Holland matchup service

[tack42]

Has anyone ever taken a cruise with HAL where they matched you up with a roommate? Want to cruise but don't like single supplement fees. Thanks for your help Tom

[pipedreams62]

About my roommate

 

 

[FlorenceItaly]

Hi Tom,

 

I cruise solo sometimes. My experience has been that there are much better deals out there than booking with HAL directly. HAL has much higher rates than you can find with an on-line agency. Shop around. My supplements have run 120-150% with my own cabin. Btw, HAL has some of the most reasonable solo rates.

 

 

 

Marie

cruzcrzy@yahoo.com

[cruz chic]

Hi Tom,

 

I cruise solo sometimes. My experience has been that there are much better deals out there than booking with HAL directly. HAL has much higher rates than you can find with an on-line agency. Shop around. My supplements have run 120-150% with my own cabin. Btw, HAL has some of the most reasonable solo rates.

 

 

 

Marie

cruzcrzy@yahoo.com

I have to disagree to a certain degree. Yes the supplements are reasonable but look at the bottom line price. I cruise single all the time and have found that Princess has lower price bottom line then HAL even though they charge 200%.

 

I've heard of several people being matched with a roomate and for the most part it seems to work. I would not do it myself. My comfort is worth more then money to me....and no I'm not rich. I usually pick the cheapest room on the ship.

[FlorenceItaly]

I agree, I would not want to be matched up. I have too much in the vacation invested to be ruined. And, I agree about the botoom line price. However, for myself, whenever I have checked Princess the price has always been more than HAL. But, I realize it depends on ship, date, etc.

 

 

 

Marie

[azsunshine]

Hi all,

 

Being recently widowed, and having a love of cruising, I am wondering what some of the "unexpected" I should expect while cruising single. I have cruised a lot, and have friends sailing with me, but still a bit apprehensive. Any help/warnings or encouragement is happily received. I am not a kid, I am an older baby boomer. :eek:

 

thanks

[cruz chic]

Hi all,

 

Being recently widowed, and having a love of cruising, I am wondering what some of the "unexpected" I should expect while cruising single. I have cruised a lot, and have friends sailing with me, but still a bit apprehensive. Any help/warnings or encouragement is happily received. I am not a kid, I am an older baby boomer. :eek:

 

thanks

I cruise by myself all the time and feel very safe. You have to take the same precautions however that you would at home. I don't usually go outside the port to much on my own unless it is on a tour. I've heard of incidents at sea but it appears to happen on other lines. Like I say however you do need to use common sense.

[kryos]

Has anyone ever taken a cruise with HAL where they matched you up with a roommate? Want to cruise but don't like single supplement fees. Thanks for your help Tom

You're a guy, so you might luck out and get the cabin to yourself. So maybe it would be worth doing the single share in your case. But if you were a woman, I'd warn you to steer clear. You're better off paying the single supplement which really isn't that bad with HAL. When you do guaranteed share, you have to reserve the larger category staterooms in inside and outside categories. Those are priced higher. So even when you pay the single share rate, you're still paying a higher rate because you're in a bigger stateroom.

 

I personally would rather get a lower category stateroom that is cheaper, and try to get a good deal on a single supplement. Often you can get these for 140% to 150%, and at least you have the cabin to yourself.

 

Nothing is worse than having an incompatible roommate, especially on a longer cruise. The only way I would share now is with someone I personally pre-screened or knew. HAL does no pre-screening at all. They are only looking for like gender. If they have two guys ... even if one is 30 something and one is 80 ... they will put them together. They also don't let you contact the roommate ahead of time to explore compatibility issues. Basically you take "pot luck," and if it doesn't work out, oh well. You're stuck. Often the ship will be fully booked and there won't be anything you can do about it. You can't even offer to pay for another stateroom to get away from the roommate from hell because there might not be any staterooms available.

 

I've shared cabins before, and in all but the first case where a writer's conference matched me up with another writer for the cruise, I have always shared with people I knew either from cruise message boards or prior cruises. These were people who I got to know ahead of time, and was able to have discussions with them about the "ground rules."

 

Think about it. What happens if your roommate likes to stay up late with all the lights on and you like to turn in early? What happens if your roommate has certain, ahhhhhh, shall we say, personal hygiene problems? What happens if one of you is a bathroom hog? What happens if you tend to be messy and he's a neat freak or visa versa? The list is endless. The potential incompatibilities can be virtually infinite.

