Are senior discounts gone?

[patty1955]

I was making a mock booking on celebrity.com and wasn't given the opportunity to select "senior". I know the web site is notorious for being a mess, but is it possible they've done away with that discount?

[JaneStarr]

I was making a mock booking on celebrity.com and wasn't given the opportunity to select "senior". I know the web site is notorious for being a mess, but is it possible they've done away with that discount?

They haven't done away with that option, it's just a bit harder to locate on the web-site until you're familiar with where to locate it.

 

After you find the sailing & cabin category you're interested in pricing, click on "View Offers". It will take you to a page listing the various options under Go! Big, Better & Best.

 

Scroll down below that part of the page and click on the plain gray type-face link that says, "Want to see if you qualify for a different discount?"

You will be brought to the familiar page where you indicate your residency, 55+, etc.

Jane

PS You can't combine 55+ or other discounts with the GO! packages.

Edited July 23, 2015 by JaneStarr
To add info

[Janet987]

And check everything that might apply. Some resident rates I have been watching were lower than senior and military. X will give you the best one.

[patty1955]

 

Scroll down below that part of the page and click on the plain gray type-face link that says, "Want to see if you qualify for a different discount?"

You will be brought to the familiar page where you indicate your residency, 55+, etc.

Jane

PS You can't combine 55+ or other discounts with the GO! packages.

I tried what you suggested and, as you said, the options are there. When I click on apply, it shows that I picked "Go Big" with the $150 OBC option. Oh, well. I wasn't booking anything anyway, just price checking a cruise I booked under 123

[JaneStarr]

I tried what you suggested and, as you said, the options are there. When I click on apply, it shows that I picked "Go Big" with the $150 OBC option. Oh, well. I wasn't booking anything anyway, just price checking a cruise I booked under 123

 

That *appears* to be what the website is programmed to do when no other offers are available to you, other than the GO! BBB. Really dislike that, especially how it defaults to the the worst possible offer on a cruise longer than 10 nights. It should really take you back to the Go!BBB offers with a note that there are currently no other rate offers available.

Jane

PS I do remember trying this the day Go BBB was released. As far as I remember, it did give me a senior rate on a booking.

Edited July 23, 2015 by JaneStarr
Add info

[neverbeenhere]

No Senior Discount --- This is good news!!!

 

 

Celebrity's new computer scans your picture- If you don't look like a senior, you don't get the discount. LOOKING GOOD.

[BEAV]

I tried what you suggested and, as you said, the options are there. When I click on apply, it shows that I picked "Go Big" with the $150 OBC option. Oh, well. I wasn't booking anything anyway, just price checking a cruise I booked under 123

 

Is it possible you recieved that response because there are currently no Senior rates on the sailing you were viewing? On sailings where there are Senior rates available, they do pop up for me without referring me back to the BBB pricing structure.

[Fouremco]

I've never found that indicating that I was a senior made any difference at all in the pricing when doing mock bookings.

[BEAV]

I've never found that indicating that I was a senior made any difference at all in the pricing when doing mock bookings.

 

Senior rates aren't offered across-the-board on each cruise. There's a website that displays which sailings do offer reduced Senior rates, however since it's a Travel Agency, we're not at liberty to name the website.

[patty1955]

Is it possible you recieved that response because there are currently no Senior rates on the sailing you were viewing? On sailings where there are Senior rates available, they do pop up for me without referring me back to the BBB pricing structure.

 

I'll try again if I find one with senior rates.

 

I've never found that indicating that I was a senior made any difference at all in the pricing when doing mock bookings.

We've sailed a number of times with the senior discount. I get an alert, then do a mock booking before I take any action.

[kenevenpar]

As an example, Summit, NOV 21, has a senior discount currently being offered. It does not look like a good deal, but it is there.

[Lois R]

Senior rates aren't offered across-the-board on each cruise. There's a website that displays which sailings do offer reduced Senior rates, however since it's a Travel Agency, we're not at liberty to name the website.

