Huge deposit ripoff for 2023

[wdblake]

My wife and I tried to book an Apex reservation for 2024. When we got to the deposit they informed us  that if we canceled even before final payment that out of our $500 deposit they would keep $200 and that the remaining $300 would be given as cruise credit. So essentially if you put down a deposit for a Celebrity cruise kiss your deposit goodbye!  We of course did not book!

[Ex-Airbalancer]

1 minute ago, wdblake said:

My wife and I tried to book an Apex reservation for 2024. When we got to the deposit they informed us  that if we canceled even before final payment that out of our $500 deposit they would keep $200 and that the remaining $300 would be given as cruise credit. So essentially if you put down a deposit for a Celebrity cruise kiss your deposit goodbye!  We of course did not book!

 Book with a refundable deposit 

[Jim_Iain]

Really isn't a rip off.   It is a choice our are making for non-refundable fare.   You have a choice of either a Refundable Deposit or a Non-Refundable Deposit (Default).     If you choose the refundable there is an additional fee of between $400 to $2,000.   You choose this on the same screen where you can add the perks, insurance etc.

 

In my opinion I choose the Non-Refundable knowing that if I change or cancel there is a $100 pp administrative fee and you receive a FCC for the remainder.    Since I generally travel in suites it saves me thousands.

 

 

 

 

[RD64]

How is it a rip-off? They are telling you upfront - before you actually pay that it is non-refundable. Nobody is preventing you from booking at a fully refundable - albeit higher fare.

 

From the cruise line view, this prevents people from booking cruises that they have no intention of taking - yet keep a booking until the last possible moment before cancelling without penalty.

 

Look at all the cruise lines that bragged about the huge volume of bookings over Black Friday. Very easy for passengers to book a cruise with a $1 or $25 deposit then cancel at the last minute. For the cruise lines, this just ties up their inventory.  All smoke and mirrors until those $1 deposited cruises translate into fully paid bookings.

 

I don’t doubt that eventually even in North America we will get to the point that a deposit on a cruise - any cruise (my understanding) will be forfeited upon cancellation.

[miched]

Nothing new.   It has been that way for a long time.   

I think  it was implemented because many would book cruises with prime cabin location just to have them and then cancel 

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

[mahdnc]

20 minutes ago, wdblake said:

My wife and I tried to book an Apex reservation for 2024. When we got to the deposit they informed us  that if we canceled even before final payment that out of our $500 deposit they would keep $200 and that the remaining $300 would be given as cruise credit. So essentially if you put down a deposit for a Celebrity cruise kiss your deposit goodbye!  We of course did not book!

 

Sounds like you were doing a nonrefundable deposit booking.  As mentioned earlier, you have the option of booking the same cabin with a refundable deposit.  The tradeoff is that the refundable deposit cruise fare is higher.

[Northern Aurora]

It is clear that our OP was booking a non-refundable deposit.  We generally book with NRD but fully understand Celebrity's cancellation policy.  

[mac_tlc]

Don’t book with their sister line then. You lose the whole $500 for a cancellation. 
 

mac_tlc

[taylortime05]

3 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

Really isn't a rip off.   It is a choice our are making for non-refundable fare.   You have a choice of either a Refundable Deposit or a Non-Refundable Deposit (Default).     If you choose the refundable there is an additional fee of between $400 to $2,000.   You choose this on the same screen where you can add the perks, insurance etc.

 

In my opinion I choose the Non-Refundable knowing that if I change or cancel there is a $100 pp administrative fee and you receive a FCC for the remainder.    Since I generally travel in suites it saves me thousands.

 

 

 

 

I could kick myself for not booking a non-refundable rate for the TA on the Ascent in 2024.  I got a great rate at $9100 for a refundable Aqua Suite in Oct 2024 but I could have gotten a $8000 non-refundable rate.  I booked in Dec the 1st day the cruise opened for booking while onboard the Beyond and chose the non-refundable.  I went back the next day to change it to the non-refundable rate and the price for both refundable and non-refundable had increased almost a 100%.  I was so disappointed. 

[LB_NJ]

5 hours ago, wdblake said:

My wife and I tried to book an Apex reservation for 2024. When we got to the deposit they informed us  that if we canceled even before final payment that out of our $500 deposit they would keep $200 and that the remaining $300 would be given as cruise credit. So essentially if you put down a deposit for a Celebrity cruise kiss your deposit goodbye!  We of course did not book!

There are some cruises where charge $900 non-refundable so $500 is a deal.

 

Non-refundable deposits are going on all over the place.  Hotels, rental car companies are all giving discounts for non-refundable deposits.

 

Personally, I am not sure I would book anything that far in advance given the changes going on with Celebrity and the cruise industry in general..

[upwarduk]

6 hours ago, mac_tlc said:

Don’t book with their sister line then. You lose the whole $500 for a cancellation. 
 

mac_tlc

That has always been the case in UK.

However, our deposits are only £150 p.p.

[Captain-John]

I have paid a $900 (refundable) deposit for a 2024 sailing on Millenium. With the OBC offered and the drinks/wifi/gratuities - the difference in base fare was not significant compared to the non-refundable option but as ever YMMV.

 

As this booking is faciltiated through a US agent, before final payment I could pursue any price adjustments anyway - but the refundable aspect adds another layer of protection if prices change dramatically, and if they go up, I am locked in to my current deal.