 

I say steer clear of HAL's single share. It's too much of a dice roll.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

Hi all,

 

Being recently widowed, and having a love of cruising, I am wondering what some of the "unexpected" I should expect while cruising single. I have cruised a lot, and have friends sailing with me, but still a bit apprehensive. Any help/warnings or encouragement is happily received. I am not a kid, I am an older baby boomer. :eek:

 

thanks

Nothing "unexpected" at all. Go and have fun. Especially if you are on a longer cruise, there'll be lots of other singles onboard too. And even the married couples ... often the husband and wife are not joined at the hip for the entire cruise and you'll meet lots of them as well.

 

I cruise solo a lot. In fact, I'm going on a 35-day Hawaii/South Pacific cruise next month as a solo. It's great and I got a decent single supplement on the cabin, so that I will have a refuge to come back to at night without having to worry about a potentially incompatible roommate.

 

On many cruises, there will be a singles meet and mingle probably the first evening. Go and see who you meet. On my Hawaii/South Pacific cruise in 2006, we had so many singles and solos on the boat that the cruise director had a member of his staff organize singles activities on every sea day ... group lunches in the dining room, a dinner at the Pinnacle, lemonade socials in the Lido, ice cream parties, you name it.

 

HAL welcomes singles. So go and enjoy yourself.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

I've heard of several people being matched with a roomate and for the most part it seems to work. I would not do it myself. My comfort is worth more then money to me....and no I'm not rich. I usually pick the cheapest room on the ship.

Your mileage sure differs from mine. There were a bunch of single share people on my Hawaii/South Pacific cruise in 2006 who were absolutely miserable. They had roommates who got on their nerves, and were stuck with them for 30 days. The boat was fully booked and there were no extra cabins for people to move to. A couple I spoke to had asked. They were so miserable they were willing to PAY for another cabin just to get away from the roommate.

 

Types of problems? One guy who roomed with another who was very rude. He would wander back to the cabin late at night when his roommate was asleep, and turn on all the lights, and sometimes the tv. Occasionally, he would even decide to order room service!

 

A woman who was sharing with another lady who had a hacking cough. Don't know if she was ill or if this was just something she deals with routinely. But the roommate was a light sleeper ... and she was getting very little sleep listening to this hacking all night.

 

Another male who was with a guy who had an aversion to taking regular showers. Nuff said.

 

The list goes on and on.

 

I'm sure there were some compatible shares that I just didn't hear about ... especially since there were loads of singles on that cruise. But I'd just rather not take any chances with my vacation dollars by sharing a cabin with someone I don't know. Especially if you're on a longer cruise, it's just not worth it.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[cruz chic]

Your mileage sure differs from mine. There were a bunch of single share people on my Hawaii/South Pacific cruise in 2006 who were absolutely miserable. They had roommates who got on their nerves, and were stuck with them for 30 days. The boat was fully booked and there were no extra cabins for people to move to. A couple I spoke to had asked. They were so miserable they were willing to PAY for another cabin just to get away from the roommate.

 

Types of problems? One guy who roomed with another who was very rude. He would wander back to the cabin late at night when his roommate was asleep, and turn on all the lights, and sometimes the tv. Occasionally, he would even decide to order room service!

 

A woman who was sharing with another lady who had a hacking cough. Don't know if she was ill or if this was just something she deals with routinely. But the roommate was a light sleeper ... and she was getting very little sleep listening to this hacking all night.

 

Another male who was with a guy who had an aversion to taking regular showers. Nuff said.

 

The list goes on and on.

 

I'm sure there were some compatible shares that I just didn't hear about ... especially since there were loads of singles on that cruise. But I'd just rather not take any chances with my vacation dollars by sharing a cabin with someone I don't know. Especially if you're on a longer cruise, it's just not worth it.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

You are making it sound like something I like to do. Like I said, it's not for me. I have heard the good experiences on this board and a few first hand. I have friends that say they want to come with me....no way. I enjoy my alone time. I recharge my batteries by being alone. Others need constant companionship....not me.

[pipedreams62]

You're a guy, so you might luck out and get the cabin to yourself. So maybe it would be worth doing the single share in your case. But if you were a woman, I'd warn you to steer clear. You're better off paying the single supplement which really isn't that bad with HAL. When you do guaranteed share, you have to reserve the larger category staterooms in inside and outside categories. Those are priced higher. So even when you pay the single share rate, you're still paying a higher rate because you're in a bigger stateroom.

 

I personally would rather get a lower category stateroom that is cheaper, and try to get a good deal on a single supplement. Often you can get these for 140% to 150%, and at least you have the cabin to yourself.

 

Nothing is worse than having an incompatible roommate, especially on a longer cruise. The only way I would share now is with someone I personally pre-screened or knew. HAL does no pre-screening at all. They are only looking for like gender. If they have two guys ... even if one is 30 something and one is 80 ... they will put them together. They also don't let you contact the roommate ahead of time to explore compatibility issues. Basically you take "pot luck," and if it doesn't work out, oh well. You're stuck. Often the ship will be fully booked and there won't be anything you can do about it. You can't even offer to pay for another stateroom to get away from the roommate from hell because there might not be any staterooms available.

 

I've shared cabins before, and in all but the first case where a writer's conference matched me up with another writer for the cruise, I have always shared with people I knew either from cruise message boards or prior cruises. These were people who I got to know ahead of time, and was able to have discussions with them about the "ground rules."

 

Think about it. What happens if your roommate likes to stay up late with all the lights on and you like to turn in early? What happens if your roommate has certain, ahhhhhh, shall we say, personal hygiene problems? What happens if one of you is a bathroom hog? What happens if you tend to be messy and he's a neat freak or visa versa? The list is endless. The potential incompatibilities can be virtually infinite.

 

I say steer clear of HAL's single share. It's too much of a dice roll.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

 

[Sleepladypalmdesert]

Had a friend who tried this on another line. Got a roommate with a horrible snoring and flatulance problem. Made for a horrible time. I would fall off my wallet and pay the supplement.

[kryos]

You are making it sound like something I like to do. Like I said, it's not for me. I have heard the good experiences on this board and a few first hand. I have friends that say they want to come with me....no way. I enjoy my alone time. I recharge my batteries by being alone. Others need constant companionship....not me.

If you're talking about turning on lights and TV late at night ... me too. Sometimes I like to read late at night as well. But when you have a roommate, that's not always something you can rightfully do. She has the right to a good night's sleep. And that is why I don't like to share, especially on longer cruises. I just like to have my space and my freedom. It's worth paying the single supplement for.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

Had a friend who tried this on another line. Got a roommate with a horrible snoring and flatulance problem. Made for a horrible time. I would fall off my wallet and pay the supplement.

Oh, man ... that must have been a wonderful cruise for your friend. :(

 

On my first cruise, the writer's conference ... I felt so bad for one of the writers. The writer's conference offered a message board to help writer's hook up with each other to share cabins. This one woman met a writer she seemed to think a share would work with. What the other writer didn't tell her, though, was that she was pretty much disabled and would need considerable help during the cruise.

 

They get to the cabin and meet. This other writer, being a very nice person, winds up spending the better part of her vacation taking care of the roommate ... helping her get ready for bed, helping her get dressed and showered in the morning, getting her meals in the Lido ... you name it.

 

And I thought I had it bad getting hooked up with a woman half my age. This girl was a trip too. When we hooked up on the message board, I had already had a room booked. She was the one who posted to say that she wouldn't be able to go on the cruise after all because her prior roommate had to cancel out and she couldn't afford a cabin on her own. I felt bad for her and emailed her ... I told her "I'm a smoker, but if you can deal with that, you can share my cabin." She jumped at the chance.

 

We get onboard and everything seems to be going fine. Sure, she's much younger than me, but nobody said we had to be joined at the hip either. We're getting ready for bed the first night I'm onboard (I missed the first three nights of the cruise due to airline problems ... another story). I go to light my before bed cigarette and this woman pipes up with "Please, don't smoke in here." Whaaaaaaatttttt? When I gently reminded her that I told her I was a smoker and she said she had no problem with it, her response was that yes, it was fine if I smoked in the cabin, but only when SHE wasn't there.

 

What a jerk.

 

To keep peace, I didn't smoke around her for the rest of the cruise, but I swore I would never room with someone I didn't know again. And, I haven't.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[mrskmirolla]

Hey Tom,

 

What did I tell you these guys know their stuff. I just wonder if you could write ahead of time and ask who is interested in sharing a cabin on a particular cruise and then you could e-mail each other and possibly call. Hey put it out there you never know.

 

Love You Big Brother,:D

 

Kathy

[cruz chic]

If you're talking about turning on lights and TV late at night ... me too. Sometimes I like to read late at night as well. But when you have a roommate, that's not always something you can rightfully do. She has the right to a good night's sleep. And that is why I don't like to share, especially on longer cruises. I just like to have my space and my freedom. It's worth paying the single supplement for.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

I agree 100%.....I'll always pay the single supp.

[Juanita462]

On our last cruise a woman was partnered with a deaf person who had all the deaf equipment in the cabin - trouble is, she left it on day and night and every noise would set off the alarm. This poor woman hardly got any sleep and spent every day in the lounge sleeping in a chair. She went to customer relations in hopes of making a change but they wouldn't budge even though there were empty cabins - she couldn't afford the extra single supplement so spent 64 days like that. they also paired them at a table so her only conversation was with people at the next table.

