Single Fare Dilemma

[kri52]

I don't know if any other single travellers have noticed, but Holland America over the past 3 months or so has changed its fare policy toward singles. The 150% single surcharge on inside and outside cabins is apparently a thing of the past. With few exceptions, they are now charging 200% or more on all cabins for singles. In a reply from the Mariner Society I was told HAL is basing this on the capacity of cabins...if they can hold 2 everyone should pay for 2 people...if a cabin can hold 3 or 4 people should be worth more than 200%. Both Princess and Celebrity apparently have this same policy. At a time when people are not cruising because of the economy and HAL and other lines are cut-rating prices to try to fill ships, it seems ill-advised to start pricing singles out of the market.

[Chelly]

I'm finding the HAL single supplement varies from cruise to cruise. I'm paying 160% on my October cruise.

[CowPrincess]

I booked in January (IIRC) and got the 150% rate for a fairly undesirable cabin on a cruise to Alaska. If this change is going to be implemented on most cruises, I'm not happy -- DH & I have a single friend who has started travelling (in her own cabin) with us, and this WILL price her out of the market :(

[hammybee]

Given that so many inside/ outside cabins are selling at a 60% discount, I do not see how it's possible to not require double occupancy yields on most cruises.

 

There is an online TA that tracks single suppliments across most cruise lines. It's showing some, not all HAL cruises with suppliments ranging from 24-40% for outside cabins.

 

Princess is showing 40% for a substantial number of cruises on larger, newer ships.

 

Regent has a 10% suppliment.

[rochelle_s]

I too travel solo a lot of the time. I have considered going with the 'single share program' but when I have tried to get prices for this it only applies to the brochure rate and you are not able to book with the sale prices. For my upcoming med cruise it was cheaper to go the single supplemment route rather than do a share. Seams to me if they really wanted two people in a cabin then they would allow for the sale prices rather than making it more appealing to book a cabin to oneself.

 

It would have to be a cruise I really wanted to take at a great price for me to pay the 200% charge. If I had to pay that I would rather 'gift' the cruise to a friend or family member rather than just hand the money over like that.

 

One of the big draws for me to HAL has been their very decent policy in regards to singles. If they change these policies, my eyes might begin to wander towards cruiselines that have more favourable single policies.

 

Rochelle

[jollyjones]

I don't know if any other single travellers have noticed, but Holland America over the past 3 months or so has changed its fare policy toward singles. The 150% single surcharge on inside and outside cabins is apparently a thing of the past. With few exceptions, they are now charging 200% or more on all cabins for singles. In a reply from the Mariner Society I was told HAL is basing this on the capacity of cabins...if they can hold 2 everyone should pay for 2 people...if a cabin can hold 3 or 4 people should be worth more than 200%. Both Princess and Celebrity apparently have this same policy. At a time when people are not cruising because of the economy and HAL and other lines are cut-rating prices to try to fill ships, it seems ill-advised to start pricing singles out of the market.

 

Well, I don't know where you are getting your information from, but without even doing an extensive study on this, I have just clicked on a 15 day round trip Hawaii in Oct 2009 on the HAL website which is showing a 55% single supplement. I'm sure if I took more time, I could find more trips of this nature.

[Pete Jackson]

Traditionally, a cruise line would give good deals for singles when they are having trouble selling out cabins. The trend now is to sell out the ship by lowering fares as much as necessary; this can be done because they don't give refunds to people who have already paid for their cabins when the fare drops.

 

So by waiting for these fire sales, you might find that you can afford a cabin for yourself even though they charge you 200% of the per person fare since the per person fare has become so low.

 

Another trend is for cruise lines to cut cabin fares and then make money by charging for things on a cruise that used to be free. Having one person in a cabin instead of two reduces this opportunity for income.

 

But by shopping around for cruises and cruise lines, and being prepared to be flexible for last minute deals, I'm sure that you will find affordable deals for singles.

[JerseyJaguar]

For my June 7th AK cruise, when I first booked it was 132% for an oceanview. Then prices dropped (my fare has gone down $800) and it is now about 140%. In addition, they upgraded me from a G with a porthole to a DA with a picture window.

