New Celebrity Promotion (1, 2, 3 Go !) Returns March 15, 2013

[Gordoncruickshank]

Does anyone know if we can get the offer by booking on the US web site at Celebrity.com? I can you through the whole process up to paying deposit. Does it give you the offer options before that or after than or will it not give any as we are in the UK?

[cruises r us]

Maybe this has been covered in this thread already - I haven't had a chance to read through it all.

I just called Celebrity to book a European cruise to take advantage of the 123 promotion. But I can't use the open passage certificates we purchased on our last cruise for the deposit. We are in the middle of home renovations right now and I can't put up the $960 down payment. Has anyone else been successful in using the open passage certificates as their down payment?

[jodi58]

It seems that this offer does NOT apply to Transatlantic Cruises leaving this spring?

This does not seemed to have been asked and I cant find it in the original 123 offer. Anyone else on a Atlantic Crossing had any luck with this offer?

 

 

weird, I checked this morning and the transatlantics are no longer there!

 

They were there yesterday and my TA quoted a price for us, including the drink package and the prepaid gratuities ( don't know if the gratuities are from her or Celebrity, however..) as well as $200.00 of Celebrity's price. good deal.

[robsmom]

Has anyone tried to switch from the 1000 obc offer for a European cruise to this new offer. Price for my category or my cruise is the same. I am going back and forth on if I even want to. Classic package would be worth more than 1000 and then add on the OBC and we would be ahead. This assumes, however, that we would have purchased the drink package. Given that this is a port intensive cruise I am not sure that we would drink enough to justify the the package. I think I might be better off just keeping my OBC and buying coffees and bottles of wine (the two areas we would use) as we go. decisions decisions. thoughts?

[fninsn]

Hi Everyone,

 

We booked a 2014 Caribbean cruise while onboard the Summit in December. When we booked, we received a $100 OBC, a cabin upgrade (2D to 2A) and the reduced deposit of $100 per person.

 

When I read about this offer yesterday, I thought it was worth a phone call as we had planned on purchasing the classic drink package for this cruise.

 

In order to take advantage, we lost our $100 OBC, had to pay the full deposit of $530 and could either move to a 2D cabin or pay the full price for the 2A cabin which was only $30 per person more. After doing all of this, we still saved almost $550 on this cruise.

 

Kudos to Celebrity for allowing us to take advantage of this fabulous offer :D

[Andy]

Hi Everyone,

 

I've noticed that several members commenting on the Beverage Package not appearing on their booking. While I realize that some have had better luck, it may take a while to appear on your booking.

 

I suggest giving it up to a week or two. Should it not appear then, contact your TA, or Celebrity if you booked direct. I hope this helps.

[BosoxI]

Maybe this has been covered in this thread already - I haven't had a chance to read through it all.

I just called Celebrity to book a European cruise to take advantage of the 123 promotion. But I can't use the open passage certificates we purchased on our last cruise for the deposit. We are in the middle of home renovations right now and I can't put up the $960 down payment. Has anyone else been successful in using the open passage certificates as their down payment?

 

This is why we see no need to purchase the certificate. We always book based on special, non-combinable offers. You should also be aware that you can use the certificate either directly with Celebrity or they will attach it to the travel agent you used for the cruise you are currently on. That doesn't work for us either, as we have no loyalty to a particular agent. Whoever has the best deal gets our business. Princess, I think, is much less restrictive in their policy, though that does you no good, does it? Thanks to posters on Cruise Critic who tipped us off to the situation long ago. Otherwise, we'd probably not have asked the future cruise people about restrictions.

[cruises r us]

Yes- wish I had inquired further before purchasing these certificates. It was never mentioned they couldn't be used with other promotions.

[hopeless holiday booker]

Does anyone know if we can get the offer by booking on the US web site at Celebrity.com? I can you through the whole process up to paying deposit. Does it give you the offer options before that or after than or will it not give any as we are in the UK?

 

It won't let you - sorry! You have to know an american TA that will take UK bookings. Don't know one myself but others on here sometimes do.

[Jade13]

Maybe this has been covered in this thread already - I haven't had a chance to read through it all.

I just called Celebrity to book a European cruise to take advantage of the 123 promotion. But I can't use the open passage certificates we purchased on our last cruise for the deposit. We are in the middle of home renovations right now and I can't put up the $960 down payment. Has anyone else been successful in using the open passage certificates as their down payment?

 

Yes.

 

We ran into this problem last year when our Open Passage could not be used with our agents "GroupX" rate on the Silhouette transatlantic.

