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Solo Cruiser vs/and/or Double Points


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Hi,  I have been looking at pricing for single cruising on RCCL website and you're getting stung more than double for single occupancy.  It would make more sense (cheaper) to book double occupancy and turn up alone - although I wouldn't get double points.

I have just tried to put through 2 passengers through the booking process online with RCCL - where I put my details in twice (and my C&A no. in against both 'Emilys').  It allows it and gets all the point of asking for a deposit...

My question - would I get double points when I turn up as 1 person (and morally paid twice)?

Thanks in advance to anyone who knows the answer or knows where I can find the answer.

Em

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In short, yes you will get double points, at least it has worked that way so far.  You may also get double the normal points during the current double points promo that expires at the end of September 2022.  That means 4 points per night for solo in a double occupancy cabin or 6 points per night for solo in suite cabin.

Booking a ghost will require you pay taxes and port fees for your ghost that doesn't show up but those will be refunded a few weeks after the cruise completes.

Be aware if the cruise cancels and FCC is offered, the FCC will be issued partially in your name and partially in your ghost's name.  On a future cruise your ghost will need to sail to use "their" FCC.

If you have flexibility the single supplement can vary by ship, sail date and by cabin type.  

It sounds like to you may be looking at a GTY or Guarantee cabin.  These can be capacity controlled for solo cruisers so they often don't allow solo cruisers to book discounted GTY cabin fares.  That may account for the price difference you are seeing.

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16 minutes ago, em.down.the.rabbit.hole said:

@twangster thanks for the prompt response.  If I put myself in as the ghost would I get the ghosts cruise points?  As well as the cruise points as the 1st traveller...?

You need to be primary.  I'm not sure that is absolute but I can imagine not being primary could introduce challenges.  

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If I'm reading your original post correctly, you have put your own info in as both first and second passengers. While the system may allow that, I don't know if that would get red flagged down the road by someone. It would certainly make it difficult to show up and say your ghost isn't showing up -- the ghost is marked down as you with the same first name, last name, middle initial, address, etc.

@twangster, what is your normal strategy if entering a ghost booking? Presumably has to be a real person so passport info etc can be entered during checkin, but do you just have a random friend who's given you the OK to put them in for ghost bookings, or have you been able to do what @em.down.the.rabbit.hole does and just enter your own info twice?

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The video above has all the relevant information as to why single supplements exist.

Listing yourself twice would raise flags and create issues when you begin to check in for the cruise in the weeks or months before the cruise departs  If a guest with that name and birthdate has already started the online check in process, it's impossible for the same guest to check in a second time.  Ultimately a manifest of passengers is created and sent to government authorities for immigration purposes.  Manifests are also the basis for safety protocols such as ensuring every guest has a seat available in a lifeboat in case of an emergency.  The check in systems would see this glaring mistake and not allow the second duplicate guest to start the check in process. At that point it is caught and they could force the cruise to be repriced for what is really occurring - one guest in that cabin.  Busted.

The fake guest approach using a different name clears these check in hurdles.  You and your made up cabin mate can both check in for the cruise.  On the day of the cruise at the pier when you are boarding it's easy enough to say something like "They had a family emergency, the other guest isn't going to make it" or "I told them not to fly in the day of the cruise but they didn't listen and this morning they missed their flight" or "...the airline cancelled their flight and they aren't going to make it".

My first encounter with this did actually see my cabin mate have a family emergency the day before the cruise.  We fully intended to cruise together, had booked excursions together and made other purchases since it was our intention to cruise together.  When they didn't make it I ended up solo and I was given double points.

Since then the only time I used the fake guest trick was for a guarantee rate that wasn't open for solo cruisers to book. 

Guarantee rates allow the the cruise line to advertise heavily discounted fares essentially at a loss hoping that once those two guests are on board they'll spend money to cover that loss.  Their ship, their rules.

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What cruise lines often have but don't advertise openly are hidden single supplement reduced fares.  They would rather have every cabin at double occupancy, that is their best case scenario.  When bookings are soft they can sometimes slip in some reduced single supplement fares.  The trick is finding these hidden gems.  A good travel agent helps immensely but you can also come across them yourself from time to time by luck or by pricing a lot of different cruises.  Often they only reduce the single supplement for interior or oceanview cabins but occasionally balconies and suites can be reduced as well.

When Cuba was closed to cruises with zero notice suddenly there were two ships sailing with modified itineraries nearly empty.  They responded with promos to entice booked cruisers not to cancel but many did.    Then they removed the single supplement entirely and boy did I cruise a lot with no single supplement.

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Right now bookings are at risk due to the pandemic.  My travel agent shared with me that there are reduced single supplement fares to be had but there are capacity controls so the entire ship doesn't book up with just solo cruisers.  

Once the few reduced single fares are gobbled up on that ship and sail date they are gone but it's specific to a sail date.  The next cruise on the same ship might still have them.

Right now there are cruises available with 1x, 1.25x and 1.5x single supplements if you look for them.  I've been busy booking them and so have many other solo cruisers.  Sometimes you watch it disappear right before your eyes so you know another solo cruiser beat you to it.  

If you have flexibility with dates and itinerary or cabin type there are ways to cruise solo without a fake guest and save money. 

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As a frequent solo cruiser I am seeing an opportunity right now to book cruises at reduced rates for solo cruisers but the window is closing.  As the restart approaches more and more guests are beginning to see the light and they are starting once again to book cruises.  

