How would you like to board a cruise to the tropics, enjoy margaritas for lunch, and spend the night dancing and mingling with singles your age? Well, you’re in luck! Cruises for single seniors are all the rage, and eagerly await your arrival on deck.

Recent retirement, divorce or the loss of a spouse leaves many mature adults in a rut. It can be hard to deal with these lifestyle changes late in life, and can lead to a sense of hopelessness. But senior cruises are a great way to reinvigorate yourself. In the past, ticket pricing on a cruise automatically charged double, charging you for a two-person room whether you were alone or not. This was a huge hindrance for those traveling solo.

Fortunately, some tour operators are now catering to single seniors, offering no-cost or low-cost single share options, and opening up the world of cruise paradise. Now seniors can enjoy the adventure and comfort of gliding through the open seas on these floating hotels, enjoying countless amenities, activities, and opportunities to meet new people. From pottery and dance classes to skeet shooting or golf, there’s plenty to do on a senior cruise.

Here are some of our favorite companies and organizations for single seniors:

• Connecting: Solo Travel Network (CSTN) is a Canadian not-for-profit organization that specializes in finding information for single senior travelers. Members receive a useful newsletter and three e-books – Single-Friendly Travel Directory, Going Solo Tales and Going Solo Tips. The website lists single-friendly tour operators, cruises, hotels and more.
• Singles Travel International offers cruises for singles 50+ several times each year. You can go on safari or get away for a weekend or explore Italy, and you choose either a room sharing option or higher-cost private room.
• All Singles Travel, part of Travel Services Worldwide, offers senior singles cruises on an occasional basis.
• Languages Abroad offers language-learning programs for mature travelers in Germany, Italy, Spain and France. You’ll take classes each morning and explore the local area in the afternoons. You can stay with a local host family or cook your own meals in a small apartment. Hotel accommodations are available at additional cost.
• Silversea is a luxury cruise line that offers reduced single supplements on some of its cruises.Condé Nast Traveller chose Silversea as the “World’s Best Small Ship Cruise Line” in 2007. Silversea also has a Gentlemen Hosts program on some cruises; single women who want to eat or dance with someone can enjoy the companionship of a polite, polished gentleman.

Any of these options will provide you the experience of a lifetime, getting out into the world with your contemporaries and enjoying the company of similar-aged singles. Get cultured while you make new acquaintances, all on the open ocean. What could be better?
Have you or a friend ever been on a single senior cruise? How did it go? What company did you use? Share your stories with us!