New Celebrity Bundle Pricing (Go! Big, Go! Better, Go! Best)

[MicCanberra]

Nice demographic.:D

[PatC]

We booked the , April Eclipse a year ago at least and our TA got us the beverage package in the 1A. We are happy with the cabin and I only checked to see if it would work. Didn't.

 

We booked on board Summit this past May and got Summit for next June to Bermuda with all 3, aft concierge cabin, grats., beverage package, $300 on board credit and $150 additional for booking on board. Won't be seeing that price ever again.

 

We booked Equinox for January, 2017 with all perks plus $150 obc for booking on board. Can't beat that price either. Our TA also passes perks on to us.

 

I hope Celebrity sees their errors in this pricing change. We might book a cabin but will never add the perks. We are Elite Plus and get enough internet minutes and laundry to get us thru any length of a cruise.

 

Good luck everyone!

 

Pat C

[CathyCruises]

For those of you who've been cruising for a while, think back to before 2008 and what prices were like then and then what happened after the economy crashed. Prices really plummeted. And now they're working their way back up again.

 

As far as shareholder OBC is concerned, since I always book cruises that don't qualify for any perk, it's come in really handy for us. But I bought it a long time ago when it was about 30, but before it went down to nine!! I think at this point we've probably gotten back our original investment in OBC over the years. But I don't think I'd buy it today if I didn't already own it.

[minz56]

Those people that booked a cruise prior to BBB with the 'all inclusive' package for Concierge and above got a VERY good deal. It doesn't surprise me that X have now effectively pulled that deal with the BBB pricing.

 

The winners with BBB would seem to be those that want unlimited Internet, and solos who will get $300 OBC with Big and can then purchase a Bevvy package for $15 p/day using Better. Otherwise you need to do the math carefully!

[ptrpanpens]

Those people that booked a cruise prior to BBB with the 'all inclusive' package for Concierge and above got a VERY good deal. It doesn't surprise me that X have now effectively pulled that deal with the BBB pricing.

 

The winners with BBB would seem to be those that want unlimited Internet, and solos who will get $300 OBC with Big and can then purchase a Bevvy package for $15 p/day using Better. Otherwise you need to do the math carefully!

 

Solos pay 200% for their cruise so I dont know if I would call $300 OBC a good deal or just the fair thing to do. I would rather have the lowest price without the perks anyway. It lowers the insurance cost and also the amount of money you will lose should you have to cancel for a non covered reason. The drink package is worthless to me because I rarely drink alcohol or specialty drinks beyond what I get as Elite.

[ORV]

We booked the , April Eclipse a year ago at least and our TA got us the beverage package in the 1A. We are happy with the cabin and I only checked to see if it would work. Didn't.

 

We booked on board Summit this past May and got Summit for next June to Bermuda with all 3, aft concierge cabin, grats., beverage package, $300 on board credit and $150 additional for booking on board. Won't be seeing that price ever again.

 

We booked Equinox for January, 2017 with all perks plus $150 obc for booking on board. Can't beat that price either. Our TA also passes perks on to us.

 

I hope Celebrity sees their errors in this pricing change. We might book a cabin but will never add the perks. We are Elite Plus and get enough internet minutes and laundry to get us thru any length of a cruise.

 

Good luck everyone!

 

Pat C

 

Has it occurred to you that perhaps the powers that be don't consider this an error. Time will tell if they are right or wrong.

 

Those people that booked a cruise prior to BBB with the 'all inclusive' package for Concierge and above got a VERY good deal. It doesn't surprise me that X have now effectively pulled that deal with the BBB pricing.

 

The winners with BBB would seem to be those that want unlimited Internet, and solos who will get $300 OBC with Big and can then purchase a Bevvy package for $15 p/day using Better. Otherwise you need to do the math carefully!

 

Yes, I mentioned about 5 pages back that those that booked under the Concierge & above All In with 3 perks will find that the new pricing is nowhere remotely close. So far everyone that has mentioned they booked under that promo has reinforced that.

