Cruise Lines Bet More Travelers Want to Set Sail Solo

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Cruise ships are adding more rooms for one. The cruise industry is stepping up efforts to appeal to the often-overlooked group. Some cruise lines have lowered prices for solo passengers who have traditionally paid more than those sharing cabins with friends or family.

Cruise lines are looking to tap in to a sizable pool of vacationers. A survey of more than 3,000 active leisure travelers conducted by tourism marketing agency MMGY Global in August found that 24% of people traveling at least once within the next six months planned to go on a solo trip. Norwegian Cruise Line is making perhaps the biggest wave in courting solo travelers.

The company announced in early October that it will introduce roughly 1,000 staterooms dedicated for single passengers across its fleet of 19 ships, doubling the capacity of solo accommodations. Starting with sailings in early January, solo passengers can choose between three categories of dedicated cabins: inside, oceanview and balcony. The rooms are priced from as little as $450 to more than $4,000, depending on the length of cruise, destination and type of cabin.

Guests who stay in these solo rooms will receive access to special lounges on certain ships. Norwegian also plans to offer activities aimed at single travelers. The studio staterooms Norwegian already offered to solo travelers proved to be very popular, says Norwegian President David Herrera.

“We saw an opportunity to expand our solo offerings fleetwide and open up more of the world to these guests by making it easier and more affordable for them," he says. Virgin Voyages has designed its ships to feature cabins meant for lone travelers. Each of the cruise line’s three ships has 46 solo-occupant rooms, representing about 3% of