Solo Cruising: Tips for Traveling Alone on Your Next Cruise
Top Solo Travel Tips
By Chantae Reden | Published on November 13, 2025
At the age of 19, I purchased a plane ticket to Nicaragua and ventured on my first-ever solo trip to Central America. Ten years and 30 countries later, I still believe that traveling alone is one of the best ways to see the world. When you travel solo, you're likely to make new friends, develop newfound confidence and experience the freedom of waking up in a destination and doing the activities you're passionate about, all on your own timeline.
Solo Travel: Key Takeaways
- ● Traveling alone is an increasingly popular way to see more of the world on your own schedule.
- ● Younger generations, including Millennials and Generation Z, gravitate toward solo travel as trips are easier to plan thanks to modern technology and can be better tailored toward specific interests.
- ● Destinations like Singapore, Taiwan, Bali, Australia, New Zealand and Costa Rica are great for first-time solo travelers.
- ● Cruises offer lone travelers a good combination of accommodations, service and value.
- ● Explore our Cruises for solo travelers to dream up the perfect trip.
Seeing the World on Your Own Terms
When friends and family hear that I'm planning a solo trip to a far-flung destination, I'm usually met with one question:
"Is it safe to travel alone?"
Understandably, safety is one of the biggest factors on people's minds when it comes to venturing on a solo vacation. On my first international trip traveling alone, I scheduled a driver to pick me up at the airport and drive me six hours away to my accommodations. However, my plane landed late in the evening and my driver was nowhere to be seen.
I'd failed to write down the address of my destination, trusting the driver to have it. Then, because I'd failed to put a travel notice on my credit card, my debit card was declined at the airport's ATM. I only had the exact amount of cash on hand to pay my rogue driver.
With no plan B, I cried and walked from the airport to a nearby hotel in the dark. The hotel receptionist took pity on me and helped me call my bank and my family back home. We also arranged for a new driver to take me to my destination in Popoyo, Nicaragua the next morning. From that experience, I learned that preparation is key to feeling safe and confident when arriving in a new place.
Solo Travel Tips To Make It a Great Trip
Solo travel is only going to become more popular as members of the Millennial and Generation Z generations gravitate toward these trips. From the ease of planning and booking thanks to modern technology to not having to compromise with family or friends, solo travel is here to stay.
So, how do you get started with your solo trip planning?
Before any solo trip, I place a travel notice on my bank account and book my first night's accommodation (noting the address and phone number). I also download an offline map of the destination onto my phone using an app called Maps.me and try to schedule my flights to land during the daytime whenever possible. At the airport in the new destination, I then withdrawan appropriate amount of cash and get a local phone plan that includes internet data. This way, I can pay for and research any last-minute changes without feeling frantic.
Once I've arrived somewhere as a solo traveler, I take the same precautions that I take in any major city. I typically stick to main roads, avoid showing off any expensive objects and aim to be back in my hotel just after dinner. If a stranger seems too inquisitive, I'll mention that I'm planning to meet a friend. I also ask locals and hotel staff for safety advice and guidance on what scams to look out for.
What Are the Best Places To Travel Alone for Your First Trip?
Though most destinations are worth visiting as a solo traveler, some are easier to navigate than others, making them great when you're seeing the world alone for the first time. One thing you can count on, however, is that you likely won't be the only one doing it. Solo travelers are one of the fastest-growing travel demographics, with more people traveling alone to new countries each year. In regions like Europe, the South Pacific and Southeast Asia, solo travelers can be found in just about every hostel.
Some great starting points include Singapore for its incredible city life, Taiwan for the delicious night markets, Bali for its rice terraces, Australia for beaches that defy reality, New Zealand for dramatic landscapes, Japan for its blend of modern and traditional culture and Costa Rica for its wildlife. In any of these places, you'll find a strong solo travel community.
How Do You Overcome the Language Barrier?
If I'm traveling solo to a country where English is not commonly spoken, I learn basic phrases so I can communicate with the locals, who often appreciate my attempts to speak their mother tongue.
If I have internet data on my phone, Google Translate becomes the digital translator between me and whoever I am trying to speak with. The app has a feature that can translate a picture of text, such as a menu, within seconds. When chatting with others, a little patience and some impromptu miming go a long way in getting a point across. With a smile, virtually any communication mishap can be forgiven.
If you're nervous about a language barrier, start off in a destination where tourism is common and English is the lingua franca. At the German Christmas markets, I took pride in ordering food in German, though my ego deflated when a stallholder asked a follow-up question and I was left baffled.
How Do You Meet People While Traveling Alone?
When you travel solo, you set out alone, but it's not a lonely experience. I've found I actually make more friends on the road as a solo traveler. I'm more likely to strike up a conversation with a stranger and join group experiences, and I'm often seen as more approachable by other travelers than when I travel with a friend.
