Celebrity Cruises is to include Wi-Fi, drinks and tips in all cruise packages under a new ‘Always Included’ standard rate.
The line said it hoped the new approach, which comes into force from November 17, would “put an end to confusing promotions, complicated add-ons and limited time offers”.
Guests wishing to upgrade their packages will be able to take one of two options. The first, called Elevate, will include unlimited premium drinks and shore excursions up to $200 per person, while the second, called Indulge, will include everything in the Elevate package, upgraded Wi-Fi to allow unlimited streaming and up to an additional $200 per person in onboard credit.
All guests in The Retreat will receive the amenities included in the Indulge package at no extra charge.
Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, Celebrity Cruises president and chief executive, said: “Everything we do at Celebrity is driven by the desire to redefine what today’s luxury looks and feels like, with experiences modern travellers want.
“With the launch of our Edge Series ships, Celebrity Edge and her brand-new sister ship Celebrity Apex, we tapped into a powerful ‘New Luxury’ culture – relevant, relaxed, design-focused and inclusive/
“Today, nothing is more luxurious than when things are extra simple and extra special. We wanted to bring that big wonderful feeling of ‘everything is taken care of’ to life for our guests.”
Peter Giorgi, vice president and chief marketing officer, added: “After this challenging year, ease and peace of mind have become even more invaluable commodities.
“People want to spend more time being inspired, not getting lost in a myriad of booking options. Our new ‘Always Included’ approach makes the purchase process simple and incredible.”
Celebrity is planning to introduce a range of training assets and sales and marketing collateral for agents to support the launch, including webinars and a toolkit available via the Celebrity Central hub.
The Celebrity Rewards programme will also change until the end of February, with double points awarded for sales of balcony accommodation and above.
‘Always Included’ will be available for all new bookings, excluding Galapagos holidays.
