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Single Supplents too high.


Ritmuller1974
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My interest in cruising has been re-ignited by family members taking a recent TA on the QM2. For the record, I last sailed in 2005 on the Golden Princess, prior to this on P&O several times. One thing is clear, in the last 13 years since I was on a cruise ship, things have changed significantly.

 

I was initially attracted to P&O by its low single supplements. It's too long ago now to remember exactly what I paid, but their single supplement was low enough to make the cruise financially justifiable. Ever since then, the cruise industry has become dominated by US ownership, and things have changed. As far as single cruisers go, definitely not for the better.

 

I've been shocked and saddened that looking at various single supplements for the major cruise lines reveals the majority now charge double (or near enough) for sole occupancy of a double stateroom. When P&O Princess was owned by the P&O group they never (as far as I am aware) levied charges of 100% for sole occupancy. Whilst P&O were in business to make money, they did so with a certain amount of discretion, Carnival, RCL and the like appear to be much more aggressive in 'chasing the dollar', and as a result, the quality has suffered and the prices have soared.

 

Cunard, in particular will not appear to budge in regard to the single supplement. I today checked a TA departing in a few weeks, the single supplement was 75%, exactly as advertised in the brochure. I also spoke to them and was told that the full single supplement is always applied, it would seem right up until departure. Put simply, they won't give an inch.

 

I appreciate that cruise companies have to apply a single supplement for sole occupancy of a double cabin, but is it really necessary to charge double?

 

I think it's fairly obvious that the cruise industry does not want or value single people on their ships, and just views them as irrelevant. Although I am a younger cruiser, I feel sorry for the many older people who have very likely been driven off cruise ships by these charges. It doesn't bother me personally, as I can take my vacations anywhere I want.

 

It was good while it lasted, but given the costs, there are more enticing attractions for the money that it now costs to cruise alone. I would love to do a TA on the QM2, but not at these prices, and if anybody is wondering, I'm basing my costs on the CHEAPEST inside cabin.

 

 

:mad:

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Appreciate that today much of the revenue from the passenger, single or couple, is derived from onboard spending rather than the actual fare. So they look at someone occupying a cabin that could accommodate two and see that empty bed know it's not going to be drinking, gambling, going to extra cost restaurants, booking shore trips etc etc. Even if you paid a 100% supplement and in effect paid for the empty bed, you are still regarded as a loss leader. And today, they probably figure the ships usually sail with every cabin sold. So they do everything to discourage single travellers.

 

BTW, if you pay a 100% surcharge, do you still get the shipboard credit the "missing" second person would have received? Suspect not!

 

Me, I still remember the old days when as a single you could share a multi berth cabins with strangers... did that numerous times on Cunard, P&O, BI, French Line, Italian Line etc etc. You could see the world by ocean liner all on your own with nary a care or extra supplement.

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Me, I still remember the old days when as a single you could share a multi berth cabins with strangers... did that numerous times on Cunard, P&O, BI, French Line, Italian Line etc etc. You could see the world by ocean liner all on your own with nary a care or extra supplement.

 

Sadly, ships are no longer a mode of long distance transport but a holiday destination. Even on Hurtigruten you can't share a cabin anymore. Now that the venerable RMS ST.HELENA is gone, I think the last place where you could share a cabin (or rather a dormitory) for a journey of several nights, are the vessels of PELNI in Indonesia.

Most of these quite modern ships were built by the Meyer shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelni

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Appreciate that today much of the revenue from the passenger, single or couple, is derived from onboard spending rather than the actual fare. So they look at someone occupying a cabin that could accommodate two and see that empty bed know it's not going to be drinking, gambling, going to extra cost restaurants, booking shore trips etc etc. Even if you paid a 100% supplement and in effect paid for the empty bed, you are still regarded as a loss leader. And today, they probably figure the ships usually sail with every cabin sold. So they do everything to discourage single travellers.

