Ross K

While I have no problem tipping generously for excellent service, I have a big problem tipping in advance of services rendered. I actually find it distasteful. And if a member of crew are unprofessional enough to constantly keep me waiting in favour of someone who has paid a bribe, not only will they receive nothing from me, they can be sure their poor service will be reported. It is for this reason anyway that I think its unlikely in most situations you will receive any meaningful advantage - except maybe a pour on the heavier side - but I have no problem paying for what I consume without encouraging staff or crew to effectively steal from their employer to benefit me. As others have said, I think 'bar presence' is going to be enough in almost all situations.

I think you are probably confusing the listed suite perk of “in-room espresso service” as being an in-room machine. It means that the butler will serve this to you in your suite on request, any time of day. There are no espresso machines in the room itself.

15 minutes ago, ipeeinthepool said:

Celebrity always tells you, the ship won’t leave without you when you are on one of their tours.  All of the legalese goes out the window when there is gross negligence. Some of us would say only waiting 10 minutes is gross negligence.  This is what keeps Jim Walker in business.

Well someone might tell you “the ship will never leave without you” just like the Op was apparently told “the tour group won’t leave without you” - but they did... In no court on this fair planet would it be classed as gross negligence if you turned up 10 minutes late and the tour left without you. Let’s stick to the original post - the Op ordered lunch (not part of the tour), it took too long and so they arrived at the meeting point 10 minutes after departure time. How you could possibly claim any gross negligence is beyond me. And this sort of stuff happens every single day - people get left behind because they fail to show up on time - and I’m yet to see any successful court case of someone turning up late and successfully suing the cruise company or the tour operator. At the end of the day, its in black and white above and you have been unable to show any evidence of this guarantee you touted saying they will come looking for you. You’ve now been presented with the cold hard facts direct from Celebrity and you are still trying to dispute it. Yet we are still waiting for you to show us this amazing guarantee that Celebrity will send a search party out for you? Or maybe even show one court case that backs up what you’re saying? Or any webpage from Celebrity that backs this up?

You can believe all you want in this nonsense. Who should one believe when reading this thread? You, or the actual Celebrity terms and conditions of carriage, which is the *only* promise that matters... Sure, Celebrity *might*, and often do, go out of their way to make customers happy, even if the customer is in the wrong. Don’t kid yourself that they have any legal obligation to do so. If their terms were unlawful or deemed unfair, they would have certainly been challenged and changed by now.

Let me help you by providing exactly what Celebrity say in their terms:-

https://www.celebritycruises.com/content/dam/celebrity/pdf/Celebrity-Cruise-Ticket-Contract.pdf

____________

5. SHORE EXCURSIONS, TOURS, FACILITIES OR OTHER TRANSPORTATION:
All arrangements made for or by Passenger for transportation (other than on the Vessel) before, during or after the Cruise or CruiseTour of any kind whatsoever, as well as air arrangements, shore excursions, tours, hotels, restaurants, attractions and other similar activities or services, including all related conveyances, products or facilities, are made solely for Passenger’s convenience and are at Passenger’s risk. The providers, owners and operators of such services, conveyances, products and facilities are independent contractors and are not acting as agents or representatives of Carrier. Even though Carrier may collect a fee for, or otherwise profit from, making such arrangements and offers for sale shore excursions, tours, hotels, restaurants, attractions, the Land Tour and other similar activities or services taking place off the Vessel for a profit, it does not undertake to supervise or control such independent contractors or their employees, nor maintain their conveyances or facilities, and makes no representation, whether express or implied, regarding their suitability or safety. In no event shall Carrier be liable for any loss, delay, disappointment, damage, injury, death or other harm whatsoever to Passenger which occurs on or off the Vessel or the Transport as a result of any acts, omissions or negligence of any independent contractors.

_________

I should think the above leaves no room for misunderstanding. You are on your own - it is your responsibility to be at the right location at the right time.

