It's a great day for solo cruisers. Norwegian Cruise Line announced Monday its plan to expand its offerings to travelers who want to cruise without a companion. The line will more than double its solo accommodations across its 19-ship fleet beginning in January.
Additionally, the new solo cabins will include ocean-view and balcony options. Currently, studio cabins on Norwegian ships are tiny inside cabins. The line plans to recategorize existing cabins and retrofit them as solo accommodations across the fleet.
For more cruise guides, news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter.
Why has Norwegian decided now to retrofit its ships with new solo rooms? It's likely because the demand for solo cruise accommodations shows no signs of diminishing.
A study by Travelport revealed that solo travel made up nearly 18% of global bookings in the travel industry. Additionally, from 2019 to 2022, Norwegian reported an increase in guests booking accommodations as a single occupant in non-studio cabins.
Although Norwegian's existing studio cabins are small — around 100 square feet — they are ideally designed to maximize storage space. These solo cabins are situated around an exclusive-access Studio Lounge, which features a bar and television area, as well as daily happy hours.
New solo cabin categories will also include access to the dedicated lounge space. However, ships that currently do not offer studio cabins will only receive the solo cabin retrofit and no new lounge space. Passengers can take part in organized onboard activities exclusively for solo travelers.
Designated solo cabins will be available on every ship, but the number of accommodations will vary. For example, currently, Pride of America features four studio cabins, while Norwegian Viva offers 73.
Related: These 8 cabins are great for travelers cruising alone
Solo cabins are highly sought after on cruise ships because single cruisers have historically been punished for traveling alone. Most cruise ship cabins are designed for two people, and the cruise fares for these cabins are per person, based on double occupancy. That means the rates are only available to customers sharing the cabin with a second paying passenger.
Solo cruisers must pay an extra fare, known as a "single supplement," to make up for the lost revenue from the hypothetical second passenger who could have shared the room with them.
Norwegian responded to frequent requests to accommodate single cruisers by debuting the industry's first solo cabins in 2010 on Norwegian Epic. It was such a success that the line continued to include the studio cabins on ships that followed. You'll find them on Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Epic, Norwegian Escape,
The website maxtravelz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
This fall, cruise lines are preparing for a big boost to their offerings and route maps. If you’re planning travel for 2024, these cruise lines have new options just for you. Now that the pandemic is in the rearview mirror, cruise companies are launching new ships, new itineraries and new amenities.
It’s one thing to love a hotel room with a balcony, quite another to stay in one that’s built into the side of a mountain. But for longtime Forbes travel writer Jim Dobson—who first slept in a cave hotel many years ago in Santorini, Greece—the experience provides a neo-ancient twist on a room with a view. From Mallorca and Puglia to Turkey and Texas, here are some of the most amazing hotel suites built into caves.
Fall is shoulder season for Alaska, Mexico, and the Caribbean—and for fall cruises, that means emptier ships which allow booking windows to stay open longer. In other words, now is a great time to snag a last-minute sailing.
A walk in the woods is not only good for you physically, it’s also good for you psychologically. Studies show time spent in nature reduces mental fatigue and irritability, cortisol levels, and stress.