What can Celebrity be thinking?

[Starry Nights]

We are Celebrity fans, and have been cruising for almost twenty years, primarily with Celebrity. I am not thrilled with the changes to their pricing policies.

 

We have been booked on the January 29th Eastern sailing of the Eclipse since July. At the beginning of November, we decided to make make the cruise a back-to-back, and looked into booking the January 22 Western itinerary. Since the final payment date for that cruise was November 8th, and since the posted prices were quite a bit higher than we had paid for the January 29th cruise, we decided to wait for a price drop. With the new pricing policy in place, we would not have been able to receive any refund or OBC if the price dropped after we purchased the cruise, which it was clearly going to have to do.

 

The main reason we decided to wait was that there were still 250 cabins unsold on the Jan. 22 cruise. I have been keeping very close track of the inventory and they have only sold 8 cabins since November 1st, even taking the Thanksgiving sale into account.

 

All of the veranda prices are $300-400 dollars higher per person than the prices were for our January 29th cruise last July. It seems very clear to me that they are going to have to drop the prices to fire sale levels if they are going to sell all those cabins so late in the game.

 

I know that Celebrity uses yield management software, but where is the common sense oversight on this? If they had dropped the price to what they were willing to sell similar cruises for, I would have purchased our fares weeks ago. As it is, if they don't drop the prices next week, I will book us into an all-inclusive, as our air fares have already been purchased.

 

Celebrity, I think some of your bean-counters are being tremendously short-sighted.

[Christine Frances]

My count came up with 152 cabins available which means the ship is almost 90% sold. I would not count on a price drop.

[natshala]

How do you determine what the sold inventory is? I haven't been able to figure out how to do this and it is a very helpful piece of data.

 

Thanks!

[Starry Nights]

My count came up with 152 cabins available which means the ship is almost 90% sold. I would not count on a price drop.

 

That is not the count that I have. Could I ask what your source is, please?

[reklawr]

That is not the count that I have. Could I ask what your source is, please?

 

 

Starry and Christine, What source do you use to determine how many cabins are unsold? I've been trying to get that info on several cruises for a long time.

[City_Woman]

A price drop is nice, but I would never count on it.

 

Always book the price you are comfortable paying, so if there's no price drop you are still happy.

 

Judy

[Christine Frances]

Starry and Christine, What source do you use to determine how many cabins are unsold? I've been trying to get that info on several cruises for a long time.

 

It's from a European Agency but CC does not want us to post TA names on the board. Sorry

[LKN-NC]

Patience.;) The prices didn't drop for our sailing until about 3 weeks ago. We are sailing Dec 11. The first Senior prices were posted around Nov 11 and non-senior around the 22-29 November, including the first Balcony, CC and suite guarantees. Balcony guarantees @549, CC @749 and suites for 899. The prices didn't last long, but they did come out about the time this sailing showed up on the Tuesday sales.

 

This strategy must have worked as we are now basically sold out in the last 10 days. just a few remain, mostly insides.

[Starry Nights]

Starry and Christine, What source do you use to determine how many cabins are unsold? I've been trying to get that info on several cruises for a long time.

 

I wish I could tell you, but I would be bumped off of the CC boards if I did, as it is a function of a Travel Agent's website.

 

It's a great website, as it always seems to have an accurate count of the total available cabins. I have tested its accuracy time and again, by keying the cabins that show as available (on the travel agent site) into Celebrity's website, and I've never run across a conflict. The cabins the website says available always show available on the Celebrity site. Plus, if I do a courtesy hold on a cabin on the Celebrity website, that particular cabin always disappears immediately from the travel agent website.

 

Sorry that I can't send it to you.

 

This website shows ALL of the cabins that are available, but doesn't account for guarantees that have been sold. I just checked it this morning after Christine Frances' post, and it looks as if some guarantees have been assigned, in class 2 verandas and inside cabins particularly. Of course someone could have put a hold on cabins which would remove them from inventory also. I've seen this happen, then the cabins pop back in 3-4 days later.

 

At any rate, after removing the assigned guarantees/holds and a few sales (or holds) in the last two days, I show 195 specific cabins available this morning.

 

I should probably have checked the numbers (I posted 242 available) before my post this morning, but it takes me about 20 minutes to check all of the categories, and since the inventory has been so stable since late october and since the prices hadn't changed as of today, I used the available inventory from Thursday. My bad. :(

 

I wish Celebrity would show all the cabins that are available in the same way that this travel agent site does. It would be so handy for everyone. Sometimes the cabins that show as "best" on the Celebrity website aren't the same as I would pick from the travel agent site.

 

I look forward to hearing what Christine uses as a source.

[Christine Frances]

Sounds like the same one!! Maybe I just can't count:eek: I didn't count the guarantee's though, maybe that was the difference. I thought that might be duplicating cabins.

[Starry Nights]

Sounds like the same one!! Maybe I just can't count:eek: I didn't count the guarantee's though, maybe that was the difference. I thought that might be duplicating cabins.

 

I'm just guessing about the guarantees, because they follow a specific pattern. Whenever a big group of 2C and 2D cabins, or inside cabins disappear from inventory overnight, it is usually because they have been blocked off for guarantees. The inventory has been so stable that for 35-40 of the lowest-end cabins to disappear overnight without a price change would be very curious, and a friend who works in yield management for another cruise line told me that that is usually when guarantees are blocked off, although they wouldn't be assigned to individual cruisers yet, as it is too early. Anyhow, it makes sense to me, so that is my guess.

 

I did redo my inventory a little while ago, and I'm pretty confident that the 195 number is correct for today.

 

I'm still ticked that they are taking so long to bring the price into line with other similar cruises.

 

I'd like a CC3/SV/1A/1B/1C cabin and there are 116 available in inventory today.

[srpilo]

Back to the original question..

 

I agree with a earlier poster. I think patience is the key. In my experience if there's going to be a real fire sale it won't happen til about a month out from sale date... It's a little to early to stress about yet

 

Patience :)

Srpilo

[monkeyinhat]

Are you saying no price reduction at all even before final payment?

 

nada, zip, zilch? no obc nor recuction from day you book?

[Christine Frances]

Are you saying no price reduction at all even before final payment?

 

nada, zip, zilch? no obc nor recuction from day you book?

 

My Millie cruise Feb 4th is up $900 a cabin. It has only gone up since I booked.

[CathyCruises]

I am booked on the 1/15 Eclipse sailing, but would be very willing to do a b2b if the price was right! We got AQ for $899 which I thought was a steal, although some of you may have gotten cheaper fares. So if you see some significant price drop,s please post!!!

 

Thanks!! Cathy

[Gonzo70]

Are you saying no price reduction at all even before final payment?

 

nada, zip, zilch? no obc nor recuction from day you book?

 

You can still receive price drops before final payment, just not after (if the booking was made 5/17/2010 or later - bookings made before this time are grandfathered in to the old rules of price drops until 72 hours before sailing).

[Starry Nights]

Back to the original question..

 

I agree with a earlier poster. I think patience is the key. In my experience if there's going to be a real fire sale it won't happen til about a month out from sale date... It's a little to early to stress about yet

 

Patience :)

Srpilo

 

I feel as if I have been patient. I'm not asking for the "EXciting Deals" price, I just think some type of price reduction is warranted, especially at such a late date, with so many cabins still unsold.

 

It's been 4 weeks since final payment, and the stock hasn't been selling, so my questions still remains...why not drop the price to where similar cruises have been selling, and move some of that inventory? The more cabins they sell now, the less they'll have to sell at "Exciting Deals" pricing.

 

Also, the earlier they sell the cabin, the more time the passenger has to come up with funds for beverage packages and specialty restaurants. If they leave the price drop to the week before Christmas, I guarantee more people will be thinking twice about extra precruise purchases.

 

I've successfully managed retail before, and waiting to sell so much inventory at last-minute fire sale pricing is is not the way we kept our profit margins up ;).

[wg6530]

Of course there could be another big batch of guarantee bookings waiting for cabin assignments. I do not see how you can know how many more cabins X has to sell. I hope you get a price that will please you, but I cannot X has info not available to the rest of us.

[yayvacation!]

Both times I have done "last-minute" bookings, one was 3 weeks before sailing and one 4 weeks before sailing. It's still a little early (imo) for one of those cut-rate drops. Check the price everyday and pounce when you see a good rate!

[monkeyinhat]

Thank you Gonzo for your answer. I like to book early to get cabin selection. My February X cruise went down $560.00 and that was a nice savings.

[Project_gal]

I wish I could tell you, but I would be bumped off of the CC boards if I did, as it is a function of a Travel Agent's website.

 

It's a great website, as it always seems to have an accurate count of the total available cabins. I have tested its accuracy time and again, by keying the cabins that show as available (on the travel agent site) into Celebrity's website, and I've never run across a conflict. The cabins the website says available always show available on the Celebrity site. Plus, if I do a courtesy hold on a cabin on the Celebrity website, that particular cabin always disappears immediately from the travel agent website.

 

Sorry that I can't send it to you.

 

This website shows ALL of the cabins that are available, but doesn't account for guarantees that have been sold. I just checked it this morning after Christine Frances' post, and it looks as if some guarantees have been assigned, in class 2 verandas and inside cabins particularly. Of course someone could have put a hold on cabins which would remove them from inventory also. I've seen this happen, then the cabins pop back in 3-4 days later.

 

At any rate, after removing the assigned guarantees/holds and a few sales (or holds) in the last two days, I show 195 specific cabins available this morning.

 

I should probably have checked the numbers (I posted 242 available) before my post this morning, but it takes me about 20 minutes to check all of the categories, and since the inventory has been so stable since late october and since the prices hadn't changed as of today, I used the available inventory from Thursday. My bad. :(

 

I wish Celebrity would show all the cabins that are available in the same way that this travel agent site does. It would be so handy for everyone. Sometimes the cabins that show as "best" on the Celebrity website aren't the same as I would pick from the travel agent site.

 

I look forward to hearing what Christine uses as a source.

 

I am pretty certain I use the same website when I check every Tuesday and would have agreed with you about accuracy except that, last Tuesday, it did not have the new Aqua Class stateroom on Infinity post-dry-dock. There were also other discrepancies on the same cruises. It was the first time I have ever found such differences. I have not checked since.

 

Sue

[The_Big_M]

I'm still ticked that they are taking so long to bring the price into line with other similar cruises.

 

I'd like a CC3/SV/1A/1B/1C cabin and there are 116 available in inventory today.

 

I don't agree with the above. If you look at the preceding cruise, which is obviously closer to now, the prices are consistent. For example, SVs are $1010 on both, and 1Bs are 910 on both. Price changes have also been consistent.

 

The one before that is a New Years sailing so not comparable.

 

Looking at the 11/12 sailing, their yield management achieved a good job of filling it, and prices did not generally go below what you're seeing on the 22/1 cruise. I wouldn't be optimistic of significant decreases in the near future. The demand has been there to warrant and occupy at the advertised prices, aside from Oceanview and below.

[npb]

Are you using the site that requires you to check every category to get a count or is there another site I don't know about that is easier to use? Does it have "scanner" in its name?

[Lsimon]

No offense to anyone but I find the subject of the post somewhat humorous - although I am sure it is nothing of the sort to Starry Nights.

 

There have been so many posts about people upset that they've reduced the price of their cruise after final payment (because they haven't been able to get an adjustment) and now here is a posting because someone is upset that Celebrity hasn't decreased the price after final payment.

 

The bottom line is that it is Celebrity's business and they can charge what they want and set whatever policies they want to, be it pricing or otherwise. And then it is up to us to decide if we want to buy on those prices and terms or not.

 

The cruise we're taking next spring is costing us almost 20% more per day than the cost of the cruise we took last spring on a similar ship to the same area of the Caribbean. I'd love to get a lower price but I'm not upset about it. I also booked the cruise 21 months in advance! I do that because I want to make sure I get the cabin I want on the cruise I want and in doing so I'm willing to accept the price they charge without any expectation of a reduction (although if anyone at Celebrity is reading this a reduction would be very nice and appreciated:D).

[Starry Nights]

Are you using the site that requires you to check every category to get a count or is there another site I don't know about that is easier to use? Does it have "scanner" in its name?

 

Yes.

 

Yes, you do have to check every category.