Guest relations debacle

[JeanfromBNA]

We noticed extra bar charges on our account on the stateroom TV the first full sea day. I went to Guest Relations and pointed them out and was told, "We'll take care of that, Madame." On Wednesday, they were still there, and I went back to Guest Relations, where I was again told the same thing.

 

 

We returned from our late shore excursion in Victoria, the night berfore we were to disembark. Our statement was attached to our stateroom door. The wrong charges were still on the bill. I went back to Guest Relations (the name of which by now was taking on a different meaning). I asked to see the manager. Maritza, a staffer at the front desk, insisted on trying to help me with the problem herself. I thought, okay, I'll give her a chance. My employees would have wanted the opportunity, too. So I explained the incorrect charges, and that I had already been to G.R. twice to resolve them. She replied, "yes, I see that Priscilla has tried to help you." She said, "I'll get that taken care of." I replied that I'd already heard that, and if she could supply a copy of the statement with the credit, that would be fine. She said she would send it to my stateroom. I told her that I had already been told that twice, and that I wouldn't be leaving until I get a credit. She said that she had to help other people, and if I could just step away from the desk. I replied that I would not be moving until I 1. Got a credit for the bad charges or 2. Spoke to a Manager.

 

I asked for the name of her manager. She would not tell me her manager's name. Maritza instead questioned who I spoke to the other two days. I hadn't remembered names; I presumed that they were able and authorized to do what they said that they would, which is provide sufficient follow through to rectify the bill. I said, "didn't you say that you had a record of a woman named 'Priscilla,' who helped me earlier?" She told me that she never said that. She then argued with me about the charges, insisting that, despite my pre-purchasing the premium alcohol package, the charges for an addtional six drinks in two bars was really mine, and I was trying to get free drinks.

 

At this point, I realized that I was going to have to go off on an aggressive cross-examination of her statements, and stay welded to the Guest Relations counter until I received satisfaction. I was firm, direct, and polite. I did not shout, but projected my voice enough to make sure that I was heard clearly. I finally got a credit on the statement before I left, but it took about half an hour.

 

What did this particular experience teach me?

 

1. I can't trust Celebrity to follow through on their commitments. I should have remembered every employee's name for verification.

2. I can't tell if Guest Relations employees are authorized by Celebrity to do anything except deflect and defuse.

3. I can't trust Celebrity with my money.

4. Celebrity prefers to argue with its guests and accuse them in public of lying about $50 in booze charges rather than resolve an issue in a professional manner. Yes, folks. This was about fifty bucks.

5. I will not be able to get my husband on another Celebrity cruise. We are unused to being treated so unprofessionally, and know that other places would better appreciate our vacation dollars.

 

(Yes, there were other bad or inadequate experiences on this cruise that contributed to our decision to avoid Celebrity in the future. There were some good experiences, too.)

[Orator]

We noticed extra bar charges on our account on the stateroom TV the first full sea day. I went to Guest Relations and pointed them out and was told, "We'll take care of that, Madame." On Wednesday, they were still there, and I went back to Guest Relations, where I was again told the same thing.

 

 

We returned from our late shore excursion in Victoria, the night berfore we were to disembark. Our statement was attached to our stateroom door. The wrong charges were still on the bill. I went back to Guest Relations (the name of which by now was taking on a different meaning). I asked to see the manager. Maritza, a staffer at the front desk, insisted on trying to help me with the problem herself. I thought, okay, I'll give her a chance. My employees would have wanted the opportunity, too. So I explained the incorrect charges, and that I had already been to G.R. twice to resolve them. She replied, "yes, I see that Priscilla has tried to help you." She said, "I'll get that taken care of." I replied that I'd already heard that, and if she could supply a copy of the statement with the credit, that would be fine. She said she would send it to my stateroom. I told her that I had already been told that twice, and that I wouldn't be leaving until I get a credit. She said that she had to help other people, and if I could just step away from the desk. I replied that I would not be moving until I 1. Got a credit for the bad charges or 2. Spoke to a Manager.

 

I asked for the name of her manager. She would not tell me her manager's name. Maritza instead questioned who I spoke to the other two days. I hadn't remembered names; I presumed that they were able and authorized to do what they said that they would, which is provide sufficient follow through to rectify the bill. I said, "didn't you say that you had a record of a woman named 'Priscilla,' who helped me earlier?" She told me that she never said that. She then argued with me about the charges, insisting that, despite my pre-purchasing the premium alcohol package, the charges for an addtional six drinks in two bars was really mine, and I was trying to get free drinks.

