Booked on board cautionary story

[jb008]

I did a booking on board a while back and gave in to their sales pitch to make an additional speculative booking to get the perks since it's refundable, what's the risk.

 

I received the invoices promptly for the booking but didn't set calendar alerts and ended up missing the deadline to move/cancel the booking.  This was especially frustrating because I should have received an invoice PRIOR to the cancellation date, but didn't.  I called X and nicely explained my situation and they offered to move the booking to as far out of a sailing as possible but that the deposit is now non-refundable, but once I know what I want to book call back and we can go from there.  Fast forward to today and I find out the "speculative" booking they made for me with my $100 deposit carries a $100 change fee to change the ship and/or sail date.  

 

Moral of the story, I won't be making any more speculative bookings on sailings on X or any other lines.  I'll stick with the $100 future cruise deposit/credit programs that don't come with a fixed sail date.  And don't be tempted by the "booked onboard" sales pitch, all they are offering today is a $75 OBC on the 5-nt sailing I am looking at; meanwhile my TA is offering an extra perk plus 10% of base fare as an OBC plus a $50 OBC for being a repeat customer of the agency.

 

I've had some great cruises with Celebrity and I want to cruise with them again, but they seem to be making it harder and harder to pick them over some of the competing options.

[Want2Cruise 701]

I'm confused?  You made an onboard booking, and you missed the deadline.  How is this Celebrity's fault?  Celebrity's lower rates are always NON Refundable with the penalty.  This is their new pricing.  The only advantage to booking onboard is the extra OBC and low deposit.  This is nothing new.  The OBC can be minimal depending on the length of the cruise and category.  Still a great way to hold a cruise, IMO.  Low deposit and some OBC.

 

I always book onboard.  Never have had a problem.  I always book the REFUNDABLE higher rate just in case I need to change the ship/sail date.  I know it's my responsibility to keep track of cancellation dates and also the transfer window to a TA.

[jb008]

Totally my fault.  I booked refundable onboard, but failed to note the deadline to cancel/rebook.  Partly just venting because Instead of sending an invoice as a courtesy reminder (which oddly I have received on other X bookings though), I only got a past-due notice.

 

Also very frustrating since they then moved the booking literally on Tuesday to a speculative booking in which I had a whole long conversation with the CS rep on this, but they never mentioned the $100 penalty to do any further changes (nor has the $100 penalty been applied when I moved my non-refundable booking previously).

Edited December 18, 2019 by jb008

[jelayne]

We book onboard whenever possible.  We get the extra OBC and then transfer the booking to a TA for the extra perks or OBC. 

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We book place holders while on board all the time and always make note of the final payment date. We have never missed it or failed to move it as needed.  We feel we need to take control and personal responsibility for our bookings.  One of the reasons we don't use TA's.

[jb008]

Yeah, I got lazy and didn't move it to the TA, but appear to have gotten used to having the more personal attention that the TA provides in handling the booking.  

 

Is it really too much to ask though for them to send an invoice in advance of the deadline though, seeing as how some of these bookings can run over a year ahead of the sailing?  Ugh 😞

[Luvcrusn]

Did you sign a waiver to not have it automatically transferred to the TA you had used to book your current cruise? If you didn't, it should have automatically transferred the booking to the TA you used for that cruise. 

 

We got burned several years back by just placing a $100 future cruise deposit and were told that we'd get additional benefits once we selected a particular cruise in addition to what was currently being offered as a bonus for making the deposit on board. Each time we tried to use the future cruise deposit, we were told it couldn't be combined with the current promotions. After 5 years of this, we asked that the deposit just be applied dollar for dollar without any further benefit and were again told we could not. Our TA (large, high volume, online agent) stepped in and got X to refund our $100 deposits. It was quite a hassle and we bypass the Future Cruise desk on board ever since by a wide berth.

[jb008]

32 minutes ago, Luvcrusn said:

Did you sign a waiver to not have it automatically transferred to the TA you had used to book your current cruise? If you didn't, it should have automatically transferred the booking to the TA you used for that cruise. 

 

I'm pretty sure I did the form to keep it with X at the time I made the booking.  One of the agencies I like to use has an agency-specific cancellation penalty, so I don't want a booking I'm likely going to be moving to be assigned back to that agency.  Can't remember if I'd started working with that agency at the time I did the on-board bookings though.  I keep going back to them since the perks and obc rebates are significantly more than booking direct with the line or versus other agencies. 

 

Over my years cruising, I've received plenty from X in obc and perks to cover my oopsie that cost me that one deposit.  However, I'm sharing my personal experience as a cautionary note regarding on-board bookings.  YMMV, but for me I'll very likely stick with future cruise deposits/credits versus a set booking from now on.  All in all, losing $100 to X won't be a big deal but the principle of it annoys me.

 

Added in edit:

And yes, talking with the rep this evening at this point the "onboard booking" status was only going to add extra OBC and they've stopped carrying over the perk(s) from the legacy bookings.  When I'd booked it was a free upgrade from Go Big (1 perk) to Go Better (2 perks) as well as the bonus OBC.  So moving the booking will eat up my $100 deposit to cover the $100 change fee, but will net me a small OBC.  I'll have to see when I finally get a cruise picked out whether my TA is able to use the on-board booking to net a little extra OBC from X.  Very likely though that I'm better off just taking the loss on the deposit so I make sure I can qualify for my agency OBCs and the X promo of the month being offered then. 

Edited December 19, 2019 by jb008

[Luvcrusn]

2 minutes ago, jb008 said:

 

I'm pretty sure I did the form to keep it with X at the time I made the booking.  One of the agencies I like to use has an agency-specific cancellation penalty, so I don't want a booking I'm likely going to be moving to be assigned back to that agency.  Can't remember if I'd started working with that agency at the time I did the on-board bookings though.  I keep going back to them since the perks and obc rebates are significantly more than booking direct with the line or versus other agencies. 

 

Over my years cruising, I've received plenty from X in obc and perks to cover my oopsie that cost me that one deposit.  However, I'm sharing my personal experience as a cautionary note regarding on-board bookings.  YMMV, but for me I'll very likely stick with future cruise deposits/credits versus a set booking from now on.  All in all, losing $100 to X won't be a big deal but the principle of it annoys me.

I think we use the same TA that offers great extra perks, sometimes 10% back in OBC, sometimes cheaper group rates and a $50 loyalty credit and has an agency specific cancellation policy. After our hassle with the Future Cruise Certificate we're content to book specific cruises we fully intend to take directly with the TA and forego any vague promises by X of extra benefits of booking on board. Although $100 isn't going to affect our lifestyle it annoyed us that X made promises, wouldn't deliver on the promises, wouldn't apply the deposit even dollar for dollar with no additional benefit and held the money that they'd done nothing to earn but lie for over 5 years. I also have shared this cautionary tale before as well to warn others. Buyer beware in the Future Cruises Office.

[jb008]

5 minutes ago, Luvcrusn said:

I think we use the same TA that offers great extra perks, sometimes 10% back in OBC, sometimes cheaper group rates and a $50 loyalty credit and has an agency specific cancellation policy. 

 

Certainly sounds like the same agency to me! They also run lots of seasonal sales, for example I scored an extra $100 obc on a booking from their Labor Day sale in addition to the 10% back and $50 loyalty credit.  We're doing our 4th cruise through the agency and have been very happy with both their customer service and the savings/OBC kickback.  I heard about them at a M&G and some of the pax were very positive about agency so I looked them up and took the leap.  My first booking with them was after final payment, so I figured the agency cancellation fee was a drop in the bucket if I ended up having to cancel (and my travel insurance would have likely covered that fee too anyway).

 

I just got quotes from two agencies on a 5-nt sailing on Infinity in February.  This agency was offering 2 perks, and I think $550 in obc but the fare was $200 higher than agency 2; agency 2 was only offering 1 perk and only $300 in obc.  I don't have my notes with me, but I believe X was the same price as agency 2, but only offering 1 perk and $200 obc.