 

BTW, if you pay a 100% surcharge, do you still get the shipboard credit the "missing" second person would have received? Suspect not!

 

Me, I still remember the old days when as a single you could share a multi berth cabins with strangers... did that numerous times on Cunard, P&O, BI, French Line, Italian Line etc etc. You could see the world by ocean liner all on your own with nary a care or extra supplement.

 

 

Yes, that's a very valid point. The onboard revenue has taken priority over the basic fare paid. I think this point is what made Carnival Cruise Lines so successful and its rise to the top. It's not my idea of cruising unfortunately.

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As others have pointed out a perusal of cruise lines financials shows that fares are about break even point, profits from on board spend.

 

The saving by one in a cabin rather than two is limited to raw material food costs (again financial statements show this to be about $10 a day)

 

So a single at 100% surcharge is a lower profit than two in the same cabin.

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I have travelled as a single passenger on a transatlantic crossing on QM2 (in mid-December) without paying a single supplement. I had a mid-ship sheltered balcony cabin to myself, transfer in New York, and flight back to the UK for £499. However, two factors helped: This was in 2012 when, due to world-wide economic issues, they were desperate to fill berths, esp for a winter crossing. Secondly, I booked less than a month before sailing date. But this shows that the single supplement isn't "always applied".

 

My advice to the OP; find a family member or a good friend to share the cabin. I have done this in the past. Even if you don't let them pay 50% of the total, any contribution they make (say 60/40 split of the total for two people) reduces your potential expenditure and gives you company on the sailing (and any sightseeing and return flight). This attractive "discount" to the other person, in my experience, can sometimes appeal to people who hadn't thought of taking a crossing previously. OK, you're paying a contribution towards their ticket, but you're paying out less than the dreaded additional 75% on top of your fare. (And who knows, if they get "the sailing/cruising bug", they can return the favour on a future cruise with a contribution towards your fare!)

 

I hope you make your transatlantic crossing on QM2, it is an experience not to be missed.

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If you look at it purely from the analogy of a room at a resort, aren't you acually getting a 12.5% discount on the room by paying 175% of the quoted "per person" rate?

 

When I book a hotel room by myself I pay the same as when my wife accompanies me in the same room.

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Does anyone know what the new solo cabins on the QM2 cost? I have searched everywhere and have found no reference to the fare.

Most often they don't seem to be a good value compared to a larger double cabin at 175% single occupancy rate.

 

Sometimes they sell at a higher fare than a single occupancy sheltered balcony.

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Do you have any numbers? a "larger double cabin" might be a better value overall but usually the reason someone wants a solo cabin (I might be wrong about this) is to avoid paying the single supplement and is willing to accept a less better overall value for one that costs less. If cost wasn't the main factor I think most people would just go with paying the single supplement for a regular size cabin meant for two people

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Maybe in the next day or two - the single cabins sell fast but you should be able to find some unsold ones in the new 2020 season. Anecdotally I've understood that the cost difference is quite small, and depending on the promotion an ocean view or sheltered balcony on QM2 with single supplement might actually be cheaper than a single.

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There is a travel agent in the UK that sends out an email (weekly I think) with only single occupancy offers. Mainly UK based lines (CMV, Olsen, P&O and Cunard) but some like MSC too. The prices are often very good often around £100 ppn and not much more for an outside. Depending on the line a cheap add on for all inclusive too. Best wishes, Stephen.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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I have run some numbers. To keep things simple, I looked at recently announced 2020 launch fares for eighteen different 7-day transatlantic crossings on QM2. Here is what I've come up with for the average launch fares on those crossings for the single cabin categories KC and KB in comparison with some other inside, oceanview, and balcony cabin categories adjusted for single occupancy with the 75% single supplement. These are all US fares in US dollars. Since these are launch fares, they do not take into account any promotions that come into play (such as past passenger discounts or similar). But hopefully this helps as a starting point to show the relative positioning of these fares and how they tend to compare to each other on QM2 crossings.

