ljhershey Posted July 2, 2017 #26 Share Posted July 2, 2017 And then there is also a question of is it really a free perk. Through our travel agent, we could book an Equinox cabin for a certain price or get it with the "free perk" for $100 more, or for $150 we could get 2 "free" perks, and for incrementally more we could get additional free perks up to 4. That certainly is not my definition of "free". This goes beyond misleading to misrepresentation, or even less polite words Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitecap Posted July 2, 2017 Author #27 Share Posted July 2, 2017 We booked a sky suite for 2019. Received all 4 perks, premium Bev., gratuities, 300.00 OBC, unl. internet. On top of that my agent gave another $700.00 OBC.. I know we are paying top dollar, but take off the $1000. And we got a pretty good deal. entrip: IMO for what I can imagine you paid for a Sky Suite, they should have given you the 5th Perk as well (Perk #5: You get to steer the ship and blow the horn). :cool: And then there is also a question of is it really a free perk. Through our travel agent, we could book an Equinox cabin for a certain price or get it with the "free perk" for $100 more, or for $150 we could get 2 "free" perks, and for incrementally more we could get additional free perks up to 4. That certainly is not my definition of "free". This goes beyond misleading to misrepresentation, or even less polite words ljhershey; My definition of a "perk" is that you get something for "free" or a reduced price, for making the original purchase; i.e. Today only, buy 1 dress shirt at regular price and get the 2d for free! :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebtrip Posted July 2, 2017 #28 Share Posted July 2, 2017 entrip: IMO for what I can imagine you paid for a Sky Suite, they should have given you the 5th Perk as well (Perk #5: You get to steer the ship and blow the horn). :cool: ljhershey; My definition of a "perk" is that you get something for "free" or a reduced price, for making the original purchase; i.e. Today only, buy 1 dress shirt at regular price and get the 2d for free! :D There was an additional discount for booking the suite, so no we're not going to steer the ship.. we would all be in trouble. We always go Aqua, once I ate in Blu there was no going back to the MDR. If there was nothing on the menu I wanted, which was very rare, I would ask a Filet, and was never turned down. We are treated very special, so I figure Luminaire will be as good if not better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RickT Posted July 2, 2017 #29 Share Posted July 2, 2017 To the OP. If you truly feel this is misleading, lodge a complaint with your local Consumer Protection Agency. If they agree they can force Celebrity into honouring what was offered and/or fine them under the act. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitecap Posted July 2, 2017 Author #30 Share Posted July 2, 2017 To the OP. If you truly feel this is misleading, lodge a complaint with your local Consumer Protection Agency. If they agree they can force Celebrity into honouring what was offered and/or fine them under the act. This would be an excellent idea if I had a "loss". Seeing as though I discovered the issue, confronted the issue and had my TA confront the issue, before investing any money, I lost nothing. I did however, want to alert other Cruise Critic members to the issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ma Bell Posted July 2, 2017 #31 Share Posted July 2, 2017 This would be an excellent idea if I had a "loss". Seeing as though I discovered the issue, confronted the issue and had my TA confront the issue, before investing any money, I lost nothing. I did however, want to alert other Cruise Critic members to the issue. How could you have possibly booked without confronting the issue? You wouldn't be able to. It would be apparent during the booking process. You also wouldn't have anything invested until final payment time. Yes, it's slightly confusing but not if you really read it. If the drink package was part of the booking why would it be a choice offered as a perk? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 4cats4me Posted July 2, 2017 #32 Share Posted July 2, 2017 I agree with Ma Bell. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitecap Posted July 2, 2017 Author #33 Share Posted July 2, 2017 How could you have possibly booked without confronting the issue? You wouldn't be able to. It would be apparent during the booking process. That was my point. Since it isn't a situation where I booked a cruise and later found out I was being charged addition money for something rather, I discovered the issue and because it could not be resolved, I didn't book therefore, I have no loss to report. How many times on CC have you read complaints by those who were dismayed by something once they got on the ship stating that they were never informed or didn't see the small print. Like I said earlier: read, research, ask lots of questions and GET IT IN WRITING. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 4cats4me Posted July 2, 2017 #34 Share Posted July 2, 2017 (edited) Posted by Whitecap "Now, next paragraph, "First two guest choose 1 Free Perk". Now that seem to mean that guest number 1 and 2 in the stateroom will ALSO get to choose 1 free perk. " That seems to me to mean that you will get EITHER get a drink package OR One of the other perks. The first two guests choosing one free perk is X allowing you an option of one of the four. One could even interpret the above clause as X being generous enough to not make you have alcohol when you'd rather have OBC. Also, common sense dictates that if the price seems to good to be true to have both the alcohol package AND the second perk included, then it probably is. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Edited July 2, 2017 by 4cats4me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitecap Posted July 2, 2017 Author #35 Share Posted July 2, 2017 How could you have possibly booked without confronting the issue? You wouldn't be able to. It would be apparent during the booking process. You also wouldn't have anything invested until final payment time. Yes, it's slightly confusing but not if you really read it. If the drink package was part of the booking why would it be a choice offered as a perk? Your statement confirms my point: why would it be listed as a perk? It says everyone gets it therefore it isn't a perk. So it is listed as everyone gets it, yet they also list it as a perk. My definition of "confusing/misleading". And please don't forget my earlier post where I stated that the 3 different Celebrity representative each agreed that the wording was misleading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ma Bell Posted July 2, 2017 #36 Share Posted July 2, 2017 (edited) That was my point. Since it isn't a situation where I booked a cruise and later found out I was being charged addition money for something rather, I discovered the issue and because it could not be resolved, I didn't book therefore, I have no loss to report. How many times on CC have you read complaints by those who were dismayed by something once they got on the ship stating that they were never informed or didn't see the small print. Like I said earlier: read, research, ask lots of questions and GET IT IN WRITING. I don't really think this applies to that kind of situation. One more thing The addition of a drink package for the extra people in the cabin along with internet is what they were talking about. The point is no one is going to book without seeing that they only get one perk so how would they lose any money? I understand that you are upset but I don't think you are saving anyone from a loss because the issue is easily "discovered" by just reading the whole thing. You posted it right here and it's in large print. You said it would be clear if they just said "everyone gets to choose one perk", but that's not true, the extra people in the cabin have no choice at all. They get non-alcoholic packages and internet minutes. That might be confusing. Edited July 2, 2017 by Ma Bell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitecap Posted July 3, 2017 Author #37 Share Posted July 3, 2017 I don't really think this applies to that kind of situation. One more thing The addition of a drink package for the extra people in the cabin along with internet is what they were talking about. The point is no one is going to book without seeing that they only get one perk so how would they lose any money? I understand that you are upset but I don't think you are saving anyone from a loss because the issue is easily "discovered" by just reading the whole thing. You posted it right here and it's in large print. You said it would be clear if they just said "everyone gets to choose one perk", but that's not true, the extra people in the cabin have no choice at all. They get non-alcoholic packages and internet minutes. That might be confusing. Thank you for your comments and opinion. We'll just have to agree to disagree. The fact that two representatives told our TA that the sale ad was misleading and the one I spoke with stated that it was confusing confirmed my opinion. No problem for us as we'll wait for the next sale, do our research and pick what is best for us. Thanks again for the back and forth as it is a great way to learn and hear other's opinions and experiences. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islander500 Posted July 3, 2017 #38 Share Posted July 3, 2017 Beyond the 1 perk vs 2 perk issue, the current promotion also changes the price of the cruise - check an Equinox Caribbean in July or August - once you price the cruise with the free perk and $300 discount. So for example, a 7-day cruise shows up as costing $1,099. Then when you add the advertised supposedly "free" perk, let's say a drink package, and the advertised $300 per cabin discount, the cabin price now shows as $1369 with the "free" perk and then the $300 cabin discount is applied. What's with that? You end up paying $1,099 plus $120 for the perk and no $300 discount. So the special deal doesn't apply to the quoted price, but to some higher price that isn't identified until the end. Some special that is. :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caribill Posted July 3, 2017 #39 Share Posted July 3, 2017 And then there is also a question of is it really a free perk. Through our travel agent, we could book an Equinox cabin for a certain price or get it with the "free perk" for $100 more, or for $150 we could get 2 "free" perks, and for incrementally more we could get additional free perks up to 4. That certainly is not my definition of "free". This goes beyond misleading to misrepresentation, or even less polite words I have a 12 day cruise booked for 2017. For this 12 day cruise, I can indicate an age or state resident discount and I am then given the opportunity to optionally order Go Big, Go Better or Go Best. With Go Big you can pick one amenity. a) For $300/person ($600 total) you can pick $150/person OBC ($300 total). What a deal! Pay $600 for $300 worth of OBC. b) For $300/person ($600 total) you can pick gratuities for two worth a total of $324. Again, what a deal! Pay $600 for a perk worth $324. c) For $300/person ($600 total) you can pick unlimited Internet, a pre-cruise price worth $267/person ($534 total). A slightly better deal, paying $600 for a benefit worth $534. d) For $300/person ($600 total) can pick the basic beverage package for each person. I am not sure what this perk is worth. With Go Better, you can pay $180 more/person for a total of $480/person ($960 for two people) and pick two amenities. And, of course, you can get Go Best if you pay a total of $840/person ($1680 for two people) and get all four amenities with the beverage package being the the upgraded one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dutchclogs Posted July 3, 2017 #40 Share Posted July 3, 2017 Does the current promotion end in two days? Perhaps X will be clearer then (or may be not );) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitecap Posted July 3, 2017 Author #41 Share Posted July 3, 2017 I have a 12 day cruise booked for 2017. For this 12 day cruise, I can indicate an age or state resident discount and I am then given the opportunity to optionally order Go Big, Go Better or Go Best. With Go Big you can pick one amenity. a) For $300/person ($600 total) you can pick $150/person OBC ($300 total). What a deal! Pay $600 for $300 worth of OBC. b) For $300/person ($600 total) you can pick gratuities for two worth a total of $324. Again, what a deal! Pay $600 for a perk worth $324. c) For $300/person ($600 total) you can pick unlimited Internet, a pre-cruise price worth $267/person ($534 total). A slightly better deal, paying $600 for a benefit worth $534. d) For $300/person ($600 total) can pick the basic beverage package for each person. I am not sure what this perk is worth. With Go Better, you can pay $180 more/person for a total of $480/person ($960 for two people) and pick two amenities. And, of course, you can get Go Best if you pay a total of $840/person ($1680 for two people) and get all four amenities with the beverage package being the the upgraded one. Caribill; you're information is from the Go Big,Bigger,Better deal. The cruise deal I was referring to is called the Summer Savings. Not only does it list the same four perks as the Go Big,Bigger,Better but states in the very first line that everyone who books an ocean view or higher will get the beverage package free. That line indicates that the beverage package is part of the fare. Further down the advertisement it states that Guest 1 and 2 can choose 1 perk. That is where the misleading/confusing part comes to play. If the ad had said that Guest 1 and 2 could choose from 4 different perks and all others get the beverage package it might have prevented the confusion but then it would be the same as the Go Big,Bigger,Better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ma Bell Posted July 3, 2017 #42 Share Posted July 3, 2017 Those of us who have been sailing with Celebrity for a long time have been more than disappointed at the game playing Celebrity does with pricing now. With the advent of "packages" and continuous "sales'" and "promotions" they have made what was once a very simple booking process into a constant annoyance. It actually goes even deeper than that. They entice people with loyalty benefits and then basically make them worthless with the promotions". It's sad but seems to be the way they conduct business now and