X Strikes again! Or How Not To Make Friends!

[c-legs]

I do have one question that some of you may be able to answer. Is RCL customer service as bad?

 

:) Donna, ask Rubbrick or RMSeadogs: they've been on RCCL about a milllion times...( give or take a few....).

Shore-side: same company : RCL.....

The old RCCL's shore-side service has never been ''tops'', thus does not have far to go down the pipe to be called ''BAD''.....==X== started off as being great all around, including shore-side....thus their current spiralling downslide is that much more dramatic ( and totally inexcusable !!! )

Cheers

;)

[Hlitner]

We have consistently had problems with Celebrity "customer service" both on and off ships. We are far from cruise novices (more than 50 cruises) and Elite with Celebrity, but this line has continued to show itself as the worst line (when it comes to customer service or on-board guest relations) when compared to the 10 other cruise lines upon which we have cruised. To be honest, we now avoid Celebrity unless they have an itinerary that is special. We recently booked an 18 night Azamara cruise (this is a Celebrity product) and have already had a problem with their customer service folks. The irony is that in our 16 cruises with RCI (they own Celebrity and are supposed to be step down in quality) we have never had any problems.

 

Hank

[Karynanne]

Donna, I sure hope everything works out well for you and Joe. We use your TA also, and know that they'll be working hard for you! See in on our TA...

 

Karyn

[Jade13]

Donna W...

 

I can really relate to your frustrations. Sorry. Six of us had the same exp with HAL last year.

 

HAL bumped us from a Zuidy sailing for a charter. Inotherwords, they sold us 3 cabins, took a deposit, and then re-sold it to another party. (why this isn't illegal, I have no idea)

 

HAL offered the same future OBC, but would not give us any monies towards flight change fee's.

 

So, we did the same thing as you, we switched to a Princess Cruise leaving the same day, same time, as the original HAL Zuidy.

 

We then contacted HAL, explained the situation, asked for the OBC for a future cruise, and asked if they could honour the super bowl weekend hotels we'd also booked with them and had made a deposit against.

 

HAL refused. They would only give us a year on the OBC, and would not honour the hotels. Frustrated, I ended up booking a flea bag motel post cruise, but I decided to give HAL a taste of their medicine.

 

Despite all attempts by HAL to get me to cancel the original booking, I simply REFUSED TO CANCEL...This really really had them confused. (guess most pax give in-lol)

 

To suit their booking system, they had to re-book us on another cruise, (tying up 3 cabins for months), while I negotiated a better OCB, and longer period (2 Yrs). In the end, I WON..

 

Though, HAL long-term, may have lost a young, freespending, 3 times a year cruiser, who hasn't been back to that line since it happened, instead sailing with princess again, X, and NCL.

 

I hope you can work this all out with X, but surely if they don't come to the table, and treat you with respect as a pax, I'd understand why you

would move on to other lines, and why your story needs to be posted and talked about on cruise critic..

 

Good luck..

jc

Toronto

X Galaxy Sept 06

Prin Star Jan 07

X Xpedition Sept 07

NCL Jewel Jan 08

Prin Coral May 08

 

Jc, I asked you this on another thread. I still don't understand howyou refused to cancel. Are you suppose to sign paperwork acknowleding the cancelation? I just don't understand why they could send a letter saying you are canceled ans just returned the deposit to your credit card?

[Wilcoam]

Jade...

 

For whatever reason, HAL would not cancel our 6 pax. Instead they waited for us to cancel.

 

I'm not a lawyer, so I'm quessing as to why, but I think if they did cancel, it might open them up for fraud, or a legal test case of attempting to sell two cabins to 2 different people.

 

Also, once I dug my heels in (refusing to cancel) and also hinted at legal action, HAL was quicker to come to the table to negotiate a more reasonable OBC and extension to 2 years.

 

I'm not one whom generally seek(s) litigation or confrontation with anyone, but I do think once in awhile, we pax really need to stand up against cruiseline injustices and assert our legal rights.

 

Do ya think the likes of American Airlines would still be in business if 500 pax bought, say, airline tickets, from LA to NYC, and then 3 months after, sold the same flights/seats to a charter, bumping those pax? IMO, it's unheard of...

 

Why this is 'acceptable' in the cruise industry, and in no other industry, is perplexing..

 

Just my opinion...

 

jc

Toronto

[Spender Nui]

See you in 3 weeks for the best cruise ever! Not quite swan Song since we need one more for the next CC level and I still have a Century open booking. Looks like another 2 day Century may be coming up running b2b with someone else. Lots of choices!

 

 

I think you got a raw deal and agree that X (and most other lines too) customer service is awful.

 

Recently with CC a Captain's Club supervisor, after a ton of agravation told them I'd be sailing other lines. He said that's fine with him.

