Celebrity Cruises' "Best Price Guarantee" is a lie.

[RomanH]

I booked my first cruise with Celebrity a few weeks ago, over the phone. The agent assured me there was a Best Price Guarantee, so if the price dropped before I made the final payment I'd get the lower price.

 

On a sale starting yesterday, the price on my cruises dropped $90 per person. I called and after an hour on hold was told first by a regular agent and then by a supervisor that this new low price was an "Exciting Deal" -- a specific category of Celebrity offers -- only available to new bookings and the Best Price Guarantee doesn't apply to them.

I said I don't care what you call it, you're advertising a lower price while your guarantee says "you will enjoy the lowest advertised rate on your cruise fare...."

The agent repeated that the "guarantee" doesn't apply to "Exciting Deals."

 

I asked why it's not more widely known that their "guarantee" is a lie and she said "Exciting Deals" don't come up very often so people just don't know.

 

I was unlucky, I guess. I told her at the very least I'd spread the word. Buyer beware, this is a guarantee that doesn't guarantee anything.

[lv2cruisgrl]

"If your booking meets certain requirements "  is how they get around that.  Sorry but this is nothing new. However a good reminder to everyone, some things aren't always what they seem!

[RomanH]

Thank you for that. Yes, that's what I figured. But in this case, the "certain requirement" for your booking is that you didn't actually book. "We'll give you the new lower price provided you didn't actually book with the old higher price." Which, I don't know, isn't a great guarantee?

[MISTER 67]

We get 2 or 3 emails a day from Celebrity with all kinds of sales but bottom line when I look up fares on specific cruises the fares are always the same, it’s all a bunch of bull feathers.

[poeticlicensed]

So does the best price guarantee only hold if you call and tell them you saw your cruise at a lower price? 

[wrk2cruise]

I assume if you cancelled and made a new booking your NRD penalty would have eaten the $90 difference?

 

I thought Exciting deals were always for sailings within the 90 day final payment window.  Has that changed?

 

[RomanH]

"I assume if you cancelled and made a new booking your NRD penalty would have eaten the $90 difference?"

 

Right. The agent said to go with a refundable deposit next time & cancel. Except the extra cost I would have paid is more than I would have saved here.

 

"I thought Exciting deals were always for sailings within the 90 day final payment window.  Has that changed?"

 

This cruise is something like 100 days away, and I still haven't made the final payment (because that means any further reductions in price would get me credit instead of cash).

 

[RomanH]

"So does the best price guarantee only hold if you call and tell them you saw your cruise at a lower price?"

 

No, all this was on the phone (with a wait time of 45 minutes to an hour). Celebrity's official position is that some sales simply aren't covered by the guarantee .. which is why I can call the "guarantee" a lie & be reasonably certain they won't sue me. I spoke to a SUPERVISOR for over half an hour and am still paying more than the currently advertised rate.

Edited September 1, 2023 by RomanH

[Jeremiah1212]

The explanation may not have been great but the key point for Exciting Deals is the price applies only to new bookings. Gotta read the fine print. 
 

*Offer applies to new individual bookings and to staterooms in non-contracted group bookings, which must be named and deposited during the Offer Period. Offer is capacity controlled, availability varies by sailing, and eligible staterooms may sell out. 

[Dolebludger]

I used to get at least two emails a day from Celebrity. After reading this forum, I hit “unsubscribe”. The language “providing YOUR booking meets certain requirements” clearly refers to Your booking — not the advertised booking.

[RomanH]

"the key point for Exciting Deals is the price applies only to new bookings"

That's absolutely right. But nowhere in the "guarantee" do they mention there's a whole category of prices it doesn't apply to. And what kind of guarantee is that when they can just call something an "Exciting Deal" & the guarantee goes out the window?

 

Like I say elsewhere, the "certain requirements" my booking must meet is that I didn't actuslly make a booking.

Edited September 1, 2023 by RomanH

[the penguins]

59 minutes ago, RomanH said:

I booked my first cruise with Celebrity a few weeks ago, over the phone. The agent assured me there was a Best Price Guarantee, so if the price dropped before I made the final payment I'd get the lower price.

 

On a sale starting yesterday, the price on my cruises dropped $90 per person. I called and after an hour on hold was told first by a regular agent and then by a supervisor that this new low price was an "Exciting Deal" -- a specific category of Celebrity offers -- only available to new bookings and the Best Price Guarantee doesn't apply to them.

I said I don't care what you call it, you're advertising a lower price while your guarantee says "you will enjoy the lowest advertised rate on your cruise fare...."

The agent repeated that the "guarantee" doesn't apply to "Exciting Deals."

 

I asked why it's not more widely known that their "guarantee" is a lie and she said "Exciting Deals" don't come up very often so people just don't know.

 

I was unlucky, I guess. I told her at the very least I'd spread the word. Buyer beware, this is a guarantee that doesn't guarantee anything.

1 hour ago, RomanH said:

I booked my first cruise with Celebrity a few weeks ago, over the phone. The agent assured me there was a Best Price Guarantee, so if the price dropped before I made the final payment I'd get the lower price.

 

On a sale starting yesterday, the price on my cruises dropped $90 per person. I called and after an hour on hold was told first by a regular agent and then by a supervisor that this new low price was an "Exciting Deal" -- a specific category of Celebrity offers -- only available to new bookings and the Best Price Guarantee doesn't apply to them.

