Price changes today - included perks options (non suite) gone

[ghstudio]

Yesterday, you could book non-refundable and get four perks....refundable and get two perks included.

 

Today, you can book refundable or non-refundable but only with no perks.  The prices have been adjusted down.

 

In our case, for an A2 in 2020, the price was reduced by about $700 for the cabin.

 

Good news for those who wanted a no perk, refundable rate....or wanted a combination of the OBC, gratuities, internet, I guess.  Not good news for those that wanted the classic drink package. Bad news for the non-refundable rate folks where the perks were worth more than the reduction.

[mikkelhansen]

I wrote in another thread, starting this month, ALL "Sail" tiers are available with refundable AND non-refundable deposit. The perks should still be the same, although the US TA I just checked some cruises with online also doesn't show the perks with the new non-refundable options for "Sail Plus" and "Sail All Inclusive". But the description says two and four perks.

There is a slight price decrease on all tiers if choosing the NRD, at least with the TA I checked with.

[slei15]

I am still seeing the perks options available for both refundable and non-refundable for 2020 sailings when I do a few mock bookings for different times in 2020 on the TA site...

[gerelmx]

I check my 4  2020 bookings, refundable deposit with 2 or 4 perks still is a valid option, yes the Cabin Rate is higher in the 4 cruises.

[jelayne]

I did a mock booking 2 days ago and got a non-refundable and refundable option (higher price).  I selected refundable when I got to the end there were 2 price adjustments one was "Sail Now Sav"  and the second was "Price Rate" there were no perks.

 

I called my TA who said there was a  refundable rate with 2 perks it was $330 more pp that the barebones refundable rate.  So on a 11 day cruise it was $30pp pd.  We booked with that rate as the beverage package and prepaid gratuities are worth that to us. 

[hcat]

Checked one of our booked cruises today..same offers but higher prices!

 

"APEX 2020 sailing from Ft Lauderdale which we booked in April 2019.

 

Same offers are there,  but price for Sunset Veranda with 2 perks..refundable  dep....has gone up from our fare of $ 1679 to $2098  I think or $ 2298..hard to tell from the website  

 

Kind of a big jump..irony is we may cancel it in favor of a cruise on Constellation in a  sky suite 2 ..same ports.

[keesar]

I saw the changes over the weekend.  There were two types of refundable rates.  One with no perks and another with 2 perks.  The different on a 7 day cruise was $300 per person.    That is a good deal in my opinion. (But the price was still more than what I had booked onboard).  

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Wow, we moved a cruise to Alaska for next year to the Reflection Christmas and NY cruise in 2020. We got the lower rate, all 4 perks (well 2 because it is a RS) and a refundable deposit.  I don't know if this was because we moved a cruise but if so I would have expected the higher rate, which is substantially higher.

[2flacruisers]

I have done a few "dummy" bookings for 2020-21 and have not found one cruise that includes ANY perks...and that includes some of the cruises that have been mentioned on this site....

[Cruise Junky]

11 minutes ago, 2flacruisers said:

I have done a few "dummy" bookings for 2020-21 and have not found one cruise that includes ANY perks...and that includes some of the cruises that have been mentioned on this site....

No problems for me...this is reflections fall TA 2020

 

 

[takemewithyou]

So.......with all this in mind......is it just better to wait until after final payment to book? 

Do you think the perks and prices are better at the last minute?

[Host Anne]

In my experience, the promotions are ever changing.  I always book with the price and perks/no perks I am comfortable with.  If a better price/deal come along before final payment, I can often take advantage of those by contacting my TA.  If nothing better comes along, I'm happy with what I've booked.  

[DebInAntigua]

I've been seeing most cruises when I mock book offering NO perks now. I found, however, that for ones I was interested in learning more about I could get a perks included rate by calling. At least for now.

