Unfair to the single traveller

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colin parry
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Unfair to the single traveller

#1

Post by colin parry »

Despite obc being advertised as per cabin, when travelling alone and paying virtually double, I am informed that I'm only entitled to half the advertised obc. Just one more of the additional expenses of cruising alone.

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qbman1
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Re: Unfair to the single traveller

#2

Post by qbman1 »

I think I'd make a bit of a noise about that. Unless the "small print" specifically says it does not apply to single bookings, then the advertised rate should apply. #compo #liferuined !!
Last edited by qbman1 on 04 Jul 2017, 15:19, edited 1 time in total.


MaureenB
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Re: Unfair to the single traveller

#3

Post by MaureenB »

How odd.............. I replied to this and it has got lost............

I'll try again:

I am a long time single traveller and I have never had the OBC halved. Was this P & O ? And who gave you this advice?

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Maureen

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Mervyn and Trish
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Re: Unfair to the single traveller

#4

Post by Mervyn and Trish »

I can understand why they charge a premium for single travellers, however tough that seems. You are after all occupying the space they might otherwise sell to two passengers. However I can't understand why it should ever be twice as much. You're not, for example, eating as much food, creating as much waste or using as much hot water as two.

And as for the OBC, yes if you're effectively paying the price of two you ought to get the associated benefits, especially if it's quoted per cabin. With the boot on the other foot they won't give you more if you have three or four in the cabin. They need to make up their minds and be consistent. It's either per person or per cabin. They can't chop and change to suit.

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qbman1
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Re: Unfair to the single traveller

#5

Post by qbman1 »

Mervyn and Trish wrote: 04 Jul 2017, 15:24
I can understand why they charge a premium for single travellers, however tough that seems. You are after all occupying the space they might otherwise sell to two passengers. However I can't understand why it should ever be twice as much. You're not, for example, eating as much food, creating as much waste or using as much hot water as two.

And as for the OBC, yes if you're effectively paying the price of two you ought to get the associated benefits, especially if it's quoted per cabin. With the boot on the other foot they won't give you more if you have three or four in the cabin. They need to make up their minds and be consistent. It's either per person or per cabin. They can't chop and change to suit.
Although on the other hand, as a general rule, one person will not spend as much as two in the bars, car boot and other such opportunities to part with your hard-earned


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colin parry
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Re: Unfair to the single traveller

#6

Post by colin parry »

Maureen
No, it was Bolsover who I have used for more than 20 of my 30 plus cruises.

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Mervyn and Trish
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Re: Unfair to the single traveller

#7

Post by Mervyn and Trish »

qbman1 wrote: 04 Jul 2017, 15:36
Mervyn and Trish wrote: 04 Jul 2017, 15:24
I can understand why they charge a premium for single travellers, however tough that seems. You are after all occupying the space they might otherwise sell to two passengers. However I can't understand why it should ever be twice as much. You're not, for example, eating as much food, creating as much waste or using as much hot water as two.

And as for the OBC, yes if you're effectively paying the price of two you ought to get the associated benefits, especially if it's quoted per cabin. With the boot on the other foot they won't give you more if you have three or four in the cabin. They need to make up their minds and be consistent. It's either per person or per cabin. They can't chop and change to suit.
Although on the other hand, as a general rule, one person will not spend as much as two in the bars, car boot and other such opportunities to part with your hard-earned
Though they might spend more on organised trips etc rather than go off on their own? Swings and roundabouts.

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qbman1
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Re: Unfair to the single traveller

#8

Post by qbman1 »

Never really thought much about it before, but if a cruise is underbooked I know they put out good deals but do they also offer last-minute single discounts to fill the seats ?


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Re: Unfair to the single traveller

#9

Post by MaureenB »

colin parry wrote: 04 Jul 2017, 15:45
Maureen
No, it was Bolsover who I have used for more than 20 of my 30 plus cruises.
Another reply gone missing................... :evil: So :

Bolsover is also my T/A. I have to go out but on my return I will call my girly there and have a chat.

Regards

Maureen


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Re: Unfair to the single traveller

#10

Post by MaureenB »

qbman1 wrote: 04 Jul 2017, 15:50
Never really thought much about it before, but if a cruise is underbooked I know they put out good deals but do they also offer last-minute single discounts to fill the seats ?
Huh...................I just saw a pig fly by my window!! :crazy: :crazy: No they do not............. :lolno:

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qbman1
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Re: Unfair to the single traveller

#11

Post by qbman1 »

Guessed as much. Seems a bit short-sighted, though. Surely it would be preferable to have one person in a cabin rather than none at all?!

