Why is Celebrity offering cruises for Europeans at lower prices?

[Minoushka]

I'm talking more than once a year NOt a repositioning cruise

Where is this Hawaii Tahiti In sept or summer If it were in summer I would go Who goes there?

 

Mich

[cruisestitch]

Michele, you wrote " would love to vist NYC,PHILLy Atlanta etc by ship "

 

Atlanta is nowhere near the seacoast. Global warming would have to melt the ice caps and then some to be able to visit it by ship :)

[dmk]

I just checked my upcoming TA cruise in Euros. It turns out that it is cheaper to book it in USD by $480.

[Richiebaseball]

Michele, you wrote " would love to vist NYC,PHILLy Atlanta etc by ship "

 

Atlanta is nowhere near the seacoast. Global warming would have to melt the ice caps and then some to be able to visit it by ship :)

 

A Chattahoochee River cruise.

[celle]

The only one who is getting pay back is Celebrity and this post was not to pick on Europeans, it was about Celebrity offering different prices for the same cruise to different countries. You should be annoyed that you have to pay more to cruise in the Caribbean. I just checked a Caribbean cruise and you have to pay over $600. more per person than a US person booking. That isn't fair. They should have the same price for cruises for everyone. Plain and simple.

 

I couldn't agree more!

 

To the original poster: Welcome to Cruise Critic. I see you haven't been around here for very long.

 

The difference in prices for different countries is a long-standing thing, employed by all the cruise lines.

 

For years, people from the UK, Europe. Australia and New Zealand have been complaining that they pay higher prices for cruises than their American counterparts do.

 

What's more, we can't claim price drops, don't get on-board credit from travel agents, and often have to pre-pay tips (gratuities).

 

Many of us are not allowed to book directly through the cruise line, but have to book through a (cruise-line nominated) travel agent, who also takes their share on top of the original price.

 

Once we have booked, we pay the price posted at the time of booking, even if currency values change. This sometimes works to our advantage and sometimes to our disadvantage.

 

I'm really sorry the cruise line policy of differential prices has affected you this time. However, from the perspective of someone who has always had to pay more than a US citizen for my cruises, I am a little bit comforted to learn that sometimes the dice just might roll in my favour!

[kkid]

Won't claim to know the real reasons, but I'm pretty sure it is all about filling the ship for each cruise. You can't entice people from the USA to Europe by simply offering a low cruise fare, because the air fare is so significant. But you can entice those living nearby. So Floridians get good deals on Florida departures. On cruises from San Juan I've notice lots of locals and suspect they got better cruise deals. Cruise lines do whatever it takes to fill the ships because most passengers spend significant sums of money aboard ship, plus they need the gratuities which are not fare related.

[Traveldazed]

Won't claim to know the real reasons, but I'm pretty sure it is all about filling the ship for each cruise. You can't entice people from the USA to Europe by simply offering a low cruise fare, because the air fare is so significant. But you can entice those living nearby. So Floridians get good deals on Florida departures. On cruises from San Juan I've notice lots of locals and suspect they got better cruise deals. Cruise lines do whatever it takes to fill the ships because most passengers spend significant sums of money aboard ship, plus they need the gratuities which are not fare related.

Your explanation makes sense. Thank you for your perspective:)

[cruisestitch]

Traveldazed said " They should have the same price for cruises for everyone. Plain and simple."

 

No discounts for fire/police?

No discounts for senior citizens?

No discounts for third and fourth person in the room?

 

C'mon -- think that through again.

 

And if you really want to have a coniption fit, try asking the person sitting next to you on the plane how much they paid.

 

Pricing strategy is not easily understood by mere mortals....

[BrusselsGirl07]

I just checked all of my 3 upcoming cruises on the X website, and the Australian prices were cheaper than the US prices. But this could change at any moment, but I was happy with the price when I booked, so won't be upset.

 

I agree with the plane comment as well, everyone would have paid different prices for the same trip, just the same as on a cruise ship.

[miched]

It is easy to figure out.

 

When the ships sail in the Caribbean the cruise lines charge the US less because they don't want the Europeans sailing on those cruises.

 

When their ships sail in Europe the ship lines don't want the people from the US sailing on those cruises so they charge them more.

 

I guess some people just can't take a hint.

 

 

 

 

.

[Project_gal]

I have tried to read most of this thread but, of course, may have missed something and, if so, I apologise. However, I do not think that the issue of exchange rates has been mentioned.

 

Celebrity does not alter the exchange rate used daily. At times, as now, when the exchange rate is fairly variable, the rate fixed by Celebrity for any particular cruise may be quite a bit more or less than the current rate making the cruise price in another currency seem particularly low or high compared to the US$ price. It is the luck of the draw. As Caribbean cruises are released at a different time to European cruises, the exchange rates used may well be different. We actually seem to have benefitted from a very good exchange rate for the Caribbean cruise we booked [in sterling] for the end of 2012.

 

Anyone booking a cruise in a different currency to their own just adds to the gamble. Who knows what the exchange rate will be at time of final payment.

 

I doubt that the exchange rate fully explains any price discrepancies but it will be a contributing factor making it more difficult to second guess the business reasoning involved. However, I cannot see any reason why any cruise company would want to limit their customer base by discouraging European passengers in the Caribbean or North Americans in Europe.

 

Sue

[skt4cruise]

C3 still showing as $1799. no drop as yet:) I'd pay in Euros if I could! Celebrity does let you do a hold, but I'd be surprised if they would let the booking go through. Maybe they would, I don't know. If someone is successful let us know. For now I will keep my eye on the USD/CAD prices and I'm not comfortable to cancel my booking and try to book in Euros. I have my air and hotel all booked. It does give me a "frowny" face to think we can't do anything about price gouging. It isn't fair to anyone and it seems it has become acceptable practice. I received a resident discount last winter and my sister could not get one. We live in different provinces. I don't see how that is fair. I did not realize that Europeans had to pay more for Caribbean cruises until I read answers to this post. Their rules of booking are different also and they don't sound very favorable. I noticed their deposit is less but apparently it is nonrefundable. Fair? I don't think so.

 

We are Americans living in Europe, I always book as an American online using our US address. I guess I could book either way. I always book online and do not use a ta.

[TenerifeSharon]

I am also an American living in Europe. Of the 15 cruises we have already enjoyed (and discounting the first two because we were not active internet users during those days :D), we have only discovered better booking prices in Germany for two of the 13.

 

In August we will be on Equinox for a med. cruise. The price for our 1A cabin today is $2416 pp including port charges on the X website. We booked in Germany at an end price of €1250 per person ($1807). At today's exchange that would make a difference of $609 p.p. more if I had booked this one using our U.S. address.

 

Of course, if I need to cancel for any reason -- even today -- before final payment is due, I would lose my deposit.

 

You win some - you lose some! I just try and be sure that I win more than I lose.;)

[kitty9]

It's the same reason they sell cabins so cheap to the local Puerto Ricans when ship's sail out of San Juan. When we cruised on Adventure of the Seas, they offered many cabins at a flat rate of $350 per person to the locals. Cruise lines we're not expecting the worldwide economy to tank so bad, and they're now discovering that North Americans can't afford to fly to Europe and the Europeans can't afford to cruise as much. They made a huge mistake by putting all their eggs in the European basket, so now they're desperate to sell berths at any price.

[John73]

It is easy to figure out.

 

When the ships sail in the Caribbean the cruise lines charge the US less because they don't want the Europeans sailing on those cruises.

 

When their ships sail in Europe the ship lines don't want the people from the US sailing on those cruises so they charge them more.

 

I guess some people just can't take a hint.

 

.

 

Now there is some great logic :D

[TenerifeSharon]

I am also an American living in Europe. Of the 15 cruises we have already enjoyed (and discounting the first two because we were not active internet users during those days :D), we have only discovered better booking prices in Germany for two of the 13.

 

In August we will be on Equinox for a med. cruise. The price for our 1A cabin today is $2416 pp including port charges on the X website. We booked in Germany at an end price of €1250 per person ($1807). At today's exchange that would make a difference of $609 p.p. more if I had booked this one using our U.S. address.

 

Of course, if I need to cancel for any reason -- even today -- before final payment is due, I would lose my deposit.

 

You win some - you lose some! I just try and be sure that I win more than I lose.;)

 

Just commenting on my own posting: The "bean counters" at Celebrity must really be reading these boards! Today our 1A cabin is priced at €1660 pp in Germany (an increase of €410 pp) -- and is now almost exactly the same price as the U.S. $ price on the X website. Coincidence??

 

BUT - the XC (Concierge Guaranty) price in Germany has not changed since yesterday, still €1255 pp (making it €405 less pp than a 1A -- weird!).:eek:

[Jo and Rob]

I just checked my upcoming TA cruise in Euros. It turns out that it is cheaper to book it in USD by $480.

 

I checked the website today to see how much our cruise has dropped since we are in the UK. The price today for the four of us in a 2B cabin in £7548 which is a huge £2500 more than we paid last year in May!!! If that is the price drop everyone is talking about it must have really gone up in between. :confused:

 

I'm just glad we booked so early. We were pleased with the price then and seeing what it is today even more delighted. I can't wait to try Celebrity. :)

[lucky white heather]

Just commenting on my own posting: The "bean counters" at Celebrity must really be reading these boards! Today our 1A cabin is priced at €1660 pp in Germany (an increase of €410 pp) -- and is now almost exactly the same price as the U.S. $ price on the X website. Coincidence??

 

BUT - the XC (Concierge Guaranty) price in Germany has not changed since yesterday, still €1255 pp (making it €405 less pp than a 1A -- weird!).:eek:

 

Hi Sharon...don't want to muck up the posts or go off topic here but just wondered if you recall we were next door to you in the aft cabins on ML (or one of the other Mclass ships some years ago now)...see you are still cruising with X ! Hope all well with both of you .

 

Yvonne

[TenerifeSharon]

Hi Sharon...don't want to muck up the posts or go off topic here but just wondered if you recall we were next door to you in the aft cabins on ML (or one of the other Mclass ships some years ago now)...see you are still cruising with X ! Hope all well with both of you .

 

Yvonne

 

Hi Yvonne,

 

Of course I remember our lovely chats over the balcony divider separating our fantastic FV cabins! Wasn't that a great TA crossing to Southampton?

 

Hope you are well and still enjoying cruising. Any travel plans in the near future? We'd enjoy having the chance to see you and DH again soon. Let me know here in case you no longer have my email address.

[lucky white heather]

Hi Yvonne,

 

Of course I remember our lovely chats over the balcony divider separating our fantastic FV cabins! Wasn't that a great TA crossing to Southampton?

 

Hope you are well and still enjoying cruising. Any travel plans in the near future? We'd enjoy having the chance to see you and DH again soon. Let me know here in case you no longer have my email address.

 

Hi Sharon...we're back on Celebrity soon from doing Cunard for a few trips... but will be on Eclipse out of SOU soon... end of July ... if you were going to be aboard we could have caught up with mutual news.

I had a computer malfunction ..it went to HQ to be fixed and they scrubbed EVERYTHING... lost all my email addresses....yours was in that category I'm afraid. Haven't been able to resurrect all lost items.. still trying ! Would love to keep in touch and hear how things are with you both if possible .

 

Yvonne

[mahi mahi]

I have a cruise booked on the Solstice for Nov. this year leaving from Barcelona, Cat. 2B. I signed up with a website to monitor cruise prices in case a C1, 2, or 3 cabin became affordable and I'd upgrade. The prices on that site give the prices in US, Cad, Euros, and GBP. I realize there is exchange but even with that, I thought the prices looked very low in Euros and GBP. I visited the home page of Celebrity and down near the bottom where it asks if you are from the country listed it offers you the chance to say "no" and you can choose another country. I chose Germany, then France, and also the United Kingdom checking their prices. I could pay in Euros and have a C3 cabin for the price of my 2B! I did some research and some people say that the pricing reflects what people are willing to pay and apparently Europeans aren't willing to pay what Americans and Canadians are. I think it is so unfair because we have to pay so much for our air that they don't and then to have to pay even more for our cruise.

Example of prices per person without taxes for the Nov. 16th, 2011 CAT C3, Solstice sailing:

1799. USD, 924. EUROS, 1828. CAD, GBP 931.

XE..com is a good converter for exchange rates to check what the exchange rates would be.

 

Same reason they give Florida and Puerto Rico people deals...to fill the ships.

[TenerifeSharon]

A new twist to this entire discussion.

 

About 6 weeks ago I booked, with a german X agency, an Equinox Med. cruise - August 19-29 1A cabin at €1250 per person. That price is now up to €1660 per person. So far, so good and I was happy:) until today.

 

I've just gotten an alert that the price is now at €721 per person :eek: for the same category, but only by booking through the French X site. I contacted my agent here in Germany, and she can do nothing about offering me the price offered to french customers.

 

So, for all of you who are frustrated with the occasionally better "European" prices - just remember: European pricing is NOT always necessarily consistent (even though we are all members of the European Union)!:confused: Just as inconsistent as the resident rates in the U.S.

[lysolqn]

Ouch!

[grayjay]

Ouch indeed!! I've just checked the prices for a July cruise I'm interested in:

Today's price for a Concierge cabin in the US is 1599 $, but 2857 Euros = 4194 $ at the current exchange rate. Per person, of course.:eek:

Sorry, but my pockets are not gold-rimmed... It's a bit excessive, isn't it? I have not even looked up the French web-site , yet.

[miched]

Ouch indeed!! I've just checked the prices for a July cruise I'm interested in:

Today's price for a Concierge cabin in the US is 1599 $, but 2857 Euros = 4194 $ at the current exchange rate. Per person, of course.:eek:

Sorry, but my pockets are not gold-rimmed... It's a bit excessive, isn't it? I have not even looked up the French web-site , yet.

 

Book it and pay in US dollars. :confused: Apparently they don't want Euros. They may know something that we don't. :D

 

 

 

 

 

.:p