The number of solo travelers has been increasing in recent years and it seems the cruise industry is taking notice. According to Travel Weekly, more cruise lines are building or designating cabins specifically for guests traveling alone.
Norwegian Cruise Line is doubling its number of single-person cabins. Starting in early January, NCL will offer 1,500 solo cabins across its fleet in three categories: interior, oceanview and balcony. It was one of the first cruise lines to embrace solo travelers, introducing “studio cabins” back in 2010.
Virgin Voyages is also designing ships to accommodate single sailors. The company says about 10 percent of its passengers are solo travelers.
Luxury cruise lines are also seeing the appeal. The article states that Crystal added single cabins when it renovated its Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony. The Oceania Vista, which set sail in May, features a solo cabin category with balconies.
In many cases, these solo traveler cabins are priced less than the traditional single supplement charged by most cruise lines. These tend to be around 150 percent of the cost of the double occupancy rate.
The number of single-traveler options will likely continue to increase to reflect our country’s changing demographics. According to the Travel Weekly article, one-person households make up 29 percent of all homes in the United States, and almost half of U.S. adults are unmarried (this includes those who are widowed or divorced).
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