Solo traveler discrimination??

[auntmeg]

7 hours ago, pdmlynek said:

 

The problem is that the word "discrimination" is defined neutrally, but has a negative connotation.

 

Do you discriminate against Coke if you choose to buy Pepsi? 

....

There's a difference between discriminating between and discriminating against.

[Hlitner]

20 hours ago, CPT Trips said:

 

I wonder about the source of that assertion. On these boards 79% of the statistics posted are made up as the poster is typing. 

So true.  When we use actual statistics in a post, we generally cite the source (for better or worse).  Ironically, there are times when the Mods do not want real statistics (such as when we were in the heat of the COVID crisis).  

 

Getting back to the actual topic (LOL), if one prefers to apply the term "discrimination" to pricing strategy and yield management, then one needs to accept that not all discrimination is bad and certainly not illegal.  Imagine a 6000 passenger ship that charged the same price, per person, for a single in a cabin/suite as a couple.  In theory, they might sail with only 3000 passengers (and 3000 empty berths), generate half the usual onboard revenue, and likely be filing for bankruptcy in the near future.  And some here would than point out that by going out of business they are "discriminating" against all cruisers :).

 

There are also some interesting economics at play on a ship (or in a hotel).  The most expensive part of a cabin or a hotel room is generally the bathroom.  It simply costs a lot of money for the bathroom fixtures, plumbing, etc.  Most cabin bathrooms have a single toilet and a shower or tub.  You need that for a single (or single cabin) but it is also adequate for a double, triple, etc.  So the cost per person of building that cabin costs less, per person, for doubles and the most (per person) for a single.  Folks in Cost Accounting will actually look at that level of detail when building a business plan and setting a basic price structure.

 

Here is a thought.  Is manufacturing and selling a Corvette, discriminating against familes?

 

Hank

[Elaine5715]

On 2/11/2023 at 2:54 PM, Charles4515 said:

There are two restaurants here (I have encountered that elsewhere too) that if I show up solo ask me if I want to sit at the bar. There are always plenty of empty tables. I find that annoying. I always say no thank you I came to dine. They never make me sit at the bar. 

I occasionally opt for the bar seating and rocket to the front of the line.  

[pdmlynek]

8 hours ago, auntmeg said:

There's a difference between discriminating between and discriminating against.

Is this true?  Can you please let me know the functional difference between "discriminating between" and "discriminating against"?  Do you have a source for this claim?

 

To me, this is just semantics.  

[d9704011]

3 minutes ago, pdmlynek said:

Is this true?  Can you please let me know the functional difference between "discriminating between" and "discriminating against"?  Do you have a source for this claim?

 

To me, this is just semantics.  

Discriminate between: recognize the difference(s);

Discriminate against; make an unjust or prejudicial distinction in treatment.

[cruisemom42]

11 minutes ago, pdmlynek said:

Is this true?  Can you please let me know the functional difference between "discriminating between" and "discriminating against"?  Do you have a source for this claim?

 

To me, this is just semantics.  

 

It is not semantics (or maybe it is semantics if you define semantics as the branch of linguistics concerned with meaning)....

 

Discriminate has two meanings, according to the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
 

discriminate verb
/dɪˈskrɪməˌneɪt/ 
Verb Forms
 
1.  [intransitive, transitive] to recognize that there is a difference between people or things; to show a difference between people or things
synonym differentiate, distinguish
discriminate (between A and B) The computer program was unable to discriminate between letters and numbers.
discriminate something When do babies learn to discriminate voices?
discriminate A from B A number of features discriminate this species from others.

2.  [intransitive] to treat one person or group worse/better than another in an unfair way
discriminate (against somebody) discriminate (in favor of somebody) practices that discriminate against women and in favor of men
discriminate (on the grounds of something) It is illegal to discriminate on grounds of race, sex, or religion.

[auntmeg]

57 minutes ago, pdmlynek said:

Is this true?  Can you please let me know the functional difference between "discriminating between" and "discriminating against"?  Do you have a source for this claim?

 

To me, this is just semantics.  

As others have posted, it's totally not just semantics.

