Upsell Opportunity Timeline

[jcolley]

Hi all,

 

 

First time cruiser on Celebrity. I booked a CAT X (Verandah Guarantee) on the Equinox July 2, 2017. Was recently assigned 6281 which is a 2C. Totally fine with the assignement based on what I paid. However, my financial situation has changed and I'd be interested in an upsell. The June 2 sailing on the Equinox still has tons of availability, much to my surprise. I would like to ask my TA to contact regarding upsell. Any idea when/IF Celebrity does this? Would it be best to wait 30 days before cruise, as opposed to 73 now? Thanks for you responses based on your experiences.

Edited April 20, 2017 by jcolley
wrong date entered

[NantahalaCruiser]

Price can go up or down after the final payment date based on supply and demand. If prices are now significantly lower that they were right before the final payment date, then you may want to lock this price in now. If prices have stayed level or increased and you believe there is an abundance of unsold inventory out there, then you might wish to just track prices daily and see what happens.

 

Just remember that a price drop after you make a purchase at a price you were willing to pay is not nearly as disheartening as a price increase after you failed to make a purchase at a price you were willing to pay!

[jenZ]

Another possible tactic: If, after final payment, the upgrade Cabin you are interested in is priced at least $1 more than you paid, then you may pay the additional cost in the current price to change to the preferred Cabin. Consider the value of the perks included or not when determining the value of your upgrade. [i recently was able to change to a family veranda by going with the Go Best package. It cost me $322 more but for that cost we got pre-paid gratuities, upgraded drink package, and unlimited internet for 2, all perks I didn't have with the the Go Better package that I paid for. Or, another way to calculate: since we would planning to spend some money for some items, it cost me $129 extra to score the bigger Cabin plus gain $300 OBC for items over and above what I planned on spending. Now I guess I will be *required* to use the spa and eat more at a specialty restaurant! I did have to give up the concierge benefits, however. ]

 

The options and price to upgrade will vary depending on your paid price and your cabin preferences. We have friends who also were able to upgrade to the family veranda, but paid $610 less than we did, without the extra perks, because they had a less expensive cabin than us to begin with. So, technically the Go Best package cost me $417, to gain the larger cabin and the extra perks over what I paid. I doubt I would have paid that extra ( even though the net increase was only $117, due to the OBC that I would *have to spend*; still, more cash out of pocket!). I am still happy with my original choice because I wanted a sunset veranda for this cruise, and I feel like I got a special bonus to get the premium drink package and unlimited internet! But our friends scored the bigger Cabin with the aft wake view, for less than $200 so they definitely got a good deal. FYI: the family verandas are not released for less than 4-5 occupants until closer to your sailing date- maybe 45 days out?

 

If you are willing to check prices and availability often, paying the lowest price at the onset could give you the opportunity to score a nicer cabin for a little bit more money. At 70+/- days out, I believe you are past final payment and you can see if there are upgraded cabins at a price you are willing to pay, now. Options closer in may be less money but more desirable locations may be gone. Always a delicate balancing act. My take is that there is peace of mind to let go of the holy grail search for optimal price vs Cabin as early as you can so cruise anticipation fever can take over!

 

Happy Travels! Enjoy your first Celebrity Cruise!

 

 

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[NantahalaCruiser]

JenZ - well said!

[Shadow9612]

Could someone help me understand the upsell/upgrade concept?

 

I regularly book concierge and I price check before final payment to see if the prices drop and if I can get the new lower price.

 

I have never checked what happens after final payment, and have never been upgraded. Is this a random thing that the ship does and contacts the passengers, or do people call in to 'ask' if there are any upgrade opportunities?

 

 

 

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[BEAV]

Could someone help me understand the upsell/upgrade concept?

 

I regularly book concierge and I price check before final payment to see if the prices drop and if I can get the new lower price.

 

I have never checked what happens after final payment, and have never been upgraded. Is this a random thing that the ship does and contacts the passengers, or do people call in to 'ask' if there are any upgrade opportunities?

 

 

 

Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Forums mobile app

 

Today we upgraded to a category W suite guarantee from our previous balcony category. It was not part of any upsell promotion or program. We simply moniter the ever-changing prices and the suite guarantee category "appeared" this afternoon (it was not there this morning when I checked prices). We are just under 30 days from sailing.

 

If you see a higher category appear at a cost that's reasonable to you, first compare the perks and benefits before you make a decision whether or not to upgrade. In our scenario, we had to give up the Classic Drink package and $300 OBC when we upgraded because the category W suite guarantee was being offered at a reduced resident rate which is not combinable with Go Big, Better, Best rate. But in our case, giving up those 2 perks was worth it in the overall picture.

[upwarduk]

the family verandas are not released for less than 4-5 occupants until closer to your sailing date- maybe 45 days out?

Does depend on the itinerary, we grabbed a FV on Infinity in June 2013 for a late October TA. TA's are not popular with families, so they wern't selling. We didn't pay any extra, as it was considered within the same balcony category (2A)

Even later, I was able to add a Classic package for £99. Normally TAs don't ( or didn't) have a Classic package attached to them, due to the original reduced pricing, but it was a Celebrity UK offer. I did have to ' cancel and rebook at today's pricing,' but there was no loss of deposit. I had been watching that offer for a few weeks and jumped on it when it was reduced from £245 to £99.

Edited April 21, 2017 by upwarduk

[NantahalaCruiser]

Could someone help me understand the upsell/upgrade concept?

 

I regularly book concierge and I price check before final payment to see if the prices drop and if I can get the new lower price.

 

I have never checked what happens after final payment, and have never been upgraded. Is this a random thing that the ship does and contacts the passengers, or do people call in to 'ask' if there are any upgrade opportunities?

 

 

 

Sent from my SM-N910W8 using Forums mobile app

This post-final-payment-upgrade concept is that Celebrity will allow you to transfer your reservation to another class of cabin as long as your new fare is at least $1 per person greater than your current fare. So if prices have dropped significantly, you may be able to transfer to a higher category cabin with only a small increase in cost. However, you need to compare both perk differences and price differences to determine whether or not the change is appropriate for you.

[Shadow9612]

This post-final-payment-upgrade concept is that Celebrity will allow you to transfer your reservation to another class of cabin as long as your new fare is at least $1 per person greater than your current fare. So if prices have dropped significantly, you may be able to transfer to a higher category cabin with only a small increase in cost. However, you need to compare both perk differences and price differences to determine whether or not the change is appropriate for you.

Thank you!

 

So, do people basically search the celebrity website on final payment day and the next day, to price watch, then contact Celebrity (or their TA) if they see something.

 

I don't know why a simple concept is so foreign to me lol. Thank you to all for your insights on this topic.

[BEAV]

Keep checking prices and categories right up until the time just before you sail. Don't stop your searching the day after final payment. Prices/inventory changes can occur at any time right up until your sail date.

[NantahalaCruiser]

Keep checking prices and categories right up until the time just before you sail. Don't stop your searching the day after final payment. Prices/inventory changes can occur at any time right up until your sail date.

Agreed. And since you never know when a great price on a better cabin will disappear; when you see it on Celebrity's website, quickly place a 24 hour hold on it before calling Celebrity or your TA. Celebrity, or your TA with Celebrity's assistance, will then transfer your existing reservation to the cabin on hold.

[phoenix_dream]

I agree with the 'just keep checking' answers. There have been postings where people have said they have been contacted to ask if they want to upgrade for x amount of money, but in my 35 Celebrity cruises this has never happened to me regardless of the category of cabin I have booked (for the record, the highest I have ever booked is a suite GTY).

[NantahalaCruiser]

Agreed. And since you never know when a great price on a better cabin will disappear; when you see it on Celebrity's website, quickly place a 24 hour hold on it before calling Celebrity or your TA. Celebrity, or your TA with Celebrity's assistance, will then transfer your existing reservation to the cabin on hold.

