Is cruising becoming more solo-friendly or less solo-friendly?

Cruising has come a long way since it first became popular in the 70's; some changes were good, many others, not so much. And I'm pretty sure there were always solos on cruises. I haven't done any cruising until 2012, and before then, only caught glimpses of it from TV commercials. I know my cruises were very solo-friendly. But I'm curious to see how it was before my first cruise, as well as how it's headed in the future.

On one hand, Norwegian (and possibly its competitors in the future) is building new ships with solo cabins and a specialized solo host. On the other hand, we have a proliferation of Freestyle Dining and Dynamic Dining; which is solo-unfriendly because it takes away guaranteed dinner companions from people who feel safe in that arrangement. So it could be either or.

Hello, I think NCL has totally made it more solo friendly- I found especially last time out that we would have non-solos joining the solos.

I do find an advantage of flex dining time to be that people can negotiate when to eat within a group if others have shows etc...

Note though, that the fixed time of the solo gathering replaces fixed time of meeting in a dining room in my opinion. i.e at the solo gathering you discuss eating at 7 vs. 7:30 perhaps 6pm one night etc.

Although I like how Anthem of the Seas looks, i would probably stick with NCLfor now

Cruise lines are making more of a effort to get solos by having more solo cabins. The problem is that often these solo cabins are no less expensive than a regular cabin with the single supplement (sometimes even more:confused:). When a cruise line makes cabins that are the price of a per person/double occupancy rate, then they will be solo-friendly (of course, these cabins would likely be the size of a refrigerator box:eek:).

I do think many cruise lines try to be solo friendly by having more social gatherings for single cruisers.

I love cruising and have been cruising solo since 2003. (It is the only

way I cruise). I don't care about having a "solo cabin".....whatever

cabin I book, is for me;)......I don't worry about whether the industry

is "solo friendly".....they have always taken my $$.....:)

Oh, I don't look at the SS and haven't for years.....I look at the total

amount and if that amount is within my pricepoint. As long as I happy

with that I paid, that is all that matters to me.

Oh, and I forgot 2 more things......I didn't vote and as for the NCL "solo hosts"?

That may work for some folks, but having a host is not something I care about.

I am quite outgoing and meet people very easily and it make no difference to me

at all if there are other "solo/sinlges" on my cruises. It is not something that

matters to me. Marital status? I could care less.....as long as folks are friendly,

what your maritial status happens to be? Who cares.....not me.

I don't cruise to meet other solo people. I mean, if I do, fine, but if not?

that is fine too.

What do you mean by "solo friendly"? Not all solos are looking for the same thing, and thus I think it will be difficult for you to get meaningful results here. Just sayin' :-)

On one hand, Norwegian (and possibly its competitors in the future) is building new ships with solo cabins and a specialized solo host.

I do not see that as being solo-friendly. In fact, I think building those cabins is an insulting move intended to make extra money by selling off lousy real estate while pretending that the buyer is getting something special.

In my experience, some lines are more "solo friendly" in the way they treat solos on board (i.e. treat them with the same respect they treat someone who is part of a couple), but that's all.

I love cruising and have been cruising solo since 2003. (It is the only

way I cruise). I don't care about having a "solo cabin".....whatever

cabin I book, is for me;)......I don't worry about whether the industry

is "solo friendly".....they have always taken my $$.....:)

Oh, I don't look at the SS and haven't for years.....I look at the total

amount and if that amount is within my pricepoint. As long as I happy

with that I paid, that is all that matters to me.

 

Oh, and I forgot 2 more things......I didn't vote and as for the NCL "solo hosts"?

That may work for some folks, but having a host is not something I care about.

I am quite outgoing and meet people very easily and it make no difference to me

at all if there are other "solo/sinlges" on my cruises. It is not something that

matters to me. Marital status? I could care less.....as long as folks are friendly,

what your maritial status happens to be? Who cares.....not me.

I don't cruise to meet other solo people. I mean, if I do, fine, but if not?

that is fine too.

Well said, I couldn't agree more. :) I don't care about solo cabins either or solo anything for that matter. I cruise because I love to cruise and pick what I can afford, total cabin price, not solo price. There really is no such thing. I also don't care who is on my cruise or what their marital status is. I just enjoy the cruise and have always found very friendly folks, both solo and couples. Don't care about hosts either, in fact, will avoid them. ;)

Just want to enjoy my cruise my way and always have a wonderful time! :D

Sue

While I don't have an interest in solo cabins or solo hosts (I have a big mouth and have no problem going it alone), I think the advent of solo cabins and solo hosts is a good thing.

First off, it allows the timid solo the opportunity to sail and feel part of a group. While not necessary for the experienced travelers on this thread, there have been been plenty of posters who clearly are helped by this.

Secondly, the cruise lines have been pretty stingy with their single supplements on most cruises. And I chalk this up to solos traditionally having no other option than to pay 200%. With more and more solo cabins, solos have a cheaper option which may help reduce the SS for underbooked cruises.

