Question For Price Gurus

[Killiepie]

Hi. Started to consider Med/Adriatic Celebrity cruises for later this year.

I see that the latest 123 Go promotion ends in the three days. I could certainly use the "free" drinks package and OBC or Paid Gratuities. Wearing my cynical hat do I need to rush-in and take this offer or magically after the 28th February will the offer be withdrawn and the price fall by circa £400/500. I understand a similiar offer was available in the UK last year. Anyone recall what happened to prices on its expiry.

 

Cheers.

[suec12]

Alot depends on how well your cruise is selling - that scenario you describe is certainly possible but even if the prices go down a fair amount, the OBC and gratuities are still "money in the bank" - know what I mean? I know there is not as much elasticity in UK bookings but here in the US a strategy might be, book an OV, then if prices go down see if you could upgrade to a balcony and still keep the offer.

 

There is a website that shows the price history of all categories - I can't post it here but maybe if you investigate you can find it- should give you some idea of what the low prices have been for your cruise. Good luck!

[barney6895]

Honestly take advantage of the beverage package if you both will drink over $40 dollars a day in beverages. Remember the package also includes specialty coffees and things like bottles of perrier water. So if you like your coffee and such its a bargain. You can always get plain black or the slop served in the buffet area but id much rather drink the quality products. And this way too with the classic beverage package you get spirits up to $8 usd and beer/wine up to $5 or 6 dollars. This is not an issue however there are so many choices in this price range. Also this includes normal water and pop (soda) which I Believe i paid $5 usd a piece for in my room each night after a long night drinking i needed water and be warned do not go to the sink for drinking water haha. So just jump on the offer it has a value of well over $400 or more.

[Grayce]

We're taking a 13 day cruise this fall and the 123 program was a huge incentive. We chose free gratuities and the beverage package. The savings really add up on the longer cruises. Our cruise would have to drop in price by more than $1700 cdn to make up for the incentive. I'm not confident the cruise price would drop that much. I guess I'll see if I'm right after the 28th. :confused:

 

Sent from my Galaxy Note

[Lsimon]

Alot depends on how well your cruise is selling...

I disagree with this. I think EVERYTHING depends on how well the cruise is selling!

If there is a lot of inventory then prices are likely to drop. If inventory is modest or smaller then prices will likely not change much and might even go up.

Edited February 26, 2014 by Lsimon

[youngreflection]

Hi! I am wondering what is considered a lot of inventories? At almost final payment date, if there are 2 or 3 cabins available for each of 2a, 2b, then an average of 7 cabins available for each 1a, 1b, 1c. Insides are more or less soldout. Oceanview is on guaranty status. Is the cruise considered slow-moving or fast-selling?

[teecee60]

Hi! I am wondering what is considered a lot of inventories? At almost final payment date, if there are 2 or 3 cabins available for each of 2a, 2b, then an average of 7 cabins available for each 1a, 1b, 1c. Insides are more or less soldout. Oceanview is on guaranty status. Is the cruise considered slow-moving or fast-selling?

 

Numbers like that (assuming they are accurate) prior to final payment indicate a cruise that is effectively "sold out" and prices will probably not drop at all, at least not until one or two weeks prior to departure.

 

Reflection transatlantic in April had OVER 200 cabins available at FPD. (mostly balconies) The next week insides were listed at $630pp and balconies at $799pp. They sold 150 cabins in less than a week! (roughly 75% of available inventory) leaving only 60 remaining to be sold in the next 7 weeks.

 

Hope you know you can't get accurate numbers (on category/total availability) from Celebrity. If you want to know about your cruise, you have to fish for the near-true picture.

Edited February 26, 2014 by teecee60

[tdavid900]

*********** was offering free gratuities so ewe were able to get free drink package from celebrity and free gratuities from ***********. Might be worth looking into.

[yorkshirephil]

Hi. Started to consider Med/Adriatic Celebrity cruises for later this year.

