Norwegian Luna Solo Balcony Cabin Review: Worth $3000?
On my recent cruise aboard Norwegian Luna, I stayed in cabin 12794, one of just nine Solo Balcony cabins on the entire ship. It was not only the largest solo cabin category available on Norwegian Luna, but also the largest cabin I have ever booked while cruising alone.
At first glance, there is nothing particularly “solo” about it. That is exactly what makes this cabin interesting. Instead of squeezing a single traveler into a tiny room, Norwegian essentially takes a full-size balcony cabin, sells it specifically for one guest, and adds one of the best perks from its solo cruising program.
I also made a full video tour of cabin 12794. If you want to see the room, storage, bathroom, balcony, and Studio Lounge for yourself, the video is worth watching along with this review.
Watch My Full Norwegian Luna Solo Balcony Cabin Tour
The video gives you a much better sense of the actual size of the cabin and balcony than photos alone can provide. I also show some of the smaller details I discovered after actually living in the room for seven nights.
Quick Verdict
The Norwegian Luna Solo Balcony is best for: solo cruisers who value extra room, a private balcony, and access to NCL's Studio Lounge.
You may want to skip it if: your main priority is getting onboard as cheaply as possible. A Studio or Solo Inside cabin will usually make more sense.
What stood out: You essentially get the experience of a regular balcony cabin while retaining the social benefits of Norwegian's solo program.
What I paid: About $3,300 for my seven-night sailing, including Free at Sea Plus. Cruise prices vary considerably by sailing and booking date.
See more from this trip: My Full Norwegian Luna Cruise Review
What Makes the Norwegian Luna Solo Balcony Different?
Usually when I cruise alone, I stay in much smaller cabins. On Norwegian Getaway, for example, I stayed in one of NCL's compact Solo Studio cabins. It was a clever use of space, but there was no real window and the shower, sink, and toilet were incorporated directly into the main cabin area.
Cabin 12794 on Norwegian Luna was completely different. This is essentially the same type of cabin you would expect when booking a standard balcony: a large sleeping area, couch, desk, full bathroom, plenty of storage, and a private balcony. The major difference is that this particular cabin category is sold for one guest.
There are only nine Solo Balcony cabins on Norwegian Luna, which also makes them relatively difficult to book. If you know this is the category you want, I would not wait until the last minute hoping one becomes available.
On my sailing, I paid about $3,300, including Free at Sea Plus. That makes the Solo Balcony the most expensive of Norwegian Luna's solo cabin options, so the real question is whether the extra room and balcony are worth paying for.
Cabin 12794 Location on Deck 12
I liked the location of cabin 12794 more than I expected. It sits on Deck 12, roughly between many of the public spaces I used around Deck 8 and the restaurants, Observation Lounge, and upper decks around Deck 17.
That meant I could often take the stairs instead of waiting for an elevator. Considering the amount of food I tend to consume on a cruise, I will happily pretend those extra flights of stairs balance things out.
There was another much more important benefit to Deck 12, though: the Studio Lounge was on the same deck. I'll get to why that mattered in a minute.
The Bed, Couch, Desk, and Charging Options
For one person, the main living area felt enormous compared with a traditional NCL Studio cabin. There was plenty of space around the bed, a comfortable couch, and a real desk area that I could actually use throughout the week.
Norwegian also did a particularly good job with charging options. I found both USB-A and USB-C connections around the cabin, plus additional power around the desk. Since I travel with cameras, batteries, a phone, microphones, and plenty of other electronics, I am usually searching cruise cabins for the next available outlet. That was never much of an issue here.
The stool beneath the desk turned out to be more useful than expected because it was easy to move around the cabin. I occasionally used it as a small table while sitting on the couch rather than simply leaving it tucked underneath the desk.
One feature I liked less was the built-in blue nightlight near the bathroom. It could be switched on from the bed, which sounds useful, but I found it much brighter than I wanted in the middle of the night. Instead, I used small rechargeable magnetic nightlights in the bathroom, which gave me enough light without fully waking me up after whatever questionable decisions I may have made the evening before.
Storage Was Excellent for One Person
Storage is one of the areas where the Solo Balcony really benefits from using a regular balcony-cabin layout. There are drawers throughout the room, multiple closet spaces, and wire drawers inside the closet that worked particularly well for smaller items.
I also liked the adjustable closet shelves. Several can fold down when you want more shelf space or fold back up when you need additional height for hanging clothes. It's a small design choice, but it made the storage much easier to customize depending on what I had packed.
The safe was large enough for my passport, tablet, and other valuables, although not large enough for a laptop. There was also a mini-fridge stocked with bottled water. Keep in mind that the items inside may cost extra even if you have a beverage package, so check what is actually included with your specific package before using them.
The Bathroom Feels Like a Regular Balcony Bathroom
The bathroom is another major upgrade over the tiny Studio-style cabins I have used in the past. Instead of integrating bathroom components into the sleeping area, cabin 12794 has a proper enclosed bathroom with modern finishes, a good-size sink, shelving, and plenty of storage for one person.
