debkaysmith

We were on the May 15th sailing and it was pretty awful. Our boarding time was delayed by 1.5 hours originally, then we proceeded to wait almost three hours to board once inside the terminal. It was only their second sailing out of Vancouver aboard the Eclipse. Could have been the newness of the operation, but we also heard that many passengers remaining onboard had tested positive for Covid, so there may have been a deep-clean before boarding. All in all - there was absolutely no communication from Celebrity and it left us with a less than positive experience. 

On our recent sailing aboard Celebrity Eclipse, May 15th, there were delicious tea snacks served in the buffet from 3pm to 4pm ... little sandwiches, scones, and cookies. Not exactly what it used to be but yummy nonetheless. 

Our Eclipse 05/22 cruise that was cancelled entirely due to the barnacle situation - I couldn't be more grateful at this point. It was a hassle - rebooking a future cruise on expired cruise credits, hotel, airfare, transportation, etc. But I am happy to try a different ship and experience. Don't get me wrong, the ship is gorgeous. But I wouldn't want to do it two weeks in a row right now. Well, and I couldn't because I caught Covid onboard last week 🙂 

Transparency would have been nice about so many issues - embarkation, never checking our pre board Covid  testing (unbelievable), the port situation in Sitka, Cellar Masters closed the first few nights, no Alaskan beer in Alaska! And especially the overwhelming number of Covid cases. 

It seems to depend on the department involved for me. We got an almost immediate response for dining reservations via e-mail, but the travel desk hasn't responded after several e-mails and phone calls. So ?? Waiting on the phone for hours is okay if you're at home and doing something else. 

We are re-booked with the 25% off prevailing rates after cancellation of the Eclipse May 22nd cruise.  Celebrity did NOT offer us a Lift & Shift opportunity, nor did they protect our Suite cabin for a future cruise. We are happy with our new booking, but feeling a bit "soured" on the whole experience. We are also booked on the previous week's cruise which has shortened port times to a measly 3.5 and 3.0 hours for Sitka & Ketchikan, respectively. It's crummy. 

Here's our Story:

We originally booked with FCC & Cash. 

Upon cancellation, we waited 45 minutes on telephone hold, only to be told to call back the next day.

The next morning we waited 60 minutes on hold, went through 30 minutes of trying to get the 'lift and shift' or the 25% future cruise price, only to be dropped by a rep who was extremely frustrated. 

Called again, waited on hold another 45 minutes, and were rebooked by a very helpful rep with the 25% discounted future cruise price for a trip this July. We were told that 'lift and shift' would not apply to our situation. We ended up paying almost the same for an AQ cabin as we had paid for our Suite cabin. A bit disappointed at losing the suite, but happy with AQ. Thankful for the final outcome, but a very frustrating 36 hours. 

We were booked on the cancelled sailing and I have now been on hold for over two hours trying to rebook with their phone reps. I've been dropped twice already. Is my problem too difficult for them?? 

I am livid with this lack of respect and customer service. And I am a truly loyal customer.  But what choice do I have at this point? They have my money. 

On 12/8/2020 at 4:25 PM, Ken the cruiser said:

We also received the the cancellation notice today, but it didn't specify which of our cruises was cancelled. We are currently booked on a 5 day Alaska cruise in early May on the Millennium followed by a 7 day cruise on the Solstice. When we subsequently checked on the X website, the Millennium 5 day cruise was still bookable while the Solstice 7 day cruise had disappeared. So I guess it's referring to the Solstice cruise.

 

I have to admit, it sure would be nice if they were a little more specific as to which cruise they're referring to as this isn't the first time we've received one of these vague cancellation emails.

Same!! We are booked on the Millenium 5-day but our following Eclipse 7-day was cancelled. Weird.

Thanks so much for the info!!

Has anyone else noticed that the final payment dates have changed on upcoming cruises?

Mine has been extended for an additional 30 days on a January 2021 Aus/NZ cruise.

Thanks!!

With four cruises cancelled this year - I am putting a new roof on my house!!! 

I am two months waiting on a FCC from a canceled cruise - anybody else waiting this long? 

We cancelled a sailing for April on March 11th and received our FCC within one week and shore ex refunds on April 25th.

We cancelled two Alaska sailings for August on March 27th and received our deposits/shore ex refunds on April 25th. 

Huzzah!!!

We cancelled a Japan to Singapore cruise on March 27th and are still awaiting FCC credits for the non-refundable deposit. I am thankful that Celebrity is allowing this!!! 

The refunds came in a variety of denominations - none of them matching the deposit amount or price I paid for shore excursions. But... it all came back in totality. 

Good Luck Everyone and Be Well until we Cruise Again. 

I am having a ton of issues with the Princess website - trying to cancel and rebook excursions on a future cruse.

Frustrating.

Still Waiting.... 

Cancelled March 12th and have received nothing in the form of refunds.

Cancelled another two cruises March 27th and have received nothing in the form of refunds.

Frustrated!!!

Still Waiting - four cancelled cruises and nada but one FCC.

Cancelled March 12th 

Nada. Zip. Zilch.

Here's another weird point - my neighbor cancelled her Alaska cruise two days after I cancelled the same cruise - March 25th and March 27th. She got her refund on April 1st - just a few days later.  I am still waiting. Same trip. Same deposit. Same excursions. All booked thru Celebrity Direct. And still waiting for a Caribbean cruise excursion refund, cancelled March 11th. Just so bizarre. 

I too am waiting, having cancelled one cruise + excursions on March 11th, and two cruises + excursions on March 25th. 

Waiting...

Waiting...

Waiting... 

🙂

I cancelled on March 11th and have seen no refund to my credit card for excursions yet. 

We did receive the FCC last week though. 

We cancelled March 11th for our April 4th Silhouette/Caribbean voyage and received our FCC certificate via e-mail yesterday, March 27th. We have not been credited yet for shore excursions and such but know they are on approach!! Good luck everyone and be healthy in all your future travels. 

This happens to me quite frequently, actually. I try to continue my Bonine regimen for a few days after cruising and that seems to help.  

We've sailed the Island Princess twice to Alaska and loved her in entirety. Excellent service, good food, and a less crowded vibe for sure.  Our favorite ship is the Emerald Princess - we've sailed her in the Mediterranean and a West coast repo. I can't think of any Princess ship that doesn't beat a hot humid day doing yardwork in my backyard!! 

What don't you do??? These ports are gorgeous with warm friendly people living in each area. The above member "KarateMom2" gave you some wonderful ideas. I will include the following:

Take a parasail trip in either Maui or Kona. There is a great company there that dominates the area and it is such a fun activity that won't take up too much of your day. 

Sample the food - the poke is delicious, pancakes and malasadas (donuts) are ridiculously good, and a plate lunch cannot be beat.  Spam musubi and/or lau-lau ... don't miss it. Great local beer is another treat. 

The coffee plantations are a fun visit if you have the time in Kona. 

Skip the zoo in Hilo _ it is depressing

 

We were there two years ago and there was a shuttle and fee of 5 euros per person each way.