Norwegian Hints at Fewer Solo Cabins as Family Focus Grows
For the past few years, Norwegian Cruise Line has been one of the best cruise lines for solo cruisers. But after comments made on a recent earnings call, it seems that may have passed. The leadership team gave indications of a new direction for the company, and it appears to be moving away from the solo cruiser market.
Solo Cruising and Norwegian Cruise Line
On most cruise lines, solo cruisers need to essentially pay double to book both beds in a cabin. However, with the introduction of the Norwegian Epic in 2010, Norwegian added Studio Cabins, single-bed cabins that allowed solo cruisers to avoid paying twice the cost. These single cabins were perfect for travelers sailing alone, with a nearby Studio Lounge accessible only to solo cruisers, allowing them to meet new people who were also traveling alone.
Then, just two years ago in October 2023, Norwegian reclassified 1,000 cabins across the fleet that were previously considered Spa Cabins. The new categorization meant even more cabins were available to solo cruisers, and they weren’t just single-bed interior cabins. There were standard interior, ocean view, and balcony cabins priced for just one guest.
Earnings Call Signals New Focus on Families
On the Q3 earnings call, Norwegian Cruise Line leadership discussed an upcoming shift in strategy. During the call, Mark Kempa, the CFO and EVP of Norwegian Cruise Line International, said:
We are also focused on, if you will, minimizing the number of single cabins that we take across all three brands, not just Norwegian, but for Oceania and Regent.”
That was the only mention of solo cruisers in the call, but when combined with other statements, it points toward Norwegian’s new direction.
CEO and President Harry Sommer talked about the three-part commercial strategy to drive profitability in the coming years:
First, we’re focusing more on families as a core demographic. We’re building brand familiarity through our short-cruising sailings, which give more guests, particularly families, a chance to experience our amazing product.”
The reasoning behind the shift is that families fill the third and fourth berths in a cabin, increasing overall ship occupancy. While these passengers typically pay lower fares than the first two guests, there’s only a small incremental cost to service them. “I think on the last part in terms of the occupancy, you know, when we think about increased occupancy from thirds and fourths, that’s typically children or the teenage set. There’s very little marginal cost related to that. Obviously, that brings in higher revenue,” said Sommer.
Norwegian Isn’t Likely to Get Rid of Solo Cabins Altogether
Beyond the investor call, the cruise line hasn’t made any official statements about the change. That being said, it’s unlikely that Norwegian will eliminate solo cabins altogether. Every Norwegian ship, since the Norwegian Epic, has had dedicated Studio Cabins designed for solo travelers, and these cannot be easily converted into double-occupancy cabins without incurring significant costs. Even the upcoming Norwegian Luna will still have Studio Cabins when it debuts.
However, what will likely change is the 1,000 standard cabins that Norwegian reclassified as solo cabins two years ago. Those may soon return to regular inventory. At this time, though, there doesn’t appear to be any difference in availability when searching for solo cabins on NCL.com.
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