UK booking through US agents?

[mickey89]

We were booked with a U.S. Agent as usual and when the price dropped, I called to ask for the reduction , there has never been a problem in the past. I was told things have changed and now you are required to cancel and rebook, unfortunately loosing any perks from the previous booking. The new booking although cheaper would have had worse perks, so we kept as we was.

 

 

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Perks have always been an integral part of the cruise price, seldomly truly free and are always reflected in the price. You can't expect your cake and eat it !

[villauk]

We were booked with a U.S. Agent as usual and when the price dropped, I called to ask for the reduction , there has never been a problem in the past. I was told things have changed and now you are required to cancel and rebook, unfortunately loosing any perks from the previous booking. The new booking although cheaper would have had worse perks, so we kept as we was.

 

 

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It depends what current offers are available on the new lower price. If the perks are not offered on the new price, then you have to decide what works better for you: old booking with better perks or new booking with a lower price. That is the deal. You can't have both unless the current promotion offers both ;).

 

No different from the way it's always been, it's just that you've probably not noticed previously as there were not so many different promotions linked to the bookings i.e. it used to be a price for the cruise only (pre 123GO, evergreen etc.) and when that fluctuated, you were able to take advantage of any available price drops, and your TA would adjust any OBC from them on the lower price.

Edited July 19, 2015 by villauk

[Essexlass2]

Thank you for all the many very interesting replies. Can someone please say what the 123GO is as I've not heard of that? We'll definitely go for a US agent.

[MR_T]

Thank you for all the many very interesting replies. Can someone please say what the 123GO is as I've not heard of that? We'll definitely go for a US agent.

 

 

That was a recent promotion that's been around on & off for a couple of years... But that's now stopped and taken over by the current one for booking made via America...

[Essexlass2]

That was a recent promotion that's been around on & off for a couple of years... But that's now stopped and taken over by the current one for booking made via America...

 

Oh OK, thanks :)

[Eloise4Ever]

I'm taking my first Celebrity cruise next month. I booked direct and the agent's name appears on my booking and she said that if I book another cruise on board, it will automatically be assigned to her.

 

I do use a US TA for Disney cruises, but haven't checked out how good she would be for Celebrity.

 

If I book on board, can I have the Celebrity Agent's name deleted to give me the time to have it re-assigned to a US TA?

 

Also, I had assumed that my new intended cruise will be priced up in £ sterling and not in US $. How would that work if I changed the booking? Can you ask, when booking on board to have your booking prepared as a US booking if that is better?

 

Thanks.

 

Unfortunately, based on our recent experience of booking onboard, you will not be able to make a U.S. booking if the sailing you are currently on was booked either with Celebrity UK or a UK travel agent. The cruise we were on was booked direct with Celebrity UK. We were planning to make our first onboard booking and wanted to make it in U.S. dollars with a view to transferring the booking to a U.S. TA shortly thereafter. The cruise consultant told us this would not be possible as onboard bookings can only be booked in the same currency as the booking for the current cruise. We went ahead with the booking anyway as the price at the time was a bit cheaper than the dollar price plus we got the beverage package included which we wouldn't have got for our particular cruise if booking on land. The deposit was also minuscule and matched by OBC for the current cruise. So, still a good deal in our case and maybe in yours. Just make sure you do lots of research to see which is more beneficial financially in your case.

[mrsgoggins]

Thank you very much for sharing your experience Eloise4Ever. I am not really surprised that this is the case, but good to know in advance. Yes, I am definitely taking all my research with me to work out if I'm happy with the offering.

[MR_T]

Unfortunately, based on our recent experience of booking onboard, you will not be able to make a U.S. booking if the sailing you are currently on was booked either with Celebrity UK or a UK travel agent. The cruise we were on was booked direct with Celebrity UK. We were planning to make our first onboard booking and wanted to make it in U.S. dollars with a view to transferring the booking to a U.S. TA shortly thereafter. The cruise consultant told us this would not be possible as onboard bookings can only be booked in the same currency as the booking for the current cruise. We went ahead with the booking anyway as the price at the time was a bit cheaper than the dollar price plus we got the beverage package included which we wouldn't have got for our particular cruise if booking on land. The deposit was also minuscule and matched by OBC for the current cruise. So, still a good deal in our case and maybe in yours. Just make sure you do lots of research to see which is more beneficial financially in your case.

 

 

How recent was this? As we booked a cruise onboard the eclipse in May (which I booked direct with celebrity uk & transferred to a uk agent) and booked the new booking in dollars...

Edited July 20, 2015 by MR_T

[Eloise4Ever]

It was on the Equinox on May 9th this year. We happened to be dealing with the Manager. I wouldn't be at all surprised if this is another Celebrity inconsistency. Perhaps mrsgoggins will tell us how she gets on.

[MR_T]

It was on the Equinox on May 9th this year. We happened to be dealing with the Manager. I wouldn't be at all surprised if this is another Celebrity inconsistency. Perhaps mrsgoggins will tell us how she gets on.

 

 

How funny... Ours was eclipse 9th may! I actually booked 2 cruises with dollars...

[mrsgoggins]

It was on the Equinox on May 9th this year. We happened to be dealing with the Manager. I wouldn't be at all surprised if this is another Celebrity inconsistency. Perhaps mrsgoggins will tell us how she gets on.

 

I most certainly will :). I'll be along with my update in September.

[villauk]

Unfortunately, based on our recent experience of booking onboard, you will not be able to make a U.S. booking if the sailing you are currently on was booked either with Celebrity UK or a UK travel agent. The cruise we were on was booked direct with Celebrity UK. We were planning to make our first onboard booking and wanted to make it in U.S. dollars with a view to transferring the booking to a U.S. TA shortly thereafter. The cruise consultant told us this would not be possible as onboard bookings can only be booked in the same currency as the booking for the current cruise. We went ahead with the booking anyway as the price at the time was a bit cheaper than the dollar price plus we got the beverage package included which we wouldn't have got for our particular cruise if booking on land. The deposit was also minuscule and matched by OBC for the current cruise. So, still a good deal in our case and maybe in yours. Just make sure you do lots of research to see which is more beneficial financially in your case.

 

Just a thought, but it's probably because you wanted to make the booking to X US, which some FCC can be unwilling to do. If you had had all the details for the US TA you wished to transfer the booking to, they appear to be more amenable. Things may have changed, but with Mr T confirming that he was successful on the same sailing suggests that they are still allowing this.

 

Mr T did you make the onboard booking directly to your US TA or to X US? Also, did you complete the form requesting the change of TA (which usually happens)?