New propulsion problem on Millennium

[232271]

I'm so disappointed.:( I haven't even tried to call Celebrity yet, and I probably won't until tomorrow morning. I have several non-refundable things booked, and I don't know what Celebrity might be willing to help with, what my travel insurance might cover, and what I'm just SOL on.:mad:

 

My main goal in the next couple days is to try to figure out how to salvage some vacation. We've had our cruise booked since April of 2012, and my husband has to use at least some of his vacation time before the end of September.

 

I'm kind of running around like a chicken with its head cut off. I don't even begin to know where to start with the "undoing."

 

I am so sorry to hear this, we met you in Galveston a few years ago by the way....is there any way to book another cruise line? Praying for you And all affected. HUGS!

[SoBe2010]

For those of us on the 8/23 cruise who now lose $$ from flights that are leaving in 2 hours, paid trains etc, we expect 100% FCC...those on the dates in 2 weeks, fine 50% but not those who are to board in 48 hours...you may not agree with this, but you are not in our position...half my family is in Denali and now will struggle to find arraignments in Anchorage etc...plus the news is that Celebrity will not help with change fees for any of us...seriously, I am looking to cancel the 2 cruises I have booked with them coming up...

 

You expect a free cruises. I doubt that for any cruiseline.

If you have taken ChoiceAir, 50% FutureCredit might be a good deal.

As a independent traveller you might end +/- 0$.

 

I would be angry, too. But from my current&distant point of view, I assume all other Cruiselines would compensate you similar, at best.

[232271]

You expect a free cruises. I doubt that for any cruiseline.

If you have taken ChoiceAir, 50% FutureCredit might be a good deal.

As a independent traveller you might end +/- 0$.

 

I would be angry, too. But from my current&distant point of view, I assume all other Cruiselines would compensate you similar, at best.

 

When we had a cruise cancelled two days in, never left Galveston, due to weather by carnival we only received a 25% future cruise voucher and could only use it on the same length cruise which was 4 days....so I say 50% is pretty good.

[deise17311]

You expect a free cruises. I doubt that for any cruiseline.

If you have taken ChoiceAir, 50% FutureCredit might be a good deal.

As a independent traveller you might end +/- 0$.

 

I would be angry, too. But from my current&distant point of view, I assume all other Cruiselines would compensate you similar, at best.

 

According to some, Celebrity is also refusing to help with flight change fees...seriously, how many people buy the top end refundable tickets...very few...this sucks and I get it, Celebrity is losing tons of money...guess what...they should have fixed this issue many years ago...it is beyond infuriating...

[deise17311]

When we had a cruise cancelled two days in, never left Galveston, due to weather by carnival we only received a 25% future cruise voucher and could only use it on the same length cruise which was 4 days....so I say 50% is pretty good.

 

Weather is out of their control...an ongoing problem that they seriously have not fixed because of "whatever" is not out of their control...this is not a new issue I'm coming to find out...you can imagine our frustration with Flights to Alaska etc...it really sucks!!!

[SoBe2010]

According to some, Celebrity is also refusing to help with flight change fees...seriously, how many people buy the top end refundable tickets...very few...this sucks and I get it, Celebrity is losing tons of money...guess what...they should have fixed this issue many years ago...it is beyond infuriating...

 

Many years ago? I did not know they were sailing a broken ship for so long.

Seriously, you are frustrated. Totally understandable. Again, I think no cruiseline will compensate you the fees for flight changes.

[232271]

Weather is out of their control...an ongoing problem that they seriously have not fixed because of "whatever" is not out of their control...this is not a new issue I'm coming to find out...you can imagine our frustration with Flights to Alaska etc...it really sucks!!!

 

True enough....and yes flights are very expensive to Canada or Alaska so I can feel that pain, I just can't imagine what y'all must be feeling. I have prayed for peace for all affected as it has got to be so disappointing. I am hoping some can switch dates a little and cruise other lines, if there is space....even move it to Seattle if you must.....there are many Wonderful ships up there in Alaska right now.

 

Hugs to all!

[DebbieMacG]

Hi,

Thanks for sharing your views;very valid points.

 

However, there is the danger that folks can get their focus blurred a bit about the '' pods'' issue.

