Singles cruises over 40: hosted sailings with a small group of your own

If you are in your forties, travelling on your own and wondering whether a cruise is for you, Spice Escapes puts you on board with a small hosted group instead of leaving you to work out a big ship alone. You book on your own, a host from our team sails with you, and from the first evening you have people to share a table, a shore day and a late drink with.

That is the whole difference. Walking into a ship's dining room of couples on your own is lonely. With us you arrive into a group of around fifteen people, and some reach twenty. Spice Escapes is for people in their 40s, 50s and 60s, and most of the people who travel with us come on their own.

The cruise worry at forty-something

People in their forties who ring us about a cruise ask the same thing. Will everyone be retired, and will I be the youngest on board by a generation? Cruising has that reputation. The honest answer is that the mix on any holiday changes from departure to departure, so we would rather tell you what we know about the one you are looking at than promise you a crowd. Ask us, and we will be straight with you.

What we can say is that the sailings on this page were chosen for energy as much as for scenery. None of them is a fortnight of sitting still.

Venice in a long weekend, all inclusive

All Inclusive Treasures of Venice suits anyone who cannot take a fortnight off work. It runs for 4 nights, and the ship, MS Michelangelo, is your hotel, moored close to St Mark's Square. All meals, drinks at the bar and a gala dinner are included on board, so there is no awkward splitting of bills with people you met that morning.

The group flies out together on scheduled flights and takes a water taxi onto Venice island. There is an afternoon across the lagoon to Burano and its rainbow-coloured houses, and optional trips to the Doge's Palace, Murano's glassworks, Padua or a guided food tour. Your host is Samantha Pike. Dates are 19 Nov 2026 – 23 Nov 2026, from £929, and places: Waitlist only. We wrote more about the city in all-inclusive Venice holidays.

An Italian ship that likes a party

Mediterranean Cruising Italian Style with WingsItaly is the one to look at if your fear is a quiet ship. Costa Toscana is a big, proudly Italian vessel with a central atrium, a glass skywalk, infinity pools, a spa and theatre shows, and your drinks package and gratuities are included. It runs for 8 nights.

You fly to Rome a day early, so a delayed flight cannot cost you the ship, and spend that first night in a central hotel with a hosted walk to find your feet. There is an optional first dinner prepared by the sisters at Palazzo Lante, near the Pantheon. After Barcelona the ship stops in open sea, away from city lights, for an hour of stargazing with a drink in your hand. Andrea Moro of WingsItaly hosts with Claire Dymond. Dates are 6 May 2027 – 14 May 2027, from £1,928. Places: 11 places left. If you want to practise, our Italian phrases piece will get you through the bar order.

Norway's fjords from the Thames

Summertime Fjordland Cruise sails from London Tilbury and back, so there are no flights and no airports, which is a gift when you are travelling on your own with a suitcase. It runs for 8 nights, calling at Eidfjord, Austefjorden for Bergen, Måløy and Geiranger. Full board, the spa, the pool and the hot tubs are included in the fare.

The ship, Ambience, has a choice of bars, among them the Observatory and the Purple Turtle Pub, and a show lounge, the Palladium. Sea days are when the group really gels, over a long lunch or a quiz. Your host is Pam Harte. Dates: 21 Aug 2027 – 29 Aug 2027, from £1,129, and places: 4 places left. See more of the country on our Norway page.

Further afield, and more active

India: Kolkata & The Lower Ganges River Cruise is a Spice Escapes charter with WingsItaly on the RV Kalaw Pandaw, a river boat with just 18 staterooms, so the whole boat soon feels like your group. Highlights include a private visit to Raj Bhavan arranged for our guests only and a rickshaw ride at Kalna to a Shiva temple ringed by 108 shrines. An all-inclusive drinks package comes with the cruise. It runs for several nights with one of our hosts, dates dates to be confirmed, from price on request. Places: ask us.

Maldives Wildlife Cruise & Beach Chillout is a cruise in the loosest sense. You live on MV Felicity, a wooden boat taking twelve guests at most, snorkel with turtles, reef sharks and rays, and give one whole day to looking for whale sharks off Dhigurah. The last nights are on Fulhadhoo with nothing scheduled. It runs for 12 nights with Jonathan Banks, dates 27 Nov 2027 – 9 Dec 2027, from £4,199. Places: 2 places left.

Every sailing we run is on our cruise holidays page, and the shorter ones sit with our short breaks. There is more on Italy on our Italy page.

How the group works at sea

On a ship, the host does the job a friend would do, sorting out where the group gathers before dinner so nobody is left looking for a seat. If you want a morning alone by the pool, nobody minds. The friends made on board are the part people talk about when they get home.

If you have never been away without a partner or friends, our guide for first-time solo travellers walks through that first day. Friends in their fifties can start with our over 50s solo holidays page.

On cabins, be clear-eyed. Every holiday carries a single supplement or a cost for a room to yourself, and ship cabins are priced for two. Our single supplement page explains how it works and what to ask us.

Questions people ask

Will I be the youngest on a cruise in my forties?

The mix changes from one departure to the next, so we would rather tell you about the sailing you are looking at than guess. Spice Escapes is for people in their 40s, 50s and 60s. Ring us and ask, and we will tell you honestly what we know.

Do I have to share a cabin with a stranger?

Ask us about the cabin options on the sailing you like, because they differ from ship to ship. Having a cabin to yourself carries a single supplement or a room-to-yourself cost, which we explain before you book.

What if I do not get on with the group?

Nobody is obliged to spend every minute together, and a ship gives you plenty of space of your own. The host is there to help if something is not right. Most people find their people within a day or two.

Is a short cruise worth it on my own?

A short break is a sensible first try if you are unsure about cruising. You get the group, the host and a taste of life on board without using a big chunk of your leave.

Do I need to fly?

Not always. The fjord cruise sails from London Tilbury and comes back there, so there are no airports at all. The others include flights, and the group travels together where it can.

Talk to us about a cruise

Tell us which sailing caught your eye and what worries you about it, and we will give you a straight answer on the group, the cabin and the cost. Rob Thompson, who owns Spice Escapes and hosts holidays himself, and the rest of the team are happy to take your call. Get in touch here, and we will come back to you with places and a price for the date you want.