Celebrity's Handling of their Millennium Sailing is SHAMEFUL!

[Bo1953]

1 hour ago, Pushka said:

Fault or blame doesn’t come into it. There is a contract to provide a service. For whatever reason that service can not be provided. (Assuming it is cancelled by the cruiseline). So regardless of what caused that default, the contract has been breached. Refund. 

You are quite correct, yet by the terms of the COC, the contract has not been breached.

 

If you believe it has, please provide the citing(s) for this assertion.

 

Others have posted the sections of the COC which apply here in the U.S... in the U.S. and passengers who purchase tickets here in the U.S. which in turn are the prevailing terms accept the same as a condition of purchase for passage on X and other cruise lines.

 

As such, no refund is owed, unless X chooses to do so, to some degree or not!

 

bon voyage

[Georgia_Peaches]

@omeinv Thank you for taking the emotion out of the situation and clearly outlining the circumstances as well as the options.  You've provided a "drop the mic" summary of this entire scenario!  Were it me in the OP's shoes, I'd likely contact my airline and inquire about cancelling my flight while there's time and then wait for Celebrity to cancel the cruise (which they will likely end up doing) and take the refund.  This health crisis has an unfortunate ripple effect that is certain to impact people directly and indirectly for some time.  It's hard to see a clear pathway to an outcome that will result in a satisfactory ending that pleases everyone.  I think I'd rather cut my financial losses and perhaps take a hit on something than risk taking a loss on everything. 

 

No matter how bad a situation seems to someone who's in it, there's always someone who can claim their situation is just a little bit worse.  Just read about a couple who planned to board Anthem of the Seas on Saturday but that boarding date has been pushed back leaving him and presumably thousands more with no place to go.  Their out of pocket includes a place to stay, meals, and clothing since they came dressed for the Caribbean, not NYC/NJ....just to name a few.  And let's not forget about the Princess ship on quarantine in Japan for who knows how long or the HA ship without a country... In each of these scenarios, I'd take a financial hit/loss over what those folks are currently experiencing.  

Edited February 9, 2020 by Georgia_Peaches

[sippican]

10 hours ago, BelloMundo said:

 

Your opinion is meaningless to me and those that have been affected. Celebrity has acted in their own interest, there are many others that feel the same way. 

 

Airlines acted quickly and offered passengers many options, Celebrity has not. 

 

What is you motivation for defending Celebrity vs those that have been inadvertently affected, losing thousands of $$ to manage what Celebrity should have easily foreseen , or even those that are still to come? Yet they continue to repeat themselves. 

 

You want to stay on these sailing? Your choice. I should not be attacked for having a different opinion, especially when our safety as at stake.

 

If the opinions of others on this forum are meaningless to you, why bother continuing your rant? Are you hoping to sway others to get on your bandwagon?  You continue to threaten that you will not read the posts of flamers, or reply (which you continue to do), and you insult those who do not agree with you.

 

I truly do empathize with the position in which you find yourself.

I do not feel that your flamethrowing tactics are aimed in a productive direction. If you genuinely feel you have been wronged, perhaps you should contact the law firm you linked in your origianl post. I'm sure they'll be on your side.

I do have a big trip coming up and am hopeful that I will be able to face the challenges and disappointment with grace and  rational  problem-solving strategies. You have certainly modeled an approach that I do not wish to take. 

 

Edited February 9, 2020 by sippican

[mayleeman]

Many of the posts on CC in response to some complaint where a customer screws up and won't admit it seem to voice this lament: "Why doesn't anyone take responsibility for themselves anymore?" 

 

The hard truth is that we all sign ridiculously one-sided contracts when we book a cruise. Here are the relevant provisions. The contract only requires a refund (rather than some other form of compensation) for mechanical failures. 

