Really Depressing to be a Single Cruiser who has to book long in Advance right now

[sambamama]

I can't make plans for at least 6 months in advance or more because of my job.  Right now I am booked for vacations through mid- 2025.  I look, and pretty much most all the cruises I see have supplements of 80% or more, and usually 100%.  That is really depressing, and at that price point, I am much better off booking a land tour, or putting together my own land package.  I am 4 star on HAL with over 200 sea days, and just about every cruise there now has a 100 single supplement.

 

I don't think the cruise industry is looking to cater to singles at all any more.  Or if they are, they expect us to pay 75% or more supplement, and I won't do that.  I don't have to pay that for a hotel.  And at least on HAL, they are charging much, much more, and taking away lots of what there was before.  The MDR is now closed on all port days.  Classical music is now gone.  Many long time favorites are gone from the MDR-fruit soups, many fish choices, lots of breads, more dessert choices.  The bread choice at the buffet is gone.  Candied ginger and the yum yum man is gone.  Hot appetizers in the cocktail lounges, or even nuts are gone. Half the pool lounges (at least on my last cruise) at the main pool are gone, which is a real problem when the weather is bad.  The cabin stewards are supposed to clean up to 24 cabins a day.  You get chocolates on your pillow only on formal nights.  Really?? The little chocolates are that expensive???  What exactly am I paying for???

[AV8rix]

29 minutes ago, sambamama said:

I can't make plans for at least 6 months in advance or more because of my job.  Right now I am booked for vacations through mid- 2025.  I look, and pretty much most all the cruises I see have supplements of 80% or more, and usually 100%.  That is really depressing, and at that price point, I am much better off booking a land tour, or putting together my own land package.  I am 4 star on HAL with over 200 sea days, and just about every cruise there now has a 100 single supplement.

 

I don't think the cruise industry is looking to cater to singles at all any more.  Or if they are, they expect us to pay 75% or more supplement, and I won't do that.  I don't have to pay that for a hotel.  And at least on HAL, they are charging much, much more, and taking away lots of what there was before.  The MDR is now closed on all port days.  Classical music is now gone.  Many long time favorites are gone from the MDR-fruit soups, many fish choices, lots of breads, more dessert choices.  The bread choice at the buffet is gone.  Candied ginger and the yum yum man is gone.  Hot appetizers in the cocktail lounges, or even nuts are gone. Half the pool lounges (at least on my last cruise) at the main pool are gone, which is a real problem when the weather is bad.  The cabin stewards are supposed to clean up to 24 cabins a day.  You get chocolates on your pillow only on formal nights.  Really?? The little chocolates are that expensive???  What exactly am I paying for???

Solo 4-star also and agree almost 100% (see my last paragraph) with your comments.  In addition to missing the Yum Yum Man chiming us into dinner, classical music, nightly pillow chocolates, chilled soups, etc,  I really miss the terrific crew show that they used to stage!

 

Can't really understand about the classical music thing.  OK, so they ended the contract with Lincoln Center.  But that was a very new thing anyway.  In the past, we ALWAYS had classical music in the Explorers Lounge with Adagio strings, Rosario strings, etc.

 

And back onto the solo thing -- would never book one of those new expensive solo staterooms on the Pinnacle-class ships.  They're small, down in the bilge, and up in the bow just aft of the anchor and hawser winch spaces.  For just a bit more I can be in a roomier interior or OV in a much more desirable location. 

 

But I don't really think it's an "industry" issue -- just a HAL issue.  I'd chew ground glass before I'd ever sail on NCL or RCCL but they apparently have solo staterooms that are in desirable locations, not just stuffed into the bow as an afterthought.

Edited May 14 by AV8rix

[sambamama]

HAL is charging all single supplements at 80 %or more. I would join you in chewing the ground glass for NCL, Carnival and RCCL, but at least they have some reasonable single supplements. However, what I was referring to is the lack of any far in advance on pretty much all lines that I see. About the only exception is Celestyial, which I am booked on, which has a 50% supplement, but that limits me to a Greek cruise. I won't cruise on a 3000 passenger or bigger ship. And if this means I give up cruising, well, I've had some amazing land vacations way cheaper than my cruises. And I do scuba diving vacations now. 

