No More Perks Deals?

[The Shutterbug]

Sorry if this has been posted recently, we're looking to book the Fjords cruise for May 2017.

 

We've priced some UK & US agents and Celebrity direct. There don't seem to be any 'perks' included just an early booking price guarantee. We've had the drinks package & OBC in the past and we're hoping to get it again. The prices have went up a good bit good compared to quotes last year.

 

I know it's how long is a piece of string / crystal ball /personal choice question but should we hold out and wait or just get it booked.

 

Anyone heard any 'rumours' if the perks / 1-2-3 offer will be back again?

 

Thanks for reading my ramble! :)

[chemmo]

...like you we have been monitoring offers. Got a great deal with the above offer for a European 2016 cruise in the Autumn but the new similar offer does not include the cruise we wanted to book for 2017. We were very specific on ship, date and room for this 2017 cruise and have gone ahead and booked with the 'price promise' (significant birthday).

 

If you are less 'fussy' than us it may be worth waiting but if you do have any restrictions on dates etc then it is up to you. We are comfortable with the price we have paid, if it comes down it is a bonus....we would have been so upset, however, if we had waited and then been unable to get the date and room we wanted.

 

Good Luck, if you are flexible hopefully an offer will present itself at some stage but if not you and I are in the same boat, even if I am in Asia and you are in Norway!

[sayaguru]

They offered great perks and prices for Australian residents last week (about time). Choice of 2 (OBC, free gratuities, drink package). :D

Lasted 2 days. Only on a few cruises.

 

Hence there a LOTS of Aussies now booked on cruises leaving Rome in Sept-October 2016 (including me).:D:D

[Project_gal]

Sorry if this has been posted recently, we're looking to book the Fjords cruise for May 2017.

 

We've priced some UK & US agents and Celebrity direct. There don't seem to be any 'perks' included just an early booking price guarantee. We've had the drinks package & OBC in the past and we're hoping to get it again. The prices have went up a good bit good compared to quotes last year.

 

I know it's how long is a piece of string / crystal ball /personal choice question but should we hold out and wait or just get it booked.

 

Anyone heard any 'rumours' if the perks / 1-2-3 offer will be back again?

 

Thanks for reading my ramble! :)

 

Our Celebrity Personal Cruise Consultant does not know of any offers coming up in the near future.

 

However, reading on Cruise Critic how horrified USA customers were at the new 2017/18 season cruises prices and knowing just how bad the exchange rate is for the pound against the US dollar at present, I was very pleasantly surprised at the price we were quoted for our 2018 cruise [5.6% increase on the 2016 price for the same cruise].

 

My guess is that, in the UK because of the current poor exchange rate [you get 22% less dollars for your pound than when we booked our 2016 cruise], Celebrity UK have decided to keep the price down rather than add perks. It is my guess that, if the pound picks up, Celebrity may then start adding perks but not as things stand especially as the US have started increasing interest rates and we may not for some time yet and that is not likely to help the exchange rate.

Edited December 31, 2015 by Project_gal

[The Shutterbug]

Thanks everyone, we can get the perks for 2016 sailings but not 2017 :( can't go in 2016 as booked a few European city breaks instead, typical lol

 

To book now or not to book - Decisions decisions :S

[hcat]

Our AQ booking for Jan 2018 Carib cruise required us to "go big"...we picked alcohol.

no other OBC or perks but price was ok...

 

Although I think perks and offers will be back to fill ships, but if they don't, I wonder

if folks will go back to other cruise lines they were drawn from, thus leaving loyal Celebrity cruisers as the main customer base.

 

 

We'll see how it goes!

Edited December 31, 2015 by hcat

[biker1972]

2017 is a long ways out and I am expecting that the deals will show up sometime during the 2016 season. I did book 2 cruises for 2017 when the deposit was $25 pp and will monitor the sales as we go along. About the only thing that can be done.

[Wiltonian]

2017 is a long ways out and I am expecting that the deals will show up sometime during the 2016 season. I did book 2 cruises for 2017 when the deposit was $25 pp and will monitor the sales as we go along. About the only thing that can be done.

 

I concur. I booked our Sept 16 cruise in Feb 2015, with a free bev package. I cancelled and rebooked (as customers of Celebrity UK have to) when their offer became "2nd person half price" and classic bev package free in September 2015.

 

ATM X-UK say you can book for 2017 now, and then rebook if offers improve anytime in 2016, with no loss of deposit (the offer US customers take for granted.)

 

However, that only runs to 31/12/16 . . . . .

 

Personally, I'm looking at either a May 17 booking to the Baltic, or a Sept 17 booking to the Canaries, and have decided to wait to see what Celebrity offers in the first half of 2016. No-one knows for sure, but it seems highly unlikely that there'll be no offers once the "must book firsters" have booked.

 

Incidentally, we went on the Eclipse to Norway in May 2015, only booking in December 2014, when there was good availability, and paid £2158 for two, with classic bev package included, and including grats, Oceanview.

 

Stuart

Edited December 31, 2015 by Wiltonian
get years right! ;-)

[az_tchr]

The pricing and perks for future cruises are certainly subject to change or more probably many changes. Cabin pricing is higher in 2017, but all the complaints are much ado about nothing because Celebrity will discount if cabins do not fill and raise even more if they do. There are some 9 or 10 cruises with groups and thus the few remaining cabins on those cruises currently have higher prices than one would expect. The important thing is if the groups do not completely fill (they usually do not) then will get BIG drops when those cabins are dumped into the marketplace.

[MR_T]

The perks are there for US bookings? For the late April sailing anyway...

