So excited - Incredible deal on 12 night Athens to Rome cruise

[SeeJennyCruise]

I'm terribly excited that we just booked our next bucket list trip for September 2019 on the Infinity. I would not come to this board to post another cruise booking, but I think we just found such a great deal, I want to share this information with anyone who is interested in this itinerary. I would also welcome your response if you understand how one agency can offer an A2 cabin for $6008 total w/tax & fees when the next best-discounted price is $7948 total w/tax & fees with another agency and $9248 total w/tax & fees, just the cruise, on Celebrity's website.

 

I did some comparison shopping and found the $6008 price that seemed too good to be true with the travel agency connected to a popular wholesale store. I went back and forth between the websites and the A2 cabins are 35% less than the Celebrity rate and 24% less than the lowest discounted price I found. The 2C is 18% less than the discounted price I found. Not that it was the deciding factor, but the agency we booked with also gave a $75 onboard dining credit and a $475 cash card bonus after the cruise.

 

I wanted to book a cruise to celebrate my husband's 70th birthday and our 30th anniversary, but this itinerary was out of our reach until I found this great price. I've had some cruise deals before, but 25 - 35% less was so big I wanted to share. If you have been thinking about this itinerary, now is the time to book. :D

[NantahalaCruiser]

Congrats! Some of the price differences could be due to group rates.

 

Were there any differences in perks or refundable vs. non-refundable deposits?

[SeeJennyCruise]

Congrats! Some of the price differences could be due to group rates.

 

Were there any differences in perks or refundable vs. non-refundable deposits?

 

It is so far out I did not think the group rates would have factored in yet. The rate for Celebrity that I quoted in my post was a refundable deposit and the great rate we received is 100% refundable up to 90 days before the cruise. I looked at the cruise only price on Celebrity, so the only difference in perks was that the discount we booked also came with the $75 dining credit and a $475 cash card. I'm still grinning :D

[TeaBag]

Is this price for 2 in A2? 14 days?

[Georgia_Peaches]

So what is the site you used to book this cruise?

[Cruise Junky]

Looking at the Canadian site it doesn’t include the drink package. There’s your difference.

[jelayne]

So what is the site you used to book this cruise?

 

Cruise Critic rules prohibit naming Travel Agents or Agencies. Go back and read the OPs original post and you may be able to figure it out.

[jelayne]

Looking at the Canadian site it doesn’t include the drink package. There’s your difference.

 

It may be the drink package but I’m thinking it is a group rate or maybe both.

[SeeJennyCruise]

Is this price for 2 in A2? 14 days?

 

The price is the total cost, including taxes and fees, for booking two people in A2 on a 12 day cruise.

[SeeJennyCruise]

Looking at the Canadian site it doesn’t include the drink package. There’s your difference.

 

I don't think so. None of the prices I quoted included a drink package. The Celebrity price was for the cruise only. I did not select the options to include any of the Go Big choices. I selected "No Thanks". There is not a drink package, internet, or gratuities in any of the prices I shared. I attached a screenshot from the Celebrity price summary.

[SeeJennyCruise]

It may be the drink package but I’m thinking it is a group rate or maybe both.

 

No drink package in any of the quotes. Maybe a group rate, but only for that cabin category? Nice to hear from you. My mother is from Gainesville and I grew up visiting my grandparents and the zoo. :)

[TeaBag]

See Jenny Cruise, do you have the option of changing the cabin? IIRC, we looked in the door once at 9100 (the same cabin the other side of the two CS suites and the balcony was so small, it was like one of those romeo ones on a river cruise. (This was on Millennium, sister ship) On that same cruise we had 9104 and it had the regular sized balcony. This is a special cruise for you and DH and I would hate to see you stuck in a cabin with such a tiny balcony. I could be wrong about 9094 compared to 9100. Another thing is that the CS sticks out enough that you would not have much privacy. If you look up the sticky at the top of the page on M class cabins, there is a review of 9100 for the Summit saying just exactly what I said..."teeny tiny balcony. No one has posted about 9094 but I did look it up on another site (not allowed to post it, I tried) and it says the same......small balcony.

