New Celebrity Bundle Pricing (Go! Big, Go! Better, Go! Best)

[PatC]

I finally had a chance to sit down and really look at our Eclipse cruise in April, 2016.

 

We have a 1A (hump) cabin on deck 8. When we booked it was only the classic beverage package included.

 

After putting in the basics the cruise was $795 more in the new pricing system.

 

Not going to be booking many more cruises except on board from now on and if they find out that folks are only doing basics they might change their policy, yet again.

 

Who knows? We'll see what happens.

 

PatC

[OBX-Cruisers]

PatC........I did the same comparison with a cruise we booked just last month on the Equinox for Jan 2016 that had gratuities and the classic beverage package included under the 1,2,3 package at the time, plus $100 OBC from the TA.

We booked an AquaClass cabin (our first ever) since it was such a good deal then. Now the same cabin (or at least the one next door to ours) and the same perks (minus the $100 extra OBC) would cost a whopping $980 pp more than what we got the cruise for.

 

Better is not always very good it appears and Celebrity will start picking up flack soon about its prices I think. That is unfortunate because we love Celebrity and their glass shows where we now know several of the glass artists and have won samples of their work in the raffles

Edited July 9, 2015 by OBX-Cruisers

[AlbertaCruisers]

I finally had a chance to sit down and really look at our Eclipse cruise in April, 2016.

 

We have a 1A (hump) cabin on deck 8. When we booked it was only the classic beverage package included.

 

After putting in the basics the cruise was $795 more in the new pricing system.

 

Not going to be booking many more cruises except on board from now on and if they find out that folks are only doing basics they might change their policy, yet again.

 

Who knows? We'll see what happens.

 

PatC

 

A lot depends on when you booked. We had a 1A booked on the April 3, 2016 sailing of the Eclipse and cancelled it a few weeks ago as the timing no longer works (we are on the Summit instead). I had saw that prices had increased a lot. We had looked at moving it to the sailing one sailing earlier on the Eclipse but prices had increased a ton since we booked, nothing to do with this new sale. I think those cruises are popular and sell fast. As a sample, below is a breakdown of the 1A price changes on the April 3, 2016 sailing. The price did increase again on July 3 by $50, but it had increased a lot before that. So, if you had booked back when it opened in 2014 you could be paying $2159 (or less if you are captains club and got the 1B price, but this is just an example) and if you had booked last Friday you would pay $2,759 with the 123 Go sale drink package and now you pay $2,759 with the new Go Big. So, if you booked early and got a good price, yes, this will be way more expensive!

 

Going forward, with this deal, as others have said, I will look at the time of booking at the Go Big price with the drink package and compare that to the Go Best price and see the difference and if it is worth it (we always have the drink package, upgrade to premium, we always buy extra OBC and I have to be connected to work (but I have Elite benefits so this is less of a big deal). One cruise I priced out, the difference is $756 CDN total for the week to go to Go Big (taking off $198.24 CDN for the premium upgrade (I called yesterday for the current CDN price), $187 CDN for gratuities (which is what it shows on our confirmation), and $367.20 CDN (being the value in CDN right now to buy a $300 USD OBC from Celebrity), the difference is $3.56 total, essentially being what we are paying for unlimited internet. Since we would be paying for the premium upgrade and grats for sure and normally buy more than that in OBC anyway, for us, I would take this deal and not worry about conserving minutes, etc. (although I am worried if lots of people have unlimited internet if the internet will be useable at all!)

 

 

Price Created Updated

$ 2,159 2014‑03‑25 2014‑07‑11

$ 2,259 2014‑07‑11 2014‑10‑31

$ 4,318 2014‑10‑31 2014‑11‑03

$ 2,259 2014‑11‑03 2014‑11‑19

$ 2,359 2014‑11‑19 2014‑12‑05

$ 2,559 2014‑12‑06 2015‑01‑29

$ 2,659 2015‑01‑29 2015‑03‑02

$ 2,509 2015‑03‑02 2015‑03‑18

$ 2,559 2015‑03‑19 2015‑04‑01

$ 2,709 2015‑04‑01 2015‑06‑26

$ 2,759 2015‑07‑03 2015‑07‑09

[kenevenpar]

ABoatNerd thanks those that kindly posted to my query.