I see that the latest 123 Go promotion ends in the three days. I could certainly use the "free" drinks package and OBC or Paid Gratuities. Wearing my cynical hat do I need to rush-in and take this offer or magically after the 28th February will the offer be withdrawn and the price fall by circa £400/500. I understand a similiar offer was available in the UK last year. Anyone recall what happened to prices on its expiry.

 

Cheers.

 

I think it is a case of paying your money and taking your chances, we are considering 1 of the wine cruises, it is currently £699pp for inside but to take advantage of 123 Go you need to book Ocean view or above at £1049pp. Therefore you are self financing to a point, unless of course you would book Ocean view or above anyway, which we typically do not. The question is; will there be a glut of inside cabins available because the majority have taken advantage of 123 Go?

[joecleveland]

Hi. Started to consider Med/Adriatic Celebrity cruises for later this year.

I see that the latest 123 Go promotion ends in the three days. I could certainly use the "free" drinks package and OBC or Paid Gratuities. Wearing my cynical hat do I need to rush-in and take this offer or magically after the 28th February will the offer be withdrawn and the price fall by circa £400/500. I understand a similiar offer was available in the UK last year. Anyone recall what happened to prices on its expiry.

 

Cheers.

 

I thought I was getting the 123Go special when I booked a balcony for a 12day med cruise in august on Monday. The TA's site had the balcony prices and I took the cheapest balcony (2C on Silhouette), TA said it came with the special, paid my deposit and in the evening booked my airfare and transfer though Celebrity Choice Air. All charges (Air, transfer, deposit) are now on my Credit Card and yesterday my TA said Celebrity is now saying the Balcony I booked was actualy an upgraded Ocean view price, therefore with the 'special Ocenview upgrade' price I don't get the 123Go money ($288 in gratuities and $300 OBC) The TA is appealing and says I'll know in 7-10 days. There was nothing indicating any 'special' pricing when I booked it and it wasn't until after I also booked my airfare and transfers with Celebrity directly that they came back and told my TA that I don't qualify. Bait and switch anyone:rolleyes: I guess My Captian's club 'Select' status got me 'select'ed to get suckered. Celebrity might do the right thing and honor the price and promotions I agreed to pay for eventually, but it's just frustrating right now. Never had this happen in 30 cruises and used this TA for many of them. So hold your breath if you go for the 123Go special, it sounds like Celebrity looks for any loophole to get out of honoring it. In my case it was the price quoted for a balcony was actually a special upgraded ocen view even though that wasn't stated anywhere that a customer could see.

[Johnny Heedless]

I thought I was getting the 123Go special when I booked a balcony for a 12day med cruise in august on Monday. The TA's site had the balcony prices and I took the cheapest balcony (2C on Silhouette), TA said it came with the special, paid my deposit and in the evening booked my airfare and transfer though Celebrity Choice Air. All charges (Air, transfer, deposit) are now on my Credit Card and yesterday my TA said Celebrity is now saying the Balcony I booked was actualy an upgraded Ocean view price, therefore with the 'special Ocenview upgrade' price I don't get the 123Go money ($288 in gratuities and $300 OBC) The TA is appealing and says I'll know in 7-10 days. There was nothing indicating any 'special' pricing when I booked it and it wasn't until after I also booked my airfare and transfers with Celebrity directly that they came back and told my TA that I don't qualify. Bait and switch anyone:rolleyes: I guess My Captian's club 'Select' status got me 'select'ed to get suckered. Celebrity might do the right thing and honor the price and promotions I agreed to pay for eventually, but it's just frustrating right now. Never had this happen in 30 cruises and used this TA for many of them. So hold your breath if you go for the 123Go special, it sounds like Celebrity looks for any loophole to get out of honoring it. In my case it was the price quoted for a balcony was actually a special upgraded ocen view even though that wasn't stated anywhere that a customer could see.

 

You're blaming Celebrity for this? Really?

