Bumped from a cruise; what should we expect?

[teecee60]

If X is going to ruin someones travel plans, the very least they can do is to compensate, negotiate alternatives and resolve the situation to the satisfaction of the customer.:D

 

Generally speaking, "keep the customer satisfied," is a very good policy and makes good business sense. ;)

 

Unfortunately, there are nowadays, more and more "customers" who WILL *N*O*T* be satisfied, NO MATTER WHAT, and a company has to know when to cut their losses. :(

 

There have been MANY threads here on CC where it is more than apparent, that a disgruntled customer/cruiser is out for nothing less than to shake the company/cruise line down for the maximum amount of compensation possible regardless of the "wrong" done to the customer. :rolleyes:

[MicCanberra]

Generally speaking, "keep the customer satisfied," is a very good policy and makes good business sense. ;)

 

Unfortunately, there are nowadays, more and more "customers" who WILL *N*O*T* be satisfied, NO MATTER WHAT, and a company has to know when to cut their losses. :(

 

There have been MANY threads here on CC where it is more than apparent, that a disgruntled customer/cruiser is out for nothing less than to shake the company/cruise line down for the maximum amount of compensation possible regardless of the "wrong" done to the customer. :rolleyes:

 

Of course the cruise line has to be happy with the bottom line as well and if the customer cannot or will not be satisfied, then maybe they would have to cut their losses so to speak. I think if both parties are sensible then resolution will occur with minimal effort and slight compensation, this may take the form of monetary compensation or some flexibility /exemptions for the next cruise the customer wants to take instead.:D

[teecee60]

Of course the cruise line has to be happy with the bottom line as well and if the customer cannot or will not be satisfied, then maybe they would have to cut their losses so to speak. I think if both parties are sensible then resolution will occur with minimal effort and slight compensation, this may take the form of monetary compensation or some flexibility /exemptions for the next cruise the customer wants to take instead.:D

 

I agree wholeheartedly! In addition, the use of computerized record keeping and instantaneous communication SHOULD make things even EASIER for BOTH parties involved. :cool:

 

The only problem (as ALWAYS :rolleyes:) is that really big "IF" I highlighted in your post! ;)

Edited January 9, 2014 by teecee60

[DAK76]

Celebrity promised to call back today; that call never came. I called this afternoon, spoke to a rep who found our file, put me on hold for 10 minutes or so, then asked if she could call back later. That call never came, either.

 

I could understand disruptions for weather or even mechanical problems, but in this case, Celebrity apparently decided to boot us and do business with someone else, and wants us to spend time and money to sort it out.

 

Disappointing, to say the least.

[MicCanberra]

Celebrity promised to call back today; that call never came. I called this afternoon, spoke to a rep who found our file, put me on hold for 10 minutes or so, then asked if she could call back later. That call never came, either.

 

I could understand disruptions for weather or even mechanical problems, but in this case, Celebrity apparently decided to boot us and do business with someone else, and wants us to spend time and money to sort it out.

 

Disappointing, to say the least.

That would be disappointing for you, I would be more than that after they promised to call.:(

[sunshine nana]

I'm very sorry this happened to you and Celebrity is not calling back when promised. We ended up on our first Celebrity cruise because a Princess cruise a few years ago (I think the Ruby), canceled Istanbul AFTER final payment but Before sailing. It was not weather or mechanical, but people were not allowed to cancel without penalty.We had not booked it, but the situation made me wary of a Princess cruise to Istanbul. We booked Celebrity and had no problems.

[Gonzo70]

I am really disappointed in how poorly Celebrity is handling this and am sorry about the stress/disappoint this is causing. I think that under these circumstances Celebrity needs to offer you a different date at the same price of the cruise they canceled as well as a small gesture to make up for the inconvenience. Since it is so far out and you are not out airline change fees or what not I do not think they owe a lot beyond price protection, but perhaps an upgrade to the next category at no cost or a small percentage off the fare (as OBC on a Galapagos cruise is not generally needed). Please keep us up to date and hopefully Celebrity does the right thing. Definitely a huge black eye for Celebrity if they do not offer you price protection and a gesture of good will for your inconvenience; it would be something that would cause me to lose confidence in them if they fail to make this right.

[Busman723]

I would call Celebrity Resulations at 18002803423 and see what they can do for you. They have been most helpful in the past with issues I have had.

[johhnnyt]

Does the fine print say that you will get bumped from your cabin if the cruise line gets a better offer from someone else? Because that is what has happened here.

