No communication from Celebrity on a cruise scheduled to go to Israel

[packercruising]

As I said on other threads on this same topic: I've been in the situation twice. Once Egypt was cancelled. Once Israel was cancelled. In both cases Celebrity found substitute ports. A very few were upset and created some noise, but the vast majority applauded ( yes, actually applauded) the decision.

 

Shalom!

 

Simple Question then; Since you have been in the situation where Celebrity has cancelled Israel, what ports did they add?

 

OPs rant is the lack of communicating to people that ask them this question. Why can they not mention ports that got substituted in the past?

Edited July 19, 2014 by packercruising

[Christine Frances]

I don't think Celebrity would reserve and pay for (I assume) berths in multiple ports on a "just in case" basis. I haven't heard of that happening before but who knows:)

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[Phxazzcruisers]

Scifimonkey - I agree. We are also booked on a Holyland cruise. It is not a matter of asking for a guarantee, but simply what the "plan B" is if they are unable to stop. By providing the plan for the alternate ports of call we can all make a decision if the alternate plan is acceptable. As an example, we are on the Constellation 10/25 sailing. If they were to indicate the plan is an extra sea day and a visit to Athens, we would cancel. If they indicated the plan would be to stop in Santorini & Mykonos or one of these ports and a sea day, we would continue. We all know that any port can be cancelled, but it is not unreasonable for people to want to know the planned itinerary when it appears more than likely that a cancellation of the main ports of interest, which are 2 & 3 days, will be necessary.

 

Please read cruisemom42's response. Those are some of the exact reasons why the cannot give plan B. I could not have said it better. It seems that some of you posters do not understand business at all.

[scifimonkey]

Exactly correct. We booked a Med cruise one time specifically because of two African ports. On our way out the door to the airport, we received a call that both ports had been cancelled 'for safety reasons'. Nothing 'special' was going on at the time, no specific reason given, and two ports in Spain were substituted. Were we disappointed? Yup, but we still had a great time.

 

Having said that, I think if I booked a Holy Land cruise minus the Holy Land, I would consider changing to a different itinerary for this year and rebooking my Holy Land cruise for next year, but there are of course no guarantees that that wouldn't be cancelled too in that volatile part of the world.

 

FWIW, I have been on more cruises with altered itineraries/issues than ones without. Ship happens.

 

If only we had the flexibility to choose another time. But with business commitments overlain with school holidays we are not that lucky. Not everyone can simply re-book.

We had a choice if we wanted to sail Celebrity between this and the Canaries out of Southampton ? Eastern med and antiquities or Atlantic and windswept rocks in late October, hmm now let me see???

I am not against them substituting other ports as they did in your case, I would settle for a commitment that we will not be left with 6 consecutive sea days but I cannot even get that at the moment. If even that commitment is not possible then we will have to cancel, lose our 2014 vacation and however much I'd like to think otherwise, as I really love their product, it will leave a very sour taste with respect to booking with Celebrity in the future.

Will keep calling periodically in the hope that at some point before final payment we can get a bit more than the current blank scripted response. Just a bit of reassurance that the product will be worth the outlay would be enough to 'keep me on board' but I am not holding my breath, it seems like both Celebrity and most of the contributors to CC just expect us to gamble thousands of dollars on a pot luck itinerary which might as far as we can establish at the moment have no ports of call for most of it.

Disappointing on both fronts, but you are entitled to your opinions which is after all what we seek by posting here and Celebrity are entitled to keep their customers as much in the dark about what they are purchasing as they choose to, however unethical it may appear. We are entitled to cancel and save our money to spend elsewhere which I guess as time moves on without any additional information will become our only option.

Truly wish my fellow travellers wrestling with this conundrum the best of luck in the decision they finally make.

[Cruising89143]

How many other cruise lines do what some of you are asking?

[Gracie115]

Please read cruisemom42's response. Those are some of the exact reasons why the cannot give plan B. I could not have said it better. It seems that some of you posters do not understand business at all.

