How To Check For Price Reductions?

[Lvteks]

I read the FAQ, and tried to search, but the topic has too many names. Also I have gone to Celeb site and just ran the booking sequence. It takes some time. I will continue this way unless someone has a better method. Is there another site?

 

Would really appreciate some patient CC member taking time to answer. Our cruise is in Dec. so I have a long time to track. This is our first Celebrity cruise. Thanks,

 

Blessings,

 

Gail

[TenerifeSharon]

An easy way to spot price reductions is by checking at travelocity. You can enter your dates and other information (including seniors and/or state of residency) and get faster results than by going through the booking site at Celebrity. Hope this helps.

[Billiam]

I go to the Celebrity site and work my way to the booking page. I then add this page to my favorites and check it daily. I've saved $800 on our Alaska cruise later this year so it pays to check often. Happy cruising

[TravelerThom]

I read the FAQ, and tried to search, but the topic has too many names. Also I have gone to Celeb site and just ran the booking sequence. It takes some time. I will continue this way unless someone has a better method. Is there another site?

 

Would really appreciate some patient CC member taking time to answer. Our cruise is in Dec. so I have a long time to track. This is our first Celebrity cruise. Thanks,

 

Blessings,

 

Gail

In addition to the previous suggestions, check the Roll Call for your cruise often. Participants in Roll Calls will almost always post info on price reductions - that way you have lots of people in addition to yourself who are checking for price reductions a number of different ways.

[PurpleCow]

I depend on my TA to let me know about price reductions and upgrade availability.

[Coastaljen]

I check daily on an on-line t.a.s website. I booked about a month ago, and I have saved $600 on my Christmas cruise. However, I then went and posted it on the roll call to let others know.

[Putterdude]

Not all TA are created equal! Some are very good about checking pricing and adjusting it for you. However I check online TA's from time to time as well as these boards and if I find a price reduction I phone my TA who always gets for us.

[Billiam]

I go to the Celebrity site and work my way to the booking page. I then add this page to my favorites and check it daily. I've saved $800 on our Alaska cruise later this year so it pays to check often. Happy cruising

In addition to above I found the 2 $400 deductions and when I called my TA the answerers were "good catch" and "Wow, again" This is from a large firm that has a cruise specialist department. I would be surprised if many TA's were checking all their clients daily. You are your own best advocate, not specific to cruises either. Bill

[eandj]

My sister received an on board credit ($300+) immediately when booking their cruise for 2009. If the rate goes down on their room Category, can they also get the price reduction?

[Coastaljen]

I had a large onboard credit when I booked my Christmas cruise through an on-line t.a. Since I received a $600 reduction in price when I saw the price drop, my t.a. did lower my onboard credit, but it was minimal ..like $25. It is worth it to get the reduction. :)

[Lvteks]

Thank You Everyone!

 

I will have a great time using all your suggestions. I usually get home about 1:00 A.M. or so, but I will have to do my checking every night or I just won't sleep. Why sleep when you can plan a cruise?

 

Blessings,

 

Gail

[TravelerThom]

Note that some of the best fares do NOT allow use of Celebrity Air packages, so if you have arranged air through the cruise line you may not be eligible for a new lower fare. Actually I have found that by shopping I could generally beat their air by a significant margin [even accounting for "included" transfers], and travel at the time I choose on an airline of my choice, so not using their air package is not a great hardship..

[SLP61]

I am a novice cruiser and do not understand the thread about price reductions. I made my reservation through a TA and was not aware that I might be eligible for future price reductions that might occur. I've read the FAQs and threads, but would be grateful for help from expert cruisers. How does this work? We have paid our down payment, but the rest of the money is not due for a bit.

 

Thank you in advance.

 

SLP 61

[TenerifeSharon]

I am a novice cruiser and do not understand the thread about price reductions. I made my reservation through a TA and was not aware that I might be eligible for future price reductions that might occur. I've read the FAQs and threads, but would be grateful for help from expert cruisers. How does this work? We have paid our down payment, but the rest of the money is not due for a bit.

 

Thank you in advance.

 

SLP 61

 

Just watch for reductions that may show up -- regular price reductions, senior discounting, residency (depending on what state you are from) -- on either the Celebrity website or any of the mentioned online websites. If you spot one, call your TA quickly, as some of the reductions disappear as fast as they appear. If it's a Celebrity cruise, they will generally honor reductions even after final payment is made (with an OBC, if necessary). Some of the other lines will only honor up to final payment.

[des1rees]

If you have been following my threads about the TA, I heard two things from two different TA's.

 

The first one basically told me I would need to keep on checking myself and then call him, and he will adjust it, however if they change after final payment, then he will not be able to do it.

 

The new TA told me that she will know if there is a new price, or price reduction, however I should call her anyway just to make sure. She also said that even after the final payment is made, she will make sure the cruise line honors the new price. The only time she cannot do anything is if the cruise line specifically states that the new price is for new bookings only, and at that time, she always fights to make sure her client gets an OBC or something out of them since it is not fair to people who have booked beforehand.

