Frustrated

[jcrandle]

I have no idea how to use OBC to pay gratuities that are already paid, but I can comment on getting your money back. If your OBC was provided by the TA, rather than (Celebrity -for example an on board booking credit or a stockholder credit) it is fully refundable. So if you prepaid gratuities, but your TA gave you a $200 OBC, you will have your balance refunded, as long as it does NOT exceed the TA OBC.

[ForeverAtSea]

My, aren't we snippy. I wasn't attacking you, I was just pointing out that simply googling the cruise ship and date would pull up pages and pages of travel agent listings as well as any helpful data. If you have time to weed through all that, fine. However, there are websites that provide information in a more convenient format. Here are a couple, although I don't think either of these are the ones I saw posted during the discussion about the American Girls cruise, when people were asking how they could find out about groups on their sailing.

 

http://www.ourpassportstamps.com/Isthereagrouponboard_.html

 

https://secure.shoretrips.com/ Click on "Find your Group".

 

I'll go and post a separate thread asking for websites that contain this sort of information.

 

Well, had the answer back in less than 15 minutes:

 

http://themecruisefinder.com/index.html

 

There is a ton of information on this website.

 

My very great thanks to Cruise Critic poster LEIBE for posting this link on my thread.

[Sloop-JohnB]

My, aren't we snippy. I wasn't attacking you, I was just pointing out that simply googling the cruise ship and date would pull up pages and pages of travel agent listings as well as any helpful data. If you have time to weed through all that, fine. However, there are websites that provide information in a more convenient format. Here are a couple, although I don't think either of these are the ones I saw posted during the discussion about the American Girls cruise, when people were asking how they could find out about groups on their sailing.

 

http://www.ourpassportstamps.com/Isthereagrouponboard_.html

 

https://secure.shoretrips.com/ Click on "Find your Group".

 

I'll go and post a separate thread asking for websites that contain this sort of information.

 

There is a ton of information on this website.

 

My very great thanks to Cruise Critic poster LEIBE for posting this link on my thread.

 

TO FOREVER AT SEA,

 

I didn't see my reply as being "snippy" at all...

 

This post however will be...

 

I am just wondering why you didn't give more info to the Poster considering you've been "coaching" them all day in so many other ways on how the Cruise Travel Agency works...

 

All this seems pretty "suspicious" in light of the fact that you are a Travel Agent

 

The info you claimed to have been seeking would have been easily found here by doing a BOARD SEARCH...

 

As a relative newcomer... you really should read thru the Guidelines about how Travel Agents are supposed to use and not use this website... instead of posting a reply such as the one above as some sort of "satisfaction" of rubbing my nose in it !!

 

Cheers!

[pris993]

We cruise several cruise lines (Princess, HAL, Celebrity) they all promote their own version of anytime dining. We are elite and request late traditional and usually get it because we book early. I will keep my fingers crossed we continue to do so. On Celebrity we are now booking Aqua class for BLU, then we can go anytime, still prefer late dining.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Can you explain to me how this is done?? thanks Mark..

 

Sure. Most of my OBC comes from Celebrity (from booking on board), so it's not refundable. It is a credit on my on board account. Each day there is a charge posted to my account for the appropriate amount of tips for that day. So, by the end of the cruise, the basic tips have been pretty much covered by the OBC I got from booking on a previous Celebrity cruise.

[ghstudio]

Sure. Most of my OBC comes from Celebrity (from booking on board), so it's not refundable. It is a credit on my on board account. Each day there is a charge posted to my account for the appropriate amount of tips for that day. So, by the end of the cruise, the basic tips have been pretty much covered by the OBC I got from booking on a previous Celebrity cruise.

 

Additionally, if you don't spend the full OBC provided by celebrity, you can go to the casino and take out any remaining credit from your on board account...they charge 5% (used to be 3%) for this, but it's better than leaving OBC money behind.

[Buranogal]

I didnt get a choice about gratuities my TA said this is the cost and this is the deposit :( We didnt get any OBC either but got $500 on Oceania?? I think we are going to be paying out every day for something. Dont think we will get the drink package I dont drink enough to warrant it. Just hope there are some drinks available still.