 

It's more that they don't want to understand because it is not what they want to hear. AND I understand VERY WELL this situation since I had Egypt cancelled on me in 2011.... It IS VERY frustrating and upsetting but one can't expect X to make guesses or reserve "conditional" ports (which costs $$) just in case one is needed. Very sorry that everyone is going through this, I know how upsetting it was in 2011 but the only thing you can do is either cancel or wait and see and hope for the best......

[Orator]

Simple Question then; Since you have been in the situation where Celebrity has cancelled Israel, what ports did they add?

 

OPs rant is the lack of communicating to people that ask them this question. Why can they not mention ports that got substituted in the past?

 

Istanbul overnight was substituted when we missed Israel.

Mamarirs, Turkey and Rhodes, Greece were substituted when we missed Egypt. We were told about each cancelation a day or two before. New tours were available at the time of the announcements.

[scifimonkey]

Please read cruisemom42's response. Those are some of the exact reasons why the cannot give plan B. I could not have said it better. It seems that some of you posters do not understand business at all.

In my business we ensure that our customers are very clear about what they are buying for their money. We do not sell them one thing and then substitute another and we always keep them up to date with any product changes at the earliest possible moment and offer alternatives if we cannot fulfil their order to the letter. Strangely this seems to work well with very few unsatisfied customers.

What kind of business are you in?? Or do you work in the cruise industry for whom this honest and open approach would appear to be a surprisingly strange concept!!!

[scifimonkey]

How many other cruise lines do what some of you are asking?

 

They don't all have climbing walls either !

[scifimonkey]

Istanbul overnight was substituted when we missed Israel.

Mamarirs, Turkey and Rhodes, Greece were substituted when we missed Egypt. We were told about each cancelation a day or two before. New tours were available at the time of the announcements.

 

Thank you, finally someone tries to be helpful.

[Cruising89143]

They don't all have climbing walls either !

 

I'm going to be very blunt. You really should just cancel. Maybe then you will be fully satisfied and can move on. I know it's disappointing not knowing but what you're expecting Celebrity to do is not realistic and in the end you just don't want to agree with this.

[scifimonkey]

I'm going to be very blunt. You really should just cancel. Maybe then you will be fully satisfied and can move on. I know it's disappointing not knowing but what you're expecting Celebrity to do is not realistic and in the end you just don't want to agree with this.

 

Thanks for the advice. Not willing to give up on it yet but will back off this thread and give someone else a chance.

[cruise52]

Please read cruisemom42's response. Those are some of the exact reasons why the cannot give plan B. I could not have said it better. It seems that some of you posters do not understand business at all.

 

And it seems some people don't seem to understand what posters are saying.

 

Again, no one is asking for a guarantee. The cruise line is certainly capable of advising what the "plan" is with the disclaimer that the plan cannot be guaranteed. We UNDERSTAND that they cannot book berths in advance of knowing for certain they will port at a particular location, but they could give their customers an idea of what they would seek to do if it becomes necessary. Everyone realizes unforeseeable circumstances can surface that dictate a change in the itinerary and the cruise line reserves their right to deal with that issue accordingly. This particular issue is foreseeable and could be dealt with better.

 

The fact that the cruise line industry generally doesn't deal with it in the manner we suggest (communicating a plan) doesn't mean they shouldn't. I can't tell you how many business meetings I attend where we ask the question "why are we doing it this way?" And the response, more often than not, "because we have ALWAYS done it that way". In our business, that is not an acceptable excuse or reason.

[Spursgirl]

Thanks for the advice. Not willing to give up on it yet but will back off this thread and give someone else a chance.

 

I sympathise with your dilemma. Am not sure what I would do in your place because like me you live in the UK and will lose your deposit if you cancel before final payment.

 

While I appreciate that it would be very disappointing to miss Israeli ports on a Holy Land cruise if the current crisis persists, I can't think that Celebrity would consider six consecutive sea days.

