Celebrity "Magic Pricing"

[cruiseerf]

We do a lot of sailing on Celebrity cruises.  Standard operating procedure is we book cruises when onboard far out to secure cabins, suites, preferences perks etc.   This has now backfired on us on three occasions.  Most recently;  Two years ago we secured cabins on the Celebrity Reflections transatlantic April 2019.  Pricing was sky suites at $4699+port and tax per person and came with onboard gratuities.   We tried 6 months prior to book additional suites for friends, all sold out.   After final payment our suites are currently selling for $2499 per person a Steal for a sky suite for a 14 night cruise (17 available...maybe).  Of course as per Celebrity's policy,  there are no refunds after final payment, so by booking out we have been penalized $4400 per cabin in this case.  This is the third time this has happened and this bothers me.  I am disappointed in Celebrity.   In doing my research I have learned the following:  

 

1)  Just because Celebrity shows availability online does not mean it is "True" availability.   People constantly ask, "Why is celebrity asking me to upgrade when I can't see any cabins available?"....ANSWER.....The only TRUE availability is known by Only Celebrity Cruises and this is used to manipulate pricing, much in the way airlines do to maximize revenue.  Therefore they can and DO hold back cabins, 1/4 of the suites suites etc as per their pricing models knowing that it keeps cabin prices high.  Few people see the "true availability" even their own reservation agents, they work with whats on their screens ......After final payment however, all bets are off and Celebrity must fill their ship, thus the price drops.  This is all perfectly legal.  I am however, finally learning how to play the game.   

 

2)  Our travel agent claims to use proprietary software which immediately notifies them of Celebrity Price Drops.  In my 52 cruises, we have never been notified of any drops, and Usually, we find the price drops and notify the travel agent.   Remember,  The less you pay, the less commission the travel agent makes.......So there is little incentive for them to take all the time checking their customers cruises every few days......THAT IS YOUR/OUR JOB...... I have learned this with two travel agents so far.  While I have no doubt their are Loyal agents who do jump through hoops for their customers and Find the price drops, this has not been our experience.  

 

 3)  Had we booked Aquaclass cabins and the suite prices drop, we could have upgraded for the difference.  Simple transaction.   If no suites, that is the risk we take.  

 

4)  The days of booking far out are indeed feasibly gone IMHO, even this January many Caribbean cruises had 15+suites still showing availability after final payment at excellent pricing.  I have started to bi Weekly check the pricing on our upcoming cruises....Amazing what you see and find.    

 

5)  We need to book smarter.....Reflection has twice as many suites as other Solstice class ships therefore you have far better odds of scoring price drop which would allow you to move up from Aqua to a suite for little $$.      

 

Lastly, if you are locked into a time or need a specific handicapped cabin etc....these strategies will only be of limited help.   This said, the simple act of double checking your pricing can save you thousands.....Most people just book and go......which is great however not so smart in the current pricing climate.  

 

Hope this has helped....You can learn from our mistakes, we have.  Celebrity still has a most lovely product "at sea" however we find their land base, as with most cruiselines.....weak.  

 

Safe travels to all. 

[Stateroom_Sailor]

Yikes!  Can you upgrade to a better suite, and at least offset some of the difference?  

 

I remember eyeballing our Hawaiian cruise before we decided to book, Aqua was going for $3,500, Sky suites must have been $5,000 or more.  We ended up locking Aqua in at $1,750, and a Sky Suite guarantee hit $1,999 after final payment.  Personally, I think they wanted way too much money, pricing well above Princess and Holland, only to have price slashing at the very end, well below competition.  That can either be a good or bad thing, depending on your cabin flexability.  Lock in the minimum cabin you would be happy with, and upgrade later if opportunity presents itself.

 

I believe you're right about reserved cabins.  We're looking at a promenade cabin on Allure of the Seas for the end of next year, and I don't want to look at a giant Starbucks logo.  Half the cabins appear sold, yet they are the same cabins as several sailings prior.

[Cruise a holic]

1 hour ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

Yikes!  Can you upgrade to a better suite, and at least offset some of the difference?  