You are referring to problems affecting the Mermaid Azipod ''hardware'' that has indeed been a frustrating and costly source of disruption for both the lines affected and their guests. The main culprits were ,as you state, premature wearing of the forward radial trust bearing, also some premature seals defect. Those issues have finally been solved approx 5 years ago. They had gradually given rise to the expression '' pods issues''.

They now function quite well with hardly any disruption reported by any of the users lines.

The azipods structure units are OK

 

The current issue affects the motor which powers the azipod; a totally different animal....and one easily understands how quickly one can deduct that ''there's those damn pods again''...and thus have the focus on the current issue slightly blurred away.

 

Sort of like a lawn mower with a new blades/tiller system....initially, those ''damn blades'' keep experiencing defect with their seals, blades design,etc.....

one has to shut the mower down, raise it off the ground, have the blades components looked at, fixed, etc......NOW, all that works well...but the

motor in the lawn mower broke twice in the past couple of weeks.....

nothing to do with the blades....

 

What has to be highly frustrating for Celebrity is :the current failure, mystifying and baffling as it is, is the same motor that went karplunk

Aug 8th on the way to Seward ....A total engine change over seems to be the only way out here to get the azipod functionnal again...and that means ''drydock''......

 

My opinion only.

 

Deise, if this post is correct its NOT the same issue as years ago, as it was fixed. This is something new that they thought was fixed after the Aug 8th issue.

 

I'm sure you must be very upset and annoyed at your cancelled trip. As others have said is there no way to salvage anything and have a vacation?

 

For those worried about not getting reimbursed by Celebrity for flight changes excursions etc, I'm sure your travel insurance will kick in.

 

I feel for the crew, I hope they will still get paid what they were expecting. A lot of them send money home to feed families and with every respect to those with ruined vacations that's much more of a problem :(

[florisdekort]

A lot of people are getting quite unreasonable on here, but having been in a similar situation twice (one cruise cancelled mid-cruise and one cruise three days prior to departure), I can relate/understand. A full refund is what you get in most other industries if the product you purchase isn't delivered. 50% on top of that is quite generous i.m.o. and I can only praise Celebrity for it. It's also totally understandable cruise lines don't issue a blank check for change fees, etc. That's what travel insurance is for. If they were to issue a blank check, no one would ever purchase insurance any more. And apologies if this sounds harsh, but it's pretty stupid to travel without it. Finally, can we please stop linking this to the problems with the blades of the pods >5 years back? This is a completely different issue related to the engine.

 

Floris

[The_Big_M]

Cruisestitch, thank you so much for all of the information that you have provided. I know it must mean a lot to people who are booked on the upcoming cancelled cruises, and would otherwise not have any knowledge of what is going on.

...

Celebrity, if you're listening, I hope you provide Cruisestitch with reimbursement for her internet charges!

 

I can only echo that sentiment!

[uktog]

I am concerned though having just read one of the Annual Travel policies we hold as a result of being credit card holders that there is no mention of coverage for cancellation for a reason like this and the wording on delayed departure does not help either.

 

I fully accept I may be reading this particular policy incorrectly but it is one than many uk cruisers, rightly or wrongly might automatically be relying on as the little dog is their friend.

 

Let's hope all situations get looked at, there are so many, some frequent flyer rules will not help etc but let us also as said before spare a thought for the lovely crew on board right now.

 

And it is nice when people can afford to have cruises sometimes though the on,y way they can have them is they use bucket price travel plans, it can be a little easy to forget that if you are fortunate to be better funded

[The_Big_M]

Many years ago? I did not know they were sailing a broken ship for so long.

Seriously, you are frustrated. Totally understandable. Again, I think no cruiseline will compensate you the fees for flight changes.

 

Maybe. But that doesn't demonstrate whether it's reasonable or not.

[MicCanberra]

A lot of people are getting quite unreasonable on here, but having been in a similar situation twice (one cruise cancelled mid-cruise and one cruise three days prior to departure), I can relate/understand. A full refund is what you get in most other industries if the product you purchase isn't delivered. 50% on top of that is quite generous i.m.o. and I can only praise Celebrity for it. It's also totally understandable cruise lines don't issue a blank check for change fees, etc. That's what travel insurance is for. If they were to issue a blank check, no one would ever purchase insurance any more. And apologies if this sounds harsh, but it's pretty stupid to travel without it. Finally, can we please stop linking this to the problems with the blades of the pods >5 years back? This is a completely different issue related to the engine.

