Hi!
Price control...
Celebrity have a cruise only price plus add-ons such as flights, transfers, hotels etc.
They provide a quote for the day...this varies day by day.
They then discount the prices to the travel agent.
The travel agent can then share the commission with you.
The maxium you are likely to get from the agent is 12% off the direct quote from Celebrity.
However, some agents may get a rebate for the size of annual business and they may share this with you, (in anticipation) I've just got 13.16% off the travel agent.
The alternative method is 'dynamic packaging' or consolidation as it was known.
The travel agent buys on a cruise only basis and adds the airfare, transfers and hotels from their own supply source. This can reduce the cost by about 18.5%.
Or...if the cruise only offer is a 'special' such as an upgrade to balcony the price will be lower by more than 18.5%
There are lots of these offers, but they are usually for cruises and cabins that are not popular...Cruises in the Caribbean during Thanksgiving dates are often discounted...and a bargain for people from the UK . We've been a couple of times on consolidated packages at discounts of circa 40% - with 900 UK citizens on the ship! (as well as 300 Canadians and some Australians.) The price made us wonder who won the Revolutionary War!
If you want a special ship, cabin and date...you'll probably have to pay more.