 

I remember eyeballing our Hawaiian cruise before we decided to book, Aqua was going for $3,500, Sky suites must have been $5,000 or more.  We ended up locking Aqua in at $1,750, and a Sky Suite guarantee hit $1,999 after final payment.  Personally, I think they wanted way too much money, pricing well above Princess and Holland, only to have price slashing at the very end, well below competition.  That can either be a good or bad thing, depending on your cabin flexability.  Lock in the minimum cabin you would be happy with, and upgrade later if opportunity presents itself.

 

I believe you're right about reserved cabins.  We're looking at a promenade cabin on Allure of the Seas for the end of next year, and I don't want to look at a giant Starbucks logo.  Half the cabins appear sold, yet they are the same cabins as several sailings prior.

 

1 hour ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

Yikes!  Can you upgrade to a better suite, and at least offset some of the difference?  

 

I remember eyeballing our Hawaiian cruise before we decided to book, Aqua was going for $3,500, Sky suites must have been $5,000 or more.  We ended up locking Aqua in at $1,750, and a Sky Suite guarantee hit $1,999 after final payment.  Personally, I think they wanted way too much money, pricing well above Princess and Holland, only to have price slashing at the very end, well below competition.  That can either be a good or bad thing, depending on your cabin flexability.  Lock in the minimum cabin you would be happy with, and upgrade later if opportunity presents itself.

 

I believe you're right about reserved cabins.  We're looking at a promenade cabin on Allure of the Seas for the end of next year, and I don't want to look at a giant Starbucks logo.  Half the cabins appear sold, yet they are the same cabins as several sailings prior.

just a comment the promenade cabins are extremely noisey.  If you are a light sleeper or go to bed early, consider other options.  a CPV cabin on deck 9 is a great cost effective option.  Enjoy your cruise

[justcrusn]

So, just remember that prices can also RISE and booking early sometimes is the best price and you get first choice of cabins.

We often book after final payment. We usually get a good price. We also get the “leftover” cabins that no one else wanted. If you take the price on your cruise now, that is for a guarantee booking, no choice in cabin at all.If you’re just happy to be on the ship that’s good, if the cabin matters at all you’re rolling the dice.

For most of us on here, the cabin choice represents a lot of research, hence the existence of the cabin spreadsheets.

 

So, don’t feel like you made a mistake! 

Its all part of booking strategy, someone may be able to book a suite now for half what you did, but they’ll get the one under the buffet with chairs scraping overhead etc. while you sleep quietly.

[Aralim]

2 hours ago, justcrusn said:

So, just remember that prices can also RISE and booking early sometimes is the best price and you get first choice of cabins.

 

Definitely this. I'm booked on the Summit Iceland & Greenland sailing in August of 2020, and while the prices of interior, OV, and Verandah rooms aren't really moving at all, and CC / AQ cabins are maybe a smidge higher, the prices of suites are skyrocketing! I booked in January, and at that time a Celebrity Suite (my original "reach" room for the four of us; now not even an option as it's been reclassified to only triple occupancy) was running about $5k per person. Now it's almost $10k per person! 😳

 

Now, this sailing is still a little over a year until final payment date, and prices may drop on those non-suite cabins since I still see a lot of available inventory. And I sincerely hope they do, since I'm booked in a pair of insides right now and would love to upgrade to a balcony! 😂 But it would appear that the suite cabins are selling out fast, driving the price spike as demand outstrips supply.

[Hlitner]

On many different threads of CC, we have been involved in discussions regarding various booking strategies.  There are always those who will post that the best deals happen when one books far in advance.  And then there are those of us who have long posted that the best cruise deals (by far) happen with last minute bookings when a cruiser has the will and ability to be flexible as to the cruise line, ship, date, and even itinerary.   When we read posts like the OP's, we really have little sympathy....and let me explain why.  Many of the early bookers will always argue that this is the best way for them to get the exact cabin and cruise that meets their specifications.  And that is certainly true, but when you accept that tenant the tradeoff is losing the ability to take advantage of some last minute price drops.  

