10% Celebrity Members Only Bonus

[jcpc]

On 8/2/2021 at 3:04 PM, CyberTag said:

I wouldn’t be surprised if you inquired as to where the OBC is, they say it will be posted once on board.  Don’t understand how they can be so inconsistent in their offerings. 

CyberTag,

 

Just to follow up on this.  I emailed the Best Price Team and they replied that the OBC would be applied onboard by the Guest Relations Department.  Okay, so that's that and I accepted their answer.

 

However, this morning I logged into my reservation and I see where my OBC is now $811 -- $600 from my original booking and now an extra $211 was posted.  Now mind you, the amount of OBC from the 10% reduction was confirmed to be $239.90.  So it appears to me that $211 of this $239.90 was posted to my account.  What happened to the other $28.90?  Who the heck knows????  But I'm not going to waste my time and energy trying to get the additional $28.90.  IF it gets posted to my account then all's well and good.  If it doesn't I'm not going to stress out over it.

 

But I must say Celebrity's "accounting team" is very inconsistent not only with these OBC's but also with refunds.  When all my 2020 cruises got cancelled (and there were many of them) Celebrity "shorted me" $6 in my total refund amount.  OK, so again not going to stress out over $6.  But when my July 4 2021 Summit cruise from New Jersey got cancelled the accounting department gave me $18 too much in refunds.  Crazy.  

[CyberTag]

7 hours ago, jcpc said:

CyberTag,

 

Just to follow up on this.  I emailed the Best Price Team and they replied that the OBC would be applied onboard by the Guest Relations Department.  Okay, so that's that and I accepted their answer.

 

However, this morning I logged into my reservation and I see where my OBC is now $811 -- $600 from my original booking and now an extra $211 was posted.  Now mind you, the amount of OBC from the 10% reduction was confirmed to be $239.90.  So it appears to me that $211 of this $239.90 was posted to my account.  What happened to the other $28.90?  Who the heck knows????  But I'm not going to waste my time and energy trying to get the additional $28.90.  IF it gets posted to my account then all's well and good.  If it doesn't I'm not going to stress out over it.

 

But I must say Celebrity's "accounting team" is very inconsistent not only with these OBC's but also with refunds.  When all my 2020 cruises got cancelled (and there were many of them) Celebrity "shorted me" $6 in my total refund amount.  OK, so again not going to stress out over $6.  But when my July 4 2021 Summit cruise from New Jersey got cancelled the accounting department gave me $18 too much in refunds.  Crazy.  

Thanks for the follow-up.  Crazy math that makes no sense! 

[wrk2cruise]

Yes technically speaking the OBC is placed on your account by the onboard team.   However it can and should be placed on your reservation once the Best price guarantee is processed.    I'd tell them I wanted to make my bookings on Cruise Planner using the OBC.

[jcpc]

1 hour ago, wrk2cruise said:

Yes technically speaking the OBC is placed on your account by the onboard team.   However it can and should be placed on your reservation once the Best price guarantee is processed.    I'd tell them I wanted to make my bookings on Cruise Planner using the OBC.

From my experience, this is easier said than done..  If you read through all of the posts on this subject many people have not had the OBC show up on their reservation.

[Sheltielover73]

Wow.. somethings off. This is the response I just received from my filling out the form to request an adjustment. 

 

"Thank you for your contacting the Best Price Guarantee program. We are pleased to confirm the application of the requested Best Price Guarantee. We note the availability of a lower rate. The total price difference is $2536.00. We have applied an onboard credit in the amount of $2546.00 which is 110% of total the price difference.

 

Please be advised that this onboard credit amount is not refundable if unused. We hope you have a wonderful cruise.

 

Kind regards,

 

Best Price Guarantee Team

Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd"

[Ken the cruiser]

27 minutes ago, Sheltielover73 said:

Wow.. somethings off. This is the response I just received from my filling out the form to request an adjustment. 

 

"Thank you for your contacting the Best Price Guarantee program. We are pleased to confirm the application of the requested Best Price Guarantee. We note the availability of a lower rate. The total price difference is $2536.00. We have applied an onboard credit in the amount of $2546.00 which is 110% of total the price difference.

 

Please be advised that this onboard credit amount is not refundable if unused. We hope you have a wonderful cruise.

 

Kind regards,

 

Best Price Guarantee Team

Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd"

Wow!! As they said, “have a wonderful cruise!!” 😂😂

[graphicguy]

1 hour ago, Sheltielover73 said:

Wow.. somethings off. This is the response I just received from my filling out the form to request an adjustment. 

 

"Thank you for your contacting the Best Price Guarantee program. We are pleased to confirm the application of the requested Best Price Guarantee. We note the availability of a lower rate. The total price difference is $2536.00. We have applied an onboard credit in the amount of $2546.00 which is 110% of total the price difference.

