Single occupancy cabin

[ragman54]

Hi fellow cruisers,

Does anyone know if any cruise line other than Norwegian has single occupancy cabins.

Thanks

[CruiserBruce]

Holland America has them on their 3 newest ships.

[TheOldBear]

Cunard added single cabins to the QM2 during the 'remastering' refit back in 2016

[1025cruise]

Well, technically all ships have single occupancy cabins. Just book any cabin as a solo cruiser.

[leaveitallbehind]

RCCL on their Quantum class ships and retrofits on several Radiance and Voyager class ships.

[navybankerteacher]

There really is very little practical  reason for cruise lines to have single occupancy cabins — beyond wanting to create the illusion of being single-friendly.  Because on-board spending is a major revenue focus, dedicating cabins to single use is impractical — how much smaller can a cabin be if it is limited to one, rather than two?

[leaveitallbehind]

2 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

Well, technically all ships have single occupancy cabins. Just book any cabin as a solo cruiser.

Correct, but the studio / solo staterooms referred to per the OP's question are designed and priced specifically for solo passengers. 

 

Typically they are smaller in size and the pricing, while often higher than the individual portion for a double occupancy stateroom, is typically lower than the solo fare in that same standard double occupancy stateroom.  It can be an attractive option based on this for a solo traveler.

[Lois R]

Celebrity offers them too.

[leaveitallbehind]

3 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Celebrity offers them too.

I believe they are currently only on Apex, Edge, and Silhouette.  But you are correct in that Celebrity does also offer them.

[LHT28]

Oceania  has some on the R ships  & the new Vista

if you want a premium line

 

[navybankerteacher]

Would you be willing to pay more, while cruising solo, for a cabin with just one bunk rather than two?   Unless the answer is yes, it is hard to see what rationale a cruise line would have for limiting ANY cabins to just one occupant.  Even if such cabins were micro-sized they could have two bunks (think of Amtrak compartments) and would enable the line to maximize revenue.

[cruisemom42]

3 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Would you be willing to pay more, while cruising solo, for a cabin with just one bunk rather than two?   Unless the answer is yes, it is hard to see what rationale a cruise line would have for limiting ANY cabins to just one occupant.  Even if such cabins were micro-sized they could have two bunks (think of Amtrak compartments) and would enable the line to maximize revenue.

 

Most of these so-called solo options are so few that my take is that the cruise lines' intention is primarily to be able to tell the solo-sailing potential passenger base that yes, they do offer something that is solo-friendly. Rather than offer a significant number of such cabins.

 

On some ships, like Silhouette, they are retrofitting a very few solo cabins into small, oddly shaped spaces; I'm not sure they could even fit two bunks in some of these.

 

Edited May 4, 2022 by cruisemom42

[navybankerteacher]

5 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Most of these so-called solo options are so few that my take is that the cruise lines' intention is primarily to be able to tell the solo-sailing potential passenger base that yes, they do offer something that is solo-friendly. Rather than offer a significant number of such cabins.

 

On some ships, like Silhouette, they are retrofitting a very few solo cabins into small, oddly shaped spaces; I'm not sure they could even fit two bunks in some of these.

 

If you ever rode in an Amtrak sleeper compartment you could see how two bunks can be gotten into an amazingly small space.  Still - why would a cruise line want to unnecessarily risk being able to sell a two-person booking by limiting bunk numbers -- they can still charge whatever the market will bear -- regardless of the number of bunks in a cabin.   I think it must be simply a marketing gimmick.

 

Yes -- they want to be able to present themselves as being "solo friendly".  And, I am fairly certain that most sailings will have more single cruisers than single occupancy cabins.

[LHT28]

12 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

If you ever rode in an Amtrak sleeper compartment you could see how two bunks can be gotten into an amazingly small space.  Still - why would a cruise line want to unnecessarily risk being able to sell a two-person booking by limiting bunk numbers -- they can still charge whatever the market will bear -- regardless of the number of bunks in a cabin.   I think it must be simply a marketing gimmick.

 

Yes -- they want to be able to present themselves as being "solo friendly".  And, I am fairly certain that most sailings will have more single cruisers than single occupancy cabins.

On the new Oceania Vistas  (now being built)  they do have  solo cabins  with a single bed (no bunks)   so I guess cruise lines are now realizing there are many solo cruisers that do not want to share a cabin but still want to cruise  & not pay  double

They also recategorized  the small OV cabin as solo cabins  on their R ships

 

Yes Marketing to solo pax

We have sailed in small cabins  that would be perfect for solos  that want their own space  at a cheaper rate  but very cramped for 2

 

Remember when HAL used to match solo cruisers to share a cabin with a stranger 😲

[Britboys]

On 5/5/2022 at 2:35 PM, LHT28 said:

On the new Oceania Vistas  (now being built)  they do have  solo cabins  with a single bed (no bunks)   so I guess cruise lines are now realizing there are many solo cruisers that do not want to share a cabin but still want to cruise  & not pay  double

They also recategorized  the small OV cabin as solo cabins  on their R ships

 

Yes Marketing to solo pax

We have sailed in small cabins  that would be perfect for solos  that want their own space  at a cheaper rate  but very cramped for 2

 

Remember when HAL used to match solo cruisers to share a cabin with a stranger 😲

Here in the UK, P&O used to sell "friendly four" fares, putting 4 strangers together in a cabin with 4 single berths, usually two lower and two upper...

