The Mother of All Single Supplements

"Harry Jones" wrote in message
...
This is exactly the point I brought up in my posting of 1/21, Cruising
Solo at a Double Discount.

If the cruise lines want to try pulling this, I will simply book it as a
double and show up at the dock
explaining that my travel companion got lost changing airplanes in
Chicago. I got no replies to
my original posting, so Ray or the other experts were not able to tell me
if the cruise line would
try and deny me boarding.



In your question, you pre-supposed that two people in a cabin would find a
promo rate that would not be offered to a single traveler based on you
pricing it online. I'm not saying that would never happen, but it would be
extremely rare... in fact, in over 15 years of booking cruises, I have never
seen it. What happens is that many promos are set for double occupancy and
when you enter 1 passenger, the res system will not allow that. In real
life, a travel agent (or you) can call the cruise line and get that manually
entered. I have seen that many times.

In addition, with the new pre-cruise registration, you will have to come up
with a complete ID for the second person (including passport in many cases).
I don't know many people willing to let someone use their passport number
for a fictitious trip.

However, let's assume that you do find one of these and book it under false
pretenses. When you arrive solo at the dock, the other person becomes a
cancellation... and your booking becomes a "single". The cruise can
re-price your booking on the spot and make you pay any additional fees.
(They will smile and mention that your travel insurance will cover your
loss). THIS kind of thing is getting more and more prevalent... people
booking "regional", senior, military or other promotional rates fraudulently
are showing up at the dock and being asked to provide proof that they
qualify for the promotion. If they can't, they pay the difference.

A few years ago one rather large travel agency was caught booking all their
reservations at senior rates when applicable. They got away with it for a
while until the cruise line caught on and started charging the difference at
the pier. Big outcry. Lots of threats of lawsuits. End of that program.

One cruiseline now routinely marks their documents with something like "This
reservation was made using a special rate. Please be able to prove
residency/age/status for this promotion when you check in" or words to that
effect.


--
George Leppla http://www.CruiseMaster.com

Cruise Specials Weblog http://cruisemaster.typepad.com/my_weblog/

"George Leppla" wrote:


"Harry Jones" wrote in message
.. .
This is exactly the point I brought up in my posting of 1/21, Cruising
Solo at a Double Discount.

If the cruise lines want to try pulling this, I will simply book it as a
double and show up at the dock
explaining that my travel companion got lost changing airplanes in
Chicago. I got no replies to
my original posting, so Ray or the other experts were not able to tell me
if the cruise line would
try and deny me boarding.



In your question, you pre-supposed that two people in a cabin would find a
promo rate that would not be offered to a single traveler based on you
pricing it online. I'm not saying that would never happen, but it would be
extremely rare... in fact, in over 15 years of booking cruises, I have never
seen it. What happens is that many promos are set for double occupancy and
when you enter 1 passenger, the res system will not allow that. In real
life, a travel agent (or you) can call the cruise line and get that manually
entered. I have seen that many times.

In addition, with the new pre-cruise registration, you will have to come up
with a complete ID for the second person (including passport in many cases).
I don't know many people willing to let someone use their passport number
for a fictitious trip.

However, let's assume that you do find one of these and book it under false
pretenses. When you arrive solo at the dock, the other person becomes a
cancellation... and your booking becomes a "single". The cruise can
re-price your booking on the spot and make you pay any additional fees.
(They will smile and mention that your travel insurance will cover your
loss). THIS kind of thing is getting more and more prevalent... people
booking "regional", senior, military or other promotional rates fraudulently
are showing up at the dock and being asked to provide proof that they
qualify for the promotion. If they can't, they pay the difference.

What additional fees? I've paid for a whole additional person

I usually cruise with my husband, but he is refusing to fly and I
would really like to do Alaska. What would they do to me if I booked
for the two of us and then showed up without him - explaining that he
decided that he didn't want to come just omitting the time frame of
when he decided that? Suppose my husband broke his leg or suppose he
had a work emergency and had to stay behind. Are you saying that they
would charge me more than double occupancy?

This is quite different from booking a senior or military fare when
you are not entitled to it.

A few years ago one rather large travel agency was caught booking all their
reservations at senior rates when applicable. They got away with it for a
while until the cruise line caught on and started charging the difference at
the pier. Big outcry. Lots of threats of lawsuits. End of that program.

