What if one person in a room cancels?

My mom and sister are booked to go with us to Alaska later this month. My sister may not be able to go due to health issues. (we knew when we booked that she has a chronic condition so this is not a surprise) She has insurance so she can cancel if necessary which does cover pre-existing conditions. My mom also has insurance that will cover if a family member has to cancel due to health reasons--again, we were aware this may happen so it covers this. Mom still wants to go even if my sister needs to stay at home.

I have read on here before that you are better off not letting HAL know if one is not going to go or she may end up paying the single supplement. We should know sometime this week if my sister will be able to go after she talks with her doctors.

Has anyone just shown up at the boarding without letting HAL know before hand and how did it work? I know we need to let the insurance company know asap when the MD's make their determination. Just looking for some information...

Thanks!

where we had 2 cabins and 2 people didn't show due to weather. We had insurance and ended up w/ 2 cabins for the 2 of us. The insurance paid for the missing guests. We notified when we checked in but each of us were in different cabins initally for obcs. We just got keys to each cabin and used both. We told them once we were on board that the others were snowed in.

We did exactly the same on our last NCL cruise. Wound up with 2 cabins and insurance took care of paying back my Mother, who couldn't go at the last minute.

Are you asking about 2 people in one stateroom and one of those people having to cancel and therefore the other having to pay the solo cruiser rate instead of double occupancy??

Joanie

I would surmise that if one persons is a no-show for health reasons, there will be no reimbursement for either party. If the person with a medical condition cancels, and is expecting insurance reimbursement, HAL will know that the cabin now has only one individual. Yes, the remaining person may need to pay the single supplement to board, but the insurance will reimburse the additional expenses.

Don't think there's a way to do a no-show and expect any insurance $$$ reimbursed.

If I have booked and paid for a double-occupency cabin and, at the last minute, my traveling companion can't go, I go alone. There would be no further single supplement due from me since I've already paid the full double-occupency price for TWO people. In the end I will save money, since I will only be paying for one onboard account instead of two, although that savings is minimal since I'll have already paid more than a single-supplemnt would have been in the first place.

Insurance to cover my traveling companion's not coming? What insurance?

My experience is that nothing happened. We had booked and paid for a cabin for two, and my DH's daughter (long and painful story) decided not to come the day we were leaving.

We simply checked in and were asked where this child was. We said she wasn't coming. A few days later, someone asked us if she was meeting us at another port, we said no and that was the end of it.

as the second fare has been paid. Either you get it from insurance if you bought it or your other person loses what they paid.

So, if my travel companion can not make it, I go alone and check in and then tell them she missed the plane? They will let me board and that's the end of it?

So, if my travel companion can not make it, I go alone and check in and then tell them she missed the plane? They will let me board and that's the end of it?

Yep.

Pretty much.

It' not Noah's Ark, you know ... you don't HAVE to go aboard 2x2. :D

Guess I wasn't clear--I did love some of the responses though--I will remember the Ark comment!

Is there any extra charge from HAL's standpoint if one of the people booked in a room for two if one of the people doesn't make the ship. HAL already has their money, it is just a matter of submitting the doctor's letter to the insurance company and waiting for reimbursement...correct??

Thanks!

This happened to us a few years ago when my MIL died before the cruise. She was sharing with my mother. Our TA said my mother would be charged single supplement.It didn't make sense to us, but then my sister decided to go and share with my mother so in the end we never had to deal with the issue. Maybe it all depends on how your insurance is worded.

Thanks for sharing your experience--we do have independent insurance through travel guard not the cruise line insurance. Hopefully the MD's will decide she can go and we won't have to worry about it!

This happened to us a few years ago when my MIL died before the cruise. She was sharing with my mother. Our TA said my mother would be charged single supplement.It didn't make sense to us, but then my sister decided to go and share with my mother so in the end we never had to deal with the issue. Maybe it all depends on how your insurance is worded.

Similar experience, although it was a group booking with a different line. My mother and her friend were rooming together. After the final payment date, friend required heart surgery, could not go. She had travel insurance so she could be reimbursed from that.

Cruise line already had full payment from both parties. TA told us there was no problem with my mother going alone, BUT some sort of special paperwork or some such had to be filled out and submitted to avoid single supplement charge. Didn't make sense to me - the line ALREADY HAD full payment for TWO passengers.

Luckily, it turned out to be a non-issue because another friend took the first friend's place ... ALTHOUGH 2nd friend still had to pay the group's per-passenger rate, she was not permitted to simply take the 1st friend's place. In other words, the cruise line was paid for THREE people when only TWO sailed.

Maybe the lesson learned here is not to mention this sort of change to anyone until the traveling passenger arrives at the pier ...

We just did a name change on the cabin as far as I can remember and my sisters fare was paid to the estate of my MIL. HAL had nothing to do with it except the name change.

While I don't have firsthand experience with this particular scenario, I would guess that there are times when lines do assess a single supplement ... why else would travel insurance companies reimburse that amount if one's cabinmate cancels for a covered reason?

This is from TravelGuard FAQ's:

Q. Is there reimbursement for the single supplement if my Traveling Companion cancels?

A. If a Traveling Companion cancels and you are held responsible for a single supplement, you would be covered for the change in the per person occupancy rate as long as the reason for the cancellation was covered under the terms of the plan.

My earlier post was based on this info, as well as some old threads I recall reading where people did have to pay the single supplement at the pier. So, while it may not happen in every instance, it does occur.