 

 

 

6. CANCELLATION, DEVIATION OR SUBSTITUTION BY CARRIER: a) Carrier may for any reason at any time and without prior notice, cancel, advance, postpone or deviate from any scheduled sailing, port of call, destination, lodging or any activity on or o the Vessel, or substitute another vessel or port of call, destination, lodging or activity. Except as provided in Section 6(e) below, Carrier shall not be liable for any claim whatsoever by Passenger including but not limited to loss, compensation or refund, by reason of such cancellation, advancement, postponement, substitution or deviation.  b) In connection with a CruiseTour, Carrier has the same right to cancel, advance, postpone or deviate from any scheduled activity, departure or destination, or substitute another railcar, bus, destination or lodging or other component of the CruiseTour. Except as provided in Section 6(e) below, Carrier shall not be liable for any claim by Passenger whatsoever, including but not limited to loss, compensation or refund, by reason of such cancellation, advancement, postponement, substitution or deviation. c) By way of example, and not limitation, Carrier may, without liability; (except as provided in Section 6(e) with respect to mechanical failures only), deviate from any scheduled sailing and may otherwise land Passenger and her property at any port if Carrier believes that the voyage or any Passenger or property may be hindered or adversely aected as a result of hostilities, blockages, prevailing weather conditions, labor conflicts, strikes onboard or ashore, breakdown of Vessel, congestion, docking diculties, medical or life saving emergencies or any other cause whatsoever. d) Carrier shall have the right to comply with any orders, recommendations, or directions whatsoever given by any governmental entity or by persons purporting to act with such authority and such compliance shall not be deemed a breach of this Agreement entitling the Passenger to assert any claim for liability, compensation or refund. e) In the event that a Cruise (or the cruise component of a CruiseTour) is canceled or terminated early due to mechanical failures: i) Passenger shall have a right to a full refund of the Cruise Fare if the Cruise is canceled in full, or a partial refund if the cruise is terminated early;  ii) Carrier may cover or reimburse Passenger for additional costs (e.g. airline change fees) as deemed appropriate by the Carrier . iii) If the passenger has travelled to the Vessel Passenger shall have a right to transportation (by means selected by the Carrier to the Vessel’s scheduled port of disembarkation or the Passenger’s home city; and iv) Passenger shall have a right to lodging (selected by the Cruise Line) if disembarkation and an overnight stay in an unscheduled port are required due to the Cruise or cruise component of a CruiseTour being cancelled or terminated early because of such mechanical failures.

 

 

 

It is extraordinary that we give up our rights so easily when we want something, and then we give up more when we want it cheap--refundable fares cost more on planes and ships, but saving money is more important than protection.

 

If Celebrity was breaching the terms of their contract (for example, not refunding when a ship broke down), the howling would not stop and would be justified. Yet customers want both the price benefits of the nonrefundable contract and still get full refunds. You can always hope for more, but it is not an obligation. 

 

And then we have those thinking they should be able to get compensated after deciding not to take advantage of insurance, too, thus assuming the risk of full loss from all unexpected causes.

 

Don't like it, don't sail.

 

So, whatever happened to personal responsibility?

Edited February 9, 2020 by mayleeman

[terrydtx]

20 hours ago, JKHawaii said:

According to the Washington Post, the flu has killed as many as 25,000 in the U.S. alone this flu season & averages about 400,000 worldwide.  There is no cure for the flu either and the vaccine has not been very effective this season.  Yet, currently you hardly hear boo from the media about this serious health threat.

 

This corona virus is a strain of a virus that causes the common cold.  So think of it as causing a bad cold.  People have died from pneumonia as a result of the cold migrating to the lower respiratory tract, mostly elderly and those with weakened immune systems.

At least with the Flu anti virials like Tamiflu work pretty efficiently. My Son got the Flu in January and he did Tamiflu in the first day of symptoms and it cut his case down to only 4 days. They gave Tamiflu to my granddaughter as soon as he tested positive and she never got the flu. From what I have read there are no anti-virials that can be used with the Coronavirus and no vaccine. I saw an interview with a CDC doctor this morning and he said an effective vaccine could take 6 months or longer to develop and test. 

[wrk2cruise]

Is just me or do others agree that if the situation were to cause cruises to be cancelled as far out as the March 14th sailing that they would move the ship to an area of the world where they could continue to sail?   I'm not of the opinion that the March 14th sailing will be ultimately cancelled?  Will it sail the currently published itinerary?  I don't think anybody can know today even Celebrity.

[terrydtx]

 

I just read on American Airlines Website, they are  allowing ticked passengers to change flights without fees and in some cases cancel with a refund for flights to or from Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai China if you purchased the tickets prior to Jan 28, and flying before March 27 2020. This is very helpful for cruise passengers. If the OP booked with AA he should get a refund or change his flights with out addition costs.

[Globehoppers]

Well said, mayleeman.