 

If you would enjoy possible substitute ports in Greece, Turkey or Cyprus I am sure this could still be a good vacation for your family.

 

Hope it works out for you.

[buggins0402]

One may get an idea of alternate itineraries if they go back to the cruise reviews of Silhouette (believe it was Silhouette doing the HL cruises back a few years ago) for November 2012 (the last big situation involving Israel. You might also check for cruises that had to divert from Egypt - just to get an idea of where they went. I was on a Egypt/Israel cruise (NCL) in November 2012. Prior to the cruise it was evident that Egypt would be very iffy, ships from all the cruise lines were diverting from time to time because of planned demonstrations in Cairo. We were the last ship to port during the 2012 situation (we stayed in Haifa two nights instead of the original planned move to Ashdod). My recollection was that the all the cruise lines did a great job of finding alternative ports. BTW we also made Egypt with no diversion.

 

And, as Cruisemom suggested go back to some messages on the Africa port board...I seem to recall that we were keeping track of the diversions.

Edited July 19, 2014 by buggins0402

[CathyCruises]

Just as quickly as the situation deteriorated in Israel & Palestine, it could and probably will be resolved in three months time. If your cruise was in the next few weeks, I'd say your chances of reaching the Holy Land were slim--but three months is a long time in an area where and entire war was over and done with in 6 days.

 

I agree that it is HIGHLY unlikely that you'll just turn circles in the Med for 6 days--something will be substituted, and you can tell from all the other Eastern Mediterranean itineraries what locations have facilities for ships that size. Istanbul is a fantastic alternative, I could go back again and again. The Greek islands are very likely, Kusadasi for Ephesus, not sure if Malta would make it in that mix but it's a wonderful cruise stop. I'm sure Celebrity would/will do their very best to provide a great experience no matter what.

 

I also work for a large mega-corporation. They play things very close to the vest and no information is released without it being 100% solid and verified and triple checked--so this is really not surprising at all.

[Phxazzcruisers]

In my business we ensure that our customers are very clear about what they are buying for their money. We do not sell them one thing and then substitute another and we always keep them up to date with any product changes at the earliest possible moment and offer alternatives if we cannot fulfil their order to the letter. Strangely this seems to work well with very few unsatisfied customers.

What kind of business are you in?? Or do you work in the cruise industry for whom this honest and open approach would appear to be a surprisingly strange concept!!!

 

It is incredible how stubborn people can be. They are selling a product and for right now, what you are paying for is what your are getting. They are not hiding anything. Again, If they could see into the future, they could tell you exactly what will happen, but no one can know what will happen three months or even three weeks from now. Things might calm down, and then blow up again the day before the ship is to arrive in Israel and they would have to cancel and find an alternative port. Has this happened in the past? Yes, of course, it has happened to us. We understand that there are no guarantees, especially they way the world is today.

NO cruise line would tell you a plan B three months out, as stated above several times.

If you are on this cruise and Israel is the only reason and you would be very unhappy if this terrible war is still going on and they had to close the port for the guests protection, then by all means cancel. It is not worth the worry you are obviously going through.

[Kevnzworld]

Just as quickly as the situation deteriorated in Israel & Palestine, it could and probably will be resolved in three months time. If your cruise was in the next few weeks, I'd say your chances of reaching the Holy Land were slim--but three months is a long time in an area where and entire war was over and done with in 6 days.

 

I agree that it is HIGHLY unlikely that you'll just turn circles in the Med for 6 days--something will be substituted, and you can tell from all the other Eastern Mediterranean itineraries what locations have facilities for ships that size. Istanbul is a fantastic alternative, I could go back again and again. The Greek islands are very likely, Kusadasi for Ephesus, not sure if Malta would make it in that mix but it's a wonderful cruise stop. I'm sure Celebrity would/will do their very best to provide a great experience no matter what.

