"Price drop" ad a scam?

[cruisecriticmember]

Was notified of a 66% price drop on a cruise I had already booked. Turns out the cost, in three different cabin categories, is higher than I paid with fewer perks. Is this a gimmick wherein the cruise line jacked up prices for a short time so they could then sell this "bargain" or am I missing somethig?;)

[jelayne]

Where did this notification of a price drop come from; Celebrity, a TA or a price monitoring site?

[cruisecriticmember]

Where did this notification of a price drop come from; Celebrity, a TA or a price monitoring site?

 

Cruise critic.

[ghstudio]

Was notified of a 66% price drop on a cruise I had already booked. Turns out the cost, in three different cabin categories, is higher than I paid with fewer perks. Is this a gimmick wherein the cruise line jacked up prices for a short time so they could then sell this "bargain" or am I missing somethig?;)

 

Not sure if you should call it a scam....but if you watch the fares and offers, be they from a TA or celebrity, you'll often find that one offer is $1500 with $100 OBC and the next week, it's $1600 with a $200 OBC. Do cruise lines mark things up so they can give you perceived freebees (e.g 1-2-3)...yup, sometimes.

 

You'll also find that celebrity guarantees the lowest rate on some fares...but then you check the fare on celebrity's own web site and it's $200 less than you paid. You call to get your fare adjusted and find that celebrity is selling a "travel agency only" fare. Yup....happened to me....celebrity wouldn't match the fare they showed on their own web site.

[jveevers]

Very confusing these "price drops". When they say 66% off or whatever % off , I think they are refering to what the price is now compared to the "brochure price" from a Cruise Line brochure printed maybe 12 months ago which is the starting price and usually high.

I am continually getting emails from TA's saying 50% off, 40% off etc etc.

That doesnt mean that fares have reduced by that percentage over-night.

The best thing to do if you are thinking of booking a cruise is moniter prices yourself so that you have a reference point when you see these "offers"

[Iamcruzin]

I think the Online TAs run the biggest scams. They always seem to list a brochure price that never existed as the original price and compare it to the current cruise line price. I watch prices like a hawk and I have never seen the brochure prices that they list. Someone who doesn't know better would think they were getting a good deal. The other scam I hate is when they jack up the price of an inside and ocean view higher than the price of a veranda and then advertise "Get a Veranda for the Price of an ocean view". They do this with all the categories depending on inventory. Again a newbie would think this is great deal.

[tangerinebunny]

I've come to think of it as an attention getting ploy that I ignore.

 

The $5/5 alerts site seems to do a far more reliable job. (Can't name them, but it's easy enough to find.)

[CantanaLobo]

Is this a gimmick wherein the cruise line jacked up prices for a short time so they could then sell this "bargain" or am I missing somethig?;)

 

Not missing a thing. There there's the perennial two-for-one "sale" gimmick on Oceania...

 

The $5/5 alerts site seems to do a far more reliable job. (Can't name them, but it's easy enough to find.)

 

One thing that site doesn't do is alert if they add a promotion without changing the price. Just use the alert as a signal to go check. I still periodically look at the cruise line site to see what they're currently offering for any cruise we have booked. Alerts are just one tool in the arsenal.

[Oxo]

I think the Online TAs run the biggest scams. They always seem to list a brochure price that never existed as the original price and compare it to the current cruise line price. I watch prices like a hawk and I have never seen the brochure prices that they list. Someone who doesn't know better would think they were getting a good deal. The other scam I hate is when they jack up the price of an inside and ocean view higher than the price of a veranda and then advertise "Get a Veranda for the Price of an ocean view". They do this with all the categories depending on inventory. Again a newbie would think this is great deal.

 

I have seen the opposite. Go to Celebrity's site and get a price. Then go to the TA and get a much cheaper price. I just did it this week. Same cruise, same Category cabin, same date, and yes, 123 Pick. I saved a little over $1,000 for two. Plus got a very good OBC.

[Iamcruzin]

I have seen the opposite. Go to Celebrity's site and get a price. Then go to the TA and get a much cheaper price. I just did it this week. Same cruise, same Category cabin, same date, and yes, 123 Pick. I saved a little over $1,000 for two. Plus got a very good OBC.

 

On one of the sites that I'm referring to, which is advertised a lot on CC is listing an inside stateroom on a 7day Bermuda cruise at brochure price of $1498. Their price is $649 which is advertised at a 57% savings. I don't know what brochure they are referring to but I have yet to see and inside stateroom advertised on the Celebrity website or brochure for this itinerary at that outrageous price. Maybe they are quoting a price from a 1980's brochure.:rolleyes:

 

By the way Celebrity is selling the inside stateroom for this sailing for $649 as well. So the 57% saving is fictional. There are TA's out there that will give you a legitimate discount or OBC but this agency is clearly false advertising.

Edited December 21, 2014 by Iamcruzin