studio cabins for solo travelers

[HCTiger9704]

I heard that Royal Caribbean have some cruise ships with studio cabins.  Which Royal Caribbean cruise ships have the studio cabins?  

[soremekun]

Harmony of the Seas for sure.

[Clarea]

5 minutes ago, HCTiger9704 said:

I heard that Royal Caribbean have some cruise ships with studio cabins.  Which Royal Caribbean cruise ships have the studio cabins?  

 

Some Radiance class ships.

[138east]

13 minutes ago, HCTiger9704 said:

I heard that Royal Caribbean have some cruise ships with studio cabins.  Which Royal Caribbean cruise ships have the studio cabins?  

Anthem, Ovation, Quantum, Serenade, Radiance, Jewel, Brilliance, Symphony, Harmony, Adventure, Mariner, and maybe others.  Cabins are inside, ocean view and balcony depending on the ship.  They sell out early.

Edited September 3, 2019 by 138east

[Solo1959]

The studio cabin is really only a good idea if it costs less. I've been looking at cruises for next year on Harmony of the Seas and the studio price is the same as a standard cabin. And with the standard cabin you get double points. I did luck out for two Harmony cruises with studio ocean views this year for less than $900 for 7 night cruises. But next year the price is the exact same as for a standard room - with only single points

[kochleffel]

Here's a post that lists them all:

 

 

[Ourusualbeach]

50 minutes ago, 138east said:

Anthem, Ovation, Quantum, Serenade, Radiance, Jewel, Brilliance, Symphony, Harmony, Adventure, Mariner, and maybe others.  Cabins are inside, ocean view and balcony depending on the ship.  They sell out early.

For whatever reason they did not put studio cabins on Symphony. 

[Setting Sail Gal]

I travel solo too, and I have never found the studios to be less than my regular cabin double price.  Just like the earlier poster stated, points rock for regular cabins and the added room is bonus.  Have fun!

[Biker19]

8 hours ago, HCTiger9704 said:

Which Royal Caribbean cruise ships have the studio cabins?  

A few Oasis sailings after Nov had regular cabins with no solo supplement.

[Oceansaway17]

Single rooms on RCI are a joke when compared to the newer NCL ships.

They have dedicated inner hallways with truly solo cabins and it is quiet too.

Also have the lounge area with snacks.

 

IMO both RCI and HAL try to have a few solo rooms, but they scatter them around ship and for the most part pricing is not good either.

 

I have done Ncl Epic, Escape, and Bliss each having wonderful solo room experience.

 

[Solo1959]

1 hour ago, Oceansaway17 said:

Single rooms on RCI are a joke when compared to the newer NCL ships.

They have dedicated inner hallways with truly solo cabins and it is quiet too.

Also have the lounge area with snacks.

 

IMO both RCI and HAL try to have a few solo rooms, but they scatter them around ship and for the most part pricing is not good either.

 

I have done Ncl Epic, Escape, and Bliss each having wonderful solo room experience.

 

The problem with the other cruiselines is their solo rooms are all inside. Only on RCI did I find the outside studio. I don't know why cruiselines seem to think solo cruisers want to be in a inside room. Give me a studio outside or balcony. And I don't need to be segregated by solo status. I like to meet people and I consider myself to be friendly so a room anyplace on the ship is fine with me. But please keep the studio price lower than for a standard stateroom.

[retiring soon]

Hi all!

 

Ourusualbeach ~ that's correct about Symphony. I'd booked a solo cabin then was informed they'd changed plans & there would be none so they gave me an outside at the front of the ship which I refused.

I sail mostly on NCL so wanted to see how RCL cabins compared.

Some of their solo cabins, say on Serenade, are pretty small I've heard.

 

~ Jo ~ 😊

[hallux]

12 minutes ago, retiring soon said:

I sail mostly on NCL so wanted to see how RCL cabins compared.

Some of their solo cabins, say on Serenade, are pretty small I've heard.

I've sailed in Studio cabins on both NCL (Bliss) and RCI (Anthem).  Both are listed with similar square footage (around 100 sq. ft) but the layouts are different.  RCI has the bathroom area walled off, decreasing the "living" space by a little bit while NCL has the shower and toilet areas framing a connecting door on a short wall (oh yeah, their Studio cabins on Bliss are "connecting" rooms so if you're traveling with a friend in a connecting pair you could have the doors opened) with the sink along the long wall opposite the long wall with the door. The door is right at the foot of the bed on NCL, with the bed along the long wall.

 

Bottom line - the NCL room felt a LITTLE more roomy, but it was due to the unusual layout by not having the bathroom segregated.  The RCI room felt a little cramped when you walk in because you're walking in between the bed and the counter. I might have bumped into the edge of that counter a few times while in the NCL room you walk into a kind of "great room" section of the room, the intersection of the 4 "walkways".

 

You can see the layouts of the rooms on the respective websites and deck plans but it's sometimes hard to really get a grasp for it, even in video.

[londongal796]

Probably just echoing what others have said but while there are some ships with solo cabins, it's definitely worth double-checking the pricing because these are often much more expensive than they should be, and for a few dollars more you'll find yourself in a cabin almost twice as roomy and with the double-cruise points for your Crown and Anchor account. My father often travels with us but he tends to travel in his own cabin, and this means that he is often after the elusive solo cabin. He generally sees the price for the solo cabin and ends up booking a normal cabin for 2 people, and paying the slight upcharge, because the solo cabins have terrible pricing. He did book a solo cabin on Symphony but, like another poster noted, once they decided not to build those cabins they moved him to another cabin (ended up being a central park view room, it was very nice!). We did get a GREAT price on Radiance for our Alaskan cruise next year, a truly 'solo cabin' price and also a very roomy one. It was definitely a bargain and I'm a little jealous he got such a great deal when I see the price we're paying for our cabin!

