Questions about "Best Price Guarantee Program"

[europe10]

I have been away from cruising for a year. I wanted to find out what is Celebrity's current policy on pricing if the cost you reserved a cabin, later goes down in price? In the OLD days, if the price went down, you got the new lower price. I now see that Celebrity has the "Best Price Guarantee Program" (If you find a lower price within 48 hours from the original time you booked, you can submit the Best Price Guarantee form to get 110% of the difference in price applied as an onboard credit.) If it is beyond the 48 hr. period, you are stuck with the higher price, I would imagine.

I have two questions:

(1) Is this still current policy?

(2) How did the cruising public react to this. I saved $2,000 on the old policy.

 

[CTLeeA]

I have been away from cruising for a year. I wanted to find out what is Celebrity's current policy on pricing if the cost you reserved a cabin, later goes down in price? In the OLD days, if the price went down, you got the new lower price. I now see that Celebrity has the "Best Price Guarantee Program" (If you find a lower price within 48 hours from the original time you booked, you can submit the Best Price Guarantee form to get 110% of the difference in price applied as an onboard credit.) If it is beyond the 48 hr. period, you are stuck with the higher price, I would imagine.

I have two questions:

(1) Is this still current policy?

(2) How did the cruising public react to this. I saved $2,000 on the old policy.

 

 

I was in this situation recently...the price dropped on my Cele. Equinox cruise which was paid for in full. Altho they wouldn't give me a credit for the difference, they did tell me if I wished, I could upgrade to the category which corresponded to the higher price I had paid. Since I preferred the location of my original reservation, I declined.

[bajathree]

Yes....it is the current policy. You can get a price adjustment up to final due date..... then after final it's upgrade only. The 48 hr thing only comes into play if you book post final.

How did the public react.... well the smart ones are waiting and booking post final....the booking window is now much shorter than it used to be.... many booking just 30-45 days prior to sailing... and the cruise lines know this...so don't jump at the first drop post final.

[PartyAllDaTyme]

The policy changed for bookings made after May 17th, 2010. For North American bookings, prior to final payment being actuallty made, if the price drops, you can still get a fare adjustment as before. After final payment, you cannot get a fare adjustment or OBC for the difference. However, you do still have the option to upgrade to a higher class cabin that's now the same (or lower) price, though you won't get anything if it's lower. If there's a cabin that's higher than what you paid (but lower than it had been), you can upgrade by paying the difference. Before final payment, you can of course opt to switch to a different cabin, as well, in which case you'll get a fare adjustment to whatever the new cabin is now going for.

 

Where the BPG comes in is if the price drops within 48 hours of your original booking, and I believe you can invoke it either before or after final payment is made. It's in the form of nonrefundable OBC for 110% of the difference. Before final payment, you'd have the option to choose either the BPG or to simply take the fare adjustment. To claim the BPG, you need to complete a form found on the Celebrity website (click on the Planning button towards the top of the homepage, look for the link in the "Planning a Cruise?" box). X will base their decision on whether or not you notified them in time based on when the form was completed. They have indicated that 48 hours is not hard and fast, 49 or 50 hours would probably be okay, but 60 hours, for example, would be too late.

 

I have no direct experience with this but have posted about it often enough. Some of my answers are based on an interview that Cruise Critic conducted with Celebrity shortly after the policy changed.

[Pean]

This is not just for North American bookings. We booked our cruise just after the change in May and about 3 months later the price dropped approx $300pp. I was not sure if this would be honoured for Aussie bookings but contacted the TA and all went through ok. Upgraded to a CC and still got $400 reduction. The only difference seems to be although our cruise is not until July we have to make final payment at the end of January

[watermusic101]

If I am understanding this, if you have a booking made prior to 5/17/10 they will still honor lower price before final payment or offer OBC for the difference after final payment?

 

What if you made a passages (next cruise) booking prior to 5/17 but didn't use it until after 5/17? I recently used a passages which I purchased before 5/17, so if the price goes down on this cruise will I be under the pre 5/17 or post 5/17 rules?

 

Just want to add to the confusion!;)

[MonDreamr1]

If I am understanding this, if you have a booking made prior to 5/17/10 they will still honor lower price before final payment or offer OBC for the difference after final payment?

 

 

 

Just want to add to the confusion!;)

 

Yes, our Summit cruise was booked last March, prior to the change in policy. My mum & sister are going with us, but in a different cabin. They have received two OBCs for price drops do to two senior rate specials on their room category.

 

Not sure how it works with the future booking, as this was a defined booking from the start.

[Lois R]

If I am understanding this, if you have a booking made prior to 5/17/10 they will still honor lower price before final payment or offer OBC for the difference after final payment?

 

What if you made a passages (next cruise) booking prior to 5/17 but didn't use it until after 5/17? I recently used a passages which I purchased before 5/17, so if the price goes down on this cruise will I be under the pre 5/17 or post 5/17 rules?

 

Just want to add to the confusion!;)

 

I can tell you if you bought the passage before the 17th but booked

your cruise after that time you will not get the price reduction.:rolleyes:

The reason I know this is because I am going on cruise this coming

Saturday and used my passage and was not able to get any benefit

from the lower price and yes, I booked after final payment was due.

(The price of my cabin category went down more than once).

[watermusic101]

I'm sorry they won't give us price drops even though I bought the passages before 5/17 because I booked actual cruise at a later date.

 

I am a little confused though because my TA emailed me that the cruise would be $40 less per person because when I bought the passages the port charges were less. I don't know how they would have known how the port charges would go up or down when I didn't even book the actual cruise until last week?????

 

But, who am I to complain about $80 in my pocket.