why are prices cheaper if you add your own perks

[Jim_Iain]

On 1/16/2020 at 9:14 AM, Iamcruzin said:

I guess since you used the word refunded I miss interrupted it. So it's a $100 penalty with a credit for the remainder that expires 1 yr from cancelation date. I guess it would be best to wait until just before final payment even if you know you have to cancel sooner in order to extend the time to book a new cruise.

 

Not sure if just a fluke or the way it worked BUT ---     I have a B2B booked with 1st cruise non-refundable and the 2nd refundable.    On making final payment on the second cruise 2 days before final payment date I asked the agent if it was too late to change to a non-refundable for the discounted price.    I was told... Not a problem and she processed the new discounted rate. 

 

It isn't a risk for me as I know I was going on the cruise. 

[zauberflote]

Thank you all (all y'all!) for this thread. The cruise I am looking at marks the first cruise that we will actually be paying for ourselves, and in this one thread alone I am finding a wealth of information. Thank you!


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[Iamcruzin]

2 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

Not sure if just a fluke or the way it worked BUT ---     I have a B2B booked with 1st cruise non-refundable and the 2nd refundable.    On making final payment on the second cruise 2 days before final payment date I asked the agent if it was too late to change to a non-refundable for the discounted price.    I was told... Not a problem and she processed the new discounted rate. 

 

It isn't a risk for me as I know I was going on the cruise. 

I have read here that people have done just that.

[swatts1]

I know exactly what you are referring to.  In pricing a recent Alaska cruise on Solstice, if I took Celebrity's "best value" I would have paid $800 more for 2 people.  When I chose the left side to pick my own perks and added all four I got the exact same perks but for $800 less.  My travel agent confirmed it for me.  Yes, our deposit is non refundable but we have travel insurance, which we did not get through Celebrity.  At first I thought it was a system glitch, until my TA gave me the same lower price.  It's a crazy crazy system.

[midwestkatie]

On 1/19/2020 at 11:00 PM, cgolf1 said:

 

For our upcoming trips we did the math, moving from an inside no perks to an oceanview with 2 perks and how many drinks per day we would need to pay the same out of pocket for both cabins. It turned out to be 2 sodas and 2 mixed drinks were are break even so it was a slam dunk to book with the perks. We later added a 3rd perk for no additional cost during a sale, so we could just drink soda and break even. We would never pay outright for a beverage package since we generally average 1 adult drink per day. We do al lot of math when booking Celebrity to make sure we get the best deal.

Last year we did the math 15-ways-to-Sunday and still couldn’t see us spending $59 pp /Pd on drinks. Once on board, the Maitre D offered is buy one, get one half off. That tipped it to our favor and we did it. Sometimes you just have to wait. 

[cgolf1]

13 hours ago, midwestkatie said:

Last year we did the math 15-ways-to-Sunday and still couldn’t see us spending $59 pp /Pd on drinks. Once on board, the Maitre D offered is buy one, get one half off. That tipped it to our favor and we did it. Sometimes you just have to wait. 

When we booked the apex onboard, we were looking at another Celebrity ship as well. We looked at inside and oceanview rooms on both. On the Apex the oceanview was 10% more than an inside while an oceanview was 30% more than an inside on the other ship. 
 

the long winded explanation is there no set in stone answer to when it is a good deal. The Apex oceanview with the 2 perks was a good deal, while the oceanview on the other ship was not. Kind of a pain to put so much thought into booking, but if it gets us good deals it’s all worth it in the end. 
 

Will say much easier to do onboard when they are researching for you and printing quotes versus dealing with the glitchy website.  

[drakes2]

1 hour ago, cgolf1 said:

When we booked the apex onboard, we were looking at another Celebrity ship as well. We looked at inside and oceanview rooms on both. On the Apex the oceanview was 10% more than an inside while an oceanview was 30% more than an inside on the other ship. 
 

the long winded explanation is there no set in stone answer to when it is a good deal. The Apex oceanview with the 2 perks was a good deal, while the oceanview on the other ship was not. Kind of a pain to put so much thought into booking, but if it gets us good deals it’s all worth it in the end. 
 

Will say much easier to do onboard when they are researching for you and printing quotes versus dealing with the glitchy website.  

Booked Apex last August ocean view verandah no perks. November upgraded with 4 perks plus additional $200 obc to a CC. A week later my original OV balcony dropped $600 below CC and was able to get back my original cabin and kept all perks.  Now that cabin has gone above and beyond the concierge.   Doesn't appear these prices are going down anytime soon.