WARNING If you're thinking about adding something to your reservation!

[gardengalaz]

Hi, Everyone!

 

I am blessed to have an amazing sister who's treating me to a transatlantic cruise leaving later this week.  I thought I'd surprise her and pre-pay our gratuities.  

 

So,I went to the website, found our reservation and clicked on the little "add gratuities" link ... and was SHOCKED by what I saw (SEE SCREENSHOT).  I even called Celebrity to see what the problem was.  Our total gratuities are $455, BUT in order to add that now, Celebrity automatically RE-PRICES the entire reservation, which means we would LOSE $600 of our original discount AND our $400 OBC!   I was told that changes can only be made prior to the final payment.  I said, "WHY doesn't it SAY that on the screen where you're encouraging me to pre-pay the gratuities?  WHY would ANY passenger EVER do that?" and the representative said that people do it all the time and generally don't notice the cruise price changed!!  "So it's gonna cost me an EXTRA $1000 AND I lose the $400 OBC -- all to pre-pay $455 of gratuities?, I asked."  He said, "That's correct.  It's all explained in your cruise contract."  So I said I'd just pay for them onboard.  

 

It's really craziness like this that will drive me to another cruise line FAR more so than all of the little cuts in service and increases in price they've introduced!

 

BOTTOM LINE:  Be sure to LOOK at the pricing breakdown BEFORE you click on PAY. 

[Arizona Wildcat]

Take a deep breath.  No need to shout. 

 

If your sister booked the reservation you pretty much cannot change it on line. 

You change prepay the gratuities after you board.  Simply go to Customer Relations desk with a credit card and pay them.

You also probably can buy/gift OBC on line that can be used to pay for the gratuities.

[1Virgo]

was the booking done in “all inclusive”.  My booking was,  yet on the website it shows gratuities owing. When I clicked on gratuities the price owing for the cruise, jumped over $4000.    I backed out and back to what should be.     Agree, you can always go to Customer once onboard, but first, make sure this is not an all in booking so no gratuity owing

[CaribbeanBound]

Agree, it's totally crazy.  However, Arizona Wildcat has a valid and reasonable solution.

[Mauidiver]

I had a similar experience in that I have a cruise that is paid in full, but when I went to explore transfers on Celebrity’s website, it wound up repricing our cruise and saying we owed over $3500.  A call to Celebrity cleared it up quickly, but I’m now honestly afraid to touch anything for fear I’ll happen again. Difference of course is that I wasn’t asked to confirm anything…glad you dodged a bullet.

Edited April 18, 2023 by Mauidiver

[gardengalaz]

The situation was completely solved before I even posted -- I just wanted to warn people.

[Baynanno1]

Always read the fine print - it's there for a reason!

[manmachine]

3 minutes ago, Baynanno1 said:

Always read the fine print - it's there for a reason!

Sure, it’s not Celebrity being predatory with theor

pricing.  After all, if people don’t notice thousands more, it must be okay, right?

[IamHungry]

Or don't prepay gratuity. Go to the cruise and ask them to remove it completely. It's a two way streets. Tell them they can pay the crews extra on the extra that they charge you. 

[LisaLeone]

7 minutes ago, IamHungry said:

Or don't prepay gratuity. Go to the cruise and ask them to remove it completely. It's a two way streets. Tell them they can pay the crews extra on the extra that they charge you. 

I'm a bit confused...why should the hard working crew be penalized? They do not make the policy.

[zitsky]

2 minutes ago, LisaLeone said:

I'm a bit confused...why should the hard working crew be penalized? They do not make the policy.

 

I think people should have a choice.  I also think people should pay attention when doing something that changes their price.

[SRQbeachgirl]

1 hour ago, manmachine said:

Sure, it’s not Celebrity being predatory with theor

pricing.  After all, if people don’t notice thousands more, it must be okay, right?

 

I think it's more that their website is completely messed up. They obviously need to feed the hamsters better.

 

When I booked our last cruise I paid in full at the same time, but had to go to a meeting and didn't have time to type in my husband's name and info so it left the second passenger listed as TBD. I went back online a few days later and put his info in, but when I hit save it suddenly showed a balance due of over $1,500. I called Celebrity immediately and they said when I put his info in it removed the Florida resident discount. They fixed it and apologized, saying the system was "glitchy."

 

I do sometimes wonder why IT systems are rarely "glitchy" in the consumer's favor...

[IamHungry]

7 minutes ago, LisaLeone said:

I'm a bit confused...why should the hard working crew be penalized? They do not make the policy.

But why is it always the customers that have to tip everyday to help the crews getting a livable wage?Why can't cruiselines do that from the start then the tips will really be the extras. Cruiselines never gives us an honest information on how they really distribute the tips. Talk to the crews and you will get the real information. 

[jwlane]

2 hours ago, gardengalaz said:

craziness like this that will drive me to another cruise line

And you're sure others' T&C's are different?

[LisaLeone]

16 minutes ago, zitsky said:

 

I think people should have a choice.  I also think people should pay attention when doing something that changes their price.

Certainly, one does have a choice and can choose not to tip those who make their living providing services to others. Personally, it's not one I would make but, again, it is a choice. 

