Currently on the Edge in the Retreat and being told we do not have a drinks package?

[Dolebludger]

I have read this whole thread, and it has scared the hell out of me. You see, we are fans of everything being included on a cruise (except excursions) and that is why we liked our two Celebrity suite cruises. What we are not fans of is having to interpret a bunch of confusing codes. On our cruises in suites, tips, WiFi, and drinks all over the ship were included. Actually, we took most drinks in Michaels (now Retreat lounge) except for my wife’s like of the martini bar. In any event, we don’t want to interpret a bunch of codes and fine print to ensure we will get what we thought. I have a good TA, and I think we will tell him what we want and leave details up to him.

Edited February 21, 2022 by Dolebludger

[PinkSandGirl]

17 minutes ago, Dolebludger said:

In any event, we don’t want to interpret a bunch of codes and fine print to ensure we will get what we thought. 

Hi!  Here is one of my suite bookings.  This reservation was made Nov '21.   It shows RETREAT under Booking Charges.  It then lists every perk that is included with a price but then another line under it that 'cancels' the price because it is an included perk.  This is on a Celebrity Booking Confirmation.  You have a Celebrity Booking Confirmation even with booking with a travel agent.   If they haven't sent it to you, just ask for one.  

 

Further down in a separate area, it shows the OBC per guest with a Column for each guest.

 

🍹

 

 

Edited February 21, 2022 by PinkSandGirl

[Ferry_Watcher]

11 minutes ago, Dolebludger said:

I have read this whole thread, and it has scared the hell out of me.

Me too!

I took the advice offered by folks and called Celebrity and received a printout of my perks.  I found out that one of my cruises' deposits was non-refundable (surprised me), but it looks like for both of my cruises we have all the usual perks.

 

[Dolebludger]

Yes, I do not understand the booking receipt two posts above, and I have a Juris Doctor degree! I don’t want to have to retain a younger attorney to interpret this coded info, if even he/she would know. 
 

I think that where Celebrity has gone off the tracks is offering suite accommodations that do not include everything possible, regardless of what other discounts are claimed. No wonder someone booking direst is confused about what they have bought. What about a simple booking confirmation stating in plain English (or whatever language the booking guests speaks) a list of perks included and a list of those not? The offering of “deals”— some of which combine while most apparently don’t — is in no way transparent on Celebrity’s site. 

[Gracie115]

8 hours ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

The rate code on your invoice will hold the answer. It’s the second line below Cruise Fare.

 

So if the 2nd line below Cruise Fare states "RETREAT"  and the amount is ".00"  does that mean you don't have the A1?

[Northern Aurora]

I just skimmed this thread.  Has our OP reported back on the situation or did I miss a post from Frank?  If he hasn't already done so I hope he provides an update.

[Gracie115]

3 hours ago, gold1953 said:

I have both military and all included on mine

Yes, same here

[CHEZMARYLOU]

8 minutes ago, Northern Aurora said:

I just skimmed this thread.  Has our OP reported back on the situation or did I miss a post from Frank?  If he hasn't already done so I hope he provides an update.

Not that I've seen.  

[wrk2cruise]

26 minutes ago, Gracie115 said:

 

So if the 2nd line below Cruise Fare states "RETREAT"  and the amount is ".00"  does that mean you don't have the A1?

 

No the fact that RETREAT is listed with .00 means YOU DO HAVE AI.  Retreat or Reteat NRD may also be listed under Promotions further down.  This is generally all that is on the invoice (except OBC listed) right after booking. 

 

It may take a week to 10 days for the invoice to be updated with the other codes under Cruise Fare for the bev package, gratuities, and internet.

