Does loyalty matter?

Try speaking to the Captains Club Department instead of the regular Reservations Department.

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We learned the hard way on our Christmas sailing this year on the Equinox. We booked a 1A for over $8000, but got that price down to around $6200. After final payment, oodles of AQ cabins were marked down to $3500. We will never again book a nice cabin in advance, but will book an inside and hope for a cheap upgrade after final payment. They are all about the bottom line, and now, so are we.

We learned the hard way on our Christmas sailing this year on the Equinox. We booked a 1A for over $8000, but got that price down to around $6200. After final payment, oodles of AQ cabins were marked down to $3500. We will never again book a nice cabin in advance, but will book an inside and hope for a cheap upgrade after final payment. They are all about the bottom line, and now, so are we.

This will not work for a lot of us, but that is good for you. As long as you are satisfied with the possibility of cruising in an inside cabin or do not really care about the location of your cabin it is an excellent strategy.

$8K on your initial booking for a 1A cabin is outrageous. You can get an S1 suite with all four perks on a 14 day cruise for that price. Which ship and sale date?

I do agree that on most cruises you will do much better than an inside cabin.

In a couple of weeks we'll be taking our first cruise as Elite Plus

 

Sue

Congrats Sue!

We learned the hard way on our Christmas sailing this year on the Equinox. We booked a 1A for over $8000, but got that price down to around $6200. After final payment, oodles of AQ cabins were marked down to $3500. We will never again book a nice cabin in advance, but will book an inside and hope for a cheap upgrade after final payment. They are all about the bottom line, and now, so are we.

I feel your pain - just yesterday I saw our AQ cabin price went down about 50% for December 9 on Equinox cruise. I booked this cruise in 2014 - will never book anything in advance anymore. I even talked to CC and my TA - no luck on getting anything. The only thing was an option to an upgrade, but all suites are sold out. I still plan to have a good cruise, but in the future I will play X games - booking after final payment.

This will not work for a lot of us, but that is good for you. As long as you are satisfied with the possibility of cruising in an inside cabin or do not really care about the location of your cabin it is an excellent strategy.

 

$8K on your initial booking for a 1A cabin is outrageous. You can get an S1 suite with all four perks on a 14 day cruise for that price. Which ship and sale date?

 

I do agree that on most cruises you will do much better than an inside cabin.

Something usually opens up after FP. We booked this cruise (12/19) a year ago and at that time AQ cabins were going for $10k. :eek: I totally agree that $8K for a 1A is outrageous, but we are celebrating our 40th anniversary, so we thought "oh, what the heck" and went for it. Over the year, we managed to take advantage of a couple of promotions and got the price down to $6200.

Our takeaway from this is to learn to play the game Celebrity's way....

Something usually opens up after FP. We booked this cruise (12/19) a year ago and at that time AQ cabins were going for $10k. :eek: I totally agree that $8K for a 1A is outrageous, but we are celebrating our 40th anniversary, so we thought "oh, what the heck" and went for it. Over the year, we managed to take advantage of a couple of promotions and got the price down to $6200.

Our takeaway from this is to learn to play the game Celebrity's way....

Be grateful you can get upgrades or you can walk away and get you deposit if before FP. Only North Americans can do that, the rest of us forfeit our deposit and no upgrades. I can feel your pain, my cruise went down by 25% a year before sailing. Because of the discrepencies from US and Canada I have leant to play their game and book elsewhere.

Be grateful you can get upgrades or you can walk away and get you deposit if before FP. Only North Americans can do that, the rest of us forfeit our deposit and no upgrades. I can feel your pain, my cruise went down by 25% a year before sailing. Because of the discrepencies from US and Canada I have leant to play their game and book elsewhere.

I have always felt that this policy is grossly unfair to you as consumers. Is this a result of UK laws or Celebrity rules, or maybe a combination of both? Thankfully you seem to have found a "workaround" that meets your needs!

Something usually opens up after FP. We booked this cruise (12/19) a year ago and at that time AQ cabins were going for $10k. :eek: I totally agree that $8K for a 1A is outrageous, but we are celebrating our 40th anniversary, so we thought "oh, what the heck" and went for it. Over the year, we managed to take advantage of a couple of promotions and got the price down to $6200.

Our takeaway from this is to learn to play the game Celebrity's way....