 

IMHO, your TA screwed you by not knowing the very clear terms of the 1-2-3 promotion. Celebrity clearly spells it out in every single 1-2-3 advertisement I've seen:

 

Offer requires ocean view or higher stateroom booking at the non-discounted standard cruise fare. Offer cannot be combined with any other offer, promotion or price program.

 

If you're TA failed to read the clear terms of the 1-2-3 promotion, then the failed at their job. Your ire should be directed at your TA, not Celebrity.

[RickT]

I was in the OP's position last year when looking at an Adriatic cruise in August. Each time the 1,2,3 Go promo appeared I looked long and hard at the pricing and tried to decide if it was worth pulling the trigger or waiting until a better price (with or without the 1,2,3 Go) came along.

 

We found that after the 1,2,3 Go was removed the price changed very little. It wasn't until after final payment date that we saw some decent price drops and found a price that suited us even though it didn't have the 1,2,3 Go. When we added up the cost of the cruise along with our bar bill (we would have chosen the drink package) we wound up saving over $1,500 from what we would have paid earlier in the year.

 

As LSimon says however, EVERYTHING depends on how well the cruise is selling.

 

If this is a cruise you absolutely want to do and you feel the price is OK, probably worth going for it. If you are like me last year and can live without doing it and are willing to wait and see, that too is a good option. It all depends on your preference.

 

Unfortunately with you being from the UK, once you make a decision you have to live with it. Luckily I can book a cruise and cancel with no penalty up until the date of final payment (perhaps you need to find a NA TA and hedge your bets?).

[RickT]

I thought I was getting the 123Go special when I booked a balcony for a 12day med cruise in august on Monday. The TA's site had the balcony prices and I took the cheapest balcony (2C on Silhouette), TA said it came with the special, paid my deposit and in the evening booked my airfare and transfer though Celebrity Choice Air. All charges (Air, transfer, deposit) are now on my Credit Card and yesterday my TA said Celebrity is now saying the Balcony I booked was actualy an upgraded Ocean view price, therefore with the 'special Ocenview upgrade' price I don't get the 123Go money ($288 in gratuities and $300 OBC) The TA is appealing and says I'll know in 7-10 days. There was nothing indicating any 'special' pricing when I booked it and it wasn't until after I also booked my airfare and transfers with Celebrity directly that they came back and told my TA that I don't qualify. Bait and switch anyone:rolleyes: I guess My Captian's club 'Select' status got me 'select'ed to get suckered. Celebrity might do the right thing and honor the price and promotions I agreed to pay for eventually, but it's just frustrating right now. Never had this happen in 30 cruises and used this TA for many of them. So hold your breath if you go for the 123Go special, it sounds like Celebrity looks for any loophole to get out of honoring it. In my case it was the price quoted for a balcony was actually a special upgraded ocen view even though that wasn't stated anywhere that a customer could see.

 

I agree with Johnny Heedless, the person at fault here is your TA. Like it or not Celebrity has a lot of different pricing options, some of which include the 1,2,3 Go promo and some which don't (resident rates, some guarantees, etc). It's up to your TA to know the difference and advise accordingly. You state your TA said it came with the special... it's time for your TA to find a way to honour that offer. Hopefully you have something in writing from your TA. If not I think you are out of luck and may need to find a new TA.

 

The past 3 booking I've made were with Celebrity and a TA (1 direct and 2 with the TA) and both clearly stated what I was and was not entitled to. Good luck and hope things work out.

Edited February 26, 2014 by RickT

[Lsimon]

I thought I was getting the 123Go special when I booked a balcony...

...my TA said Celebrity is now saying the Balcony I booked was actualy an upgraded Ocean view price...

...I guess My Captian's club 'Select' status got me 'select'ed to get suckered....

 

If this TA is blaming this on the Captain's Club upgrades then they are wrong as those one category upgrades only apply within a category so they can't effect prices between an Oceanview and Balcony categories.

 

It is the TA's responsibility to make sure that a booking qualifies for the special they say it does and if your TA didn't do this they are negligent. I know this might be easier said then done but your TA needs to get you the promo they sold you regardless of whether they get it from Celebrity or pay for it out of their own pocket.

