Deficient customer services pre cruise

[travelberlin]

My friend and I had booked a B2B cruise to Asia. A total of 28 nights. Some ports of call were in Vietnam. We noticed that we needed a visa for Vietnam and since we were going to return on the second leg of the cruise, then the visa would probably have to be a multiple one. However, we have received information mainly from cruise critic forums that Celebrity would arrange that visa on board and no previous visa was needed. We wanted to confirm this information with Celebrity and we tried to do this through our travel agent and writting directly to Celebrity.

I have got an email via facebook, which apparently was the email of the Captainsclub since I thought being elite plus member, they would answer my consultation.

Unfortunately after waiting two months and after several calls from our travel agent to Celebrity, no answer came. For my friend it was her first cruise. She developed a mistrust for Celebrity, because she said that the pre cruise communication is very important specially for first time cruisers. She said that it does not speak well for the company. She decided to cancel the cruises and put her money somewhere else.

Shame how Celebrity gives such an impression and looses clients. :mad:

[ECCruise]

Unfortunately, your concerns are/were legitimate.

 

Even though the information you found here was correct (no need for a prior Visa), I, too would want confirmation for the operator (Celebrity) that this was the case. There are scads of misinformation posted on these forums daily.

 

Generally, the service and attention shown onboard the ships is pretty good. The land operation, though, often leaves much to be desired.

[jagoffee]

Certainly a reasonable complaint.

 

Personally I would find fault with the TA more than Celebrity. Isn't that one of the reasons to book with a TA? Obviously your friend directed her mistrust at Celebrity, but I would have directed mine at the TA.

 

I may be wrong, but I would think a more experienced TA who does a lot of business with Celebrity would have been able to get you whatever you needed.

 

Hopefully you will still be able to enjoy your cruise unless you have also decided to cancel.

[SetU2]

Certainly a reasonable complaint.

 

 

 

Personally I would find fault with the TA more than Celebrity. Isn't that one of the reasons to book with a TA? Obviously your friend directed her mistrust at Celebrity, but I would have directed mine at the TA.

 

 

 

I may be wrong, but I would think a more experienced TA who does a lot of business with Celebrity would have been able to get you whatever you needed.

 

 

 

Hopefully you will still be able to enjoy your cruise unless you have also decided to cancel.

 

 

 

Completely agree. The travel agent sells nothing but service. They are the middle man between you and the cruise line and are supposed to work on your behalf. Too many want to just be ticket writers and think their job is done and won't go to bat for you. Some are awesome. Go find awesome.

Edited May 5, 2016 by SetU2

[Desertbelle]

"Distrust of Celebrity", an award winning, very prominent and well-loved cruise line, seems like a very flimsy excuse to cancel a cruise. Perhaps your friend was looking for a reason to cancel. IMHO a 28 day cruise to Asia could be rather intimidating for a first time cruiser and maybe he/she was having second thoughts/cold feet. Even an experienced cruiser might feel like that is a lot of cruise.

 

P.S. It IS the travel agent's responsibility to be your go between with the cruise line, and she should have known the answers to your questions or found the answers for you.

Edited May 5, 2016 by Desertbelle

[pl281]

1) I agree with others that the travel agent should have been more responsive

 

2) I would say though that it is the responsibility of the traveler (and perhaps the travel agent to help guide them) to make sure they have what visas they need. Most cruise lines including Celebrity specifically say that they don't arrange visa and given that the visa requirements are based on the home country of the person traveling not the ship I wouldn't put that on the cruise line.

 

I know a few years ago we did a cruise with a stop in Russia we researched / found out ahead of time that as long as we were on a ship tour we didn't need a visa but if we wanted to go out on our own we would.... we opted to just do the ship tours

[Bo1953]

1) I agree with others that the travel agent should have been more responsive

 

2) I would say though that it is the responsibility of the traveler (and perhaps the travel agent to help guide them) to make sure they have what visas they need. Most cruise lines including Celebrity specifically say that they don't arrange visa and given that the visa requirements are based on the home country of the person traveling not the ship I wouldn't put that on the cruise line.