 

As minimalist cruisers, we take only 14 day cruises and only balcony 2A or B. We do not use any beverages other than provided via Elite. We do not book any services nor extra charge dining and do not buy any consumer items. We would qualify for the +55 age category.

 

We cruise to be on a ship as we are BoatNerds - we love the ship and the ocean - much less so the amenities and entertainment.

 

Based on people's amazing analysis - It seems that the new pricing strategy will result in a significant price increase for our household for the same basic Celebrity product that we have used before.

 

Cost increases to Celebrity in food etc, should be increasingly offset by the much lower cost of fuel. Cost increases for fares are not justified on cost alone.

 

We are not interested in "all inclusive" vacations because we have minimal needs and wants but we know they are very popular with many folks.

 

It seems Celebrity's new pricing philosophy is not for us

 

Thanks to all for your amazing analysis and support of all on this site

 

ABoatNerd

 

Fuel - We do not know what they are paying; they usually by futures contracts which could be higher or lower than current prices.

 

Customers with this (minimalist) approach are the cruise lines worst nightmare. We all know that the onboard spending is what drives the profitability of a cruise.

 

Please note that there is nothing wrong with being a minimalist, and I suspect many frequent cruisers are, and that we are happy to pay part of your cruise :D

[hcat]

If they realise that people have cottoned on to the lack of value in some options they could make the basic option less attractive and start looking at other cruise lines for inspiration on how to push the better and best options....

Big could = no cabin selection - guarantee only - no dining time selection

Better and best options could include things like free port transfers, cabin choice, choice of dining times.

 

Pls don't give them any ideas on how to make booking a Celebrity cruise even more confusing...they are doing a fine job on their own...too much math needed.

 

I did become a more hopeful after reading the transcript of new CEOs live chat....

We'll see how the next round of booking goes as to itins, overnights, pricing and perks!

The ultimate test for us is the onboard experience where the new CEO may shine!

[prish]

PatC........I did the same comparison with a cruise we booked just last month on the Equinox for Jan 2016 that had gratuities and the classic beverage package included under the 1,2,3 package at the time, plus $100 OBC from the TA.

We booked an AquaClass cabin (our first ever) since it was such a good deal then. Now the same cabin (or at least the one next door to ours) and the same perks (minus the $100 extra OBC) would cost a whopping $980 pp more than what we got the cruise for.

 

Better is not always very good it appears and Celebrity will start picking up flack soon about its prices I think. That is unfortunate because we love Celebrity and their glass shows where we now know several of the glass artists and have won samples of their work in the raffles

 

Earlier this year we booked a Med cruise on the Equinox for May 2016 and got all three perks plus OBC from our TA. Priced it yesterday and our 1A cabin now costs $500/pp more with just 2 perks, better is certainly not good:D

 

BTW, what's the deal with onboard bookings, the same bundle policy? Also, how does it work if you want to change an existing booking made under 123GO to another sailing? We're on the Silhouette 8/8 sailing and I'll probably book something if I get a better deal onboard.

[OBX-Cruisers]

Others may have personal experience and give you better advice based thereon but I will bet that the 1,2,3 Go package is NOT transferable to a new cruise.

The new cruise would be under the new BBB package and 1,2,3 is now extinct for cruises booked after the BBB went into effect. The new cruise would be exactly that....a NEW sailing and a NEW booking.

 

Earlier this year we booked a Med cruise on the Equinox for May 2016 and got all three perks plus OBC from our TA. Priced it yesterday and our 1A cabin now costs $500/pp more with just 2 perks, better is certainly not good:D

 

BTW, what's the deal with onboard bookings, the same bundle policy? Also, how does it work if you want to change an existing booking made under 123GO to another sailing? We're on the Silhouette 8/8 sailing and I'll probably book something if I get a better deal onboard.

[CanadianDee]

Our January 2016 cruise (7 day, Caribbean) is $992 more than we paid in February (with perks factored in).

[hcat]

]Would it be worth buying some stock for OBC...?

 

How much OBC do stockholders receive?