 

I can't help but wonder though, why you'd be concerned about moving up to the next CC level if you're through with them. Also, the next level won't give you much.

 

We've been elite for a long time and have been sailing more on other lines now. Won't say I'm through with them but sailing others more often.

 

Whatever you do, enjoy your cruises.

[donnaw]

I think you got a raw deal and agree that X (and most other lines too) customer service is awful.

 

Recently with CC a Captain's Club supervisor, after a ton of agravation told them I'd be sailing other lines. He said that's fine with him.

 

I can't help but wonder though, why you'd be concerned about moving up to the next CC level if you're through with them. Also, the next level won't give you much.

 

We've been elite for a long time and have been sailing more on other lines now. Won't say I'm through with them but sailing others more often.

 

Whatever you do, enjoy your cruises.

 

The reason for wanting Elite is that we sail with a lot of friends who also sail RCL and they do offer better benefits once we reach Elite on Celebrity. See the next post for updated status.

[donnaw]

Keep in mind that our TA worked very hard to straighten this whole mess out. At her suggestion, I wrote a letter and emailed it yesterday. As she said, occasionally, a letter from the customer will get through the barriers and in the right hands. I am happy to say that it did though it is not totally resolved at this point. I have email from several individuals at RCL and have talked to them today. I'm afraid my first email went to a person who moved to another area but she has been absolutely wonderful.

 

Next problem is that the Galaxy TA that we attempted to book is now sold out in our category or anything above that we would have booked. We can wait list or we can look around and see if anything else interests us and let our travel agent know. She will then negotiate the compensation on our behalf. Our choice is to look around but it may end up waiting until we are on Connie in 2 1/2 weeks. In the process of getting ready, we seem to be continually going in different directions and that may be the first real chance to sit down and go over our options.

 

I am not exactly thrilled that our anniversary cruise has been redeployed and that our chosen replacement cruise filled while we were fighting this battle but I am impressed at RCL's speed in taking responsibility and apologizing then taking action to correct the situation. I have heard verbally and by email that they plan on keeping our business. So far, so good. I will let you know how the final action comes out.

[C 2 C]

Next problem is that the Galaxy TA that we attempted to book is now sold out in our category or anything above that we would have booked. We can wait list or we can look around and see if anything else interests us and let our travel agent know.

 

Donna if you email me with the type of cabin you're negotiating for I may be able to help.

 

xatsea at yahoo dot ca

[Alaskan Traveler]

Donnaw,

 

I hope everything works out for you. It is shameful the way it was handled by customer service. Glad that you were able to hang in there and go toe to toe with them. It is a shame for others in your same spot who do not have any support and are forced to give up, which I think what many cruise lines count on. I hope you have a great cruise, especially after what you have been through.

[Apelila]

Celebrity Century did cancell our cruise too, without any care. Every college springbreak we take our daughter and a few of her girl friends on the 5 day century cruise (since the Aruba incident we will not allow our daughter on break alone). We allow her to bring a few friends to have fun, but well within our reach. We were notified a few weeks back, after having booked both penthouse suites on our Century March 07 cruise we were on, for the up comming March 03,2008 cruise. We were notified that that it had been contracted out for another event? Although, were thought to have had a contract with Celebrity, the more than cold "customer service agent" notified us, a simple one time $200 credit would be offered to rebook us "only if we booked on another 5 day cruise". My husband was not amused, to say the least. After the third phone call, I should say with Celebrity, as this was a direct booking with Celebrity, there wasn't any other availability during her spring break. Our only other interest was the 08 new years eve cruise, of which Celebrity did not allow any postcruise credit from the on board booking nor the displaced credit of $200 offered, because it was a holiday cruise? I cannot explain the lack of customer care; even with amount of past and current bookings of the penthouse suites. We would be on Crystal in a second, if it wasn't for the amount of people we like to bring with us. Our kids have maners and look forward to dress for dinning and love the speciality restaurants wine matching dinners. My daughter and her friends are ladies and the enviroment can be bare minimun sometimes on the ship, but do have a good time. The Century is refine enough for evenings and casual in the day, considering, but even in the penthouse suite;celebrity treats you no differently...........terrible at times! We can't wait until she graduates and marries. Then, we are totally done with Celebrity and Crystal will be our #1 bookings regardless. Aloha

[happynewbie]

All of this is so scary:confused: We will be first time cruisers on the Millie in spring of 2008, we are looking at around 10 to 12 folks cruising together (family and friends).

 

Yes we have a wonderful TA...since we are way out there yet...don't wish to bother her with a zillion questions. I read the posts and have obtained a lot of valuable information. This lack of cusomter service is bothersome to say the least. :eek: Hopefully our TA can iron out whatever "wrinkles" there are, however, it still is very disconcerting.

