Does HAL offer discounts for single cabins?

[N Randolph]

I'm the odd person traveling with three couples and would need a single cabin, which I know is quite a bit more expensive. I wonder if there are ever discounts offered?

[cruz chic]

Not that I've ever seen. HALs supplements are less then other cruise lines but you have to compare the total price of course and not just look at the supp %.

[Pam in CA]

I'm the odd person traveling with three couples and would need a single cabin, which I know is quite a bit more expensive. I wonder if there are ever discounts offered?

Nope. No discounts for singles. Depending on the cabin category, you'll pay a substantial amount for a phantom 2nd person. Your best bet is to find a good TA who offers discount pricing.

[CherylsCaribbeanTravel]

If you are willing to forget a balcony cabin and go with an inside or outside, I have found HAL single suppliments very reasonable. In my research, HAL single suppliments are about 150% without waiting for a last minute special. I've seen them as low as 125% on less popular sailings. With a TA that discounts, I was just able to purchase a 14 day Alaska on the Amsterdam as a solo for about 130% (oceanview not balcony).

 

I have found reasonable solo prices on most lines by waiting to book until just after final payment is due on the cruise. Lots of cabins open up, and prices drop. Of course, not everyone is willing, able, or comfortable waiting to book 3-6 weeks before the cruise.

 

If you have your heart set on a balcony it has been my experience that it is hard to find good single suppliments on balcony cabins. However in this economy they do exist if you research enough. I was able to secure a solo balcony on RCL over Easter for 125%. But again, that was a last minute purchase. I have also found that Princess has excellent last minute specials, and even 200% their price can be a very good value. And now there is the Epic, with a whole category devoted to the solo traveler with no 'supplement' at all. I suppose time will tell how that concept works.

 

I think Lorekauf gives excellent advice in that it is probably better to concentrate on the bottom line cost of the cruise vs. the single supplement. At least that has helped me :).

 

Have you tried visiting the solo cruise forum? I've found some great tips here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=373

 

Happy Sailing!

 

Cheryl

[mahassiddasairy]

I'm curious about this as well. I'd heard HAL had good single supplement rates, and called them the other day to inquire. I was told that inside staterooms were 150%, but everything else was 200%. Didn't seem like good rates to me.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

It really depends on the itinerary and ship what you may pay for the single supplement.

[cruz chic]

I'm curious about this as well. I'd heard HAL had good single supplement rates, and called them the other day to inquire. I was told that inside staterooms were 150%, but everything else was 200%. Didn't seem like good rates to me.

I've found that HALs rates overall have been very good lately. For a while I was quite turned off by HAL due to many issues and their pricing was high. Princess was much better. Now Princess seems sky high. I've been quite happy with my cruises on HAL lately. I tend to book really far ahead so last minute specials don't really appeal to me.

[Oceanwench]

My sister tried several times to get a deal for a single rate last year. She was willing to book an inside cabin - she didn't care.

The ship had so many cabins open ... DH and I got a steal on an SY and got a great upsell for $199 pp to an SC. My DD and her BF were in an obstructed view guarantee at a very low price, got upgraded to an oceanview [as I recall, category C] and then got an upsell to a VB for $49 pp.

And yet despite all of this, there was no discounting for a two-star Mariner sailing solo. She chose not to go.

[cruz chic]

My sister tried several times to get a deal for a single rate last year. She was willing to book an inside cabin - she didn't care.

The ship had so many cabins open ... DH and I got a steal on an SY and got a great upsell for $199 pp to an SC. My DD and her BF were in an obstructed view guarantee at a very low price, got upgraded to an oceanview [as I recall, category C] and then got an upsell to a VB for $49 pp.

And yet despite all of this, there was no discounting for a two-star Mariner sailing solo. She chose not to go.

Wow...those are some smokin' deals. I tried to get an upsell on my last cruise and it was no dice. I'm almost up to a 4 star mariner and I booked a K cabin and got a K cabin. I booked this cruise over a year in advance. I booked the cruise as a 14 day cruise but some booked as 10 then a new batch of people got on for the 4 day cruise. I was not pleased to find out this group paid next to nothing for great cabins while I was not able to buy my way up. I was very happy with my inside cabin but in the end it would have been nice to have a window.

[Oceanwench]

Wow...those are some smokin' deals. I tried to get an upsell on my last cruise and it was no dice. I'm almost up to a 4 star mariner and I booked a K cabin and got a K cabin. I booked this cruise over a year in advance. I booked the cruise as a 14 day cruise but some booked as 10 then a new batch of people got on for the 4 day cruise. I was not pleased to find out this group paid next to nothing for great cabins while I was not able to buy my way up. I was very happy with my inside cabin but in the end it would have been nice to have a window.

 

I know - we could not believe it. Originally we had a 7-day cruise to the Southern Caribbean, which we'd booked about a year in advance. We paid a pretty high price for a VA. Friends we were sailing with had to cancel around August [it was a November cruise] and we were undecided as to what to do. Then I saw I could book a different 7-day cruise for FOUR of us [DH & me, DD and her BF] for just about the same amount of money we'd paid for the TWO of us on the other cruise.

So we grabbed it.

Long story, but due to some personal issues we switched to a third cruise, which was the first week of November, and that's where we got the wonderful deal.

 

We were amazed at the prices, amazed at the upsell offers and amazed that we were able to get a HC cabin so close to sailing.

 

I just found it odd that a person sailing solo was unable to take advantage of such good deals. Our TA checked several times, and my sister even booked a flight down here for that week. When no good deals came her way, and HAL didn't discount the solo supplement, she just spent the week at my house - enjoying Fla. weather and taking care of our dogs! :)

[Cras108er]

Anyone ever agree to travel with a stranger in order to get the standard fare for a single traveler. My wife would love to take her mom along with us on a cruise, but I am not crazy about her traveling in the same cabin. When you say 130%, is that of the the pp rate? Thanks.

[cruz chic]

Anyone ever agree to travel with a stranger in order to get the standard fare for a single traveler. My wife would love to take her mom along with us on a cruise, but I am not crazy about her traveling in the same cabin. When you say 130%, is that of the the pp rate? Thanks.

There is not enough money in this world to make me share with a stranger. I LOVE having my own cabin! There have been several stories people have told on here about sharing cabins. Some have gone well...some not so well. Yes, the 130% would be 30% more then the double occupancy rate per person. Clear as mud?