 

I also work for a large mega-corporation. They play things very close to the vest and no information is released without it being 100% solid and verified and triple checked--so this is really not surprising at all.

 

Malta and Kusadasi are already part of the " Holy land " cruise. Istanbul would be a likely possibility.

I agree that Celebrity should announce a " Plan B " before final payment. They've already announce two port alterations because of the mechanical issues on the same ship.....( Silhouette ). I am going regardless, but for planning and excursion purposes, transparency would be appreciated...

[phoenix_dream]

The OP seems to have an expectation many of us do not agree with, and that is their right. But I will throw in another of my two cents based on comments since my last post. I also worked for a very large corporation and while I was only mid-level management I regularly worked with senior executives on large scale projects so have a decent understanding of what they are up against. Frankly, I am not even sure that matters as what I am saying is common sense.

 

You ask them to tell you what an alternative plan might be. Consider this for just a minute. The cruise lines have limited numbers of options to offer passengers if stops need to be missed. They are limited not just by geography, but also by availability. In order to secure availability it is a reasonable assumption that they need to arrange alternate plans by securing alternate ports. It is also a reasonable assumption that this not only takes time, but also money. Ports are not going to hold berths for massive cruise ships just in case. The conflict had just escalated I think a day or so before this thread was started. How anyone can honestly expect a solid alternate plan to have been developed that fast is, I feel, way beyond a reasonable expectation. That is my opinion for the reasons mentioned. I sympathize, but this is the reality of the situation.

[Karynanne]

In my business we ensure that our customers are very clear about what they are buying for their money. We do not sell them one thing and then substitute another and we always keep them up to date with any product changes at the earliest possible moment and offer alternatives if we cannot fulfil their order to the letter. Strangely this seems to work well with very few unsatisfied customers.

What kind of business are you in?? Or do you work in the cruise industry for whom this honest and open approach would appear to be a surprisingly strange concept!!!

 

IMHO, you seem to suggest that Celebrity is in the "bait and switch" business. Not so. It is their intention to give their passengers the intended itinerary. BUT, in the travel industry, situations can change, and those that choose to travel should be aware that best made plans can change...very rapidly.

 

I do not work in the travel industry, but I have always realized that when I book a cruise or plan a land trip, etc. that I need to mentally prepared in case of a itinerary changes.

 

We've been on cruises that the itinerary had to be altered. It happens, and we just rolled with it. Some were do to weather, some to decisions the Port Authority made in that particular port, etc. Whatever the reasons, we were aware of what could "possibly" occur while cruising.

[cruisemom42]

Thank you, finally someone tries to be helpful.

 

You didn't originally come here asking people to list their own past experiences; you were asking for Celebrity to make a statement.

 

As I said previously, a little research on these boards and reading past threads on the Ports of Call boards would clearly indicate that it is not Celebrity's (or any cruise line's) intent in these situations to have "six days at sea". This sounds like hyperbole generated by someone desperate for an answer.

 

In every case I can remember reading, the ships have made some alternate arrangements for ports. They may not be able to occupy EVERY missed day with a corresponding port, but neither have I read any reports of "six days at sea". What would be Celebrity's intent for doing something like that? They don't want to alienate passengers. These problems are not of their making. The mechanical issues ARE, on the other hand, a Celebrity problem and they seem to have sensibly taken steps there to be, as you say, more transparent.

 

Sure, we can offer you what happened to us or to others. But when the time comes, it will depend not just on Celebrity's own plans but on what other ships are in the region and what THEY have planned to do as well. Most areas close enough to serve as an alternate port and large enough to allow dockage and activities for ships of 3,000 passengers do not have unlimited berths.

 

I know when issues have come about in Egypt or Israel in the past, they have looked to nearby ports such as Cyprus (and despite what someone else has posted, it is not a "throwaway" port, I've been there twice and there are still things I've not done, including a trip to Paphos to see the wonderful mosaics there) or Crete. There are also ports in SE Turkey such as Bodrum or Antalya (a very pleasant place), or Istanbul, if they can make it fit with the rest of the ship's schedule. In Israel, they have sometimes been able to dock at Haifa for two days or even three when Ashdod is out of the question.

