What Are the Best Cruise Lines for Singles? Here’s Where and Why to Hit the High Seas Solo

Including Quick City Cruises and Weeks in Europe

•

Published Jan 4, 2025

best cruises for singles: Collage of cruise attractions

wmaster890/Getty, Princess, Crystal, NCL

Cruise lines offer the ease of returning home to your comfy cabin each night while seeing different ports, all while having an eager staff ready to feed, entertain and otherwise assist you. Ah, heaven. And increasingly, travelers are adding the search for companionship to the reason they love cruising, since solo and singles trips are becoming more popular on cruise lines.

Not only are the best cruise lines for adults encouraging solo travel, both by building special singles’ staterooms, as in the case of Norwegian, and offering reduced singles surcharges (Oceania). They’re also offering onboard experiences curated for solo travelers (Crystal) and there’s even an entire cruise line, Virgin Voyages, launched in 2021 and dedicated to grown-ups doing grown-up things—think mixology instead of waterslides.

Your possibilities for finding romance is even better if you book passage on a singles cruise organized by a top singles travel agency such as Vacations to Go and SinglesCruise on these voyages, dedicated hosts make it their mission to introduce guests and keep the fun going on board as well as in port.

How I Chose the Best Cruise Lines for Singles

I looked at Reddit recommendations from single cruisers, spoke with travel agents, researched ship offerings both in terms of physical space and singles-friendly activities. Additionally, I perused the offerings from travel agencies that sell cruise line packages to singles, ensuring that there will be a cruise director overseeing the singles subset of passengers, helping them meet and greet and leading group activities in addition to the ones the cruise ship organizes. Plus, I watched an entire season of Doctor Odyssey, which included a Singles Week episode where a particularly promiscuous cruiser spreads syphilis across the ship, so…safety first, everyone! Below, a rundown of the eight best cruise lines for singles, along with their current destinations, amenities and price ranges—and, of course, who they’re best for.

Virgin Voyages

1. Virgin Voyages

Best for: Newbie solo cruisers, 30-somethings
Destinations: Puerto Plata, Santorini, Ibiza, Costa Maya, Amsterdam
Amenities: Restaurants, fitness center, shops, bars, spa, pools, casino
Price Range: $1,032 to $5,364 per person

This upstart cruise line launched in 2021 and has the most singles vibe of all the major cruise lines. The adults-only passengers can enjoy nights like “PJ Party” (aka a cool pajama party) and “We Fancy” (dress code: elegant), as well as dance parties inspired by Brooklyn’s own House of Yes, casinos and a multi-story nightclub. With around 2,762 passengers, there’s a lot of new people to meet and greet.

best cruises for singles: Norwegian cruise lines trip to Cabo sights

NCL

2. Norwegian

Best for: Luxe Single Staterooms
Destinations: Alaska, Hawaii, Mykonos, Florence, Iceland
Amenities: Restaurants, fitness center, bars, spa, pools, activities
Price Range: $79 to $10,799 per person

Norwegian has ship capacities from under 2,000 to almost 4,000 passengers, and is one of the few cruise lines that takes single room comfort and affordability so seriously they’ve customized their room offerings. Solo travelers choose among balcony, oceanview and inside staterooms, as well as studios. And for your pleasure, all solo staterooms have exclusive access to the studio lounge, where you can relax in a space set aside for solo mingling.

best cruises for singles: Symphony of the Seas ship in front of the NYC skyline

3. Royal Caribbean

Best for: Weekend cruises
Destinations: Caribbean and the Bahamas, Mexico, Alaska
Amenities: Pools, zero gravity chambers, surf lessons, robot bartenders
Price Range: $366 to $1,887 per person

Port Canaveral, Miami, Galveston, Los Angeles—your fast and affordable weekend getaway cruise on Royal Caribbean awaits at any of these ports. While the large number of kids’ amenities including water slides and mini golf attract families, these ships are so large, with around 5,000 passengers, that there’s plenty of singles to find at the nightclubs or via organized singles meet-up events promoted on social media accounts for the sailing.

