paulh84

49 minutes ago, cttraveller said:

Many unhappy folks.  Please leave Celebrity if you not happy with the experience.  There no need to announce your exit. 

There are a lot of cruise options out there to meet the needs of a demanding traveler. But the theme here is usually gripe gripe gripe but (supposedly) continue to book and book and book. I don’t understand it. Truly no one is offended or cares if you move on 🤣

2 minutes ago, markeb said:

 

I don't normally drink espresso martinis. Are they normally made with fresh, hot espresso? At any sort of high volume bar I'd expect them to at least make the espresso in batches ahead of time and chill it.

They do not. I've rarely ever seen them made with a fresh shot, on sea or land. The Martini bars use a Ketel One draft machine that pours premade martinis. They are terrible. Anywhere else is going to use some sort of concentrate. For the salted caramel potion they may use caramel vodka or flavored syrup depending on what they have.

13 hours ago, horseymike said:

The move up thing has become a money grab. 
The attitude they have if someone is willing to pay it , they will sure take it. $$$$

That’s quite literally the point of the program. They aren’t running a charity…..

Isn’t the obvious question to clarify if they are just referring to the lost deposit as the fee?

Would you consider Explora as an actual luxury line or more of a small premium line like Oceania or Azamara? I was considering Explora for an upcoming cruise but went with RC Yachts instead. It seemed like the consensus was Explora falls quite a bit short of a true lux line like Silversea or Seabourn. 

Too many people with a “medical issue” sharing packages? 

1 hour ago, phoenix_dream said:

Curious - do they always get comped cruises if they spend that much?  And what type of cabin - inside, balcony, suite?  

I know they rarely paid or they were comped an inside/OV and had decent luck paying cash for an upgrade. The program has apparently changed since I have taken a cruise with them. 

25,000 Points Complimentary Future Cruise Offer - Sky Suite

15,000 Points Complimentary Future Cruise Offer - AquaClass

9,000 Points Complimentary Future Cruise Offer - Concierge Class

6,500 Points Complimentary Future Cruise Offer - Veranda Stateroom (additional itineraries)

4,000 Points  Complimentary Future Cruise Offer - Veranda Stateroom

3,000 Points Complimentary Future Cruise Offer - Oceanview Stateroom 2,000 Points Complimentary Future Cruise Offer - Interior Stateroom (additional itineraries)

1,500 Points  Complimentary Future Cruise Offer - Interior Stateroom

1,200 Points $300 Off Next Cruise

800 Points $250 Off Next Cruise

600 Points $200 Off Next Cruise

400 Points $100 Off Next Cruise
 

On a slot machine $1 played is 5 points. 

This video explains it and the recent changes. There are some older ones but they are not up to date with the program changes.

https://youtu.be/6VVU6wTbBqg?si=Yx2-lg67hZKOV5xY

1 hour ago, phoenix_dream said:

After reading this thread all I can say is wow!  It amazes me how much $$ people are willing to spend to gamble on the ship, where the odds generally are horrendous compared to land casinos.  As has been said, there is no "free" cabin of any sort.  You are definitely paying for it.  That said, if I could gamble $10,000 or so and know for sure I would be offered a Sky suite I would go for it as booking one outright definitely costs more than that (assuming the offer is for a couple - not clear on that point)

People do give away a huge amount of money in the casino, but as already mentioned, there are many who are tactical in their play. Our friends are not big gamblers but will generally spend $4000-$5000 in the casino knowing that they will get comped cruise(s) out of it. they may win some but ultimately they would spend that same amount on another future cruise anyway. As someone myself who isn’t a casino person, there is a really good YouTube video a lady did that explains what to do and what to play in very simple terms. 

11 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

I still don't understand why anyone does a "book later" certificate.  Just book a "named" sailing as far out in the future as you can with a refundable deposit.  Then when you decide on an actual sailing just move the reservation to that ship/sail date.  At that time you can even choose to change it to the NRD rate.   If you decide not to cruise you can cancel and get the deposit refunded without the 1 year limit.

I typically do. There is no reason to spend vacation time sitting at a desk with a rep to do what I can easily do on my own. There were some posts about losing the OBC if you changed sail dates on a refundable rate. That’s the only reason I buy them since when transferring to a group rate you have to pay the remainder of the deposit anyway. 

