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

[hcat]

Perks used to be added much quicker....two weeks max...We recently had to change 2 itins...b/c they cancelled one cruise on us and changed ports on another...while we kept our perks, now I am told I will have to wait until much closer to the sail dates...I was assured they are clearly shown on the Celeb end...

 

Celeb was the cause of our need to make changes.. I call every two weeks to find out if they are added and ask them to expedite this...I get the same answer each time I call, and cannot learn the reason they will not promptly "populate" our perks

 

Guess they will do so eventually but it is irksome!

[MicCanberra]

YES! To reinforce this point, my cruise agent sends me the official Celebrity "Booking Confirmation -- Guest Copy" whenever a change or correction is made to my reservation. Here is a screen shot of the header of my current booking so that you will know exactly what to look for:

 

Note that my agent also sends these when we are booked into one of her groups. The only difference is that there is a group ID listed in parentheses next to our reservation ID.

I hope this saves my fellow cruisers some shipboard grief. :eek:

Jane

Yes, the paperwork is best for showing the evidence in any guest services desk dispute. We always bring ours along, just in case.:D

[dink43k]

Just compared the cruise I have booked next May with 1-2-3 GO vs the ongoing promotion. The difference is huge to say the least. I will wait until this promo is over to book anything new. It is a complete rip-off. I would essentially be paying $1700 for an Internet package. What am I missing?!?:mad::mad::eek:

 

Current cruise booked:

May 9 2016 Equinox Aqua Class A1

1-2-3 GO ALL INCLUSIVE

PPD Grats, Classic Beverage, $600 OBC

Total $5998

 

With current pricing and promotion

Go BIG - $6798

Go BETTER - $7098

Go BEST - $7698

[brfan]

Just compared the cruise I have booked next May with 1-2-3 GO vs the ongoing promotion. The difference is huge to say the least. I will wait until this promo is over to book anything new. It is a complete rip-off. I would essentially be paying $1700 for an Internet package. What am I missing?!?:mad::mad::eek:

 

Current cruise booked:

May 9 2016 Equinox Aqua Class A1

1-2-3 GO ALL INCLUSIVE

PPD Grats, Classic Beverage, $600 OBC

Total $5998

 

With current pricing and promotion

Go BIG - $6798

Go BETTER - $7098

Go BEST - $7698

 

 

As far as I know BBB is not a promotion, but a new way Celebrity is pricing their cruises. So unless something changes with the next deployment, this isn't going to end.

 

However I totally understand how you feel. I priced a cruise at the solo rate and the price difference between an inside and outside was huge. I could buy the premium drink package and possibly either buy some OBC or prepay tips and still be less than what they wanted for an OV.

[midwestchick]

As far as I know BBB is not a promotion, but a new way Celebrity is pricing their cruises. So unless something changes with the next deployment, this isn't going to end.

 

However I totally understand how you feel. I priced a cruise at the solo rate and the price difference between an inside and outside was huge. I could buy the premium drink package and possibly either buy some OBC or prepay tips and still be less than what they wanted for an OV.

 

 

That's the way I'm looking at it too...new pricing structure, but I'm hoping it doesn't work out to X's advantage.

[Nova Scotia cruiser]

I was booked on Reflection dec 5 with one perk. Cancelled booking with X and got a suite on HAL with beverage package for the same price as balcony on X. Since I will never live long enough to reach Elite status, I intend to go where I can get the best bank for my buck. I had my TA price out next years Med cruise under the new pricing....way higher than I paid for 123 go.

[232271]

Just compared the cruise I have booked next May with 1-2-3 GO vs the ongoing promotion. The difference is huge to say the least. I will wait until this promo is over to book anything new. It is a complete rip-off. I would essentially be paying $1700 for an Internet package. What am I missing?!?:mad::mad::eek:

 

Current cruise booked:

May 9 2016 Equinox Aqua Class A1

1-2-3 GO ALL INCLUSIVE

PPD Grats, Classic Beverage, $600 OBC

Total $5998

 

With current pricing and promotion

Go BIG - $6798

Go BETTER - $7098

Go BEST - $7698

 

$600 OBC , that's great! I only have $300, how did you manage that? I am also in an Aqua class room.

Edited July 20, 2015 by 232271

[dink43k]

$600 OBC , that's great! I only have $300, how did you manage that? I am also in an Aqua class room.

 

I booked on board and that was what they were offering.

I'm thinking that my Celebrity days may be coming to an end. I was fine paying a little more for the luxury, but the prices just went from expensive to ridiculous.

