Current 75% sale still charging singles 200%

[Ellaleah]

20 minutes ago, Just love 2 cruise said:

For what it is worth..I  Spoke to my Vacation Planner who told me the current ‘deal’ which is 75% off second guest was not carried over to the solo traveller. However IF that deal is taken off the table then the pricing for solo travellers would balance that of double occupancy. She said HO is aware but she has not heard of any changes coming down the pipeline

I don’t buy it.  The newer ships (Edge, Apex, Beyond, Ascent) all have solo balconies that were originally priced to give a little advantage to solos.  Since the onset of those they have elevated the prices so that if you book a solo balcony (smaller cabin), the price is higher than if you book a regular balcony as a solo.  It makes no sense and was the case before this sale.

[twincheryl]

1 hour ago, Just love 2 cruise said:

For what it is worth..I  Spoke to my Vacation Planner who told me the current ‘deal’ which is 75% off second guest was not carried over to the solo traveller. However IF that deal is taken off the table then the pricing for solo travellers would balance that of double occupancy. She said HO is aware but she has not heard of any changes coming down the pipeline

The last cruise I booked in early Dec 2023 appears to be the same promo that is on now... No Perk Rate w BOGO75 PCT NRD... it is a solo booking and definitely not the current pricing calculation.  I originally thought that it must be an IT error, but your conversation confirms that they must have started the new calculation a couple weeks later... 

[Straughn]

On 12/31/2023 at 6:47 AM, cublet said:

Hello,

 

I think you are crediting the marking team with too much intelligence to dream-up (unfair) ways of extracting more money from solo cruisers. I think they dream-up clever ideas, apply it to couples, and don't even think about solo cruises. When challenged, they have to say something along the lines of 'Of course that's what is intended' and not 'Oh dear, we didn't think of that'.

 

Re LHB & family cruising: I'm sure someone somewhere has got the number of 'families per berth' for US cruisers. I think that the couples with kiddos booking a cruise will be doing so more as a 'celebratory' cruise than one of a flow of bookings and so after a while the pool of 'celebrants' will become exhausted whereas us seasoned regular cruisers will book, book and book aqain.

 

Possible good news for anyone (in the UK) that missed it, Jo Rzymowska has joined Hays Travel as a non-executive director.

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

It isn't the marketing team figuring this out.  It is the bean counters, number crunchers, cost benefit analysts, aka the accountants, who are computing the numbers. The marketing team's job is to spin it in the best possible way.

[NC State]

I was just watching "Cruise Radio" on YouTube and it's true. Celebrity is now charging more for Solo cruisers. Celebrity said it's for the "off set of revenue that the second guest would normally spend on board".  

[Honolulu Blue]

1 hour ago, NC State said:

I was just watching "Cruise Radio" on YouTube and it's true. Celebrity is now charging more for Solo cruisers. Celebrity said it's for the "off set of revenue that the second guest would normally spend on board".  

I would sure like a copy of that press release along with an unflattering picture of Fearless Leader LHB. It's dartboard material for sure!

[critic2023]

Just seems like a bad move to me, and a way to alienate a potentially lucrative demographic. How many solo cruisers are there on any given sailing, especially on a ship that doesn't offer solo cabins? Can't be that many. I already offset the cost a second guest would have spent by paying for a whole nonexistent second occupant in my cabin.

[ILgirl]

I booked a solo IV ( which I have sailed in several times and enjoy very much) on the Edge 13 night Hawaii sailing in September.  I booked it well over a year ago at a price of $3,100 with AI. The booking also includes $550 OBC.  The two days in Maui have been scratched and replaced with sea days.  Pre cruise and post cruise stays in Vancouver and Honolulu are also pricey so I was considering cancelling.  For the heck of it I looked up the current pricing for the solo IV.  It is $10,100! Now I think I might go because I don’t want to give Celebrity the opportunity to resell my cabin and make $7,000 more, ha ha!

