As a solo passenger Goodbye Princess

[kruisey]

Unlike land based hotels, they are actually not selling cabins, they are selling berths. Why does it make any business sense to get revenue from a single berth fare in a cabin in which they could get two berth fares (or more) in that same cabin? This is why the solo gets charged fares for both berths in the cabin they are occupying solo.

 

While I really do appreciate the struggle of the solo cruiser, I'm a business woman and I would take a higher-revenue generating customer any day over a lower revenue generator. We all have to remember that Princess is a business. As a stockholder, I want them maximizing their revenue and profit.

Well at least I am one more money loser out of the group for you:p

[geoherb]

Now an individual might say that they buy all of the excursions and drink like a fish and make up that spend, but to a business the pricing model is built on averages not individuals.

Thankfully, since we spend very little on excursions and don't buy much in the shops.

[TracieABD]

Hey Heather-

Just a quick update. I may now have more opportunity to travel as a solo. My mom (and travel partner extraordinaire) is gone, and my husband just does not have much vacation time. So, I have been looking into solo travel. As you may (or may not) know, I was a researcher in my past life and I just love to research stuff.

 

In researching cruise options for solos, I ran across a very well known on-line website for cruise booking. It has about a million (ok, that is an exaggeration) search parameters-- and a place where you can actually just enter "Singles/ Solo Cruisers". Lots of options came up for cruises all over the world. If you look in the right hand column, it tells what is the percentage for the single supplement. Many cruise lines do not have a single supplement, others charge less than 50%.

 

It did give me lots and lots of food for thought, and I thought I would share this with you.

 

The lesson here: If you are a solo, Princess is probably not going to be the cruise line for you (or me). I am going to look into Azamara, Oceania, NCL, and maybe even Silver Sea.

 

I hope you find some great options too!

 

Good luck!

Tracie-Lynn

[kruisey]

Hey Heather-

Just a quick update. I may now have more opportunity to travel as a solo. My mom (and travel partner extraordinaire) is gone, and my husband just does not have much vacation time. So, I have been looking into solo travel. As you may (or may not) know, I was a researcher in my past life and I just love to research stuff.

 

In researching cruise options for solos, I ran across a very well known on-line website for cruise booking. It has about a million (ok, that is an exaggeration) search parameters-- and a place where you can actually just enter "Singles/ Solo Cruisers". Lots of options came up for cruises all over the world. If you look in the right hand column, it tells what is the percentage for the single supplement. Many cruise lines do not have a single supplement, others charge less than 50%.

 

It did give me lots and lots of food for thought, and I thought I would share this with you.

 

The lesson here: If you are a solo, Princess is probably not going to be the cruise line for you (or me). I am going to look into Azamara, Oceania, NCL, and maybe even Silver Sea.

 

I hope you find some great options too!

 

Good luck!

Tracie-Lynn

 

I certainly will look into when things have settled with my sister in UK:)

[RDC1]

Hey Heather-

Just a quick update. I may now have more opportunity to travel as a solo. My mom (and travel partner extraordinaire) is gone, and my husband just does not have much vacation time. So, I have been looking into solo travel. As you may (or may not) know, I was a researcher in my past life and I just love to research stuff.

 

In researching cruise options for solos, I ran across a very well known on-line website for cruise booking. It has about a million (ok, that is an exaggeration) search parameters-- and a place where you can actually just enter "Singles/ Solo Cruisers". Lots of options came up for cruises all over the world. If you look in the right hand column, it tells what is the percentage for the single supplement. Many cruise lines do not have a single supplement, others charge less than 50%.

 

It did give me lots and lots of food for thought, and I thought I would share this with you.

 

The lesson here: If you are a solo, Princess is probably not going to be the cruise line for you (or me). I am going to look into Azamara, Oceania, NCL, and maybe even Silver Sea.

 

I hope you find some great options too!

 

Good luck!

Tracie-Lynn

 

Yep, outside of the ones with cabins designed for solo, the best shot for lower single supplements is on the more inclusive lines because their model does not depend upon on board sales. However when you consider their fares, in the end one might pay as much if not more on those lines then paying the fares on the mainstream lines.

Edited February 2, 2016 by RDC1

[lindy sails]

Hey Heather-

 

Just a quick update. I may now have more opportunity to travel as a solo. My mom (and travel partner extraordinaire) is gone, and my husband just does not have much vacation time. So, I have been looking into solo travel. As you may (or may not) know, I was a researcher in my past life and I just love to research stuff.

 

 

 

In researching cruise options for solos, I ran across a very well known on-line website for cruise booking. It has about a million (ok, that is an exaggeration) search parameters-- and a place where you can actually just enter "Singles/ Solo Cruisers". Lots of options came up for cruises all over the world. If you look in the right hand column, it tells what is the percentage for the single supplement. Many cruise lines do not have a single supplement, others charge less than 50%.

 

 

 

It did give me lots and lots of food for thought, and I thought I would share this with you.

 

 

 

The lesson here: If you are a solo, Princess is probably not going to be the cruise line for you (or me). I am going to look into Azamara, Oceania, NCL, and maybe even Silver Sea.

 

 

 

I hope you find some great options too!

 

 

 

Good luck!

 

Tracie-Lynn

 

 

Thanks for the great research Tracie-Lynn! [emoji3]

[keithm]

After many discussions with Princess plus the many specials flyers and e-mails everyone one of them with the ' NOT APPLICABLE FOR SINGLES' after 23 voyages I have decided to end my relationship with this cruise line.

If one cannot accept them one quits. My future cruise credits membership of Captains Circle former returned to my credit card.

This is nothing to do with the wonderful times and atmosphere on the ships.The employees and fellow passengers are the very best.:)

Cunard now also has solo cabins.

[iriemon]

Another option with solo cabins in Royal Caribbean. Their new builds - Quantum class, and the new Harmony which is Oasis class - have solo cabins.... Granted, those are their largest ships, but it at least is an option. And they're bigger cabins than NCLs..at least somewhat. And often their solo pricing is at least more friendly than Princess...Celebrity doesn't yet have solo cabins, but they do sometimes offer solo travelers rates at 150% rather than 200% or more!

Good luck, I do hope you find a good fit for future travels.

 

I know how you feel as I am a solo passenger also and hate paying double. RCCL does offer discounts at times but you have to leave in a month or so. Just came off a HAL cruise where passengers were given an on board credit for a problem on board but even though I paid double only got 1 credit even after inquiring. Don't think they really care about us solos

[repo-cruiser]

That's pretty much in line with what I was told.

 

A shep sailing at 90% capacity is at break even point (as a generalization) and it then makes its profit from the 10% and inboard spending. So a ship full of singles would really cut heavily into the profit, I was also told that singles spend less on board than couples.

 

Now was it true?? I was persuaded anyway.

 

so when a 4 person occupancy room is taken by a couple, 2 people. Are they doubled charged each? They are losing an extra 2 people of revenue out of that room?

[Sat1]

I booked the Caribbean interior cabin for 160%, not much, but at least some discount.

[Luvmyrotti]

Hey Heather-

Just a quick update. I may now have more opportunity to travel as a solo. My mom (and travel partner extraordinaire) is gone, and my husband just does not have much vacation time.

 

Good luck!

Tracie-Lynn

 

Tracie, I'm so sorry to hear that you lost your Mom. I didn't realize. I've enjoyed hearing about all of the travels you two have had.

[TracieABD]

Tracie, I'm so sorry to hear that you lost your Mom. I didn't realize. I've enjoyed hearing about all of the travels you two have had.

 

Thank you for that. She has really been heavy on my heart this week (translation: Southern for on my mind). I really do miss her.

If you want to read about our last adventure, I did a live from the British Isles on the Royal. The link is in my signature line. It sort of explains her last days.

