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"Always included" - false advertising?


ak1004
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2 minutes ago, DenGNNJ said:

I love it when she says, “Re - diculous!!!”  That pause “Re” and “diculous” kills me.

 

Thanks … it was getting a little heavy in here (some of which I contributed to), so I figured it was time for a little humor.

I can tell we would get along very well. 😁

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22 minutes ago, C-Dragons said:

I can tell we would get along very well. 😁

After you give me the prize you just told me I won, we’d be inseparable 😉

 

You never know our paths may cross one day and TBH that wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Edited by DenGNNJ
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I get a real kick out of these threads. You can tell when the complaint is falling apart the posters defending the complaint start calling those disagreeing ‘fanboys’ (my wife hates that, what happened if its a woman!!! And I’ll let you guess what else she hates….her name is Karen!!); or they call the disagreers ‘cheerleaders’ because no one can be defending an organization that uses some term I misinterpret and think is so misleading. Oh well……..

 

When AI came out, numerous posts complained about not having just a cruise-only price (so Simply Cruise is avail for some cruises); Solos complained they were paying for more than just their’s (I believe that was fixed?); Those that don’t drink are paying for what the don’t use (and those that don’t pay gratuities and sneak down and remove their gratuities are smart enough Not to post!!); And Elite/Elite+ paying for AI via higher prices when the get them ‘free’……all the usual complaints about how I’m being ripped off……and of course still book.

 

And this one is over semantics??  Or not seeing or understanding a cruise or a SR option is AI and another isn't’? When I looked are various cruises and SRs, it appeared pretty much up front. Must be just me, but it was quite obvious to me what was/wasn’t included.

 

But of course, I also use a Professional TA who keeps me out of trouble and tells me exactly what I’m getting…..and Not getting. And I suggest all those who can’t tell on their own or have issues with varying word definitions…..use a TA! 

 

Den 

 

 

Edited by Denny01
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28 minutes ago, Denny01 said:

And this one is over semantics??  Or not seeing or understanding a cruise or a SR option is AI and another isn't’? When I looked are various cruises and SRs, it appeared pretty much up front. Must be just me, but it was quite obvious to me what was/wasn’t included.

 

 

I'm sorry but this is not semantics.

 

Let me walk you through an example that might help (although I doubt it, but I will try anyway).

 

When I come to Celebrity website, this is the first thing I see:

 

 

image.png.223e6d581d3e61007610f10665ff2e98.png

 

This clearly implies that drinks Wi-Wi and tips are included in ALL advertised fares.

 

Then I search for cruises, and one of the options that come is the following cruise:

 

image.png.86f89cb4025a194037ac9bf8da193c10.png

 

Wouldn't it be logical to assume that if I want to book OV cabin, I will be paying $2,375 CAD and get all three perks? 

 

Lets continue to the booking and try to select OV cabin:

 

image.thumb.png.3af1572805c2cd4ce0122535999f0da0.png

 

Lets click on OV Guarantee, You would expect to pay $2,375 CAD and get all three perks, wouldn't you? And you might think that the rate is lower because it's a guarantee cabin?

 

image.png.6ddb5477ddddd4339589258b80febd3a.png

 

Oops.. the advertised rate that assumes All Inclusive is for cruise only.

 

If this is not a worst case of false and misleading advertising, then I don't know what false advertising is.

 

btw, you can still like the cruise line and enjoy cruising on it. There is no contradiction. Objective and smart consumers are still allowed to criticize the product and use it at the same time. But you cannot defend undefendable.. 

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3 hours ago, mom says said:

If you feel so strongly about this, then you should absolutely never sail with Celebrity again. Nor any other cruise line who may have wording in their sales that you find to be abusive or constitute mistreatment. I'm sure they will greatly miss your patronage. Enjoy your future Oceania and Crystal cruises.

 

I'm not sure why you feel that people cannot have a constructive criticism of a product and still use it.

 

We were very angry with Crystal when it took them over 8 months to process our refund on a cruise that THEY cancelled. Does it mean we will never sail with Crystal again?

 

As I mentioned, Celebrity is still on our list of potential lines (I hope I don't need your permission to return to Celebrity 😀) if the itinerary and the price are right. But of course we also have different expectations when we sail on Celebrity, compared to Oceania or Crystal.  

