shel003 Posted January 21, 2012 #1 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Hi everyone. I'm considering taking my very first solo cruise this year. To help keep costs down I was planning to book with Holland America because of their Single Share program where they try to match you with a roommate to avoid the single supplement fee. Has anyone ever used this program before? What were your experiences? I'm 30 years old and had plenty of roommates in college or when I stayed in hostels in Europe so sharing a room with a stranger isn't completely new to me. THanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitty9 Posted January 21, 2012 #2 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Well, it's not my thing, but if it works for you, then go for it. I just don't want to take the chance of getting the room mate from hell and ruining my vacation---and I've heard a number of horror stories with regards to bad match ups. But heck, you never know, you might get lucky and not get a room mate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare NorbertsNiece Posted January 21, 2012 #3 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Would not work for me either. I snore and would not want to ruin someone else's vacation! There was a thread, quite some time ago now, which concerned such a set up with two women introduced via their TA I believe and a starfish that was smuggled on board. The thread is now consigned to the CC vaults but was a classic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Lois R Posted January 21, 2012 #4 Share Posted January 21, 2012 (edited) Hi,:) I am another who would not do the share thing....I am in my mid 50s and have lived on my own for almost my entire adult life. I don't share a clicker here at home with someone I know;) so to share a cabin? And especially with someone I don't know? No thanks. There are so many reasons....not just having personality differences but just so many other things, and for me? Having my own space and how important that is to me would be at the top of the list. Then there is all the other stuff.....sharing a bathroom, hygene, then there is...what if they snore, what if they want to come in with someone they happen to meet.... what if? what if? There are just too many scenerios.....I don't share a cabin with someone I know, so to share a cabin with someone I have never met? It is not in the cards for me. It is so worth the price I pay to have my own space. Edited January 21, 2012 by Lois R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faith77 Posted January 21, 2012 #5 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Another thing to consider--a cruise cabin is a very small space to share with a stranger. I shared hotel rooms (on tours) and cruise cabins with strangers when I was younger to save on the ss. In recent years I've paid the ss and enjoyed the mix of socializing with others and having my own space at the end of each day. I was lucky with my shares years ago. All worked out ok (some better then others). But I saw some horrible matches on some of my trips. This can really ruin a cruise. Anyway, JMO. Faith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoncom Posted January 21, 2012 #6 Share Posted January 21, 2012 I have done 2 cruise shares set up by cruise company and one of the two hosted singles group cruise companies. Both were great. I called HAL several yrs. ago about share program. They do not offer it on all cruises and told me I probably would get a Senior person,I did get on HAL with a friend and average age was over 70, be aware, Look up hosted singles cruises and cruise mates dot com for a younger demographic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retiring soon Posted January 22, 2012 #7 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Hi all! I signed up for it on a 10 nt PC cruise on the Rotterdam in Feb '03 but luckily I got a handicapped cabin to myself ( & I wasn't handicapped)! I met another lady who did get matched up & when I saw the size of the cabin & how close the beds were together I was glad I didn't have to share. That being said I've never been to camp or college where you have to share with strangers. ~ Jo ~ :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Scrapnana Posted January 22, 2012 #8 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Another thing to consider--a cruise cabin is a very small space to share with a stranger. I shared hotel rooms (on tours) and cruise cabins with strangers when I was younger to save on the ss. In recent years I've paid the ss and enjoyed the mix of socializing with others and having my own space at the end of each day. I was lucky with my shares years ago. All worked out ok (some better then others). But I saw some horrible matches on some of my trips. This can really ruin a cruise. Anyway, JMO. Faith I have had similar experiences with land tours. I didn't think anything about being matched up with a stranger and met some nice ladies and one rather naive one who we never could figure out how she managed to get out of California much less meet up with the tour. On the other hand, I met a nice woman who was my age, also a teacher, and we had very similar tastes. We toured together 5 more times afterwards. Now, however, I am 20 years older and value my privacy more than saving some money. Today I would rather travel less and have my own space. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chmielel Posted January 22, 2012 #9 Share Posted January 22, 2012 I booked a HAL Single Share for a 21 day Panama Canal Cruise in 2009. I was told that I would have my own cabin it they could not find a cabin mate for me and that I would probably get an upgrade if I did get a cabin mate. I shared the cabin but we didn't get an upgrade. I enjoyed my cabin mate - we are still in contact. I was shocked to learn that other solo travelers on that Panama Canal cruise when in the same category cabins as I but they had paid less than me and had a cabin all to themselves. That was the last time I use the Single Share program. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
outerspaceguy Posted January 22, 2012 #10 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Hi everyone. I'm considering taking my very first solo cruise this year. To help keep costs down I was planning to book with Holland America I am also in my 30s and also recently cruised as a Solo on the HAL Noordam, and I now no longer recommend cruising as a 30ish year old solo on HAL. I found them to be one of the most solo unfriendly cruise lines out there, and I've done a total of 12 cruises now on most of the major lines. I am not planning on cruising again with HAL. My two cents... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shel003 Posted January 22, 2012 Author #11 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Thanks everyone for your feedback... it's always better to hear real life experiences before deciding such big choices like these. I think I'll hold off for now and wait til something else comes along. I wasn't over the moon with the itinerary but had really wanted to take a trip this year. This just means I'll take a nicer one next year. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelnap Posted January 23, 2012 #12 Share Posted January 23, 2012 Thanks everyone for your feedback... it's always better to hear real life experiences before deciding such big choices like these. I think I'll hold off for now and wait til something else comes along. I wasn't over the moon with the itinerary but had really wanted to take a trip this year. This just means I'll take a nicer one next year. :) Shel003, I think you are making a good choice, find an itinerary you love, and hopefully a good price where you can sail as a solo and not have to worry about getting a room mate that will ruin your trip. I would agree with Darci, Lois, NN, and the other posters that the solo route is much more enjoyable and a lot less risky than ending up with the so called "Roomie from Hell". Yes it costs more to sail solo but to most of us on this board it is well worth the price to have an enjoyable trip. Happy Sailing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrivesLikeMario Posted January 27, 2012 #13 Share Posted January 27, 2012 The ones I've heard about with the matching have all been very senior citizens. If you're a flexible person that doesn't let other people bother you much, then you'd probably be fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PINEVIEW01 Posted January 27, 2012 #14 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Carnival used to have that program. I met one lady in the Lido over and over as her roomie locked her out. If I was her roomie I might have done so too. The woman was sick when she boarded, and sneezed and snorted all over. That was the cruise my DH got nor-virses (sp) on. He had spent a lot of time in the Lido deck and she had talked at him many times. She was a little off too. When I did my Liberty TA, I met a neat lady named Doris. I had met her here on our roll call. She got a Lady with early Alzhimer's. More than once I found her wondering and took her back to her cabin. They had done a med before the TA. I felt so bad for Doris. She called the son and gave him heck for putting his Mom on a ship like that. She could have been left in Europe. On the other side I met a young man that booked the same way along with a friend and his Mom. All three ended up with thier own cabin. The two friend thought they would be put togeather but, not. I thought about doing this but, Carnival stopped doing it before I started cruising solo. I couldn't do it now. Even though I have met several friend here on CC. I have gone on to cruise with three different women. One worked out GREAT, one was Good and one not so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doris1930 Posted February 2, 2012 #15 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Hi Melody, It's me Doris. Just happened to catch your post. Drop me a line when you have time. dorassb @ hotmail.com Would love to hear from you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PINEVIEW01 Posted February 2, 2012 #16 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Hi Melody, It's me Doris. Just happened to catch your post. Drop me a line when you have time. dorassb @ hotmail.com Would love to hear from you. How are you doing. I sure miss you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shipfriend_max Posted September 1, 2016 #17 Share Posted September 1, 2016 Hi @all, does anyone have recent solo share experiences? I am interested in it, especially for Koningsdam, Norway, next year. Does HAL still offer this program? If so, how to book, and how does it work? If I share a cabin with an equal-sex member, I do just need to pay the regular cabin price? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare sambamama Posted October 12, 2016 #18 Share Posted October 12, 2016 Sometimes they do and sometimes they don't. I looked into it when I was going to cruise with HAL to Alaska, and it was more to book that than to pay a single supplement. Sometimes the supplement is 25%. Ways to get around it are to book a lower category guarantee cabin , post to try and find a room mate, or have a great TA. My current TA got me a $1000 fare for a guarantee inside cabin on a transatlantic cruise. You find better deals for less popular cruises. Transatlantic cruises seem to have very good deals on them. Or if you have the ability to travel last minute, booking after final payment can snag you deals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelady65 Posted September 27, 2017 #19 Share Posted September 27, 2017 I did the share system when i sailed Princess a while ago...but as of now, they do not do the share system any longer...but my roommate was a roommate from hell...obviously the woman had issues....and i could not deal with them....she had to have had a nervous breakdown, as she never got out of her bed, only of course to shower and go to the bathroom...but all she did was stay in bed and talk to herself... I finally went down to hotel director, and told him of the situation...and they did move me to another cabin...but never, ever again would i share with another person, without meeting with them first... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogboy Posted October 13, 2017 #20 Share Posted October 13, 2017 I did the share system when i sailed Princess a while ago...but as of now, they do not do the share system any longer...but my roommate was a roommate from hell...obviously the woman had issues....and i could not deal with them....she had to have had a nervous breakdown, as she never got out of her bed, only of course to shower and go to the bathroom...but all she did was stay in bed and talk to herself... I finally went down to hotel director, and told him of the situation...and they did move me to another cabin...but never, ever again would i share with another person, without meeting with them first... That sounded pretty scary. NCL has nice Studio Cabins and they arrange a solo meeting every night. BTW Did you go to Westbury HS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crusinpsychRN Posted October 15, 2017 #21 Share Posted October 15, 2017 No way would I share with a stranger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PROCRUISE Posted October 18, 2017 #22 Share Posted October 18, 2017 No way would I share with a stranger. LOL. I can see by your handle, what you do or did do. Having spent 25+ years as an ER RN and attending to some of your patients, I concur with you! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
accio_7 Posted November 5, 2017 #23 Share Posted November 5, 2017 I would only consider a room share with DCL only because the cost is astronomical for solo cruisers. I attempted to book a cruise with a fellow single female from a Disney FB group earlier in the summer, but it didn’t end up working out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy_traveller Posted April 28, 2018 #24 Share Posted April 28, 2018 I once got a shared cabin, but my roomlady didn’t show up at all. We met through internet so i made the voyage by myself A cheap way to get a very good trip!! Verzonden vanaf mijn iPhone met Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmy2x Posted April 28, 2018 #25 Share Posted April 28, 2018 In January of this year I lost my wife of almost 45 years. Am joining a couple next year that we met on a previous cruise a number of years ago. It will be nice to have them along, but I would not dream of sharing a cabin with a stranger. The cost for the cabin is exactly what it would be if she was still with me. Had enough “sharing “ with strangers in 20 years with the USN. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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