November 1 Begins Non-Refundable Deposits in US

[DaisyFire]

Trying to guesstimate impact on fares.

 

On my recent sailings the low price was usually when cruise first opened for booking. Under dynamic pricing as the ship filled prices rose, sometimes dramatically, right up to final payment date. It therefore seems fair to say that early bookings and multiple bookers have the effect of creating scarcity and driving prices up. If customers cancel at final payment date and X cuts price to fill the ship it's too late for the rest of us to request adjustments.

 

With non-refundable deposits would expect cruisers to book later, and ships to fill more slowly. Low occupancy levels will keep fares down and force X to be more promotional. Logical?

 

Makes sense to me... I am sure I will adjust my booking habits similar to what you are describing.

[TeaBag]

Thank you all for your answers re cruises booked a long time ago, maybe not being included in this new rule. I think I will be going to the Future sales people shortly after I board on Friday to cancel a cruise or two, if they are. As Cruise Junky said $1200 is too much to lose. For those of us getting into the "iffy" health years, this is not welcome news.

[Cruise Junky]

Thank you all for your answers re cruises booked a long time ago, maybe not being included in this new rule. I think I will be going to the Future sales people shortly after I board on Friday to cancel a cruise or two, if they are. As Cruise Junky said $1200 is too much to lose. For those of us getting into the "iffy" health years, this is not welcome news.

 

Hold tight on cancelling anything. Andy said it's just for their upcoming promo. Not a policy change.

[helen haywood]

And I can't believe they would change the rules for cruises booked before this new policy, if implemented.

 

 

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[Luvcrusn]

My understanding is that the new policy will apply to bookings MADE after November 1. Not to bookings made prior to that date.

[caribill]

Personally, I do not have an issue with that. This also means that if there are any drops in pricing, it would be beneficial to cancel and re-book.

 

Having a booking re-fared does not require a need to cancel and re-book.

[caribill]

I will not use a Travel Agent that charges a cancellation fee.

 

So I certainly will not book a cruise that has a cancellation fee before final payment date.

[chemmo]

If they are following the booking rules same as here in the UK i.e non refundable deposits then the answer is no. No price drops allowed.

 

 

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We have (we are in the UK) had cruises which had a 'price match' offer. These have invariably been cruises we have booked as itineraries come out. As all our cruises with this offer have sold out or gone up in cabin price we haven't needed to use this but have found it reassuring. Historically I think these offers seem to coincide with November itinerary releases and are only available on certain cruises.

 

Re changes to personal circumstances.....When you do book so far out there are occasions where owing to personal health or health of a loved one you cannot cruise. In the U.K. There is an option by paying £75 for each of the first two cabin occupants to change your cruise (time, ship, location, room...). If you are Elite or higher you get one change free per booking. We needed to do this this year, it was easy and cost us nothing. We win because we do not loose our deposit, Celebrity wins because they keep our deposit. I would assume this will now be in the US terms and conditions.

 

Whilst there has been much more freedom for US bookers we have never found our 'terms and conditions' too bad. If we didn't have the above option to change it would make a difference to us...

[Wiltonian]

I don't know if I'm remembering correctly but I remember reading somewhere that part of the reason for the booking rules in UK has to do with some UK laws. Anyone know? As I said previously we have never cancelled a booking. The new policy will make us change our booking pattern and book close to a sailing instead of 2 years out.

 

UK law requires that if a company supplying a "complete" holiday - e.g. cruise + flights - goes bust, the customer is recompensed. Companies have to pay into a fund to facilitate this, paying a small amount for every holiday booked. This has been the excuse in the past for UK prices to be higher than US ones, although the difference was far greater than the contribution to the protection scheme. Various other consumer protection laws may have added a marginal cost to UK sales, but there was never any law that stopped Celebrity UK refunding deposits on cancellation!

 

Stuart

[villauk]

UK law requires that if a company supplying a "complete" holiday - e.g. cruise + flights - goes bust, the customer is recompensed. Companies have to pay into a fund to facilitate this, paying a small amount for every holiday booked. This has been the excuse in the past for UK prices to be higher than US ones, although the difference was far greater than the contribution to the protection scheme. Various other consumer protection laws may have added a marginal cost to UK sales, but there was never any law that stopped Celebrity UK refunding deposits on cancellation!

 

Stuart

 

Or for permitting price drops (as this was the norm up until a few years ago ;)).

[AnOnymously]

There is an option by paying £75 for each of the first two cabin occupants to change your cruise (time, ship, location, room...). .

 

Interesting, never seen that anywhere can you point it out so that UK cruisers have this option.

