Celebrity drops the ball sometimes...

[MicCanberra]

Wrong thread, sorry

Edited January 25, 2016 by MicCanberra

[Hlitner]

Missing the cut off by one hour must have been tremendously disappointing, and seeing the ship just sitting on the water waiting to leave without you must have been torture! I am way to anxious to even consider a same day road trip to catch sail-away. With that said, be assured the OP had the best intentions to board on time.

Don't be so harsh as venting to fellow CC members is allowed. Keep the insults on the down low please. Peace to all.

 

Harsh? The OP made a point of blaming Celebrity for something that really had absolutely nothing to do with the cruise line. Bottom line is that the OP messed up, made a very bad judgement call, and paid an awful price. The road to ruin is paved with "best intentions." If the OP was looking for a kind shoulder, shifting the blame to another (the cruise line) is not a way to achieve that goal.

 

Hank

Edited January 25, 2016 by Hlitner

[chemmo]

No matter where we are in the world, going from home, flying in to cruise, touring then cruising....At least the night before is only a mile or two from the cruise port. Before we retired and every day of holiday time was precious this still had to be part of the plan.

 

We would book somewhere to stay close to a restaurant we wanted to try and we would enjoy. We especially love those occasions when we book rooms overlooking the port and we will even set the alarm for an early morning wake up call to see our ship sail into port....

 

The morning of your cruise should be exciting not stressful.

[Pavovsky]

This thread should be locked. Most agree that the cruise line were correct but some of the comments about this being fake are not particularly nice. The person will no doubt feel chastised but some of the comments are a little OTT and I would not blame the OP for not coming back.

 

 

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[drarill]

True, but if it I had a four hour drive to port, I would have left at 6am (or earlier).

 

I agree. We once drove from Orlando to Ft. Lauderdale with friends and we met to have breakfast at 6:30 AM. My husband left us at the port before 11:00, went to the airport to return the rental and took a taxi back to us. I think we were having lunch before 12:00... We also had time for a quick stop between Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale.

[Cindy]

The OP posted the same thing on the official Celebrity FB page. It's not getting much attention, but those who have replied have had the same response as here.

Edited January 25, 2016 by Cindy

[BrendaJ]

It sounds like everyone pretty much agrees that getting to the port at least a day ahead of departure is a good idea. Flying from Canada, we always go early now, but when we first started cruising, we often flew the day of the cruise - we were just lucky never to miss a ship.

 

I just have to tell one story of the time I'm very glad we did not go a day early. We had booked a transatlantic cruise (not Celebrity) leaving from Malaga, Spain, and were to fly to Spain overnight and board the ship the next day. Our travel agent called us at our airport hotel and told us the cruise had been cancelled - the ship had engine problems and would not be doing the transatlantic cruise. If we had flown out a day early, we would have been stuck in Malaga with no options. It was a budget cruise line and I'm hoping they would have at least gotten us back home, but who knows? It took them months to refund our cruise.

 

That's the one time not flying in a day early turned out to be a good thing. :)

[Rala]

I am going to assume it wasn't a Celebrity tour. Sounds like you rented a car or did you hire a car and driver? When you go out on your own and not through Celebrity you take the risk of something like this happening with bad results. I never take a private tour or rent a car where the next port is many miles away and an expensive airline ticket. Don't put the blame on Celebrity, put it on the one who made the decision to do this. If it's a Celebrity tour they will wait or get you to the next port at their expense. It also amazes me that you claim to be a long time Celebrity cruiser but this is your first post on Cruise Critic?

 

OP was not on a tour. They were arriving for the start of their cruise.

[K.T.B.]

This is the part I suspect where the OP feels they're owed something:

 

panicking, we called the emergency line and let them know that we were on our way. We were checked-in online and when asked, told them we would definitely be there between 3:30 and 3:45 (sailing was at 4PM). We arrived at the port at 3:35 only to be turned away by hired security.

 

It's entirely their fault for cutting it so close. Celebrity did what every other cruise does by not allowing passengers to board after a certain. I will grant the OP one VERY minor concession in that IF no one on the emergency line told them they'd miss the ship if they arrived at 3;00, then that's a problem. Obviously, we'll never know what was said.

 

Be that as it may, for someone who claims to have cruised as much as the OP says they did, they know the rules. Perhaps next time they'll plan their time a little better.

[2CatsInFlorida]

I agree with the OP that Celebrity dropped the ball. Loyalty is a two way street and I have seen videos of ships waiting for late passengers. Leaving a loyal customer stranded at the dock is bad customer relations. At least a token OBC could have been offered.

[neverbeenhere]

I agree with the OP that Celebrity dropped the ball. Loyalty is a two way street and I have seen videos of ships waiting for late passengers. Leaving a loyal customer stranded at the dock is bad customer relations. At least a token OBC could have been offered.

 

Then I would show up late to every cruise to get my "Late Arrival" OBC.:)

[RosieCanberra]

I agree with the OP that Celebrity dropped the ball. Loyalty is a two way street and.

 

I don't agree that Celebrity is in the wrong, why should everyone else on board be held up because of this?

[davekathy]

Then I would show up late to every cruise to get my "Late Arrival" OBC.:)

 

Like!

[Gordoncruickshank]

I agree with the OP that Celebrity dropped the ball. Loyalty is a two way street and I have seen videos of ships waiting for late passengers. Leaving a loyal customer stranded at the dock is bad customer relations. At least a token OBC could have been offered.

 

When ships do that it is 500 passengers not 2. We have waited for that number but never 2. The onus is on the passenger to get there on time I am afraid.

[davekathy]

When ships do that it is 500 passengers not 2. We have waited for that number but never 2. The onus is on the passenger to get there on time I am afraid.

 

What someone take responsibility for their actions. Say it's no so. ;o)

[Gordoncruickshank]

What someone take responsibility for their actions. Say it's no so. ;o)

 

Is that not what this thread is all about, someone who dies not want to accept the responsibility for for turning up late.

[2CatsInFlorida]

Then I would show up late to every cruise to get my "Late Arrival" OBC.:)

 

 

Ha Ha but not everyone is like that. Celebrity should have waited and they have waited for small groups of four or five. It's the captain's discretion. No need to be so anal.

[rjrpar]

It is really simple, if you are not there at a certain time, the ship leaves. It is called accountability and some lack it

[MicCanberra]

When ships do that it is 500 passengers not 2. We have waited for that number but never 2. The onus is on the passenger to get there on time I am afraid.

 

It is also due to the people being late on a ship's tour or ship's transfer/flight. This is why the ships transfers and tours cost so much more than private ones that do exactly the same, there is an element of insurance in there for the Passenger so they know if they are late, the ship will wait or pay for everything and them to get to the next port.

[davekathy]

It is really simple, if you are not there at a certain time, the ship leaves. It is called accountability and some lack it

 

Not for some. They call it entitled and I'm special.

[AmberCascades]

Ha Ha but not everyone is like that. Celebrity should have waited and they have waited for small groups of four or five. It's the captain's discretion. No need to be so anal.

 

 

It's not the captain's discretion at all. There are government regulations that need to be met. The manifest has to be handed in to the authorities at a prescribed time before they leave. It's not that the captain doesn't want to "be a pal" and help a feller out, there are legal requirements to be met.

 

But even if there weren't, how long is he/she supposed to wait? Should everyone else on the ship miss their excursions at the first port because two people couldn't get their act together?

 

The captain has more flexibility at the ports, I believe (I may be wrong and I know someone will correct me if I am :) ) and can perhaps wait a few minutes but not on embarkation day (except for the noted exceptions with large amounts of passengers, ship sponsored tours, etc.).

[davekathy]

Is that not what this thread is all about, someone who dies not want to accept the responsibility for for turning up late.

 

I was agreeing with you.

Edited January 25, 2016 by davekathy

[WpgCruise]

Ha Ha but not everyone is like that. Celebrity should have waited and they have waited for small groups of four or five. It's the captain's discretion. No need to be so anal.

 

I wonder what it would cost a cruise line to keep a ship tied up to the dock in Port Everglades waiting for someone to show up. I can think of some items, maybe you could add to the list .

 

-Docking Fees.

-Longshoreman costs for the linesmen waiting to cast off

-Security and check in people

-Pilot fees, and the availability of a pilot. I suspect there are a limited number of pilots and if you don't keep the schedule you wait till one is available.

-Costs to amend the manifest for CBP.

-Cost of the increased fuel burn to get the ship back on schedule

 

I don't think it's as easy as the Captain saying, "O my Frank and Betty are late, must be caught in traffic, no problem we'll just wait till they get here" There are costs and someone has to pay for them. I'd prefer these costs not be passed along to me, and yes I too have been called anal.

[dodger1964]

It's not the captain's discretion at all. There are government regulations that need to be met. The manifest has to be handed in to the authorities at a prescribed time before they leave. It's not that the captain doesn't want to "be a pal" and help a feller out, there are legal requirements to be met.

 

But even if there weren't, how long is he/she supposed to wait? Should everyone else on the ship miss their excursions at the first port because two people couldn't get their act together?

..).

 

If it isn't up to the captain's discretion, how come they can do it if it is more people? (taking other posters at their word that is possibility)

 

 

I don't think the ship should have waited in this case, but don't like it when people quote "rules/laws", when they seem to be "flexible".

[Gordoncruickshank]

We had a snow delay for 500 from Canada on a cruise last winter. Ship was held back it probably saved $500,000 and would have been sanctioned by Celebrity HO. We waited around 2 hours and made the time it overnight.

 

 

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