Well said, I couldn't agree more. :) I don't care about solo cabins either or solo anything for that matter. I cruise because I love to cruise and pick what I can afford, total cabin price, not solo price. There really is no such thing. I also don't care who is on my cruise or what their marital status is. I just enjoy the cruise and have always found very friendly folks, both solo and couples. Don't care about hosts either, in fact, will avoid them. ;)

Just want to enjoy my cruise my way and always have a wonderful time! :D

 

Sue

Hi Sue:)...maybe one of these days we will end up on the same cruise...

I know from reading your posts over the years we seem to have the

same philosophy;)

Well said, I couldn't agree more. :) I don't care about solo cabins either or solo anything for that matter. I cruise because I love to cruise and pick what I can afford, total cabin price, not solo price. There really is no such thing. I also don't care who is on my cruise or what their marital status is. I just enjoy the cruise and have always found very friendly folks, both solo and couples. Don't care about hosts either, in fact, will avoid them. ;)

Just want to enjoy my cruise my way and always have a wonderful time! :D

 

Sue

I'll second that. K

Cruising has come a long way since it first became popular in the 70's; some changes were good, many others, not so much. And I'm pretty sure there were always solos on cruises. I haven't done any cruising until 2012, and before then, only caught glimpses of it from TV commercials. I know my cruises were very solo-friendly. But I'm curious to see how it was before my first cruise, as well as how it's headed in the future.

 

On one hand, Norwegian (and possibly its competitors in the future) is building new ships with solo cabins and a specialized solo host. On the other hand, we have a proliferation of Freestyle Dining and Dynamic Dining; which is solo-unfriendly because it takes away guaranteed dinner companions from people who feel safe in that arrangement. So it could be either or.

Thank you for starting this discussion. My first cruise was this year, so I don't have much historical perspective. But based on what I've heard and read, I think the environment for solos has gotten better over the years. But there's still a long way to go. To a large extent, the cruise industry is set up for couples and families, and they don't know what to with us.

This is in part because not every solo thinks alike. For example, your comments above about Freestyle dining. I prefer dining by myself to eating with people I do not know, so I think the move away from fixed seating is great. But obviously there is the other side of it.

As for the solo cabins, the more I've looked at them, the less I like them. I've had ocean views and portholes on my previous cruises, and at this point I think it would be hard to give up a view to the outside - even if it's only fleeting. And cutting my total space in half doesn't sound very appetizing either, though I could probably live with it. It would be better for me to have nicer cabins with lesser single taxes. But again, there are different views on the matter.

I haven't experienced NCL, so I've never met any of their solo hosts. I'm imagining a mix of cruise director and concierge. Both of whom I mostly avoid. I'll make my own trouble, thankyouverymuch.

I am a solo, not because I chose this life path, but I was forced onto it with the death of my husband 13 years ago. I began cruising with my teenage sons, and when they attended college, I was faced with the choice of cruise alone or not at all. I began (and prefer) NCL because of the studio CONCEPT. Cabins are 150% on new, nice ships. The solo gathering usually has at least ten people. As I've spent more years in solo world, I now can dine with others or not (I prefer UDP). I've traveled solo on RCCL, which offers studio cabins not nearly as nice as NCL, and lunchtime solo gatherings with no one in attendance. I admit, I'm one of the solos who just can't justify 200%. So, travel, like life, seems full of compromises.

Thank you for starting this discussion. My first cruise was this year, so I don't have much historical perspective. But based on what I've heard and read, I think the environment for solos has gotten better over the years. But there's still a long way to go. To a large extent, the cruise industry is set up for couples and families, and they don't know what to with us.

 

This is in part because not every solo thinks alike. For example, your comments above about Freestyle dining. I prefer dining by myself to eating with people I do not know, so I think the move away from fixed seating is great. But obviously there is the other side of it.

I don't have historical perspective, either. But the contemporary solo environment has been great for me so far. Crew members did not treat me any differently than they treat non-solos. Having said that, not being on a ship with a studio host, I had to go out and make friends on my own. Because one thing Carnival dropped the ball on is the singles' gathering in the nightclub: there was no crew member to run the event or any identifiers for passengers that are part of it.

I guess I prefer the safety net aspect of assigned seating. Knowing that I'll have someone to sit with at dinner, rather than look like "that guy", makes me feel more relaxed on a cruise. What's interesting is that assigned seating was developed to help not solos but crew members. Given the technology in early days of cruising, feeding the entire ship was easier when everyone eats the same meal at the same time. Probably still is, but the demand for non-assigned seating is high enough that the crew accommodates that.

Hi Sue:)...maybe one of these days we will end up on the same cruise...

