Double occupancy semi-rant

[Judyrem]

Glad I read this post.  I booked Adventure in Feb solo for me and paid full price.  I was thinking of asking some one because I am not sure about Solo cruising yet.  I better call my TA!  Thanks for the info!😀

[kochleffel]

2 hours ago, AlanF65 said:

Wehn I book on RC website and do mock booking I almost always see the BOGO  50% off sale

 

That's how I would book, except when there is a simple 30% off, as there was for my next booking for single occupancy of a double.

[ONECRUISER]

3 hours ago, marci22 said:

Call every day and check as people will still cancel last minute.

Agree, got 2 Cruises that way. Just kept watching. Once doing B2B had pay 2 passengers though got Tax back...

[AlanF65]

2 hours ago, Hoopster95 said:

 

Hey Alan! I hope you are doing well since Ovation 🙂

 

This example is a very poor one for this discussion. Both Empress and Majesty are being highly discounted due to the cancellation of Cuba. Many of their upcoming sailings within the next 2-3 months, solos are being offered 100% supplement which means that you do not have to pay for 2 people whatsoever. So their pricing is skewed all over the place.

Doing well once I recovered from vacation :=).

 

I tried the 14 day Ovation from Tokyo to Seattle in 2021 and got the same 50% BOGO, its actually less than my 11 night Alaska with BOGO on the same deck, almost the same cabin If I login I get the California discount and the over 55 discount for about another $150 off.

 

 

 

This is at the low end, looks like the solo cabins are all sold out. Jenny had a solo on the Alaska cruise and she paid more for a solo  than I did for full size with 1 and bogo.

 

[John&LaLa]

3 hours ago, Hoopster95 said:

 

Hey Alan! I hope you are doing well since Ovation 🙂

 

This example is a very poor one for this discussion. Both Empress and Majesty are being highly discounted due to the cancellation of Cuba. Many of their upcoming sailings within the next 2-3 months, solos are being offered 100% supplement which means that you do not have to pay for 2 people whatsoever. So their pricing is skewed all over the place.

 

I have two casino offers for free MJ/Empress cruises that I'll probably let expire and I'm not even Prime.  

[Merion_Mom]

7 hours ago, mnh said:

I wasn’t able to book a solo rate  because the cruise fell within the two months that they don’t honor Solo rates!  So when I booked I paid double occupancy but I only had myself listed as occupying the cabin.   Believe me I have learned my lesson the next time I think I’m going solo in a cabin and I’m not receiving a solo rate I will book myself  and “ a to be determined passenger”.   As stated above I can always cancel the second person and the port fees and taxes will be returned!

 

 You just have to learn how to play the game the Royal way!

 

 

 

Believe me, I understand that situation.  I tell people that I never sail in the summer, and this is the reason.

 

But as mentioned above, Empress and Majesty are struggling to fill those cabins that people cancelled because they are no longer going to Cuba.  I'm on the Majesty in a month.  EVERYONE can get the no-single-supplement price.

 

In your precise situation, I would be deeply peeved not to be able to add someone.  As someone suggested, call every single day.  Either a space may open up in your muster station, or you may find someone who will change the booking for you.

 

Another thought:  Is there another cabin in the exact same category available for your sailing?  Perhaps you could switch cabins and not encounter this issue.

[Merion_Mom]

Maybe I am confused by some people's posts...…………….but that "50% off" you are seeing on your summary has nothing to do with sailing solo.  It's part of their current (and usual) pricing scheme.  Do a mock booking for 2; you will see the same discount.  (different numbers, of course)

[brillohead]

8 hours ago, mnh said:

 I cruise  frequently as a single occupant in a balcony cabin and I always pay the double occupancy unless I’m fortunate enough to be on a ship that has solo balcony cabins.   I understand the double occupancy policy and I always pay this without question.   I am fortunate enough to have recently passed the 340 night threshold and I am now eligible for a reduced (150% VS 200% ) cabin fare when traveling solo....except this does not apply in July and August 😞

 

I have  a cruise booked for mid July and paid double occupancy.   I wanted to add a person to my cabin but the cruise has sold out and the Coast Guard has put a code red on adding passengers. I do understand this however it still  aggravates me that I booked and paid for a cabin for two and I’m still paying for two people in a cabin when I can’t add the second person.  

