Solo Travel on a River Cruise
Does the idea of solo travel on a river cruise have you in a panic? Relax. A river cruise is one of the easiest vacation experiences for a solo, particularly on a Europe or USA river cruise.
As a solo traveler from many river cruises in Europe and the USA, I can tell you it’s one of the most rewarding types of solo vacations you could take. Here are a few of my top reasons why a solo traveler will enjoy river cruising.
Consider the size of river ships. With the exception of the beautiful paddle wheelers in the USA, river ships carry fewer than 200 passengers. It’s an intimate ship where, unless you don’t want to, meeting others is as natural as possible. Open seating in the dining room, small shore excursion groups and interactive onboard events seem to organically bring people together.
Most of your fellow passengers will, by the nature of river cruising, have many of the same interests as you do, whether on the cruise or back home. River cruises tend to bring like-minded people together.
Other advantages of solo travel on a river cruise include:
- Many cruise lines offer reduced or waived single supplements on a double-occupancy cabin.
- Dozens of new ships are being designed with purpose-built solo cabins, some with a balcony.
- The option to join city walking tours, moving at a slower pace, with others who wish the same.
- Solo travelers are generally known to the Cruise Managers, who keep an eye out for them.
- There’s safety in numbers. It’s easy to tag along with a group from the ship when they venture into town at night.
- Motor coach shore excursions are a great opportunity to chat with your neighbors.
Dining Room Tip:
The good news is that open seating in the dining room means you can try a different table every night. But you might want to be one of the first or last guests to enter the dining room. If you arrive during the mad rush, chances are you’ll have to try a few tables before you can find a solo seat, due to many couples traveling together.
