Summer of Savings Event - Free Perk Costs $300

[CruisingChick]

So Celebrity has this banner add on the home page of their website about The Summer of Savings. They even tweeted about it this morning.

 

Here's what it reads:

 

THIS SUMMER, EVERYONE WHO SAILS—SAVES.

 

For a limited time, everyone in your stateroom—any stateroom—saves up to $150 off their cruise fare.* Plus, book an ocean view or higher stateroom and the first two guests choose a free perk to enjoy on your award-winning, modern luxury vacation.

 

First two guests each choose 1 free perk:

Classic Beverage Package • Prepaid Tips • Unlimited WI-FI,and $150 to spend on board.

 

Friends and family in your stateroom get:

Classic Non-alcoholic Beverage Packages and 40-minute Internet Packages

Want it all and more?

 

Book Suite Class accommodations and the first two guests get all FOUR perks—with an upgrade to a Premium Beverage Package. Plus, everyone in your stateroom saves $200 off their cruise fare.*

 

Savings per person is based on type of stateroom:

 

$50* Inside

$100* Ocean View or Veranda

$150* Concierge Class or AquaClass®

$200* Suite Class

 

 

Set sail on your next vacation and take advantage of our Summer Savings Event. Book by September 5, 2017 and get this incredible offer applied to almost any sailing departing September 1, 2017 through April 30,2019.

I click on the link and follow it to a cruise I want to book and I pick an Ocean view cabin, only when I go to check out if I want one perk I have to add $300 per person. How is that free? I tweeted back Celebrity but of course no response.

 

Only thing I can think of is that the cruise I'm looking at is not included. It departs September 24, 2017 so is in the time frame, and its also listed under the link you click on in the add under: Choose Your Destination.

 

Here's the link:

 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/cruise-deals/special-offer

 

Do I waste my time calling Celebrity or is this false advertising?

[cdn_tbird]

Personally I wouldn't bother. All you'll accomplish is getting even more frustrated.

 

Whole heartedly agree it is deceptive but you can bet dimes to dollars that their legal department has made sure that is just barely onside from a legal point of view.

 

If it is a cruise you want at a price you want, I'd ignore the marketing BS and book it.

 

In my mind it's no different that their lowest price guarantee. If it was an honest guarantee then the price reductions should be automatic and not require you or your TA to watch it like a hawk ABMs call in for the adjustment.

 

 

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[davekathy]

...Set sail on your next vacation and take advantage of our Summer Savings Event. Book by September 5, 2017 and get this incredible offer applied to "almost any" sailing departing September 1, 2017 through April 30,2019...

Not really false advertising with this statement.

[mexico8]

Last year we were offered "free beverage package" but it was going to cost us hundreds of dollars for the gratuities on the drinks package. We declined the "free offer".

[CruisingChick]

...Set sail on your next vacation and take advantage of our Summer Savings Event. Book by September 5, 2017 and get this incredible offer applied to "almost any" sailing departing September 1, 2017 through April 30,2019...

Not really false advertising with this statement.

 

Yes, but the cruise I want pops up when you go to "Choose Your Destination". So if it's not included it should not be there.

[Educators2]

I checked the price of a cruise I booked last week. I think it was the same summer promotion for July. I was given one complimentary perk on the mock booking and we did get the $100 off the room (per person) for a balcony cabin when we booked last week. The price was the same as last week.

It doesn't hurt to call. The worst thing they can tell you is that your cruise isn't included in the promotion.

[jelayne]

Last year we were offered "free beverage package" but it was going to cost us hundreds of dollars for the gratuities on the drinks package. We declined the "free offer".

 

 

Where did this "free offer" come from a travel agent or Celebrity?? We have had the free beverage package from Celebrity on at least 12 cruises and it always included the gratuties.

 

I know that on some other cruise lines the free beverage package does not include gratuties but that hasn't been the case on Celebrity.

[helen haywood]

Agree. I think mexico8 may be thinking of NCL. When X gives the beverage package as a perk (i.e. free) you are not charged the gratuities.

 

 

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[caribill]

Whether you go Big, Better or Best you are paying for the perks.

 

Sometimes you are paying more than they are worth.

[drsel]

It's the same old 123go offer. Inside cabin gets only a $100 discount (no perk).

Ocean view gets $200 discount plus 1 perk--$300 OBC or Classic drinks package or free gratuities or free WiFi

[drsel]

It's the same old 123go offer. Inside cabin gets only a $100 discount (no perk).

