paulh84

I typically do. There is no reason to spend vacation time sitting at a desk with a rep to do what I can easily do on my own. There were some posts about losing the OBC if you changed sail dates on a refundable rate. That’s the only reason I buy them since when transferring to a group rate you have to pay the remainder of the deposit anyway. Not for me. If a balcony is what I want I’m not risking being in an inside over $372 no matter what the cruise length is.

Potentially any itinerary. If you look on sites that have multiple prices shown for the same cabin (as in sometimes they will show like a dozen rates) some will say group. They don’t necessarily call out that the price is a much much better deal or what it includes.

Some group rates come with classic beverage package, basic WiFi and are refundable at a price that is almost always less than the cruise only rate you would get booking direct with Celebrity. Our next cruise had about $3,200 price difference and one for 2026 had a $2,000 price difference. And the prices don’t go up and down so there is no need to monitor prices after you book.

Exactly. It doesn't say they will rebook you on any airline to get you there. If I have a delay I'm 99% sure I could rebook my self through the airline app or at the gate more efficiently than calling FBC and having them have the conversation for me.

Is this in writing somewhere? Everything on the website refers back to FBC "working with the airline to........" which is ultimately exactly what you do yourself when there is a delay. If you are trying to get to some obscure port a few days into a cruise, that may not be much help. After two FBC booking attempts I have doubts they are adept at accomplishing anything outside from taking a reservation via phone.

No need to print. You can use the app or your Apple wallet.

I never look at the wine lists. Just ask what they recommend, or ask if they have any suggestions by the glass that are not on the menu. The Chateau Souverain cab they try to slip in is terrible. And despite the chokehold Decoy apparently has on Celebrity guests, I don’t want it every night either.

The whole crux of the MoveUp system is to maximize revenue so it would be incorrect to definitively say what you initially paid flatly has no bearing on your likelihood of winning a bid. It would make no sense to base it solely on new revenue which is exemplified by lower cabins not being able to bid on upper suites.

No way. The airlines that make money from co-branded cards sell miles to banks but they have passenger volume that is exponentially higher than what Celebrity or RCG carries. The Celebrity card is terrible, even at the proposed bonus. Captain’s Club status has very little value. Despite being Elite, I don’t think we’ve ever actually benefited from one of the perks. The point value is also extremely low. It’s not like an airline where you have potential a free (minus fees) loyalty upgrade from economy to business that saved you $10k on a single flight. That has value. A free scoop gelato or $8 savings on your WiFi package does not.

Sort cruise during March? It’s definitely possible. We skip anything shorter than 7 nights, the months of March, April and President’s Day week. We have been pretty successful in avoiding Spring Breakers, big family groups and the like.

It's no mistake. It says it clear as can be. Celebrity does not offer customer 'tech support'. iPhone 8 and older will not support the iOS 17 and beyond so you will inevitably start losing functionality as your phone ages.

I have never seen the helipad accessed by passengers on E class. Some S class ships can accommodate a light helicopter. The ones marked WINCH ONLY means exactly that. It’s used as the hoist location but no landings. You can see this on Reflection.

Mostly - but the three brands being rolled into one metric adds complexity. Royal Caribbean would be very likely to sail with 3 or more, Celebrity would occasionally (but rarely) sail with 3 or more and Silversea seems very unlikely to sail with 3 or more. Essentially the Royal Caribbean metric would inflate the metric in comparison to the other two brands. But ultimately I don’t think any Celebrity ships are sailing with many empty cabins, especially suites, due to MoveUp awards.

They view demand largely as a result of net yield increase while increasing prices. You can also look at deposits. From 2022 to 2023 they jumped from 4.6 billion to 5.3 billion held. 2018 and 2019 were 3.1 and 3.4 billion. A 70% increase in deposits held compared to a 22% capacity increase from 2018 to now. Occupancy is represented as percentage to account for capacity changes. It took a hit in 2023. For 2017, 2018 and 2019 occupancy was in the 108% range. 2023 was 105.6%. There are a lot of variables there but 3% is not a small number on this scale which speaks to the push to fill more cabins with 3 and 4 people. They have under-realized capacity.

You have not read or comprehended what I posted.