Carnival

4. Carnival

Best for: Singles tours
Destinations: Bahamas, Bermuda, Caribbean, Mexico
Amenities: Stage shows, musical performances, deck parties, casinos
Price Range: $270 to $2,635 per person

Vacations to Go organizes lots of singles’ cruises on Carnival Vessels, including the Carnival Venezia, a 5,113 passenger vessel that is done up to honor Venice, Italy, complete with marble columns and a three-course Marco Polo restaurant with Italian sculptures. Of course, with so many people, there’s lots of other restaurants to choose from (sushi, steak and more), as well as every activity under the sun, from water sports to mini golf to fitness facilities including a jogging track. Other perks of booking through Vacations to Go—they’ll match you with a roommate and give you lots of singles-friendly activities overseen by a pair of hosts onboard.

Princess

5. Princess

Best for: Adults Pool Sunbathing
Destinations: Sydney, Vancouver, San Juan, London, Barcelona
Amenities: Restaurants, fitness center, lounges, spa, pools, activities, casino
Price Range: $127 to $23,398 per person

Affordable, friendly and offering special events tours (including one with cast members from TV’s actual Love Boat) this mega-popular cruise line of mega-ships carries 3,600 passengers. PureWow editor Chelsea Candelario enjoyed her time on the Sun Princess: “I recently traveled with Princess Cruises, and I highly recommend it for adults who aren’t traveling with kids in mind. As mentioned, I’ve been on seven cruises, and this by far has been the least family-friendly cruise line—in a good way!” She cites the adult-friendly amenities like a spa, theater and adults-only pool deck as reasons why this one is worth hitting up solo.

Crystal Cruises

6. Crystal Cruises

Best for: Singles Over 60
Destinations: Singapore, Lisbon, Rome, Thessaloniki
Amenities: Fine dining including Nobu, single guest rooms, gentleman hosts, butlers
Price Range: $4,500 to $5,900 per person

This celebrated line has special itineraries set up for singles cruising in high luxury on ships topping out at 740 passengers. As for what to do? Well, there’s top Broadway talent onstage at the nightclub shows, classical music recitals, pop music legends (think Gloria Gaynor) performing and food from leading culinary talent like Nobu Matsuhisa. Singles can enjoy spending time with the cruise line's gentlemen hosts, men who are employed by the cruise line to be ready dance partners and warm dinner companions. All this, and butlers unpack your luggage.

Oceania

7. Oceania

Best for: Global Travelers
Destinations: Lisbon, Iceland, Tokyo, Montreal, New York
Amenities: Globally inspired cuisines, fitness center, bars, spa, pools
Price Range: $799 to $62,999 per person

Looking for international travel? Try Oceana’s discounted singles supplements for cruises to Anchorage, Bali and 63 other itineraries in between. Sophisticated food and wellness plans include spas, healthy dining and fitness, and solo travelers are taken extra-special care of with their own welcome cocktail reception, as well as mixed dining tables and shore excursions.

Seabourn

8. Seabourn

Best for: Luxury Travelers
Destinations: Edinburgh, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Monte Carlo, Alaska
Amenities: Restaurants, fitness center, hair salon, shops, bars, spa, pools, casino
Price Range: $7,436 to $10,299 per person

“Invitations to hosted tables for dinner is one of the real pluses on Seabourn,” says one single traveler. “Even though I was travelling with my sister, I attended the drinks for solos on the first night. My sister prefers room service, so I joined hosted tables on most nights and met a mixture of solos and couples.” The ultra-luxurious cruise line is offering special reduced rates for solo travelers on select cruises, including destinations such as Thailand, Mozambique and the classic yacht harbors of the Caribbean. With fewer than 300 passengers, these elegant vessels can sail into ports larger ships can’t reach, and at this luxury price point, you’re going to mingle with a well-traveled and sophisticated crowd.

How to Choose Your Singles Cruise

First, do you want to go on an all-singles cruise or a cruise where there will be all kinds of people, including a singles community? The latter is more plentiful, but both are possible.

Let’s say you want to go on an all singles cruise…then you should contact one of the nation’s top singles cruise travel agencies who have book out large sections of sailings, groups of people just like you. Vacations to Go bills itself as the world’s largest seller of cruises and while it doesn’t organize singles cruises per se, it does compile an ongoing list of cruises (including Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Costa, Windstar and Oceana) that offer low- and no-surcharge bookings for singles.

If you opt to self-book, your best chance of cruising with fellow singles is on a short-term cruise (think: long weekend) from major cities, since working single people are more apt to take those cruises than the longer more planned-out trips popular with marrieds and families with children.