 

Well, we'll just have to wait and see. We hope that you will find resolution and have a wonderful cruise somehow on some line! Hope I do not have to change my ID to "sadnewbie":(

[C 2 C]

All of this is so scary:confused: We will be first time cruisers on the Millie in spring of 2008, we are looking at around 10 to 12 folks cruising together (family and friends).

 

It is primarily the shorter cruises that are affected by charter sailings. Large corporations or certain groups can book an entire cruise without the need for the cruise line to wait until individual bookings fill a ship. I have read about similar cancellations on Holland America as well. It happens. No corporation can afford not to satisfy a big customer at the expense of individual disruption. I just wish that the cruise lines could warn people more openly that this might happen in their booking confirmation.

[dkjretired]

Donna:

 

Is your cruise that was cancelled the same one as the Mercury cruise in Dec. 08 that is the subject of another thread. That was cancelled due to a charter. Your situation is horrible and another example of Celebrity's non customer service. If they could only fix that and their Captain's Club, they might win some friends back....

[joelmarj]

 

Do ya think the likes of American Airlines would still be in business if 500 pax bought, say, airline tickets, from LA to NYC, and then 3 months after, sold the same flights/seats to a charter, bumping those pax? IMO, it's unheard of...

 

Why this is 'acceptable' in the cruise industry, and in no other industry, is perplexing..

 

Just my opinion...

 

jc

Toronto

 

Actually, the airlines are even worse. They overbook just about every flight these days. They bump passengers off a flight and move them as well. Hotels do it all the time too. Ever been "walked" by a hotel? Ever have a rental car not available even though you had a reservation? Those instances aren even worse because they frequently aren't even done 3 months in advance, they are the day you are trying to use the services!

 

It becomes especially displeasing when it indeed is you that are affected. I can sympathize with Donna and it's stinks when it happens, but indeed this is not at all unique to just cruiselines.

[Pontius Navigator]

They bump passengers off a flight and move them as well. .

 

You get rather a nice bundle of cash off them too.

 

Years before rules changed they were coming down the queue offering $500 hand outs, almost as much as the airfare. :)

 

'course if you have a schedule then that would be different.

[curiouscat]

Your TA needs to contact her Celebrity DM... every TA has a rep assigned....:D

 

If she is just a pishka TA she won't get anything but if she is affiliated w/ a large Consortium she may get somewhere.. my TA had to do this once

 

Geesh... gotta swim up stream to get anything done:eek:

 

CuriousCat

 

PS I find X has an attitude problem on land.... but RCCL is nice and helpful as peaches???

[curiouscat]

We can't wait until she graduates and marries.

 

OUCH:eek: Please tell me your kidding. A college graduate can certainly be self sufficient and take care of herself while not being married.....

 

You really are kidding and don't want her to earn a MRS>

 

CuriousCat

[Apelila]

Dear Curious cat. Earn a Mrs? No, simply that in today's world women, at any age, can't travel safe enough. Girls at a young age, even well educated, don't anyways make good decisions. Better safe, than sorry. And she does have a commentment to marry after she finishes her Masters. Aloha nui oha

[Lois R]

We can't wait until she graduates and marries.

 

OUCH:eek: Please tell me your kidding. A college graduate can certainly be self sufficient and take care of herself while not being married.....

 

You really are kidding and don't want her to earn a MRS>

 

CuriousCat

 

Not only can a non-married person take care of themselves,

so can a person who does not have a degree.

Been divorced for almost 25 years......never finished college......

I didn't turn out too badly;)

[Susan-M]

I didn't turn out too badly;)

 

Lois, although I only know you from reading your posts during the past few years .... I would say that not only did you not turn out too badly, you sound like you turned out very well! :)

[Lois R]

Thank you:)

[Apelila]

I am sure with all your travel experience over the years, you take very good care of yourself, as well as do many professional women who travel daily for their jobs. Married, divorced, single. You have experience. My daughter and "ALL" I have politely discussed is MY daughter, will travel with us and not with a group of girls because of the lesson we saw in Aruba. Most of her friends parents in our town feel the same. Our family and our personal decison. Thanks for such a unkind board responsives to a kindly placed reply regarding Celebrity cancelling my daughters springbreak. Still with much Aloha............!

[Lois R]

I was not meaning to be unkind at all.

 

I hope your daughter finds whatever she wants in her life,

whether it is a man, a degree or both.

[florisdekort]

What surprises me is that you were not informed sooner. This particular charter was reported on CC at least 2 months ago? Did you book via a TA or direct at Celebrity? If via a TA, don't blame Celebrity for not informing you, and deal with your TA as opposed to with Celebrity's CS department!

 

Floris