TA messed up 123 go promotion

[Tudorcruisers]

I booked the 123 go and chose the drinks package. Nothing was showing on my confirmation so I e-mailed the TA back in April who wrote back confirming it was booked ok and I would see it when I was on-board. Cruise drawing close so this morning I just mailed again to check and he came back saying it hadn't been booked, that celebrity have the gratuities showing instead and it is too late to change!!

 

To say I am furious is an understatement and hope that if he can't get it changed he will pay for the two drinks packages that should have been booked. Has this ever happened to anyone else and did you get it all sorted?

[cruisestitch]

Since you have the email from the TA, the agency should be able to make it right, depending on when your cruise is, since they can't make changes in the last few days right up to the departure date.

 

Take that e-mail with you and show it to Guest Relations.

 

Which would have had greater monetary value, the gratuities or the drinks package?

 

The gratuities will actually probably show on your on-board account as a general on-board credit (OBC) which you could use to buy drinks packages.

 

Or just keep it listed as OBC and use it for the gratuities, which you would be paying anyway.

 

If you have to buy your drinks packages on board, and end up with out of pocket money to do so, the TA should at least make good on that.

Edited July 19, 2014 by cruisestitch

[Host Anne]

Tudor ~ I'm sorry to read about the challenges. I don't have an answer for you but I'd suggest trying to call Celebrity (are you a Capt Club member?) and discussing this with them. If you kept your email from your TA, discuss that with them. The value of the gratuities isn't close to the value of the drink package (and I don't think it will appear as an OBC ... I think it will show as your gratuities being paid).

 

Whenever I'm discussing these types of things with my TA, I always ask them to send me a new confirmation showing these types of things added to my record. My confirmation for our next cruise shows the drink package on it. What does your confirmation from your TA say? Mine says BEV123GO and there is a second notation indicating the gratuities for the beverage package is also included.

 

I hope it works out for you.

Edited July 19, 2014 by Host Anne

[Tudorcruisers]

thanks host Anne. When I wrote to him in April he sent me a sheet from celebrity saying SRD9123 Go promotion. now that I see yours says Bev I realise mine certainly doesn't say that but I just thought it meant this was showing he had booked it. I feel he should have realised at this stage it was wrong!! We have another six weeks before we sail. thank you for the suggestion of contacting captains club, we are Elite. I was just concerned that as it was the fault of the TA that celebrity wouldnt be able to do anythjng as the drinks package is worth so much more than the gratuities.

[Tudorcruisers]

thanks For your reply cruise stitch, am hoping it will get sorted out.

[phoenix_dream]

If you have six weeks to go I can't imagine your TA can't work it out if they really try. I would try all the options suggested, and if they do not work I would insist that the TA give me extra OBC to equal the difference in value between the gratuities and the drink package. I can't imagine that would not be possible. That way you could purchase the liquor package yourself and not be out $$. At least that is a back-up plan that I think could work (if nothing else, Celebrity should be able to confirm my assumption that a TA could add extra OBC after the fact without adversely impacting the reservation). Best of luck to you - travel planning should not be this stressful - you need another vacation to recover from your vacation:)

[Tudorcruisers]

You are quite right Phoenix dream, I need another holiday:)

[Host Anne]

Tudor ~ I just googled Celebrity 123go promotion and found this: http://www.celebritycruises.com/htmlpage/123go-offer?icid=hp_bt_123gjn_1406_mul_lk_883674

 

It doesn't list your code anywhere in the promotion. In the fine print at the bottom of the flyer, in the first paragraph, it lists these codes:

 

Provide promo code BEV123go for Beverage, OBC123go for OBC, and GR123go for Gratuities;

 

I googled your code and couldn't find anything that way, either. I wonder if it has something to do with you being a UK cruiser?

 

Give the Capt Club a ring and see if they can help.

 

Have a wonderful cruise

Edited July 19, 2014 by Host Anne

[boogs]

Tudor ~ I'm sorry to read about the challenges. I don't have an answer for you but I'd suggest trying to call Celebrity (are you a Capt Club member?) and discussing this with them. If you kept your email from your TA, discuss that with them. The value of the gratuities isn't close to the value of the drink package (and I don't think it will appear as an OBC ... I think it will show as your gratuities being paid).

 

Whenever I'm discussing these types of things with my TA, I always ask them to send me a new confirmation showing these types of things added to my record. My confirmation for our next cruise shows the drink package on it. What does your confirmation from your TA say? Mine says BEV123GO and there is a second notation indicating the gratuities for the beverage package is also included.

 

I hope it works out for you.

 

If you chose the beverage package, this is how it might look on your Booking Confirmation that the TA should have emailed you. In my case, the beverage package is listed as SUN4-SAVINGS and SUN4-CHARGE.

 

Edited July 19, 2014 by boogs

[Tudorcruisers]

thank you for that info Host Anne, it is very helpful. I have no idea what that code means on my form which is from celebrity. Really hope TA comes up with something on Monday.

[gimletgal]

Your TA definitely owes you a huge apology as well as enough $$ to cover the cost of the beverage package for you and your wife, if in fact, the TA can't get it changed to what was originally agreed upon!

 

I sure hope it all works out for you and that you kept all your correspondence with your TA. In the end, they are totally responsible for the mess.

 

Keep the faith!

[Tudorcruisers]

Update is TA just says celebrity won't change it for us. I find that hard to believe as they do a lot of cruise business so we are now out €384. I have asked if the TA company will pay this and have also written to Celebrity but I realise if you book through a TA they don't really want to get involved.

[Jade13]

Do you have anything in writing from your agent requesting the beverage package and them confirming the beverage package?

 

Are you 100% certain the beverage package was an option when you booked? There was a period (I thought) where some cruises had a 123 but without the beverage package. Someone stated they did not recognize the code on your booking.

[RickT]

Even though you booked through a TA I think it's time you contacted Celebrity yourself to try and fix this mess. If you are a Captain's Club member please call them (sorry, not sure what number you'd use from the UK). If you're not a Captain's Club member you can just try the main line and don't take no for an answer if they say they can't talk to you because it was booked through a TA, just tell them you've contacted the TA and they are blaming Celebrity.

 

If that fails, a well worded e-mail to contactmichael@celebrity.com might help. Include all the details of your reservation as well as copies of the e-mails to your TA. I'm hopeful Celebrity will help you out. They've come to my help in the past when I was dealing with a less than scrupulous TA.

[Fouremco]

I booked the 123 go and chose the drinks package. Nothing was showing on my confirmation so I e-mailed the TA back in April who wrote back confirming it was booked ok and I would see it when I was on-board. Cruise drawing close so this morning I just mailed again to check and he came back saying it hadn't been booked, that celebrity have the gratuities showing instead and it is too late to change!!

 

To say I am furious is an understatement and hope that if he can't get it changed he will pay for the two drinks packages that should have been booked. Has this ever happened to anyone else and did you get it all sorted?

Yes, it happened to us in February of this year. Our TA kept telling us that is was confirmed, but when we embarked we were told that there we had no perks listed at all. Guest Services contacted corporate HQ, and everyone agreed that we were entitled to a perk based on our booking date, but Celebrity HQ was unwilling to do anything. Their perspective was that the TA had made a mistake and too bad for the customer. The onboard staff couldn't have been more sympathetic or helpful, but their hands were tied.

 

After the cruise, I contacted Celebrity and received some satisfaction. While they weren't willing to provide a beverage package, they did offer a reasonable OBC for our next cruise. Not a perfect solution, but at least a step in the right direction, and we have already booked a b2b med cruise/TA for next year with Celebrity.

 

Meanwhile, I submitted all of our drink receipts to our TA and demanded reimbursement, which we received. I would have thought that at minimum they would offer some additional compensation for the considerable inconvenience, but nothing more was forthcoming. Needless to say, I have since changed TAs and the original TA lost out on our booking for next year as well as a HAL Alaska cruise in September. The decision to book HAL had nothing to do with the events in February, but was based on the availability of a cruise for a particular time span that Celebrity couldn't offer.

[Tudorcruisers]

Do you have anything in writing from your agent requesting the beverage package and them confirming the beverage package?

 

Are you 100% certain the beverage package was an option when you booked? There was a period (I thought) where some cruises had a 123 but without the beverage package. Someone stated they did not recognize the code on your booking.

 

It was definitely an option for us to book it but I have nothing in writing from the TA requesting it. I asked them to confirm it in April and they replied it was booked but I would only see it on-board and they showed a promo code which no-one understands!! I just accepted that it was booked :(

[Tudorcruisers]

Even though you booked through a TA I think it's time you contacted Celebrity yourself to try and fix this mess. If you are a Captain's Club member please call them (sorry, not sure what number you'd use from the UK). If you're not a Captain's Club member you can just try the main line and don't take no for an answer if they say they can't talk to you because it was booked through a TA, just tell them you've contacted the TA and they are blaming Celebrity.

 

If that fails, a well worded e-mail to contactmichael@celebrity.com might help. Include all the details of your reservation as well as copies of the e-mails to your TA. I'm hopeful Celebrity will help you out. They've come to my help in the past when I was dealing with a less than scrupulous TA.

 

Thank you RickT - I have contacted customer relations today to see if they can help and if not will contact Capts club. This cruise was to celebrate our Silver wedding anniversary and all it is doing is causing us so much stress :(. If all else fails I will send e-mail to the address you have given me. Thanks

[AmberCascades]

Celebrity probably won't get involved as it is between you and the TA. Do you have anything in writing? Even an email from the TA? If you don't get satisfaction from the TA, I would suggest speaking to their supervisor. The TA is the one who should be making things right.

 

I recently had to contact my TA about a $100 shorex credit that we were supposed to get (through the TA company). She said she forgot to put it on the booking and it was too late to do it now. So she gave us $150 OBC instead. That's the way you make things right when you mess up.

 

Good luck. I hope you can get it all sorted out.

[Celebrity Cruises]

Thank you RickT - I have contacted customer relations today to see if they can help and if not will contact Capts club. This cruise was to celebrate our Silver wedding anniversary and all it is doing is causing us so much stress :(. If all else fails I will send e-mail to the address you have given me. Thanks

 

Hello there,

 

Sorry to hear about this. Can you please send us an email to concerns@celebrity.com so that we can look into this. Please include your reservation number, and a phone number that you can be reached at. Thank you.

[MonaCK]

If your TA was worth his or her weight in salt, he or she would be escalating up the chain to make this right by you. There ARE ways they can make it happen.

 

It sounds like Celebrity is going to take care of you, based on the response above though. Hopefully you'll be able to work everything out.

[Andy]

Hi Tudorcruisers,

 

I hope that Celebrity will help resolve your issue. Please let us know the outcome. Have a wonderful cruise, and Happy Anniversary !

[Tudorcruisers]

thank you so much Celebrity, I have sent off an e-mail with all the information and my contact details as requested.

[Spursgirl]

Kudos to Celebrity for contacting you via this thread. Hopefully they will sort this mess out.

 

The TA though is a total disappointment. Anyone can make a mistake but as the fault is theirs the onus is on them to make it right.

 

No doubt you will be using an alternative TA next time.

 

Congratulations on your silver wedding anniversary

[Ando]

Hello there,

 

Sorry to hear about this. Can you please send us an email to concerns@celebrity.com so that we can look into this. Please include your reservation number, and a phone number that you can be reached at. Thank you.

 

Nice one "Celebrtiy Cruises". Appreciate your gesture of offering assistance to the OP :)

[waterbug123]

If your TA was worth his or her weight in salt, he or she would be escalating up the chain to make this right by you. There ARE ways they can make it happen.

 

The TA though is a total disappointment. Anyone can make a mistake but as the fault is theirs the onus is on them to make it right.

 

Exactly. It was up to your TA to ensure that the code was correct and that you would get the benefits promised. Telling you "it will show up once you're on board" doesn't cut it. If that's really how it was set up, the TA needs to be in Celebrity's face demanding that they make it right. If the TA slipped up somehow, then the TA needs to make it right, even if it means it comes out of his/her pocket.