 

I think this is related to the new "Perks" offers in the Cruise Planner. If you do the math they cost a lot more than the 4 perks rate difference usually does. By not offering perks when you book and selling you Perks packages through the Cruise Planner, Celebrity:

 

• Makes more revenue (quite a bit more!)
• Can pad CP Perks packages with things that seem to add value but cost X virtually nothing (lunch with the officers, anyone?)
• Gets more up front payment from those who buy the Perk packages in advance. (you don't pay extra deposit when your rate includes perks, but if you have to buy them on the Cruise Planner...X gets more money out of your pocket sooner than final payment!)

[AquariusOne]

2 hours ago, takemewithyou said:

So.......with all this in mind......is it just better to wait until after final payment to book? 

Do you think the perks and prices are better at the last minute?

 

What happens after the final payment? How is the price adjusted? OBC

[takemewithyou]

28 minutes ago, AquariusOne said:

 

What happens after the final payment? How is the price adjusted? OBC

Well, in my experience, often prices decrease after the  final payment window.  There are less cabin choices, though, and that may be a problem ....or not.  Just depends.  And sometimes, if the cruise has lots of cabins left to book,  the cruise line will add some booking incentives, like OBC, beverage packages or extra Captains Club points to get all the cabins booked.

Clarifying.....I am talking about when to book.  Not getting prices adjusted AFTER final payment had been made.

Edited August 17, 2019 by takemewithyou

[jelayne]

6 hours ago, Cruise Junky said:

No problems for me...this is reflections fall TA 2020

 

 

 

When I look at cruises for 2020 I get the same options you posted above.  However when I move to cruises for 2021  neither the non-refundable or refundable rate show perks included.  Called TA who had pricing that included 2 perks from X and 2 from them.  Cost $30 pp pd more than the refundable rate with no perks.

[Cruise Junky]

31 minutes ago, jelayne said:

 

When I look at cruises for 2020 I get the same options you posted above.  However when I move to cruises for 2021  neither the non-refundable or refundable rate show perks included.  Called TA who had pricing that included 2 perks from X and 2 from them.  Cost $30 pp pd more than the refundable rate with no perks.

So weird. I’ve just checked 3 Caribbean 2021 cruises and I get two perks with a refundable deposit just like above. Strange. 

[DebInAntigua]

28 minutes ago, Cruise Junky said:

So weird. I’ve just checked 3 Caribbean 2021 cruises and I get two perks with a refundable deposit just like above. Strange. 

 

It could be an A/B test. Some people see fares with perks, some don’t. Celebrity measures the conversion rate (% who book) to see which way gets them more bookings. 

 

Hope that’s it rather than some new dynamic pricing algorithm like the airlines use!

[Mr&MrsBee]

Website to check prices from Tampa not working this AM.  Typical of X website.

[ghstudio]

6 minutes ago, Mr&MrsBee said:

Website to check prices from Tampa not working this AM.  Typical of X website.

It does work....you just have to get to those cruises a different way, for now.

 

select the region and month...ignore port and search.  Then, in the black bar on top, there is a line Filter By: with more options.....select ship and then select constellation.   Voila....you have the cruises from Tampa.

[Luvcrusn]

Has anyone tried pricing a cruise on their regular browser and then opening an Incognito window and repricing the same cruise? I wonder if the results would be the same or different. I haven't had a chance to try it. I often see a difference when pricing airline tickets if I do that.

[wrk2cruise]

Is one price generally better than the other.  I almost always use and incognito window with Celebrity.

[Luvcrusn]

24 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

Is one price generally better than the other.  I almost always use and incognito window with Celebrity.

IDK. I just thought it'd be interesting to see. 

[C-Dragons]

8 hours ago, DebInAntigua said:

 

It could be an A/B test. Some people see fares with perks, some don’t. Celebrity measures the conversion rate (% who book) to see which way gets them more bookings. 

 

Hope that’s it rather than some new dynamic pricing algorithm like the airlines use!

Or, it could be that perks are being offered on specific ships, and or itineraries.

[bikerunner]

1 hour ago, C-Dragons said:

Or, it could be that perks are being offered on specific ships, and or itineraries.

That’s what I see. My cruise and all the ones I’m looking at had perk offer.  Not concerned. Always need to find right pricing strategy for supply and demand    Tho I do think the mark is going to get over saturated with all the new ships in a cpl years.