New propulsion problem on Millennium

[c-legs]

Thanks for posting your personal and detailed experience of evacuating Millie.

 

I've worked my entire life in the transportation industry and have dealt through my share of what my company describes as service disruptions. The horror stories and complaints often mirror what you have described in great detail. It didn't take me too long to decide that if I was ever on the customer side of such a disruption, to immediately seek out my own alternate transportation, if possible, rather than wait for a company to make arrangements on my behalf. Reading of the horror stories of passengers evacuated from Millie last week has brought that lesson home to me once again.

 

Had I been kicked off Millie in Ketchikan last week, I would have independently booked a scheduled Alaska Airlines flight to Seattle (or Anchorage), depending on my onward travel plans. A month or so after the dust had settled from the onslaught of complaints to Celebrity HQ about how poorly transportation arrangements were handled, I would have written a letter, enclosed receipts, etc, requesting compensation. In other words, an independent, orderly self-evacuation. Would I be guaranteed compensation from =X= for going at it "on my own"? God only knows! But I've experienced too many of these types of situations where I've worked the past 34 years to see how badly things can "go south" so quickly. In these scenarios, it is often the "first day of school" for many who are thrust into the position of arranging emergency, last-minute transportation for large numbers of customers.

 

ccsuwxman, thanks again for sharing your account of evacuating Millie with us. I hope your next vacation is incident-free and is your best vacation ever! ;)

 

VERY good post, Beav. Thanks

My work path mirrors yours and I fully concur with your observations.

[MicCanberra]

Here is an article about RCI owning 40% of the shipyard in the Bahamas.

 

http://www.dnv.com/industry/maritime/publicationsanddownloads/publications/updates/cruise/2011/cruise_1_2011/thegrandbahamashipyardatfreeportbahamas.asp

Interesting article, and the relationship with Carnival there.:D

[LocoLoco1]

Website http://www.marinetraffic.com shows Millennium's location. Currently off Baja..NW of Cabo sailing at 17.1/knots, or about 18mph. Bye-bye Locomotiveman Tom

[mcrcruiser]

Wow how bad things can deteriorate in such a short time . This is not the first time X has failed in a crisis situation .We always pray that we would never be caught up in one of these horrible situations . Being in our mif 70s not sure we could physically take THE ABUSE!!:o:(:mad:

[RDC1]

Wow how bad things can deteriorate in such a short time . This is not the first time X has failed in a crisis situation .We always pray that we would never be caught up in one of these horrible situations . Being in our mif 70s not sure we could physically take THE ABUSE!!:o:(:mad:

 

 

Define failure. They had to move over 2000 passenger from a port with limited air capacity and limited hotel space (basically none) in a very short time window

 

The end of the trip location also had severe limitations (only 4 hotels capable of handling large blocks of rooms that were also of sufficient quality, Captain Cook, Hilton, Marriott, Sheraton). Since it was the peak of the tourist season those hotels would be further limited.

 

The primary goal was to get people out of the town to locations that had better air travel and hotel capacity.

 

They accomplished those goals. You may not like how they did it but they got it done.

 

It could have been improved as far as communication and efficiency was concerned. But even then I doubt that the number of complaints would have decreased substantially. Because efficiency and communication does not necessarily providing more options or more leeway. Actually probably less.

 

I came back from my most recent Alaska cruise on the day of the plane crash in San Francisco. No one knew when the airport would open. If flights could get into the other airports into the area because of long distance flights being diverted to Oakland, San Jose and even LAX. The airlines could not provide seats on future flights for several days because their limited capacity was consumed by those having to reschedule. They also had run out of hotel rooms in several cities that had flights feeding into SFO (Seattle, Portland in the case of Alaska). The confusion and discomfort of those leaving the cruise was not dissimilar than the thousands impacted by that crash and the cruise passengers probably had more information and a much better idea of their travel arrangements on the day they were flying out then those sitting in Vancouver watching the news about the SFO crash.

[CptSticky]

Wow how bad things can deteriorate in such a short time . This is not the first time X has failed in a crisis situation .We always pray that we would never be caught up in one of these horrible situations . Being in our mif 70s not sure we could physically take THE ABUSE!!:o:(:mad:

I tell the DW that with as much as we cruise something like this is bound to happen to us some day. So, do you wring you hands and cry or do you get through it the best you can and then have great stories to tell ever after? Maybe we will be lucky and it will never happen to us, but we have had some really close calls already. Close like standing in San Juan and they are saying that the tornado changed course and the ship is not coming.:eek:

[ccsuwxman]

Good plan and works fantastically in theory, but I understand that there were other issues in trying to do this as well. Were there standard flights that could get you out of Ketchican?:D

 

We needed to go to Anchorage. The only Alaska Airlines flights from Ketchikan to Anchorage make two stops (Sitka, Juneau) and take over 13 hours (overnight flights) to get there. In addition, the fare was nearly $1000 one way, and by Thursday morning, all those flights were fully booked. So we were essentially stuck until =X= got their act together.

