What happened to integrity?

[Cruise a holic]

I am an Elite Plus Celebrity member but have some major concerns about the way in which Celebrity has been operating lately.  First issue was that after many years sailing on the Summit in August, a few months before our last booking I was notified that the ship had been chartered and my reservation was cancelled.  Unfortunately, due to my husbands work schedule, that was the only week we could sail in the summer and made other arrangements with another line.  Then we booked the Edge for March 2019, the day reservations opened up about two years ago.  We secured a very good rate for a sky suite.  Bumped again!  Celebrity said they would only honor the rate for the sailing before or after!  Again do to work obligations it was a no-go.  So we had to pay significantly more to book a lesser non suite cabin when we were able to travel.  Today, I received an email notifying me that m specialty restaurant reservation for our New Years eve sailing had been cancelled by Celebrity!  We again booked this restaurant in April 2018!   

 

In the past we have  sailed frequently on Celebrity, and have future cruises pending.  Perhaps we should consider another cruise line that honors it commitments.  Anybody else experiencing this problem?

[dkjretired]

12 minutes ago, Cruise a holic said:

I am an Elite Plus Celebrity member but have some major concerns about the way in which Celebrity has been operating lately.  First issue was that after many years sailing on the Summit in August, a few months before our last booking I was notified that the ship had been chartered and my reservation was cancelled.  Unfortunately, due to my husbands work schedule, that was the only week we could sail in the summer and made other arrangements with another line.  Then we booked the Edge for March 2019, the day reservations opened up about two years ago.  We secured a very good rate for a sky suite.  Bumped again!  Celebrity said they would only honor the rate for the sailing before or after!  Again do to work obligations it was a no-go.  So we had to pay significantly more to book a lesser non suite cabin when we were able to travel.  Today, I received an email notifying me that m specialty restaurant reservation for our New Years eve sailing had been cancelled by Celebrity!  We again booked this restaurant in April 2018!   

 

In the past we have  sailed frequently on Celebrity, and have future cruises pending.  Perhaps we should consider another cruise line that honors it commitments.  Anybody else experiencing this problem?

 

What makes you think other cruise lines don't do the same thing, news flash, they do.  I do agree that it appears that the leadership of Celebrity doesn't care too much about past cruisers, have seen that building for a long time.  I think their only concern now is for special interests and millennials. 

[Cruise a holic]

I have also sailed Royal, NCL, Princess and Carnival.  Never had an issue with the other lines-  but enjoy(ed) Celebrity.

 

 I understand changes have to be made due to weather etc- but this is getting crazy.  I know "stuff" happens.

"

[Phxazzcruisers]

I am sorry to hear this.  On all of our many cruises with Celebrity we have never had any issues such as these.  Again, sorry to hear

[davekathy]

No issues with any of our Celebrity cruises. 2016 we had a B2B Caribbean cruise booked on the Summit. Celebrity decided to charter it, gave us other options for a different ship, similar sail dates, and compensation. We adjusted and had a great B2B Caribbean cruise on the Eclipse instead. 

Edited November 29, 2018 by davekathy

[Cruise a holic]

If you have a flexible schedule that is great.  However when you have work or other obligations and plan a cruise a year or two in advance it becomes a big problem

[jagoffee]

Cruise a holic,

 

No, on all my cruises with Celebrity and other cruise lines, I have never had a cruised cancelled.  You have had at least two cruises cancelled recently.  You are very unlucky.   Chartering a cruise with just a few months notice is very odd and certainly a very poor business practice.

 

i hope you have better luck on your future cruises on Celebrity and other cruise lines.

[opa&oma]

Just  IMHO, I would not allow Celebrity to treat me that way.  What is so very special about Celebrity anymore anyway?  Let your feet do the walking to any of the other very comparable lines.

[GACrusin]

It's hard to believe they would not honor your rate when rescheduling another time convenient for you, no matter what the current rate for that sailing was!  Not wonderful service recovery on their part when you are inconvenienced.  

 

[Duanerice1]

Man, remind me not to stand next to you in a lightning storm - lol.  That's a serious string of bad luck.  In all our cruises (only about 15) we've only had one cancelled and that was because of a hurricane coming over Ft Lauderdale.  Never even missed a port.  

 

So sorry to hear about you issues

Edited November 30, 2018 by Duanerice1

[RealBatman]

This is not an issue of integrity. We had our 2020 cruise cancelled, but Celebrity went out of their way to make it 'right' with us (OBC and drink package upgrade). It's about flexibility when things change. Not about integrity.

[NantahalaCruiser]

Cruise cancellations due to charters unfortunately occur on all mainstream lines.

 

But the cancellation of your specialty restaurant reservation is quite unusual. I would escalate it up to higher levels of management.

[CHUCKIE50]

34 minutes ago, RealBatman said:

This is not an issue of integrity. We had our 2020 cruise cancelled, but Celebrity went out of their way to make it 'right' with us (OBC and drink package upgrade). It's about flexibility when things change. Not about integrity.

The difference between us to whose 2020 cruises were cancelled and the OP is the short time between cancellation and cruise,

As they posted their New Year's Eve dinner reservation that was cancelled only happened today one month before the reservation. Their Edge cruise is only four months away making it much more difficult to make changes to work schedules. While I don't think this is a matter of integrity it is really poor customer service to make changes at this late date. Bad form Celebrity.