 

These types of juvenile rants add nothing to CC discussions and happen too frequently.  CC moderators should step and close the thread and sanction the poster.  Adults understand that life isn't perfect.  You pick yourself up and move on.  To blame, in this case X, for an "act of god" is, like I said, juvenile.  Personally, I have had much worse happen at significantly greater cost.  You look fait in the eye and do your best to recover.  Sorry, no sympathy here.  Ranting like this on social media is narcissistic - "look at me."

[soccermommy]

I have been following this thread closely because we are nearing final payment on our cruise to Iceland in May. Yes, I know, Europe isn’t near China, but who knows what the situation will be in May? I am, truthfully, not worried and I am not going to cancel, but the idea remains, this is a truly scary situation.

The funny thing is, there are loads of threads on CC about coronavirus, and every board has at least one discussion about how badly Cruise Line X, Y or Z is handling it. Nobody seems to be doing a good job it seems,  and I would say that’s because no one knows what the best thing to do is (outside of shutting down all cruise operations in Asia....which is the worst thing they could do as a company with many thousands of employees affected, as well as shareholders, suppliers, etc.).

I will say, if this virus turns into a true pandemic, corporate profits will be the least of our worries. But, mercifully, it doesn’t look like we are anywhere close to that scenario. Given that, it is hard to decide what the best option is, for passengers and the cruise lines.

I really do feel for the OP, there are no good results to be had, especially since there is no cruise insurance. But I really feel worse for those people  currently quarantined on the Diamond Princess, and for those other cruise ships at sea looking for a port.

Good luck, OP, I hope there is a resolution you can accept. 

 

[cachouonacruise]

If I was the OP and had booked non refundable flights independently from Celebrity. I would try an option that has not yet been mentioned:

 

Since I paid money for a nice vacation, I would try to use the cruise FCC or refund ( if cruise cancelled) and then called the airline to change the flights to match my revised plans. I would likely have to pay a change fee, but at least, not all my money would be

lost and I would benefit from a different vacation, which could still be very nice.

 

Just a thought. 

 

P.s. Thank you very much Omeinv for the factual contract analysis! I find it reassuring, in difficult situations, when the emotion is removed and the facts established; it really helps clarifying the remaining options. 

[MadManOfBethesda]

Can you imagine the hyperbolic vitriolic thread the OP would have posted had he been booked on NCL's Jade instead of Celebrity's Millennium?  We're not being offered a dime at this point in time and our cruise is in February, not the middle of March.  I, and I believe thousands of other Jade passengers, would gladly take a future cruise credit from NCL in lieu of sailing or just losing all of our money.  The OP should quit whining and be happy with being able to take a future cruise for no additional cost if he chooses not to sail rather than just having to lose all of his money as Jade passengers apparently will have to do.

 

But he's not interested in my opinion, and frankly, I'm not interested in his.

[mayleeman]

@Globehoppers Thanks. Objectivity is, admittedly, easier when it is not my money lost. But like you, I have lost more from worse things.

 

I actually think the threads do not violate anything, and I am perfectly willing to read people's rants. I think there is a lot of information that gets provided to people who might be concerned about similar things. 

 

I just wish the ranters would be willing to listen and realize that the default response of attacking any correction, disagreement, or explanation provided to them -- calling people "cheerleaders" or saying we are "drinking the Kool-Aid" -- shows ridiculous close-mindedness.

 

Another problem is that people post in reaction to something without reading to the end, then a new rant creates a bunch more. Kind of like...spreading a disease, eh?

 

Oh, well, the calmer voices into a howling wind do reach some people. 

[Bo1953]

34 minutes ago, MadManOfBethesda said:

Can you imagine the hyperbolic vitriolic thread the OP would have posted had he been booked on NCL's Jade instead of Celebrity's Millennium?  We're not being offered a dime at this point in time and our cruise is in February, not the middle of March.  I, and I believe thousands of other Jade passengers, would gladly take a future cruise credit from NCL in lieu of sailing or just losing all of our money.  The OP should quit whining and be happy with being able to take a future cruise for no additional cost if he chooses not to sail rather than just having to lose all of his money as Jade passengers apparently will have to do.

 

But he's not interested in my opinion, and frankly, I'm not interested in his.

m - thank you for providing some insight to what another cruise line may or may not be doing to 'refund' in any form to their passengers and how the OP might be really impacted and upset by it.

 

I do not know how you found your way here, yet it is very instructive as to what some can look forward to from X and other cruise lines, which may be holding fast to their respective COC's regardless OR going out of their way to help passengers as much as feasible given the epidemic panic the virus has caused, with cause for sure.

 

But, but, but, but, but....

 

Makes the original post seem really out of kilter for what X is currently offering.

 

Thank you again for the insight, it is very much appreciated on this sub-forum and allowing others to learn that sometimes 'we got it good'...

 

bon voyage

[ipeeinthepool]

2 hours ago, terrydtx said:

 

I just read on American Airlines Website, they are  allowing ticked passengers to change flights without fees and in some cases cancel with a refund for flights to or from Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai China if you purchased the tickets prior to Jan 28, and flying before March 27 2020. This is very helpful for cruise passengers. If the OP booked with AA he should get a refund or change his flights with out addition costs.

 

One big difference between American Airlines and Celebrity is that American has actually cancelled their flights into China from the US.  In that case you certainly are entitled to a refund

[ipeeinthepool]

3 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

Is just me or do others agree that if the situation were to cause cruises to be cancelled as far out as the March 14th sailing that they would move the ship to an area of the world where they could continue to sail?   I'm not of the opinion that the March 14th sailing will be ultimately cancelled?  Will it sail the currently published itinerary?  I don't think anybody can know today even Celebrity.

 

Ultimately it always comes down to a business decision and probably the most important factor is the amount of Chinese passengers on these cruises.  If Celebrity does not allow anyone with a Chinese or Hong Kong passport to sail and that accounts for 50% or more of the passengers on the cruise then maybe it's cheaper for Celebrity to park the ship somewhere or re-deploy the ship.  

 

As the situation continues to develop perhaps this would be a factor in the OP's cruise ultimately being cancelled and getting a refund.  

 

Has anyone sailed any of these itineraries?  Do you have any idea about the demographics of the passengers?

 

 

[omeinv]

29 minutes ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

Ultimately it always comes down to a business decision and probably the most important factor is the amount of Chinese passengers on these cruises.  If Celebrity does not allow anyone with a Chinese or Hong Kong passport to sail and that accounts for 50% or more of the passengers on the cruise then maybe it's cheaper for Celebrity to park the ship somewhere or re-deploy the ship.  

 

As the situation continues to develop perhaps this would be a factor in the OP's cruise ultimately being cancelled and getting a refund.  

 

Has anyone sailed any of these itineraries?  Do you have any idea about the demographics of the passengers?

 

 

On my Asian Sailings, and those family members have sailed, I would say the majority of passengers are US/Canadian, with Australians being the next biggest group.  The three comprising over 80% of the passengers aboard.  I've been on several cruises in other parts of the world where there is a sizable enough minority of passengers who speak a language other than English, that they provide daily announcements in a second (sometimes even a third) language.  This hasn't happened on any of the Asian cruises I've been on.

 

The idea that Celebrity, or any cruise line, can re-deploy a ship from Asia to another market entirely isn't quite as easy as it seems.  While the ship is mobile, the logistics chain that supports it (contracted port space, supplies, and even crew transportation arrangements) are much less flexible.  The cruise lines will have to be convinced that a market needs to be in essence abandoned before they remove the ships entirely.  The last time I saw this happen was as a result of the simultaneous issues of H1N1, and Cartel violence in ports on Mexico's West Coast.  The cruise lines eventually left the region entirely for a period, and even that departure occurred over a period of about 9 months.  Coupled with that departure was a general lack of profitability on the Mexican Riviera runs.  By most accounts, prior to the Corona Virus, the Asian cruises were performing well for the cruise lines. 

 

Harris

Denver, CO

 

 

Edited February 9, 2020 by omeinv

[Denny01]

I think most of us have deep empathy for those who are set to cruise in the Asian market, but that’s of little use to them and when expressed in this venue, can come across as shallow. But since we are a community of cruisers, we see ourselves in this situation and the empathy is truly heartfelt, and this includes the OP.

 

But after the 3rd or 4th page of this thread, it became obvious the OP was on a drive to get a full refund, no matter what, insulting and putting down anyone who expressed a differing opinion tagging them as ‘Drinking the ‘Kool-aid’.  The OP has put themselves into a box insisting they will never cruise Celebrity again and therefore refusing the future cruise credit. Why? Because Celebrity has shown themselves to be so incompetent and driven by making money instead of focused on safety.

