Cruise lines for solo travellers: a fair look, and sailing with a hosted group

The big cruise lines have worked hard for solo travellers lately, with single cabins, reduced supplements and lounges where people on their own can meet. Spice Escapes is a different thing again: a UK tour operator that puts a small hosted group of people travelling on their own aboard a ship, so you have a host and a ready-made table of friends from the first evening.

Perhaps you have been reading about Hurtigruten, Fred. Olsen, Viking or Norwegian Cruise Line, and the worry underneath is a big ship, a thousand strangers, and you walking into dinner alone. Below is what each line says it offers people sailing alone, from its own website, then what we do differently. Spice Escapes has no connection with any of these companies.

What the cruise lines offer people sailing alone

Hurtigruten

Hurtigruten calls its route "the original Norwegian coastal voyage", sailing since 1893 and calling at up to 34 ports. For solo guests it advertises a reduced single supplement, cosy spaces to mix with other solo travellers and a welcoming crew, and it offers a Northern Lights Promise on its aurora voyages. If you want the working Norwegian coast, port after port, it is built for exactly that.

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines

Fred. Olsen describes its ships as smaller, able to dock in the heart of cities and reach Norway's lesser known fjords, and it sails from five UK ports: Southampton, Liverpool, Portsmouth, Rosyth for Edinburgh, and Newcastle. It has single balcony, ocean view and interior cabins, a solo travellers' meeting listed in the daily programme, mixed tables at dinner and Dance Hosts on hand. If you want a port near home and a cabin designed for one, it has thought about you.

Viking

Viking runs river voyages in Europe, Asia, Egypt and along the Mississippi, as well as ocean and expedition ships, and says each journey includes a shore excursion in every port with an enrichment programme of talks and culture. If you want to learn about each place with excursions arranged, that is its focus.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line has Studio cabins sized for one person, plus balcony, ocean view and inside cabins for solo guests, and these come with access to the Studio Lounge, a space for meeting others sailing alone. It also promotes dining whenever and wherever you like. If you enjoy a big, lively ship and doing your own thing, it is designed around that.

We could not read P&O Cruises' own pages when we wrote this, so we say nothing about its arrangements here. Its website sets them out.

What is still missing for a lot of people

A solo lounge or a meeting in the daily programme is a start, and for confident travellers it is plenty. It still leaves you the hardest part: walk in, pick a face, and hope.

On a Spice Escapes holiday, the group exists before you board. There is a host who travels with you, knows everyone's name by the end of the first evening, and makes sure the group meets up for drinks and dinner. Groups are around fifteen people, and some reach twenty. Most people book on their own, so nobody is the odd one out. You can still slope off with a book, but you do not have to wonder who you will sit with. Read what makes a Spice Escape different for the longer version.

One thing we will be straight about: every Spice Escapes holiday carries a single supplement or a cost for a cabin or room to yourself. Our single supplement page explains how it works.

If Hurtigruten or Fred. Olsen tempted you: the Norwegian fjords from London

Our Summertime Fjordland Cruise sails from London Tilbury and back, so there are no flights and no airports. The ship is Ambassador's Ambience, calling at Eidfjord, Austefjorden for Bergen, Måløy and Geiranger. Full board, the spa, the pool and the hot tubs are all in the fare.

Pam Harte hosts, so sea days have a familiar table and ports have people to wander with. It is 8 nights, sailing 21 Aug 2027 – 29 Aug 2027, from £1,129. Places: 4 places left. More on the country on our Norway page.

If you went with Hurtigruten for the north: Iceland, with the excursions included

If the aurora was the real draw, Iceland Discovery is a short break in Reykjavik with the excursions in the price, which may also appeal if you like Viking's approach. Entrance to the Blue Lagoon is included, there is a full day on the Golden Circle to Thingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss, and a city tour. The Centerhotel Plaza is central. We hope for the Northern Lights, though they do not appear to order.

Jackie Whyte hosts. It runs 4 nights, 12 Nov 2026 – 16 Nov 2026, from £1,065. Places: 3 places left.

If a big Mediterranean ship is what you fancy: Italy at sea, with two hosts

If a large, sociable ship appeals, our Mediterranean Cruising Italian Style with WingsItaly gives you that with a group around you. You fly to Rome a day early, so a delay cannot cost you the ship, and there is an optional first dinner prepared by the sisters at Palazzo Lante, near the Pantheon. Then you board Costa Toscana at Civitavecchia, calling at Savona and Marseilles. Andrea Moro of WingsItaly co-hosts, and drinks and gratuities are included on board.

Your host is Claire Dymond. It is 8 nights, 6 May 2027 – 14 May 2027, from £1,928. Places: 11 places left.

If you would rather the ship was tiny: twelve guests in the Maldives

At the other end of the scale, Maldives Wildlife Cruise & Beach Chillout spends seven nights on MV Felicity, a wooden boat that takes twelve guests at most. There is a whole day searching for whale sharks off Dhigurah, and the last three nights are on Fulhadhoo with nothing scheduled.

Jonathan Banks hosts. It is 12 nights, 27 Nov 2027 – 9 Dec 2027, from £4,199. Places: 2 places left. All our sailings are on the cruise holidays page.

Which suits you

If you are happy to arrive alone, value a cabin priced for one, and want the widest choice of routes, a big line may well suit you better. If the part you dread is the first dinner, and what you want is a host and a group who are expecting you, that is what we do. New to all this? Our guide for first-time solo travellers and over 50s solo holidays page are good places to start.

Questions people ask

Is a cruise a good idea if I am travelling alone?

It can be, because the ship carries and feeds you without any planning. The harder part on a big ship is finding company, which is why some people prefer a hosted group.

Do I have to share a cabin with a stranger?

No. You can have a cabin to yourself, and there is a single supplement for that on every Spice Escapes holiday.

Will I spend the whole time with the group?

Only as much as you want. The host gathers everyone for drinks and dinner, and plenty of people spend a port day on their own and catch up in the evening.

Is the Norway cruise suitable if I do not want to fly?

Yes. It sails from London Tilbury and comes back there, so there are no flights at all.

Are you part of one of the cruise lines?

No. Spice Escapes is an independent UK tour operator running small hosted groups for people travelling on their own. We book places on a ship for our group and send a host with you.

Tell us which line you were looking at

Tell us which cruise line you were weighing up and what appealed, and we will point you to the sailing that fits and tell you what places are left. Rob Thompson, who owns Spice Escapes and hosts trips himself, and the rest of the team are happy to talk it through by phone or email. You might also like your first group holiday. When you are ready, get in touch with the team.