I know from reading your posts over the years we seem to have the

same philosophy;)

Hi Lois, :) I truly would love that, you are a woman I would love to meet! :D

Sue

Hi Lois, :) I truly would love that, you are a woman I would love to meet! :D

Sue

What a kind thing to say:)......thank you:o

I am booked on a cruise to Alaska in May 2015.....wanna go?;)

My first cruise (solo) was nearly 30 years ago. Then, I felt as though being single was an accepted part of of cruising. Now, with few exceptions (NCL studios especially) I feel cruise line management thinks I'm an aggravation only tolerated to get rid of unsold cabins.

I do not see that as being solo-friendly. In fact, I think building those cabins is an insulting move intended to make extra money by selling off lousy real estate while pretending that the buyer is getting something special.

 

In my experience, some lines are more "solo friendly" in the way they treat solos on board (i.e. treat them with the same respect they treat someone who is part of a couple), but that's all.

"Insulting"???? :confused::confused::confused: Bit of a stretch isn't it. More like NCL saw a niche that nobody else was filling and decided to fill it...more like good business to me. :rolleyes:

"Insulting"???? :confused::confused::confused: Bit of a stretch isn't it. More like NCL saw a niche that nobody else was filling and decided to fill it...more like good business to me. :rolleyes:

You see it as a niche of an unfulfilled need, but I see it as a snow job selling the Brooklyn Bridge to rubes too starry eyed to see that it's smoke and mirrors.

In my experience, the NCL solo lounge is far more solo-friendly than the Cunard coffee breaks and HAL solo lunches, which are in turn far more solo-friendly than any other ship I have been on.

Now if you want over-priced smoke and mirrors for rubes, I'd point at Crystal, not NCL.

Now if you want over-priced smoke and mirrors for rubes, I'd point at Crystal, not NCL.

That's the beauty of life -- different strokes for different folks.

You see it as a niche of an unfulfilled need, but I see it as a snow job selling the Brooklyn Bridge to rubes too starry eyed to see that it's smoke and mirrors.

Please explain how it is smoke and mirrors...maybe Canadian math is different that American math on this one. But, I pull up NCL and the Epic and put in "guest 1" and each for prices......the studio is $400+ cheaper than a regular inside cabin. (and some of the summer sailings out of Barcelona are $1000 less with the studios than a regular cabin.). No snow job or smoke and mirrors, I just booked one yesterday for 2016, Studio $1199/regular inside $1898.

Please explain how it is smoke and mirrors...maybe Canadian math is different that American math on this one. But, I pull up NCL and the Epic and put in "guest 1" and each for prices......the studio is $400+ cheaper than a regular inside cabin. (and some of the summer sailings out of Barcelona are $1000 less with the studios than a regular cabin.). No snow job or smoke and mirrors, I just booked one yesterday for 2016, Studio $1199/regular inside $1898.

If you think they're doing you a favour by offering you a deal only on an inside cabin of 100 square feet on a megaship, then that's great. Personally, I think they're selling crappy space on an over-crowded ship......and some times it's not even cheaper than paying double for a standard-sized cabin. To me, that's not being "nice" or "welcoming" to solo passengers, it's pawning off the worst cabins with good PR and an advertising slogan. If they were really welcoming to solo passengers, they wouldn't charge them double to sail in an ordinary cabin, since a solo passenger (on average) uses fewer amenities, food, drink, and service than a couple in that same cabin......in fact, solo travelers generally spend more money on activities and alcohol than other passengers.

But, as I said, different strokes........

solo passenger (on average) uses fewer amenities, food, drink, and service than a couple in that same cabin......in fact, solo travelers generally spend more money on activities and alcohol than other passengers.

But we solos, on average, spend less than a couple on drinks, excursions, etc.

If you think they're doing you a favour by offering you a deal only on an inside cabin of 100 square feet on a megaship, then that's great. Personally, I think they're selling crappy space on an over-crowded ship......and some times it's not even cheaper than paying double for a standard-sized cabin. To me, that's not being "nice" or "welcoming" to solo passengers, it's pawning off the worst cabins with good PR and an advertising slogan. If they were really welcoming to solo passengers, they wouldn't charge them double to sail in an ordinary cabin, since a solo passenger (on average) uses fewer amenities, food, drink, and service than a couple in that same cabin......in fact, solo travelers generally spend more money on activities and alcohol than other passengers.

 

But, as I said, different strokes........

When did I every say or imply they were doing me or anybody a favor? They are simply offering a product that many people chose to purchase. Worst or crappy cabin is totally subjective. I find a balcony and suites a waste of money and a simple inside cabin just fine....so we differ on what is crappy. As far as your "fact" that solo's spend more on activities and booze that couples what is your source for this?? Unless you have actual data provided by the cruise lines themselves this is just speculation and of no real value. Bottom line is you don't find value in solo cabins and that is fine, but, to say those of us that do are somehow having the wool pulled over our eyes is just asinine.

But we solos, on average, spend less than a couple on drinks, excursions, etc.

Per person, people traveling solo spend more (on drinks, excursions, etc) than those traveling as part of a couple of group.