More women are traveling solo. A luxury cruise line is taking notice with its first $5,000 women-only voyage.
Luxury river cruise company Uniworld is offering its first women-only voyage, as a growing number of women are traveling solo.
More women are traveling alone, and a popular high-end cruise line has taken notice.
Luxury river cruise company Uniworld’s 19 vessels can be seen gliding the world’s waterways, from Europe’s Rhine River to Africa’s Nile and Asia’s Mekong.
France’s Rhône and Saône are, in particular, frequent passageways for the Los Angeles-based company. They’re the rivers of choice for its eight-day “Burgundy and Provence” voyages, offered almost year-round like clockwork, including October and November, and almost every month of 2025.
But the voyage departing in August 2025, would have one strong differentiator from its other identical itineraries.
The eight-day cruise would end in Lyon, France.
The late summer voyage would host Uniworld’s first women-only cruise, starting at $5,000 per person.
A growing number of women want to vacation alone, making up 71% of the solo travel segment.
Camp Social’s three-day, women-only camp in August saw about 480 guests.
That’s according to luxury travel agency Virtuoso’s latest trends report, which surveyed its more than 20,000 member advisors.
Amid this movement, Melissa Krueger, CEO of high-end travel wholesaler Classic Vacations, told B-17 that trips designed specifically for groups of women have become a “notable trend.”
Philippa Girling, CEO and cofounder of Camp Château, told B-17 in early September that the 2025 dates for her six-day, women-only summer retreats in southern France have accrued a 13,000-person waitlist.
Back in the States, the number of attendees at this year’s annual three-day women-only Camp Social grew fourfold from 2023 to about 480 guests in 2024.
Most of the attendees at both retreats went alone.
S.S. Catherine can sail 158 guests.
Similarly, Uniworld’s president and CEO, Ellen Bettridge, told B-17 that she expects the guests on its first women-only voyage to be solo cruisers, intergenerational families, and groups of gal pals.
Like any river cruise company, Uniworld’s vessels are markedly smaller than its ocean-based counterparts.
The ship of choice for its no-boys-allowed voyage, S.S. Catherine, is one of its larger options. It measures 443 feet long and accommodates 158 guests.
The inaugural voyage would sail from Arles, France, in late August.
The woman-only cruise would include activities like wine tastings.
S.S. Catherine would then visit French riverside destinations like Avignon, Viviers, and Mâcon before concluding in Lyon.
Throughout the eight days, guests would participate in excursions and activities such as truffle hunting, scenic bicycle rides, lavender weaving, and “burlesque sessions.”
The least expensive cabin starts at $5,000 per person.
The suites span 305 square feet and include comforts like butler service and balconies.
The cost then ranges up to $10,500 for a suite, although the more expensive options are already sold out.
The prices may be relatively steep, but as an all-inclusive cruise line, it would include airport transfers, excursions, and alcohol — perfect for sip-and-yap sessions with the girls.
