Is this dishonest?

[kme]

This applies for any cruiseline, but since my next cruise is on Celebrity, I'm posting the question here.

 

I'm currently booked with one cabin for 3 passangers. I've got a friend, traveling single that will be booking this same cruise. The online TA advised that I should change current booking to 2 cabins, both as double occupancy to avoid the single passanger paying the nearly 200%. It seems a bit dishonest and deceiving as we will ultimately be having one cabin with 3 passangers and one cabin with single passanger.

 

What would you do?

[2SeaWithMe]

It doesn't make a lot of sense, as your third pax would be paying a much higher rate than a 3rd pax rate.

 

I know parents of kids HAVE to do it that way...one parent in each room plus say, one child, as you cannot put 2 children in one room.

[Orator]

This applies for any cruiseline, but since my next cruise is on Celebrity, I'm posting the question here.

 

I'm currently booked with one cabin for 3 passangers. I've got a friend, traveling single that will be booking this same cruise. The online TA advised that I should change current booking to 2 cabins, both as double occupancy to avoid the single passanger paying the nearly 200%. It seems a bit dishonest and deceiving as we will ultimately be having one cabin with 3 passangers and one cabin with single passanger.

 

What would you do?

 

The TA is trying to save you money. Must you have the 3 in one cabin or would it be better to divide into 2 and 2? Unless you show at least 2 in a cabin one will be required to pay the higher price.

[kitty9]

If the third passenger in your cabin doesn't mind paying a lot higher fare, why would it be dishonest? The third passenger pays a much lower fare when sharing a cabin with two full fare passengers, but if they move with the solo person, they'd have to pay the full fare.

[kme]

yes, the third passanger is my girlfriends daughter and will be staying in our cabin.

[skiman1]

If you put her in the other cabin then she will be charged the full fare. Not too sure if your GF will like that, however, the single person will.

[kme]

If you put her in the other cabin then she will be charged the full fare. Not too sure if your GF will like that, however, the single person will.

 

The price for the three of us is the same regardless with the perks/kick backs. So, yes, it will save the single passanger greatly.

 

But is this cheating the system?

[Orator]

In the end it's not about what a majority responding on this thread think, it's about you own moral compass.

[ISABELLA]

Since you are booking a cabin for 2, you might end up with a cabin for 2 and not for 3 - where is your GF daughter will sleep?

[dkjretired]

It doesn't make a lot of sense, as your third pax would be paying a much higher rate than a 3rd pax rate.

 

I know parents of kids HAVE to do it that way...one parent in each room plus say, one child, as you cannot put 2 children in one room.

 

That is not correct, Celebrity allows children to be in a room connecting to their parents, has been that way for years, I did it in the 90s. They consider across the hall to be connecting also.

 

http://www.celebritycruises.com/beforeyourcruise/faq/home.do?faqSubjectName=Age+Requirements&faqId=378&pagename=faq_answers

[TLCOhio]

When Celebrity says/claims "that's our best, lowest fare, honest" up until you pay in full on the 75th day. Then quickly drops the fares 30-40% lower to finish filling up the many empty rooms on the ship, my heart, concerns and worries for their "bottom-line" are not bleeding that deeply. It's not a legal requirement on how their pair-ups and match-ups are done.

 

I have always felt that when the cruise line gouges a single for 200% that they are not exactly being honest nor fair on their true and honest costs. Many cruise lines will only do a 25-50% upcharge for that single cruiser.

 

Cruise lines are "creative" in their variable pricing, selective discounts, etc. Customers can be "creative", also!

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Just back from a June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc. These postings are now at 21,349 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2011, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 46,531 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

Appreciate those who have “tuned in” for these two posts. Don’t be shy and feel free to comment and/or ask any questions of interest.

[R_i_c_h]

I don't believe that it's dishonest. You're paying for 4 people, and they couldn't care less where you sleep once you're onboard. I liken it to getting a group discount with bunch of people. Is it dishonest if you don't know everyone in the group personally? In either case, I don't think the cruise line cares, and you shouldn't either. Get the extra money back. :)

 

Rich

[cruisestitch]

Actually, there is an issue about where you sleep once you're onboard, and it has to do with lifeboat distribution. This is why, even though there may be open cabins which might hold four people, sometimes they can't be actually booked for four passengers, due to how many others are in that lifeboat's area already.

 

A second issue has to do with the room steward's gratuities, which are tied to the stateroom you are booked into. If the rooms are next door and have the same steward, then this wouldn't matter, but if they are separated or on different decks, it does matter.