 

So I'm very happy with HAL.

[bepsf]

...but at least it's not 200% - except for Suites which all lines charge 200% for.

 

After all, does a person traveling alone eat twice as much food?

Do they take up twice as many deck chairs and two seats in the shows?

Do they win twice as many trivia games, read twice as many books in the library and use twice as many towels?

[Chelly]

Single fare for Noordam's April 2010 partial Panama Canal cruise is 150%.

[airlink diva]

I guess that I've been lucky on my HAL sailing. The solo fare has ranged from in the 130% to 160%. I normally book either inside or outside cabins.

On my last cruise, my solo rate kept going down to almost close to what a double fare was.

I use several different ways to book my HAL trips. I have a great online travel agent that gets great rates on HAL,I have a last minute travel agency (normally 90 days to sailing) that offers great rates.

I've noticed that most cruiselines are really trying to book the cabins. I'm booked on a short cruise in May on Carnival and the solo rate is reasonable. I would love the day that prehaps that they would charge just a double cruiser price.

I want to try RCCL and Celebrity,but they rarely go under 200%. That's why I stick with Carnival or HAL for the reasonable rates

[kryos]

I'm finding the HAL single supplement varies from cruise to cruise. I'm paying 160% on my October cruise.

I'm paying about 150% on my Hawaii cruise this coming October.

 

However, if this is a new policy, then guess I won't be sailing HAL much longer. I can get better single supplements on some of the deluxe lines, not to mention a higher level of service. By the time all is said and done, with a 200% single supplement on HAL, versus a 125% single supplement on Oceania, I will probably come out cheaper on the Oceania cruise.

 

HAL was very popular with singles because they had better supplements than the other lines. Princess, RCI, NCL ... they all charge 200%. So, I think a lot of singles moved over to HAL because their single supplements were more fair. But if they are changing things, then I guess it might be time to look at other alternatives ... alternatives that could result in a better, more inclusive cruise, at a cheaper price.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

I don't know if any other single travellers have noticed, but Holland America over the past 3 months or so has changed its fare policy toward singles.

Are you sure you're not getting confused because you are booking a balcony stateroom or a suite? Single supplements on those have generally always been 200%. It's only the standard insides and outsides that offer the reduced single supplements.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[nitnyleo]

...but at least it's not 200% - except for Suites which all lines charge 200% for.

 

After all, does a person traveling alone eat twice as much food?

Do they take up twice as many deck chairs and two seats in the shows?

Do they win twice as many trivia games, read twice as many books in the library and use twice as many towels?

 

No! In fact we try to drown our loneliness in above average liquor purchases and ill-fated attempts to meet Lady Luck in the casino.

[albertiger]

Ever go to a restaurant and see seafood listed at "Market Price"?

Thats exactly how cruise ship cabins are priced. They can fluctuate widely week to week based on bookings, time of year, closeness of sailing date, etc.

I travel single all the time and find the key is to keep shopping. Use an online agencyto look at pricing and keep switching up cruise line, sailing window, type of accomodation and suddenly a low price will POP out at you.

Grab it, dont wait! I am currently booked on 2 Carnival and 1 HAL cruise at rates of anywhere from 130% to 150% and from an inside to a balcony.:D

[Roz]

Kri52,

 

Are you looking to cruise during a peak period, or on an itinerary that's only done once or twice a year? The demand for those cruises would cause the single supplement to go up.

 

I hope what you posted isn't true. With the exception of my very first cruise, all of my cruises on HAL have been solo.

 

Roz

[lettienets]

...but at least it's not 200% - except for Suites which all lines charge 200% for.

 

After all, does a person traveling alone eat twice as much food?

Do they take up twice as many deck chairs and two seats in the shows?

Do they win twice as many trivia games, read twice as many books in the library and use twice as many towels?

 

Hi Brian, Single people often (not always but often) buy more drinks, go to the casino, pay for the spa packages, products and treatments, take ship tours etc a lot of things to be busy, meet more people etc. I have even spent more on a cruise than the cruise itself. I don't think HAL charges 200% on what I have been looking at lately except for suites. Check out Carnival, lots of deals for singles there.:p

[haligonian37]

I just checked prices earlier today for two different sailings this December and the single supplements for category G cabins were 132% and 150% respectively. As others have stated, I hope this is just a misunderstanding and not a new policy or my cruises as a solo will have to be scaled back :(.

