MSC discriminating solo cruisers?

[carlmm]

2 hours ago, Rob-Bob said:

Interesting.  I wonder if the day will come when passenger history suggests they will not be spending money onboard and they will not be able to book a cruise.  If a couple does not spend anything with the cruise line on "extras" will they be flagged and prevented from booking?

One might almost hope so. Just that all those who think, solo travellers are fairly treated, will not be allowed to book while big spending singles still are. 😉

[lyndarra]

On 9/25/2023 at 10:38 PM, jimmyvh said:

I booked a solo cabin on the MSC Euribia for februari 2024. These are actually CHEAPER than the price p.p. for the cheapest normal cabins, which was a pleasant surprise, since they were already giving out really good deals. I was also allowed to choose a normal cabin, as long as I willing to pay double the price, so in my experience, MSC is pretty flexible on this.

I don't know how many of their ships even have solo cabins in the first place, but I did notice they sell out FAST. I kept checking prices and a week later, they were no longer available and I'd have to pay a lot more.

2019 MSC Divina Genoa/Miami. I booked a fly/cruise with TA and paid single supplement. I expected I would be allocated a double cabin but instead, I found I was in an obviuosly solo cabin into which a double bed had been squeezed. It was the tiniest cabin I have ever seen. Not even enough room for a chair much less a sofa.

[Essiesmom]

3 hours ago, lyndarra said:

2019 MSC Divina Genoa/Miami. I booked a fly/cruise with TA and paid single supplement. I expected I would be allocated a double cabin but instead, I found I was in an obviuosly solo cabin into which a double bed had been squeezed. It was the tiniest cabin I have ever seen. Not even enough room for a chair much less a sofa.

I think you must have had one of the insides that they now call a junior inside.  We had one on Divina also.  On the US inaugural.  At least it was only three nights.  EM

[lyndarra]

35 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

I think you must have had one of the insides that they now call a junior inside.  We had one on Divina also.  On the US inaugural.  At least it was only three nights.  EM

It was an ocean view.

[Essiesmom]

21 minutes ago, lyndarra said:

It was an ocean view.

Forgot about those junior OV cabins.  There are junior balconies, too.  EM

[lyndarra]

21 minutes ago, Essiesmom said:

Forgot about those junior OV cabins.  There are junior balconies, too.  EM

I believe it was only 132 square feet. I did a search and found a video which I think was my cabin.

It would have been really cramped with two people.

 

[nferr]

 I just priced two cruises as a solo with no problem.

[sm9690]

NCL is pretty good for solos at the moment and their website still allows you to search for just 1 pax. MSC removed this facility off the main search for some reason.

[Essiesmom]

I was just able to mock book a solo for October 26.  The two prior were ‘sold out’.  But the option is still there.  EM

[KINGBOBOFTHENORTH]

18 hours ago, sm9690 said:

MSC removed this facility off the main search for some reason.

The option is still there. It's just that for many cruises they've decided to not sell single occupancy and it will give you that message but for some you still can. Generally, the farther off the date to your proposed cruise date, the more likely single cabins are still being sold. But as Essiesmom describes above, there was single passenger availability still being offered on an October date which is not far off at all.

[Mark_T]

There is no blanket ban on single occupancy, but there is a limit on each cruise, so results will vary between cruises, it isn't any more complicated than that really...

[bobfoo]

I've also noticed a trend, not just here but with other lines too, of not selling guaranteed cabins to solo travellers.

 

So you see that the price is 'from $500', you think well OK that's going to be $1,000 for solo, provided you are happy with a basic guaranteed inside cabin, but oh no, you will be charged $1,300 because you can't book a guaranteed cabin as a solo, only double or more can do that, instead we're only going to offer you the superior cabin.

 

On 9/30/2023 at 12:26 AM, sm9690 said:

NCL is pretty good for solos at the moment and their website still allows you to search for just 1 pax. MSC removed this facility off the main search for some reason.

And yes, noticed this too. A good selection of zero or very low single supplements across wide variety of cruises over the next few months. Kind odd in the face of what others are doing. Are NCL seeing lower occupancy vs. competitors, or are the competitors just taking an approach of sticking to margins whilst leaving money on the table?

