Anyone done a single share cabin?

[flashdog_1]

My husband does not like cruising (the very idea!) so I've been taking my daughter rather than paying a 200% fare. But I see that HAL will find you a roommate and you can then pay just the listed price with no supplement, and if they don'f find you someone to room with they do not charge you more and you have the cabin to yourself.

 

Just wondered if I took my chances would I get a 20 something who stayed out til all hours or would they try to put me with someone my own age?

 

Seriously, has anyone ever done this, or makes a habit of it? I'd like to hear your "matching up" experiences, if so. Thanks.

[kitty9]

There's no way I would spend all that money and take the chance of getting the roommate from he LL. In every cruise book I've ever read, and in every publication that has written about getting an assigned roommate, they've all said it's probably the worst idea in the cruise business. There are so many what if's with something like this: what if your roommate brings home a "friend" for the night (that happened to an acquaintance of mine), what if you're a morning person and your mate is a night person, and what if you're a neat freak (or a sloppy person) and the mate is the opposite of you? You could find yourself having a very miserable week of vacation. Of course, you could get assigned a real nice person, but why take the chance?

[grannynurse]

HAL tries to match people according to age and other demographics. I know lots of people who do this and the results are mixed. One friend has had good luck every time, but she's the only one.

Ask Ruth C. she'll tell you the "rest of the Story"

GN

[tomc]

I do it all the time; never a problem.

[RuthC]

Did I hear my name? (she looks around to see what trouble she's in now.)

I've done the guaranteed share the last three years for cruises of 33, 34, and 35 days. If I were to book another long cruise I'd do it again, too.

The first time I had a roomie several (ahem) years older than I. When I toddled in at 2:00 A.M. Dolly was still out playing! She was great to share with.

Second time the woman was very different from me. She was quiet, went to bed early, tended not to be neat. She rose to that challenge and stayed tidy. She would leave the TV on at night so I had a light to see by as I retired. That was a nice gesture.

The common thread was that we worked together to enjoy the share. We communicated about such things as tieing up the bathroom, getting ready for dinner, are you done with the paper---that sort of thing.

Third time I shared with a woman who didn't know the meaning of the word. Before I got there she first day she had taken the TV listings and put them away with her things. She couldn't leave it on the TV so we both could read it? She couldn't mention it so I could get my own copy?

When a single port map was left she would take it for herself, and again not mention one had come.

She would finish off the ice and not ask for a refill---or even mention it to me until I went to use it! I would set my alarm for 1/2 hour before she needed to get up so that I would be out of the bathroom when she needed it; she then would get up by my alarm and put me behind schedule. So the last morning (when I needed to get up 6:30-7:00 ish) I set my alarm for 5:30 :D .

I repeat: even with that last experience I would do a share to save that kind of money. If I could put up with that third share for 35 days anyone should be able to do a share for 7!

And think for a minute about the type of people you usually meet on a HAL cruise. Do you like them? Find nice dinner/lounge/games companions? Are they considerate? Interesting?

That's the kind of person you would be sharing with.

[tomc]

A bunch of times, I shared a cabin with a woman! Wow! Downside, she was old enough to be my mother. In fact, she was my mother.

[RevNeal]

My husband does not like cruising (the very idea!) so I've been taking my daughter rather than paying a 200% fare. But I see that HAL will find you a roommate and you can then pay just the listed price with no supplement, and if they don'f find you someone to room with they do not charge you more and you have the cabin to yourself.

 

You should also know that HAL doesn't charge 200% for the single supplement. Their Single Supplement is 150% - 190%, depending upon the cabin category. All Inside cabins are 150% which, in my mind, is a REAL deal.

[tomc]

All Inside cabins are 150% which, in my mind, is a REAL deal.

Yeah, but that means after I've done two cruises, I've paid for a third. I'd rather a share.

[flashdog_1]

You should also know that HAL doesn't charge 200% for the single supplement. Their Single Supplement is 150% - 190%, depending upon the cabin category. All Inside cabins are 150% which, in my mind, is a REAL deal.

 

Rev I hope you are feeling better and ready to head out on the morrow to do your preaching!

