Pricing Conumdrum

[procter]

Hi fellow Azamaraites


Looking for some advice either legal or informed on the following situation.
I had booked with my wife to go to a restaurant for a fixed price meal.
When I arrived there was a notice advising that solo/single people could have a half price offer that night.
I have several questions.
1: Is it legal to discriminate against married or partner couples in this way?
2: Should I have been entitled to the same half price meal?
2: Should my wife and I gone in separately and met coincidentally inside?


Opinions please

[MIKESCOTLAND]

It may depend on what country you are in. As far as the UK is concerned:-

1 Yes except it is arguably not discriminatory & it is not covered by the discrimination legislation. It is legal. Often single people have to pay more for holidays etc. & this is also legal.

2. No

3. I think it is very likely you & your wife could make separate bookings & both get the benefit of the special single rate but, of course, you may end up sitting separately.

To be frank & ignoring the law I think it not unreasonable for special deals to be made for single people who otherwise might not go to the restaurant particularly if there are often unused single tables.

[Xport]

It is not uncommon--at least in the United States--for land-based restaurants [and bars, supermarkets, etc.] to offer "Two For One" or "Buy One Get One Free" promotions that are often of no--or of doubtful--value to a solo... One also sees such offers aboard cruise ships [don't know if the practice is used on Azamara but Royal Caribbean and Celebrity certainly employ them] at onboard bars and specialty restaurants [not to mention single supplements--most often 100%--on cruise fares and diminished loyalty benefits (ie; half the internet time; half the laundry allowance) for equal allegiance and equal spend]...

I'm not an attorney but tend to doubt that such practices would be so pervasive if illegal... And while I'd personally prefer that such offers be expressed on a half-price for all basis, I--as a solo--either adapt to get the experiences I want [for instance, I like cruise vacations] or vote with my feet--ashore or aboard ship--to bypass those that I find unimportant and exploitative from a pricing perspective...

[Reggiefan]

Who knows.

Where did it happen? Which nation's or sovereign's law would apply? Which nation or sovereign would be enforcing any applicable law? I don't know, though the questions would be appropriate were we talking about a serious incident, and surely admiralty lawyers could provide a much more informed response.

I know that the subject was raised largely out of curiosity, but the real answer is that the game is not worth the candle. And singles routinely pay much more than couples on a per head basis. I have to applaud the cruise line by offering this small perk to singles to make them feel more comfortable during the cruise.

[Reggiefan]

Sorry if I was erroneously assuming that the practice occurred on a cruise ship. I still think this is much about nothing--ladies often drink free in nightclubs whereas men have to pay for their drinks. But I am sure that, if this happened in the US, someone might try to make this a class action--that is where the money is for the lawyers.