Celebrity's my favorite line BUT.........................................................

I don't believe in playing the game the Celebrity way, the Princess way, The Royal Caribbean way, the Oceania way, the Crystal Way...you get the picture. I play it my way. DH is the only one to whom I'm loyal. I price, shop, price check with cruise line, TAs, shop the major sales, then book when there's and itinerary, cabin, price, perks OBC and timing that fits. Only book when you're happy, if things get dropped after I've done it all and I can get an adjustment or upgrade, great, if not, so what? I was already happy. I'd never book hoping things would drop later.:rolleyes:

I'd never book hoping things would drop later.:rolleyes:

For us a dop is a drop we cannot cancel, without losing deposit, or upgrade so we hope it does not drop.

Thankfully you seem to have found a "workaround" that meets your needs!

I did not mean Celebrity elsewhere, I meant book another cruise line!

Playing Celebrity at it's own game, might get some change when enough people either become "disloyal" and move or wait until the price is through the deck and at the bottom of the ocean, they might learn to look after those who promise to book early, trouble is their North American policy does not encourage people to stay when they book early, Celebrity can get some people on board, drop the price a small percentage some of those who have booked spot it and then make changes but I am sure a higher percentage don't bother to check or to change.

I am glad that many of you love Celebrity, I am looking forward to my cruise now that I have sorted out my dispute with them, but they will now never get me as a loyal customer or even a customer again!

Something usually opens up after FP. We booked this cruise (12/19) a year ago and at that time AQ cabins were going for $10k. :eek: I totally agree that $8K for a 1A is outrageous, but we are celebrating our 40th anniversary, so we thought "oh, what the heck" and went for it. Over the year, we managed to take advantage of a couple of promotions and got the price down to $6200.

Our takeaway from this is to learn to play the game Celebrity's way....

My technique is to book any cruise with whatever has great perks, book on board stack them up.

Then I move that reservation around with my TA as I find price drops on cruises I want, sometimes I lose some perks, sometimes they follow the reservation all the way. So I book and close to final payment, if I see lots of cabins open, I'll move my reservation farther out to any cruise so the perks stay, yet the final payment hasn't locked me in.

Then watch for the price to fall post final payment and move back keeping often times my perks.

My technique is to book any cruise with whatever has great perks, book on board stack them up.

 

Then I move that reservation around with my TA as I find price drops on cruises I want, sometimes I lose some perks, sometimes they follow the reservation all the way. So I book and close to final payment, if I see lots of cabins open, I'll move my reservation farther out to any cruise so the perks stay, yet the final payment hasn't locked me in.

 

Then watch for the price to fall post final payment and move back keeping often times my perks.

I absolutely love your idea! I've always "played it safe" and booked a cabin we love on the cruise we want. That's what I did on this cruise as well. No more. I, too, try to have a couple of "placeholder" reservations with low deposits and good perks, but had never thought of using them as you describe. Thank you very much for a terrific suggestion!

I absolutely love your idea! I've always "played it safe" and booked a cabin we love on the cruise we want. That's what I did on this cruise as well. No more. I, too, try to have a couple of "placeholder" reservations with low deposits and good perks, but had never thought of using them as you describe. Thank you very much for a terrific suggestion!

Don't forget that for the most part - all low pricing after FP are resident or senior specials and not combinable with Celebrity perks, except future booking OBC. This year are some exceptions - good pricing w/ perks.

Don't forget that for the most part - all low pricing after FP are resident or senior specials and not combinable with Celebrity perks, except future booking OBC. This year are some exceptions - good pricing w/ perks.

My November sailing, up until a week ago last I checked, they were still offering perks, suites still got all of them, verandas 2, concierge 4. And cabins were at lowest prices since on sale.

It all depends on the cabin availability, this crusie had lots of space pre-final payments.

I even waited and got a decent fare on a TA (on another cruise line) suite, half price normal fare, after final payments, with all perks kept.

My November sailing, up until a week ago last I checked, they were still offering perks, suites still got all of them, verandas 2, concierge 4. And cabins were at lowest prices since on sale.

 

It all depends on the cabin availability, this crusie had lots of space pre-final payments.

 

I even waited and got a decent fare on a TA (on another cruise line) suite, half price normal fare, after final payments, with all perks kept.

