Price Drop with Celebrity

[lilcush1955]

Okay so I received email about Celebrity cruises and on it was the Alaskan cruise that we are going on. There is a price drop I am all ready in Aqua Class. the drop about 500 dollars. Is it worth the phone call or am I barking up the wrong tree? I know there are old post years past but I was looking for advice with an updated review on price drop. I would not be asking for refund difference wonder if they negotiate an additional OBC.

My booking was with Celebrity directly no TA involved

Any Advice would be appreciated

 

Thanks in advance

[I&J Cruisers]

If you are before final payment they should honor the price drop. If you've already made your final payment I'd call and ask for OBC. You may or may not get it but it's worth the call. It migh be easier to deal with a captains club rep.

[lilcush1955]

Left that part out Cruise is fully paid

[cruisestitch]

Yes, but is it before or after the Final Payment date?

[4774Papa]

If it is after final payment perhaps you can upgrade to a Sky Suite.

[lilcush1955]

Just spoke to rep at Celebrity he has all the info and will check and let me know

I am not getting an upgrade to sky suite the difference is several thousand not hundreds

dollars

[jelayne]

After final payment the lower fares often do no include any perks (beverage pkg, OBC. Etc). If your original booking includes any perks be sure to find out if you lose those perks if you get the lower price.

[lilcush1955]

Same perks (beverage,OBC, Tips.) That is why it is a little annoying and especially with an Alaskan cruise , everyone books early because the later you go the less you would find available. This tells me that with a big drop on this cruise that they may have had a hard time booking rooms. Just my opinion.

[RoxiRoo]

lilcrush, Which Alaskan cruise? We are booked for September 11 and haven't received that email. Just wondering if I should be looking for a price drop, also.

 

Thanks!

[cherylroslyn]

Same perks (beverage,OBC, Tips.) That is why it is a little annoying and especially with an Alaskan cruise , everyone books early because the later you go the less you would find available. This tells me that with a big drop on this cruise that they may have had a hard time booking rooms. Just my opinion.

If your 42 days out, as it says in your avatar here is no way you are going to get anything.

 

You are well past final payment.

 

They would upgrade you for a fee to the lowest priced suite. Maybe he is looking into that option and seeing if he can make the suite a more appealing price, but I seriously doubt you will get obc. More power if you do.

 

The point you made about people booking late....remember booking late also usually means higher prices for hotels and especially airfare and possibly not getting the excursions you want.

 

 

It is the age old gamble......

 

In the end you paid a price you are comfortable with....and you probably work and have to have your vacation schedule planned out....there are a lot of reasons to book in advance.......and is it a little unfair sometimes when someone swoops in at the last second and pays hundreds less? Well maybe, but there is really no alternative because the cruise line has to fill the ship.

Edited April 28, 2016 by cherylroslyn

[lilcush1955]

If your 42 days out, as it says in your avatar here is no way you are going to get anything.

 

You are well past final payment.

 

They would upgrade you for a fee to the lowest priced suite. Maybe he is looking into that option and seeing if he can make the suite a more appealing price, but I seriously doubt you will get obc. More power if you do.

 

The point you made about people booking late....remember booking late also usually means higher prices for hotels and especially airfare and possibly not getting the excursions you want.

 

 

It is the age old gamble......

 

In the end you paid a price you are comfortable with....and you probably work and have to have your vacation schedule planned out....there are a lot of reasons to book in advance.......and is it a little unfair sometimes when someone swoops in at the last second and pays hundreds less? Well maybe, but there is really no alternative because the cruise line has to fill the ship.

 

 

Thanks for your thoughts on this matter . I did check into what the additional cost would be with airfare (SW same flts) and hotel (Sleep Inn Sea-Tac) all in all it would have been an additional 200 dollars so I would have saved 300 dollars. As you stated I received email from Celebrity that getting anything out of this was a no go and that yes they would look for an upgrade to Sky Suite if one comes available.

I would also decline an upgrade if there was a fee involved. The Aqua Class room that i reserved is nice enough for us.

