Cruise Types
Solo Cruises: Single Supplements and How to Avoid Them
Short answer
Is this style of cruising right for you?
Cruise lines price cabins for two people, so a solo traveller usually pays a single supplement of 30 to 100 percent. Norwegian is the only mainstream line with purpose-built studio cabins sold with no supplement. Waiting for a supplement-reduced promotion or booking an interior on a quiet sailing are the other reliable routes.
Key takeaways
- Single supplements typically run 30 to 100 percent of the second fare.
- Norwegian studio cabins carry no supplement and include a private solo lounge.
- Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Holland America have a small number of studio cabins on some ships.
- Supplement-reduced promotions appear most often on shoulder-season and repositioning sailings.
- Solo-friendly social programming matters as much as the cabin price for many travellers.
Cruise pricing assumes two people in a cabin, because most of a cruise line's revenue comes from onboard spending rather than the fare. One person in a cabin generates roughly half the bar tab, so lines charge a single supplement to compensate.
That supplement runs 30 to 100 percent of the second fare, which on a $1,200 cruise means paying $1,560 to $2,400. It is the largest single obstacle to cruising alone and it is more avoidable than most people realise.
There are three reliable routes around it: book a line with purpose-built solo cabins, wait for a reduced-supplement promotion, or accept an interior cabin on a sailing the line is struggling to fill. This page covers all three, and the social side, which for many solo travellers matters more than the price.
How single supplements actually work
A cruise fare is quoted per person on double occupancy. If you sail alone, the line charges you the base fare plus a percentage of the second person's fare, which is the supplement.
The percentage varies by line, by sailing and by how full the ship is. On a sold-out Caribbean week in February expect 100 percent, meaning you pay for two. On a quiet repositioning sailing in April you may find 25 percent or none at all.
Port taxes and gratuities are charged per person, so those do not double. That means a 100 percent supplement adds less than 100 percent to your total cost, typically 70 to 85 percent.
| Scenario | Fare | Supplement | Taxes and tips | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sharing with another person | $1,295 | None | $276 | $1,571 |
| Solo, 100 percent supplement | $2,590 | $1,295 | $276 | $2,866 |
| Solo, 50 percent supplement | $1,943 | $648 | $276 | $2,219 |
| Solo, 25 percent promotion | $1,619 | $324 | $276 | $1,895 |
| Norwegian studio cabin | $1,120 | None | $276 | $1,396 |
Lines with purpose-built solo cabins
Norwegian is the clear leader. Its studio cabins are roughly 100 square feet, built for one person, sold with no single supplement, and come with keycard access to a private studio lounge with its own bar and social programming. They appear on Prima, Breakaway and Breakaway Plus class ships and sell out first on every sailing.
Royal Caribbean has a small number of studio cabins on Quantum class ships, and Celebrity has a handful on Edge class. Holland America and Cunard both offer single cabins on selected ships. In every case the inventory is tiny, often fewer than twenty cabins on a 4,000-guest ship.
Virgin Voyages sells solo cabins on some sailings, though the supplement reduction is less generous than Norwegian's.
- Norwegian: studio cabins, no supplement, private solo lounge, best in market.
- Royal Caribbean: a small number of studios on Quantum class.
- Celebrity: a handful of single staterooms on Edge class.
- Holland America and Cunard: single cabins on selected ships.
- In every case except Norwegian, inventory is under 20 cabins per ship.
Four practical ways to reduce the supplement
First, book a Norwegian studio. It is the only structural solution and it costs less than a shared balcony on many sailings.
Second, watch for reduced-supplement promotions. Lines run them on sailings that are not filling, most often in early May, late September, early December and on repositioning voyages. Sign up for fare alerts rather than checking manually.
Third, accept an interior cabin. Supplements are calculated as a percentage, so a lower base fare means a lower supplement in absolute terms. An interior with a 100 percent supplement often costs less than a balcony with a 50 percent one.
Fourth, consider a line that includes more. On Regent or Silversea, where excursions, drinks and gratuities are in the fare, a 100 percent supplement on a fare that covers everything can compare surprisingly well against a mainstream fare plus supplement plus all the extras.
- Book a Norwegian studio: the only structural fix, no supplement at all.
- Watch for reduced-supplement promotions in May, September, December and on repositioning sailings.
- Book an interior: the supplement is a percentage, so a lower base fare cuts it in absolute terms.
- Compare all-inclusive lines, where a supplement covers a fare that already includes everything.
Terms worth knowing
- Single supplement
- The extra charge for occupying a double cabin alone, typically 30 to 100 percent of the second person's fare, levied to compensate for lost onboard spending.
- Studio cabin
- A cabin built for single occupancy, roughly 100 square feet, sold without a single supplement. Norwegian operates the largest inventory.
- Studio lounge
- A private space accessible only to Norwegian studio cabin guests, with its own bar and social programming.
- Gentleman dance host
- A vetted male passenger employed by Cunard to partner solo female guests in the ballroom, a practice unique to that line.
| Option | Typical solo cost | Cabin size | Social provision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norwegian studio | $1,396 | About 100 sq ft | Private studio lounge, excellent |
| Royal Caribbean studio | $1,540 | About 101 sq ft | None specific, tiny inventory |
| Mainstream interior, 100 percent supplement | $1,806 | About 150 sq ft | Solo meet-up only |
| Mainstream balcony, 50 percent supplement | $2,219 | About 180 sq ft | Solo meet-up only |
| Cunard Britannia, 100 percent supplement | $2,100 | About 180 sq ft | Dance hosts, excellent |
| Virgin Voyages solo cabin | $1,650 | About 105 sq ft | Strong social programming |
How to book a solo cruise
Work through these in order. The first two solve the cost problem and the last two solve the company problem.
Book a Norwegian studio cabin
Choose it when: You want the lowest solo cost and a built-in social space. It is the only structural solution and often undercuts a shared balcony.
Watch for reduced-supplement promotions
Choose it when: You have date flexibility. Early May, late September, early December and repositioning sailings carry the best offers.
Book an interior rather than a balcony
Choose it when: Cost is the constraint. The supplement is a percentage, so a lower base fare cuts it in absolute terms.
Book Cunard
Choose it when: You want organised social provision. The dance host programme is genuinely distinctive and its demographic suits solo travel.
Decline a shared-cabin match
Choose it when: An agency offers to pair you with a stranger. In 180 square feet for seven nights, the risk outweighs the saving.
Put this research to work
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Frequently asked questions
What is a single supplement on a cruise?
Cruise fares are quoted per person on double occupancy, so a solo traveller pays a supplement of typically 30 to 100 percent of the second person's fare. Lines charge it because most of their revenue comes from onboard spending, and one person in a cabin generates roughly half of it. Port taxes and gratuities are per person and do not double.
Which cruise line is best for solo travellers?
Norwegian, by a clear margin. It is the only mainstream line with purpose-built studio cabins sold with no single supplement, and they include keycard access to a private studio lounge with its own bar where solo guests meet naturally. Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Holland America have small numbers of single cabins but no equivalent social space.
How can you avoid paying a single supplement?
Book a Norwegian studio cabin, which carries none. Otherwise watch for reduced-supplement promotions, which appear most often in early May, late September, early December and on repositioning sailings. Booking an interior rather than a balcony also cuts the supplement in absolute terms, since it is calculated as a percentage of the fare.
How much more does it cost to cruise alone?
With a 100 percent supplement, a seven-night Caribbean balcony rises from $1,571 shared to about $2,866 solo, an increase of 82 percent rather than 100 because taxes and gratuities are per person. A Norwegian studio cabin on the same sailing costs about $1,396, which is less than one person's share of a double balcony.
Is it lonely cruising alone?
It depends heavily on the line. Norwegian's studio lounge gives solo guests a private bar where they meet naturally. Cunard employs dance hosts to partner solo guests in the ballroom. Most lines run a solo travellers meet-up on the first sea day, which is worth attending, and requesting a shared dining table is the other reliable route to company.
Should you share a cabin with a stranger to avoid the supplement?
We would advise against it. Some agencies match solo travellers into shared cabins, and while it occasionally works, you have no recourse if the match is poor and you are sharing 180 square feet for seven nights. The saving is real but the downside risk is larger than most people account for.
About the author
Cruise Pricing Analyst
Daniel Okafor tracks cruise fares for a living. He maintains the price series behind every cost page on this site, sampling lead-in fares across the fifteen lines we cover on a fixed weekly schedule so the numbers we publish are comparable month to month rather than screenshotted once and forgotten.
34 sailings logged across 8 cruise lines.
This page was fact-checked by Priya Raman, family and accessibility reviewer, on . Prices and policies are re-checked against cruise line sources at least every 90 days. Read our editorial policy.
The social side, which matters more than the fare
Most solo cruisers report that the practical question is not the supplement but whether they will spend seven evenings alone. Lines differ enormously here.
Norwegian's studio lounge is the best solution at sea: a private space attached to the solo cabins with its own bar, where solo travellers meet naturally rather than through an organised event.
Cunard's gentleman dance hosts are the other genuinely distinctive offering, employed to partner solo guests in the ballroom, which suits its demographic well.
Most lines run a solo travellers meet-up on the first sea day. Attend it; on a ship of 4,000 people it is how you find the twenty others sailing alone.