 

After seeing what I can get from a good travel agency deal I am skeptical I'll ever get as good of a deal from the line.  The agencies are basically sacrificing most of their commission from the lines to drive volume instead.  And I think for the specific agency it sounds like we both have used, I suspect they add in the cancellation fees to help them generate some additional revenues for themselves and help weed out the tire kickers so they can focus on clients who are going to actually sail.  

[Oville]

7 minutes ago, jb008 said:

 

Certainly sounds like the same agency to me! They also run lots of seasonal sales, for example I scored an extra $100 obc on a booking from their Labor Day sale in addition to the 10% back and $50 loyalty credit.  We're doing our 4th cruise through the agency and have been very happy with both their customer service and the savings/OBC kickback.  I heard about them at a M&G and some of the pax were very positive about agency so I looked them up and took the leap.  My first booking with them was after final payment, so I figured the agency cancellation fee was a drop in the bucket if I ended up having to cancel (and my travel insurance would have likely covered that fee too anyway).

 

I just got quotes from two agencies on a 5-nt sailing on Infinity in February.  This agency was offering 2 perks, and I think $550 in obc but the fare was $200 higher than agency 2; agency 2 was only offering 1 perk and only $300 in obc.  I don't have my notes with me, but I believe X was the same price as agency 2, but only offering 1 perk and $200 obc.

 

After seeing what I can get from a good travel agency deal I am skeptical I'll ever get as good of a deal from the line.  The agencies are basically sacrificing most of their commission from the lines to drive volume instead.  And I think for the specific agency it sounds like we both have used, I suspect they add in the cancellation fees to help them generate some additional revenues for themselves and help weed out the tire kickers so they can focus on clients who are going to actually sail.  

I’m guessing your agency is in NH, there’s a better one in FL with no cancelation fees and far more responsive.

 

Edited December 19, 2019 by Oville

[jb008]

7 minutes ago, Oville said:

I’m guessing your agency is in NH, there’s a better one in FL with no cancelation fees and far more responsive.

 

 

You're correct on the NH, at least for Agency 1.  Agency 2 that I've also used a few times and will compare prices against is the "90-day ticker" style company.

 

I really can't complain about the responsiveness of the NH peeps though, they've always gotten back to me within 4-5 hours.  I sent a note out of the blue asking for a price earlier today and got an initial reply in <10 mins and had finished my call with the agent less than an hour after I'd sent the first email.

I'll have to do some sleuthing for the FL one though, I'm always open to comparing prices across a few quality options.

[sanger727]

15 hours ago, jb008 said:

Yeah, I got lazy and didn't move it to the TA, but appear to have gotten used to having the more personal attention that the TA provides in handling the booking.  

 

Is it really too much to ask though for them to send an invoice in advance of the deadline though, seeing as how some of these bookings can run over a year ahead of the sailing?  Ugh 😞

 

It might be nice if they would and perhaps they used to.... until someone sat back and realized that they had all these refundable bookings out there and if they didn't sent out a reminder notice prior to the final payment date then those bookings would get locked into being non-refundable... And then that person got a large bonus... 🙂 

[Snit13]

20 hours ago, jb008 said:

 

 

Is it really too much to ask though for them to send an invoice in advance of the deadline though, seeing as how some of these bookings can run over a year ahead of the sailing?  Ugh 😞

YES.  Do you expect your electric company to remind you to pay your bill.  When you book while cruising make a note on your calendar or phone as a reminder.  Your fault, sorry.

[jb008]

20 hours ago, Snit13 said:

YES.  Do you expect your electric company to remind you to pay your bill.  When you book while cruising make a note on your calendar or phone as a reminder.  Your fault, sorry.

 

Yep, my fault.  Most invoices in my business world are sent net 30, so yeah a reminder after invoicing a year early would definitely be nice and not an unreasonable wish.  Especially since I have received these reminders from X in the past on other bookings, just not the one booking I mentioned.  But as I said in one of my responses, "Totally my fault."  

 

I'm sharing my experience here though since one helpful takeaway is exactly your suggestion of "make a note on your calendar or phone".