Prices slashed on cruises that include Turkey

[Suzy Smith]

Booking a higher cabin category, while it may be more expensive, if booking this way, gets your perks back, the value may be worth it. It becomes a value based decision rather than one based on absolute pricing.

 

Celebrity UK are currently only offering drinks packages and OBC on new bookings:

 

"This promotion applies to the first two adult guests making a new booking of an Oceanview stateroom and above between the 01st March 2016 and 3rd May 2016 on selected 5 nights or longer sailings departing between April 2016 and April 2018."

 

My reading of that is that while pax with existing bookings may be able to upgrade, they will not be eligible for the current perks on offer, so they will not get their drinks package back. There are recent threads started by UK cruisers who have found that if they have perks included in their fare, they are effectively locked in to their original reservation, unless there is such a big price drop that it covers the cost of purchasing their own drinks package, as X are generally only making the drinks package available for new bookings now,

Edited March 22, 2016 by Suzy Smith

[jael001]

I managed to get a price drop and still keep my drinks package, but I lost my deposit and my OBC from the original booking. I still saved nearly £1k so it was worth it for me. It was all a bit complicated as I had flights booked through the original booking that couldn't be cancelled so they agreed to let me keep my cabin and booking reference and give me the price drop, which they didn't have to do.

[ganny3]

I believe cruise lines like other forms of transportation do get offered money deals. Here is a quote from an article concerning the Bayport Cruise Terminal in Houston.

 

"In an effort to kick start the cruise business here, the Port Authority commission voted in 2012 to pay Princess and Norwegian a combined $6.7 million to sign on at Bayport. Their contracts also waived rent or any docking fees."

Barbara

[sailinginthesunset]

We are still shocked as of Friday, 4-8 -16, Celebrity has decided not to change June / July/ August sailings eliminating Istanbul as a stop or embarkation .

 

Maybe today's high alert warnings from the US government, Australia, Britain and the controlled explosion of a bag left in Taksim Square by the Turkish police bomb squad will change their minds.

[wowgirl/itguy]

We are still shocked as of Friday, 4-8 -16, Celebrity has decided not to change June / July/ August sailings eliminating Istanbul as a stop or embarkation .

 

Maybe today's high alert warnings from the US government, Australia, Britain and the controlled explosion of a bag left in Taksim Square by the Turkish police bomb squad will change their minds.

sailinginthesunset, Celebrity eliminated Istanbul as a stop on our August cruise several months back. I haven't looked but I am sure they did the same on most, if not all the future cruises. They told us they would keep Istanbul on the itinerary only if it was the beginning or ending port.

[sailinginthesunset]

Thanks.. As of now June and July Celebrity cruises still leaves from Istanbul and we can not believe after all these warnings -they think it is OK for 3000 people to arrive into the Istanbul airport - go to the dock and leave 10:30 that night. We were originally so excited about Istanbul, we booked travel a day earlier to sightsee there when they cancelled their overnight. All the other cruise ships have cancelled Istanbul and Turkey completely except Celebrity. The warnings are including all tourist attractions and docks. I would love them to change the embarkation so we don't have to cancel.

[Cruise Junky]

. All the other cruise ships have cancelled Istanbul and Turkey completely except Celebrity. The warnings are including all tourist attractions and docks. I would love them to change the embarkation so we don't have to cancel.

 

This is untrue. I'm not saying they won't cancel but Princess, HAL and Viking haven't yet.

Edited April 9, 2016 by Cruise Junky

[pumpkin 11]

Yes other cruise lines have not canceled turkey. Not to rehash this thread but our 11-night reflection cruise in june has increased in price quite substantially.

[morechances]

Ports do pay incentives to cruise lines.

 

Quote from a newspaper article.........

 

"The CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line said Wednesday that the $6 million his company is getting from the Port of Houston Authority as part of its three-year agreement to use the Bayport Cruise Terminal "enabled us to be able to make the financial metrics work."

 

This is from a few years ago.

 

The incentives ended, and so did the use of the port.

 

C

[Aussie One]

Read my post 222 in Thread Turkey Travel Warning Issue March 29 2016.

Are Celebrity desperate for passengers Aussies

[keithm]

We have a Reflection cruise booked that has two stops in Turkey and the ship is more than half empty,

 

Prices are falling through the floor, and its now possible to get an Aqua class cabin for a lot less than we have booked at standard balcony

 

We are also getting a bit concerned and may consider canceling and losing our deposit

 

then either rebook at the much lower price ( will wait it out until near final payment.

 

The way the prices are falling, they will be paying us to go

 

or just cancel

 

Common celebrity move those Turkey stops to Greek islands/Malta/Italy

 

and watch the bookings rise!

Better the prices slashed, rather than your throat! I'd stay on the ship if it docks ANY place that has had issues..Turkey/Egypt/Jamaica etc.

