Heard it before, so many times....

[woozlebear]

The reason why there are no offers on TA,s repositioning cruises etc, there prices are really cheap!

 

No they are not, I have read several posts recently about the costs of TA's this coming autumn and early summer . I am booked on a cruise in January that is classed as a repositioning cruise Abu Dhabi to Singapore and no it was not a cheap price in fact now it is a very expensive one.

 

Why not offer a half price drinks package on these cruises with several consecutive sea days? cconsecutive sea day

[ChucktownSteve]

The reason why there are no offers on TA,s repositioning cruises etc, there prices are really cheap!

 

No they are not, I have read several posts recently about the costs of TA's this coming autumn and early summer . I am booked on a cruise in January that is classed as a repositioning cruise Abu Dhabi to Singapore and no it was not a cheap price in fact now it is a very expensive one.

 

Why not offer a half price drinks package on these cruises with several consecutive sea days? cconsecutive sea day

 

Because they would lose money on people having nothing to do but drink.

[blizzardboy]

The reason why there are no offers on TA,s repositioning cruises etc, there prices are really cheap!

 

No they are not, I have read several posts recently about the costs of TA's this coming autumn and early summer . I am booked on a cruise in January that is classed as a repositioning cruise Abu Dhabi to Singapore and no it was not a cheap price in fact now it is a very expensive one.

 

Why not offer a half price drinks package on these cruises with several consecutive sea days? cconsecutive sea day

I've posted regarding x's "repositioning" cruises before. Here's an excerpt you might find interesting:

"I still can't believe that X has the nerve to call an itinerary that's run multiple times in both directions during the same Asian season a repositioning cruise in order to deny promo benefits. I double-checked my geographic knowledge and Abu Dhabi is still in Asia. Their "if it doesn't start and end in the same port it's a repositioning cruise" explanation is beyond bogus. They don't pull this crap with their European or Alaskan itineraries because there's too much competition from other lines. I took X to task over a couple days post-booking and got the value of the denied promo perks in OBC, but hearing another person talking about the denied perks really makes me question the ethics of, and whether I want to do business with, a company like Celebrity. We are going to wait until after our Surf-n-Turf trip in January (7 days on the HAL Eurodam then we'll pop over to San Juan for 7 days at the LaConcha Renaissance Resort Casino) to decide whether to keep our X booking. In the meantime, I'm going to book a 7-day Jan 2018 Caribbean and a late May or early June 2018 12-day in the Med with HAL, just in case I decide to tell Celebrity to "stick" their RS somewhere painful!"

[jelayne]

The reason why there are no offers on TA,s repositioning cruises etc, there prices are really cheap!

 

No they are not, I have read several posts recently about the costs of TA's this coming autumn and early summer . I am booked on a cruise in January that is classed as a repositioning cruise Abu Dhabi to Singapore and no it was not a cheap price in fact now it is a very expensive one.

 

Why not offer a half price drinks package on these cruises with several consecutive sea days? cconsecutive sea day

 

We are booked on the same cruise in 2018 and agree it is a big stretch to call it a repositioning. I did a bit of searching and found a TA with group pricing saving 18% -so I guess we will use the savings towards the greats & drinks.

 

We are on a TA in October & currently & quietly they are offering the beverage packages at a 10% discount if you buy before the cruise. Found it when looking at my cruise planner. It's not a huge discount but it something.

[teecee60]

 

The reason why there are no offers on TA,s repositioning cruises etc, there prices are really cheap! No they are not.

 

Why not offer a half price drinks package on these cruises with several consecutive sea days?

 

Just this year, April transatlantic cruises on Celebrity were cheaper than I have EVER seen them. 13 nights on Constellation went for $349pp... 14 nights on Equinox went for $404pp and 16 nights on Reflection went for $499pp. (these prices were for inside cabins, but balcony prices were only 100-200 per person higher)

 

Every cruise line, including Celebrity, will put whatever ridiculously high price they think they can get on every cruise they offer, then adjust the price/perks according to market response.

