Where is my Constilation Refund???

[CathyCruises]

First Celebrity Med cruise--booked because of stops in Casablanca and Tangiers. Guess what? The last call we got before leaving for the airport was Celebrity telling us that those two stops had been cancelled because of security issues.

 

Second Celebrity Med cruise--the only port I had never been to before was Split. Guess what? The starboard azipods failed and we missed that stop all together.

 

First Tahitian cruise: we took a day and a half sailing to Rarotonga. Guess what? Seas were too high and we couldn't tender safely, so we missed that port and spent another day and a half getting back to where we came from.

 

The point is, ship does happen, we all have disappointments, but we are grown ups and cope with them and find another way to have fun.

[bessinfl]

At the risk of being flamed, I have to say that I agree (at least partially) with the original poster. We, too, were on the Constellation cruise that presented us with Nassau instead of Cozumel. I was quite disappointed because we were looking forward to Cozumel and hated Nassau. (And, because we live within driving distance of Key West, spending two extra days there was not a perk for us.)

 

I didn't expect Celebrity to refund our money. But I did expect more of an effort to make us feel better about the change in itinerary. (As someone above pointed out, our departure from Key West was on-again, off-again, on-again for the entire time we were there, so we never knew when we'd be leaving and couldn't stray far from the ship.)

 

Many or most of us on that cruise had a free beverage package, so giving us free drinks was not an appealing gesture. I think OBC or a small discount on a future cruise would have been appropriate.

[dkjretired]

At the risk of being flamed, I have to say that I agree (at least partially) with the original poster. We, too, were on the Constellation cruise that presented us with Nassau instead of Cozumel. I was quite disappointed because we were looking forward to Cozumel and hated Nassau. (And, because we live within driving distance of Key West, spending two extra days there was not a perk for us.)

 

I didn't expect Celebrity to refund our money. But I did expect more of an effort to make us feel better about the change in itinerary. (As someone above pointed out, our departure from Key West was on-again, off-again, on-again for the entire time we were there, so we never knew when we'd be leaving and couldn't stray far from the ship.)

 

Many or most of us on that cruise had a free beverage package, so giving us free drinks was not an appealing gesture. I think OBC or a small discount on a future cruise would have been appropriate.

 

Not flaming but giving the other side. Problem with that is like so many other things it sets a precedent. Everytime someone misses a port do they then have to give some type of payment. Ships often miss Grand Cayman because its a tender port and going back to the OPS comments on Disney, they often miss their private island, Castaway Cay. Many people book the Disney cruise because of Castaway Cay yet when they miss it they do not offer compensation. Again, it sets a bad precedent.

 

We'll be hearing a lot of complaining this summer if the situation in Russia continues to deterorate, do they offer compensation under those circumstances.

Edited March 28, 2014 by dkjretired

[ORV]

Here's something I've learned over the years. If my thinking is different from the majority of people on any given subject then I'm probably wrong and need to re-evaluate my thinking. Believe it or not it's happened a few times.

 

It's something the OP might consider.

[CruisinGirl777]

You aren't guaranteed /any/ port on a cruise. Never, ever go to a location on a cruise if you MUST see a particular site or dock at a particular port. Go on a land tour.

 

This is a key message that needs to be understood. I wouldn't expect anything from Celebrity in this case.

 

 

 

Sent using Tapatalk

[Oville]

Not flaming but giving the other side. Problem with that is like so many other things it sets a precedent. Everytime someone misses a port do they then have to give some type of payment. Ships often miss Grand Cayman because its a tender port and going back to the OPS comments on Disney, they often miss their private island, Castaway Cay. Many people book the Disney cruise because of Castaway Cay yet when they miss it they do not offer compensation. Again, it sets a bad precedent.

 

We'll be hearing a lot of complaining this summer if the situation in Russia continues to deterorate, do they offer compensation under those circumstances.

 

Castaway Cay is not a tender port so why would it be missed? Just curious.