 

We were however able to use it for an Xpedition cruise in 2014. While many would say it is a waste of the Passage since you cannot get OBC on Xpedition, the advantage was the $200.00 deposit verses $950.00 for a cruise tour that was over 2 years away at the time of booking, so it did have some benefit to us.

 

If the issue is the promos not being combinable, what about the low deposit? That seems to be your biggest issue.

 

Additionally, there are many people who used Passages certificates along with the $1,000.00 European cruise OBC credit offer in December and they received $1,200.00 OBC, plus as far as I know only had to pay a $200.00 deposit, so I wonder the explanation on why this offer is being treated differently?

Edited January 9, 2013 by Jade13

[grayjay]

Does anyone know if we can get the offer by booking on the US web site at Celebrity.com? I can you through the whole process up to paying deposit. Does it give you the offer options before that or after than or will it not give any as we are in the UK?

 

If you are not averse to using a German travel agent or calling Celebrity Cruises Germany directly ( they speak English) you might get a chance to book your cruise there. The 123-promotion is one of the few times that promotions like this are offered in the USA as well as here in my country. I just read through the file: It says nothing about being constricted to inhabitants of a certain country - as done on the US web-site, might have something to do with European laws - : European cruises get the pre-paid gratuities plus the drinks package, international cruises just the package.

Good luck!

[JudithLynne]

Hi Everyone,

 

I've noticed that several members commenting on the Beverage Package not appearing on their booking. While I realize that some have had better luck, it may take a while to appear on your booking.

 

I suggest giving it up to a week or two. Should it not appear then, contact your TA, or Celebrity if you booked direct. I hope this helps.

 

Andy....we were told by our TA that it would take 4-6 weeks for the beverage package to show on the cruise summary.

[Gordoncruickshank]

If you are not averse to using a German travel agent or calling Celebrity Cruises Germany directly ( they speak English) you might get a chance to book your cruise there. The 123-promotion is one of the few times that promotions like this are offered in the USA as well as here in my country. I just read through the file: It says nothing about being constricted to inhabitants of a certain country - as done on the US web-site, might have something to do with European laws - : European cruises get the pre-paid gratuities plus the drinks package, international cruises just the package.

Good luck!

 

Thanks for the advice. I may give my son a call as he is working in Munich at the moment.

 

It is actually cheaper on the German Web site than in the UK one.

 

Gordon

Edited January 9, 2013 by Gordoncruickshank

[Andy]

Andy....we were told by our TA that it would take 4-6 weeks for the beverage package to show on the cruise summary.

 

Hi Judith,

 

I'm hearing "up to" 4-6 weeks. Some folks have reported seeing it on their booking within a day or two. I believe the 4-6 week comment, is only so that folks dont bug them about it :). I suspect it might be sooner. We'll see what happens.

 

I hope this helps !

Edited January 9, 2013 by Host Andy

[nanourw]

Does anyone know if we can get the offer by booking on the US web site at Celebrity.com? I can you through the whole process up to paying deposit. Does it give you the offer options before that or after than or will it not give any as we are in the UK?

 

It won't work. After I spoke to Celebrity UK who told me no the offer does not apply to UK booking and you have to be a US resident to use the Celebrity.com website I thought I would try anyway.... Didn't work :(

You can select the cruise but then you get to the page where it ask for country of residence and if you select UK you get the following pop up

"we are sorry...your contact country is not the same as your previously selected country of residence / your contact address country is not the same as your travel agent's"

 

Very disappointing that UK resident can not benefit from the same offers as US ones.

[Coupmama]

As I mentioned in a previous note, I was able to get the 1-2-3 promo added to my reservation yesterday. Today a friend of our that is sailing on the same cruise called Celebrity and they refused to give it to them. Furthermore, when our friend mentioned that we're sailing together and were able to get it yesterday, the Agent checked our reservation and told our friend that it was a mistake and we should've never received it and somebody will be in touch with us to reverse the changes to our reservation. Say what??:eek: Can Celebrity take something away that they already gave us and it was reflected on the new invoice?

 

I didn't fight with them, I didn't deceive them, I just called and asked and they gave it to me.

[Gordoncruickshank]

It won't work. After I spoke to Celebrity UK who told me no the offer does not apply to UK booking and you have to be a US resident to use the Celebrity.com website I thought I would try anyway.... Didn't work :(

You can select the cruise but then you get to the page where it ask for country of residence and if you select UK you get the following pop up

"we are sorry...your contact country is not the same as your previously selected country of residence / your contact address country is not the same as your travel agent's"

 

Very disappointing that UK resident can not benefit from the same offers as US ones.

