Solstice had to return to Melbourne last night

[Muffinz]

Just because you signed up for a cruise that said you will to go to A, B , C and D - it does not guarantee you will make those ports.

I just read the fine print on our cruise documents for solstice on 30 March and it said (words to the effect of) "Celebrity cannot guarantee they can make every port / destination on our cruise...."

The Captain put the safety of passengers first - and so they should have....

 

put yourself in the shoes of the persons family... what if it were your family member on the cruise that was very sick and needed urgent medical treatment... what would you think if the captian said "sorry we've got passengers on board who paid good money for this cruise and they want to see Milford, Dusky and Doubtful Sounds - so you'll have to wait until we get to Dunedin...."

[Keith1010]

In the end safety is the most important thing.

 

I am reminded that if any of us had a medical issue we would want the ship to put our well being at the very top when it comes to these types of decisions.

 

Keith

[Merriem]

Just because you signed up for a cruise that said you will to go to A, B , C and D - it does not guarantee you will make those ports.

I just read the fine print on our cruise documents for solstice on 30 March and it said (words to the effect of) "Celebrity cannot guarantee they can make every port / destination on our cruise...."

The Captain put the safety of passengers first - and so they should have....

 

put yourself in the shoes of the persons family... what if it were your family member on the cruise that was very sick and needed urgent medical treatment... what would you think if the captian said "sorry we've got passengers on board who paid good money for this cruise and they want to see Milford, Dusky and Doubtful Sounds - so you'll have to wait until we get to Dunedin...."

We have cruised about 50 times and are well aware of the contract. This has nothing to do about the welfare of the passenger ...and the fact that the announcement was made during the night in our cabin...it is about choices. $$$$ over passengers wishes. Have you ever spent this much money on a cruise???just curious.

[Merriem]

In the end safety is the most important thing.

 

I am reminded that if any of us had a medical issue we would want the ship to put our well being at the very top when it comes to these types of decisions.

 

Keith

 

Of course a medical issue takes the first concern. Never said it didn't. I know there was a thread about passengers over 70 not allowed on some tours...maybe they should look at the medical history and health of some of these passengers.

[The_Big_M]

I would like to know why the ship made such a drastic measure as to return to port? Is the heli pad adequate?

 

 

 

 

Conditions. Availability. Range. Lots of possible reasons.

 

 

Do you have concerns now with the captain's decision making ability as well?

[Muffinz]

it is about choices. $$$$ over passengers wishes. Have you ever spent this much money on a cruise???just curious.

 

as I said it is all about passenger safety - passengers first.... you're making out like the captain should have ignored the medical emergency and gone to Fiordland anyway.... The captain had a decision to make and in my opinion they made the right one

 

read your cruise contract again and stop moaning

 

and for your information, yes we are about to embark on our first cruise and it is costing us a lot of money... and if for some reason on the cruise we are unable to make it to a port bcause of bad weather, rough seas or a medical emergency on board, I sure as heck won't come on cruise critic and moan about it!

[OzKiwiJJ]

Instead of getting your knickers in a knot you might like to check this out:

http://www.metservice.com/maps-radar/marine-forecast-maps/significant-wave-height

[Suzi66]

Well I understand your situation with a cyclone. Obviously that was the right decision. I have emailed our TA to cancel the Feb 2019 Solstice cruise as we feel this was a tactical decision based on short term profits vs long term client loyalty.

 

Have you read the post straight after the one you answered with this. It says you were probably going to miss the Sounds anyway because of the current cyclone. I hope that tomorrow morning after you have had a sleep you realise that your holiday is not ruined, Celebrity and the captain have done the right thing, and you have probably cut your nose off to spite your face by cancelling your other cruise. Every ship that is travelling Australian and NZ waters has to make these decisions all the time

[OzKiwiJJ]

Have you read the post straight after the one you answered with this. It says you were probably going to miss the Sounds anyway because of the current cyclone. I hope that tomorrow morning after you have had a sleep you realise that your holiday is not ruined, Celebrity and the captain have done the right thing, and you have probably cut your nose off to spite your face by cancelling your other cruise. Every ship that is travelling Australian and NZ waters has to make these decisions all the time

 

It's not actually the cyclone that is causing the high seas, it's the weather conditions in what is known as the Roaring Forties. High seas around the bottom of NZ are quite common and regularly cause cancellations of Fiordland scenic cruising. The significant wave height predictions are nastier than usual this week.

[Suzi66]

It's not actually the cyclone that is causing the high seas, it's the weather conditions in what is known as the Roaring Forties. High seas around the bottom of NZ are quite common and regularly cause cancellations of Fiordland scenic cruising. The significant wave height predictions are nastier than usual this week.

 

As I said previously I have been on a cruise when the Carnival ship the day before us couldn't get in to the Fiordlands, nor dock at Dunedin and even at Akaroa it was iffy if they were going to go in. We had lovely days at all 3 just one day later, but the sea was choppy at Akaroa.

 

I've just looked at that sea map. Yuk!

 

 

We get on the Solstice for it's next trip. I'm expecting either a changed itinerary or missed ports, but that is what happens.

[OzKiwiJJ]

Yuk is right! :p

 

We've been really lucky on both the Solstice NZ cruises we've done. Great weather in Fiordland both times. We did have five metre seas crossing the Tasman on the first cruise though but Solstice handles those sorts of seas really well.

[Beanb41]

Lets look at the practicality of the situation. The return to Melbourne for the repatriation of a sick person put the ship 12 hours behind schedule. It would have been planned to arrive at the entrance to Milford Sound around 8.00 am and depart Dusky Sound around 4.00pm all things being equal. Move forward 12 hours and it is now dark. Passengers on a Milford excursion could still be disembarked and then head for Dunedin. Even a bright full moonlit night there will be nothing to see in Thompson, Doubtful and Dusky sound arriving at the end of Dusky sound at 4.00 am. Still very dark and because of the distance still to travel Dunedin will have to be missed.

Sorry complainers as much as I love traversing our lovely Sounds in Fiordland this medical emergency means you will have to do them next cruise.

[late2cruisin]

Don't know your itinerary, hopefully the cruise will be visiting Picton as the Marlborough Sounds are also wonderful.

 

Sent from my SM-G900I using Forums mobile app

 

This was my thought too as I was reading this thread. We got off the Solstice in Perth on March 5. Our itinerary didn't include the Sounds this time (although we had done them on the Solstice 4 years ago) but I was very impressed with the Marlborough Sounds leaving Picton. I hope you will be able to enjoy them.

[Yoshikitty]

Of course a medical issue takes the first concern. Never said it didn't. I know there was a thread about passengers over 70 not allowed on some tours...maybe they should look at the medical history and health of some of these passengers.

 

Wow, maybe you think about having a break from CC for 24 hours.......

It's not mandatory defending your questionable position every 5 minutes with even more questionable arguments.

We get it that you are unhappy. Celebrity will get over with your cancellation for sure.

 

Deal with it and move on is my advise.

Edited March 12, 2018 by Yoshikitty

[anniegb]

This was my thought too as I was reading this thread. We got off the Solstice in Perth on March 5. Our itinerary didn't include the Sounds this time (although we had done them on the Solstice 4 years ago) but I was very impressed with the Marlborough Sounds leaving Picton. I hope you will be able to enjoy them.

 

The Marlborough sounds are often forgotten. I actually prefer them especially if you sail through them on a mail run boat. Magical.

 

Annie

[Silkroad]

I guess the level of irrritance comes down to time, how much you paid for the cruise and business class tickets, poor communication, and not getting what was advertised. You know I cannot comprehend the level of passivity of people today. Maybe when you get older you will GET IT

Having read this thread, here’s what I get. Yes, I have dreamed of visiting this region, with land trips on both ends of a cruise like yours, but I cannot do it before retirement. I would be quite disappointed about missing the sounds, but my first thought was for the dangerously ill passenger and his or her partner. My second thought was that should I have your experience, I’d hold my beloved husband close and be very, very thankful to be able share even a changed itinerary in a spectacularly beautiful region with him. I imagine the evacuated passenger and his/her partner would trade all the fjords in the world if they could be sharing what you and your husband still have. Precious time with the person you love most.

Edited March 12, 2018 by Silkroad

[Globehoppers]

Missing the point again. The passenger has been taken care of and of course that was of upmost importance.

 

this is about a decision made by Celebrity..tours = money. cruising the fiords = 000000

 

like all US passengers this was a long trip and to many we will miss the best part. They made the choice.

 

No. YOU are missing the point. You presume the change is over income. Being in port incurs port fees, bunkers (as needed), supplies, etc. All costly. "Cruising the fjords" is just that, cruising. Slight change in itinerary and you still make port on time. Get over it.

[richsea]

Missing the point again. The passenger has been taken care of and of course that was of upmost importance.

 

this is about a decision made by Celebrity..tours = money. cruising the fiords = 000000

 

like all US passengers this was a long trip and to many we will miss the best part. They made the choice.

Are you an experienced navigator? Just how do you know what ports they can and cannot make due to the lost time? Your rant is childish.

[TFLG]

No. YOU are missing the point. You presume the change is over income. Being in port incurs port fees, bunkers (as needed), supplies, etc. All costly. "Cruising the fjords" is just that, cruising. Slight change in itinerary and you still make port on time. Get over it.

 

Absolutely correct, A cruise ship would much rather cruise that sit in port. they have 2000-3000 captive passengers spending money on board. Celebrity isn't making that much on shore excursions most of that goes to the tour operator. Port costs can be very high depending on the port and whatever additional support is needed (port personnel, security, tugs, shuttles, etc). Even in Miami it costs the Solstice something like $44,000 just to park at the pier. And Miami is probably a cheap port due to the volume and the size of the port. Obviously some of those costs are paid by us in our port fees (and you would get a small refund for a missed port). But those fees don't cover all the costs of porting a cruise ship, Celebrity isn't making a fortune on those excursions and there is still costs involved in cruising the fjords (fuel, a pilot and possibly additional insurance). Chances of them doing it for some additional profit are unlikely and it's a moot point, the weather map indicated that the chances of that ship actually making the Fjords this cruise would be very slim anyway.

[HokiePoq]

Missing the point again. The passenger has been taken care of and of course that was of upmost importance.

 

this is about a decision made by Celebrity..tours = money. cruising the fiords = 000000

 

like all US passengers this was a long trip and to many we will miss the best part. They made the choice.

 

I am really sorry OP and others are missing what they were looking forward to the most. Flying that far to not see them is very frustrating. Those in Chile and Norway look very much like them (also Alaska) and won't be so far to fly if it's any consolation. The ports on that itinerary are good, too, and I hope all will be able to enjoy those.

The patronizing replies OP has gotten are not helpful in my opinion.

[RDC1]

No. YOU are missing the point. You presume the change is over income. Being in port incurs port fees, bunkers (as needed), supplies, etc. All costly. "Cruising the fjords" is just that, cruising. Slight change in itinerary and you still make port on time. Get over it.

 

On top of that the cruise line would have already paid the fees associated with cruising the fjords (which unlike port fees are not refundable).

 

Cruise lines always move to get back on schedule ASAP after a deviation. It is in their interest, as well as the passengers to do so. Under the Celebrity UK passenger contract, missing one port is a minor deviation, missing 2 is a major deviation and actionable under UK PTR 1992.

[RDC1]

I am really sorry OP and others are missing what they were looking forward to the most. Flying that far to not see them is very frustrating. Those in Chile and Norway look very much like them (also Alaska) and won't be so far to fly if it's any consolation. The ports on that itinerary are good, too, and I hope all will be able to enjoy those.

The patronizing replies OP has gotten are not helpful in my opinion.

 

The patronizing replies might not be helpful, but the OP's insistence that missing the fjords was done solely for revenue is also not helpful and a bit absurd. As one that has sailed a great deal on multiple lines I have observed on several occasions that cruise lines will always move to get back on schedule ASAP after a deviation. Normally in such cases the first port is the one usually impacted. There are a number of issues that arise anytime a deviation occurs and unlike someone driving a car to a city, a cruise ship cannot always just shift their schedule. Visits are scheduled a long time in advance and deviations require a lot of paperwork and approval of groups outside of the cruise line itself. That means that often one can skip a location, but not reschedule.

[gg88]

When your flight is cancelled due to weather issues completely outside the control of the airlines, if you hold elite status, Delta still comps you 10k miles, meal vouchers, hotel vouchers, and upgrade on the replacement flight. That's the model of customer service I am used to. The "YEAH it's not our fault, but we don't want you to be left with a bad taste in your mouth and we take care of our elites" model.

 

Unfortunately I don't understand your argument? I think you are saying that only customers who are considered brand loyalists with an extremely high loyalty rating should get compensated. But, if that's the case, you wouldn't get compensated? Based on your examples, it would only be Zenith (and maybe, possibly, Elite Plus) that would be compensated... and based on your signature line, you are no where near that level!

 

So, why would you care?

[HokiePoq]

The patronizing replies might not be helpful, but the OP's insistence that missing the fjords was done solely for revenue is also not helpful and a bit absurd. As one that has sailed a great deal on multiple lines I have observed on several occasions that cruise lines will always move to get back on schedule ASAP after a deviation. Normally in such cases the first port is the one usually impacted. There are a number of issues that arise anytime a deviation occurs and unlike someone driving a car to a city, a cruise ship cannot always just shift their schedule. Visits are scheduled a long time in advance and deviations require a lot of paperwork and approval of groups outside of the cruise line itself. That means that often one can skip a location, but not reschedule.

 

Obviously. Not stupid here just sympathetic to OP for missing out.

[lovecruzin]

Reminder that the OP is not the same person who has been back multiple times. Hopefully Merriem has had a good night sleep and has a better attitude today!