I said I don't care what you call it, you're advertising a lower price while your guarantee says "you will enjoy the lowest advertised rate on your cruise fare...."

The agent repeated that the "guarantee" doesn't apply to "Exciting Deals."

 

I asked why it's not more widely known that their "guarantee" is a lie and she said "Exciting Deals" don't come up very often so people just don't know.

 

I was unlucky, I guess. I told her at the very least I'd spread the word. Buyer beware, this is a guarantee that doesn't guarantee anything.

 

 

Sorry you feel mislead but regretably it's your headline which is "a lie" not X's promotion.

Prior to Covid this particular promotion/offer was never generally available in the UK.

Since the restart it has been available and on one occasion ( Silhouette) we had 4 price drops on 1 cruise (3 cash refunds and 1 OBC. )

As always the devil is in the detail.

1 hour ago, RomanH said:

I booked my first cruise with Celebrity a few weeks ago, over the phone. The agent assured me there was a Best Price Guarantee, so if the price dropped before I made the final payment I'd get the lower price.

 

On a sale starting yesterday, the price on my cruises dropped $90 per person. I called and after an hour on hold was told first by a regular agent and then by a supervisor that this new low price was an "Exciting Deal" -- a specific category of Celebrity offers -- only available to new bookings and the Best Price Guarantee doesn't apply to them.

I said I don't care what you call it, you're advertising a lower price while your guarantee says "you will enjoy the lowest advertised rate on your cruise fare...."

The agent repeated that the "guarantee" doesn't apply to "Exciting Deals."

 

I asked why it's not more widely known that their "guarantee" is a lie and she said "Exciting Deals" don't come up very often so people just don't know.

 

I was unlucky, I guess. I told her at the very least I'd spread the word. Buyer beware, this is a guarantee that doesn't guarantee anything.

48 minutes ago, RomanH said:

Thank you for that. Yes, that's what I figured. But in this case, the "certain requirement" for your booking is that you didn't actually book. "We'll give you the new lower price provided you didn't actually book with the old higher price." Which, I don't know, isn't a great guarantee?

 

 

[ymncruise]

These are the kind of things that make me change where I spend my money. Sounds like they “guarantee” nothing up front. 

[gerelmx]

1 hour ago, RomanH said:

 

The agent repeated that the "guarantee" doesn't apply to "Exciting Deals."

 

 

 

A guarantee booking only allows to change to another cabin in the same category

[MarkWiltonM]

I agree with the OP. The "guarantee" is meaningless if it doesn't apply to all advertised bookings as described, unless they give you the caveats and exceptions up front. 

[RomanH]

19 minutes ago, the penguins said:

 

Sorry you feel mislead but regretably it's your headline which is "a lie" not X's promotion....

Since the restart it has been available and on one occasion ( Silhouette) we had 4 price drops on 1 cruise (3 cash refunds and 1 OBC. )

 

I didn't say the low price guarantee never applies: just not to "Exciting Deals." Which I'm guessing your price drops weren't.

Edited September 1, 2023 by RomanH

[RomanH]

3 minutes ago, gerelmx said:

 

A guarantee booking only allows to change to another cabin in the same category

This is the Best Price Guarantee, not the cabin guarantee. The BPG says "[Y]ou will enjoy the lowest advertised rate on your cruise fare...."

[RomanH]

From the reply to my submitted Best Price Guarantee request form:

 

"Please be advised that the lower rate you have mentioned is with the Exciting Deals offer which is only applicable for new bookings and cannot be applied to your already created booking."

[helen haywood]

1 hour ago, RomanH said:

This cruise is something like 100 days away, and I still haven't made the final payment (because that means any further reductions in price would get me credit instead of cash).

I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but if the price lowers after final payment you will not get the difference in OBC.  That practice ended years ago.  

[hcat]

17 minutes ago, RomanH said:

From the reply to my submitted Best Price Guarantee request form:

 

"Please be advised that the lower rate you have mentioned is with the Exciting Deals offer which is only applicable for new bookings and cannot be applied to your already created booking."

Sleazy!

[RomanH]

15 minutes ago, helen haywood said:

I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but if the price lowers after final payment you will not get the difference in OBC.  That practice ended years ago.  

Thank you for your reply but I still haven't made the final payment!

[jelayne]

1 hour ago, hcat said:

Sleazy!

That has been that way for Exciting Deals for as long as I remember.

Regular price drops are honored.  We just got 2 rather nice price drops recently

$525 and $875.  

[lv2cruisgrl]

17 minutes ago, jelayne said:

That has been that way for Exciting Deals for as long as I remember.

Regular price drops are honored.  We just got 2 rather nice price drops recently

$525 and $875.  

Way to go with the price drops!  

[C-Dragons]

14 minutes ago, jelayne said:

That has been that way for Exciting Deals for as long as I remember.

Regular price drops are honored.  We just got 2 rather nice price drops recently

$525 and $875.  

I agree.

[RomanH]

1 hour ago, jelayne said:

That has been that way for Exciting Deals for as long as I remember.

Regular price drops are honored.  We just got 2 rather nice price drops recently

$525 and $875.  

Wow! Congratulations. I really love the idea that Celebrity passes on lower prices. Which led to my complete disgust when they said, "Fine print! Not for you!"