End of Cruise Survey - ALONE! Really?!?

[TM38Rob]

Just got off Explorer of the Seas today from a 5 Night cruise to Bermuda. We had excellent weather and smooth sailing until today when we arrived to rain in Bayonne. Someone else started a thread about the problems getting off the ship today, but that didn't affect me too much.

 

The staff, crew, guest entertainers, and fellow passengers were great. This is what keeps me coming back time and time again. Most of the time I sail solo, but not because I want to be alone. I can get the alone feeling on a land based vacation. I cruise because it is a great way to meet people and not feel alone. The only time I felt alone this cruise was the first night in Bermuda I was at my dinner table by myself as my tablemates were still out exploring the islands. Even then, my Assistant Waiter Oswald and another Assistant Waiter talked with me after dinner. We talked about the ships along with Quantum replacing Explorer out of Bayonne, and I brought up the Dynamic Dining and the elimination of the MDR. I told them this is what I enjoyed about cruising. We got to know each other a little more, and it's something I wouldn't get eating in a different restaurant each night with different waitstaff.

 

I get home and access the online survey (replaces the paper ones fill out on the ship at the end of the cruise) via an email. At first they were having technical difficulties. When I finally accessed it, I was appalled by the travel companion section. There were many choices for travel companions, but only one at the bottom called "Alone".

 

I would have preferred any other the following: Single, Solo, Myself, Individual, or Independently. I realize in a thesaurus alone comes up under solo and solitary comes up under single, but not everyone who travels by themselves is looking for solitude or to be alone.

 

It just shows that some people in the corporate office are out of touch with their passengers and should probably spend some time on the ships working to get to know their passengers just as well as the staff and crew.

Their current promotion is get the 2nd person in the stateroom for 50% off when paying 100% for the 1st person. So they're gonna charge 150% for 2 people, but 1 person will pay 200%? Doesn't sound like Royal Caribbean corporate is interested in the solo traveler.

 

Anyway, just needed to get that out of my system. Now back to enjoying all the photos I took and the video of the dunking stool reenactment at Kings Square in St. Georges.

Edited May 9, 2014 by TM38Rob

[LMaxwell]

I think you are way over-reacting to the use of the word "alone". Did you not travel "alone":confused:

[TM38Rob]

I think you are way over-reacting to the use of the word "alone". Did you not travel "alone":confused:

I traveled with over 5,000 of my new friends (guest & staff/crew). :D I like to meet other people on a cruise, something harder to do on a land based trip. I don't like being alone. If I was able to have had a travel companion, I would not be sailing solo. Other than that one night, I had people to eat dinner with me. With Dynamic Dining and the elimination of the MDR on the horizon, I would be eating alone every night as I would not have tablemates assigned to the same table as me.

 

Also, there's a slogan for a singles cruise website: "Travel Single, Never Alone!" I haven't done one of their cruises yet, but that motto is the way I feel about cruising.

Edited May 9, 2014 by TM38Rob

[LMaxwell]

I traveled with over 5,000 of my new friends (guest & staff/crew). :D I like to meet other people on a cruise, something harder to do on a land based trip. I don't like being alone. If I was able to have had a travel companion, I would not be sailing solo. Other than that one night, I had people to eat dinner with me. With Dynamic Dining and the elimination of the MDR on the horizon, I would be eating alone every night as I would not have tablemates assigned to the same table as me.

 

You may have a point about dynamic dining; we will have to wait and see how it works in real world application.

 

However, to step back, for coding of a survey your travel arrangements were made "alone". I don't associate any negative connotation to that word. As you noted it is just a synonym for solo. Maybe they also had choices for couple, family, extended group, etc.

[TM38Rob]

You may have a point about dynamic dining; we will have to wait and see how it works in real world application.

 

However, to step back, for coding of a survey your travel arrangements were made "alone". I don't associate any negative connotation to that word. As you noted it is just a synonym for solo. Maybe they also had choices for couple, family, extended group, etc.

It's just that most people use solo or single for that category. There are some people that prefer solo over single as they are traveling without their significant other. What may offend one person may not offend another. Appalled may have been a strong choice of word, but there's a series of events going on in corporate that are anti-solo lately whereas Norwegian seems to want solo cruises with the Studio Lounge on their new builds and actually providing a host for singles/solos events whereas Royal Caribbean just puts a meeting time for Singles/Solos as "Informal" or unhosted. We don't know who's there for the singles/solos or if they're there for the other event going on in the venue, if anyone is there at all. The hardest part for me is breaking the ice.

