Solo Cruising

[bearwholovestotravel]

In about 20 days I will be on my first solo cruise....I am looking forward to it. Some me time and baking under be sun. I have always travelled on my own before I started cruising...I don't it would be any different....

[SoCal Cruiser78]

...As for a 200% supplement, yes, I'm afraid that's very common, especially on sale/discounted fares. It is what it is.

 

The pattern I have noticed on Princess for awhile now, at least on cruises I have been following, is that singles are charged at 160% to start out, but that often rises to 200% when per-person fares are lowered or put on "sale" :(. This is for insides and OVs; balconies and above are always charged at 200%, in my experience.

Edited April 29, 2015 by SoCal Cruiser78

[kruisey]

Pricing it can just be for a couple of days.

Keep an eye on the web site every day.

Then if you are going via a TA phone them and state you have seen a lower price.

Princess also has regional promotions.

[bearwholovestotravel]

I look at pricing this way....if I can get a room for 100 before taxes I am happy ...

[rbt001]

I think I've read the thread carefully, and no one has yet mentioned that traveling solo means it counts as two cruises.

 

In 2014, when Princess and competitors sailed the Caribbean year round causing oversupply, I sailed 10 times since I live just minutes from the port.

 

The first two cruises were with friends, sharing a room, but all the others were solo and I did pay 200% fare and one port charge. Any OBC's were also doubled. Though I always booked either a balcony or ocean view.

 

I enjoy the late seating for traditional dining at a large table. The only time I felt it a little odd at first was when I was assigned a table that included two late teen children, parents and grandparents: I felt bad for them, as if I was intruding on their family table. That was short lived, as they were welcoming and we all had great conversations.

 

Community tables for breakfast and lunch are great opportunities to spend 45 minutes to an hour meeting interesting people, yet not too long that I can't endure the rare grump.

 

When traveling solo, it's hard to FEEL alone, as most people are outgoing and friendly. But for those quiet times, there's always the privacy of my room, a single table, or quiet corner somewhere.

 

One thought I never carried forward to evaluate for fairness. Someone pointed out the "only one room gratuity." Now I wonder if it's really a cheat for the steward. On one side of the argument, I am a simple clean/service, as I keep my room tidy and intentionally only use the one trash can in the bathroom. I also usually leave an addition $5/day cash gratuity for an attentive steward [Actually can't recall a time I left less.] While on the other hand, the gratuity pool only receives ONE unit per day rather than the two or more.

 

Final thought from the cruise line's perspective... I would say that while a solo cabin is better than an empty cabin, a solo cabin does mean ONLY ONE potential buying unit for the important revenue centers that make the cruise profitable.

[Colo Cruiser]

I have noticed in the 2016 cruises the rate for solo is pushing up near 200% minus the port fees for second person.

 

This is typical and nothing new for Princess. :(

[SoCal Cruiser78]

...One thought I never carried forward to evaluate for fairness. Someone pointed out the "only one room gratuity." Now I wonder if it's really a cheat for the steward. On one side of the argument, I am a simple clean/service, as I keep my room tidy and intentionally only use the one trash can in the bathroom. I also usually leave an addition $5/day cash gratuity for an attentive steward [Actually can't recall a time I left less.] While on the other hand, the gratuity pool only receives ONE unit per day rather than the two or more...

 

I've wondered about this also. Are the stewards paid per passenger or per cabin by the tip "pool"? Either way, I suppose it evens out if there is a solo in once cabin and three pax in the next, for example. I generally tip over-and-above the standard tip in any case when traveling solo.

[Colo Cruiser]

I've wondered about this also. Are the stewards paid per passenger or per cabin by the tip "pool"? Either way, I suppose it evens out if there is a solo in once cabin and three pax in the next, for example. I generally tip over-and-above the standard tip in any case when traveling solo.

 

 

Since everyone pays into the tip pool it would be per passenger, not per cabin.

[kruisey]

I checked on the Princess web site on several cruises of various lengths and found all at 200%.

Phoned Princess and the guy quoted 150 to 200% depending on what cruise you want.I did ask him if 200% for insides was the new procedure for 2016.

I replied that I had checked the inside cabins and all came up 2016 for 200%.