[villauk]

Interesting, never seen that anywhere can you point it out so that UK cruisers have this option.

 

It’s in the T&Cs (from X UK website):

 

Can I make changes to my booking after it has been confirmed?

Should you wish to make any changes to your confirmed holiday, you must notify us in writing as soon as possible. Whilst we will endeavour to assist you, we cannot guarantee we will be able to meet any such request. For guests wishing to make a significant amendment to their booking outside of 56 days from departure, such as changing the ship, sail date, flights or brand, please note that a booking transfer fee is applicable.

Please note that any amendments for hotels, transfers and flights may result in the loss of the amount that was collected at the time of booking for these additional components.

The transfer fee is £75 per guest which is limited to the first two guests on a booking, therefore any additional guests on the booking will not be charged as well. Please note, the transfer fee is a non-refundable amount, which will be included in any cancellation charges as detailed in section 1.11 above. Please note that guests who are Elite and above within our Captains Club loyalty scheme are entitled to one free change per booking.

Please note that your booking will be re-priced in-line with the up-to-date business and price rules and a new confirmation invoice will be issued.

For all changes that we consider to be minor changes (such as change of stateroom or name changes on an existing booking by way of example only), outside of 56 days from departure (such as change of stateroom or name changes on an existing booking), an amendment fee of £35 per guest per booking will be payable together with any costs incurred by ourselves and any costs or charges incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers. Please note, the amendment fee is a non-refundable amount, which will be included in any cancellation charges as detailed in section 1.11 above.

[chemmo]

Interesting, never seen that anywhere can you point it out so that UK cruisers have this option.

 

Villauk has already shown you the section....It really did make a difference to us this year. Very easy, no quibble option.

[villauk]

Villauk has already shown you the section....It really did make a difference to us this year. Very easy, no quibble option.

 

We too have used this in the past; we had more difficulty trying to point out the free onboard booking transfer as X did say it wasn’t possible, until I forwarded our TA a copy of the T&Cs I’d asked for when reserving onboard (something I’d definitely advise getting ;)).

[AnOnymously]

It’s in the T&Cs (from X UK website):

 

Can I make changes to my booking after it has been confirmed?

Should you wish to make any changes to your confirmed holiday, you must notify us in writing as soon as possible. Whilst we will endeavour to assist you, we cannot guarantee we will be able to meet any such request. For guests wishing to make a significant amendment to their booking outside of 56 days from departure, such as changing the ship, sail date, flights or brand, please note that a booking transfer fee is applicable.

Please note that any amendments for hotels, transfers and flights may result in the loss of the amount that was collected at the time of booking for these additional components.

The transfer fee is £75 per guest which is limited to the first two guests on a booking, therefore any additional guests on the booking will not be charged as well. Please note, the transfer fee is a non-refundable amount, which will be included in any cancellation charges as detailed in section 1.11 above. Please note that guests who are Elite and above within our Captains Club loyalty scheme are entitled to one free change per booking.

Please note that your booking will be re-priced in-line with the up-to-date business and price rules and a new confirmation invoice will be issued.

For all changes that we consider to be minor changes (such as change of stateroom or name changes on an existing booking by way of example only), outside of 56 days from departure (such as change of stateroom or name changes on an existing booking), an amendment fee of £35 per guest per booking will be payable together with any costs incurred by ourselves and any costs or charges incurred or imposed by any of our suppliers. Please note, the amendment fee is a non-refundable amount, which will be included in any cancellation charges as detailed in section 1.11 above.

 

Many thanks, I am sure that many UK bookers were not aware.

[C 2 C]

It’s in the T&Cs (from X UK website):

 

Can I make changes to my booking after it has been confirmed?

For all changes that we consider to be minor changes (such as change of stateroom or name changes on an existing booking by way of example only), outside of 56 days from departure (such as change of stateroom or name changes on an existing booking), an amendment fee of £35 per guest per booking will be payable

 

We have often booked a year or more in advance and changed staterooms, either for a better locations or for a higher category as prices drop. I can see this as another possible fee in the future killing flexibility for the passenger.

[Luvcrusn]

UK law requires that if a company supplying a "complete" holiday - e.g. cruise + flights - goes bust, the customer is recompensed. Companies have to pay into a fund to facilitate this, paying a small amount for every holiday booked. This has been the excuse in the past for UK prices to be higher than US ones, although the difference was far greater than the contribution to the protection scheme. Various other consumer protection laws may have added a marginal cost to UK sales, but there was never any law that stopped Celebrity UK refunding deposits on cancellation!

