Pretty Disappointed . . .

[Schplinky]

Chessbriar,

 

First off, you seem to be confusing me with the OP. I am not. Your use of "you" leads me to think this but perhaps you are using it in the more colloquial sense.

 

You read much more of an attack in my post than was intended and if you perceive it that way, I'm sorry.

 

My point about the concierge was that she is no likely more likely to cope with all the demands of changing itineraries than the check-in people. Arguing that they are different operations should be irrelevant to the average traveller, since these operations are the same company and should be providing the same level of service but this is all beside the point. The average traveller should not have to be such an advocate for themselves as to join chat groups to ensure a good delivery of the product that everyone paid the same price for (within cabin categorries, of course). If the cruise line is unable to deliver that product, certainly they should not be required to compensate people. I agree that a deal is a deal, a contract is a contract. The point of my posts is that when things go wrong, the cruise line should communicate well with folks and treat them all the same, in terms of the quality of information being provided. By pointing out what RCL did in a smilar situation I experienced (informed people regularly, provided refreshment), I was trying to point out a difference and ask why it exists, since they are the same company.

 

Sorry to upset you so.

[halos]

To the OP...

 

First I want to say that I haven't sailed X yet so I'm not a cheerleader for them (not that there's anything wrong with that :D )

Second, I want to express my sorrow at your disappointment.

I do want to say however, that what you experienced...embarkation issues and missed port, are not something that are exclusive to Celebrity. Those issues can and do happen on all the mass market lines. I understand your disappointment but when you book a cruise, you are never 100% guaranteed a port. Everyone should be aware of that when they book and you have to be the type of person who doesn't mind going with the flow when you book a cruise. If you aren't, and ports are that important to you, land vacations would be a far better option in the future.

Your destinations on a cruise are a gamble.(and it seems that lately, it's a larger gamble. I don't know why)...but that's OK for me at this point. I'm always just happy to be on the ship.

If you do cruise again, I wish you better luck next time :)

[Schplinky]

Your destinations on a cruise are a gamble.(and it seems that lately, it's a larger gamble. I don't know why)...but that's OK for me at this point. I'm always just happy to be on the ship.

 

Our friends think we're crazy but we're quietly hoping that weather prevents Freedom of the Seas from doing her western swing next September and we get sent east, which is usually what RCL does if hurricanes prevent a ship from going west. For us, the ship is the key attraction but we're really not that excited about Grand Caymen or Jamaica so we wouldn't mind going to San Juan or St. Martin.

 

Here's hoping for foul weather!!!

[ahoymatey3]

 

Your destinations on a cruise are a gamble.(and it seems that lately, it's a larger gamble. I don't know why:)

 

Maybe they should stop printing iteniraries altoghter, and call them all mystery cruises. After all, that's really what we are agreeing to.

 

I know why they get away with this, because they can. Ships are full and they don't care if we return or not.

[Margate Cruiser]

That's why my wife and I had to up grade to other ships who really know how to treat the guests. There are several companys out there that really treat there guest with repect. You have to find a ship with less than 500 passengers

[chessbriar]

Our friends think we're crazy but we're quietly hoping that weather prevents Freedom of the Seas from doing her western swing next September and we get sent east, which is usually what RCL does if hurricanes prevent a ship from going west. For us, the ship is the key attraction but we're really not that excited about Grand Caymen or Jamaica so we wouldn't mind going to San Juan or St. Martin.

 

Here's hoping for foul weather!!!

 

I love this kind of morbid thinking. I was kind of thinking this way before our cruise. If a hurricane had happened to shut down our debarkation port for a few day granting us a few more days at see, I wasn't going to complain. I got yelled at by my roll call for suggesting it. It was meant in jest.

 

To our original topic, I'm not confusing you with the OP. With regard to communication from X, they notified the TAs two weeks prior to sailing and sent letters to guest booked directly with the line. It seemed as if many guests were never contacted by their TAs. Some if this ire should be directed toward the agents. As too refreshements, yes they were provided, but the facilities did not grant everyone access to them. The building only held a few hundred people and the refreshments were in the front section of the building. Many people were left to stand outside. Had more people either heeded the warnings of the late embarkation and come a little later of been more understanding, embarkation could have been made easier. Of course it's easy for me to say that as I was in the first group boarding as opposed to those who boarded after 4:30, our sailaway time. We were hours late leaving port. But by being some of the first ones there, we saw the port agents fighting with guests who were unwilling to listen to the instructions of what was going on. They took a lot of guff about something that was out of their controll.

 

We should all be thankfull for these kinds of inspections as they insure us safe travel. Yes, they are a pain, but I'd rather have safe sanitary conditions onboard than a quick board and risk what could happen. Keep in mind this ship failed health dept inspections last year.

[halos]

Maybe they should stop printing iteniraries altoghter, and call them all mystery cruises. After all, that's really what we are agreeing to.

 

I know why they get away with this, because they can. Ships are full and they don't care if we return or not.

 

 

You're probably right...so if this bothers you, then you should avoid cruising, right???

That's my point.

There are at least some people who don't find this an issue...these are the people that should book cruises. All others should stay away...

Why book an expensive vacation that may not be what you want and will make you miserable???

The situation is what it is...if you don't like it, don't go into it, get disappointed and b*tch about it.

Because the ships are full, things are going to stay just the way they are.

[boscobeans]

I find it hard to understand how some people complain about cruise lines when they are surrounded with so many other sources of frustration.

 

I have never been offered cookies and or water, or anything else for that matter, by an airline when a flight gets delayed, cancelled or OVER-SOLD. Oh yeah, I really love being delayed for twelve hours in a hub terminal.

 

Has anyone ever arrived at the airport two hours early, as is now recommended, only to find a three hour line. Once again no cookies or water and the absolute silence from the airlines during the wait is deafening. A twenty given to a porter can get you through check-in in five minutes so you only have an hour more to wait to clear security.

 

Everywhere we turn, from the department of motor vehicles to the local bank or supermarket, in our everyday lives we are confronted with obstacles caused by coincidence, stupidity, poor timing, weather or just plain old dumb luck.

 

If a five minute bank visit turns out to be fifteen minutes do we go nuts and ask for compensation? No, yet our trip was three times what it should have been. A couple of hours delay is not that bad when your going on a cruise. A missed port due to weather, mechanical problems or whatever, maybe even pirates, is and has always been a possibility to any cruise.

 

It seems to me that the only place the OP wanted to see was Barbados, which by the way was the only port where I have ever had something stolen from me.. I can feel for the OP but in reality what else could the cruiseline do?

 

Plans frequently go awry, but that's life. There's an adventure around almost every corner, some are good some not so good.

 

Celebrity, as well as most other lines, has a real problem with their on-shore staff. But if you think about it, who doesn't? Customer service in general has dropped to an all time low in this country. Three calls to the same department can often get three different answers. Just try calling the IRS for help, if you take their advice you'll probably get audited.

 

The longest I have ever waited to embark was with Celebrity. We spent two hours in Baltimore waiting for some custom's problem to be cleared up. Met a few people and managed to "suffer" through the "horrid ordeal" as best we could until we got on board and were greated with a glass of champagne and a smile.

 

Big deal. I've waited longer on an expressway only to find the traffic was due to rubber-necking. And alas, there were no cookies and water being handed out to the overheated and frustrated drivers, no refund or anything even to those who had to get off at a different exit.

[Schplinky]

We should all be thankfull for these kinds of inspections as they insure us safe travel. Yes, they are a pain, but I'd rather have safe sanitary conditions onboard than a quick board and risk what could happen. Keep in mind this ship failed health dept inspections last year.

 

Now that, I didn't know.

 

A friend of mine is an environmental officer for Health Canada and does ship inspections in Vancouver. He speaks very highly of the general cleanliness of ships, which was a concern of mine before I sailed the first time.

[ahoymatey3]

You're probably right...so if this bothers you, then you should avoid cruising, right???

That's my point.

There are at least some people who don't find this an issue...these are the people that should book cruises. All others should stay away...

Why book an expensive vacation that may not be what you want and will make you miserable???

The situation is what it is...if you don't like it, don't go into it, get disappointed and b*tch about it.

Because the ships are full, things are going to stay just the way they are.

 

You are correct. And I will be avoiding cruising in the future.

[Tatka]

You are correct. And I will be avoiding cruising in the future.

 

So what are you doing on cruise critics board? :D

[ahoymatey3]

So what are you doing on cruise critics board? :D

 

I have one left to take, the one that has made me decide to no longer cruise. see 'status of the millennium drydock' thread if you want all the details, plus my posts above.

[halos]

I have one left to take, the one that has made me decide to no longer cruise. see 'status of the millennium drydock' thread if you want all the details, plus my posts above.

 

:eek:

Whoa!

You mean you haven't even taken this cruise yet and you're already hating it????

Good Grief, if you can't get out of going, try to at least go into it with a half decent attitude so you won't wreck an entire week of your life.

[dkjretired]

So what are you doing on cruise critics board? :D

 

Has a cruise coming up on Millenium which has been postponed by a couple of days due to the bankrupcy of the ship yard. Celebrity had to switch dockyards for a long scheduled drydock and move equipment and supplies to another drydock a distance away. Celebrity provided a good package to cover expenses, hotels and loss of use of the ship for two days but ahoy is not happy and has been putting stuff on almost every thread. I guess they should have just done the drydock at the bankrupt yard.

[SS Cruise Lady]

I'm sorry to say, I can't enlighten you on this one. I'm still waiting to hear what happened to the guy on the RCCL ship who disappeared. They seem to hide these facts very well.

 

Criminals often give themselves away by stating things pertaining to a crime that were not public knowledge at the time they were interrogated. That is why it is very important for some details of any crime to be kept confidential by the authorities until it is solved.

[ahoymatey3]

Has a cruise coming up on Millenium which has been postponed by a couple of days due to the bankrupcy of the ship yard. Celebrity had to switch dockyards for a long scheduled drydock and move equipment and supplies to another drydock a distance away. Celebrity provided a good package to cover expenses, hotels and loss of use of the ship for two days but ahoy is not happy and has been putting stuff on almost every thread. I guess they should have just done the drydock at the bankrupt yard.

 

first of all, 2 days were cancelled, not postponed. 'a good package' is subjective, somewhat, but 2 days in a third rate hotel, paying for our own meals and entertainment does not compare to 2 days on a cruise ship with meal and entertainment included.

 

Obviously you missed the $1000 issue. obviously you missed the being lied to and poorly treat.

 

i am far from being the only person that is unhappy with this. and will continue to post and post and post and post and post....

[cruising with marti]

first of all, 2 days were cancelled, not postponed. 'a good package' is subjective, somewhat, but 2 days in a third rate hotel, paying for our own meals and entertainment does not compare to 2 days on a cruise ship with meal and entertainment included.

 

Obviously you missed the $1000 issue. obviously you missed the being lied to and poorly treat.

 

i am far from being the only person that is unhappy with this. and will continue to post and post and post and post and post....

 

 

 

Post all you want, I just love ranting and raving:cool:

 

 

Phil

[ahoymatey3]

... ahoy is not happy and has been putting stuff on almost every thread...

 

one more thing - if my posts upset you that much there are two options:

 

1) use the little scroll bar in the right of your screen

 

2) edit your profile to ignore my posts

 

Hope that helps, cause I'm a helpful kinda guy :p

[ahoymatey3]

thanks, phil. I like reading those too.

[halos]

Ahoy,

Did they give you the option to cancel? (not being sarcastic here...I honestly want to know)

[ahoymatey3]

Ahoy,

Did they give you the option to cancel? (not being sarcastic here...I honestly want to know)

 

Not until yesterday, when I was conferenced in with my TA. It was not part of the written offer. They would not pay my air penalties, which would've been around $400. If they would've agreed to that, I would've been fine with the whole thing. Its likely i would've even given them a 2nd chance. its not there there is a problem, but how the problem is handled that is most important to me.

[JNLROSE]

Not until yesterday,

 

So they HAVE now given you the opportunity to cancel? At what cost to you?

[ahoymatey3]

So they HAVE now given you the opportunity to cancel? At what cost to you?

 

We must have been posting at the same time. read one post up.

[newmexicoNita]

wow, as a TA let me just throw my 2 cents worth in:

 

Celebrity is one of the best lines there is, but like everything in life, they do have some quirks. The biggest one: changing ports: sometimes months in advance, sometimes not nearly that long, sometimes while you are on your cruise. Anyone who books a cruise because of one or two ports blows my mind: If you want to see a particular port and missing it will leave you feeling cheated than a land vacation may be a better answer. A cruise is a total experience, food, ports, activities, service, entertainment and relaxation:all rolled up into 1 time frame.

 

Those who missed 2 out of 4 ports on a transatlantic cruise have a reason to be truely unhappy. Still, if there was a reason we have to make the best out of our experience and still enjoy the cruise. Ports do get cancelled or changed everyday for many reasons.

 

Someone is offered a chance to cancel but the cruise line will not pick up the airline penalties: of course not, why should they? You did that part of your trip on your own. It may not seem fair, but it is the way any cruiseline would do business; if you booked a resort and for some reason decided the package was not what you were hoping for and your air was separate, do you really think you would be entitled to any compensation for air penalties. I think too many of us expect a little too much. Go on the cruise, relax, forget your disappointment and have a great experience. NMnita

[ahoymatey3]

wow, as a TA let me just throw my 2 cents worth in:

 

Celebrity is one of the best lines there is, but like everything in life, they do have some quirks. The biggest one: changing ports: sometimes months in advance, sometimes not nearly that long, sometimes while you are on your cruise. Anyone who books a cruise because of one or two ports blows my mind: If you want to see a particular port and missing it will leave you feeling cheated than a land vacation may be a better answer. A cruise is a total experience, food, ports, activities, service, entertainment and relaxation:all rolled up into 1 time frame.

 

Those who missed 2 out of 4 ports on a transatlantic cruise have a reason to be truely unhappy. Still, if there was a reason we have to make the best out of our experience and still enjoy the cruise. Ports do get cancelled or changed everyday for many reasons.

 

Someone is offered a chance to cancel but the cruise line will not pick up the airline penalties: of course not, why should they? You did that part of your trip on your own. It may not seem fair, but it is the way any cruiseline would do business; if you booked a resort and for some reason decided the package was not what you were hoping for and your air was separate, do you really think you would be entitled to any compensation for air penalties. I think too many of us expect a little too much. Go on the cruise, relax, forget your disappointment and have a great experience. NMnita

 

Why should they pickup the airfare? It was X's fault and their decision. The strikes by the french dock workers, which triggered the backruptcy, occurred 6 weeks ago. X should've been on top of things. RCI is a mega corp, not "mary and bob's cruiseline". They were caught with their pants down.

 

One little known fact is the millie is doing a 2 day cruise-to-nowhere when she returns to fort lauderdale. X could've cancelled that 2 day cruise and merely postponed ours. The people taking the 2 day are most likely local (many are on the preceding transatlantic) so they have much less to lose. Unfortunately, that wasn't the decision that was made. proably because the per diem is 2 and 3 times what I paid (i booked 8 months ago, some people booked well over a year ago).

 

I did not "decide the package wasn't for me". One can pack up and go to another resort and salvage their vacation. Its not possible to pack up and go to a different ship on such short notice.