Riviera Travel has reported huge growth in solo bookings as it prepares to launch the first ever river ship catering exclusively for solo passengers

The line, which is set to unveil MS George Eliot in 2027, said it has seen a 34 per cent growth in solo bookings year on year, and has hailed the trade as outperforming the general trend with solo bookings made by agents up 51 per cent compared to last year.

A total of 72 per cent of the ship’s 2027 capacity has been sold via the trade, Riviera added.

MS George Eliot will offer a range of sailings on the Rhine, Moselle and Danube rivers with double cabins for solo occupancy on every cruise and no single supplement.

Vicky Billing, director of trade, partnerships and loyalty UK and Ireland, praised agents, saying: “Since announcing the MS George Eliot as a fully solo-exclusive ship, we’ve seen consistently strong feedback from agents with clear demand from their customers looking for a dedicated solo experience on the rivers.

“With peak departures already selling quickly and a full season of sailings available, including shoulder season dates, this gives our agent partners a really strong opportunity to drive early bookings and offer something that genuinely stands out in the market.”