Celebrity at it again, I guess the new CEO can’t seem to tell the truth!

[the penguins]

On 6/9/2024 at 2:15 PM, verizon said:

Sorry I don't cheat.

no need to cheat - you can afford to treat a friend (someone who deserves a break but can't afford it) to a free cruise (they can pay their own tips) and still be ahead on the solo supplements being quoted.

[Anton]

1 hour ago, ExArkie said:

My understanding is that Royal charges single passengers 200% of the per person double occupancy rate. Never sailed on them, so no first-hand experience. 

Yes that is correct.  It also drops to 150% for Crown & Anchor members that have 340 points and higher, with some exceptions for black out dates.  

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

58 minutes ago, the penguins said:

no need to cheat - you can afford to treat a friend (someone who deserves a break but can't afford it) to a free cruise (they can pay their own tips) and still be ahead on the solo supplements being quoted.

 

Has it occurred to you that those of us who sail solo actually prefer to have our own cabin?  Even when I cruise with friends, we each get our own cabin.

[drakes2]

2 hours ago, twincheryl said:

That is true on my recent bookings… started on Royal and now going back on a b2b because of the ridiculous solo prices on Celebrity.  Holland America is also in the mix.  Very sad, as Celebrity is my favorite… but just won’t pay those inflated solo prices.

I'm booked on a 15 night TA next April and now want to take the 11 night Mediterranean cruise which follows but the cost for single cheapest inside is $7500 which is outrageous as double occupancy is $4500.  Don't know if I should book and hope it drops in price. I could always fly home after my TA and take another cruise later in the year but then it becomes 2 expensive European flights. Alternatively, I could deduct the cost from the kids inheritance. 😆 🤣 

[twins_to_alaska]

My sister and I each had our own cabin on our last cruise together.

 

I still don't think some people are understanding. @michedI don't object to paying the full price for double occupancy as a solo. I object to paying a lot more than the full price for double occupancy.

If the total cabin is $2000 and average is $1000 (double occupancy) I'm fine with the $2000... but I object to paying $2500.

I certainly don't feel like I'm cheating to book a no-show and pay the $2000 instead of $2500.

Edited June 10 by twins_to_alaska

[as3369]

4 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

Has it occurred to you that those of us who sail solo actually prefer to have our own cabin?  Even when I cruise with friends, we each get our own cabin.

I have a few cruise partners that also prefer their own cabin... or should I say own bathroom!

[drakes2]

48 minutes ago, as3369 said:

I have a few cruise partners that also prefer their own cabin... or should I say own bathroom!

I cruise with my sister quite often and we have our own  cabins next to each other. We do some things on our own but always dinner and show together. 

[the penguins]

5 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

 

Has it occurred to you that those of us who sail solo actually prefer to have our own cabin?  Even when I cruise with friends, we each get our own cabin.

Sorry, perhaps I should have ended my post with a smiley face🤣 I was just making "a tongue in cheek" comment in response to the Posters comment that they "didn't cheat" whereas the view of the majority, me included, seemed to be that booking someone who would be a no show was perfectly acceptable 

[Picktails]

I am traveling solo on Beyond in September. Here's something I haven't seen mentioned in this discussion of costs and profit.Since I am paying so much more as a single person in a cabin, I have LESS disposable income to spend on extras. In my case, right now I don't see spending anything on dining, excursions or the casino. Whereas if the fare was within range of what it works out to per person in cabins with more than 1 occupant, I would have MUCH more disposable income in my budget for these extras. It's as if the cruise line has determined that solo travelers don't spend as much as groups, so they're charging them upfront for this loss? That seems like a VERY strange business model and actually a loss on their part.

[Catclaws]

On 6/8/2024 at 10:29 AM, C-Dragons said:

The practice of charging extra for single travelers has been going on for decades, nothing new here. Rooms, both in hotels and on cruise ships have been built/designed for double occupancy. Unfortunately I can’t see this changing.

Two people typically spend more money than singles.

You can't really compare it to a hotel room since for hotel rooms you pay for the room and don't pay more for a single.  Now there are plenty of situations where you pay a single supplement which is often not just double the price since you are not taking advantage of two meals, two seats in the theater etc.

