Woman books cruise far in advance but friends get better deal: ‘What happened to early bird catches the worm?’
Welcome to Stomping Ground — a space where Stompers share reflections, personal essays and social commentaries that spark conversation and insight.
Booking early is usually seen as the smart thing to do.
But after a recent cruise holiday that set sail from Singapore on July 3, one Stomper is wondering whether being an “early bird” really pays off.
Stomper K had booked the 3D2N cruise on May 25. She forked out $116 for an interior stateroom cabin for one person.
She said her four friends made reservations on June 15 for the same sailing. One pair paid $232 for an interior stateroom cabin, which worked out to the same cost of $116 per pax. The other pair “paid a little more” for a cabin with a balcony.
‘Booked early but had less perks’
K’s gripe? All her friends qualified for a complimentary WiFi promotion while she did not.
“I’d thought I was being prudent by booking more than six weeks in advance,” she said. “But when my friends booked three weeks later and got free WiFi for the very same cruise, I was astounded.”
She contacted customer service before the cruise to ask if the promotion could also be extended to her.
In a reply seen by Stomp, the company explained to K that the complimentary WiFi promotion only applied to bookings made on or after May 27, meaning her earlier booking did not meet the eligibility criteria.
The Stomper said she found the explanation difficult to accept.
“We are talking about the same cruise,” she said. “For early birds like myself, I get nothing, while people who booked later get the perks.”
K also questioned: “What’s the meaning of the old adage, ‘The early bird gets the worm’?”
After boarding the ship on July 3 and before it sailed, she emailed the company again to express her disappointment.
She said the cruise company replied the following day requesting details such as her booking number and passenger information.
However, by then, she was already at sea.
“Would you believe they sent me an email asking for my booking details even though they knew I didn’t have data once the ship sailed?” she said.
“I had already given them my membership number, from which they could have easily located me onboard.”
Passengers who were not eligible for the promotion could purchase WiFi for $12 per day.
The Stomper, a senior citizen, said she declined to do so.
“I only pay $5 a month for my mobile and data plan,” she said. “Why would I want to pay $12 a day?”
She added that being without internet also made it difficult to coordinate with her friends, whose cabins were located elsewhere on the ship.
“My dream for a pleasant cruise ended before it even sailed off,” she said.
While acknowledging that promotions need cut-off dates, she questioned whether customers who book far in advance should receive fewer benefits than those who book later.
“If I had known about the promotion, I’d definitely not have booked so early,” she said.
Her advice to others?
“Perhaps book later. Because it doesn’t pay to be early.”
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