Best Solo Studio Floor?

[iamchrisstone]

Im taking the Encore Inaugural sailing from london to NYC.  What is the best floor to get the solo studio?  Also, is solo cruising worth it over me just getting an interior or oceanview by myself?

[adoris]

I think whichever deck has the studio lounge is the best.  No stairs to carry water or coffee back to your room.  Price is the main factor to me as to which category to select and whether you want to pick on of the free at sea options.  You get one option with a studio so if you want to pick the drink package fir example it’s good.  A comparable priced inside or ocean view will probably be a sail away rate with no free at sea options. If you are interested in the solo meet ups you can attend without being in a studio cabin.

[smplybcause]

I prefer the same deck as the studio lounge. No stairs to run in for some water/whatever is nice.

 

If the Encore studios are like Bliss they'll have virtual windows in it. Which I would say makes them superior to an inside. As for an oceanview - they usually tend to be on lower floors where the studios are 10/11/12. So I guess it depends if you want to be higher up or lower - since a window and a virtual window would be pretty much a draw. 

[Named-Tawny]

8 minutes ago, smplybcause said:

I prefer the same deck as the studio lounge. No stairs to run in for some water/whatever is nice.

 

If the Encore studios are like Bliss they'll have virtual windows in it. Which I would say makes them superior to an inside. As for an oceanview - they usually tend to be on lower floors where the studios are 10/11/12. So I guess it depends if you want to be higher up or lower - since a window and a virtual window would be pretty much a draw. 

Are the virtual windows a live feed from the outside of the ship, or is it just generic pictures?

[smplybcause]

2 minutes ago, Named-Tawny said:

Are the virtual windows a live feed from the outside of the ship, or is it just generic pictures?

 

Live feed off the side of the ship. Always forgot to figure out/remember whether it was port or starboard.

[All-ready2cruise]

1 hour ago, smplybcause said:

 

Live feed off the side of the ship. Always forgot to figure out/remember whether it was port or starboard.

Easy way to remember - left is 4 letters... so is Port. 

[CazV]

2 hours ago, iamchrisstone said:

Im taking the Encore Inaugural sailing from london to NYC.  What is the best floor to get the solo studio?  Also, is solo cruising worth it over me just getting an interior or oceanview by myself?

 

Up until very recently the solo studio pricing for the Inaugural Transatlantic was excessively high in comparison to the pricing for insides and even balcony cabins, so I know several solo cruisers are sailing in balcony cabins on that cruise. You can join in with solo meetings etc even if not sailing in a studio cabin... however you wouldn't have the 24/7 access to the lounge for coffee, snacks etc.

 

If you decide to book a solo studio I'd suggest deck 11 will be the best option. Try to book a cabin that's not adjoining another one. I'm booked in a solo studio on the first sailing out of Miami on 24th November so I can't wait to hear about the ship.

[hallux]

1 hour ago, smplybcause said:

 

Live feed off the side of the ship. Always forgot to figure out/remember whether it was port or starboard.

So it doesn't screw with your mind, the feed should be from the same side of the ship as the "window".  If the "window" is on the port wall of the cabin, the feed will be from a camera on the port side of the ship.

[Named-Tawny]

3 minutes ago, hallux said:

So it doesn't screw with your mind, the feed should be from the same side of the ship as the "window".  If the "window" is on the port wall of the cabin, the feed will be from a camera on the port side of the ship.

Wouldn't many of those windows be facing fore or aft though?

[smplybcause]

6 minutes ago, hallux said:

So it doesn't screw with your mind, the feed should be from the same side of the ship as the "window".  If the "window" is on the port wall of the cabin, the feed will be from a camera on the port side of the ship.

 

It never screwed with my head. Studios are all off an inside corridor so you have to go out, and for a some of the rooms the "window" is facing aft or forward. I never looked at the window to figure out where I was - I just knew which exit I preferred to take out of the studio area and went there. 

[hallux]

9 minutes ago, Named-Tawny said:

Wouldn't many of those windows be facing fore or aft though?

They're on the long walls of the cabins.  I was in 12545 on the Bliss, the "window" was on the hallway wall, over the bed.

 

EDIT: I just counted, there are 7 studio cabins on the Bliss that have the long walls oriented with the faces fore or aft, all the rest are port/starboard so the views would be port or starboard on the majority of those cabins.  Look at 10501 as an example of one that would have a forward or aft view.

Edited August 7, 2019 by hallux

[smplybcause]

33 minutes ago, All-ready2cruise said:

Easy way to remember - left is 4 letters... so is Port. 

