I Am SO Mad At Celebrity....

[as41shots]

I bought their stock at $42 and now two months before sailing the stock is at $19 and they are not willing to let me return my $42 dollar stock and buy the same stock back at $19.

 

I mean what's up with that?

 

At least they could offer a little compensation, you know, like a free dinner at the upscale dining experience on board?

 

If this continues I might have to go to another cruise line's stock where they know how to treat their loyal investors who are just looking to make a buck or two.

 

One other thing... I bought my tuxedo at Macy's and had it altered, and now 90 days later and two months before the cruise I've gained two sizes and the tux went on sale for 60% off, and they would not take it back! The nerve. Going to have to start shopping at Nordstroms. At least they understand customer service.

 

(Just kidding, you know. I was fortunate enough to buy my 100 shares last week, but all of these threads about post-final deposit sales were getting to me).

[rosesplus]

Now if you had ordered and paid for your suit at Macys and they hadn't delivered it, what price would you expect if they then advertised it on sale?

 

Are you starting to understand the discontent now????????

[CruisingTheWaves]

I bought their stock at $42 and now two months before sailing the stock is at $19 and they are not willing to let me return my $42 dollar stock and buy the same stock back at $19.

 

I mean what's up with that?

 

At least they could offer a little compensation, you know, like a free dinner at the upscale dining experience on board?

 

If this continues I might have to go to another cruise line's stock where they know how to treat their loyal investors who are just looking to make a buck or two.

 

One other thing... I bought my tuxedo at Macy's and had it altered, and now 90 days later and two months before the cruise I've gained two sizes and the tux went on sale for 60% off, and they would not take it back! The nerve. Going to have to start shopping at Nordstroms. At least they understand customer service.

 

(Just kidding, you know. I was fortunate enough to buy my 100 shares last week, but all of these threads about post-final deposit sales were getting to me).

 

what are you kidding about? everyone is having financial issues right now, so complaining that you got screwed because the economy continues to decline is crying over spilled milk. most of us who booked within 3 months prior to their cruise or bought stock at a certain price and it dropped (shocker) are losing out on the deal.

 

if this is a fake thread it might as well be deleted now.

[737NG]

Don't delete the thread. It goes perfectly with all the MANY other complaining threads on CC.;)

[DrKoob]

 

if this is a fake thread it might as well be deleted now.

 

CruisingTheWaves,

It's not a "fake thread." This is called sarcasm. There are some of us who are tired of reading about people who don't understand what it means to do business in this world.

 

If X wants to stay in business then they need to fill their ships. If they have to have a sale to to stay in business, that's what they have to do.

[rosesplus]

If X wants to stay in business then they need to fill their ships. If they have to have a sale to to stay in business, that's what they have to do.

 

I think you also have missed the point.

 

Nobody is denying Celebrity's right to have a sale, nor their right to fully book their ships, nor is anybody asking for a refund on a completed cruise.

What is being sought is for Celebrity to behave like any other large reputable firm that takes payments in advance for goods/services not yet supplied.

 

I am sick to death of all the Celebrity apologists supporting this disgraceful behaviour or are you employees?

[wolfganghowell]

Here we go again.......Come on, OP, you didn't expect people to actually have a sense of humor, did you? After all most don't seem to understand basic business economics. Oh wait, sorry, that makes me a cruise line employee just because I actually understand sales and how it affects supply and demand. Celebrity, send me my paycheck please. :D

[jwattle]

I think you also have missed the point.

 

Nobody is denying Celebrity's right to have a sale, nor their right to fully book their ships, nor is anybody asking for a refund on a completed cruise.

What is being sought is for Celebrity to behave like any other large reputable firm that takes payments in advance for goods/services not yet supplied.

 

I am sick to death of all the Celebrity apologists supporting this disgraceful behaviour or are you employees?

Not an employee or apologist, but if a store has overstocked on something that you bought, earlier, whether or not you've worn it yet, and they put it on clearance, they won't refund you the difference.

That's kind of like the "new bookings" only thing. I get it; simple business 101. It might not be popular, but it is a fact of life and business.

At least Celebrity WILL honor price drops up till final payment (I've had them do them AFTER final payment) other than specials that specify "new bookings only"

[as41shots]

Dropping rates as the cruise gets closer is nothing new. Their other choice? The Celebrity revenues wizards look at all of their pricing models and assume each vessel is going out at 80% occupancy, and just charge 20% more from the get go to hit their income target.

