Time to stop single passenger supplements

[jenpet]

It is VERY UNFAIR that lone travellers have to pay hefty supplements to travel alone.

 

It is about time the travel industry, especially cruise lines did away with this very unfair supplement.

 

Whi agrees with me?

[john watson]

I understand the need for single traveller supplements, however adding 100% on top has got to be totally unfair where a fly cruise is involved. A general 0% supplement will never happen as all passengers are likely to book a second cabin for that extra luxury of having one each. It seems to me they need to try and focus on a 25% - 45% target figure and they will more likely achieve a better overall fare basis with solid bookings instead of many lines roller coaster special deals gambles which they concentrate their efforts on.

 

Regards John

Edited May 18, 2015 by john watson

[cb at sea]

You folks just need to think about the pricing differently..and it would help if the cruise lines didn't advertise prices as "per person"...it makes you think you're getting a raw deal! If it says $500 pp....then the price of the CABIN is $1000.....for UP TO 2 PEOPLE.....

[paul929207]

If they eliminate single supplements, I would book two cabins. One would be the cabin I want and the other would be the cheapest cabin I could find. My wife and I would stay in the nicer cabin. We might even get a second mini bar setup out of it.

[SantaFeFan]

When you book a room in a hotel the room rate is almost always for up to two occupants. Do you ask to have the room rate cut in half if you are there by yourself? No one would think of doing that at a hotel, so why should they ask for it on a cruise?

 

Whether there are one or two occupants in the room, the space is exactly the same. Just as in a hotel, you are "renting" the space, whether one person or two. Cruise lines are no different.

[toberman]

When you book a room in a hotel the room rate is almost always for up to two occupants. Do you ask to have the room rate cut in half if you are there by yourself? No one would think of doing that at a hotel, so why should they ask for it on a cruise?

 

Whether there are one or two occupants in the room, the space is exactly the same. Just as in a hotel, you are "renting" the space, whether one person or two. Cruise lines are no different.

 

That was my first thought as well.

[bakersdozen12]

I completely disagree. From a business standpoint, they would be crazy to start allowing people to book rooms for half the price of what they could get if a couple booked the room. I think instead, they need to start building ships with smaller, one person rooms that they can sell for discounted fares.

[CanadianDee]

When you book a room in a hotel the room rate is almost always for up to two occupants. Do you ask to have the room rate cut in half if you are there by yourself? No one would think of doing that at a hotel, so why should they ask for it on a cruise?

 

Whether there are one or two occupants in the room, the space is exactly the same. Just as in a hotel, you are "renting" the space, whether one person or two. Cruise lines are no different.

 

This is exactly the first thought I had.

[vacation luvver]

When you book a room in a hotel the room rate is almost always for up to two occupants. Do you ask to have the room rate cut in half if you are there by yourself? No one would think of doing that at a hotel, so why should they ask for it on a cruise?

 

Whether there are one or two occupants in the room, the space is exactly the same. Just as in a hotel, you are "renting" the space, whether one person or two. Cruise lines are no different

 

IMHO cruises are different from hotels, because while in a hotel, you are "renting" the space, while you are on a cruise, not only are you "renting" the space, but you have prepaid for all of your meals. The price of a cabin occupied by two people includes six meals per day (two breakfasts, two lunches, and two dinners), but if that same cabin were occupied by only one person, the price would cover only three meals a day.

 

It does not seem right to me that a solo passenger occupying a cabin is in effect paying for three uneaten meals per day, which is why I believe that the solo occupancy rate should not be 100% of the per person rate with two people in the cabin. But I'm sure there are people out there who would insist that the cruiseline is justified in making solo passengers pay for meals that will never be eaten.

[kelkel2]

I completely disagree. From a business standpoint, they would be crazy to start allowing people to book rooms for half the price of what they could get if a couple booked the room. I think instead, they need to start building ships with smaller, one person rooms that they can sell for discounted fares.

 

I agree completely. Who is it that does those interior room? NCL? That is the way cruising needs to go. Maybe a few in each category, a few balconies and a few interiors made smaller specifically for singles that way they don't have to pay 2x the amount to cruise.

I understand what people who cruise single are saying, but at the same time, cruise lines are in it to make money. They see a cabin that they can get 2 people to book and each pay $500 for. Why would they want a single person to occupy that cabin for just $500? That shorts the cruise line a revenue of $500.

[xlxo]

There link may be of interest for solo travellers...

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=419

[Scrapnana]

I think instead, they need to start building ships with smaller, one person rooms that they can sell for discounted fares.

 

And these cabins need to be in different categories - not all interiors!

[Mary Ellen]

IMHO cruises are different from hotels, because while in a hotel, you are "renting" the space, while you are on a cruise, not only are you "renting" the space, but you have prepaid for all of your meals. The price of a cabin occupied by two people includes six meals per day (two breakfasts, two lunches, and two dinners), but if that same cabin were occupied by only one person, the price would cover only three meals a day.

