What happens if one person cancels from a double booking?

[wigan4]

I know this question has been answered before, but this might be a different twist. I'm military and qualify for a military discount on a cruise that in rough terms reduces the rate from $4,000 to $2,500, so I've paid $5,000 for the room for my wife and me.

 

For her family reasons my wife now does not want to go, but is fine if I go. And for the cruise, $5,000 is still a good deal even for one, especially since I don't have insurance and am stuck anyhow.

 

Can I go for the $5,000 I've already paid for the two of us, or will they try to pull some trick and actually make me pay more when only me shows up?

 

I guess I'm concerned they'll say something like 'the regular fare is $4,000, the single supplement is 100%, so you owe us another $3,000 to go.'

 

Is there any chance they'll try something like that, or is it as simple as I've paid for two, only one shows up, but the cabin is paid for so all is good?

 

The 'logical', 'fair' answer is yes I won't have to pay anything, but does anybody actually know what happens? I'm not trying to get a refund, I only want to know that they won't try to charge me more than I've already paid for two, if only one shows up.

Edited October 7, 2015 by wigan4

[SantaFeFan]

You have paid for the room. The cruise line actually cares little if your wife, or both of you, cancel. They still keep the money paid for the room, whether one or both of you don't show up. They lose nothing. And since your military status has not changed, and it is you who is occupying the room, there should be no issues with retaining the fare amount you paid. You should even be able to bring someone else in her place if you wanted.

 

But I would suggest you contact the cruise line and ask them directly. They would be the people with the most accurate information.

Edited October 7, 2015 by SantaFeFan

[perditax]

Hmm, I've heard much different answers to this from the first response. Subscribing to see how it plays out.

[sail7seas]

I suggest you are better to show up at the ship and explain you expect your wife to be arriving later. They will permit you to register and board in advance of her arrival. When she doesn't appear, explain you learned she will not be coming.

 

I have absolutely heard of cruise lines charging a single supplement when one of two in a cabin cancel. They keep what has been paid and add a single supplement. Most have said it works out best if there is no notice in advance. There is always the chance your wife's plans could change and she will be able to join you.

 

[zqvol]

OP you will have no problem. You have in effect already paid the single supplement and will not be charged anything additional.

 

The ONLY way any extra charges might be incurred would be if you canceled your wife ahead of time and received a refund for all or part of her fare. Since that is not your plan you have no need to be concerned. After the cruise you will receive a refund for her unused taxes and port fees.

 

GO on your cruise and enjoy yourself.

[Keith1010]

I would call the Cruise Line.

 

Keith

[cherylandtk]

Wigan,

If you just have your wife be a no-show, you won't be refared and won't owe the single supplement. Because of the 100% single supplement, DO NOT call and cancel your wife. Just say she has been delayed when you board and you don't know if she will be joining you or not.

 

It has nothing to do with how many fares have been paid; I know of cases where a last minute cancellation was charged one paid fare as cancellation penalty, the paid fare of the remaining passenger AND the 100% single supplement; a total of three full fares for one person in a cabin.

[sail7seas]

Wigan,

If you just have your wife be a no-show, you won't be refared and won't owe the single supplement. Because of the 100% single supplement, DO NOT call and cancel your wife. Just say she has been delayed when you board and you don't know if she will be joining you or not.

 

It has nothing to do with how many fares have been paid; I know of cases where a last minute cancellation was charged one paid fare as cancellation penalty, the paid fare of the remaining passenger AND the 100% single supplement; a total of three full fares for one person in a cabin.

 

Yes, ^^ this.

 

No one may like it and one can argue it all day long but it has happened, we have read it on various CC forums and we are trying to help OP with his best chance to avoid paying triple. Yes, triple.

 

[wigan4]

The one thing for sure I won't do is call ahead--and truthfully she probably won't really decide until later anyhow.

 

But it sounds to me like there's not necessarily a certain answer--my best chance is to show up, fake it, and hope, but there's a chance when push comes to shove I'll either have to pay yet another fare or leave.

 

I think I'll show up towards the front end of boarding with 'extra' luggage and say she's on the way but won't be around for a couple of hours so I want to get on with all her luggage and wait and she'll be able to walk on with no luggage hassle.

 

I assume once I'm on, I'm on and unless they can track me down and pose the dilemma before it sails I'm probably ok.

 

I ought to be ok anyhow, but I've heard the horror stories too so I wondered if I could put them to rest. Sounds like, no.

 

Fortunately, I am the military member.

[sail7seas]

Don't overplay the check in procedure by toting extra luggage. That is not something I would suggest.

 

Sometimes the less you complicate an issue, the easier it is.

When someone who tells a lie is caught it is often because they got into far too much detail. :D :D You have stated here your DW may decide last minute. That is the circumstance.

 

I can't speak for anyone else but I have no interest in telling someone to lie or how to do so. That is not my style and I never condone lying. I attempted to merely answer your questions.

Edited October 10, 2015 by sail7seas

[manofmagnet]

Just got off the Navigator of the Seas and had no trouble. I told them when checking in that my room mate would not be coming, and they canceled his Sea pass card and that was all. They should refund the port charges and taxes on the other person. Do not tell them that the wife is not coming until you check in. Have fun enjoy your cruise.

[leaveitallbehind]

The key is when the cancellation is made. If it is post final payment, there will be no additional cost - and in fact as mentioned a refund on port charges and taxes for the no-show passenger - but there will also be a very limited or no refund of the fare paid by them. So you will not have an increase in fare.

