CapsChap

Thank you to everyone who's chimed in in this thread, and thank you to @Bristol5 for posting it. I just booked my first Celebrity cruise this week -- a 7-day journey from Vancouver to Alaska and back aboard Eclipse (which will be fresh off its Revolution work) in May 2021 -- and some of the threads had me a little concerned that I wouldn't "fit in". I honestly think that's much more my own perception and anxiety than from anyone in particular who made me feel that way.

I'm honestly really excited to get to experience a new cruise line that'll take me on a new adventure! 🙂

14 minutes ago, mjldvlks said:

I don't care for HOHO buses in general,  so take my comments with a grain of salt.

Thanks for your perspective as someone who's used them! I'll definitely give things some more thought, including the possibility of adding a bit more walking -- I know my doctor wouldn't object! 😄 Walking would definitely also be a tangible savings -- both in weight and money. In both cases, just more chance to put both to good use!

41 minutes ago, starrcards said:

Beware. The last time I looked at the Halifax HOHO bus web site it indicated they were skipping the Titanic cemetery due to road construction.  I'd check it again before I purchased tickets.

Thanks for the heads-up. I thought from what I read, the construction was done -- but I'll shoot them a note or call to find out for sure before I book it!

I'm going to be cruising a few days ahead of y'all on Grandeur (14th-23rd). I'm looking forward to walking in a lot of places (Portland, Bar Harbor, St. John), but I'm thinking HoHo (hop-on/hop-off) buses in Boston and Halifax. I'm really excited about Halifax -- especially the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic (along with the HMCS Sackville -- thanks for that reminder!), Ft. Needham Memorial Park (site of memorials to the victims of the "Halifax explosion" on December 6, 1917) and Fairview Lawn Cemetery, resting place of many victims from the Titanic.

Thank you! I was also considering a 7-day version of this itinerary that included 2 fewer ports (and days, of course), and per the math, I'd come out $130 ahead on that one! So it looks like I come out a winner in either instance, regardless of the length I ultimately decide on as long as I book during this sale!

Sounds like a great reason to introduce myself to RCCL's "other half", Celebrity! 😄

I'm looking at a 9-day cruise to Alaska in 2021 aboard Eclipse. Right now with the sale, Celebrity is offering 3 perks for $360 more than for the price of the same stateroom (interior) with 1 perk. I just want to double-check with the experts that I'm thinking about price and value in the right context, as this would be my first Celebrity cruise, and I'm not used to these perks being offered in a bundle.

The drink package is my choice if I went with the lower fare that's just 1 perk; for a Coke addict like me (please note the big "C"!) who also enjoys coffee and maybe a couple of adult beverages with meals or just to unwind at the end of the day, it seemed to make the most sense.

I also always pre-pay gratuities, just to make it one less thing to worry about.

If I pay the extra $360 for 2 additional perks, the way I figure it, $140 of that $360 difference would go to gratuities, leaving a price tag of $220 for the 3rd perk.

"$150 OBC for 2" comes out to $300 for me, right? I'm assuming I get the full OBC since I'm essentially "paying double".

So is my math right that I'd come out ahead in a sense, value wise?

What a fun review! And thanks, by the way, for the unintended reminder to book Chops for lunch on embarkation day for my upcoming cruise in 90 days! I'll just have to remember to book my specialty restaurants for my 3-night plan while I'm at Chops avoiding the Windjammer embarkation-day battle Royal (Caribbean)!

Just out of curiosity, I checked Expedia for the Alaska cruise I'm looking at for 2021. They have the 3-perks deal available with a refundable deposit; in my particular case as a solo cruiser who enjoys interior cabins, it comes out to $438 more.

So, in my case, I could get my $450 deposit back -- by paying an extra $438. Alternatively, I could save that $438 and run the risk of losing $100 should I cancel before final payment date, though I'd still have $350 to use toward another cruise. Not too awful a trade-off.

I guess the only thing all this leaves me wondering is why -- when they're owned by RCI -- Celebrity's website isn't set up to allow you to tick a box to select a refundable deposit like you can on Royal's website, since a lot of Royal's fares default to NRD now, too.

1 minute ago, jelayne said:

If we have to cancel we lose $100pp and the remainder is put on a future cruise credit.  So I’ll risk $200 to save hundreds.

That's a good point; as someone still new to the world of cruising, I see "non-refundable" as very black and white, without realizing it's much more grey, in the fact that you only actually lose $100, even if you don't get cold, hard cash back. I was just looking about a year out at going to Alaska, and my brain was telling me that was a long time away!

Just now, cruiserchuck said:

 

Does it show the page with two options for booking?

I've been thinking about doing an Alaska cruise with Celebrity; every time I've priced it in the last few days, the only option I get is for a non-refundable booking. Even when I opt out of the special on perks, it just gives me a special that includes $300 in OBC and marks it as NRD. I'm new to pricing Celebrity, but I've never gotten the option to book a refundable fare directly through their website.

I hadn't checked it since the first day I booked my May sailing on Grandeur, but thanks to this thread, I'm glad I did. The package dropped from $55 to $51. Every little bit helps! 🙂