 

It pretty much does say that

They do reserve the right to change or cancel the cruise with their only obligation being a refund of money paid

 

That's any cruise line as far as I know, not just Celebrity

[WpgCruise]

Does the fine print say that you will get bumped from your cabin if the cruise line gets a better offer from someone else? Because that is what has happened here.

 

Further to the comment by Johhnnyt above coincidently I have a current contract and it reads as follows:

 

6. CANCELLATION, DEVIATION OR SUBSTITUTION BY CARRIER:

a) Carrier may for any reason at any time and without prior notice, cancel, advance, postpone or deviate from any scheduled sailing, port of call, destination, lodging or any activity on or on the Vessel, or substitute another vessel or port of call, destination, lodging or activity. Carrier shall not

be liable for any claim whatsoever by Passenger, including but not limited to loss, compensation or refund, by reason of such cancellation, advancement, postponement, substitution or deviation.

 

 

Interesting isn't it the Terms and Conditions we are agreeing to?

Edited January 9, 2014 by WpgCruise

[MicCanberra]

Further to the comment by Johhnnyt above coincidently I have a current contract and it reads as follows:

 

6. CANCELLATION, DEVIATION OR SUBSTITUTION BY CARRIER:

a) Carrier may for any reason at any time and without prior notice, cancel, advance, postpone or deviate from any scheduled sailing, port of call, destination, lodging or any activity on or on the Vessel, or substitute another vessel or port of call, destination, lodging or activity. Carrier shall not

be liable for any claim whatsoever by Passenger, including but not limited to loss, compensation or refund, by reason of such cancellation, advancement, postponement, substitution or deviation.

 

 

Interesting isn't it the Terms and Conditions we are agreeing to?

 

Just because they have the right to do it doesn't make it RIGHT.:(

Unfortunately, we either sign up to the terms and conditions or do not sail.

[ghstudio]

Further to the comment by Johhnnyt above coincidently I have a current contract and it reads as follows:

 

6. CANCELLATION, DEVIATION OR SUBSTITUTION BY CARRIER:

a) Carrier may for any reason at any time and without prior notice, cancel, advance, postpone or deviate from any scheduled sailing, port of call, destination, lodging or any activity on or on the Vessel, or substitute another vessel or port of call, destination, lodging or activity. Carrier shall not

be liable for any claim whatsoever by Passenger, including but not limited to loss, compensation or refund, by reason of such cancellation, advancement, postponement, substitution or deviation.

 

 

Interesting isn't it the Terms and Conditions we are agreeing to?

 

The terms and conditions are written by lawyers to assure that the cruise line is liable for the absolute minimum determined by law which is why those in the UK/Europe have more protections than those of us in the USA.

[Pushka]

Just because they have the right to do it doesn't make it RIGHT.:(

 

Unfortunately, we either sign up to the terms and conditions or do not sail.

 

 

Exactly.

[goodycruising]

My summary of most terms and conditions of any company from phone contracts to cruises is "everything is your problem, and we take no responsibility. Don't try and mess with us, we have deep pockets!"

[phoenix_dream]

Just because they have the right to do it doesn't make it RIGHT.:(

Unfortunately, we either sign up to the terms and conditions or do not sail.

 

Amen. Thank goodness for boards like this where people can compare notes and affect reputations, or who knows what some cruise lines would do with people. Based on the contractual wording, they could literally sell your cabin right out from under you to someone willing to pay more, on the day of your cruise! Wouldn't that be something! Sounds farfetched? Well, the airlines already do that, as do hotels. I remember on one flight we were taking to go on a cruise they had overbooked and were offering $1000 for volunteers to take a later flight - which in this case was two days later and the day after our cruise left! I can only imagine what might have happened to us if we encountered car trouble or something and were late checking in. Unfortunately travelers in this country have very little oversight from our government. There are some provisions of course, but WAY short of where they need to be. I am no fan of big government per se, but sometimes it does make sense for it to step in and provide better protection for the consumer.

[MicCanberra]

Amen. Thank goodness for boards like this where people can compare notes and affect reputations, or who knows what some cruise lines would do with people. Based on the contractual wording, they could literally sell your cabin right out from under you to someone willing to pay more, on the day of your cruise! Wouldn't that be something! Sounds farfetched? Well, the airlines already do that, as do hotels. I remember on one flight we were taking to go on a cruise they had overbooked and were offering $1000 for volunteers to take a later flight - which in this case was two days later and the day after our cruise left! I can only imagine what might have happened to us if we encountered car trouble or something and were late checking in. Unfortunately travelers in this country have very little oversight from our government. There are some provisions of course, but WAY short of where they need to be. I am no fan of big government per se, but sometimes it does make sense for it to step in and provide better protection for the consumer.

