Single traveler but booked as a double

[nycruiser80]

I have been cruising for a long time and I even used to work in the travel business but I never came across this. I always travel with someone but I am joining my family on the Summit for a Bermuda cruise and I want my own room. I ended up booking an inside as a double as the rate was better than purchasing single occupancy. 

 

My question is, when I get to the pier I was planning on saying that my second traveler was a no show. Would they refare my room and make me pay the going single occupancy rate? Would my on board credit from Celebrity remain the same? Was wondering if anyone had experience doing this. I tried searching cruise critic but had a hard time coming across anything.

 

many thanks!

[wrk2cruise]

Don't know for sure but would expect that they would refund taxes/fees for 1 passenger but you would only get 1 set of perks so if you took the $300 OBC you would only get $150 and would only get grats for 1 if that was a perk.  In addition I believe you would only get single captains club points, not double like solo booking do.

 

Still seems a bit dishonest to me but then so does charging more than double occupancy for 1 person to a room.

[nycruiser80]

Thank you. I feel like it is dishonest as well though I am paying for two. My final payment is May 6th with a refundable deposit so I may cancel and rebook the single occupancy.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

6 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

Don't know for sure but would expect that they would refund taxes/fees for 1 passenger but you would only get 1 set of perks so if you took the $300 OBC you would only get $150 and would only get grats for 1 if that was a perk.  In addition I believe you would only get single captains club points, not double like solo booking do.

 

Still seems a bit dishonest to me but then so does charging more than double occupancy for 1 person to a room.

 

Actually I'm booked as a solo in an AQ cabin on Equinox for February and I received the full OBC as if there were two people. I'm guessing that's their compromise since we don't get refunded for the un-used portion of whichever other perk(s) a solo selects - ie: no refund for the second beverage package or second internet.

 

@nycruiser80 - Would you be able just to drop the ghost person rather than having to cancel and rebook? I'm usually on Disney where you can do that - the last thing you want to say is "cancel" in that case - but my TA has said Celebrity is different in some reservations areas, so I don't know how it works. At any rate, if for nothing else than the extra Captain's Club points, I'd go ahead and make the change. As I said above, I DID receive the full OBC as if there were two people in the cabin for my reservation.

[JFontaine]

Did you provide a second person’s name and birthday for your booking?  

[wrk2cruise]

Just curious, the single supplement was more than 200%?

[cruisestitch]

"I ended up booking an inside as a double as the rate was better than purchasing single occupancy. "

 

I have never seen this.  As wrk2cruise said, the implication is that the single supplement was more than 200%, and if so, that's a new one.

 

OP, please clarify.  And do tell us how you booked it as a double -- whose name did you give for the second passenger?  Did you pay deposits for both?  

[wrk2cruise]

Actually it was reported over a year ago that there were some supplements over 200% in Xciting deals, I think to Bermuda.  That uproar died down quickly so I figured it was either a mistake or short lived.  If you book solo I believe you only pay 1 set of taxes/fees which seem to be consistently over $200 now so I'm curious about the rate differences.

[Turtles06]

15 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

OP, please clarify.  And do tell us how you booked it as a double -- whose name did you give for the second passenger?  Did you pay deposits for both?  

 

I was curious about the name issue as well.  OP, if you have actually given Celebrity the name of (and other information about) a second passenger when you have absolutely no intention of having that person cruise with you, and you did it for a financial gain, it's possible that you might be running afoul of criminal laws prohibiting fraud.

[katrina915]

It may be a glitch in the system.  It should be the same for 1 or 2 people, but less one person's taxes and port fee when booking for one person.  It's been awhile, but I have called and the customer service rep fixed the pricing on the solo booking.  

[CPCruiser4Life]

Settle down people....If I was solo, I would think like the OP and use a good friend's name and birthday. Hey Joey, wanna cruise with me. "Sure!" 

 

Book it.

 

197 days later. 

 

Oh yeah, Joey, the cruise is tomorrow, you ready? "Shoot, man, can't go,I wish you reminded me a while ago."

 

"No big deal, Joey, I'll cancel you out when I get there!" 

 

"Ok, thanks, have a safe trip!"

 

Still a crime? C'mon people.....solo cruising is already ridiculously priced. 

 

 

[CPCruiser4Life]

Oh....My family and I are going on a cruise. Dad is joining my wife and I with our daughter. Daughter booked in my Dad's cabin, but in reality, she's staying in our room. To me, that's just smart. 

[phabric]

On Princess, I booked as solo in an inside.  I paid 2 cruise price, only 1 tax and port.  I received the OBC for 2 and 2 cruise points.

