Help me decide onboard booking strategy

[conquesodor]

Hello savvy Celebrity cruisers! I could use your help figuring out the sometimes complicated ways of getting the best deals.

 

Here's my situation:

 

I will be on board Constellation in 26 days. :D

 

I also have a booking on Reflection in April 2018 for a veranda with no perks or promotions. (we are definitely taking this cruise)

 

We are also considering a family cruise in July 2018 that would require 2 cabins. (a good deal could make this possible)

 

I need to decide what sort of onboard booking I will be doing while on Constellation next month. I would like to have onboard booking promotions for the potential July 2018 cruise, which might help make that a reality. However, it would also be nice to have some perks added to my April 2018 cruise on Reflection. My TA says it is possible to do a future cruise booking onboard, come home and cancel and rebook the April 2018 cruise with the onboard booking perks. This feels like "cheating" somehow, but my TA says it's not unusual. Has anyone else done this?

 

Do I understand how things work correctly? While on Constellation, I could book two cabins for July 2018 and also a cabin for a "phantom" future cruise that I'd come home and have applied for my April 2018 booking?

 

Is this realistic? If not, what do you recommend?

 

Should I feel ashamed for "playing the system?" Please help! :o

[PRH]

To get on- board booking benefits, you may have to book a " new" cruise and cancel your already booked one when you get home. However, I always take a summary sheet of all upcoming booked cruises with fare and any perks. That way the on- board future cruise people can look up current fares and whatever perks so we can compare. In some cases, we have been able to rebook at the same dare with new perks. In some cases though, the fare had gone up so much, the additional perks weren't worth it. We were able to get Pre-paid gratuities on a transatlantic by doing this. Compile a sheet with booking numbers, dates, fare paid, etc. so you go armed and ready. The future folks appreciate it and you are not overwhelmed by the information. A cruise booked on board can be easily transferred to your TA while you are on-board--especially if they are your TA of record. Then have your TA cancel the earlier booking when you return home. They will print everything out for you on- board to compare if you wish to keep a record. Oh, and you can go to the I-lounge and use the computers there to research cruises for free. Have a great cruise!

 

 

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[conquesodor]

In some cases, we have been able to rebook at the same dare with new perks. In some cases though, the fare had gone up so much, the additional perks weren't worth it. We were able to get Pre-paid gratuities on a transatlantic by doing this. Compile a sheet with booking numbers, dates, fare paid, etc. so you go armed and ready.

 

So, you can just walk right up to the future cruise folks and ask them to help you get a better deal? They'll even do the cancelling and rebooking for you? Wow!

 

Thanks for the tips and advice!

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Future cruises cannot cancel a cruise you booked earlier. If you do not care about keeping the same cabin you can book the April 2018 cruise while on board instead of booking a "place holder" and then moving things around when you get home. If the price is the same for both bookings you have locked in a cabin at the original rate. You can then cancel the original booking when you get home. Keep in mind, anything you book on board will be at the rate at time of booking so you might be looking at a higher price.

[bigbenboys]

We 1st book the cabin we want with our TA. Then while on the cruise I book the same cruise with what cabin they give me in the category I want. The info is emailed out to my TA and she does the cancelation and moving of the cabin for us. I never had celebrity say oh your already booked on that cruise.

[zanderblue]

Quick question......

If you make a booking on board and then transfer to your TA, does the TA get any commission? Reduced maybe?

[CEOofVacation]

The question is that if there is a price difference, between the Travel Agent's group rate and Celebrity's, can the future cruise perks be added onto the original booking which has the cheaper group rate, or even if the TA has to cancel and rebook, can you keep the group rate?

[hcat]

Future cruise sales people say they cannot access your already booked res ( not sure why) so bring it with you...and make sure they price it with everything you may have added like grats, ins etc, Otherwise the price may be lower but not complete,..

 

 

we did not have it and were told to go to the computer room on other side of ship to get the info and then come back another time. .kind of annoying, never went back...

 

 

The reps have not been able to beat our already booked prices and perks although I know others do quite well...

[CEOofVacation]

Future cruise sales people say they cannot access your already booked res ( not sure why) so bring it with you...and make sure they price it with everything you may have added like grats, ins etc, Otherwise the price may be lower but not complete,..

 

 

we did not have it and were told to go to the computer room on other side of ship to get the info and then come back another time. .kind of annoying, never went back...

 

 

The reps have not been able to beat our already booked prices and perks although I know others do quite well...

I am not expecting CC Future Cruise desk to beat or meet the price. The question is whether future cruise perks can be used in conjunction with travel agent's group rate.

