My TA won’t give me the price reduction

[wrk2cruise]

53 minutes ago, yvrbos said:

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!

 

Yes I learned this lesson the hard way after missing out on a couple of price drops which were only available a short time over the weekend when I used a TA that wasn't open on the weekend.   Screen shots are nice but multiple reports lately have said Celebrity wouldn't honor them (mostly because their IT had the summary page wrong).  But the Guest Invoice is a quote.

 

I'm happy you took the advice and you were successful.  Hey $100 is a specialty dinner.

[Mike981]

Congrats on your savings.

Human behavior is so interesting. Go to a local restaurant and they up charge you $100 on your bill and most would be very upset. Spend thousands on anything and $100 bucks isn't such a big deal.

I taught my kids, if you saw $____ on the sidewalk would you bend over to pick it up or walk over it? That is your baseline for everything. No matter how much you spend.

[drakes2]

3 minutes ago, Mike981 said:

Congrats on your savings.

Human behavior is so interesting. Go to a local restaurant and they up charge you $100 on your bill and most would be very upset. Spend thousands on anything and $100 bucks isn't such a big deal.

I taught my kids, if you saw $____ on the sidewalk would you bend over to pick it up or walk over it? That is your baseline for everything. No matter how much you spend.

Not me. I go after everything that's rightfully mine or could be. When uber charged me a wait fee when I didn't wait I went after it and they credited me. My son thought I was nuts. It's just a different generation out there now.

[vermonter16]

4 hours ago, Redtravel said:

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

How is saving any dollar amount petty?  Would you be ok flushing $100 down the toilet because that's exactly what you are asking the OP to do, or else he is being petty.  If you think $50 per person isn't worth it, than I guess you have a lot of cash to spare which is fine - but I don't think it is fair that just because you may or may not have that to spare means someone else shouldn't save it.

[Redtravel]

 If paying an extra $50 makes you upset, perhaps you should rethink booking that cruise.  In the scheme of things, when paying for a cruise an extra $50 is small change.   Many new offers are directed to new bookings. Change fees are often $100 or more.  Some cruise lines are starting to book only nonrefundable fares.  I have a cruise next summer that is fully paid nonrefundable. It is like booking most airline seats.  You book, you pay, and cannot get any changes. Only refunds are using travel insurance.  

[vermonter16]

Redtravel - I believe you are missing the point, the TA was not following through and doing her job or maybe just didn't know what to do.  If the fares were like booking an airline ticket, etc it would be different - but you're comparing apples to oranges.  I work in the tourism industry and many people don't have the money that you may have to travel....they have saved every penny to make it happen so just because $50 is nothing to you, it is something to someone else and it isn't 'petty'.  

[Redtravel]

If you really think that your TA is ripping you off, call the cruise line. I doubt that you will be using that TA again. The TA will likely not want your business again. Be real. If fighting over $50 is so important to you, you might be booking on a cruise that exceeds your budget.  I could understand your going after $500+. $50 is petty. 

[zauberflote]

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 repriced a 2021 TA on Summit, same cabin, *different* perks, same NRD, my TA seemed to have no problem with it. We lost 3 perks that were not hardly going to be used anyway, and kept pre-paid gratuities. Lost the free wi-fi, the drinks, and the $150 pp OBC. Saved $700 total!!!!!!!!!! It wouldn't have been cost effective for $50 pp, because $100 doesn't recoup that $300 OBC, which could go for excursions.
Good luck!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[drakes2]

8 hours ago, zauberflote said:

 

I repriced a 2021 TA on Summit, same cabin, *different* perks, same NRD, my TA seemed to have no problem with it. We lost 3 perks that were not hardly going to be used anyway, and kept pre-paid gratuities. Lost the free wi-fi, the drinks, and the $150 pp OBC. Saved $700 total!!!!!!!!!! It wouldn't have been cost effective for $50 pp, because $100 doesn't recoup that $300 OBC, which could go for excursions.
Good luck!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

My cabin category has also gone down in price by a couple hundred $$$ with 1 perk offered. To add four perks back would bring it up to more than what I paid originally plus I would lose the $200 Sail Now promo I got. It's quite simple to figure out. 

[bikerunner]

I guess I been lucky with the multiple TA's I have used.  I have friends that are and I start with them, but then also will check others I have used in past to see if anyone is offering good deals or group rates.  I tried a new one this past year but rebooked with someone else shortly afterward since they were pretty much unresponsive on a couple inquiries.  Lucked out with a great rate now that is fully refundable for my Nov cruise.  TA's are tough to come by, good ones anyway,   Also I agree with most here, any money saved can be used elsewhere, unless you have tons of disposable income.  I have cxled and rebooked multiple times on shore excursions, some for 5 dollar savings.  It really does not take any time at all.  The overall with the TA not doing there job is a different subject.  I know the business well enough and know how to deal with the ins and outs of it.  Most of the time the research I do on my own and know what is wanted.  

9 hours ago, Redtravel said:

Be real. If fighting over $50 is so important to you, you might be booking on a cruise that exceeds your budget.  I could understand your going after $500+. $50 is petty.

