Celebrity's Seven Seas Promotion: Bait and Switch

Saw this promotion today and tried to book the Equinox for a Caribbean cruise in a Sky Suite.

The website gives a non refundable deposit price of $1993 per person for the 7 night cruise and that price included 4 free perks according to the website. When I tried to book the cruise I selected the cabin, selected the "free" perks and to my surprise the price increased by $656 per person. What they advertised as free perks became extra charge perks.

I called Celebrity and got no satisfaction, though they understood what I was pointing out. Thought I'd point this out to others considering this promotion..

When you called Celebrity what was their response? Did they give you a reason for the additional charges? You say they didn't help you, so I'm curious as to what their explanation was.

This sounds look me a job for a good travel agent. When I have seen any sort of discrepancy my agent sorts it out with his Celebrity contact. He gets the stress and he gets the results.

When you called Celebrity what was their response? Did they give you a reason for the additional charges? You say they didn't help you, so I'm curious as to what their explanation was.

They went went through the process on the website and saw that the website noted that the $1993 price included 4 free perks, and found that when they included the 4 perks an additional $656 was added to the price. They said that ordinarily the Sky Suite included the 4 free perks but not with this promotion. I told them this was a bait and switch and didn’t book with them.

The lowest price Sky Suite I found for the Equinox was 12/15/18 and was $2399 with the Summer Saving discount. I did a mock booking and ended with all 4 perks for $2399.

I didn’t find a sailing with a advertised price of $1993, maybe I missed it.

Also checked a large TA site and no S.S. advertised for $1993.

They could call them 'inclusive rates,' not 'free perks.'

The lowest price Sky Suite I found for the Equinox was 12/15/18 and was $2399 with the Summer Saving discount. I did a mock booking and ended with all 4 perks for $2399.

 

I didn’t find a sailing with a advertised price of $1993, maybe I missed it.

This is a new promotion. Just saw it today on the website.

This sounds look me a job for a good travel agent. When I have seen any sort of discrepancy my agent sorts it out with his Celebrity contact. He gets the stress and he gets the results.

Tried that with an agent. Same result.

It is a common approach. 4 free perks. Fares from, in your case $1,993. Just so happens that this fare does not include the "free" perks, rather you have to pay $600 more to get the "free" perks. HUH

The other common ploy is the BOGO half off. The day the sale is effective, the base fare that was $1,000 the day before is now $1333. So, for two the fare before the sale was $2,000 for the cabin, and now with BOGO half off, the fare is still $2,000 for the same cabin. Imagine that. I do recognize the because of supply and demand issues the base fare may have risen or fallen, but generally the scenario I described is the one in place.

At best it is misleading. Not all consumers are aware of these games they play. And it is not just Celebrity.

Maybe you chose the wrong cabin?

Also the resident rate that doesn’t include perks but if you want to add a Perk, for instance $300 obc it then cost $350 more. Go figure.

From the website on the Promo page:

Cruise must be booked Aug. 1 – Sept. 5, 2018 (the “Offer Period”). Offer applies to select 4-night and longer cruises and Cruisetours departing Sept. 1, 2018 – April 30, 2020. Offer excludes Galapagos, repositioning, transatlantic and transpacific cruises. Eligible sailings listed at celebritycruises.com/

My question would be, is the sailing you selected eligible, apparently not.

bon voyage

Maybe you chose the wrong cabin?

No. Would not get free perks with Celebrity suite either.

Sure there are many conditions that affect the price of a cruise, but when they say you get the perk for free and then they want to charge for it, that is misleading. Have we become so used to sleazy sales techniques that we accept them without comment?

Is it possible that you entered senior, resident and/or military discounts which aren't combinable with the current sale? Sometime, if you enter those it eliminates perks because they aren't combinable with those rates. When you then select them it adds extra cost.

There is a button that will lead you to the qualifying sailings. There is also a solid paragraph at the bottom that outlines the caveats. This complaint gets thrown around frequently but it really holds no weight. This isn’t unique to Celebrity.

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You are seeing the new promo 30% off and nrd for equinox summer sailing which obviously doesn't include the perks. But what you are seeing on their website is totally a mistake on their part, shows "$1958 including 4 perks " if I was you I would screen shot it and fight it.

Here is the screen shot im sure you are seeing, then when you go through it comes up with both prices.

That's definitely a muck up on Celebrity's part.

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From the website on the Promo page:

 

Cruise must be booked Aug. 1 – Sept. 5, 2018 (the “Offer Period”). Offer applies to select 4-night and longer cruises and Cruisetours departing Sept. 1, 2018 – April 30, 2020. Offer excludes Galapagos, repositioning, transatlantic and transpacific cruises. Eligible sailings listed at celebritycruises.com/

 

My question would be, is the sailing you selected eligible, apparently not.

 

bon voyage

The cruise was eligible.

Here is the screen shot im sure you are seeing, then when you go through it comes up with both prices.

 

That's definitely a muck up on Celebrity's part.

 

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Thanks for the screen shot. I think calling it a “muck up” is kind on your part. My agent said they do this to get the phones ringing.

The infamous "starting from" and "savings up to". UGH

I walked into a Nautica store advertising "store wide sale up to 70%". After a couple of minutes I asked the manager to point me to the 70% sale items. A rack with three significantly ugly and outdated shirts. Really?

Is it possible that you entered senior, resident and/or military discounts which aren't combinable with the current sale? Sometime, if you enter those it eliminates perks because they aren't combinable with those rates. When you then select them it adds extra cost.

No.