Celebrity Cruises

[pwapwa47]

I don't use a ta for the simple reason that if upgrades are available the cruise line calls me directly with the offer. With a ta they need to call them then ta calls me and then has to call back to cruise line. While all of that is happening someone else has already accepted the offer. I think with a bit of research you will find that upgrade offers tend to go with booking directly.

 

Now when on board I really have a pet peeve of hearing at the dinner table what a great deal someone received. I politely listen and then respond with ".......we paid $500 less than you and got two categories higher......" The look on their face is MasterCard priceless. I could care less what deal anybody got. I booked the deal that I was comfortable with - end of story.

 

There are a lot of people on here and the ship's who love to tell a tall tale.

[Mill99]

As I have said before, you are easy prey to this kind of online booking of unscrupulous companies but you live and learn. I have booked many other offers with British companies with no problems. It just makes you mistrust the Americans. If you offer website booking, there really should be complete transparency. Let's hope I'm not fool enough to not learn from the experience? What is unforgiveable is the fact that nobody from Celebrity answered my emails regarding the perks directly after booking when I could have re booked with a TA!

 

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I think that's a bit harsh. You've been caught out by not fully reading the small print - something that must have happened to most of us at one time or another. I've found Celebrity UK to be very helpful when you phone them - their website isn't brilliant. I've booked both of our cruises online and then have phoned subsequently with queries, the second time changing the cruise completely - itinerary and dates. They waived the fee for the change completely and also told me that because it was our second cruise I was entitled to a category upgrade which I wasn't aware of.

 

I've found the key with Celebrity UK is to phone and ask them nicely.

[CathyCruises]

I don't use a ta for the simple reason that if upgrades are available the cruise line calls me directly with the offer. With a ta they need to call them then ta calls me and then has to call back to cruise line. While all of that is happening someone else has already accepted the offer. I think with a bit of research you will find that upgrade offers tend to go with booking directly.

 

Now when on board I really have a pet peeve of hearing at the dinner table what a great deal someone received. I politely listen and then respond with ".......we paid $500 less than you and got two categories higher......" The look on their face is MasterCard priceless. I could care less what deal anybody got. I booked the deal that I was comfortable with - end of story.

 

There are a lot of people on here and the ship's who love to tell a tall tale.

 

Really? Celebrity calls you with an upgrade offer?? That must be pretty rare, I've only very seldom heard of them doing that. Has this happened to others?

[Orator]

Really? Celebrity calls you with an upgrade offer?? That must be pretty rare, I've only very seldom heard of them doing that. Has this happened to others?

 

I've booked a few cruises with Celebrity. Some with TAs, some directly with Celebrity. Never received a call from Celebrity offering a special price for an upgrade. Once or twice received a call from a TA offering a price to upgrade. Never found the offer attractive. Only received a free upgrade once and that was at the pier when I checked in and someone from the ship asked if I'd like to be upgraded at no cost. I said "yes" to this offer and went from a balcony to a CS.

[pwapwa47]

Really? Celebrity calls you with an upgrade offer?? That must be pretty rare, I've only very seldom heard of them doing that. Has this happened to others?

 

It is truly called an upsell. The cruise line won't call us for a free upgrade which I think may only go thru the travel agents.

 

I have had email offers on many cruises with Celebrity, Oceania, Royal, Carnival and most recently Holland America. It most usually happens at about three to two weeks out. Sometimes the offer is good and sometimes not worthwhile.

 

On Holland we only book a guaranteed Vista Suite and have always (six times) been offered a Neptune Suite at an upcharge. We have never rolled the dice to see if we get assigned a higher level without cost as we really want just the Neptune and seemed to have found a way to get them at a reduced cost. We lucked into it the first time and now book with that angle in mind. I presume our luck may eventually run out however we will gladly accept whatever cabin we are given if that is the case.

[sollan]

Have for a long time been reading of different kind of perks that US ta's will offer.

Of curiosity I have been checking around on web based US ta's to see what I have been missing. :cool:

The perks offered are normally the same that X offers and the extra perks like OBC's offered by the TA is usually only for US/Canadians.

 

Maybe I haven't been looking on the right places? I would LOVE to have some extra OBC to spend onboard! :D

[Rob the Cruiser]

Really? Celebrity calls you with an upgrade offer?? That must be pretty rare, I've only very seldom heard of them doing that. Has this happened to others?

Yes. We got a call from Celebrity offering a complementary upgrade from A1 to suite on the second cruise of our B2B2B. Unfortunately, we were aboard the first cruise and didn't pickup the voicemail until we returned home. We never check email or voicemail while on vacation. Perhaps we should! :eek:

[GatorMomInNC]

I never use a TA because I am a control freak. I want to be able to call the cruiselines whenever I want. I also book cruises way in advance and will cancel if I find a better cruise or decide we cannot afford it. I don't want to pay a TAa fee if I cancel, and if they don't charge a fee, I don't want a TA to do all that work, then cancel.

 

BTW, for some reason, Celebrity has given me $ 475 in OBC on our cruise (leaving tomorrow!!!)😄😄😄. I don't know why, and didn't ask in case it was a mistake!

[Fossil1948]

That must be MY OBC???

All gratuities gratefully accepted.

Strange isn't it? You get extra and I get lose mine...Ah well, that's life...

 

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[7leagueboots]

Can't agree more. We have used the same agent for over 20 years' date=' and she saves us money every time we travel. It's nice to have an advocate in our corner esentially for free, since it costs no more to book with her than to book direct.[/quote']

 

Same here...same travel agent and saved a bundle.

[Orator]

Last year while on Connie I went to the Future Cruise Office to book some cruises. Always go with Ipad in hand to check TA offerings when I book. Found one cruise that was considerably less than the prices quoted by person at Future Cruises. When I showed him the price he told me that he can only guarantee the best benefits, not the best price. I booked this one directly through the TA. Other cruises were worth booking on board and transferring to TA for additional benefits. It pays to check with several agencies even when on board ship.

[kenevenpar]

Here is my most recent experience. No boasting, this is what I got last week. I booked a guarantee inside cabin on Silhouette 10/17 sailing, eastern Med and Israel, 14 nights. It was $1039/pp plus taxes of about $98. I got $250 obc from my 'large Internet TA' based on the east coast, and I hope to get an additional $250 OBC from shareholder credit, although I haven't applied for it yet. I'd be happy to send anyone the copy of my confirmation if you doubt me.

 

If my math is correct, $250 OBC is about 12.03% of the base fare. Good deal!

 

It raises the question, how much are the TA's being paid by Celebrity. It must be really high if they can afford to comp 12% as OBC.

[GatorMomInNC]

That must be MY OBC???

All gratuities gratefully accepted.

Strange isn't it? You get extra and I get lose mine...Ah well, that's life...

 

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😉👍

Well, thank you then!

[teecee60]

I have found that those who boast about large OBC or deep discounts from a TA neglect to tell you that they booked a 30 day cruise in a suite. If you are only booking an interior, ocean view or balcony for a 7 day cruise you are looking at a $50 OBC.

 

If I were going to use a TA it would be someone who was recommended, an actual name of a person not something something dot com.

 

Those of us who get great deals from our travel agents are NOT BOASTING. We're trying to help you save money.

 

I don't book 30 day cruises in suites. My latest booking is a 14 day Infinity Aqua Class Guarantee (A2) sailing this January (2016).

 

My travel agent had group space on this sailing, which lowered the price considerably.

 

The travel agency I use has been in business for 20 years. They are also advertisers on CruiseCritic. They have been honored by RCCL, Celebrity, Azamara and other cruise lines as top producers. This is no fly-by-night organization.

 

 

The two opposite ends of the cruise-booking-strategy spectrum portrayed PERFECTLY.

 

Everyone is completely free to choose for themselves... but I will always go with the latter. :rolleyes:

 

In addition to advertising on Cruise Critic, the online site alluded to above, quite regularly has representatives ON Celebrity ships during a cruise, and they usually do far more future bookings than the Celebrity future cruise office does.

 

My most recent experience with them...

 

15 nights on Celebrity in an Ocean View cabin for $799pp... (tips and $99pp in taxes extra)

 

...with $275 OBC from the online site AND $250 OBC from the shareholder benefit. :D

 

And THAT is nowhere NEAR the best deal I have found. But.. it was probably just a dream...

Edited September 11, 2015 by teecee60

[upwarduk]

In addition to advertising on Cruise Critic, the online site alluded to above, quite regularly has representatives ON Celebrity ships during a cruise, and they usually do far more future bookings than the Celebrity future cruise office does.

 

I was told by a rep a number of years ago that I couldn't book, unless I had an address in U.S. Not sure if this is still the case.

[Solon]

I was told by a rep a number of years ago that I couldn't book, unless I had an address in U.S. Not sure if this is still the case.

 

I book regularly with a US TA while living in the UK. Not a problem.....

[upwarduk]

I book regularly with a US TA while living in the UK. Not a problem.....

 

I should have made myself clearer, I was talking about the agency that sometimes has reps on some Celebrity cruises.

 

In addition to advertising on Cruise Critic, the online site alluded to above, quite regularly has representatives ON Celebrity ships during a cruise, and they usually do far more future bookings than the Celebrity future cruise office does.

Edited September 12, 2015 by upwarduk

[woodyren]

And I have booked 4 cruises with that agency without a problem. I am from Sydney

 

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[Missus Makkem]

In the UK we do not have TA s like in America.

Our TA s are high street stores specialising in selling all types of holidays but not with always specialist knowledge.We did find one high street shop with a designated Cruise department when we first cruised 20 years ago but their excellent staff soon left to go elsewhere usually to work for Cruise lines!

We also have different EU rules regarding deposits.

I know there are some specialist and independent agencies but not the norm.

 

we have booked direct with cruise lines for the last few years and have been very pleased with the service they offer.

[pwapwa47]

 

15 nights on Celebrity in an Ocean View cabin for $799pp... (tips and $99pp in taxes extra)

 

...with $275 OBC from the online site AND $250 OBC from the shareholder benefit. :D

 

And THAT is nowhere NEAR the best deal I have found. But.. it was probably just a dream...

