Speculation - Black Friday 2021 Specials??

[Jim_Iain]

11 hours ago, Islandbuoy said:

Checked the one I'm following. They added $150 pp to the price(magically equates to $300/cabin). Seems like shady business practice to me?

Ahhh... the old shell game that Celebrity is famous for.    Raise the price and then discount it to the same price.

[Oceangoer2]

13 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Ahhh... the old shell game that Celebrity is famous for.    Raise the price and then discount it to the same price.

In my case, pricing remained the same as compared to what we paid originally on 2 of 3 cruises...1 was apparently raised in price after we booked and then sold out.  So we received OBC on 2 of the 3.   Very happy with these promotions that X is giving us and with our CVP who goes the extra mile every time.  Must be very busy keeping up with booking new cruises and current customers re-booking or re-pricing to receive the benefits and doing so with good grace.

Edited November 24, 2021 by Oceangoer2

[sasset]

My experience with Celebrity today. I called to inquire if my two October cruises have adjusted down with "Black Friday". The agent changed one cruise without telling me what the difference was. The cruise price dropped by $96, but my OBC went from $300  to $200. She also changed my existing booking on the second cruise changing the 20% off promotion, that I had booked under, applying the 1/2 off promotion which resulted in a $69 increase, no change in the OBC.

As Jim called it, it is a shell game.

Still on the phone as agent is "reaching out for assistance". The call is 1hour and 48 minutes as I write this.

I will update when there is a resolution

[Froufie]

Also called Celebrity to check on black friday special - $300 OBC!  Only 30 minute hold time - then individual said since I was past final payment she would need to talk to a supervisor/resolution team - wait time was very long - could she call me back?  Sure!

 

About 30 mins later I got the call - so my pricing did not change but I was eligible for the $300 OBC and an updated invoice was mailed to me - all good and I am THRILLED with the outcome 🙂

[mahdnc]

I called my travel agent to see if I could get two sailings adjusted to take advantage of the current Black Friday promotion. 

 

On our 11 night Dec 2022 Solstice cruise, I was able to get $300 additional OBC from the promotion but lost $50 OBC so I came out ahead $250.

 

She could not get an adjustment for the 7 night Mar 2022 Apex sailing because all the SV cabins are sold out (I booked it last week and grabbed the last SV cabin).  However I was able to save $200 on total airfare for my wife and me through the current Flights by Celebrity promotion.

[sasset]

1 hour ago, sasset said:

My experience with Celebrity today. I called to inquire if my two October cruises have adjusted down with "Black Friday". The agent changed one cruise without telling me what the difference was. The cruise price dropped by $96, but my OBC went from $300  to $200. She also changed my existing booking on the second cruise changing the 20% off promotion, that I had booked under, applying the 1/2 off promotion which resulted in a $69 increase, no change in the OBC.

As Jim called it, it is a shell game.

Still on the phone as agent is "reaching out for assistance". The call is 1hour and 48 minutes as I write this.

I will update when there is a resolution

Update:

After another 30 minutes on hold, the agent said she would call me back as she still hadn't been able to speak with a supervisor. She called back about 45 minutes later. She had resolved the cruise that had gone up in price after the promotion was applied. On the second cruise she said that there was an error on her screen and that the OBC should not have been reduced. The supervisor offered to reinstate the $100 removed from OBC for a $209 fee. I protested, based on the simple math. She went back on hold again and I ended up with the $100 reinstated and an additional $200 for good faith, which in the ended resulted in $500 OBC. 

[christybell]

Hello from the UK,

 

We are trying our first celebrity cruise on Reflection on 12th Jan, having sailed other lines.  As we booked via the UK site is it worth a call to see if the OBC can be applied? We are booked in SV which is sold out however a C1 is now a little less than what we paid,  Reading various threads I get the impression the UK pricing is pretty fixed and wont be changed after booking.

 

Any advice welcome, thanks

[sfaaa]

4 hours ago, mahdnc said:

I was able to save $200 on total airfare for my wife and me through the current Flights by Celebrity promotion.
 

Beware if you hold a cruise reservation with flight through Flight by X,  only the cruise price would lock in and stay the same. I held a cruise reservation with flight last night. When I went back to apply payment this AM, flight price had gone up $38 from the night before. Still a good deal with $200 flight discount but slightly disappointed.

