Are all Celebrity Cruises in 2018 now bundled with at least one perk?

Excluding the exotic Galapagos cruises, are all of Celebrity's cruises in 2018 now bundled with at least the complementary Go Big one perk?

In 2017 and before, when the standard fare included a complementary Go Big 1-perk (or occasionally a complementary Go Better 2-perk,) in most cases you could find a resident or 55+ fare with zero perks which then enabled you to determine the effective price of the perks using the difference in fares.

Although I have not done an exhaustive search, I have checked a couple dozen cruises throughout the world and have yet to find a 2018 cruise that has both a standard fare with an inclusive complementary perk and a zero perk fare.

Has anyone seen an exception to this observation?

Usually Transatlantic and other repositioning cruises don't get any perks.

No perks if you book an inside cabin

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To clarify, the question is:

When Celebrity has a 2018 cruise/cabin category for which the standard fare includes a complementary Go Big 1-perk (or a complementary Go Better 2-perk), do they still sometimes also offer a resident/senior 0-perk fare for the same cruise/cabin category? I have yet to find such a case for 2018 cruises.

I'm not sure about 2018, but you often lost the perks if you applied for Resident or Senior rates in 2017.

I'm not sure about 2018, but you often lost the perks if you applied for Resident or Senior rates in 2017.

Yes, and you could then use the price difference between the standard fare with perks versus the rate without perks to identify the added price you were paying for the perks.

In 2018, it appears that I am unable to do that since I am not finding any 0-perk fares to compare with the 1-perk fares.

Yes, and you could then use the price difference between the standard fare with perks versus the rate without perks to identify the added price you were paying for the perks.

 

In 2018, it appears that I am unable to do that since I am not finding any 0-perk fares to compare with the 1-perk fares.

In the past, at least in my experience the senior or residential rate didn't appear until after finial payment. Picking a least one perk was still a better deal than the reduced rate.

What really annoys me is when they price the ocean view room for the same price as a balcony room so that there is no chance of saving money by booking a lower category.

Yes, and you could then use the price difference between the standard fare with perks versus the rate without perks to identify the added price you were paying for the perks.

 

In 2018, it appears that I am unable to do that since I am not finding any 0-perk fares to compare with the 1-perk fares.

I just picked a 10-night on the Equinox in September. The Standard rate included 1 perk and the Senior discount lowered the price by $200 per person but it made it a 0 perk fare. Other cruises may be different and you can do the math if it's a benefit for you.

I have a 12 day regular cruise booked for 2017 and a 15 day repositioning cruise also booked for 2017.

For the 12 day regular cruise, I can indicate an age discount and I am then given the opportunity to optionally order Go Big, Go Better or Go Best.

With Go Big you can pick one amenity.

a) For $300/person ($600 total) you can pick $150/person OBC ($300 total). What a deal! Pay $600 for $300 worth of OBC.

b) For $300/person ($600 total) you can pick gratuities for two worth a total of $324. Again, what a deal! Pay $600 for a perk worth $324.

c) For $300/person ($600 total) you can pick unlimited Internet, a pre-cruise price worth $267/person ($534 total). A slightly better deal, paying $600 for a benefit worth $534.

d) For $300/person ($600 total) can pick the basic beverage package for each person. I am not sure what this perk is worth.

With Go Better, you can pay $180 more/person for a total of $480/person ($960 for two people) and pick two amenities.

And, of course, you can get Go Best if you pay a total of $840/person ($1680 for two people) and get all four amenities with the beverage package being the the upgraded one.

For my 15 day repositioning cruise, with the current web site I am unable to choose to pay for any of these amenities.

I just picked a 10-night on the Equinox in September. The Standard rate included 1 perk and the Senior discount lowered the price by $200 per person but it made it a 0 perk fare. Other cruises may be different and you can do the math if it's a benefit for you.

As I have done many times in the past.

It seems that you are missing my point. It does not appear to be possible in 2018 to again do so because there do not appear to be any senior 0 perk fares available for the same cruises that have 1 perk fares!

In the past, at least in my experience the senior or residential rate didn't appear until after finial payment. Picking a least one perk was still a better deal than the reduced rate.

What really annoys me is when they price the ocean view room for the same price as a balcony room so that there is no chance of saving money by booking a lower category.

There are many 2017 cruises that are still outside the final payment date with both standard 1-perk rates and senior 0-perk rates. I'm currently booked on one - September 25th on the Equinox.

I have a 12 day regular cruise booked for 2017 and a 15 day repositioning cruise also booked for 2017.

 

For the 12 day regular cruise, I can indicate an age discount and I am then given the opportunity to optionally order Go Big, Go Better or Go Best.

 

I have not yet found a 2018 cruise for which this is possible. When you click on the age discount, the price does not change and when you go to the next screen there is still an included complementary Go Big perk!

