Japan 2024 canceled…

[mahdnc]

6 minutes ago, clojacks said:

A number of years ago, my wife and I booked a New England/Canada cruise down the St Lawrence Seaway from Boston to Quebec City during fall colors on NCL. I had worked in Quebec and along the Seaway a number of times and the colors were always spectacular in the fall. About 2 weeks before our cruise, NCL called to inform us that our cabin had been double booked. At that point, they offered us a refund OR, we could sail in an inside cabin for free, with the exception of us paying the taxes and fees of around $200. We jumped at our first and only inside cabin, and didn't regret it. Different lines know how to handle situations like this, and unfortunately, they possibly happen more in smaller amounts than we know of. NCL handled it correctly in our opinion, in that case.

 

In general the closer to sailing time the bad news is delivered, the greater the compensation.  Still, your deal was pretty good.

Edited April 21, 2023 by mahdnc

[pmarrsouth]

1 hour ago, pukekolive said:

This letter has just been posted on a FB group; I have not seen this format before, it is completely different to the previous letter I have seen posted and now specifically says what happens after 1 May 2023! Doesn't look like we are out of the woods and safe yet!

 

Update - now I am not so sure it is different- can anyone confirm?

Can one be a guest of celebrity without having a booking with them?

[micruiser2002]

1 hour ago, pukekolive said:

This letter has just been posted on a FB group; I have not seen this format before, it is completely different to the previous letter I have seen posted and now specifically says what happens after 1 May 2023! Doesn't look like we are out of the woods and safe yet!

 

Update - now I am not so sure it is different- can anyone confirm?

I saw the May 1 wording on previously posts just not sure if it was FB or here.  All they are saying is anyone who is impacted if you do nothing then they are canceling and refunding your cruise.

[CruiseMelissa]

1 hour ago, TequilaJane said:

I am in the same boat. I have celiac disease and my world travel is often limited to cruising. I have never gotten sick on a cruise.

This is why we're booked on an August 2024 Japan cruise on Celebrity,  Japan isn't easy for celiac travelers!  If anybody does this cruise I'd love to hear your gluten free experiences!

[VitaminSea53]

47 minutes ago, CruiseMelissa said:

This is why we're booked on an August 2024 Japan cruise on Celebrity,  Japan isn't easy for celiac travelers!  If anybody does this cruise I'd love to hear your gluten free experiences!

Same here!  This is a big reason why I cruise the world.  

[neverlaysup]

2 hours ago, southwestie said:

Hope yours works our. Insides seems to the oversold on my cruise.  But you may be upgraded . Not cancelled

For my sailing, the TransPac, we have a Sky Suite. There are about 20 less on the Millie than Solstice so if they are going by who paid the least in an effort to maximize revenue....we are screwed. We got the deal of the century back in 2019 when we booked for the May '20 crossing. We have been fortunate to lift and shift it multiple times and our fingers are definitely crossed that we don't get the dreaded phone call or email.

[southwestie]

6 minutes ago, neverlaysup said:

For my sailing, the TransPac, we have a Sky Suite. There are about 20 less on the Millie than Solstice so if they are going by who paid the least in an effort to maximize revenue....we are screwed. We got the deal of the century back in 2019 when we booked for the May '20 crossing. We have been fortunate to lift and shift it multiple times and our fingers are definitely crossed that we don't get the dreaded phone call or email.

We got a deal  ftom lift n ship. Drinks wifi etc all in. £500 obc and 3 tours Inc. £2500 less than we paid. But took  a concierge cabin. Heard nothing yes. Insides. Veranda. . Retreat all sold out.

 

My TA feels. They think that Americans  well get cancelled  if they have gty cabin and because they can cancel. Not sure how true but time will tell.

We have a c2 cabin number  and no emails

 

[raananh]

hello,

1. Did anyone call to cancel for a full refund and than got a better offer from Celebrity for them to keep the business? 

2. Reading here about the case of 6 rooms booked and only 3 got cancelled, it seems to me that Celebrity has serious and basic customer service issues. Actually, incompetence! If few rooms on one reservation are doubled-booked, then you cancel those who booked single rooms, rather than create a serious mess for someone with 6 rooms. It's common sense.

3. The compensation offered by Celebrity for ruining people vacations due to Celebrity's mismanagement is minimal at best: $450 per person and $500 for flights which costs much more. Celebrity should know that if I reside in the USA, a flight to Japan is much much more than $500. But if I reside in Korea, the flight to Japan is much less.

Not many years ago, RCL had our cruise shortened by 2 days due to a hurricane (not even their fault). I got 2 nights in a fancy hotel (the cruise was to start 2 days later than intended), nice per-dim amount for food for those 2 days, on-board credits and additional money back for the cruise being shortened as a future cruise credit. Very nice, despite all this not being RCL's fault at all.

With this incident, Celebrity shows to all of us that they incompetent with bookings, poor customer service/care, and above all, being cheap.

Therefore I decide to cancel and cruise with another cruise line. Sorry.

Edited April 22, 2023 by raananh
Fixed typos

[raananh]

I want to mention for those whose September / October 2023 cruise was "oversold" that if you cancel and your cruise and get refund, you can save your planned vacation in Japan because there are several other cruises by other companies, e.g. Holland America, NCL, Princess, etc at the same time with available cabins.