[mahdnc]

56 minutes ago, sfaaa said:

Beware if you hold a cruise reservation with flight through Flight by X,  only the cruise price would lock in and stay the same. I held a cruise reservation with flight last night. When I went back to apply payment this AM, flight price had gone up $38 from the night before. Still a good deal with $200 flight discount but slightly disappointed.

 

That would be a little disappointing.

[marieps]

6 hours ago, mahdnc said:

I called my travel agent to see if I could get two sailings adjusted to take advantage of the current Black Friday promotion. 

 

On our 11 night Dec 2022 Solstice cruise, I was able to get $300 additional OBC from the promotion but lost $50 OBC so I came out ahead $250.

 

She could not get an adjustment for the 7 night Mar 2022 Apex sailing because all the SV cabins are sold out (I booked it last week and grabbed the last SV cabin).  However I was able to save $200 on total airfare for my wife and me through the current Flights by Celebrity promotion.

Does this make it more likely you'll sail Solstice than Equinox, David?  I repriced Equinox and saved $500 on fare and OBC.

[mahdnc]

1 hour ago, marieps said:

Does this make it more likely you'll sail Solstice than Equinox, David?  I repriced Equinox and saved $500 on fare and OBC.

 

Hi, Jim.

 

Pricing isn't likely going to make us switch because we got a very good deal on the Solstice Asia cruise through two Lift and Shifts from a 2020 Christmas sailing on Millennium.  The first Lift and Shift moved my family out of an FV cabin into two connecting 1A balcony cabins where the two kids are in their own cabin but are being charged a 3rd/4th person rate ($1000 pp).  We are holding a 3rd spot in their cabin ($1000) that will allow them to bring one of their friends.  My wife and I somehow picked up the Always Included package during the second Lift and Shift without any additional cost. 

 

To be honest with you, even though we have a good deal for Christmas 2022, I am very disappointed that we are not doing the Asia sailing for this coming Christmas because then we would be set for doing that Equinox which I really liked.. 

 

But if the 2022 Asia cruise doesn't happen because of a 10th COVID wave from the Theta variant, Equinox here we come.

[mrpie90]

11 hours ago, christybell said:

Hello from the UK,

 

We are trying our first celebrity cruise on Reflection on 12th Jan, having sailed other lines.  As we booked via the UK site is it worth a call to see if the OBC can be applied? We are booked in SV which is sold out however a C1 is now a little less than what we paid,  Reading various threads I get the impression the UK pricing is pretty fixed and wont be changed after booking.

 

Any advice welcome, thanks

Hi.

I phoned my travel agent yesterday and managed to

get $900 On Board Credit on two cruises we have booked for next year and one came back £39 cheaper.

Worth a phone call.

[marieps]

12 hours ago, mahdnc said:

 

Hi, Jim.

 

Pricing isn't likely going to make us switch because we got a very good deal on the Solstice Asia cruise through two Lift and Shifts from a 2020 Christmas sailing on Millennium.  The first Lift and Shift moved my family out of an FV cabin into two connecting 1A balcony cabins where the two kids are in their own cabin but are being charged a 3rd/4th person rate ($1000 pp).  We are holding a 3rd spot in their cabin ($1000) that will allow them to bring one of their friends.  My wife and I somehow picked up the Always Included package during the second Lift and Shift without any additional cost. 

 

To be honest with you, even though we have a good deal for Christmas 2022, I am very disappointed that we are not doing the Asia sailing for this coming Christmas because then we would be set for doing that Equinox which I really liked.. 

 

But if the 2022 Asia cruise doesn't happen because of a 10th COVID wave from the Theta variant, Equinox here we come.

Well, at least you have your Greek alphabet down.  Kudos.  The only wave I want to see is waving COVID goodbye, so I'll have to pray you're on Solstice.  Happy Thanksgiving.

[christybell]

9 hours ago, mrpie90 said:

Hi.

I phoned my travel agent yesterday and managed to

get $900 On Board Credit on two cruises we have booked for next year and one came back £39 cheaper.

Worth a phone call.

Thank you so much....I called and was told technically no as past final payment and SV sold out....however as a good will gesture 200 USD OBC added...delighted!!