[ILgirl]

I’ve sailed in the solo cabins on Celebrity Edge and Apex and thought they were terrific.  With each new build Celebrity has added more solo cabins,  I might not be exactly correct on my numbers but I believe Edge has 12 solos, Apex was built next and has 18 solos and the new Beyond has 24.  I really enjoyed the cabin because it had an infinite veranda (see Celebrity boards for description and discussion) that makes the cabin bigger and also provides floor to ceiling windows.  The four solo cabins that were added to Silhouette are only 100 square feet and are inside with no light or windows,  too small for me.

[shippmates]

I have looked at booking a solo cabin but changed my mind when I could pay the single supplement and have a larger cabin for less money.  Just make sure you check all your options.

 

[LandlockedCruiser01]

On 5/4/2022 at 8:23 PM, navybankerteacher said:

Yes -- they want to be able to present themselves as being "solo friendly".  And, I am fairly certain that most sailings will have more single cruisers than single occupancy cabins.

 

There's a world of difference between a cruise line marketing itself as "solo-friendly" with foam at its mouth, and a bona fide solo-friendly onboard atmosphere.  CCL used to be the latter, despite not giving solo discounts.  Well, until it started worshiping the Covid God: that meant obligatory QR codes for menus and schedules, and draconian mask and social distancing rules in all public areas.  NCL, by contrast, was always a Covid atheist, and did more than pay lip service to welcoming solos; I just wish they'd bring back assigned dining.

 

RCI and X are going out of their way to look solo-friendly, by shoehorning single cabins into low-revenue deck spaces.  But until a solo passenger sails on them and debarks with a smile on their face, it's all just cheap, transparent window dressing.

Edited May 10, 2022 by LandlockedCruiser01

[Honolulu Blue]

12 hours ago, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

RCI and X are going out of their way to look solo-friendly, by shoehorning single cabins into low-revenue deck spaces.  But until a solo passenger sails on them and debarks with a smile on their face, it's all just cheap, transparent window dressing.

 

I was solo on a Celebrity cruise in February and solo on a Royal cruise in March.  On disembarking both I had a smile this big:  😃  

 

The cabins I stayed in had nothing to do with it.  They were standard interiors that were allocated by the charter companies as single occupancy, but they're not single cabins on their ordinary cruises.  It had everything to do with the fact that they were both filled with music from bands I liked back in the day.  I'm still smiling thinking about all the good times I had. 😃

[Hflors]

I wish hal would use one of their new ships with their solo cabins so I could take a world cruise!  I can't afford to pay double for a world cruise, but I could afford it if there was just a small upcharge like a solo cabin.   

 

I have tried to find someone to go with me, but no luck.  I will keep looking!!  

[PhD-iva]

11 hours ago, Hflors said:

I wish hal would use one of their new ships with their solo cabins so I could take a world cruise!  I can't afford to pay double for a world cruise, but I could afford it if there was just a small upcharge like a solo cabin.   

 

I have tried to find someone to go with me, but no luck.  I will keep looking!!  

Hflors, my contact info is in my signature. Let’s chat!

[CruiseScrooge]

ncl Epic has the studio lounge that is meant to be private for solos but people pretty much prop the door open. When they were introducing the cabins they said it was also another option for a second cabin.

It has been years since i have cruised because i was doing elder care but iirc there were solo only activities on our daily activities sheets. This is way before Covid. 

 

[nferr]

On 5/9/2022 at 10:34 PM, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

 

There's a world of difference between a cruise line marketing itself as "solo-friendly" with foam at its mouth, and a bona fide solo-friendly onboard atmosphere.  CCL used to be the latter, despite not giving solo discounts.  Well, until it started worshiping the Covid God: that meant obligatory QR codes for menus and schedules, and draconian mask and social distancing rules in all public areas.  NCL, by contrast, was always a Covid atheist, and did more than pay lip service to welcoming solos; I just wish they'd bring back assigned dining.

 

RCI and X are going out of their way to look solo-friendly, by shoehorning single cabins into low-revenue deck spaces.  But until a solo passenger sails on them and debarks with a smile on their face, it's all just cheap, transparent window dressing.

 

I just booked a solo balcony on the RCL Anthem. In no way is it a low revenue deck space. It's a smaller room at 119sf, but perfect for a solo. And it has a nice sized balcony. Unfortunately there's only I believe 12 of these on the ship. The price was cheaper than booking a normal  interior room solo. 

[calliopecruiser]

On 5/4/2022 at 12:33 PM, navybankerteacher said:

it is hard to see what rationale a cruise line would have for limiting ANY cabins to just one occupant.

Other that using less attractive space for those being willing to live in a small, dark, room - not much.  It allows them to earn revenue from more passengers, while tempting them with something "special".  Some times, the prices for these solo cabins are more than a solo in a regular cabin.

[PhD-iva]

29 minutes ago, calliopecruiser said:

Other that using less attractive space for those being willing to live in a small, dark, room - not much.  It allows them to earn revenue from more passengers, while tempting them with something "special".  Some times, the prices for these solo cabins are more than a solo in a regular cabin.

I agree. I reserved a solo concierge veranda cabin on Oceania’s new ship, Vista. The price is more than twice the price of an entry-level veranda, but is less than twice the price of an equivalent Concierge level veranda state room. The higher level state room (concierge) provides early specialty restaurant reservations and improved leverage when requesting additional specialty restaurant reservations while on board. Is it worth it? Only you can decide.

I think my greatest reservation is the fact that the bed appears to be a single bed instead of a double or queen-sized bed. I have a reservation in third-quarter 2023. I’ll decide after that if I will book it again. The savings is not that great.