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MEI Travel

6 Cruise Lines With Single Cruise Cabins

solo-traveler staterooms

So, you've decided to take a voyage by yourself. Whether it's your first solo foray or you travel alone frequently, choosing a stateroom is important.

To help you plan, we've compiled a list of cruise lines with ships that offer solo cruise cabins. Consider booking one to avoid dreaded single supplements that can cost you as much as 100 percent of your cruise fare.

Note: "Standard amenities" generally include a full in-cabin bathroom, storage space for clothing and toiletries, a vanity and/or desk area with a chair, mirrors, a safe, a hair dryer, lighting, individual climate control, a television, a phone and electrical outlets.

1. Celebrity Cruises

Apex solo verandah

Celebrity is relatively new to the game of solo cruise rooms. The line included 16 one-person Infinite Veranda cabins on its groundbreaking first-in-class Celebrity Edge, while sister ship Celebrity Apex boasts 24. Additionally, Celebrity Silhouette was retrofitted to include four single inside staterooms.

These cabins, each of which measures 131 square feet, include the same amenities as standard cabins designed for two cruisers.

Celebrity Cruises doubled the number of solo staterooms available on the Celebrity Beyond, each of which features an infinite veranda. Unlike those on the Celebrity Edge and Apex, these measure 184 square feet. This varies from other ships that only offer interior studio cabins.

2. Cunard Line

Cunard single room

Queen Mary 2, Cunard's most well-known ship, which sails regular transatlantic voyages between Southampton and New York, now includes 15 solo cabins -- ranging from 178 to 183 square feet -- among its cabin types. Known as Britannia Single Staterooms, all are outsides with picture windows, single beds and standard accouterments.

Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria also house cabins for one -- nine on each ship, ranging from 133 to 159 square feet on the former and from 159 to 162 square feet on the latter -- comprising a mix of both inside staterooms and cabins with ocean views.

3. Holland America Line

Holland America solo cabin

Holland America delved into the studio concept by building 12 rooms for single cruisers into the plans for Koningsdam. Since the rooms proved to be a success when the ship began sailing in 2016, Nieuw Statendam and Rotterdam were also designed with digs for solos.

They all feature ocean views and anywhere from 127 to 172 square feet of space, as well as single-bed configurations and the same general furniture and amenities as most other cabins. 

4. MSC Cruises

MSC solo cabin

Several MSC ships -- including MSC Virtuosa, MSC Grandiosa, MSC Meraviglia and MSC Bellissima -- are outfitted with accommodations for single travelers.

All inside staterooms, they each provide standard amenities, a twin-sized bed and about 129 square feet of living space.

5. Norwegian Cruise Line

NCL Studio room

NCL was the first mainstream cruise line to outfit a ship with solo cabins. With the launch of Norwegian Epic in 2010, it paved the way for lone seafaring vacationers to have their own affordable rooms onboard by introducing its studio accommodations.

Studios are cozy rooms that are just 100 square feet in size, offering standard amenities and furnishings. Passengers booked in these rooms can take advantage of access to a dedicated studio lounge, where they can mingle with others cruising by themselves.

Since Epic debuted, the line has also made sure to put studios on the Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway. Pride of America, which sails exclusively around the Hawaiian islands, was also renovated to include studios. The newly debuted Norwegian Prima also features solo studio staterooms-- the smallest coming it at a whopping 94 square feet!

6. Royal Caribbean International

Studio room on Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean has the largest variety of single and studio staterooms at sea, offering them on nearly half of the ships in its fleet, including Anthem of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas, Brilliance of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas, and Spectrum of the Seas.

Oddly enough, single occupancy cabins are absent from their newest ship, Wonder of the Seas. This is probably due to the fact that this ship was originally designed for an Asian market. 

Though the ships present a mix of cabin types, including insides (some with virtual balconies), ocean views and balconies, the line's newest ships have the most, with 28 apiece. Mariner of the Seas has the fewest with just two.

They vary in size, and some have full-size beds, while others have twins, but they all include the same basic amenities as cabins intended for more than one passenger.

Other, more niche cruise lines also feature cabins for singles. They include luxury lines like Crystal Cruises, Silversea Cruises and Seabourn Cruise Line, and UK-based brands P&O Cruises, Saga and Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines.

In terms of cruise lines that do not offer solo cabins, Carnival Cruise Line is the only mainstream line that regularly sails the Caribbean that does not have solo cabins onboard any of their 23 ships.  

For more information on cruising by yourself, check out our list of commonly asked solo cruise questions.

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