 

I know a few years ago we did a cruise with a stop in Russia we researched / found out ahead of time that as long as we were on a ship tour we didn't need a visa but if we wanted to go out on our own we would.... we opted to just do the ship tours

 

Rated: 1+ - on X's web site it spells out what the travelers responsibility is in terms of Visa's, that could have been a starting point and NOT CC, but be that as it may, since there is a TA involved, it is the TA's responsibility to relay that information.

 

Seems to me that when individuals choose not to read the 'official' information or have TA's who understand or can read them to the traveler, then it is quite possible that they are not ready for prime time in terms of traveling in such far flung interesting places with 'premium' mass market lines like X.

 

Maybe a luxury line would be in order for them? Small ships, absolutely great customer service and possibly comparable website to X's with latest information on travel requirements posted.

 

Good thing it was before final payment, then there may have been an issue with understanding cancellation fees. The OP did not indicate when the sailing is to take place, yet only two (2) months waiting for answer, if the sailing is six (6+) months out, no need to have panicked, but alas, regardless of the time I would have leaned on my TA as that is responsible party for such information and guidance, IMO.

 

bon voyage

Edited May 5, 2016 by Bo1953

[NurseBPS]

I agree I have booked cruises with carnival and royal this will be my first celebrity cruise and I have never had so much miscommunication. Every time I call I get a different answer. I hate that I can never call the same person back either. I will say thats one thing carnival has done right, you get to speak to the same person all the time and that makes a big difference in communication.

[Desertbelle]

I agree I have booked cruises with carnival and royal this will be my first celebrity cruise and I have never had so much miscommunication. Every time I call I get a different answer. I hate that I can never call the same person back either. I will say thats one thing carnival has done right, you get to speak to the same person all the time and that makes a big difference in communication.

How does Carnival do that? Are there certain hours you can call? Or do you leave a message and that person calls you back? It would seem very inconvenient to have to always contact the cruise line at a specific time when that person is on shift? So eight hours a day and two days off a week?

 

I am not being argumentative, I really want to know how they pull off you getting to speak to the same agent every time.

[AdoraBelle]

How does Carnival do that? Are there certain hours you can call? Or do you leave a message and that person calls you back? It would seem very inconvenient to have to always contact the cruise line at a specific time when that person is on shift? So eight hours a day and two days off a week?

 

I am not being argumentative, I really want to know how they pull off you getting to speak to the same agent every time.

 

 

I think Carnival has "personal vacation planners" or something. I believe NCL tried to assign me one but it kept changing.

[Bo1953]

I agree I have booked cruises with carnival and royal this will be my first celebrity cruise and I have never had so much miscommunication. Every time I call I get a different answer. I hate that I can never call the same person back either. I will say thats one thing carnival has done right, you get to speak to the same person all the time and that makes a big difference in communication.

 

When one books directly and leaves the booking with X, there is a personal planner you are assigned to.

 

This person tracks you through sailing. How effective are they? I cannot say as I have a TA to which I transfer my booking to, who is very good and is always able to assist, when required.

 

bon voyage

[ChucktownSteve]

How does Carnival do that? Are there certain hours you can call? Or do you leave a message and that person calls you back? It would seem very inconvenient to have to always contact the cruise line at a specific time when that person is on shift? So eight hours a day and two days off a week? .

 

Last year, every time I logged into the Carnival web site just to check cruises and prices, they knew it. Even if I left without any action, about an hour or two later I received a call from "my" representative until I told them not to call me any more after I logged in. I don't recall if it was the same person each time because I didn't pay attention to their name.

[travelberlin]

Thanks every body for your replies. I have also contacted directly Azamara club cruises representative and Royal Crown and Anchor representative before in terms of requesting info about if the visas were to be obtained on board or we had to apply them ourselves. This for locations like Oman. I have always got an answer. It is only Celebrity and Captains Club, who never provided an answer.

[travelberlin]

1)

 

"I would say though that it is the responsibility of the traveler (and perhaps the travel agent to help guide them) to make sure they have what visas they need. Most cruise lines including Celebrity specifically say that they don't arrange visa and given that the visa requirements are based on the home country of the person traveling not the ship I wouldn't put that on the cruise line.