Party boats like Carnival or adults-onlys like Virgin are probably the best for swinging cruisers. In 2022, the New York Post reported that leaving an upside-down pineapples displayed on cabin doors were an in-crowd signal that the people inside were swingers, i.e. interested in meeting other couples for adult fun. “Cruise ships have long been a place for sexual experimentation, according to experts, with some intrepid travelers emboldened by the fact that they’re far from home and not on dry land,” the Post reported. One Redditor suggests the following: “Look for cruises in known times where people your age are likely to be able to take time off of work or school, such as spring break, summer (mid-June to mid-July) and the non-holiday cruises between Thanksgiving and New Year.”

Know the Costs of Single Vs. Double Occupancy

Traditionally, cruise line fares were quoted as per person, based on double occupancy. So that meant that a couple might pay $250 per person per day, for a total of $500 per night. Extras like specialty dining, shore excursions, spa services, alcoholic beverages and Wi-Fi usually cost extra. If a cruise guest wanted a single occupancy room, that was one less person to charge for that room, as well as one less person to charge for any extras, so shipboard economics dictated that a single-occupancy surcharge would be added to the person in the room alone. This surcharge could be equal to or even surpass 100 percent of the single fare. Long story short, cruise line economics were set up for couples, not singles.

When Covid-19 happened, cruise lines lost tens of billions of dollars, NPR reported. When cruises began sailing again, cruise lines were happy to welcome any and all guests, so they reduced and in some cases waived single-occupancy surcharges altogether. Additionally, lines such as Norwegian and Oceania added single berths—not only lower-demand interior rooms but also luxury balcony cabins. While the single-occupancy surcharges are being phased back in, the single occupancy rooms continue to be popular, often selling out quickly when new sailings are offered for reservation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are cruises good for single people?

Let’s say you want to go on an all-singles cruise with the goal of meeting other singles eager to socialize. My advice is to contact one of the nation’s top singles cruise travel agencies who not only offer discounted fares on particular voyages, but send hosts along with each cluster to optimize the experience, make introductions and lead group activities. Vacations to Go is a great place to start.

What is the average age on a singles cruise?

According to Best Single Travel, an organization that organizes singles’ travel experiences on large cruise ships, the age of people ranges from 40 to 60 years old. There’s no hard-and-fast rule, but in general, larger, more affordable ships like Carnival tend to attract younger people while smaller and more luxurious lines such as Crystal and Seabourn attract a mid-60s and up crowd.

Can you meet someone on a singles cruise?

Cruises are nothing if not social; however, they’re not guaranteed love boats. According to Redditor James: “Do not conflate the terms single and solo. Labeling a cruise traveler as solo implies nothing more than a single person in the cabin. Whereas labeling a cruise traveler as single tends to imply a desire for onboard dating, romancing and intimate companionship. Not 100%, of course, because some people do not yet recognize the distinction. Also, some solo passengers may travel with a friend or buddy (of long-time or brief acquaintance), simply to save on costs, with no intention of togetherness on or off the ship, as opposed to friends cruising together. Remember that many cruise travelers are mature adults who may be widowed or bachelors, having no romantic inclination. Some of them travel solo, or with “buddies“ and companions.” Point taken, James: while “single cruisers” are frequently looking for a “love boat” experience, with a singles’ nightlife, and sometimes even coordinated dating opportunities, it’s important not to assume you’ll get that without speaking to your booking agent or doing research beforehand.

Some travel agents specialize in arranging “singles cruises“ explicitly for this latter class of traveler. So yes, you can meet everyone from new pals to romantic partners on a cruise, and knowing your objective, if any, beforehand helps you choose the best cruise for you.
Finally, make sure to stay active on your trip, in order to make the most of the social opportunities. One cruise line butler recommends the following tips for meeting people on the ship:

Attend social events and activities on the ship, such as dance classes, trivia nights or cocktail parties.
Strike up a conversation with people you meet while lounging by the pool, dining in the ship's restaurants or exploring ports of call.
Join a shore excursion or group activity to meet other solo travelers or like-minded individuals.

Dana Dickey

Senior Editor

Writes about fashion, wellness, relationships and travel
Oversees all LA/California content and is the go-to source for where to eat, stay and unwind on the west coast
Studied journalism at the University of Florida

read full bio