What's up with Celebrity Customer Service??

[debfew]

My TA has been trying to get through to Celebrity for the second day now. She was on hold for ever yesterday, then got a message that the office was closed for the day. She's been on hold all morning. There is a recording when you all Celebrity that there is a longer than usual wait due to bad weather. Isn't Celebrity office in Miami?? What wheather issue are they having in Miami??

 

My cruise is in 9 days, and I'm trying to upgrade my OV to a balcony. This is my first cruise on Celebrity. I've never had any such issues on any other line. This is very frustrating. My first experience with Celebrity is not good so far. :mad:

[omeinv]

Host Andy posted that the weather is affecting the call center, which is in Wichita, KS.

 

Harris

Denver, CO

[debfew]

Well that explains the weather concern. Thanks for clarifying.

 

My TA did finally get through to Celebrity. Looks like I still won't get my upgrade. They say I'll lose my 123Go promo because the balcony upgrade is a "special rate". There is no resident special or senior special associated with it. I was going from a 699 OV to an 899 balcony gaurantee. What makes this a "special rate, I'm wondering. Again, not a good experience with Celebrity. I'll think I'll stick with Princess in the future.

[Cruising89143]

Yes that's the way it goes. We had that happen last year. We still had a good deal. You're already receiving a perk with the 123 promotion. Enjoy Princess.

[cruisestitch]

Bad storm in Wichita, where a main call center is located is putting pressure on the other call centers. Well inside Final Payment, it's quite difficult to make changes, especially to a Guarantee status from a specific booking, and it's the norm to lose any perks associated with the booking. You probably can still upgrade, but since you made the booking with that stateroom in mind, you are probably better off sticking with your first choice.

[smoosh21]

Was the bad weather hitting Monday and Tuesday also? It has been very difficult to get through lately. It seems they have cut back their staffing too far. I have had to wait over 20 minutes to get through to talk to someone, and also had to hang up on two occasions because I couldnt wait any longer.

[d4m]

Was the bad weather hitting Monday and Tuesday also? It has been very difficult to get through lately. It seems they have cut back their staffing too far. I have had to wait over 20 minutes to get through to talk to someone, and also had to hang up on two occasions because I couldnt wait any longer.

 

They got the storm yesterday (Tuesday). They were open briefly but closed when there was a state of emergency. I called this morning and only waited two minutes, although the recording said that it might be a longer than normal wait.

[CaroleSS]

Well that explains the weather concern. Thanks for clarifying.

 

My TA did finally get through to Celebrity. Looks like I still won't get my upgrade. They say I'll lose my 123Go promo because the balcony upgrade is a "special rate". There is no resident special or senior special associated with it. I was going from a 699 OV to an 899 balcony gaurantee. What makes this a "special rate, I'm wondering. Again, not a good experience with Celebrity. I'll think I'll stick with Princess in the future.

 

Not that I'm a X cheerleader, but this does not seem out of the norm. Many times the promotion that you booked with is not available if you change your reservation.

 

You didn't say what ship you were on or where you are going, but given the "sailing in 9 days", I found a sailing on Feb 13, but all the balconies are sold out....so you might not get your upgrade because cabins are just not available. You may have had the same issue had you been sailing with Princess.

 

BUT....many on these boards will tell you that X's customer service group is not the best. I tried to call yesterday as well and was on hold for 30 minutes. the person I spoke with wasn't happy and sounded exasperated. If the main CS site was closed due to the weather, other sites have to pick up the load and wait times increase. I called first thing this morning and never even head the 'sales pitch'....rang right away to a rep!

 

Go into your cruise with an open mind. Remember that you are on vacation and enjoy yourself! :)

[wallie5446]

Again, not a good experience with Celebrity. I'll think I'll stick with Princess in the future.

We don't cruise for the phone service, but for the service on ship. Our 1st with Princess was in 1992, last one was the Ruby in 2012. 1st Celebrity was in 1994. We have sailed both, and once you get on a X ship and experience the service there, you may change your mind, heck, you will change your mind:D

 

I was on the phone with Miami and the frozen CC desk folks in Kansas this morning too, they are stretched thin.

Edited February 5, 2014 by wallie5446

[debfew]

I'm going on the Summit on Feb 15th. I guess that's really 10 days, but I'm leaving a day early so my countdown ticker says 9 days. :D

 

I'm not going to dismiss Celebrity over the fact that I couldn't get the upgrade. I was just quite frustrated after spending a day and a half stressing over trying to get the upgrade before they sold out just to find out I would lose my promo.

 

I'll save my 400 bucks. It's a port intensive itinerary so I probably wouldn't have spent much time on the balcony anyway. :p

 

Regarding the long waiting periods on the phone, maybe the weather plays into it, but I did notice that the web page changed since yesterday. That probably has more to do it then the weather. At the very least, it was poor timing for a new web roll out.

[wallie5446]

At the very least, it was poor timing for a new web roll out.

 

OK, when would have been a better time?

[Andy]

Well that explains the weather concern. Thanks for clarifying.

 

My TA did finally get through to Celebrity. Looks like I still won't get my upgrade. They say I'll lose my 123Go promo because the balcony upgrade is a "special rate". There is no resident special or senior special associated with it. I was going from a 699 OV to an 899 balcony gaurantee. What makes this a "special rate, I'm wondering. Again, not a good experience with Celebrity. I'll think I'll stick with Princess in the future.

 

Hi Debfew,

 

As I mentioned in an earlier thread, Celebrity's office was closed last night, due to a major storm in the Wichita area. Their safety matters more than anyone's cruise reservation. My guess is, they are probably experiencing longer hold times today, due to folks who could not call in last night.