Why would you say its petty,  Saving money is saving money, if the price is lower then dont you think its money you should not be spending.  And saying it might exceed budget is totally off track.  Hey i can afford suites I don't do them because the room to me is just a place to sleep and store clothes.  I do get a balcony for my 15 min away a day from everyone but otherwise the xtra room is not important to me, but i know its important to many others.  

[Iamcruzin]

10 hours ago, Redtravel said:

If you really think that your TA is ripping you off, call the cruise line. I doubt that you will be using that TA again. The TA will likely not want your business again. Be real. If fighting over $50 is so important to you, you might be booking on a cruise that exceeds your budget.  I could understand your going after $500+. $50 is petty. 

Since money seems to be no object to you maybe you can write a check and mail it  to the OP or better yet send it electronically for the $100 difference.

[yvrbos]

Thanks everyone who supported me in trying to get the price reduction. It worked out that my TA didn’t know how to pursue this price reduction. After providing her with the quote from the temporary hold she called Celebrity and got us the new price. I figured out that she needed this through all the helpful comments that I have received on this site! I will continue to contact my TA with every reduction in price. It worked out to be a difference of $100 which is enough for the beach excursion that we want to take. 

 

As Benjamin Franklin once said “watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves”!

[vermonter16]

12 hours ago, Redtravel said:

If you really think that your TA is ripping you off, call the cruise line. I doubt that you will be using that TA again. The TA will likely not want your business again. Be real. If fighting over $50 is so important to you, you might be booking on a cruise that exceeds your budget.  I could understand your going after $500+. $50 is petty. 

Elitist.  Saying that someone is being petty for wanting to save $100 is wrong.  Maybe you've always had money or you've made a lot of money but just because it doesn't fit your view of how it goes or how it should go, doesn't make it wrong for the person to want to save that money.  

[bikerunner]

39 minutes ago, yvrbos said:

Thanks everyone who supported me in trying to get the price reduction. It worked out that my TA didn’t know how to pursue this price reduction. After providing her with the quote from the temporary hold she called Celebrity and got us the new price. I figured out that she needed this through all the helpful comments that I have received on this site! I will continue to contact my TA with every reduction in price. It worked out to be a difference of $100 which is enough for the beach excursion that we want to take. 

 

As Benjamin Franklin once said “watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves”!

Its a learning process of dealing with TA's and cruising.  As much as most think a TA can do everything for you it is also pertinent to do your own research.  Glad it worked out for you and you saved money.  And doing an extra beach excursion is an extra bonus in my book.  

[Jim_Iain]

Glad it worked out for you.   Fight for every penny.   Sometimes it is more for the principal of getting what is due rather than the amount. 

[Redtravel]

Feel better that you fought and got the reduction. Did they charge you a change fee?  Many cruise lines now have a fee to change anything on a booking.  It is probably to stop people bothering them with small things.  Some cruise lines limit how many times you can change a booking.  That can make a price reduction a wait and see situation.  Last year I booked a cruise ,not on Celebrity, that lowered fares by roughly $1000+pp.  some people requested the change. Some people waited and thought the fare might go lower.  Booking a cruise is a luxury item. Only book at a fare that works for you.  Only book a cruise that you want to take. Most of the time, fares will change. It is supply and demand.  This past week, there were many excellent deals offered by several cruise lines.  Bookings were down. People are waiting to see what happens with corona virus.  People are canceling and staying home.  Insurance does not usually cover fear of a virus.  Many cruises in Asia are being rerouted or just canceled.  If you like taking risks, you could get a really low fare on many cruises.

[Cruise a holic]

One reason we do not work with TA's.  In addition, some do not participate in the Move up program.  The TA can keep his/her perks- I like the freedom to manage my own cruise-  The only exception would be if I booked a few days before the cruise, I might book through a TA if the price was very good.

[wrk2cruise]

I'll take the $1325 I received from my TA in 2019 thank you very much.   It's all about having the right TA.

 

[drakes2]

10 minutes ago, Cruise a holic said:

The TA can keep his/her perks- I like the freedom to manage my own cruise- 

Many times the cruisline will match the perks provided by a TA or come close to it.  

[wrk2cruise]

I was once offered the same quantity of OBC by the Celebrity agent when I said I was going to transfer it.  He was offering non-refundable where my TA's was refundable.   Apples and oranges, since we don't need onboard OBC so take the refundable home at the end of the cruise.

[bikerunner]

14 minutes ago, Cruise a holic said:

One reason we do not work with TA's.  In addition, some do not participate in the Move up program.  The TA can keep his/her perks- I like the freedom to manage my own cruise-  The only exception would be if I booked a few days before the cruise, I might book through a TA if the price was very good.

I figure saving 36% off from what Celebrity is quoting kind of overrides any freedoms that are perceived lost. Especially when the TA I use is always reachable at any point.  

[yvrbos]

I didn't have to pay a change fee. The new lower price was honored without penalty. I kept all three perks as well.

 

Glad that I took advantage of this price cut. The most recent sale has increased the price by $100 and only one perk (I have three perks!) ! If I want four perks then the price goes up over $500!

 

I really got a good deal for a balcony cabin!