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

On 1/2/2024 at 11:54 PM, gordiej said:

Because there's lots of discussion on how to avoid this highway robbery of which you speak.

 

I get that.  But why should I have to engage in that?

[gordiej]

2 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

I get that.  But why should I have to engage in that?

Let yourself get ripped off then, I really don’t care. 

[cublet]

18 hours ago, Straughn said:

It isn't the marketing team figuring this out.  It is the bean counters, number crunchers, cost benefit analysts, aka the accountants, who are computing the numbers. The marketing team's job is to spin it in the best possible way.

Hello,

 

No, it's the marketing team that come up with the ideas that are then signed-off by a shadowy department called 'Revenue'. No only that but they also have to sign-off the spiel so as to leave ambiguities or inconsistencies that may be to the advantage of X in the event of a dispute. I got this on Silhouette when I pointed-out a contradiction in the NextCruise T&Cs - shoreside sales agreed with me yet said that 'Revenue agreed with me but still wanted the wording kept as is'.

 

Regards,

 

Cublet

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

14 hours ago, gordiej said:

Let yourself get ripped off then, I really don’t care. 

 

Oh, I don't plan to be ripped off.  There are other options for my travel dollars.

[hucifer]

On 12/16/2023 at 9:20 PM, Cruise Gopher said:

Just book for two passengers. Take your friend George Glass who has something suddenly come up and doesn’t show up for the cruise. 

Love your double Brady reference 😄

[miXterOB]

Yes, I saw that Cruise Radio piece yesterday.

I did my last 2 cruises solo and I really enjoyed them but I got both without the single surcharge.

As I live in Florida, booking right before sailing or within 90 days is easy, so filling a cabin "last minute" is right up my alley. Unfortunately, the market is filling the ships right now...it's a sellers market so at least for awhile, looks like barring finding a compatible PIC for cruises...I'll be doing domestic excursions.

I just caught Elite status...

It sucks but welcome to the current reality...

Let's see what all the new cruise ships coming to market this year do to cabin sales...fingers crossed we get some empty cabins needing filled.

Edited January 5 by miXterOB

[slavetoabunny]

There was a video by Don's Travels on YouTube about this very topic today.  

 

[drakes2]

On 12/17/2023 at 7:44 AM, Georgia_Peaches said:

Actually, I think the E class solo rooms are pretty spacious and even have an IV. I haven’t been in One personally but have seen some video tours on YouTube. 
 

And I agree with your “just like taxes..” sentiment but just wanted to throw out options. 

I love the E class deluxe inside cabins at 210 sq feet so spacious. Don't miss a balcony and extra cash to spend.  

[deliver42]

Considering Celebrity's new management, the increase doesn't surprise me. All the other lines are making it easier for solos, but Celebrity is raising prices for solos. Ridiculous.

[MsSoCalCruiser]

If this is how they are going to treat me when I cruise solo then I just won’t sail with them even when I’m booking for two or more. There are other cruise lines. Solos need to start canceling their bookings and maybe they will think about what they are doing. 

[dreams_of_travel]

This whole solo scheme has put me completely off sailing with Celebrity.   I have no idea when I will go back.  I refuse to book them even when sailing with a roommate b/c their pricing in general has gotten out of hand, along with that ridiculous removal of gratuities from the all included price.  I am taking longer cruises for less money on another comparable line, and currently have about 5 cruises booked.  I am sad that Celebrity has gone this direction, but hope they will re-adjust pricing overall in the future. 

[GenerationX]

On 1/4/2024 at 3:04 PM, ILgirl said:

I booked a solo IV ( which I have sailed in several times and enjoy very much) on the Edge 13 night Hawaii sailing in September.  I booked it well over a year ago at a price of $3,100 with AI. The booking also includes $550 OBC.  The two days in Maui have been scratched and replaced with sea days.  Pre cruise and post cruise stays in Vancouver and Honolulu are also pricey so I was considering cancelling.  For the heck of it I looked up the current pricing for the solo IV.  It is $10,100! Now I think I might go because I don’t want to give Celebrity the opportunity to resell my cabin and make $7,000 more, ha ha!

