Single cost more than double

[drakes2]

6 hours ago, kasowell2 said:

Just did a mock booking on the Reflection for March 10th. A suite guarantee for two people was $4900. Not too bad but a suite guarantee for one person was $10,000. I’d make up a name and book two and just say the other person is checking in later. That’s ridiculous 

That won't work it will just be a no show and you'll still pay double. 

[RHudson1825]

1 hour ago, drakes2 said:

That won't work it will just be a no show and you'll still pay double. 

I am ok with double, i am not ok with more than double. 

[lexmiller]

I don't think this has been posted, sorry if it already has - but here's a link to a terrific article in Forbes about the single supplement, but specifically how Celebrity is blowing it big time, charging more than any of the other lines - damaging their brand and discouraging loyalty.  This was published Jan 7, before the letter posted from LHB.  

https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerdooley/2024/01/07/solo-penalty-cruise-line-charges-single-travelers-much-more-than-double/?sh=e8285815a3a5

[geminitwin]

I received my phone call from the Executive Office late last week.  "Selected itineraries for selected dates on selected ships will have a limited number of single supplements available."  The list of sailings is not available and will not be provided.   He rattled off the list of ships -- not surprising, no newer ships.  A mock inquiry of "ABC Islands in Q1 2025" shows no single availability;  closest is three sailings to ABC Islands all in Nov 2024, all leaving within a three day time span.  It's your bad luck if that week doesn't work with your schedule.  Was told that the 2025 "single supplements" were focused on Asia and New Zealand.  When I ask who determined that solo travelers wanted to travel to Asia and NZ in 2025, the answer was "Revenue Manager."  He tried desperately to redirect by telling me that the 'butler issue' and the 'wine issue' were being resolved.  As a shareholder, I seriously hope that someone at RCI has their eye on all these changes-then immediate rollbacks that are happening inside the Celebrity brand.  Management is clearly not doing their homework.  Maybe I just haven't seen it yet, but I'm surprised that no one is talking class action yet regarding unfair pricing practices.  Lots of choices when it comes to cruising, and like others here, I will vote with my travel dollars.  

[Ellaleah]

13 minutes ago, geminitwin said:

I received my phone call from the Executive Office late last week.  "Selected itineraries for selected dates on selected ships will have a limited number of single supplements available."  The list of sailings is not available and will not be provided.   He rattled off the list of ships -- not surprising, no newer ships.  A mock inquiry of "ABC Islands in Q1 2025" shows no single availability;  closest is three sailings to ABC Islands all in Nov 2024, all leaving within a three day time span.  It's your bad luck if that week doesn't work with your schedule.  Was told that the 2025 "single supplements" were focused on Asia and New Zealand.  When I ask who determined that solo travelers wanted to travel to Asia and NZ in 2025, the answer was "Revenue Manager."  He tried desperately to redirect by telling me that the 'butler issue' and the 'wine issue' were being resolved.  As a shareholder, I seriously hope that someone at RCI has their eye on all these changes-then immediate rollbacks that are happening inside the Celebrity brand.  Management is clearly not doing their homework.  Maybe I just haven't seen it yet, but I'm surprised that no one is talking class action yet regarding unfair pricing practices.  Lots of choices when it comes to cruising, and like others here, I will vote with my travel dollars.  

[Ellaleah]

And if you add the “all included” on the cruise I listed above,it’s ridiculously more fo4 a solo than 2.  I believe that Celebrity is aware of this and it is purposeful!

[geminitwin]

2 minutes ago, Ellaleah said:

Not sure why this is posted?  This simply illustrates again the point of this entire thread and others like it...

[Random Cruizer]

If they can fill all the cabins, I would guess that they couldn't care less even about bad publicity. All that matters is the bottom line--if they are filling the cabins, bad press is forgotten in time.

[Gloucester Girl]

My TA just sent me a quote for three back to back cruise as a single traveler on Celebrity Millenium. I did my research and I am being quoted 44% more than for two passengers in the same cabin category or 289% more than those same two passengers per person fare. Will Celebrity start charging a singles “surcharge” for shore excursions, drinks, gratuities, and Wi-Fi? Or will the overcharge for the cabin itself be sufficient? 

Edited January 22 by Gloucester Girl
Forgot to mention ship

[lexmiller]

31 minutes ago, Gloucester Girl said:

My TA just sent me a quote for three back to back cruise as a single traveler on Celebrity Millenium. I did my research and I am being quoted 44% more than for two passengers in the same cabin category or 289% more than those same two passengers per person fare. Will Celebrity start charging a singles “surcharge” for shore excursions, drinks, gratuities, and Wi-Fi? Or will the overcharge for the cabin itself be sufficient? 

