New (?) HC classes on Celebrity!

[PartyAllDaTyme]

We just booked a couple of cabins for an Alaska cruise on Celebrity for August 2012. We're treating my wife's parents to their first cruise. DMIL has Parkinson's and currently uses a scooter. We're hoping she won't need a wheelchair by then. I could see that the current deck plans were valid through March 2012, and a new plan would take effect in April 2012. For whatever reason, I could not access it-- blank graphics, red X's, and the list of cabins in each category (suite, veranda, OV, inside) did not show the classes.

 

I booked what are currently two adjacent 2A cabins, one of which is HC. Lo and behold, I was told that the HC cabin will be classed as AX, and is $40pp less expensive! Because I still cannot get deck plans (either my PC or X's website, don't know which), I still cannot view, but was told that all HC cabins would be similarly classed. I don't know if they'll be designated AX, BX, and so on. I'm assuming they will all be priced lower than what they otherwise would be under the current classification, as well.

 

Never having booked an HC cabin before, I was not aware this was done, and I assume this is something new.

[PartyAllDaTyme]

An update-- I'm being told on the Celebrity board that this is indeed new, and other classes will have their own classification-- AZ for accessible inside cabin, AC for accessible concierge, and so forth. This should help avoid people inadvertently (or vertently:rolleyes:) booking accessible cabins that don't need them.

 

Way to go, Celebrity!:)

[vickila]

An update-- I'm being told on the Celebrity board that this is indeed new, and other classes will have their own classification-- AZ for accessible inside cabin, AC for accessible concierge, and so forth. This should help avoid people inadvertently (or vertently:rolleyes:) booking accessible cabins that don't need them.

 

Way to go, Celebrity!:)

 

 

HOWEVER -- As Elite you get a one cat. upgrade -- wonder how this will be handled if A is all by itself?!!!!!!!! Vicki:)

[PartyAllDaTyme]

HOWEVER -- As Elite you get a one cat. upgrade -- wonder how this will be handled if A is all by itself?!!!!!!!! Vicki:)

 

Not for a balcony or higher, just for an inside or OV. And you only need to be Classic, not Elite.

 

Look at it this way-- I booked what otherwise would have been a 2A fo the price of a 2C, so it's a 2 cat upgrade, and I wouldn't have had to be a Captain's Club member to do it.

[NorthernLite]

Which ship are you talking about? The M-Class ships do not have accessible 1A cabins so there is no cabin upgrade from 2B and 2C cabins. Did they change the concierge cabins back to one price or are they still 3 tier? We actually switched to HAL for the first time because Alaska, next month, is a bucket cruise for us. I want accessible hot tubs and plan on going ashore at Sitka if the rest of the passengers are. Plus this is a 14 day, hits so much more of coastal Alaska and we get that huge aft suite.

[PartyAllDaTyme]

Which ship are you talking about? The M-Class ships do not have accessible 1A cabins so there is no cabin upgrade from 2B and 2C cabins. Did they change the concierge cabins back to one price or are they still 3 tier? We actually switched to HAL for the first time because Alaska, next month, is a bucket cruise for us. I want accessible hot tubs and plan on going ashore at Sitka if the rest of the passengers are. Plus this is a 14 day, hits so much more of coastal Alaska and we get that huge aft suite.

 

What, now?

 

The ship is Millennium. On current plans, 7135 and 7137 are 2A. Beginning May 12, 2012, 7137 is AX. The price charged for 7137 was the same as the 2C cabins are going for. I don't know if this is coincidental or if they plan on always charging the 2C price. M-class have no 1A cabins at all. Concierge still has C1, C2 and C3.

 

I was responding to vickila's post about possibly losing out on the ability for Captain's Club members to upgrade one category, saying that is is, in effect, an automatic upgrade from what was a 2A for the price of a 2C, so the concern may be unfounded. I do not know if they plan on following similar pricing practices for, say, a former accessible 06 (now AY?) for the price of an 08, or a former accessible C1 (AC) for the price of a C3.

[AmyDawne]

I just got off the phone with Celebrity and I'm ready to do a jig - metaphorically speaking. I believe the new "blackout" policy applies to M class ships and above! It looks like it just got a little harder for AB's to book accessible staterooms. Woop! :D

[vickila]

If one watches categories for pricing info -- how would one know if there was a reduction in an A category? Love Celebrity, but not sure how this works. Vicki:)

[PartyAllDaTyme]

That's the thing right now. When I do my daily check for price drops, I can check 2A, but I can't even tell if they show the rates for the new AX, AY, etc, cabins. The graphics aren't loading properly-- I get the box with the red X where it should show the category. The only way I know I'm looking at 2A is that it's the next category down from Family Verandas. We don't know that AX would always be tied to another category, such as 2C. The deck plans for Millennium for May 2012 and beyond do not load, either, but I noticed the other day on Constellation the accessible rooms show with a cabin color that fades to white-- I can't properly describe it, here's a link to the website-- http://www.celebritycruises.com/plancruise/ships/ship.do?shipCode=CS

From there, select Deck Plans, then select the 2012 date range.

 

I figured I'd wait a while to see if the graphics issue resolved itself. If the accessible categories are not displayed, I'll just call them every day and ask what the price is. This won't work, though, if the category is sold out.:( I'll also ask if the price is actually linked to the 2C pricing, in which case I can just check 2C.

[Rick Knee]

What, now?

 

The ship is Millennium. On current plans, 7135 and 7137 are 2A. Beginning May 12, 2012, 7137 is AX. The price charged for 7137 was the same as the 2C cabins are going for. I don't know if this is coincidental or if they plan on always charging the 2C price. M-class have no 1A cabins at all. Concierge still has C1, C2 and C3.

 

I was responding to vickila's post about possibly losing out on the ability for Captain's Club members to upgrade one category, saying that is is, in effect, an automatic upgrade from what was a 2A for the price of a 2C, so the concern may be unfounded. I do not know if they plan on following similar pricing practices for, say, a former accessible 06 (now AY?) for the price of an 08, or a former accessible C1 (AC) for the price of a C3.

 

I just left cabin 7137 yesterday in San Diego after a 15 day cruise. It was great. Very accessible with a big balcony.

 

Rick