Customer service?

[ewh]

Has anyone else had trouble trying to get help via email from Celebrity customer service? I have written to them three times over the past month and have never recieved an answer to a question:mad:. To call land-line is to be on hold for heavens knows how long. I've always given up. The Captains Club # does give one a response but we're not members so hate to call them. We have a cruise scheduled for the end of the month and would like to clarify a few things. Any sugestions? Thanks

[canderson]

Has anyone else had trouble trying to get help via email from Celebrity customer service? I have written to them three times over the past month and have never recieved an answer to a question:mad:. To call land-line is to be on hold for heavens knows how long. I've always given up. The Captains Club # does give one a response but we're not members so hate to call them. We have a cruise scheduled for the end of the month and would like to clarify a few things. Any sugestions? Thanks

First suggestion: if there's any chance we can help clear up things here, ask away. It'd be interesting to know how many combined passenger-years we've all got between us, and there are a whole lot of helpful people here. In many cases, your fellow CC members are better equipped to answer questions about shipboard issues far better than the folks on the phone anyway.

 

The good news -- your shipboard experience of Celebrity service should be 1000% better than your experience shoreside. Don't feel bad -- we've all had to deal with it. I only wish Royal Caribbean would deal with it.

[judyfssw]

If you booked through Celebrity, I would call them and asked to be referred to someone in Customer Service. If you booked through a TA, then call and discuss the situations with him/her.

[Offtune Angel]

ewh, I notice that you are still online right now. Let me echo canderson "if there's any chance we can help clear up things here, ask away" there is a wealth of information on this board, and enough of us are available to answer questions after (or before) a company's business hours -- be it TA or Celebrity. What do you need answered?:)

[crusinmama22]

This is our first Celebrity Cruise, and may well be our last.

 

Our sail date is 2/18/06 and as of yet we have not gotten any documents from Celebrity, even though they did our air and pre stay in SanJuan, PR.

 

We were Carnival cruises and wanted to try something different.

 

Our TA is extremely upset with Celebrity and "I Believe Her", she is the one who talked us into Celebrity. They have blown her off for the last two weeks and lied through their teeth!

 

She knows this may be the last straw and does not want to loose my business.

So I believe she is doing everything she can.

 

Now I must say X is expecting us, we have done or Epass on line and have our seating assignments for our air. BUt NOTHING has come via mail or email.

 

I am very dissappointed in Celebrity. Hopefully the Cruise will be great.

 

In my opinion Celebrity had better impove their Customer Service.

[canderson]

Now I must say X is expecting us, we have done or Epass on line and have our seating assignments for our air. BUt NOTHING has come via mail or email.

 

I am very dissappointed in Celebrity. Hopefully the Cruise will be great.

 

In my opinion Celebrity had better impove their Customer Service.

Be aware that nothing would come to you directly from Celebrity if you are using a TA. All documents and email would be sent to your TA.

 

Again, the Celebrity experience on shore vs onboard is like night and day. Be ready for a grand trip!

[BTDookie]

I've never had a problem. I book directly with X. They are overly responsive both before and during the cruise.

 

Sounds like the TA is the person you have a bone to pick with.

[hajekfam]

This is our first Celebrity Cruise, and may well be our last.

 

Our sail date is 2/18/06 and as of yet we have not gotten any documents from Celebrity, even though they did our air and pre stay in SanJuan, PR.

 

We were Carnival cruises and wanted to try something different.

 

Our TA is extremely upset with Celebrity and "I Believe Her", she is the one who talked us into Celebrity. They have blown her off for the last two weeks and lied through their teeth!

 

She knows this may be the last straw and does not want to loose my business.

So I believe she is doing everything she can.

 

Now I must say X is expecting us, we have done or Epass on line and have our seating assignments for our air. BUt NOTHING has come via mail or email.

 

I am very dissappointed in Celebrity. Hopefully the Cruise will be great.

 

In my opinion Celebrity had better impove their Customer Service.

How long ago did you book the cruise. If you book late, you might only receive e-docs.

Is your TA an independent or affiliated with a larger company? Some TA's (companies) only get e-docs unless paper docs are requested.

Oops - I just read on another thread that you booked a year ago and have not even received e-docs. Hope you get your docs before cruising! The onboard service is so much better than the land service. There was big problem with our transatlantic this past Nov. At the last minute, the drydock was moved to a location that was 3 sailing days away instead of the day away originally scheduled. That caused the drydock to be extended 2 days and our sailing date moved 2 days later and 2 ports cut. Depending on who you talked to at Celebrity, you received a different story regarding the changes to our cruise. Since the sailing date change occured about a week before sailing, Celebrity sent a representative to handle the passenger complaints and problems. This rep sailed with us. The thing that they heard the most was about the problems with land based customer service. Hopefully, all the complaints that were written up will cause some changes in their land customer service area

[Sky Sweet]

I've never had a problem. I book directly with X. They are overly responsive both before and during the cruise.

 

Sounds like the TA is the person you have a bone to pick with.

 

That was my reaction, as well. A few years ago I was concerned because I had not received my cruise documents, and my TA at the time told me she was still waiting to get them from Celebrity. I finally decided to call Celebrity and learned that they had been sent to my TA over a month ago!! When I mentioned that to my TA she then searched her office and found them. Ironically, she was the office manager of a very large travel agency that AARP was then recommending to its members.

[kannna]

Hello everyone,

 

I called yesterday to speak with the Customer Service rep I have grown to know, like , and trust. When I called the number instead of asking me for the extension # the computer gave me to someone random. The man who answered the phone informed me that because it is "the high reservation season" he could not transfer me to her extension nor could I ever call her direct but that he would be happy to help. Now, I have tried other reps who have said they would help and do what I ask but have not done it. That's why I like to call a specific person who is consistently dependable. The man did give me an e-mail address for her but I don't know if it actually goes to her or goes in the pool of e-mail to never be read or answered. I just wanted a price adjustment <sigh>. If she doesn't answer me today I will have to call them back and take my chances I guess. This frustrates me a great deal. grrr.

 

K

thank you for listening to my vent it seemed to sympathize with yours.

[mkringen]

I have had no luck getting a reply to email questions either. Luckily all the nice people here answered my questions.

 

Michelle in SoCal

Mercury 4/7/06

[ahoughton]

All you need is your E-pass. We have not received any docs for a cruise in several years. You set up the charge account and have everything to sign on the E-pass. Don't expect anything. Most on-line TA's will tell you that. I am suprised your TA didn't know.

 

Don't make this your last cruise.

[ricko1]

If you booked through Celebrity, I would call them and asked to be referred to someone in Customer Service. If you booked through a TA, then call and discuss the situations with him/her.

 

Judy there has been a big reduction in price for the 11 march cruise. Please see our thread and I think you can save your friends a bundle.. I will post on this and one thread trying to find you..:) ricko1

[Offtune Angel]

For bookings made through a TA, documents are sent to TA from Celebrity, then to you from TA. If you feel more comfortable with 'official' documents (as opposed to your express pass) your TA can make it possible for you to access your documents on line and you can print them yourself. Personnally, I found that procedure an unnecessary waste of paper, compared to the Express pass. On the other hand, I do like receiving the actual 'documents' -- as somebody said on another thread, they have that 'document' smell, similar to that 'new car' smell.:D

 

Most of the 'document' book is advertising -- what you can buy on board, what you can buy before sailing, etc. This information is all available on Celebrity's web-site and you can print it if you need to have it. If you've already printed your Express Pass, then Celebrity has everything it needs in their computers to process you at the pier. Make sure you have your Express Pass with you -- computers have been known to fail - even at the pier.

 

Granted, there are brightly coloured luggage tags with your name and stateroom in the 'document' book. They don't get your luggage to your cabin any faster or slower than the luggage tags available at the pier. (make sure you have a pen with you -- even better is a felt tipped pen):)

 

I've met more than a few "loyal-to-Celebrity" TA's recently who have expressed concern about land-based Celebrity's (lack of) activity and (lack of) communication. Based on conversations with those TA's, it doesn't surprise me that your TA doesn't have 'documents' yet.

 

I also knew a few TA's who were always blaming the cruise lines for lack of documents that the TA had actually received weeks previously. The operative word in the previous statement is "knew". I no longer deal with them.

 

As for Email communications, over the last four years I've sent eleven Email questions to Celebrity's "Contact Us" address. I received two replies to one Email and zero replies for the other eleven. Kanna's suspicion about emails going to a specific person is correct -- most Emails, even to specific people, go to a 'pool'. It can sometimes be days before that person gets the Email. Or it can be right away. Personally, we had nine occasions, in November and December, sending Emails to specific people. A third of those reached the intended recipient 8 to 14 days after we sent them -- despite the fact that the intended recipient had requested the Email and was waiting for it.

 

As Kanna implied, knowing the direct number to a Customer service rep is good -- rapport gets established and you become a person, not a statistic. It is extremely frustrating to have to tell your story over and over and over and over again to each new CS rep.

 

Some cruiselines excel at land-based Customer Service and provide a mediocre cruise experience. Some cruiselines provide great land-based Customer Service and a great cruise experience. Celebrity/Royal Caribbean is not the only cruiseline where the land-based staff are not efficient or customer oriented (strange for a service industry, but the world is a little off-kilter lately). Celebrity does provide an excellent cruise experience.

 

You will have a GREAT cruise. Enjoy it.:)

[BTDookie]

X does not allow (perhaps support) direct email contact between employees and customers. They tend to rely on faxes.

[Offtune Angel]

X does not allow (perhaps support) direct email contact between employees and customers. They tend to rely on faxes.

They definitely prefer faxes, but, since we don't have a fax (or access to one), they agreed to us scanning invoices they were going to pay (long story) into a file which was then attached to an Email -- and Celebrity staff (three different people) provided us with their Email addresses. As of December 27, 2005, Direct Email contact was allowed and (somewhat poorly) supported but it is definitely not preferred.:)

[keela1eva2]

This is our first Celebrity Cruise, and may well be our last.

 

Our sail date is 2/18/06 and as of yet we have not gotten any documents from Celebrity, even though they did our air and pre stay in SanJuan, PR.

 

We were Carnival cruises and wanted to try something different.

 

Our TA is extremely upset with Celebrity and "I Believe Her", she is the one who talked us into Celebrity. They have blown her off for the last two weeks and lied through their teeth!

 

She knows this may be the last straw and does not want to loose my business.

So I believe she is doing everything she can.

 

Now I must say X is expecting us, we have done or Epass on line and have our seating assignments for our air. BUt NOTHING has come via mail or email.

 

I am very dissappointed in Celebrity. Hopefully the Cruise will be great.

 

In my opinion Celebrity had better impove their Customer Service.

 

Some years ago this happened to me and my TA chased them up repeatedly. In the end the tickets did arrive in time and our TA got us a bottle of champagne from them as a goodwill gesture. TRY IT! We didn't ask but our TA didn't want us to think it was her fault. She says they are often late with ticketing just because of the amount of business. Don't give up on them. Enjoy your cruise when you get aboard.

 

Sue