single passenger

hi all

can anyone tell me which cruise lines have the lowest price for a single passenger. went on rccl to alaska and was charged what two people were charged. can not do that again. thanks

hi all

 

can anyone tell me which cruise lines have the lowest price for a single passenger. went on rccl to alaska and was charged what two people were charged. can not do that again. thanks

All cruise lines will charge single supplement for a solo cruiser. You should have paid two times the cruise fare but only one for the port and taxes.

Some cruiselines (Carnival) charges less for a lessor category (1A)

hi all

 

can anyone tell me which cruise lines have the lowest price for a single passenger. went on rccl to alaska and was charged what two people were charged. can not do that again. thanks

FYI, there are Singles and a Solos boards here on CC as well where you may find some good information. Let me say while I am here that Carnival may be you best bet. Another thing to consider is, cruise there at the beginning or end of the season, not prime season in the summer. During the early and late season you may find something around 150% on Princess, HAL or even RCCL. Best of luck, I know as a single it is tough.

Welcome to the boards, Erie 13.

Solo Cruiser thread: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=373

Singles Cruises thread: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=139

Hal single supppement is 150% on many of the cruises, as long as you arent booking a balcony. I beleive princess does the same thing, but I have gotten better prices with HAL.

Crystal has 25% single supplement for standard cabins, increasing in steps up to 100% for suites.

However, Crystal's base prices are substantially higher than those of the mass market lines.

I recently did a quick price comparison for 12-day Mediterranean cruises on Royal Princess and Crystal Symphony. Result:

costs are within a few dollars of being the same after applying a 100% SS on Princess and 25% on Crystal. I have never sailed with Princess but many of my friend have and rave about the great food, service, etc.

I believe that Princess does offer lower supplements on some cruises, but probably not on the smaller ex-Rennisance "R" ships. So, you can probably get a good price on Princess' large ships if you don't mind being one of 2 or 3 thousand passengers.

Seabourn has three small ships, the Pride, the Legend and the Spirit (max 208 passengers). Depending on your itinerary and when you book, you can get a "guaranty" run of ship at 125%. Since all of Seabourn's cabins are suites, and the basic cabins have huge picture windows, you can't go wrong with the guaranty (you usually don't know which cabin you'll be assigned, until about a week before your cruise). Granted, Seabourn starts out with a higher cost, but then it's all inclusive; no tips and no paying for drinks...ever.

They are coming out with larger ships, The Odyssey this year and The Sojourn in 2010 (double the size). The single supplements will run much more on those ships. Frankly, I'm staying with the smaller ones as long as they are sailing them!

Jane

I have yet to try a Solo Cruise, yet have wondered if DH decides he didn't want to go, should I try it. I enjoy cruising to cruise and meet people.

Going solo is great fun. You do what you want when you want to.

DH asks when we are on a cruise during Sea Days, what do we do next, I tell him, we don't have to be doing anything, it is so relaxing just to be topside, watching the ocean, talking with people. I guess he feels we need to be attending something all the time. He enjoys cruising, don't get me wrong, but he likes to be doing something all the time, & I can do nothing and still have a great time. When we curise I go my way and he goes his way now anyway. LOL We meet up for the Pool Games etc along the way.

Looking to cruise in October, maybe Panama Canal or Greek Isles. What's the best options for single passengers in terms of fare?

Looking to cruise in October, maybe Panama Canal or Greek Isles. What's the best options for single passengers in terms of fare?

Imaguary, I did the Panama Canal Solo last year in November and I just watched the various lines and priced them all out for when I wanted to go. Yes, you still pay the 200% but the price difference between lines can vary quite a bit for similar trips. I have looked at some Med cruises for this year in October or November and have been doing the same thing. NCL & RCI both have some good fares even with the 200% in that time frame. If I were you I would find the itinerary that appeals to you most and then compare the lines. Also in the Med Costa has some great single fares as they have some sailings with a much smaller upcharge. When looking at the Med sailings I have found that airfare can vary a lot between lines so make sure you check that out for each line and also what you can book it yourself for. Happy sailing whichever trip you choose.

I take issue with these blanket statements about 200 percent addons or even HAL at 150 percent. Most HAL single prices on web sites quote 140 percent except for balconies. Often see X solos at 150 on the Tuesday Specials. I once got 30 percent supplement on Celebrity. Trick is to go in off or shoulder season on a cruise where they have only one to sell, not the same old 7N Caribbean. Look at Transatlantics or seasonal repositionings, It helps to be a past passenger too or late booking.. Contact several agencies also.

The only trouble with the X Tuesday speial solo fares is that they're usually for cruises that are only about a month or so in advance and by that time the cost of airfare is so high that it's almost equal to the price of the cruise itself!

I take issue with these blanket statements about 200 percent addons or even HAL at 150 percent. Most HAL single prices on web sites quote 140 percent except for balconies. Often see X solos at 150 on the Tuesday Specials. I once got 30 percent supplement on Celebrity. Trick is to go in off or shoulder season on a cruise where they have only one to sell, not the same old 7N Caribbean. Look at Transatlantics or seasonal repositionings, It helps to be a past passenger too or late booking.. Contact several agencies also.

Zoncom, I agree that when you are looking for a trip, that the off season or shoulder seasons are the best time for bargains. As far as the 200%, some lines don't vary off of them, while some do. HAL is a good one for smaller supplements and so is Celebrity. But sometimes the 200% on NCL or RCI is still cheaper than the 150% on the others. I did see a great price on the TA on the Rotterdam in November from Rome to FLL, and the air supplement was not bad either for this trip. The point I was trying to make is you don't need to focus on whether its a 200% fare or 150%, you have to look at the total price, including air, if you are trying to find a bargain. I figure the cheaper I can find the trips, the more I can go on. I still look for an itinerary I want, and then look at all of the lines to see which line has the best bargain for the total package with the ports I want to see. I don't worry about the supplement % so much as the total price. I usually book short term, 1 to 2 months out, so I have found some great bargains that way. Happy Sailing.

The single supplement percentage is irrelevant. Pricewise, the only thing that matters is the bottom line fare for equivalent itineraries and accomodations. The percentage can vary even within a cruise line. It depends on itineraries.

I have paid less with a Princess 175% fare than HAL's 150% fare for an inside cabin with an identical itinerary and month.

The Princess cabin was a top category inside vs HAL's bottom category inside.

Next time it might reverse.