Future booked cruises with All Included? Tips no longer included.

[sparkopotamus]

4 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

After reading this you are correct the daily gratuities will no longer be included even for the Retreat. This seems to be outrageous and just another cut or addon cost. At $23pp per person for a suite that adds $552 to the cost of a 12 day cruise. This could be the final straw for many here who are already upset with Celebrity. This is much bigger than cookiegate, at least they are not making it applicable to those like us who already have cruises booked.

I hope you're correct...awaiting a return call from X regarding the $200 increase in my total due when I checked my reservation on-line.  The .pdf I received in July is $200 less than what I see on-line.  Plus they added a Prepaid Tips of $460.00, which I'm unable to delete when I click the trash can icon.  When we booked this we received all four perks (OBC, PBP, tips, and WiFi...we are in an Aqua Sky Suite), plus an additional $200 OBC for being subject to Beyond-gate (the lift-and-shift of Beyond from the Med to the Carib, so now we are Equinox).

[Mark_T]

I guess we have to wait until October 4th to see what happens to the prices...

 

We can probably guess, but will give them the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise...

[Cap_D]

3 hours ago, virginconvert said:

Laura Hodges Bethge is the issue, she must go just like Liz Truss.

No question about it.  Zero attempt to even shore up communications with customers while doing this, and no apparent commitment to the customer experience.  Zero!  A little humility and some assurances would be a great first step.  

Edited August 29, 2023 by Cap_D

[dunedinmaiden]

A day or so ago a Celebrity employee posted that they were leaving the company and that we should too.  I cannot find the post now, but people were doubting the OP regarding additional upcoming cutbacks. Well it’s true!  Gratuities are no longer included within their All Inclusive pricing 😞

Edited August 29, 2023 by dunedinmaiden
Addition

[peterde]

Post was deleted here and on Facebook. A lot of people dismissed it but it obviously was true. 

[Cap_D]

2 hours ago, hankandteri said:

I feel exactly the same way and for exactly the same reasons. The only thing I’m sure of is that we won’t be booking a future cruise on our upcoming sailing. If they fix their broken MDR menus between now and our October trip, I might consider X again, even with all of the other price hike shenanigans. But the dinner offerings I’m seeing on the app right now are inferior to any prior cruise I’ve been on with any line and that makes Celebrity a total non-starter for us going forward at any price.  

The options and quality may be inferior to our local Greek, Italian, and American fast casual restaurants or hotel group catering.  The only difference is the server.   

[carbon]

If you have already booked all inclusive which included tips don't they have to honor that?

[sparkopotamus]

2 minutes ago, carbon said:

If you have already booked all inclusive which included tips don't they have to honor that?

One would think so...still waiting for my call back...

 

[terrydtx]

2 minutes ago, carbon said:

If you have already booked all inclusive which included tips don't they have to honor that?

It clearly states that the new AI will only be for new bookings made after Oct 4th, so any of us already booked will still have the original AI with included tips.

[Jeremiah1212]

There is a TA call this afternoon. It will be interesting to say the least. 

 

They still do not mention group rates which are currently refundable at no extra charge, and the discounted group rate offering which is where the big savings comes in to play. 

 

At current rates for Caribbean 7 day sailings in Retreat on an E Class ship, with the removal of the $600 OBC and grats, you're at effectively at a $922 increase which takes some of those bookings for a S2/S1 Sky Suite at over $11,000 for a 7 day cruise. 

[wrk2cruise]

I have to say this is the way to make changes like this.  Some advance notice so people can still book under the current conditions if they were planning on booking in the short term.   They can change the future booking conditions any way they want.

[terrydtx]

6 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

There is a TA call this afternoon. It will be interesting to say the least. 

 

They still do not mention group rates which are currently refundable at no extra charge, and the discounted group rate offering which is where the big savings comes in to play. 

 

At current rates for Caribbean 7 day sailings in Retreat on an E Class ship, with the removal of the $600 OBC and grats, you're at effectively at a $922 increase which takes some of those bookings for a S2/S1 Sky Suite at over $11,000 for a 7 day cruise. 

No Gratuities and no OBC Celebrity is no longer anything more than RCCL. This discussion is now blowing up all over the other social media site. This is way more than the $2 cookiegate.

[the penguins]

15 minutes ago, dunedinmaiden said:

A day or so ago a Celebrity employee posted that they were leaving the company and that we should too.  I cannot find the post now, but people were doubting the OP regarding additional upcoming cutbacks. Well it’s true!  Gratuities are no longer included within their All Inclusive pricing 😞

You will note that X does not promote this as "All Inclusive" and indeed has never done so. X's heading is correct the offering is "All Included drinks and WiFi"

Now if only X would make the tips part of the basic cost (exactly as they do in Australia/New Zealand) it would all be even simpler.

The new system will make it easier for X to offer discounts as it totally controls drinks and WiFI whereas the tips were a fixed element.

The speculation that X will not reduce "All included"  prices by the cost of the tips is just that "speculation" and if they don't they will rightly face total condemnation.

 

[burrma]

16 minutes ago, Cap_D said:

The options and quality may be inferior to our local Greek, Italian, and American fast casual restaurants or hotel group catering.  The only difference is the server.   

