Celebrity at it again, I guess the new CEO can’t seem to tell the truth!

[kirtihk]

24 minutes ago, Ommadawn said:

 

That would make an interesting app, one that put two solo travelers together in the same cabin with separate beds (hopefully of the same gender).

Then according to more than double charging for solo, the cruise line would quickly adopt the fine print (similar to many cruise lines’ referral program implication): “double occupation is only allowed (no exception) for family members and friends); if such a booking occurs in violation of this rule, it will be cancelled without compensation for both parties involved.”

Edited June 14 by kirtihk

[Ommadawn]

15 minutes ago, kirtihk said:

Then according to more than double charging for solo, the cruise line would quickly adopt the fine print (similar to many cruise lines’ referral program implication): “double occupation is only allowed (no exception) for family members and friends); if such a booking occurs in violation of this rule, it will be cancelled without compensation for both parties involved.”

 

Aren't you the cynic? 🙂

 

I would hope that they would embrace the ability to have two people paying extra on-board stuff like drinks, specialty restaurants, shopping and gratuities instead of one.

[kirtihk]

9 minutes ago, Ommadawn said:

 

Aren't you the cynic? 🙂

 

I would hope that they would embrace the ability to have two people paying extra on-board stuff like drinks, specialty restaurants, shopping and gratuities instead of one.

There silver lines between irony, sarcasm, and being cynical, and it requires a virtuous work to balance around that trio.

[the penguins]

4 hours ago, kirtihk said:

Then according to more than double charging for solo, the cruise line would quickly adopt the fine print (similar to many cruise lines’ referral program implication): “double occupation is only allowed (no exception) for family members and friends); if such a booking occurs in violation of this rule, it will be cancelled without compensation for both parties involved.”

It would be impossible as X would not be able to identify whether a person was a "friend" or indeed a family member.

[the penguins]

13 hours ago, kirtihk said:

Airlines don't do that, because they can sell the second seat versus cruise lines that cannot sell the second bed in the same cabin to a person who is a stranger to a person who bought the first bed in that cabin.

Cruise lines and land tour companies used to do exactly that. You could book at a sharing price and they would match you up with a companion. If they failed you got to have a room of your own at no extra cost. You had no choice over who you were matched with. Go back far enough and cruise ships/liners sold 4 berth cabins on the same basis. 

[Gracie115]

2 hours ago, the penguins said:

Cruise lines and land tour companies used to do exactly that. You could book at a sharing price and they would match you up with a companion. If they failed you got to have a room of your own at no extra cost. You had no choice over who you were matched with. Go back far enough and cruise ships/liners sold 4 berth cabins on the same basis. 

 

Tour companies still do this.  I've been on tours with Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) and Trafalgar, Insight and others that do this.

[the penguins]

1 minute ago, Gracie115 said:

 

Tour companies still do this.  I've been on tours with Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) and Trafalgar, Insight and others that do this.

thanks. There are always options and choice is great.

To return to the situation with X my actions would be:

1) to complain to X setting out exactly why it was unfair. No ranting just examples.

2) make it clear that I would not book any more cruises as a solo until the situation was resolved.

3) confirm what price difference I would accept.

4) where the current prices worked in my favour I would book with a "friend" who would regrettably be a no show at check in. I do not regard this as cheating.

 

[riredsox]

10 hours ago, Ommadawn said:

 

That would make an interesting app, one that put two solo travelers together in the same cabin with separate beds (hopefully of the same gender).

I booked a cruise in the 90’s with a company called Single World.  It was for people traveling solo but not necessarily single.  We had a group leader we did excursions with and all dined together if we so chose too.  One of the most fun cruises I’ve been on.  My roommate and I got along wonderful as did our whole group.  

[jaapie]

5 hours ago, the penguins said:

Cruise lines and land tour companies used to do exactly that. You could book at a sharing price and they would match you up with a companion. If they failed you got to have a room of your own at no extra cost. You had no choice over who you were matched with. Go back far enough and cruise ships/liners sold 4 berth cabins on the same basis. 

