Solo cruising, undertaken for a myriad of reasons, has always been an expensive proposition. Cruise lines base their income structure on an expectation of at least two full-fare paying adults in every cabin. Referred to as a single supplement, solo travelers are generally charged 150 to 200% of the per person fare. So, if the rate is $700 per person, based on two people in a cabin, a single will pay anywhere from $1050 to $1400 for the same trip. If you can’t find a traveling buddy, cruising risks being out of reach for a lot of single travelers.
Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) has just launched a brand new ship that attempts to address this issue. The 4,200-passenger Norwegian Epic features 128 studio cabins for single travelers. At 100 square feet, the ultra modern and extremely stylish cabins are not designed for hanging out in, but with loads of public spaces and lots going on, most cruisers don’t dally in their cabins anyway. Each cabin features a full-sized bed, flat-screen TV and a small desk. One-way windows overlooking the corridor help the space seem larger. They have separate showers, sinks and toilets and a fair amount of storage space. Many of the studio cabins are connecting, which might be great for a bunch of friends travelling together but not wanting to room together. On the downside, all of the studio cabins are inside, so no ocean views.
The studio cabins are located on decks 10 and 11 and share a common central corridor. The studio cabin area is accessible by key card only and features its own dedicated two-story lounge called “The Living Room” where guests can get morning coffee, an evening drink or mingle with other studio cabin inhabitants. If you’re thinking “singles club”, that remains to be seen. As a studio cabin resident, you have access to the lounge but are not restricted to it. You may use it or not, as you choose.
Rates for the studio cabins are still about 25% higher than the per person rate for lower category cabins elsewhere, but that’s still significantly less than what solo travelers pay on any other cruise ship.
The Epic will sail out of Miami and feature eastern and western Caribbean, transatlantic and Mediterranean itineraries.
I love cruising and am excited about the possibilities that the Epic represents. I’m not too interested in cruising on the Love Boat though, so I hope NCL can entertain the possibility that there are a number of reasons that people travel alone and don’t end up making this area of the ship have some sort of “swinging singles” feel to it. Look to see me booked on the Epic, in a studio cabin, within the next 18 months.
What do you think? If NCL’s venture into single accommodations takes off, other cruise lines are likely to follow suit. Do you think that’s a positive trend? Would you be interested in cruising solo if this sort of cabin were available?
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5 comments:
I would absolutely LOVE this. I have some friends and we like doing things like this together but this would be one trip I would like to have my own cabin for. I would like to be able to come and go as I please and not have to worry about disturbing someone. I am going to check it out. Thanks for the info. :)
I'm pretty excited about it myself. I think it will be great fun and I can't wait to check it out. Wouldn't a group of midlifers be fun? If you go, be sure and let us know all about it!
Interesting development! I personally am not nuts about cruising, but sure would welcome fair rates for hotels and resorts.
SDXB (Semi-Demi-Exboyfriend) is escaping the 112-degree heat in a few days and talked about the possibility of a cruise, but tentatively dismissed it because of the cost. He'll be very interested in your report, which I just forwarded to him!
What a great review. Thank you for all the information and photos. It's occurred to me lately that I'd like to take a singles cruise, certainly not to meet anyone, but because I'm single and love life alone. I hope the singles part of the cruise is about being solo and not implying a way to hook up.
What a GREAT idea that should have happened years ago. There are so many travelers that were priced out of the cruising market because of the penalties involved in traveling as a single. If others follow suit then maybe that will in turn help drive down that 25% higher price too. I sure hope so!
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