Forgot to mention that if you are a Captain's Club member, then depending on your cabin of choice, you may be eligible for the one-category upgrade.

Examples - you could put a hold on: 2C, 1B, C3 or A2 to lock in the fare and then have it transferred respectively to a 2B, 1A, C2 or A1. Just be aware of the one-category restrictions such as the C2 to C1 is not allowed.

 

Also please note that the one-category upgrade is only available if both categories are available for sale at the time of booking. For example, suppose both A2 and A1 are available when you see a great A2 fare and you chose to put a hold on an A1 cabin. A few hours later, when you call Celebrity or your TA and ask them to transfer your reservation to your held A1 cabin, if A2 cabins are no longer available for sale or no longer available for sale at that great rate, then you would have to pay the A1 sale fare instead. Hence you should put the hold on the cabin class with the fare you wish to pay, rather than the cabin class that you wish to be upgraded to!

[4774Papa]

We upgraded to Aqua from a Veranda, once, when the price that we paid for our Vernada was a little higher than the Aqua price. We don't use a TA, so we just call X and get the new cabin. We did get an upgrade to a Suite on Millennium Fall 2015, when about five or six weeks prior to our cruise X called and offered us the SkySuite (from a Veranda) for a total of $800. We took the deal.

[cynbar]

I think the above advice is spot on. Don't wait for an upsell call, and I've never heard of a number to call and ask for one. Instead, monitor prices on a higher priced cabin, and call Celebrity when you see a good deal. As long as it is at least $1 higher in price, you just pay the difference and you're all set. I have done this many times myself, sometimes more than once on the same cruise. You may not get the super duper deal that we sometimes hear about, but you'll get a darn good one.

[Shadow9612]

Agreed. And since you never know when a great price on a better cabin will disappear; when you see it on Celebrity's website, quickly place a 24 hour hold on it before calling Celebrity or your TA. Celebrity, or your TA with Celebrity's assistance, will then transfer your existing reservation to the cabin on hold.

 

Also please note that the one-category upgrade is only available if both categories are available for sale at the time of booking. For example, suppose both A2 and A1 are available when you see a great A2 fare and you chose to put a hold on an A1 cabin. A few hours later, when you call Celebrity or your TA and ask them to transfer your reservation to your held A1 cabin, if A2 cabins are no longer available for sale or no longer available for sale at that great rate, then you would have to pay the A1 sale fare instead. Hence you should put the hold on the cabin class with the fare you wish to pay, rather than the cabin class that you wish to be upgraded to!

 

 

Wow, this is great great advice! Never thought of putting a hold, and wasn't aware of these ins-and-outs regarding the hold with respect to the one category upgrade. Thank you.

 

I think the above advice is spot on. Don't wait for an upsell call, and I've never heard of a number to call and ask for one. Instead, monitor prices on a higher priced cabin, and call Celebrity when you see a good deal. As long as it is at least $1 higher in price, you just pay the difference and you're all set. I have done this many times myself, sometimes more than once on the same cruise. You may not get the super duper deal that we sometimes hear about, but you'll get a darn good one.

 

Sounds good!

[BEAV]

Agreed. And since you never know when a great price on a better cabin will disappear; when you see it on Celebrity's website, quickly place a 24 hour hold on it before calling Celebrity or your TA. Celebrity, or your TA with Celebrity's assistance, will then transfer your existing reservation to the cabin on hold.

 

The 24-hour hold worked well for us in the past 72 hours. We boarded Silhouette yesterday and were booked into a FV stateroom on deck 7. Ever since February I've been checking, near daily, for a FV to open up on deck 8. According to the info on these boards, the deck 8 balconies are twice the size of those on deck 7 and with less of an obstruction because of the hull. Finally on late Friday afternoon, after two months of checking, a FV on deck 8 popped up on the website. Being in California, my East Coast TA had already closed for the day. I called the Captain's Club, and they were great in trying to help, but their hands were tied as the manifest had already been sent to the ship. I then placed the deck 8 FV on a 24 hr hold that expired around 6:00pm Saturday evening. By the time the hold expired the sailing was now officially off sale.

