Celebrity MoveUp

[Cruizen Susan]

1 hour ago, Bruin Steve said:

 

Stuart,

I see you are fairly new to Cruise Critic, so, perhaps you can be excused from knowing of the large number of past threads on  the gratuity issues...and I dread to address it here once more, but, apparently you have a mistaken concept of what is in play here.  It is NOT a "US culture of tipping". ......etc etc.

 

 

 

Thank you, Bruin Steve, for taking the time to clearly state the reasoning behind the long-discussed tipping issue yet once more.   I did not feel like taking the time to do this ONE MORE TIME, to those who just don't get it,  or are too cheap and pretend they don't get it.  I agree with everything you said!!  I have traveled around the world and concur with your findings.

 

I would like to add that I, for one, enjoy the new Moveup bidding opportunity, to have the possibility of obtaining a RS or PS at a fraction of the original cost.   I am waiting to hear at this moment about a sailing we are embarking on 5/26.   If I don't get it, I'm still content in my suite.   

 

Thanks again, well thought out explanation.

 

Susan

Edited May 19, 2019 by Cruisen'Susan

[Bruin Steve]

Where do I begin?

 

Well, I guess I'll leave my prior explanation of the gratuities issue to stand on its own.  Clearly, some people will just never understand that portion of the economics of running a cruise line.  Or that you pay for service no matter which cultural system may be in place.

 

As to the MoveUp program--the real purpose of this thread--clearly there is no advantage to the cruise line to withhold cabins from general sale so that they can encourage more bidding.  The current sale price, at the time, for any cabin, will be higher than the minimum bid price.  They would much rather sell the cabin at the full asking price.  And they can--and do-- elicit bids for categories that appear sold out simply because bookings go away all the time.  People, even past the final payment date, have reasons to cancel their cruise--last minute illness, emergencies, change of plans.  On our last cruise, the cruise appeared completely sold out, yet we were upgraded at the very last minute.  Someone in a higher category cabin cancelled just before the sale date.  So, yes, with the suites sold out on your cruise, Celebrity is still asking for bids because a suite MAY become available.  If one doesn't, no harm done.

 

As to those shore excursions again:  Being guaranteed not to miss the ship is NOT the only advantage.

--Often, you cannot find others to split the cost of a private tour, making that tour far more expensive than the shorex.

--In many ports, private guides may be unavailable, already booked by others or hard to find.

--In some ports, you may not feel comfortable with private local operators due to safety, liability/insurance concerns or other issues.

--booking a shorex is relatively easy...no research required.

--Many private local tour companies require pre-payment, often by credit card, and many are uncomfortable with that. And many have severe penalties for cancellation (I have been burned once by that).  Cancellation policies through the cruise line are easy.

--There is always the chance of a "no-show".  (I was burned once by that--in Koper, Slovenia with a guide who came recommended by Rick Steves).

 

Look, I personally prefer to do private small group tours...and I put a lot of work into organizing them...but it is seldom for the reason of saving money.  Often, those private tours are higher priced (On my upcoming Reflection back-to-backs, I do not have a single private tour which does not cost more than the shorexes.  In fact, I am saving quite a bit of money in some ports where I have opted for shorexes).  But, there are MANY good reasons to take a shorex.

 

Also, be aware that Celebrity (and most other cruise lines), do NOT operate the shore excursions.  Those are contracted out to local providers in every port.  And, interestingly enough, almost all of the cruise lines use the same local providers.

Edited May 19, 2019 by Bruin Steve

[yorky]

25 minutes ago, Stuart2019 said:

 

It was extremely judgemental  and quite aggressive in it's nature, with lots of capitals. It was also flawed. I have been on cruises with a number of cruise companies and Celebrity's cost of a cruise is similar to other cruise companies. Therefore why the need for customers to subsidize the company's salary to their employees? Why should customers need to be put in the invidious position of having to compensate staff to a level they should be by their own company? 

 

Excursions are not included in the initial cost with any cruise company that I am aware of. But the cost is always somewhat higher with the cruise company than with an independent provider. The only advantage is the guarantee that the customer will not miss their ship with any delays. That concern is emphasized by all cruise companies.

