UK gets option of refundable deposit at last!

[mickey89]

2 hours ago, little britain said:

But UK bookings made whilst onboard have fully refundable deposits I was told ?

Celebrity’s incentive to booked onboard was that they gave an obc equal to the deposit paid. Originally you had the option to take this obc on the current or the future cruise. This policy changed in that this obc is now only given on the future cruise.

If at a later date you decided to cancel that future booking the deposit paid onboard would be refunded in full and you forfeit the incentive obc.   That is still Celebrity’s onboard policy, so little britain’s comment is correct.

Edited November 20, 2019 by mickey89

[jojo1966]

Never realised that......I was under the impression when we booked on board that we could only move the deposit....not cancel and get it back ......damn.....

[villauk]

2 hours ago, mickey89 said:

Celebrity’s incentive to booked onboard was that they gave an obc equal to the deposit paid. Originally you had the option to take this obc on the current or the future cruise. This policy changed in that this obc is now only given on the future cruise.

If at a later date you decided to cancel that future booking the deposit paid onboard would be refunded in full and you forfeit the incentive obc.   That is still Celebrity’s onboard policy, so little britain’s comment is correct.

 

No, that has never been the case when I’ve asked. The policy was always that you could move the onboard booking to a future cruise and then rebook, if you so wished, the same cruise at the lower price (price drop scenario), or alternatively lose the deposit if you cancelled completely.

[laslomas]

I must admit to being pleased to see the Refundable Deposit showing as part of the offer on the website when I was first checking out the 2021 itineraries. It certainly gives one the impetus to start making plans, knowing they can be cancelled!!. Of course it has disappeared now. I am surprised at how quickly that 'error' was corrected. A shame they cannot get the rest of the website issues sorted out so quickly.

Edited November 21, 2019 by laslomas

[Mynki]

12 hours ago, mickey89 said:

Celebrity’s incentive to booked onboard was that they gave an obc equal to the deposit paid. Originally you had the option to take this obc on the current or the future cruise. This policy changed in that this obc is now only given on the future cruise.

If at a later date you decided to cancel that future booking the deposit paid onboard would be refunded in full and you forfeit the incentive obc.   That is still Celebrity’s onboard policy, so little britain’s comment is correct.

 

You're wrong here. 

The OBC offered depends on the type of stateroom offered and the length of the cruise booked. It has nothing to do with the size of the deposit you paid. This was the case last month when I was last onboard and every time I've sailed over the last few years. 

The deposit was non refundable if you cancelled but it could be transferred to a different sailing where you would keep the additional OBC but not necessarily any other perks you were given as that depended entirely on the deal offered on the cruise you were switching to. 

[mickey89]

You are correct Celebrity have changed their T&C, now an onboard booking is Non-Refundable but does allow unlimited FREE changes prior to final payment (57 days). The deposit paid is equivalent to the incentive obc given. That still remains (see T&C item 3)  https://www.celebritycruises.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/promotional-terms/#Future Cruise Promotion

 

 

 

 

 

[Mynki]

24 minutes ago, mickey89 said:

You are correct Celebrity have changed their T&C, now an onboard booking is Non-Refundable but does allow unlimited FREE changes prior to final payment (57 days). The deposit paid is equivalent to the incentive obc given. That still remains (see T&C item 3)  https://www.celebritycruises.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/promotional-terms/#Future Cruise Promotion

 

 

 

 

 

I'd agree that that is the official view. However it's not unheard of for them to have smaller deposits as a further incentive to book onboard. We've paid a $100 deposit for a 14 night AQ sailing when the OBC was more. Last month you could pay a small deposit to secure perks on cruises that were yet to be released! You may have seen the threads discussing this? Nothing is set in stone with X. 

Then again the same website claims there are two chic nights on 14 night sailings, yet EVERY one I've done has always had three. 

[mickey89]

Onboard bookings have changed so much.  It was only 18 months ago that I paid £148 deposit and received $250 obc which I redeemed immediately.  They were using $1.69 conversion rate when the real rate was $1.29.  (Cheaper than using an ATM) Maybe that's the reason why the incentive obc is now only available on the future cruise.

 

It's last minute bookings for me now unless I see a bargain.  Celebrity pricing is ridiculous, we booked a B2B cruise only 2 months ago and today the price is 78% higher.  How can that be justified ?

 

[jojo1966]

got to admit - if prices stay this high now there's no way we will be booking another cruise. Just looked at the price for our cruise we already have booked for Nov 2020- we paid £4,316 for a hump veranda cabin, including classic drinks, gratuities and £200 OBC. The veranda cabins on the new pricing are now £6,338 if i factor in the same things  - and I dont' think that's a hump one either. Its ridiculous 

[Bretty]

This is an odd scenario I think with lots of confusing options and price differences. I'm new to X - I've yet to sail on my itinerary (14 nights Baltic in May on Silhouette).  When I booked the promotion was 3 included perks - $150pp OBC, prepaid gratuities and classic beverage package. (Actually our original booking was just $100pp OBC, but the deal changed very soon after we booked, and the price dropped so we upgraded to an AQ2 for a small amount), our fare for this package £2899pp. I'm happy with that. I have no previous X experience to compare it to, but I'm happy.