 

When we arrived at the terminal on Sunday, I asked the Pier Coordinator, and from what he could determine on his end the deck 8 stateroom was still vacant, although I had to confirm this on board with Guest Relations. Now on board, when I checked with Guest Relations, I got the standard "all staterooms are occupied" response. When I explained I had had the stateroom on hold until 6:00pm the previous evening, only then did she go and look into the situation. Five minutes later, our key cards were changed and we were now in the deck 8 stateroom I'd been searching for the past two months!

[Shadow9612]

The 24-hour hold worked well for us in the past 72 hours. We boarded Silhouette yesterday and were booked into a FV stateroom on deck 7. Ever since February I've been checking, near daily, for a FV to open up on deck 8. According to the info on these boards, the deck 8 balconies are twice the size of those on deck 7 and with less of an obstruction because of the hull. Finally on late Friday afternoon, after two months of checking, a FV on deck 8 popped up on the website. Being in California, my East Coast TA had already closed for the day. I called the Captain's Club, and they were great in trying to help, but their hands were tied as the manifest had already been sent to the ship. I then placed the deck 8 FV on a 24 hr hold that expired around 6:00pm Saturday evening. By the time the hold expired the sailing was now officially off sale.

 

When we arrived at the terminal on Sunday, I asked the Pier Coordinator, and from what he could determine on his end the deck 8 stateroom was still vacant, although I had to confirm this on board with Guest Relations. Now on board, when I checked with Guest Relations, I got the standard "all staterooms are occupied" response. When I explained I had had the stateroom on hold until 6:00pm the previous evening, only then did she go and look into the situation. Five minutes later, our key cards were changed and we were now in the deck 8 stateroom I'd been searching for the past two months!

Wow! That's a nice 'success' story to hear about! Enjoy your cruise and thanks for sharing!!

[FlorenceItaly]

the 24-hour hold worked well for us in the past 72 hours. We boarded silhouette yesterday and were booked into a fv stateroom on deck 7. Ever since february i've been checking, near daily, for a fv to open up on deck 8. According to the info on these boards, the deck 8 balconies are twice the size of those on deck 7 and with less of an obstruction because of the hull. Finally on late friday afternoon, after two months of checking, a fv on deck 8 popped up on the website. Being in california, my east coast ta had already closed for the day. I called the captain's club, and they were great in trying to help, but their hands were tied as the manifest had already been sent to the ship. I then placed the deck 8 fv on a 24 hr hold that expired around 6:00pm saturday evening. By the time the hold expired the sailing was now officially off sale.

 

When we arrived at the terminal on sunday, i asked the pier coordinator, and from what he could determine on his end the deck 8 stateroom was still vacant, although i had to confirm this on board with guest relations. Now on board, when i checked with guest relations, i got the standard "all staterooms are occupied" response. When i explained i had had the stateroom on hold until 6:00pm the previous evening, only then did she go and look into the situation. Five minutes later, our key cards were changed and we were now in the deck 8 stateroom i'd been searching for the past two months!

 

fabulous!!!!

[Eloise4Ever]

Does depend on the itinerary, we grabbed a FV on Infinity in June 2013 for a late October TA. TA's are not popular with families, so they wern't selling. We didn't pay any extra, as it was considered within the same balcony category (2A)

Even later, I was able to add a Classic package for £99. Normally TAs don't ( or didn't) have a Classic package attached to them, due to the original reduced pricing, but it was a Celebrity UK offer. I did have to ' cancel and rebook at today's pricing,' but there was no loss of deposit. I had been watching that offer for a few weeks and jumped on it when it was reduced from £245 to £99.

 

That's very interesting Jackie, I've never seen the Classic package offered as a paid extra (at a reduced price) on TAs. Do you know if it has been offered since 2013? We were actually lucky enough to have the classic package included as a perk on our TAs up until (and including) 2015 but it hasn't been available since then. We've been booking with a US agent over the last couple of years but would look again at booking with Celebrity UK for an offer like this.