To defray 'single' stateroom costs....how to find an agreeable & interesting roommate

[theTom&Carol]

Do cruise lines (Cunard) offer stateroom roommate matchup services? Likely not, but asking.

[Host Hattie]

No they don't, I think HAL used to but they have stopped now.

[hihilo]

considering everything else you can do + find, on line..... there has to be sites that address this issue

[BlueRiband]

Unless you have previously travelled with a person do not do this! There are plenty of horror stories where people got cabin mates from work, church, or affinity groups. Rarely do they turn out well.

 

On my recent trip Canada sailing two of my table mates were widowed ladies from England who were sharing a Q5 suite. I thought: How lovely that they found themselves to be compatible roommates. Not quite. They had sailed on the same voyages together before but never in the same stateroom together. One confided that it was a huge mistake as her cabin mate turned out to have some very loud and disturbing nighttime habits. And they were stuck with each other for the WB, to Canada, and back to England for the EB.

 

I could sail more often if I had a cabin mate. But the single supplement costs far less than therapy sessions or anger managment classes.

[hihilo]

And the "other side of this " ~~~ is that it can work beautifully well. My husband and I were members of a SENIORS HOME EXCHANGE program about 10-12 yrs ago, and we traded homes ( & cars ) with families, also seniors...... for a number of years. It worked absolutely fantastically, and we made excellent friends.

[BlueRiband]

And the "other side of this " ~~~ is that it can work beautifully well. My husband and I were members of a SENIORS HOME EXCHANGE program about 10-12 yrs ago, and we traded homes ( & cars ) with families, also seniors...... for a number of years. It worked absolutely fantastically, and we made excellent friends.

 

But how does that work for cruises? It's one thing to trade homes and cars but another thing to room with a stranger.

[hihilo]

All of this is ( truly ) 1st world problems, isn't it ? We are mighty lucky to be pondering these issues. Happy cruising to all in 2018 + beyond.

[Jim Avery]

No they don't, I think HAL used to but they have stopped now.

Cunard used to as well. On my first QE2 Transatlantic in 1969 I booked a single inside. Was paired with a gentleman about 40. I was in University and backpacking. He was a "day" person and I was the night owl (back then). We had very little in common but got along fine. I believe my passage was $280. Not bad for the newest, hippest ship on the oceans.:cool::cool:

[john watson]

Cunard used to as well. On my first QE2 Transatlantic in 1969 I booked a single inside. Was paired with a gentleman about 40. I was in University and backpacking. He was a "day" person and I was the night owl (back then). We had very little in common but got along fine. I believe my passage was $280. Not bad for the newest, hippest ship on the oceans.:cool::cool:

 

I remember this era, you booked the voyage by the berth and had a specifically numbered upper or lower berth (bed). Years ago people did not have such high expectations of luxury an ensuite was not a facility in your cabin just a hand basin.

 

Regards John

[ah030]

I think it can work, because there are websites for similar purposes, and they work very well! :)

 

There are websites for couchsurfing, where people offer to host travellers in their homes for free. I have been a member for 8 years and have used it over a dozen times as a traveler and more often, as a host!

There is a version for long-distance cyclists, where people open their homes for cyclists to find a warm shower.

There are websites for workaway, where accommodation is offered in exchange for some hours of daily work. The workers often are young people on gap years, and share rooms.

There are websites for car sharing, where someone who is planning a trip from, say, London to Berlin, offers available seats in their car on the trip in exchange for fuel money.

 

It works because on all of these platforms, after each interaction, both parties give each other references.

 

I think it also works because the people who are interested in these arrangements are generally pretty flexible, accommodating and considerate. And if someone isn't, then their references will reflect that!

 

I think all these things could be unpleasant for folks who have very specific needs or who are unable to be flexible... often through no fault of their own. And, they can also be unpleasant for people who are uncomfortable sharing space with strangers, which is perfectly understandable.

 

During my holiday in England this month, I spent part of it in a youth hostel, and another part in a workaway arrangement in a hotel. At various times during the month, I've shared a bedroom with a total of 4 female roommates: all of whom were strangers to me when I met them! Have shared bathroom facilities with a total of 3 more women and 3 men.

 

Every one of those experiences was perfectly fine and there were no problems.

 

For the elderly ladies above, I could understand if someone would be kept awake by a snorer, and isn't comfortable sleeping in earplugs. But a snorer wouldn't bother me at all, so it could work!

 

I think it's a great idea. I'm learning web design and app development. I'll have some free time while on the Queen Elizabeth for the next week, so maybe I'll start building a prototype :)

[BlueRiband]

I think it can work, because there are websites for similar purposes, and they work very well!....

