NCL Solo Experience: Studio & Experience Advice Needed

[Oceansaway17]

I was on Breakaway last year and my studio room was closer to front and I could hear the bass and loud music from three decks down in Theater which surprised me.

It was over by midnight but it effected my quiet night trying to watch tv.

 

Also I wish the lounge had ice machine and perhaps variety of morning juices.

[hallux]

40 minutes ago, eileeshb said:

on breakaway/getaway the ship policy was that non-studio guests were not allowed to go to the lounge for the meetups.

well isn't that some BS!  They're trying to sully the reputation of being a solo-friendly cruise line!  I get that the lounge is a benefit of being in a studio cabin, but at least let other solo cruisers come to the solo meets...

[eileeshb]

Just now, hallux said:

well isn't that some BS!  They're trying to sully the reputation of being a solo-friendly cruise line!  I get that the lounge is a benefit of being in a studio cabin, but at least let other solo cruisers come to the solo meets...

It seems to depend on the managers in the ship as it has been different for other people on those ships at different times. There has also been cases of the studio lounge being abused by family/friends of solos  coming in and taking all the food or making a mess. 

[hallux]

3 minutes ago, eileeshb said:

There has also been cases of the studio lounge being abused by family/friends of solos  coming in and taking all the food or making a mess

I understand that, and nearly had to report someone on my last cruise when they let KIDS into the lounge.  But that's different from making the solo meet available to all solos, those people can let their friends or family in at any time by just holding the door open, it wouldn't have to be during the solo meet and locking the solo meet down to only those in the studio cabins won't prevent that from happening.

[Portia!]

As others have said, it varies by ship and by who is in charge of solos for the week. On both Epic and Prima when I sailed, the solo group met all week in a bar. On the Escape and Bliss it has always been in the lounge other than the first evening. On ships without studios/studio lounge it is generally a self-led meeting in one of the bars, included in the FS Daily but without a host. On some ships, the host is very involved, playing games and getting more involved in scheduling activities. On others, they pretty much organize dinner and leave the rest up to the solos.

On Prima and Escape, I have seen non-studio folks (children/families/teens not old enough to be there etc) take over, trash the lounge, take the trays of cookies etc. I agree this is a separate issue from the solo gatherings. I believe some ships will allow solo travelers access the lounge via their key card, which requires a visit to Guest Services. Others have requested it and been turned down. NCL policy and practice is always changing. All part of the great adventure.

[LauraAnneC]

1 hour ago, hallux said:

well isn't that some BS!  They're trying to sully the reputation of being a solo-friendly cruise line!  I get that the lounge is a benefit of being in a studio cabin, but at least let other solo cruisers come to the solo meets...

The Getaway was NOT like that in February when I was on it. Solo meet ups were in one of the bars and all were welcome.
 

I’m pretty sure the Breakaway was the same in May but I wasn’t solo in May so cannot swear to that. 

[hallux]

37 minutes ago, LauraAnneC said:

The Getaway was NOT like that in February when I was on it. Solo meet ups were in one of the bars and all were welcome.
 

I’m pretty sure the Breakaway was the same in May but I wasn’t solo in May so cannot swear to that. 

When I was on the Escape in March they propped the door open for non-Studio solos to join the meet-ups in the lounge.

[alohayall]

Sailed in a studio/solo cabin on the Encore, Sep 2021.
 

I would rather have paid the same (or less) and been in a regular cabin - more square footage and storage, principally.  
 

The door to the Lounge was often left propped open and the meet-up was open to all solo cruisers.  I made no use of the refreshments offered and made friends out and about on the ship (actually couples), so my only benefit was having a different room experience.  
 

The cruise fare offered was a 70% off second guest, so supplement in a regular cabin would have been 30% v normal 100%.

[latebuyer]

Aren’t you partially paying more for the studio for the host and the lounge? I guess that is the way i see it.

Edited August 12, 2023 by latebuyer

[Asawi]

30 minutes ago, latebuyer said:

Aren’t you partially paying more for the studio for the host and the lounge? I guess that is the way i see it.

Maybe, maybe not... I'm booked in a studio on Bliss in April. Compared to an inside with solo supplement the studio was a little bit less than the inside on that sailing. However, getting closer to sail date the solo supplement will more than likely be dropped at some point making the inside cheaper (less expensive...). (Possibly a lot cheaper even!)

I'm fine with having the solo gatherings in the studio lounge and keeping the lounge open during those (less than an hour per day), I would however NOT be pleased to have other people using the studio lounge at other times! It is a privilege that studio guests have choosen to pay for. 

(And I think it would be better to use another venue for the solo gatherings. I think non-studio-guests would feel more comfortable that way, but it's no big deal either way for me.)

[latebuyer]

Yes i agree with keeping the studio lounge for studio guests. In terms of gatherings given some solos may be paying double it makes sense to include them.

[Eggs2Go]

11 hours ago, alohayall said:

 

The cruise fare offered was a 70% off second guest, so supplement in a regular cabin would have been 30% v normal 100%.

 

That's not how the offer works. The 70% off assumes there is a second guest. A solo guest would pay full fare (double) for the cabin with this offer.

 

[Grimix]

28 minutes ago, Eggs2Go said:

11 hours ago, alohayall said:

The cruise fare offered was a 70% off second guest, so supplement in a regular cabin would have been 30% v normal 100%.

 

That's not how the offer works. The 70% off assumes there is a second guest. A solo guest would pay full fare (double) for the cabin with this offer.

 

The discounts are just Marketing Math to get people to buy. I'm pretty sure almost no one pays the "brochure" rate. There rates do fluctuate, but that's really just some base fare that rises and falls with demand.

Edited August 12, 2023 by Grimix
(Alliterating Marketing Math. Maybe I should go into marketing?)