 

Considering the food cost per passenger is around $15-20 USD per day that wouldn't be much of a savings. That is offset by the fact that most profit for the cruise lines comes from on board spending. One person spends less than two. The cruise line isn't making any money off of feeding one less person. So, sorry - that argument doesn't fly.

[navybankerteacher]

Perhaps they could have cheaper compartments like on Amtrak - with a shared bathroom down the hall. As it is now, the solo passenger gets twice as much cabin space and bathroom space as a person sharing; so he/she should see the glass as half full, not half empty.

 

Seriously, the 100% single supplement may not seem fair - but it is not always applied. And the lines should not be criticized for wanting to get the revenue they might if all cabins were sold as intended.

[SantaFeFan]

IMHO cruises are different from hotels, because while in a hotel, you are "renting" the space, while you are on a cruise, not only are you "renting" the space, but you have prepaid for all of your meals. The price of a cabin occupied by two people includes six meals per day (two breakfasts, two lunches, and two dinners), but if that same cabin were occupied by only one person, the price would cover only three meals a day.

 

It does not seem right to me that a solo passenger occupying a cabin is in effect paying for three uneaten meals per day, which is why I believe that the solo occupancy rate should not be 100% of the per person rate with two people in the cabin. But I'm sure there are people out there who would insist that the cruiseline is justified in making solo passengers pay for meals that will never be eaten.

 

The cost of meals is a small fraction of the total cruise fare. What you suggest is naive at best. The space is the same, just as the space for a hotel room. THAT is what the majority of the cost covers - not your meals.

 

I do agree that maybe they should lower the surcharge. If they dropped the surcharge to only 99.5%, then that should be just about right to satisfy the "I'm paying for two meals" complainers. :)

Edited May 18, 2015 by SantaFeFan

[Sue Do-Over]

The way I see it...

Both sides of the bed get made. The whole bathroom gets cleaned. The (modest) savings in food don't come close to making up for loss sales in the shops, casino, bars and shore excursions.

 

I think a 50% surcharge is appropriate for a full sized cabin. HOWEVER, I also agree that smaller cabins would appeal to many single cruisers. Can't say I'd like to share a bathroom with strangers, but many times I would have been happy with a smaller footprint at 1.25x the base fare.

 

College dorms, which used to be community bathrooms, are moving toward more privacy. Single rooms are becoming the norm... and students are paying 1.5x for them.

[vms]

While I don't like it, I don't mind a single supplement. What I do mind is a single surcharge (paying more than 200% of the per-person rate). Pricing a recent cruise, the rate per-person was $1500, but the single rate was $10,000. That's an outlier, but it's not uncommon to see 225% or more, especially on "last minute deals".

 

I'll trade you the uneaten meals for the lowered onboard spending, but there shouldn't be a more than 200% rate for a single, IMO.

[spookwife]

I completely disagree. From a business standpoint, they would be crazy to start allowing people to book rooms for half the price of what they could get if a couple booked the room. I think instead, they need to start building ships with smaller, one person rooms that they can sell for discounted fares.

 

 

This. and in multiple categories. not just for insides or OVs.

[iuki]

I completely disagree. From a business standpoint, they would be crazy to start allowing people to book rooms for half the price of what they could get if a couple booked the room. I think instead, they need to start building ships with smaller, one person rooms that they can sell for discounted fares.

 

I agree they should have smaller rooms for a solo cruiser. They could just have a few rooms available; however, solo cruisers would have to book way in advance like those who reserve HC rooms, like we do.

[vacation luvver]

Considering the food cost per passenger is around $15-20 USD per day that wouldn't be much of a savings.

Then, according to you, if a solo passenger should take a 14 night cruise (which I have done), he/she should get a discount of approx $225 - $280. Maybe that isn't much of a savings to you, but it's a substantial amount to me.

 

That is offset by the fact that most profit for the cruise lines comes from on board spending. One person spends less than two.

If all things were equal, this would be true. But things are not always equal. I don't know if cruiselines keep track of who is purchasing more ship's shore excursions - solo passengers or couples or groups. It seems possible to me that couples and groups are more likely to purchase private excursions, while solo passengers would purchase ship's excursions, because there is safety in numbers.

 

The cruiseline makes a lot of money selling photographs. I don't know if a couple buys twice as many photographs as a solo.

 

The cruise line isn 't making any money off of feeding one less person. So, sorry - that argument doesn't fly.

Now I don't know what to believe. You say that they aren't making any money feeding one less person, but someone else already said that the food costs per person are $15 - $20 per day. Both of you can't be right! So which one of you should I listen to?

 

I do agree that maybe they should lower the surcharge. If they dropped the surcharge to only 99.5%, then that should be just about right to satisfy the "I'm paying for two meals" complainers.

Sure! Anything, even a token amount, should be enough to acknowledge that a cabin isn't just a cabin, because it comes with three meals a day for each person in it, and that six meals a day are twice as many meals as three meals a day.

[wichitastatecruiser]

Now to be fair:

 

Carnival has a list of reduced supplement cruises.

 

Royal gives double loyalty points if you book a regular room solo and they are starting to add studio rooms.

 

NCL also has studio rooms.

 

People who cruise a lot should know that a major agency has "fast deals" that offer reduced supplement cruises.

[sail7seas]

You folks just need to think about the pricing differently..and it would help if the cruise lines didn't advertise prices as "per person"...it makes you think you're getting a raw deal! If it says $500 pp....then the price of the CABIN is $1000.....for UP TO 2 PEOPLE.....

 

Just remember when referring to "You folks" that in the blink of an eye anyone who is now a pair/couple can be "You folks" just like that. Many of us were couple for many years and then we weren't. None of us are immune. My healthy, hearty, hale DH was well and busily involved in living until a horrid disease took over his body. Can happen to any of us. "You folks" sounds so demeaning and derogatory to me as though there is some wrong with being a solo.

 

I would like to see some occasional discounts offered to solos. I don't expect to pay only half but paying double stings a big especially in a suite. Perhaps part of a loyalty program, high number of days cruisers with various cruise line might be offered some sort of discount?

 

 

Edited May 18, 2015 by sail7seas

[cruisemom42]

Just remember when referring to "You folks" that in the blink of an eye anyone who is now a pair/couple can be "You folks" just like that. Many of us were couple for many years and then we weren't. None of us are immune. My healthy, hearty, hale DH was well and busily involved in living until a horrid disease took over his body. Can happen to any of us. "You folks" sounds so demeaning and derogatory to me as though there is some wrong with being a solo.

 

 

 

 

The poster who you've quoted has made it blindingly clear (in various callous posts over the years) that she has no idea why anyone would ever travel solo. I wouldn't hold your breath expecting a response.

[navybankerteacher]

While I don't like it, I don't mind a single supplement. What I do mind is a single surcharge (paying more than 200% of the per-person rate). Pricing a recent cruise, the rate per-person was $1500, but the single rate was $10,000. That's an outlier, but it's not uncommon to see 225% or more, especially on "last minute deals".

 

I'll trade you the uneaten meals for the lowered onboard spending, but there shouldn't be a more than 200% rate for a single, IMO.

 

Are you saying that a single is charged more than the full price two people would pay? Your $3,000 cabin jumping to $10,000 is simply not credible..

 

This makes no sense at all. If a line offers a "single" at more than twice the per person portion - then you should simply reserve as a double - and have your imaginary roommate simply not show up at boarding.

[vacation luvver]

Are you saying that a single is charged more than the full price two people would pay?

It does happen. I once looked at a brochure for a land trip (not a cruise), and I saw that there was a charge of $75 per person per night if there were two people in a room and $50 per person per night if there were three people in a room. (No included meals.) So I figured that the price for one person per night would be $150. But it wasn't. It was $200 per night for just one person.

 

I called the tour company to ask about the extra-high single supplement. I tried and tried to explain that a group of two people and a group of three people would pay a total of $150 per night, and I didn't see why a solo should pay $200 night. They just didn't understand. They kept saying that it was the single supplement. I spoke to a number of people at the company, and they kept saying that it was the single supplement. When I tried telling them that if I booked "Betty" to go with me, and then "Betty" didn't show up, it would cost me less than if I were totally honest with them from the beginning and booked a solo, they did not understand.

 

Eventually, finally, I wound up speaking to someone who understood what I was getting at, and she said that maybe solos had to pay more money because they were given a bigger room. I said that if a room was deemed big enough for two or three people, why couldn't it be given to a solo? She didn't know.

 

Then I was given several possible reasons why the hotel was charging an extra $50 per night for a room occupied by one person as opposed to two or three people. I was told that the hotel did not want solo people staying there, because solo meant single, and single people are so undesirable. Because if they were so desirable, then why weren't they married? I was also told that they think that single people are stupid, so stupid that they would never notice that they were paying a higher total than a group of two or three people. I was also told that a group of two or three people was more likely to eat their meals at the hotel than a solo person (I have no idea why they thought this), and so as to maximize how much money they could get from each room, they preferred to have groups of two or three as guests, rather than solos.

 

I guess you're not surprised to hear that I didn't stay at that hotel.

 

What's funny is the number of people who think that travelling by yourself is half the price of travelling with another person. "Two people cost twice as much as one!" they shout. Well, not always.

Edited May 19, 2015 by vacation luvver