Celebrity Senior Rate discount?

[Pet]

I would be grateful if someone could explain how the senior rate (55+) discount works in practice as there doesn’t appear to be much on the Celebrity website?

The reason I ask (bear with me) is that towards the end of May I selected a cruise on Celebrity Constellation sailing in November 2014 and approached three UK cruise TAs for a quote for a Celebrity Suite by phone or email. The price offered by each for the cruise only element was roughly the same. None of the TAs asked me whether we were aged 55+ in order to provide the quotes, or mentioned that Celebrity was offering the “World of Extra’s” incentives for selected cruises booked prior to 2 June. I selected my preferred agent and booked the cruise. The following day I became aware of the World of Extras offer on the Celebrity’s website and saw that the cruise I had just booked was included as one eligible for either $300obc or beverage package. I contacted my TA who, after speaking to Celebrity, advised me that Celebrity had not offered the WofE incentives when providing the quote because they had included the senior rate discount of £250pp instead. I found this puzzling because they didn’t ask our ages (although Celebrity may have been able to check these as previous cruisers) and secondly why offer an incentive that doesn’t appear to apply for those over 55+? :confused:

[Orator]

I would be grateful if someone could explain how the senior rate (55+) discount works in practice as there doesn’t appear to be much on the Celebrity website?

The reason I ask (bear with me) is that towards the end of May I selected a cruise on Celebrity Constellation sailing in November 2014 and approached three UK cruise TAs for a quote for a Celebrity Suite by phone or email. The price offered by each for the cruise only element was roughly the same. None of the TAs asked me whether we were aged 55+ in order to provide the quotes, or mentioned that Celebrity was offering the “World of Extra’s” incentives for selected cruises booked prior to 2 June. I selected my preferred agent and booked the cruise. The following day I became aware of the World of Extras offer on the Celebrity’s website and saw that the cruise I had just booked was included as one eligible for either $300obc or beverage package. I contacted my TA who, after speaking to Celebrity, advised me that Celebrity had not offered the WofE incentives when providing the quote because they had included the senior rate discount of £250pp instead. I found this puzzling because they didn’t ask our ages (although Celebrity may have been able to check these as previous cruisers) and secondly why offer an incentive that doesn’t appear to apply for those over 55+? :confused:

 

Rules in UK may differ from those in US. Under normal conditions you may take only 1 special offer. he exception is if the promotions are combinable. In this case apparently they were not. It's either/or: The "World of Extras" or the Senior rate reductions. I try to calculate what works best for me. Your TA should have explained this to you.

[Suzy Smith]

Can I suggest a possible reason that his has happened. Celebrity would know your ages if you have booked with them previously and if the TAs were aware that you were looking for the lowest possible price for your cruise, then the senior discount would give you that (although it may not actually be the best value from your point of view).

 

The various promotions cannot normally be combined and I am sorry that you feel you have the wrong promo this time. Do you know what the full price of your cruise would be without the senior discount? If the discount is worth more than the $300 OBC or more than you usually spend on drinks (not the advertised purchase price of the drinks package) then you are still ahead.:)

[Suzy Smith]

Sorry - have just re-read your post and realised you mentioned you have £250 pp discount. That is certainly worth more than the $300 OBC. The only question is whether you would normally spend £500 on drinks during a cruise. We would not spend that much (now that we are seniors, we can't drink like we used to;)), so from our point of view, what you have is quite a good deal. If you feel you would make fuller use of a drinks package, would Celebrity let you pay the full cruise price and have the package or is it too late to do that now?

Edited June 4, 2014 by Suzy Smith

[Gilpet]

We are first time Celebrity cruisers and both over 55. Can anybody tell me if the senior rate available on all cruises or just selected ones? Also is it still available if you book a "guarantee"?

 

Thanks

 

Gill

Edited June 4, 2014 by Gilpet

[CathyCruises]

The senior rate is a special rate that is sometimes offered--just as a resident rate may be. Frequently there are no senior rates at all on cruises that are selling well. And I've never seen a combo of senior and guarantee--one or the other.

Edited June 4, 2014 by CathyCruises

[stevea36]

We are first time Celebrity cruisers and both over 55. Can anybody tell me if the senior rate available on all cruises or just selected ones? Also is it still available if you book a "guarantee"?

 

Thanks

 

Gill

 

As with most cruise lines, senior rates are only available on select cruises and at select times. Yes, I have seen (and booked) a guarantee with a senior discount.

 

Steve

[BEAV]

We are first time Celebrity cruisers and both over 55. Can anybody tell me if the senior rate available on all cruises or just selected ones? Also is it still available if you book a "guarantee"?

 

Thanks

 

Gill

 

Whenever you search sailings on the Celebrity website, be sure and check the box "over 55". If you do that, and there's a senior rate available, it will display in your fare search.

 

While there are exceptions, I find senior rates are generally offered after traditional final payment time, and rarely before. Senior rates are just another form of liquidating unsold space Celebrity is looking to move on a given sailing. And they are generally not combinable with promotions, such as the current 123GO, etc. So if both a senior rate and a promo is offered on a sailing you're interested in, you've got to do the math to determine which route is the best way to go.

Edited June 4, 2014 by BEAV

[pris993]

We are elite on Celebrity, never have gotten the senior rate, so it is not that common.

[BEAV]

We are elite on Celebrity, never have gotten the senior rate, so it is not that common.

 

Keep in mind that if a particular sailing offers a senior rate, it's not necessarily offered in every category from inside to Penthouse, but rather a few, specific, select categories.

[Big_G]

We nabbed senior rates on our Reflection back in March and our upcoming Summit but they were both last minute bookings probably made within 30 days of sailing. Strangely enough we also got a senior rate on our RCI Independence sailing in February.

[Gilpet]

Thanks for your answers everybody, it sounds like I'm not very likely to come across this lol.

 

Gill

[wallie5446]

Thanks for your answers everybody, it sounds like I'm not very likely to come across this lol.

 

Gill

By your history you are C&A Diamond, right? If you booked thru the same Person as always, they know thru the years what your ages are. So if there was a 55+ discount available, if they are a good agent! have probably applied it when they did the booking. Just an observation.

[royalcruz]

We are first time Celebrity cruisers and both over 55. Can anybody tell me if the senior rate available on all cruises or just selected ones? ....

 

Thanks

 

Gill

We are usually offered a senior rate or FL resident rate when we sail in the first half of December or January.

[J&B in GA]

We recently cruised on the Summit in a Sky Suite and received a senior rate just a few weeks prior to final payment. We could not combine it with the Pick 4 promotion at the time, but as we saved about $450/person, the senior rate was a better deal than the price of a classic beverage package for a 7 day cruise. I just used the savings to purchase the drinks pkg we wanted directly on their website.

 

On our next Celebrity Cruise, which we booked on board, we both received the classic beverage pkg as part of the 123GO on-board promotion, as the senior rate, although available, only would have saved us about $100/person on a verandah cabin. As this is a nine day cruise, the cost of the classic beverage pkg would have been much more expensive, approx. $500/person with tip, so went with the standard rate. A couple days ago received an email about a residency rate for Georgia, would have saved us another $160/person, but we would lose the classic beverage pkg, so didn't make the change.

 

It's all about choices, so do the math and book the rate that's best for you !

Edited June 5, 2014 by J&B in GA

[Orator]

The OP has vented and has disappeared. Hope that our comments helped them to understand the situation.