Customer service getting worse?

[phoenix_dream]

Is it just me or is the Celebrity customer service (pre-cruise that is) getting worse?  Called and left a voice mail and it took over two weeks to get a call back - and then I missed the call and it went to voicemail with the rep never indicating he did anything at all with what I was requesting.  Ugh!  Tried to call early this morning - was on hold for close to 30 minutes only to be cut off without being connected to anyone.  Sent an email several weeks ago to an agent we had previously worked with to ask him for help on the reservation he booked for us - have yet to get a response.  

 

Wondering if more and more people are cancelling due to the increase in Covid cases and/or the increased requirements for international travelers into the US?  We booked our most recent cruises with Celebrity directly as our not-to-be-named large online TA is no help at all but Celebrity is not much better!

[bookitdanno]

Worse? Not possible.

[jelayne]

I guess I have been lucky as I haven’t experienced a wait time of over 15 minutes in the past 3 -4 months.  Having said that I only call X for things like upgrading beverage packages, internet or issues with shore excursions. 
 

There was a time when both our on-line TA and X difficult to reach.  But the on-line TA response time from Customer Service has been good lately, and even when it was slow we never missed a price drop, cabin change , or getting OBC from the Best Price Guarantee.

[Croooser]

Our recent experience is worse - Instead of answering two very specific questions that we sent via email, they did a cut and paste that did not answer our questions.

 

IMHO, the there has been more than enough time for all businesses to restore customer service levels to prepandemic standards. Any pent up demand and FCC booking surge should be largely addressed by now. The long wait times, lack of response at all in many cases and incorrect info in others are unacceptable. 

 

FWIW, we have contacted Oceania directly and have had far better response times and correct info.

[Oceangoer2]

1 hour ago, phoenix_dream said:

Is it just me or is the Celebrity customer service (pre-cruise that is) getting worse?  Called and left a voice mail and it took over two weeks to get a call back - and then I missed the call and it went to voicemail with the rep never indicating he did anything at all with what I was requesting.  Ugh!  Tried to call early this morning - was on hold for close to 30 minutes only to be cut off without being connected to anyone.  Sent an email several weeks ago to an agent we had previously worked with to ask him for help on the reservation he booked for us - have yet to get a response.  

 

Wondering if more and more people are cancelling due to the increase in Covid cases and/or the increased requirements for international travelers into the US?  We booked our most recent cruises with Celebrity directly as our not-to-be-named large online TA is no help at all but Celebrity is not much better!

Something has changed with the CVP's, at least in my opinion.  My CVP was great until a few months ago.  I know they're busy but no answer to queries, no response to emails or phone messages or the promise to have another CVP call doesn't happen.  I wonder if there's some form of 'work slowdown' happening due to the expansion of offshore customer service?  

[drakes2]

4 minutes ago, Oceangoer2 said:

Something has changed with the CVP's, at least in my opinion.  My CVP was great until a few months ago.  I know they're busy but no answer to queries, no response to emails or phone messages or the promise to have another CVP call doesn't happen.  I wonder if there's some form of 'work slowdown' happening due to the expansion of offshore customer service?  

Experienced the same with my CVP. I have 2 cruises booked with him one which I've taken and another in January. No word from him in months.  Quick to call you back when  you want to book but after that you are in your own.

[kearney]

I suspect that there are staffing issues. With ships sailing at less than 50% capacity, it is hard to maintain back office staffing at the levels they had pre pandemic...plus they may be having the same challenges other businesses are having in getting and keeping people. I try calling at off ours... so far I have not had an issue... but on my last cruise I did notice that in some places like the ocean view cafe, and some bars that they seemed to be short some crew. As they add capacity I am sure that they will add crew as well..and with that back office staff. I am just glad to be able to sail after all this time.

[davekathy]

Our CVP Emailed me last week with a new invoice. A small price reduction. I didn't even realize there was a price reduction until I received the unexpected Email from the CVP. 

[drakes2]

1 minute ago, kearney said:

I suspect that there are staffing issues. With ships sailing at less than 50% capacity, it is hard to maintain back office staffing at the levels they had pre pandemic...plus they may be having the same challenges other businesses are having in getting and keeping people. I try calling at off ours... so far I have not had an issue... but on my last cruise I did notice that in some places like the ocean view cafe, and some bars that they seemed to be short some crew. As they add capacity I am sure that they will add crew as well..and with that back office staff. I am just glad to be able to sail after all this time.