[kme]

Actually, there is an issue about where you sleep once you're onboard, and it has to do with lifeboat distribution. This is why, even though there may be open cabins which might hold four people, sometimes they can't be actually booked for four passengers, due to how many others are in that lifeboat's area already.

 

A second issue has to do with the room steward's gratuities, which are tied to the stateroom you are booked into. If the rooms are next door and have the same steward, then this wouldn't matter, but if they are separated or on different decks, it does matter.

 

I'm not concerned about the room steward's gratuities, I always tip quite a bit extra, beyond the regular per person, per day amount.

[R_i_c_h]

You tip where you sleep. It doesn't matter to the cabin steward who is booked in the room on paper. I don't think it's an issue at all.

 

Rich

[junglejane]

I don't see anything whatsoever that is dishonest about this. Celebrity is being paid for 4 people. Passengers "rearrange" the sleeping arrangements all the time. We always book two rooms for our family of 4 and book one adult in each room. Once onboard, the purser's desk is happy to accomodate with extra seapass cards that will unlock the appropriate room.

 

As others have noted, just make sure that the room you and your GF book can in fact accomodate a 3rd person (sofabed or drop-down bed) and mark it no upgrade so you aren't moved. And as you already mentioned, tip the room steward for the 3rd person (unless the friend has the same room steward, in which case he's already getting tipped for the GF's DD).

[cruisestitch]

I disagree about the idea that

 

"You tip where you sleep. It doesn't matter to the cabin steward who is booked in the room on paper. "

 

It does matter. Take two scenarios.

 

First, you are on Select Dining, and have two staterooms booked for this group, one on deck 8 and one on deck 9. You will be prepaying the tips. The steward in one case will be tipped as per two passengers, even though there will only be one in the room. The other steward will also be tipped per two passengers, even though there will be a third one in the room, needing extra linens, extra bedding, extra work. Believe me, that steward is going to care.

 

Take a case of Traditional Dining. Here you might be going to Guest Services to have the auto tip removed, so you can tip the steward who takes care of that extra person in cash. The problem is, the steward (and the table servers) who will be seeing the auto tips removed will be in a bit of hot water. The cruise line assumes that when passengers remove the auto tips it is because someone has done something to displease the passengers. So the steward who is losing the auto tip will definitely care.

 

Again, if the two rooms are adjacent and served by the same steward, there is no issue. But if they do not have the same steward, I think there is an issue.

[ariawoman]

I don't see anything whatsoever that is dishonest about this. Celebrity is being paid for 4 people. Passengers "rearrange" the sleeping arrangements all the time. We always book two rooms for our family of 4 and book one adult in each room. Once onboard, the purser's desk is happy to accomodate with extra seapass cards that will unlock the appropriate room.

 

.

 

While it is true that celebrity is being paid for the same number of people the amount of money is very different from what i've heard.

 

A single passenger pays 200%, i highly doubt the 3rd person in a room will be charged to a higher extent, plus many lines offer 3 and 4 passenger free deals.

 

Personally, it seems dishonest to me. If you're not telling the truth, you're not being honest, simple as that.

[Lsimon]

The travel agent is Celebrity's agent and has a responsibility to represent Celebrity while providing customer service, on Celebrity's behalf, to their customers.

 

If either the travel agent or Celebrity says this is OK then do it.

It is not at all dishonest if it is something they allow. but I'd do it with full disclosure. Do this by getting something in writing from either Celebrity or the TA indicating that you may change the sleeping configuration after boarding to 3 in one cabin and that the cabin you are booking can accommodate this. Besides, if you don't get this in writing then you chance being very disappointed if, after boarding, they say they can't vary the number in each cabin from the original booking.

 

In my opinion, it just isn't worth doing this without a clear advance understanding. Some here seem to feel that there wouldn't be any issue making this switch after you are on board, but how do you know that for sure? While it is likely that you wouldn't run into any issues I don't think you'd want to take that chance. So get it in writing and if they refuse then book, and pay, for what you really want.

[junglejane]

Personally, it seems dishonest to me. If you're not telling the truth, you're not being honest, simple as that.

 

In what way is the OP "not telling the truth"? You're assuming that booking someone into the room is some sort of irrevocable promise to sleep in the room. As Lsimon says, the TA is Celebrity's representative (there's a reason they're called an "agent") and is recommending this approach. If the OP feels the TA is somehow untrustworthy, then call Celebrity directly and ask. (I think that asking for express written permission is probably a lost cause though.)