 

So to the OP I simply ask, would you have been willing to wait for the last minute (inside the final payment period) and gamble that you would be able to book any suite (or any cabin) on that particular cruise?  And are you willing to accept that if you want a particular cabin or category on a specific  cruise, it will not likely be available inside the final payment period on most cruises.

 

Last minute bookings are like playing craps.  You rolls the dice and take your chances.  Sometimes you win big, but many times you roll snake eyes.  

 

As to availability of cabins, there are many factors in play including marketing gimmicks.  But also consider that there are too many cruisers who book multiple cruises, far in advance, with the intention of cancelling most bookings just prior to the final payment date.  These faux bookings take many of the best cabins out of inventory.  It is only when those folks cancel (near the final payment date) that those cabins go back into available inventory.  There are also large cruise agencies and consortiums that will often "block out" space for larger group bookings.  At some late date (in accordance with their agreement with the cruise line) any unsold cabins will be released back into available inventory.  

 

As to the comment the OP made about their travel agent,  you might want to find another cruise/travel agent.  In our own experience (over forty years of booking cruises) we have never found a decent discount cruise agency that gave us the best deals (usually about 10% better then booking directly with a cruise line) and also did good price monitoring.  Essentially we have found that price (and promotion) monitoring is best viewed as a DIY function.  We will often have 3-5 cruises booked and have learned to check on their pricing as often as twice a week.

 

Hank

[amscene1]

This is why I never stay loyal to just one cruise line and make my bookings within 15-45 days out. I have almost never had a price go down on me after booking and I love something about all the cruise lines. No need to confine yourself to just one. They all have positives and negatives.

 

 

[mfs2k]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

On many different threads of CC, we have been involved in discussions regarding various booking strategies.  There are always those who will post that the best deals happen when one books far in advance.  And then there are those of us who have long posted that the best cruise deals (by far) happen with last minute bookings when a cruiser has the will and ability to be flexible as to the cruise line, ship, date, and even itinerary.   When we read posts like the OP's, we really have little sympathy....and let me explain why.  Many of the early bookers will always argue that this is the best way for them to get the exact cabin and cruise that meets their specifications.  And that is certainly true, but when you accept that tenant the tradeoff is losing the ability to take advantage of some last minute price drops.  

 

So to the OP I simply ask, would you have been willing to wait for the last minute (inside the final payment period) and gamble that you would be able to book any suite (or any cabin) on that particular cruise?  And are you willing to accept that if you want a particular cabin or category on a specific  cruise, it will not likely be available inside the final payment period on most cruises.

 

Last minute bookings are like playing craps.  You rolls the dice and take your chances.  Sometimes you win big, but many times you roll snake eyes.  

 

As to availability of cabins, there are many factors in play including marketing gimmicks.  But also consider that there are too many cruisers who book multiple cruises, far in advance, with the intention of cancelling most bookings just prior to the final payment date.  These faux bookings take many of the best cabins out of inventory.  It is only when those folks cancel (near the final payment date) that those cabins go back into available inventory.  There are also large cruise agencies and consortiums that will often "block out" space for larger group bookings.  At some late date (in accordance with their agreement with the cruise line) any unsold cabins will be released back into available inventory.  

 

As to the comment the OP made about their travel agent,  you might want to find another cruise/travel agent.  In our own experience (over forty years of booking cruises) we have never found a decent discount cruise agency that gave us the best deals (usually about 10% better then booking directly with a cruise line) and also did good price monitoring.  Essentially we have found that price (and promotion) monitoring is best viewed as a DIY function.  We will often have 3-5 cruises booked and have learned to check on their pricing as often as twice a week.

 

Hank

 

Good post.

[mnocket]

We are also on the April '19 Reflection TA.  I repriced once before final payment for a significant savings.  I took another look after final payment to see what the "last minute" deals were.  I could have saved about $1,000 pp if I had waited to book.  However, this savings would have been more than eaten up by the increased cost of airfare.  I always book business class for overseas flights.  Choice Air often has good fares for business class, but if you book too close to departure those savings evaporate.  In my case, the airfare would have increased $2,000 pp.  So for me, waiting until after final payment would have cost me money on the combined cruise/airfare package. 

