Jump to content

Is Celebrity misleading customers regarding non-refundable deposits?


Stockjock
 Share

Recommended Posts

So I booked a short cruise last night and placed a deposit which appeared to be fully refundable.  This is not my first rodeo, as I’ve taken many cruises, so I looked very closely to make sure that my deposit was fully refundable, as I figured I have little to lose in the event that I need to cancel. There was no mention of any sort of penalty upon cancellation so I booked the cruise. Immediately after accepting payment, I received a message that the $200 deposit was nonrefundable.

 

I didn’t take a screenshot the first time, so I went back and did an identical duplicate booking and if you look at the attached photo this is what I saw. There was no mention that I could see of any portion of the deposit which was nonrefundable.

 

I’m not really putting up a stink right now, because I figure it’s not relevant unless I have to cancel, but it seems to me that this is pretty misleading. Do you agree or is there something I’m missing?

 

6717CD32-4416-4693-9D9A-AD39E34CAFDC.png

Edited by Stockjock
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree that Celebrity Website sucks.   I've on a number of occasions gotten either a NR or Refundable fare and found it almost impossible select the one I want.   Could be a reason I never book directly on Celebrity Site-

 

Celebrity should definitely be much more transparent

 

The first clue if you see two prices and once much cheaper (on the left) it is Non-Refundable

image.thumb.png.06bc594cdc93715cb77849631a953393.png

 

Another clue I have found is that once you get to the Summary Screen -  next to the discount there will be a NRD if it is non-refundable.  

 

image.png.234b440109a0df0060ec3825d4acc484.png

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I did a booking for a 2021 cruise and the website came up with a room selection which I accepted.  It only had the 1 price option and never mentioned anything about non-refundable.  I booked it but when looking at the email reservation document, it indicated non-refundable deposit.  I was not happy and immediately called to cancel it.  When going back to check on how this happened, the website this second time came up with two options, the non-refundable and the refundable.  This was different.  Since this time, I have checked this sailing a few more times and sometimes the website give me just the one choice and sometimes gives me both choices.  There is obviously a web problem here with Celebrity.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

I never book on line always call my CVP so I know exactly what I'm booking.


You and me both!  I do my research and price checking on-line but I never book on-line.  I occasionally will put a hold on a cabin on-line but I don’t book until I can talk to a CVP or my TA.  I have had CVPs match a TAs OBC or found that our TA had group space (saved $1050pp on last booking) neither of which I would have known if I had just booked on-line.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 minutes ago, modem9 said:

I did a booking for a 2021 cruise and the website came up with a room selection which I accepted.  It only had the 1 price option and never mentioned anything about non-refundable.  I booked it but when looking at the email reservation document, it indicated non-refundable deposit.  I was not happy and immediately called to cancel it.  When going back to check on how this happened, the website this second time came up with two options, the non-refundable and the refundable.  This was different.  Since this time, I have checked this sailing a few more times and sometimes the website give me just the one choice and sometimes gives me both choices.  There is obviously a web problem here with Celebrity.

 

I have noticed that when I check pricing the last few days, Celebrity's website skips over the page giving me options re NRD, perks, etc, and goes right to a final pricing page that does not mention whether it is NRD

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, cruiserchuck said:

 

I have noticed that when I check pricing the last few days, Celebrity's website skips over the page giving me options re NRD, perks, etc, and goes right to a final pricing page that does not mention whether it is NRD


 I have been price checking 3 cruises regularly, 2 booked with NRD, and each time when I get to the summary, just above where it lists the perks, it shows the letters  NRD  with a deduction when it is the non- refundable deposit.  
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, jelayne said:


 I have been price checking 3 cruises regularly, 2 booked with NRD, and each time when I get to the summary, just above where it lists the perks, it shows the letters  NRD  with a deduction when it is the non- refundable deposit.  
 

 

Does it show the page with two options for booking?  For me, I see it in the background for a second, but it then skips over it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, cruiserchuck said:

 

Does it show the page with two options for booking?

 

I've been thinking about doing an Alaska cruise with Celebrity; every time I've priced it in the last few days, the only option I get is for a non-refundable booking. Even when I opt out of the special on perks, it just gives me a special that includes $300 in OBC and marks it as NRD. I'm new to pricing Celebrity, but I've never gotten the option to book a refundable fare directly through their website.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, CapsChap said:

 

I've been thinking about doing an Alaska cruise with Celebrity; every time I've priced it in the last few days, the only option I get is for a non-refundable booking. Even when I opt out of the special on perks, it just gives me a special that includes $300 in OBC and marks it as NRD. I'm new to pricing Celebrity, but I've never gotten the option to book a refundable fare directly through their website.


Two options:  check the pricing on a TA website which often show both refundable and non-refundable pricing; or call  celebrity and get the pricing.  
 

We only book cruises we plan to take, no place holder or maybe we will bookings, and we now book almost all NRD.  Prices are often $400-$1000 pp lower depending on the cabin category & length of cruise.  If we have to cancel we lose $100pp and the remainder is put on a future cruise credit.  So I’ll risk $200 to save hundreds.  We recently changed 2 bookings from refundable to NRD saved $800 total on one which is now past final payment and saved $950pp on another. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, jelayne said:


If we have to cancel we lose $100pp and the remainder is put on a future cruise credit.  So I’ll risk $200 to save hundreds.

 

That's a good point; as someone still new to the world of cruising, I see "non-refundable" as very black and white, without realizing it's much more grey, in the fact that you only actually lose $100, even if you don't get cold, hard cash back. I was just looking about a year out at going to Alaska, and my brain was telling me that was a long time away!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

I do see the NRD now but...at the time I didn't note it and would not have known what NRD was, even though I now do.

They should really spell it out and also on the schedule of penalties, they should specify, which they don't.

 

image.png.234b440109a0df0060ec3825d4acc484.png

 

Edited by Stockjock
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just out of curiosity, I checked Expedia for the Alaska cruise I'm looking at for 2021. They have the 3-perks deal available with a refundable deposit; in my particular case as a solo cruiser who enjoys interior cabins, it comes out to $438 more.

 

So, in my case, I could get my $450 deposit back -- by paying an extra $438. Alternatively, I could save that $438 and run the risk of losing $100 should I cancel before final payment date, though I'd still have $350 to use toward another cruise. Not too awful a trade-off.

 

I guess the only thing all this leaves me wondering is why -- when they're owned by RCI -- Celebrity's website isn't set up to allow you to tick a box to select a refundable deposit like you can on Royal's website, since a lot of Royal's fares default to NRD now, too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another option is to book the refundable rate... and just before final payment change it to nonrefundable. You'll get the difference credited back. By then you're going to be under the cancellation penalty period soon anyway. Whether the deposit is refundable or not won't matter much once final payment is made. 

 

You can change your booking from refundable to nonrefundable at any time before final payment. BUT, you can't change it from nonrefundable to refundable ever. 

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, cruiserchuck said:

 

Does it show the page with two options for booking?  For me, I see it in the background for a second, but it then skips over it.

I have this often happen usually when a sale is on.    Someone, wish I could give them credit, pointed out that when you only get the one offer: at the top you will see in small print -   YOUR OFFERS.      If you click this it will take you back to the two offers that it skips over.    Usually I can see the shadow of the two offers between selection of room and that single offer page

 

image.thumb.png.88c300f51ba84cf95048de1d515f9d13.png

Edited by Jim_Iain
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 minutes ago, MEcruzr said:

Another option is to book the refundable rate... and just before final payment change it to nonrefundable. You'll get the difference credited back. By then you're going to be under the cancellation penalty period soon anyway. Whether the deposit is refundable or not won't matter much once final payment is made. 

 

You can change your booking from refundable to nonrefundable at any time before final payment. BUT, you can't change it from nonrefundable to refundable ever. 

I did that recently on a couple of cruises and works perfectly.   Just one warning.  You may loose most of your free perks.   Usually the NRD comes with either no or 1 perk.    I've never checked the price of adding the perks against the discount price.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...