New Deposit Policy a Game Breaker?

[NantahalaCruiser]

I do not necessarily feel the same way, but I do not have all the facts. I have not studied enough cruises to determine whether Celebrity is actually offering a lower price for a non refundable deposit. Or as you are implying, that Celebrity is increasing the price of the cruise to have a refundable deposit. What has your research determined? If the overall price of the cruise with the refundable deposit is the same, then it is not much of a game changer.

 

I was tracking fares for an Iberian Cruise when they made the deposit change. Price changes were mixed. For an A2 the R price was the same as the original price and the non-R was $150 lower; for a 1B the non-R was the original price and the R was $150 higher!

 

I would certainly be pleased if Airlines would have the same policy/practice as Celebrity. I dislike paying the total non refundable fare up to 12 months in advance. The refundable fares are very expensive.

 

And let's hope Celebrity never adopts airline practices; their R is often 3 times that of a non-R!

 

Actually I do not understand why the car rental companies accept reservation without any deposit. One can have more than one reservation and just not show up.

 

I do agree it does change the dynamics of booking a cruise on Celebrity, and I am surprised it has not happened sooner. The cost to Celebrity of cancelled cruises with no penalty is not insignificant IMO. Some people believe that Travel Agents are allowed to book specific cabins without any deposit and this is the reason that cabins become available near the final payment date. I believe that this increase in cabin availability is a direct result of the fully refundable deposit and the “just in case” booking practice of certain customers.

 

Good luck.

 

P.S. i have not yet booked a Celebrity cruise that has offered this option.

I will continue to cruise regardless!

[upwarduk]

The change is geared to curbing the current practice of people booking multiple cruises and holding prime cabin inventory hostage until the last minute. An officer told me that was the reason they moved final payment from 75 days to 90 days, too. There is apparently a significant population of people who do this & then cancel all but one or two of the sailings. These people will still be able to do that, but they'll be paying the refundable fare for the privilege.

 

 

Personally, coming from the UK, I welcome the above, it will give me more choice of cabins.

We loose our deposit if we cancel, though being Elite, I could ( in 2015) move my booking to another sailing at no cost, but only once.

I welcome the fact that US passehpngers are SLOWLY being brought into line with passengers from other countries.

Very fair policy , as after all we are on the same ship and share the same amenities !

[jody75]

What changes are planned for onboard bookings ?

Currently thats the best way to book a cruise as you pay a deposit and they give it back to you straight away !

[chemmo]

Personally, coming from the UK, I welcome the above, it will give me more choice of cabins.

We loose our deposit if we cancel, though being Elite, I could ( in 2015) move my booking to another sailing at no cost, but only once.

I welcome the fact that US passehpngers are SLOWLY being brought into line with passengers from other countries.

Very fair policy , as after all we are on the same ship and share the same amenities !

 

Coming from the UK also I have never ‘begrudged’ our overseas fellow cruisers their good fortune but I have ‘winced’ a few times in Michael’s Club when guests have ‘boasted’ they have PH and RS tied up on cruises they have no intention of going on!

 

We tend to book as itineraries come out as we are room picky. Last year, however, we wanted to book a 7 night Caribbean cruise four months out. With airfare to sort we couldn’t wait any longer. We could not get a RS on X and ended up booking on RC. So frustrating when checking a month or so later to see 4 x RS and a PH available! So, like upwarduk we welcome, hopefully, fewer ghost bookings.

 

We have also used our Elite perk and moved cruises on two occasions for medical reasons, so much easier than going through insurance. Knowing we can do this does offer peace of mind although we have never booked a cruise we have not intended going on.

[laslomas]

Personally, coming from the UK, I welcome the above, it will give me more choice of cabins.

We loose our deposit if we cancel, though being Elite, I could ( in 2015) move my booking to another sailing at no cost, but only once.

I welcome the fact that US passehpngers are SLOWLY being brought into line with passengers from other countries.

Very fair policy , as after all we are on the same ship and share the same amenities !

 

Totally agree. I have sometimes found my choice of cabin is unavailable when making a booking. I choose from what is on offer, only to find what I had been looking for suddenly appears closer to the sail date. Unlike cruisers in the US I do not have the option to switch at that point without penalties to the cabin that may have been held with a refundable deposit as a multiple choice.

I usually book more than a year in advance, always intend to take the cruise, and always have travel insurance 'just in case'. Even so, I would welcome the same booking conditions for all now there is a choice of deposits. I know I could book through a US agent but prefer to stick with a local one.

I wonder if there will be less late bargains in the future as there will probably be fewer cancellations of 'multiple bookings'.:confused:

[excitedofharpenden]

Personally, coming from the UK, I welcome the above, it will give me more choice of cabins.

We loose our deposit if we cancel, though being Elite, I could ( in 2015) move my booking to another sailing at no cost, but only once.

I welcome the fact that US passehpngers are SLOWLY being brought into line with passengers from other countries.