 

 

And herein lies the problem that Celebrity is facing and why they have gone to a ship within a ship concept and better amenities for those willing to pay.

 

Look at it this way at $1600.00 for a cabin for 15 nights forgetting about any on board credits it works out to $106 per day for the cabin which is to include all food, entertainment etc.. If you only considered room and board I think you would be hard pressed to stay at a Motel 6 and have three meals for two a day at Denny's + snacks for that price.

 

It is no wonder there are many, many complaints about declining food quality, overall cruise experience, cleanliness, and now most recently people are even talking about pillow quality. By demanding such low fares we have created a situation that Celebrity can no longer afford the quality you were once accustomed to. Ship within a ship now means nothing different than a class system such as we all saw first hand on Titanic.

 

Just saying .......you get what you pay for......

[Fossil1948]

11 nights ultra all - inclusive in 5* hotel in Egypt with flight included, £880.00 per person. Wonderful hotel, great food. Works out at £80.00 per night. All food, all drink. Still available...

 

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[grandgeezer]

And herein lies the problem that Celebrity is facing and why they have gone to a ship within a ship concept and better amenities for those willing to pay.

 

Look at it this way at $1600.00 for a cabin for 15 nights forgetting about any on board credits it works out to $106 per day for the cabin which is to include all food, entertainment etc.. If you only considered room and board I think you would be hard pressed to stay at a Motel 6 and have three meals for two a day at Denny's + snacks for that price.

 

It is no wonder there are many, many complaints about declining food quality, overall cruise experience, cleanliness, and now most recently people are even talking about pillow quality. By demanding such low fares we have created a situation that Celebrity can no longer afford the quality you were once accustomed to. Ship within a ship now means nothing different than a class system such as we all saw first hand on Titanic.

 

Just saying .......you get what you pay for......

 

Where's the part about RCL reporting record profits and increasing their stock dividend 25%?

If you don't like what you're getting, don't pay. That's the way we're heading.

[teecee60]

 

Where's the part about RCL reporting record profits and increasing their stock dividend 25%?

 

Don't forget about the THOUSANDS of NEW berths being built EVERY year that will have to be filled each and every week/itinerary. :eek:

 

I honestly don't understand just HOW they can do it ALL THE TIME. One of my favorite activities after boarding, is watching the "logistics of turn around" taking place on the pier... it's nothing short of mind boggling. :cool:

 

 

 

they have gone to a ship within a ship concept and better amenities for those willing to pay.

 

at $1600.00 for a cabin for 15 nights it works out to $106 per day for the cabin which is to include all food, entertainment etc..

 

I think you would be hard pressed to stay at a Motel 6 and have three meals for two a day at Denny's + snacks for that price.

 

It is no wonder there are many, many complaints about declining food quality, overall cruise experience.

 

By demanding such low fares we have created a situation that Celebrity can no longer afford the quality.

 

Ship within a ship now means nothing different than a class system such as we all saw first hand on Titanic.

 

Just saying .......you get what you pay for......

 

I agree completely with all your points save for the highlighted one.

 

I don't see that it is "we" (cruisers) that have "created a situation" with increased demand, but rather it is the cruise industry that has created (and CONTINUES to create) the (astounding) increased supply of cruise ship cabins. Just look at the articles in the news section right here on Cruise Critic delineating the unending list of new ships/berths being built/planned.

 

There has ALWAYS been a "Titanic class system..." for everything. ;)

 

Inside cabins to Penthouse Suites, Carnival to Crystal, Motel 6 to Westin, Yugo to BMW. :o

 

Even I have noticed a DISTINCT decrease in food quality at Tuscan in the last 5 years... BUT...

 

I'm still VERY pleased with MY "bang for the buck" on Celebrity.

Edited September 14, 2015 by teecee60

[wendychloecruiser]

In the UK we do not have TA s like in America.

Our TA s are high street stores specialising in selling all types of holidays but not with always specialist knowledge.We did find one high street shop with a designated Cruise department when we first cruised 20 years ago but their excellent staff soon left to go elsewhere usually to work for Cruise lines!

We also have different EU rules regarding deposits.

I know there are some specialist and independent agencies but not the norm.

 

we have booked direct with cruise lines for the last few years and have been very pleased with the service they offer.

 

 

May I beg to differ? There are several cruise-only TA's in the UK that are very competitive. However the buying power of 300 million people in the U.S. will always supersede the population here in the UK of 65 million. You can also add into the mix Canada's 35miilion.

 

I always do my homework when I book a cruise...71 to date. I have only lived in the UK 3+ years now and was initially mortified to find the variation in pricing and benefits (or lack thereof) between the U.S. and the UK. Although it's rare, I have found the occasional better deal here in the UK, especially in relation to Med cruises. The vast majority of the time I will book with a U.S. TA. The savings and benefits can literally run into the thousands.

 

The savings will vary tremendously depending on ship, time of year, popularity and an infinite number of other variables some even coming down to luck. I don't care what others have paid...as long as I'm on a ship fairly frequently!

Edited September 14, 2015 by wendychloecruiser