All inclusive

[hawkesbaynz]

The UK site up and running.

 

I was looking at a ten night Sky Suite on the Infinity or a Balcony on the Reflection next September in the Med. I have a £300 deposit to attach to a cruise which is currently place holding on a April 2022 ex Sydney two nighter. No such thing as refundable deposits in the UK

 

Almost booked the reflection on the classic beverage included a fortnight ago but decided to wait for the Veterans Day sale that never happened. The price went up a couple of hundred pounds approx. 10 days ago. Today similar price but wifi included.

 

Today the suite on Infinity is £6398 with $400 OBC each rather than $150 for 2 at yesterdays price of £6554.

 

So the always included are better deals.... than yesterday.

 

Shall I wait for Black Friday deals or book now. Always a gamble with Celebrity.

[JeanieC,Aston]

Hi

The cruise I am looking at,Baltic next August on Reflection.

The price this morning on ‘AI’ is the same price as yesterday,with Grats and WiFi now included.

Classic DP was included in yesterday’s price.

Then again the price did go up +£500 a few weeks ago.

 

Cant see a big jump in prices with the introduction of Always Included yet!!

[jojo1966]

25 minutes ago, hawkesbaynz said:

The UK site up and running.

 

I was looking at a ten night Sky Suite on the Infinity or a Balcony on the Reflection next September in the Med. I have a £300 deposit to attach to a cruise which is currently place holding on a April 2022 ex Sydney two nighter. No such thing as refundable deposits in the UK

 

Almost booked the reflection on the classic beverage included a fortnight ago but decided to wait for the Veterans Day sale that never happened. The price went up a couple of hundred pounds approx. 10 days ago. Today similar price but wifi included.

 

Today the suite on Infinity is £6398 with $400 OBC each rather than $150 for 2 at yesterdays price of £6554.

 

So the always included are better deals.... than yesterday.

 

Shall I wait for Black Friday deals or book now. Always a gamble with Celebrity.

dont we also get the best price guarantee at the moment? so booking now would mean youd be able to get a price reduction on black friday wouldnt it?? but i suppose thats assuming you are talking about holding out for the same cruise...

 

[laslomas]

Now that Celebrity has changed to this pricing structure, they still need to keep the daily gratuities rate, and wi-fi rates available for many months to come for those that have cruises already booked - up to the middle of 2022, I think. I have one cruise booked for 2021 with just a drinks package, and another one with drinks, gratuities, and OBC. When doing the calculations to add the missing perks, neither work out better to change to the new 'Always Included'.

 

I just hope that the missing components do not rocket in price before my sail date as now they are just part of the 'price' anything could happen!!?? Wi-fi packages are available on my cruise planner, but the daily gratuity rate was only found by doing a search on the website. Wondering whether to pre-pay now, just in case.

[jojo1966]

3 minutes ago, laslomas said:

Now that Celebrity has changed to this pricing structure, they still need to keep the daily gratuities rate, and wi-fi rates available for many months to come for those that have cruises already booked - up to the middle of 2022, I think. I have one cruise booked for 2021 with just a drinks package, and another one with drinks, gratuities, and OBC. When doing the calculations to add the missing perks, neither work out better to change to the new 'Always Included'.

 

I just hope that the missing components do not rocket in price before my sail date as now they are just part of the 'price' anything could happen!!?? Wi-fi packages are available on my cruise planner, but the daily gratuity rate was only found by doing a search on the website. Wondering whether to pre-pay now, just in case.

hmm..yes we have 2 cruises booked that just include drinks - i was also wondering what could happen to the gratuity rate between now and next October - as you say it may be worth paying now

[ChucktownSteve]

I'm not surprised the rates haven't initially changed with the new program.  It would be too disruptive if they implemented the plan at the same time they hiked prices. It would be too easy to see the correlation and would probably upset some people.

 

My thought is that at some point they'll begin easing up the pricing just as the boiling a frog example I've used before. Once things settle and begin returning to a more normal environment, watch what happens to the overall rates.  That's when we'll be able to see if the AI affected prices.

[ipeeinthepool]

49 minutes ago, JeanieC,Aston said:

Hi

The cruise I am looking at,Baltic next August on Reflection.

The price this morning on ‘AI’ is the same price as yesterday,with Grats and WiFi now included.

Classic DP was included in yesterday’s price.

Then again the price did go up +£500 a few weeks ago.

 

Cant see a big jump in prices with the introduction of Always Included yet!!

 

That's a little misleading, the huge price increases have been there for a while as Celebrity was planning to move to this new pricing structure.  My 2021 cruises are now listed to be about double the price I paid and the 2022 cruises are 50% higher.  

 

Just crazy pricing.

 

I can hear the Love Boat song in the distance.

[poffles]

Don't be fooled, the price 'differences' for the Always Included is same as always, sporadic in nature and not all painted with the same brush.