Thanks for your comment. Exactly because we know is finally the travelers responsability to make sure what visas are needed we have contacted Celebrity. We contacted them to verify an information that for Vietnam, Celebrity does arrange a Visa on board for all passengers. We were not trying to pass our responsability to any one. Unfortunately we have not received any answer to our requests for information. This is the reason of our complain.

[jelayne]

I understand the OPs frustration. The cruise line says in their materials that is the travelers responsibility to obtain visas; however there are ports where the ship obtains the visas and charges your Sea Pass- Bali is an example.

 

It should only take 1 call or email to get accurate info from the cruise line whether the TA makes the contact or the traveler.

[Bo1953]

Thanks for your comment. Exactly because we know is finally the travelers responsability to make sure what visas are needed we have contacted Celebrity. We contacted them to verify an information that for Vietnam, Celebrity does arrange a Visa on board for all passengers. We were not trying to pass our responsability to any one. Unfortunately we have not received any answer to our requests for information. This is the reason of our complain.

 

Okay, okay here goes from X's web site the FAQ section (searchable) about Visas:

 

http://www.celebritycruises.com/frequently-asked-questions?wuc=USA#domesticSailings

 

The above link says 'domestic sailings' (Under 'Pre-Cruise') yet as one scrolls through, foreign sailings are addressed AND visas AND inoculations AND ...

 

I apologize that X's website is not clearer on this, but it is there for the looking....

 

Visa Information It is the sole responsibility of the guest to identify and obtain all required travel documents for all ports.

We strongly recommend that guests travel with a Passport. All Passports must be valid.

 

Guests on consecutive sailings must have the proper documents for their entire cruise vacation.

 

The requirements on this document were accurate as of July 3, 2014 but should be validated by the guest prior to leaving home through an Embassy, Passport or Visa service. Visa Central

Visa Central is the passport and visa service that we recommend, should our guests need passport and visa assistance.

Below is their contact information. Country of Residence USA Royal Caribbean International

(800) 858-8579 USA

Account Code: 44988

Email: rci@visacentral.com Celebrity Cruises

(800) 579-2406 USA

Account Code: 44989

Email: celebrity@visacentral.com Azamara Club Cruises

(800) 579-2261 USA

Account Code: 44990

Email: azamara@visacentral.com www.visacentral.com/royalcaribbean www.visacentral.com/celebritycruises www.visacentral.com/azamaraclubcruises Country of Residence Canada Royal Caribbean International

(888) 665 -9956 Canada

Account Code: 10026

Email: rci@visacentral.com Celebrity Cruises

(888) 665-9956 Canada

Account Code: 10027

Email: celebrity@visacentral.com Azamara Club Cruises

(888) 665 9956 Canada

Account Code: 10036

Email: azamara@visacentral.com www.visacentral.ca.com/royalcaribbean www.visacentral.ca.com/celebritycruises www.visacentral.ca.com/azamaraclubcruises The information below is only applicable to U.S. and Canadian citizens.

Countries listed in this document are those that due require some form of visa for either/or U.S. and Canadian citizens.

 

All other guests should review the visa requirements for each country on their sailing itinerary with their Embassy/Consulate or a Visa service of their choice. Country Visa

Required Additional Visa Information Embassy Web Address Argentina Reciprocity Visa must be obtained prior to arriving in Argentina Citizens of the U.S., Canada and Australia will be required to pay a fee when entering Argentina via any port of entry whether by air, land or sea. The fee must be prepaid before entering Argentinian territory including territorial waters. www.migraciones.gov.ar/accesibleingles/ Australia Visa must be obtained before leaving home. Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) or non-electronic label visa required. If an ETA visa is secured, the ETA visa online confirmation receipt must be provided during ship check-in formalities if sailing into Australia or the airline taking you to Australia. www.austemb.org Bahrain Ship will assist guests required to secure this visa. A visa can be obtained upon vessel arrival. http://www.bahrainembassy.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=section.home&id=14 Brazil Visa must be obtained before leaving home. Brazilian visas, regardless of the length of validity, must initially be used within 90 days of the issuance date or will no longer be valid. (The visa issuance date to the date the guest enters Brazil cannot exceed 90 days.) Immigration authorities will not allow entry into Brazil without a valid visa. Travelers coming from infested areas must present an inoculation certificate indicating they had a yellow fever immunization. http://www.brasilemb.org Cambodia Ship will assist guests required to secure this visa. The ship will charge a one time nominal fee to the guests onboard account for guests securing a visa onboard. This visa fee includes a small processing charge by our local representative. http://www.embassyofcambodia.org/ Canada Visa must be obtained before leaving home. All Alaska cruises departing from Seattle or Seward will stop in Canada.

Guest from countries that require a visa to enter Canada MUST obtain a valid visa before leaving home. Canadian Law does not allow a guest to remain on board the ship without a Canadian Visa. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/index.asp Chile Obtained on arrival at the airport before going through immigration Citizens of the Canada, Albania, Australia and Mexico must pay a reciprocity fee prior to entering Chile. There is a payment booth at the airport prior to going through customs. http://chile-usa.org/consular.htm. China, Peoples Republic of Guests from most countries, including US and Canadian citizens require a visa to enter China, unless noted otherwise at right. Discuss your travel itinerary with your visa provider to ensure you get the proper type visa, which must be secured before leaving home. Please note that some nationalities including US and Canadian citizens do not require a visa for Sanya, China, Hong Kong or Taiwan. www.china-embassy.org Egypt Ship will assist guests required to secure this visa. A Quick Trip visa, valid for 72 hours, can be obtained upon vessel arrival. www.touregypt.net/visa.htm India Guests from most countries, including US and Canadian citizens require a visa to enter India. Discuss you travel itinerary with your visa provider to ensure you get the proper type visa, which must be secured before leaving home. http://indiavisa.travisaoutsourcing.com/guidelines Indonesia Guests from most countries, including US and Canadian citizens require a visa to enter Indonesia. Many nationalities, including US and Canadian citizens can obtain their Indonesia visa onboard the ship at an approximate cost of $25.00 USD per person. www.embasyofindonesia.org Jordan Ship will assist guests required to secure this visa. A visa can be obtained upon vessel arrival. http://www.jordanembassyus.org/new/index.shtml Visa Information (continued) Country Visa

Required Additional Visa Information Embassy Web Address Maldives Ship will assist guests required to secure this visa. The ship will charge a one time nominal fee to the guests onboard account for guests securing a visa onboard. www.maldivesembassy.us Oman A group visa will be issued onboard upon submission of the guest manifest. Guests are not required to do anything to be included in the group visa. For overnight stays on Brilliance of the Seas, there is likely to be a visa charge of $15 per person. This service is not available for Israeli citizens. Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman

2535 Belmont Rd. NW

Washington, DC 20008

(202) 387-1980 Papua New Guinea Ship will assist guests required to secure this visa. The ship will charge a one time nominal fee to the guests onboard account for guests securing a visa onboard. www.pngembassy.org Sri Lanka Ship will assist guests required to secure a ETA visa. Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) or non-electronic label visa required and will be obtained onboard the ship. No charges will be assessed for stays less than 48 hrs. Any guests planning to disembark and remain in Sri Lanka for more than 48 hours would need to apply for the ETA online in advance. www.slembassyusa.org Russia See Additional Visa Information. Visa NOT required ONLY IF taking a shore excursion or car service arranged by the cruise line for the ports of St. Petersburg, Sochi and Novorossiysk.

Otherwise, visa request must be accompanied by confirmation letter from licensed Russian tour provider. Exception: The ports of Vladivostok and Petropavlovsk DO NOT require a visa for in transit cruise guests who want to go ashore on tours or individually. www.russianembassy.org Turkey See Additional Visa Information. Intransit cruise guests do not require a visa for Turkey.

 

Guests flying into Turkey to embark a vessel or debarking the vessel in Turkey must obtain an e-visa prior to arrival at the airport or sailing.

 

 

The link to the right lists the applicable nationalities and fees (subject to change). www.evisa.gov.tr United Arab Emirates Canadian guests must obtain a visa prior to arrival. Effective January 1, 2011, Canadian citizens are required to obtain one or two single entry visas prior to arrival to UAE. If flying with Emirates Airlines, the airline can apply for the visas for you.

 

*The number of single entry visas required depends on the number of times the guest enters the country on a particular voyage. Check your itinerary prior to purchasing visa.

 

Please note that CIBT and other third party visa service companies are not able to process visas for Canadian citizens traveling to the UAE.

 

Please refer guests to:

Prejit Sebastian at Arabian Adventures

Phone: +971 1 303 4771

Fax: +971 4 343 2251

Email: Prejit.sebastian@emirates.com

 

One single entry visa for Canadian citizens costs $75 USD per person.

 

Two single entry visas for Canadian citizens cost $155 USD per person.

 

Note: Arabian Adventures charges a 3% bank fee for credit card transactions.

http://www.uae-embassy.org/travel-culture/visas-passports Venezuela See Additional Visa Information. When arriving/departing by ship on the same day to Margarita Island, a visa is not required. For other areas of Venezuela, a visa is required. www.venezuela-us.org Vietnam Ship will assist guests required to secure this visa. The ship will charge a one time nominal fee to the guests onboard account for guests securing a visa onboard. This visa fee includes a small processing charge by our local representative. www.vietnamembassy-usa.org/

 

bon voyage

Edited May 9, 2016 by Bo1953

[CapeCodCruiser]

I must agree - this falls solely on the TA. If the TA is not well versed in these matters they should not be selling these products. Once a trip is booked or moved to a TA the liability for errors & omissions belongs to the TA. That is who should have given you an answer for all of your questions. Most cruise lines won't even talk to a person who is booked thru a TA.

 

And Celebrity does have Vacation Planners so you can have ONE contact for your cruises booked direct.

 

http://www.celebritycruises.com/htmlpage/guest-assistance

[Christine Frances]

It is all on Celebrity's website. Go to

 

1) Already Booked

2) Getting Prepared

3) Travel Documents

4) Visas

5) then "Click here for more information"

 

This opens a document with all the information you are looking for.:)

[thecruise_guy]

a phone call to celebrity rather than an email may have been a better way to go

[SetU2]

OP was told as much on other threads but she just wanted to email. So she picked the wrong people, Celebrity vs her TA and then blames Celebrity. Mostly her and her TA's fault. She does have one very valid point and an honest point of frustration. Celebrity should at least be replying back to emails. Of course they could be hitting a Spam filter on the OP end too.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[JVilleGal]

Certainly a reasonable complaint.

 

 

 

Personally I would find fault with the TA more than Celebrity. Isn't that one of the reasons to book with a TA? Obviously your friend directed her mistrust at Celebrity, but I would have directed mine at the TA.

 

 

 

I may be wrong, but I would think a more experienced TA who does a lot of business with Celebrity would have been able to get you whatever you needed.

 

 

 

Hopefully you will still be able to enjoy your cruise unless you have also decided to cancel.

 

 

Ditto, so perfectly stated!

[JVilleGal]

Thanks for your comment. Exactly because we know is finally the travelers responsability to make sure what visas are needed we have contacted Celebrity. We contacted them to verify an information that for Vietnam, Celebrity does arrange a Visa on board for all passengers. We were not trying to pass our responsability to any one. Unfortunately we have not received any answer to our requests for information. This is the reason of our complain.

 

 

This is why you booked thru a Travel Agent who is being paid handsomely for booking this trip. Your agent is who should be able to get this info in about 5 min. And get it in writing from the Cruiseline. He has a special contact number to get information from the Cruiseline that you do not have access too. Time to fire your agent!

[JVilleGal]

It is all on Celebrity's website. Go to

 

 

 

1) Already Booked

 

2) Getting Prepared

 

3) Travel Documents

 

4) Visas

 

5) then "Click here for more information"

 

 

 

This opens a document with all the information you are looking for.:)

 

 

Pretty simple isn't it!