Celebrity Tricked Us and Our TA

[BigWino]

Be very careful if you are booking Celebrity over the holidays. AFTER processing our card for full payment for our cruise they say that you cannot purchase specialty dining packages for holiday sailings and they have refused to sell us the five dinner package for our upcoming 12 night cruise on Eclipse.

 

BE VERY CAREFUL THIS COMPANY WILL TRY TO RIP YOU OFF IN A HEARTBEAT. THIS IS WORSE NICKLE AND DIMING THAN ANYTHING I'VE SEEN ON NCL!!!:mad::mad:

Edited October 11, 2016 by BigWino

[bbeltmom]

So you aren't going to cruise just because you can't purchase a specialty dining package????

 

We've sailed numerous times with Celebrity an never found the need for a dining package!!!!

 

 

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Edited October 11, 2016 by bbeltmom

[BigWino]

That sort of BS deceptiveness is not the note on which I wish to embark on a vacation. I will still probably cruise, just not with Celebrity, ever after this.

[amcco]

Even though it is stated no where in their materials that you cannot purchase specialty dining packages for holiday sailings they have refused to sell us the five dinner package for our upcoming 12 night cruise on Eclipse.

 

I would think this line from their specialty dining page would cover it - "Specialty Dining Packages must be booked at least four days prior to boarding and may not be available for every sail date"

[Hlitner]

We can understand the disappointment of not being able to get a specialty dining package (although we have no interest in those packages). But not sure how this is nickel and diming....when they refuse to take your money :). We have never known Celebrity to try and force passengers to dine in specialty restaurants (that would be nickel and diming). So here is a tip about Celebrity. We never book dining packages and have never paid full price for a specialty restaurant. I will leave the rest to your imagination...or negotiating powers.

Hank

[Orator]

A competident TA would know the booking rules prior to recommending or booking a cruise. Celebrity, as all other lines, may limit options on certain popular cruises. For example, Celebrity doesn't normally offer extra perks on Repositioning cruises. I would not expect a passenger to know this unless they are very experienced,. I would expect a TA to know the rules or check them prior to booking. To me, the problem is not caused by Celebrity, but by a less than informed TA. By the by, most TAs I know are highly qualified and would never book without full information.

[ghstudio]

A competident TA would know the booking rules prior to recommending or booking a cruise. Celebrity, as all other lines, may limit options on certain popular cruises. For example, Celebrity doesn't normally offer extra perks on Repositioning cruises. I would not expect a passenger to know this unless they are very experienced,. I would expect a TA to know the rules or check them prior to booking. To me, the problem is not caused by Celebrity, but by a less than informed TA. By the by, most TAs I know are highly qualified and would never book without full information.

 

I think there's a level of knowledge one expects of a TA...but I don't think I'd include the availability of a "dining package" on a specific cruise as something a TA should know....unless the OP specifically asked if it was offered.

[Orator]

I think there's a level of knowledge one expects of a TA...but I don't think I'd include the availability of a "dining package" on a specific cruise as something a TA should know....unless the OP specifically asked if it was offered.

 

The OP doesn't indicate whether they asked about a dining package, but their strong response indicates to me that a package was important to them. We should all learn that one should discuss any matter which is important to you with your TA so that they can get the correct information for you. If the OP did discuss a dining package with the TA and didn't receive the correct information, shame on the TA. If they didn't mention it to the TA, perhaps they will in the future.

[johhnnyt]

Now there's a first-world problem for you! :cool:

 

They sell the packages onboard anyway if you still want the $20 or $30 package savings. Its actually more savings if you book the individual ones onboard since they generally offer 20-50% savings on individual specialty restaurants nightly

 

It's like any contract, you need to know the terms before you approve it, you should of asked the TA, doesn't sound like Celebrity was even involved

[SusieV]

They definitely do not always offer dining packages. My sailing on Eclipse last December didn't offer any. I was disappointed but that's life.

[Azulann]

They sell the packages onboard anyway if you still want the $20 or $30 package savings. Its actually more savings if you book the individual ones onboard since they generally offer 20-50% savings on individual specialty restaurants nightly

 

It's like any contract, you need to know the terms before you approve it, you should of asked the TA, doesn't sound like Celebrity was even involved

the OP said it was also a holiday sailing.

We were on a Panana Canal Cruise over Christmas and New Years a number of years ago. We could not book a reservation and pre pay for specialty restaurants pre cruise.

Once on board we were able to get resevations for both Christmas Eve and New Years Day at a time that worked ofr our party of six.

[cruisestitch]

I'm sorry the OP feels disappointed, but I see no trickery here. The packages simply aren't available on every cruise, and nowhere was it ever implied that they are.

Edited October 11, 2016 by cruisestitch

[jelayne]

I can't figure out how you were "tricked"; did someone at Celebrity tell you that you could purchase the package on a holiday sailing then after you booked say no packages?

 

So far you have paid your fare that included meals in a dining room. No rip-off.

If you want to dine at the speciality restaurants then you can book individually or wait and see if you can get a discount once on the ship.

[bphman]

Celebrity probably did you a favor. I hate pre-paying for anything unless it is something you are afraid will be sold out and not available. I have never seen the specialty restaurants turning people away. They are generally trying to rope you in with a nice discount. Although, on our New England cruise with HAL this year, the Pinnacle was sold out every night of the cruise. Never saw that on Celebrity.

[NHCRUISIN]

Gotta love people who have decided months before their trip they are going to hate the cruise. Not sure how Celebrity is " nickel and dimeing" you. Relax and enjoy your trip, nothing ever goes perfectly.

[awhcruiser]

Wow....Not cruising a particular line because of dining issues? DH and I will gladly take your place! Seems a little over the top to me

[Luvcrusn]

Be very careful if you are booking Celebrity over the holidays. AFTER processing our card for full payment for our cruise they say that you cannot purchase specialty dining packages for holiday sailings and they have refused to sell us the five dinner package for our upcoming 12 night cruise on Eclipse.

 

BE VERY CAREFUL THIS COMPANY WILL TRY TO RIP YOU OFF IN A HEARTBEAT. THIS IS WORSE NICKLE AND DIMING THAN ANYTHING I'VE SEEN ON NCL!!!:mad::mad:

 

Don't be mad, they actually did you a favor. We've found out through the years that we have done much better booking specialty restaurants once on board. You can get discounts if you're savvy. On our last cruise in February, for example, we thought about booking a package ahead but decided against it for 2 reasons. The first and most influential in our decision was a large OBC we could use to book the reservations and not have to pay ahead. The second was that with the packages, you pick the first reservation prior to boarding, then book the rest on board. We ended up onboard getting sizable discounts on all the reservations, picked the specialty restaurants we wanted (2 in Murano 1 in Tuscan), used our OBC to pay for them and paid less than the package would have cost. Plus, the package would have had us in Tuscan twice (since it's cheaper) and Murano once. We're on the Eclipse in Dec. and will skip Tuscan completely...and book onboard using the free dollars.

[DrivesLikeMario]

Where's the trick? You should've read the fine print "may not be available for every sailing" pretty much gets them off the hook on this one. They're a business. They're in business to make money. They don't have to offer something like this on every sailing, in fact, they don't have to offer it all if they don't want to.

 

We've never bought a dining package in over 37 cruises and somehow, we've survived.

[xmarksx]

We go on a cruise to have a good time would hate to spend our time complaining.

 

Exactly! Live is too short and I have limited time away from work. Sigh, I think they believe they are making some type of significant impact.

[Chelly]

Seems like you're happier with your NCL and Carnival experience. So, best stick to those lines.

[sound_guy0918]

Nobody "tricked" you.

Nobody is "nickle and dime" -ing you.

The concept that you are somehow being ripped off after booking an expensive holiday cruise because you can't book the slightly discounted dining package is absurd. Once you board, book the specialty dining you want and enjoy yourself. If that is not an acceptable solution, please just stay home.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

The OP needs to be prepared to be disappointed again once on board. We've done 2 New Years cruises with Celebrity and there were no dining discounts being offered.

[rockdoctor]

Consider yourself fortunate that you do not have a dining package. Now that so many groups are comped specialty dining, availability is limited. On our last cruise, we had to ask the Luminae maitre'd to make our reservations.

[NLH Arizona]

About 8 years ago when we first started cruising we were in traditional dining and one couple at the table were quite proud of how they turned complaining into upgrades, $ and freebies. Their deal was to book the cheapest inside cabin and from the minute they booked they sought out things to complain about on social media. Once on the ship they inspected the cabin carefully looking for a sticky door, burned out bulb, scratch in the counter- then they started their campaign of complaining. By 4 days into our cruise their inside cabin had been changed to an obstructed view balcony. They were very open about looking for oversights or slow service in the dining room or bars to get some comped bottles of wine. We were both shocked that people would do this and that they would brag about it. After meeting that couple folks like this don't surprise me.

 

We go on a cruise to have a good time would hate to spend our time complaining.

I think people learned to do this because the cruise lines are too quick to give out compensation. If the cruise lines were just to say that they are sorry and they will attend to it immediately, I think folks would get the hint that complaints about little things aren't going to get the diddly squat.

[El Crucero]

THIS IS WORSE NICKLE AND DIMING THAN ANYTHING I'VE SEEN ON NCL!!!:mad::mad:

 

A fellow passenger told me recently that they had to pay 20% gratuities for NCL's "free" beverage package. That came to about $200 on their particular itinerary. I would call that "dollaring" their passengers to death. In their opinion, Celebrity was much fairer and a better value and experience than NCL.