[Oville]

At the risk of being flamed, I have to say that I agree (at least partially) with the original poster. We, too, were on the Constellation cruise that presented us with Nassau instead of Cozumel. I was quite disappointed because we were looking forward to Cozumel and hated Nassau. (And, because we live within driving distance of Key West, spending two extra days there was not a perk for us.)

 

I didn't expect Celebrity to refund our money. But I did expect more of an effort to make us feel better about the change in itinerary. (As someone above pointed out, our departure from Key West was on-again, off-again, on-again for the entire time we were there, so we never knew when we'd be leaving and couldn't stray far from the ship.)

 

Many or most of us on that cruise had a free beverage package, so giving us free drinks was not an appealing gesture. I think OBC or a small discount on a future cruise would have been appropriate.

 

Just a reminder of the revised itinerary of this cruise.

 

Day 1 Fort Lauderdale

Day 2 Key West

Day 3 Key West

Day 4 At Sea

Day 5 Nassau

 

There were not two extra days in Key West, we were there for just under 48 hours.

Edited March 28, 2014 by Oville

[boogs]

Castaway Cay is not a tender port so why would it be missed? Just curious.

 

If the winds are too high, Disney will skip the stop. Google "Missed Castaway Cay" for many instances this has happened. Not different from any other port where high winds may make it difficult or even dangerous to dock.

[Oville]

If the winds are too high, Disney will skip the stop. Google "Missed Castaway Cay" for many instances this has happened. Not different from any other port where high winds may make it difficult or even dangerous to dock.

 

Thanks!

[maxsales]

At the risk of being flamed, I have to say that I agree (at least partially) with the original poster. We, too, were on the Constellation cruise that presented us with Nassau instead of Cozumel. I was quite disappointed because we were looking forward to Cozumel and hated Nassau. (And, because we live within driving distance of Key West, spending two extra days there was not a perk for us.)

 

I didn't expect Celebrity to refund our money. But I did expect more of an effort to make us feel better about the change in itinerary. (As someone above pointed out, our departure from Key West was on-again, off-again, on-again for the entire time we were there, so we never knew when we'd be leaving and couldn't stray far from the ship.)

 

Many or most of us on that cruise had a free beverage package, so giving us free drinks was not an appealing gesture. I think OBC or a small discount on a future cruise would have been appropriate.

 

Stuff happens. Everyone needs to look at intent. Did Celebrity want you to miss Cozumel? No. Where they trying to fix the problem? I believe they were, as you did ultimately leave Key West.

 

My thought is that one is due compensation if they are harmed by the actions of another. In this case missing Cozumel is not being harmed IMHO.

 

I agree with another poster who pointed out that if one's only goal for this cruise was to visit Cozumel then a flight and land stay would have been the way to go. Cruise ships miss various ports for all sorts of reasons. Building your entire vacation around one port can lead to disappointment.:)

[Andy]

Stuff happens. Everyone needs to look at intent. Did Celebrity want you to miss Cozumel? No. Where they trying to fix the problem? I believe they were, as you did ultimately leave Key West.

 

My thought is that one is due compensation if they are harmed by the actions of another. In this case missing Cozumel is not being harmed IMHO.

 

I agree with another poster who pointed out that if one's only goal for this cruise was to visit Cozumel then a flight and land stay would have been the way to go. Cruise ships miss various ports for all sorts of reasons. Building your entire vacation around one port can lead to disappointment.:)

 

Well said, and I couldnt agree more. Thanks for your insights.

[The Rowdys]

pleasantly surprised in a nicer, more helpful crowd on this thread... my faith in humankind may be restored... only slightly :)

 

firstly, I don't think the OP is stating that a full refund is expected... my group (as well as theirs, I'm sure) had a good time... in fact, their post "ANY REASONABLE Compensation would be fine, but NOTHING is not!!!" states this...

