Do Singles pay double price?

[Sundagger]

Hi Phil, yes, HAL has done roommate sharing......I have issues

with it as well..

Meeting someone for the 1st time? No thanks. They might be a nice

person, but who knows.....and I have been on my own for over

20 years~and I have a hard enough time sharing a cabin with someone

I know;) ....I just like my own space. So sharing with someone

who is a total stranger, No Thanks!

HAL has sharing *available* if you want it. You would pay the single price whether they find you a roommate or not. It's only available for inside and oceanview cabins.

 

You don't *have* to share. The last 4 cruises I've taken on HAL, I've paid 150% to 170% of the per person price - I really don't want to share my cabin with anyone. HAL has some of the most reasonable single supplement prices available, but not for the most expensive cabins - those are usually 200%, like most of Celebrity.

[SantaAna,CA]

Believe it or not, this luxury line has a great single supplement, if you book far enough out. I usually pay 125% for a gorgeous cabin all to myself. True, you take what is called "run of ship", meaning you don't know until you get to the ship what cabin you've been assigned. But on Seabourn, they are all outside cabins, beautiful, there isn't a bad one. I just booked a 15 day Caribbean trip for 2009 at 125%.

 

On my last trip, I booked run of ship at 110% supplement (2006 was the last year they were doing that low a single supplement, they are now 125, 150 or 175 percent), and they upgraded me to a french balcony. Ooo la la.

 

Jane :rolleyes:

[mitaxi]

Thanks for the info... will look into this. I am not familiar with this line.. any ship or itenerary recommendations?

[Lois R]

Believe it or not, this luxury line has a great single supplement, if you book far enough out. I usually pay 125% for a gorgeous cabin all to myself. True, you take what is called "run of ship", meaning you don't know until you get to the ship what cabin you've been assigned. But on Seabourn, they are all outside cabins, beautiful, there isn't a bad one. I just booked a 15 day Caribbean trip for 2009 at 125%.

 

On my last trip, I booked run of ship at 110% supplement (2006 was the last year they were doing that low a single supplement, they are now 125, 150 or 175 percent), and they upgraded me to a french balcony. Ooo la la.

 

Jane :rolleyes:

 

Hi Jane:) I have heard from many folks (and know a few) who

praise Seabourn. I know the yachts are quite small....don't they

hold approximately 200 passengers?

It would be nice to sail them one day but even with the low

supplement, from everything I have read, the price is way out of

my ballpark.

[SantaAna,CA]

mitaxi, as Lois R rightly pointed out, they are more expensive than other lines. The reason being, all cabins are outside cabins with huge windows (five foot picture windows). They also have walk-in closets, a sitting area, and a large, marbled bathroom. They do not have balconies per se, but little "french" balconies where you can step out, and leave the windows open (floor to ceiling) in your cabin if you wish. Can't sit out there, they are only about one foot wide! They do have owners cabins with balconies, but even those are not as expansive as the larger ships. The Pride, the Legend and the Spirit are all practically identical.

 

The Caribbean, and the transatlantic, itineraries are the least expensive. I keep going back to the Caribbean because of that, and also because I like to scuba dive. I could sail on other lines more often, but I fell in love with Seabourn my first cruise. They are a small ship (Lois, you're right; maximum are 208 passengers), cater to adults (excuse me if this is rude, but I have a serious aversion to being on vacation and having children screaming and running around my feet), are all inclusive, have incredibly interesting and well traveled passengers, and the crew spoils you up one side and down another. The quiet elegance of Seabourn suits me. It's more like being on someone's yacht than a cruise ship!

 

Also, perfect for a solo traveler, Seabourn issues invitations every night to a hosted table at dinner (they also have an open seating; you may dine whenever and with whomever you choose). Officers, entertainers, a guest lecturer, etc. will host a table for dinner and you can meet six or eight new passengers every evening. It's so nice, and makes me feel very much at home. The crew also somehow knows your name instantly, and whenever you walk around the ship, they greet you by name. The food and drink are wonderful, and of course, everything is included, even tips. That is why it costs more.

 

Seabourn will be coming out with two larger ships, the first one in 2009 with "real" balconies and a better placed swimming pool (the three Seabourn ships right now have an oddly placed pool, in an area not really conducive to socializing and it catches almost no sun at all). But yes, prepare to spend more than for the mega ships. From my perspective, the luxury is well worth it!