Yes, that is what Governments are supposed to do, make sure that it's citizens are being treated fairly in all manners of life while running the country.:D

Edited January 9, 2014 by MicCanberra

[Fouremco]

Yes, that is what Governments are supposed to do, make sure that it's citizens are being treated fairly in all manners of life while running the country.:D

There is (slow) progress in Canada in recognizing passengers' rights with respect to air transportation and airlines are having to accept greater responsibility when they are unable to provide contracted services. It will be interesting to see if the government broadens its focus to include marine transportation and the cruise lines operating on our east and west coasts.

Edited January 9, 2014 by Fouremco

[dodger1964]

Sorry for your troubles.

 

We did Galapogos with lindblad and it was wonderful.

 

There are many(well not sure how to say it...but more than a few) operators to chose from, so explore other options.

 

From our experience your room will not make any difference to your enjoyment. You will sleep there and that is it. O our ship they had a morning and afternoon excursion and then at night besides dinner we had naturalist talk that most/all cruisers attended. We spent no time in our room except to sleep (and we spend a lot of time in our room on all other cruises)

 

I can't imagine why they don't let you pick a different cruise and let you go for the price you already paid. Just makes good business sense.

 

(a side note. On lindblad ship we didn't have room keys!! Doors didn't lock from outside, only locked when u were in room. It was like sailing with family.)

[ljk76]

Wife of the original poster here. I would like to be VERY clear...we are only looking to take the same cruise at the price we agreed on a year ago. And are quite flexible on dates. We are not looking for any additional compensation. We just don't feel it is fair to charge us $2000 more because they chartered our ship. We will go to the new competition if not made whole. I think the misconception might be my husbands original banner "what can we expect.." He meant treatment, not $! Feeling a bit flamed by some during an already stressful situation. Latest is, talked to Isaac at Captains Club, he said the Xpedition desk told him we were "price protected" on certain dates, one of which would work. But...then called Xpedition desk and suddenly a supervisor thought the email from "revenue" should be interpreted differently. But the will call back tomorrow! Oh joy. I really hope so. If I have to listen to the recorded message where Celebrity tells me "they will know what you want a nanosecond before You knew you wanted it" I'm pretty sure they will hear me scream all the way from Boston to Miami. This has been so frustrating. But trust me we are in no way trying to "fleece" celebrity. I just hope they will still be a cruise line we use when this is all over.

[MicCanberra]

Wife of the original poster here. I would like to be VERY clear...we are only looking to take the same cruise at the price we agreed on a year ago. And are quite flexible on dates. We are not looking for any additional compensation. We just don't feel it is fair to charge us $2000 more because they chartered our ship. We will go to the new competition if not made whole. I think the misconception might be my husbands original banner "what can we expect.." He meant treatment, not $! Feeling a bit flamed by some during an already stressful situation. Latest is, talked to Isaac at Captains Club, he said the Xpedition desk told him we were "price protected" on certain dates, one of which would work. But...then called Xpedition desk and suddenly a supervisor thought the email from "revenue" should be interpreted differently. But the will call back tomorrow! Oh joy. I really hope so. If I have to listen to the recorded message where Celebrity tells me "they will know what you want a nanosecond before You knew you wanted it" I'm pretty sure they will hear me scream all the way from Boston to Miami. This has been so frustrating. But trust me we are in no way trying to "fleece" celebrity. I just hope they will still be a cruise line we use when this is all over.

I really hope it can be resolved to your satisfaction and like I have said before, the compensation may not be monetary, it may involve being flexible with policy and dates, etc. Good luck.:D

[DebbieMacG]

Wife of the original poster here. I would like to be VERY clear...we are only looking to take the same cruise at the price we agreed on a year ago. And are quite flexible on dates. We are not looking for any additional compensation. We just don't feel it is fair to charge us $2000 more because they chartered our ship. We will go to the new competition if not made whole. I think the misconception might be my husbands original banner "what can we expect.." He meant treatment, not $! Feeling a bit flamed by some during an already stressful situation. Latest is, talked to Isaac at Captains Club, he said the Xpedition desk told him we were "price protected" on certain dates, one of which would work. But...then called Xpedition desk and suddenly a supervisor thought the email from "revenue" should be interpreted differently. But the will call back tomorrow! Oh joy. I really hope so. If I have to listen to the recorded message where Celebrity tells me "they will know what you want a nanosecond before You knew you wanted it" I'm pretty sure they will hear me scream all the way from Boston to Miami. This has been so frustrating. But trust me we are in no way trying to "fleece" celebrity. I just hope they will still be a cruise line we use when this is all over.

