Traveling solo on a cruise? Congrats: You're adventurous and now you don't have to share that stateroom with anyone else! You can choose the shore expeditions that most appeal to you, meet others socially if and when you want to, and enjoy the high seas on your own terms.
But given that cruise lines usually charge a "single supplement" for people traveling alone—since that the same stateroom would ordinarily have a second person ordering food and drinks—you may be wondering which cruise line offers the best value for a solo passenger. A study by Croatia Cruises has done the math for you, outlining the best value for not just the cabin price, but also the passenger-to-staff member ratio and the array of shore excursions offered.
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The winner? It's P&O Cruises, where a solo cruise runs about $245 a day. At that price point, you'll have three staff members per passenger making sure everything sails smoothly, and you'll have a choice of 1,133 excursions to pick from.
In second place is Princess Cruises, where the daily price rises to about $300. You'll still have that same number of dedicated crew members, but the shore excursions drop to 820.
And in third place is Cunard lines. There, you'll pay $317 per day, experience the ratio of two crew members per passenger (still quite generous!) and actually have the choice of more excursions than with Princess: 882.
Many of these lines have dedicated singles lounges where you can dip in and out and possibly meet your new best friend--or at least someone to share part of the voyage with you.
Here are the top 10 cruise lines for solo passengers:
1. P&O Cruises
2. Princess Cruises
3. Cunard
4. Carnival Cruise Line
5. Norwegian Cruise Line
6. MSC Cruises
7. Holland America Line
8. Virgin Voyages
9. Azamara Cruises
10. Oceania Cruises