Edited November 30, 2018 by CHUCKIE50

[leaveitallbehind]

Frankly your loyalty status with Celebrity is irrelevant regarding what happened to you or have no bearing as to in the manner in which it should have been resolved for you.  Not sure why you felt it necessary to start your post off with that.   As to cancelling your future cruises only you can determine if you recent experiences would warrant that.  But as others have said, what has happened to you can - and does - occur on all cruise lines.  Sorry for your experiences and I hope your future cruises are without compromise.

Edited November 30, 2018 by leaveitallbehind

[Straughn]

On what ship is your New Year’s cruise? 

[actuarian]

We all know that cruises sometimes get cancelled due to charters and maintenance issues and that cruise ticket contracts all include language that holds the cruise lines harmless in those events.  However, I have never heard that cruise lines have the right to cancel specialty restaurant reservations after they have been confirmed (except, of course, if they have to close the restaurant).  If the restaurant is actually open and you have your original confirmation, then I suggest that you print it out and show up at the restaurant about 15 minutes in advance of the reservation time with that confirmation in hand.  If they still refuse to honor it, then make sure that the maitre'd knows exactly what you will be saying about him or her when you fill out your cruise evaluation form.

Edited November 30, 2018 by actuarian

[SoCalTraveler]

This happens in all travel settings.  I understand how frustrating it is.  We've arrived at hotels to find out there is no room at the inn.  (My people have had this problem before, but DW will not stay in a manger without room service.)   We had a hotel do this to us earlier this year.  As to more extensive arrangements, we had a tour operator cancel a 14 day escorted tour on the last possible day, 60 days out, because it had only sold 29 slots and 30 was its minimum.  We, too, have work schedules that could not be altered at that point and had already booked and paid for flights.  It took multiple fights with our then travel agent to get our money back.  We got refunded in three separate credits over a period of months and all after we returned from the trip.  (we were required to pay in full so much earlier that disputing the credit card charge was not a possible path. 

 

I would keep pressing customer service to make this right.

 

 

[SoCalTraveler]

Just now, actuarian said:

We all know that cruises sometimes get cancelled due to charters and maintenance issues and that cruise ticket contracts all include language that holds the cruise lines harmless in those events.  However, I have never heard that cruise lines have the right to cancel specialty restaurant reservations after they have been confirmed (except, of course, if they have to close the restaurant).  If the restaurant is actually open and you have your original confirmation, then I suggest that you print it out and show up at the restaurant about 15 minutes in advance of the reservation time with that confirmation in hand.  If they still refuse to honor it, then make sure that the maitre'd know exactly what you will be saying about him or her when you fill out your cruise evaluation form.

I heard of this happening on one of our RCCL trips when the restaurant decided to host a murder mystery dinner at about $60 per person, above the then specialty restaurant charge.  Some folks with reservations were disappointed, and I don't blame them.

[actuarian]

2 minutes ago, SoCalTraveler said:

I heard of this happening on one of our RCCL trips when the restaurant decided to host a murder mystery dinner at about $60 per person, above the then specialty restaurant charge.  Some folks with reservations were disappointed, and I don't blame them.

I would be surprised if they are holding a murder mystery dinner on New Years Eve.  They may well have a higher priced menu on New Years Eve but that does not justify canceling a confirmed reservation.  The simplest explanation is that there is a large group on that cruise, not large enough to charter the entire ship but large enough to reserve the entire restaurant.  If that is in fact the case, IMHO, such a group should not be allowed to bump people who made their reservations before the group did.  If the cruise line disagrees, then the least that they should do to compensate the people who get bumped would be to invite them to New Years Eve dinner at the Captain's Table instead.

[Cruise a holic]

8 hours ago, Straughn said:

On what ship is your New Year’s cruise? 

 

7 hours ago, SoCalTraveler said:

I heard of this happening on one of our RCCL trips when the restaurant decided to host a murder mystery dinner at about $60 per person, above the then specialty restaurant charge.  Some folks with reservations were disappointed, and I don't blame them.

 

8 hours ago, Straughn said:

On what ship is your New Year’s cruise? 

The Edge.

[davekathy]

16 hours ago, Cruise a holic said:

If you have a flexible schedule that is great.  However when you have work or other obligations and plan a cruise a year or two in advance it becomes a big problem

We also book our cruises 18 to 24 months out. 

[ORV]

What is your TA saying in all of this?

[Cruise a holic]

I booked directly when I was on another celebrity cruise.  No TA used.  

 

celebrity resolutions represent said they probably overbooked the restaurant.  We aren’t in a suite, in CC so maybe suite guests got priority and others got bumped.  Lucky me ☺️ 

[phoenix_dream]

I sympathize with your situation.  I understand cruise lines book charters and all that, but to do it reasonably close to sailing when most everyone booked likely has plane reservations should not be allowed IMHO.  A year or two out - ok, it's a chance you take.  But less than 6 months?  Should not be allowed.  The dinner reservation is also frustrating.  I also suspect it most likely is a large group but that is just not fair, this close to sailing.  Why can't they just tell people, sorry, we only have room for 'x' number of people - do you want to book just part of your group.  If they are bumping you for suite guests, don't even get me started on that (and we don't know one way or the other anyway).

[hcat]

22 hours ago, NantahalaCruiser said:

Cruise cancellations due to charters unfortunately occur on all mainstream lines.

 

But the cancellation of your specialty restaurant reservation is quite unusual. I would escalate it up to higher levels of management.

Did a large group book for a party for the night?  Did they offer you another restaurant choice for NY Eve? That's a special evening so they should come up with an alternate plan if the whole place is booked by a group..If not they need to get you into the schedule..

Suggest contact dining dept for further  discussion!