 

If you buy a new Toyota Camry when the 2009 models come out in September 2008 and pay $25,000, are you going to moan and complain and post on the Toyota board in August 2009 when the prices are lowered to clean out inventory?

 

Now if you had ordered and paid for your suit at Macys and they hadn't delivered it, what price would you expect if they then advertised it on sale?

 

Are you starting to understand the discontent now????????

Read what I wrote. It is 90 days later. Their return policy is 30 days. Sounds like it would be tough noogies on me. For the purpose of the cruise policy, comes 90 days in advance of the cruise, you might not have yet enjoyed your week at sea, but you bought it and there is a no return policy.

 

You are the consumer. You have a choice. Now that you know...in case you didn't before all of the recent complaining...that the cruise lines MAY drop their rates on some slow selling cruises, or just any cruise with vacancies, you have the choice to wait and see what happens. If, however, you want to lock in your air fare, lock in your hotel rooms before or after the cruise starts, and are not willing to benefit from any price drops prior to the 90 day cut-off, by all means wait until the 90 day final pay date and hope that a sale occurs.

 

It seems to me, again as a consumer, that I have a choice -- get the cruise I want and the cabin I want and the air travel I want and lock in and fully pay 90 days in advance, or I can wait to the final 90 day window and hope for a sale and that every other moving target falls into place. The real problem here is that too many people want both.

 

And no, I don't work for RCL or any other cruise line or anything in the travel industry.

[tampatramp]

A few months ago we booked, and paid for, our first =X= cruise (to Alaska in May). Now I notice on their site the same cabin is $500pp MORE. My question is: who should I send a $1000 check to, Celebrity or our TA? (note: those who lack the sarcasm gene need not reply)

[Leejnd4]

It's amazing to me how much mileage threads are getting out of this topic.

 

First, to the OP: I get your humor, and thanks for the smile.

 

Cruisingthewaves: I suspect you didn't read the whole thing, or you probably would have realized that this post was entirely in jest.

 

As for selling cabins at reduced prices: I haven't read all the threads on this topic, but one thing I HAVEN'T seen much of is the comparison between cruise fares and air fares. We all seem to accept that the person sitting next to you on an airplane might very well have paid hundreds of dollars less, or more, than you, based on how and when they purchased their ticket. Same thing happens on cruise lines. Why does it get everyone so upset?

 

Purchasing anything is a risk. There are pros and cons to booking early - and there are pros and cons to booking late. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. It's a crapshoot. So far, I seem to be winning on my upcoming cruise: I booked it many months ago, and it's gone up a full thousand dollars PER PERSON since then! I've already saved $2000 just by booking early. Of course, there's still a year to go - it's entirely possible that the price will plummet after final payment, when I can't take advantage of it. Who knows. But I got exactly the cabin I wanted - on the hump, with an extended balcony. All the hump cabins are now sold out. So if I miss out on a fire sale price, I still consider myself a winner. Hey, just by getting to cruise at all, I'm a winner! :D

[rosesplus]

A few points if I may,

 

1. The fact that Celebrity has been engaging in this reprehensible fashion for sometime should not mean that it should continue.
   
2. The reason the complaints are more widespread now as opposed to previous years is that Celebrity is ramping up this policy during the economic downturn instead of offering their other alternative of dropping the prices across the board for all cruisers prepaid or otherwise.
   
3. This is Celebrity's decision, nobody elses, they have decided to sacrifice loyal customers for short term turnover. Many would argue this is a very shortsighted commercial descion.
   
4. What you seem to be missing here is that we are referring to the period of the transaction before delivery. In other words, there is no comparision to returning the goods to a retailer.
   
5. In yet another example that has been offered if you preorder a Toyota Camry and prior to the delivery the dealer advertises exactly the same model/color/year etc but at $1000's off would a reputable dealer offer you the new price? (please try and understand the difference so you don't post another erronous comparision).
   
6. For all you business experts, given the number of people complaining about this, I can confidently say that Celebrity's business will suffer in the long term.

[mmp13]

bottom line.....We all have the right to cruise with whatever cruise line we want to give our business too. If you are unhappy with celebrity, you have plenty of other choices. by the way, most other cruiselines operate in the exact same way. We experienced the same thing with HAL last year. Sale just prior to cruise for new bookings only. there are lot's of great travel opportunities for those that can book last minute. We can't so we live with the reality that we may have to pay more. that's life!

