CATCH-22 at Celebrity

[C 2 C]

I just had a wonderful conversation with the Air-Sea department at Celebrity. I presently have 3 reservations for sailing in Century Oct. 6, 16 and 27. RCL determines air costs by taking half the air costs to get to and from Barcelona (BCN) to Detroit (DTW) and half the cost of flying to BCN and returning to DTW from MIA. In other words, they calculate (DTW-BCN+BCN-DTW+DTW:BCN+MIA-DTW)/2. Total cost including taxes equals about $1,150.00. I wanted RCL to calculate DTW-BCN+MIA-DTW. A person only cruising on the Oct. 27th sailing would pay only $950 that way. I tried to get a free deviation for DTW:BCN to arrive on Oct. 6th.

Today a flight promo was announced. The flight on the Oct. 27th sailing is only $450 + tax of 50.00=$500.53!!!

So I'm on the phone if I can get the deviation IF!!!

There is no problem if I have only 1 cruise booked. I can fly to Spain and arrive on Oct 5th but not if I have a B2B cruise booked!!!

So now I have to cancel the two cruises on the 6th and 16th to get the air promo. What a wonderful way to fill the ship!:eek:

[RLM77]

Wow! :eek:

 

Best of luck; is there any way to get a TA involved at this point to 'cut out the middle man'? :confused:

[Andy]

I just had a wonderful conversation with the Air-Sea department at Celebrity. I presently have 3 reservations for sailing in Century Oct. 6, 16 and 27. RCL determines air costs by taking half the air costs to get to and from Barcelona (BCN) to Detroit (DTW) and half the cost of flying to BCN and returning to DTW from MIA. In other words, they calculate (DTW-BCN+BCN-DTW+DTW:BCN+MIA-DTW)/2. Total cost including taxes equals about $1,150.00. I wanted RCL to calculate DTW-BCN+MIA-DTW. A person only cruising on the Oct. 27th sailing would pay only $950 that way. I tried to get a free deviation for DTW:BCN to arrive on Oct. 6th.

Today a flight promo was announced. The flight on the Oct. 27th sailing is only $450 + tax of 50.00=$500.53!!!

So I'm on the phone if I can get the deviation IF!!!

There is no problem if I have only 1 cruise booked. I can fly to Spain and arrive on Oct 5th but not if I have a B2B cruise booked!!!

So now I have to cancel the two cruises on the 6th and 16th to get the air promo. What a wonderful way to fill the ship!:eek:

 

 

Hi Arno !

 

All I can say is... good luck !!!

 

Please let us know what happens.

[cruisingagentone]

Are those cruises linked as back to back to back? That makes no sense how they are doing it. I just did back to backs for clients and it was Denver to Sydney and Honolulu to Denver. Who ever did this booking for you did it incorrectly. Don't cancel your cruises find someone who knows how to do it correctly.

[greatam]

I'm almost in the same boat-very exasperated with the air/sea dept and reservations dept.

 

I am booked on Infinity, Nov. 19. I booked my own air before I even booked the cruise. Our friends want to go with us. Plenty of cabins available They are balking at the high cost of open jaw air fare, so said they would pass on the cruise. They are currently planning to fly to Lima and meet us.

 

Someone posted on the roll call that air was available for about $500.00. So I called Celebrity. Yes, but only out of certain airports-LAX being one of them. OK, we can drive to LAX. Only 20 miles further than PHX-no big deal. I booked our air into and out of LAX. Nonstopper to MIA and nonstopper on LAN out of Chile.

 

Celebrity-"Nope, can't do that, you live in Arizona".

 

Ya, but barely-Colorado River- less than 1000 feet to California. So can our friends pay for deviation or something to allow a flight out of LAX?

 

Celebrity-Yes, but it will cost an additional $379.00.

 

The whole thing makes no sense. What difference does it make to Celebrity if we fly from LAX or PHX. I am very frustrated.

[C 2 C]

Last March those Infinity/Summit? cruises were on sale for about $1,500 per segment back to FLL including air. When I saw the first leg on special I was ready to pounce but the BA segment has not been on sale. The spring voyage back to FLL will start in Feb. Argentina has its tango festival on at that time so I'm keeping my fingers croseed for another sale.

[ocngypz]

Unfortunately, all the best rez agents man the STAR desk and unless you are one of 8 agencies nationwide who are allowed access you have to make due with some of the less than stellar call center employees.

 

Xref the bookings first, then flag B2B2B. Piece of cake.

 

Greatam's air gateway problem.... idjits they are. The air is not a resident promo, it is just reduced air for certain gateways. I did my SA air three times from MIA.. and I certainly wasn't a MIA resident, let alone FL.

 

We always play with gateways to see if we can't find better rates.

 

I just did a SA B2B 11/19 and 12/3 with air, cross ref first, flagged B2B, then I got the correct MIA air for $599.60 and tax. Until I crossed and flagged the air priced at $1199 plus tax. The first sailing leaves from FLL!!

[SheilaNC]

Sorry, but I need an explanation of what you mean by cross ref then flag B2B. We're booked on B2B down under cruises and would love to figure out better airfare than we've been given, but I'm having a hard time following your directions...thanks

[waunabcruizin]

I second Sheila's query. I don't understand the cross-reference then check b2b. We are booked on the same b2b with Spengle and are also looking for better air than we were quoted. Please explain. I'm a total dummy with this stuff. Thanks much.

 

Carol and Linda.

[nu2sea]

This is one of those cases where a good TA is worth her weight in gold.

With a poor TA I booked a Transatlantic. Refusing to deal with them again, I booked the Baltic leg directly with X. In order to give me an air deviation that required delaying my return from Heathrow for the two week Baltic leg, X wanted $900! Of course, they couldn't discuss the Transatlantic leg with me, only my TA, and they couldn't discuss the Baltic leg with my old TA.

I have since found a good travel agent who could have dealt with this whole air issue, but at the time it was easier to just cancel the air and book it independently.

Susan

[Jimsgirl]

This attude on the part of the cruise line HO is exactly that which I "whinged about" in a cruise on had cruising become "difficult" .

 

We are the bad guys, we actually think that paying our money entitles us to service from HO, from the staff on the ship. How inconsiderate of us to actually expect these people to do their job!

[trustee55]

Hi!

Could you please post more information on this air promotion?

I am most interested.

 

 

Thank you,

 

Carol Ann

 

carolann@rogers.com

[C 2 C]

Look at the Celebrity website. The air promo is available at cat 9 and above... a flight for about $600 from Detroit to Barcelona and home from Miami.:)

 

I'm on the phone again....:(

[trustee55]

Hi!

Thank you so much for posting this airfare promtion!

Richard and I booked this cruise while on the Summit last April and then found out that the airfare was astronomical to Barcelona.

We gave up our shipboard credit and cancelled.

Then, today, when I saw the airfare promotion, thanks to our helpful CC members, I called Celebrity and rebooked. ( Special thanks to C-2-C)

Our airfare from Buffalo is only $400 per person and we have a cabin on the Penthouse deck.

 

You folks are terrific!

 

Best regards and happy sailing,

 

Carol Ann

[C 2 C]

Don't forget to join our roll call:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=7138966#post7138966