[nonstopcruz1]

On 5/14/2024 at 8:04 PM, sambamama said:

HAL is charging all single supplements at 80 %or more. I would join you in chewing the ground glass for NCL, Carnival and RCCL, but at least they have some reasonable single supplements. However, what I was referring to is the lack of any far in advance on pretty much all lines that I see. About the only exception is Celestyial, which I am booked on, which has a 50% supplement, but that limits me to a Greek cruise. I won't cruise on a 3000 passenger or bigger ship. And if this means I give up cruising, well, I've had some amazing land vacations way cheaper than my cruises. And I do scuba diving vacations now. 

Have you ever cruised on Azamara? I have been sailing with them for many years. They often have Very Low single supplement charges. I just booked a 17 night Panama Canal XMAS/NEW YEARS cruise in an inside cabin with a super low supplement and $1,000 OBC. (Small ships about 700 passengers so much is included). Gratuities, Wine, Cocktails, bottled water, soda etc... I love sailing with them. I will also be on a Caribbean cruise with them in November for 12 nights. I booked this in January out of Miami with almost no supplement, and a $750.00 OBC. I have been sailing with HAL since 2006. I am 3 star Mariner but I have decided the small ships are much better for me. No crowds, chair hogs, etc... and very few children make it great! HAL has changed alot and there are no longer any great deals for solo's. So sadly I will not be sailing with them. I really enjoyed it for many years. It was like a second home for me. I hope you can try Azamara someday it is absolutely wonderful!! Happy ⛵️ ⛵️.  Terri

[JimDee363636]

@nonstopcruz1

Terri:

 

That's quite a recommendation. Thanks!

Jim

[nonstopcruz1]

10 hours ago, JimDee363636 said:

@nonstopcruz1

Terri:

 

That's quite a recommendation. Thanks!

Jim

Hi Jim, I was happy to help out with this recommendation. I have been helped by so many over the years on Cruise Critic, and I am very grateful. We all have lots of choices when selecting a Cruise line, and everyone likes to get good deals, especially those who travel solo, and often pay double or more. So may we all continue to enjoy cruising whatever line we choose to sail with, and keep sharing helpful suggestions, and information with others. ⛵️ 🚢 ⚓️ Have a great day! 😀 Terri

[AV8rix]

@nonstopcruz1  I too have been thinking about switching to Azamara for all of the reasons that you have put forth, PARTICULARLY the small ships -- which we used to have with HAL.  Only thing stopping me is that I'll be 5* on HAL probably before the end of the year and I think I'm just too old to start at the bottom rung of a new loyalty program.

 

BTW, some of our old-time HAL regulars have indeed switched to Azamara and sing their praises of that line.

[nonstopcruz1]

2 hours ago, AV8rix said:

@nonstopcruz1  I too have been thinking about switching to Azamara for all of the reasons that you have put forth, PARTICULARLY the small ships -- which we used to have with HAL.  Only thing stopping me is that I'll be 5* on HAL probably before the end of the year and I think I'm just too old to start at the bottom rung of a new loyalty program.

 

BTW, some of our old-time HAL regulars have indeed switched to Azamara and sing their praises of that line.

Hi Susan, I am almost 4* with HAL and have sailed on Azamara about 7 times and ❤️ them! No need to worry about a loyalty program with Azamara. I do save a bit more than those with no loyalty status, but they have such awesome solo deals that you are miles ahead in pricing overall because of all they include. (Especially if you catch a solo sale that includes OBC).

They take very good care of solos as well, with a meet up at 6pm each night so you can make dinner plans etc.. I am totally spoiled sailing ⛵️ on small ships and look forward to my next 2 cruises. I hope you can sail with Azamara sometime soon.  😃 Terri

[shandryl]

On 5/16/2024 at 4:47 PM, nonstopcruz1 said:

Have you ever cruised on Azamara? I have been sailing with them for many years. They often have Very Low single supplement charges. I just booked a 17 night Panama Canal XMAS/NEW YEARS cruise in an inside cabin with a super low supplement and $1,000 OBC. (Small ships about 700 passengers so much is included). Gratuities, Wine, Cocktails, bottled water, soda etc... I love sailing with them. I will also be on a Caribbean cruise with them in November for 12 nights. I booked this in January out of Miami with almost no supplement, and a $750.00 OBC. I have been sailing with HAL since 2006. I am 3 star Mariner but I have decided the small ships are much better for me. No crowds, chair hogs, etc... and very few children make it great! HAL has changed alot and there are no longer any great deals for solo's. So sadly I will not be sailing with them. I really enjoyed it for many years. It was like a second home for me. I hope you can try Azamara someday it is absolutely wonderful!! Happy ⛵️ ⛵️.  Terri

I signed up on their website. I forgot all about them. Thank you!  I will definitely check it out.

