Celebrity's Handling of their Millennium Sailing is SHAMEFUL!

[Bo1953]

4 hours ago, emmas gran said:

Four years?? People are saying 2 years where did you read 4. 

I appreciate they can book up to 2 years in advance for a future cruise but the way some have been treated they may never sail with X again.

Yes, the OP is one (1) of them, to be sure...

 

bon voyage

[Bo1953]

12 hours ago, MisterBill99 said:

 

Seriously??? They butchered the itinerary and aren't even offering a partial refund option. What has NCL done (or not done) that is worse? Are they just skipping ports that they cannot visit? This sailing had to change their disembarkation port so they couldn't have done that. And BTW, Celebrity is not visiting Beijing (where we had 2 overnights) on their 2021 or 2022 sailings. So you can't even rebook this identical sailing.

Has the number of /nights been shortened? That is how most cruise lines charge.

 

If not, then what type of 'partial refund' would we expect? There are a few insurance policies which cover missed ports, do those affected have one (1) of those to invoke?

 

Sorry about the challenge which affects lots of passengers, crew and port/tour personnel, to be sure, not pretty. Not easy for all involved.

 

bon voyage

Edited February 4, 2020 by Bo1953

[Bo1953]

8 hours ago, lindaleong said:

Note: they are offering full future cruise credit, NOT a refund. There are restrictions on how the credit can be used. For instance, I cannot use some of the credit to pay off a Caribbean cruise and use the rest for a second cruise. I have to put it toward an equally expensive trip. To me, this doesn't make sense, since the credit is money I have already paid. 

Of course they are offering a 'Full Refund' if you choose to transit through HK...

 

Otherwise if you choose to cancel, they are offering FCC, a form of refund albeit restrictive but provides you the option of how to use it...

 

Those affected do have options, not optimal as written by a few here. All this after final payment at that...

 

Given the options available, which would you choose?

 

bon voyage

 

 

[Georgia_Peaches]

12 hours ago, MisterBill99 said:

So I am still confused. Is NCL still sailing their original itineraries? Celebrity offered the option to cancel and get the FCC because they materially changed the itineraries.

According to some threads on the NCL board, they have not yet responded with itinerary changes or FCC.  Hard to imagine how they can plow ahead without doing something, but passengers set to embark in that part of the world are beside themselves.  I've enjoyed NCL on several occasions but wouldn't dare trust them outside the Caribbean.

[yorky]

4 hours ago, emmas gran said:

So you were affected by this and have the FCC people are referring to??

No our fcc is due to a problem with our cabin last September. However all FCC have the same timeframes.

[yorky]

55 minutes ago, Bo1953 said:

Of course they are offering a 'Full Refund' if you choose to transit through HK...

 

Otherwise if you choose to cancel, they are offering FCC, a form of refund albeit restrictive but provides you the option of how to use it...

 

Those affected do have options, not optimal as written by a few here. All this after final payment at that...

 

Given the options available, which would you choose?

 

bon voyage

 

 

That’s the way I see it.

[waterbug123]

14 hours ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Hate to sound like a Pollyanna, but I knew Celebrity would come through.  They needed a minute to get everything sorted out and patience is key during times of crisis.  I have to say that some other cruise lines, like NCL have yet to follow Celebrity's lead.  Hopefully, they will.  Thank you for posting.

 

Agreed, although something tells me the OP will still not be satisfied. 

One remaining issue is that if one has booked air independently of Celebrity, that $500 reimbursement for change fees may not fully cover the cost of change fees AND the difference in actual far that the airline will charge for what, at this point, is likely a more expensive fare for a completely different itinerary.  One would need to rely on their travel insurance for that.

[lindaleong]

1 hour ago, Bo1953 said:

Of course they are offering a 'Full Refund' if you choose to transit through HK...

 

Otherwise if you choose to cancel, they are offering FCC, a form of refund albeit restrictive but provides you the option of how to use it...

 

Those affected do have options, not optimal as written by a few here. All this after final payment at that...

 

Given the options available, which would you choose?

 

bon voyage

 

 

I am still sorting out how to use the credit without losing too much of my money. I already have some cruises booked, but the restriction against splitting the credit will mean a significant loss of money. Celebrity suggested doing an upgrade from veranda to Aqua, but it would more than eat up the cost. We would pay additional out of pocket.  So, for now, we are just cancelling and holding onto the credit until things settle out.

