Not allowed into the Studio Lounge

[FamilyCruiseDiva]

As someone who is considering travelling solo for the first time, I'd love to have access to the Studio Lounge but at the same time don't want to give up my balcony cabin to get it... heck, a balcony view of the ocean is one of the main reasons I cruise! But as a solo cruiser, I'd really like to be granted admittance to the Studio Lounge.

 

However, I totally get it that it's NOT a "Solo Lounge" but rather an exclusive amenity for those who booked Studio Cabins. I'm not complaining about that, just as I wouldn't complain about not having access to Haven amenities when I won't book those cabins due to their location. Studio Lounge access is for Studio guests just as Haven access is for Haven occupants. I get it.

 

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't there Spa cabins which entitle the occupants to certain access/perks which can also be purchased as a Spa Pass by those not in Spa cabins?

 

Couldn't NCL do something similar here?

 

That is, offer a Studio Lounge Pass to occupants of other cabin types? Or include it free-of-charge to those who got bumped?

IDK, but it seems like a good compromise to me. :cool:

 

It just seems, with all the extra for-fee options on cruises that this is something that could/should/might be added in the future.

 

And I would happily pay extra to have access to the Studio Lounge while still getting to enjoy my balcony cabin. :D

Edited September 24, 2015 by FamilyCruiseDiva

[mrobstad]

On my May cruise, the solos met in the Sunset Lounge.the lounge should only be open during the solo gathering.

[DeBlonde1]

I sailed in an Epic studio and loved the lounge! When I went this past February in a mini-suite balcony and requested it, they would not let me have access. The door was locked at all times (even during the solo happy hour time)- but I would just knock and they would always let me in. I should say, I felt stupid knocking to get in every time and felt like an outsider. LOL I would not upgrade in the future as I prefer to have the anytime access. I have had friends that were granted access though, so it probably depends on who you ask.

[FLchick3]

Tura Lura –

 

 

On my recent Getaway cruise balcony cruisers were NEVER allowed in the studio lounge. We did not have access to the lounge for one hour a day. All get-togethers were at the Sunset Bar. My only issue was I could never write on the white board or read the white board.

[tiger-91]

I am mainly writing here to find out how the Studio lounge makes up for a missing mini-fridge in the room. There's no ice machine. (I usually store my own cans of cola and full ice bucket in the fridge to last all day.) There's no soda machine, and the liquor is served only a few hours in the evening.

 

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[perditax]

I am mainly writing here to find out how the Studio lounge makes up for a missing mini-fridge in the room. There's no ice machine. (I usually store my own cans of cola and full ice bucket in the fridge to last all day.) There's no soda machine, and the liquor is served only a few hours in the evening.

 

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I suppose if soda is a significant part of your cruise, that would be an issue.

[tiger-91]

I suppose if soda is a significant part of your cruise, that would be an issue.

Maybe I should have just kept it simple. How does the Studio lounge help with lack of mini fridge?

 

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[maywell]

Maybe I should have just kept it simple. How does the Studio lounge help with lack of mini fridge?

 

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Easy - it doesn't, it just a added perk for those in the studio room for not having a mini-fridge and/or coffee machine in their rooms. What you prefer - having soda and coffee machine plus the ability to put your leftovers in the fridge in your balcony room ~or~ having to walk to the lounge for soda and coffee but no bringing back leftovers that need to be refrigerated in a studio room? Decisions, Decisions....

 

 

Some people can actually not use the mini-fridge at all for a entire trip and some people need 1 can of soda everyday; whether its from the lounge, buffet or mini-fridge. Same with coffee and tea, the only difference is the lounge has free expresso/latte/cappuccino for studio guests only.

 

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Edited October 4, 2015 by maywell

[mrobstad]

The deluxe coffee machine makes not having one in your room ok.

[perditax]

I guess I'll chime in. I don't drink soda so it seems somewhat moot, but my steward kept my ice bucket stocked. The lounge was a few steps away and had hot water, tea bags, and iced ship water (I loved the GA ship water). Anyway, this combo enabled me to make iced tea. I am also not a big coffee drinker, but I had many cafe cremas that would have been, I assume, at least $4/ea otherwise.

 

I have an upcoming solo in Dec on X, and the studio prices just dropped on a GA sailing leaving the same day from the same port. It is very very tempting to switch, that's how much I liked the studio setup. But I'm ... Probably ... Going to make myself continue trying different lines. :) (I have about 8 days to decide before penalty date on the X cruise.)

[tiger-91]

I guess I'll chime in. I don't drink soda so it seems somewhat moot, but my steward kept my ice bucket stocked. The lounge was a few steps away and had hot water, tea bags, and iced ship water (I loved the GA ship water). Anyway, this combo enabled me to make iced tea. I am also not a big coffee drinker, but I had many cafe cremas that would have been, I assume, at least $4/ea otherwise.