 

They said they couldn't discriminate against a deaf person but this woman said "you are discriminating against me".

 

No partnering for me if I were to sail single!

[FlorenceItaly]

Hey Tom,

 

What did I tell you these guys know their stuff. I just wonder if you could write ahead of time and ask who is interested in sharing a cabin on a particular cruise and then you could e-mail each other and possibly call. Hey put it out there you never know.

 

Love You Big Brother,:D

 

Kathy

 

 

Hi Tom,

 

no disrespect to your sister, but trust us, and pay the single supplement. It is well worth it. If you travel in an inside or outside you can find a decent rate. Now, the balconies and higher, you will be paying 200%. Anymore, if my dh can not sail with me, I go alone. It is my preference. I've cruised with family and friends, and NO MORE, lol. And, if they MUST go with me, they need to get their own room. Even my sister and I don't share a room anymore. Our first cruise we did. Our second cruise, we each had our own room, and it was a much better cruise.

 

 

Marie

[kryos]

I've cruised with family and friends, and NO MORE, lol. And, if they MUST go with me, they need to get their own room. Even my sister and I don't share a room anymore. Our first cruise we did. Our second cruise, we each had our own room, and it was a much better cruise.

Nothing like having your own space, huh?

 

I cannot imagine sharing with ANYONE on a long cruise. For something like that, a roommate, no matter how nice, would begin to get on my nerves. But for a shorter cruise, maybe I would chance it if I knew the person and thought there was a chance for an amicable relationship. After all, for seven or ten days (like my writer's conference) you can put up with almost anything. :)

 

But on something longer, like my upcoming Hawaii/South Pacific cruise next month ... I want my own space. I want to be able to take a nap when I want, get up in the middle of the night and write on the laptop if I want, not have to worry about sharing a bathroom, etc. And, I am perfectly willing to pay the single supplement to get that. After all, when you spend a bundle on a long cruise, does it make sense to chance having it wrecked by an incompatible roommate?

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[FlorenceItaly]

Hi Rita,

 

I've become so spoiled that I don't even want to share on a shorter cruise like 7 days, lol. However, I am a person that by nature enjoys my alone time.

 

 

 

Marie

[tomorrowtamer]

On my recent cruise (January 5th, 2008 Zuiderdam Eastern Caribbean) I booked under the Single Partner Program (Category K inside). I thought the best case senario would be that HAL would not find me a roomate and I would have the cabin to myself with no single supplement. When I arrived to board the ship the upgrade fairy had done her magic. My new cabin was 4080 (G category outside partial sea view) and no roommate!!! :D

 

I enjoyed the cabin all to myself so much that I don't think I will chance the single partner program again - just book the least expensive inside cabin and pay the single supplement.

 

On the Zuiderdam, Westerdam and Noordam The Single Share program requires booking a either a K category (inside) or D category (outside). For my next cruise I compared the MM with the single supplement and the K with Single Partner and opted for MM all to myself. :)

[RuthC]

I've used the HAL Single Share program three times---on cruises of 33, 34, and 35 days. I would happily use it again. :)

The first two roomies were absolutely marvelous people to get to know---I would be happy to recommend them to anyone who wanted to share. They were considerate and cooperative. Even though they were very different from each other, and from me, the spirit of good-will was there. By sharing for those two cruises I paid for the third. :D

I can't say anything nice about the third roomie. She acted like it was her cabin, and I was some sort of interloper. :rolleyes: However, I did manage to have a great cruise. And I didn't violate the "nothing overboard" rule, either! ;)

[martinimadam]

Hi all,

 

Being recently widowed, and having a love of cruising, I am wondering what some of the "unexpected" I should expect while cruising single. I have cruised a lot, and have friends sailing with me, but still a bit apprehensive. Any help/warnings or encouragement is happily received. I am not a kid, I am an older baby boomer. :eek:

 

thanks

 

Just to give you some encouragement, I cruise solo all the time. I get friendly with the bartenders, and they're very good at realizing when I'm "being bothered." (Happened a little in my younger years. Not so much now.) :( They're also good at "breaking the ice".

There hasn't been one cruise where I didn't make at least ten new friends. Just be open and friendly and it will work for you. Also, I usually request set dining at a table for 6 or 8. That way there's always someone to talk to. I also request not to be seated at a table of singles. For some reason, sitting with mostly couples has been a better experience (for me at least). I'm not hesitant to go to the Maitre d' if I can't find a compatable mix. And, I won't, anymore, cruise on a ship unless it carries less than 2000 pax. Much easier to run into the same people all the time and keep the conversations flowing. My favorite HAL ship is the Maasdam. Just like her size and comfy feeling. Go for it, you'll love it!