[dkjretired]

8 hours ago, The_Big_M said:

 

Not necessarily, as you can't protect someone from the everyday.

 

That's where the debate lies.

 

After all, they don't prohibit anyone from boarding who has been from a country where the flu exists, which is the closest analogue.

 

Like I said, they did what :THEY THOUGHT was right based upon the best advice they could get......

[Bo1953]

36 minutes ago, lindaleong said:

I am still sorting out how to use the credit without losing too much of my money. I already have some cruises booked, but the restriction against splitting the credit will mean a significant loss of money. Celebrity suggested doing an upgrade from veranda to Aqua, but it would more than eat up the cost. We would pay additional out of pocket.  So, for now, we are just cancelling and holding onto the credit until things settle out.

l - since you can use for an upgrade, might it be best to either wait for another sale, then purchase and watch for a better deal to upgrade further for minimal cost?

 

I Am not sure how this all works, so I Am just trying out some ideas which may be of value to you, pending on where and when you choose to sail.

 

bon voyage

[hcat]

2 hours ago, Bo1953 said:

h - you do have a 'residence' outside of NY, correct????  😉

 

bon voyage

We have a vacation home  in Fl but it is not a legal residence for tax or other purposes. We  are subject to  NY  resident fares and ins rules....nice try on our behalf Bo!☺️

[Cyber Kat]

On 2/1/2020 at 11:00 AM, Bo1953 said:

 

I have rarely seen or heard of any cruise line giving FCC for more than one (1) year from the date of sailing, two (2) years would be very generous and very unusual.

 

good luck and bon voyage

In 2018 when Europe was experiencing an extraordinary drought situation, we had a river cruise booked with Viking.  Their solution to river water level issues is to do a mid-stream ship swap (you swap with a ship traveling in the opposite direction to avoid the unnavigable section).

 

Though not as serious as this situation, there was an equal amount of weeping and gnashing of teeth.  We elected to go on this “trip of a lifetime, “ (and we had cancel for any reason insurance). We had a fabulous time with minor (in our opinion - not in the opinion of all) disruptions.

 

When we arrived home, we had an email from Viking offering a generous future cruise credit as compensation for inconvenience.  To use it, we had to book within a year, but it could be used to book a cruise several years out.

 

Many people missed this salient point and were ranting all over the Viking boards that it had to be taken within the year.  
 

I think this is frequently the case with FCC from other lines as well.  People are generally upset when these things happen and they don’t examine what they are being offered very closely. From what I have been reading, this book within a year for a cruise further out is often offered, but the details are overlooked. 

[lindaleong]

On 1/26/2020 at 11:05 AM, Langley Cruisers said:

Yes, and now a fourth case in the U.S.  This situation is fluid and is changing by the hour, it seems. The virus can spread before symptoms appear. It's no joke. 

Thank you for your suggestion. I hadn't thought of that. 

[Pushka]

I note that Celebrity is using Singapore instead of HK yet Singapore is reported cases of human transmission of the virus today. 

[MisterBill99]

57 minutes ago, Pushka said:

I note that Celebrity is using Singapore instead of HK yet Singapore is reported cases of human transmission of the virus today. 

 

Maybe Singapore Air will change their policy and allow free cancellations!

[terrydtx]

1 hour ago, Pushka said:

I note that Celebrity is using Singapore instead of HK yet Singapore is reported cases of human transmission of the virus today. 

In another week this virus will be widespread all over the Pacific Asian countries. The first cases are being reported today in even the Philippians.  

[Fouremco]

2 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

In another week this virus will be widespread all over the Pacific Asian countries. The first cases are being reported today in even the Philippians.  

The first death, not cases, was reported in the Philippines on Sunday. It was the first reported death outside China.

[jelayne]

9 hours ago, yorky said:

No our fcc is due to a problem with our cabin last September. However all FCC have the same timeframes.

What are you basing this statement that all FCCs have the same timeframes?  I have cruises booked with a non-refundable deposit and if I cancel or change the ship or sail date the  I would receive a FCC for the deposit (less $100 pp). That FCC has to be used within 1 year.  So maybe there are different FCCs.