In the early 1970s when I was in my 20s I took four cruises as a solo. Four berth cabins (with three strangers), a sink in the cabin but no bathroom, but had a blast every cruise as just love being on a ship. (54 days until my next cruise - woo hoo - although not in a shared cabin!!)

[PTC DAWG]

5 hours ago, the penguins said:

Cruise lines and land tour companies used to do exactly that. You could book at a sharing price and they would match you up with a companion. If they failed you got to have a room of your own at no extra cost. You had no choice over who you were matched with. Go back far enough and cruise ships/liners sold 4 berth cabins on the same basis. 

Colleges in the US do this now with dorm rooms..my Neice met her roommate for this fall yesterday..

[PTC DAWG]

3 hours ago, the penguins said:

thanks. There are always options and choice is great.

To return to the situation with X my actions would be:

1) to complain to X setting out exactly why it was unfair. No ranting just examples.

2) make it clear that I would not book any more cruises as a solo until the situation was resolved.

3) confirm what price difference I would accept.

4) where the current prices worked in my favour I would book with a "friend" who would regrettably be a no show at check in. I do not regard this as cheating.

 

Re #2, I’m thinking your proposal would be acceptable to Celebrity 

Edited June 14 by PTC DAWG

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

11 hours ago, Ommadawn said:

 

That would make an interesting app, one that put two solo travelers together in the same cabin with separate beds (hopefully of the same gender).

 

Back in the early 90s Royal Caribbean did offer a solo match - yes, only same gender matches. I looked into it, but ultimately decided against it when I saw the fine print that if there wasn't a match you would be charged the difference. And you wouldn't know that until too late to back out and the extra would be due on short notice.

[the penguins]

1 hour ago, PTC DAWG said:

Re #2, I’m thinking your proposal would be acceptable to Celebrity 

depends how many people did the same. When X introduced it's compolsary AI pricing  it was swamped by the number of passengers who said and did exactly that i.e. they stopped booking.

Exactly the same thing happened when X tried to introduce smoking in the Casino i.e. passengers made it clear they would stop booking.

In the case of my actions on Solo pricing I would still book (see my point 4) but using the "dummy friend" it's just that I wouldn't book as a solo. If everyone did that X would soon get the point and change their pricing policy.

[pzsdd6]

1 hour ago, PTC DAWG said:

Re #2, I’m thinking your proposal would be acceptable to Celebrity 

The unfortunate truth is that Celebrity really doesn’t care whether we stay or go, as stated earlier, it’s all about the Benjamin’s! Until they see a down tick in revenue, however they track it, they won’t do a thing. If passengers start booking with ghost partners, they will start penalizing those who do that by leveraging the fine print in their T&C’s

[TGfromTX]

53 minutes ago, the penguins said:

I would still book (see my point 4) but using the "dummy friend" it's just that I wouldn't book as a solo. If everyone did that X would soon get the point and change their pricing policy.

Have you booked with a 'dummy' account before?  Don't you have to provide a social security number for each passenger?  And you just waited til day of cruise and called them in sick?  Or just no show.

[the penguins]

10 minutes ago, TGfromTX said:

Have you booked with a 'dummy' account before?  Don't you have to provide a social security number for each passenger?  And you just waited til day of cruise and called them in sick?  Or just no show.

when you book the only person specific things you need are: full name and a passport number (perhaps as you don't need a passport in the US for some cruises you need a Social Security Number) but as the person you are booking is "real" all those details are readily available to you - e.g. a parent, brother, sister, or in some cases your spouse who just isn't going on the cruise.

For the rest you can use your own address and telephone.

I would tell them at check in - sorry due to work issues, flight delays or they simply decided not to travel, whatever - , the other passenger won't be travelling. At that point I suspect X's response will be that, as the missing passenger might board later in the cruise, they will have to sort out any refunds (port fees, taxes etc) at the end of the cruise. At least that was the response when we called to cancel when I was rushed to hospital on the morning of the cruise - the ambulance arrived at our home just 15 minutes ahead of the taxi to take us to the port.

I wouldn't say they were ill.

[TGfromTX]

8 minutes ago, the penguins said:

as the person you are booking is "real"

Oh - I missed that part.  I wonder who I know that will give me their passport number.  LOL

[Liao]

23 minutes ago, the penguins said:

when you book the only person specific things you need are: full name and a passport number (perhaps as you don't need a passport in the US for some cruises you need a Social Security Number) but as the person you are booking is "real" all those details are readily available to you - e.g. a parent, brother, sister, or in some cases your spouse who just isn't going on the cruise.

For the rest you can use your own address and telephone.

I would tell them at check in - sorry due to work issues, flight delays or they simply decided not to travel, whatever - , the other passenger won't be travelling. At that point I suspect X's response will be that, as the missing passenger might board later in the cruise, they will have to sort out any refunds (port fees, taxes etc) at the end of the cruise. At least that was the response when we called to cancel when I was rushed to hospital on the morning of the cruise - the ambulance arrived at our home just 15 minutes ahead of the taxi to take us to the port.

I wouldn't say they were ill.

I have never had to provide my SS number.

[the penguins]

1 hour ago, TGfromTX said:

Oh - I missed that part.  I wonder who I know that will give me their passport number.  LOL

for a small fee perhaps you could do a deal with our grandson who lives in Texas 🤣😂 although as he is only 13 perhaps not.

[SEAGURRL]

This policy seems really short sighted.  For example, I am looking to book an Alaskan cruise for me and my sons and their families.  I would need a solo cabin, but sons have wives and kids.  Because of the solo charges which I won't pay, none of us are cruising with them so they lose out on 10 people, not just 1.

[Baron Barracuda]

1 hour ago, the penguins said:

I would tell them at check in - sorry due to work issues, flight delays or they simply decided not to travel, whatever - , the other passenger won't be travelling.

Why tell them anything.  Just say you are only checking in for yourself.  Your cabinmate is traveling separately and will presumably arrive later.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Many of you are missing the point.  I travel solo because I want a cabin to myself.  If I won't share a cabin with friends or relatives why would I be willing to share with some random stranger?  Granted, not everyone falls in this category, but I have many friends and cruising acquaintances who feel this way and book accordingly.  We're used to paying 200% for the cabin.  300% is beyond the beyond.  Not happening.

[billc23]

5 hours ago, jaapie said:

In the early 1970s when I was in my 20s I took four cruises as a solo. Four berth cabins (with three strangers), a sink in the cabin but no bathroom, but had a blast every cruise as just love being on a ship. (54 days until my next cruise - woo hoo - although not in a shared cabin!!)

Everything was a blast in my 20's!

[lizinindy]

23 hours ago, markeb said:

 

Have you bought concert tickets with dynamic pricing lately? The algorithms are pretty amazing. And the prices are pretty wacko. But people pay them.

 

If a cruise is in demand and the analytics say it should sell out at let's say 110% occupancy, then that cruise is going to demand a  higher rate for a single cabin than another cruise that's looking at 95-98% occupancy. And yes, the analytics are almost certainly that good.

Wow--you're crediting the Celebrity IT Dept. with a lot of brainpower and finesse! Ha ha! I still wonder if someone just clicked the wrong button!

[markeb]

51 minutes ago, lizinindy said:

Wow--you're crediting the Celebrity IT Dept. with a lot of brainpower and finesse! Ha ha! I still wonder if someone just clicked the wrong button!

 

Hardly. I assume they outsource the revenue optimization and dynamic pricing routines to someone who does that for a living. Likely as not they're buying software as a system from someone like SAS, maybe even SAS. The whole RCG leadership team is from a business operations background, and they were likely already using those systems for logistics support, so that's where they'd turn for this as well.

 

The IT department has plenty of problems, mostly I suspect from lack of funding. They wouldn't do anything this complicated with their in house IT...