confusion over TA vs celebrity pricing and perks

[masspector]

Not sure if this should be posted in this forum or a more general forum, but it concerns Celebrity and their policies.

 

Have taken cruises before that I booked direct with the cruise line. For an upcoming Celebrity cruise I booked with a big box TA. The price was great and there was a decent OBC. Celebrity direct, the price was more but the perks were better. I decided that I wanted the cheaper price and I assumed that I could not get the cheaper price and the perks.

 

On a different thread CC users were mentioning the recent 5 day sale and that they got additional OBC, even cruisers that had booked through a bigbox TA. The bigbox TA and getting additional OBC was specifically mentioned. So I decided to call my bigbox TA to try to get the additional OBC.

 

While on the call the agent mentioned that I should be able to keep my price and get the go better promo with two free perks. I was also hoping to get the 5 day sale OBC, since others had mentioned getting it. The agent said she had to call Celebrity. I got very excited.

 

Drum roll please……as with most things, it was too good to be true. The agent came back and said that Celebrity said that the price I got and the promo were not combinable. She mentioned something about that they could see the price that the TA charged me (which was substantially less than the Celebrity site).

 

Now my question is this. We have all heard that TA’s can’t discount the price. The price is the same for every TA, the only difference is in the perks offered. So if a TA offers a cruise, shouldn’t I get all of the Celebrity offered perks too? I know CC can’t change Celebrity policy, but this is very confusing.

[Christine Frances]

I am pretty sure your TA put you in a "group" booking in which the TA gets a bunch of cabins at a discounted price. The TA then sells them along with their own OBC as a perk. Celebrity will not combine their own promo/perks with TA's already discounted fares. Sharpen your pencil and work out which way works best for you (X or TA)

[roxievegas]

Watching the prices change after you have booked a trip and trying to figure out if you can do better is a hair pulling situation. I booked B2B2B starting in April 2016. I booked directly with Celebrity. then decided to see what I could get if I transferred my booking to "big box". I transfered and received OBC from TA for each leg of the cruise. I was happy. Yesterday I noticed that the one leg of the trip was offering a "state" special. I contacted TA and had to go through 3 different people before I could get someone to understand that my category was now $240 for the cabin less and that was worth asking for a change in price. The third guy finally came through, contacted Celebrity and i got a price change. I could have dropped down from Conceirge to Veranda and would have saved over $400, but decided to try out Conceirge and kept that category. Debating whether it is worth calling back for 2nd leg of the trip to get $200 off of that trip as the price has dropped. I think I will wait until the first of the year and see if they run some more specials. My situation is different from original questioner, because I had booked directly with Celebrity.

[jelayne]

TAs can and do reserve a group of cabins to create a "group booking" which results in a lower fare. Generally when a TA is offering a lower fare than the cruise line it is a group booking and you are not eligible for the perks from Celebrity.

[masspector]

TAs can and do reserve a group of cabins to create a "group booking" which results in a lower fare. Generally when a TA is offering a lower fare than the cruise line it is a group booking and you are not eligible for the perks from Celebrity.

 

Thanks for the responses. I understand better now.

 

But shouldn't the agent at the TA know that it is a group booking and never have told me that I could get the perks too?

 

What would happen if there were a price drop on X's website less than what I paid? Before final payment of course. Don't think that would happen, but because it is a group cruise would I get the price drop?

[QE2_Fan]

Thanks for the responses. I understand better now.

 

 

 

But shouldn't the agent at the TA know that it is a group booking and never have told me that I could get the perks too?

 

 

 

What would happen if there were a price drop on X's website less than what I paid? Before final payment of course. Don't think that would happen, but because it is a group cruise would I get the price drop?

 

 

Yes I'm with you. I understand the TA's can get these group allocations but always thought they were combinable with current perks. But what may be confusing is with the sale it was a different deal and perk combination that is NOT the same pricing as you originally booked. The TA could've swapped you over but only at the current price and perks offer - the group fare may not have been valid for the later offering. It does get confusing, but if your TA offered it I'd take it up with them to honour it, as seems a little bit of a boo boo for them to advise they were combinable without validating first [emoji45]

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Edited December 8, 2015 by QE2_Fan

[az_tchr]

TA cannot discount the price but they can offer additional OBC. I usually receive about 5% of the cost of my cruise and do note I cruise often and use the same TA over and over. Relationships help.