 

The moveup program is tacky and just looking to make as much money out of customers as possible. There is also the concern that cabins are withdrawn from general purchase so that bidders can push up the price in the moveup program (see BEAV posted May 6th).

 

Edit: We tried to book a suite for the cruise but none were available. We still received the moveup email. When none were available? Or withdrawn for the lottery of the moveup program?

 

I provide an opinion based on my experience and don't require to have it critisized as being unreasonable on the basis of your opinion. You have your view. I have mine. Thank you.  

 

 

To be honest the moment you posted regarding removing gratuities it was only going to go one way and i’m afraid  you had better brace yourself because you are probably going to receive a lot more. Gratuities has been done to death on here, and yes we get the occasional troll who posts knowing exactly what’s going to happen.  

[Stuart2019]

If it's only going to go one way then there's no room for discussion is there? I post here to get information and to express an opinion. I can see why the reasonable person doesn't bother. It's therefore dominated by the over opinionated who have nothing better to do. The way of so many forums unfortunately. 

[yorky]

2 minutes ago, Stuart2019 said:

If it's only going to go one way then there's no room for discussion is there? I post here to get information and to express an opinion. I can see why the reasonable person doesn't bother. It's therefore dominated by the over opinionated who have nothing better to do. The way of so many forums unfortunately. 

Welcome to the World Wide Web 😂

[Luvcrusn]

1 hour ago, Stuart2019 said:

 

It was extremely judgemental  and quite aggressive in it's nature, with lots of capitals. It was also flawed. I have been on cruises with a number of cruise companies and Celebrity's cost of a cruise is similar to other cruise companies. Therefore why the need for customers to subsidize the company's salary to their employees? Why should customers need to be put in the invidious position of having to compensate staff to a level they should be by their own company? 

 

Excursions are not included in the initial cost with any cruise company that I am aware of. But the cost is always somewhat higher with the cruise company than with an independent provider. The only advantage is the guarantee that the customer will not miss their ship with any delays. That concern is emphasized by all cruise companies.

 

The moveup program is tacky and just looking to make as much money out of customers as possible. There is also the concern that cabins are withdrawn from general purchase so that bidders can push up the price in the moveup program (see BEAV posted May 6th).

 

Edit: We tried to book a suite for the cruise but none were available. We still received the moveup email. When none were available? Or withdrawn for the lottery of the moveup program?

 

I provide an opinion based on my experience and don't require to have it critisized as being unreasonable on the basis of your opinion. You have your view. I have mine. Thank you.  

 

 

here's another way to look at things.  when we visit someone's home, or another country it is incumbent on us to conform to the rules and culture there to be good guests. it would be inconsiderate, if not downright rude, to expect the culture to change for the guest. travel is a wonderful way of learning about the world. sometimes it makes you appreciate your way of life, but it also allows us to understand others and appreciate our differences.  just because it differs from what we're accustomed to doesn't make it wrong,  it just makes it different. when we choose to cruise on a cruise line or visit a country where the expectation includes gratuities as compensation for service employees  we should conform to expectations or choose destinations that conform to ours.

 

as far as suites not being available,  they generally book up early. on our last cruise we sailed with friends who had to cancel the day before departure and their suite was then open for move up availability.  things like that happen all the time. nothing offensive meant here and no capitals.

[Cruizen Susan]

5 minutes ago, Luvcrusn said:

here's another way to look at things.  when we visit someone's home, or another country it is incumbent on us to conform to the rules and culture there to be good guests. it would be inconsiderate, if not downright rude, to expect the culture to change for the guest. travel is a wonderful way of learning about the world. sometimes it makes you appreciate your way of life, but it also allows us to understand others and appreciate our differences.  just because it differs from what we're accustomed to doesn't make it wrong,  it just makes it different. when we choose to cruise on a cruise line or visit a country where the expectation includes gratuities as compensation for service employees  we should conform to expectations or choose destinations that conform to ours.

 

as far as suites not being available,  they generally book up early. on our last cruise we sailed with friends who had to cancel the day before departure and their suite was then open for move up availability.  things like that happen all the time. nothing offensive meant here and no capitals.

