How do you find out about price drops?

[mandream]

Hello

So how does this work.

 

I currently have a cruise booked directly with Celebrity.

 

I have OnBoard credit & the beverage package which by my calculations on a 14 day cruise is worth just over a £1000 plus the £200 OnBoard credit so a total of £1200 approx.

So if the cruise price drops from the amount I agreed when I booked do I loose these benefits and my deposit if I ask them to book at the revised lower price

 

Thanks

 

It depends. First, the rules are different in different countries. Second, if you have perks associated with a special offer you might lose those if the offer is no longer in effect or if the new rate doesn't qualify.

 

You just need to check with Celebrity or your TA.

 

Mike

[miched]

Have always had to check the websites. Every TA that I have ever had except for one told and promised me how great they were and how they would check and make sure that I always got the price drops and etc except for one that told me the truth and told me it is best to check myself. That is the one that I now use because they are trujful Don't believe the lies that most of the TAs tell you, they are related to car salespersons.

 

 

 

🌅🚢🍸🍻

 

It is not reasonable to expect a TA to check for price drops, particualary if you book with a large agency. They could easily have hundreds or thousands of active bookings. Lets just say they hace 50 active bookings and it takes about 5 mintues each day to check the price. That would be 250 minutes a day or over four hours just checking prices. People really need to be realistic!

 

 

Yes it is unreasonable to expect that and that is also the point of my post. Why not tell the client the truth and not lie about it. The one that told me the truth is the one that I use because they we're honest from the beginning so I don't expect any surprises later saying that I misunderstood.

 

 

🌅🚢🍸🍻

[ariawoman]

Yet clearly some TAs do. Maybe they do something as simple as setting up an alert with one or more of the websites that monitor price drops for each of its clients that book. Even if they miss some drops, they'll catch most, to the benefit of their clients. It would only take a couple of minutes to set up for each client and they don't need to actively monitor every day, just open any resulting alert emails.

 

So yes, I think it's very realistic.

 

While it is definitely realistic for it to be done - not all TAs will do it, because well, getting you a price drop means they do more work and make less commission.

 

I think it depends on the TA. If they are establishing themselves and want to get the client everything they can, they'll do this. If they are more established they will likely be less inclined to deal with penny pinching clients.

 

So, as always, it's all a matter of finding the right TA that will do the things that you want.

 

And no, they aren't all related to cars salespeople. I dont have a single car salesperson in my family.

[ariawoman]

Everything will remain the same except the price drop.

 

This is not necessarily true. It depends on several factors. One is - they are from the UK i believe and their rules are different than that of the US. Taking out that factor - it also depends on the price code they are booked under. If their current price code (which gets them the perks) doesn't jive with the price code of the lower price - they will lose their perks in favor of the price drop.

 

You have to weigh all factors with your TA or with X before making these decisions.

[Duffman72]

A few days?? Normally you start seeing them after final payment date passes, but some cruises are so popular that the prices never come down.

 

Thanks for the info.

[jagoffee]

Yes it is unreasonable to expect that and that is also the point of my post. Why not tell the client the truth and not lie about it. The one that told me the truth is the one that I use because they we're honest from the beginning so I don't expect any surprises later saying that I misunderstood.

 

 

 

I have been cruising for many years and I have never had a TA tell me that they will monitor and give me price drops. I guess that is the reason that I have never expected it and I always monitor it myself. Interesting that you have had so many tell you otherwise. I 100% that a TA should be honest with you. Everyone one of mine has always been honest with me as far as I know. I guess I have been lucky.

[teecee60]

What's the latest you guys/gals have seen prices drop prior to sailing?

 

November 1st 2013 Reflection 15 night transatlantic from Rome showed a price drop down to $449pp (from $599pp) only 10 days before departure. :eek:

 

Checked with Choice Air and got a flight to FCO for only $508 even that late. ;)

 

Booked and GONE in 8 days for a FANTASTIC cruise! :)

 

Flexibility and timing pays HUGE dividends! :D (ESPECIALLY for transatlantics.)

Edited February 17, 2014 by teecee60

[kayleighgirl]

If the price goes down after final payment, what happens then? I asked today when I was on the line and they said they could not do anything, This is not what I was originally told, So do you still check prices after final payment?

[happy 2 b cruising]

If the price goes down after final payment, what happens then? I asked today when I was on the line and they said they could not do anything, This is not what I was originally told, So do you still check prices after final payment?

 

Check the prices for a upgrade it might be worth the additional money. Sometimes they will do it for free:) Good luck.

[BBsails]

Good luck is right. Our cruise is on the Tuesday Special this week. It's possible to upgrade from one of the Sweet 16 to an aft balcony Concierge. TA phoned Celebrity and was told "nope." Has to cost at least $1.00 more, and the Concierge is now less than the Sweet 16 (2C). The bummer is that we upgraded for $80 each in November from one of the new Ocean View cabins on Deck 3 to the Sweet 16. If we hadn't upgraded, the aft balcony Concierge would have cost us $20 each. So...I have now "paid tuition" and learned to book after final payment for sure.

[mellowrose]

You just never know, I was surprised with a price drop on some of the Baltic sailings for this summer. My TA did get me the adjustment but I had to be a little pushy.

[TheMediaman]

To get cruise fare adjustments (price drops) I use an aggregate price alert site to alert me of the public fare adjustments. (name of site is not allowed to be posted) It covers the entire industry and has saved me a few $.

 

Persistence is also key. Check the cruise line website as often as you can. I check every day if I can both as a visitor and logged in. I "book" my cruise to see if there are fare adjustments. Sometimes, which just happened as of the date of this post, the fare did not show a resident discount until I was logged in. I was able to phone (33 minute hold) and have the fare adjusted.

 

Adjustments (price drops) only occur before final payment. I wait until 5 business days before final payment is due; to allow a safe margin for payments to go through.

 

As cruise lines try to squeak out profit at every turn adjustments after final payment are at the discretion of the individual cruise line and typically come in the form of OBCC.

 

Lastly read the fine print of the deals. For example I booked a sky suite for my parents and it came with the 123 promotion. I booked VERY early so I got the lowest cruise fare. It has since gone up $700 pp. There was a promotion later that made the cruise fare look less but when you did not get the 123 package.

 

The moral of the story is to look at the big picture and the "cannot be combined with any other offer" fine print. I know the value of the 123 package and, approximately, how much my parents may drink onboard if they had to pay. The lower cruise fare plus having to pay for booze would actually be higher than the cruise fare I booked them with the 123 package.

 

They get the sky suite. My wife and I are down in "steerage". ;)

 

I guess it's a combination of

 

 

1. an aggregate automatic price checker which has a nominal cost.
   
2. book way early if you can because if you catch drops you can adjust down or cancel and rebook if it's before the penalty period
   
3. Persistance - check and check and check again both logged in and not logged into your cruise line account (or with your country/state/province setting enabled)
   
4. Policy - read the fine print.
   
5. Phone - camp out on hold with the cruise line and it never hurts to ask a question.
   
6. Be flexible with another date if you can. +/- a week or two can make a difference.
   

That's what has seemed to work for me. YMMV. What has it saved me? On my upcoming Century cruise on an inside cabin...about $80pp. The skysuite...well by booking in early I got the lowest fare in combination with the 123 package.

 

 

 

Again...YMMV.

 

 

 

Hope this helps.

Edited February 18, 2014 by TheMediaman

[Duffman72]

Did anyone get the celebrity cruise email today? I guess the cruise I am on had a some price drops, but it is not reflected on the website. Wondering if anyone could forward that email to me? I thought I had signed up for the emails, but I guess not since I did not receive one.

 

Email is Joes72@gmail.com.

 

 

Much appreciated,

 

Joe

[Biker19]

Price dropped again on the Infinity TA in April - CC GTY now less than a verandah GTY!

[NorthernOntario]

I have two questions.

One. Can the price we booked at through an outside agency (TA) be lower than the cruise line directly?

Two. If the price drops on the cruise line site, do you contact the outside agency (TA) to see if they will also match the price drop or can you contact the cruise line directly?

 

Sorry...very new to this but thanks for the help!

[Biker19]

Most of the time the two prices are identical, but the TA may provide part of their commission in some form of perk - which sometimes can be a direct lowering of the cabin price.

 

Once you work with a TA, all further changes need to be done via that TA.

[NorthernOntario]

Most of the time the two prices are identical, but the TA may provide part of their commission in some form of perk - which sometimes can be a direct lowering of the cabin price.

 

Once you work with a TA, all further changes need to be done via that TA.

 

Thank you !

[CathyCruises]

Did anyone get the celebrity cruise email today? I guess the cruise I am on had a some price drops, but it is not reflected on the website. Wondering if anyone could forward that email to me? I thought I had signed up for the emails, but I guess not since I did not receive one.

 

Email is Joes72@gmail.com.

 

 

Much appreciated,

 

Joe

 

Joe, here are the current sale prices (not forwarding the email as it had errors). http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/Exciting_Deals/XcitingDeals_cel_tues.pdf

 

If your cruise is on here, call X or your TA and see if you can upgrade. You have to pick a category that is at least $1.00 more than what you have already paid, can't go backwards, not even if you say you do not want to get any money back. And these prices are theoretically only for today and tomorrow, so time is of the essence.

