Prices too high

[cle-guy]

To the posters who claim to receive large amounts of obc

 

Kindly explain the sources of the on board credits, as I have never seen any travel agencies offer that much obc. I suspect the posters are eligible for obc from Celebrity based on share holder benefits and/or perhaps military or professional affiliations that the majority of us would not be eligible to receive.

 

No OBC for military etc. Shareholder OBC only applies when one can get no other perk.

 

I can't tell where you are located, but in the US it's common place for TA's to give OBC out of their earned commissions - so common in fact that anyone booking with one that does not has just not researched at all. Other countries, especially in Europe/UK, it's not quite as common.

 

In my case on my upcoming cruise on Summit, I got:

• $300 for booking on board
  
• $300 as part of the all-in 123 program
  
• $250 from my travel agent
  

[maggie.1008]

We book AQ or Sky suite depending on the price. Our last cruise this month and the 2 upcoming cruises will be the most we have ever spent on Celebrity.

[seabill]

Say what you will about the higher pricing but this elite+ couple are sailing on Princess this fall, A transatlantic & a HAL Caribbean following.

 

With Princess & HAL both providing drink packages & a specialty restaurant visit, Their prices are better & offer itineraries that vary from year to year & provide new ports of call.

 

Just letting you see our feelings.

[Shaco]

At least you had the choice of taking or not taking the 123 Go promotion ;)

 

.In our particular case & after taking many Celebrity cruises ,we want to sail mostly from the West coast where we live in the San Diego area;) . Because we are extremely limited to only Alaska & a occasional Panama Canal cruise on Celebrity,we are now booking HAL & Princess cruises;)

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't HAL and Princess allow smoking on the interior of their ships? That's a deal breaker for us. But, If X chooses to inflate their prices beyond where we see value, we will not switch cruise lines. We will simply choose a different kind of vacation.

 

Shaco

[insidecabin]

if looking at just base fare there are plenty out there at <$50pppd, some come with hefty taxes.(Alaska Suez, Panama)

 

Then again flying 1/2 way round the world does not make it a cheap trip unless you have miles.

[ptrpanpens]

To get most, but not all, of the best deals you have to be flexible, book at or beyond final payment date, and not be picky about which cabin you get. Of course, it also usually has to be on a cruise that is not selling as well.

 

Last year, some of the prices on the Holy land cruises, and the Cruises before them, got down to unbelievable prices. As I recall, the Silhouette was selling 14 day cruises to the Holy Land as low as $499 per person. The 11 day cruise I took on Constellation from Istanbul to the Holy Land, ending in Rome cost $1,149 pp for an A1 Aqua Class cabin. Suites were going as cheap as $1,599 pp. I never felt unsafe in any of the places, Israel and Istanbul were fantastic and the cruise was so outstanding I am repeating it next year for more than twice the price, but hoping prices may drop again if we are lucky.;)

 

On the other hand, there are also the popular cruises where the early bird gets the best prices, like the repo cruise I am taking in october where the prices have more than doubled since I booked. The ship is sold out, of course. Supply and demand, that's economics.

 

But there are many deals to be had by booking late and not being as picky about cabin location. (Often I have gotten an upgrade by booking guarantee).

 

I have learned though experience, though, that it is not usually a good thing to publicize how much cheaper you got a last minute cabin on the roll call for a cruise you are on, unless others on the cruise have the opportunity to book at the same rates. Some people will get very upset and let you know it. I learned this the hard way, and now I only post about prices that others on my cruise can take advantage of if they want to, and never mention the exact price I paid.

[teecee60]

if looking at just base fare there are plenty out there at <$50pppd, some come with hefty taxes.(Alaska Suez, Panama)

 

Then again flying 1/2 way round the world does not make it a cheap trip unless you have miles.

 

If you cruise with Celebrity, Royal, or Azamara, you can use Choice Air which has incredibly cheap prices, especially for one way flights to meld with transatlantic or transpacific cruises. :cool: :)

 

Minneapolis to London for $394pp...Fargo to Rome for $508pp...Sydney to LAX for $619pp. :D

 

Of course, I just MAY have DREAMED those prices as well. ;)

Edited July 29, 2015 by teecee60

[insidecabin]

If you cruise with Celebrity, Royal, or Azamara, you can use Choice Air which has incredibly cheap prices, especially for one way flights to meld with transatlantic or transpacific cruises. :cool: :)

 

Minneapolis to London for $394pp...Fargo to Rome for $508pp...Sydney to LAX for $619pp. :D

 

Of course, I just MAY have DREAMED those prices as well. ;)

 

They look about right, we normally pay around that for our London flights from the US. Nov east coast $385 with a one way specialist, Choice sometimes have a few $ less or better flight.

[Nachosdelux]

To the posters who claim to receive large amounts of obc

 

Kindly explain the sources of the on board credits, as I have never seen any travel agencies offer that much obc. I suspect the posters are eligible for obc from Celebrity based on share holder benefits and/or perhaps military or professional affiliations that the majority of us would not be eligible to receive.

 

If you are in the USA, check the "big-box" stores. They also have online travel services. The one I use offers about 8-9% rebate as an OBC

Edited July 29, 2015 by Nachosdelux

[icat2000]

When I look at the costs per day I take into consideration taxes and fees as its required down here.

 

The cheapest I have gotten this year as a solo has been 14 nights around the med for $1399 on PO UK (Aussie dollars) which includes ports and taxes.

Edited July 29, 2015 by icat2000

[4774Papa]

I also keep track. All figures below are inside cabin, (unless noted) base fares, w/o taxes or tips. ;)

 

Five years ago I did a 14 night Panama Canal on Infinity for $799pp with $250 OBC

 

Four years ago I did a 15 night Constellation transatlantic for $609pp w/ $400 OBC.

 

Two years ago I did a 14 night Diamond Princess to Alaska for $799pp w/ $500 OBC.

 

Last fall, I did the 23 night Century transpacific for $799pp w/ $250 OBC.

 

5 days later, I did the 15 night Reflection transatlantic for $649pp w/ $400 OBC.

 

This spring I did the 14 night Silhouette transatlantic for $699pp w/ $450 OBC.

 

This fall I'm in an Ocean View on the 15 Constellation transatlantic for $799pp w/ $525 OBC.

 

My RECORD was 15 nights on Reflection for $449pp with $250 OBC! :eek:

 

I recently booked a 35 night B2B Australia/New Zealand/Transpacific next spring on Explorer of the Seas for under $1675pp with over $500 OBC. (Not sure yet if we will get an EXTRA $450 OBC from shareholder benefit)

 

Friends (posting on THIS THREAD) have gotten BALCONY cabins on a 15 night transatlantic for $699pp. :cool:

 

The best one that "got away" was a 27 night B2B on Constellation two years ago for $1098pp with $825 OBC.

 

Most people simply REFUSE to believe this can be done on an ongoing basis. :rolleyes:

Did you book these cruises after final payment? If not, what is your secret?

 

We did TAs in 2013 and 2014 on celebrity and NCL and paid $7-800 pp for balconies. We booked early.

 

The prices out there now for TAs are far higher than in 2013 and 14.

[rose6]

Thank you, to those of you that replied to my question about significant on board credit. However, I still find it hard to understand how someone can purchase a cruise in the $700 to $900 /per person range and manage to receive $400 to $450 in obc. I would expect that to exceed any commission given a travel agent or big box store. For those of you that claim to have received such amounts of obc please share your experience and explain how you were so successful.

[mcrcruiser]

He's telling the total truth. I know because I've been on a lot of those cruises with him and got the same deals. We watch and wait and don't book until/unless prices fall within our comfort zone. I don't usually book insides, I pay a few hundred more for a balcony, but I have never paid more than I did this year which was $849 for a 14 day transatlantic balcony (unobstructed) on Silhouette. My best deal was $699 for a balcony and that was also on Silhouette.

 

I've also done a 14 day cruise in a family veranda cabin, 575 ft.², for $999 per person, on Solstice.

 

Good things come to those who wait. Don't doubt, do your homework.

 

Unfortunately RCCL ,Celebrity ,Azamara will no longer offer lower prices after final payment .This is a new policy ,that recently went into effect .;)

 

You can still get price deals on the Carnival corp cruise lines from a TA discounting . Again ,this is now & Carnival might follow RCL corp in their pricing policy:eek:

 

 

 

Trans Atlantic Repositioning cruises are just about the least costly of any cruise any where ;however ,when you factor in your air fares on top of the cruise price ,then it is no longer a bargain cruise per day :o

[Hlitner]

Speculation is fun but simply speculation. But there is one certainty. Cruise lines do not like to sail with empty berths! An empty berth is "opportunity lost revenue" which can never be recovered. Not only does a cruise line lose the fare revenue from an empty berth, but they also lose all the related onboard revenue generated by that passenger. Soooo. What does this mean? Celebrity will need to find a way to fill the maximum number of berths. If they fail to sell enough cabins with their current pricing strategy they will have to turn to other options such as last minute specials, new promotions, etc.

 

In the past week we have received e-mails about some excellent last minute deals on Princess, RCI, and especially HAL! As is the norm, these deals are primarily for cruises just inside the final payment period. Yes, there are some good reasons to book early. But for those with lots of flexibility the last minute deals can be truly amazing.

 

Hank

[CathyCruises]

Unfortunately RCCL ,Celebrity ,Azamara will no longer offer lower prices after final payment .This is a new policy ,that recently went into effect .;)

 

I heard that rumor too, I'll soon find out. I am watching a cruise that has final payment on Monday. As of this morning there were 74 balcony cabins remaining plus 14 SVs, not counting the CC, AQ, OV, etc. So once we've past FP, I'll see how closely they're following that policy. I'd be happy to let you know the results of my research.

 

Airfare has to factored into just about any vacation, unless you're living and cruising in Florida I guess, or take stay-cations. And the airfare offered by Choice Air and some other airlines is about as cheap as you'll find. This May, DH and I flew home nonstop from Oslo to San Francisco for $539 TOTAL for the two of us, post TA.

Edited July 29, 2015 by CathyCruises

[ptrpanpens]

If there are no deals after final payment, then what are the exciting deals? Many of those prices reflect cruises where final payment date has already passed, don't they? .:confused:

 

I have not been following those cruises so do not know if they are good deals or not, but I agree that there is no way a cruise line would sail wit alot of empty cabins.

 

As for airfare, TA cruises have very cheap one way air through choice air. And since I am not interested in cruising the Caribbean, Mexico, the Panama Canal, Hawaii, Alaska, or up and down the California coast right now, I will always be paying more for air. I have found OW air from Los Angeles to Europe averages about $500-600 through choice air, with the OW domestic air about another $150. So not a huge deal breaker for me, especially with TA cruises often below $1,000 pp for balcony cabins. And I have so many miles, I can often travel on ff mileage, often only 20,000 miles for OW flights to/from Europe on AA.

[cle-guy]

Thank you, to those of you that replied to my question about significant on board credit. However, I still find it hard to understand how someone can purchase a cruise in the $700 to $900 /per person range and manage to receive $400 to $450 in obc. I would expect that to exceed any commission given a travel agent or big box store. For those of you that claim to have received such amounts of obc please share your experience and explain how you were so successful.

 

There's no secret to mine. Celebrity issued anyone who booked 123 all inclusive OBC or ANYONE who booked standard 123 and chose OBC in lieu of other options (subject to the T&C's of the offer)

 

ANYONE who books on board gets OBC. After that, its up to you to negotiate with your TA as to how much they will give you. If you have a TA who says nothing, then you have a bad TA - run and find a new one.