 

I am looking for ways to honour her memory by continuing our plans to travel the world.

[cruiseelady]

If you are a solo cruiser I very highly suggest NCL. Not even because they have cabins for solo cruisers on some of their ships, but the main reason is that often they charge 100% not 200%(meaning double) on some of their sailings.

 

There is a great website called cruiseplum, its not a booking site and they do not sell cruises or anything else they just tell you what deals are out there for solos and they include all kinds of different lines.

[Cruise Junky]

Thank you for that. She has really been heavy on my heart this week (translation: Southern for on my mind). I really do miss her.

If you want to read about our last adventure, I did a live from the British Isles on the Royal. The link is in my signature line. It sort of explains her last days.

 

I am looking for ways to honour her memory by continuing our plans to travel the world.

 

Tracie, I'm so sorry. I missed your original post. So sorry for your loss

[jenp123]

The only thing that I ask when cruising solo (and I think it's a fair request) is that if I am paying double, I should get the benefits for 2 people. I should get to bring 2 bottles of wine onboard, if there is an obc pp then I should get it for 2 and I should get double credit for days cruised ( I know pro fess does this but HAL does not)

[rdcruisin]

[quote name='jenp123']The only thing that I ask when cruising solo (and I think it's a fair request) is that if I am paying double, I should get the benefits for 2 people. I should get to bring 2 bottles of wine onboard, if there is an obc pp then I should get it for 2 and I should get double credit for days cruised ( I know pro fess does this but HAL does not)[/QUOTE]

Are you allowed to bring 2 bottles of wine onboard Princess as a solo? I know you do get the double OBC and credit days, but didn't know about the wine.

[likeadisguise]

No its bottle of wine per adult, not per cabin. If you're in a room with a minor you also only get to bring on one bottle without corkage.

[keithm]

[quote name='kruisey']After many discussions with Princess plus the many specials flyers and e-mails everyone one of them with the ' NOT APPLICABLE FOR SINGLES' after 23 voyages I have decided to end my relationship with this cruise line.
If one cannot accept them one quits. My future cruise credits membership of Captains Circle former returned to my credit card.
This is nothing to do with the wonderful times and atmosphere on the ships.The employees and fellow passengers are the very best.:)[/QUOTE]
Try Cunard(more formal) or NCL(more casual). Both offer single cabins. The NCL ships do have more single cabins than Cunard.

[Cruzin-K]

I don't like inside cabins, nor do I like being in a cabin the size of a closet:rolleyes: so the new solo cabins (on any line) do nothing for me. At a minimum, I want a regular sized ocean view cabin. I look at the total price I'm paying, and if it seems like a good deal then I'll book it. As others have mentioned, there are a couple travel websites that list deals for solos, and there is also a section of CC to discuss solo travel and there is a thread in there to list deals people have found. Between Princess and Royal Caribbean, I've found that Princess is better for solos. Royal seldom prices cabins below 200% for solos, but on Princess I've been able to snag ocean view cabins for about 150% or even 130%.

[lolane1]

I'll be solo traveling this summer. I looked at a Celebrity Mediterranean cruise. They were charging perhaps 20% OVER the DOUBLE rate. That's just crazy. Went back to Princess and got a deal on an obstructed balcony. I jumped on that.

I am not a fan of Norwegian. The last two NCL cruises I took, I had problems with cigarette smoke wafting in the inner regions of the ship. And not a fan of the tiny solo rooms. Also not a fan of RCI - too many kid friendly activities for my zen. Also not a fan of Carnival.

I do like HAL and Celebrity but won't pay outlandish prices. So, I shop around and just keep looking for deals and last minute bookings. I don't think there is a perfect solution for solo travelers so we have to make choices.

Good luck Heather. Just keep cruising...................

[KruzPrincess]

[quote name='kruisey']I was expecting a blast off...
I will start making inquires with other lines after things are settled down overseas were I am dashing off overseas yet again re my sisters health.
The first question I will ask these other cruise lines ..On all of your 'Specials' do you quote 'Not Applicable for singles' if they do I will not sail with them.:cool:[/QUOTE]

I haven't read the entire thread yet, but I just have to comment on this. I often see something about singles in the details of sale offerings, but when I have my TA book the deal I usually (almost always) get what's being offered. Yes, I do generally pay 200% for a balcony and above cabin, but I expect that. Sometimes I can get an inside (on occasion a balcony) for less than 200%. I do know that Princess pricing has changed across the board in the last two years and the amount of solo discounts have decreased. That said, I almost always get the extras like OBC, specialty dining, drink packages, etc. Maybe I don't cruise as much as you, but I know I price cruises all the time. I've gotten some very good deals as a solo cruiser. Princess still lets me stack all the OBC offers and sometimes that really adds up. I'm OK with Princess.

Just wanted to add, after reading the entire thread, that I've looked at some ships with solo cabins and they aren't that appealing. I looked at the solo cabins on the new HAL Koningsdam. They are tiny OV cabin at the very front of the ship (smaller due to the narrowing of the ship) and they really weren't that much cheaper. I generally want a normal size cabin. I don't expect that I'll get a discount on a hotel room because I'm booking it by myself, so it doesn't surprise me to pay full price for a cruise cabin. I love a good deal and search for them, but I don't think it's unfair that a cruise line expects me to pay the same amount as a couple in a cabin. Edited March 10, 2016 by KruzPrincess

[flamomo]

It may be just my perception, but it seems like when the current CEO of PCL took over the helm, decent fare deals (supplements of <200%) for solos went away. I used to be able to do TAs in inside, and occasionally OV, cabins for 150-160%,but no more. The ones I have been interested in are a straight 200% from day one, and never a fare decrease during special "sales" for solos or insides and OV, while they are being offered for cabins with 2 pax, and only in balcony or above. She's apparently all about making 'business decisions" that result in upping PCL's bottom line, even if it alienates long term loyal Princess cruisers. Not that we should expect that she cares, because it appears that Princess has no problem filling all the cabins on most cruises.

[Cruise Junky]

[quote name='flamomo']It may be just my perception, but it seems like when the current CEO of PCL took over the helm, decent fare deals (supplements of <200%) for solos went away. I used to be able to do TAs in inside, and occasionally OV, cabins for 150-160%,but no more. The ones I have been interested in are a straight 200% from day one, and never a fare decrease during special "sales" for solos or insides and OV, while they are being offered for cabins with 2 pax, and only in balcony or above. She's apparently all about making 'business decisions" that result in upping PCL's bottom line, even if it alienates long term loyal Princess cruisers. [B]Not that we should expect that she cares, because it appears that Princess has no problem filling all the cabins on most cruises[/B].[/quote]

Bingo...as a long time cruiser you cost them money, even more so as a single. If they can sell the cabin without your perks to a couple that's what they'll do and frankly they should.

[ISABELLA]

[quote name='Cruise Junky']HAL's new ship has 12 solo cabins. HAL is also only charging Canadians about 35% exchange.[/QUOTE]

Some new Royal Caribbean ships like Anthem and few others have Single studio inside and balcony rooms. They are smaller than a regular cabin, but they are priced accordingly. I have one booked for 12 days - balcony studio for $1800 vs $3200 for obstructed balcony. In my math, charging double for one person is not that big of a loss for the cruise line, since one person doesn't eat for 2 and some single will spend more that some 2 people....

[zoncom]

RD person explains it best. Among ships best $$ makers are alcohol and excursions.I know I drink less when traveling solo.After 23 cruises on same line I would be ready for a change too. Did Ruby several Ruby TA several yrs. ago. Not enough events and soso food.Just booked 2 Celebrity cruises solo for 50% SS. Just spend some time looking on line.