Furious like you all are with elimination of tips plus the huge increase for refundable deposits. Certainly hiking the price of cruises up.  I know Celebrity read these sites but if dissatisfied, you must write cec@celebrity.com. They have been known to change or soften their stand. Glad we are booked already for 2025 with tips, otherwise would look elsewhere but once Celebrity does that, bet other lines will follow suit. Sad for hard working crew.  Where would I read more about major changes to MDR? Saw decreases last Feb. but nothing like on Princess last Dec. Will see what Princess is like when we cruise with them in Sept…and Celebrity in Dec. Jan. Feb. and March. Yes, we love Celebrity but enough is enough!

[ISABELLA]

More people will be booking cruise only.  No way new perks worth $150/pp per day.

 

[terrydtx]

5 minutes ago, ISABELLA said:

More people will be booking cruise only.  No way new perks worth $150/pp per day.

 

Apparently, Aqua Class will now be able to book the cruise only fare, but the Retreat is still only available with the AI less the previously included gratuities and OBC. 

[ohiolovescrusing]

Depends on the pricing of future AI.  Now, I always compare with and w/o AI. And the first thing I do is remove the tips from AI.  Then say is $xx pp pd worth it for WIFI and Drinks?  Compare those numbers, and thoughts from other cruises and lines too.  Then decision. 

[sparkopotamus]

I'm doing exactly that...looking at other cruise lines and entering line by line items such as Gratuities (Covered?  If not how much?), Beverages/Alcohol (Covered?  If not what is the cost of the package?), Extras (Lounge?  Or is it an egalitarian paradigm?), Shorex (covered?  If so are they skimpy and would I want my own shorex anyway?), other perks such as laundry, specialty dining, etc.  I'm starting with pricing for Oceania, Viking, and Regent.

[AtlantaCruiser72]

How is it all inclusive if gratuities are excluded form the pricing ....  This is a bad move considering one of their biggest competitors is Princess which include gratuities in their Plus and Premier packages

[Bejay219]

As Zeniths, who only cruise in Suites (used to be before Zenith Celebrity Suite and above) but recently changed to Sky Suites, what value does being Zenith in Sky Suites have anymore?  Now we have to pay for tips, our Zenith "perks" already included Premium Beverage Package and Internet.  Unless they allow "Cruise only" rates for Suites, the only real benefit to Zenith in a suite is Laundry!  Personally, Zenith isn't worth achieving anymore. 

[barbeyg]

50 minutes ago, sparkopotamus said:

I hope you're correct...awaiting a return call from X regarding the $200 increase in my total due when I checked my reservation on-line.  The .pdf I received in July is $200 less than what I see on-line.  Plus they added a Prepaid Tips of $460.00, which I'm unable to delete when I click the trash can icon.  When we booked this we received all four perks (OBC, PBP, tips, and WiFi...we are in an Aqua Sky Suite), plus an additional $200 OBC for being subject to Beyond-gate (the lift-and-shift of Beyond from the Med to the Carib, so now we are Equinox).

I have the same $200 issue with our cruise next year.  We are currently within the final payment for one cruise, and that pricing hasn't changed, but one further out has.  

[rodndonna]

2 minutes ago, ohiolovescrusing said:

Depends on the pricing of future AI.  Now, I always compare with and w/o AI. And the first thing I do is remove the tips from AI.  Then say is $xx pp pd worth it for WIFI and Drinks?  Compare those numbers, and thoughts from other cruises and lines too.  Then decision. 

 

That's how I see it - not rocket science .. like it has always been and will always be .. you have to do the math. It's not like gratuities were magically "free" before and now they are won't be. Nothing is or will ever be free, just because it is  "included" in the fare.

 

I think they are pricing more like HAL, where their "Have it all" initially varied and had crew appreciation at times, .but now does not, but has  "Crew appreciation"  thrown in as a promo at times (like booking early)

 

 

[mnocket]

29 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

Celebrity is no longer anything more than RCCL

Exactly!  My theory is that that is Royal Caribbean Group is looking to merge their Premium category into their more profitable Mainstream category. 

[sparkopotamus]

4 minutes ago, barbeyg said:

I have the same $200 issue with our cruise next year.  We are currently within the final payment for one cruise, and that pricing hasn't changed, but one further out has.  

I called and was able to get that $200 removed.  Still working through a line-by-line analysis of what I see on-line and what my .pdf in July had.  I am sympathetic to computer glitches but not so much of those that increase my fare, tho if our local bank glitched and there were a few extra zeros in our bank account... 😄

[goofysmom99]

1 minute ago, Bejay219 said:

As Zeniths, who only cruise in Suites (used to be before Zenith Celebrity Suite and above) but recently changed to Sky Suites, what value does being Zenith in Sky Suites have anymore?  Now we have to pay for tips, our Zenith "perks" already included Premium Beverage Package and Internet.  Unless they allow "Cruise only" rates for Suites, the only real benefit to Zenith in a suite is Laundry!  Personally, Zenith isn't worth achieving anymore. 

I don't book suites because of the bathtubs, but if I have to find a silver lining to this latest round of cuts, it's that I can now book cruise-only in Aqua for slightly better food and ambiance than MDR.  Then zenith perks would be a plus. 

 

I'm not holding my breath that X is going to lower fares commensurate with the loss of gratuities and OBC.  Maybe they will for a few weeks initially to appease the faithful.  Long-term?  Not a chance.