[cruisestitch]

I’m thinking “two wrongs don’t make a right”😲

[snyniew]

I cruise solo all the time and have never been charged more that double occupancy. I think by booking double and having a no show you'll only get the single captain club points vs booking solo you get double. Still get the same OBC as I believe it's per cabin not per person.

[jcpc]

I sail solo occasionally.  One time (on a cruise to Bermuda) I had to book a double cabin and cancel my friend 3 days prior to sailing in order to get the best rate.  Example:  If I booked a double occupancy, the price was $1200 per person for a total cost of $2400.  If I booked a single occupancy, the price would have been $2700.  So I booked a double and 3 days prior to sailing my TA called Celebrity and cancelled my friend from the booking.  I got reimbursed the cost of her port taxes and fees.  This only happened to me once.  All other times booking a single occupancy upfront was the exact same price as booking a double occupancy (except of course for the port fees).  So......it does occasionally happen but I don't know why!

[excitedofharpenden]

To those asking about why the fare is more expensive as a single with 200% supplement than a double. I suspect that as a single the OP can’t book a GTY cabin and take advantage of a cheaper deal so has to book a specific cabin.  I’ve come across this quite often (but it’s not true always, just most of the time).  Another way a solo cruiser is penalised. 

 

Phil

[Arubalisa]

For our upcoming Equinox cruise, I booked my brother with a "guest to be determined". 
Both passengers in his cabin had a promotional discount, no refund deposit.  Cruise fare: Guest #1 $a + Guest #2 $a = $b
At the time of booking last August, the Celebrity agent stated a passenger could be removed from the reservation but if the ship was at capacity, a guest could not be added.

He is not bringing a guest so the final invoice showed his Cruise fare: $b
Removing his guest did move Guest #2's discount to his fare so he received the full discount for the cabin.
Vacation Protection Plan was charged at the full cost of the cabin. 
Both passengers in his cabin had pre-paid gratuities. Removing his guest removed the gratuities for that guest. 
Naturally the Taxes, fees and port expenses for the guest were removed as well.
He did not take any perks and will purchase a standard beverage package, no need to OBC or internet.

Edited May 2, 2019 by Arubalisa

[hcat]

Too much finagling for me...we book what we need ...no games!

 

It's one thing if someone drops out or  is too ill to cruise but "ghosts" seem not kosher.

 

Not the same as  switching who is in the rooms...they are all booked and paid a fare

 

[Want2Cruise 701]

I know this isn't answering your question, but I posted on this same very topic this week.  The rate for 2 pax was less than going solo.  I couldn't believe it.  It wasn't much, but someone mentioned that by booking solo you get double the cruise points so I'm spending a little more.  The fare was $100 more total solo but it you deducted the taxes/ports fees plus the gratuities of one person from the 2 pax rate it ended up being $300 cheaper than the solo rate. 

 

 

[tartantiara]

My SIL and our friend are travelling with us in June, both are solos and both paid more than we did for our double occupancy, not a lot , but still more, all staterooms are next to each other 

[nycruiser80]

Thank you everyone. I appreciate the responses. I am looking at the Celebrity Summit 8/4/19 sailing and the total for a double for a Category Z gty is $1,989.06 and the total for a single in a Category 12 is $2,176.19. It is more because it is for a non-guaranteed stateroom. 

 

Currently I booked this as a double with a deposit and I used my boyfriend's name and DOB as the second person. The more I read the responses and think about it, I will be changing it to a single so I don't incur any issues.

 

Thanks again everyone.

[wrk2cruise]

So what is Celebrities reasoning for not allowing solo passengers from booking GTY categories?  Have you called Celebrity and ask if they could help you book the Z category as a solo?

[Charles4515]

41 minutes ago, nycruiser80 said:

Thank you everyone. I appreciate the responses. I am looking at the Celebrity Summit 8/4/19 sailing and the total for a double for a Category Z gty is $1,989.06 and the total for a single in a Category 12 is $2,176.19. It is more because it is for a non-guaranteed stateroom. 

 

Currently I booked this as a double with a deposit and I used my boyfriend's name and DOB as the second person. The more I read the responses and think about it, I will be changing it to a single so I don't incur any issues.

 

This happened to me a couple of times on Celebrity with a guaranty on Celebrity for Bermuda cruises.. My travel agent booked a "wife" for me in the cabin to make the booking and the "wife' was a no show. Did not have an issue either time. 

[eyecantwait]

3 hours ago, Arubalisa said:

At the time of booking last August, the Celebrity agent stated a passenger could be removed from the reservation but if the ship was at capacity, a guest could not be added.

and this is why for our "family let's celebrate my retirement cruise to Alaska" next summer we booked my single son a double  with the second passenger listed as Future insert our last name here.