[keithm]

Thanks.. As of now June and July Celebrity cruises still leaves from Istanbul and we can not believe after all these warnings -they think it is OK for 3000 people to arrive into the Istanbul airport - go to the dock and leave 10:30 that night. We were originally so excited about Istanbul, we booked travel a day earlier to sightsee there when they cancelled their overnight. All the other cruise ships have cancelled Istanbul and Turkey completely except Celebrity. The warnings are including all tourist attractions and docks. I would love them to change the embarkation so we don't have to cancel.

We have friends who live in Turkey & their advice is to stay on board if the ship should dock.

[Karynanne]

We have friends who live in Turkey & their advice is to stay on board if the ship should dock.

 

 

Does their advice include Kusadashi?

[Ladesign]

Better the prices slashed, rather than your throat! I'd stay on the ship if it docks ANY place that has had issues..Turkey/Egypt/Jamaica etc.

 

 

i believe the USA has had its share of issues - not least a brit tourist tecently killed in san francisco after being mugged. over here we hear a lot about massacres not to mention 9/11.

Edited April 12, 2016 by Ladesign

[Host Jazzbeau]

Every cloud has a silver lining: our cruise is stopping at Kusadasi and thanks to the general concern/hysteria we will be enjoying a Celebrity Suite for the price of an AquaClass 2. We are looking forward to visiting Ephesus, but if someone is really concerned they could take advantage of the great prices and just stay onboard that day. And as of today our sailing is completely sold out!

[keithm]

Does their advice include Kusadashi?

These are friends that live in Istanbul. They say it's sketchy anywhere, but the bigger cities do have more problems. That being said, I'd still just stay on board & make it a spa day. To Ladesign..Yes, I'm sure things happen everywhere, but in places like this, you're more likely to be a specific target. Why take the chance??

[Ladesign]

These are friends that live in Istanbul. They say it's sketchy anywhere, but the bigger cities do have more problems. That being said, I'd still just stay on board & make it a spa day. To Ladesign..Yes, I'm sure things happen everywhere, but in places like this, you're more likely to be a specific target. Why take the chance??

 

 

new york , london , bali, tunisia ,paris , brussels. all attacked by terrorists none were predicted nor repeated . one cannot predict things neither can we let them win.

 

personally i find the armed nutcases in usa more a credible threat than a tourist attack - but even then it doesnt stop me from travelling.

 

One wouldnt cross the road or drive a car if one was worried about real risks - even more so in North America where the crazy drivers are on the wrong side [emoji33][emoji33]

[Host Jazzbeau]

One wouldnt cross the road or drive a car if one was worried about real risks - even more so in North America where the crazy drivers are on the wrong side [emoji33][emoji33]

 

That's true - in the US, the crazy ones are driving on the left! :D

Edited April 13, 2016 by Host Jazzbeau

[Redtravel]

I have traveled to Turkey on land tours and cruises. I was in Kusadasi on a cruise last fall when demonstrations were happening. It was tense. Wish we had passed by that port. Four years ago I stayed in Kusadasi 4 days. At that time, it was safe. Turkey has become stressful since Syria went to war. It would not surprise me if the cruise lines pass by Turkey. Better safe than sorry.

[LF2C]

new york , london , bali, tunisia ,paris , brussels. all attacked by terrorists none were predicted nor repeated . one cannot predict things neither can we let them win.

 

personally i find the armed nutcases in usa more a credible threat than a tourist attack - but even then it doesnt stop me from travelling.

 

One wouldnt cross the road or drive a car if one was worried about real risks - even more so in North America where the crazy drivers are on the wrong side [emoji33][emoji33]

 

Here here!

When are people going to understand that the risk of being killed by some nutter in the USA is far greater than the threat of terrorism in Europe.

I appreciate that it's not quite the same as Turkey, but I've just returned from a week in Israel.............a helluva lot safer than downtown Leeds on a Saturday night! Yes there's lots of soldiers carrying guns and lots of security checks, but if certain countries (Turkey included) followed Israel's example, the threat of terrorist attacks would diminish.

I'm on the Connie cruise out of Istanbul 21st October. We're flying in a few day earlier and will be touring the city. Unless the FO refuse to let me fly and X cancels the cruise I will be visiting a city I've wanted to go to for a long time.

[atlaturne]

going back to the title of this thread-I am not seeing price cuts on cruises that include Turkish port(s)-particularly Kusadasi-cruising in June

Edited April 14, 2016 by atlaturne

[Host Jazzbeau]

going back to the title of this thread-I am not seeing price cuts on cruises that include Turkish port(s)-particularly Kusadasi-cruising in June

 

Connie's May 31 sailing that only includes one port in Turkey (Kusadasi) had a continuing series of price cuts. They finally filled the ship, but only by "giving away" a lot of cabins and upgrades. I'm not complaining, mind you -- we will be in a Celebrity Suite for the same price we had originally paid for AquaClass!