Cruise ships are seeing more people come on board this summer. This year, 31.5 million people are expected to cruise. That would be more than the last full year before the pandemic.
Norwegian Cruise Line recently announced a move that will see it further embrace solo travelers.
The effort will involve its cruise liners getting almost 1,000 additional solo staterooms, the company said in a press release. Those rooms will come in new Solo Inside, Solo Oceanview and Solo Balcony formats.
The total number of ships with solo cabins will jump by 10 to all 19, according to the cruise line.
The Norwegian Gateway cruise ship is moored at PortMiami on January 7, 2022, in Miami, Florida. Norwegian Cruise Line announced that it had canceled eight of its cruise ships’ planned trips as COVID-19 cases continue to interrupt travelers’ plans. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) / Getty Images)
Solo travelers selecting the staterooms “can expect to pay less than a traditional double occupancy room,” it said.
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Norwegian said it would incrementally start making three solo stateroom types available for 2024 bookings. Guest reservations for them kicked off earlier in October.
The nearly 1,000 new solo cabins come roughly 13 years after they first delved into the option, according to the company.
For those staying in the solo staterooms on specific ships, Norwegian will provide an exclusive lounge where the guests can get alcoholic beverages and snacks from its bar, it said. It will require a key card to use.
There will be events geared toward solo travelers onboard in addition.
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“We are continuously listening to our guests to deliver the experience they want,” Norwegian Cruise Line President David Herrara said in a statement. “After realizing the growing demand of individuals looking to travel on their own, we have now expanded single occupancy staterooms across our fleet.”
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCLH | NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE HOLDINGS LTD. | 14.86 | -0.63 | -4.07% |
More and more solo travelers sought to reserve Norwegian non-studio staterooms from 2019 to 2022, something that played into the cruise line offering the new cabins, according to the release.
U.S. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings cruise ship Marina arrives at the Havana bay, Cuba, March 9, 2017. (Reuters/Alexandre Meneghini/File Photo)
In early August, while reporting its second-quarter earnings, Norwegian said it “remain[ed] within its optimal booked position of approximately 60-65% on a 12-month forward basis.”
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The cruise company has generated $4.03 billion worth of revenue in the first six months of the year, seeing a significant year-over-year increase for the time frame. Nearly $2.69 billion of that revenue has come from passenger tickets, according to the company.
Its net loss across the first two quarters, which narrowed, came in at $73.2 million.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd
