Celebrity allows 1 time cruise change when using onboard credit

[gammagal]

We booked a future Celebrity Expedition Galapagos cruise for fall 2016 while onboard another Celebrity cruise in 2014. The deposit for the future cruise we put on the Galapagos cruise was credited to us as onboard credit so basically we did not make an out of pocket deposit. Later, we had to rebook the 2016 Galapagos cruise to a 2018 Galapagos cruise for personal reasons. This past November we got an email and phone calls from Celebrity that the 2018 Galapagos cruise we booked has been cancelled as the ship will be dry docked. Today I called Celebrity fully expecting to rebook to another Galapagos cruise. Celebrity informed us because we did not reply to their previous attempts to contact us they cancelled our reservation. No deadline was ever given to us via phone message or email to respond by. We were also told if we want to rebook a Galapagos cruise we will need to leave a deposit because our reservation had been cancelled. They also told us when you use the onboard credit to make a future cruise reservation you are allowed only 1 change to another cruise and carry that deposit over. Since we changed the cruise from 2016 to 2018 that was our 1 change opportunity and any other changes we lose the deposit. We were not told this when we made the initial reservation. Has anyone else been told this? The Celebrity rep on the phone said we did not lose any money because we did not put money down for the initial cruise. I told him we do lose money because we now would have to put down a deposit we were told was initially given as an incentive to book the cruise. This second rebooking was not of our doing - this was because Celebrity cancelled the cruise. Very disappointed in Celebrity.

Edited January 11, 2017 by gammagal

[Karynanne]

We've booked numerous cruises while onboard, and never have been allowed to use OBC.

Essentially, you haven't lost any money, and I don't see why you are disappointed.

 

 

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[gammagal]

Because there once was a deposit there but no longer regardless if we put down the initial deposit. That was a "bonus" or "incentive" to sign up.

[cruisestitch]

"We've booked numerous cruises while onboard, and never have been allowed to use OBC."

 

I think you misunderstood. When you book on board, there is an OBC incentive. You can take it on the current cruise you are on, or you can take it on the new cruise you are booking.

 

If you take it on the current cruise, and then cancel, it is essentially "gone" because you already got it credited to you on the cruise you were on.

 

So the OP is saying, that he is was allowed to transfer his deposit once, but then when that cruise was cancelled he has lost his deposit, and has to put a new deposit down.

 

I have never run into a problem transferring a deposit more than once. I have put down a deposit while on a ship, changed to a different cruise and transferred the deposit, and then changed again and never had to put down any additional deposit.

 

What doesn't always move with you is the perks you might have gotten with the original booking. For instance, if there is a special in place where inside stateroom get all four perks, but you move your booking to a new itinerary where inside staterooms get no perks, the perks you have do not automatically get applied to the new booking.

 

I think the OP has a right to be mad. If his booking was cancelled for whatever reason, he should get his deposit back. He should not have to pay a new deposit now, IMHO.

[Bo1953]

"We've booked numerous cruises while onboard, and never have been allowed to use OBC."

 

I think you misunderstood. When you book on board, there is an OBC incentive. You can take it on the current cruise you are on, or you can take it on the new cruise you are booking.

 

If you take it on the current cruise, and then cancel, it is essentially "gone" because you already got it credited to you on the cruise you were on.

 

So the OP is saying, that he is was allowed to transfer his deposit once, but then when that cruise was cancelled he has lost his deposit, and has to put a new deposit down.

 

I have never run into a problem transferring a deposit more than once. I have put down a deposit while on a ship, changed to a different cruise and transferred the deposit, and then changed again and never had to put down any additional deposit.

 

What doesn't always move with you is the perks you might have gotten with the original booking. For instance, if there is a special in place where inside stateroom get all four perks, but you move your booking to a new itinerary where inside staterooms get no perks, the perks you have do not automatically get applied to the new booking.

 

I think the OP has a right to be mad. If his booking was cancelled for whatever reason, he should get his deposit back. He should not have to pay a new deposit now, IMHO.

 

The OP used, so it sounds, the deposit while on-board, then transferred to another sailing, then failed to return a call to X in a timely manner, then lost the gift, now has an issue.

 

I Am sorry that the deposit was lost, yet when X calls, it pays to call back timely, I recommend to consider five (5) business days max would be considered timely.

 

Yes, the OP has a right to be mad, at themselves for not responding timely. X did try to contact them several times, according to the OP and they chose not to respond until much later.

 

Not thinking or considering that there was a time sensitive offering on the table. I do not know if the VM and/or email indicated that there was a time frame involved or not, yet I would have been on the phone ASAP to find out what was on offer due to the dry dock cancellation AND find out what the deadline or time frame for decision making.

 

bon voyage

[wrk2cruise]

I agree with others that the deposit was not lost, it was used as OBC on the prior cruise. Since you have sailed with Celebrity before I'd try calling Captains Club to see if you could get somewhere there.

 

I have heard on the boards here about restrictions on changes with the recent on board bookings. However I since this was a Celebrity initiated change I can't believe they wouldn't apply the deposit to the replacement cruise.

 

While it would have better for the OP to respond to the call in November, I can see where one is busy and/or traveling over the holidays and getting caught up with business in the beginning of January.

 

There can also be some issues between Celebrity proper and Xpedition as the Xpedition is handled by a different team.

 

I'd call again, be polite but insist that it was a situation caused by Celebrity and you shouldn't be the one on the losing end.