Celebrity now offers cruise-only rates

[ISABELLA]

Just checked few cruises we are already booked on. Difference is a few hundred $$ for all included.

For our 11/11/22 -- 9 days Carib ( balcony)  - $3494.66 - no perks, $3979.56  with Premium perks and $600 OBC ( booked on board). 

[the penguins]

23 hours ago, ellsbells3032 said:

I got a sail only rate from my travel agent. Made far more sense as neither my husband and I were drinkers - it's a European cruise and we are from the UK so get free Internet on our phones in Port and they were also charging that for my 8 month old baby. We worked out tips in total about £300 and the soft drinks package for me (husband happy with just water and tea with brekkie) was about £90 and the always included was an an extra £1000 so it seemed mad to us. 

We established on another thread that the deal you got was only available to a select "group" i.e. not generally available to most passengers. This offer is new as it is available to all passengers (at least those from the USA/Canada - we have yet to receive it in the UK) and on a lot of cruises. The devil will be in the detail but it looks very promising.

[Moby Jones]

4 hours ago, the penguins said:

We established on another thread that the deal you got was only available to a select "group" i.e. not generally available to most passengers. This offer is new as it is available to all passengers (at least those from the USA/Canada - we have yet to receive it in the UK) and on a lot of cruises. The devil will be in the detail but it looks very promising.

If you're in the UK then you're lucky. You can choose to book in the UK or in the US depending on what deal appeals to you most at the time of booking. 

[Mike07]

I'm new to Celebrity, and I did my first cruises with them last month.

 

If it's "Always Included", then you wouldn't need our stateroom cards every time we get a bottle of water or specialty coffee. (I can somewhat understand alcohol to monitor peoples consumption).  However, getting said bottle of water or coffee always required a card, and at some point, I even heard another guest state that she had no beverage package.

 

So, I soon realized that "Always Included" was bogus and that they had sail only rates that would remove said AI package in exchange for a lower cost (b/c who would decline AI if it were truly free or AI?).

[NutsAboutGolf]

49 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

I'm new to Celebrity, and I did my first cruises with them last month.

 

If it's "Always Included", then you wouldn't need our stateroom cards every time we get a bottle of water or specialty coffee. (I can somewhat understand alcohol to monitor peoples consumption).  However, getting said bottle of water or coffee always required a card, and at some point, I even heard another guest state that she had no beverage package.

 

So, I soon realized that "Always Included" was bogus and that they had sail only rates that would remove said AI package in exchange for a lower cost (b/c who would decline AI if it were truly free or AI?).

 

Unless X decides to make their independent contractors drink crew salaried employees (won't happen) they still need to process a per drink transaction for both tipping and tax (if any, like while in port) purposes.  The AI marketing term continues to work well, its still creating a buzz 1.5 years later...

[NutsAboutGolf]

Coincidently, X removed the sail only rate after this post got HOT.  Decision was probably a knee-jerk reaction to someone saying something negative about their "The Retreat" experience.

 

[Redtravel]

We priced our upcoming cruise both ways. With AI and cruise only.  With the cruise only rate plus tips, the difference to get AI was $80pp on 10 day cruise.  As elite plus, I get drinks at the nightly cocktail reception and 240 WiFi minutes.  The question becomes is it worth paying the extra $80 to get unlimited drinks and unlimited WiFi.  It depends on what you use.  While I don’t drink much alcohol, I like soft drinks and bottles water. I opted into AI.  

[goofysmom99]

4 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

Coincidently, X removed the sail only rate after this post got HOT.  Decision was probably a knee-jerk reaction to someone saying something negative about their "The Retreat" experience.

 

Agree.  I'm sure it contributed to them specifically excluding suites and also aqua from these fares.  Win-win for me, though.  I can't/won't book suites anymore because of the bathtubs.  I do like aqua/Blu well enough but, as a rule, find them overpriced for the cabin locations.  Pretty sure cruise only fare in any class of aft cabin (FV, C1, SV) on an M-class ship will be my happy place for awhile.

[GRBlizz]

I just upgraded from Inside to OV on an upcoming Summit cruise to Iceland when the accessible OV came available. Was offered Cruise Only fare, and the difference was $600pp for 12 nights, or $50pp per night. For us it was a no brainer to accept. My husband doesn't drink at all, not even soft drinks, and I am fine with a soda package and a coffee and a cocktail daily from Elite lounge. Elite Internet package will do just fine. So we will save quite a bit. 

We have AI on next year's TA in Aquaclass, but I guess I won't be able to change that one. Too bad! That cruise is 16 nights, so it would save even more. 

 

I appreciate their offering the option.

[neverlaysup]

On 5/6/2022 at 11:44 AM, jagoffee said:

Amazing.  Celebrity gives people exactly what they have been requesting:  An option to book without the normal Always Included rate.  And then some people still complain.  I would hope that this change will at least result is less complaining.  
 

I remain among those that appreciate the simplicity of the AI over the previous 123 and BBB that were very complex.

 

Celebrity’s base rates reflect  the Always Included Items.  As I understand, Celebrity is now expanding the ability to have a special discount and remove the AI items.  I suspect the reduction is not enough of a discount to make it a good deal for most people.  But it will for some people and that is great.  It is good for them to have an option.  Good change IMO.

 

Perhaps we can all stop complaining.

For those customers that don't drink at all and have no need for even basic WIFI, the base rate will save them some money. But with only a $300 difference between base rate and AI on an inside cabin, that equates to about $190 for drinks and WIFI for a 7 day cruise once you pay gratuities. So the math would be if you are going to spend more than an average of $27 a day for the random drink/juice/coffee/water, then you should have gone with All In. For those that are Elite and higher, you need to factor in the free happy hour to determine if it's right for you.

