450% fare for solo--any way around?

[gordiej]

On 9/4/2023 at 6:33 PM, RD64 said:

For now perhaps - but it is a loophole that will eventually be closed.

It's been open since at least 1998, when I first did this. 

 

[gordiej]

4 hours ago, BB94 said:

Wanted to add to this thread -

 

I spoke with Celebrity yesterday and posited the question: "If I book a 2nd person on my trip and they end up not being able to go, what happens?" The gentleman told me historically port fees and taxes would be refunded, however now they will also charge the difference in price. How I understood it was basically I'd have to pay the x00% single supplement difference.

Yes, they're going to "charge" you the cruise fare that the 2nd person was going to pay. They are NOT going to re-price the entire cabin at the higher solo fare that's being discussed and charge you MORE money. Could you imagine - you show up to the port, tell them the friend you were sailing with just tested positive for COVID/Noro/Legionnaire's/etc., and they try and charge you a few extra hundred dollars? Do you know how that would make them look? (Probably worse than they did in Australia with the denied boardings).

Edited December 13, 2023 by gordiej

[gordiej]

Sorry dupe

Edited December 13, 2023 by gordiej

[BB94]

@gordiej - I appreciate the clarification. I had an overseas rep, so I presume there was some miscommunication between us, plus I was driving, so factor in cell phones. That's a big relief. 

I'm curious if there are any TOS that might be broken by this 'loophole'.
 

[ldubs]

On 9/4/2023 at 1:47 PM, Hobbsey said:

$700 per couple is $350 per person.  Sorry I didn't show all my work, does that affect my grade?

 

I think the disconnect is cabin pricing is based on double occupancy ($700).  Comparing to half the double occupancy cost isn't painting an accurate picture.   You are paying in the neighborhood of 150% of the double occupancy rate (which is bad enough).  

[ldubs]

On 9/4/2023 at 1:01 PM, Random Cruizer said:

In other words, when you book as a single, the website gives you the total for 1 person, not a price that you double for the cabin.

 

I think a better way to say it (or think about it) is when you book as a single the website gives you the price for the cabin.   When you book as a double or a whatever, the website will show the price per person with the total for the cabin.   

[ldubs]

On 9/4/2023 at 5:40 PM, RD64 said:

November 11th to Cabo - double occupancy is $279 per person. Solo occupancy is $1765.

 

((1765-279)/ 279) * 100= 532.62% ….and that is how we teach them to calculate a percentage change at my high school in Canada.

 

You have missed that there is no such thing as the $279 cabin in your example.  The least amount that cabin will go for is at least double that.  This is not a valid comparison.   

    

[rj59]

I think the rep you spoke with assumed you were going to cancel a person before the cruise, in which case they might reprice for a solo rate. Even if he didn't understand your question, there's no way a customer rep is going to advise you to do that loophole, because they want you to pay an unfair solo rate or to be persuaded to bring a second actual person who will spend more than just you. It's like when I went into future cruises onboard my first X cruise and asked for a rate for a cruise, and got one vastly higher than what I'd seen online. We've all told you, and there are dozens of threads for people doing the same no-show procedure for X and other lines, so there's no reason to fear it, especially since the person checking you in isn't even with Celebrity, and wouldn't have the slightest knowledge of how to refare your cruise at embarkation and assign you some vague penalty. I've no-showed many cruises on my own, because I just didn't feel like going, and nobody cares if it's a real person or one never intended to go. If you can't handle that, then most other lines don't exceed a 200% single supplement, and lines like NCL often reduce the supplement, and other lines have solo cabins. You can also occasionally find Celebrity deals for solos and use a TA to get the lowest possible price, lower than those on Celebrity's website, even pricing for one person. My first 5 Celebrity cruises in 2021-22 were on Solstice and averaged $300 for a 7-night solo, 3 of them with all-included, but those were just incredible TA deals that were a third of the official Celebrity fare, and my Apex one that I booked onboard was also significantly cheaper than what they tried to quote me.  Unfortunately, with full ships and a high stock price, solos are going to find it harder to get bargains, but if you keep track of fares and their constant sales, values pop up, like a $400 coastal on Summit (now over $1000), the two transatlantic cruises on Eclipse for under $600 for a solo, and Beyond/Accent for $150 or so for a solo inside. 

[phoenixjewel]

Found this topic... I noticed in the past couple of months that now Celebrity is charging essentially a 300% single supplement vs. prior was consistently 200%.  Even "single" rooms on Edge class are basically about 180% of double occupancy when it should be 100%.  Has there been anything published?  I don't see the same issue with Royal Caribbean, only Celebrity.  Could be a booking system glitch while they have had this 75% off second guest promotion, like maybe that wasn't programmed correctly for solo occupancy, but I wondered if it was on purpose.