 

So, recap: Yes, solo cabins are out there, but you're often better off in a regular cabin. 

[squadron]

On 9/2/2019 at 7:27 PM, Setting Sail Gal said:

I travel solo too, and I have never found the studios to be less than my regular cabin double price.  Just like the earlier poster stated, points rock for regular cabins and the added room is bonus.  Have fun!

Same here - take regular room and enjoy the space.

[WineGal89]

I've been traveling solo for the last few years.  I've done NCL on the Epic in their studio, then last two sailings have been in balcony cabins, paying the solo supplement. I just booked the studio balcony on Ovation of the Seas for August 2020 and I'm looking forward to it. I did a few mock bookings to see what cost differences would be and it was almost a wash with the promotion RCL is running currently. I'm traveling with a larger group of people so I don't need a solo lounge (I really didn't take advantage of it on the Epic). 

 

I'm used to getting "free" perks when sailing on NCL so for S&Gs I did mock booking for similar itinerary around same time frame. I was surprised that even dropping down to a Sailaway cabin with no perks, the cost would be almost $2K more.  I know there are people who aren't in their room much and don't care for the extra cost of a balcony, but I'm in the other group that truly enjoys it - and when I can afford it, that's my preferred cabin type.

[reeinaz]

I have 2 trips booked on Anthem, both in studio cabins. One is an interior with a virtual balcony and the other is a studio balcony. I'm looking forward to the virtual balcony. It looks pretty cool. I haven't booked any studios on NCL yet. I come out ahead with the perks and free/reduced airfare that come with regular cabins that they don't make available with the studios.

[Oceansaway17]

14 minutes ago, reeinaz said:

I have 2 trips booked on Anthem, both in studio cabins. One is an interior with a virtual balcony and the other is a studio balcony. I'm looking forward to the virtual balcony. It looks pretty cool. I haven't booked any studios on NCL yet. I come out ahead with the perks and free/reduced airfare that come with regular cabins that they don't make available with the studios.

 

 

Just be prepared for an odd bed for interior room.

Mine had a 3/4 size bed with 3 inch mattress. It felt like I was in a camping cot. Was uncomfortable and HARD as a rock.

 

But the bathroom is perpendicular to the room and nice size shower.

If your interior room is on the corner of hallway as it turns to another hallway then you have whatvI had and you share an entrance area with with the balcony room. So your headboard will move when they open and shut their door to the balcony room. 

I would change the interior one. The outside is nicer. 

[MrMarc]

I have a studio cabin on Empress next January.  It was significantly cheaper than a regular cabin.

[reeinaz]

41 minutes ago, Oceansaway17 said:

 

 

 

If your interior room is on the corner of hallway as it turns to another hallway then you have whatvI had and you share an entrance area with with the balcony room. So your headboard will move when they open and shut their door to the balcony room. 

I would change the interior one. The outside is nicer. 

That kinda sucks. Thanks for the heads up. I'm in 12230 which I think is that shared entrance thing. It's disappointing that the deck plan doesn't show the door openings. hmmmm. decisions....decisions

[hallux]

6 hours ago, Oceansaway17 said:

If your interior room is on the corner of hallway as it turns to another hallway then you have whatvI had and you share an entrance area with with the balcony room. So your headboard will move when they open and shut their door to the balcony room.

All of the interior Studio cabins on Anthem are in the same spots, two per deck.

 

I had a different experience (or I always came back to my room at night after my neighbors and left before them in the morning) and I didn't find the mattress uncomfortable.

[Casino Comp Chick]

We booked at the cruise next desk & did a walk thru of the JS w/large balcony at the end of our cruise on the Anthem and noticed the studio room (& balcony room) semi adjoining to the suite (There is a shared outer door leading into an alcove of 3 room doors). My cousin loved the studio so we removed her from the suite and put her in there. I am curious to know how the room keys get coded because as of now we only have 2 cabins of the 3 and you need a key for that outer door as well as our own cabin door. Obviously I would not want strangers having access to my room.

Does anyone know how that works? 

Edited September 11, 2019 by Casino Comp Chick

[hallux]

I never thought to try my key on the other door in that alcove (there are only 2 rooms off that alcove, J1 and 2W on deck 9) but I imagine that they key both cards for the outer door and then for the rooms they're supposed to work for (or the outer door will open for any key registered to the inner doors).

[reeinaz]

I went ahead and booked a different room. I don't like the idea of the entrances being so close. I once lived in an apartment building where I shared a landing with someone and hated it.

[brillohead]

15 hours ago, Casino Comp Chick said:

I am curious to know how the room keys get coded because as of now we only have 2 cabins of the 3 and you need a key for that outer door as well as our own cabin door. Obviously I would not want strangers having access to my room.

Does anyone know how that works? 

It's like if you use a side door to a hotel -- your room key opens the outside door to the hotel (and often also the pool room, the fitness room, etc.) as well as opening your own room door.  While every hotel guest can open the exterior door to the hotel with their room key, it will only open their own hotel room door.

Same for people who are Diamond Status or above -- their room key will open the door for the Diamond Lounge, and also their individual stateroom.  But not every Diamond card will open every stateroom with a Diamond person booked in it.