[C 2 C]

The latest news:

 

http://www.seatrade-insider.com/news/news-headlines/celebrity-to-replace-millennium-pod-in-freeport-bayley-says.html

[sandyss]

We needed to go to Anchorage. The only Alaska Airlines flights from Ketchikan to Anchorage make two stops (Sitka, Juneau) and take over 13 hours (overnight flights) to get there. In addition, the fare was nearly $1000 one way, and by Thursday morning, all those flights were fully booked. So we were essentially stuck until =X= got their act together.

 

The problem was that Celebrity never did get their act together, and made some very arbitrary and poor decisions as to destinations and timing of charter flights (our flight, to a destination we did not want, left at midnight).

[NJBeast]

We know other passengers who also left on Saturday bound for Anchorage and they told a similar story. I think they were on your same 5:15pm flight in fact. They said that Thursday was by far the worst experience of the entire week with deteriorating conditions and only a thin veil of organization.

 

I feared things would end badly for the crew. I encountered a worker at the spa desk who was in tears because she had just been told that her contract would be terminated early. I felt very sorry for all of them.

 

Without doubt.

 

We were fortunate to evacuate Millennium on the 9pm Wednesday night flight to Vancouver. We felt grateful that our flight was only 2 hours late in departing. We actually had a fairly happy ending to our vacation. But as our plane was taking off on Wednesday, we had a feeling that things would not end as well for those still on the ship. Not exactly the Saigon airlift, but we were glad to get out when we did just the same.

 

My post cruise wrap up: We found out about our flight out Wed morning about 9AM with our luggage due to be picked up at 10AM. We ended up in group 6 to Seattle. It was scheduled to depart at 5:45p but it was probably 8:45p when we left. It was a long day with no food (except a bag of chips) until we made it to our hotel. Bussed to the Courtyard by Marriott just before Midnight. a 24 hour IHOP was available about 1 mile away walking so we headed out. WE were told breakfast was included but all they did was charge it to our room which was charged to our credit card used for incidentals not Celebrity. I was able to get my ANC-SEA-EWR flight on Friday changed to SEA-EWR on Thurs afternoon. Of course that flight was 2 hours late. we arrived home about Midnight Thursday.

In general, I was able to relax and recharge and isn't that what a vacation is supposed to do. I only had 1 issue with a guest services officer on Tuesday when my room key stopped working. I was directed to him by staff working the peripherals of the guest services line. He was rude and nasty and should be relieved of future duties. With many, many people on line to make flight arrangements, he felt I should be in that line instead allowing me to get back in my cabin. A cruise line Customer service rep named Dee saw me and took down my displeasure with this individual and got someone to get the key working again. The next morning, his window had a sign "Billing and Key issues ONLY".

[greatam]

Thanks for posting your personal and detailed experience of evacuating Millie.

 

I've worked my entire life in the transportation industry and have dealt through my share of what my company describes as service disruptions. The horror stories and complaints often mirror what you have described in great detail. It didn't take me too long to decide that if I was ever on the customer side of such a disruption, to immediately seek out my own alternate transportation, if possible, rather than wait for a company to make arrangements on my behalf. Reading of the horror stories of passengers evacuated from Millie last week has brought that lesson home to me once again.

 

Had I been kicked off Millie in Ketchikan last week, I would have independently booked a scheduled Alaska Airlines flight to Seattle (or Anchorage), depending on my onward travel plans. A month or so after the dust had settled from the onslaught of complaints to Celebrity HQ about how poorly transportation arrangements were handled, I would have written a letter, enclosed receipts, etc, requesting compensation. In other words, an independent, orderly self-evacuation. Would I be guaranteed compensation from =X= for going at it "on my own"? God only knows! But I've experienced too many of these types of situations where I've worked the past 34 years to see how badly things can "go south" so quickly. In these scenarios, it is often the "first day of school" for many who are thrust into the position of arranging emergency, last-minute transportation for large numbers of customers.

 

ccsuwxman, thanks again for sharing your account of evacuating Millie with us. I hope your next vacation is incident-free and is your best vacation ever! ;)

 

I so agree. LOVE the "service disruption" description. We seem to have those at times also. And I also agree about taking care of yourself. What has happened to American's self sufficiency and "can do" attitude?

 

There have been descriptions of the flights out of Ketchikan as close to the Saigon airlift. People are complaining about only one bathroom, being cold and rude people. Everyone should take a minute to stop and think how much worse a LOT of people have it in a very similar situation. When the volcano went off in Europe, people were sleeping in airports FOR DAYS. Someone brought up the Asiana crash and how SFO was basically shut down and people were stranded all over the USA trying to get on a plane. There are so many problems so much larger that impact travel than having to sit in an airport (even a cold airport) without much to eat or drink for 5-10 hours. You could have been sitting on the tarmac for 10 hours in a smelly, stinky plane as the JetBlue passengers were.