[Nova Scotia cruiser]

Hopefully they will come to their senses, although my TA tells me sales are fine....not sure if I believer her!

[dink43k]

As far as I know BBB is not a promotion, but a new way Celebrity is pricing their cruises. So unless something changes with the next deployment, this isn't going to end.

 

However I totally understand how you feel. I priced a cruise at the solo rate and the price difference between an inside and outside was huge. I could buy the premium drink package and possibly either buy some OBC or prepay tips and still be less than what they wanted for an OV.

 

I give up on the pricing structure for BBB.

Assume I pick beverage package for BIG.

My options for BETTER are gratuities, or $300 OBC. The BETTER rate is $300 more, so it seems like a complete wash to me. What is the point?

[hcat]

Hopeful, there will be added incentives along the way...extra obc if you book early, maybe extra obc for booking on bd...guess we will all have to wait & see...

 

and hope they come up with new itins..we'd prefer a few new ports to overnights in the carib at the same old places!

[MicCanberra]

I give up on the pricing structure for BBB.

Assume I pick beverage package for BIG.

My options for BETTER are gratuities, or $300 OBC. The BETTER rate is $300 more, so it seems like a complete wash to me. What is the point?

 

Welcome to Cruise critic. I think this is just the way of the future and it is a new price structure to try and do two things. One is to have prices categories for those who want certain levels of extras and the other is to make money. When things settle down the pricing may become more competitive but I don't envisage it dropping to what it was before.:D

[JaneStarr]

I give up on the pricing structure for BBB.

Assume I pick beverage package for BIG.

My options for BETTER are gratuities, or $300 OBC. The BETTER rate is $300 more, so it seems like a complete wash to me. What is the point?

Actually, how much extra you pay varies by the length of your cruise (since the $15 pp is billed Per Night). On cruises of less than 10 nights, you come out ahead with $300 OBC.

Jane

Edited July 20, 2015 by JaneStarr
for clarity

[The_Big_M]

Hopefully they will come to their senses, although my TA tells me sales are fine....not sure if I believer her!

 

The market stats say the same.

[kathynorth]

Hopefully they will come to their senses, although my TA tells me sales are fine....not sure if I believer her!

 

I recently read that Celebrity is running a contest for TA's to push bookings for Celebrity cruises. I would guess that once the contest ends and bookings slow down that prices will even out to where they were before the new program started.

[ghstudio]

Those who are comparing the current "list" prices to the previous promotional pricing (1-2-3) are comparing apples to oranges. Yes, 1-2-3 was a great deal...but it was a promotion.

 

As far as the current pricing and TA incentive...celebrity hopes that they can maintain the higher prices...that's why they made the change to the fare structure in the first place. Time will tell. Surely there will be special offers, Tuesday Specials and On-Board booking perks...and of course there will continue to be last minute specials on lightly booked cruises irrespective of Fain's wishful assertions. I don't expect much change in the next 30-60 days while they try to figure out how bookings are really going....and take any press releases and sound bytes about how swimmingly well the new pricing is going with a grain of salt.

 

We're not planning on making any bookings until the dust settles....for now, we have 1-2-3 booked on all our celebrity cruises so we'll just hang out on the sidelines.

Edited July 21, 2015 by ghstudio

[chamima]

Those who are comparing the current "list" prices to the previous promotional pricing (1-2-3) are comparing apples to oranges. Yes, 1-2-3 was a great deal...but it was a promotion.

 

As far as the current pricing and TA incentive...celebrity hopes that they can maintain the higher prices...that's why they made the change to the fare structure in the first place. Time will tell. Surely there will be special offers, Tuesday Specials and On-Board booking perks...and of course there will continue to be last minute specials on lightly booked cruises irrespective of Fain's wishful assertions. I don't expect much change in the next 30-60 days while they try to figure out how bookings are really going....and take any press releases and sound bytes about how swimmingly well the new pricing is going with a grain of salt.

 

We're not planning on making any bookings until the dust settles....for now, we have 1-2-3 booked on all our celebrity cruises so we'll just hang out on the sidelines.

 

 

 

Interestingly what they've done (although not intentionally) is to make our 4 future cruises booked with 1,2,3 look like bargains.