 

I have an upcoming solo in Dec on X, and the studio prices just dropped on a GA sailing leaving the same day from the same port. It is very very tempting to switch, that's how much I liked the studio setup. But I'm ... Probably ... Going to make myself continue trying different lines. :) (I have about 8 days to decide before penalty date on the X cruise.)

Thanks. Iced (or at least cold) tea in the morning sounds like a good option. Can't get that in any restaurant until lunch.

a friend told me the lounge fridge has yogurt and milk too.

 

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[perditax]

Thanks. Iced (or at least cold) tea in the morning sounds like a good option. Can't get that in any restaurant until lunch.

a friend told me the lounge fridge has yogurt and milk too.

 

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I don't recall seeing a fridge in the lounge on GA. But I wasn't looking for one. I just wanted water, caffeine and pastries. Maybe I missed it, or maybe it was on Epic?

[Cruisercl]

I have been on the Epic & Breakaway in a Studio cabin; the lounge did have yogurt and milk along with cereal and pastries in the mornings.

[mrobstad]

They all have it.

[IrieBajan54]

Yep. The fridge is there on the Epic. I am sailing the Gem in November in an obstructed OV and will definitely miss the Lounge.

[nameless_faceless_one]

I just got off the Breakaway after spending a week in the solo cabins with full access to the solo studio. The studios lack a table and chair to eat breakfast in the morning. The lounge makes up for that. There is also no mini-fridge in the cabin. While the lounge had a bar, it was only available during the solo meetings at 5pm. The bartender typically served 3 drinks then locked up.

 

There were pastries, cookies, and pound cake available most of the time which looked better than they tasted. Several married couples disrupted our meetings for a cup of coffee - you know who you are. All of the connected solo cabins were behind a locked zone, except during the meetings, with the entrance to the lounge at the end of the hallway. The concept was to reduce the feeling that you are sleeping in a closet by grouping the cabins together with the lounge. But, if you're not booked in the studio cabins there is just no reason to be down there.

 

I found the studio cabin the size of a small bedroom with ample living space. I'm a big guy and found the head to be large enough. The shower stall, not so much. The temperature control was nice but I never felt clean with the lack of water pressure. I found myself supplementing my showers with a sponge bath. Since there is no table, I never ate in my cabin. There is a tiny shelf where I could use by sitting on the edge of the bed.

 

The window with blinds and frosted glass is there to elevate the feeling of being closed in. In practice, I did not find it very useful. It let too much light in to sleep at night and was useless during the day. I also suspended a pendulum from the ceiling using a magnetic hook to judge how rough the seas were since I had no outside window.

 

As for the dynamics - on Embarkation Day the solo travelers meeting was gathered at an easily accessible bar outside the lounge. We met each other and were escorted down the locked area by the cruise director to continue the meeting. Everything was well organized. There were sign-up sheets for all the shows for the week on the white board. We planned our activities based on popular days and times. The director compiled all the requests into a week-long itinerary for the week for shows with daily get-together's for dinner. Each evening, we received a written letter at our cabin stating which event we were signed up for that night.

 

The group fragmented and re-combined several times. Sometimes we made our own reservations. Sometimes most/all/some of us went together to a show. We were often treated to reserved seating and little extra perks whenever possible. The door to the lounge area was left open each night, but you really could survive without coming to the daily meetings by calling the cruise director and asking him what's happening that night.

 

Even more valuable than dinner and shows, our cruise director was our ombudsman to NCL. If we had a complaint or comment, no matter how small it seemed, he aggressively acted on all issues - from one in our group having no TV for 3 days to another in our group spotted by the cruise director at the omelet station waiting slightly longer than usual. He came to the rescue and ordered the chef to make her a "special" omelet while saving her the extra 30 seconds she would have had to otherwise wait in line. The only problem he was not able to resolve was one of our group complained that the area doors were too heavy and made a loud bang when they closed. He said, "I do not lighten doors." :)

 

Had it not been for the cruise director, I would have become disconnected and locked myself in my cabin. But, he would keep us all involved and connected, despite our great diversity in personality. It was like having our own private cruise disassociated from the couples and families which dominated the rest of the ship.

 

For anyone who has asked for access to the lounge and was denied, you are talking to the wrong end of the horse. Come to the first solo travelers meeting. Do not miss the first meeting. Reach out to the cruise director and explain your situation. He accommodated everyone's situation and would go to great length to keep you connected, even if you are not booked in the solo cabins, even if you found yourself locked out of the lounge, even if Guest Services blew you off.

[GUEST080219]

I just got off the Breakaway after spending a week in the solo cabins with full access to the solo studio. The studios lack a table and chair to eat breakfast in the morning. The lounge makes up for that. There is also no mini-fridge in the cabin. While the lounge had a bar, it was only available during the solo meetings at 5pm. The bartender typically served 3 drinks then locked up.