One cruiseline now routinely marks their documents with something like "This
reservation was made using a special rate. Please be able to prove
residency/age/status for this promotion when you check in" or words to that
effect.

"Rosalie B." wrote in message
news
"George Leppla" wrote:


"Harry Jones" wrote in message
. ..
This is exactly the point I brought up in my posting of 1/21, Cruising
Solo at a Double Discount.

If the cruise lines want to try pulling this, I will simply book it as a
double and show up at the dock
explaining that my travel companion got lost changing airplanes in
Chicago. I got no replies to
my original posting, so Ray or the other experts were not able to tell
me
if the cruise line would
try and deny me boarding.



In your question, you pre-supposed that two people in a cabin would find
a
promo rate that would not be offered to a single traveler based on you
pricing it online. I'm not saying that would never happen, but it would
be
extremely rare... in fact, in over 15 years of booking cruises, I have
never
seen it. What happens is that many promos are set for double occupancy
and
when you enter 1 passenger, the res system will not allow that. In real
life, a travel agent (or you) can call the cruise line and get that
manually
entered. I have seen that many times.

In addition, with the new pre-cruise registration, you will have to come
up
with a complete ID for the second person (including passport in many
cases).
I don't know many people willing to let someone use their passport number
for a fictitious trip.

However, let's assume that you do find one of these and book it under
false
pretenses. When you arrive solo at the dock, the other person becomes a
cancellation... and your booking becomes a "single". The cruise can
re-price your booking on the spot and make you pay any additional fees.
(They will smile and mention that your travel insurance will cover your
loss). THIS kind of thing is getting more and more prevalent... people
booking "regional", senior, military or other promotional rates
fraudulently
are showing up at the dock and being asked to provide proof that they
qualify for the promotion. If they can't, they pay the difference.

What additional fees? I've paid for a whole additional person

I usually cruise with my husband, but he is refusing to fly and I
would really like to do Alaska. What would they do to me if I booked
for the two of us and then showed up without him - explaining that he
decided that he didn't want to come just omitting the time frame of
when he decided that? Suppose my husband broke his leg or suppose he
had a work emergency and had to stay behind. Are you saying that they
would charge me more than double occupancy?

It was a hypothetical answer for a hypothetical situation which was why most
people ignored it in the beginning..... and one that I should have
continued to ignore.

Too many "what if's" for me to play with. Generally, when one person on a
booking has to cancel at the last minute, there is a 100% cancellation
penalty. The remaining person goes on the cruise with no additional cost but
the cancelling person does not get a refund (but can file an insurance claim
for money lost if for a covered reason).


This is quite different from booking a senior or military fare when
you are not entitled to it.

The original poster was talking about booking as a double using a phony
second person, intending to show up and travel as a single. That is pretty
much fraud.


--
George Leppla http://www.CruiseMaster.com

Cruise Specials Weblog http://cruisemaster.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Last year, when my roommate got sick prior to the cruise, I didn't
intend to cancel - We got refunded the cruise money but I lost my
deposit which I thought was most unfair.

The insurance company said it was stated in small print that this would
happen. This year Cal has taken different insurance for me which is very
expensive and hopefully we wont have any cancellations but I am still
perturbed that I lost that $500. rosaly

On Jan 24, 8:29*am, "George Leppla" wrote:

A few years ago one rather large travel agency was caught booking all their
reservations at senior rates when applicable. *

This is one of the reasons why I dumped an agent/agency that I had
been using for well over 10 years from the mid-80's to late 90's. I
didn't even know I had been booked as a senior until I received my
documents shortly before sailing. I called the TA asking about it and
she said to not worry about it because the check-in staff wouldn't pay
attention. Well, the woman who was checking me in saw it. She looked
at me (I was in my 30's at the time), looked at the documents, looked
back at me and raised her eyebrow. I mouthed the word "please" to her.
She looked around, shook her head yes and completed the check-in
process. Meanwhile I was sweating bullets wondering if I'd be
permitted to board.

I think this was either '97 or '98 (can't recall exactly) when I took
a cruise on Premier's SeaBreeze.

Warren

Warren wrote:

On Jan 24, 8:29 am, "George Leppla" wrote:

A few years ago one rather large travel agency was caught booking all their
reservations at senior rates when applicable.