1 hour ago, ipeeinthepool said:

You are assuming I wasn’t following directions or I was inconsiderate.  If the bus leaves, there should be someone there that is looking for me until I’m found.  That’s all part of the worry free guarantee from Celebrity 

I’m sorry but that is literally made up! There is no “worry free guarantee” from Celebrity that states someone will come looking for you until you’re found! The contract literally states the opposite and states they are in no way liable! Please do share with us a link to this guarantee if its real.

2 hours ago, bEwAbG said:

The cruise ticket contract specifically disclaims any liability related to shore excursions (who are independent contractors).  The shore excursion companies almost always have something in the fine print about having to follow the guide's instructions for their terms & conditions to apply.  They are not responsible for tracking you down if you don't show up.  I doubt any one of them routinely leaves people behind for sport, but there is a degree of personal responsibility involved in making sure you as a tourist are doing your part to be where you're supposed to be at the agreed-upon time.

Exactly right.

Just now, ipeeinthepool said:

I’ll respectfully disagree 100%.  The tour company on a ship sponsored excursion has the duty to find you and get you back to the ship.  Unless they find you how do they know if you were hurt or robbed or lost due to bad directions.  A private Toto’s a completely different issue 

You can disagree with me - but unless your contract with them states they have said responsibility, they do not. Whether they have a moral duty is a different matter. They have no contractual responsibility to do so if you fail to turn up on time.

9 minutes ago, ipeeinthepool said:

Having the Port Agent’s number is probably good policy whenever you get off the ship.  

 

But I have more sympathy than most with the OP.  We can argue about why they were late or if it was their fault, but ultimately it’s the tour company’s responsibility to find them and get them back to the ship.  Maybe they were inconsiderate or maybe they were hurt, it is the tour operator’s responsibility to find them and get them back to the ship.

I think this is the crux of the problem and perhaps what causes these social media posts. It literally isn’t the tour company’s responsibility to get you back to the ship if you do not arrive at the rendezvous point at the time specified. Just like it isn’t the cruise company’s responsibility to get you home on the ship, if you do not turn up to the port at the right time. The tour company is only responsbile for you if you follow all the directions they provide and you arrive at the designated points on time. If you do not, you are on your own. 

2 minutes ago, SalManila said:

 

Thank you for your response.  However, we disagree with your opinion that it is listed correctly on the app especially since the ship was docked in 5 different counties after embarkation.  The solution, as you pointed out, is simply adding “00” or “+” before the number on the app - an easy program fix.

 

Dietary requirements? Everyone has to eat. And we did ask for the bill as soon as the food arrived. And since it was a restaurant and not McDonalds, they could not give us the check until after the food arrived.  

 

Again, thanks for your reply.

Right, so if they list the number with ‘00’, that is only going to work in *some* countries in Europe, and actually won’t work in most places worldwide and in that situation, the number will actually be wrong. If they list the number with a +, well that will only work on some phones. The number is correctly listed and it is up to everyone to take some responsibility and know how to dial internationally. I am very sorry for what happened, but I don’t think the telephone number issue is one you are going to get very far with; this is how telephone numbers are typically listed by any company.

The whole issue is caused by the “international exit code”, the bit you but in front of the telephone number to tell the local network operator you are trying to dial an international telephone number. In the United States, when you want to call an international number, the international exit code that you put in front of the number is 011, followed by the country code, followed by the telephone number. However, if you are making an international call from another country, this code may be different. For example, in the UK (and most of Europe) it is 00, followed by the country code and then the telephone number. So dialing a US number will be different, depending on where you are (and this is why the Celebrity app cannot take this in to account). However, mobile phones are a bit more clever, and so if you prefix a number in your phone book with just the + symbol, followed by the country code and then telephone number, you will not need to know the international exit code for the country you are in (in most cases). Therefore, saving the Celebrity emergency number in your mobile phone as +1 305 982 2700 (I.e. including the + symbol) should ensure you get through, no matter where your are (in most cases).

It would appear you have dialled the number incorrectly. You must dial whatever your network international access code is first, when dialing it from abroad. This isn’t something celebrity can necessarily put in the app as it differs by country and network operator and we all use something different. Typically literally entering the number on an iPhone with a + in front following by the country code and then the number will usually work, though. Unfortunately, as harsh as this sounds, it is your responsibility to know how to dial international numbers from your own phone and you cannot expect the cruise line to have instructions for every setup.

Your best bet to approach any further follow-up with Celebrity is to drop the stuff about the number (since it is correct in the app) and focus on the dietary requirements bit. However, even if the food is/was late, If I’m pushed for time, I always ask for the bill when placing my order. I think it is unlikely you will be reimbursed for your taxi and I think a full refund of the excursion was a nice gesture in this case.

On 1/29/2019 at 7:12 PM, teigenes said:

So I can say I am happy with the result,  I stayed calm, was polite , didn't need to involve the credit card company and in the end it was a positive outcome.

Great result and glad you tried that route first!

3 hours ago, ghdool said:

Sorry if I am not replying the way you are supposed to. I am new to CC so I'm still learning. Not sure how to communicate with members here...is there a private message? If not, I am hoping Brooker can respond to me on this thread. I am going on the Infinity for the 1st time next year and I was wondering which cabin they were in. I have 1072 and am hoping that one isnt a bad cabin. I am trying to avoid any I saw on reviews that had negative comments. I liked the itinerary on this particular cruise and we have gone on a few Celebrity cruises in the past, which were very good. I didnt know how bad the Infinity was when I booked. I am going on the Reflection in a few wks and the reviews are generally pretty positive. Is it hit or miss on Infinity? 

If you're travelling next year, I would not worry too much about negative reviews in relation to maintenance issues. A year is a long time, so you may find cabins that have issues will have been repaired in that time, and cabins that have no reports of issues might incur damage... Basically, chose your stateroom based on where you would rather be, not on the reports of maintenance issues. 

On 1/15/2018 at 4:59 PM, rollie said:

We have just booked our first suite. We my have overindulged a bit, but I think it's a once in a lifetime thing. We booked a celebrity suite on the Equinox. Anyone have pointers for a newbie. We have cruised on Celebrity many time. Thanks

 

Rollie

Don't have much to add that hasn't already been said - but wanted to wish you a great trip! I'm sure you'll have a great time 🙂

On 1/26/2019 at 9:48 AM, Expat Cruise said:

I'm not taking any risk by disputing a charge. I know the rules very well as a customer and as a merchant. You really seem to be missing the point anytime I can cost the cruise line money within the rules I will that is my choices others can handle the way they want.  You should review the rules again within the merchant agreement and talk to counsel about what they really mean......I know I have done so. My primary card is a limited by invitation only card, no one can apply for it you need to be invited to the program.  

 

Well, clearly you don't care about your actions. I guess that's your prerogative. I'm not sure why I would need to engage counsel; it is basic common sense. But then, you do seem to have a habit in calling on unnecessary assistance. As you even say, you cost the cruise line money in handling it this way - and ultimately the cruise line isn't a charity, so guess what, the rest of us pay for it through higher fares to compensate for passengers who think calling the cruise line directly is too below them. Well done. Your whole line about your credit card "no one can apply for it you need to be invited to the program" doesn't mean anything in this context of this discussion - its still, fundamentally, either a Visa or a Mastercard (or Amex). Nice attempt to brag though - you seem very status orientated which likewise explains your attitude.

Clearly you're not going to change your view, but fortunately, it would seem the vast majority of people are more sensible in this regard!

19 minutes ago, Expat Cruise said:

I hear what you are saying but not required under my credit card user agreements. It is not a dispute it is a unauthorized charge  and allowed.  I have a personal representative with the card provider that handles the paperwork and they do not have a problem with it. If others want to waste time dealing with the line they can. As for adding costs for the charge back again I'm OK with that, if the cruise line does care about my account why should I care about them?  And the credit card provider is paid to work for me as a customer. The statement " you do not have much to gain by running to your credit card provider" is not true I gain time and do not need to deal with a issue that never should have happen in the first place.