[sm9690]

On 9/30/2023 at 6:41 PM, KINGBOBOFTHENORTH said:

The option is still there. It's just that for many cruises they've decided to not sell single occupancy and it will give you that message but for some you still can. Generally, the farther off the date to your proposed cruise date, the more likely single cabins are still being sold. But as Essiesmom describes above, there was single passenger availability still being offered on an October date which is not far off at all.

Yes you can still put in 1 passenger when going into each individual cruise, but the cruise search used to have a passenger selection, so you could put 1 passenger and it show you the solo prices for all cruises.

[insidecabin]

On 10/9/2023 at 10:35 PM, sm9690 said:

Yes you can still put in 1 passenger when going into each individual cruise, but the cruise search used to have a passenger selection, so you could put 1 passenger and it show you the solo prices for all cruises.

just edit the search URL.

The passenger count is still there.

 

Eg for UK.

https://www.msccruises.co.uk/Search Result?departureDateFrom=14%2F10%2F2023&departureDateTo=02%2F11%2F2025&passengers=1|0|0|0&page=1&nights=6%2C7

[travelberlin]

Maybe this subject has been discussed before. I was interested in a cruise with MSC as a solo traveler. I have searched first for two people and there were plenty of cabins available, in all categories. But after I have searched just for one passenger, all cabins disappeared. Suddenly there was no availability anymore on that cruise. The cruise is many months from now and it is definitely not sold out. 
 

What are your experiences about this? Will cabins be released for solo travelers in case the cruise ends up not selling well?

Edited October 15, 2023 by travelberlin

[Essiesmom]

There are at least two other threads, one is quite current with thread title in all caps.  EM

[JamieLogical]

They may make the cruise available to solo cruisers closer to the sail date. It's hardly discrimination though. Shockingly, businesses are in business to make money and more people onboard means more onboard spending. I sail solo a lot, so trust me, I don't love it either. But I definitely understand the business reasons for excluding solo cruisers in non-studio rooms, if possible.

[cublet]

Hello,

 

Whether it's because I'm closer to the action or I have an Italian surname, I never have a problem booking a double cabin for solo use.

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

PS: I'd prefer that it wasn't for solo use, but that's another issue.😭

[Essiesmom]

Thread is halfway down on page 3:

 

 

[travelberlin]

25 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

They may make the cruise available to solo cruisers closer to the sail date. It's hardly discrimination though. Shockingly, businesses are in business to make money and more people onboard means more onboard spending. I sail solo a lot, so trust me, I don't love it either. But I definitely understand the business reasons for excluding solo cruisers in non-studio rooms, if possible.

Can yo explain the reasons why you understand? Solo cruisers pay at MSC double prices. Where is the lost for MSC? 
 

 

[travelberlin]

On 9/3/2023 at 11:24 PM, goldrusher said:

MSC is refusing to allow a single to book a cabin on their ships.You can go on and book a cruise and there are lots of cabins available, but then backup and change the  passenger to one and  it says no cabins available!!!   It will not let you boo a cabin even  if you pay double the rate!!!!  Have heard they want more people on board to buy drinks and spend money,  We usually book 7-9 cabins and one s a single with the others with 2-3 in a cabin and many are 1 or 2 cruises from black status..  If they will  not allow singles, they will lose all our bookings for the other cabins.   Shame on you MSC   Looks like discrimination!

For me it is definitely discrimination.

[travelberlin]

On 10/1/2023 at 6:44 AM, Mark_T said:

There is no blanket ban on single occupancy, but there is a limit on each cruise, so results will vary between cruises, it isn't any more complicated than that really...

If solo passengers pay for two, why are they putting a ban? 

[perakcruiser]

6 minutes ago, travelberlin said:

If solo passengers pay for two, why are they putting a ban? 

There is no ban, even now MSC has cruises with cabins with ZERO surcharge for single cabins. 

[travelberlin]

2 minutes ago, perakcruiser said:

There is no ban, even now MSC has cruises with cabins with ZERO surcharge for single cabins. 

Where?

[perakcruiser]

3 minutes ago, travelberlin said:

Where?

Poesia in October.