[GCST]

I am a solo traveler and I am just back from an 11 day Barcelona to Southampton trip that I got with no single supplement by booking last minute--VERY last minute--directly on the NCL website.  I would suggest monitoring the cruise line website directly and plugging in one guest.  The cruise I got wasn't advertised as a solo deal, it simply came up the price for one guest was the same as a couple would pay each individually so I was getting the same rate as if I was traveling with someone else.  The room was an inside room without a window, the fare including port fees and taxes was under $900 and included 150 minutes of wifi, one dinner in a specialty restaurant and I could have done the unlimited drink package for a $23 a day additional gratuity.  That price did not include the daily service charge of $20 a day, so at the end of my cruise I had a bill for that of $220.  These are not 'posh' cruises-- I take them for the ports and what I can cram in while at a port stop.  The entertainment on the ship was lacking and my impression was they were short on staff.  But I checked a few things off my bucket list and am satisfied with the rate I paid.  Keep in mind that now that school is out, a lot more people are cruising and it is high season-- if you want the real solo deals you have to travel during shoulder season or off season or be satisfied with a repositioning cruise.  

[sambamama]

I am willing to do repositioning, and travel during the shoulder season. The part you missed is that I can't do last minute travel. I have to plan 6 months or more in advance, so that lets out  all those last minute deals! Thanks, I have looked at Azamara before, and I will look again. I've been looking at Cunard and Princess (I own 150 shares of Carnival stock, so I get $250 shipboard credit on a 2 week cruise), and I had forgotten about them.

[TwoNavySalts]

@sambamama

 

Have you looked at Regent Seven Seas by googling “Regent Seven Seas single cruising supplements?” Right now they have some 0% supplement cruises. You have to keep a good eye on the website. They are all-inclusive and may not be your cup of tea, but we have always enjoyed our RSS cruises and not having to think about this or that package. We have built up our loyalty nights with them, and at the point in our lives where one of us may be cruising solo, if it’s me, I would happily choose RSS. 
 

 

 

 

[sambamama]

Regent sounds lovely, but it's out of my price range. I looked at Azamara, and their solo specials go out just for a year. So they only have them through 2024, and they are limited. The ones I checked for 2024 (which I can't do as I am currently booked up on vacations through mid 2025) had no solo availability. But at least I know to look at Cunard, Azamara, and Princess. I will keep looking at HAL as I'm 4 star, but I think it's hopeless now. Thanks for the advice!

[AV8rix]

16 hours ago, TwoNavySalts said:

@sambamama

 

Have you looked at Regent Seven Seas by googling “Regent Seven Seas single cruising supplements?” Right now they have some 0% supplement cruises. You have to keep a good eye on the website. They are all-inclusive and may not be your cup of tea, but we have always enjoyed our RSS cruises and not having to think about this or that package. We have built up our loyalty nights with them, and at the point in our lives where one of us may be cruising solo, if it’s me, I would happily choose RSS. 
 

 

 

 

I can't do any of the luxury-class lines because I don't drink alcohol except for an occasional glass of wine with dinner if I'm dining with friends.  So not interested in underwriting the bar tabs of others. Otherwise I'd really like to check out some of those lines because I have noticed that most of them have reduced or sometimes zero solo supplement.

[sambamama]

I don't believe that the high cost of those lines is solely because of the free  alcohol. If you look at Celestytal, a new  small line in Greece, they include free wine and beer at lunch and dinner for everyone. They charge a 50 % solo supplement, and they have very fair prices. I have a 7 night cruise booked with them, and I don't even drink beer or wine. But they only cruise Greece, or Greece and Turkey.