Final Payment to be revised on Cruises of over 15 days and Galapagos after January 30 - 120 - 150 Days

[Jim_Iain]

I know there aren't a huge number of cruises in this category but: Is Celebrity shooting themselves in the foot.    I guess they think they are now a Premium Line.

 

NEW PAYMENT SCHEDULES FOR LONGER SAILINGS - FINAL PAYMENTS WILL BE DUE EARLIER on SAILINGS 15 NIGHTS or more or for GALAPAGOS Sailings

 

Beginning January 30th, we are changing the payment schedules for 15-night and longer sailings as well as Galapagos sailings.

• All itineraries 15-night and longer (except Galapagos) final payment will change to 120 days to sailing – currently 90 days.
• All Galapagos itineraries final payment will change to 150 days to sailing – currently 120 days.

Effective for July 2024 sailings and beyond. Bookings made prior to the new effective date will be protected by having their final payment terms adjusted to keep their original payment schedule.

Edited January 28 by Jim_Iain

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Does Celebrity have any cruise over 14 days any more 🤔

most TAs are less than 14 days now  probably so they don’t have pay us $250 OBC for SHC 🤬

[prmssk]

I realize many will be upset by this but after considering a Viking River Cruise this month, this doesn't look bad.  The itinerary we were (maybe still are) considering required final payment just shy of 2 years before sail date.  So from my perspective a change from 90 to 120 days or 120 to 150 days doesn't seem all that significant.

[Jim_Iain]

Just now, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Does Celebrity have any cruise over 14 days any more 🤔

most TAs are less than 14 days now  probably so they don’t have pay us $250 OBC for SHC 🤬

Yes.   Actually more than you would think.   

 

Honolulu to Sydney   19 Nights Edge / Solstice

Sydney to Honolulu    18 Nights   Edge / Solstice

Panama Canal  16 night and 15 night Summit

TransAtlantic  16 Nights Constellation

TransAtlantic  15 Nights  Equinox

TransAtlantic  15 Nights Ascent

 

[Wineaux007]

9 minutes ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Does Celebrity have any cruise over 14 days any more 🤔

most TAs are less than 14 days now  probably so they don’t have pay us $250 OBC for SHC 🤬

Constellation in the Fall of 2025 is 16 nights.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

A couple years ago every TA was atleast 2 weeks 

now 13/20 are less than 2 weeks 

[Jim_Iain]

9 minutes ago, prmssk said:

I realize many will be upset by this but after considering a Viking River Cruise this month, this doesn't look bad.  The itinerary we were (maybe still are) considering required final payment just shy of 2 years before sail date.  So from my perspective a change from 90 to 120 days or 120 to 150 days doesn't seem all that significant.

 

Never done a River Cruise but I understand they often have solid full payment dates.

 

I've recently booked a couple Oceania and Payment is due at 150 days except for their World Cruises.     Cunard is at 120 days.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

I don’t think it will be a big problem for most cruisers in balcony or lower cabins 

It will make it easier to see deals early if your wait until after Final payment date to book 

[mac_tlc]

Unless you have a cruise already booked and paid for, all Viking Ocean cruises  have crazy early payment dates. Depends on when you book but expect 12-18 months anyway. 
 

Of course there are exceptions…

 

 

mac_tlc

[563toM]

We are going on our first Cunard Transatlantic and were surprised by the final payment due at the end of December for a May sailing.  This is a trend that will continue and for us I am glad that we have travel insurance because so much can happen in 5 months.

[dlh015]

Thanks for posting this, Jim! Always good to have heads-up on any changes...

 

Kinda stresses the importance of having travel insurance in place...

[Cruising Is Bliss]

I'm doing a HAL 28 day Alaska cruise this summer and the final payment is 120 days.

[Cruising89143]

1 hour ago, prmssk said:

I realize many will be upset by this but after considering a Viking River Cruise this month, this doesn't look bad.  The itinerary we were (maybe still are) considering required final payment just shy of 2 years before sail date.  So from my perspective a change from 90 to 120 days or 120 to 150 days doesn't seem all that significant.

We have looked at Viking for river cruises but I don’t like their final payment policy. We booked a Christmas market river cruise and chose Avalon after looking at all of the choices. They have a much better final payment system as well.

[RTShaker]

Of course, as with everything else, they have done this to enhance your cruise experience.

