Fred. Olsen Solo Cruises

The Norwegian Fjords are the easiest region to sail alone because so much of the interest happens from the deck rather than ashore. Ships thread through the narrow water to Olden, Flåm and Geiranger, and with the scenery being so beautiful, guests often can’t help but start discussing it without any prompting. Bergen and Ålesund offer walkable days in port, and sailings to Tromsø offer the chance to see the Northern Lights between autumn and late winter.

For a short, low-commitment trip close to home, the British Isles are hard to beat. Ships call at Belfast for the Titanic Quarter and the Giant’s Causeway before continuing to Dublin for a city day on foot. Quieter corners are also included, from Stornoway in the Outer Hebrides to the Isles of Scilly and Guernsey.

Northern Europe rewards solo guests who appreciate a bit of structure to their day. Copenhagen, Tallinn, Riga, Helsinki and Gdansk are all compact enough to see properly in a day, and the medieval centres are walkable from the quayside. Itinerary Insights talks set out the history of each city before anyone steps ashore, and guided walking tours provide guests who would rather not navigate alone a group to explore with.

Mediterranean sailings provide the widest choice of ports and the longest run of warm evenings on deck. Take in Barcelona, Rome, the Greek islands, the Croatian coast and the Turkish Riviera with smaller ships that can open up the most exclusive ports. Discover Mahon in Menorca and Propriano in Corsica like never before.