[mmp13]

Airlines and resorts do the same thing to get rid of excess inventory. Again , if you dislike the way a company does business you have every right to take your business elsewhere.

 

I just love cruising. I will continue to weigh the plusses and minuses involved in whatever cruise I book and once a decision is made I will spend the rest of my time looking forward to my trip1

[bobbyleduck]

I have some serious advice for all of the people who want the very best deal on a cruise. This is not for people who must have a specific itinerary, cabin or cruiseline. It works better for people who live near a cruiseport, but can work for the rest of us as well.

 

Plan your vacation for dates when you know that various cruises may go on sale, late, then as soon as you can get a good deal on airfare, just book it. Now watch for a good deal on a hotel for before and after your cruise. Next, be patient. Good things come to those who wait, and are willing to take what's available.

 

Me, I mostly just enjoy cruising and it isn't as important where the ship is going. That is why I like off-season repositioning cruises. I would prefer to cruise with friends I've met on previous cruises, but if I can't make a good deal, then I'll just make new friends.

 

That's how my last cruise worked out. A bunch of friends made arrangements, each on their own, to sail aboard Millennium last December. I waited and waited, and just when I thought it wouldn't happen, I got a deal that allowed my wife and I to sail on that 14-day,Trans-Atlantic cruise for $1,205.00, each, which included the cruise, one-way air from Miami to Barcelona, transfers at each end, and taxes. We added round-trip air from Portland, OR to Fort Lauderdale for $226 each, got a $175 OBC, and voila, it cost us $2,687 for the cruise, airfare, transfers and taxes. We were gone for 17 days, and with hotels in Florida, food, goodies along the way, and all other costs, we spent less than $100 a day per person.

 

Now, I'm sure that others can do as well, or better, but the idea is that you can have the convenience of getting exactly what you want, for a price, or you can patiently wait, get something nice, and perhaps pay a lot less. It is rare, but possible, to get exactly what you want for a very good price (such as our last cruise), but it doesn't always work out that way.

 

If you got what you wanted, got it at a fair price (when you booked it), and get to spend time on a cruiseship, sailing with friends, or friends you haven't yet met, then don't be crabby. Just enjoy!

 

Happy cruising to all!

 

Bob

 

P.S. If you have a secret for getting really good deals, then by all means share it with us. We're just a few hundred of the friends you haven't yet met.

[Host Walt]

Now if you had ordered and paid for your suit at Macys and they hadn't delivered it, what price would you expect if they then advertised it on sale?

 

Are you starting to understand the discontent now????????

FYI, Macy's policy is to refund the difference in such situations.

[wanda2]

Back when we booked our cruise in June, we were happy with the price and even though it has probably decreased quite a bit since then, we are still okay with it because we managed to get a seat sale on the flight. If we had to book this flight today it would cost us over $5000.00(for two), whereas the cost was approx. $2300.00 for both of us.

It's done, it's paid for and I'm not going to make myself miserable wondering how much someone else paid for their trip, or how they managed to get a fantastic upgrade - "them's the breaks"!

[Giorgi-one]

Not sure how Celebrity sales got into this thread, but do people really expect the cruise line to refund money on 1000 cabins when they put the last few cabins on sale? I can't think of any other situation where this happens but I am sure someone on these boards will come up with one. It seems like many people on these boards spend most of their time between cruises looking for a $100 price drop. Did they every think that if they got a job for about 10 hours per week they could make $100 per week or more and not have to worry about the price decrease?

[DrKoob]

[*]In yet another example that has been offered if you preorder a Toyota Camry and prior to the delivery the dealer advertises exactly the same model/color/year etc but at $1000's off would a reputable dealer offer you the new price? (please try and understand the difference so you don't post another erronous comparision).

 

OK, here (I think) is a non-erroneous example. We flew from Seattle to Barcelona last year to sail on Century. When we bought our tickets on British Air they were about $1500 per seat. About a week before we flew to meet Century they dropped the price to about $900 per seat to fill the plane. Do you think that British Air would let us return our tickets and get new ones at the lower price? Not a chance. Not without a major penalty for canceling the original tickets.

 

And one thing that I don't think has been mentioned in this entire discussion--the joy of planning. We could wait until a three day sale to buy our tickets but we would miss all the great times on our roll call. Planning a vacation is sometimes almost as fun as going on one. And if we had waited to book until three weeks before the cruise, we would barely know anyone on our roll call. We have met many of our best friends on roll calls. Our Solstice roll call is already at more than 60 pages and more than 1400 posts, we have our own website and even though we haven't physically met many of the people on the roll call, they are already our friends.

