Price mistake - what can I do?

[LindsayC]

Yesterday I did a mock booking on Celebrity's website for the 16 night cruise in Asia departing October 2020. I already have a booking for this cruise, I did the mock booking to find out, under the new promotion, if I could get my price reduced. Just before completing the booking I got an overview of the price (which was really low, including 3 perks - felt too good to be true). I made a print screen of this overview and sent it to my TA, then I did the courtesy hold for that booking. When receiving the confirmation for that courtesy hold the price was still the same but the perks were not on the booking. My TA told me the overview of the price (which I made a print screen of) was a mistake by Celebrity and that she couldn't book the cruise with the conditions on the print screen. And I think my TA wont make any more effort to contact Celebrity about this.

 

What do you think? Should I contact Celebrity about this myself since I got it on a print screen or will this be lost effort? And how can I contact them? 

 

I don't know if it makes a difference but I am belgian (mock booking was on the US website). 

 

Thanks in advance for any help (and sorry for any English writing mistakes)!

[Guindalf]

WHat I would do is first see how much I'd lose by cancelling the existing booking (but don't cancel just yet!). If you can get your deposit back or it's an acceptable amount, then complete to direct booking and cancel the TA.

 

You can always transfer the booking to the TA later if you want. Personally, if the TA refuses to help, I'd just leave them out of the loop!

[LindsayC]

5 minutes ago, Guindalf said:

WHat I would do is first see how much I'd lose by cancelling the existing booking (but don't cancel just yet!). If you can get your deposit back or it's an acceptable amount, then complete to direct booking and cancel the TA.

 

You can always transfer the booking to the TA later if you want. Personally, if the TA refuses to help, I'd just leave them out of the loop!

 

Problem is that the new booking I have a courtesy hold on does not include the 3 perks. It only shows on the payment overview that you get before the booking. So all I have is a print screen of an overview which don't correspond with the actual booking.

[Guindalf]

In that case, call or email Celebrity directly and get confirmation.

[mom says]

I'm pretty sure that I read on a different thread something to the effect that if there is a mistake in an advertised offer that Celebrity would not honor the mistake. You can try calling Celebrity, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

[LindsayC]

Just got an email from my TA saying she will contact Celebrity about the print screen of the overview but she thinks the chance of an adjustment to that great price is very low because it is just a print screen of an overview an not a real booking. Anyway I will keep my fingers crossed for a little while. Even if I don't get that price the new promotion still gets me an extra perk which is very nice.

[Britpamtany1205]

I did the same thing as you with two future cruises I have booked directly with celebrity.  I also have the screenshots with reduced prices and three perks.  When I continued to do the 24 hr price hold I got error messages.  I called my Celebrity vacation planner and was told it was a software mistake.  If I was able to compete and get confirmation on the 24 hr hold he would’ve honored it.  They can’t take a screen of an overview as a confirmed booking.  I’ll keep an I out to see if you received different reults

[dani negreanu]

I live in Israel, but I'm using a US based travel agent.

 

I've booked my next cruise (Apex), got the invoice, but I've noticed that in the morning (night time in US), the rates online are much lower, in my case -- 100$ less.

 

Asked my TA about it.

She replied: "take a screen shot of the lower rate and send it to me, so that I can show it to my supervisor".

 

I took the screen shot in the morning, sent it, and in the evening I've got the revised invoice, less 100$, even if in the evening the rate was higher again.

 

Always take a screen shot if you see a good rate !!!😁

[Britpamtany1205]

Btw LindsayC, I just got Celebrity to honor one of the two screenshot mock booking after the third try.  So yes I received (3) perks [two in original booking] at $100 less total cost...yea!!!

Did your TA have any luck?

[wrk2cruise]

Celebrity should be ashamed of themselves for creating a pricing structure that their IT infrastructure seems unable to support.  They really should be held to honor their "advertised" prices (that shown on the booking summary page).

 

I think it's going to be rare that they honor screen shots as they know their system displays incorrect pricing/perk combinations.   They should be forced to shutdown their site until these problems can be fixed.  Maybe the resulting loss of business would cause them to take it seriously.

 

I'm glad to see people are doing the correct thing now by placing a 24hr hold and getting the guest invoice to see what you are really buying.

 

If you want a better way to see the various pricing combinations one of the high volume US based (in NH) on-line cruise agencies web site shows all pricing/perk combinations and I've always known it to be correct.

[LindsayC]

7 hours ago, Britpamtany1205 said:

Btw LindsayC, I just got Celebrity to honor one of the two screenshot mock booking after the third try.  So yes I received (3) perks [two in original booking] at $100 less total cost...yea!!!

Did your TA have any luck?

 

That is really nice! I am still waiting to hear back from my TA. I think my TA contacted Celebrity by email and is now waiting for an answer. I do believe my chances are low because the price difference was huge (about 750 USD for the two of us). My TA did add the extra perk so I'm already really happy with that but imagine a reduction in price of 750 USD! I will post here as soon as I hear from my TA. 

[LindsayC]

6 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

If you want a better way to see the various pricing combinations one of the high volume US based (in NH) on-line cruise agencies web site shows all pricing/perk combinations and I've always known it to be correct.

 

Is there any way you could tell me how I can find such kind of agency online? I know you can not mention names of agencies here on cruise critic but I just simply don't know how to find one.

[jason322]

Same thing happened with us. We booked equinox for Nov 2, 2019 last week. The last night of labor day sale it was 2407.36 for unobstructed balcony room including 2 perks. I thought that was a pretty good deal but didn't book it. The next morning I checked the same room and with the new free perk offer got the same room with 3 perks for 1897.36!!! We booked it immediately. We got our invoice email and it showed paid in full but that we would owe a $90 fee due on the next day. We called celebrity and the rep told us she didn't know what the $90 was for but that she had bad news and the 1897 price did NOT include the perks. My wife argued back and sent her screen shots of our invoice showing the 3 perks we chose and added to our reservation. I think the glitch was instead of giving us the $400 off promotion on their website it gave us $910 off for being a North Carolina resident. The rep got with her supervisor and they approved the perks and the 1897 price and removed the $90 fee. Best deal ever! We booked straight through Celebrity's website. No travel agent. I'm glad we jumped at the booking and glad we called Celebrity and they actually took care of us. 

[Glendakayself]

6 hours ago, LindsayC said:

 

Is there any way you could tell me how I can find such kind of agency online? I know you can not mention names of agencies here on cruise critic but I just simply don't know how to find one.

I did an Internet search of New Hampshire on-line cruise agency, and one came up. I am not sure if it is the one the OP referenced, but it had the info mentioned. I also tried the one with city and travel in the name and got the same information. It is very interesting to see 12 different ways to book the same cruise with the amount added to the bottom line for each offer. The non-refundable deposit offers for our 2020 cruise were the best deals with $0 added for perks.

Edited September 11, 2019 by Glendakayself

[bEwAbG]

No business has to honor pricing mistakes, especially if you're not even able to confirm the price by completing the booking.  Most everything you see on the screen is advertising copy.  What the system will let you book & confirm is what you get.  If you get them to honor something based on a screenshot, it's an exception and not the rule. 

[jason322]

On 9/11/2019 at 12:53 PM, bEwAbG said:

No business has to honor pricing mistakes, especially if you're not even able to confirm the price by completing the booking.  Most everything you see on the screen is advertising copy.  What the system will let you book & confirm is what you get.  If you get them to honor something based on a screenshot, it's an exception and not the rule. 

My case was a copy of our confirmation email after being paid in full. Not a booking screen shot.