Edited February 26, 2014 by Lsimon

[joecleveland]

You're blaming Celebrity for this? Really?

 

IMHO, your TA screwed you by not knowing the very clear terms of the 1-2-3 promotion. Celebrity clearly spells it out in every single 1-2-3 advertisement I've seen:

 

 

 

If you're TA failed to read the clear terms of the 1-2-3 promotion, then the failed at their job. Your ire should be directed at your TA, not Celebrity.

 

Yes, really, are you 'really' surprised? There was nowhere it said this was a discounted price, Celebrity accepted my deposit, my airfare charges, my transfer charges, my credit card says 'Celebrity Cruises' as the payee, The TA is as surprised as I am. There was no 'special pricing code' on the quote to indicate I wouln't get the 123Go promotion. I'll await the appeal before I blast either Celebrity or the TA for what appears to me might be a bait and switch situation. The TA and Celebrity may even be 'in cahoots' :D

[attilamom1217]

We booked our last cruise (Jan 2014) when 123Go was offered last April. Within 3 months after we booked, the price for our cabin went up by $450/person. There was a little fluctuation up and down for some of the categories; however, for the most part, the price stayed up there even up until the end.

 

My advice is - if you believe you are getting a good price for the cabin you want, then book your cruise. I know that some of the rules are different outside the USA for changing your booking for price decreases, but you don't know if the price will go up. It is a gamble, but only you can decide if the current price is okay with you.

[joecleveland]

The past 3 booking I've made were with Celebrity and a TA (1 direct and 2 with the TA) and both clearly stated what I was and was not entitled to. Good luck and hope things work out.

 

My booking summary after making the deposit payment to Celebrity includes this :

Selected Promotions

1. FREE GRATUITIES PLUS ONBOARD CREDIT (Oceanview & Above)
   Valid new bookings only. Receive pre-paid gratuities for 2, a value of up to $30 per day. Onboard credit is per stateroom based on double occupancy as follows: 3-5 nights: $100; 6-9 nights: $200; 10+ nights: $300. Plus, 3rd/4th guests sharing stateroom receive a classic non-alcoholic beverage package valued at $16.10 per day/per person and a 38 minute internet package, a value of $24.95 per person.
   

The room is:

Stateroom Details: Category 2C Deluxe Ocean View Stateroom with Veranda+ (Balcony)

 

I

To anothger poster: I never even inquired about the category upgrade due to my Select staus, but if they don't give me the promotions I will, but I read elswhere you can't upgrade from a 2C to higher using the Captain's Club benefit.

[jkgourmet]

I think it is a case of paying your money and taking your chances, we are considering 1 of the wine cruises, it is currently £699pp for inside but to take advantage of 123 Go you need to book Ocean view or above at £1049pp. Therefore you are self financing to a point, unless of course you would book Ocean view or above anyway, which we typically do not. The question is; will there be a glut of inside cabins available because the majority have taken advantage of 123 Go?

 

A little off topic (my apologies), but what/when are "the two wine cruises"?

 

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[yorkshirephil]

A little off topic (my apologies), but what/when are "the two wine cruises"?

 

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There are 3 Immersive wine cruises from Harwich on Infinity; 08 and 18-Sept 2014 and 01-Oct-2014

[iancal]

We have done 3 Med cruises in the past 2 years. Two were booking inside the cancellation period, one was booking just outside this date. All three were Tuesday specials.

 

My advice would be to understand the pricing on one or two cruise lines-net of all freebees/incentives. Determine what monetary value the 123 package is to you. Then decide on a bottom line 'strike' price. If your price hits, book. This is what we have done for a few years now and on numerous cruises/cruise lines. As an example, our strike price for a balcony is often $100 US per day per person net of all TA rebates/obc's. I think waiting for the lowest price is a mugs game because you may end up not going or in a cabin that is not your preference.