 

Thank your lucky stars that no one was hurt, had a heart attack or something else equally as tragic. Your vacation was disrupted, you weren't treated to 5* accommodations, you were subjected to rude people trying to manage an almost unmanageable situation out of a small town in the wilds of Alaska. IF this is the worst that ever happens in your life, you have truly led a blessed life.

[greatam]

Thanks for posting your personal and detailed experience of evacuating Millie.

 

I've worked my entire life in the transportation industry and have dealt through my share of what my company describes as service disruptions. The horror stories and complaints often mirror what you have described in great detail. It didn't take me too long to decide that if I was ever on the customer side of such a disruption, to immediately seek out my own alternate transportation, if possible, rather than wait for a company to make arrangements on my behalf. Reading of the horror stories of passengers evacuated from Millie last week has brought that lesson home to me once again.

 

Had I been kicked off Millie in Ketchikan last week, I would have independently booked a scheduled Alaska Airlines flight to Seattle (or Anchorage), depending on my onward travel plans. A month or so after the dust had settled from the onslaught of complaints to Celebrity HQ about how poorly transportation arrangements were handled, I would have written a letter, enclosed receipts, etc, requesting compensation. In other words, an independent, orderly self-evacuation. Would I be guaranteed compensation from =X= for going at it "on my own"? God only knows! But I've experienced too many of these types of situations where I've worked the past 34 years to see how badly things can "go south" so quickly. In these scenarios, it is often the "first day of school" for many who are thrust into the position of arranging emergency, last-minute transportation for large numbers of customers.

 

ccsuwxman, thanks again for sharing your account of evacuating Millie with us. I hope your next vacation is incident-free and is your best vacation ever! ;)

 

I so agree. LOVE the "service disruption" description. We seem to have those at times also. And I also agree about taking care of yourself. What has happened to American's self sufficiency and "can do" attitude?

 

There have been descriptions of the flights out of Ketchikan as close to the Saigon airlift. People are complaining about only one bathroom, being cold and rude people. Everyone should take a minute to stop and think how much worse a LOT of people have it in a very similar situation. When the volcano went off in Europe, people were sleeping in airports FOR DAYS. Someone brought up the Asiana crash and how SFO was basically shut down and people were stranded all over the USA trying to get on a plane. There are so many problems so much larger that impact travel than having to sit in an airport (even a cold airport) without much to eat or drink for 5-10 hours. You could have been sitting on the tarmac for 10 hours in a smelly, stinky plane as the JetBlue passengers were.

 

Thank your lucky stars that no one was hurt, had a heart attack or something else equally as tragic. Your vacation was disrupted, you weren't treated to 5* accommodations, you were subjected to rude people trying to manage an almost unmanageable situation out of a small town in the wilds of Alaska. IF this is the worst that ever happens in your life, you have truly led a blessed life.

[Christine Frances]

We needed to go to Anchorage. The only Alaska Airlines flights from Ketchikan to Anchorage make two stops (Sitka, Juneau) and take over 13 hours (overnight flights) to get there. In addition, the fare was nearly $1000 one way, and by Thursday morning, all those flights were fully booked. So we were essentially stuck until =X= got their act together.

 

These are the regular daily flights and the rest are 12+ hrs

 

• KTN ANC 4hours 33minutes
  
• 67 KTN 5:02 pm ANC 9:35 pm
  

KTN ANC 5hours 44minutes

65 KTN 8:45 am ANC 2:29 pm

[RoamingRetirees]

The latest news:

 

http://www.seatrade-insider.com/news/news-headlines/celebrity-to-replace-millennium-pod-in-freeport-bayley-says.html

 

Ah, the elusive Michael Bayley.

[purduemom1]

Ah, the elusive Michael Bayley.

 

According to the article in Seatrade-Insider, Celebrity is "open" to ideas about how the ship might be used during the deadhead to San Diego. "Perhaps for some kind of benefit"......how about to benefit all the passengers from the cancelled cruises who will have out of pocket expenses even after Celebeity sends them their refunds.

[ghstudio]

Perhaps allow those with 25/50% future cruise credits, as a result of the cruise cancellations, travel on that cruise accepting the coupon for the full fare.

[satxdiver]

Thanks for posting your personal and detailed experience of evacuating Millie.

 

I've worked my entire life in the transportation industry and have dealt through my share of what my company describes as service disruptions. The horror stories and complaints often mirror what you have described in great detail. It didn't take me too long to decide that if I was ever on the customer side of such a disruption, to immediately seek out my own alternate transportation, if possible, rather than wait for a company to make arrangements on my behalf. Reading of the horror stories of passengers evacuated from Millie last week has brought that lesson home to me once again.