Edited July 10, 2015 by ORV

[Redtravel]

I don't drink, use internet seldom, don't use the spa, and often do not book excursions. I prefer a basic fare with adding for the few extras that I choose to buy. I am elite plus. As elite plus, I may use some of the perks....internet, coffees and teas, and laundry. I also like the morning and early evening events. With the recent increase and bundle prices, I am uncertain that Celebrity suits me. For me, the only perk that I would include is the tips.

[maggie.1008]

I am concerned that our Elite Plus perks are not worth much anymore.

[MicCanberra]

My observations for this on my cruises.

For those who have stated that their cruise prices have increased considerably, I have found that depending on the cruise, that quite often the prices rise considerably even with out sales or promos this this one.

We have had several cruises booked in and all of them had increased by at least $500 per person and one of them by $1000 per person since we purchased them. Since the BBB promo those prices haven't changed for BIG although there is further increase for the Better and Best prices.

Most cruises tend to have a start price that increase as cabins sell and then it drops again for the last minute sales, but often not lower than the start price.:D

[richsea]

I am concerned that our Elite Plus perks are not worth much anymore.

 

Why do you feel they are not worth much? Why not just find a sailing priced comfortably for you, book the Big, take the OBC, & you don't have to worry about drinks & Internet because of the Elite Plus perks. You also still get the laundry & other coupons such a bingo, casino.

[The_Big_M]

I missed the part where the BBB pricing goes away after final payment. Do you have a link to that?

 

Edit, from the FAQ concerning this promo;

 

"Can I book this pricing at any time?

You can book this pricing until 10 days prior to sailing."

 

As you say, it doesn't go away.

 

It doesn't apply to guarantee rates, and some other specials. These are more prevelant after final payment, but don't always exist, so there's no guarantee. Just a risk you take, so depends whether saving 2-300 is worth that risk.

[MicCanberra]

Why do you feel they are not worth much? Why not just find a sailing priced comfortably for you, book the Big, take the OBC, & you don't have to worry about drinks & Internet because of the Elite Plus perks. You also still get the laundry & other coupons such a bingo, casino.

 

That is what I was thinking.:D

[chamima]

I have a question that I don't think anyone has brought up yet.

We usually book our cruises WAY in advance.

Let's say I book a cruise for 2017 (or 2018 in the future). I book with Go Big.

Just before final payment I decide I want Go Better (or even Go Best) .

Since the pattern for our winter cruises has been that the prices only go up as they get closer, will my initial price hold?

Saying it another way - if I add the Go Better or Go Best on a booked cruise when the price has gone up from my initial booking will I be adding the $15/pp (or $45) or will I need to re fare?

 

 

(Or conversely , if I book with Go Best and want to downgrade to Go Big will I need to re fare at current rates or will they just lower our fare by $45/pp/per day?)

Edited July 10, 2015 by chamima

[If only]

I have a question that I don't think anyone has brought up yet.

We usually book our cruises WAY in advance.

Let's say I book a cruise for 2017 (or 2018 in the future). I book with Go Big.

Just before final payment I decide I want Go Better (or even Go Best) .

Since the pattern for our winter cruises has been that the prices only go up as they get closer, will my initial price hold?

Saying it another way - if I add the Go Better or Go Best on a booked cruise when the price has gone up from my initial booking will I be adding the $15/pp (or $45) or will I need to re fare?

 

If you want to change to Go Better or Go Best you would have to re fare but you could always add on the other's individually & not change the package name.

Example if you take the Beverage package with the Go Big you can still pay for Gratuities & upgrade to Premium package before you go.

That is my take on it.

Edited July 10, 2015 by If only

[OBX-Cruisers]

I understand your example of how cruise prices can rise over time especially when you purchased many months or years prior.....although you did not give specific timings.

 

In my personal example posted earlier in the thread, I compared my experience with an Aqua 2 cabin I booked in early June, 2015 with the same cabin/class next door now.