[harz99]

The pricing and perks for future cruises are certainly subject to change or more probably many changes. Cabin pricing is higher in 2017, but all the complaints are much ado about nothing because Celebrity will discount if cabins do not fill and raise even more if they do. There are some 9 or 10 cruises with groups and thus the few remaining cabins on those cruises currently have higher prices than one would expect. The important thing is if the groups do not completely fill (they usually do not) then will get BIG drops when those cabins are dumped into the marketplace.

 

I really disagree that the complaints re higher pricing are "much ado about nothing"!

 

I have previously always booked early on release of the new itineraries to lock in best price, failing that it was wait to maybe get a good price after final payment date.

 

Trouble with waiting is the air fare had gone sky high, and as nearly all cruises involve flying somewhere from the UK that cancels out any saving on late bookings.

 

Early booking now gets you nothing in terms of advantageous rates, largely due to spurious "free" perks, which are neither free nor perks cranking up the base price.

 

Hence all the complaints.

[Iamcruzin]

I really disagree that the complaints re higher pricing are "much ado about nothing"!

 

I have previously always booked early on release of the new itineraries to lock in best price, failing that it was wait to maybe get a good price after final payment date.

 

Trouble with waiting is the air fare had gone sky high, and as nearly all cruises involve flying somewhere from the UK that cancels out any saving on late bookings.

 

Early booking now gets you nothing in terms of advantageous rates, largely due to spurious "free" perks, which are neither free nor perks cranking up the base price.

Hence all the complaints.

 

It's a catch 22. If everyone booked early the ship would fill and drive the price up. So in theory by booking at the opening price you would be getting the best price. I think that was the idea behind the marketing campaigns 123 go, pick your perk and BBB. It seems to have worked. We are all just spoiled from the weak economy discounted prices. Those $50 a day itineraries are far and few between now.

[az_tchr]

I really disagree that the complaints re higher pricing are "much ado about nothing"!

 

I have previously always booked early on release of the new itineraries to lock in best price, failing that it was wait to maybe get a good price after final payment date.

 

Trouble with waiting is the air fare had gone sky high, and as nearly all cruises involve flying somewhere from the UK that cancels out any saving on late bookings.

 

Early booking now gets you nothing in terms of advantageous rates, largely due to spurious "free" perks, which are neither free nor perks cranking up the base price.

 

Hence all the complaints.

 

How can you book airfare to Europe on a summer 2017 or spring 2018 sailing? Can only book 330 or 360 days out depending on the carrier. Impossible to predict where either airfare or cruise prices will go. I heard lots of complaints about high airfare from UK to North America but was able to book premium economy last week for $620 to US West Coast from UK in June and return late June. Paid more last year. You never know.

[harz99]

How can you book airfare to Europe on a summer 2017 or spring 2018 sailing? Can only book 330 or 360 days out depending on the carrier. Impossible to predict where either airfare or cruise prices will go. I heard lots of complaints about high airfare from UK to North America but was able to book premium economy last week for $620 to US West Coast from UK in June and return late June. Paid more last year. You never know.

 

I wasn't saying I booked airfare that far out, don't know where that comes from?

 

What I was saying related to holding off booking both cruise and air until after final cruise payment, when the cruise price will in many cases drop to bargain levels, not so with air at 75/90 days out.

 

If you're booking air this time of the year nearly all major airlines have Christmas/January sales for flights up to end of June, sounds like you lucked out there.

[harz99]

It's a catch 22. If everyone booked early the ship would fill and drive the price up. So in theory by booking at the opening price you would be getting the best price. I think that was the idea behind the marketing campaigns 123 go, pick your perk and BBB. It seems to have worked. We are all just spoiled from the weak economy discounted prices. Those $50 a day itineraries are far and few between now.

 

Certainly used to be the case that booking early got best price, not sure now though.

 

You do realise that all those promotions you quote have pushed that base price ever higher?

 

I and many others don't want to be forced to pay higher prices for all inclusive we neither need nor want.

 

Agreed the weak economy helped keep prices down, but these days, with the exception of the Caribbean where there is over supply, you can't find much at $100 a day, let alone $50.

[Jade13]

[quote name=Wiltonian;48623391

Incidentally' date=' we went on the Eclipse to Norway in May 2015, only booking in December 2014, when there was good availability, and paid £2158 for two, with classic bev package included, and including grats, Oceanview.

 

Stuart[/quote]

 

Wiltonian,

 

How many nights? What cabin category? Is that with or without flights?

Edited January 1, 2016 by Jade13

[Iamcruzin]

Certainly used to be the case that booking early got best price, not sure now though.

 

You do realise that all those promotions you quote have pushed that base price ever higher?

 

I and many others don't want to be forced to pay higher prices for all inclusive we neither need nor want.

 

Agreed the weak economy helped keep prices down, but these days, with the exception of the Caribbean where there is over supply, you can't find much at $100 a day, let alone $50.

 

Yes, I do realize that the perks brought the price up especially for those who don't make use of the drink package , have elite perks and TA OBC. However, they are filling ships which is driving the price up all the way through final payment. The deals after final payment aren't much less than the opening price with the perks. Remember RCCL's goal was to increase the price even if the ship didn't sail full. They are attempting to train us to book early and the promotions are part of the plan.

The article below talks about the pricing strategy and mentions Celebrity towards the end.

 

http://www.travelpulse.com/news/cruise/rccl-sticks-with-no-last-minute-discount-policy.html

[Wiltonian]

Wiltonian,

 

How many nights? What cabin category? Is that with or without flights?

 

As written, oceanview. 7 nights, and no flights needed - we're 140 miles from Southampton. On a per-night calculation, Norway always is relatively expensive.

 

Stuart