Solo Cruising continues to make the news and is becoming more popular as solo travelers look for new opportunities to travel and see the world. The small luxury ships and expedition companies are constantly offering solo cabin deals with reduced single supplements. Now, the big cruise lines are looking at more ways to attract solo travelers with solo rooms.
NCL Solo Cabins Expansion
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is going to introduce nearly 1,000 dedicated solo staterooms across its entire fleet. All 19 cruise ships will have solo cabins and they are going on sale this week. Norwegian Cruises will also expand the categories of staterooms available for solo travelers. Single cruise guests will be able to book Solo Inside, Solo Oceanview and Solo Balcony for future sailings starting Jan. 2, 2024.
Solo travelers can expect to pay less than a traditional double occupancy room. There will still be a solo supplement on some cruises, depending on popularity and time of year.
“We strive to provide our guests with diverse offerings to create their dream vacation,” said David J. Herrera, president of NCL. “Since we first launched our solo staterooms in 2010 with Norwegian Epic, they have been quite popular with single travelers. We are continuously listening to our guests to deliver the experience they want. After realizing the growing demand of individuals looking to travel on their own, we have now expanded single occupancy staterooms across our fleet.”
Soon, solo travelers will be able to choose to cruise worldwide on Norwegian Cruise line. From ocean crossing or from New Zealand to Scandavia and everywhere in between, solo travelers can go further in comfort and style with Norwegian Cruise line.
This announcement comes in response to a recent surge in the popularity of solo travel within the tourism industry, with a growing number of individuals choosing to travel the world solo. According to a study by Travelport, solo travel made up nearly 18 percent of global bookings in the travel industry! This trend is only growing, as Radical Storage reported a 267 percent increase in online searches for the term “solo travel” between December 2020 to April 2022.
Norwegian Solo Traveler Perks
Solo travel has it’s perks on Norwegian and this is why sometimes their guests pay a little more. Solo Guests who stay in any solo stateroom categories gain access to the Solo traveler only Studio Lounge. The lounge is on most ships and features a place for solo travelers to mix and mingle.
The studio lounge is usually within the cluster of solo rooms and features a dedicated space to relax for solo guest. There is also a fully equipped bar with beer and wine plus a variety of snacks served daily.
In addition to their own lounge, solo cruisers can enjoy activities in the daily programming for single travelers. Building a community at sea of like minded individuals, you won’t feel alone, unless you choose to be.
Cruise Ships with Solo Cabins
Many Cruise lines already offer small studio cabins for single travelers. These include companies such as Holland America to expedition companies like Lindblad. Here are just a few that currently offer solo cabins with reduced solo supplements.
Norwegian Cruise line
The studio cabin was groundbreaking when introduced in 2010. The first of its kind in the cruising industry.. The rooms are very small, but then again most cruise rooms are on teh big ships.
Each room is around 100 sq feet, but built for a solo traveler. Rooms feature a twin bed and all solo cabins also receive lounge access which encourages solo travelers to meet other solo travelers. Find Solo cabins on the following NCL ships: Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Getaway, and Pride of America
Celebrity Cruise line
Select Celebrity ships offer solo cabins and continue to expand the solo cabin offerings. The Celebrity Edge was the first ship in the fleet to feature 16 solo Infinite Veranda staterooms. These rooms are 131 square feet with an indoor balcony. Solo guests can now find solo suites on the Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Beyond, Celebrity Edge, and the Celebrity Silhouette. Note the silhouette only has inside solo rooms. Also keep your eyes out for solo cabins on the soon to launch Celebrity Ascent
Virgin Voyages
One of the newest cruise lines in the industry, Virgin continues to mix things up with solo cabins. The adults only cruise line offers 46 solo cabins on the Scarlet Lady. Find solo Seaview rooms and balcony rooms on the entire fleet including Scarlet Lady, Valiant Lady, and Resilient Lady.
Royal Caribbean
Only available on the Quantum class ships, there are few solo cabins for single cruisers on Royal Caribbean International. Solo travelers can select between both balcony and interior rooms. Interior rooms have a digital window, with a 6.6 foot (80 inch) floor-to-ceiling LED screen that displays images from outside the ship. Royal was also the first with solo balcony cabins. Each solo balcony cabin has a small 55-square-foot balcony.
Find a solo cabin on the following Royal Caribbean ships: Anthem of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas, and Symphony of the Seas
Lindblad Expeditions
For those looking to go exploring the polar regions or places more remote, Lindblad offers small ship expeditions to the most remote places in the world. You can find solo cabins on the National Geographic Resolution and National Geographic Endurance. Both ships offer solo balcony cabins.
Bottom Line
Cruising while single is becoming more popular. Norwegian Cruise line recognizes this trend and is offering more opportunities by expanding the types of solo cabins across their entire fleet. Look for more solo travel deals and decrease solo supplements as more ships offer more staterooms for solo travelers.
When you’re looking for your next cruise, reach out to Scott and Thomas Travel and ask for Rocky, I’ll be happy to help you plan your next cruise. Solo or with a group! Email me directly for the best deals, including additional Onboard credit and other perks!