12 hours ago, -The-True-North- said:

Does any purposely buy inside than do a move up?

 

Is it usually cheaper this way?

 

Inside: 809

Balcony: 995

 

Difference is 186 x 2 = 372

 

Would a move up be less than that usually? I'm reading the move up and it seem so.

 Not for me. If a balcony is what I want I’m not risking being in an inside over $372 no matter what the cruise length is. 

1 hour ago, Lastdance said:

Are these in Europe or Caribbean?  I have been checking so many sites for great pricing, but none include gratuities and bev package for the refundable price.  We usually book suites, that come with everything except gratuities and OBC until I send to my TA.  However, I will continue to look and take note of a variety of companies.  I got burned with a big box company and actually Celebrity came to my defense during Covid.  Of course this was back when, IMHO, they cared about you in a suite or non-suite.

Potentially any itinerary. If you look on sites that have multiple prices shown for the same cabin (as in sometimes they will show like a dozen rates) some will say group. They don’t necessarily call out that the price is a much much better deal or what it includes. 

3 hours ago, Lastdance said:

Elaborate on Refundable deposits.  Do you get the non-refundable price with a refundable deposit?  Sorry if I am unclear.  Maybe a group rate with refundable?

 

I have been with my TA for 10 years and she spends hours on the phone with Celebrity nowadays.  Her OBC is excellent and I have a great relationship with her, but maybe I do need to look for a new one because her frustration level is extremely high.

Some group rates come with classic beverage package, basic WiFi and are refundable at a price that is almost always less than the cruise only rate you would get booking direct with Celebrity. Our next cruise had about $3,200 price difference and one for 2026 had a $2,000 price difference. And the prices don’t go up and down so there is no need to monitor prices after you book. 

6 minutes ago, 1Virgo said:

 

Protection

When you use Flights by Celebrity℠ to book your air travel, we’ve got your back. You enjoy 24/7 travel service, so you have the peace of mind knowing there’s someone looking out for you. Our Flights by Celebrity℠ Specialists are on hand monitoring your flights, so if there are any delays or cancellations that jeopardize your travel plans, they’ll work quickly with the airline to get you on the next available flight to get you to your ship. So, take comfort in booking your complete vacation with us all at once, and let us take care of everything.

Exactly. It doesn't say they will rebook you on any airline to get you there. If I have a delay I'm 99% sure I could rebook my self through the airline app or at the gate more efficiently than calling FBC and having them have the conversation for me. 

2 hours ago, 1Virgo said:

for us, the big reason to book FBC is in the event of a weather or mechanical delay, they will get you to the ship even if on a different airline

 

Is this in writing somewhere? Everything on the website refers back to FBC "working with the airline to........" which is ultimately exactly what you do yourself when there is a delay. If you are trying to get to some obscure port a few days into a cruise, that may not be much help. After two FBC booking attempts I have doubts they are adept at accomplishing anything outside from taking a reservation via phone. 

No need to print. You can use the app or your Apple wallet.  

I never look at the wine lists. Just ask what they recommend, or ask if they have any suggestions by the glass that are not on the menu. The Chateau Souverain cab they try to slip in is terrible. And despite the chokehold Decoy apparently has on Celebrity guests, I don’t want it every night either.

The whole crux of the MoveUp system is to maximize revenue so it would be incorrect to definitively say what you initially paid flatly has no bearing on your likelihood of winning a bid. It would make no sense to base it solely on new revenue which is exemplified by lower cabins not being able to bid on upper suites.

No way. The airlines that make money from co-branded cards sell miles to banks but they have passenger volume that is exponentially higher than what Celebrity or RCG carries. 
 

The Celebrity card is terrible, even at the proposed bonus. Captain’s Club status has very little value. Despite being Elite, I don’t think we’ve ever actually benefited from one of the perks. The point value is also extremely low. It’s not like an airline where you have potential a free (minus fees) loyalty upgrade from economy to business that saved you $10k on a single flight. That has value. A free scoop gelato or $8 savings on your WiFi package does not. 

Sort cruise during March? It’s definitely possible. We skip anything shorter than 7 nights, the months of March, April and President’s Day week. We have been pretty successful in avoiding Spring Breakers, big family groups and the like. 

1 minute ago, Bask said:

 

I am trying to find contact info for their tech support, but apparently they are ghosts that require an exorcism to locate. Just want to verify that this situation is their actual intent, versus an error or something else. Zero communication on the update/requirement, the old version worked fine 2 days ago. I get the new version requires IOS 17 (iPhone 11 or newer)...but surprised they killed the older version at the same time with no upfront notification

It's no mistake. It says it clear as can be. Celebrity does not offer customer 'tech support'. iPhone 8 and older will not support the iOS 17 and beyond so you will inevitably start losing functionality as your phone ages. 

4 minutes ago, hcat said:

but X does hold sailaway and sail in parties on E class ships  from the helipad area..so they are there..if not used???

I have never seen the helipad accessed by passengers on E class. 

Some S class ships can accommodate a light helicopter. The ones marked WINCH ONLY means exactly that. It’s used as the hoist location but no landings. You can see this on Reflection. 

17 minutes ago, tfred said:

that occupancy number above 100% is basically pure profit

 

it also means is that the ships are not sailing with empty cabins - they are full - which is why there is minimal discounting. There are some cruises that are reduced for sure, but widespread discounts are not being done.  Discounts that historically included OBC and  tips are now gone  

Mostly - but the three brands being rolled into one metric adds complexity. Royal Caribbean would be very likely to sail with 3 or more, Celebrity would occasionally (but rarely) sail with 3 or more and Silversea seems very unlikely to sail with 3 or more. Essentially the Royal Caribbean metric would inflate the metric in comparison to the other two brands. But ultimately I don’t think any Celebrity ships are sailing with many empty cabins, especially suites, due to MoveUp awards. 

32 minutes ago, RichYak said:

"Demand has been increasing" can be a nebulous phrase. It could simply mean they have more bookings year over year. They also have more capacity to fill with new ships, so if bookings were the same as last year, that would be really bad, and more bookings would not necessarily be good unless it was a LOT more.

 

I'm just not sure how RCG actually defines "demand".

They view demand largely as a result of net yield increase while increasing prices. You can also look at deposits. From 2022 to 2023 they jumped from 4.6 billion to 5.3 billion held. 2018 and 2019 were 3.1 and 3.4 billion. A 70% increase in deposits held compared to a 22% capacity increase from 2018 to now. 

Occupancy is represented as percentage to account for capacity changes. It took a hit in 2023. For 2017, 2018 and 2019 occupancy was in the 108% range. 2023 was 105.6%. There are a lot of variables there but 3% is not a small number on this scale which speaks to the push to fill more cabins with 3 and 4 people. They have under-realized capacity. 

1 minute ago, publicpersona said:

 

Do you realize what you posted is EXACTLY what I said?

You have not read or comprehended what I posted. 

1 minute ago, publicpersona said:

 

Say what? While they do reserve the right to add a supplemental charge relating to unanticipated occurrences (such as fuel surcharge), there isn't leeway in the contract to simply raise the fare after your purchase.

 

Of course, someone who purchased the booking discussed in this thread may or may not have the booking cancelled. The relevant verbiage is below:

 

Yes there is....

https://www.celebritycruises.com/guest-terms/united-states-english/

e. Correction of Errors. In the event that a Cruise or CruiseTour is booked but the Cruise Fare listed, quoted or advertised through any website, Carrier sales person, travel agent or any other source is inaccurate or unavailable due to an electronic error, typographical error, human error or any other error causing the Cruise or CruiseTour to be sold, or listed for sale, quoted or advertised, in a quantity or for an amount not intended by Carrier, Carrier reserves the right to correct the erroneous fare by requesting Guest to pay the correct amount intended, re-berthing Guest in other accommodations onboard the Vessel, or by canceling this Agreement in exchange for a full refund. For the avoidance of doubt, in no event shall Carrier be obligated to honor any such booking resulting from the error or otherwise be liable in such circumstances.

If you are just wanting an early check-in time just do it on the app. It takes maybe 10 seconds to select the time then go back and finish later.