 

I agree.   And I always factor in the cost of the tips along with the price of the cruise.   I would never dream of cruising if unable or unwilling to tip.   

[wendyam76]

I saw in an earlier post there is a direct link to the Move up website - unfortunately as I am in the UK it automatically defaults to the UK website (and not the Move up page!) and if I replace the .com to co.uk it comes up with page not found.

I’m doing a B2B on the Edge in July and have received a Move up email for the first cruise (really tempted!) but would like to check out options for the second cruise - we are Aqua for the first week and one of the few regular balconies for the second. Anyone have any luck with a webpage that works for the UK?

many thanks

Wendy

Edited May 26, 2019 by wendyam76

[Jim_Iain]

4 hours ago, wendyam76 said:

I saw in an earlier post there is a direct link to the Move up website - unfortunately as I am in the UK it automatically defaults to the UK website (and not the Move up page!) and if I replace the .com to co.uk it comes up with page not found.

I’m doing a B2B on the Edge in July and have received a Move up email for the first cruise (really tempted!) but would like to check out options for the second cruise - we are Aqua for the first week and one of the few regular balconies for the second. Anyone have any luck with a webpage that works for the UK?

many thanks

Wendy

 

While this isn't the bidding link like you get in the U.S. there is a Moveup link to sign up at https://www.celebritycruises.co.uk/move-up

 

 

[wendyam76]

Many thanks Jim, I had found that link but it may help others. I might not be getting one for the second cruise which is surprising as lots of empty cabins! 

[JLS07]

On 5/19/2019 at 1:52 PM, Stuart2019 said:

 

The moveup program is tacky and just looking to make as much money out of customers as possible. There is also the concern that cabins are withdrawn from general purchase so that bidders can push up the price in the moveup program (see BEAV posted May 6th).

 

 

 

From a business stand point, this isn't really the same as "taking as much money out of customers as possible".  The cruiseline has a set number of rooms still available 45-60 days from sailing at most price points.  Odds are the only ones being purchased at the last minute are lower level rooms for major discounts (better for the cruise to fill the rooms at discount rather than leave them empty).  So in an effort to "clear space" at the lower end of the room category to allow more purchases, they allow people to "bid" to move up to better rooms and open lower level rooms up for these last minute travelers.

 

Our cruise had 4 suites, 10+ aqua, 20 concierge, 2 family verandas, and 15-20 verandas available within 75 days of the sale date.  They did the MoveUp and only oceanviews are available now because they moved people up (at a price) and opened the lower level rooms for folks looking for last minute major discounts.  I know for a fact (due to room numbers) that our new room was occupied before the MoveUp, which means they bid on something higher and won; which opened their room to us when our MoveUp was accepted.

 

Option 1) Lower level room stays occupied at current rate and higher level room goes unused.

Option 2) Lower level room occupant MoveUp to higher level room for additional payment (but less than it would have cost for the room originally) and a lower level room opens and is filled with a new passenger for new money.

 

Clearly option 2 is the best for the cruise line and honestly for the customer too.  It gives you an opportunity or chance to move up with significantly less costs.  We moved from inside to veranda for total bid of $1,000.  Because we are sailing with kids, if we put 4 in a veranda originally it would have cost probably $4,000 more on the purchase than the inside room, so this offer saved us close to $3,000. 

 

As far as rooms being able to be bid on that don't exist, they are allowing bids in case someone cancels.  If a room opens due to cancellation, they will have a hard time getting a suite filled 1 month before sailing.  Better to move everyone up a notch and get that extra money to offset the loss.  So Inside-> Veranda->Concierge->CS->RS->Penthouse.  Everyone is happy, Celebrity makes some of the lost revenue up and everyone get a higher level of experience and maybe they consider that their new baseline travel room going forward.  And if the room isn't canceled it doesn't' cost celebrity or you anything - zero downside.  Other than those day dreams of the suite life.

[Les43]

I have three pending bids for a cruise in 11 days. I assume the closer you get to the cruise, the less likely you are to be upgraded? 