Edited February 4, 2018 by TeaBag

[Cruise Junky]

I don't think so. None of the prices I quoted included a drink package. The Celebrity price was for the cruise only. I did not select the options to include any of the Go Big choices. I selected "No Thanks". There is not a drink package, internet, or gratuities in any of the prices I shared. I attached a screenshot from the Celebrity price summary.

It’s added $300 OBC instead of the drink package. Your cruise isn’t until 2019 you don’t normally get to drop all perks this far ahead. Pick the drink package, your price shouldn’t change.

[SeeJennyCruise]

It’s added $300 OBC instead of the drink package. Your cruise isn’t until 2019 you don’t normally get to drop all perks this far ahead. Pick the drink package, your price shouldn’t change.

 

I thought the $300 discount was in place of the perk that I did not select. There is a $3000 difference between the price with the $300 credit and the cruise I booked. I'll forgo the drink package :D

[Debmacd]

I'm terribly excited that we just booked our next bucket list trip for September 2019 on the Infinity. I would not come to this board to post another cruise booking, but I think we just found such a great deal, I want to share this information with anyone who is interested in this itinerary. I would also welcome your response if you understand how one agency can offer an A2 cabin for $6008 total w/tax & fees when the next best-discounted price is $7948 total w/tax & fees with another agency and $9248 total w/tax & fees, just the cruise, on Celebrity's website.

 

 

 

I did some comparison shopping and found the $6008 price that seemed too good to be true with the travel agency connected to a popular wholesale store. I went back and forth between the websites and the A2 cabins are 35% less than the Celebrity rate and 24% less than the lowest discounted price I found. The 2C is 18% less than the discounted price I found. Not that it was the deciding factor, but the agency we booked with also gave a $75 onboard dining credit and a $475 cash card bonus after the cruise.

 

 

 

I wanted to book a cruise to celebrate my husband's 70th birthday and our 30th anniversary, but this itinerary was out of our reach until I found this great price. I've had some cruise deals before, but 25 - 35% less was so big I wanted to share. If you have been thinking about this itinerary, now is the time to book. :D[/

 

I feel your excitement... so glad you got a great deal. My husband and I did the same cruise 5 years ago for our Anniversary.... and we have cruised every year since... enjoy your cruise and happy birthday to your lucky husband ❤️

 

 

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[jelayne]

I got $8400 & change on the X site with 1 perks, which for us would be the beverage package.

 

We have previously booked many cruises with the place I am pretty sure the OP is referring to and the only time their price was different than X was when they had Group space. This particular cruise they don’t show any Suites yet there are suites available. I’m wondering if they are moving to mainly group bookings. We stopped using them when they switched from offering OBC to offering a store credit. We live 70 mikes from the nearest store so unless we were looking at a major purchase it would take a while & a lot of gas to work thru the $475.

 

Got badly burned by a different TA with Group space so for us no more Group space bookings.

[SeeJennyCruise]

See Jenny Cruise, do you have the option of changing the cabin? IIRC, we looked in the door once at 9100 (the same cabin the other side of the two CS suites and the balcony was so small, it was like one of those romeo ones on a river cruise. (This was on Millennium, sister ship) On that same cruise we had 9104 and it had the regular sized balcony. This is a special cruise for you and DH and I would hate to see you stuck in a cabin with such a tiny balcony. I could be wrong about 9094 compared to 9100. Another thing is that the CS sticks out enough that you would not have much privacy. If you look up the sticky at the top of the page on M class cabins, there is a review of 9100 for the Summit saying just exactly what I said..."teeny tiny balcony. No one has posted about 9094 but I did look it up on another site (not allowed to post it, I tried) and it says the same......small balcony.

 

Thank you for sharing the balcony size information. I was so excited I did not research the cabin as I normally would. I posted a picture of a booking summary to show the price I was quoting. We actually booked cabin 9070 (70th birthday ;)) It is not a large balcony, but I think it is larger than 9100. Thanks to your reminder, I did check the M class cabins on this board and 9070 doesn't have negatives listed.