[D. B.]

I just booked my first NCL cruise in 10 years because they gave me A Solo veranda cabin with a lot of perks on a Panama Canal cruise at a very reasonable cost.

a similar cruise on Celebrity would have been more expensive even with Cruise Only price.

   Now believe me I’m still going to be sailing with Celebrity ( 9 future cruises booked) but I will see what NCL is like on one of their newer ships.

Our one and only NCL cruise was 10 years ago and very disappointing.

Edited February 18 by D. B.
Added content.

[D. B.]

On 2/14/2024 at 11:24 AM, phoenixjewel said:

Found this topic... I noticed in the past couple of months that now Celebrity is charging essentially a 300% single supplement vs. prior was consistently 200%.  Even "single" rooms on Edge class are basically about 180% of double occupancy when it should be 100%.  Has there been anything published?  I don't see the same issue with Royal Caribbean, only Celebrity.  Could be a booking system glitch while they have had this 75% off second guest promotion, like maybe that wasn't programmed correctly for solo occupancy, but I wondered if it was on purpose.

I was told the high price for a Solo booking was based on the lost onboard profit they would Not be getting from the missing second guest.

Now that cruise lines are selling out they are trying to maximize profits to make up for massive losses during the Covid shutdown.

[Ellaleah]

36 minutes ago, D. B. said:

I just booked my first NCL cruise in 10 years because they gave me A Solo veranda cabin with a lot of perks on a Panama Canal cruise at a very reasonable cost.

a similar cruise on Celebrity would have been more expensive even with Cruise Only price.

   Now believe me I’m still going to be sailing with Celebrity ( 9 future cruises booked) but I will see what NCL is like on one of their newer ships.

Our one and only NCL cruise was 10 years ago and very disappointing.

Recently returned from my second NCL (first in several years).  NCL puts together a good pkg in general and especially for solos.  No complaints on the food or service.  They had nightly solo meetings and I believe they arranged dinners and excursions for solos.  Production shows were excellent.  My biggest complaint might be that there was not nearly enough seating in the buffet and I did not care for the 2 excursions that I participated in.  They were, of course, third party.  I am going on my first Celebrity next year.  I would not anticipate them to be nearly as accommodating to solos onboard as the fares for solos that are more than 200% are not accommodating.

[D. B.]

16 minutes ago, Ellaleah said:

Recently returned from my second NCL (first in several years).  NCL puts together a good pkg in general and especially for solos.  No complaints on the food or service.  They had nightly solo meetings and I believe they arranged dinners and excursions for solos.  Production shows were excellent.  My biggest complaint might be that there was not nearly enough seating in the buffet and I did not care for the 2 excursions that I participated in.  They were, of course, third party.  I am going on my first Celebrity next year.  I would not anticipate them to be nearly as accommodating to solos onboard as the fares for solos that are more than 200% are not accommodating.

Thank you for that comment!

I like the older Celebrity M class ships with only 2100 guests so I know I will be dealing with double that on NCL. I booked the NCL cruise more for the Panama Canal than the price so it will be an experiment.

[ev8876]

On 2/17/2024 at 8:26 PM, D. B. said:

I was told the high price for a Solo booking was based on the lost onboard profit they would Not be getting from the missing second guest.

Now that cruise lines are selling out they are trying to maximize profits to make up for massive losses during the Covid shutdown.

That doesn’t explain why they have changed the pricing of the solo cabins on the E class ships.  Those cabins were designed to carry only one passenger.  Initially they were priced in line with what the per person pricing was for an IV cabin.  Now they are being priced at a premium well in excess of that.  

[Mark_K]

7 minutes ago, ev8876 said:

That doesn’t explain why they have changed the pricing of the solo cabins on the E class ships.  Those cabins were designed to carry only one passenger.  Initially they were priced in line with what the per person pricing was for an IV cabin.  Now they are being priced at a premium well in excess of that.  

Because they can get it. It’s all about supply and demand.

[ncgolferette]

There is absolutely no storage in the solo cabins.   Might work for a seven night Caribbean cruise.  No way for a 12 night cruise to Norway and the North Cape. 

[D. B.]

4 hours ago, ev8876 said:

That doesn’t explain why they have changed the pricing of the solo cabins on the E class ships.  Those cabins were designed to carry only one passenger.  Initially they were priced in line with what the per person pricing was for an IV cabin.  Now they are being priced at a premium well in excess of that.  

 

 I think Mark_K has it figured out !

[twins_to_alaska]

On 9/4/2023 at 7:23 PM, Spudd said:

Just book it as a double and call in to remove the second person. The reservations reps are happy to do this for you.

but removing the second person will get it repriced... not sure how you have been able to NOT get it repriced by removing the second person?