Solo cabin lounge question

[ddlb]

I am booked in a solo cabin but put a bid in for a balcony upgrade. Will I then lose access to the solo lounge if my upgrade  bid is accepted?  I know if you book a solo balcony you get access to the solo lounge.  But if you are given a free upgrade or win a bid upgrade do you get to keep your solo lounge access by any chance?  If not are you allowed to enter the solo lounge  with a friend who will have a solo cabin.

[hallux]

If you are no longer in a solo category cabin I believe you will lose lounge access.  Other than for the solo meets I don't see much need for the lounge if you're not in one of the Studio cabins.  I was in an inside cabin on the Bliss (not a 'solo inside' or a Studio) and never found myself desiring the lounge.  It helped that my cabin couldn't have been much further from the lounge, being in the most-aft section of inside cabins.

[IrieBajan54]

If having access to the Studio Lounge is important to you, then don't take the chance of being awarded a regular balcony bidding. It's unfortunate that they don't offer an upgrade bid to a solo balcony.

Edited February 28 by IrieBajan54
correction

[reeinaz]

I was in a solo inside and won a balcony upgrade. I was placed in a solo balcony.

I don't know if that was a coincidence or not. My ship doesn't have a studio though.

[floridafish]

If you're booked as a solo traveler with solo room rate, you do have access to the lounge. 

 

[zounds]

I was recently in a studio cabin on Prima and used it only for morning coffee.  It has 3 sizeable rooms which I seldom saw anyone using and drink machines were often not working and nothing was available on day 7.  I expect you know that studio cabins/lounge require key card access.

[hallux]

12 minutes ago, floridafish said:

If you're booked as a solo traveler with solo room rate, you do have access to the lounge. 

 

Yes, but if OP wins an upgrade to a standard balcony cabin they technically are not in a 'solo' cabin that grants access to the lounge.

 

I boarded the Bliss last month, I had booked an inside guarantee in June and final payment was before the new 'solo' categories were announced.  I tried making that argument (that I didn't have a chance to get the new category based on when I booked or I would have considered it) to get access to the lounge added to my key, they didn't go for it.

[zqvol]

3 minutes ago, hallux said:

Yes, but if OP wins an upgrade to a standard balcony cabin they technically are not in a 'solo' cabin that grants access to the lounge.

 

I boarded the Bliss last month, I had booked an inside guarantee in June and final payment was before the new 'solo' categories were announced.  I tried making that argument (that I didn't have a chance to get the new category based on when I booked or I would have considered it) to get access to the lounge added to my key, they didn't go for it.

As they shouldn’t have. Of course as you know you don’t miss anything if you don’t have access. 

[ddlb]

2 hours ago, hallux said:

If you are no longer in a solo category cabin I believe you will lose lounge access.  Other than for the solo meets I don't see much need for the lounge if you're not in one of the Studio cabins.  I was in an inside cabin on the Bliss (not a 'solo inside' or a Studio) and never found myself desiring the lounge.  It helped that my cabin couldn't have been much further from the lounge, being in the most-aft section of inside cabins.

Thanks. I know you don’t lose your perks if you win an upgrade, I guess I just considered the solo lounge a perk because I’d still be solo. What I find appealing  is the location of my solo cabin and I can just walk into the lounge and get decent coffee, snacks and I like the idea of having that bar Available every day from 5 to 7 etc. I probably won’t win my bid anyway. 

[dbrown84]

2 minutes ago, zqvol said:

As they shouldn’t have. Of course as you know you don’t miss anything if you don’t have access. 

you miss the pound cake, and one of the last spots onboard that still have cookies 🙂

[hallux]

1 minute ago, zqvol said:

As they shouldn’t have. Of course as you know you don’t miss anything if you don’t have access. 

I know, and I've made the same argument prior to there being 'solo' categories outside the Studio area but it was worth a try since others have reported success getting it added.  I was hoping to show a friend who was coming on the cruise as his first cruise but missed the first two nights (a whole other story) of solo meets, which was then moved from the lounge due to the size of the group.

[Huntingdon1701]

First, check that your ship actually has a solo lounge. Only a minority do.

 

If it is one of the ones with a lounge, then they will usually open up the lounge for solo meets. You could then ask to have access added to your card. About 50/50 as to whether they do it not - seems to be at the whim of whoever you speak to, although the policy is probably not to do it. 

[Smitheroo]

On 2/28/2024 at 12:33 PM, zounds said:

I was recently in a studio cabin on Prima and used it only for morning coffee.  It has 3 sizeable rooms which I seldom saw anyone using and drink machines were often not working and nothing was available on day 7.  I expect you know that studio cabins/lounge require key card access.

I couldnt figure out how to use the coffee machine and there was no one to ask easily. I did enjoy helping myself to cookies in the evening.  Only saw 1 man using the lounge on a couple of days.

[IrieBajan54]

Interesting comments about difficulty attempting to use the coffee machine in the Studio Lounge. I would say that I am average with machines/technology but I had absolutely no problem pressing the right buttons to get a cappuccino and other coffees. 

 

When I was on the Prima, I was in a regular inside. However, we met for the solo gathering in the Studio Lounge. I noticed other solo using the coffee machine and certainly enjoying the cookies. Pretty much every evening, I saw a crew member refreshing the snacks and coffee machine supplies.

[reeinaz]

It's possible the machine was low on beans.