Putting down a deposit for 2024 cruise. Bad idea?

[latebuyer]

Is this a bad idea? Its the abc caribbean cruise in jan 24 and i can get a good deal but non refundable deposit. I swore i wouldn’t book this early again and yet here i am again. The deposit seems expensive compared to royal caribbean. I’m not sure if thats because i’m travelling solo. Also is celebrity air any good?

[cruisestitch]

How much is the deposit?

 

what’s the price difference of the cruise if you switch to refundable deposit?

[prmssk]

Even with non-refundable deposits, you don't lose the entire deposit if you need to cancel.  I believe it is only $100 per person that is forfeited (not sure how it works as a solo traveler) and the rest turns in to FCC.  I've also heard of people getting that $100 cancellation fee waived if they want to move to another Celebrity cruise.

 

I have cruises with non-refundable deposits booked into late 2023 and 2024.  I often get better deals by booking far in advance.  I could have booked any of those with a refundable deposit but that seems to be betting against me not going as the higher cruise fare cost for a refundable fare is a loss if I do actually go whereas the smaller cancellation fee per person of a non-refundable fare is only lost in the slight chance I can't go.

[son3cruisers]

Our refundable deposit for our 2024 cruise was only $180 total more then non refundable.Well worth it for us, as I have the option to price adjust if I get a better deal between now and then. 

[latebuyer]

Deposit is 480 cdn so maybe 400 US? I don't know if i'm charged more as solo traveller, you aren't with royal caribbean. Good idea to check cost of refundable deposit.

[Arizona Wildcat]

Celebrity Air is covered by thousands of posts.  They are a consolidator NOT primarily a travel agent.  Thus there are lots of considerations. 

As to booking 2024 now with "non refundable " deposit?  Lots of info needed to make a decision including what countries rules are you booking?  What is difference between a refundable deposit?  Have you called a couple of TAs to see if they have group space that would both be refundable and cheaper?

[RTShaker]

1 hour ago, latebuyer said:

Deposit is 480 cdn so maybe 400 US? I don't know if i'm charged more as solo traveller, you aren't with royal caribbean. Good idea to check cost of refundable deposit.

That's the normal deposit up here per person, solo or  $960 double occupancy.

 

[RTShaker]

1 hour ago, son3cruisers said:

Our refundable deposit for our 2024 cruise was only $180 total more then non refundable.Well worth it for us, as I have the option to price adjust if I get a better deal between now and then. 

The option for price adjustment is not reliant on refundable/non-refundable.

[canderson]

20 minutes ago, RTShaker said:

The option for price adjustment is not reliant on refundable/non-refundable.

While true, the cost may well be.  If to get the newer fare, it is necessary to cancel/rebook for any reason, you have to deduct the deposit from the savings on the new fare to see where you come out.

[latebuyer]

25 minutes ago, RTShaker said:

That's the normal deposit up here per person, solo or  $960 double occupancy.

 

Thanks. Thats good to know. I wasn't familiar with how celebrity worked. Checking on cost of refundable deposit.

[abbydancer2003]

I've found that for what we book, the difference is upward of 300.00 per person.  I usually book the non-refundable because I can save a lot of money and if I ever cancel the non refundable part is 100.00 per person, so I consider it sort of like insurance, ie I'd have to cancel a bunch before what I lose is even close to what I save.

 

I did once lose the 200.00  I had a cruise cancel, moved it to Alaska and then decided I didn't really want Alaska when I found a better Caribbean.  They charged for the second move.  Oh, well, I'm still way ahead on everything else.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

@latebuyer Celebrity cruises of 9 nights of longer require a $450pp USD deposit, sailings of 6-8 nights require a $250pp USD deposit and sailings of 5 nights or less require a $100pp USD deposit.  I believe it's the same tiers/sailing length cutoff for both Royal and Celebrity.  Suites on Celebrity technically require double the double occupancy deposit even if booking solo, but I rarely see that enforced.  Non-Suites only require the deposit for one person (unless in an agency group rate then full  deposit based on double occupancy is required).

 

So $480 CAD sounds about right for a solo on a 9+ night sailing in a non-suite category, as it would have been $450 USD for that booking.

 

Edit - Royals deposits tiers are slightly different 1-5 nights $100pp, 6-9 nights $250pp, and 10+ nights $450pp.  Interesting Celebrity charging more at 9+ nights where Royal is at 10+ nights.  Must have to do with the # of 9+ night sailings Celebrity offer vs Royal

 

Edited May 31, 2022 by AtlantaCruiser72

[latebuyer]

Thanks. Thats good to know the tiers. I’ve booked a 9 day royal caribbean before and that explains the difference.I’m actually thinking this may be a good way to motivate me to save for the cruise. I’ve been spending too much on eating out lately. We’ll see what the price is. Thanks everyone for responding.

[upwarduk]

In UK, deposits are £150p.p and always non refundable.

We have been able to move to another sailing without being charged an admin fee of £75 as we are Elite (Diamond on Royal). However, you can only do this once per booking.

[jesus7]

I am from the UK and paid £150 for my six back to back cruises departing in Asia and ending in Hawaii 2024. I know with other cruise lines I've booked back to back with I've had to pay separate deposits for EACH cruise. So I  always book with celebrity for longer back to back cruises.

[wrk2cruise]

In the US and I suspect all of North America you do have to pay a separate deposit for each cruise of a B2B.....

[terrydtx]

17 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

In the US and I suspect all of North America you do have to pay a separate deposit for each cruise of a B2B.....

We have a 2024 B2B booked for NZ/Australia and we had to pay a separate deposit for both, but we wanted a specific Sky Suite for both which is why we booked early.  With increasing fuel cost world wide I expect prices to keep getting higher, which is another reason to book early.

 

[Barwick Cruiser]

1 hour ago, terrydtx said:

We have a 2024 B2B booked for NZ/Australia and we had to pay a separate deposit for both, but we wanted a specific Sky Suite for both which is why we booked early.  With increasing fuel cost world wide I expect prices to keep getting higher, which is another reason to book early.

 

Same here, booked B2B on Edge for Feb 2024 and booked early because we wanted a real balcony, can’t afford a suite so have a sunset veranda for both legs. Prices have already increased and I imagine they’ll only go up from here. 
 

I did have to place a deposit on each leg. 

Edited May 31, 2022 by Barwick Cruiser

[terrydtx]

4 hours ago, Barwick Cruiser said:

Same here, booked B2B on Edge for Feb 2024 and booked early because we wanted a real balcony, can’t afford a suite so have a sunset veranda for both legs. Prices have already increased and I imagine they’ll only go up from here. 
 

I did have to place a deposit on each leg. 

Did you get any discount for booking the B2B? We got a $100 discount on the 2nd leg but had to ask for it twice.

[sfaaa]

No to NRD. A lot can happen between now and 2024. Too unpredictable.

[Oceansaway17]

while the deposit might be non refundable, I am pretty sure you can move the money to another cruise if you decide against this one.

Might get charged $100 fee unless you can sweet talk them out of it.

[journeymore]

21 hours ago, latebuyer said:

Deposit is 480 cdn so maybe 400 US? I don't know if i'm charged more as solo traveller, you aren't with royal caribbean. Good idea to check cost of refundable deposit.

I’m a solo traveler and that’s about right for the deposit. It should be the same deposit for a refundable deposit. 

[Barwick Cruiser]

1 hour ago, terrydtx said:

Did you get any discount for booking the B2B? We got a $100 discount on the 2nd leg but had to ask for it twice.

Need to check on that, thanks for the reminder! Every bit helps!

[terrydtx]

1 hour ago, journeymore said:

I’m a solo traveler and that’s about right for the deposit. It should be the same deposit for a refundable deposit. 

In the US it is $300pp or $600 for 2. We are booked for next year on Equinox and taking our Granddaughter so the deposit was $900.

[Jim_Iain]

I have a number of cruises also booked for 2024 also.   Yes of course their are risks but they can be mitigate.  As others say you can pay quite a bit more for a non-refundable fare on a Suite can run between 8-12%.   On a New England  Cruise I'm booked on the NRD option is $1,540 for a SS and $3,064 for a Penthouse that's currently available.

 

Whether right or wrong my philosophy is to buy a NRD fare -  The deposit is only $900 and if you opt to cancel or change there is only a penalty fee of $100 pp fee to transfer it to a different a new booking.