[Pam in CA]

Are you sure you're not getting confused because you are booking a balcony stateroom or a suite? Single supplements on those have generally always been 200%. It's only the standard insides and outsides that offer the reduced single supplements.

I'm booked on the Zuiderdam for a year from now in a balcony cabin and I'm not paying 200%. I think the single supplement % depends on the itinerary and cabin type. FYI, on Princess, it's pretty much the same thing: it's not nor has it always been a 200% supplement but rather depended on the itinerary and cabin type. I've paid as low as 120% and as high as 200%, depending on the ship, itinerary and cabin type.

[kryos]

I too travel solo a lot of the time. I have considered going with the 'single share program' but when I have tried to get prices for this it only applies to the brochure rate and you are not able to book with the sale prices.

And, if I am not mistaken, you MUST get the HAL insurance with single share. That's in case one of you has to cancel ... the other will be covered for the cabin on their own. Often HAL insurance is more expensive than buying it on your own.

 

Also, HAL's single share uses the largest category cabins in the inside and outside class ... cabins that you might not normally opt for. So, the actual price of the cabin is higher to begin with.

 

I've found that if I can pick up a 150% single supplement, I am actually not spending that much more to have the cabin to myself ... a lesser category inside or outside ... than I would pay for the larger inside or outside with the share.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[rochelle_s]

I've found that if I can pick up a 150% single supplement, I am actually not spending that much more to have the cabin to myself ... a lesser category inside or outside ... than I would pay for the larger inside or outside with the share.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

 

I definately agree with you. On my upcoming Oosterdam cruise it was actually over $1000 cheaper to get the cabin to myself rather than the share. Not sure I understand the logic behind the pricing at times.

 

Rochelle

[RuthC]

And, if I am not mistaken, you MUST get the HAL insurance with single share.

Unless things have radically changed, you're mistaken.

[Roz]

I've never heard of having to purchase HAL insurance on a single share. Sometimes people get the cabin to themselves because an odd number of passengers sign up for the program. This is the cruise line's problem, not the single passenger. Doesn't make sense to me.

 

Roz

[RevNeal]

Interesting.

I just ran a random check on a January 9, 2010 sailing on the Oosterdam. 7-days round trip out of San Diego.

 

DO base price for a J-category Inside cabin is $707.59 (not counting Taxes, port fees, etc).

SS base price for a J-category Inside cabin is $929.00 (not counting Taxes, port fees, etc).

 

That's not even close to 200%, but rather more like 130%.

For the mathematically challenged, 200% would be $1415.18.

 

I decided to run another check, this time on a cruise I'm actually booked aboard. It's a STEEP price, and I'm praying they cut it a bit before I make final payment, but ... on the July 23, 2010 Top of the World cruise aboard the Prinsendam HAL is currently quoting:

 

DO base price for a K-category Inside cabin is $5299 (not counting Taxes, port fees, etc).

SS base price for a K-category Inside cabin is $7949 (not counting Taxes, port fees, etc).

 

Again, the above price reflects a single supplement of exactly 150%.

And, again, for those who are mathematically challenged, 200% would be $10,598.

 

(And, as an aside to Hammy: Note, using how you calculate the per-diem, that's $240 pp/do/pd for an inside cabin).

 

I've run a similar check on 4 other cruises, at random. None of them reflect a change in the Single Supplement rate. Now, I'm not saying that the OP isn't accurately reporting what they were told ... however ... thus far I cannot confirm that what they've been told is yet true on any sailing that I have checked (and I've checked 6 ... 2 specific, 4 at random, all different ships and itineraries and as far out as the very edge of bookability).

[hammybee]

 

(And, as an aside to Hammy: Note, using how you calculate the per-diem, that's $240 pp/do/pd for an inside cabin).

 

You know me well, sir. ;)

 

BTW, fabulous once a year intinerary.