Norwegian Cruise Line is adding nearly 1000 solo staterooms across their 19-ship fleet. NCL has long been a leader in offering facilities for solo cruising, and already has many options across the fleet.
The cruise line will now have three solo stateroom categories, Solo Inside, Solo Oceanview and Solo Balcony. These will start with sailings from January 2 onwards. While prices will vary on availability and destination, solo travellers can look forward to paying less than for a double occupancy room.
Booking a solo cabin with NCL also comes with access to facilities that make it easier to meet other travellers. Guests in the new stateroom categories will get access to the Studio Lounge (on select ships), which features a lounge and bar decided specifically to meet other cruisers.
“After realising the growing demand of individuals looking to travel on their own, we have now expanded single occupancy staterooms across our fleet.”
David J. Herrera, President, Norwegian Cruise Line
Furthermore, there a range of onboard and offshore activities designed specifically for single travellers to make friends and mix with others on the boat. Having more solo cabins available also means a higher quantity of ready-to-mingle solo travellers will now be on NCL sailings.
NCL made this decision due to the trends in the tourism industry that point to a boom in solo travel. A study by Travelport showed solo travel makes up 18 per cent of bookings in the travel industry and Radical Storage report a 267 per cent increase in online searches for the term “solo travel”.
In addition, NCL have noticed many more bookings from solo travellers and aim to meet the rising demand.
The rest of NCL and other cruise lines solo offerings are outlined in Cruise Passenger’s ultimate guide to solo cruising.
NCL says more solo staterooms to come
“We strive to provide our guests with diverse offerings to create their dream vacation,” said David J. Herrera, president of Norwegian Cruise Line.
“Since we first launched our solo staterooms in 2010 with Norwegian Epic, they have been quite popular with single travellers. We are continuously listening to our guests to deliver the experience they want.
“After realising the growing demand of individuals looking to travel on their own, we have now expanded single occupancy staterooms across our fleet.”
…as I have always said, NCL is the innovator, not the imitator.
first real cruise line (Princess doesn’t count; first ship leased the first year, didn’t operate the next year, restarted the third year.)
first with real onboard entertainment (Miami-based agency)
first mega ship (S/S Norway, former S/S France)
first alternate dining options
first child entertainment/enrichment options
first flexible dining options
first solo traveler club option
first, first, first…
Just like Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, the original and best.