Did I read correctly that there can be a cost to change staterooms? My upcoming cruise had a $600 price drop 13 months before saiLing. We not only got the price drop but also changed staterooms and then upgraded from concierge to Aqua. I guess going forward I'll be making sure of the new fine print.

 

Stuart

Thanks for the clarificaton. As I said, I wasn't sure but remembered reading something a while back about laws in UK.

Edited October 26, 2017 by Luvcrusn

[chemmo]

We have often booked a year or more in advance and changed staterooms, either for a better locations or for a higher category as prices drop. I can see this as another possible fee in the future killing flexibility for the passenger.

 

At present in the UK, Arno, we have been able to swap rooms, same category at no cost. We have also upgraded rooms at no admin cost, just the difference in price between what we had and what we are moving to. We are E+ so I cannot say for certain if we would have been charged the £35/£75 without having at least Elite status but surely if you are upgrading a room it is in Celebrity's interest to let you do so....

 

I do think as well that the US may introduce the 'price match' offers we have seen here to encourage early bookers. Whilst it still does not in any way offer what you have been able to do in the US (only one match) it is something. Whilst the rooms we have had on price match have gone up or sold out it has been reassuring when booking 2 years out that you are not totally going to be ripped!

Edited October 26, 2017 by chemmo

[Luvcrusn]

At present in the UK, Arno, we have been able to swap rooms, same category at no cost. We have also upgraded rooms at no admin cost, just the difference in price between what we had and what we are moving to. We are E+ so I cannot say for certain if we would have been charged the £35/£75 without having at least Elite status but surely if you are upgrading a room it is in Celebrity's interest to let you do so....

 

I do think as well that the US may introduce the 'price match' offers we have seen here to encourage early bookers. Whilst it still does not in any way offer what you have been able to do in the US (only one match) it is something. Whilst the rooms we have had on price match have gone up or sold out it has been reassuring when booking 2 years out that you are not totally going to be ripped!

Thanks Chemmo. That's good to know. I guess, as a said previously, we'll actually have to read the fine print.

[chemmo]

Thanks Chemmo. That's good to know. I guess, as a said previously, we'll actually have to read the fine print.

 

You have, on your side of the pond, lost a real flexibility bonus...However, on our side of the pond we have found Celebrity (after research) still value for money with the T's &C's we have....I do think lots of US guests will be reading the small print, completing spreadsheets to analyse changes in the next few months....

 

Best wishes....

[Luvcrusn]

You have, on your side of the pond, lost a real flexibility bonus...However, on our side of the pond we have found Celebrity (after research) still value for money with the T's &C's we have....I do think lots of US guests will be reading the small print, completing spreadsheets to analyse changes in the next few months....

 

Best wishes....

Celebrity will still probably be our cruise line of choice. Since I am super sensitive to smoke it's one of the few cruise lines that has policies that make me able to enjoy use of the casino rather than have to go one deck up or down rather than walk through it and suffer the consequences of my throat getting sore or closing up. We'll just have to look at passing up those large balconies and changing our booking patterns.

[chemmo]

Celebrity will still probably be our cruise line of choice. Since I am super sensitive to smoke it's one of the few cruise lines that has policies that make me able to enjoy use of the casino rather than have to go one deck up or down rather than walk through it and suffer the consequences of my throat getting sore or closing up. We'll just have to look at passing up those large balconies and changing our booking patterns.

 

 

Again I can only comment from the UK perspective but we have, almost invariably, found early booking to our advantage.....

 

With a significant health issue to consider I would also focus that into your booking 'value' when comparing X with other cruise lines....

[MizDemeanor]

It's not much different than booking best price pre-cruise hotels with no cancellation policies. Hotel option is to pay higher price for the ability to cancel without penalty.

 

Thankfully we still have the freedom to choose. (yn)

[kearney]

That makes taking a chance on last minute bookings more appealing.

I agree. I had just started booking outside the 90 day period.... but will likely go back to waiting until the last minute, like we used to do. I changed because I did not see particularly good deals by waiting... this may change with this policy. Will have to wait and see.

[seahappy08]

in regards to comments about some booking cruises they may not take .. this habit was encouraged and suggested at Future Cruise Sales on board. Assuming they got credit no matter when you cruised as long as it was from the original booking . Only $200 a pop. I personally have changed a few but not last minute

 

We also found this was actively encouraged by Future Cruises onboard to their USA clients but did no apply to us from the UK, so the ship's quickly filled up with people who did not in the end take the voyage. We have been able to change cruise bookings with out losing our deposit as long as we re-booked a cruise. We do book a long time in advance. Also, on some cruise there are less people from the USA with more from Europe and other countries.