 

D

[Saveapenny]

Does any of this work for people booking in the UK?

The crusie we booked this time worked out cheaper with a UK agent but since we booked US agents have had price drops. I am wondering if it becomes cheaper here in the UK do X honour that with OBC?

 

des1rees...We all need a good TA like the one you have

If its allowed can you share information?

 

Mandy

[Gerrym]

Note that some of the best fares do NOT allow use of Celebrity Air packages, so if you have arranged air through the cruise line you may not be eligible for a new lower fare. Actually I have found that by shopping I could generally beat their air by a significant margin [even accounting for "included" transfers], and travel at the time I choose on an airline of my choice, so not using their air package is not a great hardship..

 

 

Don't forget though that if you miss connections through delayed flights you are on your own, whereas if you book through Celebrity they will take care of you.

This is very much like an insurance policy.

 

We booked our own flights once but also went a day early to make sure there were no problems, by the time we paid for an extra night in a hotel we did not really save anything.

 

 

.

[Gerrym]

Just watch for reductions that may show up -- regular price reductions, senior discounting, residency (depending on what state you are from) -- on either the Celebrity website or any of the mentioned online websites. If you spot one, call your TA quickly, as some of the reductions disappear as fast as they appear. If it's a Celebrity cruise, they will generally honor reductions even after final payment is made (with an OBC, if necessary). Some of the other lines will only honor up to final payment.

 

 

Hi, you wouldn't happen to know if that also applies to cuisers from the UK would you?

 

 

Thanks

 

 

.EDIT, sorry, saw the answer on the previous post!

[TravelerThom]

Note that some of the best fares do NOT allow use of Celebrity Air packages, so if you have arranged air through the cruise line you may not be eligible for a new lower fare. Actually I have found that by shopping I could generally beat their air by a significant margin [even accounting for "included" transfers], and travel at the time I choose on an airline of my choice, so not using their air package is not a great hardship..

Don't forget though that if you miss connections through delayed flights you are on your own, whereas if you book through Celebrity they will take care of you. This is very much like an insurance policy.

 

We booked our own flights once but also went a day early to make sure there were no problems, by the time we paid for an extra night in a hotel we did not really save anything.

It is unclear to me exactly what =X= will actually do for you if you miss the ship. I thought "they will take care of you" was fully inclusive, until I actually used Celebrity Air, then I was not so sure. They booked us on a flight from Washington, DC connecting thru Atlanta, arriving in Fort Lauderdale 5 minutes prior to their nominal latest allowed time of arrival at FLL [3pm at the airport, for a 5pm ship departure (this was Nov 2006, before the current 90 minute on-board requirement)], despite the fact that there were numerous non-stop flights [but not their contract carrier], and despite the fact that there were two earlier banks of flights that day. Celebrity would not move us to an earlier flight. We went to the airport early hoping to catch an earlier flight, but the airline wouldn't budge on demanding a change fee. Just before the flight previous to ours left, it was announced that our flight was canceled, so they allowed us on the earlier flight at no charge. I had ASSUMED that =X= would cover us for hotel and food in addition to air to the next port [Aruba three days later], but the answer I got from On-Board Sales was that we would have gotten air plus 2 days prorated fare for the 2 lost ship nights, and that we were entirely on our own for food and lodging. This falls short of "taking care of me" in my book.

 

As far as costs go, when we [two couples] did the Mercury repositioning from Mexico to Seattle via Alaska, =X= wanted $550pp for air from Washington, DC and transfers. We flew non-stop to San Diego, had one rental car and two rooms for two nights on the front end, and a rental car in Seattle and a night [two rooms] at Mt. Ranier, and including gasoline and food this came to slightly over $400pp. And we flew non-stop to San Diego, and the people who took =X= Air had to connect in Atlanta. Maybe =X= Air is not always this poor, but sure was in this case.

 

When you now add in that using =X= Air precludes you from taking advantage of some fare reductions, I have to question using them for air connections.

[grannybee]

Hi Saveapenny

I contacted my travel agent who in turn contacted Celebrity. We have an aft cabin for 25th July to Alaska. We booked July last year and got £100 discount frtom celebrity for early booking. We have now got a £700 reduction as well as a substantial discount drom our TA. I feel that at this rate celebrity will be paying us to go!!!! We are extremely pleased with the amount we are paying. We have also had a reduction £242 from our southbound cruise on 1st August. We are watching with baited breath. (The 25th price had not been discounted for over 55 so that accounts for some of the refund)

[kcstokes]

I have been reading on another thread about Celebrity Air that they will not help you if you are delayed even if you booked through them. This is new to me as I have always heard that is the only reason to book through the cruiseline. I am confused. Do you have any personal experience? I know we could have saved money by booking ourselves, but since there has been so much trouble with delayed flights, we thought we would be safe and book through Celebrity. I hope we were right.

[Host Anne]

Hi everyone ~ just a quick note to let everyone know that Cruise Critic Guidelines does not allow folks to request others to email or IM travel agent info to one another.