Hi - Thanks for your tips. I am going on my 1st cruise with Celebrity on Dec 11 on the Eclipse. I plan on booking a couple of cruises on board. It sounds like they give good perks to do it on board. I will try your ideas too. Thanks again.

My technique is to book any cruise with whatever has great perks, book on board stack them up.

 

Then I move that reservation around with my TA as I find price drops on cruises I want, sometimes I lose some perks, sometimes they follow the reservation all the way. So I book and close to final payment, if I see lots of cabins open, I'll move my reservation farther out to any cruise so the perks stay, yet the final payment hasn't locked me in.

 

Then watch for the price to fall post final payment and move back keeping often times my perks.

This sounds interesting, but I'm not sure if I get it ,wine with dinner;) Can you give a concrete example? The only we time we booked X cruise on board we booked a cruise to be named later with the promise of getting at least double the deposit back in OBC. We transferred it to our TA once we got back. Every time we tried using it for the next 5 years, we were better off with the TA perks and it was not combinable. We couldn't even use the deposit amount we paid toward a booking without the extra OBC. After 5 years of this (or maybe 5 cruises, I don't remember) we finally got our TA to get X to refund the future booking deposit...not easy. We've been wary of booking on board every since. If you could give a hypothetical example using fake ship name, perks etc maybe my feeble brain could grasp I t:D Thanks, doesn't hurt to learn another method. I'm only loyal to DH and best deal possible!

:rolleyes: A little over the top I think

I am glad that many of you love Celebrity, I am looking forward to my cruise now that I have sorted out my dispute with them, but they will now never get me as a loyal customer or even a customer again!

:rolleyes: A little over the top I think

You might be able to stack them high and walk away with no cost, but once we have paid unless we lose our deposit and rebook that's it.

I do not intend to have to pay $1400 more than their latest offer, which is what we were faced with. This might be a brilliant line onboard but its pricing policy is worse than being in a hurricane for the amount of turbulents.

So, think yourself lucky that they give you options if price drops happen, BUT NOT FOR UK and others.

So I will vote with my sea legs and put them into a cruise line that plays more fair and treats all its customers the same and also does not change prices by up to 30% a year before sailing.

That's not over the top it's not dropping my hard earned pounds down the celebrity black hole.

You might be able to stack them high and walk away with no cost, but once we have paid unless we lose our deposit and rebook that's it.

 

I do not intend to have to pay $1400 more than their latest offer, which is what we were faced with. This might be a brilliant line onboard but its pricing policy is worse than being in a hurricane for the amount of turbulents.

 

So, think yourself lucky that they give you options if price drops happen, BUT NOT FOR UK and others.

 

So I will vote with my sea legs and put them into a cruise line that plays more fair and treats all its customers the same and also does not change prices by up to 30% a year before sailing.

 

That's not over the top it's not dropping my hard earned pounds down the celebrity black hole.

I am with you! If you don't feel you are being treated fairly and it rises to such a level, you can take a stand and one of the best ways is economically.

Writing to management also is important even if they do not respond. You are on record. I read once, for every letter/correspondence received, that a company can assume there are another 10 out there with the same thought/reaction/experience.

Just remember, many others may feel differently than you. I quit shopping at Sears over 25 years ago over a corporate policy, I will not buy a General Motors car, etc. My decision and I understand that, at times, my stance requires me to potentially make a sacrifice, but I am supporting my principles.

Finally, support those companies that do act in a manner you believe is consistent and fair.

This sounds interesting, but I'm not sure if I get it ,wine with dinner;) Can you give a concrete example? The only we time we booked X cruise on board we booked a cruise to be named later with the promise of getting at least double the deposit back in OBC. We transferred it to our TA once we got back. Every time we tried using it for the next 5 years, we were better off with the TA perks and it was not combinable. We couldn't even use the deposit amount we paid toward a booking without the extra OBC. After 5 years of this (or maybe 5 cruises, I don't remember) we finally got our TA to get X to refund the future booking deposit...not easy. We've been wary of booking on board every since. If you could give a hypothetical example using fake ship name, perks etc maybe my feeble brain could grasp I t:D Thanks, doesn't hurt to learn another method. I'm only loyal to DH and best deal possible!

They were the 'old' decide later future cruise certificates. Now it's choose the sailing (date & ship) and then move the booking to far in advance, maintaining the perks, until you decide where best to use it.