 

With the new pricing the basic no perk fare is £2349pp for an AQ2 (there's just one cabin left). With 2 perks - say $150 OBC and gratuities the price comes in at £2699pp.  That's a difference of £350pp but the perks value adds up to only £287pp.

When I price for 2 perks and use OBC and classic drinks package, I get £2839pp, a difference of £490 over the no perk fare, but the perks value (based on the extra fees charged) is £256pp.

If I add in prepaid gratuities to this offer, which then matches what I've already got then the fare is £3010pp.  Based on that, with what I have already booked, I'm coming out just ahead, not much, but enough to satisfy me.

 

The all 4 perks is of no use to me - I don't value the internet access as it's always overpriced anyway, and I'm sailing in Europe so my mobile phone has inclusive data that I can use most of the time - apart from sea days and when we're moving to another port. Not a problem for me.

Also, my husband doesn't drink alcohol so a premium beverage package is of no use to him - although given the chance I can sink my fair share of martinis!  I'm likely to upgrade to the premium package from the classic, but he doesn't need it.  Also, when doing the 4 perks the price jumps to £3259pp.

 

YMMV, but right now, the deal I have is fine with me.  If I was looking to book now I would not be very happy with the options. All that, and deposits are still non-refundable (although we only have to pay £150pp deposit).

[Jossie1960]

We would never book direct with Celebrity UK unless they matched our .co.uk TA as they discount celebrity by 15%.  

Even with that discount most of Celebrity current pricing is OTT.

[Mynki]

4 hours ago, mickey89 said:

Onboard bookings have changed so much.  It was only 18 months ago that I paid £148 deposit and received $250 obc which I redeemed immediately.  They were using $1.69 conversion rate when the real rate was $1.29.  (Cheaper than using an ATM) Maybe that's the reason why the incentive obc is now only available on the future cruise.

 

It's last minute bookings for me now unless I see a bargain.  Celebrity pricing is ridiculous, we booked a B2B cruise only 2 months ago and today the price is 78% higher.  How can that be justified ?

 

 

Not sure if you've seen my thread on Iconic Suite pricing but I think that highlights perfectly how absurd Celebrity pricing can be. I still can't fully understand how the occasional X cruise can be 30% cheaper when booked in the US compared to the UK and vice versa (extreme examples, but they have occured). 

 

There's only two classes of stateroom I'm really interested in. I have a perceived value of both with some flexibility for geographical location. As we're relatively young we still have some sailings on our bucket list left and so just wait patiently. When an interesting itinerary comes up and it's at an acceptable price I literally book within hours or even minutes because experience has told me that at those prices rooms don't hang around very long. That could be six to twelve months before sail date or it could be after final payment. 

There's currently three European 2021 sailings I'd really like to do but can't justify the opening prices so will just monitor those and hopefully strike when prices drop on at least one of them, which they always seem to do. 

[mrsgoggins]

1 hour ago, Jossie1960 said:

We would never book direct with Celebrity UK unless they matched our .co.uk TA as they discount celebrity by 15%.  

Even with that discount most of Celebrity current pricing is OTT.

I have had them price match, as has a friend of mine.

 

Agree that the prices are OTT and much as I like the product, I won’t be rushing to book another X cruise (without a good deal), despite having a placeholder booking in the system.

[villauk]

14 minutes ago, mrsgoggins said:

I have had them price match, as has a friend of mine.

 

Agree that the prices are OTT and much as I like the product, I won’t be rushing to book another X cruise (without a good deal), despite having a placeholder booking in the system.

 

 

Same here, just keep moving those placeholders.

[mickey89]

I too was recently astonished when I asked to transfer a booking and they said they would match the TA.  It was 18% below their listing and it also offered us a free transfer if the need arises which is as good as a refundable deposit to us.  
We have experienced MSC yacht club twice and is now our cruise line of choice if prices are right.  We still cruise frequently but land based holiday are becoming a bigger attraction especially with the overcrowding of both the Caribbean and Mediterranean ports of call.

[little britain]

8 hours ago, mickey89 said:

You are correct Celebrity have changed their T&C, now an onboard booking is Non-Refundable but does allow unlimited FREE changes prior to final payment (57 days). The deposit paid is equivalent to the incentive obc given. That still remains (see T&C item 3)  https://www.celebritycruises.co.uk/terms-and-conditions/promotional-terms/#Future Cruise Promotion

 

 

 

 

 

OK the guy on my last (RCI) cruise was most insistent that it was a 'new' X policy and that deposits were fully refundable. 

Good thing I didn't book.....