About a third of EWT Tours guests are solo travelers. Some are recently widowed. Some are recently divorced. Some are single by choice. Some have a partner who hates travel. Some are retired and have outlasted their travel friends. They all share one thing: they didn’t want to wait for someone else to be ready.

Here’s an honest look at what solo travel with EWT Tours is actually like.

The math: single supplement

Cruise lines and tour operators price rooms for double occupancy. When you book a cabin solo, you pay a “single supplement” — typically 50-100% extra to cover the empty bed.

For our Mediterranean tour, the single supplement on an interior stateroom typically runs ~$800-1,200. On Alaska, often $600-1,000. It’s real money. We don’t pretend otherwise.

The roommate matching option

We maintain a list each tour of solo travelers willing to share. If two same-gender solo travelers are both open to pairing, we match you in the same cabin and split the cost — you each pay roughly half what you’d pay with the supplement.

It’s not for everyone. Some solo travelers have very different sleep schedules, snore patterns, or just like privacy. But for travelers who don’t mind sharing a hotel room with a stranger for two weeks, it can save $700-1,000.

About 60% of our solo travelers prefer the supplement (their own room). About 40% take roommate matching.

The social experience

Group meals are where solo travel with us shines. By day 2, no one is traveling “solo” anymore — you’re part of a group of 16 having dinner together, doing shore excursions together, and generally orbiting one another for two weeks.

We seat solo travelers at group dinners by default with at least 4-5 other people. Daniel circulates. Conversations happen. By the end of most trips, solo travelers have made one or two genuine connections.

Most solo travelers tell us they didn’t feel “alone on a couples trip” — they felt like one of the group. That’s the goal. It’s why we cap at 16. In a 50-person group, solos clump or get isolated. In a 16-person group, the math works.

Common solo traveler concerns we hear

“I’ll feel weird at dinner.” First night maybe. By night 3, you’ll have your group rhythm.

“I’ll be the only solo person.” You won’t. Every recent EWT Tours departure has had 4-6 solo travelers.

“Excursions will be awkward solo.” They won’t. Group excursions mean you go with the group.

“What if I don’t click with anyone?” With 16 people, you’ll find at least 1-2 you genuinely enjoy. The math is in your favor.

The one thing we tell every solo traveler

The biggest mistake first-time solo group travelers make is going in defensively, sitting at the edge of the group, waiting for others to invite them in.

The travelers who report having a great time are the ones who decided in advance they were going to be open. The ones who report a mediocre time are usually the ones who came in protective.

This isn’t unique to our tours — it’s true of any group experience. But it’s worth saying out loud.

Bottom line

Solo travel with EWT Tours works if:

  • You’re comfortable being a “party of one” at meals occasionally
  • You’re open to meeting new people
  • You can afford the supplement OR are open to roommate matching

It probably doesn’t work if:

  • You expect a “no solos” private experience
  • You want to disappear into a crowd of 50 anonymous people
  • You’re hoping the group will replace a missing partner emotionally

Most solo travelers we host return to book another EWT Tours trip. That’s the realest measure of whether it works.

Solo and considering one of our tours? Request a consultation call — Daniel can answer specific questions about the social dynamics on each trip. See our two upcoming tours →