Cost to add a second person $500 more!

[Lesley Wake]

So, I booked a 4-night Bahama cruise (first cruise ever) for February 2019. I got it on opening day, plus went with the cheapest available and total was around $1300. I had planned on going solo, but did throw it out to my mom, that if she wanted to come that would be fine. After lots of thinking (like 10 months...) she finally said, sure, I'll go. So, I call Disney Cruise Line today to add her. I figured it would be a minimal cost, just the taxes/fees, since I already had to pay the double occupancy rate. Well, they told me $1800! So it would cost an extra $500 to add her! Honestly, I'm very annoyed by that! If I had booked for 2 people when I did the original booking, and just changed the name, wouldn't it have just been the extra cost of fees ($80ish)? The person I talked to also got her team lead on the phone and they said it was something about the prevailing rate, which I get if you were adding a third or fourth person, but this is just a second person! Argh!

Anyone have this issue in the past and been able to get around it? Any other solutions - I guess I could email Disney Cruise Line. Mom definitely wouldn't want to pay $500, as she's not exactly the most gung-hop about the cruise in general!

 

[Dug720]

Nope, no way around it. Anyone you add is added at the prevailing rate.

The only way around it would have been to book for 2 originally with the second being TBA and then drop the second person if s/he decides not to come.

 

[lilsonicfan]

What a pain!
Any ability to move the date to another, cheaper date?

 

[Lesley Wake]

What a pain!
Any ability to move the date to another, cheaper date?

No, I've already rented DVC points for the days before and after, and booked airfare for myself. I emailed DCL and maybe they can do some sort of discount, but if not I'll probably just pay the money and not tell my mom...

Though it just seems crummy how I had to pay for 2 people even though I was only one person, now once I'm actually adding a second person, they want to jack up the cost!

 

[lilsonicfan]

I tend to agree with you Lesley - it seems in your case that it's different than say adding a 3rd person or 4th person.... it's really unfortunate that you can't replace your "single supplement" with your mom. I notionally understand their rationale but I think it is a strange result when it's 1 becoming 2.

 

[Shanti]

So, I booked a 4-night Bahama cruise (first cruise ever) for February 2019. I got it on opening day, plus went with the cheapest available and total was around $1300. I had planned on going solo, but did throw it out to my mom, that if she wanted to come that would be fine. After lots of thinking (like 10 months...) she finally said, sure, I'll go. So, I call Disney Cruise Line today to add her. I figured it would be a minimal cost, just the taxes/fees, since I already had to pay the double occupancy rate. Well, they told me $1800! So it would cost an extra $500 to add her! Honestly, I'm very annoyed by that! If I had booked for 2 people when I did the original booking, and just changed the name, wouldn't it have just been the extra cost of fees ($80ish)? The person I talked to also got her team lead on the phone and they said it was something about the prevailing rate, which I get if you were adding a third or fourth person, but this is just a second person! Argh!

Anyone have this issue in the past and been able to get around it? Any other solutions - I guess I could email Disney Cruise Line. Mom definitely wouldn't want to pay $500, as she's not exactly the most gung-hop about the cruise in general!

There would be a nominal price difference between 1 & 2 people if you were to book the cruise now. That's what she's talking about. You waited so long to add your mother, & all the while the overall cost of the cruise went up. That's where most of the extra cost is coming from, & there's no getting around it, unfortunately. Live & learn. I've made pricing mistakes, too.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

No, I've already rented DVC points for the days before and after, and booked airfare for myself. I emailed DCL and maybe they can do some sort of discount, but if not I'll probably just pay the money and not tell my mom...

Though it just seems crummy how I had to pay for 2 people even though I was only one person, now once I'm actually adding a second person, they want to jack up the cost!

If you add additional people to any existing reservation, you pay the prevailing cost for those persons. It's not just a DCL thing, all cruiselines do it.

 

[CarolynU]

I was in the situation where I booked for two. At the last minute the second person couldn’t come so I got my port taxes back.
So I effectively paid for double occupancy minus taxes.
Just after that my daughter in laws mom suffered cancer and my son and daughter in laws dog died completely unexpectedly. They were devastated so to cheer them up we tried to get the mom in law post op put on my room literally three days after we had taken the second person off and I’d been credited with a total of just over $100 taxes.
Yep DCL could do that and it was going to cost $1500!
We went ahead because circumstances needed it, but we got caught by those prevailing rates clause!!

 

[dclpluto]

Don’t tell your mom it’s 500 dollars more. Just tell her it’s 100 dollars more and you make up the rest. Since you said your mom wouldn’t want to pay the 500 dollars.

 

[Lesley Wake]

Don’t tell your mom it’s 500 dollars more. Just tell her it’s 100 dollars more and you make up the rest. Since you said your mom wouldn’t want to pay the 500 dollars.

Yeah, I think that's my plan. It's a lot of unplanned money, but I know she deserves a relaxing vacation.

 

[MomOTwins]

Ugh, sorry. I guess they can rationalize it because it is extra lifeboat space that they could otherwise sell to a third or fourth person on other rooms at prevailing rates. Maybe the workaround is to book an extra "dummy" person on single occupancies and then you can take advantage of the free name change up to a certain point (I think it is a $50 fee within certain days of sailing), or cancel it before the cancellation fees set in if nobody is joining.

 

[GoofyLovingFamily]

I had booked three in a room and decided to add a fourth. Since two of the three were under 18 and the fourth person was an adult, DCL moved the fourth person to the second spot in the room. I had already paid full rate for the child as the second guest. I ended up paying a lot more than I thought too. It taught me a lesson.

 

[aboveH20]

I had a similar question a few months back. I'm planning a solo cruise but because the second person is "free" ( or so I thought) I asked my son if he was interested. He works freelance so may or not have a job then. My question was whether it was better to include him initially or add him later. Basically I found out that the second person costs more than just port fees and if I were to add him it would be at the prevailing rate - and if they were at capacity I might not be able to add him.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/easier-to-add-a-person-or-delete-a-person.3687676/

SO much to learn about the ins and outs of cruising

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

I'm sorry that this extra cost came up unexpectedly. I just wanted to point out that you acted fast and got a REALLY good rate. Now because of your mother, you are back to a more regular rate. I know it is disappointing to lose the extra good rate, but hey, it's a good thing she thought of it now before rates go up even further. And if she enjoys it you can book a placeholder cruise on board so that your next cruise (booked right away again) can be even cheaper!

Have a great trip. I think it is wonderful that you are going to pay the extra so she doesn't have to feel guilty about it. Your kindness will totally be worth it!

 

[aboveH20]

Let me pipe in again with the other thing that I learned when researching about having my son join me.

The queen beds no longer separate into twins. One person gets the queen and the other the "sofa bed" which I have been assured is very comfortable. Just a heads up so you're not surprised when you get to the room.

 

[mocodis]

at opening day, my wife always books herself and tbd, to be determined, so that 2 persons are booked at the opening day price. whomever decides to go with her, gets the tbd at the opening day price

 

[Corfam]

at opening day, my wife always books herself and tbd, to be determined, so that 2 persons are booked at the opening day price. whomever decides to go with her, gets the tbd at the opening day price

Very interesting. Thanks! I'll likely use this in the future.