[Longboysfan]

10 hours ago, cruiseerf said:

We do a lot of sailing on Celebrity cruises.  Standard operating procedure is we book cruises when onboard far out to secure cabins, suites, preferences perks etc.   

 

2)  Our travel agent claims to use proprietary software which immediately notifies them of Celebrity Price Drops.  In my 52 cruises, we have never been notified of any drops, and Usually, we find the price drops and notify the travel agent.   Remember,  The less you pay, the less commission the travel agent makes.......So there is little incentive for them to take all the time checking their customers cruises every few days......THAT IS YOUR/OUR JOB...... I have learned this with two travel agents so far.  While I have no doubt their are Loyal agents who do jump through hoops for their customers and Find the price drops, this has not been our experience.  

. 

I had same encounter with my agent prior to 9-11.

We had booked cabin at high price about a year before.

9-11 came.

I called agent about 5 times asking about price drops and re-booking.

 

"No.  Prices are still the same."

 

We went on cruise and I asked a few couples what they paid....

Well they all seemed to get balcony deals for less that we paid.

 

It was time for a new cruise agent.....

[Stateroom_Sailor]

9 hours ago, Cruise a holic said:

 

just a comment the promenade cabins are extremely noisey.  If you are a light sleeper or go to bed early, consider other options.  a CPV cabin on deck 9 is a great cost effective option.  Enjoy your cruise

 

We did a promenade cabin on Navigator 5 years ago and loved it.  Didn't love the food, and sounds like things haven't gotten any better, so we're going to do a dining package this time.  I agree that the verandas are the best value, but we get those all the time, and rarely sail RCCL.  The 24/7 view makes it different treat.

[Aralim]

11 minutes ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

 

We did a promenade cabin on Navigator 5 years ago and loved it.  Didn't love the food, and sounds like things haven't gotten any better, so we're going to do a dining package this time.  I agree that the verandas are the best value, but we get those all the time, and rarely sail RCCL.  The 24/7 view makes it different treat.

 

Just keep in mind that those in the Promenade, plus anyone in the cabins across from you, can also see in to your room. You'll want to close the curtains before taking a shower or going to bed, or else plan on doing all dressing / undressing in the bathroom. Heard more than a few stories of folks who accidentally put on a bit of a show for the passers-by! 😅

[Mike981]

Like so many things there are grey-ish rules that can change day to day.
I wish I could wait until the last minute to book our cruises, but we fly from Minnesota. Flights can get tricky a couple of months out, and expensive. So that eats up any savings on the cruise. And we are a bit picky on room location.

Since we cruise in January when everyone wants to go someplace warmer, flights fill up fast and so do the cruises. We always meet a lot of folks from the upper Midwest on our cruises. Our last cruise we met a couple who were from Florida and booked last minute and paid A LOT more than we did for the same room. But that was there choice and they were fine with it and of course they were lucky, they didn't have the cost of flights.

As a side note, I just checked our next cruise (1/20) and the cost was $1,400 total more without perks. We got four.

[mayleeman]

I checked our April 12 Reflection 10 day cruise right after final payment. The price on our A2 cabin was 900 less than what we paid (which we had already reduced by 1300 in the prior two months in 3 price drops).

 

I knew the policy was no price adjustments, but I used the chat button, explained we had just paid in full before the price dropped 900, and asked if we could get the benefit of that. She said no cabin price adjustment, but she gave us 2 perks and 200 in OBC. So, we took gratuities (300) and classic beverage package (10 × 59 × 2). Used the 200 (plus 36 of our money) to upgrade to premium with the 18%. 

 

All in all, I would have been happily surprised if they had been lenient enough to drop our price by a couple hundred. Instead, they gave us something like 1680 in total value (1180 + 200 + 300)

 

Not ripping us off very successfully with that one.

 

(Sorry for repeating this story to anyone who saw it on the roll call.)

[FlorenceItaly]

13 minutes ago, mayleeman said:

I checked our April 12 Reflection 10 day cruise right after final payment. The price on our A2 cabin was 900 less than what we paid (which we had already reduced by 1300 in the prior two months in 3 price drops).