 

At this point, I realized that I was going to have to go off on an aggressive cross-examination of her statements, and stay welded to the Guest Relations counter until I received satisfaction. I was firm, direct, and polite. I did not shout, but projected my voice enough to make sure that I was heard clearly. I finally got a credit on the statement before I left, but it took about half an hour.

 

What did this particular experience teach me?

 

1. I can't trust Celebrity to follow through on their commitments. I should have remembered every employee's name for verification.

2. I can't tell if Guest Relations employees are authorized by Celebrity to do anything except deflect and defuse.

3. I can't trust Celebrity with my money.

4. Celebrity prefers to argue with its guests and accuse them in public of lying about $50 in booze charges rather than resolve an issue in a professional manner. Yes, folks. This was about fifty bucks.

5. I will not be able to get my husband on another Celebrity cruise. We are unused to being treated so unprofessionally, and know that other places would better appreciate our vacation dollars.

 

(Yes, there were other bad or inadequate experiences on this cruise that contributed to our decision to avoid Celebrity in the future. There were some good experiences, too.)

 

Sorry to read your experience. There is no excuse for the treatment you received and you should follow up with a detailed letter to Customer Relations at Celebrity. My guess is that you were dealing with a very inexperienced person. The Guest Relations Manager should have handled this situation. If this happens in the future, ragardless of line, speak to the Hotel Manager. I've had many contacts with Guest Relations and the vast majority have been highly positive. Unfortunately, you experienced the exception.

[Cruise Arizona]

Sorry to read your experience. There is no excuse for the treatment you received and you should follow up with a detailed letter to Customer Relations at Celebrity. My guess is that you were dealing with a very inexperienced person. The Guest Relations Manager should have handled this situation. If this happens in the future, ragardless of line, speak to the Hotel Manager. I've had many contacts with Guest Relations and the vast majority have been highly positive. Unfortunately, you experienced the exception.

 

Shouldn't that be "Fortunately your experience is the exception."

 

Like Orator I have had only pleasant experiences with guest relations, but I know that situations like yours can happen. It does sound like the people you dealt with were less than professional and did not meet the expectation set forth for them by the line. In this case I would definitely write to Celebrity about your experience. I know you said that your husband won't be returning, but I certainly don't want to run into this on my next cruise and it would be nice if I knew Celebrity would be correcting this type of behavior.

[Orator]

Shouldn't that be "Fortunately your experience is the exception."

 

"Fortunately" for most cruisers that her treatment was the exception. "Unfortunately" for the OP that it happened to her.

 

Hope the OP posts a review so we might see some of the plus and minus factors that she experienced.

[jaybird from SC]

We have never had a problem with anything requiring the help of guest relations. They have always been very helpful. Sorry you had such an unpleasant encounter.

[Waihekean]

It sounds to me that the OP thought that the mini bar charges were included in the premium alcohol package which of course they were not.

 

Or she had the cabin set-up as well and had used up the six drinks that come with that and the soda's after that are chargeable.

 

On the other hand it happens a lot in hotels that there are charges for the mini bar for unused drinks, but usually only the one or two.

Very annoying for the customer, but in my experience gets resolved quickly by the reception staff. So it is puzzling why this issue was not resolved the first time.

[BKFlowerMound]

It sounds to me that the OP thought that the mini bar charges were included in the premium alcohol package which of course they were not.

 

Or she had the cabin set-up as well and had used up the six drinks that come with that and the soda's after that are chargeable.

 

On the other hand it happens a lot in hotels that there are charges for the mini bar for unused drinks, but usually only the one or two.

Very annoying for the customer, but in my experience gets resolved quickly by the reception staff. So it is puzzling why this issue was not resolved the first time.

 

It doesn't sound like either of your scenarios at all. Read this in the OP's post.

 

"She then argued with me about the charges, insisting that, despite my pre-purchasing the premium alcohol package, the charges for an addtional six drinks in two bars was really mine, and I was trying to get free drinks." (emphasis added)

[silkhair1]

I had this happen on my Carnival cruise! It really makes it hard to go back to the cruise line when you are treated this way.

[Orator]

Celebrity employes thousands of dedicated and professional people who do eveything possible to provide the highest level of service. Even a brief review of threads on this board provide countless examples of employees in all departments going beyond what was required. Of course you'll find examples in any business of "bad apples". When Celebrity is informed about them, they take affirmative action. Just ask any crew member what happens when they receive poor ratings. I keep returning to Celebrity because of the staff. It's solely the OP's choice to cruise with Celebrity, or another line, or not cruise at all. I just would like them to know that based on many, many Celebrity cruises in the last three years, their experience on their cruise was far from typical.