Edited May 30, 2019 by Les43

[Luvcrusn]

27 minutes ago, Les43 said:

I have three pending bids for a cruise in 11 days. I assume the closer you get to the cruise, the less likely you are to be upgraded? 

Not necessarily. There are often last minute cancellations. Many of the who people received accepted bids get them during the last week before their embarkation.

[NutsAboutGolf]

3 hours ago, JLS07 said:

 

From a business stand point, this isn't really the same as "taking as much money out of customers as possible".  The cruiseline has a set number of rooms still available 45-60 days from sailing at most price points.  Odds are the only ones being purchased at the last minute are lower level rooms for major discounts (better for the cruise to fill the rooms at discount rather than leave them empty).  So in an effort to "clear space" at the lower end of the room category to allow more purchases, they allow people to "bid" to move up to better rooms and open lower level rooms up for these last minute travelers.

 

Our cruise had 4 suites, 10+ aqua, 20 concierge, 2 family verandas, and 15-20 verandas available within 75 days of the sale date.  They did the MoveUp and only oceanviews are available now because they moved people up (at a price) and opened the lower level rooms for folks looking for last minute major discounts.  I know for a fact (due to room numbers) that our new room was occupied before the MoveUp, which means they bid on something higher and won; which opened their room to us when our MoveUp was accepted.

 

Option 1) Lower level room stays occupied at current rate and higher level room goes unused.

Option 2) Lower level room occupant MoveUp to higher level room for additional payment (but less than it would have cost for the room originally) and a lower level room opens and is filled with a new passenger for new money.

 

Clearly option 2 is the best for the cruise line and honestly for the customer too.  It gives you an opportunity or chance to move up with significantly less costs.  We moved from inside to veranda for total bid of $1,000.  Because we are sailing with kids, if we put 4 in a veranda originally it would have cost probably $4,000 more on the purchase than the inside room, so this offer saved us close to $3,000. 

 

As far as rooms being able to be bid on that don't exist, they are allowing bids in case someone cancels.  If a room opens due to cancellation, they will have a hard time getting a suite filled 1 month before sailing.  Better to move everyone up a notch and get that extra money to offset the loss.  So Inside-> Veranda->Concierge->CS->RS->Penthouse.  Everyone is happy, Celebrity makes some of the lost revenue up and everyone get a higher level of experience and maybe they consider that their new baseline travel room going forward.  And if the room isn't canceled it doesn't' cost celebrity or you anything - zero downside.  Other than those day dreams of the suite life.

 

In addition to sell outs, the being able to bid on rooms not available is the whole point of “move up”.  If the sailing isn’t full, if passenger A has an OV and bid on a Veranda and passenger B has a Veranda and bid on a Concierge, if the bids are accepted then everyone moves up. 

 

25 minutes ago, Les43 said:

I have three pending bids for a cruise in 11 days. I assume the closer you get to the cruise, the less likely you are to be upgraded? 

 

Rules are two days before the sail date.  You can call reservations, simply say you’d like a quote on an upgrade and ask which cabins are available.  If higher category rooms are available you’re in luck.  Most cruises also usually have some cancellations.

[Boscodog]

We are traveling with friends in 2 veranda cabins.  There seems to be many unsold aqua class cabins as the prices were really high.  As we get closer to sail date I am interested in any move up opportunities to Aqua, however we only want to move up with our friends.  Does  anyone know if 2 reservations can be linked so that we both can move up together?

Thanks

[korryp]

Never heard of any move up bidding being able to link two reservations for bidding. You can ask Celebrity.

[mikkelhansen]

The MoveUp FAQ specifically mentions that each bid is considered indivudually, and thus cannot be guaranteed to be approved together any other bids: https://www.celebritycruises.com/bid-on-cruise-room-upgrade/celebrity-moveup-faqs

Q.

What happens if I am part of a group or traveling with another reservation?

A.

Each offer is considered individually, Celebrity Cruises cannot guarantee that all reservations traveling together will be upgraded. Under the circumstance that all reservations are upgraded, Celebrity Cruises cannot guarantee that all the upgraded cabins will be close together.