 

Floris

 

Yes, but the disappointment of missing out on your cruise and whatever else was planned is heart breaking, compensation would not fix that totally but it would go some way to make up for it. 50% sounds reasonable to me as well.:D

[ghstudio]

Many years ago? I did not know they were sailing a broken ship for so long.

Seriously, you are frustrated. Totally understandable. Again, I think no cruiseline will compensate you the fees for flight changes.

 

Celebrity creates different compensation packages for each crisis...there is no corporate memory.

 

We were on the Century when it almost lost it's rudders in VilleFranche and they cancelled the cruise on the first day due to mechanical failure and we had to leave the ship in Villefranche so they could go to drydock for repairs. Since there was a strike in France, they bussed everyone back to Barcelona where the cruise began (10 hour ride, one stop, no bathrooms on the busses)

 

Their first offer was full refund for the cruise, a voucher for a future cruise for 25% of the fare paid for the cancelled cruise and $150 or $200 which could be used for any purpose, however it was clearly to cover airline change fees.

 

Ultimately, after many months of very public negative publicity in a very long thread on cruise critic that stayed prominently on the first page, the offer was changed to include reimbursing passengers for their airfare to and from the cruise....as well as covering, I believe, up to two or three days of expenses in Barcelona while waiting for a flight home.

 

As I said, every cruise offer is different and generally speaking, as one would expect, cruise lines try to pay the minimum and claim that the decision is final. In the case of the Century, they changed their compensation and we actually were made whole on all our expenses....but it took quite a bit of pressure, letters to the CEO, comments here, etc. to make it happen.

[MicCanberra]

Celebrity creates different compensation packages for each crisis...there is no corporate memory.

 

We were on the Century when it almost lost it's rudders in VilleFranche and they cancelled the cruise on the first day due to mechanical failure and we had to leave the ship in Villefranche so they could go to drydock for repairs. Since there was a strike in France, they bussed everyone back to Barcelona where the cruise began (10 hour ride, one stop, no bathrooms on the busses)

 

Their first offer was full refund for the cruise, a voucher for a future cruise for 25% of the fare paid for the cancelled cruise and $150 or $200 which could be used for any purpose, however it was clearly to cover airline change fees.

 

Ultimately, after many months of very public negative publicity in a very long thread on cruise critic that stayed prominently on the first page, the offer was changed to include reimbursing passengers for their airfare to and from the cruise....as well as covering, I believe, up to two or three days of expenses in Barcelona while waiting for a flight home.

 

As I said, every cruise offer is different and generally speaking, as one would expect, cruise lines try to pay the minimum and claim that the decision is final. In the case of the Century, they changed their compensation and we actually were made whole on all our expenses....but it took quite a bit of pressure, letters to the CEO, comments here, etc. to make it happen.

Let us hope that no-one is actually out of pocket for their cruise expenses as well as missing the cruise /holiday.:D

[k1432]

I was booked on the Sept 6th sailing and was told the following for compensation: full refund including all taxes, prepaid tips and cruise care plus 25% towards future sailing plus up to $200 change fee per person. I am guessing the percent credit is lower since this is a later date than others receiving 50%.

 

Thanks to everyone for posting and keeping us informed.

Time for me to book alternate plans now that I heard it from Celebrity directly.

Thank you again!

[rebel7254]

My parents were scheduled for the 8/23 departure on this ship, but they're already in Alaska for a pre-cruise land tour. I think for the folks like them who have already flown to Alaska, 75% or 100% FCC would be more appropriate. Many of those people would never have went to Alaska just for the land tour. I don't believe it is fair for people who haven't even flown to Alaska yet to get the same compensation as my parents.

[Cindy]

I just spoke with Celebrity…I’m going to post this in multiple places in the hopes it will help someone…

 

• I called the number on the website, and it was not the correct number. The representative redirected me to 1-866-521-7245, but they weren’t open yet so she gave me the basic information.

