Norwegian Cruise Line will target solo travelers for the 100-square-foot studio accommodations on its upcoming newbuild, the 4,200-passenger Norwegian Epic.
The Epic's 128 studio cabins will be designated and priced for solo travelers, who will not have the pay the single supplement common for single cruisers. Prices for the studios will start at $799.
The studios are all inside accommodations, slightly smaller than standard inside cabins, and feature windows looking onto the corridors. They also feature the Living Room, a shared, common space with a lounge, private bar and two large screen TVs, accessible only to studio passengers.
Maria Miller, senior vice president of marketing for NCL, said during an online webinar that the studios were the first cabins in the industry "designed and priced for solo travelers."
"Solo travelers have typically been ignored by the cruise industry," Miller said. "We've taken the opportunity to reposition the studios and go after this market."
Miller pointed to data which suggests that there are 100 million single adults in the U.S., and that 35 million adults take solo vacations every year. However, less than 5% of those travelers take cruises. Miller added that the single supplement has always been the "key barrier" to getting solo cruisers.
"Our goal is to break down that barrier and make it more comfortable for single travelers," she said. "Solo travel is well suited to a cruise. ... Cruising is ideal for people who want to travel alone but don't want to be alone."