I didn’t think there was any way cruising could be made any more mentally or emotionally fulfilling…but then here comes @ILgirl with cruising for SPITE! 🙌🏾👏🏾

 

Yasss, Queen! You get on the Edge sail to Hawaii and make Celebrity eat that 7K for all of us! 😂

[ILgirl]

1 hour ago, GenerationX said:

I didn’t think there was any way cruising could be made any more mentally or emotionally fulfilling…but then here comes @ILgirl with cruising for SPITE! 🙌🏾👏🏾

 

Yasss, Queen! You get on the Edge sail to Hawaii and make Celebrity eat that 7K for all of us! 😂

Hi Charla!!!  As you know, ANY reason is a good reason to cruise… even spite!😀. I think I might take the Hawaii cruise and treat it as my “swan song” to Celebrity!  This is crazy, but I was thinking about you this morning.  I am on the Ascent on 1/28, booked a year ago when life for solo travelers on Celebrity was still good.  I thought, maybe, just maybe 🤞 Charla will be aboard to check out the new Ascent.  I just found your wrap up post on the Beyond so I know that won’t be the case.  Hoping that when you do select your next adventure that you let all of us know where we can follow along.

 

I’m sorry for your loss.  Good luck in getting through a busy January at work AND dry January as well.  You are a stronger woman than me!😀. I will toast you on 1/28…maybe more than once!!

[SouKnoMe]

Just returned from the Christmas sailing on Ascent as a solo. At the time I just booked right before Thanksgiving because I was stressed out. I didn't think about the pricing, so I just did it. After reading the ideas in this thread about adding a second passenger name to a new booking to get a deal, I thought that I would try it. Some things came to mind as I started to setup the booking.  Whose name was I going to add? You have to complete the profile information prior to closing. Was I supposed to ask a family member to use their information? I knew that I didn't want to ask a friend... Cause I didn't want them to say they wanted to go. LOL.Next, having to pay double insurance, that I knew I wouldn't get refunded... ugh!

 

Well I got down to the deposit, they wanted $900 - but I had an future cruise credit that allowed for a $100 deposit with OBC that I wasn't planning to lose.  Long story short, after calling Celebrity to see if I could use the FVC booking number with the ship and room that I selected, they kindly told me, "you can't use this for two people... Your offer was for only for a solo." UGH! So for the lesser deposit, I would have to pay more, and wouldn't have to enter into a life of sin scheming on how to get the deal. Hilarious!

 

For those of you who can get the deal with a double booking, that suddenly disappears before sailing... My hats off to you!

 

PS... there are spies in these hills... 

 

Edited January 7 by SouKnoMe

[citruscruiser]

There is an article in Forbes that is addressing this matter. I can’t figure out how to link it. It is very well explained and conveys the information I attempted to get across in creating this post. Again, my thanks to those who understand the issue. 

[Lena11033]

14 minutes ago, citruscruiser said:

There is an article in Forbes that is addressing this matter. I can’t figure out how to link it. It is very well explained and conveys the information I attempted to get across in creating this post. Again, my thanks to those who understand the issue. 

 

 

Is this the article?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerdooley/2024/01/07/solo-penalty-cruise-line-charges-single-travelers-much-more-than-double

[citruscruiser]

yes, thank you.

[Honolulu Blue]

20 minutes ago, citruscruiser said:

There is an article in Forbes that is addressing this matter. I can’t figure out how to link it. It is very well explained and conveys the information I attempted to get across in creating this post. Again, my thanks to those who understand the issue. 

 

6 minutes ago, Lena11033 said:

Is this the article?

https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerdooley/2024/01/07/solo-penalty-cruise-line-charges-single-travelers-much-more-than-double

Thanks for sharing this article and its existence.  I thought this was a good article - better than normal for a non-cruise source.