Accommodating the recent upsurge in solo travellers, US-based Norwegian Cruise Line has, for the first time ever, announced the addition of approximately 1,000 solitary staterooms across its fleet.

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), a US-based company that pioneered international cruise travel, has announced the addition of approximately 1,000 solitary staterooms across its diversified 19-ship fleet.  

According to a statement by NCL, it will put on sale for the first time ever three new solo stateroom categories. It includes Solo Inside, Solo Oceanview and Solo Balcony for future sailings, set to start from January 2, 2024. 

The statement adds that 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. 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 realising the growing demand of individuals looking to travel on their own, we have now expanded single occupancy staterooms across our fleet,” says David J. Herrera, president of Norwegian Cruise Line.

NCL says that guests 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. 

The statement adds that in addition to their own lounge, solo cruisers can enjoy activities scheduled for single travellers to mix and mingle. 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 this unique offering.  

NCL’s announcement comes in response to a recent surge in the popularity of solo travel within the tourism industry, with a growing number of individuals choosing to travel the world solo. 

According to a study by UK-based travel technology firm Travelport, solo travel made up nearly 18 pc of global bookings in the travel industry. More recently in solo travel statistics, a 267 pc increase in online searches for the term ‘solo travel’ between December 2020 to April 2022 was reported. Lastly, from 2019 to 2022, Norwegian says it saw an increase in guests booking accommodations as a single occupant in non-studio staterooms.