Best Cruises for Single Women
Women are heading out on solo adventures more than ever before, and cruises for women traveling alone are as varied as the reasons that women take them. A cruise is a favorable vacation option for solo travelers because you have a built-in community with at least one shared interest: cruising.
Single women can cruise in groups, with friends or independently -- and there are sailings to match each occasion. Whether you're planning a girls getaway or some alone time at sea, we've hand-picked a few of the best cruises for single women to connect, relax or recharge.
On This Page
- Theme Cruises: Make Unique Connections with Like-Minded Cruisers
- Singles Cruises: Meet Someone -- or Someones -- Special on the High Seas Aboard Partial Charters
- LGBTQ Cruises: Single Queer Travelers Can Sail on Lesbian Cruises
- Upscale Cruise Lines: Choose Luxury for Optimal Comfort, Relaxation and Service
- Party Cruises: Make "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" Your Vacation Slogan
1. Theme Cruises: Make Unique Connections with Like-Minded Cruisers
The Golden Gays performance (Photo: Marilyn Borth)
Booking a cruise that's themed around a hobby or passion helps guarantee your shipmates will have at least a few things in common with you. From fitness and 80s music to Taylor Swift and Star Trek, there's an abundance of theme cruises that can offer cruisers a chance to bond with others over a shared interest.
And, if your goal is to meet someone special as a single female-identifying traveler, then doing so on a theme cruise makes approaching and chatting that much easier.
Plenty of theme cruises exist to match any cruiser's interests. Theme cruises vary widely, but here are just a few to pique your interest: wellness and fitness cruises, TV and film cruises, faith-based cruises, food and wine cruises and even Golden Girls cruises. EDSea aboard Norwegian Joy is a great option for those who are fans of music festivals and partying.
The opportunity to enrich your knowledge of a subject matter, hobnob with celebrities or meet fellow fans provides a friendly framework for feeling more comfortable on your cruise vacation. And who knows -- you might make new friends who are interested in booking another cruise in a group with you.
2. Singles Cruises: Meet Someone -- or Someones -- Special on the High Seas Aboard Partial Charters
Two people watch the sun set over the Inside Passage (Photo: Aaron Saunders)
Single female-identifying travelers looking to find a romantic partner -- for either a short or long time -- while on vacation can sail on singles cruises, which are for cruisers who are unattached and open to an intimate relationship of varying lengths.
While there are no full cruises specifically catered to singles, some organizations do partially charter cruise ships for singles. Singles Cruise, for one example, offers partial charters for those looking to travel with fellow singles and has been doing such since 1991.
Singles Cruise offers sailings on popular mainstream cruise lines, like Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), Virgin Voyages and Celebrity Cruises. Destinations include the Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, Iceland, Bahamas, Aruba, Mexico, Australia, Canada/New England and beyond.
3. LGBTQ Cruises: Single Queer Travelers Can Sail on Lesbian Cruises
Courtney Jones and Michaela Duerson (front) enjoy drinks in the Retreat Sundeck pool on Celebrity Edge. (Photo: Naima Green/AIPP)
Single queer cruisers traveling solo can join a number of LGBTQ-designated sailings to help ensure an inclusive environment. Usually, gay and lesbian sailings are found separately; the most popular provider of lesbian theme cruises is Olivia Cruises.
Lesbian cruises and other LGBTQ-focused cruises make meeting potential prospects ideal and convenient. But, not everyone is looking for a hookup on cruises, so there are opportunities for single female-identifying travelers to meet each other for platonic interactions (and not). These voyages are a way to connect with a community and vacation among like-minded people, which creates a safe space for solo-traveling singles.
4. Upscale Cruise Lines: Choose Luxury for Optimal Comfort, Relaxation and Service
Butler on Silversea (Photo: Silversea)
For the single female-identifying cruisers who can afford the finer things and are looking for more personalized service, luxury and premium cruise lines can certainly provide and then some. From butlers in suites to concierges that will arrange shore tours and dinner reservations, an upscale cruise ship generally caters to individual needs better than your average mass-market ship.
Luxury lines are typically all-inclusive, so you can really sit back, relax and soak in your vacation. Self-care is important, and getting a little relaxation helps maintain relationships of all types, so be sure to take into account the onboard spa services if relaxation and unwinding is your goal.
5. Party Cruises: Make "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" Your Vacation Slogan
Carnival Conquest's pool deck offers tiered seating for sunning (Photo: Aaron Saunders)For those who want to make "girls just want to have fun" their mantra during their vacation, then party cruises might just fit the bill. Maybe you just want to let loose with friends on a cruise getaway. In that case, consider short sailings, which make for the perfect excuse to gather the gang and dance or lounge the weekend away at sea.
When hunting for party cruises, we recommend leaning into cruise lines that are known for their active party scenes and nightlife, which includes Carnival, Virgin Voyages, Norwegian Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean and Margaritaville at Sea.