Celebrity Fraud/Scam ???

[SantaFeFan]

We had the same issue on our last cruise - called X, they fixed it.

 

Having booked a cruise on Celebrity and paying the deposit and later the balance, I recently received an email from Celebrity saying I had a balance owing which was happened to be the exact amount of the gratuities. The email threatened that if I don't pay by the due date then my cruise would be cancelled and I would only get a percentage of what I had already paid refunded. Not wanting to have our cruise cancelled and thinking perhaps I hadn't prepaid the gratuities I was about to pay what they said we owed. My husband then told me to check my account online and see what had been deducted from our credit card. Sure enough I had paid everything in full including the gratuities. How many people have been told they had a balance owing and more importantly paid it. Seems to me Celebrity are ripping off their customers. If I hadn't informed them I didn't owe anything and they then corrected my account then on the due date my booking would be cancelled. If I paid what they said was owing then they would have ripped me off. Quite a disgusting practice and despite numerous emails to Celebrity they choose to ignore my complaint.

 

I'm confused. First you say that Celebrity corrected the mistake. Then you say you sent several emails and Celebrity ignored you. How can that be? :confused::confused:

 

If you booked in select dining, then the full gratuities must be paid with your final balance. so your total due would be $4592 PLUS gratuities. It's neither a fraud or a scam....it's just may not be clearly stated when you book your ticket.

 

Or, like many people do, they didn't read all the information. :(

Edited July 3, 2015 by SantaFeFan

[Cindy]

We have done over 45 x cruises.Why do people always side with the cruise companys? Can they do no wrong or are people just blind to the reality that they are big business?They don't care about the small guy just the bottom line.

 

There's a big difference between a quickly corrected mistake and a deliberate fraud/scam. While I have no problem with the OP pointing out the mistake, I think accusing Celebrity of committing a crime was uncalled for. In my opinion, the title and tone of the post was designed to be accusatory and get a reaction from people.

[wallie5446]

If I hadn't informed them I didn't owe anything and they then corrected my account.

 

You get an email, you respond with the correct information, they correct everything on the account. Looks like everything was handled in a professional; manner, at least on one side :rolleyes:

[wallie5446]

We have done over 45 x cruises.Why do people always side with the cruise companys? Can they do no wrong or are people just blind to the reality that they are big business?They don't care about the small guy just the bottom line.

 

Well we are not like you, as it has not taken us 45 cruises to figure out that we are not blind to the reality, and don't keep coming back to the Co that does not care about the small guy, just the bottom line.

[Fouremco]

For what it's worth, I wonder how many of these problems are caused by initiating payment at the last minute. Credit card payments can frequently take a bit of time to clear, and in the mean time, Celebrity's computer system shows that the payment has not been made and triggers an email of the nature described by the OP. I make my final payment a week or so before the specified date and have never had an issue.

 

While annoying, I view computer glitches to be a reality of modern life. As long as they can be worked out to everyone's satisfaction, I'm not going to get upset. When Celebrity has hundreds of thousands of passengers booking cruises every year, there's bound to be a minor hiccup from time to time, and this was VERY minor imho.

[Andy]

Hi Everyone,

 

Apologies to the OP for your concerns, but this is hardly a fraud or scam. It's a mistake - which can be easily corrected via a phone call.

 

As others have stated, mistakes happen. To the OP : If your issue has not been resolved by now, I hope it will be resolved soon.

[Cruiseline Virgin]

We booked through an travel agent, they clearly stated in their payment conditions that they will attempt to charge the final payment amount 7 days before the actual date, so if some credit card bill isn't paid yet, the agent will not get their money, so Celebrity will not too in time..

 

We paid well before the due time, so no problems...

[texansharon]

Fraud/Scam ??? Pretty harsh choice of words. It was a mistake.

[dazed1]

I've fished out an e-mail (see below) I sent to Celebrity after receiving the same type of 'holiday cancellation' threatening e-mail from them as others have discussed.

I knew I had paid in full including all gratuities and my on-line account confirmed this however I still felt I needed to pick up the phone and contact a human being to make sure my holiday was safe.

I'm just back from another excellent cruise but I do think their web accounts services need some work.

 

My E-mail to Celeb customer relations on 19/04/2016

I am writing to point out that the wording on this e-mail was rather worrying for me and meant I felt I had to contact your customer relations team for reassurance despite the account balance reading zero.

 

Happily I spoke to Catherine who was very helpful. She checked my account once your system was back on line and kindly emailed me to confirm that the holiday was paid in full.

 

It takes a little shine of the excitement the holiday planning to receive an email threatening cancellation within 7 days. For work reasons I am often unable to access email for prolonged periods.

 

I am writing to suggest that these emails are ONLY sent to those for whom they are appropriate.

[richsea]

OP, since it is too late to cancel your cruise without penalty, just take the cruise & enjoy yourself; then i the future find another cruise line that is not fraudulent, & sail with someone you trust.

[wwcruisers]

OP, since it is too late to cancel your cruise without penalty, just take the cruise & enjoy yourself; then i the future find another cruise line that is not fraudulent, & sail with someone you trust.

 

LOL Rich -- as the OP hasn't returned, since her second post, I'd imagine that she's working her way through the three well-known stages of "cruise angst" ;):

 

Stage 1: mouth off (to anyone who will listen);

Stage 2: calm down (realizing that you maybe over-reacted a teensy bit);

Stage 3: move on (secure in your new-found knowledge that the sky isn't falling, after all).

Edited July 4, 2015 by wwcruisers

[Langley Cruisers]

Stage 1: mouth off (to anyone who will listen);

Stage 2: calm down (realizing that you maybe over-reacted a teensy bit);

Stage 3: move on (secure in your new-found knowledge that the sky isn't falling, after all).

 

Good one. I was thinking the same thing. :D

[PoppyandNana]

Some countries required the gratuities be pre paid. Might be part of the equation. Actually, I think this is much ado about nothing, mistakes are made. If this complaint was done all the time it would have been reported on these boards at some point and it has not.

 

What countries require tips to be prepaid?

[dkjretired]

What countries require tips to be prepaid?

 

I don't know exactly which ones, I was just throwing that out there as a possibility based upon previous conversations on these boards.

[PoppyandNana]

I don't know exactly which ones, I was just throwing that out there as a possibility based upon previous conversations on these boards.

 

I think you meant some cruise lines require grats to be paid up front. Can't imagine Jamaica telling Celebrity all their passengers have to have paid their tips before being allowed to dock in their country.

[ghstudio]

I think you meant some cruise lines require grats to be paid up front. Can't imagine Jamaica telling Celebrity all their passengers have to have paid their tips before being allowed to dock in their country.

 

certainly companies in countries have their own rules....just look at the UK/Germany where you don't get your deposit back if you cancel even well before final payment time. No reason at all that Celebrity Nepal couldn't insist on different payment terms than Celebrity Tiera del Fuego.

[PoppyandNana]

certainly companies in countries have their own rules....just look at the UK/Germany where you don't get your deposit back if you cancel even well before final payment time. No reason at all that Celebrity Nepal couldn't insist on different payment terms than Celebrity Tiera del Fuego.

 

 

Didn't know Celebrity sailed from Nepal. Mean feat to be sure.

[neverbeenhere]

It was all down hill but just couldn't quite make it to the ocean.

[LabGuy64]

Well one good way to find out would be to call Celebrity, Perhaps it was an error. was this for a UK booking?.....Maybe if so the tax rate is higher for a 4000.00 purchase than a 2000.00....but why ask here when the TRUE answer is so easy to find by calling?

 

 

 

 

Well perhaps someone can explain how this Celebrity deal works. A veranda room listed at $2099 with port taxes, fees etc of $197 which when added together equates to $2296 but when one goes to book it the charge is $4898 for 2 people or $153 per person extra. Go figure. Fraud or scam. You be the judge. That's using the Celebrity website and includes no perks.

[dkjretired]

I think you meant some cruise lines require grats to be paid up front. Can't imagine Jamaica telling Celebrity all their passengers have to have paid their tips before being allowed to dock in their country.

 

No, I have read on here that some countries require it. Many countries have different rules that would surprise you.

[Tiggertastic]

Well perhaps someone can explain how this Celebrity deal works. A veranda room listed at $2099 with port taxes, fees etc of $197 which when added together equates to $2296 but when one goes to book it the charge is $4898 for 2 people or $153 per person extra. Go figure. Fraud or scam. You be the judge. That's using the Celebrity website and includes no perks.

 

 

You have to look a the breakdown as the taxes are added on at the end

[PoppyandNana]

You have to look a the breakdown as the taxes are added on at the end

 

 

Correct. Most published prices include port charges but not takes. $153 sounds like a correct amount for taxes. All of this is clearly spelled out on the confirmation. Just have to read it.

[PoppyandNana]

No, I have read on here that some countries require it. Many countries have different rules that would surprise you.

 

 

Sorry, don't buy it. If you are positive a country requires Celebrity's passengers to pre pay gratuities should be easy enough to prove. We eagerly await your documentation.

[Fouremco]

No, I have read on here that some countries require it. Many countries have different rules that would surprise you.

 

Sorry, don't buy it. If you are positive a country requires Celebrity's passengers to pre pay gratuities should be easy enough to prove. We eagerly await your documentation.

Pre-payment of gratuities to Celebrity isn't a requirement for fixed dining, nor is it a requirement for other cruise lines no matter what your dining preference. This is a Celebrity policy decision that has been debated on this board with some frequency, not a ruling from a foreign country. Just look at the fact that other cruise lines sailing to the same countries don't require pre-payment.

 

BTW, having read it on these boards does not make it true. There is far more speculation, opinion, misinterpretation, fiction and wishful thinking here than fact. Which is why we have long and often heated threads. :D

[PoppyandNana]

Pre-payment of gratuities to Celebrity isn't a requirement for fixed dining, nor is it a requirement for other cruise lines no matter what your dining preference. This is a Celebrity policy decision that has been debated on this board with some frequency, not a ruling from a foreign country. Just look at the fact that other cruise lines sailing to the same countries don't require pre-payment.

 

BTW, having read it on these boards does not make it true. There is far more speculation, opinion, misinterpretation, fiction and wishful thinking here than fact. Which is why we have long and often heated threads. :D

 

Well put. Frankly, this one really baffles me. Logic and common sense says that any particular country to require a company flagged in a different country to pay their employees a certain way borders on the Easter bunny and the Loch Ness monster