[navybankerteacher]

2 hours ago, pdmlynek said:

Is this true?  Can you please let me know the functional difference between "discriminating between" and "discriminating against"?  Do you have a source for this claim?

 

To me, this is just semantics.  

No, it is just understanding the language.

 

Discriminating between is simply choosing one option over another - usually on the basis of personal taste.

 

Discriminating against obviously means imposing personal feelings AGAINST option not chosen.

[pdmlynek]

13 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

It is not semantics (or maybe it is semantics if you define semantics as the branch of linguistics concerned with meaning)....

 

Discriminate has two meanings, according to the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
 

discriminate verb
/dɪˈskrɪməˌneɪt/ 
Verb Forms
 
1.  [intransitive, transitive] to recognize that there is a difference between people or things; to show a difference between people or things
synonym differentiate, distinguish
discriminate (between A and B) The computer program was unable to discriminate between letters and numbers.
discriminate something When do babies learn to discriminate voices?
discriminate A from B A number of features discriminate this species from others.

2.  [intransitive] to treat one person or group worse/better than another in an unfair way
discriminate (against somebody) discriminate (in favor of somebody) practices that discriminate against women and in favor of men
discriminate (on the grounds of something) It is illegal to discriminate on grounds of race, sex, or religion.

 

So, if you choose to drink Pepsi instead of Coke, are you discriminating against Coke?  Or are you discriminating between Coke and Pepsi?

 

If you choose to sail to Greece instead of South America, are you discriminating against sailing to South America?

 

Likewise, if a cruise line choses to market to families or couples, is it discriminating against solo travelers?  Or is the cruiseline merely discriminating between types of passengers?

 

...which is where this silly argument started in the first place.  

[pdmlynek]

12 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

No, it is just understanding the language.

 

Discriminating between is simply choosing one option over another - usually on the basis of personal taste.

 

Discriminating against obviously means imposing personal feelings AGAINST option not chosen.

So discriminating between is a matter of personal taste whereas discriminating against is a matter of personal feelings?

 

If you travel with Cunard, are you selecting Cunard over Carnival based on your personal feelings or based on your personal taste?  

 

If a cruise line prefers to cater to couples over solo travelers, are they selecting couples on the bases of personal taste or personal feelings?  Can a cruise line have personal feelings of personal tastes?   

 

I am sorry, but there might be some sort of a vague difference between marketing to couples based on the cruise line's personal tastes or personal feelings, but I don't think that it matters.  In either case, the solo cruiser will not be as catered to as well as a cuise line caters to couples, regardless whether he was discriminated between or discriminated against.  Functionally it is the same thing.

[sanger727]

On 2/11/2023 at 11:29 AM, Markanddonna said:

What if this discrimination applied to restaurants?  Two people at a table will generate more profit for the restaurant than one. I don't see how a business can discriminate against solos. I can understand why they do.

 

Restaurants turn over tables multiple times a night. More solo eaters than normal one night makes a very small impact on their profit over the course of a week. Cruise lines are stuck with the same cruisers for a whole week. There's no hope of turning that cabin over the next day and getting a higher profit customer in.

 

That being said, I do think this is bad business and bad policy. My husband and I sail as a double and have very little onboard spend. A solo with a drink package and purchases excursions easily exceed us in on board spend. I understand they are playing on averages.

[Markanddonna]

30 minutes ago, sanger727 said:

That being said, I do think this is bad business and bad policy. My husband and I sail as a double and have very little onboard spend. A solo with a drink package and purchases excursions easily exceed us in on board spend. I understand they are playing on averages.

We are there with you!  I often wonder if we have an asterisk next to our names with the cruise lines that says "try not to book these folks."

[John Bull]

On 2/12/2023 at 2:04 AM, cruisemom42 said:

 

 

Luckily, only 0.06% of Cruise Critic readers believe what they read here!

 

 

 

A percentage that twitter, facebook & others can only dream about 😄

 

JB 🙂

[George C]

We did a MSc yacht club cruise right before Covid and at that time they had free single yacht club no extra charge , find it totally strange at least they would offer 200 percent.