 

I just looked at a sailing I had booked for next December on the Reflection, only 7 day which I just booked and since cancelled recently.  My cost was $3,397 CAD$ for two people Concierge cabin with drinks included and gratuities prepaid and this was not changing as this was very recent and I have been watching just for fun.  Fast forward to a cost check today with Always Included, exact same room, and the only difference would be receiving Wi-Fi and boy is it expensive Wi-Fi.  That cruise would now cost me $4,760 CAD$.

 

You do the math.  That Wi-Fi is costing us $1,363 CAD$ which seems a little steep to me 🙂  I know our Canadian dollar is not the greatest but that can't even make this seem right.  Oh well.

 

It comes down to being okay with paying the price for what you get and being done with it.  I am not okay if costs stay that high.

Edited November 17, 2020 by poffles

[rachiem]

46 minutes ago, laslomas said:

Now that Celebrity has changed to this pricing structure, they still need to keep the daily gratuities rate, and wi-fi rates available for many months to come for those that have cruises already booked - up to the middle of 2022, I think. I have one cruise booked for 2021 with just a drinks package, and another one with drinks, gratuities, and OBC. When doing the calculations to add the missing perks, neither work out better to change to the new 'Always Included'.

 

I just hope that the missing components do not rocket in price before my sail date as now they are just part of the 'price' anything could happen!!?? Wi-fi packages are available on my cruise planner, but the daily gratuity rate was only found by doing a search on the website. Wondering whether to pre-pay now, just in case.

I'm holding off on pre-paying gratuities....I'm sure they won't but do you think the service levels may go down if gratuities are a done deal?

I know on NCL when they did it a couple of years ago, we had awful service.

[ChucktownSteve]

There are 39 available S1 Apex suites on a Feb 2022 sailing I'm booked on. It's 7 nights in the Caribbean priced at $10,744.54 USD as of this morning.  That's $767 pp/nite. I did a lift and shift so I was protected at less than have the price booked this past June.

 

An Azamara N1 Club Continent suite is $486.32 pp/nite which includes grats and basic liquors. Captains club Elite and higher members get some free WiFi. Azamara and Celebrity share the same club number so they co-earn on both sailing either line.

 

On Oceania, a PH3 penthouse suite is $453.42 pp/nite.

All are in the Caribbean during February 2022.

 

How does Celebrity think they're being competitive with these premium lines?  Maybe they believe the Celebrity cruiser is so loyal and enthralled with the AI that they won't mind?

Edited November 17, 2020 by ChucktownSteve

[poffles]

1 minute ago, ChucktownSteve said:

There are 39 available S1 Apex suites on a Feb 2022 sailing I'm booked on. It's 7 nights in the Caribbean priced at $10,744.54 USD as of this morning.  That's $767 pp/nite.

 

An Azamara N1 Club Continent suite is $486.32 pp/nite which includes grats and basic liquors. Captains club Elite and higher members get some free WiFi. Azamara and Celebrity share the same club number so they co-earn on both sailing either line.

 

On Oceania, a PH3 penthouse suite is $453.42 pp/nite.

All are in the Caribbean during February 2022.

 

How does Celebrity think they're being competitive with these premium lines?  Maybe they believe the Celebrity cruiser is so loyal and enthralled with the AI that they won't mind?

 

😲   I'm not that loyal to anything .. wow. Hopefully the costs will settle out over time which might be years.

[excitedofharpenden]

13 minutes ago, ChucktownSteve said:

There are 39 available S1 Apex suites on a Feb 2022 sailing I'm booked on. It's 7 nights in the Caribbean priced at $10,744.54 USD as of this morning.  That's $767 pp/nite. I did a lift and shift so I was protected at less than have the price booked this past June.

 

An Azamara N1 Club Continent suite is $486.32 pp/nite which includes grats and basic liquors. Captains club Elite and higher members get some free WiFi. Azamara and Celebrity share the same club number so they co-earn on both sailing either line.

 

On Oceania, a PH3 penthouse suite is $453.42 pp/nite.

All are in the Caribbean during February 2022.

 

How does Celebrity think they're being competitive with these premium lines?  Maybe they believe the Celebrity cruiser is so loyal and enthralled with the AI that they won't mind?

I checked my Apex cruise for next October and whilst I realise that fares are fluid it's twice the price now. The drinks and wifi are of no value to me. I was pretty sure this is what it would be like. They think we are 🤡🤡🤡

 

Phil 

[little britain]

Checked my April 2021 cruise; I bought at £2857.20 to include 2 perks ( drinks and tips).

Now priced today at £3966 to include drinks, tips and Wi-fi.......!!!  That is pretty expensive Wi-fi 🤷‍♀️

Edited November 17, 2020 by little britain

[riredsox]

49 minutes ago, ChucktownSteve said:

There are 39 available S1 Apex suites on a Feb 2022 sailing I'm booked on. It's 7 nights in the Caribbean priced at $10,744.54 USD as of this morning.  That's $767 pp/nite. I did a lift and shift so I was protected at less than have the price booked this past June.

