"All Inclusive" is not always "All Inclusive" Look at your booking closely

[2chiefs]

Since I am retired military I always check the military block for special pricing. I noticed that the military discount quote didn't say anything about drinks, wifi & tips being included so I contacted customer service. They informed me that the discounted price excluded those "all inclusive" items.

 

Doing the math in my head based on previous pricing for added perks, the discount had much less value than if you purchased the perks. So the "military discount" in reality was no discount at all. So if you are military or police expecting a discount, think again.

[basenji56]

I guess the positive is that if you are military and don't need or want the extras, you can book without them and not have to pay for them.  Something that is much more difficult for other passengers to do.  But, yes, it is definitely misleading.  

[RickT]

Any time I’ve seen a discounted rate the amount of the discount was a joke… at this time I’m booking with other lines as they are offering more value and choice.  I love Celebrity but am not blindly following them and their AI pricing.

[cruisestitch]

It is not “all inclusive”.  Celebrity uses the similar, but not identical term “always included’

 

of course, that isn’t entirely accurate, since the program is not included on many special rates, such as last minute, some group bookings, casino program bookings and others 

[jelayne]

I was pricing 2 different cruises last week, both with the military discount.

The first was less than 90 days away and the price with the military discount was lower by $700 total, but that was a price without the Always Included.

 

The other cruise was 7 months away and the military discount was $100 pp and the price was with AI.  

[happy cruzer]

We typically put a value on each of the perks based on our needs, not what the cruise line says the value is.  For example, the drink package on Celebrity is good value to us because of the bottled water and coffee in addition to adult beverages.  On other lines that don't include the water and coffee, the drink package has a lower value to us.  So yes, if you are looking a the value, you have to do the math and it may be a bit complicated.  If you are one that likes the convenience and "all inclusive" type experience, then it may be a bit easier to just go cruise lines' promos.

[wrk2cruise]

Bottom line is they are offering the discounts so they have a lower entry point to the market.  However it appears to me that the discount structured in a way to make the AI pricing look very attractive and get you to book that rate anyway.   Simply sail is a joke, might be ok if it wasn't a GTY but to give up the perks and be a GTY it's simply crazy.

[Bigbob7777]

My DW and I only have 1 drink a day and the discount rates work well for us.  

[2chiefs]

1 hour ago, Bigbob7777 said:

My DW and I only have 1 drink a day and the discount rates work well for us.  

I agree with you but they shouldn't say "always included" which can be deceiving. I don't know why they changed their separate pricing. The old pricing for picking the perks you wanted made more sense to me and probably for you since not all cruises are "discounted". They do have some "simply sail" rates which in reality are the inverse of the old pricing but it just makes it that more confusing..

[2chiefs]

3 hours ago, RickT said:

Any time I’ve seen a discounted rate the amount of the discount was a joke… at this time I’m booking with other lines as they are offering more value and choice.  I love Celebrity but am not blindly following them and their AI pricing.

What other lines are you considering?

[Oxo]

21 minutes ago, 2chiefs said:

What other lines are you considering?

MSC, NCL, PRINCESS & RCI.

Checked an X cruise and selected Price with Bev Pkg, WIFI & Grats. When Cabin came up it was GTy. Was told that Gty does not include those 3 perks. Be careful! 

[Dolebludger]

It sounds like Celebrity’s “Always Included” is just a confusing version of the all inclusive options offered by some land resorts. The main thing wrong with it is the misleading name.

[slickpat]

I don't believe that's true. We booked ours with the military discount and it combined. Did you pick a sail away rate?

[Tee & Chilli]

38 minutes ago, slickpat said:

I don't believe that's true. We booked ours with the military discount and it combined. Did you pick a sail away rate?

Is the sail away rate a NCL term?

[slickpat]

3 minutes ago, Tee & Chilli said:

Is the sail away rate a NCL term?

Sure is. I meant to say 'Simply Sail'. 🙂

[Straughn]

The military rates vary. I have received them traveling in a suite with all the suite perks included. I have also seen suite rates, with a military discount, that did not include the suite perks. I think (meaning I could be wrong) that the closer to sail date you book a cruise with a military discount, the less likely it includes the perks. I think this applies across all categories, not just to suites. I have a cruise booked in October, with a military discount, that is AI. It was booked this May, before final payment. 

[Reel Love]

At one time I went to book my brother (Canadian military) to join us on a cruise and checked the "military rate" but the final price was the exact same as when I did a 'dummy' booking without the military rate???  Did both "bookings" again and looked very carefully at each page/step.  End result is that when Celebrity gave the military discount up front, suddenly the Go Better, Go Best (I think that was what it was called a couple of years back) was a charge for the exact same amount as the military discount.  If booked without using the military discount there was no charge for the Go Better, Go Best so end result was the price was the same.  IMHO it was kind of shady how they did this.....if one was not paying attention and wanted the Go Better perks it turned out to be no discount at all

[RickT]

18 hours ago, 2chiefs said:

What other lines are you considering?

My Celebrity cruise in March to New Zealand was cancelled.  With the AI pricing (I had 2 perks on my cancelled sailing) the price went up over $2,000.  I looked at Royal and Princess for 2022 and chose Princess as the price was about the same as my cancelled cruise and also included 3 perks. Princess has a very good product and while I prefer Celebrity there is no way I can justify paying $2,000 for an almost identical itinerary.  

[2chiefs]

13 hours ago, slickpat said:

I don't believe that's true. We booked ours with the military discount and it combined. Did you pick a sail away rate?

It's different every time. No consistency.

I don't believe there are any real discounts and that they just play with the numbers to make it look like discounts. 

[2chiefs]

11 hours ago, Reel Love said:

At one time I went to book my brother (Canadian military) to join us on a cruise and checked the "military rate" but the final price was the exact same as when I did a 'dummy' booking without the military rate???  Did both "bookings" again and looked very carefully at each page/step.  End result is that when Celebrity gave the military discount up front, suddenly the Go Better, Go Best (I think that was what it was called a couple of years back) was a charge for the exact same amount as the military discount.  If booked without using the military discount there was no charge for the Go Better, Go Best so end result was the price was the same.  IMHO it was kind of shady how they did this.....if one was not paying attention and wanted the Go Better perks it turned out to be no discount at all

I think that's what's happening. No discounts at all! Just playing with numbers to lure people into thinking they're getting a deal. They might be better off doing what Viking River Cruises does. Double the price and then then offer BOGO's...  LOL

[sergel02]

This makes me wonder how it works with Perx and ID90. Their prices are around $1500 cheaper depending on sailing but I don’t believe they say if the Always included is actually included. 

[FLCruiser97]

21 hours ago, sergel02 said:

This makes me wonder how it works with Perx and ID90. Their prices are around $1500 cheaper depending on sailing but I don’t believe they say if the Always included is actually included. 

I'm pretty sure that Perx, ID90 and Vacations to go are all cruise only and the AI is extra.

[deliver42]

I've used the military discount and it was $700.00 on the Equinox. It also showed up on our invoice as a legitimate discount.

[Reel Love]

Wow!  That's excellent deliver42!!  😊   If my brother looks at sailing Celebrity with us in the future I will certainly check the military rate again despite my first experience with it. 

Edited July 2, 2021 by Reel Love