 

And you get the tours when you plan early. About two weeks ago, we and three other couples booked a cruise for 2010. In the past week our buddy Mike (the KING of private shore excursions) has already booked two full days of tours with a private guide in Bangkok. For FEBRUARY 2010. We have the best tours and we get the guide we want at a great price for booking early.

 

Late booking might give you a great price but it leaves you without a lot of other pleasurable part of cruising.

[Sky Sweet]

A few points if I may,

1. The fact that Celebrity has been engaging in this reprehensible fashion for sometime should not mean that it should continue.
   
2. The reason the complaints are more widespread now as opposed to previous years is that Celebrity is ramping up this policy during the economic downturn instead of offering their other alternative of dropping the prices across the board for all cruisers prepaid or otherwise.
   
3. This is Celebrity's decision, nobody elses, they have decided to sacrifice loyal customers for short term turnover. Many would argue this is a very shortsighted commercial descion.
   
4. What you seem to be missing here is that we are referring to the period of the transaction before delivery. In other words, there is no comparision to returning the goods to a retailer.
   
5. In yet another example that has been offered if you preorder a Toyota Camry and prior to the delivery the dealer advertises exactly the same model/color/year etc but at $1000's off would a reputable dealer offer you the new price? (please try and understand the difference so you don't post another erronous comparision).
   
6. For all you business experts, given the number of people complaining about this, I can confidently say that Celebrity's business will suffer in the long term.

 

Hi Roseplus :)

 

I'd like to comment on number 5 because I had an experience like that.

 

Last year I ordered a new BMW two months in advance to get the exact features that I wanted. When I gave my deposit the dealer told me that if the price went down between then and when the car was delivered to me, they would adjust the price accordingly, but if it increased they would honor the price quoted.

 

To my surprise when I picked up my car, it cost slightly less than the price quoted to me when I ordered it.

 

I don't know if that is standard policy, but it was very smart for them to do so because I will definitely buy my next car from them and told a lot of our friends about my positive experience with that dealer.

[rosesplus]

Hi Roseplus :)

 

I'd like to comment on number 5 because I had an experience like that.

 

Last year I ordered a new BMW two months in advance to get the exact features that I wanted. When I gave my deposit the dealer told me that if the price went down between then and when the car was delivered to me, they would adjust the price accordingly, but if it increased they would honor the price quoted.

 

To my surprise when I picked up my car, it cost slightly less than the price quoted to me when I ordered it.

 

I don't know if that is standard policy, but it was very smart for them to do so because I will definitely buy my next car from them and told a lot of our friends about my positive experience with that dealer.

 

Thank you SKYSWEET, your experience, our Host Moderators experience with Macys and my own with United Airlines, Delta Airlines etc are all great examples of how reputable companies deal with their customers in similar situations. Celebrity on the other hand, chooses to discriminate against their own best customers.

[737NG]

I think you also have missed the point.

 

Nobody is denying Celebrity's right to have a sale, nor their right to fully book their ships, nor is anybody asking for a refund on a completed cruise.

What is being sought is for Celebrity to behave like any other large reputable firm that takes payments in advance for goods/services not yet supplied.

 

I am sick to death of all the Celebrity apologists supporting this disgraceful behaviour or are you employees?

 

And I'm sure many people are sick to death of hearing constant complaints here. Honestly, if you don't like there policies anymore then its time you found another way to vacation.

[737NG]

Thank you SKYSWEET, your experience, our Host Moderators experience with Macys and my own with United Airlines, Delta Airlines etc are all great examples of how reputable companies deal with their customers in similar situations. Celebrity on the other hand, chooses to discriminate against their own best customers.

 

 

Delta and United great examples? LOL...that's the funniest thing I think I ever read here.

[DrKoob]

Thank you SKYSWEET, your experience, our Host Moderators experience with Macys and my own with United Airlines, Delta Airlines etc are all great examples of how reputable companies deal with their customers in similar situations. Celebrity on the other hand, chooses to discriminate against their own best customers.

 

Are you saying you bought an airline ticket and got it refunded when the prices went down? Certainly that might be true if you bought a refundable ticket but not if you bought the best price available.

[Ma Bell]

That's how Celebrity deals with their customers too except when they have a specific sale for new bookings only.