 

I posted in another thread how to determine an approximation of what to expect from a TA:

 

I simply ask when booking "What perks can you provide me for booking with you?".

 

My expectation is to get about half of their commission.

 

What is their commission? ROUGHLY it is:

• Cabin fare total (excluding taxes and fees)
  
• Less a portion that the TA doesn't get commission on from the lines but isn't disclosed to us, I assume it to be about $200 per ticket
  
• Equals Amount they get commission on (this amount IS NOT the amount on the X website we see called "Taxes and Fees")
  
• Agents get an average of 10-17% commission on this number based on the volume they do with each line, and sometimes get bonuses as well.
  

 

So in my case, I assume:

$2000 Cabin Fare

($200) Amount not commissioned (this is a mystery, some say its high as $400)

-------

$1800 Net Commissionable Fare

at 15% Commission

------

$270 - amount of commission TA earned

at 50% - My expected "perk value

------

$135 Estimated amount of the value of perks I expect from my TA

 

The variable unknowns are the non commissioned amount and the % the agent earns, so use this as a "rough" guide.

Edited July 30, 2015 by cle-guy

[Flatbush Flyer]

Unfortunately RCCL ,Celebrity ,Azamara will no longer offer lower prices after final payment .This is a new policy ,that recently went into effect .;)

 

 

 

You can still get price deals on the Carnival corp cruise lines from a TA discounting . Again ,this is now & Carnival might follow RCL corp in their pricing policy:eek:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trans Atlantic Repositioning cruises are just about the least costly of any cruise any where ;however ,when you factor in your air fares on top of the cruise price ,then it is no longer a bargain cruise per day :o

 

 

Unless, of course, you choose a cruise line that includes the airfare in it's initial cabin price.

[BEAV]

Taking the BBB BS out of the equation, the EXACT same transatlantic cruise we took this year is currently priced $996 higher (per couple)!! Same ship, same cabin, no perks. I think that is an outrageous price increase! :eek:

 

I assume you're comparing upcoming 2016 with the price you paid for the same voyage in 2015? If correct, the pricing you're seeing today for 2016 is by far the end of the story for that voyage, since it's still several months from departure.

 

Simple supply and demand at play here. If cabins don't sell for 2016, prices will drop and the comparisons you're making today will no longer be valid.

 

I've been watching a Sept 2015 sailing for several months now. Entry level for a Sky Suite was running $3000+. Today the price is $1999 for what was selling for $3000 a few short months ago.

[Hlitner]

Unless, of course, you choose a cruise line that includes the airfare in it's initial cabin price.

 

That is also somewhat of a marketing ploy. Some cruise lines (Oceania quickly comes to mind) package airfare, but when you adjust for the airfare the cruise price is still no bargain. In fact, there is one large well-known online cruise agency that packages lots of different cruises with airfare, hotels and transfers. Sometimes these are OK deals, but most of the time if one breaks down the components it is not as good as one could do on their own.

 

Hank

[The_Big_M]

Unfortunately RCCL ,Celebrity ,Azamara will no longer offer lower prices after final payment .This is a new policy ,that recently went into effect .;)

 

They certainly will reduce after final payment.

 

Their policy change only applies to _some_ cruises. And of those cruises, the last possible change is 2 weeks out. Which is some time after final payment. ;)

[teecee60]

Did you book these cruises after final payment? If not, what is your secret?

 

We did TAs in 2013 and 2014 on celebrity and NCL and paid $7-800 pp for balconies. We booked early.

 

The prices out there now for TAs are far higher than in 2013 and 14.

 

I usually book only insides, but your 2013 and 2014 prices look pretty darn sweet to me! Ya done good!