This is one of the reasons why I dumped an agent/agency that I had
been using for well over 10 years from the mid-80's to late 90's. I
didn't even know I had been booked as a senior until I received my
documents shortly before sailing. I called the TA asking about it and
she said to not worry about it because the check-in staff wouldn't pay
attention. Well, the woman who was checking me in saw it. She looked
at me (I was in my 30's at the time), looked at the documents, looked
back at me and raised her eyebrow. I mouthed the word "please" to her.
She looked around, shook her head yes and completed the check-in
process. Meanwhile I was sweating bullets wondering if I'd be
permitted to board.

I think this was either '97 or '98 (can't recall exactly) when I took
a cruise on Premier's SeaBreeze.

Warren

Warren, aren't you still in your 30's. That's how you looked the last
time I saw you. I think that was in Fort Lauderdale when Sue called my
room and beckoned me to the lobby. What fun! Memories are great.

Ermalee --saw Warren for the first time 'way back in the last century
on one of his birthdays g

"Ermalee" wrote in message
...
Warren wrote:

Ermalee --saw Warren for the first time 'way back in the last century on
one of his birthdays g

Is that you sunny? That's what your sig. looked like. Were you just
pretending you was dead?

[Default] Thus spake (Sue Ann):

I haven't cruised for five years, but I got the urge yesterday when I
saw RCI's Enchantment OTS itinerary and prices for the 7-day out of
Colon, Panama. This was a last minute impulse decision, and for me that
means going alone. In the past I have paid 150%, 200% or even 0% when
lucky. Nothing prepared me for the following quote directly from RCI for
2/1 or 2/8: interior guarantee $399 per person double, but on a
"special" fare sailing, singles are excluded from the special fares! My
single interior fare would be $1289. And no, I could not book Harvey
Lapin as my travel companion.

For THAT price, I'd almost be willing to buy half of some
semi-friend's ticket.

Yes, I understand why the have to have a supplement, but that should
only cover expenses related to the room. After all, that's one less
set of meals they have to cover.


Please, dear group, don't tell me this is now the norm in the cruise
industry. I know "they" say that singles spend less on board, but the
profitability of a single cruise shouldn't rest entirely on the
shoulders of the solo travelers. There are singles who let the dollars
fly and groups whose members spend very little.
--

- dillon I am not invalid

Men are like a carpet. Lay them well and you can
walk on them for years.

[Default] Thus spake Ray Goldenberg :

On Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:06:03 -0500, (Sue Ann) wrote:

Nothing prepared me for the following quote directly from RCI

Hi SueAnn,

You should contact a travel agent that specializes in cruises. I just
looked and there were lower prices for singles than you were provided
by the cruise line agent. Have you priced out what air will cost you
for a short notice flight to Colon? It might be somewhat shocking.
%+)

Just priced it out of Austin. I can do it for only $1879.50. Or do
you call that shocking these days? Oh yeah, $25 first bag fee, $15
second bag. $3 soda. $5.50 mushy sandwich. $4 lice free pillow. $4
headphones, or bring your own. $.15 a sheet toilet paper (although
ladies get the first ten sheets at half price). But don't worry, if
oil goes below $9/bbl, they'll retfund their fuel surcharge.
--

- dillon I am not invalid

Men are like a carpet. Lay them well and you can
walk on them for years.

"Dillon Pyron" wrote in message
...
[Default] Thus spake Ray Goldenberg :

On Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:06:03 -0500, (Sue Ann) wrote:

Nothing prepared me for the following quote directly from RCI

Hi SueAnn,

You should contact a travel agent that specializes in cruises. I just
looked and there were lower prices for singles than you were provided
by the cruise line agent. Have you priced out what air will cost you
for a short notice flight to Colon? It might be somewhat shocking.
%+)

Just priced it out of Austin. I can do it for only $1879.50. Or do
you call that shocking these days? Oh yeah, $25 first bag fee, $15
second bag. $3 soda. $5.50 mushy sandwich. $4 lice free pillow. $4
headphones, or bring your own. $.15 a sheet toilet paper (although
ladies get the first ten sheets at half price). But don't worry, if
oil goes below $9/bbl, they'll retfund their fuel surcharge.


Dillon, WHICH airline is this?

--Jean