 

Yes, Celebrity wants to keep the funds paid out and offer future worth, ie another cruise. In this way, the company doesn’t lose a huge amount of money up front and keeps customers in the future. The company doesn’t suffer and neither does the customer unless the customer plays the game going on here. 

 

So why the continuation of this thread by the OP? Now I’ll go through the ‘I’ve been on CruiseCritic a long long time’ mantra and say: Seen this before and the OP is trying to show Celebrity that unless they pay them off, they will continue their attacks and become an issue for the company. “So pay me and I’ll shut up. If not, I’ll turn potential customers against you.”

 

Enough. this is my subjective opinion of why a poster would take so much time and energy here. We have nothing to do with their fight with Celebrity except as a place the OP can show Celebrity they will cause them problems. And here I am, taking up all my very precious time  (well, not helping my wife get ready for an Oscar Party we are hosting) posting too.

 

Den

[ipeeinthepool]

54 minutes ago, omeinv said:

On my Asian Sailings, and those family members have sailed, I would say the majority of passengers are US/Canadian, with Australians being the next biggest group.  The three comprising over 80% of the passengers aboard.  

 

If this is the case then I suspect Celebrity will continue with the modified itineraries at least for the next few months.  If a sizeable number of passengers outside of final payment start to cancel, then Celebrity will likely find another region for their ships.

[omeinv]

37 minutes ago, Denny01 said:

I think most of us have deep empathy for those who are set to cruise in the Asian market, but that’s of little use to them and when expressed in this venue, can come across as shallow. But since we are a community of cruisers, we see ourselves in this situation and the empathy is truly heartfelt, and this includes the OP.

 

But after the 3rd or 4th page of this thread, it became obvious the OP was on a drive to get a full refund, no matter what, insulting and putting down anyone who expressed a differing opinion tagging them as ‘Drinking the ‘Kool-aid’.  The OP has put themselves into a box insisting they will never cruise Celebrity again and therefore refusing the future cruise credit. Why? Because Celebrity has shown themselves to be so incompetent and driven by making money instead of focused on safety.

 

Yes, Celebrity wants to keep the funds paid out and offer future worth, ie another cruise. In this way, the company doesn’t lose a huge amount of money up front and keeps customers in the future. The company doesn’t suffer and neither does the customer unless the customer plays the game going on here. 

 

So why the continuation of this thread by the OP? Now I’ll go through the ‘I’ve been on CruiseCritic a long long time’ mantra and say: Seen this before and the OP is trying to show Celebrity that unless they pay them off, they will continue their attacks and become an issue for the company. “So pay me and I’ll shut up. If not, I’ll turn potential customers against you.”

 

Enough. this is my subjective opinion of why a poster would take so much time and energy here. We have nothing to do with their fight with Celebrity except as a place the OP can show Celebrity they will cause them problems. And here I am, taking up all my very precious time  (well, not helping my wife get ready for an Oscar Party we are hosting) posting too.

 

Den

Denny,

 

You bring up one of the cardinal rules of attempting to resolve an issue with any company:

 

NEVER, say "I'll never do business with you again"

 

Why?  Simple.  You are addressing a customer service concern, and identified yourself as NOT being a customer.  While it seems this would be a way to express how utterly disappointed one is with the company, the real effect is telling them "I'm complaining, but there's nothing you can do to fix it".  This leaves the company's representatives without any options. 

 

The other thing to never say: "I'll sue you" (or any words to that effect).  Most companies have trained their staff that as soon as legal action is threatened, to cease all attempts at reconciliation; for fear those attempts could hurt te company's position in the threatened suit. 

 

Harris

Denver, CO

Edited February 9, 2020 by omeinv

[bEwAbG]

Bottom line is that the OP comes across as very unreasonable, lashing out at anyone who doesn't agree 100% with their view of the world.  Considering that each of these cruise companies has to figure out what they're doing for the thousands of passengers booked on trips in Asia already underway and/or sailing within the next week or two, all in a situation that changes day-to-day (hour-to-hour, really), it's an incredibly selfish rant for a trip that is still over a month out.  These cruise lines also are just a little bit preoccupied with the tens of thousands of people on other cruises around the world this week and next, instituting new policies and screening procedures to do their part in making sure their entire industry is not the center of growth for a worldwide epidemic.  Is that being a cheerleader?  Or just being realistic?  I certainly don't envy them.

[terrydtx]

1 hour ago, Denny01 said:

I think most of us have deep empathy for those who are set to cruise in the Asian market, but that’s of little use to them and when expressed in this venue, can come across as shallow. But since we are a community of cruisers, we see ourselves in this situation and the empathy is truly heartfelt, and this includes the OP.

 

But after the 3rd or 4th page of this thread, it became obvious the OP was on a drive to get a full refund, no matter what, insulting and putting down anyone who expressed a differing opinion tagging them as ‘Drinking the ‘Kool-aid’.  The OP has put themselves into a box insisting they will never cruise Celebrity again and therefore refusing the future cruise credit. Why? Because Celebrity has shown themselves to be so incompetent and driven by making money instead of focused on safety.

 

Yes, Celebrity wants to keep the funds paid out and offer future worth, ie another cruise. In this way, the company doesn’t lose a huge amount of money up front and keeps customers in the future. The company doesn’t suffer and neither does the customer unless the customer plays the game going on here. 

 

So why the continuation of this thread by the OP? Now I’ll go through the ‘I’ve been on CruiseCritic a long long time’ mantra and say: Seen this before and the OP is trying to show Celebrity that unless they pay them off, they will continue their attacks and become an issue for the company. “So pay me and I’ll shut up. If not, I’ll turn potential customers against you.”

 

Enough. this is my subjective opinion of why a poster would take so much time and energy here. We have nothing to do with their fight with Celebrity except as a place the OP can show Celebrity they will cause them problems. And here I am, taking up all my very precious time  (well, not helping my wife get ready for an Oscar Party we are hosting) posting too.

 

Den

Den, you bring up some great points is this well written and thought out response. The reality of the situation are two things, the outbreak of the virus is not Celebrity's fault.  Second, the OP seems to think insurance companies are a rip off, so he admittedly never buys any travel insurance and didn't for his so far, uncancelled cruise in March. The OP is voluntarily cancelling his cruise, not Celebrity's fault. If he had opted for the insurance he might have gotten some of his investment back.  

Edited February 9, 2020 by terrydtx

[ScubesDad]

10 hours ago, Bo1953 said:

You are quite correct, yet by the terms of the COC, the contract has not been breached.

 

If you believe it has, please provide the citing(s) for this assertion.

 

Others have posted the sections of the COC which apply here in the U.S... in the U.S. and passengers who purchase tickets here in the U.S. which in turn are the prevailing terms accept the same as a condition of purchase for passage on X and other cruise lines.

 

As such, no refund is owed, unless X chooses to do so, to some degree or not!

 

bon voyage

 

I have to agree with Bo1953 in that the contract has not been breached.  With reference to the OP the contract execution date is March 15, at which time Celebrity has to provide the service contracted for.

I believe the OP has started his conversation with Celebrity too early.  At the time of his posting, the entire situation had been evolving for approximately 10 days; Celebrity was trying to manage the situation for the passengers who were imminently going to board their vessels.  They certainly were not looking at the situation 6 weeks out; no one knew on Jan 30 how this situation was going to evolve, and which way it was going to turn.  Nine days later we have a much better idea of what is happening, particularly with the closure of ports in South East Asia. My opinion, based on my own observations is that shortly there will be announcements that all cruises will be cancelled in the region.  Once that decision is made the entire situation changes and becomes an entirely different issue.

 

I believe the contract(s) between the passenger(s) and the cruise line(s) will become frustrated contracts - essentially a contract that without fault of either party, subsequent to its formation, has become incapable of being completed/performed due to unforeseen event(s) or circumstances.  Another option may be  a force majeure clause in the CoC that may cover such an event which has occurred.  I have no intention of reading the entire CoC, I know it favours the cruise line - they have spent significant dollars on developing a contract which is essentially bulletproof, and I am confident is saying that many lawyers are burning the midnight oil  trying to find a way out of this situation for the cruise lines.

 

Based on my personal experience with Celebrity, and in reading some of the information which has been recently posted, Celebrity will formulate a policy which will be fair and equitable to all parties.  If the contract is deemed to be frustrated, I believe all prepaid funds have to be refunded - I don't know if a FCC will be a suitable form of payment or not.

 

I am not a Celebrity Cheerleader, and I am not a lawyer, I am however, a Celebrity loyalist.  Over the past few years I have had three instances where cruises have been cancelled due to charters, and  drydocks.  In ever instance I have resolved the issue through calm conversation, explaining my expectations, listening to their replies and agreeing on something in the middle we both can live with.  We did the Lantern Festival cruise Feb 2019, and if this had occurred then I would have been extremely annoyed and looking for answers.  As it was we had an aircraft issue with our flight to Hong Kong which delayed us for 16 hours prior to takeoff - yes we were all annoyed with the airline, many passengers requested/demanded being switched to other carriers so they would be with their families for the Lunar New Year...about two thirds of the passengers were shifted to other carriers.  When we returned to the airport for our new flight time we were pleasantly surprised to be bumped from premium economy to business class because the business class was bumped to first class.  Celebrity does not want to alienate thousands of clients; sometimes circumstances cannot be resolved as expeditiously as we want.   With regards to travel insurance, we all have different tolerances for risk.  Some of us are risk adverse and will insure everything, some are extremely risk tolerant, there is no right or wrong, just what is required for you to sleep at night.  Personally, if you travel long enough and often enough the stuff is going to hit the fan; I have recovered several thousand $$ in out of pocket expenses due to unforeseen circumstances. I do not insure every trip....sometimes the risk doesn't justify the cost.

 

 

 

 

[Pushka]

11 hours ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

Really???   Have they cancelled any cruises?  Do you have any evidence to suggest any cruises will be cancelled?

Princess certainly have. It’s not a huge extrapolation to suggest others might follow suit especially if Singapore continues its current rate of illness. 

[txflood33]

I just posted this in the roll call for this cruise

 

 

So I talked to X tonight. As has been mentioned before, it really feels like dominoes are going to start falling.

 

I started my call the same way I did my last...I know you've been getting a lot of calls regarding the Millennium and I'm not looking to cancel I'm just looking for some information. He didn't have anything new that I hadn’t already seen here.

 

I wanted to see if I could simply transfer my booking to another cruise roughly the same time just in another part of the world. He put me on hold to see if restrictions had changed for this cruise. He came back and said yes, I could transfer my cruise to another cruise and there was a $100pp change fee. That might be their normal policy, but I didn't know that so it was good news for me. My wife and I have had vacation set for over a year at work. Other people have planned vacation time around us being out. I still want to see other places so it's not a huge ordeal to me. The guy I was talking to did tell me to wait until tomorrow to make the change because it looks like something is being done tomorrow.....cancelling all? offering FFCs?...he just said I might could save the $200.

 

What he didn't have a clear answer on was, if I originally booked my air though X, and they have changed my flights for the new itinerary, would they change them again for my new cruise. At the risk of sounding greedy or entitled, I'm kind of leaning to they should change my flights. The reason I gave for inquiring about changing was that I didn’t want to float around for 10 days because ports won't let us in, nor did I want to be quarantined. I'm still cruising with them and spending my money with them. Ports are already turning boats away and there are ships quarantined so these concerns, I feel, are justified. There is still a lot to deal with though. The trip we are looking at is booked for AQ. Suite GTY is about the same we paid for the current trip. Pick your own room is $2500 more. There is and aft suite available....I had an aft AQ. There is some negotiating that I feel can be done. 

 

I'm supposed to get a call from the supervisor tomorrow evening. I'm guessing he is waiting for whatever announcement is supposed to come tomorrow as well as look up the difference in cost for the flights. Either way, it does look like I will be able to be on a cruise ship roughly in the same time frame....just in a different part of the world. I'm not sure what the supervisor will say tomorrow, but up to this point, I am very pleased with the way it's being handled.

[D C]

Coming in late here. Let's see if I have this straight.

 

• There is a situation that is beyond Celebrity's control
• Celebrity is working to adjust cruise itineraries in order to minimise the risk and inconvenience to guests who have obviously been planning a cruise for quite some time.
• The OP is not comfortable with the situation and personally feels the risk is higher than they are comfortable with
• Celebrity is understanding enough to offer a full credit towards a future cruise.
• The OP is expecting Celebrity to cater to their personal situation and issue a full refund, rather than a future cruise, even though there has been no breach of contract at this point.

It seems to me that Celebrity is being perfectly reasonable in their offer, quite possibly more than they would need to be in this situation.