Reminder Emails Threatening to Cancel Reservation

I have received two reminder emails that my final payment is due and must be paid (the last one said within two days). Thing is, I was originally told that final payment is due May 14, 2017. My reservation on the website says final payment is due May 14, 2017. I called when I received the first email last week and was told final payment is due May 14, 2017 and this must be a quirk in the system.

I saw in another thread (which I cannot seem to find again) that others have had similar notices. I was wondering if anyone else is having same issue. I really want to wait out final payment to see if any last minute price cuts occur. I don't, however, know whether I can rely on what I was told or what the website says. Very confusing!:confused::confused::confused::confused:

This has happened to us too on our Dec. 2016 cruise. Celebrity made a change to final payment date from 75 days prior to 90 days prior, can't remember when the change was made. When we called we were assured that our final payment date was 75 days prior and to ignore the emails. The e-mails are disconcerting but go by what is in your booking invoice and on line reservation.

If I tell you not to worry, and I'm wrong, then you're kind of screwed. I wouldn't ask here-- I would check your invoice and call celebrity/your TA.

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Did you book direct with celebrity or via a TA? It's not unusual for a TA to set out a final payment due date a week or two ahead of the celebrity's. Assuming the emails are directly from celebrity, is there any chance at all you are mistaken about your final payment date? If you miss your date because of an error on your side they have every right to cancel your cruise and keep your deposit. If you are sure about your final payment date and want to hold out until that, that's completely up to you. But in regards to your reasoning that you are waiting for a price drop - 1. Almost certainly they will wait until after the due date to drop prices so they don't have to re-price everyone's reservation that is watching and 2. If they do drop the price and you have already paid in full, they will issue you a refund for the difference. The date you pay in full is irrelevant to price drops, all that matters is the date final payment is due.

Did you book direct with celebrity or via a TA? It's not unusual for a TA to set out a final payment due date a week or two ahead of the celebrity's. Assuming the emails are directly from celebrity, is there any chance at all you are mistaken about your final payment date? If you miss your date because of an error on your side they have every right to cancel your cruise and keep your deposit. If you are sure about your final payment date and want to hold out until that, that's completely up to you. But in regards to your reasoning that you are waiting for a price drop - 1. Almost certainly they will wait until after the due date to drop prices so they don't have to re-price everyone's reservation that is watching and 2. If they do drop the price and you have already paid in full, they will issue you a refund for the difference. The date you pay in full is irrelevant to price drops, all that matters is the date final payment is due.

I booked through Celebrity and missed my window for transferring to TA, unfortunately. I had thought that once final payment is made you could not change booking. If that is triggered by the payment date, then you are correct and there is no reason not to pay now. As for price drops, if the emails are going to all bookings, then there may be several people cancelling early, which could trigger a price drop. I have actually seen movement in the past few days, just not quite low enough to trigger a rebook. Thanks for your input! (and everyone else as well)

I booked through Celebrity and missed my window for transferring to TA, unfortunately. I had thought that once final payment is made you could not change booking. If that is triggered by the payment date, then you are correct and there is no reason not to pay now. As for price drops, if the emails are going to all bookings, then there may be several people cancelling early, which could trigger a price drop. I have actually seen movement in the past few days, just not quite low enough to trigger a rebook. Thanks for your input! (and everyone else as well)

If you pay in full before final payment is due and a price drop occurs you should receive you money back. I have done this with Royal and have never had an issue. Once the actual FINAL payment is due, then no refunds are available.

If you pay in full before final payment is due and a price drop occurs you should receive you money back. I have done this with Royal and have never had an issue. Once the actual FINAL payment is due, then no refunds are available.

I read recently of someone who paid their final payment before their final payment due date and Celebrity would not honor a price drop. OP call Captain's Club and ask about policy before you make final payment. If they say they will issue refund, take person's name, date, time, etc.

Also, when looking for last minute price drops remember that re-pricing your booking may mean a change to any perks you currently have and check what happens to your perks if you re-price. Sometimes the lower price isn't worth it if you lose perks and/or OBC.

You need to call them directly. Getting opinions on a forum can lead to problems.

You need to call them directly. Getting opinions on a forum can lead to problems.

No worries. I don't do anything without full knowledge. I have talked to Celebrity and will do so gain. I will also talk to them when I pay as I want to inquire on a few other issues. I just wanted to see if others have experienced the same as i have recently. I think the first response explained what likely happened as it contextualized what Celebrity had told me on the phone by providing a little more perspective.

Also, when looking for last minute price drops remember that re-pricing your booking may mean a change to any perks you currently have and check what happens to your perks if you re-price. Sometimes the lower price isn't worth it if you lose perks and/or OBC.