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1 hour ago, Denny01 said:
22 minutes ago, Denny01 said:

Please don’t.

 

den

You can tell when the complaint is falling apart the posters defending the complaint start calling those disagreeing ‘fanboys’ (my wife hates that, what happened if its a woman!!! And I’ll let you guess what else she hates….her name is Karen!!); or they call the disagreers ‘cheerleaders’ because no one can be defending an organization that uses some term I misinterpret and think is so misleading. Oh well……..

 

 

And I can tell when the defenders/cheerleaders/fanboys/fangirls fall apart when they simply ignore the facts..

 

Now I'm really done.

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2 hours ago, the penguins said:

Interesting how the answers get longer but, as on all the other threads noone, who claims they have an agent who can offer simply sail rates (simply sail is not the same as net), has answered the specific question. To make it easy please fill in the blanks:

Celebrity ship .......... sailing date........... cabin number..........

Simply Sail price $.......... AI price $........

Any agent which can do this  would be advertising it heavily. 

 

 

Actually, agents who can do this do not need to advertize 'heavily' as they have their client base who they know will purchase from them without needing to advertize.... in other words many of us are repeat customers and the agents understand what we want. By word of mouth to our friends gains more clients for these agents.

 

Again, if you want the specific answer you will have to do your research to find the agent(s) and agencies who will fit what you are seeking.

 

Nay saying because you cannot readily find it does not make it so, it is that you cannot find it/them.

 

They are out there, to be sure.

 

bon voyage

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2 hours ago, DenGNNJ said:

After you give me the prize you just told me I won, we’d be inseparable 😉

 

You never know our paths may cross one day and TBH that wouldn’t be a bad thing.

Agree… Hopefully the stars will align someday.

When they do, I will make good on that prize.

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And that’s why advertising puts those little stars at the end. To explain what it means.  I saw the asterisk and went to bottom of page and gee it explains that always included is a choice, deceptive yes but that is what marketing tries to do.  Done in many places and businesses. If you take all things products adv at there face value from ads best of luck. 

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He feels he's been bamboozled, yet he comes back for more. She knows she's being duped, but she's got a ticket to ride the tide. Then, they pervade the CC pages with mordant commentary intended to vilify the boat folks who intentionally hyped their fraudulent claims. It's been done many times before. It will be done many more. If not AI, certainly something else. I am actually quite clear on what is intended by Celebrity. All the bluster about what one does or who one works for makes it quite obvious. A lack of understanding and the inability to comprehend the simplest of things is ubiquitous throughout this thread.... and beyond. It's the new order of things, I guess. Find excuses for your own shortcomings and dislikes and blame someone else for them. Maybe, not so new.

Edited by Spif Barwunkel
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Taking shots at people is not nice or helpful.  In my view, it comes across as bullying.

There's certainly a place for criticism, particularly when it is done in a constructive manner.  I've read a great many remarks, sometimes labelled as "whining", that could improve upon the cruising experience and minimize conflicts and misunderstandings, if implemented.

Edited by Stockjock
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2 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

I'm sorry but this is not semantics.

 

Let me walk you through an example that might help (although I doubt it, but I will try anyway).

 

 


What a bunch of hooey.  AI IS included, unless you choose the rate where it tells you it's not.  And that's the customer's choice to choose that rate.

Now, if there were a bunch of cruises that had no rates with "Always Included," you might have a point.  The fact that X allows a customer to choose whether they want AI or not doesn't make it false advertising.

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3 hours ago, ak1004 said:

 

I'm sorry but this is not semantics.

 

Let me walk you through an example that might help (although I doubt it, but I will try anyway).

 

When I come to Celebrity website, this is the first thing I see:

 

 

image.png.223e6d581d3e61007610f10665ff2e98.png

 

This clearly implies that drinks Wi-Wi and tips are included in ALL advertised fares.

 

Then I search for cruises, and one of the options that come is the following cruise:

 

image.png.86f89cb4025a194037ac9bf8da193c10.png

 

Wouldn't it be logical to assume that if I want to book OV cabin, I will be paying $2,375 CAD and get all three perks? 

 

Lets continue to the booking and try to select OV cabin:

 

image.thumb.png.3af1572805c2cd4ce0122535999f0da0.png

 

Lets click on OV Guarantee, You would expect to pay $2,375 CAD and get all three perks, wouldn't you? And you might think that the rate is lower because it's a guarantee cabin?