 

With Go Big you can pick one amenity.

a) For $300/person ($600 total) you can pick $150/person OBC ($300 total). What a deal! Pay $600 for $300 worth of OBC.

b) For $300/person ($600 total) you can pick gratuities for two worth a total of $324. Again, what a deal! Pay $600 for a perk worth $324.

c) For $300/person ($600 total) you can pick unlimited Internet, a pre-cruise price worth $267/person ($534 total). A slightly better deal, paying $600 for a benefit worth $534.

d) For $300/person ($600 total) can pick the basic beverage package for each person. I am not sure what this perk is worth.

 

With Go Better, you can pay $180 more/person for a total of $480/person ($960 for two people) and pick two amenities.

 

And, of course, you can get Go Best if you pay a total of $840/person ($1680 for two people) and get all four amenities with the beverage package being the the upgraded one.

 

For my 15 day repositioning cruise, with the current web site I am unable to choose to pay for any of these amenities.

Enjoy your cruises

Easiest way I have found to find the price without perks is to call my TA and ask for the rate without perks.

Larry, in my modest experience (13 cruises, mostly high season) senior and resident discounts have only appeared nearer the sailing date, if at all. This would be in line with what others have posted that complex algorithms determine a cut off date when X actively start to 'manage' bookings adjusting pricing, including offering senior and resident discounts. So I would be surprised if senior /resident discounts were available for cruises in 2018, certainly if over a year out.

Mind you, the current website does not inspire confidence that one can check this!:confused:

Actually, I am also curious if there is a no perks pricing structure independent of senior/resident/military discounts?

.............d) For $300/person ($600 total) can pick the basic beverage package for each person. I am not sure what this perk is worth..

That's because this perk is actually worth a different amount to each passenger, depending on what you drink and how much you drink, and what beverages you already get on the ship for no additional charge without a drink package.

Usually Transatlantic and other repositioning cruises don't get any perks.

I can support this. A trans pacific 18 nights 2018, no perks [emoji17]

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My April 2018 cruise has not offered a 'no perks' rate. Don't know if it's a 2018 issue or a too far out from sailing issue. But that would make sense. Everyone on here talks about how expensive the perks are but I've not found any 'no perks' rates for cruises when I search. I haven't been searching for 2017 cruises.

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On my Dec,2018 cruise on the Equinox, I used the over 55 and retired military, and still got the perks added in. I wanted them anyway, but there was no option without them.

So it appears that, with the exception of Galapagos, Transatlantic & Transpacific, the Go Big 1-perk is inclusive in the price of all 2018 cruises with no opportunity for a reduced price 0-perk fare.

This is a major shift in Celebrity policy towards a more all-inclusive marketing position. They are undoubtedly trying to again position themselves as THE ONE AND ONLY upscale mass market line.

So it appears that, with the exception of Galapagos, Transatlantic & Transpacific, the Go Big 1-perk is inclusive in the price of all 2018 cruises with no opportunity for a reduced price 0-perk fare.

 

This is a major shift in Celebrity policy towards a more all-inclusive marketing position. They are undoubtedly trying to again position themselves as THE ONE AND ONLY upscale mass market line.

I thought they had made it clear when they first announced the Go Big...Better...Best pricing scheme that this is the new normal for Celebrity. Of course if it had failed they would have backed off, but apparently it has succeeded and will continue.

We usually book resident or senior rates. These rates now show up about 6 to 8 months before the cruise. These special rates were available around final payment but are now available for a short time much earlier.

2 weeks ago we booked a 12 day 2018 balcony cabin Australia cruise with choice of standard, no-frills rate of $4900, or $6500 with 2 perks. We took the lower rate. Last week, our TA got us rebooked with 1 perk at $200 less. It really pays to use the right TA regardless of what the cruise line website is offering.

I thought they had made it clear when they first announced the Go Big...Better...Best pricing scheme that this is the new normal for Celebrity. Of course if it had failed they would have backed off, but apparently it has succeeded and will continue.

Hi Jazz

Yeah, that was definitely the start of the new norm when they introduced the BBB a year or two ago. Perhaps other posters are correct that they may have shortened the time span for the 0-perk reduced fares; but for now it seems that they may have taken a further step for 2018 cruises by not providing a way to opt out of a 1-perk and receive a lower fare.

Time will tell.

2 weeks ago we booked a 12 day 2018 balcony cabin Australia cruise with choice of standard, no-frills rate of $4900, or $6500 with 2 perks. We took the lower rate. Last week, our TA got us rebooked with 1 perk at $200 less. It really pays to use the right TA regardless of what the cruise line website is offering.

Thanks for the info. I see that it was a "Big Box" TA so may well have been a group rate that the TA could sell with or without perks. I should probably join the Big Box in order to get some of their specials.

Congrats on the deal and happy sailing.