 

An Azamara N1 Club Continent suite is $486.32 pp/nite which includes grats and basic liquors. Captains club Elite and higher members get some free WiFi. Azamara and Celebrity share the same club number so they co-earn on both sailing either line.

 

On Oceania, a PH3 penthouse suite is $453.42 pp/nite.

All are in the Caribbean during February 2022.

 

How does Celebrity think they're being competitive with these premium lines?  Maybe they believe the Celebrity cruiser is so loyal and enthralled with the AI that they won't mind?

I’m glad we did the Lift&Shift for that Apex cruise!  Patti told me you did also.  Hopefully see you in 2022!

[sandancer]

1 hour ago, rachiem said:

I'm holding off on pre-paying gratuities....I'm sure they won't but do you think the service levels may go down if gratuities are a done deal?

I know on NCL when they did it a couple of years ago, we had awful service.

On all our recent cruises grats have been included as a perk so in effect pre-paid, no difference in service that I have noticed. 

[TeeRick]

4 hours ago, mikkelhansen said:

Group rates with travel agents, with or without perks, still seem to be available, but perhaps only for existing groups?

 

 

So exactly how is this much different from the old GOOD-BETTER-BEST pricing campaign of the past or other similar ones??  

[sandancer]

2 hours ago, excitedofharpenden said:

I checked my Apex cruise for next October and whilst I realise that fares are fluid it's twice the price now. The drinks and wifi are of no value to me. I was pretty sure this is what it would be like. They think we are 🤡🤡🤡

 

Phil 

We are b2b on Apex, also next October. £5000 more now. Fortunately we booked when they were offering all 4 perks for booking onboard. 

[Luvcrusn]

This morning I priced out our November 2021 Equinox cruise under the new AI structure. Our cruise was booked through our large online TA in a group rate and included CBP, gratuities, unlimited WIFI and OBC. Currently for a veranda on the same deck that is one category lower than the one we booked the cost is $1500 per person more and doesn't include the OBC.  If this new pricing structure is not just another passing promo, but a new lasting pricing structure many of X's loyal customers will be loyal customers of another cruise line.

[Banjo]

For the last dozen years we cruised on average 2x per year with about 80% on Celebrity. When we finally attained Elite several years back, on all the Celebrity cruises we never got a drink or a wifi package because we found the Elite perks to be just fine. 

 

Finally made it to Elite+.  Our first cruise with that status would be our next cruise, whenever that would be with the pandemic issue. Well, I guess that does not really matter anymore. 

[ipeeinthepool]

6 minutes ago, Banjo said:

For the last dozen years we cruised on average 2x per year with about 80% on Celebrity. When we finally attained Elite several years back, on all the Celebrity cruises we never got a drink or a wifi package because we found the Elite perks to be just fine. 

 

Finally made it to Elite+.  Our first cruise with that status would be our next cruise, whenever that would be with the pandemic issue. Well, I guess that does not really matter anymore. 

 

Not true, you can still come to the Elite Happy Hour and have a drink with me.  That has to be worth something.

[jamon]

I have two questions and  maybe someone can help me...First question is with the new Always included pricing, can you still get a cabin with no perks or do you have to take the Always included pricing? Second question is I have a cruise that I booked last year on the Reflection that includes 4 perks for November 2021, is the price I paid then and the 4 perks still good for this cruise since I booked it over a year ago. thanks for your help....

[sandancer]

All of our recent cruises we have had the Bev package but we still pop into the Elite Happy Hour most nights.

[Fouremco]

1 minute ago, jamon said:

I have two questions and  maybe someone can help me...First question is with the new Always included pricing, can you still get a cabin with no perks or do you have to take the Always included pricing? Second question is I have a cruise that I booked last year on the Reflection that includes 4 perks for November 2021, is the price I paid then and the 4 perks still good for this cruise since I booked it over a year ago. thanks for your help....

On select sailings only, you will be able book without the AI during the 90 days prior to sailing. 

 

As for your existing booking, it stands as is.

[Luvcrusn]

3 minutes ago, jamon said:

I have two questions and  maybe someone can help me...First question is with the new Always included pricing, can you still get a cabin with no perks or do you have to take the Always included pricing? Second question is I have a cruise that I booked last year on the Reflection that includes 4 perks for November 2021, is the price I paid then and the 4 perks still good for this cruise since I booked it over a year ago. thanks for your help....

Yes

[wrk2cruise]

2 minutes ago, jamon said:

I have two questions and  maybe someone can help me...First question is with the new Always included pricing, can you still get a cabin with no perks or do you have to take the Always included pricing? Second question is I have a cruise that I booked last year on the Reflection that includes 4 perks for November 2021, is the price I paid then and the 4 perks still good for this cruise since I booked it over a year ago. thanks for your help....

#1  There are no more no perks pricing prior to final payment.  You must take the Allways Included price.   Select sailings may be offered without perks after final payment.

 

#2  Your existing booking will be honored just the way you booked it.   If you make any changes it will be repriced to the new pricing structure.