[mahdnc]

On 11/25/2021 at 7:49 AM, marieps said:

Well, at least you have your Greek alphabet down.  Kudos.  The only wave I want to see is waving COVID goodbye, so I'll have to pray you're on Solstice.  Happy Thanksgiving.

 

I guess we are waaaay past theta  😞

 

Nu variant outbreak link

[marieps]

1 hour ago, mahdnc said:

 

I guess we are waaaay past theta  😞

 

Nu variant outbreak link

Only learned of it after seeing the futures market.   

[RemyLeBeau]

I booked on Wednesday this week from the UK site (which I think was one of the first days of the Black Friday offers. This is what I chose and paid for:

 

RESERVATION CONFIRMATION
SI 4 NIGHT BRUGES & AMSTERDAM CRUISE
Sail Date: 25-August-2022

Stateroom Number: 9218
PAYMENT SUMMARY (in GBP)
Total Cost: 1607.00

 

This includes second guest at half price and upgrade of drinks page and £300 onboard credit.

 

I've looked at the site today after reading some of the posts in this thread and I'm seeing similar trip for almost £100 less. Am I missing something?

 

[cdn_tbird]

On 11/21/2021 at 5:01 PM, john2003 said:

I have a 12 night NZ cruise booked for October with a non-refundable deposit. Booked a couple of weeks ago.

Is it worth getting my TA to see if they would add the OBC or is this a waste of his time? As this is only our 3rd Celebrity cruise I don't really understand how they work.

Deleted duplicate

Edited November 26, 2021 by cdn_tbird
duplicate

[cdn_tbird]

On 11/21/2021 at 5:01 PM, john2003 said:

I have a 12 night NZ cruise booked for October with a non-refundable deposit. Booked a couple of weeks ago.

Is it worth getting my TA to see if they would add the OBC or is this a waste of his time? As this is only our 3rd Celebrity cruise I don't really understand how they work.

I would just do a mock booking on X's site to see if it's worth the effort. I have 2 cruises booked for 2022 (one of which is an NRD) and it wouldn't make sense since the price increase would negate the value of the extra OBC.

[mahdnc]

55 minutes ago, RemyLeBeau said:

I booked on Wednesday this week from the UK site (which I think was one of the first days of the Black Friday offers. This is what I chose and paid for:

 

RESERVATION CONFIRMATION
SI 4 NIGHT BRUGES & AMSTERDAM CRUISE
Sail Date: 25-August-2022

Stateroom Number: 9218
PAYMENT SUMMARY (in GBP)
Total Cost: 1607.00

 

This includes second guest at half price and upgrade of drinks page and £300 onboard credit.

 

I've looked at the site today after reading some of the posts in this thread and I'm seeing similar trip for almost £100 less. Am I missing something?

 

 

Same cabin category, so no difference there.  The OBC looks less in your screenshot.

[sfaaa]

4 hours ago, mahdnc said:

 

I guess we are waaaay past theta  😞

 

Nu variant outbreak link

Yeap, this news came out one day too late after I jumped on X's BF sale and booked a 3/2022 NRD cruise. Now I am having second thought. 😟

[RemyLeBeau]

On 11/26/2021 at 5:08 PM, mahdnc said:

 

Same cabin category, so no difference there.  The OBC looks less in your screenshot.

So I just got off the phone with Celebrity and asked about the difference in price I was seeing and it appears that everything is the same, but the price continued to be tinkered with by Celebrity during the Black Friday / Cyber Monday sale period.

They did say to me in order to get the new price, I would have to pay an admin fee of £75 per passenger, which obviously would erode the saving. I wasn't happy with this answer (I noticed the price difference within two days of booking and tried to speak personally but couldn't get through immediately, but they were sticking to the £150 admin fee).

 

I asked for my query to be escalated, and long-story short, they noted I was a Captain's Club member and gave me the better pricing, but warned any future changes would need to paid for with the admin fee.

[Guest]

We booked a Black Friday deal that actually saved us money! Got a B2B on the Beyond around the Caribbean in Feb 2023. I had been looking at the prices of it for months, and was amazed when it dropped with the 2nd pax half price. And the extra BF $200 per cabin gives us $800 over 2 weeks between our 2 cabins! 
 

Two Aft Sunset Verandas. Can’t wait! 
 

edit: we are British so can’t change how much we pay if it drops😩. Got to make sure we book at the right time! 

Edited November 29, 2021 by Guest