I wasn't sure we'd go when I booked - just wanted to have something in the planner - but we're much more likely to not let these bargains slip away. ;) :p

[Boscodog]

Just compared the cruise I have booked next May with 1-2-3 GO vs the ongoing promotion. The difference is huge to say the least. I will wait until this promo is over to book anything new. It is a complete rip-off. I would essentially be paying $1700 for an Internet package. What am I missing?!?:mad::mad::eek:

 

Current cruise booked:

May 9 2016 Equinox Aqua Class A1

1-2-3 GO ALL INCLUSIVE

PPD Grats, Classic Beverage, $600 OBC

Total $5998

 

With current pricing and promotion

Go BIG - $6798

Go BETTER - $7098

Go BEST - $7698

 

I just compared my 10 day Mediterranean Cruise next August in Aqua Class with the 123 Go with Prepaid grats, Classic beverage and $500 OBC Total $6,298.00

 

Go Big -$6,298.00

Go Better - $6,598.00

Go Best - $$7,198.00

 

So if this is booked today the internet would cost $900.00. By the way we received an additional $200 OBC because we were originally booked on a cruise that got chartered.

 

Demand will drive this price increase. If the demand goes down so will the prices.

[ChucktownSteve]

So if this is booked today the internet would cost $900.00.

 

What you failed to say is that even without adding people to the usage of the poor bandwidth, it takes forever to connect. Adding more perk peeps would probably take all cruise just to connect for the added $900 frustration

 

"free" internet isn't a perk to me. What was X thinking by adding so many more users without being able to accommodate them online??????

Edited July 21, 2015 by ChucktownSteve

[Boscodog]

What you failed to say is that even without adding people to the usage of the poor bandwidth, it takes forever to connect. Adding more perk peeps would probably take all cruise just to connect for the added $900 frustration

 

"free" internet isn't a perk to me. What was X thinking by adding so many more users without being able to accommodate them online??????

 

I agree with you, I am not interested in wifi at all. I am going on a cruise to relax and get away from life for a little while.

[MicCanberra]

Interestingly what they've done (although not intentionally) is to make our 4 future cruises booked with 1,2,3 look like bargains.

I wasn't sure we'd go when I booked - just wanted to have something in the planner - but we're much more likely to not let these bargains slip away. ;) :p

 

An interesting take on the situation.

I agree that the new price structure makes any of the cruises booked under the promos look like real bargains but I would have been reluctant to give them up anyway as they were the itineraries that I wanted. Either way X is keeping their existing customers happy with the cruises they had booked but not so much with the ones they may be planning to book.

[prish]

Just compared the cruise I have booked next May with 1-2-3 GO vs the ongoing promotion. The difference is huge to say the least. I will wait until this promo is over to book anything new. It is a complete rip-off. I would essentially be paying $1700 for an Internet package. What am I missing?!?:mad::mad::eek:

 

Current cruise booked:

May 9 2016 Equinox Aqua Class A1

1-2-3 GO ALL INCLUSIVE

PPD Grats, Classic Beverage, $600 OBC

Total $5998

 

With current pricing and promotion

Go BIG - $6798

Go BETTER - $7098

Go BEST - $7698

 

dink43k, we are also on the May 9 Equinox sailing, booked with the 123GO promo this January. We have a 1A cabin with bev pkg, pre-paid grats and $300 OBC, plus another $340 OBC from our TA. The same cabin now costs $1000 more per cabin with just 2 perks:eek::eek::eek:

[Gordoncruickshank]

I guess I am arriving pretty late on this thread. I ignored it as it doesn't apply here until later.

 

According to my calculations if I were to do the "Best" thing for a 14 night cruise it costs $1260 and it saves me $1,277.25 (I get 35% discount on the internet and we usually travel in some sort of suite).

 

If I book a regular cabin it costs me $80

 

It is better for a 7 night cruise as the OBC is the same and the internet saving per day is more.

 

I don't see why anyone would do the "Best" option for a 14 night cruise with that massive saving.

 

On the basis that most are likely to take the Classic Beverage package as pick one that leaves you paying $15 a day on the "better" option to get either $15 obc or gratuities at either $11.50 up to $15 a day. Who is going to do that!!

 

Have I missed something out from these calculation?

[MicCanberra]

I wouldn't think so. It all depends on what you want and if it is worth paying for the extras in better or best and the length of the cruise plays a big part in the equations.:D

[Gordoncruickshank]

I wouldn't think so. It all depends on what you want and if it is worth paying for the extras in better or best and the length of the cruise plays a big part in the equations.:D

 

We would always take the premium package and the unlimited internet. The only benefit of the better package seems to be the internet. If you get a package each currently even with the Elite + discount it is $388.70 for 7 nights and $453.70 for 14 nights for the 2 of us (in practice we normally take one package and share it, but you can only have 1 logged on at a time). The better option costs $210 for 7 nights for 2 people and $420 for 14 nights. Again the savings are very much tilted towards the shorter cruise length.