 

• They will help you rebook, but there is no price protection…you’ll have to pay the going rate. There is no reason to call immediately unless you are trying to get rebooked.

 

• Up to $200 per person in airline change fees will be covered. Send receipts to:

Celebrity Cruises

Attn: Corporate Guest Relations/Millennium 2013

1050 Caribbean Way Miami, FL 33132

 

• I asked if there was a possibility of joining one of the Century land tours leaving from Vancouver around the same time, but I was told they won’t do that.

 

• Refunds should be processed within 3-5 days, and an FCC issued within 6-8 weeks. For my September 13th sailing it’s 25%. I forgot to ask if that can be applied to a cruise that’s already booked, but I’ll check on that later when the rush dies down.

 

 

Off to work on Plan B!:rolleyes:

[deise17311]

Feeling grateful for not being trapped in open water with no power...and the 50% future cruise credit...plus the change fee refund...thanks to everyone's kind words ...those that have no empathy for the frustration and sadness of a year of planning down the tubes, good luck when your turn comes...

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[Skuzzlebutt]

My parents were scheduled for the 8/23 departure on this ship, but they're already in Alaska for a pre-cruise land tour. I think for the folks like them who have already flown to Alaska, 75% or 100% FCC would be more appropriate. Many of those people would never have went to Alaska just for the land tour. I don't believe it is fair for people who haven't even flown to Alaska yet to get the same compensation as my parents.

 

I understand your point, but I have been stressed and miserable because of this for two days now. I have everything lined up and this is the last chance for me take a trip with my family for a year. I would much rather have been the people on either of the last two cruises who at least got to see Alaska, have a break on a nice ship and get a 100% FCC. I'm not leaving home, but I have to look at my 5 and 6 year olds and break their heart this morning.

 

Just not a good situation for anyone.

 

How on EARTH has Celebrity not even put this on their webpage yet? Have they even started calling guests yet? How many people are still getting on planes right now?

[deise17311]

I understand your point, but I have been stressed and miserable because of this for two days now. I have everything lined up and this is the last chance for me take a trip with my family for a year. I would much rather have been the people on either of the last two cruises who at least got to see Alaska, have a break on a nice ship and get a 100% FCC. I'm not leaving home, but I have to look at my 5 and 6 year olds and break their heart this morning.

 

Just not a good situation for anyone.

 

How on EARTH has Celebrity not even put this on their webpage yet? Have they even started calling guests yet? How many people are still getting on planes right now?

 

I agree with you 100%!! My sisters 50th only comes once...but I am trying to be positive and at least the 50% is not 0! I also would have preferred the stay on ship hotel deal with 100% FCC...

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[bobbysingh]

For some people who fail to understand this, we the ones on the August 23rd sailings not only have put in our time, money and efforts planning this but risk losing the vacation not being able to anywhere but stay home. My company won't change my vacation dates at the last moment and mess up another colleagues dates. Since the August 23rd sailing cancellations were at the last moment (per say) Celebrity should provide 100% FCC. IMHO

[bobbysingh]

I agree with Deise, for the ones who disagree for 100% FCC you are not the ones all dressed up and no where to go, trust me doesn't feel that good. Last one month we have been running from store to store buying things for our vacation.

[Skuzzlebutt]

Just found out that my insurance does not cover when the cruise line cancels the cruise. Just gets better and better. I'm numb at this point.

[aviarykeeper]

I have taken 15+ cruises beginning in the '80's, and this is a first for us. Although I may be wrong in my thinking, I never thought I would need it BECAUSE I FELT THAT IF IT WAS INDEED MY FAULT FOR NOT MAKING IT TO THE SHIP, THEN THAT WAS A RISK I WAS WILLING TO TAKE AND BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MY LOSSES. This is different; I was ready to take the flight tomorrow, stay over night, and take the train in the morning down to Seward. Since Celebrity has a problem on their end, they need to step up and help out with some of my costs for the changes THEY have created. I just settled with my carrier on the outbound flight up, and paid $300.00 for "ticket changes" for the four of us. Calling the train people will be next, and so on.

 

Will I buy insurance next time? Probably......because now I see it as the same thing as having "uninsured motorist" car insurance for coverage when the car that goes thru a red light and hits me happens to have "Celebrity" written on the side of it.