 

I meant I always for got to pay attention to what the virtual window was showing and then see whether that was on the port or starboard side. And sometimes it was almost impossible - hmmm was it that mountain on the feed or that mountain? I didn't think to pay attention to the feed when we were in port when it would be easier to tell the view from each side apart. Or if I did, it wasn't a memory that kept 3 months later. 

Edited August 7, 2019 by smplybcause

[Victorious8]

Is the set up any different (or is there more space) in the cabins with the long wall oriented either forward of aft? Really thinking about pulling the trigger on the inaugural Encore sailing if the prices hold out a few more days while I double check things at work. 

 

Booking online they didn't show any rooms on deck 11 which is what I want. When I had a studio on Escape it was so nice being right next to lounge, on the Epic I hated walking the long distance for water/drinks. 

[Gershep]

Do the solo cabin on the Escape have the live feed virtual window?

[smplybcause]

28 minutes ago, Gershep said:

Do the solo cabin on the Escape have the live feed virtual window?

 

No. On Bliss has that (though I would think they'd have it on Encore). All other studios have a port hole that looks into the interior walk way. It's one-way glass so no one can ever see in, but you can close of the porthole so none of the light from the hallway makes it into your cabin.

[bon91324]

On 8/7/2019 at 6:00 AM, iamchrisstone said:

Im taking the Encore Inaugural sailing from london to NYC.  What is the best floor to get the solo studio?  Also, is solo cruising worth it over me just getting an interior or oceanview by myself?

 I did the solo cabins on the Bliss, I thought it was too small for how much you had to pay, when I cruise NCL again I will just pay for an interior/oceanview room solo. 

[waterjock]

Always take deck 11 and choose a cabin close to the studio entrance. The Bliss/Encore also have a smaller single bed leaving more room to walk around the cabin.

Edited August 15, 2019 by waterjock

[waterjock]

5 minutes ago, waterjock said:

Always take deck 11 and choose a cabin close to the studio entrance. The Bliss/Encore also have a smaller single bed leaving more room to walk around the cabin.

 

[sparkmaster]

Hello fellow Encore Maidener! I've never picked a bad studio myself. I tend to avoid the blank spaces on the deck plan if I can, but I've never had a bad one.

 

See you on the ship!

[smplybcause]

28 minutes ago, waterjock said:

Always take deck 11 and choose a cabin close to the studio entrance. The Bliss/Encore also have a smaller single bed leaving more room to walk around the cabin.

 

Being tall I was rather disappointed by the smaller bed. The more walking space wasn't noticeable or worth making the bed smaller. Especially since at least for my cabin they didn't have a fitted sheet that fit it - used a flat sheet for the bottom sheet. 

[hallux]

After hearing complaints from some on my Bliss cruise in April, I'll pick a center cabin away from the entrance to the Studio section.  Folks near the entrance complained of slamming doors near the entrances, and crew members using it as a shortcut from one side of the ship to the other (which I guess they weren't supposed to do).  I think noise from the crew access area was also a concern.  My cabin (12545) had none of that so I'll gladly look for cabins sited similarly, and didn't mind the short walk to and down the stairs to the lounge...

[bob brown]

I have usually gotten a sailaway inside or above, for less than what a studio cost, by waiting to book late.   I did book a studio once, just for the experience.  I would not do it again.  My main complaint was having the shower area and sink, within the bedroom.  The shower often leaked out onto the floor.  Only the toilet is in a tiny separate room.

[PelicanBill]

I picked my studio location based on what's available and farther away from the door to the Lounge to avoid noise of people coming and going at the lounge door.  I ended up on the upper floor but not worried about the stair as I am likely to drink and eat in the lounge and not take it back to my cabin.  And if I do it's just one cup and I can manage the stairs and doors.

 

 

[Birdie And Sue]

On 8/7/2019 at 9:00 AM, iamchrisstone said:

Im taking the Encore Inaugural sailing from london to NYC.  What is the best floor to get the solo studio?  Also, is solo cruising worth it over me just getting an interior or oceanview by myself?

 

 

Define best and 'worth it'/

Edited August 16, 2019 by Birdie And Sue

[Kaylas Mom]

I had a studio on the Escape in May.  I loved every single thing about it.  I agree with everyone who says to get one on the same deck as the lounge.   Mine was perfect - not too close to be bothered by noise and not too far that I couldn’t run over in my pj’s for coffee and a croissant.  

 

Also, it was nice to be on that level the times our singles’ dinner group went straight from the 5 pm get together to dinner - I didn’t delay the group when I zoomed to my cabin to grab my handbag...