 

If the cancellation is pre final payment then the cancelled fare would be refunded and the stateroom would be repriced at the current rate for you as a single passenger. Your military discount would not be affected but you will pay up to a 100% supplement based on that rate, but only port fees and taxes for one. So net net it probably would be the same rate either way.

 

To add a different wrinkle, if the cancellation is pre final payment, some cruise lines - RCI as example depending on ship class - offer smaller studio type staterooms intended for a solo passenger that are priced proportionately lower than a solo passenger in a standard double occupancy stateroom. This may offer an option to look into.

Edited October 10, 2015 by leaveitallbehind

[ShawninFL]

We have experienced this exact situation on Royal Caribbean. What we learned: Do not cancel your wife's reservation or you will be hit with single supplement on top of losing what you paid for her fare. Simply show up and check in. If they try to delay you checking in without her, explain that she has either been delayed and if she makes it, she won't be there until very late. They will then let you proceed with checking in.

 

Also, you may be able to change the name on the reservation. Have a friend that would like a free or discounted cruise? When this situation presented itself to us TA advised us we could swap one of the passengers in the cabin up until a few days before embarkation.

[cherylandtk]

The key is when the cancellation is made. If it is post final payment, there will be no additional cost - and in fact as mentioned a refund on port charges and taxes for the no-show passenger - but there will also be a very limited or no refund of the fare paid by them. So you will not have an increase in fare.

 

If the cancellation is pre final payment then the cancelled fare would be refunded and the stateroom would be repriced at the current rate for you as a single passenger. Your military discount would not be affected but you will pay up to a 100% supplement based on that rate, but only port fees and taxes for one. So net net it probably would be the same rate either way.

 

To add a different wrinkle, if the cancellation is pre final payment, some cruise lines - RCI as example depending on ship class - offer smaller studio type staterooms intended for a solo passenger that are priced proportionately lower than a solo passenger in a standard double occupancy stateroom. This may offer an option to look into.

This would be correct IF you had said "post 100% penalty" instead of "post final payment." At one day past final payment there are cancellation penalties imposed, BUT they are not 100% of the fare. It is only after post 100% penalty (usually about 14 days prior to the cruise, but it depends on the line) that your scenarios work.

 

The rule of thumb is: If a cancellation occurs and the cruiseline refunds any portion of the fare (not taxes/fees) then the remaining passenger will be re-fared at the single rate. But even with that, as stated above, I have seen posts where a cancellation made about a week before sailing resulted in re-faring. It is not common, but it can happen and is in the contract.

Edited October 11, 2015 by cherylandtk

[wigan4]

I guess we'll just wait until the last minute and if she can go she can go, and if she can't and I'll just tell them when I get there. It sounds like 99% chance it'll be fine.

 

I don't care about any refund, even of taxes or port call charges, and I'm not trying to take advantage of anything. After all, if I wanted to I could probably call now and just pay a 100% single supplement and the money would be the same--it's over 45 days away so I assume I'm before any cancellation penalty, although I did fully pay upfront (I guess that was a mistake!).

 

But I really want to give her a chance of going if it works out she can.

 

With thousands of passengers this must happen every single cruise, and even if I can't find an explicit policy everything's on the up and up--its my credit card, I'm the primary passenger, I'm the military member, I'm the cruise line account holder, I'm the one that made the booking, etc.

[electro]

Wigan,

If you just have your wife be a no-show, you won't be refared and won't owe the single supplement. Because of the 100% single supplement, DO NOT call and cancel your wife. Just say she has been delayed when you board and you don't know if she will be joining you or not.

 

It has nothing to do with how many fares have been paid; I know of cases where a last minute cancellation was charged one paid fare as cancellation penalty, the paid fare of the remaining passenger AND the 100% single supplement; a total of three full fares for one person in a cabin.

 

I would like to know which cruise line did this.

I've cancelled my DH from my room on NCL after final payment, they kept his cruise fare but they refunded his taxes and port fees and I did not have to pay anything extra because the room was paid for.

 

Lois

[SantaFeFan]

I would like to know which cruise line did this.

I've cancelled my DH from my room on NCL after final payment, they kept his cruise fare but they refunded his taxes and port fees and I did not have to pay anything extra because the room was paid for.

 

Lois

 

This is also how Celebrity handles such situations.

 

The single supplement is charged if only one person books a room in the first place. It is to maintain relatively the same revenue as from a double booking for that room. If one person of a double occupancy booking cancels before final payment, then a refund for that person is issued and the single supplement will kick in for the remaining person to supplement the lost revenue from the refund. If the person cancels after final payment, full payment has already been made, the refund is not issued, and the single supplement is not imposed (they already have the full payment and no revenue has been lost for the cruise line).

 

I have never heard of the single supplement being imposed on top of the full double occupancy payment.

Edited October 12, 2015 by SantaFeFan

[cherylandtk]

I would like to know which cruise line did this...Lois

HAL, Cunard, Carnival and Celebrity. See this post for a first person account of both Cunard and Celebrity: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=41145801&postcount=25

(You can read the entire thread if you want to see the HAL example, plus read more disbelief from folks who don't think it can happen)

[sail7seas]

HAL, Cunard, Carnival and Celebrity. See this post for a first person account of both Cunard and Celebrity: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=41145801&postcount=25

(You can read the entire thread if you want to see the HAL example, plus read more disbelief from folks who don't think it can happen)

 

Thanks for providing those links.

 

I know it happens though I dislike the practice.