[NMTraveller]

6 hours ago, pukekolive said:

This letter has just been posted on a FB group; I have not seen this format before, it is completely different to the previous letter I have seen posted and now specifically says what happens after 1 May 2023! Doesn't look like we are out of the woods and safe yet!

 

Update - now I am not so sure it is different- can anyone confirm?

Sigh.

 

 What company leaves their customers hanging like this.  I just wish that that the Royal CEO  would take over the company.  At least he is compentent.

[john1970]

I think they might leave UK and European passengers out of the cull as we usually have stronger consumer protection laws and it is more hassle for them to toy with us.

[anniegb]

23 minutes ago, john1970 said:

I think they might leave UK and European passengers out of the cull as we usually have stronger consumer protection laws and it is more hassle for them to toy with us.

Alas there is always an exception to the rule.  A UK passenger has been cancelled and she had booked BA Club Class flights independently to Tokyo.  USD500 cancelled flight compo will not even come near the cost.

 

On a separate roll call, a Canadian cruiser was advised accept the upgrade to OV from interior cabin by May 1st or consider your booking cancelled.

 

You couldn't make it up.

 

Annie

Edited April 22, 2023 by anniegb

[pukekolive]

43 minutes ago, john1970 said:

I think they might leave UK and European passengers out of the cull as we usually have stronger consumer protection laws and it is more hassle for them to toy with us.

Not sure if any Kiwis have had cabins cancelled, our Consumer Guarantees Act has a few teeth too! 

[NMTraveller]

I never did receive a response back from Celebrity regarding my Millenium questions ...

[mahdnc]

2 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

I never did receive a response back from Celebrity regarding my Millenium questions ...

 

I noticed you said "response" and not "answers". 

[NMTraveller]

23 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

 

I noticed you said "response" and not "answers". 

I did not receive an e-mail back.  Zero, zip, nada.

Edited April 22, 2023 by NMTraveller

[anniegb]

I picked this up from my roll call - wahwah

 

'I thought I was safe but yesterday evening, I received a downgrade letter from an unobstructed balcony (triple) to ocenview on Oct 12, 2023 sailing. My cruise was booked during lockdown and it got lifted and shifted, so the price is cheaper than prevailing rate.

 

My offer is to get $700 OBC for the downgrade (since my all inclusive balcony rate is cheaper than oceanview room at prevailing rate). However, when I checked the triple cabins for 2024, the price difference between balcony and oceanview is $1900 CAD for Oct 2024, so the compensation for the downgrade is not reasonable. We have all inclusive fare already and don't like to join tours, so getting OBC is undesirable, not to mention the amount of compensation is unfair to begin with. (I'm sure during lockdown the difference for triple was >> $700).

 

I was on the phone with celebrity last night and they mentioned the "revenue team" has weighted the options. My guess is Celebrity is trying to evaluate which options will give them the most revenue before tossing bookings away. For my case, giving me the only option, e.g. downgrade with $700 OBC, is probably better than offering me cancellation or shifted to 2024 at my lockdown rate, since the prices have increase significantly after reopening.

 

I booked my independent air and hotel already, which really screws my travel plan. But my parents prefer fresh air in the room and upper decks, so moving us to an oceanview and a lower deck is highly undesirable.

 

FYI, i booked directly with celebrity and is elite status'

 

It would appear that they are still working on the 'culling'.

[wahwah1]

I wonder if I'm the only one who got downgraded!

[VitaminSea53]

Is this cancellation / downgrade issue only applicable to Japan cruises for Fall 2023 and Spring 2024?  It seem strange to be limited to one market.

[NMTraveller]

7 minutes ago, anniegb said:

I was on the phone with celebrity last night and they mentioned the "revenue team" has weighted the options. My guess is Celebrity is trying to evaluate which options will give them the most revenue before tossing bookings away. 

 

Hmmmm.

 

I wonder if booking shore excursions and specialty dining would get people off of the cancelled list?

[NMTraveller]

1 minute ago, VitaminSea53 said:

Is this cancellation / downgrade issue only applicable to Japan cruises for Fall 2023 and Spring 2024?  It seem strange to be limited to one market.

That is my concern also.  Is this the one that they are handling now and there are others to follow?

[wahwah1]

1 minute ago, NMTraveller said:

That is my concern also.  Is this the one that they are handling now and there are others to follow?

I heard it's mainly affected the Japan itinerary.

[anniegb]

4 minutes ago, VitaminSea53 said:

Is this cancellation / downgrade issue only applicable to Japan cruises for Fall 2023 and Spring 2024?  It seem strange to be limited to one market.

They replaced the Solstice with the Millie on certain sailings.  That is a reduction of how many balcony cabins??

[wahwah1]

1 minute ago, anniegb said:

They replaced the Solstice with the Millie on certain sailings.  That is a reduction of how many balcony cabins??

Correct, my original booking was on Solstice prior it got shifted to Oct 2023.

[Judy Arthur]

4 minutes ago, anniegb said:

They replaced the Solstice with the Millie on certain sailings.  That is a reduction of how many balcony cabins??

 

I’ve heard 300.