 

From my experiences, most anything associated with a GTY rate, will forfeit the 123 GO promo. Sorry you are unhappy, but there are many rules involving this promo. It's an extremely popular promotion. However, when making changes to your booking - sometimes it works in your favor, sometimes it does not.

 

I hope you have a wonderful cruise !

[Andy]

Regarding the long waiting periods on the phone, maybe the weather plays into it, but I did notice that the web page changed since yesterday. That probably has more to do it then the weather. At the very least, it was poor timing for a new web roll out.

 

The long hold times likely have to do with folks being unable to call in last night. I assure you the website update has absolutely nothing to do with the hold times, as it's 2 entirely different groups, and the website team is located in Miami.

 

Poor timing ? Based on the above comment, I do not see it that way at all.

[debfew]

The long hold times likely have to do with folks being unable to call in last night. I assure you the website update has absolutely nothing to do with the hold times, as it's 2 entirely different groups, and the website team is located in Miami.

 

Poor timing ? Based on the above comment, I do not see it that way at all.

 

 

Well I think that the people in Witchita are linking into the same systems that the team in Miami are developing/upgrading. I wasn't implying that the poor timing could have been foreseen. Just bad luck. From what I'm hearing, the long hold times were occurring before the storm. I am a software engineer so I know the difficulties associated with rolling out new systems. It will slow the systems down, require reboots, etc. Compound that with a storm and I'd say that's (inadvertent) poor timing.

[cruzzzinma]

My travel agent called early this morning and we did have a long wait, but the Celebrity agent gave me a one category upgrade (A2 to A1) a month after booking. The Captain's Club guidelines say the upgrade has to be requested at the time of booking.

[hulamoon]

There was a holiday weekend in January in which I had horrible long waits and semi shocking answers to questions. My opinion is based only on my experience which began to go sideways last year. I would give an A plus for two bookings a C minus for one and and F for two. This is generous because A plus means it went normally and efficiently with knowledgeable staff.

 

I am keeping the bookings, but I can't say how soon I will forget. And one of the TA's I used definitely does not like to call them for the inconsistent policy and the long wait times.

 

It's one thing to be disappointed in an upgrade and the innovative marketing, but it is completely another to be told sales onboard are misquotes when the terms are in the record, and a purchased passages expired and cannot be transferred. Even this would be funny, Except it took weeks in one case and days to resolve in the other.

 

I hope to never encounter these issues in the future.

[miched]

Well that explains the weather concern. Thanks for clarifying.

 

My TA did finally get through to Celebrity. Looks like I still won't get my upgrade. They say I'll lose my 123Go promo because the balcony upgrade is a "special rate". There is no resident special or senior special associated with it. I was going from a 699 OV to an 899 balcony gaurantee. What makes this a "special rate, I'm wondering. Again, not a good experience with Celebrity. I'll think I'll stick with Princess in the future.

 

You probalby will enjoy Princess better because you are starting out with a bad experience and it will probalby compound. It always seems as if once there is a problem nothing else ever makes up for it and people will constantly look for the negatives instead of enjoying the positives.

 

The last cruise I took with X also had a drop in price that would have saved more about $500. Was told it was a senior rate and I would have lost all of my perks. It is just the way to is. It didn't cause me to be unhappy or male me want to switch to another cruise line. It was the price I accepted when I booked and was happy with so nothing really changed.

 

Usually in terms and conditions of the promotion it states that guarantee rates don't qualify.

 

Edited February 5, 2014 by miched

[CaroleSS]

You were happy with an OV when you booked....why can't you STILL be happy with an OV and just have a great cruise??

[LarissaRose]

I called celebrity the other day, they said the current wait time was "14 minutes", it took over half an hour to actually talk to someone. Long time to be on hold!

[LarissaRose]

The long hold times likely have to do with folks being unable to call in last night. I assure you the website update has absolutely nothing to do with the hold times, as it's 2 entirely different groups, and the website team is located in Miami.

 

Poor timing ? Based on the above comment, I do not see it that way at all.

 

The website could possibly have everything to do with long wait times. If someone is trying to access the website and it's not working properly (or they are just having a hard time figuring it out) they will call instead. Therefore a lot more people will be calling....

[CathyCruises]

I would say if you paid $699 for a cabin AND got the 123 promo that you did very well!!

[debfew]

You probalby will enjoy Princess better because you are starting out with a bad experience and it will probalby compound. It always seems as if once there is a problem nothing else ever makes up for it and people will constantly look for the negatives instead of enjoying the positives.

 

The last cruise I took with X also had a drop in price that would have saved more about $500. Was told it was a senior rate and I would have lost all of my perks. It is just the way to is. It didn't cause me to be unhappy or male me want to switch to another cruise line. It was the price I accepted when I booked and was happy with so nothing really changed.

 

Usually in terms and conditions of the promotion it states that guarantee rates don't qualify.

 

 

I'm not "that girl" that finds the negative in everything. I'm over it already! :eek: I was frustrated with the whole scenario, but I won't let it ruin my cruise.

 

Geeeeezzz....

[hulamoon]

Through December 2013, I was told moving to guarantees would lose all perks and some Obc. Well there are quite a few folks now in February who moved to a guarantee and were able to keep these. As soon as I think I know something with this company, I don't. ;)

[memory-minus]

I called yesterday (Wednesday 2/6) at 7AM EST and got straight though. I wanted to change my cabin after noticing a hump cabin opened up. Rep sounded exhausted though, poor guy.

 

So perhaps try early AM?

Edited February 6, 2014 by memory-minus

[20pluscruises]

Through December 2013, I was told moving to guarantees would lose all perks and some Obc. Well there are quite a few folks now in February who moved to a guarantee and were able to keep these. As soon as I think I know something with this company, I don't. ;)

 

Somtimes you need to call back...different answers from different reps.