 

For all Celebrity knows, the single friend could be the OP's part-time nanny. In fact, why don't you agree that he or she is the part-time nanny and will care for the GF's DD for 15 minutes per day! (I'm joking, folks.) Seriously, Celebrity isn't going to do any bed checks.

[dondiane]

If you "assign" the 3rd person to what would be the "single travelers" room, you should only pay what was asked as if having the 3rd person in your room. The single traveler should be responsible for the balance even though his/her rate would be shown as booking a double. Once you are on the ship you can move that "3rd" person into your cabin as long as your cabin has the proper available bed/sleeper sofa. Moving people/cabin assignment around is done all the time for varied reason. Go and enjoy !!

[PartyAllDaTyme]

A while ago, I had the issue of making a booking one way and then switching rooms once on board. Our situation is that we're traveling with my in-laws, and we have me and my DFIL booked in one cabin, DW and DMIL in the other. If a senior rate comes up, we will be able to claim it for both cabins. Once on board, we will switch rooms and then we can either get two (DW's and DFIL's) of the SeaPass cards recoded so they will open the opposite cabin door, or may have to get extra cards that only open the doors.

 

Before you post about how dishonest this is and how we're cheating Celebrity, I checked with X thoroughly about this, and they have no problem with people playing musical cabins once on board. In fact, I was told that this was the smart way to book it, and people do it all the time. They have no issue with who actually sleeps where and are willing to accommodate you by recoding cards or issuing extra ones. I was completely upfront and honest about what I was planning and why. On one call (I called four different times, to be sure), the agent suggested that, since DW and I are Classic CC members and in-laws aren't, that we could split up the booking that way so both couples could get the free CC upgrade, but that applies only for inside and OV cabins, and we have two balconies. This was before I could even ask about the logistics of booking it like I planned. I would think this would apply to the OP's situation, as well.

 

For giggles, I looked at pricing for our upcoming cruise with 3 in one cabin and 1 in the other, and then at 2 and 2. The cost for 3 in a 2A is $4127, and for 1 is $3143, total $7270. For 2, it's $3378 twice, or $6756. A savings of $514.

 

I haven't analyzed what this means for tips, but is the autotip not per person in any case? What difference would it make on who is sleeping where? As for total occupancy, four people are four people to count against the limit.

 

The only possible sticky part I can foresee is staying in the cabin that can accommodate three. Even if the booking is marked as No Upgrades, they might make a lateral move to switch from the cabin that can accommodate three to one that can only accommodate two in order to free up that cabin for a potential three-person booking.

[cruisestitch]

Maybe I didn't explain my thoughts on the tips very well. By the way, PartyAll, I'm completely with you -- what you have planned has definitely been okay'd by the line. But here's what I see in regard to the OP's question

 

Room 1 -- booked for two people, steward gets two tips, but there are three people there.

Room 2 -- booked for two people, steward gets two tips, but there is only one person there.

 

Room 1's steward isn't going to be very happy.

 

Unless the two rooms are adjacent and the same steward services both rooms, in which case, it's a wash.

[jerseygirl3]

The price for the three of us is the same regardless with the perks/kick backs. So, yes, it will save the single passanger greatly.

 

But is this cheating the system?

 

I've never seen where a third passenger sharing the same cabin pays the same as the first two passengers. I think you need to double check that...it doesn't sound right.

 

Jo-Ann

[Pandot]

I have to agree with those that say it isn't dishonest if you are upfront about it.

 

But I might be biased.

 

I am sailing with a large group of family next May. I am booked next to my grandmother in the same category of Cabin. I am travelling with my husband and my toddler. She is travelling alone.

 

The travel agent suggested that we book my son in her room to save the 3rd person cost in our room and only pay for 4 people instead of 5 people in total between the two cabins (there are only 4 of us total but Granny is being charged for the second person no matter what). There are the same convertible couches in both rooms and our son will sleep with us, not her. The rooms are likely to share a room steward and it shouldn't screw up table assignments at dinner since my son is unlikely to be attending dinner due to the length of time (we will be taking alternating dinner times with my parents).

 

It saved 400 dollars in total, not tremendous but enough not to be snuffed at. We split the difference and have more to spend on board.

 

This is being done openly and we are assuring that the stateroom is set up for the 3 of us. So no I don't think it is being dishonest.

 

But that is just my two cents.