Solo friendly cruise line companies?

[PelicanBill]

I was looking at RCL with interest in solo cabins but it seems impossible to find them pricing online. Perhaps it's the very small numbers of each type on each ship?  It was certainly easier to find and book on NCL.  

 

And having done a solo studio on NCL, I want to clarify you don't have to participate in the Solo program. It was low key. Anyone who wanted to go to a group dinner was welcome to.  Some platinum cruises paired up to share their dinner certificates. And the social hour each day 5-6pm was pleasant with our own bar.  The solo lounge was wonderful for coffee and juice in the morning or a late snack and offered a place to sit out of my tiny cabin but close by.  Some solos never showed up. Some were there every day.  I went to 3 or 4 dinners.  Worked well!

 

[hallux]

1 hour ago, PelicanBill said:

I was looking at RCL with interest in solo cabins but it seems impossible to find them pricing online. Perhaps it's the very small numbers of each type on each ship?

It's not easy, that's for sure.  You have to know which ships to check (I know for certain the Quantum and Quantum-Plus ships have them - Quantum, Anthem, Odyssey [under construction still], Ovation, Spectrum), then you have to be sure to select 1 guest and then when you select either inside or balcony you'll see the option for the Studio.  I definitely like that NCL puts the Studio right out in the open when looking at prices.

[farmersfight]

1 hour ago, PelicanBill said:

The solo lounge was wonderful for coffee and juice in the morning or a late snack and offered a place to sit out of my tiny cabin but close by. 

 

I really like the way NCL has welcomed solo cruisers with their studio cabins (in  the same area), dedicated studio lounge and solo program. Just one thing; I don't like the tiny interior studio cabins. I'm probably spoiled, but I will be looking for a balcony cabin at a reduced solo supplement or one of RCL's solo balcony cabins (Quantum and Quantum-Plus class).

 

Thanks for sharing your solo cruising experience with NCL. Good to know.

[farmersfight]

41 minutes ago, hallux said:

You have to know which ships to check (I know for certain the Quantum and Quantum-Plus ships have them - Quantum, Anthem, Odyssey [under construction still], Ovation, Spectrum)

 

If I'm not mistaken, I believe RCL also has studio cabins on other classes of ships (i.e. Oasis class), but they are not studio cabins with balconies like what is available on the Quantum and Quantum-Plus class ships (as you pointed out). I think these cabins are solo interiors as well as solo OV's.

[PelicanBill]

13 hours ago, farmersfight said:

 

I really like the way NCL has welcomed solo cruisers with their studio cabins (in  the same area), dedicated studio lounge and solo program. Just one thing; I don't like the tiny interior studio cabins. I'm probably spoiled, but I will be looking for a balcony cabin at a reduced solo supplement or one of RCL's solo balcony cabins (Quantum and Quantum-Plus class).

 

Thanks for sharing your solo cruising experience with NCL. Good to know.

My pleasure. I should point out that I have often priced an interior cabin, which is a bit more roomy, at a LOWER price (evne paying full double price)  than the popular and in-demand solo studios!  If you travel solo outside the solo area, you are welcome to join the social hour in the solo lounge.  I have heard that sometimes you can get your card coded to have access to the solo lounge any time but not sure why you would unless you are close by.

Edited August 4, 2020 by PelicanBill

[PelicanBill]

12 hours ago, farmersfight said:

 

If I'm not mistaken, I believe RCL also has studio cabins on other classes of ships (i.e. Oasis class), but they are not studio cabins with balconies like what is available on the Quantum and Quantum-Plus class ships (as you pointed out). I think these cabins are solo interiors as well as solo OV's.

Thanks!  I will keep looking. I like some of these ships better than the NCL ships. Although I have been on NCL Breakaway 5 times, I went on Anthem last year and like the ship and buffet food much more. (alas for the buffet.)

[farmersfight]

5 hours ago, PelicanBill said:

My pleasure. I should point out that I have often priced an interior cabin, which is a bit more roomy, at a LOWER price (evne paying full double price)  than the popular and in-demand solo studios!  If you travel solo outside the solo area, you are welcome to join the social hour in the solo lounge.  I have heard that sometimes you can get your card coded to have access to the solo lounge any time but not sure why you would unless you are close by.

 

Yeah thanks, I did see that sometimes the interior cabins, even paying full supplement, is a lower price than a studio cabin. Maybe after some upgrades of passengers from interiors to OVs or even balconies, the interiors become available so NCL offers them at a reduced price to fill up the ship (I'm just guessing).

 

Wrt the studio lounge, I've seen it posted both ways here on CC on a previous thread. One poster said she had her card coded to have any time access to the studio lounge then I saw an another poster that said that you had to be in a studio cabin to have any time access to the studio lounge. Either way, with that said, it's still good that as a solo you can at least attend the social hour in the studio lounge.

[farmersfight]

5 hours ago, PelicanBill said:

Thanks!  I will keep looking. I like some of these ships better than the NCL ships. Although I have been on NCL Breakaway 5 times, I went on Anthem last year and like the ship and buffet food much more. (alas for the buffet.)

 

Your welcome. I was actually looking at a southern caribbean cruise in Dec 2020 on the Anthem out of NJ. I was looking to book one of those studio balcony cabins on her. However, as this covid situation keeps dragging on (and getting worse in some cases), I decided not to pull the trigger. Glad I didn't.

[hallux]

Well, it looks like Royal is backtracking a bit on the solo configuration.  The new Odyssey of the Seas has no Studio interior cabins!  It does appear that the Studio balcony have been kept though.

[farmersfight]

6 hours ago, hallux said:

Well, it looks like Royal is backtracking a bit on the solo configuration.  The new Odyssey of the Seas has no Studio interior cabins!  It does appear that the Studio balcony have been kept though.

 

Thanks for the info. I'm o.k. with it though because "I gotta have me a balcony" anyway, even cruising as a solo. Glad RCL kept the studio balconies on the new Odyssey OTS.

 

I was actually looking at booking one of those studio balconies on the Odyssey OTS out of Port Everglades in Dec 2020. Then covid hit the fan. Glad I didn't book. I believe the delivery date for the ship has been delayed into next year anyway.