 

Hi Beav, I agree with you....I don't think it is ever offered "all the time".

I have done mock bookings and it doesn't always show up for me.

[April29]

If you have a Captain's Club number, enter it first & if there are any Seniors Rates; they automatically appear.

 

They had Seniors Rate on the Equinox for Sep 19 this year.

[Janet987]

For most cruises, I do not purchase until after final payment. Now with the Go Stupider choices, it will be every cruise :) While we have found a few good senior rates and a military one around Veterans Day pre-final payment, these discounts seem more often used by Celebrity after final payment to fill any class in any sailing not selling well. Even on the same sailing, suite could be the best offer is a resident rate, AQ could result best offer a senior rate. As the inventory sells down toward sail date, any of the discounts could be used to boost sales and a TA group rate might best them for a certain category.

[KazAllen]

And check everything that might apply. Some resident rates I have been watching were lower than senior and military. X will give you the best one.

 

What is with this Resident Rates, where do you have to live to get this? :confused:

[phoenix_dream]

Senior rates apply to some cruises, not all. Same for resident rates - they are available on some cruises and apply to some states but not all, and I don't think they are always the same states. I suspect they consider various marketing projection data to determine which states are the best bet to market to on a particular cruise based on which variables I don't know.

[greydog]

For most cruises, I do not purchase until after final payment. Now with the Go Stupider choices, it will be every cruise :) While we have found a few good senior rates and a military one around Veterans Day pre-final payment, these discounts seem more often used by Celebrity after final payment to fill any class in any sailing not selling well. Even on the same sailing, suite could be the best offer is a resident rate, AQ could result best offer a senior rate. As the inventory sells down toward sail date, any of the discounts could be used to boost sales and a TA group rate might best them for a certain category.

 

I used to regularly shop the wackamole discounts, including military. However, now the classic bev pkg that I favor is in the Go Big base price and is lost under discount rates. But discounts should be attractive to non-drinkers. HAPPY CRUISING

[Janet987]

As PhoenixDream mentioned it is by State in the US...I do not know if the same type of territory resident discounts are used in Australia. Because NC has many cheap, last minute flights to South Florida cruise ports, we may see a NC rate as good as the last minute Florida resident rates. Alternately they drop states where the flights would be expensive, to make the cruise more affordable. Right after we bought upcoming Alaska cruise with a senior, the resident rate dropped further.

 

As Elite, a few drinks pre-dinner and the 2 bottles of wine we bring on board is more than enough alcohol for me to make waiting for post-final payment discounts worth it. :)

Edited July 24, 2015 by Janet987

[KazAllen]

No resident discount rates in Australia, why does US get them? Also in Oz we can't cancel and re book without penalty even if prices drop. Seems unfair.

[cruisestitch]

You folks in Australia get six weeks vacation. Most people in the US get two. Seems unfair.:rolleyes:

Edited July 24, 2015 by cruisestitch

[KazAllen]

You folks in Australia get six weeks vacation. Most people in the US get two. Seems unfair.:rolleyes:

 

Depends what your occupation is, school teachers yes (as I think they do in the US as well), some shift workers get 4 or 5 weeks to make up for the shift work, most people get a normal 3 or 4 weeks unless they take "leave without pay" or if you are like my husband who is a casual worker - all holidays are unpaid!

[Janet987]

Back to pricing, it doesn't matter what the discount is called, cruise lines sailing from various departure ports have ways to sell the remaining inventory of cabins. At a certain date, if x% of x class cabins remain unsold, they could drop the published price, offer a discounted group rate to a local TA or big reseller of last minute cruises, put cabins to opaque bidding sites, add "free perks", invite certain selected groups in their database, offer senior, veteran, whatever discounts, use guarantee rates, put the remaining classes in Xciting Deals, etc. I am OK waiting for these discounts, not everyone has the same flexibility with dates, flights, and risk that a certain itinerary sells out. If you have that flexibility, there are "discounts" to be had for unsold inventory.