[bEwAbG]

I am not expecting CC Future Cruise desk to beat or meet the price. The question is whether future cruise perks can be used in conjunction with travel agent's group rate.

 

Typically not but you'd have to ask your TA.

[grandgeezer]

I am not expecting CC Future Cruise desk to beat or meet the price. The question is whether future cruise perks can be used in conjunction with travel agent's group rate.

 

You get the deal offered with the group rate in regards to perks. If they aren't the same you have to choose the original booking or the group rate, you can't get the best of both worlds.

[CEOofVacation]

You get the deal offered with the group rate in regards to perks. If they aren't the same you have to choose the original booking or the group rate, you can't get the best of both worlds.

I was told by a large TA before that they are separate. OBC incentive from Celebrity for booking a new cruise is separate from their pricing/incentives. Everything lies with Celebrity Cruises at the end of the day. I guess I will know when I put it to test in the next 60 days.

[nomadguy]

one thing to keep in mind, if you buy separate trip insurance (not the cruise line's), there is sometimes verbiage in the policy to the effect that "this must be your first booking of that sailing and ship." In other words, if needed, you may not be able to use the insurance policy on a technicality that you had booking #1 pre-cruise but changed to booking #2 for a better price on the cruise - both same date and itinerary. I'm not saying it's a hard and fast rule, I'm just saying to really read your trip insurance policy to make sure you understand the restrictions before trying to grab some OBC or a lower price.

[Lastdance]

Quick question......

If you make a booking on board and then transfer to your TA, does the TA get any commission? Reduced maybe?

 

 

Commission works differently in companies. My TA gets a commission; from that she gives me more OBC. It is always more than Celebrity's...I use to have a different TA in the same company, but changed due to better OBC, ease of contacting and her service...

 

 

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[conquesodor]

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

 

I'm not sure if an onboard deal will end up working out for me or not. For the past few months, my TA group rate without perks is much cheaper than the Celebrity advertised rate with perks. If I can't combine the deals, then I doubt some extra obc will make much difference in the math.

 

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[T^2]

I'll see you on board the Connie next month and get more details, but getting a head start and trying to stay within the "lines" of the board, is your TA a local one or an on-line one?

 

Thanks.

[NantahalaCruiser]

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

 

I'm not sure if an onboard deal will end up working out for me or not. For the past few months, my TA group rate without perks is much cheaper than the Celebrity advertised rate with perks. If I can't combine the deals, then I doubt some extra obc will make much difference in the math.

 

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Couple of comments:

- in many cases when Celebrity offers a fare with GoBig or GoBetter perks included, they also have a lower fare with zero perks; you can check the Celebrity website to see if they have a zero perk fare and compare it to the rate offered by your TA. When you get to the screen that shows the GoBig/GoBetter/GoBest offers, click on: "Want to see if you qualify for a different discount?" and check out the residency or 55+ fare.

- in general, there is no reason for advanced research or concerns about prices and perks available for particular cruises when making an on-board booking to get the extra OBC since your TA can easily switch it to a new booking of your choice (and retain the corresponding on-board-booking OBC benefit) at anytime prior to the final payment date. To give you the most flexibility and time to work with your TA to find a cruise that actually interests you, just book a placeholder cruise by asking the on-board future cruise agent which cruise has the furthest out sailing date (and thus the furthest out final payment date.)

[conquesodor]

I'll see you on board the Connie next month and get more details, but getting a head start and trying to stay within the "lines" of the board, is your TA a local one or an on-line one?

 

Thanks.

It's an online TA that's part of a members only brick and mortar store. :-)

 

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[conquesodor]

Couple of comments:

- in many cases when Celebrity offers a fare with GoBig or GoBetter perks included, they also have a lower fare with zero perks; you can check the Celebrity website to see if they have a zero perk fare and compare it to the rate offered by your TA. When you get to the screen that shows the GoBig/GoBetter/GoBest offers, click on: "Want to see if you qualify for a different discount?" and check out the residency or 55+ fare.

- in general, there is no reason for advanced research or concerns about prices and perks available for particular cruises when making an on-board booking to get the extra OBC since your TA can easily switch it to a new booking of your choice (and retain the corresponding on-board-booking OBC benefit) at anytime prior to the final payment date. To give you the most flexibility and time to work with your TA to find a cruise that actually interests you, just book a placeholder cruise by asking the on-board future cruise agent which cruise has the furthest out sailing date (and thus the furthest out final payment date.)

Thanks. I'll check if I can find a no frills fare when I get home.

 

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