 

[omeinv]

25 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

In another week this virus will be widespread all over the Pacific Asian countries. The first cases are being reported today in even the Philippians.  

 

The temperature here in Denver was 8 degrees (F) at 7:00 AM.  At 10:00 AM it was 16 degrees.  At 1:00 PM it was 32 degrees.  The temperature is doubling every 3 hours!  At midnight the temperature will be over 500 degrees!  I'm doomed!!!!

 

My point is present trends don't continue.  This is quite true in epidemiology as well as meteorology. 

 

Harris

Denver, CO

Edited February 4, 2020 by omeinv

[newcruiser1956]

My gosh,  your cruise is 6 weeks away..  Things may have completely changed by then. I am cruising to Vietnam and Cambodia the week after you..  Just watching to see what is going to happen.    

[Pushka]

5 minutes ago, newcruiser1956 said:

My gosh,  your cruise is 6 weeks away..  Things may have completely changed by then. I am cruising to Vietnam and Cambodia the week after you..  Just watching to see what is going to happen.    

I don’t know the post you are referring to but as an Aussie we will always do a land trip of a couple of weeks at least before we board a cruise. So at the 6 week out time, I would need to have some info if things go to pot. Not everyone can wait until the day before a cruise to reorganise travel plans. So I would be a little bit nervous too. I agree that the cruiseline is being hugely impacted and out of their control completely. It’s a rubbish situation all round. 

Edited February 4, 2020 by Pushka

[newcruiser1956]

3 minutes ago, Pushka said:

I don’t know the post you are referring to but as an Aussie we will always do a land trip of a couple of weeks at least before we board a cruise. 

You Aussie's are so lucky,  I am American so we don't get that kind of holiday time..and I still work full time...  I was actually making a comment to the OP  :)  Her cruise is the week before mine.  I figure they will either have a cure by then or Vietnam will be fully involved.. Just waiting to see how it goes :)

[Pushka]

5 minutes ago, newcruiser1956 said:

You Aussie's are so lucky,  I am American so we don't get that kind of holiday time..and I still work full time...  I was actually making a comment to the OP  🙂 Her cruise is the week before mine.  I figure they will either have a cure by then or Vietnam will be fully involved.. Just waiting to see how it goes 🙂

Every day I check what’s happening and hope that the peak has occurred. That’s not happening yet and with the mass humanity in China that’s going to take a while. Aussies get four weeks leave a year - just as well as it takes us quite a few days to get anywhere other than Asia. 
 

Current talk here is end of March might see things settle significantly. We will see. 

Edited February 4, 2020 by Pushka

[MisterBill99]

33 minutes ago, newcruiser1956 said:

My gosh,  your cruise is 6 weeks away..  Things may have completely changed by then. I am cruising to Vietnam and Cambodia the week after you..  Just watching to see what is going to happen.    

 

Or they may be significantly worse. And like many others here, I was on a cruise before this one and spending a few days in Singapore, so leaving the US three weeks from today. So not nearly as much time to see how things turn out.

 

I officially cancelled today, although I knew I would about a week ago.

[cachouonacruise]

We are booked on the Millenium, March 14, 2020 cruise. Thanks to information posted by Cruise Critics Members, I learned about the revised itinerary: Out are ports such as Hong Kong, Tianjin (Beijing) and Shanghai.

 

In place, the cruise will depart from Tokyo, stop at two other Japanese ports, maintain the planned stops in South Korea and Taiwan, add a port in Vietnam and end in Singapore.

 

I spoke to my TA and a X representative today and was happy to find that our flights booked via Flights by Celebrity will be revised to match the new embarkation and debarkation ports, taking in consideration on travel schedule and our current seating arrangement and at no extra cost for us.

 

All and all, a situation such as the one involving the Coronavirus is unfortunate, mainly for people in the affected country. For us, it is an inconvenient and a bit stressful due to the uncertain elements. It also involves more work/research for cancelling/booking hotels and excursions at a time we thought all our planning had been done. This said, given all the logistics involved for the cruise line, I am pleased with the efforts made to keep us safe and to offer us what will be I hope, a very beautiful and enjoyable experience.