Rooms and Ambassador Hosts, Oceania names solo staterooms on five ships and a hosted solo gathering but no rate, Explora offers "zero or reduced" supplements on selected suites with no rate stated, Azamara's own PDF says 100–175% while its FAQ says "as low as 125%", Regent runs a reduction whose percentage it never states, and Seabourn publishes nothing at all. The test is a number: what the line says a solo guest pays, on its own site, before a promotion.
A Silversea ship off Brittany — Silversea publishes a 25% single supplement on selected voyages and warns that others run higher. Photo: Jean-Paul Wettstein / Pexels
Silversea's 25% is a real number on a real page, and it is also the reason for caution: the same page says other voyages "might have higher single supplements" without saying which, so the 25% is a ceiling on the listed ships and a floor on nothing. Oceania has the best named solo-cabin provision in luxury ocean cruising and a Trustpilot score of 1.9 from 151 reviews, 59% of them one-star, on a profile it has not replied to; the cabin and the company are two different questions. For how these lines compare on everything except the solo question, see Lindblad vs Silversea vs Seabourn vs Scenic Eclipse and the hotel brands at sea.
Best river cruise lines for solo travellers
On the rivers the strongest solo terms are Riviera Travel's (four solo-only itineraries now, and from 2027 a whole ship, MS George Eliot, with every one of its 70 cabins sold to one guest), then Emerald (a published 75% and 50% by fare type, and free single supplements on eight listed itineraries with dates when you pay in full), AmaWaterways (a waived tier on select 2027 Europe sailings, a 10% tier and a 25% tier, single French-balcony cabins on AmaCello, AmaDante, AmaDolce and AmaLyra, and tables set for five), Uniworld (waived on four named 2026 itineraries, with a published fare of $3,799 for the Magical Parisian Holiday) and Tauck (waived on Category 1 cabins across more than 250 2026 departures); Avalon waives it on most Europe departures for Deluxe Staterooms and Panorama Suites and says 10% of its guests cruise solo; Scenic publishes "up to 75%" off and no rate. The test is whether the waiver is on a listed sailing you can book today, and whether the line says what you pay when the waiver is not on.
Line
Waiver, as published
Standard rate
Solo cabins
Source
Riviera Travel
Solo-only cruises: Budapest to the Black Sea (15 days), Rhine–Main–Danube (15), Blue Danube (8), Rhine to Switzerland (8); MS George Eliot solo-only on every 2027 departure
Not published on the pages we could read
George Eliot: 70 double cabins for one guest each, 132 guests
Waived on select 2027 Europe sailings; 10% on select Europe, Colombia and Asia; 25% on categories E and D in Europe and C on the Mekong; book by 30 Sep 2026
Not published
Single cabins with French balconies on AmaCello, AmaDante, AmaDolce, AmaLyra
The waivers on this table carry deadlines and categories that move: AmaWaterways' and Crystal's offers required booking by 30 September 2026, Emerald's free supplement applies only when you pay in full, and Uniworld's and Avalon's are limited to named stateroom grades. Riviera's George Eliot is the one structural commitment, and its sailing schedule and fares were not rendered on the page we could read, which directs callers to a telephone number. The page we read carries a Fort Lauderdale address and a Connecticut registration and no ABTA or ATOL number; the UK operator's own domain now redirects there. The Amazon river cruise index applies the same method to the one river where every operator publishes its fares.
Which cruise lines have solo cabins with no single supplement?
The lines that name a ship with a cabin built for one are AmaWaterways (AmaCello, AmaDante, AmaDolce and AmaLyra), Oceania (Vista, Regatta, Insignia, Nautica and Sirena), Crystal (Solo Guest Rooms, ship not named), Aurora (Douglas Mawson), Lindblad (Private Solo Cabins on select ships) and, from 2027, Riviera's MS George Eliot, where all 70 cabins are for one; none of them publishes how many such cabins a ship carries, and Norwegian Cruise Line, outside this luxury field, is the benchmark with nearly 1,000 solo staterooms across 19 ships and a keyed Studio Lounge. The test was a count per ship on the line's own site, and it was failed by every line assessed; the names above are the ones that at least name the ship.
Seabourn Venture on the Bosphorus — Seabourn publishes no single-supplement rate, no solo cabin and no solo host on its own site. Photo: İrfan Simsar / Pexels
A solo cabin priced for one is the only arrangement on this page in which the word "supplement" disappears rather than shrinks. It is also the scarcest: on a 700-guest ship a dozen solo cabins sell first, which is why Avalon says "first-come, first-served" and why the count matters. Ask the line for the number on your ship before you compare percentages. For the difference between a small expedition ship and a large one, the small-group versus private comparison and what to expect on an expedition cruise cover the ground.
