Another 'clever' trick from Celebrity

[Wiltonian]

Just looked at a 7 day Med cruise in August. In various cabin categories, the cheapest option at the headline price looks not too bad, but go up one grade, and the prices rocket.

 

e.g. Interior: (12) is £1598 for two, but (11) is £2022 for two.

 

e.g. OV: (08) is £1798, (07) is £2042

 

e.g. balcony: (2C) is £2498; (2B) is £2752.

 

Usually, bands in the same category have been £80 - £120 a couple more, so here we seem to have a new way of increasing margins.

 

Stuart

[DinaS]

Just looked at a 7 day Med cruise in August. In various cabin categories, the cheapest option at the headline price looks not too bad, but go up one grade, and the prices rocket.

 

e.g. Interior: (12) is £1598 for two, but (11) is £2022 for two.

 

e.g. OV: (08) is £1798, (07) is £2042

 

e.g. balcony: (2C) is £2498; (2B) is £2752.

 

Usually, bands in the same category have been £80 - £120 a couple more, so here we seem to have a new way of increasing margins.

 

Stuart

 

What trick?

 

There is no deception, no trickery. The prices are the prices. If you want to pay the lowest price, get the lowest category.

 

It's not as if you see a price, and then you go to reserve, and the price changes.

 

The lowest categories are likely not selling as well, so they are substantially less.

 

It's really simple math.

[Wiltonian]

A 'trick' does not imply illegal deception. Prices are indeed prices, but ramping up the prices within categories does mean that the 'headline' prices are not indicative of most of the cabins in the category. So, most prices have increased by more than is implied by the 'headline' figures on the summary page for each cruise.

[DinaS]

A 'trick' does not imply illegal deception. Prices are indeed prices, but ramping up the prices within categories does mean that the 'headline' prices are not indicative of most of the cabins in the category. So, most prices have increased by more than is implied by the 'headline' figures on the summary page for each cruise.

 

It appears you would have been happier if ALL prices went up, and it was no longer affordable to cruise in even the lowest cabin category.

 

Seriously.

[RickT]

I tend to agree with you.

 

Celebrities NEW program is called "Unbelievable Rates Offer". The only real drop in rates has been the interior cabins. Most O/V and higher have changed very little in price.

 

The rates advertised raise your interest but cause disappointment when most of the O/V and higher cabins are priced as high as they were last week, but no longer have any perks.

Edited April 1, 2015 by RickT

[ghstudio]

It's all just normal marketing........sort of like buying a car and then having to add a $4000 package to get what you consider the basics...the fine print says 1 in stock (and it's painted puce)....many other examples come to mind.

 

Remember if you are captain's club you book a category and only pay the price of one level below your booking (within the same class)....so in the example...book an 11 and pay the 12 price. Oh...but wait...maybe that 12 price isn't the real 12 price so that doesn't apply. And if you book even the 12 price, are you eligible for the stockholder credit. It's so complicated.....but, as I said, it's all marketing, some of which is intentionally aimed to confuse you, the celebrity customer service folks, your TA, etc.