I love the very notion of taking a river cruise through Europe, and it's most certainly on my 'must do' travel bucket list. For the time being, I like to keep abreast of travel trends for solo travelers in the area of river cruising. In 2017, the following river cruise lines are ranked amongst the very best according to the cruising public.
1. Ama Waterways River Cruises
Ships: There are a total of six vessels in Ama Waterway's 19-ship European riverboat fleet namely, AmaVerde, AmaBella, AmaLyra, AmaDolce, AmaDante and AmaCello offering the solo traveler one or two single-berth staterooms each.
Cabins: AmaLyra, AmaDolce, AmaDante and AmaCello each feature two solo cruise cabins with French balconies. The AmaVerde and AmaBella each have one dedicated solo cabin featuring a window. In all, across the fleet each of the 140-square-foot solo cabins offer identical amenities to the more spacious standard cabins on board which measure between 160 to 170 square feet and one twin bed.
2. Viking River Cruises
Ships: Around two of the leading riverboat lines cater to solo travelers, including Viking River Cruises. Two of Viking's European-based riverboats, Viking Prestige and Viking Legend offer solo staterooms on board.
Cabins: Viking Legend have five solo cruise cabins, while the Viking Prestige offers six. Each cabin features a French balcony with floor to ceiling glass doors. On exception is Stateroom 122 which has a water level window and measures in at 150 square feet being slightly smaller than the 170 square foot standard double occupancy staterooms.
Amenities are duplicated across the board, though solo travelers sleep on a full-sized sofa bed. It's worth noting the mattress is the same size as those in double-occupancy cabins. The sofa bed format allows it to be folded up to free up cabin space during the daylight hours.
3. American Queen Steamboat Company
Ships: The American Queen has two single inside staterooms and four single outside staterooms which feature verandas, while American Empress offers one single outside stateroom with a veranda.
Cabins: American Queen's single inside staterooms measure 80 square feet and are located on Deck 5 - the Promenade Deck. The single outside staterooms measure 140 square feet and are located on Deck 3 - Texas Deck. Cabins on the Texas Deck feature a queen sized bed and balcony with French doors.
Cabins on the Promenade Deck have a single bed and no window. The single outside stateroom with veranda on American Empress is a slightly scaled down version of the ship's Deluxe Veranda Stateroom which measures at 160 square feet. The cabin offers one twin bed and a private balcony with outside-facing windows.
4. Vantage River Cruises
Ships: The Vantage River Cruise Line offers single occupancy cabins on a number of its ships including MS River Splendor, MS River Voyager, MS River Discovery II and MS River Venture,
Cabins: Both inside and outside single cabins measure a comfortable 125 square feet and have single beds. There are also flat-screen TVs, desk and chair and bathrooms with showers in a one person staterooms.