it works for them. The old saying "there's no free lunch" always holds true and this kind of marketing is prevalent in many businesses in our world today. It's like having another job to make sure you get a fair deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitecap Posted July 3, 2017 Author #43 Share Posted July 3, 2017 Those of us who have been sailing with Celebrity for a long time have been more than disappointed at the game playing Celebrity does with pricing now. With the advent of "packages" and continuous "sales'" and "promotions" they have made what was once a very simple booking process into a constant annoyance. It actually goes even deeper than that. They entice people with loyalty benefits and then basically make them worthless with the promotions". It's sad but seems to be the way they conduct business now and it works for them. The old saying "there's no free lunch" always holds true and this kind of marketing is prevalent in many businesses in our world today. It's like having another job to make sure you get a fair deal. Believe me it isn't just Celebrity. We are Elite status with Princess and even considering all the benefits that we get with them, their prices have risen dramatically. Some of our favorite ships and itineraries for 2018 and 2019, 14 days, balcony room, have gone up to near $7000.00 compared to our upcoming 14 day that we paid $4756.00. As I have said a couple of times on this thread, be aware that the word SALE doesn't necessarily mean Great Price. Search, research and ask lots of questions then get it in writing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ljhershey Posted July 3, 2017 #44 Share Posted July 3, 2017 These perks are obviously not FREE! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostchild Posted July 3, 2017 #45 Share Posted July 3, 2017 Does the current promotion end in two days? Perhaps X will be clearer then (or may be not );) You mean like their previous promotion? That one said everyone gets free drinks and free wifi, 1st and 2nd passengers choose 2 perks. LOL :D The current promotion is 1 perk but price is lowered by about 1 perk. The next promotion will probably give you 3 perks and raise the price! :evilsmile: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deliver42 Posted July 3, 2017 #46 Share Posted July 3, 2017 All the cruise lines do this. Nothing is free anywhere. If it's "free", the basic cruise price goes up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChucktownSteve Posted July 3, 2017 #47 Share Posted July 3, 2017 These perks are obviously not FREE! YES they are. Celebrity says they're free. Celebrity would not lie to us. Would they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitecap Posted July 3, 2017 Author #48 Share Posted July 3, 2017 YES they are. Celebrity says they're free. Celebrity would not lie to us. Would they? Over a period of time I have come to learn that when searching/researching a cruise, no matter which cruise line, I listen for that little voice that says, "but wait, there's more, for just an added processing fee you get another one free". Sorry, it can't be free if you are charging me more even if you call it a "processing fee". :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4774Papa Posted July 3, 2017 #49 Share Posted July 3, 2017 Believe me it isn't just Celebrity. We are Elite status with Princess and even considering all the benefits that we get with them, their prices have risen dramatically. Some of our favorite ships and itineraries for 2018 and 2019, 14 days, balcony room, have gone up to near $7000.00 compared to our upcoming 14 day that we paid $4756.00. As I have said a couple of times on this thread, be aware that the word SALE doesn't necessarily mean Great Price. Search, research and ask lots of questions then get it in writing. We have noticed the prices increases as well. Transatlantic cruises are still pretty reasonable and with no price bundling. We are on Eclipse for 15 days Southampton to Miami for a balcony, $1199 pp. However, we wanted to do NZ our of Sydney and then do a transpacific cruise. Celebrity's prices were about double of Royal Caribbean. The X price included the drink package that would have been of modest value to us, since we are elite and don't drink much out of the happy hour. Also, we did Alaska last Fall on the NCL Sun and it was a great cruise. We found the food had improved a lot on NCL. Also, we got to see Glacier Bay that X doesn't do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deliver42 Posted July 3, 2017 #50 Share Posted July 3, 2017 It's not so much that X doesn't do Glacier Bay. They can't. Alaska banned all Royal companies due to discharge a few years ago. The only ones in are Princess, HAL, and NCL of the mass market lines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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