 When the restart is announced, even if it starts with just one ship, the floodgates will open and all those hesitant would be cruisers are going to start booking cruises in mass.  At that point the hidden reduced single supplement fares will be eliminated or those few remaining will be consumed quickly.

Right now is a great time for solo cruisers to book but it takes time and effort to find the solo deals.

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2 hours ago, em.down.the.rabbit.hole said:

Well I know what I'll be trying to spy this weekend ... reduced single supps ?.

@twangster when you booked with a ghost and still got double points - is that the same everytime the other person doesn't show? Or was it pot luck you got double points?

 

As a solo cruiser I often find points don't post correctly.  When that has happened a quick phone call to Crown and Anchor fixes it.  So far I've never had them decline.

When it comes to any trick or loophole I never know when or if Royal might change the trick or close the loophole.  Consequently I'm hesitant to make it sound likes it written in stone you will always get double points when a cabin mate doesn't board.  You are going around the intent of discounted cabins so its conceivable they *might* one day do something about it.  

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  • 1 year later...

Hi, searching the subject of the person who posted this question led me here.
I feel like people misunderstood in responding. I am curious myself as a single cruiser who stumbles upon the same problem with Royal. We expect to pay double per the double occupancy rate given….but as single cruisers, we are given rates above that. For example, if I book a room by myself that is $200 pp per double occupancy plus taxes and fees, than why as a single cruiser am I being $530 plus taxes and fees as opposed to the $400 it would be if there were two people in the room??

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8 hours ago, Nadirab said:

Hi, searching the subject of the person who posted this question led me here.
I feel like people misunderstood in responding. I am curious myself as a single cruiser who stumbles upon the same problem with Royal. We expect to pay double per the double occupancy rate given….but as single cruisers, we are given rates above that. For example, if I book a room by myself that is $200 pp per double occupancy plus taxes and fees, than why as a single cruiser am I being $530 plus taxes and fees as opposed to the $400 it would be if there were two people in the room??

So if it is $200 pp and you would pay $530 as they only charge you one persons taxes and fees. The two people would actually be paying $660 based on your math. They charge you the going rate times 2 and then taxes and port fees for one person.

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On 3/3/2021 at 7:01 PM, Matt said:

Be sure to take advantage of this trick

(Video)

If adding a "fake" second person to get a lower solo cabin fare, what happens when that person doesn't check in via the RC app, and doesn't add passport, vax details, etc. Is that an issue?  Or, do you only need to enter the second passenger's details just to get the lower fare and to book the reservation; and then it doesn't matter if they never check-in with the app, or add any other details/documents, etc.?  *Also, if you added a "fake" second passenger, and then wanted to purchase a drinks package in the Cruise Planner, would it force you to purchase two drinks packages (one for you and one for the "fake" passenger)?

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Sorry to hijack this thread..but are they still giving double points to C&A members??!...have been out of the cruise loop for about 2 years now....

 

Just booked a cruise for October of this year and hoping to book one for this spring IF testing requirements drop.

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4 hours ago, monctonguy said:

Sorry to hijack this thread..but are they still giving double points to C&A members??!...have been out of the cruise loop for about 2 years now....

 

Just booked a cruise for October of this year and hoping to book one for this spring IF testing requirements drop.

Double points ARE still available for solo cruisers.  It is triple points for a Junior Suite>
Royal had a promo, that expired Sept 30, 2021 for bookings into 2022,  that was double double.  So a single person in a balcony on down would get quadruple points and a solo cruiser in a Junior suite on up would earn 6 Pts a night.  That promo ended but the regular double points still exists.

 

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You are not booking correctly if the price is higher for a solo cruiser.  I have seen where the price is higher for one person than when I run it for two people.  I then get on the phone and call and tell them and get the lower price.  Often, I see much cheaper GTY rooms for 2 people.  I have always got those prices for solo when I call them.  Very few times I book online without calling the cruise line or my travel agent.  Often the cruise line will have lower prices for Solo than I can see online.

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9 hours ago, Royalcaribbeancruiser said:

I am a avid RCL cruiser I’m going on a family vacation in June I’m an emerald member currently 75 points and have to go solo due to my dad not being able to go, what is a sure fire way I’ll get double points booking solo and cheapest? It’s a 4 night cruise, need to get to diamond after that one 

If you want double points for being solo. You need to reprice as a solo. Since it is just you, reprice into an interior. That would be 8pts, normally you get one point a night but since you will be alone it will be 2pts times the 4 nights. Since diamond is 80 points, you would achieve that status after this cruise.

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11 hours ago, Royalcaribbeancruiser said:

I am a avid RCL cruiser I’m going on a family vacation in June I’m an emerald member currently 75 points and have to go solo due to my dad not being able to go, what is a sure fire way I’ll get double points booking solo and cheapest? It’s a 4 night cruise, need to get to diamond after that one 

Do not book a "studio" cabin for solo guests.  These cabins yield single points.

Some ships and sail date have reduced single supplements such as 125% or 150% for booking double occupancy cabins.  These are the best deals for solo cruisers but they tend to be limited and once a few solo guests book them they disappear for that sail date.  Often these reduced rates are for interior or oceanview cabins but not balcony cabins.  It varies quite a bit.  Work with a TA or price out all cabins and see if you find a deal for your dates.

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