[Sheik]

Are you single? Maybe, maybe not. Are you travelling alone / single? Yes. Do you meet other people onboard? Absolutely! So what's really your point? Don't be so critical and be thankful that you enjoyed a wonderful cruise WITH others ;)

[Tapi]

Making a mountain out of an ant hill? I didn't see any of the negative connotations that you saw, and I was, most definitely, not appalled by it. Just MHO.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[The_Big_M]

Definitive overreaction.

 

I don't even see a problem with it; as you later point out, different people have different views, and I find single as misleading, when you're not actually single, just travelling alone as I have.

 

Solo may be okay, but has the same meaning as alone to me, and sounds worse. It's not as though you're travelling solo on a ship full of people either...

[micmacmissy]

This is a joke, right?

[bouhunter]

Appalled? Really? Good example how people will find almost anything to complain about:rolleyes:

[Cosmic Rays]

Following our last two RCI cruises on Liberty and Radiance, we have not even had the 'pleasure' of completing a form either on line via email or any other form!!

[TM38Rob]

It's interesting that people will reply that I'm overreacting, however, they do not state whether they travel with or without a companion.

 

Actually, "No Travel Companion" would be a better choice than "Alone" on the survey.

 

My point is that while I was by myself, people on the ship (guests and crew) made me feel like I wasn't alone. Then I get home and this survey starts off by suggested I chose to sail "Alone". The only thing that would have made my cruise better would have been sailing with a friend or family member. Due to other people's schedules and finances, I have to sail on my own if I want to sail at all.

 

It goes beyond this, but it's like pouring salt on a wound. That's my point.

[marci22]

I think people who are word sensitive would be bothered by this. Some words just rub me the wrong way when they are used in certain circumstances. And there are words I just hate and will never say out loud. :o

 

I agree that 'alone' has a different connotation than 'single' or 'solo'.

 

To me, it sounds like someone whose second language is english could have made up this survey. Often the wording on the surveys is poor in other respects as well. Even the website will sometimes have grammatical or spelling errors.

Edited May 9, 2014 by marci22

[The_Big_M]

Actually, I replied that it's an overreaction, and stated that I had travelled alone.

[jayblue]

Just got off Explorer of the Seas today from a 5 Night cruise to Bermuda. We had excellent weather and smooth sailing until today when we arrived to rain in Bayonne. Someone else started a thread about the problems getting off the ship today, but that didn't affect me too much.

 

The staff, crew, guest entertainers, and fellow passengers were great. This is what keeps me coming back time and time again. Most of the time I sail solo, but not because I want to be alone. I can get the alone feeling on a land based vacation. I cruise because it is a great way to meet people and not feel alone. The only time I felt alone this cruise was the first night in Bermuda I was at my dinner table by myself as my tablemates were still out exploring the islands. Even then, my Assistant Waiter Oswald and another Assistant Waiter talked with me after dinner. We talked about the ships along with Quantum replacing Explorer out of Bayonne, and I brought up the Dynamic Dining and the elimination of the MDR. I told them this is what I enjoyed about cruising. We got to know each other a little more, and it's something I wouldn't get eating in a different restaurant each night with different waitstaff.

 

I get home and access the online survey (replaces the paper ones fill out on the ship at the end of the cruise) via an email. At first they were having technical difficulties. When I finally accessed it, I was appalled by the travel companion section. There were many choices for travel companions, but only one at the bottom called "Alone".

 

I would have preferred any other the following: Single, Solo, Myself, Individual, or Independently. I realize in a thesaurus alone comes up under solo and solitary comes up under single, but not everyone who travels by themselves is looking for solitude or to be alone.

 

It just shows that some people in the corporate office are out of touch with their passengers and should probably spend some time on the ships working to get to know their passengers just as well as the staff and crew.

Their current promotion is get the 2nd person in the stateroom for 50% off when paying 100% for the 1st person. So they're gonna charge 150% for 2 people, but 1 person will pay 200%? Doesn't sound like Royal Caribbean corporate is interested in the solo traveler.

 

I'm inclined to agree. Their wording makes it seem like there was zero interaction with others.

Not very encouraging for the solo traveler. Almost disrespectful...