The Forbes article clearly is pointing the finger squarely at Celebrity for being the only line doing this - unfairly targeting and penalizing single passengers.  To charge 44% MORE than the double fare is unconscionable.  Post #58, the email from LHB dated Jan 12 posted by @johhnnyt, states that "As of the end of next week, approximately 75% of our sailings will be at the same rate as a double (200%) or under than, giving a discount to singles.  This will be throughout all our deployment, all quarters and regions of the world".  This means that 25% will NOT be at 200% - they will presumably be HIGHER than that, as they are now.  So certain "in demand" destinations will remain out of reach for a single passenger, is how I'm reading this.  I'm guessing that the "exotic" itineraries such as Asia, Antarctica, etc will be a part of that 25%.......

[Ellaleah]

44 minutes ago, Gloucester Girl said:

My TA just sent me a quote for three back to back cruise as a single traveler on Celebrity Millenium. I did my research and I am being quoted 44% more than for two passengers in the same cabin category or 289% more than those same two passengers per person fare. Will Celebrity start charging a singles “surcharge” for shore excursions, drinks, gratuities, and Wi-Fi? Or will the overcharge for the cabin itself be sufficient? 

There is definitely a surcharge on the “AI” if you are a solo and also on the Cruise Care.  None of this makes any sense, but if you book solo, you will pay more for all those things!

[SouKnoMe]

On 1/12/2024 at 10:15 AM, johhnnyt said:

I emailed Laura yesterday and received this reply this morning regarding single fares

THANK YOU! 
 

I’m just returning to this thread and saw your message. I did a sample booking on a cruise that I overpaid for, and got a better deal. I appreciate everyone’s perseverance. 
 

Now if anyone knows someone at Princess who can help me get my DOB changed on their system… I’ve called five times and it keeps reverting back to the wrong one. I’m almost afraid to take the cruise. 
 

I 💜 Celebrity!

[goofysmom99]

10 hours ago, geminitwin said:

....like others here, I will vote with my travel dollars.  

My last Celebrity cruise will most likely be this year's Silhouette TA out of Barcelona.  The sum total of Celebrity's management fiascos/disasters, now added to an insulting solo penalty (which I find absolutely dumbfounding) = I'm outta here after November.  At this point, no matter if or how much they backpedal, I've already placed a large chunk of change with the competition.  Booked three cruises elsewhere for 2025 (had to be quick for great solo fares & the cabins I wanted) and can no longer imagine a scenario for returning to X in 2026/beyond.  I'm genuinely sad about what has happened to Celebrity in just one short year, but resigned to its reality.

[Ellaleah]

A little good news for solos!

Apparently Celebrity got some of the message that solos were not happy with paying over 200%.  I have a cruise booked for 10/25.  I prices for solos have just been adjusted  from the ridiculous price they were charging solos.  Also, it seems that the issue with the Cruise Care not carrying over to the final mock booking has been remedied.

[RHudson1825]

6 hours ago, Ellaleah said:

A little good news for solos!

Apparently Celebrity got some of the message that solos were not happy with paying over 200%.  I have a cruise booked for 10/25.  I prices for solos have just been adjusted  from the ridiculous price they were charging solos.  Also, it seems that the issue with the Cruise Care not carrying over to the final mock booking has been remedied.

Will look at the one I am interested in. Looking at other lines which I have not done in five years because I like celebrity. 

[ncgolferette]

Just checked a cruise I’m interested in on the Apex for June 2025.  The overcharge is still there for solos. However, the third and fourth person in a cabin cruises for free.  This is another promo Celebrity is advertising.   I got the information via an email. 

[WELDON]

Yesterday I went on the Celebrity website to see if there was a price drop for my December cruise. I was surprised to see there was a big price difference so I called Celebrity and they adjusted the price.  

I also checked the priced for my Alaska cruise in June and the price has gone up since I booked. Apparently, it is not across the board for solo price drops. 

[SouKnoMe]

5 hours ago, WELDON said:

Yesterday I went on the Celebrity website to see if there was a price drop for my December cruise. I was surprised to see there was a big price difference so I called Celebrity and they adjusted the price.  

I also checked the priced for my Alaska cruise in June and the price has gone up since I booked. Apparently, it is not across the board for solo price drops. 

But it did feel good to get the adjustment. Congrats!

[twins_to_alaska]

Prices can change multiple times in a day. On Jan 26 in the morning I repriced a cruise I had double booked down to solo as the price (subtracting the return of the fees/taxes for the bogus no show 2nd passenger) was only $36 higher. I hoped they had changed things but a few hours later it was hundreds of dollars higher again for solo.

[bobfoo]

I noticed this toward the end of last year on a few European sailings. Out of curiosity I just used the power of data grabbing to take a look at what things are like this year.

I checked all European sailings for this year from a major UK TA, and took the cheapest price for each cabin type.

What I discovered is that on average single occupancy each cabin type does work out to be roughly 200% of the double occupancy price.

There are some variations though. Interestingly sailings for February and March average above 200%, March in particular. Also, against my expectations, sailings on the older ships like Infinity see a higher figure than sailings on the newer ships like Ascent.

Thought I'd check out Royal (again, all European sailings for this year) - they're charging 230% on average. More variance by type than with Celebrity - ~220% for Inside, ~240% for Balcony.

[cruisemom42]

On 1/22/2024 at 11:44 AM, Random Cruizer said:

If they can fill all the cabins, I would guess that they couldn't care less even about bad publicity. All that matters is the bottom line--if they are filling the cabins, bad press is forgotten in time.

 

It isn't just bad publicity. I am wondering if what Celebrity is doing could be classed as discriminatory. Particularly if they have actually said something in writing about charging solo cruisers more because they spend less onboard. They are penalizing a specific category of cruiser for something that can't be universally true.

 

Some people on the solo cruisers forum have stated that this WAS actually stated by Celebrity in some communication. If anyone has a link to that communication or can post a copy of it, I would like to see it. 

 

This is just a money grab by Celebrity and it's also a slippery slope. What if, for example, they reviewed onboard spending habits by age category and found that cruiser over 70 years spent a third less than younger cruisers in general. Would they be able to make a case for charging older cruisers more? Or even more egregious, say they discovered that a certain minority ethnic group spent 40% less onboard.....

 

Of course not -- it would be discriminatory. Why are they allowed to get away with this where solos are concerned?

 

As I said, I would like to see anywhere that Celebrity has discussed this policy in writing. I did skim through the whole thread and other than the reference to the Forbes article, did not see any other links.

 

Someone mentioned YouTube reviewers commenting on this policy as well. Link please?  (It is perfectly fine to link to YouTube videos as long as they are not by a travel agency.)

 

I fully intend to follow up on my concerns with Celebrity, but I prefer to have as much information as I can ahead of time about how they have "rationalized" this penalty on solo cruisers.

 

Edited January 27 by cruisemom42

[critic2023]

I really hope this changes! I started my journey with Celebrity a bit over a year ago as a solo cruiser. I've done 2 cruises with them and have 2 more booked. I had every intention of exclusively cruising with Celebrity (unless a perfect itinerary popped up elsewhere) and eventually reaching Zenith status with them. But this new discriminatory pricing for solos has been a huge blow to my opinion of the company, and has left my future with them in question.

 

If I'm occupying a non-solo cabin, I'm happy to pay non-solo prices. That's industry standard and I expect it. Paying more than a couple would is such a huge middle finger from Celebrity, though! To have a higher price right off the bat than a couple and also not be offered the sales couples are offered feels like a hostile statement from Celebrity. I've enjoyed my cruises with them, but I no longer feel that I am welcome. I even feel a little weird as a solo on cruises that I booked prior to the price hike. It's just clear that they don't want my business, and that hurts as someone who somewhat recently made the decision to commit to them as my cruise line of choice.

 

I'm hoping this policy is reversed, and if it is, I'm happy to come back. But as it currently stands there are much better options for my vacation dollars from companies who are happy to have my business.

[ncgolferette]

I am truly disheartened that Celebrity has initiated this policy regarding solo cruisers.  Just this past week I received an email from Celebrity advertising that the third and fourth passenger in a cabin cruises free on certain cruises.  This was applicable for a cruise on the Apex next June that I have interest in. The solo fare still remains more than double. Go figure.  

[islabahia]

There are other cruiselines (Regent, Oceania, MSC) that are happy to have solo pax.  X is now all about revenue while sacrificing quality.  The suite experience has been so watered down while prices have gone stratospheric that we have moved on.  Charging solo pax more than double is unconscionable.

[Lena11033]

I am picking and choosing lines now based on itinerary and price.

 

MSC isn't always happy to have solo passengers, sometimes when you put a single into the booking it will come back with 'not available' but if you have 2 there are rooms available.

 

Right now I have stuff booked with X, NCL and MSC just based on prices and dates etc.