I think it's a great idea. I'm learning web design and app development. I'll have some free time while on the Queen Elizabeth for the next week, so maybe I'll start building a prototype ...

 

I wish you success in you effort. There are however a couple of competing cruise message boards out there and at least one has a forum for offering or seeking cabin mates. Sharing a ship cabin has one key difference compared to other room sharing or home exchanges: One cannot check out the next day if it's horribly wrong.

[theTom&Carol]

I think it can work, because there are websites for similar purposes, and they work very well! :)

 

There are websites for couchsurfing, where people offer to host travellers in their homes for free. I have been a member for 8 years and have used it over a dozen times as a traveler and more often, as a host!

There is a version for long-distance cyclists, where people open their homes for cyclists to find a warm shower.

There are websites for workaway, where accommodation is offered in exchange for some hours of daily work. The workers often are young people on gap years, and share rooms.

There are websites for car sharing, where someone who is planning a trip from, say, London to Berlin, offers available seats in their car on the trip in exchange for fuel money.

 

It works because on all of these platforms, after each interaction, both parties give each other references.

 

I think it also works because the people who are interested in these arrangements are generally pretty flexible, accommodating and considerate. And if someone isn't, then their references will reflect that!

 

I think all these things could be unpleasant for folks who have very specific needs or who are unable to be flexible... often through no fault of their own. And, they can also be unpleasant for people who are uncomfortable sharing space with strangers, which is perfectly understandable.

 

During my holiday in England this month, I spent part of it in a youth hostel, and another part in a workaway arrangement in a hotel. At various times during the month, I've shared a bedroom with a total of 4 female roommates: all of whom were strangers to me when I met them! Have shared bathroom facilities with a total of 3 more women and 3 men.

 

Every one of those experiences was perfectly fine and there were no problems.

 

For the elderly ladies above, I could understand if someone would be kept awake by a snorer, and isn't comfortable sleeping in earplugs. But a snorer wouldn't bother me at all, so it could work!

 

I think it's a great idea. I'm learning web design and app development. I'll have some free time while on the Queen Elizabeth for the next week, so maybe I'll start building a prototype :)

 

 

Hi, AH030.....

 

Let's say your new "Cruise Stateroom sharing" app (or, website) could become successful.

 

Monetize the plan either by working with certain travel agencies who do the actual booking of the two individuals sharing a stateroom (and give you a kickback)... or, develop the platform kinda like a dating site where potential single cruising clients can learn about the other individual who they might choose to book with. You monetize the process by charging the two individual (only if they eventually sign up to share a stateroom) a flat fee (or small percentage of the overall cruise cost).

 

Here's your first job..... find out how other existing sites/apps work.

 

Be sure to protect your client identities on the site throughout the process until they each commit to the stateroom sharing.

 

I would love to follow your investigation and app plan development.

 

BTW, my wife and I do hostel travel, have shared bunk room space, shared bathrooms, etc. Always an interesting experience, and meeting very interesting people.... first as strangers, but then full-blown friendships.

 

T&C

 

PS.... AH030, continue with this discussion to get more valid inputs from other interested CC individuals to further define what additional features you may want to make part of your 'free' single cruisers finding their perfect stateroom 'Firstmate'.

[theTom&Carol]

Hi, AH030.....

 

Let's say your new "Cruise Stateroom sharing" app (or, website) could become successful.

 

Monetize the plan either by working with certain travel agencies who do the actual booking of the two individuals sharing a stateroom (and give you a kickback)... or, develop the platform kinda like a dating site where potential single cruising clients can learn about the other individual who they might choose to book with. You monetize the process by charging the two individual (only if they eventually sign up to share a stateroom) a flat fee (or small percentage of the overall cruise cost).

 

Here's your first job..... find out how other existing sites/apps work.

 

Be sure to protect your client identities on the site throughout the process until they each commit to the stateroom sharing.

 

I would love to follow your investigation and app plan development.

 

BTW, my wife and I do hostel travel, have shared bunk room space, shared bathrooms, etc. Always an interesting experience, and meeting very interesting people.... first as strangers, but then full-blown friendships.

 

T&C

 

PS.... AH030, continue with this discussion to get more valid inputs from other interested CC individuals to further define what additional features you may want to make part of your 'free' single cruisers finding their perfect stateroom 'Firstmate'.

 

 

 

AH030...

Forgot to mention, if 'Roscoe' is still lurking around this blog, I would love to hear his commentary on this shared stateroom app development idea. The guy's smart.... and, hope he's on this 2019 QV WC.

Hello, Roscoe? Stop feeding your cat and settle down to the keyboard?