 

Average IF inside cabin fare with 75% single supplement: $2463

Average KC single oceanview cabin fare: $3041

Average KB single oceanview cabin fare: $3123

Average EF oceanview cabin fare with 75% single supplement: $3149

Average DF obstructed balcony fare with 75% single supplement: $3313

Average BZ sheltered balcony fare with 75% single supplement: $3425

 

Now after running those averages off the 2020 launch fares, I notice one online US travel agent is already showing the following pricing anomalies on one of those 2020 QM2 7-day crossings. This helps to illustrate underwatr's point that sometimes single oceanview cabins can actually be more expensive than a regular oceanview or balcony with the single supplement.

 

IF inside cabin fare with 75% single supplement: $2081

KC single oceanview cabin fare: $3210

KB single oceanview cabin fare: $3297

EF oceanview cabin fare with 75% single supplement: $2641

DF obstructed balcony fare with 75% single supplement: $2711

BZ sheltered balcony fare with 75% single supplement: $2851

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Whilst I am also in agreement regarding single supplements in general on cruise ships, "kohl57" above is spot on about the economic reasons for cruise lines imposing these tariffs. However, regarding the single cabins (I use QM2's as an example), a representative short 4 night cruise in 2020 using direct booking with Cunard shows that the single cabins are quite a bit cheaper than single occupancy in a double cabin. Obviously this may not apply as much the longer the cruise / time of year / popularity.

 

KC (single) £749 (these are the single cabins with the large double round windows)

KB (larger single) £789

EF (outside) £908

BU (sheltered balcony) £1031

BC (balcony) £1206

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I am sometimes a solo traveller and also sometimes travel with a friend. I mostly sail solo on P&O. Firstly, the dearth of single cabins on cruise ships mean that they sell out quite quickly usually. Due to fluid pricing, I have often found that paying the single supplement for use of a double cabin is actually cheaper than taking one of the single cabins.

 

What annoys me is that frequently cruise lines advertise remarkable deals on specific departures where you can maybe get a cruise ex UK for about £50pppd but for solos, the cost can be double the standard fare!

 

Whilst I appreciate the points made about on-board spend by pax, it can often be that a solo traveller spends more than than two travelling together. Some people don't have a pre-dinner drink, or drink wine with dinner and then maybe have one drink as a night-cap - whereas a solo traveller may have a pre-dinner drink, wine with dinner and a couple of drinks after dinner.

 

I do get quite annoyed when cruise lines boast about how great they are for solo pax, when all they really see us as is a way to make money.

 

Fred Olsen and CMV do have more late deals for solos at a reasonable price and offer an old-fashioned-style of cruise. The ships and food are not up to P&O and Cunard standards imho but they do offer better value for money for solos at times.

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Well, I forget the exact numbers since it was 2013 I sailed on the QM2 but I paid about $1400 for a cabin (fare plus single supplement) It was an inside "guaranteed" and was more than adequate even if I couldn't see the sea. I see fares for similar now at about $799 which is roughly the same when you add the single supplement. I guess that is the way I will go and forget about the lovely solo cabins. Mine was fine except it didn't have a sea view (or balcony) It is true, they made no money off of me except for the $30 I foolishly spent in the casino. Not counting the extra gratuities, I spent hardly anything. There was no need to.

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I guess its easier to get lower fares the closer to the sailing dates and that is what I've been looking at. I understand that solo cabins will most likely not be available at that point. To the person who posted about the old days, yes I remember when singles shared cabins with people they didn't know. As a teenager I thought it strange but my mother said that was the way it was done. This was 1966, on the original QM and also a smaller Cunard, the Sylvania. I enjoyed the elderly lady in our cabin very much. Bathroom down the hall also lol And bunk beds