 

Thanks for the information. You must have gone a stage further than I did.

 

I find it really disappointing that the company has chosen to select certain markets for such a generous promotion and ignoring other areas.

 

I guess that we, the British, must have been booking too many cruises with them unlike the other areas where the promotion os being run. I have put on holds the 3 cruises that I would book under this deal and will just hold off or go elsewhere, perhaps back to Princes to use the Future Cruise credits I have sitting in the house.

 

At least they let you combine all the discounts with shareholder credit.

 

Gordon

[megfla]

Has anyone tried to switch from the 1000 obc offer for a European cruise to this new offer. Price for my category or my cruise is the same. I am going back and forth on if I even want to. Classic package would be worth more than 1000 and then add on the OBC and we would be ahead. This assumes, however, that we would have purchased the drink package. Given that this is a port intensive cruise I am not sure that we would drink enough to justify the the package. I think I might be better off just keeping my OBC and buying coffees and bottles of wine (the two areas we would use) as we go. decisions decisions. thoughts?

 

I came to the same conclusion. While the value of the drink package plus gratuities for our 12 night cruise is well over $1,500, the $1,000 OBC is still better for us since we would not have considered the drink package to begin with. Our decision is also easier since we are Elite members and do the majority of our drinking in the evenings anyway. You are also correct as to the lack of sea days, our Med sailing will only have 3 sea days and there will be several very long days in the ports. Our OBC will go to cover our gratuities and a couple of tours.:)

[nanourw]

Hi Gordon,

Just seems very unfair... we have never cruised before and this is supposed to be a special one for us but reading all the comments make me think Celebrity doesn't view all its customers equally....

[helen haywood]

If I am reading this thread correctly, it seems some people who have cruises past final payment, ie already paid in full, have been able to have the promo applied to their cruise? So it is not for new bookings only? However, some other posters are saying they tried to get the promo and were told the opposite. Does anyone have a definitive answer?

[megfla]

If I am reading this thread correctly, it seems some people who have cruises past final payment, ie already paid in full, have been able to have the promo applied to their cruise? So it is not for new bookings only? However, some other posters are saying they tried to get the promo and were told the opposite. Does anyone have a definitive answer?

 

I spoke with Celebrity yesterday and they will change an existing booking. you will lose any previous perks/obc and will have to pay any increase in fare. However they will change the promotion on an existing booking.

[nanourw]

Hi roxette

 

Would you mind letting me know how you managed to get this amended as notice you're based in Sweden and I was told by Celebrity it's USA only bookings? I'm still waiting for Celebrity to come back to me after I emailed them a screen print of their offer and NOWHERE does it states USA only.

 

Many Thanks

 

Hi Missminnie,

Can you post your reply from Celebrity if/when you get one, I went through the small prints too and could not see anywhere bookings only for USA.

Thanks

[Mel&Ken]

Robsmom,

 

I just called today and gave up our $1000 OBC for the drink package and OBC of $300. Worked out to be a value of $1450 and it cost me $100 in a price increase. When we got the $1000 we came out ahead $400 so since our July booking I have saved $750.

 

We had no doubt we'd buy the drink package - we got our money's worth on the last cruise with fresh squeezed OJ and specialty coffees with breakfast, large bottles of water as we left the ship and again when we got back, pre dinner drinks, wine pairings with dinner and a night cap (or two) at the casino.

 

We also like convenience of not signing for everything. We are considering booking private excursions this time so having a huge OBC was not really a big deal for us and we had planned on using it for drink pkgs anyway.

 

But if you're not sold on the package to start with its definately worth thinking about before you switch!

 

Melissa

[helen haywood]

I spoke with Celebrity yesterday and they will change an existing booking. you will lose any previous perks/obc and will have to pay any increase in fare. However they will change the promotion on an existing booking.

I understand if it was just an existing reservation with a deposit only you would need to pay the current rate. Are you saying that if you have paid the cruise in full at a lower rate then you would need to pay more at this time to take advantage of this offer?

[lostinplace]

Promotion Rules

This Offer is applicable on select Celebrity Cruises that depart between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2013. This promotion is not applicable for guarantee cabins. This offer is based on availability and subject to change without notice and is not combinable with all fare codes. Some restrictions may apply. Credit for previous purchases is not permitted and guests who previously booked, cancelled and then rebooked during this period are not eligible.

 

 

Where did you see the dates of January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2013? I thought this offer was for cruises departing after February 1 (or thereabouts) 2013. I'm bummed on the timing. We're booked for a cruise leaving this Sunday (13th). Would have been nice to have this little perk.