The shower had enough room for me, the water pressure was strong, and I had no problems getting the water as hot as I wanted. Those are not particularly exciting cruise features until you have spent a long day walking around a port and discover your shower is terrible.
Thankfully, that was not a problem here. The entire bathroom was comfortable and easy to live with for the week.
The Private Balcony Was the Biggest Upgrade
The private balcony was ultimately the feature that made this cabin worthwhile for me. For one traveler, there is a lot of private outdoor space, and I used it constantly throughout the cruise.
I could take a drink outside, read, watch the ship arrive in port, or simply get away from the crowds without leaving my cabin. That changed the way I used Norwegian Luna compared with previous solo cruises where staying inside my room for any length of time felt much more limiting.
It even affected how much I used Vibe Beach Club. I paid extra for Vibe and enjoyed having the quiet adults-only space, but I used it less than I expected because I already had my own balcony available whenever I wanted some peace and quiet. If I book another Solo Balcony in the future, I may actually skip Vibe and put that money toward the cabin instead.
The video does a much better job of showing how much outdoor space you actually get, so this is one section where I would definitely recommend watching the full cabin tour.
Studio Lounge Access Is the Secret Benefit
The private balcony is the obvious perk, but Studio Lounge access may be what makes this cabin category truly different from simply booking a regular balcony by yourself.
Because the Solo Balcony is part of NCL's solo cabin program, I also had access to the Studio Lounge. Since my cabin was on the same deck, I could walk down the hallway whenever I wanted coffee, a snack, a Coke, or simply somewhere different to sit.
The lounge had plenty of seating along with coffee, snacks, and beer, wine, and cocktails available on tap. It was particularly useful before early excursions when I could grab coffee at 6:30 in the morning without wandering around the ship trying to find somewhere open.
The lounge itself is reserved for guests staying in eligible solo-category cabins, but Norwegian's organized solo meetups are open to solo travelers even if they are staying somewhere else. Those meetups remain one of the things I think NCL does particularly well. On my first night, a group of us ended up going to dinner together, and there were other opportunities during the week to join trivia and activities.
You can participate as much or as little as you want. For me, that combination was ideal: a big private cabin when I wanted to be alone, but an easy social option whenever I felt like meeting people.
Is the Norwegian Luna Solo Balcony Worth It?
If your goal is simply to sail Norwegian Luna alone for the lowest possible price, I would probably choose a Studio or Solo Inside instead. You are paying a significant premium for the space and private balcony, and on my sailing that meant spending about $3,300.
But if you actually enjoy spending time in your cabin, want your own outdoor space, or simply do not want to spend a week in one of NCL's very compact Studio cabins, the Solo Balcony makes a lot of sense. You get almost everything I would want from a normal balcony cabin while keeping access to one of the most useful parts of Norwegian's solo program.
Would I book it again? Absolutely, if the price were right. This was easily the most comfortable cabin I have ever stayed in while cruising solo, and it gave me exactly what I wanted: plenty of private space when I wanted to be alone and easy access to the social side of solo cruising when I didn't.
If you're trying to find one of Norwegian Luna's limited Solo Balcony cabins, I can also help you search for one and book your sailing. Head to bradonboard.com/cruises and Justin or I can help you plan your next cruise at no additional cost to you.
And if you want to see cabin 12794 for yourself, watch my full Norwegian Luna Solo Balcony tour. You can also check out my full seven-night Norwegian Luna review for a much bigger look at the ship, dining, entertainment, and what the entire cruise was like traveling solo.
FAQ
How many Solo Balcony cabins are on Norwegian Luna?
Norwegian Luna has nine Solo Balcony cabins based on the cabin inventory I used when preparing this review. Because there are so few, this is a category I would book relatively early if it is important to you. Verify current inventory when booking.
How much did the Norwegian Luna Solo Balcony cost?
I paid about $3,300 for my seven-night cruise, and my fare included Free at Sea Plus. Cruise pricing changes constantly depending on the sailing, demand, promotions, and when you book, so your price may be very different.
Can two people stay in a Norwegian Luna Solo Balcony?
The Solo Balcony category is sold specifically for one guest. It uses a layout similar to a regular balcony cabin, but it is part of Norwegian's solo cabin inventory rather than a standard balcony booked for two.
Does the Norwegian Luna Solo Balcony include Studio Lounge access?
Yes. One of the biggest advantages of booking an eligible solo-category cabin is access to Norwegian's Studio Lounge. Cabin 12794 was also on Deck 12, the same deck as the lounge, which made it particularly convenient during my sailing.
Is the Norwegian Luna Solo Balcony worth the extra money?
For me, yes, if the price is reasonable. I valued having a full-size cabin, a private balcony, and Studio Lounge access. Someone focused primarily on price would probably get better value from a Studio or Solo Inside cabin.
Can solo cruisers join NCL's solo meetups without booking a solo cabin?
On my sailing, the organized solo meetups were available to solo travelers regardless of cabin category. Studio Lounge access itself was restricted to qualifying solo-category cabins, so those are two separate benefits.