[JeanfromBNA]

Like Orator I have had only pleasant experiences with guest relations, but I know that situations like yours can happen. It does sound like the people you dealt with were less than professional and did not meet the expectation set forth for them by the line. In this case I would definitely write to Celebrity about your experience. I know you said that your husband won't be returning, but I certainly don't want to run into this on my next cruise and it would be nice if I knew Celebrity would be correcting this type of behavior.

 

Thanks for making that point, Cruise Arizona. I will contact Celebrity, then.

[JeanfromBNA]

"Fortunately" for most cruisers that her treatment was the exception. "Unfortunately" for the OP that it happened to her.

 

Hope the OP posts a review so we might see some of the plus and minus factors that she experienced.

 

Orator, I will post a review in a week. I find that having some distance from the experience leads to a more objective review.

[JeanfromBNA]

It sounds to me that the OP thought that the mini bar charges were included in the premium alcohol package which of course they were not.

 

Or she had the cabin set-up as well and had used up the six drinks that come with that and the soda's after that are chargeable.

 

On the other hand it happens a lot in hotels that there are charges for the mini bar for unused drinks, but usually only the one or two.

Very annoying for the customer, but in my experience gets resolved quickly by the reception staff. So it is puzzling why this issue was not resolved the first time.

 

This had nothing to do with the minibar. I did not have a bar set up or any other type of alcohol package, and my husband had the premium non-alcoholic package. He doesn't drink. At all. Ever. The charges were for six drinks that we did not purchase at the Constellation Lounge and Michael's Club.

[Mulege]

Please don't judge the entire ship's company on this one person. I feel you did the right thing standing your ground and not losing the power. I hope alls well that ends well.

[SoBe2010]

I also sometimes feel the Celebrity guest relations to be below average regarding costumer service standards.

[Jade13]

We noticed extra bar charges on our account on the stateroom TV the first full sea day. I went to Guest Relations and pointed them out and was told, "We'll take care of that, Madame." I said, "didn't you say that you had a record of a woman named 'Priscilla,' who helped me earlier?" She told me that she never said that. She then argued with me about the charges, insisting that, despite my pre-purchasing the premium alcohol package, the charges for an addtional six drinks in two bars was really mine, and I was trying to get free drinks.

 

This does not make sense. If you purchased the premium alcohol package then what was their reasoning that they could charge you separately for alcohol that was already part of your package?

 

Could they have mixed up you and your husband's key cards (I see he had the premium non-alcoholic package). When we are together we wil hand them both of our key cards for cola. It is possible they could mix up who has the diet drink (my DH) or Coke versus Ginger Ale, but it does not matter since we have the same package.

 

Ok, did you ask them for proof of signature? If you don't have the package you have to sign for the drink. I would have asked them for proof of signature.

[Jade13]

We had 4 drinks charged to our min-bar on HAL last month, told the concierge and explained the drinks were in the cabinet next to the mini-bar after we asked our room steward to move them and he asked if he could place them in a cabinet. We just did it ourselves. They said "no problem", removed the charges on the spot and gave us a new print out. I asked if they wanted to see the drinks and they said "That won't be necessary".

[gkny]

We always ask the cabin steward to take everything out of the mini bar because we don't drink. Then we use that mini bar space to keep our water cold or iced teas cold from the lido deck.

[KeywestK]

I hope the OP will send an email to Celebrity. They will very likely contact her to discuss the matter and offer some sort of closure to this issue.

[lucinjo]

In the original post OP stated:

 

" She then argued with me about the charges, insisting that, despite my pre-purchasing the premium alcohol package, the charges for an addtional six drinks in two bars was really mine, and I was trying to get free drinks."

Yet in a later post the OP states:

"I did not have a bar set up or any other type of alcohol package, and my husband had the premium non-alcoholic package. He doesn't drink. At all. Ever. The charges were for six drinks that we did not purchase at the Constellation Lounge and Michael's Club."

 

I can't figure out if she had a package or not, perhaps the wrong sea pass was submitted (her husbands instead of hers?) and the drinks were charged that way. Or, the bartender made a mistake and charged one card for an entire group's drinks (on our last cruise I was accidently charged for an expensive glass of bourbon, while my friend got away with only being charged for my diet coke, luckily we caught it while signing the receipt!)

[CruisingChick]

Something kind of similar happened to me on one of our cruises. We are Elite members so we get "free internet" Of course this means they charge you $49.95 each for the package and then they credit you for it using the coupons you receive. We went to sign up on the first sea day. Three days after signing up for the package and submitting our coupons we still did not have the credit. I went down to GR to inquire and they told me not to worry that it would show up in a day or two, well, it didn't so I go down again and they told me that they had to wait until the coupons were submitted. I waited another day and then my DH came down with me to GR. We explained again what was going on. Luckily the International Host whom we became friendly with was also behind the desk that day and he overheard and he finally got it taken care of. Now we go down to the i-Lounge right after we embark and sign up for the packages and submit the coupons. We haven't had a problem since then.

[jacketwatch]

Sorry to hear of this shoddy treatment. Of our nine total cruises only once did we get poor treatment from anyone on the staff. That's pretty good really.

 

We were on the Connie last fall. Our on board treatment was excellent. The hotel director Julian Brackenberry was very nice to us as was everyone else.

 

We did have an issue which compelled me to write X about in addition to the overall positive review. It finally got resolved though it was necessary to escalate it with a few phone calls as my letter did not fetch a reply though they did say an email reply was sent.

 

Again sorry to hear of this poor treatment.

[JeanfromBNA]

This does not make sense. If you purchased the premium alcohol package then what was their reasoning that they could charge you separately for alcohol that was already part of your package?

 

Could they have mixed up you and your husband's key cards (I see he had the premium non-alcoholic package). When we are together we wil hand them both of our key cards for cola. It is possible they could mix up who has the diet drink (my DH) or Coke versus Ginger Ale, but it does not matter since we have the same package.

 

Ok, did you ask them for proof of signature? If you don't have the package you have to sign for the drink. I would have asked them for proof of signature.

 

I don't think that there was any reasoning, other than to keep as much money as they could.

 

In both locations, at Michael's Club and at the Constellation Lounge, I ordered drinks, and my husband declined any beverages. The only card that I presented was mine.

 

I pointed out that I could only order one alcoholic beverage at a time, and she suggested that they could have been drinks for friends.

 

No, I did not ask for a signature. I should have.

[JeanfromBNA]

In the original post OP stated:

 

" She then argued with me about the charges, insisting that, despite my pre-purchasing the premium alcohol package, the charges for an addtional six drinks in two bars was really mine, and I was trying to get free drinks."

Yet in a later post the OP states:

"I did not have a bar set up or any other type of alcohol package, and my husband had the premium non-alcoholic package. He doesn't drink. At all. Ever. The charges were for six drinks that we did not purchase at the Constellation Lounge and Michael's Club."

 

I can't figure out if she had a package or not, perhaps the wrong sea pass was submitted (her husbands instead of hers?) and the drinks were charged that way. Or, the bartender made a mistake and charged one card for an entire group's drinks (on our last cruise I was accidently charged for an expensive glass of bourbon, while my friend got away with only being charged for my diet coke, luckily we caught it while signing the receipt!)

 

The only packages that I had were the premium alcohol package for myself, and the premium beverage package for my husband. These were purchased in February, before the cruise. I'm not an expert on Celebrity beverage packages, but I believe that they also offer a bar set up in your stateroom, and a wine package. We did not have those two packages.

 

I submitted my own card each time, which I took from my purse.

[24butterfly]

I don't think that there was any reasoning, other than to keep as much money as they could.

 

In both locations, at Michael's Club and at the Constellation Lounge, I ordered drinks, and my husband declined any beverages. The only card that I presented was mine.

 

I pointed out that I could only order one alcoholic beverage at a time, and she suggested that they could have been drinks for friends.

 

No, I did not ask for a signature. I should have.

 

I'd have asked for the receipts from the bars. They also have the times on them (I 'm pretty sure......) Hope this is resolved.....

[seaworthy1]

We were on the Centurys May 5 sailing. We pre-purchased two premium alohol packages, a couple days into the cruise I noticed 4 bar charges against our account. Three $4 and one $9.47, a small ammount, but not our debt. Went to GR and was told sorry, will be taken care of immediately. Charges still there that night. Went thru this for three days, on my fifth trip to GR, I was not so quite or polite, demanded satisfaction, the bar manager was called(a very nice guy) he made a phone call (I heard him say NO...I want it done NOW)...30 mins later there was a credit on our account for the full $21.47. I am not going to assume that it is Celebrity Guest Relations policy to stall and pass the buck until you give up, but it does seem odd.