River cruising is one of the best ways to travel solo — you're never really alone (there are group dinners, group excursions, and a built-in social scene), but you have your own cabin and your own space. The catch is the single supplement, which can add $1,000–$3,000 to your fare.
Lines with the best solo deals
- Viking — runs a limited number of solo staterooms with reduced or waived single supplement
- Avalon — periodically waives the single supplement on select Christmas departures
- AMA Waterways — sometimes offers reduced single supplements on select sailings
- Emerald — has dedicated solo cabins on newer ships
The most solo-friendly ships
Viking's Longships have a small number of dedicated solo cabins (Category ES) with no single supplement — these sell out fast. Avalon's suite ships occasionally have solo cabins with reduced supplements. AMA and Emerald both have single-occupancy cabins on newer ships.
Our solo pick
Viking's Rhine Getaway with a solo stateroom is the best single Christmas-market cruise for solo travelers — same great itinerary, same included excursions, no single supplement on the limited solo cabins. Book early; they're gone by spring.
Tip
Ask a VPC expert about solo cabins the moment you start planning — they're the first to sell out, and lines sometimes release them in waves. We can often secure one before they appear online.
Put this into action
Turn this guide into your sailing
A VPC cruise expert will match what you've just read to the right ship, departure, and cabin — at the same price as booking direct, with no fees.