 

I knew the policy was no price adjustments, but I used the chat button, explained we had just paid in full before the price dropped 900, and asked if we could get the benefit of that. She said no cabin price adjustment, but she gave us 2 perks and 200 in OBC. So, we took gratuities (300) and classic beverage package (10 × 59 × 2). Used the 200 (plus 36 of our money) to upgrade to premium with the 18%. 

 

All in all, I would have been happily surprised if they had been lenient enough to drop our price by a couple hundred. Instead, they gave us something like 1680 in total value (1180 + 200 + 300)

 

Not ripping us off very successfully with that one.

 

(Sorry for repeating this story to anyone who saw it on the roll call.)

Impressive.  Thank you for sharing!  Have a wonderful cruise.

[TFLG]

My strategy of late is to book early the lowest level of cabin I would be happy in, either a low end veranda or an outside depending on the cruise. Then look to upgrade after final payment.  My upcoming cruise we booked an outside and upgraded to Aqua for $50pp. 

[Lastdance]

9 hours ago, mnocket said:

We are also on the April '19 Reflection TA.  I repriced once before final payment for a significant savings.  I took another look after final payment to see what the "last minute" deals were.  I could have saved about $1,000 pp if I had waited to book.  However, this savings would have been more than eaten up by the increased cost of airfare.  I always book business class for overseas flights.  Choice Air often has good fares for business class, but if you book too close to departure those savings evaporate.  In my case, the airfare would have increased $2,000 pp.  So for me, waiting until after final payment would have cost me money on the combined cruise/airfare package. 

 

I totally agree, as I always try to book the first hour or so because I love to get a certain type of cabin on a certain deck.  The only time I paid more was when I booked months after the release, but I did get a small refund from watching for price drops.  For me it is quality and location times three, mostly because my DH and I do cruises for more than 10 days, along with being mostly in Europe.  And yes, I always look for drops or great pricing to move to a better cabin...

[DebInAntigua]

11 hours ago, mnocket said:

We are also on the April '19 Reflection TA.  I repriced once before final payment for a significant savings.  I took another look after final payment to see what the "last minute" deals were.  I could have saved about $1,000 pp if I had waited to book.  However, this savings would have been more than eaten up by the increased cost of airfare.  I always book business class for overseas flights.  Choice Air often has good fares for business class, but if you book too close to departure those savings evaporate.  In my case, the airfare would have increased $2,000 pp.  So for me, waiting until after final payment would have cost me money on the combined cruise/airfare package. 

 

That’s exactly our challenge too. We live in Guatemala so it’s always an international flight for us, and always business class. We have to buy flights very early before any other business class seats are sold or the price jumps like crazy. (And never come back down). So while I price check often on our cruises, the overall lowest vacation cost is usually when we book very early. 

[villauk]

Pax keep mentioning booking early to choose and guarantee their particular desired cabin. Unfortunately, recently there have been several posts quoting this exact reason for early booking and now, due to the recategorisation of cabins after the ‘Revolution’, they no longer have that desired cabin. X have moved them without any consulatation. Even some who booked early for Edge have discovered they are now in obstructed views (not originally mentioned as being obstructed). Currently, the method discussed doesn’t appear to be working so well for everyone 🤔.

[cruiseerf]

To re-cap:  

 

No, if we upgrade further to a Celebrity suite the costs goes up almost an additional 3K, not worth it for us.  So as of now, we have got what we got.  Regarding cabin placement......it really doesn't matter to us....so booking and paying to get the desired cabin is, for us, not important.  Sometimes the quietest cabins have the noisiest neighbors 😉  

 

Yes, certain cruises I def have seen risen, but rarely for suites and often they come right back down......I am convinved this is part of the "Cycle" they are pricing on, holding back, giving in, raising prices because "they can".....and then releasing more cabins and down the prices come.....it is manipulative pricing, no doubt.  

 

I am in agreement that price drops from this point forward are our responsibility.......I was wrong to expect a TA to follow up on that as well as we can.  Now I think we are really working smarter.  

