Big, Big, Discount!!!

[ricko1]

Hopefully, Danno won't be in the same position many of us seniors are in when he finally reaches his "golden" years!

 

We worked hard, paid our share of taxes to educate our children (and still do) and thought we had enough saved to be self sufficient (i.e. not have to rely on anyone - ever) in our "golden" years....yet, things happen we could never have imagined let alone planned for (healthcare premiums take a huge bite - and illnesses we never dreamed would happen to our mates).

 

I'm so happy for those of you who were able to get this discount! And I really appreciate those who take the time to share their good luck and findings with the rest of us. I will take every discount available as a blessing!

 

Thanks for putting my feelings into print...Thanks also for saying thanks for starting this mad dash to the discount center:D I only found the deduction by accident,GO FIGURE.. My DW thinks I helped our cruisemates on CC save about $10,00. It really doesn't matter how much, just as long as someone saved as I did.:cool: Also, all the planning in the world can't prepare a family for some of lifes worst illness.. I thank GOD each day, I made the decsion to stay active AIR FORCE for 31 years, and even with that help, when my DW broke her leg in 8 places in 1997,and had seven operations in the next 6 years, with at least one more to go, could we have paid all the other bills and continued to live a decent lifestyle..(I DOUBT IT). Stay happy and healthy

[keela1eva2]

keela1eva2 ,

 

We are also from the UK and yes if the price drops, you can have the drop applied to your cruise. Call your TA and get them to call Celebrity. We have always had any reduction applied to our fares.

 

Andy

Thanks for the post Andy. How do you know that the price has dropped? I usually not too far ahead and if I have seen a better price I just thought it was hard luck. Is this with Celebrity and RCI.

Do y ou look on the internet on the UK sites and they call your agent. I would be very interested to know as when I cruise I take my sister with me or a friend and I pay for both. This obviously means that any discount would be very useful to me.

 

I am going on the T/A Galaxy 5th May and I reckon that I have got a fairly good price and the single supplement was only around £200 I think. I am cruising alone but I have done this previously without problem.

 

My sister had a knee replacement on Tuesday so is out of commission until later in the year. I have just come back from a week in Ireland but I long for the relaxation on a ship with everything taken care of. Just need to buy another suitcase. Going out to Galveston is fine but the return is from Rome and it will be a pretty stingy baggage allowance. We women do need a lot of things for a 17 night holiday and if you like to dress up in the evening. Just another excuse for the retail therapy.

[MrLee]

Going out to Galveston is fine but the return is from Rome and it will be a pretty stingy baggage allowance. We women do need a lot of things for a 17 night holiday and if you like to dress up in the evening. Just another excuse for the retail therapy.

 

Hmm...you bring up a good point. I'm also on that TA and I have no idea what the baggage limits are apt to be. I'm using Celebrity for my flight so I don't know what airline yet. Any ideas what kind of limits we'll be looking at

[JAB8408]

I just wanted to say thank you again, Ricko1 for the discount posting. My credit card showed the $410 credit this week, and others on my "Roll Call" expect discounts too.

Thank you also, for your 31 years of service in the AirForce and good luck and God Bless you, Denice, with the last surgery.

Best wishes, Judi and Frank N9412K

[keela1eva2]

Are you travelling to or from the UK?

I will be flying with BA from Manchester to Gatwick London and then onward with BA to Houston.

The baggage allowance is related in that you can have 2 pieces of checked baggage. There is a specified size and the weight of any one piece of baggage must not exceed 32K. This is now the ruling with if not all most. This is in relation to baggage handlers having to lift.

 

The allowance with most European flights is 20K I will be returning from Rome via Paris to Manchester and the allowance is 20K and I think either 6K or 5k hand baggage. The hold baggage is quite definite as I have spoken to Air France. The cost per Kilo is 6 Euro. I know that I will definately be in excess of this but sometimes they are reasonable and will ignore the odd few Kilo's. I have found to be the case with BA but I have never travelled with Air France.

