Solo Cruise Single Supplement: Why You Pay Double and How to Avoid It

Cruise fares are quoted per person on the assumption that two people share each cabin. When you book a standard cabin alone, the line charges a single supplement to make up for the missing second fare, and it is often steep: Royal Caribbean’s policy is that a solo guest pays 200 percent of the category rate unless otherwise noted. In other words, you pay for two.

There are ways around it. A small number of ships have dedicated solo cabins priced for one person, lines run reduced-supplement promotions on sailings that are not selling, and a few programs cater to solo travelers directly. The trick is knowing which ships have what, and booking early, because solo cabins are always the scarcest on board.

Why the single supplement exists

A cruise line earns money twice from every passenger: once from the fare, and again from what they spend on board, from drinks to excursions. A cabin with one person in it produces half of that onboard spending, while the line’s costs for the cabin, from cleaning to the crew who serve it, are largely the same.

So the lines price cabins, not people. Holland America puts it simply: its fares are based on two people sharing a cabin. The single supplement is how the line recovers the second fare. How much it charges depends on how well the sailing is selling. On a sold-out holiday cruise, expect the full supplement. On a sailing with empty cabins a few months out, it can drop sharply.

Ships with solo cabins in 2026

Dedicated solo cabins are priced for one person, with no supplement. They cost more per person than half a shared cabin, but much less than paying double. These are the main options on the big lines.

Norwegian is the clear leader. Its Studios are compact inside cabins designed for one, grouped around a private Studio Lounge where solo guests can meet, and the ship pages for Epic, Breakaway, Getaway, Escape, Bliss, Encore, Prima, Viva and Aqua all list them with no single supplement required. Norwegian Epic was the first ship built with them. Norwegian also sells solo-priced inside, ocean view and balcony cabins on select cruises for less than double the fare.

Celebrity built single staterooms into its Edge-class ships, with the same Infinite Veranda design as its double cabins. They are among the few solo cabins with outdoor space on a mainstream line.

Holland America added solo ocean view cabins to its three newest ships, and says on its solo cruising page that it plans solo verandah cabins for Oosterdam from fall 2027. The line also hosts solo meetups on board.

Cunard has single cabins on three ships and runs coffee mornings and drinks receptions for solo guests, with shared dining tables on request, according to Cunard’s solo travel page. It also sells double cabins to solos for a supplement.

Studio cabin versus a regular cabin with a supplement

Solo cabins are small, often about 100 to 185 square feet, and many are inside cabins with no window. Whether one is the right choice depends on how you use a cabin and what the supplement is on your sailing.

• Choose a solo cabin if you mostly sleep and change in your room, you want to meet other solo travelers, and the supplement on regular cabins is 75 percent or more.
• Choose a regular cabin with a supplement if a promotion brings it down to a modest level, you want a balcony on a scenic route like Alaska, or you are on a long voyage where space matters more.

Compare the total cost, not the per-person rate. A Studio at a higher-than-average per-person price can still be far cheaper than a balcony cabin at 200 percent. The general trade-offs between cabin grades are covered in inside, ocean view or balcony, and solo cabins, like all cabins, vary in noise depending on what is above and below them, as explained in the best cabin location.

What the supplement looks like in dollars

Take a seven-night Caribbean cruise where a balcony cabin is advertised at $900 per person. Two people sharing pay $1,800 for the cabin. A solo traveler under a 200 percent rule also pays $1,800, twice what each half of a couple pays. On a promotion that cuts the supplement to 50 percent, the solo would pay $1,350. A solo cabin on the same ship might cost $1,100 to $1,300, with a smaller room and no balcony, but no supplement.

These are illustrative figures, not quotes, but the pattern holds on every mainstream line: the solo cabin is usually the cheapest way to sail alone, a reduced-supplement promotion is second, and a full supplement on a regular cabin is the most expensive.

If your ship has no solo cabins

Many ships, including most of the older and mid-sized ships in the mainstream fleets, have no dedicated solo cabins at all. You are then choosing between a supplement or a different ship. A few options help:

• Book the cheapest grade. The supplement is a percentage, so an inside cabin at 200 percent costs far less in dollars than a balcony at 200 percent.
• Ask about single occupancy rates directly. The price the website shows for one guest is not always the only one available, and the line’s reservations team or a travel advisor can check promotions for your sailing.
• Travel with a friend. Sharing with someone you know is still the only way to pay exactly half of a double cabin.

How to pay less as a solo cruiser

1. Book a solo cabin early. There are few per ship, and they sell first on popular sailings. The timing advice in the best time to book a cruise applies twice over.
2. Watch for reduced-supplement promotions. Lines cut the supplement on sailings with unsold cabins, most often on shoulder-season and repositioning sailings.
3. Consider shoulder seasons and older ships. Where demand is lower, the supplement is often lower too.
4. Use loyalty perks. Royal Caribbean gives solo travelers an extra loyalty point per night, and Celebrity gives double points, which moves you up the status tiers faster.
5. Look at standby programs. Holland America’s Standby program accepts solo travelers at set daily prices when space is available, with prices that change over time.
6. Ask a travel advisor. Agents sometimes hold group space or know of promotions not shown on the line’s own site.

One-way repositioning cruises are a particularly good option for solo travelers, because they combine long voyages with low nightly fares. Our sister site explains how repositioning cruises work.

What else costs a solo traveler more, or less

The supplement applies to the cruise fare. Most other charges are per person, which works in a solo traveler’s favor.

• Gratuities are per person, per day, so you pay one person’s rate, for example $20 a day on Norwegian, including in a Studio. The gratuities guide has all the rates.
• Taxes, fees and port expenses are generally charged per guest, so a solo traveler usually pays one person’s share. See cruise port fees and taxes.
• Drink packages are simpler for solos, since the rule that every adult in a cabin must buy the package does not bite. Whether one is worth it is covered in are cruise drink packages worth it.
• Excursions are priced per person, but private tours and taxis cost more when you cannot split them. Ship tours are often better value for solos for that reason.

Solo travelers should also think about insurance and safety. Travel alone and a medical problem or missed ship has no one else to help sort it out, which makes cruise travel insurance with good medical and evacuation cover more important. Tell the cabin steward or guest services if you have a medical condition, and share your itinerary with someone at home.

Meeting people when cruising alone

The single supplement is the main cost of cruising solo, but the experience is one of the easiest forms of solo travel. Many ships schedule a solo travelers’ meetup early in the cruise, so check the daily program on the first evening. Shared tables in the main dining room are a good way to meet people, and some lines, Cunard among them, will seat you at one on request. Trivia, dance classes, group excursions and the Studio Lounge on Norwegian ships all make it easy to find company without effort.

For your first solo cruise, pick a ship with solo cabins or a solo lounge, a line known for organized activities, and an itinerary with several sea days. Then book early, before the few solo cabins are gone. The first cruise tips guide covers the rest.