Edited January 28 by RTShaker

[mahdnc]

Thanks, Jim, for the news.  W̶h̶a̶t̶'s̶ n̶e̶x̶t̶?̶ R̶e̶q̶u̶i̶r̶i̶n̶g̶ 1̶,0̶0̶0̶ s̶h̶a̶r̶e̶s̶ t̶o̶ g̶e̶t̶ t̶h̶e̶ s̶h̶a̶r̶e̶h̶o̶l̶d̶e̶r̶ b̶e̶n̶e̶f̶i̶t̶?̶?̶

[kiwichick62]

3 hours ago, prmssk said:

I realize many will be upset by this but after considering a Viking River Cruise this month, this doesn't look bad.  The itinerary we were (maybe still are) considering required final payment just shy of 2 years before sail date.  So from my perspective a change from 90 to 120 days or 120 to 150 days doesn't seem all that significant.

Wow, we booked our Viking river cruise for May 2024 back in April last year.  Final payment was due January 2024 so only 4 months out for us.

[jelayne]

For the vast majority of cruises/cruisers this won’t change anything.  
For those of us who like and book longer sailings we probably purchase air long before 120 days out so we plan to take the cruise and if something goes array we have travel insurance.  I just wish there were more long cruises.

[Gracie115]

9 hours ago, mac_tlc said:

Unless you have a cruise already booked and paid for, all Viking Ocean cruises  have crazy early payment dates. Depends on when you book but expect 12-18 months anyway. 
 

Of course there are exceptions…

 

 

mac_tlc

 

Yes, Viking Ocean & River both have the same final pay date requirements. Paying in full for a cruise more than 16 months out I think is crazy.  

[upwarduk]

On 1/28/2024 at 12:26 AM, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Does Celebrity have any cruise over 14 days any more

Because there are so few, we have changed to a 14 night Princess cruise that does the Mediterranean. It avoids a flight for a TA.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I'm amazed that Celebrity has any feet left to shoot itself in--there's been so much of that lately.

[Beachlover1989]

I’m very confused about when my Galapagos payment is due. We purchased the package in June, 2022 and the cruise is in September, 2024. So is my final payment due in April or May now?

[mahdnc]

On 1/27/2024 at 6:17 PM, Jim_Iain said:

I know there aren't a huge number of cruises in this category but: Is Celebrity shooting themselves in the foot.    I guess they think they are now a Premium Line.

 

NEW PAYMENT SCHEDULES FOR LONGER SAILINGS - FINAL PAYMENTS WILL BE DUE EARLIER on SAILINGS 15 NIGHTS or more or for GALAPAGOS Sailings

 

Beginning January 30th, we are changing the payment schedules for 15-night and longer sailings as well as Galapagos sailings.

• All itineraries 15-night and longer (except Galapagos) final payment will change to 120 days to sailing – currently 90 days.
• All Galapagos itineraries final payment will change to 150 days to sailing – currently 120 days.

Effective for July 2024 sailings and beyond. Bookings made prior to the new effective date will be protected by having their final payment terms adjusted to keep their original payment schedule.

 

 

Somebody at Celebrity must have had fun when putting this announcement together.  The photo that Celebrity used to accompany the announcement is called Kicker Rock.  When viewed at the proper angle (like the one in Celebrity's photo), it looks like a shoe. How symbolic.

 

It looked so much nicer when we saw it in Nov (Galapagos).

 

 

 

[mahdnc]

1 minute ago, Beachlover1989 said:

I’m very confused about when my Galapagos payment is due. We purchased the package in June, 2022 and the cruise is in September, 2024. So is my final payment due in April or May now?

 

You can ignore the announcement as the payment terms are unchanged for your sailing since you booked before Jan 30th.  If you look at the first post and read the last italicized sentence:

 

 Bookings made prior to the new effective date will be protected by having their final payment terms adjusted to keep their original payment schedule.

[Beachlover1989]

40 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

 

You can ignore the announcement as the payment terms are unchanged for your sailing since you booked before Jan 30th.  If you look at the first post and read the last italicized sentence:

 

 Bookings made prior to the new effective date will be protected by having their final payment terms adjusted to keep their original payment schedule.

Ok thanks! I guess the fact that they even said “having their final payment terms adjusted” seemed odd. Why not just say it doesn’t apply prior to that date? 🙄. Sometimes it seems they just try to make everything harder haha

[mahdnc]

1 minute ago, Beachlover1989 said:

Ok thanks! I guess the fact that they even said “having their final payment terms adjusted” seemed odd. Why not just say it doesn’t apply prior to that date? 🙄. Sometimes it seems they just try to make everything harder haha

 

I agree that the wording is odd.  It is also possible that the wording reflects what they actually will have to do once the change goes into affect.  We will see.