 

here's one of my main beefs about the whole ordeal:

background: my husband is a mechanic by trade... I've learned the HARD way:confused: that when you hear a bump under the hood or a dreaded dash light comes on or something just doesn't feel quite right, you better take the truck into the shop or at least mention it to said mechanic-husband OR EXPECT TO BE STRANDED at the wine store at least opportune moment!

in comparison:

-I read of a similar Connie malfunction on Celebrity FaceBook page from another X passenger (now post is gone...hmmm?).

-the emergency turbine replacement of which this thread is based.

-don't know if y'all were onboard when this happened, but while we were on the ship (sorry, cant remember the exact day... we had the all-inclusive Premium Drink Pkg as well:rolleyes:) the power went out for 10-15 minutes-no big deal-aux lights came on immediately and we didn't think much about it.

-the Connie was powerless for 90 minutes during a recent cruise in Feb....

 

my point: is there MORE going on with Connie? are there bigger issues that need to be addressed? at what point is it no longer "an act of God" and becomes mechanical neglect!?

 

yes, didn't sign up for Nassau... very disappointed... BUT I am so thankful that we were safe on American "soil"... if there ARE bigger issues, I hope everyone onboard at the time is equally safe!!

 

gkbiiii, stumbled upon this site when trying to find history of connie breakdowns:

 

http://www.cruiselawnews.com/2013/12/articles/passenger-rights/celebrity-constellation-suffers-engine-problems-in-key-west/

 

seems we are part of a larger crowd of unhappy cruisers.

[TomTN]

This post just caused me to snort Coke out of my nose-- I demand compensation from Cruise Critic.:rolleyes::eek::D

 

I am by no means an expert, but aren't you doing that backwards?;)

[The Rowdys]

PartyAllDaTyme and TomBeckCruise: comments are totally off-topic and somewhat disturbing, but the most humorous I've seen in a while!! thanks for the giggles!

[Classynfun1]

When people say things like, " why doesn't XYZ line give me a discount off the next cruise. It's not like it costs them much, if anything!" I seriously want to LOL. If you say that, you absolutely cannot understand general accounting and definitely don't understand how that factors into publically traded companies.

 

For any voucher given to someone by name, it sits on the books as a liability until the expiration date (or used). Whether or not it is used does not matter in terms of accounting, until it is used or expires. If every time someone was inconvienenced due to a change in itinerary the line gave out discount vouchers, the long term result would be an overall rise in cruise prices in order to generate enough of a revenue stream to offset these vouchers and make shareholders see a clear picture of overall financial health and viability.

 

Aside from the whole entitlement issue that the OP seems to have, this is not warranted, not a good move for X (or any line/business).

[The Rowdys]

just an interesting post I ran across on cruiselawnews:

 

"Debbie,check out the YouTube video a guest took.- if the link does not work just google: you tube constellation engine Key west. The part is huge and I was wondering the same as well. My hunch is they ( celebrity) knew, and planned this all along , we were the last cruise before the heavy duty x mas season , so we got " sacrificied". PS- I posted the link of the video on the Celebrity web- and guess what it was deleted asap- they do not want to have this get out.

 

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=celebrity+constellation+key+west+engine+failure++you+tube+&FORM=VIRE6#view=detail&mid=80FC5B275332E04E7AA380FC5B275332E04E7AA3 "

 

if this truly happened, it just makes me sad!

husband already has "put his foot down" and said if this is not "made right" with us, our upcoming X cruise will be our last... :( I love Celebrity and I'm still hopeful that customer loyalty will come thru in the end!

[gkbiiii]

pleasantly surprised in a nicer, more helpful crowd on this thread... my faith in humankind may be restored... only slightly :)

 

firstly, I don't think the OP is stating that a full refund is expected... my group (as well as theirs, I'm sure) had a good time... in fact, their post "ANY REASONABLE Compensation would be fine, but NOTHING is not!!!" states this...

 

here's one of my main beefs about the whole ordeal:

background: my husband is a mechanic by trade... I've learned the HARD way:confused: that when you hear a bump under the hood or a dreaded dash light comes on or something just doesn't feel quite right, you better take the truck into the shop or at least mention it to said mechanic-husband OR EXPECT TO BE STRANDED at the wine store at least opportune moment!

in comparison:

-I read of a similar Connie malfunction on Celebrity FaceBook page from another X passenger (now post is gone...hmmm?).

