Do you book a trip without the added "perks"??

[jelayne]

48 minutes ago, calicakes said:

Here are the prices I was given.  3019 x 2 plus tax/fees = 6709 for an AQ on Dec 23, 2020, touch canal 12 nights.  Perks. Classic bev package, unlimited internet. pre-paid grats and 300 OBC plus 100 from TA = 400 OBC. 

S1 suite. 4549 x 2 plus tax/fees = 9169.  Premium package, grats, unlimited internet and 300 OBC plus 100 OBC from TA PLUS 900 OBC from TA.  We also get another 50 OBC for being loyalty members with TA.   I know we'll use the OBC for excursions since I'd rather take X exursions in S. America vs. doing them on my own. 

 

The S1 price of $4549 is  on both the Celebrity site and the TA site, on both sites that price is showing today as the rate with a non-refundable deposit.  The refundable deposit rate is currently $4,979.

 

So you got the same fare & perks as if you had booked with Celebrity the bonus is the $950 OBC from the TA.  

 

[late2cruisin]

4 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

That's actually a good deal for some one like me who would purchase a drink package on another line for $49 pp. The second perk would be the savings.

 

Yes, if you would actually purchase a drink package (which I wouldn't), that could be a good deal for you. I seem to remember I once paid $30 extra pp to bundle 2 perks, because after subtracting the gratuities that I would have to pay anyway, the drink package would cost about $15 pp a day, which I felt was worth it.

[Tourist1292]

We booked our cruise at one of the warehouse club site which list all perks optional. Initially, we booked the cabin without perks to save money. The price of higher categories (2 levels up) cabin went below the price I've paid a month after the final payment. I added two perks (OBC and classic beverage for 2) with the cabin upgrade to make the cost slightly higher and paid the small difference. With the OBC as one of the two perks, we actually ended up paying even less than the original booking as the gratuity and the wifi package (which we would have to pay out of pocket otherwise) was mostly covered by the OBC. So, I would leave the perks out in the initial booking to give you more options for upgrade and saving money.

Edited August 30, 2019 by Tourist1292

[mchell810]

12 hours ago, ECCruise said:

To compare, you really need to compare the value of the perks for you, not what the cruise line says they are. 

Basically, if you have 2 drinks a day at a cost of $15, that is the value of the drink package for you, not the $60 or $70 a day the cruise line says it is.

 

Exactly!  It really does come down to individual needs and habits.