 

Lastly, Celebrity choice air now allows you to hold business class refundable airfare until final payment.....without paying......so there is now another option........

 

I will keep an eye out and report back on our progress.....We are changing with the times.....feels good. 

[Aralim]

15 hours ago, cruiseerf said:

Lastly, Celebrity choice air now allows you to hold business class refundable airfare until final payment.....without paying......so there is now another option........

 

Be careful with this. The option was discussed in another thread at some length, and it was confirmed that while the seat is held it is not “ticketed” with the airline. As such, you have no lock on a seat until you actually pay; only then will you be able to get a seat assignment, and if you wait too long you’ll just have whatever dregs are left. If you require adjacent seats or anything specific like an exit row, be sure to pay immediately and early so you can get your choice.

 

And the other factor with waiting is that the price is not locked in. So you could end up paying a lot more by waiting until final payment date.

[Stateroom_Sailor]

54 minutes ago, Aralim said:

 

Be careful with this. The option was discussed in another thread at some length, and it was confirmed that while the seat is held it is not “ticketed” with the airline. As such, you have no lock on a seat until you actually pay; only then will you be able to get a seat assignment, and if you wait too long you’ll just have whatever dregs are left. If you require adjacent seats or anything specific like an exit row, be sure to pay immediately and early so you can get your choice.

 

And the other factor with waiting is that the price is not locked in. So you could end up paying a lot more by waiting until final payment date.

 

I got a flyer in the mail, claiming "complete your vacation now, pay later".  Completely misrepresenting themselves.  Imagine if you're uncomfortable with coach on a transatlantic flight?

 

Guess I should start hotel booking site, free cancellations until the day of, we'll look at inventory when you pay.

[Shadow9612]

2 hours ago, Aralim said:

And the other factor with waiting is that the price is not locked in. So you could end up paying a lot more by waiting until final payment date.

Really?  I thought the whole benefit would be to lock in the rate?  Why book early if the rate isn't protected?

[Tourist1292]

First time cruiser but experienced deal hunter here. I booked the May 2019 cruise in December 2018 for two 1A stateroom with huge balconies and no perks. Then I called the TA 3 times until the final payment day a month ago for price adjustments to save around $480 total. Then the price dropped further afterward. Tonight, I called the TA again to upgrade both rooms to C2 at the same location but 3 floors up so with the same size of balcony plus adding 2 perks to each room. I ended up paying $480 more which is the same amount as my original booking in December but with upgraded rooms and additional perks. Nevertheless, it is still cheaper than new booking for the same class as my port fee and tax remains at the 2018 level which is around $15 less PP than the new rate. The 2 perks cost $500 per room, so there is a $1000 saving just for that even without counting the upgrade. I am sure the price will go further down, but there are not many rooms with large balcony left that I would like to upgrade to. Too bad that there is no Aqua class room for 4.

Edited March 1, 2019 by Tourist1292

[Aralim]

11 hours ago, Stateroom_Sailor said:

 

I got a flyer in the mail, claiming "complete your vacation now, pay later".  Completely misrepresenting themselves.  Imagine if you're uncomfortable with coach on a transatlantic flight?

10 hours ago, Shadow9612 said:

Really?  I thought the whole benefit would be to lock in the rate?  Why book early if the rate isn't protected?

 

Here is the original topic thread:

 

 

I've re-read it and will amend my earlier statement about prices not being locked in. That was the personal opinion of one of the posters, not something confirmed by direct conversation with a rep or direct experience. But there was enough circumstantial evidence from other postings in that thread that I do believe it to be the case. Here's the relevant quote, emphasis added by me:

 

"I spoke to Celebrity this morning and during the course of the conversation, the agent mentioned that they have some new options regarding air bookings.  The one that applies here is that they now have the option of using a refundable air fare instead of just nonrefundable.  A refundable fare does not have to be ticketed immediately but I would assume be subject to change until ticketed.  Once ticketed, the fare is locked in.  A nonrefundable fare needs to be ticketed immediately.  In days past, the nonrefundable fare is usually less expensive."