Going on a cruise alone as a woman, with a host and a small group

Going on a cruise alone as a woman is far easier when you board with a small group who are also on their own, and that is what Spice Escapes arranges: hosted cruises where a host sails with you and most people have booked by themselves. You keep your own cabin, you have company at dinner when you want it, and someone you know is on hand from the first morning to the last.

Most women who ask us about cruising solo are not worried about the sea. They are worried about the ship. A big ship is full of couples who arrived together, and the evening shows feel different with nobody to turn to afterwards. The real questions are "who will I talk to" and "what happens at the airport".

Why a hosted group changes the cruise

On our cruises you are part of a group of around fifteen people, and some reach twenty, travelling with a Spice Escapes host. That group is your table at dinner, your company on shore and the people you sit with on deck in the evening. It is mixed, men and women, and nobody is there as half of a couple tour. The host knows everyone by name before the first day is out and makes the introductions, so you never have to work out how to join a conversation.

The friendships are the part people talk about afterwards: long dinners, easy sea days, and port days where you go ashore with two or three of the group or alone, then meet them back on board. If you are new to travelling this way, our guide for first-time solo travellers explains how the first day works, and your first group holiday covers the rest.

No airport at all: the Norwegian fjords from London

If arriving alone at a foreign airport is the bit that stops you, start with the Summertime Fjordland Cruise. It sails from London Tilbury and comes back there, so there are no flights, no transfers and no waiting at arrivals wondering who is meant to meet you. The ship calls at Eidfjord, Austefjorden for Bergen, Måløy and Geiranger, and full board, the spa, the pool and the hot tubs are all included in the fare.

Ambience is a large ship, which is exactly where a group helps most. There are usually two formal or gala nights, far more fun with friends to dress up alongside.

• 8 nights, departing 21 Aug 2027 – 29 Aug 2027
• From £1,129, hosted by Pam Harte
• Availability: 4 places left

Met at the airport, and a day in hand: the Mediterranean from Rome

The question we hear most from women booking a cruise alone is "who meets me, and what if my flight is late?" On Mediterranean Cruising Italian Style with WingsItaly the answer is built into the trip. You fly to Rome the day before the ship sails, so a delay cannot cost you the cruise, and WingsItaly meet you at the airport and take you to a central hotel. There is an optional first group dinner, prepared by the sisters at Palazzo Lante near the Pantheon, before anyone has set foot on the ship.

Andrea Moro and Claire host throughout on Costa Toscana, with drinks and gratuities included on board. One evening after Barcelona the ship stops in the open sea for an hour of stargazing, with the deck lights low.

• 8 nights, 6 May 2027 – 14 May 2027
• From £1,928, with Claire Dymond
• 11 places left

A river ship with eighteen cabins: Kolkata and the Lower Ganges

A small ship suits a woman on her own because there is no crowd to get lost in. India: Kolkata and the Lower Ganges River Cruise is a Spice Escapes charter aboard RV Kalaw Pandaw, which has just eighteen staterooms. Wings meet you on arrival in Kolkata and take you by private transfer to the boat, where there is a welcome reception, and an all-inclusive drinks package runs through the cruise.

India can feel a lot to take on alone. Here you see it with a group: an early visit to the Mallick Ghat flower market (stay in bed if you prefer), a private visit to Raj Bhavan arranged only for Spice Escapes guests, and a rickshaw ride at Kalna to a Shiva temple ringed by 108 shrines.

• several nights, dates to be confirmed
• From price on request, hosted by one of our hosts
• ask us

A short first try: four nights moored in Venice

If you would like to test cruising before committing a week, All Inclusive Treasures of Venice is a gentle start. The ship is your hotel, moored close to St Mark's Square, and all meals, bar drinks and a gala dinner are included, so you never face the question of where to eat alone. The flights arrive at similar times, the group gathers at the airport and you travel in together by water taxi. There is an afternoon across the lagoon to Burano. More on the trip in our Venice short break article.

• 4 nights, 19 Nov 2026 – 23 Nov 2026, from £929
• Hosted by Samantha Pike, Waitlist only

Further afield: a wooden boat in the Maldives

For something wilder, Maldives Wildlife Cruise and Beach Chillout spends seven nights on MV Felicity, a wooden boat taking twelve guests at most. Your tour leader meets you at Malé airport, gives a snorkelling safety briefing and acts as your spotter in the water. A whole day goes on searching for whale sharks off Dhigurah, and the last three nights are on Fulhadhoo with nothing scheduled. It runs for 12 nights, 27 Nov 2027 – 9 Dec 2027, from £4,199, with Jonathan Banks hosting (2 places left).

Your own cabin, and what it costs

Every one of these holidays carries a single supplement or a cost for having the cabin to yourself, and we tell you what it is before you book. It is the honest price of a room for one. Our single supplement page explains how it works on our holidays. You can see the wider range on our cruise holidays page, browse by country with Italy, Norway, India or the Maldives, or read about solo holidays for over 50s more generally.

Questions people ask

Is it safe to go on a cruise alone as a woman?

Cruising is one of the more sheltered ways to travel, and with a hosted group you also have people who notice if you are missing at dinner. Your host is your first point of call for anything that worries you, on board or ashore.

Will I be the only woman on her own?

Most people on a Spice Escapes holiday book by themselves, so being on your own is the usual way to arrive. Groups are mixed, men and women, and nobody is there as part of a couples tour.

Do I have to share a cabin?

No, you can have a cabin to yourself, and that carries a single supplement or room-to-yourself cost which we tell you about upfront. Ask us if you would rather know the options on a particular ship.

Do I have to spend every moment with the group?

Not at all. Plenty of people take a port day on their own or have a quiet afternoon by the pool, then join everyone for dinner. The group is there when you want it.

What if I have never cruised before?

Then a short sailing like Venice, or the fjords from London with no flights, is a gentle way in. Your host explains how the ship works on the first day so you are never guessing.

Ask us which cruise suits you

Tell us which of these appeals, when you could travel and what is holding you back, whether that is the airport, the cost of a cabin for one or simply not knowing anyone. Rob Thompson, who owns Spice Escapes and hosts holidays himself, and the team will give you a straight answer, and if the Italian sailings appeal they can put you in touch with Claire Dymond, who hosts them. Send us an enquiry and we will come back to you with places and prices for the sailing you have in mind.