There is a $980 pp difference now when similar perks are added in to match my booking with 1,2,3 Go. Whether that is due to good timing in June or the effect of the new BBB program is impossible to say until we get more examples of similar bookings within a time span within 2015 under the two programs.

 

Overall I see Celebrity prices rising outside my personal comfort zone regardless of the level of perks chosen. Celebrity is a GREAT cruise line with Excellent crew members, but HAL, Princess and RCI can be more economical and are comparable in services if ships and itineraries are chosen carefully with CC as a great resource in that quest.

 

My observations for this on my cruises.

For those who have stated that their cruise prices have increased considerably, I have found that depending on the cruise, that quite often the prices rise considerably even with out sales or promos this this one.

We have had several cruises booked in and all of them had increased by at least $500 per person and one of them by $1000 per person since we purchased them. Since the BBB promo those prices haven't changed for BIG although there is further increase for the Better and Best prices.

Most cruises tend to have a start price that increase as cabins sell and then it drops again for the last minute sales, but often not lower than the start price.:D

[rockdoctor]

WRT refaring, if you attempt to refare in a closed category, my understanding is that the cancelled booking goes to the person at the top of the wait-list.

[judatt]

You would have to kill me because I would never agree to those terms. I noticed that Princess has finally caught on to the drink package perk when booking. I also noticed that the prices are still reasonable. They were one of the last lines to offer a drink package. I think it's only been available for about a year now. Stay tuned to see if they start bundling.

 

We were just on princess and the non alcohol package was downright cheap. Something like $7 a day I think. Won't last long most likely but we enjoyed it.

[4774Papa]

I have a question that I don't think anyone has brought up yet.

We usually book our cruises WAY in advance.

Let's say I book a cruise for 2017 (or 2018 in the future). I book with Go Big.

Just before final payment I decide I want Go Better (or even Go Best) .

Since the pattern for our winter cruises has been that the prices only go up as they get closer, will my initial price hold?

Saying it another way - if I add the Go Better or Go Best on a booked cruise when the price has gone up from my initial booking will I be adding the $15/pp (or $45) or will I need to re fare?

 

 

(Or conversely , if I book with Go Best and want to downgrade to Go Big will I need to re fare at current rates or will they just lower our fare by $45/pp/per day?)

Karen,

We usually book very early as well. It has paid of for us all but one cruise of 9 (8 taken one booked). We tend to book popular cruises (not Caribbean) in Asia, South America, Australia and Europe.

 

Prices for some of our cruises doubled on a couple of cruises or sold out 9-12 months ahead of the cruise. Only on one cruise (Infininty British Isles 2013) did prices drop some after final payment. Still, on that cruise, we got an up grade from veranda to Aqua.

 

I think if the fare was higher for Better or Best, you probably would have to pay the new fare, however, if you wanted something like more internet, you could just pay for more minutes.

[gsb]

Why do you feel they are not worth much? Why not just find a sailing priced comfortably for you, book the Big, take the OBC, & you don't have to worry about drinks & Internet because of the Elite Plus perks. You also still get the laundry & other coupons such a bingo, casino.

 

Drinks under the Elite(plus) program are very limited and only available for very short periods. If you're serious partiers, the drink package is very nice.;)

[ORV]

From Chamima;

 

I have a question that I don't think anyone has brought up yet.

We usually book our cruises WAY in advance.

Let's say I book a cruise for 2017 (or 2018 in the future). I book with Go Big.

Just before final payment I decide I want Go Better (or even Go Best) .

Since the pattern for our winter cruises has been that the prices only go up as they get closer, will my initial price hold?

 

Saying it another way - if I add the Go Better or Go Best on a booked cruise when the price has gone up from my initial booking will I be adding the $15/pp (or $45) or will I need to re fare?

 

 

(Or conversely , if I book with Go Best and want to downgrade to Go Big will I need to re fare at current rates or will they just lower our fare by $45/pp/per day?)