I am with you! If you don't feel you are being treated fairly and it rises to such a level, you can take a stand and one of the best ways is economically.

 

Writing to management also is important even if they do not respond. You are on record. I read once, for every letter/correspondence received, that a company can assume there are another 10 out there with the same thought/reaction/experience.

 

Just remember, many others may feel differently than you. I quit shopping at Sears over 25 years ago over a corporate policy, I will not buy a General Motors car, etc. My decision and I understand that, at times, my stance requires me to potentially make a sacrifice, but I am supporting my principles.

 

Finally, support those companies that do act in a manner you believe is consistent and fair.

I understand that some from US and Canada are not aware of the issue and so I do understand, thanks for being supportive.

I did complain to the CEO, I did get my deposit back on the cancelled booking, others did not get anything. I just aint putting myself through all that hastle again and probably this time would not get anything, that is company policy, have an email saying that. ie will NOT return any deposits for UK customers who have booked and want to take advantage of a better deal. I just did not give up and went to the top.

I understand that some from US and Canada are not aware of the issue and so I do understand, thanks for being supportive.

 

I did complain to the CEO, I did get my deposit back on the cancelled booking, others did not get anything. I just aint putting myself through all that hastle again and probably this time would not get anything, that is company policy, have an email saying that. ie will NOT return any deposits for UK customers who have booked and want to take advantage of a better deal. I just did not give up and went to the top.

So....Celebrity were kind enough to reimburse your deposit, which they were under no obligation to and you think they are a terrible company who you would never do business with again? Their terms and conditions for U.K. Customers are very clear...

Forgive me if I am misreading...

You might be able to stack them high and walk away with no cost, but once we have paid unless we lose our deposit and rebook that's it.

 

I do not intend to have to pay $1400 more than their latest offer, which is what we were faced with. This might be a brilliant line onboard but its pricing policy is worse than being in a hurricane for the amount of turbulents.

 

So, think yourself lucky that they give you options if price drops happen, BUT NOT FOR UK and others.

 

So I will vote with my sea legs and put them into a cruise line that plays more fair and treats all its customers the same and also does not change prices by up to 30% a year before sailing.

 

That's not over the top it's not dropping my hard earned pounds down the celebrity black hole.

What cruise lines treat all customers the same re the refundable/non-refundable deposit issue? I was under the impression that the non-refundable deposit for UK customers related to regulations there. Are you saying that some cruise lines also make US customers' deposits non-refundable? If so, which ones, so I can avoid them?

For most cruise lines the US is a much larger part of their customer base than the UK, so they are not likely to be more restrictive than other cruise lines re deposits or anything else as it would REALLY hit them where it hurts.

What cruise lines treat all customers the same re the refundable/non-refundable deposit issue? I was under the impression that the non-refundable deposit for UK customers related to regulations there. Are you saying that some cruise lines also make US customers' deposits non-refundable? If so, which ones, so I can avoid them?

 

For most cruise lines the US is a much larger part of their customer base than the UK, so they are not likely to be more restrictive than other cruise lines re deposits or anything else as it would REALLY hit them where it hurts.

I think Viking Ocean have different refund policy, which makes somewhat difficult to book very far in advance.

So....Celebrity were kind enough to reimburse your deposit, which they were under no obligation to and you think they are a terrible company who you would never do business with again? Their terms and conditions for U.K. Customers are very clear...

 

Forgive me if I am misreading...

When have I said they were a terrible company?

Yes they did but only after many telephone calls and emails, that is not exactly 'kind enough' in my book.

I will not book with them again because of their pricing policy to non NA customers, I aint throwing my money down a drain so that US and Canada customers can simply walk away. It is very easy to make these cheap points when you get the advantages.

Their t/c's may be very clear, what is not clear over here, because we are directed more to UK website than .com is the preferential treatment given to others, that certainly is not clear.

For most cruise lines the US is a much larger part of their customer base than the UK, so they are not likely to be more restrictive than other cruise lines re deposits or anything else as it would REALLY hit them where it hurts.

As I have said on other threads Celebrity and perhaps others do NOT want customers other than NA, so I will help to grant them their wish and deal with lines that do treat people equally, they are probably the ones that carry mostly UK customers, so please do avoid them.