[Yorkshire-Pudding]

To the OP,

 

Just throwing my 2 cents in. I am currently visiting friends in Israel approximately 20 km from Haifa. We went to Sea of Galilee and the Golan Heights on the Syrian border today and plan to visit Jerusalem tomorrow. Would I go south of Tel Aviv now, no. The situation here is changing daily and 3 months from now may have been resolved. I am sure that Celebrity is in contact with agencies such as the US State Department and would not go against advice however only you and your family can decide whether you feel comfortable with the possible uncertainty.

 

Sent from my SM-T310 using Forums mobile app

[scifimonkey]

You didn't originally come here asking people to list their own past experiences; you were asking for Celebrity to make a statements.

 

Before YOU tell ME why I came on this thread please have the decency to read my first post. Post 23. I think my reasons for originally posting were pretty clearly to ask people to help with their past experience!!! Where it went after that was purely a response to the replies.

Of course past responses are no guarantee but as I said in post 23 I will happily decide on a balance of probabilities, just need some info to base a decision on and to help me do some preparation for what might come. Ideally from Celebrity but failing that from others who may have experienced this before. Despite having been on CC for a while I did not quite expect the extent of the bile that was stirred up. The other boards I have used on CC have generally been helpful rather than sounding like the aggressive desk of the cruise companies P R department.

Thanks for the experience parts of the post.

[cruisemom42]

Before YOU tell ME why I came on this thread please have the decency to read my first post. Post 23. I think my reasons for originally posting were pretty clearly to ask people to help with their past experience!!! Where it went after that was purely a response to the replies.

Of course past responses are no guarantee but as I said in post 23 I will happily decide on a balance of probabilities, just need some info to base a decision on and to help me do some preparation for what might come. Ideally from Celebrity but failing that from others who may have experienced this before. Despite having been on CC for a while I did not quite expect the extent of the bile that was stirred up. The other boards I have used on CC have generally been helpful rather than sounding like the aggressive desk of the cruise companies P R department.

Thanks for the experience parts of the post.

 

Sorry, confused you with the original poster.

[scifimonkey]

IMHO, you seem to suggest that Celebrity is in the "bait and switch" business. Not so. It is their intention to give their passengers the intended itinerary. BUT, in the travel industry, situations can change, and those that choose to travel should be aware that best made plans can change...very rapidly.

 

I do not work in the travel industry, but I have always realized that when I book a cruise or plan a land trip, etc. that I need to mentally prepared in case of a itinerary changes.

 

We've been on cruises that the itinerary had to be altered. It happens, and we just rolled with it. Some were do to weather, some to decisions the Port Authority made in that particular port, etc. Whatever the reasons, we were aware of what could "possibly" occur while cruising.

 

Not so,my response was just to illustrate to the previous poster that I did have some experience of running a successful business which clearly takes a little more customer focused approach than what we are currently experiencing. Bait and switch is not what I am alleging however this is not the normal last minute problem with weather or strikes this is a clear and measurable threat to the itinerary months in advance. If X have the information to assist their passengers in making an educated decision before parting with their money, and I think they probably do, then it seems reasonable to me to pass this information on. As I said I believe that this would secure far more sales than it would lose including the one most important to me! We can deal with change, even substantial change but if we find out later that X could have reduced the impact of that change through preparing us for it, or reduced the stress of the uncertainty by providing a clear plan B then we might reasonably think less of them.

I like cruising with Celebrity, I am not out to bash the company, I and others in the same position are just appealing for a little more info and communication from X to help us prepare and plan for that change , or bail out if we choose to without taking a large financial hit, and a little shared experience, preferably without the snide asides from CC members.

Clearly a much bigger ask than I thought at the outset.