I did notice at the ocean view cafe I waited a long time to be served a drink.  They don't even come around to the tables any more to ask if you'd like one. At least not on my sailing 

 

 

[kearney]

5 minutes ago, drakes2 said:

I did notice at the ocean view cafe I waited a long time to be served a drink.  They don't even come around to the tables any more to ask if you'd like one. At least not on my sailing 

 

 

On our sailing they did come around...but perhaps not as frequently as before. The buffet staff looked a bit overworked at peak times..but kept their pleasant attitudes. I wasn't in a hurry so it didn't really matter...but I could see the impact that reduced capacity for many months has on the crew. 

[terrydtx]

This is why I book with a TA I have known for 15 years. Here is one of the many reasons I use an independent TA, not a big box one either.  She is a franchisee of a big cruise travel company, however. On last Wednesday at 7:40pm I saw online that the cabin we wanted next to my sister's had become available and I immediately sent an email to my TA at 8:10 I had a confirmation that the change was done. I hadn't expected the confirmation until the next morning. How many can say their Celebrity Cruise Consultant would have done that after hours?

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We have been using the same CVP for about 10 years and the level of service today is as good as, or better, than when we started with her.

[Oceangoer2]

36 minutes ago, CHEZMARYLOU said:

We have been using the same CVP for about 10 years and the level of service today is as good as, or better, than when we started with her.

I have had 3 in the past 10 years, first two promoted (they were very good but in different times).  The last I think is also about to be promoted.  I'm told they assign me 'the good ones'.  Would like an 'average' CVP' who will last longer than 3 years so I don't go through the 'getting to know you' period all over again.  Also, some here have said their X agent has given them promos unasked and let them know when a 'bank of cabins' were about to be released by a TA.  That would really help me as I'm watching the S1/2 on 2nd leg of my upcoming cruise.  ALL have been booked for over a year so that could be the TA's holding them?

Edited December 19, 2021 by Oceangoer2

[Oceangoer2]

19 hours ago, terrydtx said:

This is why I book with a TA I have known for 15 years. Here is one of the many reasons I use an independent TA, not a big box one either.  She is a franchisee of a big cruise travel company, however. On last Wednesday at 7:40pm I saw online that the cabin we wanted next to my sister's had become available and I immediately sent an email to my TA at 8:10 I had a confirmation that the change was done. I hadn't expected the confirmation until the next morning. How many can say their Celebrity Cruise Consultant would have done that after hours?

I think my CVP works from home and at all hours judging by the time stamp on return emails.  I mentioned to her it's not good to burn the candle at both ends....so SOME do work after hours and react to time sensitive issues.

[Host Anne]

My two cents  and I'm not making excuses here for Celebrity as I have experienced long phone delays over the past few months, too.  But Celebrity is struggling from the same staffing issues all other businesses are dealing with these days.  As more ships come on line, there are more passengers that Customer Service has to deal with yet trying to get staffing back to the levels they were pre-pandemic is a very slow road.  I'm not sure what it's like where you live, but literally every where we go here, businesses have help wanted signs in their windows.  We probably don't think about it but most of the Celebrity customer service reps were probably laid off when ships weren't sailing and I'm guessing some would chose not to come back even if asked to now.  

 

I've always used a TA because I know I can call them anytime from anywhere and let them deal with the cruise line as they typically can get things done more quickly that I can do it myself.  I really try to be patient and kind if I have to call Celebrity Customer Service (or anyone's customer service today....think airlines, for example) because I'm simply grateful they are working.  Remember, there's still plenty of people out there who are simply choosing not to work.

[Lastdance]

23 minutes ago, Host Anne said:

My two cents  and I'm not making excuses here for Celebrity as I have experienced long phone delays over the past few months, too.  But Celebrity is struggling from the same staffing issues all other businesses are dealing with these days.  As more ships come on line, there are more passengers that Customer Service has to deal with yet trying to get staffing back to the levels they were pre-pandemic is a very slow road.  I'm not sure what it's like where you live, but literally every where we go here, businesses have help wanted signs in their windows.  We probably don't think about it but most of the Celebrity customer service reps were probably laid off when ships weren't sailing and I'm guessing some would chose not to come back even if asked to now.  

 

I've always used a TA because I know I can call them anytime from anywhere and let them deal with the cruise line as they typically can get things done more quickly that I can do it myself.  I really try to be patient and kind if I have to call Celebrity Customer Service (or anyone's customer service today....think airlines, for example) because I'm simply grateful they are working.  Remember, there's still plenty of people out there who are simply choosing not to work.

I know quite a few who do not work;  they seem to be fine with doing absolutely nothing and having others provide assistance.    For me personally, that is difficult for me to understand.