Is there a minimum # of shares? Or X amt of OBC per # of shares?

Is stockholder OBC per person or per stateroom?

Can it be used for OBC if one books the BIG option with Classic package?

 

Can stockholder OBC or any OBC be used to cover grats?

 

sorry if these ques are tangentially off topic...but we plan to only book BIG and want to cover grats...we also get some OBC from our Royal card...guess we have been spoiled by triple perks...esp the Classic....covers so much besides alcohol drinks...

Edited July 9, 2015 by hcat

[hcat]

I Googled "Royal Carib shareholder benefits" & came up with answers.....req. 100 shares

Will try to post the link

[OBX-Cruisers]

You can google Royal Caribbean stockholder credit and find out the procedures and amounts for yourself (and apparently did this already while I was typing). Amount of OBC varies by the length of the cruise. You need a minimum of 100 shares the last I looked and OBC is per stateroom.

 

FINALLY, and most pertinent, stockholder credit (SHC) is usually NOT COMBINABLE with any other onboard credit or promotion. I haven't been able to use shareholder credit for several years because of the 1,2,3 GO and because of other credits given by the cruise line (credits from TA are usually OK and combinable with SHC). SHC is also not refundable.

 

]Would it be worth buying some stock for OBC...?

 

How much OBC do stockholders receive?

Is there a minimum # of shares? Or X amt of OBC per # of shares?

Is stockholder OBC per person or per stateroom?

Can it be used for OBC if one books the BIG option with Classic package?

 

Can stockholder OBC or any OBC be used to cover grats?

 

sorry if these ques are tangentially off topic...but we plan to only book BIG and want to cover grats...we also get some OBC from our Royal card...guess we have been spoiled by triple perks...esp the Classic....covers so much besides alcohol drinks...

Edited July 9, 2015 by OBX-Cruisers

[hcat]

Thanks....when I got to the fine print at the bottom of the long list of caveats, it was disappointing ...shareholder OBC won't work with Big, better.....wonder if it is useful at all?

[GottaKnowWhen]

Our January 2016 cruise (7 day, Caribbean) is $992 more than we paid in February (with perks factored in).

 

From what I've seen, prices go up and down all the time. I would be interested in what the price for your cabin was in Feb, Mar, Apr, May, June and now July. Has there been up-and-down? A steady increase over time? Or just a one-time sudden jump coincident with the introduction of BBB?

[ChucktownSteve]

]Would it be worth buying some stock for OBC...?

 

Would that be from investment consideration too? You have to buy at least $7,800 worth of stock (at today's price) to get $200 OBC? If you're not sailing very soon, I'd wait to buy the stock on a pull back. You only need to own the shares when you sail. They want proof of ownership about a month or two before the sailing.

 

I bought my shares 7/8/14. As of today, they're up 44% since then. I'm sure others have gotten an even bigger return. However I haven't been able to use the SHC because of the 123go promotion.

 

It's getting harder and harder to use SHC, as many will attest. But it's good if you book without any perks.

Edited July 9, 2015 by ChucktownSteve

[CanadianDee]

From what I've seen, prices go up and down all the time. I would be interested in what the price for your cabin was in Feb, Mar, Apr, May, June and now July. Has there been up-and-down? A steady increase over time? Or just a one-time sudden jump coincident with the introduction of BBB?

 

I haven't tracked it with as much attention as many here, only checked periodically to see if it's dropped. This is the highest it's been, but I couldn't tell you by how much.

[blueboro]

I must say we have been spoiled by the 1-2-3 promo and now cannot imagine cruising without a drink package included. With that said, I checked the price for our February 2014 7-day Reflection cruise that included the classic drink package and a cruise on the Silhoutte in the same cabin category for February 2016 and they were almost identical in pricing.

[dodger1964]

Would that be from investment consideration too? You have to buy at least $7,800 worth of stock (at today's price) to get $200 OBC? If you're not sailing very soon, I'd wait to buy the stock on a pull back. You only need to own the shares when you sail. They want proof of ownership about a month or two before the sailing.

 

I bought my shares 7/8/14. As of today, they're up 44% since then. I'm sure others have gotten an even bigger return. However I haven't been able to use the SHC because of the 123go promotion.

