The solo traveller is no longer the brave soul dining beneath the sympathetic gaze of the maître d’. Today, they are independent, adventurous and increasingly valuable to the global travel industry.
They also have no intention of waiting for friends, family or a committee of six to agree on dates.
Grand View Research valued the global solo travel market at US$549.78 billion in 2025. It forecasts the sector could reach US$1.624 trillion by 2033, growing at an annual rate of 14.6 per cent from 2026.
Younger travellers are helping to drive that growth. Research highlighted in recent travel trend reporting found that 76 per cent of Gen Z and millennial travellers planned to take a solo trip.
For cruising, there is no passing swell. It is a commercial tide.
Cruising Makes Solo Travel Simpler
Cruising offers an obvious advantage to people travelling alone. Transport, accommodation, meals and entertainment arrive in one neat floating package.
Passengers unpack once, wake in a different port and avoid the usual holiday battle with train timetables, hotel transfers and luggage that has suddenly developed a personality of its own.
Yet the greatest opportunity may be found ashore.
A well-planned shore excursion gives solo cruisers local guidance without robbing them of independence. Small-group tours also create natural opportunities to meet people. Conversation begins beside a waterfall, a market stall, or a historic monument rather than across an awkwardly arranged communal table.
By the time the coach returns to the ship, strangers may have become dinner companions — or at least people willing to exchange photographs.
Safety Still Shapes Solo Decisions
Safety remains a major consideration, particularly for women planning independent travel.
The 2025–26 Women, Peace and Security Index assesses 181 countries across women’s inclusion, justice and security. Denmark leads the rankings, while Iceland places second.
The index is not designed as a tourism safety guide. However, it offers useful context when travellers and travel advisers are assessing destinations.
Iceland, Portugal and Japan are all established cruise destinations with strong tourism infrastructure. Guided excursions can provide an extra layer of organisation and reassurance, especially for passengers visiting a port for the first time.
Shore Excursions Find Their Solo Moment
Independent operator Shore Excursions Group is positioning its tours for travellers seeking structure without the regimentation of a ship-operated convoy.
Its website promotes smaller tours, lower prices than cruise-line excursions, guaranteed return to the ship and a 24-hour traveller hotline. It also displays more than 56,500 customer reviews and an average rating of 4.7 out of five.
Those assurances carry extra weight when the person making the booking is also the emergency contact.
Several excursions illustrate how solo-friendly port visits can work.
Reykjavik, Iceland
The South Shore Adventure visits waterfalls, glaciers, historic villages and Iceland’s black-sand coastline during a guided excursion lasting about 10-and-a-half hours.
The itinerary includes Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls, the village of Vík and views towards the Mýrdalsjökull glacier. Better still, nobody needs to hire a car and attempt Icelandic place names while reading a road map upside down.
Lisbon, Portugal
The three-hour Discover Lisbon on Foot excursion explores Baixa, Chiado and Alfama with a local guide.
Its compact format suits independent visitors. It provides enough structure to understand the city while leaving time to explore, enjoy lunch or become pleasantly lost within reasonable limits.
Osaka, Japan
A cycling excursion through Osaka can turn sightseeing into an easy shared activity. Historic landmarks, busy neighbourhoods, Osaka Castle and an okonomiyaki lunch offer conversation without forcing it.
Cycling also has a marvellous way of eliminating awkward small talk. Everyone is too busy watching the traffic.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan offers a welcoming introduction for first-time solo cruisers. Historic streets, coastal fortifications, beaches and established visitor infrastructure provide plenty to see without making the day feel over-managed.
Freedom Without Isolation
The message for cruise lines, travel advisers and excursion operators is clear.
Solo travellers do not necessarily want to be alone. They want control, confidence and the freedom to connect with others on their own terms.
That is where the modern shore excursion earns its berth. It is no longer merely an optional add-on sold before sailing.
For a growing number of passengers, it is the place where travelling alone becomes the most sociable part of the cruise.
By: Christine Nguyen – © 2026.
Read Time: 3 minutes.
Author Bio:
Christine’s story is one of quiet courage, told without fuss and lived with remarkable grace. She arrived in Australia as a young refugee from Vietnam, carrying little more than hope, family, and a curiosity that refused to be extinguished. Sydney became home, built patiently, brick by careful brick.
She studied Tourism at TAFE and soon found her place in inbound travel, working with one of the city’s leading destination companies. Christine loved showing visitors the Australia that lives beyond postcards, warmer, truer, and far more interesting.
When the sea began to whisper, and life asked for a gentler rhythm, she listened. Designing brochures, writing blogs, she discovered storytelling waiting quietly inside her.
Today, at Global Travel Media, Christine writes with warmth and wisdom, reminding us, softly and persuasively, why travel still matters.