As I stated, IMO, with them dropping the price of all staterooms , this sailing must not be full especially if this big price drop was 40-50 days from sailing.

I also felt that I rather make a polite phone call then not and kick myself later for not doing it . I emailed Celebrity rep back and thanked him for his effort.

[lilcush1955]

lilcrush, Which Alaskan cruise? We are booked for September 11 and haven't received that email. Just wondering if I should be looking for a price drop, also.

 

Thanks!

 

 

 

June 10th sailing

[BosoxI]

I emailed Celebrity rep back and thanked him for his effort.

 

That speaks well of you and might do the rep some good, too

[rogfam]

I never book through the cruise line/private tour operator. Always use a TA. That way you always have another person who can fight for you if any problems etc. arise. In your case, the fox is in charge of the hen house!

[BosoxI]

I never book through the cruise line/private tour operator. Always use a TA. That way you always have another person who can fight for you if any problems etc. arise. In your case, the fox is in charge of the hen house!

 

I go both ways on this one at least. I feel perfectly capable of fighting my own battles and not relying on someone to state my case adequately. OTH getting additional OBCs does have it's appeal.

 

I recently called Celebrity to inquire if I could book over the phone with X and then transfer it to a TA. The agent asked which TA and how much OBC would I get.

When I answered, he said he could match that offer. Shortly thereafter, I received a confirming email, I've never had that happen before. Is it commonplace?

[lovi_dovi]

I have had Celebrity match a TA twice. When they couldn't they actually suggested I move it so I did.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[cheeseheads4ever]

I agree, I don't need anyon to fight my battles. I seem to get more results dealing directly with cruise line. Having a TA is one more person in the middle who could make situation murky or not translate correctly. I just never seen a need for a TA to book a cruise for me.

My two cents is if yer past final payment I doubt you could get anything from Celebrity but worth a call for sure. Remember you get more with sugar than vinegar...

[4774Papa]

I agree, I don't need anyon to fight my battles. I seem to get more results dealing directly with cruise line. Having a TA is one more person in the middle who could make situation murky or not translate correctly. I just never seen a need for a TA to book a cruise for me.

My two cents is if yer past final payment I doubt you could get anything from Celebrity but worth a call for sure. Remember you get more with sugar than vinegar...

 

I like to control my on reservation as well and don't use a TA. I book early and always compare what some of the big on-line TAs offer. I rarely see my cruise offered and when it does, the offer is not worth going with them.

 

I do think using a TA for some cruises can provide some bennies, but I still remember the one time I used an online agency for a hotel booking in Venice and the hotel went bankrupt and I had to pay twice for the same hotel.

 

Vantage offers river cruises and land tours and does not deal with TAs. Their product is excellent and they always beat companies like Viking.

[cherylroslyn]

June 10th sailing

I hope you have a great cruise and remember you got to think about it and anticipate it for a long time. Spend this time working on excursions because the excursion planning in Alaska is the name of the game.....do some cool things.....the excursions are expensive but they are one in a lifetime experiences and you will wish you had done them later if you don't do them now!!!!

[mom02]

Just spoke to rep at Celebrity he has all the info and will check and let me know

I am not getting an upgrade to sky suite the difference is several thousand not hundreds

dollars

 

Did the rep get back to you with a solution? We also noticed a price drop after final payment and are trying to get OBC through our TA.

[lilcush1955]

Yes, there is nothing they could do because it is past the final payment .

the only thing that he was willing to do was to upgrade if one came available.

[mom02]

Yes, there is nothing they could do because it is past the final payment .

the only thing that he was willing to do was to upgrade if one came available.

 

That's disappointing. Thanks for updating!

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Yes, there is nothing they could do because it is past the final payment .

the only thing that he was willing to do was to upgrade if one came available.

 

This has been Celebrity's policy for 7 years or so. We just have to accept it, or book after final payment if willing to take the chance. In our experience prices recently have gone no where but up for the cruises we want to take.