NCL announces fleet-wide expansion of solo stateroom category

NCL's Solo Balcony Staterooms will now be available across the entire fleet, including Norwegian Viva

NCL announces fleet-wide expansion of solo stateroom category

NCL is set to introduce nearly 1,000 dedicated solo staterooms across its 19-ship fleet.

Starting this week, NCL will open for sale for the first time ever three new solo stateroom categories, including Solo Inside, Solo Oceanview and Solo Balcony for future sailings starting Jan. 2, 2024.

With pricing and availability dependent on the destination and demand, solo travellers can expect to pay less than a traditional double occupancy room.

“We strive to provide our guests with diverse offerings to create their dream vacation,” said David J. Herrera, President, NCL. “Since we first launched our solo staterooms in 2010 with Norwegian Epic, they have been quite popular with single travellers. We are continuously listening to our guests to deliver the experience they want. After realizing the growing demand of individuals looking to travel on their own, we have now expanded single occupancy staterooms across our fleet.”

Herrera added that from 2019 to 2022, NCL saw an increase in guests booking accommodations as a single occupant in non-studio staterooms.

Passengers who stay in the new solo stateroom categories will also have access to the key card entry only Studio Lounge, available on select ships, which features a dedicated space to relax, a bar equipped with beer and wine and a variety of snacks served daily. Solo cruisers can also enjoy activities scheduled for single travellers to mix and mingle.

The company also notes that with the capacity of solo stateroom categories expanding from nine ships to the full 19-ship fleet, single cruisers have more opportunities to visit bucket-list worthy destinations such as Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand on vessels which historically have not had solo stateroom categories.

NCL cites a study by Travelport that says solo travel made up nearly 18% of global bookings in the travel industry. More recently in solo travel statistics, Radical Storage reported a 267% increase in online searches for the term ‘solo travel’ between December 2020 to April 2022.