Holland roommate-matching

[bqkali]

Do they still do this? I am desperately trying to get back on board the Amsterdam sometime in July but I can't afford to go by myself and I can't seem to find any sort of roommate services for the line.

Thanks

 

Yes, as of April they still do this. I, too, was interested and called to get some details.

 

However, it is NOT always a bargain.

 

Here's the basics on how it works:

1. You book a room in one of their cabins. They don't offer it in every category cabin, but in select inside, oceanview, or balcony/veranda categories. NOT suites.

2. They match you with a roommate and it's luck of the draw who you get. They don't ask any questions to base you on compatibility...you're just guaranteed to get a roommate of the same gender.

3. In rare cases, if the only person they can match you with booked a higher cabin (i.e. you requested an inside and someone else requested a veranda), you may get a free upgrade. In even rarer cases, if they can't find you a roommate at all, you get the room to yourself.

 

Up to that point, I was okay with it. I've lived with a lot of people over the years and can sleep anywhere...so even the most disrespectful of roommates wouldn't scare me away if it meant I got to be on a cruise! For many people, that alone is a deal-breaker!!

 

The real problem...you can't take advantage of a lot of the discounts offered on Holland America's website. So if the cruise is advertised as $999 for a 7-day cruise, you pay $999. If there is a discount you are eligible for (past guest discounts, residency specials, senior discounts, or even just a flyer you got in the mail!), you do not get that discount if you choose the roommate matching program. When I called, I was able to find a price of $499 for a 7-day Alaska cruise on their website, but the "normal" brochure price was $899, so I would be charged $899 if I chose to book and get a roommate through their program. OR if I booked online, the single supplement was 175% on top of the $499 base fare, for a total cost of $873. In other words, it was cheaper to book on my own!

 

You can certainly call and inquire about the program since it is very much still in existence. You might luck out and get a great price if you are willing to share a room with a stranger for a week. But please be aware that you might not actually be getting a deal...I recommend doing a "mock" booking online to see what you'd pay if you went on your own, or call a travel agent to get a quote.

 

My advice to you if you really can't afford to pay the supplement is to try and find a friend, a neighbor, a stranger you met at the grocery store :eek:...anyone!!!...and get them to book with you.

 

Otherwise, try and find a low-priced cruise with a low supplement. I was able to get a great solo price on my upcoming cruise in September by watching for sales. I booked when the base price was low AND the supplement was low. Together, that resulted in a price that I was able (and willing) to pay. There are a lot of discounts being made available last-minute on Alaskan sailings so you might be able to take advantage of an incredible deal if you are able to book last-minute.

 

Best of luck in your search and hope you enjoy your cruise!

Edited June 16, 2009 by bqkali
added best wishes :)

[Straughn]

Add me to the list of folks who do not want to share their cabin with a stranger. I have cruised twice with a girfriend who could be a real PITA. All she ever did, on both cruises, was complain. No wonder she has had three husbands! I decided that I would settle for a smaller cabin and be by myself. They say you really don't know someone until you live with them and how true that statement turned out to be about my friend.

[onthegogirl]

I tried the roommate program once and was lucky to have a cabin to myself. The chances of this happening are better on longer cruises. Having said that, I won't try this any time soon. Many of the single ladies I met on board were lovely, a couple were whiners and there was nobody I would care to share with for the nineteen days. :eek:

Have shared a cabin with a cousin and a sister-in-law. Both cruises were short and we got along fine. Still, we ran out of storage room and had to use the suitcases for some of our stuff. ;)

 

Love having a cabin to myself where I can spread out. Sometimes it's a better bargin than sharing.:)

[retiring soon]

HI all!

I also signed up for Single share on my 2003 10 day Panama Canal cruise.

Luckily I ended up with a handicapped (not needed) interior room to myself. I did meet 2 ladies on the ship that were matched up & when I saw their cabin I was glad I had one to myself.:D I wouldn't risk it again.

~Jo~ :)

[Lois R]

I don't share at home and that is even with someone I would know.;)

So, sharing a cabin on a ship with a stranger?:eek: That would not

be an option.

I love having my own space, its much too important to me to give

it up and especially with someone I have never met.

Not for me, no thanks.

[traveler111]

An arranged share would NOT be a vacation as far as I'm concerned. I cannot imagine what one would do about the in cabin safe let alone all the other items to consider . :eek:

[rjm1cc]

I have not had the need, but I think I would try it if the savings let me take more cruises. I spend very little time in the cabin so that may help.

[Lois R]

I have not had the need, but I think I would try it if the savings let me take more cruises. I spend very little time in the cabin so that may help.

 

I spend very little time in the cabin as well but to me that is

not all that factors into the equation. It is a big part of it, but not

all......

The other parts: I don't know this person..

Are they honest? Are they hygenically clean? Do they snore?

Are they a clingy person?

Those are just a few factors and as far as the cabin goes?

Rules? Who showers first, 2nd, space, time?

Just much too many factors for me.

I don't want any stresses while I cruise and sharing with someone

I have never met? As I said in my previous post, no thanks.

[Coastaljen]

Yes, the in room safe is another thing to think about. With the roommate I was assigned in Europe, I ended up carrying any valuables with me.. So I had to take my money, jewelery, etc with me into the bathroom in the morning and all. If you don't know the person, and it doesn't turn out good, you start wondering if it is ok to leave things in the safe (you share).

[bqkali]

Let me start off by admitting that I am young and require only a safe place to sleep when choosing accommodations. I cruise because in some cases - such as southeast Alaska - traveling by water is the most affordable form of transportation from point A to point B. I do not cruise for the food, the activities, the ship amenities, or the types of rooms offered - they are perks, I admit, but they are not something I consider when choosing vacations. I MUCH prefer port days and would eliminate sea days altogether if that was a possibility (I realize they are a necessity in many cases due to the distances involved). I know this is FAR from the case for most cruisers :) I should also disclose that I consider hostels (safe, clean ones) a perfectly acceptable form of accommodation while traveling. I wish cruiselines offered something similar so that I could go more often, but realize that would really hurt their profit margin :p

 

I have not had the need, but I think I would try it if the savings let me take more cruises. I spend very little time in the cabin so that may help.

 

You summed it up perfectly for me. This time, I was able to get my own cabin for an affordable price ($100/day). But if that was not a possibility in the future, I would not think twice about trying a roommate share program if the price was more reasonable. My personality and preference is to be busy all the time, meaning I am out of my room at all times except to sleep and shower.

 

Money (for me) is tight and rooming with someone on vacation (or in "real life") is a great way to save money. Yes, there are trade-offs: for 48 weeks of the year, I have to share a bathroom, listen to snoring, have dirty dishes sitting in the sink, have other people around when I just want to be alone. I am not saying every roommate does all those things, but with ANY roommate there will be at least one thing that gets on your nerves! If I can do at home, I can certainly do it for a week! It is a trade-off, and it is one I am willing to make.

 

BUT that being said - I travel to see the world, experience new things, and soak up other cultures. I don't travel to relax, I travel to do things! When I get home, I am usually more exhausted than I was before my vacation started. I figure that I can sit on my front porch at home, have a "drink of the day", and listen to music anytime. But climb a glacier? That would be hard to do at home!

 

I prefer to see the world every chance I get...and that's expensive! So if I can save money somehow, by sharing a bathroom or whatever it takes, it means that I can put the money I saved toward another trip.

 

Yes, the in room safe is another thing to think about. With the roommate I was assigned in Europe, I ended up carrying any valuables with me.. So I had to take my money, jewelery, etc with me into the bathroom in the morning and all. If you don't know the person, and it doesn't turn out good, you start wondering if it is ok to leave things in the safe (you share).

 

Simple solution - leave your valuables at home. I only bring faux jewelry and don't bring a laptop or other expensive electronics with me. I travel with minimal amounts of cash (usually $20-30/day) and rely on my credit card for most purchases since I have great fraud protection in case of a problem. Nowadays there are ATMs everywhere so you shouldn't need too much cash at one time. Buy a basic lock for your suitcase and keep any cash, credit cards, or other valuables locked in your suitcase except when they are on your person in port. I've never had any problems, but other than my passport, they wouldn't get much even if they took everything I had!

[prince1099]

Hey, I'm the perfect gentleman! I'd like to go and save some money, by being the Mouse in a cheaper cabin. I hate to pay thousands more, just because I wanna be alone. I'm out most of the time anyways. I'm extremely clean, shut up, don't talk and I'm very comfortable and old school raised with respect. Why can't we have a matching site, where you must honestly answer to things like SNORING, or DRINKING, or Late Sleeping, etc.... I would hate to have to be bound in a small Cabin with another person that Drinks excessively, Smokes, or SNORES.! But in a Suite, with a Couch or another Bedroom, it would not be too bad....

Anybody want to split a Suite?

[JoePatNYCT]

Thanks to the OP for starting this thread. The stories and comments have been quite entertaining. :D

 

And thanks to Bqkali for showing us there's always an interesting, alternate way to look at things.

 

As for me, I have trouble sharing a bathroom with someone I'm intimate with, let alone a perfect stranger! :eek:

[Splinter]

Hey, I'm the perfect gentleman! I'd like to go and save some money, by being the Mouse in a cheaper cabin. I hate to pay thousands more, just because I wanna be alone. I'm out most of the time anyways. I'm extremely clean, shut up, don't talk and I'm very comfortable and old school raised with respect. Why can't we have a matching site, where you must honestly answer to things like SNORING, or DRINKING, or Late Sleeping, etc.... I would hate to have to be bound in a small Cabin with another person that Drinks excessively, Smokes, or SNORES.! But in a Suite, with a Couch or another Bedroom, it would not be too bad....

Anybody want to split a Suite?

 

There are websites available (not through CruiseCritic) for finding roommates. Google "travel companions" or "cruise companions" to find these sites. I am currently talking with a couple of people I met through these services who live near me, so we can meet ahead of time and determine if we are compatible.

 

I went on a Crystal Cruise with the roommate matching service they offered, and never got a roommate assigned. This was a 15 day trans-Canal trip. I had the cabin to myself without paying the single supplement. I would risk that again on a more expensive and longer cruise.

[prince1099]

Thank you, invaluable information.... :-). Do any of the other cruise lines have matching services ?