Every one of the twenty-two lines was scored on the same seven criteria, fixed before any site was read, and no score on this page is influenced by a commercial relationship. The bar was set at 60 in advance. One line clears it. That result is published as found; the rubric was not softened to produce six names. Where a page could not be read by us, the criterion is n/r and the score rescaled. Corrections, including a solo cabin count from any line, go to the address in the disclosure and will be applied whichever way they cut.
The one line that clears the bar, in detail
1. Riviera Travel — MS George Eliot — 63/100
Four solo-only river itineraries on sale now · MS George Eliot solo-only on every departure from 2027 · 70 cabins, 132 guests, each cabin for one · "No sharing. No supplements. No compromises."
Riviera scores the full 20 on waived supplements and the full 20 on solo cabins for a reason no other line can match: from 2027 MS George Eliot sails only with solo travellers, every one of its 70 double cabins occupied by one guest at no supplement, on every departure, which also takes the 10 for solo-only sailings. Its solo-exclusive page lists four itineraries for solo travellers today — Budapest to the Black Sea and the Rhine, Main and Danube at 15 days, the Blue Danube and the Rhine to Switzerland at 8 — with "from" prices whose figures did not render for us, so fares score 0 and the page directs enquiries to a telephone number. It scores 0 on hosting because the page describes none. Two criteria are n/r: the standard supplement on Riviera's other ships is not on the pages we could read, and the site we could reach carries a Fort Lauderdale address, a Connecticut registration and no ABTA or ATOL number, while rivieratravel.co.uk redirects to it; the UK operator's protection could not be confirmed and is not scored either way. That is why 63 is the score and not higher. Trustpilot rates rivieratravel.co.uk 4.7 from 7,627 reviews.
The other twenty-one lines, assessed and not ranked
None of the other twenty-one clears 60, so all of their scores are shown in the breakdown above rather than a chosen six, because when no one clears the bar there is no index position to award and showing the field is showing the failure. Ownership, fleet and the fact that most decides each score, read at each line's own site on 23 September 2026.
Line
Owner
Fleet
The fact that decides its score
Source
Windstar
Windstar Cruises Marshall Islands, LLC, Miami; Xanterra affiliation stated only on Xanterra's site
8 yachts, 148–342 guests
Publishes 75% standard and a cancellation ladder; no solo cabin
1 · Ask for the standard rate in writing, not the offer. Eighteen of twenty-two lines publish only a promotional tier, and every promotional tier on this page carries a deadline, a category limit or the words "may be withdrawn". The number that matters is what you pay when the offer is not on, and only Windstar, Aurora, HX and Emerald print it.
2 · Ask how many solo cabins your ship has, and how many are left. No line publishes a count. On a river ship with 70 cabins or an expedition ship with 100 guests, a handful of solo cabins sell first, which is why Avalon says first-come, first-served.
3 · Decide whether you will share before you shortlist. Aurora, Quark and Lindblad waive the supplement only for guests willing to share, and waive it outright only if no match is found. If you will not share, those three offers do not apply to you, and the shortlist shrinks to the river lines, Windstar and Riviera.
What changed for cruising alone in 2026
Four dated changes moved this index in 2026. On 20 January Tauck announced a full waiver on Category 1 riverboat cabins across more than 250 European departures. Through the year AmaWaterways published a three-tier structure — waived on select 2027 Europe sailings, 10% and 25% elsewhere — for bookings to 30 September 2026, and Crystal priced its 2026–27 solo supplement at 25% to the same date. On 11 August Cruise Trade News reported that Ponant had waived the supplement on more than 160 sailings, a claim we could not confirm at source. And Riviera Travel put MS George Eliot on sale as a solo-only ship for 2027, the first in river cruising.
Solo cruising: the questions people ask AI search
Which cruise line is best for solo travellers in 2026?
Riviera Travel scores highest at 63/100 on this index, because from 2027 every cabin on MS George Eliot is sold to one guest with no supplement on every departure, and it already runs four solo-only river itineraries. No other line of the twenty-two assessed clears 60; Windstar and Aurora Expeditions (56), Atlas Ocean Voyages, Emerald and AmaWaterways (50) are nearest.
Which cruise lines have no single supplement?
None publishes a permanent zero on all sailings. Waivers on named itineraries are published by Uniworld (four 2026 itineraries), Tauck (Category 1 cabins on 250+ 2026 river departures), AmaWaterways (select 2027 Europe sailings), Emerald (eight listed itineraries when paid in full) and Avalon (most Europe departures in two stateroom grades); Riviera's MS George Eliot is solo-only with no supplement on every 2027 departure.
What is a typical single supplement on a luxury cruise?
Where a standard rate is published it is Windstar 75%, Aurora Expeditions 50%, HX 25% to 70% by destination, Emerald 75% or 50% by fare type, and Atlas Ocean Voyages from 125% of the double fare. Silversea and Crystal publish 25% on selected voyages only; Seabourn, Regent, Oceania, Explora, Scenic and Swan Hellenic publish no standard rate.
Which cruise ships have solo cabins?
AmaCello, AmaDante, AmaDolce and AmaLyra (AmaWaterways); Vista, Regatta, Insignia, Nautica and Sirena (Oceania); Douglas Mawson (Aurora Expeditions); select Lindblad ships; Crystal's Solo Guest Rooms; and from 2027 all 70 cabins of Riviera's MS George Eliot. No line publishes how many solo cabins a ship carries.
Does Silversea charge a single supplement?
Silversea publishes a 25% single supplement on selected voyages for suites up to Midship Veranda on Silver Cloud and Deluxe Veranda on Silver Wind, Shadow, Whisper, Spirit, Muse, Moon, Origin and Dawn, with gentlemen hosts on select voyages and a solo welcome reception. Its page states that other voyages may carry higher supplements and does not say which.
Is there a solo-only cruise?
Yes. Riviera Travel sells four solo-only river itineraries now (Budapest to the Black Sea, Rhine–Main–Danube, Blue Danube, Rhine to Switzerland) and from 2027 MS George Eliot sails solo-only on every departure, 70 cabins for 132 guests, each cabin for one. No ocean or expedition line in this index runs a solo-only sailing.
Which expedition cruise line is best for solo travellers?
Aurora Expeditions publishes the clearest terms: a 50% sole-occupancy surcharge, waived if its share-match service finds no cabin-mate, solo staterooms on Douglas Mawson, and a solo share of about 30% with a 50:50 gender split. Atlas quotes from 125% of the double fare; HX publishes tiers of 25% to 70%; Lindblad and Quark waive the supplement for guests willing to share.
Do cruise lines have hosts for solo travellers?
Silversea puts gentlemen hosts on select voyages and holds a solo welcome reception on every voyage; Crystal's Ambassador Hosts act as dance and dinner companions; Oceania runs a hosted solo gathering and mixed dining tables; Windstar holds a solo guests' dinner; AmaWaterways sets tables for five and gives solo guests a ship tour on arrival. Norwegian's Studio Lounge, outside this luxury field, is the benchmark.
Why does only one cruise line clear the bar on this index?
Because the rubric scores what is published and the category publishes little: only four lines state their standard supplement, none states a solo cabin count, and the promotional tiers most lines rely on carry deadlines and can be withdrawn. The bar of 60 was fixed before any site was read and was not lowered to produce six names.
Rankings are scored against published criteria fixed before any line was read. Partners are labelled; there are none on this page. No link on this page is paid: every cruise line, review and press link is editorial. Sources verified 23 September 2026: the solo-traveller, offer, FAQ, ship and terms pages of Aurora Expeditions, Quark Expeditions, HX, Ponant (blocked), Lindblad Expeditions, Swan Hellenic, Atlas Ocean Voyages, Silversea, Seabourn, Regent Seven Seas, Oceania Cruises, Explora Journeys, Crystal, Azamara, Windstar, Uniworld, AmaWaterways, Riviera Travel, Tauck, Scenic, Emerald and Avalon Waterways; Trustpilot; Tauck's press release of 20 January 2026; Cruise Trade News of 11 August 2026; Norwegian Cruise Line's newsroom.
Richard J. · Uncompromised Travel · written from Valencia · first published 23 September 2026 · facts re-verified 23 September 2026
Cookie Settings
This website uses cookies
Cookie Settings
We use cookies to improve user experience. Choose what cookie categories you allow us to use. You can read more
about our Cookie Policy by clicking on Cookie Policy below.
These cookies enable strictly necessary cookies for security, language support and verification of identity.
These cookies can’t be disabled.
These cookies collect data to remember choices users make to improve and give a better
user experience. Disabling can cause some parts of the site to not work properly.
These cookies help us to understand how visitors interact with our website, help us measure and analyze traffic to improve our service.
These cookies help us to better deliver marketing content and customized ads.