[Pookie2u]

26 minutes ago, Eggs2Go said:

 

That's not how the offer works. The 70% off assumes there is a second guest. A solo guest would pay full fare (double) for the cabin with this offer.

 

Not true.  With 2nd guest offers there is a equal solo offer not in large print.  That 70% off is 35% off for a solo.  BOGO airfare is 50% off for a solo.

[Eggs2Go]

BOGO, yes there is the solo discount. But cabins 70% off for second guest is just another way of saying 35% off each for two guests. No solo discount on that one.

[jcscv]

I've stayed in the solo rooms on most of the bigger ships and each time has been great.  There's always been a dedicated crew member to organize dinners and shows. The cruises I've been on have had all the meetings in the studio lounge, except the first night, and have been open to anyone who wants to attend, even if not staying in a solo room. In fact, we've had couples/families (no kids) join us for the meets/dinner also.  I find the solo rooms more to my liking than the inside room with supplement (yes, sometimes it's cheaper to get the inside room with supplement), they seem to use the space more efficiently and I find there's more storage available in the solos. I'm looking forward to my next solo room in a couple of weeks and looking forward to meeting a fun group of people!

 

 

[Eggs2Go]

2 hours ago, Pookie2u said:

Not true.  With 2nd guest offers there is a equal solo offer not in large print.  That 70% off is 35% off for a solo.  BOGO airfare is 50% off for a solo.

 

I think you are right and I was wrong, after all. The fine print states "singles paying 200% of voyage fare qualify" which must mean the offer gives 35% off that second person (the ghost). This fact broadens my world. I mostly select cruises on the larger ships because the solo cabins and lounge suit me well.  But I actually prefer the Jewel class ships although I try to avoid paying double by waiting for last minute deals and solo specials which may or may not happen. Knowlng that some discount is available with that offer may be enough for me to book earlier on my favorite Jewel ships, allowing for cabin selection, flight arrangements, etc. So thank you for correcting me. And happy sails to you.

[latebuyer]

Is there any difference between the ncl encore and epic studio rooms/lounges?

[hallux]

6 minutes ago, latebuyer said:

Is there any difference between the ncl encore and epic studio rooms/lounges?

The lounge will be VERY different.  The cabins seem to be very similar.

 

A quick Google search gives me these videos -

 

 

Keep in mind - the Epic is in a class by itself, the Encore is part of the Breakaway Plus class.  The Encore, Bliss and Escape have nearly identical Studio areas as they're all BA+ ships.

Edited August 12, 2023 by hallux

[eileeshb]

12 minutes ago, latebuyer said:

Is there any difference between the ncl encore and epic studio rooms/lounges?

Epic was the very first ship to have the studio’s in quantity and I think still has the most studios of any NCL ship. The studio room is pretty much identical across the breakaway/+ classes and Epic. I haven’t been in Encore as yet but amongst the other ships the studio lounge does vary a bit. Epic has a bar that is staffed for an hour or so around the time of the solos meet-up, none of the others have a bar. Epic, getaway and breakaway have a staircase in the lounge linking the 2 decks with studios, on breakaway and getaway the seating area of the lounge is also split over 2 decks. On Escape and the other newer ships it’s on a single deck and feels much more spacious as a result. 

[HowardK]

I booked a 11 night prima for Nov '24 from NYC- this will be my first cruise back in 6 years. As of now (final payment 4 months before) I am going to pay the supplement vs waiting until a month before or week before and calling to upgrade from a studio as I have in the past.

The breakway/escape cruises where I upgraded I was still given access to the lounge, but that could have changed. However, I have found after 1-2 of the solo gatherings I am in a group and we would skip subsequent gatherings.

[hallux]

6 minutes ago, eileeshb said:

Epic, getaway and breakaway have a staircase in the lounge linking the 2 decks with studios

 

6 minutes ago, eileeshb said:

On Escape and the other newer ships it’s on a single deck and feels much more spacious as a result. 

The lounge itself is a single level, but the Escape, Bliss and Encore all have a staircase inside the Studio area linking decks 10 and 12 with the lounge on deck 11.

[eileeshb]

1 minute ago, hallux said:

 

The lounge itself is a single level, but the Escape, Bliss and Encore all have a staircase inside the Studio area linking decks 10 and 12 with the lounge on deck 11.

Yes inside the studio area, but not inside the lounge itself which is the case on epic, getaway and breakaway. 

Edited August 12, 2023 by eileeshb

[yakcruiser]

21 hours ago, Portia! said:

As others have said, it varies by ship and by who is in charge of solos for the week. On both Epic and Prima when I sailed, the solo group met all week in a bar. On the Escape and Bliss it has always been in the lounge other than the first evening. On ships without studios/studio lounge it is generally a self-led meeting in one of the bars, included in the FS Daily but without a host. On some ships, the host is very involved, playing games and getting more involved in scheduling activities. On others, they pretty much organize dinner and leave the rest up to the solos.

On Prima and Escape, I have seen non-studio folks (children/families/teens not old enough to be there etc) take over, trash the lounge, take the trays of cookies etc. I agree this is a separate issue from the solo gatherings. I believe some ships will allow solo travelers access the lounge via their key card, which requires a visit to Guest Services. Others have requested it and been turned down. NCL policy and practice is always changing. All part of the great adventure.

I usually travel on the smaller ships and the solos group has always been hosted.  Maybe just luck of the draw?

[hawkeyetlse]

In the past the meeting was often unhosted, but on all my recent cruises (since before Covid) there is always a solo coordinator, and the cruise staff take turns doing it on every sailing. And they take it pretty seriously! This is for both the mega ships, and the smaller ships with no Studio lounge.

 

It’s definitely a nice touch that sets NCL apart from most other lines.