Edited February 22, 2022 by wrk2cruise

[PinkSandGirl]

22 minutes ago, Dolebludger said:

Yes, I do not understand the booking receipt two posts above, 

Celebrity unfortunately doesn't have a key to their booking codes (for us to see) but you start figuring out what they are.  😆

 

This is how I interpret them and so far it seems accurate. 😉

 

> Gratuities are charged for $171.00

> TCJ6 - GRAT DLX 9N:  takes off the Gratuities -$171.00 because it's included.  (9N stands for a 9-night cruise)

 

> TC08 - BEVPRINGRAT9 $621.00 (Premium Beverage Package Including Gratuities for Beverage Package)

> TC07 - PROMO2P 9N -$621.00 (Because of the amount, it's the Beverage package. How you would know that by the code???  A promo for 2 people for a 9-night cruise and since the amount is the same as the Premium Beverage Package, then it's that).

 

>YVY6 - INTERNETCHG $199.00 (That one is easy, the internet)

> YVY7 - INTERNETSAV -$199.00 (Internet is included)

 

*** Onboard Credit is in a separate section so be sure that matches to what you are supposed to be getting. ***

 

I agree, it should be clearly written and decoding not necessary.  😉

 

🍹

 

Here's another screenshot with the amounts to show it better.  

 

[jelayne]

40 minutes ago, Dolebludger said:

Yes, I do not understand the booking receipt two posts above, and I have a Juris Doctor degree! I don’t want to have to retain a younger attorney to interpret this coded info, if even he/she would know. 
 

I think that where Celebrity has gone off the tracks is offering suite accommodations that do not include everything possible, regardless of what other discounts are claimed. No wonder someone booking direst is confused about what they have bought. What about a simple booking confirmation stating in plain English (or whatever language the booking guests speaks) a list of perks included and a list of those not? The offering of “deals”— some of which combine while most apparently don’t — is in no way transparent on Celebrity’s site. 

If you are booking direct on the website and book a suite with the perks this is the screen you see before moving to the payment screen.  It is pretty clear.
 

if

[Dolebludger]

From the posts above, the confusion is proven. We are not experts in Celebrity codes, nor should we need to be.I showed the summary in post #102 above to my wife. She is a retired postmaster used to much “gobeldygook” and she can’t understand it either. If a retired attorney and a retired postmaster cannot figure this stuff out, it is not befitting to send to lux cruisers, which Retreat guests are.

[LGW59]

1 hour ago, Dolebludger said:

Yes, I do not understand the booking receipt two posts above, and I have a Juris Doctor degree! I don’t want to have to retain a younger attorney to interpret this coded info, if even he/she would know. 
 

I think that where Celebrity has gone off the tracks is offering suite accommodations that do not include everything possible, regardless of what other discounts are claimed. No wonder someone booking direst is confused about what they have bought. What about a simple booking confirmation stating in plain English (or whatever language the booking guests speaks) a list of perks included and a list of those not? The offering of “deals”— some of which combine while most apparently don’t — is in no way transparent on Celebrity’s site. 

What does having a Juris Doctor degree have to do with this!  I don’t have one though I’ve always understood my invoices as I have it emailed to me while still on the call with celebrity.  If you need a younger attorney to interpret for you…

[Dolebludger]

What it does have to do with this thread is that Celebrity’s booking receipts are not understandable to one of my background, nor to one who was a postmaster? And the info on the site is also confusing. People who book in the Retreat are wanting a simple statement of what is included and what is not — at all points of the booking process. As per a post above, one must learn Celebrity’s codes. This should not be the case. 
 

Don;t get me wrong. I have loved the onboard experience in Celebrity suites/Retreat. A better deal than Regent! What I don’t like is misleading deals.There has been disagreement on this thread as to what the codes mean. There has been disagreement as to what certain discounts (military, CC) remove perks. There is a real lack of transparency here at the booking stage, and that is bad.

 

This won’t deter me from booking in a Celebrity suite in the future. I will just email my TA telling him what I want. I will pay the price if I like it. And from experience, I think he will get it right.

Edited February 22, 2022 by Dolebludger

[hiccups]

1 hour ago, Dolebludger said:

From the posts above, the confusion is proven. We are not experts in Celebrity codes, nor should we need to be.I showed the summary in post #102 above to my wife. She is a retired postmaster used to much “gobeldygook” and she can’t understand it either. If a retired attorney and a retired postmaster cannot figure this stuff out, it is not befitting to send to lux cruisers, which Retreat guests are.

If you book online, you'll see what's shown in Post 111, which IMO is pretty clear.  If you use a TA, then you may not even see all the codes.  My TA's statement has the perks listed, no codes.

[Straughn]

I think this thread goes to the importance of working with a knowledgeable (about Celebrity) travel agent. Most TA’s can book whatever cruise line you want, but may not know the intricacies of how that  cruise line works. 
 

For many years, I was in the group of those who felt booking directly with the cruise line was the way to go. I had total control of my booking and could deal directly with the cruise line on any issues. 
 

I now have a very experienced travel agent, who used to work in the RCCL reservations department. She knows the questions to ask, gets explanations on anything she doesn’t understand on the booking invoice before she sends it to me.
 

I recently booked a last minute cruise in a Sky suite on Edge. I chose my cabin- so not a guarantee. The solo price was too good to be true. I figured it did not include  perks as I didn’t see them listed. I said this to my TA. She said look at the bottom of the invoice. There was some new code, for whatever last minute (unadvertised) deal I got, that included the perks. It was on the invoice at the very bottom and was literally a bunch of letters and numbers. No mention of Retreat, AI, OBC, or any other recognizable code. I would never have figured it out. She knew what to look for and what to ask.

 

The other thing to look for is on your Express boarding pass. If you have a drink package, it should show PALL or CALL. That also appears on your Seapass card.
 

My point being is that many cruisers, and I think this thread proves it, don’t know the questions to ask. What the promo advertises  and what actually gets booked are often apples and oranges.   
 

And,  btw, I have always gotten AI when I booked using the military discount. 

Edited February 22, 2022 by Straughn

[PinkSandGirl]

14 minutes ago, Straughn said:

My point being is that many cruisers, and I think this thread proves it, don’t know the questions to ask. What the promo advertises  and what actually gets booked are often apples and oranges.   

Whoever I book with, Celebrity or a travel agent,  I always get confirmations and ask them to go over everything that's included and pricing and then make sure it's in writing and accurate.    If it is not, I make sure I get it in writing to be correct as soon as possible. 

 

When booking with a travel agent, their confirmations are usually different than Celebrity's so I always make sure they are both accurate and match up.

 

I ask so many questions to confirm accuracy, write it all down, keep records of it all, take screenshots... you name it. 😉

 

🍹

[LGW59]

1 hour ago, Dolebludger said:

What it does have to do with this thread is that Celebrity’s booking receipts are not understandable to one of my background, nor to one who was a postmaster? And the info on the site is also confusing. People who book in the Retreat are wanting a simple statement of what is included and what is not — at all points of the booking process. As per a post above, one must learn Celebrity’s codes. This should not be the case. 
 

Don;t get me wrong. I have loved the onboard experience in Celebrity suites/Retreat. A better deal than Regent! What I don’t like is misleading deals.There has been disagreement on this thread as to what the codes mean. There has been disagreement as to what certain discounts (military, CC) remove perks. There is a real lack of transparency here at the booking stage, and that is bad.

 

This won’t deter me from booking in a Celebrity suite in the future. I will just email my TA telling him what I want. I will pay the price if I like it. And from experience, I think he will get it right.

My confirmations have always been clear and understandable.  As to “one of my background” I’m glad you are not my attorney.

[Dolebludger]

I’m glad I am not, also. I have run “Celebrity coding” by other people since this debate began. Nobody understood it, including our local DA. But as said above, use a TA with knowledge of this situation. And again, I really like Celebrity cruises in suite/Retreat. I like it for value, content, and the fact that I can wear good jeans at dinner!  We Coloradans appreciate that!  So my next cruise will almost certainly be in Celebrity Retreat, booked through my TA.

[hiccups]

I personally don’t think “GRAT,” “BEV” and “INTERNET” are hard to understand, especially when the charges and credits are equal.  But everyone should do as PinkSandGirl suggests—verify with copies and/or screenshots.

[terrydtx]

I agree with using an experienced TA, we have one we have used for 15 years, and so do most of my family and friends. I have booked thousands of $ of cruises with her including a group cruise for 28 people back in 2015, which went off without one hitch. I also have no problems reading the Celebrity booking codes on their invoices, you do not have to be a lawyer or rocket scientist to understand them. Even with my experienced TA, I still check and double check everything including all invoices and any problems are taken care of quickly. I use an independent TA because she doesn't work for a cruise line but works and represents me, I also have her cell phone number and can reach her almost 24/7, I have had her even book travel for us over weekends.

[graphicguy]

The coding is something that is used throughout the cruise lines.  It’s not just Celebrity that uses codes for different booking classes and/or perks.

 

Bottom line, if you book through the Celebrity WEB site…yes, request an invoice from them from your booking.  If you booked through a Celebrity PCC, have them walk you through what is/isn’t included (they should have done this when you booked).  If you use a TA, ask him/her to provide an invoice, which shows what you do/don’t have included (mine ALWAYS sends an invoice).

 

You should get an invoice/receipt regardless of who you booked through.  Personally, if I dropped several hundred or thousand dollars on anything, I’d want a receipt and invoice.

[Tyler414]

3 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

I agree with using an experienced TA, we have one we have used for 15 years, and so do most of my family and friends. I have booked thousands of $ of cruises with her including a group cruise for 28 people back in 2015, which went off without one hitch. I also have no problems reading the Celebrity booking codes on their invoices, you do not have to be a lawyer or rocket scientist to understand them. Even with my experienced TA, I still check and double check everything including all invoices and any problems are taken care of quickly. I use an independent TA because she doesn't work for a cruise line but works and represents me, I also have her cell phone number and can reach her almost 24/7, I have had her even book travel for us over weekends.

YVY6 - INTERNETCHG $199.00 (That one is easy, the internet)

> YVY7 - INTERNETSAV -$199.00 (Internet is included)

 

I have these same codes for internet for an upcoming cruise.  This was booked before the "all included"  I do not recall what it stated when I booked, but maybe "unlimited" 

They no longer have "unlimited" so I'm trying to find out if I will be getting "surf" or "stream."

Thanks for any help on this.

[kirtihk]

23 hours ago, FrankJ02 said:

My wife and I are currently on the Edge in a Sky Suite and have been told that we do not have a drinks package included due to having some sort of discount. At no time were we informed that we needed to purchase a drinks package. All the advertising led us to believe we were covered with the "Always included" for drinks and wifi. Does this sound correct? 

 

Has anyone else run in to this situation?

If you bought the base price, nothing is included even in a Sky Suite.  The net level price for the Sky Suite (with Premium beverage package, upgraded Wi-Fi, included gratuities, and $400 OBC pp) is typically $400-500 more pp.

[terrydtx]

3 minutes ago, Tyler414 said:

YVY6 - INTERNETCHG $199.00 (That one is easy, the internet)

> YVY7 - INTERNETSAV -$199.00 (Internet is included)

 

I have these same codes for internet for an upcoming cruise.  This was booked before the "all included"  I do not recall what it stated when I booked, but maybe "unlimited" 

They no longer have "unlimited" so I'm trying to find out if I will be getting "surf" or "stream."

Thanks for any help on this.

This is the code for our Stream internet on the Reflection in August, we are booked in a Sky Suite for 10 nights and it is for $29.90 per day per person or $299 per person. total.

YVY9-INTERNETSAV1 -$299

 

Looking at your codes you have the surf package, but you need to check with whoever you used to book originally.