Price Drops but Celebrity Won't Let Me Upgrade my Cabin

[Susie]

The April sailings on the Galaxy out of Galveston have dropped today and I called my travel agent to see if I could upgrade my cabin (in the past, I would have asked for money back). Celebrity won't let me move to a higher category without charging me close to $300 per person to do it. So, someone booking today will get a much better cabin than I will have for less than me. So much for being a loyal customer. This will be our 9th Celebrity cruise and they could care less. Also, what's the point of booking in advance? I've seen this happen many times for April/May sailings. Princess always honored the price reductions at this time of year. I am really disappointed in Celebrity.

[Leela]

Unfortunately the fine print on some of those great prices are "new bookings only."

 

It's kind of like with airline tickets -- a lot of the time the prices go up and down and up and down and two people on the same flight will have paid vastly different prices. The airlines futz with fares when supply is high to stimulate demand, and then when demand for a certain flight rises they raise the fare. The object is the maximize revenue.

 

By booking in advance you get the ship you want, the date you want, and the cabin you want. What you give up in some cases, though, is the chance that prices might drop significantly closer to your departure date. It's a trade-off, that's for sure.

 

I know you're frustrated, so here's a random idea -- I have no idea if it's a good idea or even if it will work but....is it cheaper to cancel the current cabin entirely and book a new cabin? Ask your TA if that's even possible. I have know idea what the cancellation policies are, so I could be barking at clouds with all this....

[reggierail]

Unless the new price is a Happy Hour Tuesday only special you should be able to upgrade. The Happy Hour specials are for new bookings only. I believe the new lower prices are Best Deal pricing and you should be able to upgrade.

I'd call again and if denied again ask for a supervisor.

 

Reggie:D

[Sky Sweet]

The April sailings on the Galaxy out of Galveston have dropped today and I called my travel agent to see if I could upgrade my cabin (in the past, I would have asked for money back). Celebrity won't let me move to a higher category without charging me close to $300 per person to do it. So, someone booking today will get a much better cabin than I will have for less than me. So much for being a loyal customer. This will be our 9th Celebrity cruise and they could care less. Also, what's the point of booking in advance? I've seen this happen many times for April/May sailings. Princess always honored the price reductions at this time of year. I am really disappointed in Celebrity.

 

Did the prices posted on Celebrity's website actually drop, or are you refering to a special "happy hour sale" for new bookings. In the former situation your travel agent should be able to obtain that same price for you, unless you currently have a group rate instead of an individual rate. When you book a cruise through a travel agent you can't arrange for subsequent price adjustments directly with Celebrity, but any reputable travel agent will take care of it for you unless it is one of the exceptions previously mentioned. Unfortunately, there are some unethcial travel agents who won't comply with such requests because their commissions are based on what people actually pay for a cruise. They will then blame the cruise line, when it was really their fault.

[Senga]

There has to be some incentive offered to book empty cabins. As a previous poster said, you got your cabin choice.

[dakrewser]

Is there something stopping you from booking another cabin, in a higher category, and then cancelling your current reservation?????

[geoherb]

Probably the penalty for cancelation is more than the savings.

[geoherb]

P.S. We booked the Century last minute for Christmas and New Year's. We were able to get a good rate but did not have many cabins to choose from. Our TA was able to book us directly in a cabin instead of just a guarantee. But a lot of the last-minute deals are the guarantee X, Y, and Z categories.

[Susie]

Thanks for all of the informative posts.

 

I have used this travel agent for years and feel confident they are not pulling any punches. They did tell me that this is a Happy Hour promotion which I was not previously aware of (this didn't show up anywhere).

 

I'm still befuddled by the "no upgrade" option even with this promotion since they won't lose any money on me. I have made my final payment so I am set to go regardless - this is only a month and a few days away. If I was asking for a refund, I wouldn't be surprised at the "no" answer. I'm just asking for a better cabin at the price they are offering a newcomer. It seems there should be something to be said for a long time customer. I guess I'll wait to see what happens after this promotion is over. The pricing is back up today so this doesn't seem like a typical "Happy Hour" promotion that lasts a few days or am I misunderstanding?