-the emergency turbine replacement of which this thread is based.

-don't know if y'all were onboard when this happened, but while we were on the ship (sorry, cant remember the exact day... we had the all-inclusive Premium Drink Pkg as well:rolleyes:) the power went out for 10-15 minutes-no big deal-aux lights came on immediately and we didn't think much about it.

-the Connie was powerless for 90 minutes during a recent cruise in Feb....

 

my point: is there MORE going on with Connie? are there bigger issues that need to be addressed? at what point is it no longer "an act of God" and becomes mechanical neglect!?

 

yes, didn't sign up for Nassau... very disappointed... BUT I am so thankful that we were safe on American "soil"... if there ARE bigger issues, I hope everyone onboard at the time is equally safe!!

 

gkbiiii, stumbled upon this site when trying to find history of connie breakdowns:

 

http://www.cruiselawnews.com/2013/12/articles/passenger-rights/celebrity-constellation-suffers-engine-problems-in-key-west/

 

seems we are part of a larger crowd of unhappy cruisers.

 

 

Thank you, I truly appreciate your post!

[gkbiiii]

just an interesting post I ran across on cruiselawnews:

 

"Debbie,check out the YouTube video a guest took.- if the link does not work just google: you tube constellation engine Key west. The part is huge and I was wondering the same as well. My hunch is they ( celebrity) knew, and planned this all along , we were the last cruise before the heavy duty x mas season , so we got " sacrificied". PS- I posted the link of the video on the Celebrity web- and guess what it was deleted asap- they do not want to have this get out.

 

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=celebrity+constellation+key+west+engine+failure++you+tube+&FORM=VIRE6#view=detail&mid=80FC5B275332E04E7AA380FC5B275332E04E7AA3 "

 

if this truly happened, it just makes me sad!

husband already has "put his foot down" and said if this is not "made right" with us, our upcoming X cruise will be our last... :( I love Celebrity and I'm still hopeful that customer loyalty will come thru in the end!

 

 

If this is true, this is a game changer for me, personally. Everyone on this board, seems to be talking about (missed ports due to) sea conditions, acts of God, political unrest, etc.; however there seems to be no discussion on mechanical failure, which is the line's responsibility.

 

What your saying does make sense, being that this was their cheapest cruise and how the handled it with passengers.

[dkjretired]

pleasantly surprised in a nicer, more helpful crowd on this thread... my faith in humankind may be restored... only slightly :)

 

firstly, I don't think the OP is stating that a full refund is expected... my group (as well as theirs, I'm sure) had a good time... in fact, their post "ANY REASONABLE Compensation would be fine, but NOTHING is not!!!" states this...

 

here's one of my main beefs about the whole ordeal:

background: my husband is a mechanic by trade... I've learned the HARD way:confused: that when you hear a bump under the hood or a dreaded dash light comes on or something just doesn't feel quite right, you better take the truck into the shop or at least mention it to said mechanic-husband OR EXPECT TO BE STRANDED at the wine store at least opportune moment!

in comparison:

-I read of a similar Connie malfunction on Celebrity FaceBook page from another X passenger (now post is gone...hmmm?).

-the emergency turbine replacement of which this thread is based.

-don't know if y'all were onboard when this happened, but while we were on the ship (sorry, cant remember the exact day... we had the all-inclusive Premium Drink Pkg as well:rolleyes:) the power went out for 10-15 minutes-no big deal-aux lights came on immediately and we didn't think much about it.

-the Connie was powerless for 90 minutes during a recent cruise in Feb....

 

my point: is there MORE going on with Connie? are there bigger issues that need to be addressed? at what point is it no longer "an act of God" and becomes mechanical neglect!?