[NutsAboutGolf]

45 minutes ago, Boscodog said:

We are traveling with friends in 2 veranda cabins.  There seems to be many unsold aqua class cabins as the prices were really high.  As we get closer to sail date I am interested in any move up opportunities to Aqua, however we only want to move up with our friends.  Does  anyone know if 2 reservations can be linked so that we both can move up together?

Thanks

 

Can't hurt to email you situation to: CelebrityMoveUp@Celebrity.com  I would have very low expectations

[Quo Vadis?]

On 4/23/2018 at 2:49 PM, CruisingChick said:

I just received an e-mail from Celebrity regarding my upcoming 7 night Bermuda cruise titled Celebrity MoveUp. It says I can bid on an upgrade. So I clicked on the upgrade link and check veranda, since we are booked in an ocean view. The LOWEST it will let me "bid" is $400 per person. What?

 

You want me to pay another $800 to move up from an outside to a veranda? That's crazy.

 

Has anyone used this before?

We just moved from an inside to a concierge cabin for $200 pp, Summit June 5.

Celebrity was asking more for a minimum bid to an OV ($90)  than we could get through our travel agent ($50 pp)

Remaining cabins are now limited to inside ($574) and OV $749, yesterday OV was cheaper.

Celebrity is conditioning me not to book a category higher than inside unless one is determined to get a suite at any price.  When one has to budget their cruising plans, one must look for any savings possible.

[FlorenceItaly]

8 minutes ago, Quo Vadis? said:

We just moved from an inside to a concierge cabin for $200 pp, Summit June 5.

Celebrity was asking more for a minimum bid to an OV ($90)  than we could get through our travel agent ($50 pp)

Remaining cabins are now limited to inside ($574) and OV $749, yesterday OV was cheaper.

Celebrity is conditioning me not to book a category higher than inside unless one is determined to get a suite at any price.  When one has to budget their cruising plans, one must look for any savings possible.

Fabulous deal!!  For some reason, your sailing has been very slow to sell and I think this helped you to move up many categories for a great rate.  Have a wonderful cruise.  We are on the June 16th sailing.  I tried to talk my dh into doing a B2B starting with your sailing, but, couldn't make the case, LOL.

[BEAV]

1 hour ago, Quo Vadis? said:

We just moved from an inside to a concierge cabin for $200 pp, Summit June 5.

Celebrity was asking more for a minimum bid to an OV ($90)  than we could get through our travel agent ($50 pp)

Remaining cabins are now limited to inside ($574) and OV $749, yesterday OV was cheaper.

Celebrity is conditioning me not to book a category higher than inside unless one is determined to get a suite at any price.  When one has to budget their cruising plans, one must look for any savings possible.

 

Congrats on a great upgrade price. To put it into a more detailed perspective, can you tell us what you paid for your inside stateroom?  

 

I just saw the $574 inside rate you mentioned. Fantastic deal for anyone booking last minute for an 11 night cruise!

[Quo Vadis?]

50 minutes ago, BEAV said:

 

Congrats on a great upgrade price. To put it into a more detailed perspective, can you tell us what you paid for your inside stateroom?  

 

I just saw the $574 inside rate you mentioned. Fantastic deal for anyone booking last minute for an 11 night cruise!

$1398+ 527.86 tax = 1925.86 for  both of us - $225 OBC booked in Feb.  Frugal cruising at its finest.

[BEAV]

16 minutes ago, Quo Vadis? said:

$1398+ 527.86 tax = 1925.86 for  both of us - $225 OBC booked in Feb.  Frugal cruising at its finest.

 

So when factoring your MoveUp upgrade you paid roughly $900 per person (plus tax) for 11 nights in a Concierge balcony + your OBC.  

 

The only downside side is not getting the Captain’s Club points for Concierge. But if you’re like us, we’ll never spend/sail enough to elevate our status beyond Elite+. So the whole points element would be moot for us. 

 

Again, congratulations on your MoveUp success. Have a blast!

 

 

Edited May 31, 2019 by BEAV
Spelling

[FlorenceItaly]

46 minutes ago, Quo Vadis? said:

$1398+ 527.86 tax = 1925.86 for  both of us - $225 OBC booked in Feb.  Frugal cruising at its finest.

VERY impressive!  Way to GO!

[TFree]

On 5/13/2019 at 10:19 PM, TFree said:

Right. We have the same situation as you. I have submitted a customer care type email to the Big Box customer service. Their system says responses expected in 3 to 4 weeks. Approaching 3 weeks now. If I have not received a response by the time we get back from our current trip, I will get on the phone with Big Box Travel office to try to get an answer / complain. 

 

Tom & Judy

Just to follow up on this, we are back now.  I think I misspoke in the prior post, because I think that my Customer Service message was sent to Celebrity, not to Big Box Store (because now I can't find any email link or place on their system to send a message).

So I called Big Box Store Travel Customer Service today.  The agent on the line was not too helpful, since she is not familiar with the Move Up program, much less what the reasons are why they don't participate, or whether they are giving any consideration to participating.  She said that would be the Cruise Buying Department that would make such decisions, and no, there is no way to contact them directly.  But sure, she would pass on feedback about this. 

I wasn't satisfied with that, or convinced that any human will actually read my feedback, so I decided to send a letter to Big Box Travel, ATTN: Cruise Buying Department, at the address listed for mail on the Big Box Travel website.  Here is the text of the letter, with identifying information removed:

Dear Cruise Buying Department:

 

I am xxxxx, [Big Box] Member number xxxxxxxxxx.  We have just returned from our first cruise where [Big Box] Travel was the agent on the reservation, [Big Box] Booking Number xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.  The cruise was great, and we look forward to receipt of our Cash Card in the mail.

 

As the last month or two before the cruise approached, I learned that [Big Box] Travel does not participate in any way in Celebrity’s Move Up Program, under which passengers can put in bids on higher level cabins, and then if the bid is accepted, pay extra and move up to the higher level cabin.  (https://www.celebritycruises.com/bid-on-cruise-room-upgrade)  In the case of this particular cruise, we were actually able to upgrade from a Sky Suite to a Celebrity Suite for no additional cost, because the Celebrity Suite cabin cost dropped so much in price.  But the more typical situation would be where it will cost, let’s say, $1,000 per person to upgrade directly, but maybe the minimum bid to make the same move would be $400 per person.  If the bid is accepted, the passenger gets an upgrade for a much lower cost. 

 

I talked to Customer Service about this, but the service agent was not even familiar with the program, much less be in a position to say whether [Big Box] Travel is considering participating in this program or not.  She said she would pass on my feedback to the Cruise Buying Department, but I thought I would send this letter to explain in a bit more detail.

 

To me, this can be a significant benefit to the passenger (your client), and as far as I can tell, there is no cost to [Big Box] Travel.  In fact, I have read that a Move Up under this program is considered a commissionable event, and if so it seems [Big Box] Travel would actually make money if the passenger successfully bids and Moves Up. 

 

I have become aware that most other national travel agencies do participate in the Move Up program, which (as you can tell) I consider a plus.  We booked another cruise while onboard last week, and because of this issue I will be shopping the booking around before deciding whether to transfer it to [Big Box] Travel.  It may be hard to match the [Big Box] Travel benefits (in the form of the Cash Card), but if other travel agents can come close and participate in the Move Up program, I would have to consider that option.

 

I don’t know if you are willing to contact me back about this inquiry, but if you are, I would appreciate it.  I would love to know two things: (1) if there is some reason that is not apparent to me why [Big Box] Travel does not participate (such as a hidden cost); and (2) if there is any chance that [Big Box] Travel will reconsider participation in the Move Up Program.  If you are willing to contact me back, I can be reached at (xxx) xxx-xxxx, or at xxxxxxxxxxx@gmail.com, or at the address shown on the first page.

 

Thank you for your consideration.

 

I will post here if I get any kind of response.  I urge other customers of the Big Box to write to them as well.  In the meantime, I will be attempting to decipher the veiled references to other travel agents I have found on these boards, and contact several of them to shop this booking around.

Tom & Judy

Edited June 7, 2019 by TFree
Correct Typo