We booked our first cruise directly through Celebrity around May 3 for a late June sailing on Celebrity Xcel, and the total came to about $4,468.
One of the reasons we booked direct was the “Best Price Guarantee,” which we understood to mean that if the price dropped later, we would at least get some form of refund or credit adjustment.
I even read the “Learn More” section and it seemed to suggest that price drops would be covered, with differences refunded or credited depending on timing.
Today I checked the exact same cabin category and saw that it is now about $700 cheaper.
I contacted Celebrity thinking this would be a straightforward adjustment, but after nearly two hours on the phone, multiple transfers, and escalations, I was told the request could not be honored because it must be submitted within 48 hours of booking if the final payment date has already passed.
This requirement was not clearly visible during booking, and I only found it later buried in the FAQs. At the time of booking, I assumed the guarantee would still apply since we had booked only a week ago.
What was most frustrating is that there was no alternative offered such as onboard credit, future cruise credit, or any goodwill gesture.
This is our first cruise and discovering a $700 price drop just days later has been disappointing.
Is this standard across cruise lines when it comes to “best price guarantee” policies, or is this more specific to Celebrity?
We booked direct expecting better support, but in hindsight it feels like booking through a third party might have actually offered more value
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