• Home
• 
• Cruise Deals
• 
• Destinations
• 
• Cruise & Stay
• 
• Cruise Lines
• 
• Luxury
• 
• New to Cruising?

Solo cruising is becoming increasingly popular and cruise lines are taking special care of their individual travelers by organising meet-ups and events for all the solo travelers on board early on during the cruise so that new friendships may be struck up and connections made.

If you're planning on going on a cruise as a solo traveler rest assured that you'll be in good hands and will have a great holiday.

 Which ship for solo cruising?

It's difficult to meet individual like-minded people on a ship that's hosting a couple of thousand people so if you're solo cruising you might want to consider choosing a smaller ship where it's easier to meet people and form friendships.

Another issue to keep in mind when choosing your ship is your room. Most ships have rooms that cater for two people or more and when booking you'll need to pay for the room including the single supplement, thus your costs will rise. However you can advise your travel agent that you'll be travelling solo and the cruise ship will be able to find another solo traveler whom you can share your room with thereby cutting down on costs. If you'd rather not have a roommate then it's advisable to shop around for the lowest single supplement fee that you can find (typically this is no lower than 10% though it's rare to find such a low rate).

The single room issue is being tackled by certain cruise ships and 2010 saw both P&O Cruises' Azura debut with 18 single rooms, as well as the Norwegian Epic which features 128 cabins designated for solo travelers with 100-square-foot accommodations with full-size beds and separate areas for the bathrooms, sinks and showers.

Unless your reason for travelling solo is to get away from people, there are plenty of activities on board to keep you occupied and entertained and if you want to meet new people then take note of the following tips:

• Attend the various activities that interest you to meet like-minded people
• Strike up conversations with people who seem interesting and who are also travelling solo
• Visit the bars and lounges in the evening and see which one is the most popular with individual travelers
• Sit at a dining table with compatible partners and if your table isn't quite right for you, don't be shy to ask the maitre d' to be seated at a different table. They'll be happy to try and arrange for you to sit with a more suitable crowd.
• You might also want to choose a themed cruise thereby guaranteeing that the people on board all have similar interests and making it more likely for you to connect with others.

Solo cruising is fast gaining ground as a great way to travel the world and meet people so if you're ready for a cruising adventure don't be put off if you're alone, just do your research into solo cruising and choose wisely to get the best package for yourself.