 

 I guess I don’t fully understand why Royal can’t   set aside two people for every cabin that has paid for two people in their count.   Or at the very least if the situation should arrive refund the second person‘s fare to the solo person in the cabin...It’s probably just me and I will get over it but it is aggravating!  And I will still cruise with Royal.... I currently 4 cruises booked with them! 

I'm going to raise a question here... since when has the US Coast Guard had any jurisdiction over whether a cruise line can sell passage on their ship???  I thought "Code Red" meant that the ship was in the process of being chartered or sent for maintenance or some other cruise-line-initiated reason for discontinuing sales.... I've never heard it be something that the Coast Guard has been involved in???

I've had it confirmed by my travel agent SEVERAL times that there are always TWO spots reserved in the muster station for every double-occupancy room that is assigned to that muster station.  (My travel agent was a top seller for RCI last year, so he knows a thing or two about how this works.) 

 

While they will refuse to accept a third or fourth passenger in a room even when there is a bed available because capacity has been reached for that muster station, they will NOT refuse to book the second passenger in a double-occupancy room, per my TA, because those spaces are automatically held aside.  

 

8 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Sorry, not sure on that one.  I know mpoole posted a few times about adding a guest and not being repriced.

I've done it several times -- I'm always told at the time of my initial deposit that I'm price-protected for the second person with my 200% single supplement. 

 

Incidently, mpoole3's brother is my travel agent, and Michael's wedding cruise (and the one after it, for that matter) is one of several that I've added a second passenger to without repricing the room.  All I ever had to do was pay the second person's deposit at the time of adding their name. 

[brillohead]

7 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

But as mentioned above, Empress and Majesty are struggling to fill those cabins that people cancelled because they are no longer going to Cuba.  I'm on the Majesty in a month.  EVERYONE can get the no-single-supplement price.

 

I'm taking advantage of the Majesty deal in August and September, too.  Originally I was just going to do five days, but the airfare went up considerably and the current Majesty fares are so low that it was cheaper for me to tack on an additional five-day cruise and fly back later!

[mnh]

17 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

Believe me, I understand that situation.  I tell people that I never sail in the summer, and this is the reason.

 

But as mentioned above, Empress and Majesty are struggling to fill those cabins that people cancelled because they are no longer going to Cuba.  I'm on the Majesty in a month.  EVERYONE can get the no-single-supplement price.

 

In your precise situation, I would be deeply peeved not to be able to add someone.  As someone suggested, call every single day.  Either a space may open up in your muster station, or you may find someone who will change the booking for you.

 

Another thought:  Is there another cabin in the exact same category available for your sailing?  Perhaps you could switch cabins and not encounter this issue.

Unfortunately the sailing is sold out....I keep checking several times a day but so far no luck 😞

[uksimonusa]

15 hours ago, mnh said:

I wasn’t able to book a solo rate  because the cruise fell within the two months that they don’t honor Solo rates!  So when I booked I paid double occupancy but I only had myself listed as occupying the cabin.   Believe me I have learned my lesson the next time I think I’m going solo in a cabin and I’m not receiving a solo rate I will book myself  and “ a to be determined passenger”.   As stated above I can always cancel the second person and the port fees and taxes will be returned!

 

 You just have to learn how to play the game the Royal way!

 

 

DON"T cancel the 2nd person in the above scenario, canceling invokes the penalty for the 2nd person and then the cruise will be repriced as a solo, and the supplement will be added. just gibe them a name and then have them be a no show and the taxes and fees will be returned after sailing