 

Had I been kicked off Millie in Ketchikan last week, I would have independently booked a scheduled Alaska Airlines flight to Seattle (or Anchorage), depending on my onward travel plans. A month or so after the dust had settled from the onslaught of complaints to Celebrity HQ about how poorly transportation arrangements were handled, I would have written a letter, enclosed receipts, etc, requesting compensation. In other words, an independent, orderly self-evacuation. Would I be guaranteed compensation from =X= for going at it "on my own"? God only knows! But I've experienced too many of these types of situations where I've worked the past 34 years to see how badly things can "go south" so quickly. In these scenarios, it is often the "first day of school" for many who are thrust into the position of arranging emergency, last-minute transportation for large numbers of customers.

 

ccsuwxman, thanks again for sharing your account of evacuating Millie with us. I hope your next vacation is incident-free and is your best vacation ever! ;)

 

Since you were in the transportation industry, then you understand that the Ketchickan airport is not exactly a busy international/national airport with planes arriving and leaving every 15 minutes. I imagine all the seats were quickly booked out of the airport on regularly scheduled airlines (Alaska). Renting a car and leaving by road is of course not possible. With 2000 people suddenly descending on this small town would tax its ability to serve that many people at once. In short, everyone on the millie was at the mercy of what X could arrange at the last minute. It is nice to be self sufficient, but when the support structure is not there it becomes mission impossible.

[deise17311]

Funny those that originally said "pod problems" were flamed without remorse by many on CC...and now Celebrity has confirmed it is a "pod problem"...oh the joys of validation...

[SusieV]

I believe what the poster was saying was that they would have to pay $4,810 to change their flights so that they could go directly to their new cruise. So now they have to keep their flights and vacation for the 9 days (that they were supposed to have spent on the Millennium) before boarding their new cruise. Either way they are out $4,810 change fee, or the cost of 9 days hotel, food, and transportation. Not such a no brainer to me.

 

I agree with this. I understand the making lemonade out of lemons philosophy, but what if you wouldn't have wanted to spend that kind of money on a land vacation? You don't really have a choice now even if you would never have booked a land vacation in that area.

 

Spending your cruise money on it just because you're getting a refund isn't an ideal situation if it's not what you want to do with your vacation dollars. I don't think it's right that people can't just have all their nonrefundable arrangements and auxiliary expenses covered by Celebrity since the issue is on their end. Why should the affected passengers have to eat the costs?

[moebruin]

To answer the last person it's because that's the way it is.

 

When you sign up with any cruise you sign a contract that says they aren't liable and legally owe you nothing.

 

If you worry about risks you then by insurance and/or refundable airfares. You get cheap prepaid hotels or pay more for changeable ones. At each point you are deciding about saving money versus risk.

 

IMO it's wrong to take on the risk and then if it occurs expect to be bailed out.

 

Now for the cruise line is good business to give you a carrot even though they are under no obligation. If you funny like the carrot then don't fine them your future business.

 

But there are no entitlements for a cancelled cruise except for a refund do you should be happy to get what you get.

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Forums mobile app

[tigercat]

Reading this thread you can see who the cheerleaders are for sure.

tigercat

[moebruin]

For the record, I am not a Celebrity cheerleader. The Millennium on the 16th was my first cruise with them. And outside of the free cruise I am not sure I will ever cruise with them again.

 

I just understand the risks of cruising and how business works. And was aware of the cube print before I signed up.

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Forums mobile app

[MicCanberra]

We needed to go to Anchorage. The only Alaska Airlines flights from Ketchikan to Anchorage make two stops (Sitka, Juneau) and take over 13 hours (overnight flights) to get there. In addition, the fare was nearly $1000 one way, and by Thursday morning, all those flights were fully booked. So we were essentially stuck until =X= got their act together.

That is what I thought may be the case.:D

[MicCanberra]

Reading this thread you can see who the cheerleaders are for sure.

tigercat

Not so much a cheerleader but sensible.

We take risks all our lives in all sorts of aspects and most of the time we come through unscathed and have a great trouble free day. Occasionally we get burned, X dropped the ball and burnt a lot of people, some a lot more than others.:(

[specialdiet]

Reading this thread you can see who the cheerleaders are for sure.

 

The way I look at it, when it comes to airline travel my attitude is that if I get where I'm supposed to be going on the same day, I'm doing well, and if they screw it up, I pretty much know how poorly I'll be treated and what I'll get for my troubles.

 

I think despite cruises being promoted as this luxury pampering experience, more people would benefit if they thought of them as they do other mass-market transportation, at least when things go south.

 

Or to put it another way, when you have low expectations, you're more often pleasantly surprised...