Solo Traveler River Cruise Specials
Booking a solo cruise can be a trying experience. What feels like a punitive “single supplement” can make it seem like you’re paying for two full guests when you’re only sailing for one – and indeed, some supplements do just that. But cruise companies are growing more accustomed (and informed) about the increasing number of guests who want to sail solo – and lines are answering the call in a number of different ways.
What we want to do is find companies that waive or reduce the single supplement. Historically speaking, sailing solo required payment of the dreaded single traveler supplement – a surcharge that could, in some cases, stretch as high as 100 percent of the total cruise fare. Basically, you’d be paying for two, but sailing as one.
Today, that landscape has changed. Many river cruise lines now offer dedicated staterooms for solo travelers, and other cruise lines regularly offer special discounts on other accommodations in order to make them as appealing to solo cruisers as possible. Note that ‘solo’ doesn’t necessarily mean ‘single’ – a solo traveler is merely someone who’s embarking on a particular journey on their own. And yes, there are lots of people doing just that!
We’ve provided a handy chart below to help you determine what lines are currently offering special staterooms designed for the solo traveler, or solo pricing offers.
- American Queen Steamboat Company – Current Offers
- Avalon Waterways – Solo Traveler Deal
- CroisiEurope – Current Offers
- Emerald Waterways – each ship has two dedicated solo staterooms.
- Riviera River Cruises. See Riviera River Cruises Expands 2019 Solo Traveler Program
- Scenic Tours – No current offers at this point, but some ships have dedicated solo staterooms.
- Tauck – Traveling Solo with Tauck
- Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection – Solo Traveler Savings
- Viking River Cruises
Also see Single Supplements 2019 Update.
Single Supplements
| Company | Single Supplement |
|---|---|
| AmaWaterways | 25 percent single supplement on select sailings if booked by March 31, 2021; 25 percent single supplement on all fixed window staterooms in 2021 & 2022; 10 percent single supplement on fixed window staterooms on select sailings in 2021 if booked by March 31, 2021; Single occupancy cabins with no single supplement. |
| Avalon Waterways | Single Supplement waived on cruise portion of select 2021 sailings. |
| American Cruise Lines | Single occupancy cabins; 150-175 percent single supplement for double occupancy cabins. |
| CroisiEurope | No single supplement on select 2021 departures. |
| Crystal River Cruises | Additional single supplement from 110 percent. |
| Emerald Waterways | 2 designated single cabins on each ship. |
| Riviera | Between 4 and 6 cabins with no single supplement on every sailing, plus solo only itineraries. |
| Scenic | Waived single supplement on select 2021 sailings. |
| Tauck | No single supplement in all category one cabins. |
| Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection | Waived single supplement on select 2021 sailings. |
| Viking River Cruises | 150-200% single supplement fee. |
We want to travel by october.