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Jan Rosser
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Re: Unfair to the single traveller

#12

Post by Jan Rosser »

My favourite topic - not :(

For the last ten years I have paid the single supplement and sometimes in a mad moment I roughly calculate how much I have spent and am truly shocked - my TA keeps a spreadsheet of all my cruises and I have made him swear never to tell me the actual figure - I'd probably have a heart attack :crazy:

I agree completely with you Colin about the OBC - I'm sure I read once that one of the cruise lines paid singles the full amount when occupying a double cabin and paying for two - was it Cunard - no doubt someone will remember.

Unfortunately too I now prefer a window or balcony and so of course this raises the price and I usually book early especially when travelling with the family as they need a 4 berth cabin and they go quickly in school holidays. The supplements can range from 50 to 80% however on the Christmas cruise 2018 on Britannia it is 60% in a balcony cabin and I would rather pay that than have a single balcony cabin especially where they are situated.

I think I can safely say we singles are in a lose - lose situation and the cruise lines have us over a barrel - if we want to cruise we have to pay what they ask :thumbdown:
Janis

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Re: Unfair to the single traveller

#13

Post by qbman1 »

I'm on your side for once, Blod - it does seem unfair and doesn't make a huge amount of business sense to me. A lot of singles are quite well-heeled and may spend more on board than, say, a couple who take advantage of the low-priced last-minute deals and then just drink the free tea and water!

It certainly makes me think twice whenever I get the urge to push Mrs C over the side !

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Re: Unfair to the single traveller

#14

Post by Manoverboard »

MaureenB wrote: 04 Jul 2017, 15:55
colin parry wrote: 04 Jul 2017, 15:45
Maureen
No, it was Bolsover who I have used for more than 20 of my 30 plus cruises.
Another reply gone missing................... :evil: So :

Bolsover is also my T/A. I have to go out but on my return I will call my girly there and have a chat.

Regards

Maureen
It is most likely that when you pressed ' Submit ' your screen display scrolled down and displayed a posting made at the same time as yours by Cubie, for example, and that you would therefore need to scroll down a little further to press ' Submit ' once again. To not do so will deffo cause your posting to vanish.

Hope that helps :wave:


.
Last edited by Manoverboard on 04 Jul 2017, 16:54, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Unfair to the single traveller

#15

Post by Manoverboard »

Let us face stark reality here, the Cruise Lines operate to make a profit and food is a very small portion of the overall cost of the operation.

Their profit line is likely based on double occupancy so a single cruiser should surely expect to pay the same as a couple ... UNLESS of course the single person occupies a much smaller cabin within each type. A half size inside cabin equates to no additional surcharges perhaps, indeed some of the P&O ships do have cabins specifically designed for single persons.

As others have said bar bills and excursion spends etc would logically be much lower in a cabin occupied by only one person.

Not a lot of sympathy from me I am sorry to say but if I were to travel alone then I would expect not to be subsidised by the other passengers. There are many offers out there where singles are not charged extra albeit P&O do not make such offers.
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Re: Unfair to the single traveller

#16

Post by JoanneB »

Although the headline figure on the adverts and website is "£x per cabin" it is usually prefaced (in very small print ) "up to" and when given it is per person on the invoice. Their attitude is that the addition "up to" covers them for misleading advertising


MaureenB
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Re: Unfair to the single traveller

#17

Post by MaureenB »

Manoverboard wrote: 04 Jul 2017, 17:13
Let us face stark reality here, the Cruise Lines operate to make a profit and food is a very small portion of the overall cost of the operation.

Their profit line is likely based on double occupancy so a single cruiser should surely expect to pay the same as a couple ... UNLESS of course the single person occupies a much smaller cabin within each type. A half size inside cabin equates to no additional surcharges perhaps, indeed some of the P&O ships do have cabins specifically designed for single persons.

As others have said bar bills and excursion spends etc would logically be much lower in a cabin occupied by only one person.

Not a lot of sympathy from me I am sorry to say but if I were to travel alone then I would expect not to be subsidised by the other passengers. There are many offers out there where singles are not charged extra albeit P&O do not make such offers.
I'm sorry to argue but the so called single cabins DO attract a hefty supplement. Please do not run away with the idea that if a cruise is advertised at say £1500 pp for a twin occupied cabin, that is the price for a single cabin. It is so not! In fact for just a little more money it is worth while having the full sized cabin with all its facilities such as position, balcony etc. I am not subsidised by other passengers and resent the implication that I could be. I more than pay my way.

Many thanks for the tip regarding the lost posts by the way! I think that is exactly what happened. I shall look now as I press submit.

Regards

Maureen

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Jan Rosser
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Re: Unfair to the single traveller

#18

Post by Jan Rosser »

Manoverboard wrote: 04 Jul 2017, 17:13
Let us face stark reality here, the Cruise Lines operate to make a profit and food is a very small portion of the overall cost of the operation.

Their profit line is likely based on double occupancy so a single cruiser should surely expect to pay the same as a couple ... UNLESS of course the single person occupies a much smaller cabin within each type. A half size inside cabin equates to no additional surcharges perhaps, indeed some of the P&O ships do have cabins specifically designed for single persons.

As others have said bar bills and excursion spends etc would logically be much lower in a cabin occupied by only one person.

Not a lot of sympathy from me I am sorry to say but if I were to travel alone then I would expect not to be subsidised by the other passengers. There are many offers out there where singles are not charged extra albeit P&O do not make such offers.
I don't think any of us "singles" are silly enough to think that any of the cruise lines are running a charity - queuing up to send us on lovely cheaper holidays than those fortunate enough to have a partner to share their cabin with. I realise too that P&O and other cruise lines have single cabins but are you aware that you do not pay a single price in those cabins - there is still a supplement and that to me is unfair - the cabin can only be used by one person. Speaking for myself if I travel alone I probably do more excursions for that reason - security and company and as for food and drink - well I ate at the Glasshouse as many times as the dining room simply because I enjoyed the food and a glass or two of Ice Cuvee Rose went down a treat too :clap:

I don't ask for your sympathy - honestly I find that a bit insulting - I am not asking for it - I have always said that choosing to cruise and pay the price is solely my choice and no-one is forcing me to do it - and as for those "offers" for singles I think you will find they are not all they seem to be - I have looked and find they are usually lacking in some of the things I want from a cruise. I recently travelled with CMV and was offered a single cabin but because of the offers to those travelling with a partner BOGOF I actually paid the same amount as my friends in a double cabin - now where is the subsidy there?

Rant over ;)
Janis


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Re: Unfair to the single traveller

#19

Post by MaureenB »

Jan? I think between us we could well put the entire world to rights, let alone put the case for the misconstrued idea that single travellers are a burden.....................Go girl....................Loved it.................

Regards

Maureen

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Mervyn and Trish
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Re: Unfair to the single traveller

#20

Post by Mervyn and Trish »

One thing not mentioned here is a little known fact shared with me by a Captain once.

The maximum operating capacity of the ship is determined not by beds or cabins or seats in the dining room but by the places in life boats and rafts. So if a ship has extra occupancy in some cabins it often sails at max capacity but with some cabins empty.

In those circumstances it would make no difference if one cabin had two people and one had none, or both cabins had one person each.

Not completely sure what I'm saying here other than the maths are not as simple as they may seem.

In the meantime perhaps Cubie could offer to accompany Blod on her next cruise to ease the cost pressures. Mrs C won't miss him for a week or two.

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Jan Rosser
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Re: Unfair to the single traveller

#21

Post by Jan Rosser »

MaureenB wrote: 04 Jul 2017, 17:46
Jan? I think between us we could well put the entire world to rights, let alone put the case for the misconstrued idea that single travellers are a burden.....................Go girl....................Loved it.................

Regards

Maureen
With you there Maureen - "burden" - moi ? not bloody likely :lolno:

Merv - talking of "burdens" can't see Cubie sharing with me - you know he just wouldn't turn up :sarcasm:
Janis

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Mervyn and Trish
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Re: Unfair to the single traveller

#22

Post by Mervyn and Trish »

Jan Rosser wrote: 04 Jul 2017, 18:00
MaureenB wrote: 04 Jul 2017, 17:46
Jan? I think between us we could well put the entire world to rights, let alone put the case for the misconstrued idea that single travellers are a burden.....................Go girl....................Loved it.................

Regards

Maureen
With you there Maureen - "burden" - moi ? not bl**dy likely :lolno:

Merv - talking of "burdens" can't see Cubie sharing with me - you know he just wouldn't turn up :sarcasm:
As long as he paid his share that's a win win!


MaureenB
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Re: Unfair to the single traveller

#23

Post by MaureenB »

Jan Rosser wrote: 04 Jul 2017, 18:00
MaureenB wrote: 04 Jul 2017, 17:46
Jan? I think between us we could well put the entire world to rights, let alone put the case for the misconstrued idea that single travellers are a burden.....................Go girl....................Loved it.................

Regards

Maureen
With you there Maureen - "burden" - moi ? not bl**dy likely :lolno:

Merv - talking of "burdens" can't see Cubie sharing with me - you know he just wouldn't turn up :sarcasm:
:clap: :clap: :clap:

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Mervyn and Trish
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Re: Unfair to the single traveller

#24

Post by Mervyn and Trish »

You two should travel together. You sound like minded. You'd save money and have a wonderful time!

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Re: Unfair to the single traveller

#25

Post by wolfie »

"I realise too that P&O and other cruise lines have single cabins but are you aware that you do not pay a single price in those cabins - there is still a supplement and that to me is unfair."

I agree Jan, well said.

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