I travelled to Ireland last summer with Flybe and they charged me £25 for 5 kilo of excess baggage. In the Uk the low cost airlines are imposing new restrictions in that Flybe are charging for checked baggage. If you do this on line the charge £2 per piece of checked baggage each way. If you wait until check in they charge £4 per bag so a total of £8. They have increased the allowance to 25K and you can take 10K of one piece of hand baggage. They will weigh the hand baggage.

Ryanair are from the beginning of March charging £5 per checked bag each way. They have increased their hold baggage from 15K to 20K and hand baggage to 10K. To date Ryanair have implemented this charge fairly rigidly.

I travelled with Jet2 to Belfast this week and their baggage allowance is 18K for hold but no charge £4 per excess baggage hand baggage was 10K an increase from 5K again on both legs of the journey the hand baggage was weighed and had to fit into the metal frame at check in.

I think that Easyjet and Jet2 will probably follow the lead of the others.

 

I just have to be prepared to pay the excess from Rome if they are follow their policy to the letter. I would prefer to take 2 suitcases but I know this would push me even further over the limit so it will be one case and I intend to buy a new one which is the lightest I can purchase.

On transatlantic flights it is fine and if y ou are flying both from the States and back without any European or domestic flights in Europe. I am wondering about speaking to Celebrity and asking whether they can have any influence on what the European airlines will allow. I very much doubt it. That said my brother always seems to get away with murder when he comes to the UK Ireland and Europe. He lives in CA and he does not travel light. The other situation is that this allowance is higher if you are travelling business or first class of course. Sadly I do not fit into this category.

I may not have every detail in relation to all but 20K is the allowance that almost if not all of the mainstream European airlines allow. I have never been asked to pay excess with BA but I was only over by 3-4K and had an ongoing Transatlantic flight.

Hope this is of use.

 

Sue

[MrLee]

Thanks for the reply. I will be flying to the states from Italy but I have no idea if it will be a direct flight or not.

[Pilgrim Pete]

Sue, may I suggest you recheck the allowance with Air France, as I am confident both BA & Air France offer 23Kg and every kilo is vital ! I have recently been looking at our flight options to Rome from the UK for our Galaxy sailing in August.

 

[sorry to steal your thread Ricko, but I will be checking Senior discounts around the time of final payment]

[MrLee]

Sue, may I suggest you recheck the allowance with Air France, as I am confident both BA & Air France offer 23Kg and every kilo is vital ! I have recently been looking at our flight options to Rome from the UK for our Galaxy sailing in August.

 

[sorry to steal your thread Ricko, but I will be checking Senior discounts around the time of final payment]

 

23Kg (which is about 50 lbs) is the same as I'm allowed here so that should be fine.

[Optifire]

We originally booked the Constellation sailing for April at a price of $1080. However while looking for another cruise for the later part of the year, I was on Priceline.com and spotted our cruise, same cabin at a rate of $850.00.

I booked with Celebrity so I gave them a call and told them what I had found.

I asked her what could be done about the price. She said that they could give us an upgrade to a higher floor for that price. I said that was not going to work for me as I was happy with the floor I choose as we like to stay low as we dont like to feel the ship move as much. Then she said she could match the price of $850.00 by giving us the Senior Citizen Discount. I was very happy with that and since our final bill had not been paid yet, she adjusted our final payment to reflect the credit of $460.00.

 

What I would like to know however is this. When we are booking a cruise, you have to fill out the part where they ask you the age of the passengers and if anyone is over the age of 55. We did fill that out showing my husband was over that age. So why was the discount not given to us right away at the original booking since they had the information at that time. I would not have received that discount had I not spotted the lower amount on Priceline.com and called in to Celebrity. So what goes with that? I guess I should be asking Celebrity that question and not on here, but I dont want to "rock the boat". I am just happy they gave us the discount and we were able to save some money.

 

My advice to anyone is that you must watch the prices of your cruise and if you see them go down, call in to request an adjustment. They are not going to call you to let you know about it, unless you have a really good travel agent that is watching out for you. Even then, still watch the prices...good to know how much the cruise is going for. Good luck on saving some bucks.