[Ma Bell]

Happy Hour promotions are on Tuesdays only and only last one day.

[reggierail]

Is this the pricing you were referring to, if so, it's not a Happy Hour special and you should have been able to upgrade.

 

Celebrity Best Deals: (See Best Deals Tab on the One Stop File)

 

• 11/12N Canal on GL from: $800/$1,400/$2,430 Galaxy lead price good for sailing's 3/10-4/25
  
• 7N Alaska on MR from: $860/$1,015/$1,700 Mercury 5/20
  
• 7N Alaska on SM from: $830/$1,105/$1,325 Summit 5/20 "cirque du soleil" experience
  
• 10/11N Caribbean on SM from: $850/$1,525/$2,075 Summit 4/1/2005 ' ' ' ' ''
  
• 7N Bermuda on ZN from: $900/$1,300 Zenith 4/23
  

Reggie:D

[GaryThePhotog]

I think Celebrity usually calculates the upgrade pricing based on the current price of the cabin you want to upgrade to less the price you actually paid for your current cabin. For instance, if you happen to have booked a cat. 7 for $500, and you want to upgrade to a cat. 5 which currently sells for $800, your upgrade fee should be $300. Some people think that since cat. 7 is currently selling for $700 they should be allowed to upgrade to cat. 5 for $100 but then, in Celebrity's viewpoint, which I sort of understand, you'd be paying a discount rate of $600 for cat. 5 room which they were not really offering. I think much of their pricing is done via an automated algorithm which uses many factors to determine which cabins are sold for what prices. As any business, this algorithm is designed to get the maximum dollars for Celebrity. Basically, why should they sell a $800 cabin for $600 where in all likelihood they will get their $800.

[chessbriar]

December 10th my inlaws upgraded from and inside to and outside when prices dropped. It was a even up upgrade. The price of the ocean view dropped to what they had paid for the inside cabin. Their cruise left 20 days later.

 

I would get a better explanation from your TA. There is no reason as long and the price for the new cabin is no less than the old cabin pricing.

[smiley]

I think Celebrity usually calculates the upgrade pricing based on the current price of the cabin you want to upgrade to less the price you actually paid for your current cabin. For instance, if you happen to have booked a cat. 7 for $500, and you want to upgrade to a cat. 5 which currently sells for $800, your upgrade fee should be $300. Some people think that since cat. 7 is currently selling for $700 they should be allowed to upgrade to cat. 5 for $100 but then, in Celebrity's viewpoint, which I sort of understand, you'd be paying a discount rate of $600 for cat. 5 room which they were not really offering. I think much of their pricing is done via an automated algorithm which uses many factors to determine which cabins are sold for what prices. As any business, this algorithm is designed to get the maximum dollars for Celebrity. Basically, why should they sell a $800 cabin for $600 where in all likelihood they will get their $800.

 

 

Yes, this is happening to me I'm trying to upgrade (pay for it) to a balcony, but they are going by what I orginally paid, not what they are currently selling at. So if it was what currenlty I should be able to upgrade for $220 total, but they want me to pay $1100!!!! Not going to do it.

 

When I did a RCI cruise two years ago it was by what the currently category is at?

[Sky Sweet]

Yes, this is happening to me I'm trying to upgrade (pay for it) to a balcony, but they are going by what I orginally paid, not what they are currently selling at. So if it was what currenlty I should be able to upgrade for $220 total, but they want me to pay $1100!!!! Not going to do it.

 

When I did a RCI cruise two years ago it was by what the currently category is at?

 

A few years ago, we booked a cruise on the Millennium and the prices went down a few months later. When that happened we decided to upgrade and only had to pay the difference between the current price for the upgraded cabin and what we had agreed to pay for our original cabin when we made our initial deposit.

[dragonlady]

2 years ago we had a Cat 9 cabin booked, but the prices dropped on the oceanviews and a Cat 6 cabin we had wanted became available - we were able to upgrade for only $100 a piece with no fuss. This year we are booked in a Cat 5 cabin and the prices dropped to the tune of $550 total for our cabin, but it was a Happy Hour special and we couldn't get an upgrade or a refund because it was valid for new bookings only. I guess it depends whether it's an actual price drop or a limited to new bookings special.

 

Dragonlady

[smiley]

Right they are going by what I originally paid (the prices have gone up) not current prices. So I have to pay a lot to upgrade.

[Susie]

A few years ago, we booked a cruise on the Millennium and the prices went down a few months later. When that happened we decided to upgrade and only had to pay the difference between the current price for the upgraded cabin and what we had agreed to pay for our original cabin when we made our initial deposit.

 

 

This is exactly what I'm trying to do. The price I paid for my inside category 9 cabin (and I have paid in full) is actually more than the price they were asking yesterday for an outside Category 4. Seems logical that they would let me have that cabin since they want less for that outside cabin than what I paid for my inside.

 

How am I going to know if a price drop is Happy Hour or not since I couldn't tell that on my own yesterday?

[Susie]

Is this the pricing you were referring to, if so, it's not a Happy Hour special and you should have been able to upgrade.

 

Celebrity Best Deals: (See Best Deals Tab on the One Stop File)

 

• 11/12N Canal on GL from: $800/$1,400/$2,430 Galaxy lead price good for sailing's 3/10-4/25
  
• 7N Alaska on MR from: $860/$1,015/$1,700 Mercury 5/20
  
• 7N Alaska on SM from: $830/$1,105/$1,325 Summit 5/20 "cirque du soleil" experience
  
• 10/11N Caribbean on SM from: $850/$1,525/$2,075 Summit 4/1/2005 ' ' ' ' ''
  
• 7N Bermuda on ZN from: $900/$1,300 Zenith 4/23
  

Reggie:D

 

No, this is not what I saw yesterday, although I did see this somewhere. I logged into my travel agent's online site and saw the significant price drop for all categories. Many sites are showing the $800 for a inside guarantee and all the other categories are the same as they were a month ago - at their original "high" prices. So, when I saw every category drop - considerably - that is when I called my agent.

[berrybright]

How does one find these Happy Hour specials???

[Richard Stein]

Having the same problem on my May 1st Star Transatlantic. I have a BA balcony and they are selling AC minisuites for $300 per person less than I paid. Letter is in the mail. I have elite status with them and Celebrity.

[jsaadat]

If your cruise is is being offered at a lower rate ANYWHERE then you should get a refund or upgrade of equal value for the difference. Your agent should really be able to make this happen...... if not, call the cruise line directly. Do not give in. THis has happend to us several times and in every occasion we got one or the other.... (or agent handled). Be a bull dog.......

 

J

[Huey]

You'd probably be more likely to get a cabin credit if you ask for one. We pushed it last year, (after our TA said that the cruise line would probably say no), and got $200 credit per stateroom after pricing went down.

[CINDON]

How does one find these Happy Hour specials???

 

http://www.creative.rccl.com/sales/happy_hour/HappyHour_rci_tues.pdf

 

Keep in mind that these are only published to Travel Agents.

[katiel53]

If the price were lower on the Happy Hour pricelist, I don't think you will get anything back. It states on the Happy Hour pricelist that it is for new bookings only. How would you feel if the prices went up from what you paid? You wouldn't be expected to pay the higher price and I think the cruiselines have sales to fill up the ship and they don't plan to lower your prices. Having said that, if there is a price reduction that is NOT a Happy Hour sale, I have had Celebrity give me a refund of the difference. I guess it depends on what kind of sale they are having. I think that by adding for new bookings only, they are clearly stating that nothing else will be considered. That could mean the end of all reductions if the price goes lower and you have paid in full. I would hope not, but it seems that way to me.

 

Katie