Pick Your Perks Promo

[mpeterson44]

I used this promo back in September for a December sailing. I chose the classic drink package. Today I tried to do a paid upgrade to an aqua suite and was told that in order to do this I would forfeit the drinks package. The travel agent checked twice and was told the same thing. I guess if you use this promo you can forget about any paid upgrades without giving up the promo. Anyone else have this happen?

[Andy]

I used this promo back in September for a December sailing. I chose the classic drink package. Today I tried to do a paid upgrade to an aqua suite and was told that in order to do this I would forfeit the drinks package. The travel agent checked twice and was told the same thing. I guess if you use this promo you can forget about any paid upgrades without giving up the promo. Anyone else have this happen?

 

Hi Mpeterson44,

 

There are many threads with similar questions, throughout this forum.

 

It depends on what rate code the new fare is. Basically, if the new fare is discounted, such as a Senior, Resident, or several others, you would have to forfeit the perks. If the new fare is a FiveStar rate, you should be ok. I suggest asking the TA exactly what rate code the new fare is, and let us know. Good Luck !

[mpeterson44]

I was trying to get the fare listed at every internet site as well as Celebrity's own web site. There is no mention of any rate code. I googled celebrity fivestar rate and got a hit from 1994. I didn't think to ask about rate codes to the travel agent. I simply thought you paid the current prevailing rate. Should we ask for a fourstar rate?

[mpeterson44]

Just got off the phone with Celebrity and they tell me that there is no fivestar rate for an aqua suite on my sailing so I guess this is my problem.

[Andy]

I was trying to get the fare listed at every internet site as well as Celebrity's own web site. There is no mention of any rate code. I googled celebrity fivestar rate and got a hit from 1994. I didn't think to ask about rate codes to the travel agent. I simply thought you paid the current prevailing rate. Should we ask for a fourstar rate?

 

You should ask if it's a FiveStar rate. If not, that's likely the issue. If your Your Travel Agent books Celebrity, they should know how to handle this. Good Luck !

[jagoffee]

Just got off the phone with Celebrity and they tell me that there is no fivestar rate for an aqua suite on my sailing so I guess this is my problem.

 

What date and ship?

 

I also found that it did not apply to the GTY category.

[Iamthesea]

We recently upgraded from a 2A to an AQ for our Connie 5/14 cruise when the AQ dropped in price. We not only kept our PYP drink package, we received an extra $100 OBC (booked this cruise onboard another ship.) I called the Captains Club to make the change.

 

You probably hit a pocket this close to sailing when all rates are lower than when you booked. I am surprised there has been a price change since you booked just a month ago. Has your original stateroom gone down in price? You never mentioned what it was.

[mpeterson44]

I originally booked 1B for $909 and the rate went up $100 the next week. 1B is now $904 so $5 less than the original price. I upgraded last week to A1 with no problem. This week I tried to upgrade again to AS and no go unless I forfeit drink package. I am on Reflection December 7.

[hulamoon]

This has been the story of my week. My TA no longer puts five star rates on their website and neither does celebrity. So I began to google other agencies and found two that listed standard rates.

 

Captains club told me these were the same as five star. Called my TA with intention to pay up to four hundred more for a category selling less than my current one. The first time I was told guarantee concierge was not five star but guarantee AQ was. Ok, I screwed up should have just taken it. But since there so many I thought I would spend a day debating giving up my extra large Sv balcony.

 

Decided yes, I would and called back only to be told not today, the rates had not changed. so I called again and was told no, the AQ guarantee was still not available but we will give you A1 for 520 more, a senior rate. Well again I decided to wait as this is not exactly a suite upgrade.

 

Then A2 became available so called back today to see if could get a senior rate, no, now the upgrade is eight hundred. And just because the notes say we offered that to you yesterday, you will not get it today.

 

Please celebrity put the five star rates back on your website. I am bit suspicious two large travel agents list standard prices that you say are five star but then you do not honor them. And it just annoying you say the rules are set but then they are not. But please call back, we may change our minds again.

[Iamthesea]

Basically, I guess a 5* rate is a rate that is booked early on (more than a few months out from cruise).

 

I prefer the TA websites publish the current rate. If I looked for a cruise online and found the prices to be that of what the cruise magazines publish (5*), I would seriously not consider booking because the rate would be too much in most cases. ;) If there is a lower rate, I want to know about it.

 

One thing you can do when looking online is not to put in your personal information such as age or location. That way, the Senior and Residence rates (non 5*) will not pop up. I also do not list that I have ever sailed with a cruiseline.

 

I originally booked 1B for $909 and the rate went up $100 the next week. 1B is now $904 so $5 less than the original price. I upgraded last week to A1 with no problem. This week I tried to upgrade again to AS and no go unless I forfeit drink package. I am on Reflection December 7.

 

This may have something to do with a Suite upgrade. Curious what the AS upgrade would cost you pp.? It might be worth giving up the drink package. ;)

[AlbertaCruisers]

If it is of any help to anyone, I have the 123 Go promo and was not able to upgrade to a balcony guarantee. I was told that sometimes guarantees can be a 5 star rate, but that doesn't happen very often anymore, so in most cases guarantees will not be combinable with pick your perk or 123 Go.

[hulamoon]

If it is of any help to anyone, I have the 123 Go promo and was not able to upgrade to a balcony guarantee. I was told that sometimes guarantees can be a 5 star rate, but that doesn't happen very often anymore, so in most cases guarantees will not be combinable with pick your perk or 123 Go.

 

This has been my experience this week. So it is annoying to call and be told it is only one way when my experience is different. Not that many months ago five star rates were listed below reduced rates on many websites. Now several list a standard rate. So it is impossible to know. When I asked about the rates listed as standard I was told it was the same thing as five star. But then I was denied the rate. Beginning to think it depends on if the person on the line has had coffee or a bad day.

 

I find it difficult to believe these websites listing standard are wrong. They get the info from somewhere. From a business perspective it seems they would like getting a few extra hundred dollars. Because those cabins will go to guarantee people anyway.

[dgparent]

We ran into the same problem last year, we booked a CC cabin and took the promo

 

1. Closer to sailing - maybe 4 months out - I noticed that AQ was about the same price as our CC cabin - I called switched to AQ and kept the promo no problem.

 

2. Before final payment was dues prices dropped 100 PP on our cabin - called got the reduction and kept the promo

 

3. After final payment was due I noticed a GTY Suite was about 50 more PP - called and they told me I would lose the promo as it was not a 5 star rate. I did not upgrade and kept the promo.

[jagoffee]

I originally booked 1B for $909 and the rate went up $100 the next week. 1B is now $904 so $5 less than the original price. I upgraded last week to A1 with no problem. This week I tried to upgrade again to AS and no go unless I forfeit drink package. I am on Reflection December 7.

 

I see that the Aqua Suite is listed as $1599 and it is not a GTY, so I would have thought that you could upgrade (and it is the regular 5 star rate), pay the difference, and keep your perk. Are you saying that your TA said that the $1599 was not a five star rate?

 

Based on my experience I found a coorelation with my TA whenever I found a rate that was not a GTY and did not include any special rate like resident, senior, and military. I just made sure that I did not check those items when I was getting the rate. Another indication was the lack of the term "Best rate applied". I always used the Celebrity website.

 

I am not sure if these postings are making you feel better or worse. The bottom line is that you have been able to make some good changes and you should have a great cruise. We will be taking he Reflection over from Europe soon.

 

Good luck.

[hulamoon]

Depending on usage, it may be worth giving up drink package. When I look back to my week of experiences with this, sometimes I was told I had to give up Obc and drink and other times drink pkg alone. But the assumption is you would not do it. Our drinking level is not so high that I would not consider it.

 

I liked it better when five star rates were listed in all categories.

[Andy]

If it is of any help to anyone, I have the 123 Go promo and was not able to upgrade to a balcony guarantee. I was told that sometimes guarantees can be a 5 star rate, but that doesn't happen very often anymore, so in most cases guarantees will not be combinable with pick your perk or 123 Go.

 

Hi AlbertaCruisers,

 

My understanding was (and still is) that GTY's would force the loss of the existing promo on your booking. I've never heard of a GTY being a FiveStar rate - especially since the beverage packages promos became a reality. I realize that a very few folks have reported otherwise, but I suspect they were lucky. I continue to believe that discounted fares - such as Senior, Resident, GTY's and others are not combinable with promos such as 123 GO, and Pick Your Perk.

 

If you get both the discounted fare and the perk ? I'm very happy for you... but I would keep my expectations very low.

 

I hope this is helpful !