No longer any Celebrity “ cruise fares “ only?

[graphicguy]

39 minutes ago, Bo1953 said:

G - none of this can be true based on the OP's posting!!! LOL

 

Thank you for posting them, regardless of the perception and thoughts.

 

bon voyage

Bo…I think they are “tweaking” their fares.  I know it seems like Celebrity can’t win.  They put the AI fares out there and there are those who complain they don’t want to pay for drinks, internet, etc.  They offer Sail Only fares and there are those who complain they don’t get all the goodies and perks. Celebrity can’t win.

 

I agree with them if they cut out one type of fare in favor of the other.

 

Still, there are Elite perks that even AI doesn’t cover….good ones, too (laundry service, discounted internet upgrade, priority tender/boarding, etc).

[NutsAboutGolf]

1 hour ago, graphicguy said:

Bo…I think they are “tweaking” their fares.  I know it seems like Celebrity can’t win.  They put the AI fares out there and there are those who complain they don’t want to pay for drinks, internet, etc.  They offer Sail Only fares and there are those who complain they don’t get all the goodies and perks. Celebrity can’t win.

 

I agree with them if they cut out one type of fare in favor of the other.

 

Still, there are Elite perks that even AI doesn’t cover….good ones, too (laundry service, discounted internet upgrade, priority tender/boarding, etc).

 

I book with BCC so don't have a horse in the race yet do understand where people are coming from based on previous posts.

 

X decided on "Always Included*", due to the word ALWAYS and its likeness to "All Inclusive", their choice is disingenuous at best and intentionally deceptive at worst.  Had they originally called it the "Always Included Fare" it would have cleared up a lot of confusion.  Yet X got exactly what they wanted, it's been about 1.5 years since they announced it and even today we're still talking about it.

[LGW59]

2 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

I book with BCC so don't have a horse in the race yet do understand where people are coming from based on previous posts.

 

X decided on "Always Included*", due to the word ALWAYS and its likeness to "All Inclusive", their choice is disingenuous at best and intentionally deceptive at worst.  Had they originally called it the "Always Included Fare" it would have cleared up a lot of confusion.  Yet X got exactly what they wanted, it's been about 1.5 years since they announced it and even today we're still talking about it.

I respect your opinion, but have to ask, what is deceptive about this wording:

 

What is Always Included? It is our new pricing strategy, which includes three amenities (Tips, Basic Wi-Fi and Drinks, Classic Beverage Package) in your cruise fare, with the ability to upgrade amenities with the purchase of Elevate or Indulge package. All guests are eligible to receive Tips, Drinks and Basic Wi-Fi.

[sanger727]

Someone will always be unhappy. All sailings "all included", elite's and non-drinkers complain about having to pay for the drink package. Simply sail rates added, everyone else complains that they accidentally booked a non "all included" rate. Celebrity can't win. Clearly they think they are doing better with the all included rates and losing a few elite's at this point. 

[NutsAboutGolf]

1 hour ago, LGW59 said:

I respect your opinion, but have to ask, what is deceptive about this wording:

 

What is Always Included? It is our new pricing strategy, which includes three amenities (Tips, Basic Wi-Fi and Drinks, Classic Beverage Package) in your cruise fare, with the ability to upgrade amenities with the purchase of Elevate or Indulge package. All guests are eligible to receive Tips, Drinks and Basic Wi-Fi.

 

As stated the word "always" and likeness to A.I.  They could have said "All the Perks" or "Perks included".  This tread is at least the 25th I've seen on the topic, I'm 100% sure it won't be the last...

[TeeRick]

1 hour ago, sanger727 said:

Someone will always be unhappy. 

This is the always true statement on Cruise Critic.  😀

[Arizona Wildcat]

On 3/14/2022 at 8:58 AM, suec12 said:

Well I do think it is a bit crappy of X to have pretty much nullified the CC benefits. And for folks that are non-drinkers, I would think the increased price for AI doesn't sit well either. What might be nice is to add a (meaningful) perk or two for the higher CC members - say a deep discounted or comped dinner in a specialty restaurant. But I really wish they would offer sail only fares again.

There are sail only fares on some cruises.  Mostly sailing within 60 days but found a couple offers on October cruises last week.

You I think are forgetting the MILLIONS of people wanting to cruise again and many of those people have a few billion $$ in FCCs.  In most of the World it is supply and demand.  Demand today is higher than capacity.

As for Captain's Club perks, let's let things get back to normal with all ships sailing, no capacity limits and no testing.  Celebrity might well improve something in CC.

[Fleuve51]

Comments above all interesting. Bottom line is that we are all paying $$$’s for  all these “free” so called perks. For those of you who keep track of what you pay per person per day today versus  what you paid pre covid for cruising you will be astonished how much more it is now costing on X as well as the other lines. In short X is to hiding it’s increase in fares by including the advertised perks. 

