RIVER & SMALL SHIP CRUISING. A GREAT WAY TO GO SOLO.
Affordable. Fun. Safe. Hassle-free. Always solo-friendly!

We’ve been selling leisure travel for more than 25 years.
Our former company, CruiseMasters, was one of the largest agencies specializing in upscale cruise travel and luxury land vacations. Many of our customers were Hollywood types — familiar to all of us, and many traveled alone as did we!

At Premier, a large number of our expert Personal Travel Planners including my wife and I, know what it’s like to be over the age of 50 and travel ‘solo’ by land, by sea, and by river. We’ve all done it many times. We know that IF one is not well prepared, or if the RIGHT type of vacation is not selected, it can be a very costly, challenging and sometimes disheartening experience. And, in some cases you really may have concerns about your safety.

Let’s talk about one example of that: the newer generation of mega-cruise ships. You know what we mean… the one you share with 3000-5000 of your “best friends;” the crew never knows your name; you wait in line for almost everything; get ‘nickled and dimed’ to death; and it can take up to an hour to get off the ship only to wait in yet another line to get on a bus to take you on an over-priced shore excursion. I don’t think there can be any more impersonal or uncomfortable way for a single to travel. It’s almost impossible to even see the same person twice in a week, let along strike up a conversation or make a new friend.

Traveling in large, impersonal groups is daunting for most of us, especially those who choose to travel solo. That’s why we feel the preferred way to see much of this exciting world is by river OR an ocean cruise aboard an affordably priced, intimate, almost all-inclusive luxurious riverboat or small cruise ship that is most certainly “singles friendly.”

Speaking on the topic of being "solo friendly," let us quickly tell you who the solo friendly river cruise lines are, and who are not.
It's somewhat paradoxical that the largest and best known river cruise line, Viking, is absolutely the least solo-friendly. They never have any lower solo rates, in fact you will always pay about 50% more to travel as a solo on Viking. The most friendly solo line is Tauck which offers NO single supplement rates on every European sailing on every itinerary. Uniworld, AmaWaterways, Scenic, and Avalon are also very solo friendly.

As most of our Premier Team has traveled solo at one time or another, we’d like to spend a few minutes to address concerns heard over the years from our single travelers. We want to demonstrate why a river cruise especially is so perfect for the “single traveler,” and why Premier is the best travel agency to choose to book a very memorable river cruise vacation.

Let me start by saying that the Premier Team is more than just a group of travel agents. They are truly “personal travel planners.” How so? Because we’re not just about selling you a river or small ship cruise. It’s about listening to you and understanding your needs, wants, desires, and concerns. Our cruise experts WANT to talk with you and get to know you. That way your expert planner can ensure they’ll be able to match you with the perfect cruise line and itinerary for your lifestyle and budget, and to ensure a rewarding and 'hassle-free' cruise experience.

So, what are the most common concerns we hear from single travelers?
First and foremost: “Why do I have to pay extra” to get my own cabin?” While we totally agree, for most mainstream mega-size ocean cruise lines it’s a question of economics and they take a very shallow view of singles accommodations. The good news is that with river cruising specifically, many of the ships have cabins that are built for singles and there is no surcharge. Even better, because Premier does such significant business with Solo Travelers, we have quite a number of sailings where the dreaded single supplement has been waived. On other sailings, we can generally offer you reduced single supplements which make river or small ship cruises a very affordable vacation. Click HERE to view the "Hot Deals” for the Solo Travelers Cruise Finder search tool where single supplements have been waived or reduced.

We Know the secrets to getting you the BEST deals!
At Premier, we handle more solo river cruise customers than most other agencies and that's because we know what is important to you. We also know how to get you the best deals and here's a tip for you, we also know which ships have dedicated solo cabins on EVERY sailing. Call or email us today, it's way past time to plan and book for this year (but good space is still available if you book very soon)... and just the right time to start planning for next year.

Will there be other singles on my river or small ship cruise?
More than likely there will be! That’s one of the many reasons single travelers are especially attracted to river cruising. On average, 4-6% of every European or Russian river cruise is made up of solo travelers. That percentage drops a bit for river and small ship cruises to the more exotic destinations such as Vietnam and Cambodia, the South Pacific, China or Egypt, South America, and the Arctic or Antarctica – but there are always fellow “solo” travelers on a river or small ship cruise.

The attraction between single travelers and river or small ship cruising is very simple: it’s affordable, safe, almost fully inclusive, one sees a region or destination in depth, and you travel with like-minded, similarly-aged folks. How much better can a vacation get?! If you haven’t read our overview article, “Is River or Small Ship Cruising Right for the Single Traveler?” yet, please take a moment to do so. It has even more info and insights on the joys of river cruising in general.

Will I fit in traveling as a single?
We can comfortably say: "Yes!" Unlike massive ocean going cruise ships where there are more dissimilarities than similarities between the passengers, river and small ship cruising is very different and provides an easy way to meet your fellow travelers. The best analogy? Imagine this... you love reading, history, art, the theater, architecture, gardens, cooking, wine, adventure or expedition cruises, or music — the list goes on. You decide to register for a small class or group lecture session about one of these passions. You probably don’t know anyone yet, but attending these classes make it really easy to strike up conversation and friendships given you have so much in common — friendships that will last beyond class time.

I go to cooking or wine tasting classes all the time as a single. It’s rare that I don’t find an individual or two that I make plans with to see again and explore our common bond.

It’s just about the same on a river or small ship cruise. Forget for the moment that there will be other singles aboard. You’re going to be on a vacation with a small, intimate homogeneous group of like-minded, similarly-aged travelers whose passion is travel and they’ve chosen to visit the same places as you. Another perk: Unlike large, ocean going ships, you won’t see any families with very young children or young honeymooners.

While river ships are very spacious, on average they carry only about 150 travelers; small ships approximately 100 to 350. The intimate nature of a river or small ship cruise also enables you to meet your fellow travelers more easily. That’s because all of your exciting, inter-active shore excursions are included in the price. You’ll all travel together in small groups when ashore giving you many opportunities to befriend both couples and other single travelers on board.

Please continue reading the article below the "Get A Quick Quote" section.

Book early for BEST SOLO PRICES!

We know you're eager to start planning your river or small ship cruise vacation! To help you get started, call and speak to a cruise expert at 855.255.1200, toll free, or submit a 'Get A Quick Quote' for a Solo Traveler river or small ship cruise — we'll contact you right away to help you select & plan a perfect cruise vacation.

Is river and small ship cruising safe for singles?
Most certainly! One reason: shore excursions are included in the price, so almost everyone on board participates in them. You’re almost always a part of a small, guided group of your fellow shipmates and led by “local” guides (who are carefully selected by the cruise lines) who know the area like the back of their hand. You aren’t loaded on to a strange bus with people you’ve never seen before and left on your own.

In fact, river and small ship cruises travel to many of the great cities of the world by rivers, waterway and oceans and there has never been a security incident on any ship in any port visited by riverboat and small cruise ships — they are your safest mode of vacation travel.

I’m not an experienced traveler, how will I know what to do?
For many, traveling to foreign lands can be a bit daunting and at times even overwhelming. The Premier Team are cruise experts and all of them have at least 20+ years of international travel experience. During the planning of your cruise vacation, they'll give you valuable information and hints that will help you plan, prepare, and even pack for your river cruise… right down to what the temperature will be in each place you visit, at the time of your visit.

They'll even reveal some of our personal, favorite sightseeing hints and useful information on local transportation, cool restaurants, best shopping opportunities, best photo-ops, and even local tipping customs – all guaranteed to greatly improve the enjoyment of any river or small ship cruise, making it “hassle free” and truly one of your best vacations ever.  Our cruise experts have all expereinced all of the major river, waterways, and ocean cruise destinations in Europe, Russia, North and South America, Southeast Asia, South Pacific, China, Egypt, the Arctic and Antarctic. You can rest assured that when you book with Premier, the best travel agency around, that we will help you select, plan, and prepare for your dream-come-true river or small ship cruise vacation!

Will I have to dine alone?
Ah, yes, the dreaded long walk into the dining room only to stare at all those couples and friends enjoying their meal.

First and foremost, you probably wouldn’t be traveling alone if you weren’t comfortable with whom you are and with your ability to fend for yourself. River and small ships are so intimate and conducive to meeting new friends on or off the ship, dining alone is probably not going to be an issue. Why? If you haven’t met new friends by the end of the first cocktail hour, the Maitre D’s are so accustomed to single travelers, they’ll know who they are before they arrive in the dining room. Should you arrive as a single on the first night, they’ll ask you if you prefer to join other single travelers or dine with two or three other couples. We’re pretty sure that after your first evening and day’s touring, you’ll have met plenty of fellow travelers to enjoy all your meals with!

Can I stay connected?
Of course! Almost all river and small ship cruise lines now offer free Internet access both in the accommodations and in most of the ship’s public areas. What a great way to email the kids or grandkids at home a picture of you enjoying yourself in the vineyards of Bordeaux, or along the Charles Bridge in Prague, or exciting pix of your small group rafting excursion to see pods of Orca breaching in the cold Arctic oceans – you’re only as far away as you want to be on a river or small ship cruise. You’ll also be able to enjoy live U.S. TV shows including CNN and other news or movie channels in the comfort of your luxurious stateroom.

Will I be lonely?
While not being “lonely” is something we can not guarantee, we’ve never had one of our single travelers come back from a river or small ship cruise and indicate they were lonely or could not easily meet and enjoy the company of their fellow travelers. There’s just too much going on, too many ways to meet new friends, and too much to see and do to have time to be lonely.

As a single or solo traveler, you probably have other single friends of both genders. Why not bring one or two along as travelling companions? With Premier’s negotiated “Single Traveler” rates that apply to hundreds of sailings, you can each have your own cabin and pay only the normal one-half twin rate. Why not have the best of all worlds and bring a friend along!

This article opened with a few words about the way Premier conducts business and how we encourage you to call and speak with one of our Personal Travel Planners. After reading this article, and “River Cruises for the Single Traveler,” we think you’ll understand why Premier is able to help 'Solos' plan and prepare for their river or small ship cruise vacation better than any other travel agency around. We take the time to get to know you and make sure you’re totally comfortable with the suggestions we make for your vacation.

We also know that your budget, just like everyone else’s is important.
Beyond our extraordinary service and staff, Premier always guarantees our customers the best price. But remember, vacations are not just about price. They’re also about value, experience, trust, and wonderful memories. Premier can say with confidence that we’ll always make sure you receive the best price, values, services and trust, and we know you’ll come home satisfied, glowing, and full of wonderful memories.

Ready to begin planning your exciting river or small ship cruise vacation? Just pick up the phone and call one of our expert Personal Travel Planners at 855.255.1200, or use the 'Get A Quick Quote' email option above — you won’t be disappointed!

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