 

There were pastries, cookies, and pound cake available most of the time which looked better than they tasted. Several married couples disrupted our meetings for a cup of coffee - you know who you are. All of the connected solo cabins were behind a locked zone, except during the meetings, with the entrance to the lounge at the end of the hallway. The concept was to reduce the feeling that you are sleeping in a closet by grouping the cabins together with the lounge. But, if you're not booked in the studio cabins there is just no reason to be down there.

 

I found the studio cabin the size of a small bedroom with ample living space. I'm a big guy and found the head to be large enough. The shower stall, not so much. The temperature control was nice but I never felt clean with the lack of water pressure. I found myself supplementing my showers with a sponge bath. Since there is no table, I never ate in my cabin. There is a tiny shelf where I could use by sitting on the edge of the bed.

 

The window with blinds and frosted glass is there to elevate the feeling of being closed in. In practice, I did not find it very useful. It let too much light in to sleep at night and was useless during the day. I also suspended a pendulum from the ceiling using a magnetic hook to judge how rough the seas were since I had no outside window.

 

As for the dynamics - on Embarkation Day the solo travelers meeting was gathered at an easily accessible bar outside the lounge. We met each other and were escorted down the locked area by the cruise director to continue the meeting. Everything was well organized. There were sign-up sheets for all the shows for the week on the white board. We planned our activities based on popular days and times. The director compiled all the requests into a week-long itinerary for the week for shows with daily get-together's for dinner. Each evening, we received a written letter at our cabin stating which event we were signed up for that night.

 

The group fragmented and re-combined several times. Sometimes we made our own reservations. Sometimes most/all/some of us went together to a show. We were often treated to reserved seating and little extra perks whenever possible. The door to the lounge area was left open each night, but you really could survive without coming to the daily meetings by calling the cruise director and asking him what's happening that night.

 

Even more valuable than dinner and shows, our cruise director was our ombudsman to NCL. If we had a complaint or comment, no matter how small it seemed, he aggressively acted on all issues - from one in our group having no TV for 3 days to another in our group spotted by the cruise director at the omelet station waiting slightly longer than usual. He came to the rescue and ordered the chef to make her a "special" omelet while saving her the extra 30 seconds she would have had to otherwise wait in line. The only problem he was not able to resolve was one of our group complained that the area doors were too heavy and made a loud bang when they closed. He said, "I do not lighten doors." :)

 

Had it not been for the cruise director, I would have become disconnected and locked myself in my cabin. But, he would keep us all involved and connected, despite our great diversity in personality. It was like having our own private cruise disassociated from the couples and families which dominated the rest of the ship.

 

Interesting, I never heard that the cruise director and not one of his staff members does the gathering. Was Silas Cook the cruise director on your sailing?

[nameless_faceless_one]

Interesting, I never heard that the cruise director and not one of his staff members does the gathering. Was Silas Cook the cruise director on your sailing?

 

The cruise director was only in charge of the "solo" passengers as far as I know. He had several jobs on the ship, from exercise instructor in the morning to performing in several of the shows in the evening. He was part-way through a six month contract with NCL.

[IrieBajan54]

The cruise director was only in charge of the "solo" passengers as far as I know. He had several jobs on the ship, from exercise instructor in the morning to performing in several of the shows in the evening. He was part-way through a six month contract with NCL.

 

Actually, I don't think you are talking about the Cruise Director. The individual is a member of the cruise staff. The person has cruise staff duties which includes being the Solo Host. I had 2 different Hosts on my 2 cruises and I saw them doing different things as you described.

[Tura Lura]

Silas was the cruise director. The solo cruise "director" or concierge was Antuan. He was a doll. :)

[retiredrn123]

When you were on the epic, was there only one door into the studio lounge

Edited July 13, 2016 by retiredrn123

[Earl Colby Pottinger]

When you were on the epic, was there only one door into the studio lounge

 

My trip was a year and a half ago on the Epic.

 

There were two doors on the upper level, and two doors on the lower (Main) level. Note: on each level one door leads directly into the corridor that services the studio rooms directly and the other two doors lead to the main stairs and elevators.

Edited July 13, 2016 by Earl Colby Pottinger

[sail7seas]

I was a solo in Penthouse on Dawn and it never occurred to me they might let me use the lounge. If I go again, maybe I'll ask. I never even looked to seee where it was locatd on Dawn.

[mrobstad]

unless things have changed, only yhe newer ships had a studio lounge, and recently, theyve limited access to studio guests only. Solo gatherings have been in one of the bars.

[AdoraBelle]

On more than one occasion on the Getaway in June, someone had let kids into the studio lounge, where they were ransacking the baked goods (examine a piece of poundcake critically, set it back down on the serving tray, pick up a different one for your stash).

 

I'm cool with restricted access. Especially as the studio prices rise and rise.