Update:  This promotion has ended but it was quite the adventure to see Celebrity even offer this olive branch to solo travelers. Keep your eye out for future opportunities.

 

You won’t find this cruise deal listed under Promos on Celebrity Cruise website, in fact, I only happened upon it in a travel cruise newsletter.  I was skeptical so I searched online to find the sales sheet and then reached out to my cruise travel agent to confirm. You see, as a whole, the travel industry especially cruise lines have a history of not being solo traveler friendly, hence the dreaded single supplement. So finding this deal seemed too good to be true, but it is true.   Celebrity Cruise line is waiving the single supplement on select cruises (excludes holiday sailings) but to be honest looking at the list you still have a plethora of options to choose from now through March 2023.   The discounted rate is available on over 200+ cruises and includes the newer Edge class ships – Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Apex and Celebrity Beyond (helmed by the famous Captain Kate).   I sailed on Celebrity Edge last year when the SS was 20% and was able to enjoy the infinity verandah and Celebrity bid for upgrade to an Aqua Class cabin.

So if you ever wanted to go on a cruise but were deterred by the awful single supplements (usually 2x the listed price or 200%) then now is the time to sail solo to Alaska (through September), Caribbean/Mexico (through March), Europe (end of season) and transatlantic repositioning cruises (October).  Sadly that means my favorite transatlantic repo cruise to Europe in April is excluded….bummer.

I do need to acknowledge that covid infections are still occurring around the world and you need to do whats’ best for you and your family when choosing any vacation destination.  I sailed on Celebrity Edge last year and felt comfortable with the health and safety precautions onboard.  Testing, vaccinations, requirements, etc. still vary by cruise line and destination so do your research and set your level of comfort accordingly.

Why is this such a great cruise deal?

Do the math – paying 100% of the fare vs. 200% is a great deal! More budget to spend at the spa, at speciality restaurants and on shore excursions.  The savings can’t be overlooked now to sail a premium cruise product/ship. The only downside I can see is that you have access across the cabin spectrum from inside cabin to suite classes and stretching your budget to a higher cabin will be good now but in the future when prices are back to regular, will you be ok to downgrade?  A bit of a conundrum with flying First Class, can you ever really go back to Coach again?  So keep this in mind.  If you’ve always wanted to try a Suite, go for it.  If your budget can only accommodate an inside cabin, go enjoy.  This is your opportunity to treat yourself.

What ships have single cabins?

Generally cruises are designed for two people in a cabin so when only one person books, the single supplement would kick in and charge for the missing person (aka my phantom husband).  While you enjoyed a room for two, you also paid for the two people.  Read my “Which ships have solo cabins” if you are planning to travel solo.

You can easily see why solo traveler get upset.  Sure we understand the revenue stuff but it still felt like a penalty for traveling solo (note: not all solo travelers are single, some are in relationships and even married but traveling solo for a myriad of reasons).

With the newer Edge class ships, Celebrity waded into the solo traveler market by adding single staterooms for one person occupancy.  While not as revolutionary as NCL with the Studio Cabins, I applauded Celebrity for the acknowledgement of the solo traveler including those keen to splash out on a premium cabin with a balcony (verandah).

As I understand the promotion, you don’t need to sail in the single room as they only have a few of them on the newer Edge class series of ships.  The deal is offered across the fleet – click the flyer below to view the excel file of sailings included in the deal.

There is a current promotion ongoing so talk to your travel agent about stacking the discounts, if applicable. Be aware that the Celebrity Customer Service line has very long wait times with the promotion, short staff and general travelers so I suggest saving time on the phone and sanity by using a cruise travel agent to research, book and track your sailing.

Click to access 6_17_22_FLY_Single_Supplement.pdf

Celebrity Ships with Solo Cabins

If you are wanting to sail in the solo cruise cabin, then Celebrity has two categories of solo cabins – inside (no window) and infinite verandah (balcony) so plan your budget accordingly.  The normal prices for the specialized cabins are slightly higher than the standard rate outside of the promotion period.

• Celebrity Edge has 16 solo cabins with balcony (infinite verandah). The cabin footprint is slightly smaller than the standard verandah room and has removed the couch. Will you miss the couch?  Probably not.
• Celebrity Beyond has 32 single verandah cabins as will Celebrity Ascent, set to debut in late 2023.
• Celebrity Silloutte has 4 inside single cabins of about 131 sq ft.

  

Celebrity Cruises Pricing

So now the tricky part – should you choose Cruise Only Fare or Always Included Rate?  There are passengers who only want the lowest fare and others that don’t want to be nickeled and dimed and want the all inclusive option. Celebrity offers both and of course they confuse A LOT of people, especially those new to cruises and those new to Celebrity lines.

• Celebrity Cruise Only Rate is just as it sounds – cruise only fare. It is available on select cruises and offers the lowest rate.  It’s usually noted in the upper corner of the fare box.  You can also search under Offers.  Wifi, Drinks and Gratuities are EXTRA. Gratuities can’t be avoided so they will be applied ontop of the cruise only rate along with taxes and fees.  Wifi and Drinks will be up to you to buy separately if you want.   This flexibility is great for those who don’t drink alcohol and want to buy as they go for other drinks. Celebrity does sell a soda/bottled water package as an add on.
• Celebrity Always Included Rates will include gratuities, wifi (basic you can upgrade for a fee) and drinks (basic but covers most needs, you can upgrade drinks package for specific brands of liquor).  I may drink a glass of wine at dinner and found the basic drinks package sufficed for me as it included bottled water.

Now, one of the biggest complaints I see in the various social media groups is the “why were we charged x” thinking they booked “Always Included” only to find out their low price deal was “Cruise Only”.  Also the whole “refundable” query pops up.  When booking the Cruise Only rate you will be asked “do you want to make this refundable for additional x fee”. So ask questions and read the line items on your invoice before you pay your deposit.

Celebrity Cruise Extras

So the “Always Included Rates” are NOT all inclusive rates.  You will still pay for specialty restaurants onboard, premium drinks not included in your drinks package, spa, fitness center and other items onboard. Celebrity has created this always included rate so that you have a better idea of the total cost of your vacation with no surprises at the end of the cruise for your add ons.

If you need help with the costs, read my How to Budget for a Cruise post

Waived Single Supplement on Celebrity Cruises

So now is the time to look at your vacation time, budget and willingness to sail solo on Celebrity.  While the travel industry continues to recover, it seems that revenue geeks have noticed a huge untapped revenue source – the solo traveler so why not intice them to discover the cruise line?  I won’t get into how we’ve been ignored in the past but instead look to capitalize on the opportunity to sail my favorite cruise line at a discount. For those on the sidelines always wanting to “try a cruise” now is a great time to do that.  Make sure to join cruise critic to find the cruise line sailing roll call to meet other passengers in advance and join the facebook group if applicable.  Sailing solo can be as social or anti-social as you want it to be – it’s your vacation and you get to design it as you want.