Yeah, I know this all too well. This was a trip originally booked for last August. My calendar was a mess that month so I changed it to this year. I lost a perk in the process as you only get the perks they are offering when you change.. I don't remember, but I might have also lost my $200 OBC for the on board booking as well. Does anyone here know if you lose such bonuses if you change a reservation that was originally booked onboard?? I had thought not origianlly and don't remember what I was told as it was a year ago!

As far as price drops after final payment, our December 2016 cruise was a B2B. We paid both in full prior to the final payment due date. The price for the 2nd week dropped after we paid but prior to the actual payment due date. When I called the CC the 1st time I spoke to someone who sounded new and he said since we had made final payment we could not get the price adjusted. After many cruise with Celebrity I was almost 100% sure he was wrong, thanked him, hung up, called back, and got the price drop in the form of a refund to our credit card.

As they say on CC, if you don't like the 1st answer, call back.;)

Same thing happened to me - our final payment was due April 18 but we received notices that our reservation would be canceled if we didn't pay by the first of the month. Celebrity assured me that whatever is in the booking reservation controls, it was automatically generated by the computer because of the change in dates when final payment is due - 90 days vs. 75 days - and we would not be canceled.

We held off making the final payment and there was no problem.

Same thing happened to me - our final payment was due April 18 but we received notices that our reservation would be canceled if we didn't pay by the first of the month. Celebrity assured me that whatever is in the booking reservation controls, it was automatically generated by the computer because of the change in dates when final payment is due - 90 days vs. 75 days - and we would not be canceled.

We held off making the final payment and there was no problem.

Our reservation still showed the 75 days out final payment due date.

That date never changed.

We waited, got a nice price drop after the 90 days date had passed, and then made the final payment 75 days out with no problem at all.

If you pay in full before final payment is due and a price drop occurs you should receive you money back. I have done this with Royal and have never had an issue. Once the actual FINAL payment is due, then no refunds are available.

Just a few days ago, I took advantage of this with Celebrity. We had paid in full before final payment and they honored the price drop.

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Gosh, I wish X would get their crap together, what a pain in the butt!

As far as paying in full prior to when final payment is due... technically you should get any price difference back, however as an agent, I've seen it go both ways. So unfortunately calling and being told one answer and even getting a name ect will not be bullet proof so to speak.

I have gotten those emails myself in the past when it wasnt really final payment due time, and they did cancel a cruise. So just be prepared for every scenario.

If it were me, and I had air already on the books, I'd pay and then deal with the rest after. If that means a bit of a headache on your end as a result, at least your still going on the cruise.

And if you're a member of Captains club, deal with them. They are there to help and will when they can. Calling Celebrity is a crap shoot. Which is why you should use a travel agent in my opinion.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

As an update...Received another email today saying my reservation had been cancelled, but I could try and save it by contacting Celebrity. This was interesting as The prior email said I had two days left to pay and this was sent not at the end of the day. I called Celebrity and my reservation was intact and pay date still May 14. 2016. Checked to see if I could get better price, but not better than what I have right now, but has come down to about equal, all things considered. Also took the opportunity to make them add my OBC for my on board booking. For some reason it was not on there. Now I have a confirmation with pay date and OBC on it. Celebrity rep had no explanation for emails, but said he was going to ask a supervisor why they were being sent. I was actually going to pay today, but after my call I decided to wait. Even if there was aproble the neighboring cabins are available and essentially the same (i.e. A1 aft). I will update with any changes and thank you all for chiming in. It really helps to have info from several sources!

As a final update...I held out until 5 days pre final payment date and called in to Celebrity to make another check on pricing. Before calling, I had calculated that I could net $100 extra OBC at that time by paying a little more. Since I was satisfied with that, I intended to have the new rates/perks applied and then pay my balance due.

I'm not really sure what happened, but when I got my final statement, my cruise price was $50 pp less than I could get on the website, I got the extra $300 obc perk (only go big was cost effective at booking) and another mystery $150 obc was added in. Final talley was that my actual total price was $100 more than originally booked for the stateroom (total), but I received an additional $450 OBC ($600 total after adding original on ship booking bonus). Certainly worth the wait and making the phone call! Good job Celebrity!

As a final update...I held out until 5 days pre final payment date and called in to Celebrity to make another check on pricing. Before calling, I had calculated that I could net $100 extra OBC at that time by paying a little more. Since I was satisfied with that, I intended to have the new rates/perks applied and then pay my balance due.

 

I'm not really sure what happened, but when I got my final statement, my cruise price was $50 pp less than I could get on the website, I got the extra $300 obc perk (only go big was cost effective at booking) and another mystery $150 obc was added in. Final talley was that my actual total price was $100 more than originally booked for the stateroom (total), but I received an additional $450 OBC ($600 total after adding original on ship booking bonus). Certainly worth the wait and making the phone call! Good job Celebrity!

Nice work!