[minz56]

I didnt get a choice about gratuities my TA said this is the cost and this is the deposit :( We didnt get any OBC either but got $500 on Oceania?? I think we are going to be paying out every day for something. Dont think we will get the drink package I dont drink enough to warrant it. Just hope there are some drinks available still.

 

Hi Buranogal

You might want to think about booking through an online US TA next time so that you get some of the perks talked about on these boards. I've booked this way before and everything went fine, and I curently have a booking on Solstice through a US agent. Of course there are risks booking outside your home country, but for me, so far, so good.

[Buranogal]

Yes Minz56 Every time I tried it came back not allowed :( Isnt that ridiculous when Australians can shop USA on line.I am concerned that seeing we have pre-paid gratuities are we still going to be charged tips every time we order a drink etc??

[ghstudio]

Yes Minz56 Every time I tried it came back not allowed :( Isnt that ridiculous when Australians can shop USA on line.I am concerned that seeing we have pre-paid gratuities are we still going to be charged tips every time we order a drink etc??

 

Prepaid gratuities cover the crew members who take care of your room and the dining room staff, they do not cover drinks. If/when you order a drink from a bar or a bottle of wine, Celebrity will automatically add 15% to the bill as a tip for the bar or somelier.

 

As far as I know (and I am in the US), the only passengers that pre-pay gratuities are those that choose select dining. Everyone else is charged daily for their gratuities while on-board.

[Kathie44]

I vote for a glitch in the system. When I book a cruise through my TA, a relative, I always book early seating. A couple of times the confirmed early turned into late. All I had to do was ask the M'D to change it back. I also have been wait-listed and got stuck with late seating. I can't do late seating due to health reasons. The M'D has always been able to change it for me. My TA gives me the option of pre-paid gratuities, no matter what.

Recent glitches I've experienced include:

Not being able to book excursions in St. Petersburg and Estonia because the system showed they were on the same day. ??? Obviously wrong. It took 3 mos. of checking online and no "fixing" of the problem. Finally a phone rep did it for me, even though I'd been told they couldn't book anything over the phone.

Last month I ordered luggage tags for me and my roommate and my other friend and her roommate, all traveling together. My friend's didn't come when mine did. Last week I looked closer at the receipt I had printed out and saw that her country of residence had been changed to Canada, even though she lives here in Ohio. Fortunately, the tags arrived last Mon. Someone must've had noticed the discrepancy in time, for our cruise this weekend.

[Andy]

1) Received an email from Celebrity that until Feb. 5th for CC members they were offering 50% off deposits. (In it no where did it mention it was on specific sailings.) So of course I call to inquire and possibly book something and unfortunately they are only offering that on Carribean sailings...which I wasnt inquiring about.

 

2) While checking rates w/ Celebrity it came up that almost EVERY sailing the early and late dining options were taken. The only option was any time dining and paying gratuities upfront.

 

Needless to say I am a little frustrated. I am also confused how all the early and late dining can be taken when the ship isnt even at half capacity?

 

Hi Sarah,

 

Celebrity asked me to pass along the following information :

 

Over the weekend, we experienced a significant volume of bookings. We have a team of folks who personally handle the management of seating availability. We were still processing the new bookings the first day of the week. Now, our Guests should be able to pick their seating time on the Celebrity website.

 

Regarding your first question, I was advised the 50% deposit promotion is open to all New bookings, that are outside of the final payment window. The promotion runs through February 5th.

 

I hope this helps.

[sarahc78]

Hi Sarah,

 

Celebrity asked me to pass along the following information :

 

Over the weekend, we experienced a significant volume of bookings. We have a team of folks who personally handle the management of seating availability. We were still processing the new bookings the first day of the week. Now, our Guests should be able to pick their seating time on the Celebrity website.

 

Regarding your first question, I was advised the 50% deposit promotion is open to all New bookings, that are outside of the final payment window. The promotion runs through February 5th.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Thank you so much for checking into this for me. I really appreciate it. :)