[hcat]

We have  no specific rep.. we call the gen number and have had good luck getting through and  getting answers and assistance.  Cap Club number not always  the better choice as it was in the past.

[drakes2]

4 hours ago, hcat said:

We have  no specific rep.. we call the gen number and have had good luck getting through and  getting answers and assistance.  Cap Club number not always  the better choice as it was in the past.

Its definitely been a hit and miss with their CS, mostly a miss. I now do pretty much everything online also more knowledgeable than  most of the agents. They only read from the marketing material given.

[LGW59]

4 hours ago, hcat said:

We have  no specific rep.. we call the gen number and have had good luck getting through and  getting answers and assistance.  Cap Club number not always  the better choice as it was in the past.

As have we.  All of my cruises have been booked and canceled directly with celebrity, never an issue, longest wait time was 18 minutes, over many calls. Reps have always been able to resolve/change whatever I called for.  Kudos to them during all this turmoil!!  Now for the first time I have engaged a TA for a very long cruise in 2023.  Not had to make many changes thus far, it’s early and a ways off, but now I let them handle it, quite simple.

[deliver42]

I called yesterday around 4:30 P.M. and the call was answered within 2 minutes.

[Oceangoer2]

I called CS yesterday as well and almost immediately my call was answered and within 7 minutes my issue(s) were handled....which weren't easy issues...LOL. 

[Denny01]

I just call or email or text my TA…..and that’s that. I get a response back quickly, accurately from a professional, and I haven’t ‘waited on line’ for years. 

 

And yes, I know I’ve posted ‘use a TA’ more than a few times. And I mean a true Travel Advisor, not some Booking Agent usually what you get from website/800 organizations, which can be good support, but OBC isn’t the only criteria. 

 

den

Edited December 21, 2021 by Denny01

[phoenix_dream]

1 hour ago, Denny01 said:

I just call or email or text my TA…..and that’s that. I get a response back quickly, accurately from a professional, and I haven’t ‘waited on line’ for years. 

 

And yes, I know I’ve posted ‘use a TA’ more than a few times. And I mean a true Travel Advisor, not some Booking Agent usually what you get from website/800 organizations, which can be good support, but OBC isn’t the only criteria. 

 

den

Definitely agree about not a 'booking agent'.  Been using one of the large online ones for years with lots of perks and no issues............until Covid hit.  Now the service is usually abysmal.  Good example - I had called them and left a voice mail.  Three days later they called me back -not to help me but to chastise me and tell me not to call them, but to email their customer service.  They refused to help me over the phone.  They literally called me just to criticize how I was contacting them.  If they have time for that, why don't they have time to handle my issue?!?!  I eventually got an answer to my email, but it took three days to get it.  Never again.  I know companies are struggling with staffing these days, but I have to look out for what works for me.  Unfortunately due to lifting and shifting we have a number of upcoming cruises with them.  But going forward, not gonna happen.  Need to find a good real TA near me.

[mkam2821]

It's been hit and miss with calling Celebrity. Because I booked through a TA (Big Box) I can only speak to Celebrity Customer Service about specific things. When it was regarding specialty dining or excursions I was connected to a person pretty quickly but neither time were they able to answer the most basic of questions nor help me out and one time I had to reiterate my question 5 different times as they kept repeating it back to me incorrectly (reminded me of the call center scenes in Slum Dog Millionaire). After one hour and ten minutes I still had not resolved anything and eventually just said thank you and hung up. Working in customer service myself I see that the problem is that when new people are hired they don't receive enough thorough training before going live and therefore they don't know the answer to questions, don't know process and procedure and if working remotely, don't have anyone nearby to ask for assistance and then have to put the caller on hold while they call someone else to assist. So it winds up taking four times as long as it should and often leaves the situation unresolved or unanswered. The agent winds up feeling inadequate and the caller is frustrated and feels they wasted their time.

[Arizona Wildcat]

On 12/18/2021 at 10:05 AM, Croooser said:

Our recent experience is worse - Instead of answering two very specific questions that we sent via email, they did a cut and paste that did not answer our questions.

 

IMHO, the there has been more than enough time for all businesses to restore customer service levels to prepandemic standards. Any pent up demand and FCC booking surge should be largely addressed by now. The long wait times, lack of response at all in many cases and incorrect info in others are unacceptable. 

 

FWIW, we have contacted Oceania directly and have had far better response times and correct info.

Sending an email and expecting a prompt first class response is not going to find the sender happy.  Whether it be a university professor, Home Depot or your utility - all are buried in thousands of emails.

As for specific to Celebrity, my TA handles the important questions and any problems.  I do research on my own to answer most things.