 

We have had some wonderful cruises by following this method. We have also found that for us, air prices are not necessarily better 6 months out. We have had some very attractive air at 30-60 days out. As always, air and cruise fares always come down to supply and demand.

[rubydoobydoo]

My booking summary after making the deposit payment to Celebrity includes this :

Selected Promotions

1. FREE GRATUITIES PLUS ONBOARD CREDIT (Oceanview & Above)
   Valid new bookings only. Receive pre-paid gratuities for 2, a value of up to $30 per day. Onboard credit is per stateroom based on double occupancy as follows: 3-5 nights: $100; 6-9 nights: $200; 10+ nights: $300. Plus, 3rd/4th guests sharing stateroom receive a classic non-alcoholic beverage package valued at $16.10 per day/per person and a 38 minute internet package, a value of $24.95 per person.
   

The room is:

Stateroom Details: Category 2C Deluxe Ocean View Stateroom with Veranda+ (Balcony)

 

 

 

 

I

To anothger poster: I never even inquired about the category upgrade due to my Select staus, but if they don't give me the promotions I will, but I read elswhere you can't upgrade from a 2C to higher using the Captain's Club benefit.

 

 

 

If the package is available on ocean view or above then surely you are covered ?

 

You have been upgraded to a balcony but even if you hadn't you would have still qualified wouldn't you, I am confused

[joecleveland]

If the package is available on ocean view or above then surely you are covered ?

 

You have been upgraded to a balcony but even if you hadn't you would have still qualified wouldn't you, I am confused

 

There's a half a page of small print that contains a line that it cannot be on a discounted rate. I guess that's a loophole that means that any rate that is even a penny lower than the rate you find on the Celebrity site is disqualified. So when you go to a TA website and look at the rates posted and it states the 123Go promotion is applicable, you're expected to compare the price to the 'official' Celebrity price at the time to make sure they match. I guess they're saying if you want the promotion book at their site, why pay the same price elsewhere. ;) I'll wait for the official reply to the appeal my TA made since the price he charged wasn't discounted for him, it was the price the company authorized him to charge and it sounds like Celebrity authorized that price but never said it was 'discounted' but after the fact said it was some kind of a special upgrade to an ocean view rate (which also didn't match the ocean view rates.) Yeah, I don't understand it all either, 7-10 days , can hardly wait :rolleyes:

[insidecabin]

The US Tues 1 day specials GTY rates are often really good and better than the senior rate.

 

Last year picked up silhouette 13n Aqua for $999+ , £810pp inclusive on the CC.

 

Paid for the beverage and got some OBC from the US TA.

 

Problem is these GTY rates don't show up on that tracking web site.

[iancal]

Absolutley. We check the Tuesday specials every week. You never know.

 

It also seems to me that on top of the Tuesday special we were also able to get a $100 OBC or reduction because the cruise was on one of those Captains Club special offers.

[rubydoobydoo]

There's a half a page of small print that contains a line that it cannot be on a discounted rate. I guess that's a loophole that means that any rate that is even a penny lower than the rate you find on the Celebrity site is disqualified. So when you go to a TA website and look at the rates posted and it states the 123Go promotion is applicable, you're expected to compare the price to the 'official' Celebrity price at the time to make sure they match. I guess they're saying if you want the promotion book at their site, why pay the same price elsewhere. ;) I'll wait for the official reply to the appeal my TA made since the price he charged wasn't discounted for him, it was the price the company authorized him to charge and it sounds like Celebrity authorized that price but never said it was 'discounted' but after the fact said it was some kind of a special upgrade to an ocean view rate (which also didn't match the ocean view rates.) Yeah, I don't understand it all either, 7-10 days , can hardly wait :rolleyes:

 

Makes sense now, we just paid £685 for a balcony on Eclipse to the Fjords in May so we did not qualify for the 123 offer

It is a bit naughty though as the TA advertise the 123 offer along side the lower rates, I assumed we didn't get it because we booked a Guarantee cabin, but if we had chosen our cabin and just got a lower price I would have thought I would have been able to have it, I will remember that in future