CEL has started a "Group Tax"

[cruiseonward]

My TA just informed me my group booking is $51.50 higher than a non group booking. Celebrity told her it is a new group tax.

[wendychloecruiser]

My suggestion is to call X and ask them about it. Your TA may just be pocketing it as a renamed booking fee. Usually a group booking price is slightly lower than "retail," not higher. I wouldn't put it past either one of them.

Edited November 9, 2016 by wendychloecruiser

[cruiseonward]

My suggestion is to call X and ask them about it. Your TA may just be pocketing it as a renamed booking fee. Usually a group booking price is slightly lower than "retail," not higher. I wouldn't put it past either one of them.

Just called. My TA is NOT pocketing It is a new tax they are imposing on group bookings.

[lvz2cruz]

Just called. My TA is NOT pocketing It is a new tax they are imposing on group bookings.

 

A "tax" goes to the government.

This sounds fishy to me.

[cruiseonward]

A "tax" goes to the government.

This sounds fishy to me.

I think CEL is just using semantics. If it was a true "tax" then why is it not on a non group booking?

[Fish Lover]

The other posters are correct. "[T]ax" is the wrong word. Tax is something a merchant collects on behalf of the government.

 

Perhaps the correct term is "surcharge". It is quite possible there is a surcharge being charged. An explanation would be in order, so I hope you received one.

[cruiseonward]

The other posters are correct. "[T]ax" is the wrong word. Tax is something a merchant collects on behalf of the government.

 

Perhaps the correct term is "surcharge". It is quite possible there is a surcharge being charged. An explanation would be in order, so I hope you received one.

Yes, surcharge would be a better word. Whatever you call it we are still paying more. I was told it is a new charge for all group bookings. No reason why. Would be interested if other people are willing to call Celebrity and see what kind of answers they get.

[ChucktownSteve]

Yes, surcharge would be a better word. Whatever you call it we are still paying more. I was told it is a new charge for all group bookings. No reason why. Would be interested if other people are willing to call Celebrity and see what kind of answers they get.

 

Do you really believe Celebrity will be transparent and give their passengers the true reason? :rolleyes: I suspect the true reason is to generate more revenue for the bottom line.

 

(Putting on my fire proximity suit to prepare for when the flamers come out of the woodwork saying Celebrity is entitled to more profit.) :p

Edited November 9, 2016 by ChucktownSteve

[ChucktownSteve]

The other posters are correct. "[T]ax" is the wrong word. (SALES) Tax is something a merchant collects on behalf of the government.

 

Perhaps the correct term is "surcharge". It is quite possible there is a surcharge being charged. An explanation would be in order, so I hope you received one.

 

Federal Income, FICA, Social Security, State Income, Property, Estate (just to name a few) taxes are collected directly by government entities.

Edited November 9, 2016 by ChucktownSteve

[cb at sea]

The "surcharge" probably pays for the "free berth" if you're group is large enough to get a "free" berth!

[Happy2cruise]

Stopped luggage valet, now a tax or surcharge for a group booking......way to go Celebrity:mad:.

[Tiggertastic]

Just an opinion but The TAs often get discounts on group bookings and often pass some or all of this onto the passengers. You may not be travelling in a group but they group book cabins then all them individually. So celebrity seem to be wise to this and are possibly clawing back.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[wallie5446]

Our next cruise is in a group booking that is over $1000 per person LESS with the Go best level perks than the Celebrity web site. Called the TA, they have not heard of such a 'surcharge".

 

Then she told me they forgot to add my Loyalty number from them and gave us another $50 OBC on top of the $250 we already got in addition to the $300Celebrity gave us, and $100 Capt Club added.

 

Sumptin just don't add up cruiseonward. :confused:

[Fish Lover]

Federal Income, FICA, Social Security, State Income, Property, Estate (just to name a few) taxes are collected directly by government entities.

 

Well seeing as how we are discussing a charge issued to passengers under specific circumstances, your comment is nonsensical. Sales taxes are indeed collected by merchants, but not selectively such as the circumstances the OP is describing. The other kinds of taxes you mention are totally irrelevant to the discussion.

[WpgCruise]

I think before I get too excited and burn my Captains Club membership, I'll just wait until the dust settles and the actual facts are provided.

 

I just can't understand a Group Rate being more than the listed Celebrity rate, and I suspect the use of the word "Tax" is either an error or a misunderstanding.

 

Why don't we wait until we know the facts before making a judgement ?

[DrivesLikeMario]

OP is not getting the facts or the information correctly. No, of course the TA isn't "pocketing the money". That's ridiculous. TAs can't easily do that as the money all goes directly to Celebrity.:rolleyes:

 

I doubt that there is a Group tax. I currently have 2 Celebrity Group bookings myself and regularly book others into Groups. We have never had a "Group Tax". This is clearly misinformation.

[cruiseonward]

Glad I asked. A Supv explained to my TA, taxes on a sailing change all the time. But when a group is booked, that tax stays the same. When you sail, if the tax has gone down, you will be refunded the difference.

[jelayne]

Glad I asked. A Supv explained to my TA, taxes on a sailing change all the time. But when a group is booked, that tax stays the same. When you sail, if the tax has gone down, you will be refunded the difference.

 

When I book individually the taxes/port fees stay the same -the price with taxes & port fees doesn't change once Booked. These fees may increase or decrease after I book but if they increase I have never been charged more & if they decrease I get that lower price in the form of OBC once on the cruise. In 30+ cruises I have recieved OBC due to reduced taxes/port fees 7-8 times ranging from $6-14.

[Fish Lover]

Still doesn't make sense to me. Port fees I can understand changing and then the new amount being added to new bookings. However, I do not understand taxes changing. Are you telling me that the tax rate changes?

[caribill]

My TA just informed me my group booking is $51.50 higher than a non group booking. Celebrity told her it is a new group tax.

 

Need some clarification.

 

There are two kinds of group bookings and I can't figure out which yours' is.

 

A. The type described by others where a TA has reserved a number of cabins and then sells the cabins to various customers who can benefit from the discount the TA gets for having a block of rooms.

 

B. You have your own group of people and have the TA book the group for you. This is not a TA's group, but a group you have put together. I have no idea what type of pricing you would get, but I would expect the pricing to be lower (and certainly not higher) than a non-group rate.

 

So, is this type A or type B?

[Bo1953]

Do you really believe Celebrity will be transparent and give their passengers the true reason? :rolleyes: I suspect the true reason is to generate more revenue for the bottom line.

 

(Putting on my fire proximity suit to prepare for when the flamers come out of the woodwork saying Celebrity is entitled to more profit.) :p

 

cs - In my opine, it not about X being 'entitled to more profit' vs X is entitled to charge any fees they choose and WE as potential passengers can choose to accept them or not.

 

:D

 

bon voyage

[jelayne]

Still doesn't make sense to me. Port fees I can understand changing and then the new amount being added to new bookings. However, I do not understand taxes changing. Are you telling me that the tax rate changes?

 

I wasn't saying that the taxes change. On the Celebrity booking confirmation there is just 1 line item -Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses. They are not broken out separately so no way to tell what changed.

[dkjretired]

Perhaps the Celebrity Poster could explain this.

[Happy2cruise]

Called Celebrity twice and spoke to 2 different reps and both had no knowledge of this:confused: