What is a perk and what does it cost?

My understanding of a perk is something that comes as an extra that costs very little or sometimes comes free. This understanding was what I have experienced with Celebrity over the past few years I have been travelling with them. In the past few months I have been looking at different fares and what was once a free perk that came automatically is now appearing as two perks but with a cost attached.

I have done a comparison on three 14 day cruises using the following "perks" which are now an additional cost and the costs for the same "perks over 14 days is not even consistent.

Perks are $150 per person OBC $US300

Classic drinks package for two.

I have three cruises currently booked and these perks came free

This week these perks cost

$NZ770 per person, $NZ1578 per person and $NZ2580 per person.

Current exchange rates are $NZ1 = $US0.71

Okay if Celebrity are now charging for these perks could someone please explain to me why it is that we have three different rates for the same period and the rates between the low and high are not even close.

On my next cruise which starts in a little over two weeks time and Celebrity are promoting special deals and prices if I compare what I paid and what I would have to pay today if I booked I would be $NZ4500 worse off. Did I hear someone say best wait until after final payment to get a good deal.

This may have been the case once but doesn't appear to be anymore.

$NZ5100 for equivalent of $450 OBC and a drinks package doesn't seem like a special deal to me.

I had read on earlier threads that correspondents were complaining about the "perks" situation but I didn't believe. I offer my sincere apologies to those affected.

Another instance of reappraising ever increasing costs on Celebrity Cruises

Sorry, I read your post 3 times and still can't figure out what those prices are for. I've got no idea what you are comparing - the cost of the perks alone? The cost of the cruise including the perks? Why 3 different prices? Are they 3 different cruises? If so, are all of them identical bookings except for date? Are they the same cruise with different perks?

No idea.

Are you complaining about the cost of your cruise going up instead of down as your sail date approaches? This is hardly a rare occurance if the cruise is approaching capacity.

I looked up the acronym PERK as it apparently doesn't mean what you and I believed in the past. PERK stands for Prospective Evaluation of Radial Keratotomy. Basically, it means you need to get your eyes examined if you ever thought perks were free. :evilsmile:

Sometimes waiting gets you a good deal, sometimes not so much. Just depends on the cruise and how full it is.

But perks ain't free, they are often much less than booking the "perk free" price and adding the beverage package though.

Sorry, I read your post 3 times and still can't figure out what those prices are for. I've got no idea what you are comparing - the cost of the perks alone? The cost of the cruise including the perks? Why 3 different prices? Are they 3 different cruises? If so, are all of them identical bookings except for date? Are they the same cruise with different perks?

 

No idea.

 

Are you complaining about the cost of your cruise going up instead of down as your sail date approaches? This is hardly a rare occurance if the cruise is approaching capacity.[/quote

 

 

We are talking about three different cruises each of 14 days duration and the same two "perks" on each cruise.

 

I am baffled how the same items can vary so much within the same organisation.

 

We are talking about three different cruises each of 14 days duration and the same two "perks" on each cruise.

 

I am baffled how the same items can vary so much within the same organisation.

So your saying that these 3 different cruises have different prices only because the cruise line is charging more for the perks? Sorry, but that's nutz. Hotels, resorts, airlines, you name it, have differing prices in the same item at different times. There are a lot of variables that go into this, the prime one being demand for the product. I'm going to an AI next month where the cost if a one week stay varies by over $2000 within that month.

It's no secret that perks aren't free. All you have to do is compare apples to apples: the cost of a no perks cruise, with the cost if the identical sailing with perks included. Only if you did this for multiple cruises could you see if there was a difference in he cost of the perks themselves. I can't tell from your first post if that was what you did, but it didn't look like it.

What you are missing in the price variations on different cruises at different times have more to do with Celebrity's system calculating capacity and prices can vary within the same day after final payment, and prices vary by thousands of dollars from the schedules are first released until final payment. Perks variation is a different story. Perks are not free and there is an attached cost. But this is separate from capacity and prices swing way more because of whether the ship is filling up at a certain time or not.

I got the same price with and without the perks. I don't understand this thread at all.

Hi Bean,

we're from Auckland and booked our March / April GBR cruise with a travel agent - they managed to get us 2 'perks' for free - we could chose from an internet package, classic beverage package or $150 OBC each, so we chose the beverage package and the $OBC - and it worked out about the same as if we had booked direct with celebrity

Beanb41 must be a bean counter.:confused:

Promotions and reservations: Countries different different rules.

In perks Click on "No Thanks" and you will be quoted the standard rate., then re-quote with perks to note the difference.

Promotions and reservations: Countries different different rules.

 

In perks Click on "No Thanks" and you will be quoted the standard rate., then re-quote with perks to note the difference.

g - thank you for this. It does make a lot of sense, no matter where in the world one books, to do this in order to determine which is the more valuable way to book.

One can do this even to determine which currency/country is best to book in, that is if they can book in a different currency or country.

bon voyage

in the current celebrity promo it state two free perks but it actually cost you $370.00 pp. they need to drop the free part! however on our next cruise I was able to add the second perk plus my total fare was a little cheaper. :confused:

later,

ezemoney

If you have the option to pay for it, it's not a "perk".

It seems not only how many times I explain it some are still not getting it. I accept that different pricing structures occur from time to time on a particular cruise and in different jurisdictions. I also accept that depending upon when one books and what promotion may be running at a particular time "perks" may be free in an effort to attract business. From a down under perspective anyway the option of adding perks is new. In the past we have had 123 GO and Go Big, Go Better and Go best promotions. For a long time all booking made from our part of the world were Go Big promotions with one perk included and a second for $NZ20 per person per day. Another thing peculiar to us is that we don't have a choice about opting out of payment of gratuities or getting prepayment of gratuities as a perk free or otherwise. This came about as we colonials objected to compulsory gratuities and wanted an all inclusive price. This policy has been in vogue by other cruise lines based primarily in Australia for a number of years now and only recently has Royal Caribbean and associated companies adopted the same policy.

