Cruiser BEWARE...

[chemmo]

11 minutes ago, GerScot said:

I have it for an Apex cruise which was booked on board last year.

 

We have had deals in the past with a ‘price promise’ but the price promise was only until (I think) six months before cruising whereas most significant price drops are after this point.

 

How long is your price promise for? Was it stated as being a booking on board general thing or a specific offer for the cruise you booked? Look forward to your answers...not something we were aware was available.

[GerScot]

There was no limit on time and I believe it was given probably because we were booking on board.

[Bo1953]

8 hours ago, Puffles311 said:

I think what agent said is they had to refund the original cruise, and they held a new booking for the new date. Makes no sense that they couldn't just move my deposit to the new cruise.

 

The agent kept putting me on hold to go "talk to a supervisor". I haven't got a confirmation email for either the new booking or cancellation.  

 

The conversation was not clear. Extremely disappointing  service for a supposedly premium cruise line. Enough that I'm willing to walk away from the deposit and be grateful I didn't spend more with this company.

You mean to say that you were not provided a confirmation # after the booking?

 

With that number you are able to check the details of the booking, usually within 30 minutes.

 

It reads like fails on both side of the phone, in this case.

 

bon voyage

[Bo1953]

3 hours ago, crusinthrough said:

You can make changes or cancel a NRD reservation within 24 hours with no penalty.  I have done it plenty of times.  

Thank you for the info, I was not aware of this ability.

 

bon voyage

[bEwAbG]

Never get off the phone until you receive the emailed confirmation so you can see the terms.

 

Always check the confirmation they send to make sure it's right.  If you'd done that within a few hours (not the next day), they're more likely to listen to your complaint about not being told the details of the deposit terms. 

 

If you don't like what you're hearing from one agent, either insist on talking directly with the supervisor or simply hang up and call another agent.  Sometimes it helps to reset the conversation.

 

 

[terrydtx]

8 hours ago, Happy Cruiser 6143 said:

I would suggest that you use an experienced agent in the future since you seem to have little knowledge of cruiseline policies.

 

By the way, the suite experience on Celebrity is quite pleasant.

I agree, I have used the same TA for 15 years and have never had an issue with any cruise line that she couldn't resolve. She has booked us often at better deals than what was available online, including our Infinity cruise for next year which was booked at $400pp less than the price on X website. It was a NRD but she fully explained it to us and we were fine with it. The cruise line booking agents work for the cruise line and have the cruise line's best interest, while a private TA works for me with my best interests in mind. 

Edited February 21, 2020 by terrydtx

[waterbug123]

9 hours ago, Puffles311 said:

I'm starting to think of maybe Celebrity is not the place to spend 19K on a cruise if they cannot simply move my cruise deposit 24 hours after made.

 

Does Celebrity have a 24 hour cancellation policy and are you certain you were within that period?  If they do and you called 24 hours and 5 minutes later then it's too late.

 

9 hours ago, Puffles311 said:

 

Cannot blame you. I was not aware there was NRD reservation, I wasn't offer any option.

 

Seems unlikely that the agent wouldn't read the terms to you, but I guess it's always a possibility.  When you called back, did you ask for someone to pull the recording of the conversation?  Most corporate phone calls these days have a disclaimer that the "call may be monitored or recorded..." and asking them to check that often results in getting a different response.  Whether they actually check or not, I have no idea; maybe they figure if the customer is willing to have the recording listened to then they're pretty sure their person said/didn't say what the customer claims.

 

8 hours ago, Puffles311 said:

I think what agent said is they had to refund the original cruise, and they held a new booking for the new date. Makes no sense that they couldn't just move my deposit to the new cruise.

 

I think you're kind of arguing semantics here.   In my experience it's very common for a company to have to divide a "change" into 2 separate transactions...a cancellation of the first and then a new sale/booking/reservation.  Even if another company has told they will just change something, I'd bet that most of the time what they are actually having to do behind the scenes is a two step process of cancel then process the new sale. 

Side note, is there any chance that you booked your cruise for the very near future and are thus inside the non-refundable period?  If someone already asked that I apologize if I missed it. 

[justcrusn]

I’m so puzzled here. The OP booked a $19,000 vacation, NONREFUNDABLE With a travel agent  (not celebritycruises) and is upset there is a $100 fee to modify it?
Or presumably $900 to just walk away? 

Seems like a small amount in the big scheme of things and not really a cruiseline complaint.

Just my two cents, but pay the $100 and chalk it up to experience.

[Oceangoer2]

9 hours ago, Puffles311 said:

I think what agent said is they had to refund the original cruise, and they held a new booking for the new date. Makes no sense that they couldn't just move my deposit to the new cruise.

 

The agent kept putting me on hold to go "talk to a supervisor". I haven't got a confirmation email for either the new booking or cancellation.  

 

The conversation was not clear. Extremely disappointing  service for a supposedly premium cruise line. Enough that I'm willing to walk away from the deposit and be grateful I didn't spend more with this company.

 

 

This could have been very simple...you want a cruise CONTRACT changed;  you paid a NRD of $900.  The first cruise would be cancelled and you lose $200 (on a $19K suite, a $200 loss shouldn't be upsetting).  Then you re-book the desired cruise date and $700 will be applied toward your deposit.  At this point on the new date, it's your choice - R or NR;  if refundable you will pay a lot more for your cruise.  Whether booking a high end suite or an inside cabin, this contract applies to all of us - no exceptions for location - (just happened to me with a good resolution and minimum discussion).  BTW, you may not have heard back from the X agent right away if your 'case' has been referred to the Resolution Desk...I've found Celebrity tries to make their guests happy and explore every avenue to do so.  JMHO.

Edited February 21, 2020 by oceangoer2

[GastroGnome]

3 hours ago, chemmo said:

You know this is exactly what we thought we would be able to do once I retired but firstly they don’t tend to significantly reduce the price of RS/PH suites (they will use the upgrade system) and secondly booking flights 4/6 weeks before sailing date can not only be expensive but they can be messy (bad timing, long layover....)

 

Flights... completely agree.  Very difficult to do last minute.  PH / RS though...  We'll I've never managed it with the PH, but I've never tried.  But with the RS several times.  S class ships out of Southampton.  We never cruise lower than a CS anyway  - but they come up too - possibly becuase someone has upgraded internally.  

 

3 hours ago, sgmn said:

Do you know if we get price drops now in UK. It always was a 'no'. That would be a great perk.

 

You don't get quite the same as the US price drop thing but you can re-fare your booking.  You have to keep an eye on your perks and it is far more effecrtive if you do it from an initial on board booking.  For sailings we have booked far in advance we tend to be able to refare then 2 or 3 times dropping the pricen or adding OBC each time.  Its takes some dedication and persistence though.  And we deal with X direct - not through a TA.

[Georgia_Peaches]

The OP has repeatedly remarked on the price of the cruise (19k) as if the amount Celebrity stands to gain or lose should play a role in the customer service received.  I, for one, am glad to know that Celebrity won't budge on their policies simply because of the money gained/lost.  I would like to think that every customer is held to the same T&C's despite what they are willing to spend.  We generally book with a NRD and let the chips fall where they may.  We also tend to spend high when we cruise because we typically book a suite.  But next month we've booked an ocean view category for a quick 5 nighter on Infinity.  I expect to be treated the same despite the category and amount of money spent should I have an issue requiring customer service.  

 

OP, if you really want that particular room, take the $200 loss and rebook it.  Factor the $200 loss into the over all price of the cruise (you're already willing to spend 19k, what's $200 more?) and move on.  I don't mean to sound unsympathetic but I find it irksome when people think the cruise lines should bend their rules for the higher spenders.  I hope you get it figured out.

 

BTW...we've never had anything but a 5 star experience on Celebrity.  The customer service you've experienced on the phone does not represent what you will experience on the ship...IMO.

[Puffles311]

39 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

The OP has repeatedly remarked on the price of the cruise (19k) as if the amount Celebrity stands to gain or lose should play a role in the customer service received.  I, for one, am glad to know that Celebrity won't budge on their policies simply because of the money gained/lost.  I would like to think that every customer is held to the same T&C's despite what they are willing to spend.  We generally book with a NRD and let the chips fall where they may.  We also tend to spend high when we cruise because we typically book a suite.  But next month we've booked an ocean view category for a quick 5 nighter on Infinity.  I expect to be treated the same despite the category and amount of money spent should I have an issue requiring customer service.  

 

OP, if you really want that particular room, take the $200 loss and rebook it.  Factor the $200 loss into the over all price of the cruise (you're already willing to spend 19k, what's $200 more?) and move on.  I don't mean to sound unsympathetic but I find it irksome when people think the cruise lines should bend their rules for the higher spenders.  I hope you get it figured out.

 

BTW...we've never had anything but a 5 star experience on Celebrity.  The customer service you've experienced on the phone does not represent what you will experience on the ship...IMO.

 

[Puffles311]

I would have taken the change fee, but they couldn't handle it on a 45 min phone call. I was told I have to wait to cancel the original cruise and rebook. An absolute joke.

Edited February 21, 2020 by Puffles311

[wrk2cruise]

One note i don't think many understand is that you can't change a NRD to a RD without canceling and rebooking.  This was explained to me by a long time Future Cruise consultant (who used to be a Captains Club hostess).  You can change RD to NRD at any time.   She explained this to me as to change from NRD to RD I would lose the book onboard OBC I had.

 

I wonder if this is the case with the OP where after they were explained about NRD they wanted the new cruise to be RD.   In that case without a policy override they would have to cancel the first one and lose the $100 pp admin fee then rebook the RD with a new deposit and then apply the FCC for the remainder of the original deposit to the new cruise.

 

I can see where this would be annoying in the first 24 hrs and hope they get a policy override.

Edited February 21, 2020 by wrk2cruise

[chemmo]

3 hours ago, GerScot said:

There was no limit on time and I believe it was given probably because we were booking on board.

 

Thanks, we will chat to our Celebrity rep before booking our next cruise...

[hiccups]

23 minutes ago, Puffles311 said:

I would have taken the change fee, but they couldn't handle it on a 45 min phone call. I was told I have to wait to cancel the original cruise and rebook. An absolute joke.

This is when it pays to use a travel agent--they would have been the one on the phone.  I understand being frustrated with the length of the call, but it sounds like they were trying to accommodate you--you just didn't like the way it had to be done.

I think that since you've already formed such a poor opinion of X, you're best to lose the $200 and move on.

[PTC DAWG]

12 hours ago, Puffles311 said:

I can only imagine what the onboard treatment will be like. 

Having sailed both NCL and Celebrity, I can tell you the onboard experience on Celebrity is much nicer....especially if you are over 25 or so. 

[pink845]

OP  :  Call Celebrity back immediately. Ask them to review the call you had with the agent.  All calls are taped.  Perhaps you did not ask for a refundable deposit.  Let a supervisor listen to the call check.   We always get the agent to REPEAT EXACTLY WHAT IS BEING BOOKED AND THAT WAY THERE IS NEVER AN ISSUE.

[KristyMisty14]

I booked our first NRD sailing back in January, 4 cabins to Alaska and read the rules about changes on ship and sail date, but wasn't sure about changes to this sailing.  Yesterday I saw the Sail Beyond and Save Event came out.... each cabin was $212 less and there was a 4th perk (on top of the 3 we already had)  - I called and they had no problem changing it to the new promo!  Really happy with that.  

[Cruising89143]

IMHO the onboard experience on Celebrity blows both RCI and NCL out of the water. Love the “S” class of ships. I’m not happy with Celebrity following RCI with the new NRD pricing but at least to my knowledge Celebrity hasn’t moved to NRD’s only on suites like RCI has. On RCI if you book a Grand Suite or higher you can only book with a NRD. I don’t like that and steer clear of RCI now. 
 

I suggest taking the $200.00 loss and rebook what you want. If not then time to move on. Life’s too short. 

[Cruise Raider]

15 hours ago, Jim_Iain said:

 

 

It sounds like you booked using a NRD.   If you read the terms of the NRD - you don't loose the $900 deposit but there is a $100pp fee to change to change ship or sail date.    With all due respect the policy is quite clear and I would put the blame on your agent for booking a NRD unless you were aware of it.   Talk to your agent and request a $200 OBC for your dissatisfaction.  

 

Non-Refundable Deposit: To qualify for the Offer, guest must choose a non-refundable deposit. Non-refundable deposit booking (“NRD”) cancelled prior to final payment due date will receive a future cruise credit in the amount of the deposit minus a $100 per person service fee. FCC is non-transferable and expires after 12-months from issue date. $100 per person service fee applies to changes to NRD ship or sail date.

 

I found a couple of agents down at Celebrity that have explained this to me quite well.  As much as it pains me to spend a little more for my cruises, I almost always book a refundable deposit when I book so far in advance ... if I find something I know I can't live without when final payment is approaching, I can always switch to a different promo with the NRD.  

 

[JacJacAttack]

I've only booked with Celebrity twice (our second sailing is coming up in less than a month!) but I know from personal experience that every time that I've called Celebrity with ANY change (fare reduction, making a payment, adding port transfers etc...) that I am sent an email with my updated booking and asked to check and review it before I get off the phone. Also, it has happened a couple of times there was a delay or lag (Thanks, Celebrity IT) and I'm told I should receive it in X amount of time and if I don't receive it by then to please contact them and let me know so they can resend it. 

 

If I were you I'd be calling back for clarification on the NRD/rebooking AND inquiring about my reservation # and guest booking email. 

 

Good luck!

[mpk]

13 hours ago, upwarduk said:

In the last few years we have been allowed to change our cruise booking ONCE at a cost of £75 p.p.

This was allowed after so many complaints from UK passengers, that they were treated differently from US pax.

We are still different however, we don’t get the choice of deposits, unless we book on the ship ( or so I have been told).

 

UK apparently gets better Future Cruise Credit expiration than US.  UK get two years, and apparently you just have to book it within two years, not actually sail.  US gets only one year, and we actually have to sail within that time.  Cut and paste from my coronavirus canceled FCC:  "Cruise must be taken by 02/28/2021"

 

So it's a mixed bag.  UK gets some stuff better, US gets other stuff better.  Cie la vie.

[yorky]

12 hours ago, mpk said:

 

UK apparently gets better Future Cruise Credit expiration than US.  UK get two years, and apparently you just have to book it within two years, not actually sail.  US gets only one year, and we actually have to sail within that time.  Cut and paste from my coronavirus canceled FCC:  "Cruise must be taken by 02/28/2021"

 

So it's a mixed bag.  UK gets some stuff better, US gets other stuff better.  Cie la vie.

I don’t think you can compare a FCC with a lower expiry date which the average cruiser will never get to refundable deposits.

[sippican]

20 hours ago, Cruise Raider said:

 

I found a couple of agents down at Celebrity that have explained this to me quite well.  As much as it pains me to spend a little more for my cruises, I almost always book a refundable deposit when I book so far in advance ... if I find something I know I can't live without when final payment is approaching, I can always switch to a different promo with the NRD.  

 

 

I agree with the logic, however, I rarely find a cruise that offers a RD for less than the $200 I would lose if I make a change. In other words, if the RD price is $400 more than NRD, why would I not just take the loss of the $200 change fee? I'm still ahead in the end. And it's very unlikely I would not use a FCC.