He still gave the same reply and seemed also to be a little grumpy to me:eek:

So I have written to Customer Relations asking them the same question with a little bits of additions added ;)

Edited April 29, 2015 by kruisey

[bearwholovestotravel]

If u feel you are overcharged on the gratuities...u can always tell them to take it off your room charge and you determine who you wanna tip and how much you wanna tip...

[Colo Cruiser]

If u feel you are overcharged on the gratuities...u can always tell them to take it off your room charge and you determine who you wanna tip and how much you wanna tip...

 

How will you tip the behind the scenes crew you don't see? :(

[bearwholovestotravel]

You just leave the some balance n tell the customer service which department they are intended for.

[caribill]

You just leave the some balance n tell the customer service which department they are intended for.

 

It does not work that way. You cannot designate a department. It will go into the overall general gratuity pool.

[bearwholovestotravel]

Ohhhhh...I thought u could....which I did in the last carnival cruise

[lolane1]

Just got back from my latest solo cruise. Paying that additional fare is not fun but having the cabin and bathroom all to yourself is heavenly. :D

 

Oh my gosh, so well said. Just did a solo and splurged on the aft corner balcony. It was heavenly. The only problem is that I now want to do this all the time!!!!

 

I did not think of it as paying double. I thought of it as paying for privacy and ability to do whatever I wanted, whenever I felt like it. Worth every penny.

[SoCal Cruiser78]

...I did not think of it as paying double. I thought of it as paying for privacy and ability to do whatever I wanted, whenever I felt like it. Worth every penny.

 

I agree. I figure cruising solo is similar to flying first class--you are paying extra for more space to yourself :).

[bearwholovestotravel]

Can't wait for my cruise in 18 days

[kruisey]

It could all boil down to a question of funding.

Yes like myself many of us prefer privacy and our solo cabins.Some folks

are well endowed so financing is no problem to them at all.

Others have to truly save up and do without to achieve this goal of a solo cabin.

At least they used to have a break in pricing a little with inside cabins until 2016 .

[pablo222]

Some folks

are well endowed so financing is no problem to them at all.

 

I'm not even going to ask what sort of jobs these folks have,

that lets them afford this. Not gonna' do it. Wouldn't be prudent.

[bearwholovestotravel]

U just gotta keep a close watch on prices that's all...

[SoCal Cruiser78]

...Not gonna' do it. Wouldn't be prudent.

 

OT: I now have visions of Dana Carvey's impressions of Bush 41 :).

[SoCal Cruiser78]

U just gotta keep a close watch on prices that's all...

 

This ^^^. I follow pricing on Princess and HAL fairly closely, and have seen solo supplements go up and down on both, sometimes changing from one day to the next. The lowest I have seen recently on Princess is 150%; 160%-200% is more typical these days.

[kruisey]

I'm not even going to ask what sort of jobs these folks have,

that lets them afford this. Not gonna' do it. Wouldn't be prudent.

 

I put my foot in that one :eek:.It should have been 'Financially endowed':p

[jrzebird]

The past 2 years I booked insides (although 2 years ago I was upgraded to an OV) for my annual repositioning cruise. I paid 100% supplement on both cruises. This year, for whatever reason, the supplement is less. I didn't do the math but it's around 75 or 80 percent, for the same repo, even the same cabin, albeit, it's the Regal not the Royal this year. So it doesn't seem fair to paint Princess with a wide brush concerning whether or not they have raised supplements for 2016. Things change all of the time and it seems that we all have our own unique experience when it comes to pricing. Do I wish it was lower, absolutely. But, like living in New Jersey, if you don't like the price (weather) stick around, it will change in about 20 minutes!

 

Maureen

[SoCal Cruiser78]

The past 2 years I booked insides...I paid 100% supplement on both cruises. This year, for whatever reason, the supplement is less. I didn't do the math but it's around 75 or 80 percent, for the same repo, even the same cabin, albeit, it's the Regal not the Royal this year...

 

My guess is this is yield management at work. I have one Princess cruise booked for the fall that started out at 160% as a solo, dropped to 150% (I refared at this point), then up to 200%. I have seen this on HAL as well.

 

I'm thinking that if they get too many 3 and 4 pax per cabin bookings, then they drop the supplement for singles temporarily to balance out the load, but am only speculating here. Perhaps another CCer will know for sure.

Edited May 2, 2015 by SoCal Cruiser78
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