Tui (Thomson as was) phantom cruisers.

[cinnamon]

Friends of mine have booked a cruise on Tui. They are a couple with a single in addition. The single lady has been told she has to book a phantom passenger with a false name for the flight and cruise! This sounds bonkers to me but apparently Tui won’t allow a single traveller in a cabin, even though they are paying double.

 

Has anyone heard of this before? It doesn’t sound legal to me.

 

 

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[MicCanberra]

Sounds dodgy, fair enough that a single pays double for their cabin, but to pay for flights as well?

[Host Hattie]

Is this with TUI (the Germany operation) or Marella (formerly Thomson)?

[cinnamon]

I don’t know Hattie, it’s a friend who has booked it this way on the advice of their travel agent. They were told on arrival at the airport to then say that the other person was unable to travel but not to admit that in advance to the cruise line.

 

 

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[cinnamon]

Sounds dodgy, fair enough that a single pays double for their cabin, but to pay for flights as well?

 

 

 

Mic, it seems Tui just book packages with all-in, flight and cruise is not priced separately.

 

 

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[Host Hattie]

You might get more answers on the Marella board.

[cinnamon]

Thank you.

 

 

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[John Bull]

I don’t know Hattie, it’s a friend who has booked it this way on the advice of their travel agent. They were told on arrival at the airport to then say that the other person was unable to travel but not to admit that in advance to the cruise line.

 

 

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Some cruise lines charge a premium for singletons - I don't mean just paying for two, I mean paying more than double. The reasoning being that there's only one person spending on the ship - drinks,, excursions, photos, dining upgrades etc.

It's reckoned that the cruise fare on many American cruise lines only covers their costs, and that they make their profit on on-board spend.

Hence I've seen such advice before.

But not for fly-cruises. Damned if I'd pay double for a flight a well as a cruise!!

And I've not seen that advice for Thomson, or indeed for any Brit-orientated cruise line.

 

The whole premise is all very very dodgy.

Probably in contravention of the terms & conditions, so if the truth slips out .............

And I don't even know if Thomson charge that premium - if they don't, that's a pointless bit of nonsense.

 

I'd need to have a great deal of confidence in a T/A who gives that advice. Mebbe from a supervisor?

But more likely I'd give the whole thing a miss - and mebbe look at Fred Olsen, NCL & any others which offer single cabins.

 

Just MHO as always

 

JB :)

[MicCanberra]

The costs being more than double can explain the methodology so that they can exploit the situation but I would not feel comfortable doing such a thing, If you buy a plane ticket and don't show up for the first leg, they cancel the whole trip. Not sure if that applies to a ship's cabin as well but I wouldn't take the risk. I doubt insurance would cover a fictitious traveller.

[cinnamon]

Mercifully a single cabin ‘became available’!!

Thanks for the replies.

 

 

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[MicCanberra]

Mercifully a single cabin ‘became available’!!

Thanks for the replies.

 

 

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Good result then.:D