Very fair policy , as after all we are on the same ship and share the same amenities !

Totally agree with you!

 

Phil

[bengaltiger1]

Personally, coming from the UK, I welcome the above, it will give me more choice of cabins.

 

We loose our deposit if we cancel, though being Elite, I could ( in 2015) move my booking to another sailing at no cost, but only once.

 

I welcome the fact that US passehpngers are SLOWLY being brought into line with passengers from other countries.

 

Very fair policy , as after all we are on the same ship and share the same amenities !

 

 

 

In complete agreement.

 

I have learned something new though, I didn’t know I could move a booking once at elite level. Thank you for that piece of information.

 

 

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[gerelmx]

Here in MX the Non refundable option is not available, we still have the 75 days rule for final payment. We prefer to book here instead in USA because the price is in pesos, Uncertainty in the markets creates an advantage for us.

[mek]

This policy makes booking with Celebrity far less attractive to us. What is the justification for this change? It appears to be based on corporate greed and a disregard for the customers best interests. Our last nine cruises have been with Celebrity and we have two more booked before this new policy came into effect. If our loyalty is not appreciated, we have many other cruise line choices. I suggest that Celebrity cancel this new policy and I won't charge them $300 to change their mind.

 

I don't agree it's corporate greed, it's just a smart business move. How many times do people mention they have multiple cruises booked when it's obvious that some of them will be canceled as final payment comes due?

 

I'm not sure why people think the cruise line should bear the brunt of people changing their minds - for whatever reason. I personally don't think a cancelation fee is unreasonable, but I'm sure many will feel the big bad cruise lines are taking advantage of the little guy.

[jagoffee]

I will continue to cruise regardless!

Same for us.

[davekathy]

All of our vacation plans right now for both 2018 and 2019 are land trips. High prices, boring itineraries, non refundable deposits, increasing gratuities, all just make land trips more attractive.

 

We do both land and a few cruises every year. Cruising for us is still the best bang for our dollar. Variety.

[BridgeMates]

I just looked at the 14 Day South America cruise around the Horn for 2019. I've wanted to take this cruise for years and now can as I am retired. With the new deposit policy I would need to spend $300 more to make the deposit refundable. Booking a cruise 15 months in advance makes the need for the refundable deposit pretty important. That means I'd just be giving $300 to Celebrity.

 

Pretty sure if I book a Celebrity cruise in the future it will be last minute and that is not the norm for us.

 

I think this is a game changer. It probably means my next cruise in April on Celebrity will be our last for awhile. Hopefully the competition will not follow this type of marketing. There are other options out there.

 

Anyone else feel the way I do about this new deposit policy?

 

 

When did this policy start? On Dec 22d, I booked a cruise for November 2018 and paid $900 deposit.

No one said anything about deposit being nonrefundable if I cancel before final payment date in Aug.

Am I misunderstanding something?

[Cruise Junky]

We do both land and a few cruises every year. Cruising for us is still the best bang for our dollar. Variety.

We used to be a good balance between the two but interestingly have no cruises booked for the next two years. We don’t cruise just to be on a ship, it’s the destination. Celebrity is cutting ports for people to spend more time onboard and that’s just not us. If prices drop, we may change our mind for next year but we’ll see. As for bang for the buck...100% land trips for us. They don’t compare to cruising in price unless its cheap Caribbean cruises which we have no interest in.

[davekathy]

We used to be a good balance between the two but interestingly have no cruises booked for the next two years. We don’t cruise just to be on a ship, it’s the destination. Celebrity is cutting ports for people to spend more time onboard and that’s just not us. If prices drop, we may change our mind for next year but we’ll see. As for bang for the buck...100% land trips for us. They don’t compare to cruising in price unless its cheap Caribbean cruises which we have no interest in.

It's all about choices. We just make the best of whatever we're doing. Enjoy. Just booked airfare and pre-cruise hotel for our fall cruise on the Infinity out of Vancouver.

[BosoxI]

I don't want to be bothered with learning or considering all the ins and outs of making a cruise reservation. In thirty four years of cruising on a good number of cruise lines totaling seventy or so cruises, I have canceled ONE and for an extremely unfortunate reason. Never once have I ever reserved a cabin on a cruise I didn't intend to take. Not once. Ever. There might be good reason for Celebrity to make this change, but all I want is to take a cruise to places I desire for a fair price in a decent cabin. I spend too much time researching things as it is, and the years for me are growing short. So, what must I do? I guess I will wait until the last minute before booking and hope there is a cruise and a cabin remaining at a price I am willing to pay. I know this method will work because several weeks ago I booked my DW and me on a Regent cruise at a very reasonable price for later this month. After twenty five cruises on Celebrity, I am ready and willing once again to expand my horizons or stay at home which is delightful and most cost effective.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

When did this policy start? On Dec 22d, I booked a cruise for November 2018 and paid $900 deposit.

No one said anything about deposit being nonrefundable if I cancel before final payment date in Aug.

Am I misunderstanding something?

 

It went into effect on January 2 so you are good with your deposit being refunded if you cancel. You can also move the booking without a penalty.

[cmalagngl]

This discussion is exactly what I was seeking. The different ideas on how to work with this new policy is helpful. I will be looking at more land options in the future. We all have different needs and financial resources so there is no right or wrong answer on this issue. I'm sure Celebrity will do everything they can to make this work as it is financially in there best interests. Thanks for all the feedback.

[GerScot]

"This policy might be due to people holding cabins and then dropping them right before final payment."

 

 

Says it all to me, or am I just jealous that I could not do the same????

[NantahalaCruiser]

It went into effect on January 2 so you are good with your deposit being refunded if you cancel. You can also move the booking without a penalty.

Actually it started in early December; but not on all cruises. For example, an Equinox Caribbean cruise in November 2018 still has only the fare with a refundable deposit while a Reflection Iberian cruise in September 2019 has the different fares for both refundable and non-refundable deposits.

[Hlitner]

I am going to come down on the side of Celebrity (and some other cruise lines) on this new non-refundable deposit policy. The cruise lines have major problems with many prospective cruisers who book multiple cruises (for usually the same weeks) with the intent of later canceling all but one of those reservations. We know one cruiser who told us she booked 5 cruise reservations...with the intent of later deciding which one of the 5 she would take. The problem is that these reservations take cabins out of inventory and denies those cabins to other real bookers.

 

So now there is a new trend to offer a better deal for those willing to book non-refundable reservations. But if you are uncomfortable with that...no problem as you can still book a reservation that can be canceled, but you will pay a higher price. Seems fair to me. Look at the airlines. Most book air reservations with rates that do not allow cancellation or changes without paying a huge penalty. The airlines still sell flexible reservations that you can cancel or change (for no fees), but they are usually very expensive.

 

Seems to me this is a win-win. Those of us who are sure of what we want can save some money...and those that want flexibility can have it their way...but at a higher price.

 

As to the folks that say they will now wait until later to book....that is also good for everyone. Perhaps they will get a better deal by waiting...or then again, perhaps they will get no deal because a cruise sells out. And if a cruise is selling well, it is likely they will have much higher fares. We sometimes do last minute bookings (they are a lot of fun) but one must be very flexible as to the cruise line, ship, and even dates....if you want to get the great deals.

 

Hank

[uktog]

I like the fact the airline model is being used by cruise lines at last. The hogging of inventory is both greedy and unfair and makes it impossible for the cruise line to effectively manage revenue based on genuine demand.

Also at last something that puts US guests on a closer par to those in UK and Australia

 

 

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[sanger727]

I’m surprised by all the people saying that they will not wait until after final payment date to book. While I prefer a refundable deposit, it’s not something I’m willing to pay extra for. I’ve cancelled 1 cruise, and it’s one that we were only a ‘maybe’ on when we booked it. Generally I plan my vacations very far ahead of time (all vacation time at my job has to be picked in January for the rest of the year). And we’ve never had a need to cancel a trip or change weeks so the idea that I CAN’T doesn’t really bother me. I like to get locked into a price early and, personally, I’ve never seen one of my cruises drop after final payment to a price lower than early early booking. IF the price does drop its for guarantee rooms which I won’t book. (Very light sleeper, noise sensitive).

 

I’ve always thought that the cruise lines were very generous compared to airlines and vacation packages, so not mad at them for changing. Their ‘change’ fee is still less than a lot of airlines.

 

 

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[TeeRick]

I just looked at the 14 Day South America cruise around the Horn for 2019. I've wanted to take this cruise for years and now can as I am retired. With the new deposit policy I would need to spend $300 more to make the deposit refundable. Booking a cruise 15 months in advance makes the need for the refundable deposit pretty important. That means I'd just be giving $300 to Celebrity.

 

Pretty sure if I book a Celebrity cruise in the future it will be last minute and that is not the norm for us.

 

I think this is a game changer. It probably means my next cruise in April on Celebrity will be our last for awhile. Hopefully the competition will not follow this type of marketing. There are other options out there.

 

Anyone else feel the way I do about this new deposit policy?

 

The cost of a 14 day South America Cruise is quite substantial and you are worried about a $300 deposit of which only $100 is at risk (if you rebook in a year of cancellation). Seriously? An extra $100 pp is a game changer?

Edited January 8, 2018 by TeeRick
typo

[Bo1953]

The cost of a 14 day South America Cruise is quite substantial and you are worried about a $300 deposit of which only $100 is at risk (if you rebook in a year of cancellation). Seriously? An extra $100 pp is a game changer?

 

t - darn, just darn... you called it.

 

bon voyage

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Actually it started in early December; but not on all cruises. For example, an Equinox Caribbean cruise in November 2018 still has only the fare with a refundable deposit while a Reflection Iberian cruise in September 2019 has the different fares for both refundable and non-refundable deposits.[/quote

 

You're right, I don't know what I was thinking.