 

yes, didn't sign up for Nassau... very disappointed... BUT I am so thankful that we were safe on American "soil"... if there ARE bigger issues, I hope everyone onboard at the time is equally safe!!

 

gkbiiii, stumbled upon this site when trying to find history of connie breakdowns:

 

http://www.cruiselawnews.com/2013/12/articles/passenger-rights/celebrity-constellation-suffers-engine-problems-in-key-west/

 

seems we are part of a larger crowd of unhappy cruisers.

 

Just a couple of points for you. All the M class ships have had problems in the past with their pods for which Celebrity won law suits against the manufacturers and which caused many cancellations. There were bigger issues but that ended a few years ago. The problem you had was not related to the pods.

 

I would also point out that the site you posted is that of a well known ambulance chasing lawyer who has over the years distorted many things about cruise ships and lines.

[boogs]

I would also point out that the site you posted is that of a well known ambulance chasing lawyer who has over the years distorted many things about cruise ships and lines.

 

He is a lawyer who is well known to prey on people such as the OP in an attempt to make a profit for himself. He is recognized in the maritime industry, especially the cruise industry, as someone who will exploit any irregularity if he feels he can make a tidy paycheck from it. However, he is mysteriously absent in all situations where he has no chance of pocketing a financial reward. A classic bottom dweller of the worst kind. Anything reported on his website should be read with suspicion.

Edited March 28, 2014 by boogs

[wvufan]

We have been on something like 25 cruises-most of them at least 11 nights.

 

On probably half of them, there was something that occurred which was not planned or anticipated. In some cases it was mechanical breakdowns. A few times it was the Noro. Rough seas. A couple times we missed ports due to weather. And so on.

 

My point is that cruise ship travel is not like a Swiss train. There are many variables which affect the journey. I am actually amazed every time we pull into a port precisely on schedule.

 

I am reminded of a Zenith cruise scheduled to go to Bermuda in September a few years ago. A hurricane prevented passage through the ocean in that direction and, in fact, Bermuda itself was closed to all ship traffic. The forecast was well publicized and it was foolish to think the cruise would be able to go as scheduled. Celebrity changed the itinerary to New England and maybe a couple ports in Canada. Some people simply adapted and had a great cruise. Others reacted like it was the most horrible thing that could have happened to them and they demanded all sorts of compensation.

 

Same circumstances with radically different experiences.

 

I think that those who enjoy cruising the most are folks who can roll with the punches. Others who are not so flexible might be better off considering other ways of travel and vacation.

 

Happy Sails to You

 

OOOEEE :D:D Bob and Phyl

[richstowe]

He is a lawyer who is well known to prey on people such as the OP in an attempt to make a profit for himself. He is recognized in the maritime industry, especially the cruise industry, as someone who will exploit any irregularity if he feels he can make a tidy paycheck from it. However, he is mysteriously absent in all situations where he has no chance of pocketing a financial reward. A classic bottom dweller of the worst kind. Anything reported on his website should be read with suspicion.

I have reported 3 separate CC members who ,on a regular basis, would post links to his site.

Interestingly they were long time members with few posts but proportionately lots of threads begun.

The threads were always about some Maritime incident with a link you know who. ;)

 

I also went to Mr Walker site. His big "successes" seem to have been against shipping company's on behalf of injured workers.

Actually this is a good thing

His successes against the cruise lines were not listed. Perhaps there were non-disclosure agreements in place.

Or perhaps he hasn't been as successful against the cruise-lines.

[gkbiiii]

Living on Collins, in Miami Beach, his office would be quite convenient for me. :p

Edited March 29, 2014 by gkbiiii

[richstowe]

Living on Collins, in Miami Beach, his office would be quite convenient for me. :p

Why it sounds like a marriage made in heaven.:D

[The Rowdys]

"He is a lawyer who is well known to prey on people such as the OP in an attempt to make a profit for himself. He is recognized in the maritime industry, especially the cruise industry, as someone who will exploit any irregularity if he feels he can make a tidy paycheck from it. "

 

this is good to know! thanks for the heads-up!