 

 

I hope you get it sorted out :) I didn't think your husbands post was about $ at all! but more of a "how can we expect them to resolve this" :)

[fleckle]

...........Well, the airlines already do that, as do hotels. I remember on one flight we were taking to go on a cruise they had overbooked and were offering $1000 for volunteers to take a later flight - which in this case was two days later and the day after our cruise left!

We have been booked on oversold flights numerous times. The major airlines will oversell flights whenever they can.

 

They know that they can always get volunteers to take later flights.

Not everyone is going on a cruise or absolutely, positively needs to be on that one particular flight.

 

When necessary, they just keep on raising the offer for volunteers until somebody bites.

If the next flight out is not the same day, they also give you hotel and meal vouchers.

 

Most of the time they don't even need to announce that the flight is oversold because they get lots of volunteers up front without ever making an announcement.

 

We have done that ourselves in years past when flying during peak travel times, deliberately booking an earlier flight that we knew was likely to be oversold just so we could volunteer and get the perks.

 

When they guarantee to get you out on the next flight, you can sometimes keep doing the same thing over and over and keep on cashing in.

 

But it doesn't always work out because sometimes they transfer you over to a flight on another airline, or bring in another plane and add another flight that was not on the schedule.

 

 

It is not so easy for cruise lines to do that, but there are many of us with travel flexibility who would love it if they did. :)

 

 

 

[jagoffee]

Wife of the original poster here. I would like to be VERY clear...we are only looking to take the same cruise at the price we agreed on a year ago. And are quite flexible on dates. We are not looking for any additional compensation. We just don't feel it is fair to charge us $2000 more because they chartered our ship. We will go to the new competition if not made whole. I think the misconception might be my husbands original banner "what can we expect.." He meant treatment, not $! Feeling a bit flamed by some during an already stressful situation. Latest is, talked to Isaac at Captains Club, he said the Xpedition desk told him we were "price protected" on certain dates, one of which would work. But...then called Xpedition desk and suddenly a supervisor thought the email from "revenue" should be interpreted differently. But the will call back tomorrow! Oh joy. I really hope so. If I have to listen to the recorded message where Celebrity tells me "they will know what you want a nanosecond before You knew you wanted it" I'm pretty sure they will hear me scream all the way from Boston to Miami. This has been so frustrating. But trust me we are in no way trying to "fleece" celebrity. I just hope they will still be a cruise line we use when this is all over.

You certainly deserve what you are asking and I would be surprised if you did not get it.

Best of luck.

[fleckle]

Wife of the original poster here. I would like to be VERY clear...we are only looking to take the same cruise at the price we agreed on a year ago. And are quite flexible on dates. We are not looking for any additional compensation.................... If I have to listen to the recorded message where Celebrity tells me "they will know what you want a nanosecond before You knew you wanted it" I'm pretty sure they will hear me scream all the way from Boston to Miami.

 

You certainly deserve what you are asking and I would be surprised if you did not get it.

Best of luck.

I totally agree with jagoffee. What you are requesting is very reasonable and is the least they should agree to give you.

 

I expect and hope that they will be calling you back with an offer that makes you very happy.

 

But just in case you are not offered a satisfaction resolution, before giving up on Celebrity I would suggest that you try escalating the matter to their Resolutions Department.

 

 

 

All of us who have had to wait on hold can sympathize with your feelings about being subjected to their inane recordings that repeat over and over and over again. :eek:

 

I think they owe you at least a nice future cruise credit just for imposing that kind of abuse on you on top of the stress they had already caused you.

 

[richstowe]

Celebrity promised to call back today; that call never came. I called this afternoon, spoke to a rep who found our file, put me on hold for 10 minutes or so, then asked if she could call back later. That call never came, either.

 

Disappointing, to say the least.

I'm hoping someone at Celebrity is monitoring these boards and recognize how bad this looks.

I wish you luck and hope someone at customer service actually lives up to that name.

Repeatedly not calling back when they promised to is pathetic behavior.