first time solo confused over single supplements

[davecttr]

I am trying cruising for the first time on the Celebration in September. Having discovered these excellent forums I decided to pamper myself and upgrade the cabin, so back to the travel agent today and now I am really confused! Apparently the single supplement (38%) only applies to the 15 single cabins aft on B deck, right next to those engines and they appear to be crew accomodation re-classified? Now the really confusing bit, NO single supplements anywhere else, even for Delux etc and the agent was not even sure if you could get ANY upgrades if there was only one traveller, even if you paid the FULL double price!!!. So no solo cruisers on Destiny then as it has no single cabins and on Celebration there will only be 14 other solos out of over 1000 passengers?

 

Can anyone help make this clearer.

 

Dave

[Swerve]

Hi Dave,

 

Googled for single supplements etc and found nowt relating to cabins, plenty for hotels etc.

 

The single cruisers forum on this site doesn't appear to have any answers either, have you tried phoning Thomson's direct ? You may get a straight answer.

 

Good luck,

 

Merv

[welshlass]

We have a party booked on the Destiny for Christmas and New Year in the Caribbean most of us are couples but my sister in law is on her own, the travel agent just phoned Thomson and got her a cabin on her own she paid about £600 more than us for two weeks which is better rate than she paid with Princess in 2006

[willow572]

You've got me worried now. We're going on Celebration in April and my Mother In law is in an inside single cabin on one of the lower decks (this was the only place she could stay as she is on her own and they also didn't seem to be able to offer a double cabin with a single supplement) - has anyone stayed in these inner cabins on a lower deck? Are they really noisy?? Bit worried she's paid a lot of money to live in "staff accomodation"! :(

[davecttr]

Mmm, hope this quick reply thingy works now!. Consider this situation, I want to book a suite but Thomson say you can't because there is only one of you, EVEN if you pay the the full two person fare. I can't see Cunard doing that can you!. OK, solo passengers are bad news for cruise lines because they lose revenue but in Thomsons case this is drinks and shore excursions. Heck, I could take my partner who will never go ashore and does not drink. so no revenue there.

[Rambler12]

Most of the major cruise lines will sell any cabin to a single and charge a supplement usually 100% but sometimes less.

Thomson have certain cabins allocated for single use and charge a supplement. As far as I am aware when these are sold no further single cabins will be available unless (rarely I guess) additional cabins are released for single use. I have had a single outside cabin on the Celebration. It was a standard double cabin. Adequate for one. On the Destiny I also had a double for single. On this ship I donot think they have cabins dedicated for singles but have a limited number of double for single cabins allocated at random. I have found the cabins OK but one single passenger on the Destiny did complain about noise! Apart from the standard cabins for single use I donot think Thomson sell higher grades to single passengers. You could try and speak to senior management at Thomson cruises to see if they can "override" the allocation.

[davecttr]

Been thinking and as my cruise is a first 7 night taster I will go with a open mind and see how it pans out. I see P&O are listing single fares for a Canaries cruise in november, 13 nights for £1340 upwards and the web site lists lots of available cabins. This sounds attractive as I don't mind clinging by my teeth to the rigging in the Atlantic storms.

Dave

[dreamracer2005]

Hi Dave

 

I regularly go as a single travellers, and ocassionally with friends, have done two nile cruises alone and 3 sea cruises alone, two with Airtours and my last was a year ago when on the Celebration. On all of them I've met such lovely people and found people are really friendly.

 

I book well in advance as I feel they do limit how many single cabins they let out and mainly its the ones you quoted on the lower deck. Although some of the people book last minute and still get cabins to themselves, but you can't guarantee this, thus I've always booked early. I don't believe you could upgrade without paying extra money possibly double, but have known people to book for two people and at the last minute the last person drops out so you pay the double price but have the cabin you want etc!! sometime this could work out cheaper, but don't let them know this!

 

But having said that I'm booked on the Spirit this year and have paid for a weeks cruise an extra £224, which is about right for one week, last year I was on the Celebration when she came back from Sharm thru Suz Canal onto Barcelona and that was about 10 days for which I paid about an extra £300. Its hard to get much in the way of deals and I always have had to pay extra. On the Airtours cruises you got normal rooms not like Thomsons and once I got a free upgrade to an outside cabin. Also once on their ship (Airtours) I got a noisy room near air-con pipes and did get to be moved, but most ships are nearly full to the limit so their isn't usually much chance of moving rooms once onboard.

 

Although having stayed on the Celebration in one of their single rooms so they call them I can say they were okay, in fact the so called single cabin had double size bed in it, which indicates the width of the cabin and then dressing table and wardrobe and then your bathroom. The main room is about 2.5 x double bed then a smaller corridor. Reasonable size, albeit the bed was too soft for me, but the chap looking after my room found me a board to put under the mattress which was great, they are so helpful. One of the other solo travellers had a room with several beds in it like a family room on the outside in our area. My room was last but one before the door through to private quarters but this caused no problems and I'm fussy! afterall your only sleeping in the room. Only noise I heard was other travellers returning and on the last day some repair works but the ship was heading for a refit last May so that was why that happened on our cruise being the last cruise before that refit etc.

 

You always get normal engine noise anywhere in the ship but nothing excessive in my room and I'm a light sleeper. If you've cruised before you'll know what I mean, but if new to cruising takes a night to adjust to a hum and the ships movement which is great in the single rooms as your rocking the right way! i.e. head to toe movement not ear to ear movement if you know what I mean!

 

Thomson will give you a price then can sometime give you a slight discount, get an operators who after a bonus at a travel agents is good as they need targets etc, play agents against each other, but its nothing like two people would get, as obviously two people bring in loads more money, but having said that the flights for my cruise alone are showing at more than £400 now so that gives some idea that I'm not doing too bad, and when cruising alone it can sometime leave a seat spare on the plane as well!! which tour operators cannot fill. I've known this with other holidays friends have tried to book when they want 3 weeks way which leaves seats empty etc.

 

I paid for a weeks cruise £940 including discounts! but other more local cruises you'd probably pay be less. As my cruise is a one off you have to book early so not to miss out, as rooms can come short or so they say!!

 

Some people just taking a gamble sometimes, if you wait till the last minute you never know.

 

I'll never stop cruising even if I have to pay extra I love cruising too much.

 

Unfortunately anyone can make out their a solo traveller just to get their own room (even if there are two people - just pay separately!) so that's why I believe we are not catered for so much.

 

You'll find also you can't use internet booking sites so I've found to get quotes for single travellers, but that's across the board on all holidays! one has to phone up or visit an agent - shame really.

 

Regards Charlotte,

 

PS: They arranged get together meal about 2 nights in for solo travellers to meet up which was good, their social host looked after this, after that several of us ladies met each night for dinner and the show, although be aware you may get a couple of solo travellers you wouldn't want to meet for another meal, but this can be fun!! trying to avoid those individuals! the so called millionaire whose not etc !

[davecttr]

Thanks for the reassuring post Dreamracer. Obviously I will enjoy the experience once the exitement overcomes the nerves. :)