 

I USUALLY(?) like to wait until after final payment. (11 weeks prior to departure) The "sweet spot" in the pricing timeline seems to be in the 9 week, to 6 week window. :cool:

 

I never realized just how many people book multiple cruises for the same time frame, then pick one, and cancel the others just prior to final payment. This leaves the cruise lines hanging with a bunch of empty cabins they THOUGHT were sold. THAT'S when they have to roll out fire sale prices!

 

The 23 night Century transpacific at $799pp with $250 OBC is the perfect example... booked about 6 or 7 weeks prior. Some poor guy I met paid 8,000 POUNDS...$12,000 for that same cruise

 

There are always REALLY last minute cancellations, I am assuming THAT is what allowed me to get "my best deal ever." A 15 night Reflection transatlantic for only $449pp with $250 OBC... but I booked only 10 DAYS prior to departure. :eek:

 

Even at THAT late date, I was STILL able to get a one way flight to Rome for only $508pp through Choice Air. Which should put to rest all the "but, but, buts" out there about "too expensive" last minute air fares. :rolleyes:

 

 

HOWEVER...I have booked my last four cruises WELL before final payment because some of the deals were plenty "good enough" for me. When I saw an OV on Constellation's 15 night transatlantic this fall at $799pp with $225 OBC from the agency and $250 from the shareholder benefit, I booked instantly.

 

I have absolutely NO idea WHY Royal was offering a 24 night transpacific on Explorer of the Seas for only $1049pp a few months ago, but I booked THAT one right away as well. THEN found out the 11 night New Zealand cruise just prior was only 618pp! I pulled the trigger on THAT right away too! :o

 

Know in advance what YOUR target rate is and be READY to book. Those Explorer OTS cruises have almost DOUBLED in price since then.

 

 

I still find it hard to understand how someone can purchase a cruise in the $700 to $900 /per person range and manage to receive $400 to $450 in obc. I would expect that to exceed any commission given a travel agent or big box store. For those of you that claim to have received such amounts of obc please share your experience and explain how you were so successful.

 

Stateroom Sailor, Ptrpanpens, CLE Guy, Big M, Hlitner and Cathy Cruises have all offered excellent advice about different strategies.

 

Cathy and I are part of a really fun group of cruisers who share a facebook page dedicated to trading info about possible cruise deals. Most of us are at least Elite with Celebrity/Diamond with Royal and are RCCL Shareholders. This spring there were 6, 8 or 10 couples that all did the Silhouette T/A together. We have almost as much fun hunting for deals as we do cruising. :D

 

Don't buy into the marketing hype... because THAT'S what it IS...HYPE.

 

BBB's GREAT DEAL...pay only $15pp/day extra to get $12.95pp/day in tips! :confused:

 

If you are going to cruise regularly...BUY THE STOCK. I own both RCCL and Carnival so I can get shareholder OBC on 8 or more cruise lines.

 

Know what you want in advance and be ready to jump when you see it.

 

NEVER book directly with the cruise line...YOU ARE LOOSING MONEY.

 

There are STILL people who THINK that travel sites can NOT sell a cruise for less than the Celebrity website. That it totally completely and utterly FALSE. Some people simply REFUSE to believe that I buy for less ALL THE TIME.

 

Some people think booking future cruises on board is a good deal and that's just fine. In reality, it often guarantees you will pay a ridiculously overinflated price to get those GREAT "perks" that cost the cruise line very little.

 

Know how the industry works...They have WAAYYY to much excess cabin capacity and it's getting WORSE with every new ship that comes out. They simply can NOT afford to have a bunch of empty cabins, so they will try and fill them one way or another... NO MATTER *W*H*A*T* the CEOs put out in their press releases or in their interviews.

 

They have upset enough of their big spending, early booking passengers with artificially high prices that CRASH after final payment, so you are starting to see at least some price reductions prior to F/P.