Edited February 18, 2014 by CathyCruises

[Mill99]

Thank you to everyone who posted on this thread - having booked back in November, it made me check the current prices on the website. The prices had dropped on our cruise, and I've been able to change our booking to a 1A cabin instead of the original 1B and it's £180 less! I wouldn't have thought of doing it without Cruise Critic.....

[ptrpanpens]

Joe, here are the current sale prices (not forwarding the email as it had errors). http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/Exciting_Deals/XcitingDeals_cel_tues.pdf

 

If your cruise is on here, call X or your TA and see if you can upgrade. You have to pick a category that is at least $1.00 more than what you have already paid, can't go backwards, not even if you say you do not want to get any money back. And these prices are theoretically only for today and tomorrow, so time is of the essence.

 

Sometimes you have to be VERY persistent to convince Celebrity to upgrade you to the prices on the exciting deals as they are supposedly available for new bookings only. Or you may also run a risk of losing any special perks you have, so be careful. I have talked my way into upgrades on those prices though, and so has one of my travel agents in the past, so dont give up if they say No.:D

 

It depends on who you get at Celebrity and I have insisted they go higher up in the chain before I will accept a "no".

[Duffman72]

Thank you everyone for the information.

[wen_c82]

Sometimes you have to be VERY persistent to convince Celebrity to upgrade you to the prices on the exciting deals as they are supposedly available for new bookings only. Or you may also run a risk of losing any special perks you have, so be careful. I have talked my way into upgrades on those prices though, and so has one of my travel agents in the past, so dont give up if they say No.:D

 

It depends on who you get at Celebrity and I have insisted they go higher up in the chain before I will accept a "no".

 

I'm still a newbie to price drops. It wasn't until we were on our 4th cruise we learned about price drops! Give all these 'drops' anyone can shed some lights on how does Celebrity's best price guaranteed work in reality? I've already learned that our open passage really don't work with any offers.

[Biker19]

I'm still a newbie to price drops. It wasn't until we were on our 4th cruise we learned about price drops! Give all these 'drops' anyone can shed some lights on how does Celebrity's best price guaranteed work in reality? I've already learned that our open passage really don't work with any offers.

 

On any given day (or hour), the price for a given cabin is the same regardless of where you book. The different prices come about when a TA has a group of prebought cabins (at a different price) and when the TA is willing to share their commission (in either a lower price or perks like OBC). So Celebrity can claim to have the best price since all the prices are the same, but they very likely don't have best overall value since they very soldom match the TA's kickbacks.

[wen_c82]

On any given day (or hour), the price for a given cabin is the same regardless of where you book. The different prices come about when a TA has a group of prebought cabins (at a different price) and when the TA is willing to share their commission (in either a lower price or perks like OBC). So Celebrity can claim to have the best price since all the prices are the same, but they very likely don't have best overall value since they very soldom match the TA's kickbacks.

 

Thank you Kemenyg. As a first timer booked directly with Celebrity I was just curious how Celebrity's Best Price Guarantee work in practice as we are considering to book another cruise for 2015 which is almost a year away.

 

Here is what they have on the web site about Best Price Guarantee

***quote****

The Celebrity Best Price Guarantee ensures that you will enjoy the lowest advertised rate on your cruise fare and your preferred promotional offer. If a lower cruise fare or different promotional offer advertised to the general public is found, and your booking meets certain requirements, you may request to have that savings or promotion applied to your booking (savings options vary by whether the request is submitted before or after the final payment due date). Program terms and conditions apply.

To apply for your on board credit, Submit the claim form here.

***quote****

 

 

They also have a couple charts on what they will do in different instance. Thanks in advance to anyone who shares their experiences with this.

[Mill99]

Hi Wen

 

We booked our upcoming cruise direct with Celebrity (UK) in November (a full 12 months before sail date), and a few days before the 123Go offer started - but at "sale" prices on the website. When I saw the offer I phoned Celebrity UK to ask if it was possible to include this (as only a few days after booking). They were helpful and said we could, but we'd lose the sale price and quoted a higher price. When I did the sums it was beneficial for us to take the 123Go at the new price.

 

Because of reading this thread I started checking the price of the cruise a couple of weeks ago and noticed that the price of our cabin class (1B) had gone down by about £200. I wasn't sure if I could phone Celebrity and ask to be given the new price, so thought I'd check the 1A cabin price to see if I could get an upgrade. It was cheaper than the price we'd paid, so I contacted Celebrity again -they offered to give me the upgrade and refund the difference (£180).

 

So I'd say if you see the price of your booking drop it's definitely worth phoning Celebrity to see if you can get the lower price. [only thing I'd also point out is that from what I've read Celebrity seem to operate different policies in different countries and this was Celebrity UK, but the info you've posted looks as if the policy should apply across the board?]

Edited February 25, 2014 by Mill99