 

If they don't HAVE to offer perks, like a drink package, to sell out the ship, they WON'T. :o

 

The reason for all these ridiculous sales promotions, inane marketing gimmicks, and never ending ad campaigns, is to make you THINK you are getting a deal when you really are NOT. :rolleyes:

 

There was just a thread on the RCCL board about a guy who thinks he got a "4,000 military discount" on a 7 night Alaska cruise.

 

The fact that RCCL actually advertised a 7 night cruise at over $6,000, leads me to believe SOME people were silly enough to actually pay that price before the "discount" had to be announced. :rolleyes:

 

 

"I still can't believe that X has the nerve to call an itinerary that's run multiple times in both directions during the same Asian season a repositioning cruise in order to deny promo benefits.

 

Their "if it doesn't start and end in the same port it's a repositioning cruise" explanation is beyond bogus. They don't pull this crap with their European or Alaskan itineraries because there's too much competition from other lines.

 

I took X to task over a couple days post-booking and got the value of the denied promo perks in OBC, but hearing another person talking about the denied perks really makes me question the ethics of, and whether I want to do business with, a company like Celebrity.

 

We are going to wait until after our Surf-n-Turf trip in January, just in case I decide to tell Celebrity to "stick" their RS somewhere painful!"

 

In this day and age of global markets, reasonably priced international/trans-oceanic air fares, and instantaneous world wide internet access, there is most likely, ALWAYS going to be somebody else to buy that cabin. :o

Edited July 22, 2016 by teecee60

[jagoffee]

The reason why there are no offers on TA,s repositioning cruises etc, there prices are really cheap!

 

No they are not, I have read several posts recently about the costs of TA's this coming autumn and early summer . I am booked on a cruise in January that is classed as a repositioning cruise Abu Dhabi to Singapore and no it was not a cheap price in fact now it is a very expensive one.

 

Why not offer a half price drinks package on these cruises with several consecutive sea days? cconsecutive sea day

 

Certainly not necessarily cheap. I would say it is more like the TA and repositioning cruises compete more on base price without the added cost of perks. I only have experience on the TA's and this was true in the past, but not has much today. Celebrity has improved the itineraries and they have become more popular.

 

It is possible that many experienced cruise veterans would not wish to pay the even higher cost for the cruise if perks were added into the base price.

 

My wife and I are not the best examples because we always get the drink package whether we purchase it as an included perk or as a package.

 

The only way I know of being assured of an included drink package is to book a Royal Suite or above. The RS price on a TA or a 14 day Caribbean cruise are about the same and maybe slightly less expensive on a TA.

 

The bottom line is that I do think the TAs have become more popular and this is reflected in the price. The two I have booked might be our last ones. I might just stick with the longer non TA cruises and stay on the ship while in some of the ports.

 

Because they would lose money on people having nothing to do but drink.

 

The per day purchase price of the drink package is the same for all the cruises as far as I know. Therefore Celebrity does not seem to be concerned losing money on long cruises with a lot of sea days.

[Moonraker7]

I've got a repositioning cruise and the drinks package included. Nov crossing to Abu from Athens (originally Istanbul). Understand they don't normally offer the package so I feel very lucky :)

[blizzardboy]

I've got a repositioning cruise and the drinks package included. Nov crossing to Abu from Athens (originally Istanbul). Understand they don't normally offer the package so I feel very lucky :)

Their indiscriminate classification is what gets me. They don't seem to have a solid policy except "screw the customer when a lack of competition allows". I wrote down the two different "definitions" they gave me as to why the Abu Dhabi to Singapore cruise was a "repositioning" cruise and disproved both repeatedly with X's own itineraries in other markets. I guess they finally gave in when they they ran out of corporate spin for me to disprove. As far as cheap goes, our cruise isn't until Jan, 2018 and they've already raised it $2000.

[southernbreezes]

Their indiscriminate classification is what gets me. They don't seem to have a solid policy except "screw the customer when a lack of competition allows". I wrote down the two different "definitions" they gave me as to why the Abu Dhabi to Singapore cruise was a "repositioning" cruise and disproved both repeatedly with X's own itineraries in other markets. I guess they finally gave in when they they ran out of corporate spin for me to disprove. As far as cheap goes, our cruise isn't until Jan, 2018 and they've already raised it $2000.

 

They are in business to make a profit as much as they can just like the rest of us. If you do not like the offer take a different cruise. I have paid for my beverage package before they started offering it for free. I hope you know nothing is really free just added to the price. I add it all up and then decide if it is a deal I like. I am not loyal to any company its all about do I like the ship, do I like where it is going do I love the price.

[PRH]

Where did you find the 10% discount for TA drink package? We are on the Equinox out of Barcelona but didn't find any pre purchase incentive. Every little bit helps. Thanks.

[jelayne]

Where did you find the 10% discount for TA drink package? We are on the Equinox out of Barcelona but didn't find any pre purchase incentive. Every little bit helps. Thanks.

 

We are on the Reflection. I went into my Cruise Planner, selected Beverage packages, selected Premium Beverage package, price before the gratuities was $58.50 per day. Normal price for the Premium package is $65. Captains Club confirmed this a pre cruise special. Said the price if purchased on the ship will not have the discount. If you are on the Oct TA I believe you would also be charged the VAT tax if you buy while in Spain's area.

[hcat]

Because they would lose money on people having nothing to do but drink.

 

Yeah.,,..just what we need...more bulk drinkers on X

[blizzardboy]

They are in business to make a profit as much as they can just like the rest of us. If you do not like the offer take a different cruise. I have paid for my beverage package before they started offering it for free. I hope you know nothing is really free just added to the price. I add it all up and then decide if it is a deal I like. I am not loyal to any company its all about do I like the ship, do I like where it is going do I love the price.

 

I ran an automobile dealership. I'm all for making a fair profit. I have no delusions regarding who pays for the promos, but don't make up some inconsistent, b.s. reason in order to play bait and switch marketing with your customers. It's the total arbitrary and inconsistent manner of classification that just isn't right. I wouldn't have argued the point if it was Abu Dhabi to Venice at the end of the Asian season. It fits everybody's definition. The senior suite PCC at X didn't realize the Abu Dhabi to Singapore cruise was classed as "repositioning" for promo purposes, probably because we looked at 4 dates for the same itinerary (2 each direction) in the same Asian season. X even fooled one of their own!

Edited July 22, 2016 by blizzardboy

[TeaBag]

Some very well written posts. We are in this "boat" too. Singapore to Abu Dhabi Apr 2018, over $3,000 each and just a lousy $100 OBC stopping us from using the shareholder credit. Still think we will be cancelling this one and then, of course, the one following which is priced reasonably and is a true repositioning cruise.

We sailed Millennium this year Singapore to Vancouver, placing the Millennium in the area for Alaska cruises. If ever there were a repositioning cruise, this was it. However, we got all the perks on the first segment and the third but not the second which we were fine with. I guess what people are saying about competition is very true.

[Moonraker7]

I would like to say that my cruise was not cheap and my drinks package got added after I had booked. I think it was used as an incentive for others in uk as bookings were very slow.

[florisdekort]

It's their product. They can try to sell it for whatever price and combination of perks they want. That's not "discrimination", that's the free market. You can chose not to buy their product and take your business elsewhere. If enough people do that, I'm sure the price will go down or more perks will be offered. That's the free market too.

 

Buying a cruise and then complaining about the price and the perks afterwards - that's just dumb.

Edited July 22, 2016 by florisdekort

[ShawninFL]

I find transatlantic cruises are typically only a great deal when booked in the few months before sailing when bookings are soft. They are a fair price if booked immediately when the itineraries are released. Of course some specific routes are more popular than others and hold their initial pricing value.

 

My parents were on a Royal Caribbean crossing this past April and the month before sailing they were offering the packages at 30% off.

[ChiGal1962]

I add it all up and then decide if it is a deal I like.

