My TA won’t give me the price reduction

[yvrbos]

Jelayne, everything is exactly the same. It isn’t a group booking, the once is the same, there is no resident credit, it is perfectly identical. 
 

what she said was there was a different promo code. Promo codes are constantly changing. Does that a difference in my getting the discount?

 

As I said I had already done a mock booking and have a temporary hold so that my TA can see the price difference. I wish that we had booked it through Ceebrity. 

[Jim_Iain]

4 hours ago, yvrbos said:

It includes the same perks including the same OBC and the same balcony category. If I rebook, do I pay a penalty (fee) for the change? My sailing isn’t until January 2021.

It will depend if you have a refundable or a non-refundable deposit.   If Non-Refundable the cost to rebook will cost you $200 pp.     Also you need to know if your Agent charges a penalty fee.   I know one of the big ones many use here charge a cancellation fee.

 

I suspect like many have indicated the prices currently being offered are for the Sail Beyond Promo and only apply to new bookings.  

 

I called Celebrity today about a price reduction and the Sail Beyond Promo was what blocked me from reducing my cruise price. 

[Oville]

I’m guessing someone already mentioned this but some promotions are new bookings only.

[terrydtx]

Since your cruise is next year why not wait as the fare may drop a few more times before final payment? You are putting yourself and TA through a lot of work for $100 current savings. 

 

Our HAL Alaska cruise and land tour last year had 4 drops in price over the 18 months after we booked. We had a Signature Suite and the final price was $1200pp less than the original price we booked. We only re-fared 2 of the 4 price drops.

Edited February 19, 2020 by terrydtx

[drakes2]

10 hours ago, yvrbos said:

I am confused by the responses. To save $100 is something worthwhile to us. 

 

So am I getting this right that as long as everything is the same (perks and category), my TA should be able to get the discount? I would love to hear from those who have managed to reprice their cabins before final payment.

 

Thank you!

I've repriced by NR booking three times. Booked in August without perks. Added perks and upgraded to CC in November. A week later priced dropped on CC and repriced. Early December $600 price drop and moved back down from concierge to ocean view balcony. The $200 extra obc promo I got in November was still running at the time so kept all perks. No problems at all making changes but if promos change you could lose $$$. Final payment due end February so cant reprice after that but can move up. 

[twins_to_alaska]

8 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

It will depend if you have a refundable or a non-refundable deposit.   If Non-Refundable the cost to rebook will cost you $200 pp.   

When the OP says rebook I think they really mean reprice the same booking... they aren't looking to cancel the cruise just get the lower price... there is no cost for that even for non-refundable.

Edited February 19, 2020 by twins_to_alaska

[TMLAalum]

I would echo the advice to wait to re-price as there will likely be greater reductions in the future. 

 

And yes, re-pricing is definitely possible with a NRD- I just did so for our upcoming RCCL cruise when I noted a $100 pp reduction. Called the big box agency when I noted the lower fare. How they handle requests for a fare reduction is to call the cruiseline. I just about dropped the phone when the rep came back to me and informed me that the pricing she got from RCCL was actually close to $500 pp lower and would now include a $50 OBC! We did lose $95 shop card value though.

[twins_to_alaska]

I see no reason to wait to reprice... I do it many times for a booking each time the price drop is worth it to me... $50 is well over that worth it to me.

Edited February 19, 2020 by twins_to_alaska

[wrk2cruise]

10 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

I called Celebrity today about a price reduction and the Sail Beyond Promo was what blocked me from reducing my cruise price. 

 

That's interesting as I have repriced an existing booking booked before the Sail Beyond Promo and have changed a place holder to a new sailing both under the Sail Beyond Promo (Double Savings).   The flyer does say new bookings but they don't always enforce.   Both of my changes were made via my TA.

 

Will be interested to see how OP makes out.   I wouldn't rebook to save $50 pp but would be interested to know if the TA suddenly finds the rate to match what OP was seeing.  If the TA comes back with "new bookings only" then I guess that's the answer.

 

CEL_2020_ItsAllIncluded_DoubleSavings.pdf

Edited February 19, 2020 by wrk2cruise

[sippican]

13 hours ago, az_tchr said:

So if the fare is reduced by $50pp and you pay the $100 change fee the result is zero. Again appreciate the question but a non refundable on a 2021 cruise is a bit crazy. There will be dozens of changes in price and maybe your circumstances.

It appears - again we don't know the cruise - your TA is correct.

 

No change fee applies.

 

[sippican]

17 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

That's interesting as I have repriced an existing booking booked before the Sail Beyond Promo and have changed a place holder to a new sailing both under the Sail Beyond Promo (Double Savings).   The flyer does say new bookings but they don't always enforce.   Both of my changes were made via my TA.

 

Will be interested to see how OP makes out.   I wouldn't rebook to save $50 pp but would be interested to know if the TA suddenly finds the rate to match what OP was seeing.  If the TA comes back with "new bookings only" then I guess that's the answer.

 

CEL_2020_ItsAllIncluded_DoubleSavings.pdf 1.47 MB · 1 download

 

Did you make the boooking before the window closed on Feb 5th?

[vermonter16]

2 hours ago, twins_to_alaska said:

I see no reason to wait to reprice... I do it many times for a booking each time the price drop is worth it to me... $50 is well over that worth it to me.

I've re-fared for $100.  I agree - why on earth would someone not do it?  A $100 is $100.  It isn't like there is a limit on how many times it can be done.  

[mpk]

2 hours ago, TMLAalum said:

Called the big box agency when I noted the lower fare. How they handle requests for a fare reduction is to call the cruiseline. I just about dropped the phone when the rep came back to me and informed me that the pricing she got from RCCL was actually close to $500 pp lower and would now include a $50 OBC! We did lose $95 shop card value though.

 

You have a good big box agency.  I had one where the TA couldn't be bothered to do much of anything.  I stuck around for continuity for a few years, but couldn't take it any more.

 

Now, I often use no TA at all.  I just go directly with the cruiseline, and use stockholder credit to replace the TA OBC that I would have gotten otherwise.  Having a middleman is great, if the middleman wants to help.  If not, I prefer to ring up the cruiseline directly myself, lol

[vermonter16]

You may try calling Celebrity and ask them about this yourself and then you will get the straight answer for your particular sailing.  If there is a drop and your TA doesn't want to do it, you can ask Celebrity to take away the booking from your TA.  I forget how that works but we were going to do it and Celebrity said that we could pull it.  In the end we didn't - but we didn't use that agent again.

[mpk]

Sigh.

 

It seems like finding a good TA is much like finding a good dentist, eye doctor, mechanic, etc.   When you find a good one, hang on tight  🙂

[volk904]

16 minutes ago, mpk said:

 

You have a good big box agency.  I had one where the TA couldn't be bothered to do much of anything.  I stuck around for continuity for a few years, but couldn't take it any more.

 

Now, I often use no TA at all.  I just go directly with the cruiseline, and use stockholder credit to replace the TA OBC that I would have gotten otherwise.  Having a middleman is great, if the middleman wants to help.  If not, I prefer to ring up the cruiseline directly myself, lol

How much is a stock holder credit?  

[volk904]

How much is a stock holder credit?  

[mpk]

2 minutes ago, volk904 said:

How much is a stock holder credit?  

 

See below.  I will say that because of recent news, it's been a rough ride for cruise company stocks.  So caution is warranted, and perhaps not suitable for anyone not familiar with the stock market  🙂

 

 

 

Shareholder Benefits. $250 Onboard Credit per Stateroom on Sailings of 14 or more nights. $100 Onboard Credit per Stateroom on Sailings of 6 to 13 nights. $50 Onboard Credit per Stateroom on Sailings of 5 nights or less. Applicable on any eligible Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises or Azamara sailings.

[wrk2cruise]

And shareholder credit is now combinable with other perks from the Cruiseline for bookings made June 1, 2019 and later.   Bookings made before that are much more restricted and not combinable with other perks from Celebrity.

 

[sippican]

44 minutes ago, mpk said:

 

See below.  I will say that because of recent news, it's been a rough ride for cruise company stocks.  So caution is warranted, and perhaps not suitable for anyone not familiar with the stock market  🙂

 

 

 

Shareholder Benefits. $250 Onboard Credit per Stateroom on Sailings of 14 or more nights. $100 Onboard Credit per Stateroom on Sailings of 6 to 13 nights. $50 Onboard Credit per Stateroom on Sailings of 5 nights or less. Applicable on any eligible Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises or Azamara sailings.

 

Not applicable to their most expensive Galapagos sailings.😔

[Iamcruzin]

16 hours ago, vermonter16 said:

 TA's that cannot be bothered with re-faring but hopefully that isn't the case in your situation.  

This is why I hesitate to book with a TA unless they offer a great rate or OBC which are far a few between.  Where are all of those TA's that go to bat for you that I read about on Cruise Critic?

[Redtravel]

Not worth $50.  If you like the cruise and your cabin, don’t fret over $50. You are being very petty.

[Bo1953]

17 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

OP I suggest that you make sure that the price reduction doesn't also include a reduction in perks or OBC that was offered in the original deal that you booked.  If you rebook for a price reduction of $50 pp, you risk losing other perks or OBC that is no longer associated with the new price.  If all things are equal, your TA should call Celebrity on your behalf.

Could it be that the OP received a 'special rate' through the TA and as such will not qualify for a reduction due to this?

 

It has happened to me once, where I received, what I thought at the time, a very low rate on a sailing, then when X's prices went below that rate for three (3) hours I tried to get it reduced and could not because of the special fare I was on...

 

Initially it was frustrating, but I remembered that I was happy with my fare as originally booked and the reduced fare was not that much lower, like $125.00 =/-, so no big deal at the time.

 

bon voyage

[yvrbos]

It was worth it! The TA called celebrity and got the rate no problem. She works in a tiny town in Canada and might not be familiar with how cruising and celebrity work. Now that she has done it once, it should be easier the next time.
 

I am glad that I pursued this. $100US is a lot to me. I will keep watching!

 

thanks for all the help. I am glad that I listened to those who encouraged me to pursue this further. I think that it was the quote that allowed this to happen!

[vermonter16]

So happy for you.  Don't let anyone tell you it isn't worth it and you're being petty....a dollar is a dollar and now you're $100 wealthier - excellent!!!