 

Edited May 10, 2022 by neverlaysup

[goofysmom99]

I just received a quote from my TA for a Nov 2023, 12-night, C1/SV, solo, non refundable, with and without perks.  Difference is exactly $1000.  Subtracting my solo gratuities of $192, that's a respectable savings ($67+/day) for a cruise I was originally considering for an AI booking.  It appears to be a better break traveling solo.  I will say, however, even without perks, I think the fare is still too high by about $1K.

[D C]

On 5/7/2022 at 10:46 AM, Mike07 said:

I'm new to Celebrity, and I did my first cruises with them last month.

 

If it's "Always Included", then you wouldn't need our stateroom cards every time we get a bottle of water or specialty coffee. (I can somewhat understand alcohol to monitor peoples consumption).  However, getting said bottle of water or coffee always required a card, and at some point, I even heard another guest state that she had no beverage package.

 

So, I soon realized that "Always Included" was bogus and that they had sail only rates that would remove said AI package in exchange for a lower cost (b/c who would decline AI if it were truly free or AI?).

Free and Included are not the same thing.  Even included drinks require a certain amount of tracking of who orders how much, who serves how much, etc. Helps them with allocation and planning, and tip distribution. 

 

[ecslady]

What is the current internet wifi rates?  Surf and the stream?  Trying to decide whether to go with no perks or AI.

 

[GRBlizz]

46 minutes ago, ecslady said:

What is the current internet wifi rates?  Surf and the stream?  Trying to decide whether to go with no perks or AI.

 

$15/day for surf, $31.50 for stream. Discounts for more devices. 

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

4 minutes ago, GRBlizz said:

$15/day for surf, $31.50 for stream. Discounts for more devices. 

Over $30/day for stream - that's a chunk of change. I was (internally) grumbling with the $14/day that Carnival gets for their top package!

 

Tom

[ecslady]

9 minutes ago, GRBlizz said:

$15/day for surf, $31.50 for stream. Discounts for more devices. 

Thanks much!

[padgman1]

On 5/5/2022 at 7:10 PM, wrk2cruise said:

The rate is not available on Aqua Class or Retreat.

I was quoted a rate on an Aqua Sky Suite on  the spring 2023 Apex TA to Amsterdam from a major online agency that did not include perks ( gratuities/premium wifi/premium drink package/$400 pp OBC)... these perks added over $2000 to the individual price...

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

12 minutes ago, padgman1 said:

I was quoted a rate on an Aqua Sky Suite on  the spring 2023 Apex TA to Amsterdam from a major online agency that did not include perks ( gratuities/premium wifi/premium drink package/$400 pp OBC)... these perks added over $2000 to the individual price...

 

$2,000 pp ? ! !

[wrk2cruise]

1 hour ago, padgman1 said:

I was quoted a rate on an Aqua Sky Suite on  the spring 2023 Apex TA to Amsterdam from a major online agency that did not include perks ( gratuities/premium wifi/premium drink package/$400 pp OBC)... these perks added over $2000 to the individual price...

 

I don't doubt that some agencies have rates on AQ without perks.    It's just probably not the No Perks or No Perks NRD rate codes as those rate codes T&C don't include Aqua or Retreat.

 

Cruise must be booked May 5 - June 8, 2022 (the “Offer Period”) and applies to sailings 3-nights and longer departing June 1, 2022 to Apr 31, 2024, excluding Galapagos and Alaska cruisetours (the “Offer Cruise”). Promo code not required.
No Perk Rate: Cruise fare savings amounts are per person, and vary by sailing length. Sale is not combinable with Always Included. Offer is combinable with Airfare Offer, applicable to all guests in the same stateroom and will be automatically applied at checkout. Offer is applicable to inside, oceanview, veranda, and Concierge staterooms. Offer excludes Aqua and Retreat staterooms. Offer available as
refundable and non-refundable

[Mike07]

On 5/7/2022 at 10:40 AM, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

Unless X decides to make their independent contractors drink crew salaried employees (won't happen) they still need to process a per drink transaction for both tipping and tax (if any, like while in port) purposes.  The AI marketing term continues to work well, its still creating a buzz 1.5 years later...

 

 

So, the wait staff gets the full tip amount on the drink?  Good grief, they would clean up shop at 20%.  The tip is often more than the cost of materials of the drink.  Also, I doubt Celebrity pays taxes out at sea.

[Mike07]

5 hours ago, ecslady said:

What is the current internet wifi rates?  Surf and the stream?  Trying to decide whether to go with no perks or AI.

 

 

 

On the reflection, I was getting at peak about 256 kbps (kilo-bits).  The Apex seemed faster, though I did not speed test it.  That was on surf.... I did not do the stream as that was another Pay To Play scheme Celebrity had devised.

[NutsAboutGolf]

6 minutes ago, Mike07 said:

 

 

So, the wait staff gets the full tip amount on the drink?  Good grief, they would clean up shop at 20%.  The tip is often more than the cost of materials of the drink.  Also, I doubt Celebrity pays taxes out at sea.

 

A buffet drink crew person randomly shared he only made $.20/drink from those with the drink package.  No idea if that's true but many including myself have always thought the drink crew get less than 18% if one has the drink package.  A few ports allow ships casinos to remain open if they pay a fee, Aruba and Bermuda for sure, have heard Belize and Grand Turk as well yet it could be cruise line or even ship specific.