Ocean view gets $200 discount plus 1 perk--$300 OBC or Classic drinks package or free gratuities or free WiFi

Same old Big Bigger Best offer running for many months

[Sailingkidswine]

You really have to run the numbers on everything to see what works. Also, I've noticed that on the same cruise/same room, the price of kids alters so watch 3rd/4th passengers in a room.

[shipshape sam]

Call them. You want to sail that date/itinerary, so I would confirm if it is a mistake or not. Then it is your decision with all the facts!

 

Good luck!

[Lookingforfacts]

When I booked I had the option of booking without the summer of savings promotion. I would have saved $100. TA told me $100 was drink service charge. I think she was confusing it with NCL. I booked within 45 days.

[Staci0615]

The whole deal thing is a farce. I am already booked....with no perks in an inside..... They play around with the gimmicks to make you seem you are going to get more but in the end the price is the price and it doesn't change. Every gimmick has a cost associated to it, if it is something you want you can pay upfront in the cost of the cruise or you can pay on the backend on your cruise statement.

 

 

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[Luvtoeat]

When I booked our cruise earlier this year I had the option of not taking the free perks and booking with either the senior, resident or military rate. These three rates were all the same and about $900.00 less then if I had taken the free perks. So as previously stated on some of the other posts, the free perks are not really free and you have to do your homework to see if you are getting a good deal.

[Orator]

All cruise lines make offers that benefit them. They are a for profit business. At this time they are seeing full ships and increased profits. Only real bargains will come when the market weakens.

[Syracruisin]

This sounds similar to the Go Better/Go Best, in which they include "free" perks that you pay more for. In our case, the drink package and OBC was worth the $300 additional cruisefare price. The drink package discounts are worse advertising; they claim 20% off but the math never seems to equal that. Always run the numbers on promotional deals and check all of the available options.

[NantahalaCruiser]

When I booked our cruise earlier this year I had the option of not taking the free perks and booking with either the senior, resident or military rate. These three rates were all the same and about $900.00 less then if I had taken the free perks. So as previously stated on some of the other posts, the free perks are not really free and you have to do your homework to see if you are getting a good deal.

I used to do the same analysis. Unfortunately, it seems that most 2018 or later cruises no longer have a lower S/R/M rate with zero perks for comparison.

 

So as others have said, now the price is the price. You just have to evaluate what you are willing to pay for what you are receiving and do comparisons across multiple cruise lines.

[Islander500]

So Celebrity has this banner add on the home page of their website about The Summer of Savings. They even tweeted about it this morning.

 

Here's what it reads:

 

I click on the link and follow it to a cruise I want to book and I pick an Ocean view cabin, only when I go to check out if I want one perk I have to add $300 per person. How is that free? I tweeted back Celebrity but of course no response.

 

Only thing I can think of is that the cruise I'm looking at is not included. It departs September 24, 2017 so is in the time frame, and its also listed under the link you click on in the add under: Choose Your Destination.

 

Here's the link:

 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/cruise-deals/special-offer

 

Do I waste my time calling Celebrity or is this false advertising?

 

I noted this when they first advertised this promotion. One perk and a $100/pp discount on a balcony cabin but then they actually add $100/pp to the price of the cabin shown before they apply the discount. That's just absurd.

 

It's okay that the price is the price and if Celebrity wants to raise the price before a sale, then so be it. But don't advertise a discount and perk, and then once you select the cabin you want at the price shown ON the website, add the value of the discount to the price/pp BEFORE applying the discount. So it is shown as repriced to the higher amount AND THEN REDUCED BY THE DISCOUNT RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU WHILE BOOKING. :rolleyes:(n)

[Deenie33]

We have booked 2 cruises now while on board our current cruise......Then I go home and look up the prices and the promos offered at different sites like cruise.com - crucon.com etc What I find is that we really did get a good deal and nice promos. I mostly use cruise.com b/c they tend to throw in additional OBC which is always nice. When all is said and done I feel like we are getting a decent deal. But I always crunch the numbers and do my homework. What's nice about the booking while on board is that you can always back out of it. At least that's what happened so far.

[gerelmx]

It is the same promo as July, One free perk plus summer savings $xxx per cabin with 2 pax.

If you choose more than one perk there is a extra charge. Suites receive Four free perks.

 

I noted that Inside cabin this time receive $50 per pax