If you’ve ever paid a “single supplement” and wondered which item on the bill covered the emotional damage of being charged for the crime of enjoying your own company, there's good news!
Riviera Travel will dedicate an entire river ship to solo guests for a full season in 2027. The 2019-built MS George Eliot will sail solo-exclusive departures from June to November 2027; a first for river cruising.
What’s new (and why it matters)
MS George Eliot (photo: Riviera Travel)
MS George Eliot (photo: Riviera Travel)
All-solo, all season. Instead of a handful of no-supplement cabins, George Eliot’s entire cabin inventory is reserved for one guest per cabin across the season. Riviera says demand justifies it: solo river bookings via the trade are up 66% year on year, and solo travellers now make up ~13% of bookings (and nearly half of these are repeat guests).
Right-sized onboard vibe. George Eliot was designed for ~140 guests, but for the solo season Riviera expects to carry ~68 solo travellers, effectively doubling space per guest and vastly improving crew-to-guest ratios. Think cocktail hours if you fancy company, tables-for-one if you don’t.
Where it's sailing
Four classic, easy-to-sell seven-night routes will rotate through the season:
- The Blue Danube for Solo Travellers (Vienna, Budapest, plus Salzburg by excursion)
- Rhine Cruise to Switzerland for Solo Travellers
- Rhine & Moselle for Solo Travellers
- Rhine, Strasbourg & Heidelberg for Solo Travellers
Riviera is also adding two longer options billed as among the longest solo river cruises on the market:
- 15-day Budapest to the Black Sea — from £5,699pp (solo occupancy)
- 15-day “Cruise the Heart of Europe” (Rhine–Main–Danube) — from £5,599pp
Seven-night solos lead in from around £2,499pp, depending on date and itinerary.
(Currencies vary by site; always check the Riviera page for the live fare.)
Sweetener: a limited free deck upgrade
To mark the launch, Riviera is offering a free upgrade from middle to upper deck on 2027 European river cruises (excludes long-haul). It’s valid on bookings made 17 September–31 October 2025—quote “Upgrade 27” when you book. As ever, capacity-controlled and applies to standard cabins.
One eye on Asia: Riviera Alba on the Mekong
Riviera also confirmed its first ship outside Europe, the all-suite Riviera Alba, debuting on the Mekong in 2027 with Vietnam–Cambodia itineraries. Expect a boutique, 24-suite vessel and a 16-day program that pairs Saigon and Hanoi with the river route. It’s a significant expansion beyond the line’s European core.
The Cruise Collective take
This is a smart fix for a long-standing pain point. A season-long solo program removes the usual treasure hunt for one or two cabins with no supplement and replaces it with clarity: book the ship, not the loophole. Add the friendlier guest count and social structure (opt in, opt out, no pressure), and George Eliot looks like a very appealing prospect.
Need-to-know, at a glance
- Ship: MS George Eliot (Riviera Travel)
- Season: Solo-exclusive cruises June–November 2027
- Routes: Danube; Rhine & Moselle; Rhine to Switzerland; Rhine–Strasbourg–Heidelberg; plus selected 15-day solos
- Indicative pricing: 7 nights from ~£2,499; 15 nights from £5,599–£5,699 (market dependent).
For solo cruisers used to arithmetic with too many surcharges, this feels refreshingly simple, and that, in travel as in life, is half the joy.