It’s small, but instead of paying for a larger room I used the money to upgrade my drink package, buy my Vibe pass or even the thermal spa pass. I learned not to bother trying to dry my hair …..the room was like an oven after a minute of the dryer! The space is adequate, if money wasn’t an issue, sure I’d have a balcony. But as a solo cruiser, there’s lots of outdoor space on Encore.
Holy crap. I stayed in 537! That was my stateroom last October! I was super impressed with the studio concept, and enjoyed it immensely. The studio lounge, along with having our own Cruise Director was completely awesome.
I agree, and also singles don’t eat twice the meals, you need to consider that a couple would be eating some meals with lobster and other meals twice and still a single paying twice. It’s really saving the cruise ship.
I stayed in a studio cabin back in January on the Bliss. I loved the room. I’m extremely claustrophobic and I never got any anxiety in this cabin. I liked hanging out in the lounge talking to fellow travelers. The other good thing about these cabins is that it is keycard access to get into the Studio. Not a lot of foot traffic or noise. I have this cabin booked again next year for an Alaskan cruise.
I was on the Encore for the May 14th sailing to Alaska. I was also in a Studio cabin on Deck 12. It was my first cruise ever. I really loved the room and slept very well as it was quiet and peaceful. Being a solo traveler, I especially liked the added security that section offered. I have booked three more cruises all in studio cabins including a return trip to Alaska on the Encore in May of 2025. I really am enjoying this video series as I am reliving my trip all over again! Thank you, Zack!
It’s not a bad room and I’m glad to see cruise ships finally starting to acknowledge solo travelers but why do they assume that we like to be in the bowels of the ship somewhere with no porthole or balcony?
Its purely a cost consideration. They can get a lot more money for space with portholes and/or balconies. I think a fair assumption is that a single person is not going to be spending lots of time in their cabin.
When NCL introduced the Norwegian Epic in 2010 it was the world's largest cruise ship. That ship has an odd design (hence why there's only one of that class) and it had a lot of interior space to fill in the middle. They knew they would not be able to regularly sell that many interior cabins and had heard solo travelers complain for years about being required to pay double for cruises. That's when they invented the studio cabin. There are over 100 of them on the Epic. They proved to be very popular and almost all the ships NCL has built since (except the Joy) have studio cabins.
@@cruisingwitheric As a solo traveler, I do appreciate that more ships are now recognizing that some people do enjoy traveling alone. Thanks for the information.
Even standard cabins have in board cabins with no balcony which cost less. My sister used to go on cruises and while she enjoyed them she was also afraid of heights and deep water so she was happy to pay less for an inboard room.
@@Robert-yp9zsave a cruse booked on the Queen Mary2, 21 days. In 2017 they added 15 ocean view solo rooms in the best location on the ship. These rooms are not cheap and sell out, very, very early. I booked almost 2 years ahead. Plus, the Queen Mary 2 makes extraordinary efforts for solo activities. Respectfully, I don’t think your reasoning holds up. Also, these are some of the LARGER square footage cabins. 178 sq. ft.
Spent 15 days in a studio cabin on the Encore in May. The rooms are pretty small compared to others. The studio lounge made up for this disadvantage. Great place to meet other solo travelers. And they always had coffee (expresso, latte, cappuccino) tea, juices, water, fruit and baked goods.
Thanks so very much for showing us the entire studio room. My daughter did not enjoy the cruise we took last December. This gives me an opportunity to enjoy cruising! I’m going to check current prices, to see just how affordable the studio is!
Figure listed price pp plus $500 - $700 depending on cruise lenth /date / age of ship. That's my experience. THEN add in taxes, port fees, crew tip, drink pkg. Ex: Dec 1 - 12 /2024 Breakaway miami to 9 ports pp $950 inside plus fees + alcohol Solo (no alcohol) $1,450 plus fees = $2,000
Thanks for showing the solo stateroom, first time I see this. It looks good and well functioning to be honest, I wouldn't mind staying there if i travel solo for few days.
Hi hon, I just found your channel this morning and subscribe that was a really interesting tour of that room. I have never been on a cruise. In fact I really haven’t been anywhere the last few years and so I kind of just live my life through watching RU-vid videos at the moment I lost my husband two years ago and my dad three months ago, so I’m kind of alone in the world now and I’m just trying to find my way and right now I am in a hotel apartment hunting so I am just enjoying your videos. Are used to fly to Canada and spend my summers in Alberta. It was so wonderful and I hope I can travel again soon. Looks like you have a lot of fun. I can’t wait to check them all out. Have a great day. This is CATHRYN♥️🙏🌈🦋😀🍁🪵❤️💜in Utah…
Looks like a well setup room. I like the tv window. I worked on a cruise ship for many years, and this would be a great cabin to get as a crew member. But for us crew any single cabin is a top tier get.