Now getting back to the two perks: Forget about the cruise costs which vary around the world we are talking about the option a choice of two perks and the great variation in the same perks prices for identical length cruises. I accept we now have an option to remove this option should we so wish. My question how can the cruise line justify the huge variation and call them perks?

Look at it this way. A regular burger costs $10. You can add bacon and cheese for $1 each. Then the company changes things. You can buy a burger with two perks (bacon and cheese) for $12. You think you are getting two free perks. But check the math...

You are looking at it from the wrong side. Celebrity considers the perk pricing their regular pricing. And on some cruises that’s all that’s available. On most cruises that’s all that’s available for early bookers.

As the cruise gets closer and they try and sell the remaining cabins they offer promotional pricing. Again; not on every sailing (our next cruise is in April and doesn’t offer it yet). These are discounted prices so they loose some of the benefits. You may be stuck with a guarantee room and you may not get any perks with it.

To look at these prices as their regular prices with the perk prices being elevated is fine IF you are ok with late bookings and IF you are ok with the cruise you are eyeing never offering those rates. Otherwise; just book at the price and rate you are happy with.

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I’m experiencing the similar concerns as bean, also from down under, so I wonder if they haven’t quiet got the maths correct down here as yet!

A cruise I’m currently booked on (I’m looking to upgrade) has the following prices to include perks for a guarantee cabin, this is on top of the cabin price, purely the price to add the perks.

16 nights

Verandah : go better $918. Go best $1875

Concierge : go better $1422 go best $2379

Aqua: go better $2304 go best $3261

You would think the cost of the perks was consistent across the same cruise!

I’m experiencing the similar concerns as bean, also from down under, so I wonder if they haven’t quiet got the maths correct down here as yet!

 

A cruise I’m currently booked on (I’m looking to upgrade) has the following prices to include perks for a guarantee cabin, this is on top of the cabin price, purely the price to add the perks.

 

16 nights

 

Verandah : go better $918. Go best $1875

 

Concierge : go better $1422 go best $2379

 

Aqua: go better $2304 go best $3261

 

 

 

You would think the cost of the perks was consistent across the same cruise!

Oh; I think I misunderstood. Yes go best vs go better vs go big is a rip-off. For us it’s a straight $45 pp pd to go from go big to go best. But since you can purchase the drink package upgrade, the obc, and the gratuities for closer to $40 pp pd; all it gets you is the internet at a discount.

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I looked up the acronym PERK as it apparently doesn't mean what you and I believed in the past. PERK stands for Prospective Evaluation of Radial Keratotomy. Basically, it means you need to get your eyes examined if you ever thought perks were free. :evilsmile:

Hopefully, you're just yankin' folks' chains. But, for those who are unclear: "perk" is just a shortened form of "perquisite" (not to be confuse with "prerequisite").

perquisite —noun

an incidental payment, benefit, privilege, or advantage over and above regular income, salary, or wages: Among the president's perquisites were free use of a company car and paid membership in a country club.

a gratuity or tip.

something demanded or due as a particular privilege: homage that was once the perquisite of royalty.

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Did I hear someone say best wait until after final payment to get a good deal.

This may have been the case once but doesn't appear to be anymore.

That's always been my strategy and it still seems to work for me, including for a cruise I just booked this week for a sailing next month. See below for further details.

You are looking at it from the wrong side. Celebrity considers the perk pricing their regular pricing. And on some cruises that’s all that’s available. On most cruises that’s all that’s available for early bookers.

 

As the cruise gets closer and they try and sell the remaining cabins they offer promotional pricing. Again; not on every sailing (our next cruise is in April and doesn’t offer it yet). These are discounted prices so they loose some of the benefits. You may be stuck with a guarantee room and you may not get any perks with it.

 

To look at these prices as their regular prices with the perk prices being elevated is fine IF you are ok with late bookings and IF you are ok with the cruise you are eyeing never offering those rates. Otherwise; just book at the price and rate you are happy with.

That's exactly right. I just booked a 14-day cruise from Singapore to Hong Kong for next month in a Sky Suite and I had my choice of two prices, both of which were much lower than "regular" prices. I could pay a promotional price of $2,549pp for a suite guarantee with no perks, or I could pay the website price of $2,999pp for a specific suite # with all four perks, including an upgrade to a premium beverage package. It was easy to compare the two and make the choice that was a no brainer when you factored in the cost of the "free" perks. For an extra $450pp, I was getting the following:

premium beverage package @ $65 x18% x 14 days = $1,074

unlimited WiFi package - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - -287

prepaid tips @ $17/day x 14 = - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 238

onboard credit - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - 150

Total Value of All Four Perks - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $1,749pp

As I noted, paying an extra $450pp to get all four perks was a no brainer. Moreover, the savings achieved by booking after the final payment date was fantastic whether I booked with or without the perks. And for those who say that by waiting until after the final payment date to book you risk not being able to book that particular cruise at all, well that may be true. But what you overlook is that some of us shop for great deals first and then look at the itinerary offered. For instance, I had no intention or even thought of booking this cruise until I saw the sales price. I just knew that I wanted to cruise somewhere in the next few months so I started checking last minute fares, and this one was too good to pass up. It's always seemed to work for me.