 

Two years ago, The Constellation 27 night B2B from Istanbul to Rome to FLL dropped all the way down to $599pp for the first leg, and $499pp for the second leg and you could get a total of $825 of OBC. Choice Air to Istanbul was only $430pp through Choice Air. NOT *A*L*W*A*Y*S*... but quite often, price come down after F/P. Sometimes by A *L*O*T*

 

Know that they do the same thing with a drink package as a used car salesman, sell at ridiculously marked up retail prices, the stuff that they get for less than wholesale. My CRUISE costs LESS than people pay just for the drink package. If you like the convenience, and NEED a drink package (or a penthouse suite) go ahead and get it... just don't whine about the price.

Edited July 30, 2015 by teecee60

[cle-guy]

Cathy and I are part of a really fun group of cruisers who share a facebook page dedicated to trading info about possible cruise deals. Most of us are at least Elite with Celebrity/Diamond with Royal and are RCCL Shareholders. This spring there were 6, 8 or 10 couples that all did the Silhouette T/A together. We have almost as much fun hunting for deals as we do cruising. :D

 

Um, any chance you might send me an email...? :-)

 

There are STILL people who THINK that travel sites can NOT sell a cruise for less than the Celebrity website. That it totally completely and utterly FALSE. Some people simply REFUSE to believe that I buy for less ALL THE TIME.

 

Let me ask this, it seems to me that the big boxes/online do not offer discounts on every single cruise you can book do they? Aren't their deals limited to when they arrange group space to get discounts? I've read a lot of Celebrity and RCL travel agent materials they have on-line, and all are quite clear that they can not advertise for lower than Celebrity advertises unless they have ranged "group" space" going so far as to ensure they don't even pull out and add back in as a separate charge for the NCF allowance), and I find it hard to believe every on-line agency has arranged that kind of inventory on every ship in every category. I have NEVER found a deal on any suite at the online places, not even when I've booked within group inventory. Clearly I have seen discounts on theses sights versus X, but seems its generally certain cruises or cabin categories, not flat aout across the board.

 

NO MATTER *W*H*A*T* the CEOs put out in their press releases or in their interviews.

 

Best current example of this, RCL CEO saying one benefit of sailing with empty cabins and not deeply discussing last minute anymore is being done to provide a more intimate experience for people on the ships by having fewer people join them. THAT's marketing spin!

[kenevenpar]

Best current example of this, RCL CEO saying one benefit of sailing with empty cabins and not deeply discussing last minute anymore is being done to provide a more intimate experience for people on the ships by having fewer people join them. THAT's marketing spin!

 

My BS meter is buzzing like crazy.

[ptrpanpens]

Teecee, I was on the Istanbul-rome cruise last October. I dont know if that is the one you are talking about but if so, the prices for the preceding cruise to the Black Sea came down to as low as $399 pp. can you imagine? Right now there is not as much unrest in Israel since Hamas is not shooting rockets over there, and hopefully there won't be, but prices will probably come down again since many people are foolishly afraid to visit Istanbul or Israel.

 

Personally I do not think I could cruise inside again as I cruise alone and get too claustrophibic however, I might try it sometime on a shorter cruise just to see. I was able to do that when I was much younger.

 

My strategy on the higher priced cruises is to book the cheapest cabin category I can accept on a cruise I think will come down and then watch the prices and monitor cabins like a hawk especially near to and after final payment. Then I have almost always been able to upgrade to a good cabin after final payment, as long as it is at least $1 more than I paid.

 

On the Holy Land on Connie last year I was 99% sure there would be balcony upgrades and I was correct. I was tempted to try a suite for $3,100 single occupancy since I figured that would be my only chance. But sanity took over and I settled for an A1 for $2,300, about one third of what original prices had been and $2,000 less than the cost of my original ocean view. I changed cabins at least four times on that cruise before all was said and done.

 

Each person must decide how it works best for them. And if you must have a certain cabin then you will have to pay for it. As long as I can at least look out a window and see natural light I am usually OK.

Edited July 30, 2015 by ptrpanpens