 

If you want to change to Go Better or Go Best you would have to re fare but you could always add on the other's individually & not change the package name.

Example if you take the Beverage package with the Go Big you can still pay for Gratuities & upgrade to Premium package before you go.

That is my take on it.

 

I'm curious what you're basing this on?

 

I think it would be simply $15 per person per day from the base fare for Better or $45 pp per day for Best. I'm basing my answer from the FAQ on this document;

 

http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/Celebrity/Multi_Dest/Special_Offers/15045079_CEL_Big_Better_Best_FAQ_Overview_Flyer.pdf

 

 

Specifically these two;

Can guests change the amenity chosen of Go Big, Go Better and Go Best?

 

Yes, as long as the guests stays within the same cabin category. If, they change their cabin category, then they would pay prevailing pricing. To make the change, please call Trade Support to facilitate the change.

 

Can guests change from Go Big, Go Better and/ or Go Best?

 

Yes, as long as the guests stays within the same cabin category. If, they change their cabin category, then they would pay prevailing pricing. To make the change, please call Trade Support to facilitate the change.

Edited July 10, 2015 by ORV

[4774Papa]

Drinks under the Elite(plus) program are very limited and only available for very short periods. If you're serious partiers, the drink package is very nice.;)

If you drink all day, it may work for you.

 

We rarely drink before 5pm. Usually, at the happy hour we will have three or four glasses of wine before dinner, then have perhaps another glass or two of wine with dinner.

 

We drink the ship's water and don't but special coffee, so the drink package would be a waste for us.

[Christine Frances]

If you drink all day, it may work for you.

 

We rarely drink before 5pm. Usually, at the happy hour we will have three or four glasses of wine before dinner, then have perhaps another glass or two of wine with dinner.

 

We drink the ship's water and don't but special coffee, so the drink package would be a waste for us.

 

It's hard to have 3-4 glasses of wine at the Happy Hour if you have Early Seating! But I suppose it could be done haha The amount you drink after 5 is about what we drink all day lol:D But we still upgrade to the premium!

Edited July 10, 2015 by Christine Frances

[richsea]

Drinks under the Elite(plus) program are very limited and only available for very short periods. If you're serious partiers, the drink package is very nice.;)

 

So why not use the OBC to supplement drinks that are not part of the CC perks. If one thinks the comped CC drinks are so limited, then they probably didn't think too highly of the CC perks in the first place, so the new program really didn't diminish them much.

[JaneStarr]

WRT refaring, if you attempt to refare in a closed category, my understanding is that the cancelled booking goes to the person at the top of the wait-list.

 

In theory,since this is how it's supposed to work,it's good to keep that possibility in mind.

 

In reality, I don't personally have any examples of the wait-list ever working.

Feels to me like an "imaginary" wait-list or one that the Celebrity computer system doesn't implement properly.

 

Maybe some have had success using the wait-list. It would be great to hear others' experiences with this.

 

I've had at least a couple of times where a wait-listed cabin category became available w/o any kind of notification from Celebrity. I just discovered them when randomly doing mock bookings. I was them able to have my TA switch me over.

 

Jane

[brfan]

Those people that booked a cruise prior to BBB with the 'all inclusive' package for Concierge and above got a VERY good deal. It doesn't surprise me that X have now effectively pulled that deal with the BBB pricing.

 

The winners with BBB would seem to be those that want unlimited Internet, and solos who will get $300 OBC with Big and can then purchase a Bevvy package for $15 p/day using Better. Otherwise you need to do the math carefully!

 

Solos, at least according to the website are being charged double to upgrade. For example I just checked a 5 night cruise in January on the Eclipse the cost to upgrade to Better for two passengers is $90 CAD per person, but for a solo it is $180 CAD. The same for Best (for two $270 CAD per person for a solo $540 CAD). I don't know if it's a glitch in the web site pricing or if Lisa was incorrect in saying that solo won't be paying double for the perks.