[drakes2]

1 hour ago, Picktails said:

I am traveling solo on Beyond in September. Here's something I haven't seen mentioned in this discussion of costs and profit.Since I am paying so much more as a single person in a cabin, I have LESS disposable income to spend on extras. In my case, right now I don't see spending anything on dining, excursions or the casino. Whereas if the fare was within range of what it works out to per person in cabins with more than 1 occupant, I would have MUCH more disposable income in my budget for these extras. It's as if the cruise line has determined that solo travelers don't spend as much as groups, so they're charging them upfront for this loss? That seems like a VERY strange business model and actually a loss on their part.

I do the same as a solo traveler

I'm Elite plus status so take full advantage of all the benefits. I just pay gratuities and at the end of the cruise there's no balance owing. 

[Ommadawn]

On 6/8/2024 at 10:55 AM, pzsdd6 said:

And your point is? Are they not operating in North America? The simple fact is they operate here, period. If they don’t like the complaints from Americans, then either change or operate somewhere else. We all know that won’t happen because without the North Americas there wouldn’t be much of a cruise industry left. The North American market is responsible for more than 75% of all cruise business. 

 

Could you, please, back up that last sentence? I would like to know if that is an absolute fact.

[canderson]

9 minutes ago, Ommadawn said:

 

Could you, please, back up that last sentence? I would like to know if that is an absolute fact.

It's not 75%, but still an enormous % of the whole.

 

Here's how it looked just pre-COVID

https://www.statista.com/statistics/287114/cruise-passenger-share-by-source-country/

with the US providing 46% of the pax, and Germany in 2nd place at 8.7%.

 

With the U.S. removed, it would be a very different industry.

[pzsdd6]

7 hours ago, twins_to_alaska said:

My sister and I each had our own cabin on our last cruise together.

 

I still don't think some people are understanding. @michedI don't object to paying the full price for double occupancy as a solo. I object to paying a lot more than the full price for double occupancy.

If the total cabin is $2000 and average is $1000 (double occupancy) I'm fine with the $2000... but I object to paying $2500.

I certainly don't feel like I'm cheating to book a no-show and pay the $2000 instead of $2500.

Thank you for posting this. Apparently I’m not being clear enough about the real heartache solo travelers have. The simple fact is there is no justification for anything above paying double for a cabin! Other than corporate greed……

Before anyone says anything, yes I know they can do as they please, and yes I know I can take my cruise dollars elsewhere, but once again, it’s just wrong!

[pzsdd6]

13 minutes ago, Ommadawn said:

 

Could you, please, back up that last sentence? I would like to know if that is an absolute fact.

Please tell me how to prove “absolute fact”? But to answer you question, this was data in a AAA travel magazine. To the other post saying 46%, they are correct before Covid. It has changed quite a bit in the past 4 years. As with most purchases since Covid, the drastic increases are driven by corporate greed.

[Ommadawn]

4 minutes ago, canderson said:

It's not 75%, but still an enormous % of the whole.

 

Here's how it looked just pre-COVID

https://www.statista.com/statistics/287114/cruise-passenger-share-by-source-country/

with the US providing 46% of the pax, and Germany in 2nd place at 8.7%.

 

With the U.S. removed, it would be a very different industry.

 

Thanks so much for the information. I didn't think that it could be as high as 75% (simply a hyperbole by the poster), but it is interesting to know that North America makes up nearly half of the world-wide the cruising dollars.

[Liao]

37 minutes ago, pzsdd6 said:

Thank you for posting this. Apparently I’m not being clear enough about the real heartache solo travelers have. The simple fact is there is no justification for anything above paying double for a cabin! Other than corporate greed……

Before anyone says anything, yes I know they can do as they please, and yes I know I can take my cruise dollars elsewhere, but once again, it’s just wrong!

Apex TA March 2025, is currently less for a solo cruiser v double occupancy in a Retreat MC suite.

[the penguins]

7 hours ago, Ommadawn said:

 

Thanks so much for the information. I didn't think that it could be as high as 75% (simply a hyperbole by the poster), but it is interesting to know that North America makes up nearly half of the world-wide the cruising dollars.