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For the past 12 years, I have sailed many times on the QM2, about half the time as a solo. I, too, have many times received a greatly reduced single supplement and an upgrade to a sheltered balcony...….My feeling is that Cunard only offers a select amount of cabins if a sailing is really hurting for bookings. Since the refit, it seems to me that business is very good for the QM2 thus no need to offer single supplements. I have a couple of friends who email me every promo they get from Cunard (I tend to get very few) and in May there was an offering for reduced single supplements for late year sailings. Most were at a 50% supplement but the 11/4 sailing was only 10% so I booked. This was offered for the IC category rather than the cheapest inside, but I normally upgrade a little if sailing in winter so it was ok with me. Paid $1200. The price of the IC category has since been reduced, but I am still ahead of the game with the regular single supplement back in place. That slow to sell voyage is now sold out with the exception of three inside categories so for sure no upgrade but happy to be on deck 6, midship...…………..to be honest, really happy just to be sailing on the QM2 again...………..

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How are taxes & port fees applied on a single booking of a double occupancy stateroom?

 

If the fees are the same for a single regardless of the category booked, then my findings support what others here say but if for some reason the fees are double on a double stateroom compared to a single I'd need to sharpen my pencil. The fees on a transatlantic are fairly low, though.

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On my very first cruise with Cunard there was no single supplement at all. 0 %.

Of course this was a special but at that time there were quite often similiar offering.

 

Besides this special offerings, on the QE2 I always paid less than 50% surcharge even in the grills, around 45 or 48 %, not the 100% demanded today.

 

Cunard pricing policy has changed quite unfavourably.

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How are taxes & port fees applied on a single booking of a double occupancy stateroom?

 

If the fees are the same for a single regardless of the category booked, then my findings support what others here say but if for some reason the fees are double on a double stateroom compared to a single I'd need to sharpen my pencil. The fees on a transatlantic are fairly low, though.

 

The taxes and port fees that are added to US bookings are always per person and are always the same regardless of which cabin grade is booked. Taxes and port fees are not doubled for a single passenger booked into a double occupancy cabin.

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Whilst I am also in agreement regarding single supplements in general on cruise ships, "kohl57" above is spot on about the economic reasons for cruise lines imposing these tariffs. However, regarding the single cabins (I use QM2's as an example), a representative short 4 night cruise in 2020 using direct booking with Cunard shows that the single cabins are quite a bit cheaper than single occupancy in a double cabin. Obviously this may not apply as much the longer the cruise / time of year / popularity.

 

KC (single) £749 (these are the single cabins with the large double round windows)

KB (larger single) £789

EF (outside) £908

BU (sheltered balcony) £1031

BC (balcony) £1206

 

I'm finding similar results to this when I pop over to the Cunard UK web site and price those 2020 QM2 7-day crossings that I previously priced using US launch fares. Here are the average UK fares I've found for inside and oceanview cabins on 2020 QM2 crossings. These are Cunard fares with flights included. Again, these do not take into account promotions such as past passenger discounts. But they do show the single oceanview cabin fares are significantly lower than the fares for a single passenger in either a standard inside or oceanview with the single supplement.

 

Average KC single oceanview cabin fare: £1757

Average KB single oceanview cabin fare: £1815

Average IF inside cabin fare with single supplement: £1913

Average EF oceanview cabin fare with single supplement: £2222

 

I suppose this explains some of the popularity of the single oceanview staterooms. At least considering these UK fares, the single oceanview staterooms appear to be a better value proposition than they are when looking at US fares.

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Cunard, in particular will not appear to budge in regard to the single supplement. I today checked a TA departing in a few weeks, the single supplement was 75%, exactly as advertised in the brochure. I also spoke to them and was told that the full single supplement is always applied, it would seem right up until departure. Put simply, they won't give an inch.

 

 

:mad:

 

My experience is that it will be best to check this out with Travel Agents rather than Cunard direct. There is no guarantee that you will get a deal but it is certainly worth asking. I have done transatlantics in Queens Grill as a solo at some very good prices - one of them I booked six months in advance. It maybe worth a try.

 

Best of luck.

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