 

I took my daughter with me because on the cruises we have been on (Celebrity) it costs double for a single room. Sounds like a better deal on HAL whether I do a share or just a single supplement, but I'd miss my daughter!

 

Is there any hard and fast rule for discounts as Mariner's Club members?

 

I'm looking at an Eastern Carib cruise that includes St Thomas (so my daughter can see all the places I lived there from 1965-72) and Tortola, just because Tortola is so much different from the hustle and bustle of St Thomas. HAL has the Zuiderdam out of FLL for a 7 day and Celebrity has an 11 day for less out of Tampa.

 

I saw that HAL is actually listing some of its 2007 cruises now, but the prices seem pretty high. That's why I wondered about perks from Mariner's Club. Please advise. I do not see anything specific on HAL's site.

 

Thanks for all your help on these boards, RevNeal.

[kryos]

I guess it would depend on the length of the cruise for me. If I were taking a long cruise, I don't know that I would want to take a chance on sharing. HAL does not charge 200% for single share cabins in the lower categories ... rather often 135 to 150% for basic inside and outside cabins ... and I guess for my money, I would prefer to spend the extra money and have the cabin to myself on a longer cruise.

 

But, I guess on a shorter cruise, it wouldn't be too bad sharing. Let's face it ... you can pretty much put up with anyone for a week to ten days. But I wouldn't want to be stuck with an incompatible roommate for 25 or 30 days. That would be pure hell.

 

From what I understand, HAL really doesn't match roommates by anything other than sex. Maybe if they had six single share cabins to fill, they might try to keep people together by age ranges. Be aware, though, that all single share cabins are considered non-smoking. So, if you are a smoker, that can be a problem if your roommate doesn't smoke, since it will be her non-smoking preferences that trump.

 

While I only shared a cabin once ... and it wasn't even through HAL's single share program, but rather through a matching program being run by the writer's conference I was attending on the Rotterdam, I wasn't too enamored by the arrangement. The girl I shared with was young enough to be my daughter, and she had agreed that I could smoke in the cabin when I offered to share my room with her and then reneged on that agreement. Fortunately, the arrangement worked out okay aside from those things, and a potentially bad situation was avoided and we pretty much were able to get along. But that was just a ten-day cruise. I would hate to imagine how differently things could have been if it were something longer.

 

For what it's worth, I talked to several people on my Amsterdam 30-day cruise who were sharing. In every case, the folks were not happy with the people they were sharing with. In one case, the roommate kept the lights on at all hours of the night, and the tv blaring. In another, the woman had a bad lung infection and spent the better part of the night hacking, making it impossible for the roommate to sleep. Apparently, she also snored heavily ... adding to the roommate's problems. None of these things render the roommates bad people ... it's just that everyone's habits and situations are different, and when you get stuck in a room sharing arrangement, you have to allow for the fact that the roommate may be entirely different than you ... which could lead to some problems.

 

Just goes to show you that it's very difficult to live with someone you don't know for any length of time, and that's why if I were going to share, I'd rather arrange the share ahead of time ... without HAL's involvement ... and make sure via discussions beforehand that we were gonna be reasonably compatible. With HAL's program, you don't even know who your roommate will be until you meet them onboard, and by that time you're stuck ... no matter how difficult they may turn out to live with. In the case of the Amsterdam cruise, there were no spare rooms to be had ... so if you didn't care for your roommate, you were simply SOL. Your only option was to leave the ship at the next port ... not something one is gonna want to do after spending a bundle on a 30-day cruise.

 

Personally, if I were spending lots of money for a cruise, I would rather be assured of a restful place to go at the end of my day without the stresses associated with an incompatible roommate.

 

Just my opinion ...

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[flashdog_1]

I would prefer to spend the extra money and have the cabin to myself on a longer cruise. Be aware, though, that all single share cabins are considered non-smoking.

 

For what it's worth, I talked to several people on my Amsterdam 30-day cruise who were sharing. In every case, the folks were not happy with the people they were sharing with. In one case, the roommate kept the lights on at all hours of the night, and the tv blaring.

 

Personally, if I were spending lots of money for a cruise, I would rather be assured of a restful place to go at the end of my day without the stresses associated with an incompatible roommate.

--rita

 

Amen

 

I certainly appreciate everyone's input.

 

I'm now realizing that I myself might not be someone else's ideal roommate!

 

Although I know how to share, how to ask for a separate set of dailies and maps etc, I smoke, am very organized having scheduled everything to death, (former teacher so I'm bossy, too, although I can handle conflict), a light sleeper and 65 years old. I also like classical music (am a music teacher) and would go bonkers if my roommate wanted background music not to my liking or had the tv on constantly. My 29 year old daughter asks me "Mom, can't you just let things be?" (in reference to my organizing everything). I might be a 21 year old's nightmare.

 

I had to laugh at this:

Just goes to show you that it's very difficult to live with someone you don't know for any length of time,

 

Hey, it's hard to live with people you've known a long time, too, if they snore or have different tastes than you do!

 

Sounds to me I'd either better pay the supplement or ante up for my daughter to go with me! (at least she likes the same music!). Guess I was dreaming, thinking of the best of all worlds where two strangers would be mature and work things out for themselves. Thanks again, everyone.

[jhannah]

Yes, it sounds like a roommate would NOT be in your best interest.

 

Regarding perks for Mariners ... basically there are none. You get an invitation to a cocktail party (along with 90% of the rest of the ship who are also Mariners) and maybe a $150 fare discount.

[RevNeal]

Sitting here at the office, with my back to a pile of mail that I need to go through and a worship service in 40 minutes I need to get ready for, what I'm doing is reading Cruise Critics. You KNOW I'm addicted to cruising!

 

Anyway. :)

 

Here's an extra thought on the subject of share vs. single supplement. I suggest that single people do what I do ... have a friend, a sibling, a cousin, or someone with whom you are comfortable sharing a cabin for a week or a month without any trouble. If there's a question, test it in a hotel room for 2 or 3 days. FIND OUT before you go what the problems will be (if any) and lay ground rules, if needed. Fine a few people with whom you enjoy cruising and don't mind sharing. THEN, you won't have to cruise at the whimsy of the cruise line. Having more than one will also mean that you will not be at the whimsy of that one other person. :) Then, IF all else fails, the single supplement is still an option. :)

[DesertDiva]

I've done a cabin share "on my own" and it worked out well. (I met the person on another cruise message board.) The person I shared with was my age and we both worked in the field of education. We e-mailed several times, talked by telephone, and shared a hotel room pre-cruise.

 

On my most recent cruise I booked a single inside cabin. I have to say that I liked it a lot! One night I ordered chocolate cake and coffee in the middle of the night and watched movies. If I knew someone well, I think it would be great to share a room. However, I tend to agree with Greg (Rev. Neal) that the HAL single supplement charge for an inside cabin at 150% is pretty reasonable. It's worth it to me to have my own room and not have the "frills" (i.e. spa treatments, etc...) to enjoy my vacation.

[flashdog_1]

Yes, of course I'd rather have company, and company I know. I've onl been able to talk one friend into going with me, and she's now being responsible and saving money for her grandchildren's college education and paying off her home equity loan. So she won't be available again for years. Another friend who showed an interest just bought a time share and is busy planning those trips (I'll have to clue her in that you can book a cruise thru the time share exchange people!) My sister will absolutely not fly or cruise. I don't know what her problem with them is, maybe fear of unexpected death!

 

So although I appreciate your suggestions revneal, I've worn out those options.

 

I did see that the early bird fares are up on the HAL website now. Think they'll still be available when I sail Veendam next month? Is there a perk for booking a future cruise while on a cruise, like shipboard credit? I'm guessing that the $649 fares are inside guarantees for 7 nighters.

[Roz]

Flashdog,

 

I've done 3 HAL cruises solo, and paid 140% for my cabin by sailing off-peak and booking an inside guarantee. I will never sail Celebrity or RCI because I refuse to pay 200%.

 

Way back in 1984, I was cured of any further thoughts of sharing a room with someone I didn't know. It was my first and only trip to Europe, and my single share roommate greatly detracted from an otherwise enjoyable trip.

 

Once you've had the cabin to yourself, you won't want to go back to sharing it!

 

Roz

[kryos]

I've done a cabin share "on my own" and it worked out well. (I met the person on another cruise message board.) The person I shared with was my age and we both worked in the field of education. We e-mailed several times, talked by telephone, and shared a hotel room pre-cruise.

That's the only intelligent way to do it, in my opinion. At least you and the roommate can get to know one another before the cruise and can determine whether or not you are likely to be compatible.

 

HAL's single share is too much of a crap shoot. You are paired based on pretty much nothing more than gender, and then it's up to the two of you to make it work (or not). That's too much of a risk for me. You aren't even put in touch with your roommate in advance ... so that you can share emails or whatever and make a determination as to whether it is likely you will be compatible or not. You just meet the roommate once you get onboard, and if you're not compatible, too bad.

 

No, I want a bit more control than that.

 

I agree with many of the folks on this board, though ... HAL's single supplements can be very reasonable if you are willing to sail during off-peak times and in the lower category cabins. Personally, I'd rather ensure I have a great cruise even if it means I have to pay a bit more. I heard way too many grumblings from the single share folks during my recent 30-day cruise to take a chance like that with a cruise I spent top dollar for. One poor girl was planning to debark the ship once it arrived in Hawaii because her roommate was giving her flak because she snored. The roommate also didn't like that this girl smoked (not in the cabin) and came back to the cabin smelling like liquer. Fortunately, her family talked her out of leaving the ship ... telling her basically to tell the roommate to go sleep on a deck chair if she didn't like it ... and to just ignore the roommate's grumblings. After all ... a lot of folks snore. Lots of folks drink. If those things bothered the roommate, she shouldn't have made arrangements to share the cabin with anyone.

 

To me, HAL's single share might work fine on the shorter cruises. You can pretty much put up with anyone for seven days or so. But, I'd steer clear of a randomly matched roommate on a long cruise. There is just too much chance for disaster.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[RevNeal]

Once you've had the cabin to yourself, you won't want to go back to sharing it!

 

Hmmm ... now, I wouldn't say that. If the person with whom you're sharing is someone you love, care for, or even just enjoy the company of, it can really turn out nice to have someone along for the trip. Cruising solo can be a great deal of fun ... but it can have moments of extreme loneliness, and especially so if you're used to traveling with other people. I enjoy cruising solo -- there is a great deal of freedom going alone -- but I also have a wonderful time with Christopher. He's funny, enjoys himself, is a great conversationalist, has a broad range of tastes, is exceedingly courteous of others, fastidious, and very quiet. If I can get him to cruise with me -- and I usually can -- it's always a pleasure. But, if I can't -- and, given that I get nearly twice as much vacation time each year than he does -- then I'll go on my own and pay extra.

[blue whale]

A single friend (Eleanor) wanted to cruise with us, but could not afford to pay the single supplement. She booked a share. The first time her roommate turned out to be a far younger woman who was a nurse. They got along famously, so that half way through the cruise because there was a vacant spot at our dining table, we invited her to dine with us. How lucky we all were, I particularly, for I fell in Marbella. The roommate/nurse diagnosed me as a sprain and told me to send my husband to the medical office to buy an ace bandage. That way we only had to pay the cost of the ace.

 

This worked out so well, too, for our friend Eleanor that she tried a sight-unseen share again. Again, her roommate was a lovely woman, this time older, a world-traveling type. Again we got to meet her and that extended our friendships on board.

 

Now I must admit that our friend Eleanor is a very congenial person. She goes out of her way to be lovely, so that may have accounted for her successful encounters.

[flashdog_1]

Thanks for all the suggestions and having related personal experiences with single share.

[Thunderbolt]

I have shared a inside cabin with 3 others for 3 cruises (DW, DS and DD) and the extra room If I were by myself would be heaven. DW and I are both deeply in love and both deeply in love with cruising so I should never need to make this choice...but if so I would do the 150% and not take any chances...except in the casino:D