[Debmacd]

I'm terribly excited that we just booked our next bucket list trip for September 2019 on the Infinity. I would not come to this board to post another cruise booking, but I think we just found such a great deal, I want to share this information with anyone who is interested in this itinerary. I would also welcome your response if you understand how one agency can offer an A2 cabin for $6008 total w/tax & fees when the next best-discounted price is $7948 total w/tax & fees with another agency and $9248 total w/tax & fees, just the cruise, on Celebrity's website.

 

 

 

I did some comparison shopping and found the $6008 price that seemed too good to be true with the travel agency connected to a popular wholesale store. I went back and forth between the websites and the A2 cabins are 35% less than the Celebrity rate and 24% less than the lowest discounted price I found. The 2C is 18% less than the discounted price I found. Not that it was the deciding factor, but the agency we booked with also gave a $75 onboard dining credit and a $475 cash card bonus after the cruise.

 

 

 

I wanted to book a cruise to celebrate my husband's 70th birthday and our 30th anniversary, but this itinerary was out of our reach until I found this great price. I've had some cruise deals before, but 25 - 35% less was so big I wanted to share. If you have been thinking about this itinerary, now is the time to book. :D

 

 

 

 

I feel your excitement... so glad you got a great deal. My husband and I did the same cruise 5 years ago for our Anniversary.... and we have cruised every year since... enjoy your cruise and happy birthday to your lucky husband ❤️

 

 

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[jelayne]

No drink package in any of the quotes. Maybe a group rate, but only for that cabin category? Nice to hear from you. My mother is from Gainesville and I grew up visiting my grandparents and the zoo. :)

My best friend manages the gift shop & events for the zoo. Small world.

[Azulann]

i can hear the excitment in your post over booking this very special cruise at a great price.:)Sept is a perfect time to sail in that part of the Med.

Congratulations!

[SeeJennyCruise]

I got $8400 & change on the X site with 1 perks, which for us would be the beverage package.

 

We have previously booked many cruises with the place I am pretty sure the OP is referring to and the only time their price was different than X was when they had Group space. This particular cruise they don’t show any Suites yet there are suites available. I’m wondering if they are moving to mainly group bookings. We stopped using them when they switched from offering OBC to offering a store credit. We live 70 mikes from the nearest store so unless we were looking at a major purchase it would take a while & a lot of gas to work thru the $475.

 

Got badly burned by a different TA with Group space so for us no more Group space bookings.

 

Huh, I wonder why your price was different. Maybe you have a discounted price for being a frequent cruiser? I've run the same options multiple times always coming up with the same price. Whatever the cause I'm still $1900 under the best price I could get through a credit union connection, and $2400 under the best price you found on X. Even if we wanted a premium beverage package price, I am happy. :D

 

I get your point about distance and the cash card. Of course, with this deal it would be worth it to pay the membership for a year and never use the cash card. We are much closer and we buy our eyeglasses there. I'll have no problem using the card.

[SeeJennyCruise]

[

I feel your excitement... so glad you got a great deal. My husband and I did the same cruise 5 years ago for our Anniversary.... and we have cruised every year since... enjoy your cruise and happy birthday to your lucky husband ❤️

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Thank you. Did you book excursions through the ship? That is my plan, but I'm wondering how far in advance I need to book the excursions to get the ones that I want.

[riclop]

Have a great time.

[Debmacd]

Thank you. Did you book excursions through the ship? That is my plan, but I'm wondering how far in advance I need to book the excursions to get the ones that I want.

 

 

 

Yes ... we booked all excursions though Celebrity and they were all great... we booked them about a month before cruise.

 

 

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[Debmacd]

Yes ... we booked all excursions though Celebrity and they were all great... we booked them about a month before cruise.

 

 

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Go though the excursions offered and when you find the ones you want ..book them... when you get to your room they will be all booked and tickets will be in your room.[emoji1417]

 

 

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