Nonrefundable cruiseline

[Ontario Cruiser]

Just spoke to Celebrity  AS Of MARCH 24th they changed the rules about nonrefundable Now even though Celebrity CANCELLED the booking they will not refund us air

People who had their cruises cancelled up to March 12th did get non refundable air cancelled.

I was told yesterday that my non-refundable air was cancelled when I phoned at 6pm but I was told wrong.

I am furious and haven't finished fighting

Ontario Cruiser

[mayleeman]

So what happened? Your post does not give enough background to understand what is happening to your airfare?

[Georgia_Peaches]

Agree.  Very confused.  Are you saying that your cruise was cancelled and you had non-refundable air with Celebrity?  They refunded your cruise but not your air?  If they cancelled, I can't understand why you wouldn't get the airfare returned...

 

Edit:  Ok after reading another thread on this I think I understand.  They are no longer offering refunds on non-refundable tickets but it appears that they are offering a voucher for use at a later date.

Edited March 25, 2020 by Georgia_Peaches

[jelayne]

I believe now you have to contact the airline to get any possible refund or credit that the airline is offering for non-refundable air.

[mayleeman]

@Georgia_Peaches  I wondered if she meant they failed to cancel the flight, so the ticket was wasted. An air voucher shouldn't be that infuriating for air associated with a postponed cruise. Still, they should refund when they cancel..

 

 

Edited March 25, 2020 by mayleeman

[Georgia_Peaches]

2 minutes ago, jelayne said:

I believe now you have to contact the airline to get any possible refund or credit that the airline is offering for non-refundable air.

So if someone booked a non-refundable ticket on say Delta, but they did it through Celebrity, they might have better luck going directly through Delta?  Interesting.  Thanks for posting.  

[Georgia_Peaches]

1 minute ago, mayleeman said:

@Georgia_Peaches  I wondered if she meant they failed to cancel the flight, so the ticket was wasted. A voucher shouldn't be that infuriating for a postponed cruise. Still, they should refund when they cancel..

 

 

Ah, maybe that's it.  I can see that.  The cruise is cancelled but the flight is not.  What a mess.

[MamaFej]

7 minutes ago, jelayne said:

I believe now you have to contact the airline to get any possible refund or credit that the airline is offering for non-refundable air.

That's what our TA was told in a conference call with Celebrity.

[mayleeman]

We are all so tied to our keyboards while sheltering ashore that anybody who has a bone to pick with a cruiseline can toss it out here on CC and watch us jump all over it!

Edited March 25, 2020 by mayleeman

[Fouremco]

One of the benefits of booking any travel with a TA is that you don't have to do the legwork. In the case of Flights By Celebrity, are they not acting as a TA? It seems unfair that Celebrity would turn around now and dump this in the laps of its customers.

[MamaFej]

15 minutes ago, Fouremco said:

One of the benefits of booking any travel with a TA is that you don't have to do the legwork. In the case of Flights By Celebrity, are they not acting as a TA? It seems unfair that Celebrity would turn around now and dump this in the laps of its customers.

Fair point

[nyc2pdx]

I'm in the same boat and I really resent that fact that Celebrity is treating my cancelled cruise any differently than those two weeks before mine.  They should honor the cancellation policy they had in place, and refund the non-refundable air.  I have absolutely no use for a $2000 voucher on Condor Airlines.

[az_tchr]

5 hours ago, Fouremco said:

One of the benefits of booking any travel with a TA is that you don't have to do the legwork. In the case of Flights By Celebrity, are they not acting as a TA? It seems unfair that Celebrity would turn around now and dump this in the laps of its customers.

I agree.  The issue is some airlines changed the rules. A non refundable ticket like Celebrity buys on your behalf is now exactly that.

There is a workaround if everyone takes a deep breath.  If your flight is cancelled or changed more than 60 minutes for beginning or destination (not for stops I think) you should be able to get a refund.   Cannot imagine that many flights would not be changed.

This situation is unprecedented and if things don't change soon airlines won't be making any refunds at all.

[twodjs]

The cruise lines and airlines really need to be on the same page. If we reschedule our cruise to a similar one next May, it is a few weeks past the one year voucher being offered by the airline. Why don't they all offer vouchers through the end of 2021? 

[HBDave]

22 minutes ago, twodjs said:

The cruise lines and airlines really need to be on the same page. If we reschedule our cruise to a similar one next May, it is a few weeks past the one year voucher being offered by the airline. Why don't they all offer vouchers through the end of 2021? 

That's all good, but Flights By Celebrity tells you to contact the airlines for a refund and the airlines tell you to contact your Travel Agent. It's a Catch-22 that makes for unhappy customers.

 

Sorry I relized I quoted the wrong entry, but my point is still valid. 

Edited March 26, 2020 by HBDave

[Bo1953]

9 hours ago, nyc2pdx said:

I'm in the same boat and I really resent that fact that Celebrity is treating my cancelled cruise any differently than those two weeks before mine.  They should honor the cancellation policy they had in place, and refund the non-refundable air.  I have absolutely no use for a $2000 voucher on Condor Airlines.

Just think or ask Condor what they are doing currently?

 

Someone has to pay the fees, who should absorb them?

 

If losing $2,000 is an issue, and it would be for me, then I would find a way to use those vouchers....

 

bon voyage

[Ontario Cruiser]

9 hours ago, HBDave said:

That's all good, but Flights By Celebrity tells you to contact the airlines for a refund and the airlines tell you to contact your Travel Agent. It's a Catch-22 that makes for unhappy customers.

 

Sorry I relized I quoted the wrong entry, but my point is still valid. 

Same problem phoned Flights by Celebrity they told me to phone airline & the airline sent me back to Celebrity

Still trying to get  our refund

OntarioCruiser

[sanger727]

10 hours ago, az_tchr said:

I agree.  The issue is some airlines changed the rules. A non refundable ticket like Celebrity buys on your behalf is now exactly that.

There is a workaround if everyone takes a deep breath.  If your flight is cancelled or changed more than 60 minutes for beginning or destination (not for stops I think) you should be able to get a refund.   Cannot imagine that many flights would not be changed.

This situation is unprecedented and if things don't change soon airlines won't be making any refunds at all.

 

Is this policy new? I've had many flights change times over the years and a time change by more than 60 minutes gets you the option to change the flight for free; but I've never been offered the option to cancel for a refund

[woody14h]

9 hours ago, HBDave said:

That's all good, but Flights By Celebrity tells you to contact the airlines for a refund and the airlines tell you to contact your Travel Agent. It's a Catch-22 that makes for unhappy customers.

 

Sorry I relized I quoted the wrong entry, but my point is still valid. 

same for us.  Celebrity says call airline, airline says must deal with travel agent.  I believe we are not going to like this outcome. We are booked on Norwegian but handled by ChoiceAir.  Norwegian won't cancel or reimburse ChoiceAir is not doing anything. 

[Oceangoer2]

16 hours ago, mayleeman said:

We are all so tied to our keyboards while sheltering ashore that anybody who has a bone to pick with a cruiseline can toss it out here on CC and watch us jump all over it!

Not sure this forum is offering a 'bone to pick' against X.....we're learning from each other...  some here are sharing some definitive answers that they are getting from X, their TA, CC posts.

Edited March 26, 2020 by oceangoer2

[Ontario Cruiser]

Ask your airline to provide you or your travel agent with a waiver code then phone ChoiceAir with it i just did and will get my refund for my non-refundable ticket from Celebrity in 5 to 10 business days.

OntarioCruiser

[Georgia_Peaches]

34 minutes ago, Ontario Cruiser said:

Ask your airline to provide you or your travel agent with a waiver code then phone ChoiceAir with it i just did and will get my refund for my non-refundable ticket from Celebrity in 5 to 10 business days.

OntarioCruiser

Some of the best advice I've read lately!  I didn't know such a thing as "waiver code" existed.  Just another example of the point made by @oceangoer2 regarding learning from each other.  Thank you!

[waterbug123]

1 hour ago, sanger727 said:

 

Is this policy new? I've had many flights change times over the years and a time change by more than 60 minutes gets you the option to change the flight for free; but I've never been offered the option to cancel for a refund

 

I have.  Airlines have different change times that qualify, but typically in the past if the airline changed the time by more than X minutes, the option was free rebooking or a refund.   Perhaps your airline requirements were 90 minute or more and the change didn't meet that?  Or you weren't proactive in asking?   Often the airline just notifies you of the change but it's up to you to decide if you don't like it and initiate the refund process.

[sanger727]

33 minutes ago, waterbug123 said:

 

I have.  Airlines have different change times that qualify, but typically in the past if the airline changed the time by more than X minutes, the option was free rebooking or a refund.   Perhaps your airline requirements were 90 minute or more and the change didn't meet that?  Or you weren't proactive in asking?   Often the airline just notifies you of the change but it's up to you to decide if you don't like it and initiate the refund process.

 

I typically fly delta. Looked it up and you are right but it does kick in at 90 minutes. I can't say that they have ever made a flight schedule change on me that was drastic enough that I would have sought a cancel/refund (I usually am able to change the flight for free for another flight that is acceptable) ; but good to know it's an option. 

[mayleeman]

3 hours ago, oceangoer2 said:

Not sure this forum is offering a 'bone to pick' against X.....we're learning from each other...  some here are sharing some definitive answers that they are getting from X, their TA, CC posts.

It was a joke about how fast everyone is responding! Bone to pick did not mean without merit--just a complaint of any sort.