[rjg41]

Similair discounts, including other near in cruise dates on many X ships, were offered during recent "Happy Hours" for all passengers, however, they clearly state "new bookings only". Of course they are only good during that day.

 

FYI, alert TA's find out the details about Happy Hours 5-6 days in advance of their actual on sale date. Call RC/X agents and they do not know anything about upcoming Happy Hours. You have to be lucky enough to call during Happy Hour. Another reason to use a good TA and not direct book with RC/X.

[keela1eva2]

Thanks for the reply. I will be flying to the states from Italy but I have no idea if it will be a direct flight or not.

 

I think that if you flying T/A you will not have a problem with the baggage but you could check once you know which airline you are travelling with.

I will be doing a domestic flight to London with BA and then with the same airline to Houston.

I will have no problem or have never had any problem with the weight other than them saying jokingly "You travel light" I think I had around 25K and the allowance was 20K. My sister had 29K in one bag and again only a label saying heavy item.

 

I think if there is a question say that you have been on a cruise and that the T/A allowance is 2 checked bags. My brother always has numerous things and somehow he has most of the time paying excess. If you are travelling business class then the allowance is greater. Cabin baggage allowance does seem to have gone up with most Airlines.

Me if I have to pay then so be it. I am taking all my lovely evening clothes shoes bags etc with me. The money I have spent on them would outway the cost of a few extra Kilo's. I will think about that when I have to. Just enjoy your holiday. I am on the T/A 5th May on Galaxy.

[MrLee]

Me if I have to pay then so be it. I am taking all my lovely evening clothes shoes bags etc with me. The money I have spent on them would outway the cost of a few extra Kilo's. I will think about that when I have to. Just enjoy your holiday. I am on the T/A 5th May on Galaxy.

 

 

I'm on the T/A on Galaxy also, but I don't get to leave until May 6. You must know somebody! ;)

 

(or you're just anxious to get going!) :D

[Dick in Falls Church]

If you are arranging your own air travel, you might check out the cost of a round trip starting in Europe. In one case, one-way was $1300, but round trip was under $700--- and just might not be able to use the return<g>.

[keela1eva2]

I'm on the T/A on Galaxy also, but I don't get to leave until May 6. You must know somebody! ;)

 

(or you're just anxious to get going!) :D

 

Wish I did! I have to fly to the US on the 5th to join the ship on the 6th.

I have a domestic flight from Manchester in the north west of England and then from Gatwick London I have a direct flight to Houston.

 

Not too bad as I arrive at 17.35hours. Celebrity have booked me into the Doubletree at the Airport I think (Bush Int) and then the next morning or maybe afternoon I will transfer to the ship.

 

I am not sure of what the time difference with the UK and Houston but I would reckon somewhere between 7-8 hours. I know that California is 8 and I think NY in 6 so not sure what Texas time is.

 

Initially they had me flying from my local airport Leeds/Bradford 30 minute but I had a 6hr 30 min wait for the American Airways flight from Heathrow and then I had to change in Chicago. This was a 3 hour wait and I left earlier earlier and arrived at 22.50hrs so I asked them to change this. There are no direct flight with any airling from Heathrow and even the BA one went via Chicago. Gatwick with BA is direct. It is 90 minutes to Manchester and this domestic flight was included whereas the L/B was an add on of £81 sterling. I will go by taxi but what I save on the flight and I would have a taxi to L/B in anycase.

 

So I'm sorted! Just need to buy a the lightest suitcase I can find to fill to the brim!

 

Looking forward to the 5/6 May

 

Sue

[keela1eva2]

If you are arranging your own air travel, you might check out the cost of a round trip starting in Europe. In one case, one-way was $1300, but round trip was under $700--- and just might not be able to use the return<g>.

 

Excellent idea. I have done this on numerous occassions and as long as you use the outward trip there is no problem.

If you were purchasing a ticket from the US and then tried to fly just home on it as you have not used the outward journey they automatically cancel the return. Buying it to travel from Europe and discarding the return will save you money.

Same applies to rail travel a return is less than a single in a lot of cases.

 

Sue