 

Combining offers is a very sticky area and generally a major offer is not combinable with others. If one wants to change to a lower fare before final payment you can often keep you existing offer but sometimes not, but combining both would not be the norm.

 

OBC offered by a TA is not considered a reduction in price of your cruise.

[az_tchr]

You should be told you are part of a group booking. If the price goes down you would NOT be eligible as part of a group booking for a reduction. You could certainly change and rebook at a lower price but would get the promotions offered at the time you rebook.

 

Group bookings by TAs have completely different rules. FWIW - I find they are usually only a $100 or less lower and ask to NOT be part of a group keeping more options open if I am booking far ahead. If after final payment date I go for the group booking as a lower price or better deal is not likely.

[masspector]

You should be told you are part of a group booking. If the price goes down you would NOT be eligible as part of a group booking for a reduction. You could certainly change and rebook at a lower price but would get the promotions offered at the time you rebook.

 

Group bookings by TAs have completely different rules. FWIW - I find they are usually only a $100 or less lower and ask to NOT be part of a group keeping more options open if I am booking far ahead. If after final payment date I go for the group booking as a lower price or better deal is not likely.

 

You should be told...LOL. I booked it completely online. Didn't call anyone. So not sure how they could have told me.

 

The price was and is $500 per person less. Category 2B

[grandgeezer]

We have the flexibility that, when we decide to cruise, I try to find dates that my online travel agency has "group bookings" on. It is always a few hundred dollars less, per person, than directly through the cruise line. If the cruise line offers the cruise at a lower price than you paid AND the perks through the cruise line are the same, you should be able to get the lower price. If it's not an apples to apples comparison, then it' decision time. I guess we have done at least eight "group booking" cruises and have never seen the cruise line price drop below what we paid.

[az_tchr]

Just my opinion, but booking a cruise completely online is crazy.

 

If thru Celebrity there are always deals that either do or do not combine that only a human (sometimes it takes more than one) can decipher.

 

If thru a TA, did you ask for an additional OBC? I have always received at least $100 and usually about 5% of the total price of my cruise in additional OBC just for asking.

 

I certainly agree if you book fairly close to sailing the price should not drop below the group fare. Constellation did have a cruise last summer where an Aqua room dropped a couple months before sailing from $2699 to $1899 with similar drops on every other class because a large group cancelled. This was AFTER final payment date, so you never know - sometimes it pays to wait and sometimes not.

[rockdoctor]

As you make your decision, remember that some posters are reporting that they cannot get their non-refundable OBC in cash.

[masspector]

Just my opinion, but booking a cruise completely online is crazy.

 

If thru Celebrity there are always deals that either do or do not combine that only a human (sometimes it takes more than one) can decipher.

 

If thru a TA, did you ask for an additional OBC? I have always received at least $100 and usually about 5% of the total price of my cruise in additional OBC just for asking.

 

I certainly agree if you book fairly close to sailing the price should not drop below the group fare. Constellation did have a cruise last summer where an Aqua room dropped a couple months before sailing from $2699 to $1899 with similar drops on every other class because a large group cancelled. This was AFTER final payment date, so you never know - sometimes it pays to wait and sometimes not.

 

It seemed pretty straight forward to me. They had the cruise listed for a price. They were offering $140 OBC for my category. They were offering OBC and the classic drink pkg for suite or inside. Go figure.

 

Not the first cruise that I have booked. Perks cost money. The cruise was $500 per person cheaper through the TA. That is $1000. I didn't expect to get that kind of savings and lots of perks. In fact they weren't doing the go better option when we first booked. And when they added it, I didn't even ask. But when others were saying that they got an extra $100 OBC with the 5 day sale, even with a big box TA, I asked.

[teecee60]

The amount of incorrect information, just in this short thread is rather disheartening... and the amount of only partially correct information is not much more encouraging.

 

I am retired and on a rather limited fixed income... but absolutely LOVE cruising in general, and cruising on Celebrity in particular. This presents a problem, whose only solution (for me) is to learn as much as possible about cruise pricing and how to shop to get the best deals. :o

 

I am continually being slammed and ridiculed by people on these threads who absolutely refuse to believe I cruise for the incredibly low prices I get. But I just got back from a 15 night transatlantic on Constellation in an ocean view cabin for $799pp while getting a total of $500 OBC.

 

I did a 23 night transpacific on Century 14 months ago for only $799pp while getting $250 OBC... I did a 14 night Alaska on Princess for $799pp while getting $500 OBC... and I'm doing a 35 night New Zealand/transpacific on Royal Caribbean in April for UNDER $1680pp with $500 OBC.

 

I have friends that have cruised Celebrity Silhouette for 15 nights in a BALCONY for $699pp :eek:

 

First off, cruise prices are almost always advertised without taxes or tips... Everybody should know that, to make sure you are comparing apples to apples pricing. (The easiest way is to discuss prices in terms of those advertised "base fares" then add any "perks/OBC") ;)

 

Secondly, the overriding law of cruise pricing is quite simply supply and demand. If the cruise line can completely fill a ship at $1999pp with no perks offered, you will NOT get a better deal. The undeniable FACT that there is a CONTINUAL *B*A*R*A*G*E* of marketing hype and the advertising of all sorts of "deals" and "perks" is PROOF that they CAN'T. THAT is where shrewd shopping comes into play.

 

Multiple new ships with THOUSANDS of new cabins are being built EVERY SINGLE YEAR. The cruise lines do NOT want ANY of those cabins empty... EVER. An empty cabin is lost money for them and they will do almost ANYTHING to fill every ship to 104% on EVERY itinerary. (Including selling me a cabin two years ago on Reflection for 15 nights for only $449pp!) :eek:

 

Contrary to popular MYTH, discounting of cruise prices happens CONSTANTLY. Sometimes through group bookings as mentioned above. HOWEVER... quite often, those very same discount priced group bookings DO INDEED come with some of the BBB perks offered by Celebrity, and ADDITIONAL perks are then added by the agency. :cool:

 

If you book direct with the cruise line and stop there, YOU ARE LOOSING MONEY. You can transfer that booking to an agency and GET MORE PERKS. (This makes absolutely NO business sense to me, cruise lines giving away all those commissions but it IS the way things work. :rolleyes: )

 

If you are HAPPY booking direct to "control your reservation without a middleman," then by all means please continue to do so.

 

Popular itineraries at popular times always cost more due to high demand, and rare itineraries always cost more due to low supply.

 

If an itinerary is behind in projected bookings... prices will drop, if it is ahead in projected bookings... prices will rise.

 

If you demand A specific cruise, on A specific ship, at A specific time be prepared to pay more. If you have even some flexibility in scheduling you can shop for the lowest price between several similar/identical itineraries.

Edited December 9, 2015 by teecee60

[minz56]

I think I may know what is happening here as over the period the OP is talking about I was pricing for a Europe cruise in October 2016.

 

When I started looking I could see the prices that included the perks (2 in the case of a Europe cruise). However if I opted not to take the perks then the price was discounted - the amount of the discount varied by cabin type, but the discounts were in the range the OP is talking about (ie $300-$500 per cabin).

 

Initially I was checking on a TA site, but found that X were offering the same fares on their site provided you elected not to take the Go Big/Better perks. So these lower fares appear to be standard X fares and are not group fares.

 

So if the OP booked one of these lower no perks fares then of course you can't subsequently get them.

 

I am wondering if X are trying to address the needs of people who want a lower fare with no perks.

Edited December 9, 2015 by minz56

[hobbsie65]

I think I may know what is happening here as over the period the OP is talking about I was pricing for a Europe cruise in October 2016.

 

When I started looking I could see the prices that included the perks (2 in the case of a Europe cruise). However if I opted not to take the perks then the price was discounted - the amount of the discount varied by cabin type, but the discounts were in the range the OP is talking about (ie $300-$500 per cabin).

 

Initially I was checking on a TA site, but found that X were offering the same fares on their site provided you elected not to take the Go Big/Better perks. So these lower fares appear to be standard X fares and are not group fares.

 

So if the OP booked one of these lower no perks fares then of course you can't subsequently get them.

 

I am wondering if X are trying to address the needs of people who want a lower fare with no perks.

 

We just came back from a fab cruise on the Solstice & had the same options - it was $950 less for both of us with no perks. Our bar bill was $450 so it was a $450 saving for us to book that way without the drink package perk.

[masspector]

We just came back from a fab cruise on the Solstice & had the same options - it was $950 less for both of us with no perks. Our bar bill was $450 so it was a $450 saving for us to book that way without the drink package perk.

 

Exactly. The cruise that we are going on is 9 days with 7 port days. Will not be drinking that much. The drink pkg is by far the most valuable perk, however on this cruise we will pay as we go.

 

Like I said, perks cost money. They aren't giving you anything. It is all factored into the cruise price.