 

I'm curious as to what credit card you have, as any that have the Mastercard or Visa logo are bound by the same overarching card rules. As others have said - a quick call to Celebrity is all it has taken. I cannot see how calling someone else is any quicker in this regard. And as I said, even if your credit card provider is okay with it, the merchant you dispute against may not be and that's the risk you take. As a business owner myself, I cannot stand customers who take a dispute to their credit card company rather than just raising the issue directly. For example, we have had customers who do this when they order a product which is delivered electronically - and for whatever reason, it has been filtered to their spam folder, so they believe we didn't send it. Rather than contact us, they file a credit card dispute. We then spend days faxing over logs, screenshots, correspondence, etc.

Typically, we (like most) have a policy simply to refund the customer if its below a certain amount. If a customer contacts us, they would receive an immediate refund. However, if we receive a dispute via credit card company, we need to provide certain documentation back to the credit card company and the acquirer before we can do anything. And I can guarantee you we will not be going above and beyond for a customer who chooses to deal with an issue that way.

It is fairly reckless to advise people to go straight to their credit card company when you have little understanding what this can do to a business and the enormous amount of extra work it creates. Mistakes, as unfortunate as they are, will occasionally happen - erroneous minibar charges, or whatever they may be. You should at least give the business a chance to correct it first before you go and make their life difficult. I completely understand it if the business isn't being unhelpful in this regard, but it shouldn't be your first port of call. And your credit card doesn't do this for you for "free". They need to employ someone to handle the disputes you and other customers raise. Who do you think pays for that? You do. The fees of processing credit cards go up to cover these costs and therefore the cost of products go up for everyone to counter the fees. I'm quite shocked at your flippant attitude towards this - and I can only hope its because you did not realise the unnecessary workload it causes for others.

3 hours ago, Expat Cruise said:

Maybe I am different than most but I would just let my credit card provider handle the issue. Open a dispute state my claim that I left the ship with a credit and no spending or other charges due. Let the cruise line do the work for you. Your credit card company handles everything you do not need to contact the cruise line and request anything. 

You're typically expected under Visa and Mastercard rules (not sure about Amex) to have attempted to resolve the dispute with the retailer yourself first. You are only supposed to invoke the dispute resolution process if that fails under the joint liability clause. You may find that frequently invoking a dispute resolution process will result in termination of your credit agreement. Also, filing a dispute cam result in the Merchant (in this case, Celebrity) incurring chargeback fees. Whether the charge you are disputing is valid or not, if you have not attempted to even contact the merchant first, you may find they no longer want your custom after filing a dispute.

The long story short is - you do not have much to gain by running to your credit card provider - as you cause both your credit card company and the merchant to lose money in wasted resources and neither will be hugely enthused to do business with you if you regularly invoke this process. Especially when it isn't necessary, as is the case here where Celebrity typically refund without question.

Thanks for clarifying Ray. This is really what I'd expect to be honest! I find 'refundable deposits' an odd concept (as nice as it would be)!

I’m confused - can you not cancel and rebook if the price drops in the UK? The most you have to lose is the deposit, right? I.e. if price drop is more than your deposit/perks, will they not even let you rebook on the understanding you lose your desposit?

1 minute ago, Gordoncruickshank said:

I don't think I have ever finished the two bottles on any cruise in a RS or much of the beer!! I wonder what happens to what I left.

Probably a massive butler party 😀

2 minutes ago, fastnloose said:

OK thanks, will need to be sweet to the butler!!

Good luck!! 😀

It is not complimentary in a Sky Suite or Celebrity Suite. Some have reported that, if you have a beverage package, your butler may stock it with beer and water, but that’s very much down to the butler and not a perk.