 

Jane

[Lois R]

Hi Jane, thanks for the "mini review":)

 

I am sure it is worth every penney and your comment about kids

isn't rude! Many folks prefer to travel with adults only. It is called

choices:D

Maybe one day, but at this point I just don't have the $$$

to pay for a Seabourn cruise. Maybe one day.......

[Go-Bucks!]

I once went on a Rick Steves tour to Europe and, as a single, had to be paired up with another single. They only offer single rooms on tours that stay in one city for a week. I was very reluctant to do this, but hoped for the best.

 

Well . . . it wasn't the best! It was awful. The other woman was obnoxious and stared at me all the time. Then she complained to the tour guide that I snored (I do, but there's not much I can do about that). So they gave us separate rooms for 2 nights, then we switched "partners" with 2 other single women. The next woman was nice, but very messy. Luckily, she snored too so neither of us cared about that. :D

 

Lesson learned: I'll NEVER do roommate pairing ever again. If I don't go with a friend or family, I'll get my own room - even if it costs more. ;)

[loftken]

I received an e-mail ad from a major airline offering a great rate on a cruise to Hawaii. The total single rate came out to twice the double occupancy rate. When the agent gave me a breakdown on the fare, the cruise fare portion was double (that's ok) He also stated (to his own dismay) that I would be required to pay double port charges. When we questioned this his supervisor said thats what the cruise line does and that if I don't like it I'd have to get a lawyer and initiate a law suit. :eek: Does anyone know of a law or regulation which governs this sort of fare calculation?

[DiannaInVA]

I received an e-mail ad from a major airline offering a great rate on a cruise to Hawaii. The total single rate came out to twice the double occupancy rate. When the agent gave me a breakdown on the fare, the cruise fare portion was double (that's ok) He also stated (to his own dismay) that I would be required to pay double port charges. When we questioned this his supervisor said thats what the cruise line does and that if I don't like it I'd have to get a lawyer and initiate a law suit. :eek: Does anyone know of a law or regulation which governs this sort of fare calculation?

 

Which cruise line is it? You could try getting a second opinion by calling the cruise line and asking them for a price quote directly.

 

Also, if you don't get any responses on this thread, try asking your question on the cruise line's forum. I know that RCI doesn't make you pay double port charges...

[loftken]

Its an NCL cruise and I was talking with American Airlines cruise dept. I have posed the question in the General Questions section here on CC. I received some interesting responses. The impression I get is that there isn't a lot of commonality or transparency in how the cruise lines identify the individual components of the total fare. There are lots of phrases like "cruise fare", "port Charges", "commissionable and non-commissionable fees", and of course "government taxes and fees". I still don't know which ones they can or cannot charge double for. :confused:

[yellowbird23]

Great cruise at single supplement of 125% on Adventure southern caribbean, 7 days...I think Sept. 07

[loftken]

If anyone is interested there's an interesting discussion regarding charges for singles in another forum. Check out "Cruise Discussion Topics", subsection "Ask a Cruise Question", under the thread "Excessive Port Charges" :)

[Host Kat]

If anyone is interested there's an interesting discussion regarding charges for singles in another forum. Check out "Cruise Discussion Topics", subsection "Ask a Cruise Question", under the thread "Excessive Port Charges" :)

To add to loftken's post, click here http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=592357 for the thread titled Excessive Port Charges on the Ask a Cruise Question Forum.

Kat

[mitaxi]

Thanks Kat

[Host Kat]

You are most welcome!

 

Glad to be of service,

Kat

[Sansouci]

[quote name='kitty9']There are always single supplements no matter what cruise line. Some lines are more fair to those of us who cruise single, while others don't give a rip how much we have to pay. They also will pay a lesser SS if they book one of the cheaper cabins---on some lines the cheapest cabins have the lowest SS percentage-wise. [/quote]

Has anyone in this forum had experience with (the dreaded) ss on Costa? I'm taking a land tour of Barcelona this spring, saw that Costa was having a sale and thought it might be nice to wrap up my trip with a 7-day Mediterranean cruise leaving from there. But when I called to get the single rate, I was told that I'd have to "pay 200% for a double & make up a phony name" for a non-exisistant cabin mate, declaring the imaginary partner as a "no-show" at check-in. This struck me as somewhat weird, to say the least. Have any of you seasoned solos had this experience or any experience with Costa Cruises?