[manmachine]

6 hours ago, gardengalaz said:

"WHY doesn't it SAY that on the screen where you're encouraging me to pre-pay the gratuities?  WHY would ANY passenger EVER do that?" and the representative said that people do it all the time and generally don't notice the cruise price changed!

Sure sounds like a known problem.  And predatory.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

8 hours ago, IamHungry said:

Talk to the crews and you will get the real information. 

 

Or, more specifically, the sob story they have concocted to get more money out of you. And the more they expand the sob story, the more they get out of people who actually think their new best friend server is being honest.

Edited April 18, 2023 by WrittenOnYourHeart

[dazey]

Recently I just called to ask how to see a particular item for our Bermuda cruise and when the Celebrity agent came back she told me "by the way you have a balance due".  I did not and had paid full balance by due date.  Also the onboard credits disappeared.  I tried to stay calm but I am sure my voice indicated I was upset expecially since this happened once before the previous month. She came back and said the computer miscalulated but regarding the OBC she asked how I got them.  Honestly some was added by an omission on our last cruise so I promptly sent her copies of emails.  However, the original $400 OBC just for booking was gone too.  It was all straightened out but I continue to check often and will bring info backup in case this happened again.

 

How can this happen so much to us?  Think they are either messed up or doing this on purpose to get more $'s.  Not right.  Makes one question Celebrity.

 

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

Reading this has definitely made me think. I am in Aqua so have the Classic Package, standard WiFi, and prepaid grats. 

 

I'd upgraded to premium WiFi and the Premium Bev package and was reconsidering the Premium Bev package (keeping the premium WiFi for instagram and the like - still pondering if I want to do a Live report on here as other people do them so much better) - but I'm afraid to cancel the premium upgrade for fear that it'll cancel the Bev package all together.

 

Ugh.

[zitsky]

9 hours ago, LisaLeone said:

Certainly, one does have a choice and can choose not to tip those who make their living providing services to others. Personally, it's not one I would make but, again, it is a choice. 

You forgot to say they are living on bread and water.

 

If a waiter knocks your wine glass over or never comes back to check on you, how much would you tip them?

 

I just went to dinner this weekend.  I was getting frustrated with a waitress who was taking a long time to take our order.  When she came over she made a comment about her bad day.  I am not unsympathetic.  I considered giving her more than usual but in the end I tipped 18%.  I know, I am heartless.

[IamHungry]

1 hour ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

 

Or, more specifically, the sob story they have concocted to get more money out of you. And the more they expand the sob story, the more they get out of people who actually think their new best friend server is being honest.

I would rather trust the poor workers than Corporations. 

[jelayne]

11 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

Reading this has definitely made me think. I am in Aqua so have the Classic Package, standard WiFi, and prepaid grats. 

 

I'd upgraded to premium WiFi and the Premium Bev package and was reconsidering the Premium Bev package (keeping the premium WiFi for instagram and the like - still pondering if I want to do a Live report on here as other people do them so much better) - but I'm afraid to cancel the premium upgrade for fear that it'll cancel the Bev package all together.

 

Ugh.

The changes that seem to cause the problem are changes to the booking that are connected to the cruise fare, not those associated with add ons.

I have purchased and cancelled excursions, specialty restaurants, wi-fi, beverage packages and upgrades to wi-fi and beverage packages and those have never impacted the cruise fare on my invoice.

Look at your order history in the Cruise Planner and you should find an order for the beverage package with a $0.00 charge and an entirely separate order for the beverage package upgrade with the price you paid.  Cancelling the upgrade order does not cancel the beverage package order.

[zitsky]

10 hours ago, SRQbeachgirl said:

 

I think it's more that their website is completely messed up. They obviously need to feed the hamsters better.

 

When I booked our last cruise I paid in full at the same time, but had to go to a meeting and didn't have time to type in my husband's name and info so it left the second passenger listed as TBD. I went back online a few days later and put his info in, but when I hit save it suddenly showed a balance due of over $1,500. I called Celebrity immediately and they said when I put his info in it removed the Florida resident discount. They fixed it and apologized, saying the system was "glitchy."

 

I do sometimes wonder why IT systems are rarely "glitchy" in the consumer's favor...

Regarding bad IT systems.  Or just bad policy.

 

We canceled a September 2022 cruise due to Covid.  Rebooked for May 2023.  A few weeks after it disappeared from the Celebrity website.  I found out after two phone calls with our TA that Celebrity applied my deposit to the wrong account.  So they decided I had not paid and canceled my cruise.  I had to rebook all the excursions.  Why couldn’t they do it?  Was it because they lost the info or didn’t want to?

[bikerunner]

Why I have a good TA who handles all this, never have had a problem, some issues have come up the ta handles them.  I have done it in the past and dealt with different issues, but I also make sure I read all the information as there are always little gotchas in any type of contract.  

[AmberCascades]

11 hours ago, IamHungry said:

But why is it always the customers that have to tip everyday to help the crews getting a livable wage?Why can't cruiselines do that from the start then the tips will really be the extras. Cruiselines never gives us an honest information on how they really distribute the tips. Talk to the crews and you will get the real information. 

Grab a bunch of like-minded individuals and picket outside Celebrity's head office, if you must.  In the meantime, until their compensation policy changes, don't take it out on the crew.  There's not much they can do to change things and they shouldn't be punished because  you are angry with the corporation.