 

It's getting harder and harder to use SHC, as many will attest. But it's good if you book without any perks.

 

From one of my favorite movies..."get back in there and SELL, SELL SELL"

[rockdoctor]

We have been cruising through several boom and bust cycles. Prices are just getting back to those of the last cycle. This is just another guess at how to maximize profit. It is nice that they offer several levels of all-inclusivity.

[ISABELLA]

From one of my favorite movies..."get back in there and SELL, SELL SELL"

 

That was a good funny movie.

[hcat]

Would that be from investment consideration too? You have to buy at least $7,800 worth of stock (at today's price) to get $200 OBC? If you're not sailing very soon, I'd wait to buy the stock on a pull back. You only need to own the shares when you sail. They want proof of ownership about a month or two before the sailing.

 

I bought my shares 7/8/14. As of today, they're up 44% since then. I'm sure others have gotten an even bigger return. However I haven't been able to use the SHC because of the 123go promotion.

 

It's getting harder and harder to use SHC, as many will attest. But it's good if you book without any perks.

 

Not worth it for OBC as it does not work with triple perks....we have that on our booked cruises.....and not worth it today as an investment at current price....I am not that much into stock....dh is....but not going to give him any new ideas!

Edited July 9, 2015 by hcat

[ChucktownSteve]

From one of my favorite movies..."get back in there and SELL, SELL SELL"

 

Hate to go off topic but based on the fact that X no longer offers FRESHLY squeezed OJ (see other previous lengthy threads), OJ futures are not a good investment while cruising Celebrity. :rolleyes: ala Trading Places

Edited July 9, 2015 by ChucktownSteve

[hcat]

Would that be from investment consideration too? You have to buy at least $7,800 worth of stock (at today's price) to get $200 OBC? If you're not sailing very soon, I'd wait to buy the stock on a pull back. You only need to own the shares when you sail. They want proof of ownership about a month or two before the sailing.

 

I bought my shares 7/8/14. As of today, they're up 44% since then. I'm sure others have gotten an even bigger return. However I haven't been able to use the SHC because of the 123go promotion.

 

It's getting harder and harder to use SHC, as many will attest. But it's good if you book without any perks.

 

Not worth it for OBC and not today....I am not that much into stock....dh is....

[MicCanberra]

I had considered buying some stock ( I already have CCL stock) but it really is not worth it if only doing it for the cruise benefit as most of the time it cannot be combined with any other offer. The CCL stock has much better cruise rewards as they can combine with any offers, it is also half the price to buy.:D

[neverbeenhere]

Thinking this isn't the proper forum for discussing the "value" of any stock decision. Talk with your financial advisor for better(?) advice.

Edited July 9, 2015 by neverbeenhere

[JonnyCT81]

I've been following this thread for a while now and while I am not one to post things until I have a firm understanding of the subject, I thought I would put in my own two cents. We have been looking to book a cruise in Europe next July with our friends. We originally were going to do it back when 123 GO All-inclusive was going on but life got the best of us and we forgot.

 

With the announcement of the new BBB pricing I thought I would take a look and see what happened to the price of the cruise. It looks to me as the cruise pricing for an A2 cabin has stayed almost the same - the pricing you are seeing is the "big" pricing at $2,299 pp.

 

Back in January when 123 Go All-Inclusive was going on, you got all three for booking Concierge or higher. That gave you $300 OBC, Classic Bev Package, and Grats....the pricing was $2,449 pp.

 

Now the pricing is $2,299 for the Big which would give us the bev package included. If you want the ALL INCLUSIVE option, the price is $2,614 pp and that already includes a PREMIUM package and unlimited internet all for a difference of $165pp. We normally upgrade to the premium package anyways so all in all it seems to only be about $50/60 bucks more pp with unlimited internet included.

 

Granted I know the new pricing structure isn't for everyone, but I have to say that I like that you can choose your own class and still get an all-inclusive package which is something you couldn't get before. I appriciate Lisa's efforts to do something different however for those that don't want any frills I wish they had a base fare that didn't include anything for those that just wanted to do things their way.