I think we/you are comparing different stats.

Royal as whole has around 80% passengers from US/Canada.

Once you include all lines, some of which have practically no passengers from the US (for example: Fred Olhsen, Hurtigruten, TUI, Ambassador, SAGA, etc) clearly that percentage will drop.

The Royal figures also explain why so many things onboard seem odd/different to us Brits and our advice to new cruisers is just to embrace the experience. 

 

[cruzeluver]

• Four pages of teeth gnashing, hyperbole, random stats, accusations and not a single mind changed. Yep, its Cruise Critic! 

[iandjm]

It’s a disgusting practice and blatant discrimination against the solo traveller.  I solved the problem by booking Princess cruises going forward. They are a lot fairer with room pricing and adding the drinks tips and WiFi on for a fixed (and much lower) price per day. Unlike celebrity Princess only change the solo traveller once for the package, rather than twice if you are travelling in a twin cabin as a solo.  

[PTC DAWG]

11 hours ago, pzsdd6 said:

Please tell me how to prove “absolute fact”? But to answer you question, this was data in a AAA travel magazine. To the other post saying 46%, they are correct before Covid. It has changed quite a bit in the past 4 years. As with most purchases since Covid, the drastic increases are driven by corporate greed.

Corporations are owned by shareholders..

[mysticbluebmw]

53 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

Corporations are owned by shareholders..

Exactly, and what keeps getting overlooked, is that one of the primary fiduciary responsibilities of the BOD is to maximize profits, which generally in time translates to higher share prices. That’s the goal of every for-profit business. If we keep paying it, in fact, throwing our money at them (which has only worsened inflation with surge spending) it only legitimizes what they can or will charge.

 

However, I would imagine cruise companies have performed extensive analysis in determining pax occupancy vs all other aspects of the experience (dining, entertainment, gambling, etc…) in determining rates. The logic behind whatever algorithms they’ve decided to settle on, would likely be difficult to see. Their business model hinges on having good estimates of how many passengers on a particular ship (to make it profitable enough) will need to be catered to, in order to have enough crew, food, activities, etc…In the end, we the passengers may not like the model used for rates, but their bottom line relies on it to stay in business. People are tired of hearing it, but vote with $$$, there are other cruise line with more favorable models (ships as well w/special solo cabins) for solo travelers. Trying to pound a square peg in a round hole is likely only going to frustrate you. 😅

[Iamcruzin]

On 6/8/2024 at 10:25 AM, pzsdd6 said:

  Trying to make Celebrity like Royal is just wrong. If I wanted to sail on Royal, I would have booked Royal!

 
 

At least on the Anthem Class Royal Caribbean ships they offer special smaller single room at a reasonable price. I sailed with a friend and the room was very nice. It even had a balcony. 

[NutsAboutGolf]

A very strange dynamic to add to this, with BCC/Casino offers, they now send out two different types of offers.  Solo only or for two.  If you book a two-off offer and go solo, they will charge you for the second person

[Liao]

2 hours ago, mysticbluebmw said:

Exactly, and what keeps getting overlooked, is that one of the primary fiduciary responsibilities of the BOD is to maximize profits, which generally in time translates to higher share prices. That’s the goal of every for-profit business. If we keep paying it, in fact, throwing our money at them (which has only worsened inflation with surge spending) it only legitimizes what they can or will charge.

 

However, I would imagine cruise companies have performed extensive analysis in determining pax occupancy vs all other aspects of the experience (dining, entertainment, gambling, etc…) in determining rates. The logic behind whatever algorithms they’ve decided to settle on, would likely be difficult to see. Their business model hinges on having good estimates of how many passengers on a particular ship (to make it profitable enough) will need to be catered to, in order to have enough crew, food, activities, etc…In the end, we the passengers may not like the model used for rates, but their bottom line relies on it to stay in business. People are tired of hearing it, but vote with $$$, there are other cruise line with more favorable models (ships as well w/special solo cabins) for solo travelers. Trying to pound a square peg in a round hole is likely only going to frustrate you. 😅

Well said!