 

Please be advised that this onboard credit amount is not refundable if unused. We hope you have a wonderful cruise.

 

Kind regards,

 

Best Price Guarantee Team

Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd"

That's great!  You're going to have lots of fun!!!!  Congrats!

[graphicguy]

I got the Royal shaft on this one.  I submitted the form to get the 10% Captain's Club credit for my sailing this coming Saturday on the Edge in the Caribbean.  Made the reservation on July 26th, so my fare was non-refundable.  Therefore, my deposit (which was my entire fare) was non-refundable.  All check boxes were checked.  They denied my request for the 10% credit stating my deposit/fare was refundable.  Obviously it wasn't.

 

My TA says there's nothing they can do.

 

Pretty shady business on this one. 

[RichYak]

1 hour ago, Sheltielover73 said:

Wow.. somethings off. This is the response I just received from my filling out the form to request an adjustment. 

 

"Thank you for your contacting the Best Price Guarantee program. We are pleased to confirm the application of the requested Best Price Guarantee. We note the availability of a lower rate. The total price difference is $2536.00. We have applied an onboard credit in the amount of $2546.00 which is 110% of total the price difference.

 

Please be advised that this onboard credit amount is not refundable if unused. We hope you have a wonderful cruise.

 

Kind regards,

 

Best Price Guarantee Team

Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd"

You would think that the "Best Price Guarantee Team" would be a little better at math.

[Jeremiah1212]

31 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

I got the Royal shaft on this one.  I submitted the form to get the 10% Captain's Club credit for my sailing this coming Saturday on the Edge in the Caribbean.  Made the reservation on July 26th, so my fare was non-refundable.  Therefore, my deposit (which was my entire fare) was non-refundable.  All check boxes were checked.  They denied my request for the 10% credit stating my deposit/fare was refundable.  Obviously it wasn't.

 

My TA says there's nothing they can do.

 

Pretty shady business on this one. 

 

Your TA needs to escalate that one. That is not correct at all.

Have them price a suite within final payment without your CC#. Then go in and add it in. What happens? 10% off. It even does it on the Celebrity website. 

[graphicguy]

1 minute ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

Your TA needs to escalate that one. That is not correct at all.

Have them price a suite within final payment without your CC#. Then go in and add it in. What happens? 10% off. It even does it on the Celebrity website. 

Thanks.  Will do that.  I like my TA.  Been with them/her for a while.  On this one, I think they made some sort of error.  Not knowing what it is, she said my fare/deposit was booked as refundable.  But, that's impossible, given it was booked so close to the sail date.

 

Celebrity keeps kicking it back to the TA, stating they can file an exception.  TA says Celebrity is telling them I don't qualify.

 

Something a little "kludgy" going on, though.

[Jeremiah1212]

1 minute ago, graphicguy said:

Thanks.  Will do that.  I like my TA.  Been with them/her for a while.  On this one, I think they made some sort of error.  Not knowing what it is, she said my fare/deposit was booked as refundable.  But, that's impossible, given it was booked so close to the sail date.

 

Celebrity keeps kicking it back to the TA, stating they can file an exception.  TA says Celebrity is telling them I don't qualify.

 

Something a little "kludgy" going on, though.

 

Was it a group rate? Those are few and far between right now, especially on a suite, but that's the only other plausible explanation. 

[wrk2cruise]

2 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

 

Your TA needs to escalate that one. That is not correct at all.

Have them price a suite within final payment without your CC#. Then go in and add it in. What happens? 10% off. It even does it on the Celebrity website. 

 

I looked at this one when he submitted.  He is booked with the SINGLE RATE.  There was no non-refundable deposit fare available so if you put in the CC # there was no reduction in fare.  

 

[wrk2cruise]

He is booked on the 8/14 Edge sailing.   I've not found a rate other than refundable on the Celebrity site even for double occupancy for a Sky Suite.   We are talking rate type, not that it's actually refundable or not as you are past final payment.   Unfortunately I think Celebrity is going to hold firm unless you can find a bookable fare where the promo can be combined.

[graphicguy]

4 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

He is booked on the 8/14 Edge sailing.   I've not found a rate other than refundable on the Celebrity site even for double occupancy for a Sky Suite.   We are talking rate type, not that it's actually refundable or not as you are past final payment.   Unfortunately I think Celebrity is going to hold firm unless you can find a bookable fare where the promo can be combined.

Appreciate the insight, but what they're advertising is it beeping applicable to non-refundable rates.  That's what mine is.  Sounds like they're playing a shell game with what they call refundable and non-refundable. I don't know how else you can define those two terms other than what they are.

 

Again, not taking this out on anyone here.  Again, I appreciate everyone's input...especially those more knowledgeable than me (which means, EVERYONE).  But, not seeing how this can be defined as anything but an advertising untruth.

