Solo lounge, Escape

[grouchomarx]

I just booked a solo Christmas week cruise on Escape. I got a studio and wanted to ask for any feedback about this studio lounge and if it’s useful for meeting people or having drinks or food. And how is the cabin, it seems pretty ok from videos I’ve watched.  I saw there is a wine dispenser in the studio lounge and not sure if this is included in the free drink package but I like a good late night glass of wine.  TIA 

[SeekingKillerWhales!]

Hi Groucho:

 

I've not actually been in a solo, but we are signed up for one next year and I've been researching. My understanding is that the lounge is great for meeting people, and the singletons will often go in a group for dinner, shows, etc. 

Wine is not included in the fare, but if you kept the alcohol package as part of your free at sea, that should cover it. 
 

Have fun!

[debenson0723]

1 hour ago, grouchomarx said:

I just booked a solo Christmas week cruise on Escape. I got a studio and wanted to ask for any feedback about this studio lounge and if it’s useful for meeting people or having drinks or food. And how is the cabin, it seems pretty ok from videos I’ve watched.  I saw there is a wine dispenser in the studio lounge and not sure if this is included in the free drink package but I like a good late night glass of wine.  TIA 

Been in studio lounges on multiple ships and, like anything else, it is going to depend on the people sailing and the solo coordinator. For sure go to the solo meet-up on the first night (typically at 5 or 5:30pm). It is not in the solo lounge but in a bar, with an intro of everyone there, followed by a trip to the lounge. 

I had one solo coordinator who took us to the lounge and then just left. No mention of going to dinner as a group, signing up for shows or anything. We sat there and looked at each other and then I said 'who wants to go to dinner!?' About 8 of us went together, had no problem getting seated at the MDR and we hung out at various times for the rest of the cruise on our own.

Another time (this was at the beginning of the start up) we had a solo coordinator who typically worked in the kid's area, but since there were no kids onboard, she became our leader. Our meetings tended to lean towards making crafts so that one was kind of a one and done too (especially for the men...they had no interest in making a tote bag, LOL). OTOH, I have had some great coordinators, who planned everything from speciality dinners, show reservations, group excursions, go-kart and laser tag times...really went above and beyond. You can do as little or as much as you want with the solo group and I have made some great friends over the years that I still cruise with. But the key is that first night.

As far as the wine dispenser, it is NOT included with the beverage package. You will have to scan your card for it to work and be charged. Best thing is to grab a glass (or two) from the bar before heading back to your cabin for the night. 

Hope this helps and have a great cruise!

[hallux]

I've been on the Escape in a Studio.  There is no bar in the lounge, just the wine dispenser as explained by @debenson0723  She is 100% correct in that the solo/Studio experience and lounge is what you make of it.  On my Escape cruise I went to the lounge as soon as I could get into cabins, met some people and hung around with them for much of the trip.

 

I want to say my solo coordinators have been good, but the one on my last cruise had a hard time controlling the large group (over 100!) and I kind of gave up on it after the first two nights. There's the opposite, my first solo cruise (where I actually met Deb!) I had an amazing solo coordinator but I think I saw that he's now moved up to Cruise Director

[eileeshb]

The studio lounge on Escape is nice and open on a single deck unlike the Getaway/Breakaway/Epic. There are usually some snacks there, and a coffee machine the coffee addicts seem to adore. You can get hot water from that machine as well to make tea or hot chocolate. There is usually a chilled water dispenser and some fruit. 

The first day you will probably bump into other solos who are checking out the lounge, then there will be the solos meet up. It seems like there is now a standardised program across all the solo hosts with some of them adding other activities. The one gotcha about the solo meet ups is that they will be at the same time every day regardless of the port times. The meetup on embarkation day may be a different time to the rest of the meetups and may clash with sailaway or other activities on the ship. 

No matter how busy the ship there's a good chance you will come across other solos from the initial meetup throughout the sailing. It's good to get to recognise the faces so you might spot them on excursions to sit beside on buses, etc, or when the buffet is super busy you can ask to join them. 

My very first cruise was as a solo on the Escape, I am still in contact with 2 of the other solos from that trip and I booked my second cruise within a week of getting home. The Spice H2O over 18s sundeck & bar area on Escape has a synthetic stone grotto with cold water to allow you to cool off from time to time. 

[grouchomarx]

9 hours ago, debenson0723 said:

Been in studio lounges on multiple ships and, like anything else, it is going to depend on the people sailing and the solo coordinator. For sure go to the solo meet-up on the first night (typically at 5 or 5:30pm). It is not in the solo lounge but in a bar, with an intro of everyone there, followed by a trip to the lounge. 

I had one solo coordinator who took us to the lounge and then just left. No mention of going to dinner as a group, signing up for shows or anything. We sat there and looked at each other and then I said 'who wants to go to dinner!?' About 8 of us went together, had no problem getting seated at the MDR and we hung out at various times for the rest of the cruise on our own.

Another time (this was at the beginning of the start up) we had a solo coordinator who typically worked in the kid's area, but since there were no kids onboard, she became our leader. Our meetings tended to lean towards making crafts so that one was kind of a one and done too (especially for the men...they had no interest in making a tote bag, LOL). OTOH, I have had some great coordinators, who planned everything from speciality dinners, show reservations, group excursions, go-kart and laser tag times...really went above and beyond. You can do as little or as much as you want with the solo group and I have made some great friends over the years that I still cruise with. But the key is that first night.

As far as the wine dispenser, it is NOT included with the beverage package. You will have to scan your card for it to work and be charged. Best thing is to grab a glass (or two) from the bar before heading back to your cabin for the night. 

Hope this helps and have a great cruise!

Thanks for all this detailed info!  Very helpful. I had a hunch the wine would not be included lol

[Ellis1138]

I loved the Studio lounge on the Escape. I don't drink alcohol, so the lack of bar wasn't a thing. I do like the WMF 2000 coffee machine. It was open at 5 am to 10 pm and had water, a "juice" in the morning and a "lemonade" thing in the evening. 

 

It was closed on disembarkation morning for cleaning, though.

[zqvol]

5 minutes ago, Ellis1138 said:

I loved the Studio lounge on the Escape. I don't drink alcohol, so the lack of bar wasn't a thing. I do like the WMF 2000 coffee machine. It was open at 5 am to 10 pm and had water, a "juice" in the morning and a "lemonade" thing in the evening. 

 

It was closed on disembarkation morning for cleaning, though.

Interesting - I didn’t think much of the lounge on the Escape except for the cookies.  I don’t drink coffee so I had no interest in the coffee machine. 

[Ellis1138]

We had a really great group of people in the Studio cabins the week I went, so that might have been what makes the difference. 

[SeekingKillerWhales!]

On 6/8/2024 at 9:28 PM, debenson0723 said:

As far as the wine dispenser, it is NOT included with the beverage package. You will have to scan your card for it to work and be charged. Best thing is to grab a glass (or two) from the bar before heading back to your cabin for the night. 

Hope this helps and have a great cruise!

My bad, although this actually surprises me. But I'd prefer a Mudslide anyway. 😉

Really excited about the coffee machine! Hope it makes a drinkable latte. Have a blast!

[dbrown84]

1 hour ago, SeekingKillerWhales! said:

My bad, although this actually surprises me. But I'd prefer a Mudslide anyway. 😉

Really excited about the coffee machine! Hope it makes a drinkable latte. Have a blast!

I was disappointed in the coffee machine, but I just wanted a plain cup of coffee, which it does not do.