Good to see more options for solo travellers. Of course its cozy. If you want space for two you book a standard cabin. Hope other ships refit some too.
You're not going to see older (Jewel class) ships being refitted with studios anytime soon but all (except the Joy) the ships NCL has built since 2010 (Epic, Breakaway Class, Breakaway-plus Class, and Prima Class) have studios.
Thanks for the overview. I have a NCL transatlantic solo room booked in April '24, My agent told me they were very small and he had traveled in one and didn't know if I would like it. To me, it looks very cozy and perfect for one. I'm so tired of having to pay double for a cabin since I travel solo. Hopefully, the lounge will be a good place to meet other solo travelers. Always nice to have a bud around.
I booked one for my cruise next year! I can’t wait to get there, drop my stuff off and start exploring the ship! I don’t plan on being in my room much as I am quite active so I am not concerned about the space. I love how private the area is (and seemingly quiet). And I like how I can ease into being social for the day by hanging out in the lounge area for a bit. So excited!
Good video and I cruised on the Encore to Alaska last year, staying on deck 12 in one of those cabins. It was awesome and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I’m mildly claustrophobic but not at all bothered by the size of the cabin (the screen showing the view outside was very cool and helped for sure). As you showed it’s very efficient and I actually didn’t find the shower or toilet crazy small. Definitely tight but much bigger than say an Airstream or similar setup (for those that camp).
I’m a solo cruiser and the studio rooms are perfect for me! There was plenty of storage with 2 closets! There are drawers and shelves as well. I totally overpacked and there was room for everything! NCL’s commitment to solo travelers won me over!
I've taken about 10 solo cruises on NCL and I love these rooms! Plenty of space, quiet, and safe. You can grab snacks in the lounge 24x7 and drinks like juices. They have a wine vending machine that I didn't use as I had the drink package. They also have meet-ups there, so if you want to get together with other solo travelers for dinner or drinks, or even an excursion, you can easily do that. I highly recommend these cabins.
I sailed on the Encore in a solo cabin in March this year for a Caribbean cruise. I loved it and I used the cubbyholes to store my t shirts and shorts. I booked another solo cabin on the Norwegian Escape for this fall, a New England, Canada cruise. Great video, glad you experienced the solo cabin and Norwegian.
Good Review. I've stayed in the Studio cabin several cruises, all on the NCL Escape. Your review is on-point. I love the Studio Lounge, especially in the mornings when everyone is getting their snacks and coffee (even the high-ranking officers and crew come in for a snack). It gave us an opportunity to discuss what each of us are doing. I haven't been back since the pandemic shutdown, and I really miss cruising. Your video had given me the incentive to return to cruising. Thanks!
Im going on a family trip in October and I didn’t want to share a room so I booked this one. I was so scared it was going to be uncomfortable but I actually like it a lot. Thank you so much for showing it !
I'm SO excited to cruise in a studio cabin on Escape later this year - it's the cabin type that started my whole addiction of years ago, ha! These rooms look really lovely - I just think they're SO well designed - so clever how they've squeezed all of this in there!
I sailed NCL Getaway in 2022 and am booked on the Escape 2023. I LOVED my studio-very private-perfect size and I felt safe. I wish the cabin had the fancy lighting and the live feed window which neither have. There was plenty of storage, I felt it was about the same as compared to interior cabins on Carnival. The closet space was great, the shower was perfect and I was happy to see the shower was glass enclosed vs those gross shower curtains. Its great that NCL has these cabins-and there is no supplemental charge. The studio lounge on the Getaway has a limited bar with service from 5-7 pm.
I stayed last year in a solo room in the Escape. It was a little different, same idea. I felt very safe. It was comfortable. Going again this October on the Breakway. Great video!!
I love these rooms. I’ve been on the Escape and Breakaway solo areas, then next year I’ll be on the Encore and Epic. My opinion these are the best price and convenience for solos.
Just watched Zach for first time. Your descriptions are on point and really informative. I enjoy small spaces so this looks great!! I subscribed and this will now be my go to fix for a small space lover! Thanks Zach!!
X crew member of 7 years... Top tip put 1 shoe that you will use in the safe with your passport money etc. You will never forget all your stuff ever again much love mate great channel.
All this is very interesting because I travel alone also and usually get an ocean view cabin. I know that NCL was the first to do this single cabin thing and I wish other cruise lines would do that. I would be just fine in one of those cabins, but I kind to stick to the smaller ships, so I do not have that option. I loved this tour. Thanks
I had heard that some of the cruise ship lines were accommodating solo travellers with solo rooms. I appreciate you showing this cabin. My only problem is I'm a big girl and I don't think I would fit in that shower or in the toilet closet.
I will be on an 12 day transatlantic cruise next year on the ncl epic. Save over $700 for a studio cabin vs an inside cabin. A big plus is the super great unlimited speciality COFFEE machine. Fill a thermos of espresso and get buzzed out for the rest of the morning.
I love NCLs Studio Cabins. Ive been on the Bliss and recently the Epic so far. That room looks identical to the bliss. Definitely makes the price much less . It was a great experience
I don’t know if they did it on your encore Norwegian ship, but on the Epic and the much smaller one I was on, hostess or host would come in about 4 PM or I forgot is the time and she would have a sign up for people who wanted to go to dinner together and may be a show together they could do one or both. And the people would sometimes come early and sometimes you could meet people to go to whatever stop overs such as in the Caribbean and I went to an island and I would go and drink with some of the people or go to another museum if there was one at a different port.
That room looks small but very nice. I think it's so smart of them to have this unique offering for solo travelers. Especially with the lounge available which gives you somewhere else to go. Did you meet other passengers there? Or do people prefer to go elsewhere on the ship?
I appreciate you pointing out the Sharps container because you never know what viewer would find that information valuable…like I as a first-time cruiser finds it! We won’t be in a studio but I imagine all staterooms will have one. That’s good for when I actually remember to test my blood sugars 😖
Excellent accommodations for a Solo traveler. The cruise Director assigns someone from his or her staff to help the Solo guests with reservations to the included dining rooms. Sometimes theatre reservations. Some of the cabins have adjoining doors.
This was going to be my question. I thought I saw somewhere that there's a cruise director for the solo studios and that they arrange some group dining and/or activity
The bottom drawer next to the shower looks like a ice-bucket kind of space, with its thick metal walls suggesting insulation. I personally appreaciated the ethennet plug. Very well done, sir.
Hi Zach! First time on your videos! Subscribed ! I was on the Epic on 5/6 Med cruise from Barcelona. My third time staying 1:53 on the studio. I’ve cruised 15 times with NCL. Good review nut the lounge in Epic was no where near the lounge you showed! Beautiful lounge. Actually in my 3 studio stays there is not much activity. Aside from this Med cruise the other two were Caribbean. I think on the is particular cruise there were many all day excursions. One sea day. I won’t do studio on the Greek Isle cruise I’m planning. I just needed more space but it was ok! Don’t regret it! Thanks for the info! Enjoyed it!
I stayed in the solo cabins twice, but in a different Norwegian ship. If you want a cabin steward, to bring you a canister of ice they will for free. Of course it’s nice to tip. them a bit. I personally enjoyed my stay in the solo cabin, because it emptied out into the lounge just for solos, and I could meet people to go to events with or to the island with, and I’m still in contact with one of those people If you’re prone to see sickness and don’t want to take medicine, I suggest a cabin with a balcony. I take care of my sickness with ginger, but that doesn’t work for everyone plus the time I was taking the solo cabins I was in the Mediterranean or the Caribbean, which usually is a not very rough. The one time I was almost getting seasick was in the Atlantic or the bay of Biscay.
That bed doesn't look like a full size bed which is also called a double bed. It appears to be a twin size bed for one person. Some people may use the Ethernet to hook up a router for VPN.
In 12 days, I'm doing a short 7 day solo Alaska Cruise on the Bliss. In October, I'm on a solo, three week, Canal cruise on the Encore. On my three week cruise, I'll probably be doing some "sink washing" of clothes. I read that NCL raised the cost to wash one bag, up to $35. PS. I'm bringing one of those Euro plug adapters that also gives you two USB "A"'s, and one "C", besides the US type plug.
My wife an I have been on a few cruises with rooms from 400sf to 1,100 sf. We spent very little time there, so size really doesn't matter UNLESS you're in a group and you need some party space.
Love these solo cabins, but wish they were just randomly interspersed among the traditional cabins. I’d rather have anonymity instead of being in a special solo traveler area.
You may not know that every regular room (of any category) has a humidity extractor (about 5" diameter). It's usually located in the bathroom ceiling (for obvious reasons) and usually inside the shower. So anything like a "wet bathing suit" or anything I washed the night before, I place as close as I can to this, and it's a great drying machine. (without this, any/all rooms would be growing mold, without the air flow.)
OMG I am so glad I rejected the studio state room on the Bliss last year. I’m 6’3” with long legs and that tiny toilet room would driven me crazy, not to mention the studio itself being only 99 sq ft.
I actually stayed in the exact same Studio Room on my Cruise from Miami to Los Angeles thru the Panama Canal. Loved it. It was comfortable at night and getting ready to leave the room. I seemed to away alot....lol Thank you for the posting. I subscribed and liked.
Nope. I had a studio inside cabin on the Norwegian Getaway in 2017 for a 9-night cruise in the Baltic. I really liked it - nice and cozy, the lounge was used and sociable, and there was lots to do. You didn't do much there besides sleep! I'd travel in one of these again in a heartbeat. Two tips for handling the cabin size - 1. bring an LED nightlight. 2. bring one of these Febreze small spaces thingies for the bathroom, the toilet can get stinky.