[wrk2cruise]

I know you aren't taking it out on anybody here and you do have a logical argument.   When your TA runs into the brick wall which it seems they already have I hope they have a way to send the objection through their sales channels.

 

Since I believe you can articulate your logic in a non confrontational way you could always send an email to CelebrityOneTouch@celebrity.com which is read by the high level customer service team.  I have used this at times where I have exhausted all other channels.

[Sheltielover73]

1 hour ago, RichYak said:

You would think that the "Best Price Guarantee Team" would be a little better at math.

me too!!!! If this truly is what they give me I'll say something so they correct it. 

[wrk2cruise]

Just now, Sheltielover73 said:

me too!!!! If this truly is what they give me I'll say something so they correct it. 

 

Unfortunately there are 2 programs with the same name.  The original one which allows you protection from a price drop within I think 48 hrs of booking which will give 110% of the difference and the one offered under Cruise with Confidence which is only 100% of the difference as OBC after final payment.

[RichYak]

25 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

Unfortunately there are 2 programs with the same name.  The original one which allows you protection from a price drop within I think 48 hrs of booking which will give 110% of the difference and the one offered under Cruise with Confidence which is only 100% of the difference as OBC after final payment.

And $2546.00 is neither 110% nor 100% of $2536.00. 😂

[Sheltielover73]

6 minutes ago, RichYak said:

And $2546.00 is neither 110% nor 100% of $2536.00. 😂

haha. exactly! what the heck! 

[graphicguy]

1 hour ago, wrk2cruise said:

I know you aren't taking it out on anybody here and you do have a logical argument.   When your TA runs into the brick wall which it seems they already have I hope they have a way to send the objection through their sales channels.

 

Since I believe you can articulate your logic in a non confrontational way you could always send an email to CelebrityOneTouch@celebrity.com which is read by the high level customer service team.  I have used this at times where I have exhausted all other channels.

Thanks…will do.  Just spent an hour on the phone with Celebrity.  We went through each promotional qualifiers line by line.  At the end, I asked if I qualified.  She said it appeared that I did.  But, she wasn’t in a position to do anything about it and that I should take it up with my TA, who already said I don’t qualify.

 

I’ll contact Celebrity One Touch.

 

Thanks, again!

[wrk2cruise]

This is the condition which is not met.  "Offer is combinable with non-refundable fares only.".  I'm surprised the Celebrity.   Your fare is a "refundable fare" even though you are in the penalty period.   We are talking fare categories here not the fact that your fare isn't refundable as you are in the penalty.

 

I'm really surprised the Celebrity rep didn't understand.  But as I said you have a logical argument and it would at least be worth enlightening the higher ups of the inconsistency.   IE why don't all fares get re-classified at final payment date since the deposit is no longer refundable??

[Ken the cruiser]

50 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

This is the condition which is not met.  "Offer is combinable with non-refundable fares only.".  I'm surprised the Celebrity.   Your fare is a "refundable fare" even though you are in the penalty period.   We are talking fare categories here not the fact that your fare isn't refundable as you are in the penalty.

 

I'm really surprised the Celebrity rep didn't understand.  But as I said you have a logical argument and it would at least be worth enlightening the higher ups of the inconsistency.   IE why don't all fares get re-classified at final payment date since the deposit is no longer refundable??

I can’t seem to find the 10% sale on the X website for some reason to verify in the T&C that solo travelers are exempt from the promotion, probably because they are already getting a great deal. Is this not the case or am I remembering another recent promotion where solo passengers were exempt?

 

Update: see post #75

Edited August 10, 2021 by Ken the cruiser

[CyberTag]

9 hours ago, Sheltielover73 said:

Wow.. somethings off. This is the response I just received from my filling out the form to request an adjustment. 

 

"Thank you for your contacting the Best Price Guarantee program. We are pleased to confirm the application of the requested Best Price Guarantee. We note the availability of a lower rate. The total price difference is $2536.00. We have applied an onboard credit in the amount of $2546.00 which is 110% of total the price difference.

 

Please be advised that this onboard credit amount is not refundable if unused. We hope you have a wonderful cruise.

 

Kind regards,

 

Best Price Guarantee Team

Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd"

Are you in a suite?  Any idea how they came up with this amount? Is it actually showing up in your accounts? 

[wrk2cruise]

56 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

I can’t seem to find the 10% sale on the X website for some reason to verify in the T&C that solo travelers are exempt from the promotion, probably because they are already getting a great deal. Is this not the case or am I remembering another recent promotion where solo passengers were exempt?

 

Update: see post #75

 

www.celebritycruises.com%2fcaptains-club%2fexclusive-offers%2foffer-details

 

I think it might have been the double point offer which excludes solo passengers as they get double points normally.

Edited August 10, 2021 by wrk2cruise