 

jayblue RCCL cruiser

[GaryT-UK]

As a single, English speaking, solo traveller, I'd not think twice about being asked if I'm travelling Alone (because I am!), particularly as it sounds like the other survey options are travelling "with ..." Quite often I've met single cruisers who are travelling with family or friends so they would be both single & with someone. The survey is probably only interested in what kind of group you were in as that does make a difference to the services they offer in future.

I only joined Cruise Critic earlier this year and until then I'd never even thought of being classed as a "solo" traveller, I travel "on my own". I'm still not sure whether I should think of myself as solo or single on the boards here - probably both - I don't mind either way.

It sounds a bit like you are equating the word Alone with being Lonely and I agree I'm rarely left with no one to talk to, although I have also experienced that feeling of being "alone in a crowded room" both at home and abroad - comes with the territory of being single I guess.

As for dining I always choose the "My Time" option if I can. I want to eat when I want to. I'll happily share a table or eat on my own - the waiters or even people on the table next to you often chat, so dinner is often very sociable either way.

[marci22]

I think he should call RC and ask them if they have any special Alone Rates. See what they say.

[NorbertsNiece]

Gosh.

I travel alone but never am.... I also travel solo and am currently single...

I get bothered by people asking me if I'm Mrs, Miss or Ms..... I honestly don't care which of those female nominators people use for me... but it doesn't send me into hyper-drive.... just a word....

[Paulxyz2004]

Ok, I´m a single, solo, alone, on my own traveller / cruiser.

 

To me thw ording is perfectly fine, just as any of the others would have been fine.

 

I see this as an overreaction as well. To me it´s reactions like this that lead to the overly political correctnes these days. People complain about certain wording and it Needs to be changed even though there was nothing really wrong but just not perfectly worded. Do we have to really split hairs over a word in a Survey?

 

BTW, it seems the OP has more of a gripe with RCI over travelling alone than just the wording in the Survey. I can´t say that I share any of these gripes. I certainly don´t feel unwanted on RCI. But I have to admit offered or not you will never find me at one of those solo/single travellers get together and I will definitely never book one of those Studio closets on NCL.

[NorbertsNiece]

I was looking at prices for a cruise on RCI recently and the solo cabin was more expensive than a regular inside double for 1 pax....

[The_Big_M]

Possible. You can also find oceanview, and sometimes even balcony cabins that are cheaper, or at least no more expensive than an inside.

 

And let's not forget 3rd/4th person prices that are higher than 1st/2nd person prices!

 

Just the vagaries of demand and supply.

[ChipLondon]

Surely you mean eating Solo or by Yourself, some might consider your use of this word as non caring of other Solo passengers :D

 

I traveled with over 5,000 of my new friends (guest & staff/crew). :D I like to meet other people on a cruise, something harder to do on a land based trip. I don't like being alone. If I was able to have had a travel companion, I would not be sailing solo. Other than that one night, I had people to eat dinner with me. With Dynamic Dining and the elimination of the MDR on the horizon, I would be eating alone every night as I would not have tablemates assigned to the same table as me.

 

Also, there's a slogan for a singles cruise website: "Travel Single, Never Alone!" I haven't done one of their cruises yet, but that motto is the way I feel about cruising.

[Ocean Boy]

Their current promotion is get the 2nd person in the stateroom for 50% off when paying 100% for the 1st person. So they're gonna charge 150% for 2 people, but 1 person will pay 200%? Doesn't sound like Royal Caribbean corporate is interested in the solo traveler.

 

Anyway, just needed to get that out of my system. Now back to enjoying all the photos I took and the video of the dunking stool reenactment at Kings Square in St. Georges.

 

Actually, during this promotion RCI was been charging 150% for solo bookings according to many who have posted here. So it appears that this complaint of yours is not particularly valid.

[TM38Rob]

Actually, during this promotion RCI was been charging 150% for solo bookings according to many who have posted here. So it appears that this complaint of yours is not particularly valid.

I just re-read the email that I received on May 1, and there is no mention of solo bookings getting 150%. It's advertised as "Buy One Get 50% Off Second Guest". "...book now for travel next year and your travel companion enjoys 50% savings."

 

It's good to know that RCI is only charging 150% for solos. But for those who didn't see those posts, it's easy to interpret it the way I did in that you need a second guest to get the discount.

[Paulxyz2004]

What´s the Drama about?:confused: