Celebrity Customer Service - very bad

[Marie Stevens]

I made a complaint to customer service regarding our embarkation in San Pedro to Hawaii. To make a long story short, we waited outside in the cold rainy, windy weather to embark for 6 hours. The place was bedlam with passengers eveywhere. We were to sail at 5:00pm and didnt leave until 11:00p. My husband ended up with pneumonia from being out and getting soaked. I know they had problems that day but when we disembarked I saw several very large rooms that they could have held passengers in out of the weather. Whenever you asked Celebrity personnel what was going on you got a different answer. Whoever was in charge did not have a clue. We are Elite members and stock holders and I really thought that my request for an upgrade on one of the two cruises we now have booked it would be considered but all I got was a very weak I am sorry, and I didnt get that until I told them I at least expected an apology. I am really disappointed in them as we have been very loyal customers.

[tuggers]

Kind of normal, I'm afraid. There was a similar situation when the Galaxy disembarked after the Oct TA. I never heard if anyone got any satisfaction from letter writing on that one. I don't know why, but I think an upgrade is not something they would do. I think you would have done better asking for something else. JMO

 

What did your ta advise? Or did they make this request for you?

[Marie Stevens]

No, I didnt tell my TA. That is a good idea. I will call her tomorrow. Thanks.

[lysolqn]

Sorry for your bad time. I'm not defending X, but sometimes a bad embarkation/debarkation experience is the fault of the port authority and not the cruiseline.

[Danno]

Sorry for your bad time. I'm not defending X, but sometimes a bad embarkation/debarkation experience is the fault of the port authority and not the cruiseline.

 

Still the fault of X for letting it happen...they are the customer of the port, took the money from the pax for the "package"...no free pass, X is at fault, 100%.

[Karynanne]

Still the fault of X for letting it happen...they are the customer of the port, took the money from the pax for the "package"...no free pass, X is at fault, 100%.

 

Interesting...We were on that cruise, and I never felt X was at fault. I developed bronchitis onboard, and until now, never thought that it was from standing out in the cold for 4-5 hrs. Leaving 6 hrs. late wasn't an issue for us. We still enjoyed that first evening. I don't expect X to compensate us in any form. And we are also an Elite cruiser, and have 3 more cruises booked.

 

Karyn

[cruising with marti]

Still the fault of X for letting it happen...they are the customer of the port, took the money from the pax for the "package"...no free pass, X is at fault, 100%.

 

I respectfully disagree, exactly what do you mean " X let it happen" ?

 

 

phil

[Danno]

I respectfully disagree, exactly what do you mean " X let it happen" ?

 

 

phil

 

No matter what happens in my business, I am responsible, when things go well I rewarded, when things don't go well it cannot be simply blamed on an employee...it is my fault.

 

If there was a problem with the port workers an exec with X should have been pounding a desk, demanding that it be corrected and corrected NOW!!

 

And I also don't agree with compensation...just an apology and acceptance that things were not handled properly. If you start handing out compensation, NOTHING will ever be good enough with those who want something in return.

[cruising with marti]

Unfortunately Dan, the port authority is not a employee of X, but rather X is a customer, but you are right X should have been raisin Hell, but who is to say that they weren't

 

Phil

[canderson]

I made a complaint to customer service regarding our embarkation in San Pedro to Hawaii. To make a long story short, we waited outside in the cold rainy, windy weather to embark for 6 hours. The place was bedlam with passengers eveywhere. We were to sail at 5:00pm and didnt leave until 11:00p. My husband ended up with pneumonia from being out and getting soaked. I know they had problems that day but when we disembarked I saw several very large rooms that they could have held passengers in out of the weather. Whenever you asked Celebrity personnel what was going on you got a different answer. Whoever was in charge did not have a clue. We are Elite members and stock holders and I really thought that my request for an upgrade on one of the two cruises we now have booked it would be considered but all I got was a very weak I am sorry, and I didnt get that until I told them I at least expected an apology. I am really disappointed in them as we have been very loyal customers.

Sounds about as well organized (and equally cold and rainy) to the fiasco we had disembarking from Galaxy in Galveston on 12/17/05. Like you, I found this to be completely out of line, and an absolutely terrible way to end a cruise. In this case, it had nothing to do with port authorities or anyone else that wasn't being paid by Celebrity -- it was their contracted shore transportation service. A few tried to blame it on the fact that 3 ships were disembarking on the same day, but I noted that Galveston Limousine Service had no problem getting any number of their buses to the pier on time and their passengers to the airport. The fact that the shore-side rep couldn't account for the whereabouts of the "Celebrity" buses, called them "no-shows", and advised that it would take 2~3 MORE hours to round up other transportation was the kicker.

 

Shortly after returning, I sent both FAX and email (copy posted here), and have yet to receive any kind of reply. When I called (a mistake, I'll grant you), the CS rep had the nerve to try to explain that these services weren't provided by Celebrity and were out of their control -- as though Celebrity has no control over its subcontractors nor any obligation to be sure they're performing properly on Celebrity's behalf!

 

Still waiting...

[jukeboxy]

Unfortunately Dan, the port authority is not a employee of X, but rather X is a customer, but you are right X should have been raisin Hell, but who is to say that they weren't

 

Phil

Until you get in the terminal and get your seapass your not in the hands of the cruise line. If you have ever had dealings with unions and civil service you would know they operate differently than the normal world. You cannot rush them or force them to do things other than their own way.

I know for a fact that in San Diego the man in charge does everything to make sure the people that come into his area of control have a good experience. But there are times in life you run into events that you have no direct control over.

Getting off the ship you have another set of people who have rules to follow. The Imigration Service is not going to bend their rules for clearing the ship for anyones plane connection. As soon as the ship docks and they come aboard you are at their tender mercies.

So all cruise lines have to accept the facts of life they have to deal with.

I look at a cruise as an event when I am on the ship being spoiled and having a good time. The getting on and off is something to tolorate to be allowed to enjoy the inbetween times.

[canderson]

Until you get in the terminal and get your seapass your not in the hands of the cruise line.

[snip]

Getting off the ship you have another set of people who have rules to follow.

That's all well and good PROVIDING we are not talking about that set of people who are being contracted by Celebrity for their services -- and that includes "Celebrity" ground transportation (buses), registration area employees, etc. Granted, we all know that the people coordinating and performing check-in and Celebrity-contracted ground transportation are most often not really Celebrity employees, but most of them are wearing Celebrity badges, and their performance (or lack of it) is Celebrity's responsibility as the company letting these contracts. If they don't perform, Celebrity should be contracting with other companies who WILL.

[Marie Stevens]

I am sorry I mentioned it. Perhaps I was unnecessarily concerned due to the fact that I had to call the emergency room in LA to see if a person with pneumonia could fly home becaise I was sure he had it; they said it was okay. Virtually dragging my husband across the country so sick he could hardly hold his head up probably should have been "just another little inconvenience."

[tuggers]

Please don't be sorry you posted. We need to hear about these things.

 

On my one and only Carnival Cruise I came home with Legionnaire's Disease (that's what they used to call it). I was living north of Tampa at that time and had taken a cruise supplied bus from there to Cape Canaveral and back. Let me tell you that was one miserable trip home. The next day I had a temp of 105 and was in Intensive Care for 6 days. Several people got sick on that cruise and they never paid anything on a $15,000 hospital bill (this was years ago).

 

I didn't offer an opinion on what I thought you should or shouldn't ask for or get because I didn't think that was your question. I do think you do better if you ask for something definite, like a certain amount of credit off a cruise or on board credits. They seem to do better with those than a more vague 'upgrade'. JMO

 

Don't let me or any other posters run you off. We all have opinions and we LOVE to voice them!!!:D

[Danno]

Sorry...I didn't mean to frighten anyone....:o

[judyfssw]

We have limited experiences with embarkations and disembarkations other than San Juan, ie: Vancouver, Ft. Lauderdale and San Pedro. However, our very worst experience was in San Pedro. I don't know if it's because the terminal is not set up well or what. I do know that having people lined up for literally an hour or more, in the hot sun (or rain or whatever) is not good. They were just allowing a few people at a time through security. And, then when we returned, it was a mess onboard as well as in the luggage part of the terminal (but, truthfully, not as bad.

I think, as others have posted, that it's the fault of the people who run/work for the Port Authority.

I thought our adventure was a one time thing until I read others posts from people who have experienced problems there. I'm hoping that Celebrity and the Port Authority can get something worked out before our next cruise leaving from there.

[Danno]

If you have ever had dealings with unions and civil service you would know they operate differently than the normal world.

 

Amen to that....

[hhv100]

Interesting...We were on that cruise, and I never felt X was at fault. I developed bronchitis onboard, and until now, never thought that it was from standing out in the cold for 4-5 hrs. Leaving 6 hrs. late wasn't an issue for us. We still enjoyed that first evening. I don't expect X to compensate us in any form. And we are also an Elite cruiser, and have 3 more cruises booked.

 

Karyn

 

Being cold and damp does not cause a cold / bronchitis / pneumonia. Neither does going out with wet hair, regardless of what your mother may have told you. However, being cooped up on a plane or a ship with another person who is spreading the virus or bacteria can certainly make you ill.

 

Sorry, just a pet peeve of mine. It's right up there with people's insistence on keeping head-injured patients awake!:o

[Florida Lady]

Being cold and damp can cause your resistance to be weaken. THIS WILL PREVENT YOU FROM FIGHTING OFF A COLD, ETC.

[hhv100]

Being cold and damp can cause your resistance to be weaken. THIS WILL PREVENT YOU FROM FIGHTING OFF A COLD, ETC.

 

Not according to anything I was taught in med school.

[tuggers]

Ah, med school! The only thing better than that is 'mother school' and they say being cold and wet will make you sick! Just ask any mother! Case closed! :D :D :D

 

 

 

 

(you can't fight it!)

[joramrose]

My last two cruises were fun until disembarkation. Then everything fell apart.

 

If Celebrity is going to charge me for airfare and for transportation to the airport, then they jolly well are requjired to deliver it or make compensation.

 

Since everything tht happened on that horrible day (Halloween) when I disembarked in Galveston following a TA on Galaxy, I just chalked it up to expereince and let it go. Nevertheless, I was ticked off.

 

Celebrity DID book my flight from Galveston to Tulsa, OK, and gave me a voucher for shuttle service to the airport.

 

I ran around the ship all morning trying to find out which airport I was to go to, and finally some bright girl in Customer Service said it had to be Bush Airport since Celebrity did not have a bus to Hobby. I needed to know sionce I had a friend meeting me for lunch at the airport.

 

Well, then the fiasco and all but the first batch of passengers wer3 held up from leaving the ship. I heard lots of stories, but have no idea of the real story.

 

I finally got off three hours late, and got on a shuttle to Bush Airport. And guess what -- my flight was to leave from Hobby, an airport my shuttle would not take me to.

 

Fprtunately, airline personnel arranged me another flight without penalty. 'Wht happened next was not Celebrity's fault. There was bad weather in Dallas and planes could not leave there to come to Houston, and then when they did, there was bad weather in Houston and planes could not fly out. I got the last plane to Tulsa from Dallas,finally, and arrived home after midnight, having spent all day long trying to make a four-hour journey!

 

And then came the fiasco in January trhying to get off MSC Opera in Fort Lauderdale, but that's another story.

 

If ships are not going to be able to stick to any kind of embarkation or disembarkation schedule, they should so note in their documentation. Many people missed flights on both those occasions mentioned above.

 

love

joan

[jukeboxy]

That's all well and good PROVIDING we are not talking about that set of people who are being contracted by Celebrity for their services -- and that includes "Celebrity" ground transportation (buses), registration area employees, etc. Granted, we all know that the people coordinating and performing check-in and Celebrity-contracted ground transportation are most often not really Celebrity employees, but most of them are wearing Celebrity badges, and their performance (or lack of it) is Celebrity's responsibility as the company letting these contracts. If they don't perform, Celebrity should be contracting with other companies who WILL.

And I hope they do make changes as needed however they can't do much during a borading period because of the people and agencies they are dealing with.

BTW I take an umbrella on rainy days and plastic covers for my luggage. You see since we're quoting our mothers I proved her wrong because I do have sense enough to get out of the rain.

Anyone who has cruised often knows the risk of getting on or off the ship so build a bridge and get over it.

[cruising with marti]

right on jukeboxy

 

 

Phil

[Karynanne]

Being cold and damp does not cause a cold / bronchitis / pneumonia. Neither does going out with wet hair, regardless of what your mother may have told you. However, being cooped up on a plane or a ship with another person who is spreading the virus or bacteria can certainly make you ill.

 

Sorry, just a pet peeve of mine. It's right up there with people's insistence on keeping head-injured patients awake!:o

 

I never did say that the cold and damp weather caused the bronchitis...it was just I hadn't THOUGHT about it until I read the OP...I personally am not blaming X for the embarkation issue. It didn't ruin my cruise (nor did the bronchitis), and realize that some situations are just that...a situation, that in time will ultimately be resolved.

 

Karyn