 

image.png.6ddb5477ddddd4339589258b80febd3a.png

 

Oops.. the advertised rate that assumes All Inclusive is for cruise only.

 

If this is not a worst case of false and misleading advertising, then I don't know what false advertising is.

 

btw, you can still like the cruise line and enjoy cruising on it. There is no contradiction. Objective and smart consumers are still allowed to criticize the product and use it at the same time. But you cannot defend undefendable.. 

You are putting together various screen shots from different screens, trying to make your point.  I do not know if you have run across some kind of bug on the website. This is not a typical situation nor is it common.  I am not saying that it never happens, because it must have happened to you.

 

When I start the booking process for your referenced cruise, this is what I see.

It is very clear that the Gty OV that you mentioned is a Cruise only rate. This is more like what one actually sees.

 

I would personally not give up the AI for the $28 savings per day per person, but occasional someone might.  Thus they have an option.

 

 

E0165D21-3EE5-4FB7-8D4C-457767D14908.png

Edited by jagoffee
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I pointed out many pages ago that the OP has never even claimed to have been misled or harmed in any fashion. And that comment has never been disputed. OP, you knew what was meant, and any early issues where each fare did not explain it have been cured no matter how finely you parse the language.

 

 

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3 hours ago, jagoffee said:

You are putting together various screen shots from different screens, trying to make your point.  I do not know if you have run across some kind of bug on the website. This is not a typical situation nor is it common.  I am not saying that it never happens, because it must have happened to you.

 

When I start the booking process for your referenced cruise, this is what I see.

It is very clear that the Gty OV that you mentioned is a Cruise only rate. This is more like what one actually sees.

 

I would personally not give up the AI for the $28 savings per day per person, but occasional someone might.  Thus they have an option.

 

 

E0165D21-3EE5-4FB7-8D4C-457767D14908.png

Love your math of $28  per person per day. Add back in tips and you are down to about $12 - around the price of a couple of coffees to cover drinks and WiFi. Celebrity's own figures show they add around $100 per person per day to cover drinks and WiFi. Oh yes and to get this massive reduction you have to accept a guarantee cabin which is impossible for many people especially those with mobility issues. AI is great for many but also a disaster for a lot of loyal passengers.  

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6 hours ago, Bo1953 said:

Actually, agents who can do this do not need to advertize 'heavily' as they have their client base who they know will purchase from them without needing to advertize.... in other words many of us are repeat customers and the agents understand what we want. By word of mouth to our friends gains more clients for these agents.

 

Again, if you want the specific answer you will have to do your research to find the agent(s) and agencies who will fit what you are seeking.

 

Nay saying because you cannot readily find it does not make it so, it is that you cannot find it/them.

 

They are out there, to be sure.

 

bon voyage

The challenge survives. Celebrity says no agent any longer has the deal you claim yours has. You refuse to post the proof ( I didn't ask for the Agent just simple figures against a specific cruise and cabin number for any cruise in Celebrity's

published program.) Anyone else able to produce the evidence?

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9 hours ago, jagoffee said:

You are putting together various screen shots from different screens, trying to make your point.  I do not know if you have run across some kind of bug on the website. This is not a typical situation nor is it common.  I am not saying that it never happens, because it must have happened to you.

 

When I start the booking process for your referenced cruise, this is what I see.

It is very clear that the Gty OV that you mentioned is a Cruise only rate. This is more like what one actually sees.

 

I would personally not give up the AI for the $28 savings per day per person, but occasional someone might.  Thus they have an option.

 

 

E0165D21-3EE5-4FB7-8D4C-457767D14908.png

Because I did not check, are there non-Gty cabins in the same category available?

 

bon voyage

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6 hours ago, the penguins said:

The challenge survives. Celebrity says no agent any longer has the deal you claim yours has. You refuse to post the proof ( I didn't ask for the Agent just simple figures against a specific cruise and cabin number for any cruise in Celebrity's

published program.) Anyone else able to produce the evidence?

Yes, 'the challenge survives' and YOU win, as there is no one here, yet, willing to do the research for you.

 

For you, this pricing does not exist, clearly. For others the pricing exists, clearly.

 

Good luck and bon voyage

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