Newb solo cruiser, looking for suggestions

[John73]

Looks like my other thread was deleted due to mentioning specific websites and travel agencies (although odd that I didn't receive any notice of it happening or why). Sorry 'bout that Mods.

 

For this thread, if anyone knowns of any sailings this summer with low or no single supplement please post them up or let me know. I'm looking for warmer weather sailings such as to the Eastern Caribbean, Mexico, etc. I can take up to a week off from work but not much longer due to other trips I have. And it has to be from a US port, I can't quite afford the extra time involved in heading from SEA to a European or other intl port.

 

Should I try to get a cruise on the Solstice or a newer class ship?

 

Should I avoid September due to the hurricane predictions this year?

 

Any other member know of sailings that have low single supplements?

 

 

Thanks in advance!

[kelmac]

mikelat,

 

Check in with Lois --- she seems to have the scoop on this subject! Great lady; a no nonsense person; who is happy and fun to be around!

 

Enjoy!

Kel:)

[John73]

This may be a dumb question, but who is Lois? And how do I get in touch with her?

[kelmac]

This may be a dumb question, but who is Lois? And how do I get in touch with her?

 

Lois is always around! Let me rub my magic lamp -- (see will respond in the next 24 hours!):rolleyes::)

 

Lois has done 20+ solo cruises with Celebrity and is well know on the Celebrity boards.

 

Stay tuned!

Kel:D

[kitty9]

You are not going to find any cruises where there's no single supplement unless you go on either NCL Epic or HAL's Prinsendam, which have specially dedicated single cabins. I have more than 25 cruises on Celebrity where I had my own cabin, and the cost was 200%, with the exception of one where they did give me a cabin at 175%.

 

The Solstice Class ships are the newest of Celebrity's fleet, so you're not going to find anything newer. I have two X cruises booked, in my own cabin, and I paid the full double fare for both, less one of the port taxes. Like I said, you're not going to find low or no single supplements on Celebrity.

 

Carnival has their 1A inside cabins for 150%, and Crystal has their single supplement set at 125% for their C through E categories, and that's the lowest single supplement I've ever experienced.

[John73]

You are not going to find any cruises where there's no single supplement unless you go on either NCL Epic or HAL's Prinsendam, which have specially dedicated single cabins. I have more than 25 cruises on Celebrity where I had my own cabin, and the cost was 200%, with the exception of one where they did give me a cabin at 175%.

 

The Solstice Class ships are the newest of Celebrity's fleet, so you're not going to find anything newer. I have two X cruises booked, in my own cabin, and I paid the full double fare for both, less one of the port taxes. Like I said, you're not going to find low or no single supplements on Celebrity.

 

Hi Kitty9,

I have to disagree with you. The one cruise I have already booked is on Celebrity in December and has "only" a 38% single supplement on it. I realize that I won't find 0%, but I'm looking for more things in the <50% range like the trip I already have booked.

[zebra36]

Though most sailings will have a single supplement look for sailings that may have special fares which may make the single supplement more palatable.

[Lois R]

Hi Kelly, thanks for the compliment.:)

 

38% single supplement? Where did that figure come from?:eek: Maybe you

are adding things differently? Example of how I look at it...lets say

its 500.00 per person.....double occupancy. That would mean a solo

traveler would be 1000.00 (less one set of taxes and fees).

That is 200%. Now if you were to pay 150% that would be 750.00.

Where is 38% coming from?

 

I agree with Darcie. You might find a 150% or 175% supplement on

an ocassional Happy Hour price but usually you pay double.

 

Celebrity and Royal both charge double for a solo.

[Xport]

And, like Kitty9, I've yet to find a sailing for which the solo base cruise rate isn't 200% of the per person rate plus port taxes for one...

 

Out of curiosity, what sailing are you doing in December that carries a reduced single supplement?

[Lois R]

Hi Mike:) they do sometimes offer 175% or 150% on Tuesday Happy

Hour prices but of course those are only for certain sailings.

 

Ok,you, me, and Darcie all pay double. I think 38% is something

funky:eek:

[Xport]

Boy, I'll need to look at those Tuesday Specials far more carefully! But then, I tend to book way in advance to get the stateroom I want...

 

I don't use a Travel Agent but it occured to me after my earlier post that I suppose it's possible that the OP found a cruise with a reduced Single Supplement and that his TA provided an On Board Credit [as some evidently do; via partial commission rebate] so as to effectively reduce the overall Single Supplement to 38%... If that's the case, it is--I guess--another way of looking at it...

[John73]

Sorry, I meant it was only an additional 38% over the per person/double occupancy rate. For example, and these are just hypothetical #s, if the pp/do fare was 1000, then I paid 1380. My actual rate did include a small on board credit, but I didn't factor that in to this costing.

 

I'm hoping that isn't an anomaly to find reduced single supplements like this. But from the responses here it's sounding like it is. Are there other lines that more commonly reduce the amount to be 150% or less?

[John73]

Out of curiosity, what sailing are you doing in December that carries a reduced single supplement?

 

I'm on the December 13, 2010 11-night Caribbean sailing out of SJU.

[Lois R]

Sorry, I meant it was only an additional 38% over the per person/double occupancy rate. For example, and these are just hypothetical #s, if the pp/do fare was 1000, then I paid 1380. My actual rate did include a small on board credit, but I didn't factor that in to this costing.

 

I'm hoping that isn't an anomaly to find reduced single supplements like this. But from the responses here it's sounding like it is. Are there other lines that more commonly reduce the amount to be 150% or less?

 

Most of the Mass Market lines charge double with the ocassional lower

supplement.

From everything I have read on here Carnival sometimes offers lowers

supplements.

And if you want to look at the true luxury lines, Seabourn, Crystal,

for example....they also have much lower supplements on some sailings

but their overall price is quite high so the low supplement doesn't

help me.

 

I really no longer look at the supplement, rather at the total price.

If I feel like I am getting a good value for my $ and the cost

is within my budget? Then I book it. It is what it is. I still feel

cruising is the best vacation my $ can buy.

[kitty9]

My question is, how did you manage 38%? I've never heard of that, and I've got more than 40 cruises as a solo, on many different lines. Was this a promotion from a travel agent? On my December 5 Solstice cruise, I have a Sunset Veranda which runs $899 per person, but my total cost for this cabin is $1639, which when you subtract the port taxes and fees for a second person, is right around the 200% mark. For my January, 11 night cruise on Equinox, the Sunset Veranda ran $1549 per person, and my cost is $2879, again when you include the extra port taxes and fees that I don't have to pay, it's again 200%.

 

So, I'd really like to know how you found a 38% single supplement on Celebrity.

[kitty9]

I did a quick check for an 11 night cruise out of San Juan, using Celebrity's website and found the following prices, for two per cabin and for a solo. A 2A runs a solo $1849, and for a couple the fare is $2058. For an Ocean View, 07, the cost for a solo was listed as $1729, and for the couple it's listed as $1938. No matter how you look at it, every price for a solo was roughly 200% of the per person price, minus the second set of port taxes.

 

So, for Lois and me, along with all the other solos out there who are paying the 200%, what's your secret? We'd love to be able to take advantage of a 38% supplement on Celebrity.

[Xport]

I'm on the December 13, 2010 11-night Caribbean sailing out of SJU.

 

Those pre-holiday cruises in December do tend to be among the best priced [it's a slow travel time] but, wow, I can't come up--as Darcie noted--with anything close to a 38% Single Supplement [but I also understand that timing is everything when it comes to booking] for that sailing... Revel in your bargain; those kinds of deals sure don't come along every day [or, in my case--to date, ever]!

 

To paraphrase and take some license with a line from "When Harry Met Sally"... I'll have what he's having!

[Lois R]

Quote By Xport

"from "When Harry Met Sally"... I'll have what he's having"

 

Me too Mike:D

[John73]

My other thread got closed down (and totally removed) for, I assume, posting the site where I found the deal so I want to be careful to not have this one closed down too. Sorry that I can't share more but it's apparently against the rules :(