Jeremiah1212

Not a chance they lower prices. Using 2024 numbers as an example since it's all I have access to. I know this is imperfect since not all suites always sell out, MoveUp bids do not get OBC, TA bookings likely have a lot more OBC etc, but I cannot account for those variables. 93,045 suites available to fill in 2024. That equates to $55.8 million in OBC if each suite received $600. On the other hand concerning gratuities: 4,556 cruise nights in 2024 Average of $19.80 per pax per night At 100% occupancy on every sailing, total gratuities for 2024 would be $15.3 million. I know I am over simplifying this, but they aren't going to tweak a promo to save $70+ million dollars then turn around and reduce prices.

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.

It's just like a salty sweet sauce. Thick like syrup. Usually it's saki, mirin, white sugar and soy sauce or some similar combination. It's great on grilled veggies but typically served on an eel roll.

Eel sauce does not contain actual eel. The Luminae menus were a getting a little stale. Some new items are overdue in my opinion.

And oddly enough, CLIA data shows the number of Gen X and younger cruisers use a travel agent significantly more than their elders. They have some work to do to adequately service that sector.

No. Cruises booked after the effective date (October 4?) would not have gratuities included. Any existing reservations booked prior to that date will remain as is.

This looks like it's slated to go into effect on October 4th. Book prior to that date and everything stays the same as it is today. Book after that date, and your AI does not include gratuities.

As of today. I do not know when this goes into effect. The FAQ doesn't mention a date but it is coming.

I'm not 100% sure since it doesn't mention when FIT bookings will change. I suspect it will be soon and they give TA's additional time until November to firm up group bookings since these are the cash cows for them. This is a huge blow to TA business.

Rumor is true: Retreat FAQ's also updated and no longer mention OBC or gratuities: Unless this is a typo, it appears All Included will not be required for Aqua Class bookings:

Back on topic....I will say there are now some omissions from some of the sales documents that support the rumor concerning tips and OBC.

Press Releases are found here https://www.celebritycruisespresscenter.com/press-releases/ I would not hold my breath looking for a press release that announce price increases or a reduction in services or products....

Premium = a drink containing espresso Specialty = espresso + alcohol that is only covered by the premium package which are listed on the Coffee Cocktail page in the menu. It was mentioned here this weekend that the comparison page is no longer on the website so I would be cautious saying with 100% certainty there are no changes coming.

The main things to know about getting into Chase UR points: Two partners/spouses should not get the same Chase cards at the same time. Never book through the Chase portal. Understand transfer partners. Not that it can't work, but with restrictive timing for cruise arrivals and departures leveraging reward flights can be tough to make work. You have to be flexible to maximize your redemption. I have about a million UR miles and soon will be looking for reward flights for next August. To make it make sense I'm looking at essentially a 3 week window and willing to take a repo flight to get where I need to go. Otherwise you're limited to atrociously bad redemption values.

It varies. There are two dates to look be aware of. The date that you must choose a sailing date and the date the certificate expires. To get the onboard promotional OBC you have to book by the date the cruise has to be chosen. There is also the certificate expiration date where they automatically refund the deposit if the cert has not been used. If you book after the deadline to select a cruise you still get the lower deposit but you forfeit the OBC.

In my experience (I don't deal with MSC anymore FWIW) a lot of people shopping at that price point aren't necessarily deterred by that difference in pricing. They will spend more for Celebrity to not be stuck within the confines or YC. A Retreat booking on Celebrity should walk away with way more OBC than you can get on MSC which narrows the gap. You would still need to upgrade WiFi and pay gratuities on MSC. When you look at the entire product in my opinion it's significantly different.

They're high all over the price and people continue to pay it. Royal Caribbean's are astronomical for what you get, Celebrity is high, MSC is higher and climbing and you have to be willing to be on Carnival 2.0 if you leave Yacht Club, NCL routinely is higher than Celebrity where many itineraries start at 10k for a 7 night Caribbean cruise. HAL and Princess are cheaper but generally not a one-for-one comparable product.

I think a lot of people who enjoy Celebrity, particularly people who are E Class fans, would like Virgin Voyages. Those people make not be represented in significant numbers here, but VV is definitely building a strong fanbase. Now if they would just release 24/25 itineraries...

If you just booked, prepaid or included gratuities will take a few days to balance out. It will happen automatically.

I would completely support cutting ABBA and the endless Bruno Mars covers.

It costs the TA money to offer group space. In this case they are just holding inventory at a specific price. They may have a combination of cabins to offer within that allotted inventory. There are incentives for TA's to sell groups which is where a lot of the OBC comes from. It's best to give them a call. If they know, they know. If they don't, it's potentially costing you thousands in missed savings.

She's been around for 23 years. This isn't new to her. What you're seeing is a CFO becoming CEO after a disaster of a few years due to COVID. *Executive vice president of shared services operations, responsible for Royal Caribbean Group’s safety, security and environment, risk management and crew movement teams. Her portfolio also included the leadership of supply chain, travel services, port services, workplace solutions and real estate. *Senior vice president of product development for Royal Caribbean International where she led the teams conceptualizing the largest global cruise line’s groundbreaking ships, private island destinations, and new experiences introduced throughout the award-winning fleet, including the first island in Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day Island Collection – Perfect Day at CocoCay. She also spearheaded the modernization of 10 ships in four years as part of the Royal Amplified program – an investment of more than $1 billion; and the design and construction of six new ships, including Spectrum of the Seas and Odyssey of the Seas. *Begun with Royal Caribbean Group in 2000 leading the fleet accessibility program for Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises, and she has since held several leadership roles within various areas of the business including hotel and marine operations, sales, marketing, product innovation and investor relations. She was also based in Shanghai as vice president of market development.

They have to be willing to setup or already have a group and you may have to have a little flexibility, but yes. I just looked at one. 2/25/24 Celebrity Ascent in a C2 cabin: Celebrity's price = $6,057 for All Included and a refundable deposit. No OBC. Refundable deposit is adding $969. Group rate = $3,752.20 All Included, refundable and $570 in OBC.

Group rates (and Group X - which are discounted group rates) are typically cheaper than booking direct, All Included by default, refundable for no additional cost and almost always come with extra OBC. The normal deposit rates are required but you don't have to play games to ultimately lose $200. You pick your cabin just like normal.

Group rates…problem solved.