[Cruising89143]

6 minutes ago, Fleuve51 said:

Comments above all interesting. Bottom line is that we are all paying $$$’s for  all these “free” so called perks. For those of you who keep track of what you pay per person per day today versus  what you paid pre covid for cruising you will be astonished how much more it is now costing on X as well as the other lines. In short X is to hiding it’s increase in fares by including the advertised perks. 

I know what I paid prior to March 2020 and now. We always add on the Premium drink package, internet and pre pay our gratuities. Just had to do this on RCI and I like having it bundled. Easier to deal with for us. The cost of everything has risen. Cost me $70.00 to fill up one of my cars this morning. About twenty bucks higher than a year ago. It’s the cost of doing business. If Celebrity or any cruise line no longer fits your needs for whatever reason then maybe it’s time to try another cruise line. 

[Moby Jones]

Sail only fares have always been available. They just tend to be available past final payment date as X doesn't like sailing with empty cabins. 

If you're booking late ask your TA about 'opaque' fares. You might be in for a pleasant surprise if they're available. 

My personal opinion is that because they are sailing at a reduced capacity they are targeting the more affluent customers who have not been impacted by covid and have the means to pay for all of the bundled perks. When all cruise lines are at full capacity and X is challenged to fill a lot more cabins, regular sail only fares will be reinstated. Again, just my two cents. 

[NutsAboutGolf]

3 hours ago, TeeRick said:

This is the always true statement on Cruise Critic.  😀

 

Just for context 42 topics...These are only from those who spelt it correctly and put a single space between the words, if they said "alway" or "always, included" it wouldn't be captured here.  The funner question is, HOW SOON with next "always included" thread appear?  😎

 

[Jeremiah1212]

33 minutes ago, Fleuve51 said:

Comments above all interesting. Bottom line is that we are all paying $$$’s for  all these “free” so called perks. For those of you who keep track of what you pay per person per day today versus  what you paid pre covid for cruising you will be astonished how much more it is now costing on X as well as the other lines. In short X is to hiding it’s increase in fares by including the advertised perks. 

 

I don't think anyone with any sense is disillusioned that they are free. We know it costs money. Many of us, myself included, know we are going to purchase these things anyway so it's nice to have it all one and done. Like many here, we aren't super price sensitive cruisers. We know what we want and we know what we're willing to pay for. I'm not going to cruise Royal with 3,000 kids or a NCL/Carnival circus to save $300. I am also not astonished at todays prices versus 2016/2017/2018. It's not that different. 

 

Celebrity has done a combination of the Go Big Better Best, 1-2-3 Go promo deals for years. They know how people book and what options they were choosing and willing to pay for. 

 

 

[NutsAboutGolf]

4 minutes ago, Moby Jones said:

Sail only fares have always been available. They just tend to be available past final payment date as X doesn't like sailing with empty cabins. 

If you're booking late ask your TA about 'opaque' fares. You might be in for a pleasant surprise if they're available. 

My personal opinion is that because they are sailing at a reduced capacity they are targeting the more affluent customers who have not been impacted by covid and have the means to pay for all of the bundled perks. When all cruise lines are at full capacity and X is challenged to fill a lot more cabins, regular sail only fares will be reinstated. Again, just my two cents. 

 

It seems in the past the "sail only" rate was available on every sailing and you could even filter the sailings to only include sail only rate.  This no longer seems to be case, you cannot filter by the rate and I can't find any sailings without AI including ones in March but others are claiming you can book them.  I'm searching on X's US site, perhaps things differ outside of the US and/or when using a third party booking site.

Edited March 15, 2022 by NutsAboutGolf

[Moby Jones]

12 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

It seems the "sail only" rate was available on every sailing and you could filter sailing by that rate.  This no longer seems to be case, you cannot filter by the rate and I can't find any sailings without AI but others are claiming you can book them.  I'm searching on X's US site, perhaps things differ outside of the US and/or when using a third party booking site.

I'm in the UK and here you are forced to book the Always Included package. However around 50% of our Celebrity bookings are made in the US via a big box TA. I usually call or email them asking if Sail Only or Opaque rates are available if it's a late booking. 

I appreciate this will sound ridiculous and unbelievable. But our last two cruises were booked late on. I was given prices for Always Included and an Opaque rate.

Even after adding stream internet, premium drinks and gratuities, the Opaque rate was $1000 per person per week cheaper than the AI rate (factoring in the loss of $800 OBC)! And here's where things got really interesting. When I called Celebrity to add premium drinks and internet we found that the opaque rate for our S1 had the classic drinks package and basic internet package included so we just had to pay the upgrade charge which was $63 per person per WEEK (Elite discount etc) and around $80 for the internet upgrade per person per week. 

These deals really do exist. I don't ever use the US .com site so can't comment on that. But a good TA will be able to help. Again though, these only exist for sailings past their final payment date. 

Edited March 15, 2022 by Moby Jones

[Redtravel]

  My elite plus get me 2 bags of laundry. The rest of the listed features don’t interest me. I used to enjoy my free internet time and a free drink before dinner and the specialty coffee/ Teas.   With all in and higher fares, loyal guests are now being charged for things that were previously captains club benefits.  The message is Celebrity doesn’t value loyalty.   

[LGW59]

5 minutes ago, Redtravel said:

  My elite plus get me 2 bags of laundry. The rest of the listed features don’t interest me. I used to enjoy my free internet time and a free drink before dinner and the specialty coffee/ Teas.   With all in and higher fares, loyal guests are now being charged for things that were previously captains club benefits.  The message is Celebrity doesn’t value loyalty.   

Don’t you still get HH, meet the captain reception, scoop of gelato?

Edited March 16, 2022 by LGW59

[jagoffee]

3 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

It seems in the past the "sail only" rate was available on every sailing and you could even filter the sailings to only include sail only rate.  This no longer seems to be case, you cannot filter by the rate and I can't find any sailings without AI including ones in March but others are claiming you can book them.  I'm searching on X's US site, perhaps things differ outside of the US and/or when using a third party booking site.

After the introduction of the AI, the “sail only” rate was not availalbe on every cruise.  You can go back and read some of 42 other threads to read about all the complaints about “sail only” rates not being available.

[NutsAboutGolf]

28 minutes ago, jagoffee said:

After the introduction of the AI, the “sail only” rate was not availalbe on every cruise.  You can go back and read some of 42 other threads to read about all the complaints about “sail only” rates not being available.

 

Unless you can give me a reason not to, I'll simply take your word for it after the introduction.  AI has been around 1.5 years, in the past 6 months (until it just went away) Simply Sail was available on every sailing (guessing 25) I checked to see which cabins are available.

[TeeRick]

15 hours ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

Celebrity has done a combination of the Go Big Better Best, 1-2-3 Go promo deals for years. They know how people book and what options they were choosing and willing to pay for. 

Yes this is an important statement.  The Always Included is just one of many very similar marketing campaigns.  There will be another and another again.  It has absolutely nothing to do with loyalty, loss of C-Club benefits, or anything else that people want to rant about.  Every new marketing campaign is aimed at putting people in the cabins and if newer cruisers with fewer benefits book, even better for their bottom line.  As a cruiser with CC benefits, if you feel slighted just spend your money elsewhere.  Your money- your vacation-your choice.  

[Fleuve51]

15 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

Just for context 42 topics...These are only from those who spelt it correctly and put a single space between the words, if they said "alway" or "always, included" it wouldn't be captured here.  The funner question is, HOW SOON with next "always included" thread appear?  😎

 

 

[Fleuve51]

All interesting comments. Question. What are “Opaque” rates. Being from Canada with the exchange rate to US dollars being a 30 percent premium we are always looking for the most reasonable rate. 

[canderson]

23 hours ago, LGW59 said:

Still have not made it to Walmart I see, just FYI, they do have home delivery.

Waiting for those "Roll Back" prices, I guess.

[LGW59]

12 minutes ago, canderson said:

Waiting for those "Roll Back" prices, I guess.

Or the blue light special, oh wait, that's K-Mart

[chuckroast1]

Notwithstanding the hyperbole of the OP, I think it is fair to observe that Celebrity has diluted the value of being an Elite or Elite Plus. I assume it's deliberate. Celebrity is a business and employs revenue analysts to strategize how to maximize their revenue. 

 

That's OK with me. They get to choose what the fares are and what they cover. I get to choose whether to book. 

 

One thing for sure. No fare model is ever permanent with Celebrity. Wait six months (or less) and I'm sure it will change again. 

[Denny01]

I keep forgetting the reason I’m E+ is because I saw the goodies I could get so I just kept booking Celebrity……….and here I thought I booked Celebrity because they were (and are) providing the cruising environment I am looking for, and the E+ benefits were a fallout.

 

Oh well. I’m Not loyal, I’m using a product because that is what I choose. But thanks for reminding me that I should buy everything because I get goodies instead of it being something that meets what I want/need.  

 

Yes, I’m paying more for drinks Throughout The Day and Night, gratuities covered And basic internet. I’m just soooooo upset. Well, I wasn’t until I read this 13th thread about us poor E/E+/Zenith’s. By the way, many of the E’s cruised RCL and became an ‘E’ on their first X cruise. So much for loyalty. And yes, they are sister companies. It’s called Business. 

 

Den

 

 

Edited March 16, 2022 by Denny01