Hoping for help making a decision on when to book next cruise

[StellaTN]

Hoping this smart group can share their wisdom regarding Celebrity's current sale.

 

We are planning to book a Celebrity Ascent cruise for 2025 while aboard our upcoming Beyond cruise that starts March 19, 2023 (in 7 weeks)!

We've booked with Next Cruise before while on board, and appreciated the extra 200 OBC and $200 deposit.

 

I'm wondering though about this current sale - the prices for the Ascent are ok, about on par with the very good rates we got for our 2021 Apex and upcoming 2022 Beyond cruise (around $520/day for SV & All Included). Its the current $250 OBC I am wondering about. I am wondering if folks think that might still be available come March 19 - or if the sale will truly end before then (it seems like they never end!).

If we wait, and the $250 OBC is still around come March - we'd get an extra $200 on top of that for booking with Next Cruise while on board. But it could get worse. 

 

I know you guys don't have crystal balls, but you do have a ton more experience at seeing how these things cycle 🙂 

Opinions?

1. Book now for $500 deposit and $250 OBC, or

2. Wait 7 weeks till onboard and get $200 deposit and maybe $450 OBC (or maybe get less!)

(I do also have an AMEX offer right now to spend $500 with Celebrity and get a $175 credit, so the deposit now would actually only cost me $325! But I can take advantage of that regardless of which option we go with)

 

Thanks!
StellaTN

[mrgabriel]

I have no inside knowledge but my husband and I have a question we ask each other when we’re trying to make money decisions. If we (HE) would feel sick over missing out on a future discount then we wait. He we (HE) would feel sick if we didn’t book and the price went up, we book. 
 

Not science - just weighing the pros and cons and making a conscious decision so we don’t second guess ourselves in the future. 

[StellaTN]

The other thing I cant get my head around is why the Ascent and Beyond are so much cheaper in Spring 2025 compared to the older ships. Really want to try out the Reflection in Feb 2025 for an ABC islands cruise in the Caribbean, but that one is coming in at about $635/night compared to the $520/night on Ascent (both for SV, AI). Doesn't make any sense does it?

[Georgia_Peaches]

First, I never book directly with celebrity. We use a TA who offers significant OBC that is always coupled with whatever Celebrity is offering. Our upcoming cruise on Solstice netted $625 from our TA and $600 from Celebrity. Our 2024 cruise on Connie will net us $775 from our TA and $600 plus a bonus $600 from Celebrity. If you prefer booking direct with Celebrity you can always transfer your booking to a TA and collect their perks as well. Plenty of online TA’s out there. 
 

As for the current special being around in 7 weeks, like you said, who knows?  But I’ve noticed that the current trend by Celebrity is to have some sort of OBC on offer. So maybe a different amount, but still something. 
 

Just wondering if the Reflection ABC island cruise  you’re looking at is longer. When we did this it was 9 nights so a little more expensive than the 7 night cruises. 

Edited January 30, 2023 by Georgia_Peaches

[cw2go]

8 hours ago, StellaTN said:

The other thing I cant get my head around is why the Ascent and Beyond are so much cheaper in Spring 2025 compared to the older ships. Really want to try out the Reflection in Feb 2025 for an ABC islands cruise in the Caribbean, but that one is coming in at about $635/night compared to the $520/night on Ascent (both for SV, AI). Doesn't make any sense does it?

 

The ABC's are typically more pricey in the Caribbean. I have one booked for Feb 2025 on Reflections and paid about $414 per night but that is for an aft balcony no perks rate. 

 

Some cruise prices are driven by ship and some by ports. In this case The ABC's are the hook. 

Patty 

[cw2go]

11 hours ago, mrgabriel said:

I have no inside knowledge but my husband and I have a question we ask each other when we’re trying to make money decisions. If we (HE) would feel sick over missing out on a future discount then we wait. He we (HE) would feel sick if we didn’t book and the price went up, we book. 

 

Love this process! 

 

I usually lock down what I want and find the discounts as I go, Celebrity always fluctuates so much that I never know how much I'll save but in the end, I never pay more 🤑

 

Patty 

[StellaTN]

2 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

First, I never book directly with celebrity. We use a TA who offers significant OBC that is always coupled with whatever Celebrity is offering. Our upcoming cruise on Solstice netted $625 from our TA and $600 from Celebrity. Our 2024 cruise on Connie will net us $775 from our TA and $600 plus a bonus $600 from Celebrity. If you prefer booking direct with Celebrity you can always transfer your booking to a TA and collect their perks as well. Plenty of online TA’s out there. 
 

As for the current special being around in 7 weeks, like you said, who knows?  But I’ve noticed that the current trend by Celebrity is to have some sort of OBC on offer. So maybe a different amount, but still something. 
 

Just wondering if the Reflection ABC island cruise  you’re looking at is longer. When we did this it was 9 nights so a little more expensive than the 7 night cruises. 

 

Thank you! Yes, the Reflection was 8 day vs the Ascent 7 day - but the price per day was very different. Really not liking the iteneraries they put up for the new Ascent ship!

 

Roger that, on using a TA. We do too, and the Future Cruise desk transfers the booking to our TA, but we still get that extra OBC offered onboard for booking while sailing.