Joining meetup groups, walking tours and day trips, and taking cultural dance or cooking classes are all interesting ways to learn about the place you're visiting in a social environment. Because I'm not beholden to anyone else's schedule, I can easily join and leave travel groups as I please.
As a solo traveler in Hawaii, I went on an adventure tour of the North Shore where we could snorkel, hike to waterfalls and kayak. While I was nervous about feeling left out of the group at first, I met a fellow solo traveler on the tour bus who happened to feel the same. We kayaked through a sea turtle sanctuary together, nearly spilling into the water in excitement whenever a sea turtle bobbed its head above the surface. Later, we met up for a sugar-sweet scoop of shave ice and swapped contact information.
I've made some of my best friends while traveling solo, and we now often plan trips together. My spouse and I met because he was traveling alone through California, my home state, and I gave him an impromptu tour of Southern California.
Some guided multi-day tours cater to solo travelers, which is a bit of an oxymoron when you consider that you'll have travel partners from sunrise until sunset for the duration of your trip. This is a great option for those who are nervous about traveling on their own but don't want to let their fear get in the way of going on a journey to somewhere new.
What Are the Best Places to Stay for a Solo Traveler?
If you're trying to decide where to stay, hostels foster a social environment that's ideal for making travel buddies. If you want to be able to take a break, some hostels have private rooms available, offering solo travelers a nice compromise of privacy and a social life.
Standard hotels are ideal for those looking for solitude and a private escape, but it may be a challenge to make friends, especially if the hotel caters to romantic getaways or families with young children. And while relaxing at an overwater bungalow in the Maldives sounds idyllic, I'd probably save that seaside getaway for when I'm traveling with a partner.
Why A Cruise Is An Ideal Solo Vacation
A cruise offers a great balance of relaxation and adventure for solo travelers. It's a trip where you're bound to make interesting friends from all around the world while enjoying the freedom of movement that only solo travel brings.
You can get away on a weekend excursion or enjoy a multi-city trip with the freedom of not having to worry about the logistics of finding accommodation, transportation and delicious meals. Then you can recapture your solitude whenever it suits you and enjoy the destinations, activities and amenities that the cruise offers on your own schedule. Here are some of the best perks of a solo cruise.
Company (Only) When You Want It
On board a cruise, there are dozens of activities to keep you busy. Plus, you're bound to meet people as you try your hand at adventure activities like fencing, archery, ziplining, catching a wave on the FlowRider®, racing around on bumper cars, rock climbing and sliding down the best water attractions at sea.
When it's time to slow your heart rate, escape for a spa treatment or perch yourself at one of the many bars on board and swap travel tales with the bartender. There are also cooking classes, theater performances, dance classes and karaoke nights, where you can get to know your fellow travelers by bonding over mutual affinities — and distaste — for the songs being belted on stage.
Feeling hungry? One of the best parts about traveling alone is you can grab a bite to eat whenever you like. My Time Dining helps you accomplish this, granting you access to the Main Dining Room anytime during dining hours (based on availability)
Options For Outings
Once the ship pulls into port, you can venture on a shore excursion with other guests or strike out on your own. Fellow solo travelers tend to join shore excursion trips, so that's an easy way to make friends with whom you can plan future activities onboard. Blow bubbles and explore dive sites in the aquarium-clear waters of Bonaire with a scuba dive buddy, embrace your curiosity on a cultural tour of Kyoto, learn to surf in Oahu or explore the Greek ruins in Athens. Back on the ship, you'll have plenty of shared memories with your shipmates.
Your Own Team of Experts
As a solo traveler on board, it's often easy to get to know the staff. Crew members usually hail from all around the world and often share your love of travel. They're experts at recommending the best things to do, no matter your interest, and are also savvy when it comes to helping guests choose excursions and making the most of the ship's features. On one cruise, a staff member showed me which lounge chair area was bound to get the most shade throughout the day. .
It's a Good Value
Going solo on a cruise can offer a great deal for travelers. Solo cruise vacations are becoming increasingly popular and select Royal Caribbean ships have studio staterooms. Royal Caribbean studio cabins are designed specifically with solo travelers in mind, and you can say goodbye to single supplement fees. If you'd rather go with another option, there's nothing wrong with paying a bit more and having a larger stateroom to yourself.
While we're discussing value, don't forget to download the Royal Caribbean App, which enhances your travel experience and offers pre-cruise deals.
Ready To Travel Alone?
Once you start planning your first cruise vacation, you'll feel the excitement that comes with seeing the world. On a solo trip, you can tap into this feeling all by yourself. Explore our Cruises for solo travelers and begin your next great adventure.