 

That's really the only way to analyze any of these "offers", really. Believe me, "free" perks aren't free. They are in some way baked into the cost. (And as a solo traveler, paying double means I pay double for the perks, too, but that's another story....)

 

Strictly from a financial perspective, I put all of the prices side by side in a spreadsheet. Base fare, what's included, what I would buy separately anyway (big fan of the premium drink package here!) and see if it's a price I'm willing to pay for the timing/itinerary. If so, book it, Danno!

[Kartgv]

The Infinity 5/17 repositioning from San Diego to Vancouver is one of the very expensive ones. When we originally booked, there were no perks offered. We ended up cancelling and rebooking when they did start offering the perks - paid a little more for the cruise but still came out ahead. We keep watching for a price drop but nothing has budged for several months, at least for our cabin category.

[teacherman]

I, like most people, enjoy buying a product for "less" money. But if you get the cruise you want and select the cabin you want, at a price you are willing to pay, then just go and enjoy it. Yes, a few weeks before the cruise departure, there may be a price drop for unsold cabins. If you are totally flexible with your life's schedule (we are not) and can easily get to the port (we have to fly), then just wait for something that fits your desires and budget.

 

Otherwise, just do what you want to do and please stop complaining about being charged "too much" for a product. It is a business, not a charity.

[ighten]

Basically i have always found unless you want to drink the ship dry you generally simply pay more for the cabin and get the perk or less and you dont..

 

Simple marketing.. No free perk is actually free

 

If you want the a TA or repo to include free drinks then youll pay more for the privelage

[blizzardboy]

Basically i have always found unless you want to drink the ship dry you generally simply pay more for the cabin and get the perk or less and you dont..

 

Simple marketing.. No free perk is actually free

 

If you want the a TA or repo to include free drinks then youll pay more for the privelage

 

I think the point was what cruises X classifies as a repo (as a retired auto dealer it's hard to use this abbreviation), and the bait and switch marketing they use. They advertise:

"FOUR INCREDIBLE PERKS—YOU GET THEM ALL

Book any of our six Suite Class staterooms today—to almost anywhere we sail from June 2016 through April 2018—and enjoy 4 FREE perks* for a total value of up to $2,930*."

*The fine print excludes TAs and repos. I don't have a problem with the rules. I read them as soon as a I see a promo on a potential cruise. We all know what a TA is, but Celebrity calls itineraries repos that no other line would classify as such, and they are not remotely consistent through their own cruise inventory.

[kevinyork]

A couple of years back, Royal advertised 3 Spring Transatlantic cruises to UK customers with Premium Drinks Packages included, even for inside cabins. We jumped on the deal and had a great time. Not seen the same since on Royal or Celebrity.

 

I would add that yes people will more likely drink more on a repo with lots of sea days however in reality given the cruise lines' alcohol is duty free and with their buying power does it really cost a cruise line that much more?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[El Crucero]

I ran an automobile dealership. I'm all for making a fair profit. I have no delusions regarding who pays for the promos, but don't make up some inconsistent, b.s. reason in order to play bait and switch marketing with your customers. It's the total arbitrary and inconsistent manner of classification that just isn't right.

 

It looks like you need to change cruise lines!

 

I think it is humorous that an automobile dealership is complaining about someone else using "b.s." and "bait and switch", a marketing ploy that automobile dealerships initially instituted and perfected to a high science! :rolleyes:

"On sale, Belchfire SS for only $9,995!!!!!!!!!! (only one at this price)" :p

[Arzeena]

Their indiscriminate classification is what gets me. They don't seem to have a solid policy except "screw the customer when a lack of competition allows". I wrote down the two different "definitions" they gave me as to why the Abu Dhabi to Singapore cruise was a "repositioning" cruise and disproved both repeatedly with X's own itineraries in other markets. I guess they finally gave in when they they ran out of corporate spin for me to disprove. As far as cheap goes, our cruise isn't until Jan, 2018 and they've already raised it $2000.

 

All this ruckkus for a few free drinks?:rolleyes: