Loyal customer fed up

[newyorkray]

I have only sailed Celebrity since my first cruise on the old Meridan back in 1997. I have achieved Elite status and had a cruise booked for May 2nd. I have tried calling Celebrity many times but keep getting cut off. I may be interested in the 125% they are offering on cancelled cruises but how do I know they won't just declare Bankruptcy and start fresh and I will lose out our payment? I also booked flights through Flights By Celebrity but can't get any questioned answered and and when I try Delta they say there is a 1 hour and 50 minute waiting. I am a front line health care worker in NYC, working 12-14 hours a day and don't have time to stay on the phone and wait. You would think they would hire people to answer questions. I just don't want to lose hard earned money. I'm really fed up with their response or rather, lack of response

[ipeeinthepool]

Thanks for all of your work.

[K12Guy]

18 minutes ago, newyorkray said:

'm really fed up with their response or rather, lack of response

 

Ray, you and I both know it's a matter of volume.

 

If you call at 11 at night, or midnight, you will probably not have to wait, for any of the providers. Give it a shot.

 

 

[Bo1953]

Thank you for your service and sorry for the frustrations!

 

I used email to communicate because I did not want to wait either, they are overwhelmed with calls....

 

bon voyage

[cruisestitch]

I sense your frustration and thank you for all you are doing.   At this time, nobody knows if any cruise company will declare bankruptcy.

[Host Anne]

Ray ~ thanks for your endless hours of hard work. Everyone appreciates it.

 

I second the comment on trying to call very early in the morning or later in the evening, especially for Delta.  I recently had to call Delta to cancel a flight and when I called at 7:30 AM, I had no wait at all.  

 

I'm so sorry for your frustrations.  I hope you are able to resolve the situation soon and quickly.

[jelayne]

Keep in mind the call folks are working from home and not in the office.  

 

I am attaching a screen shot from the Celebrity website.  You really don’t need to do anything right now.  You will automatically get the FCC for 125% and you have  if you decide in the future  you can change to a refund up until 12/31/2021.

 

Thanks for all you are doing & don’t worry about this u til this storm is over.

 

t

[radarcruiser]

1 hour ago, newyorkray said:

I have only sailed Celebrity since my first cruise on the old Meridan back in 1997. I have achieved Elite status and had a cruise booked for May 2nd. I have tried calling Celebrity many times but keep getting cut off. I may be interested in the 125% they are offering on cancelled cruises but how do I know they won't just declare Bankruptcy and start fresh and I will lose out our payment? I also booked flights through Flights By Celebrity but can't get any questioned answered and and when I try Delta they say there is a 1 hour and 50 minute waiting. I am a front line health care worker in NYC, working 12-14 hours a day and don't have time to stay on the phone and wait. You would think they would hire people to answer questions. I just don't want to lose hard earned money. I'm really fed up with their response or rather, lack of response

Ray, I understand your frustration. We had our Edge cruise for last week cancelled.  I opted to take the FCC.  I looked into the airline Chapter 11 filings in the 2000’s.  They preserved things like future airfare credits.  I’m fairly confident the cruise companies will not seek to wipe things like FCC.  They need those customers for the future if they are going to pull out of this. 

[Jim_Iain]

First  Ray,  Thank you for your service on the front line.

 

I understand your frustration as it can be very difficult to reach Celebrity.  Here are a couple suggestions.

 

1.  Send a message with your phone number to Celebrity using Instagram or Facebook.  I have heard many get a call back fairly quickly.   I'm sure if you point out you are a Front Line Medical Worker it will expedite.

 

2.   Do noting and you will automatically receive a FCC for 125%.

 

3.   If you choose to take the 100% Credit then go to this link. https://cancellation.celebritycruises.com/?brand=C

You can submit your request for the 100% Credit anytime up until expiration of the FCC

 

For impacted sailings, compensation of 125% Future Cruise Credit (FCC) will be processed automatically. Future Cruise Credit is good through December 31st, 2021. If you prefer to forfeit the higher value of the 125% Future Cruise Credit for all of the guests in your reservation and instead accept a 100% refund, you may submit your request here any time up until the expiration date of your FCC.  

[Mojogurued]

All the other cruise lines are having the same problems, not just Celebrity.

[Shadow9612]

2 hours ago, newyorkray said:

I am a front line health care worker in NYC, working 12-14 hours a day

Thank you for your service and hard work.  With gratitude and appreciation 🙏

[BEAV]

You’re a hero and this American values and appreciates what you’re doing.

 

You’ve been given some great and concise suggestions, which, hopefully, will be helpful to both you and others reading.

 

If you click on my profile, you’ll find my email address. Feel free to email me as I’d like to help you with your Flights By Celebrity issue with Delta. But first, I’ll need some specifics from you. 

 

I can’t add anything except underscore my gratefulness for your service. 

Edited April 23, 2020 by BEAV

[Redtravel]

Worried about bankruptcy, ask for a cash refund.  You will be less anxious.  

[Jordanyaya1]

Firstly, from a former New Yorker, thanks for your life saving work.

 

Many good suggestions above. If you do nothing, you will receive a FCC in the amount on 125% of the cruise fare. Since you booked your flights with Choice Air (flights by Celebrity) they will be automatically cancelled and Celebrity will refund the amount of air fare and port taxes to your credit card. My Celebrity travel planner said it would take about 45 days for the refund to be issued and you should see the Future Cruise Credit in about the same amount of time. Once things settle down a bit you can request a refund for the future cruise credit. Granted, no one knows the financial stability of Celebrity but they should survive a while longer. Good luck, stay safe and thanks again.  

[lifeisrealygood]

Hey NewYorkRay,

 

I know this may seem a little too inconvenient, but I wanted to cancel my Hilton Hotel and my United flights for a cruise that my wife and I were all set to take, but cancelled.

 

When I called both Hilton and United several times, I got the "your wait will be one hour and forty five minutes", or some other ridiculous wait time.  Of course , I just hung up.

 

But, I called at 2:00 in the morning, and had no wait time, got right through, and talked to someone here in the States, and had no problem getting the cancellations taken care of.  They must be working 24/7 given the current environment.  

 

I realize two in the morning is inconvenient, but there was no wait.  For my United flight, I was supposed to be charged $250 or so for both my wife and I for the cancellation and refund,  but she said no problem, she would cancel with no fees, given the current circumstances.  She did not have to do that, but she said she could.  Even at two in the morning, the person I was talking to said she was the shift supervisor.  

 

I also got right through to Hilton reservations, and cancelled with no problem.  

 

Just a thought. 

 

 

[isdoo]

Nobody should be opting for a FCC - cash in your pocket is far more powerful than a piece of paper that is tied to one cruise brand. 

However don't expect a refund anytime soon - people have already had to wait 35 days or so. 

Hopefully you paid by credit card and can do a charge back on that. But note you must've requested a refund first. 

If you accept a FCC and it becomes worthless, don't expect any credit card company to bail you out. Vouchers are worthless when a company goes under and I can't see the FCC being worth any more then nothing. 

Of course if everyone were to opt for cash, then the company wouldn't have enough to repay everyone. 

I suspect cruising will be a long way away for many people and indeed many countries.

Also from an elite loyal customer......

[keesar]

6 hours ago, newyorkray said:

I have only sailed Celebrity since my first cruise on the old Meridan back in 1997. I have achieved Elite status and had a cruise booked for May 2nd. I have tried calling Celebrity many times but keep getting cut off. I may be interested in the 125% they are offering on cancelled cruises but how do I know they won't just declare Bankruptcy and start fresh and I will lose out our payment? I also booked flights through Flights By Celebrity but can't get any questioned answered and and when I try Delta they say there is a 1 hour and 50 minute waiting. I am a front line health care worker in NYC, working 12-14 hours a day and don't have time to stay on the phone and wait. You would think they would hire people to answer questions. I just don't want to lose hard earned money. I'm really fed up with their response or rather, lack of response

 

Celebrity has laid off 25% of their work force.  So these delays will be expected and you have to be patient. Take the cash refund...

 

I called another cruise line to make an inquiry regarding this situation.  10 a.m. phone call.  I was expected to wait for an extended period of time.  However, I got through immediately and spoke with a live employee.  I got my questions answered and made a tentative booking.  Never cruised this line before but was impressed with the service. 

[ipeeinthepool]

Be advised that when you get through to Delta, you likely won't get immediate satisfaction.  I called last week to request a refund for a flight that Delta cancelled.  The agent on the phone completed a form and submitted my claim to the refund department for evaluation.  They told me it would likely take 3 weeks.   The phone agent likely won't have the ability to authorize an immediate refund.

 

Good Luck

[deliver42]

Wait times are very long for all travel venues, unless you just call at the right time, whatever that is. Patience is a virtue, and in these times is necessary. Blaming someone for long delays doesn't cure anything.

[Nitnoi]

Ray-thanks you for everything you are doing.

You and your coworkers are heros and angels

Bless You

[Miaminice]

Thank you, Ray for what you are doing!

 

Just like you are overwhelmed with your job right now, the staff of Celebrity are overwhelmed with their´s.
So have a little patience and understanding that we are all in this together. 

That said: your question "but how do I know they won't just declare Bankruptcy and start fresh and I will lose out our payment?" can´t be answered with anything else but: "you don´t!"

Nobody knows yet. And if you are waiting to receive an answer to this question on the phone, don´t even wait. How would anybody on the phone know?! Or tell you...

Edited April 23, 2020 by Miaminice

[wrk2cruise]

8 hours ago, Jordanyaya1 said:

Since you booked your flights with Choice Air (flights by Celebrity) they will be automatically cancelled and Celebrity will refund the amount of air fare and port taxes to your credit card.

 

If you booked refundable air then this is true.  It's also true for some of the first cancellations when you had non-refundable tickets as well.  But at some point the policy changed and now I believe they will cancel the flights but you have to contact the airline for refund/voucher.  It's covered in detail in the second bullet of the FAQ's listed here  https://www.celebritycruises.com/travel-alert/frequently-asked-questions

 

For anyone who has questions please read the FAQ's they are actually very good and cover most questions asked on these boards.

[BEAV]

2 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

If you booked refundable air then this is true.  It's also true for some of the first cancellations when you had non-refundable tickets as well.  But at some point the policy changed and now I believe they will cancel the flights but you have to contact the airline for refund/voucher.  It's covered in detail in the second bullet of the FAQ's listed here  https://www.celebritycruises.com/travel-alert/frequently-asked-questions

 

For anyone who has questions please read the FAQ's they are actually very good and cover most questions asked on these boards.

 

You are correct in that Flights by Celebrity is no longer (changed sometime in March) refunding non-refundable airline tickets on cruises that Celebrity has cancelled. Celebrity will refer you to the airline to receive a voucher. BUT, if the AIRLINE cancels the flight you’re ticketed on -or- changes your flight schedule significantly, U.S Department Of Transportation rules state you are entitled to a refund of your non-refundable ticket. So check to see if the airline has cancelled your flight. Airlines are trying to conserve cash and want you to only accept a voucher for future travel. But you’re entitled to cash. Flights by Celebrity will try to pass you off to the airline, but if the flight’s been cancelled, call them and have them begin a refund claim. It’s a pain in the butt, but it’s what you have to do to make yourself whole. 

[twincheryl]

12 hours ago, ipeeinthepool said:

Be advised that when you get through to Delta, you likely won't get immediate satisfaction.  I called last week to request a refund for a flight that Delta cancelled.  The agent on the phone completed a form and submitted my claim to the refund department for evaluation.  They told me it would likely take 3 weeks.   The phone agent likely won't have the ability to authorize an immediate refund.

 

Good Luck

Same issue with Delta.  Called a week ago and rep said she would submit the request.  Since I didn’t get any kind of acknowledgement via email, I gave it a week and called back yesterday.  Got in the queue to receive a call back in approx. 25 min and that happened as scheduled.  New rep said there was no note regarding previous refund request... and she would do a new one.  I actually received the email noting the confirmation number immediately following the call.  It says to please allow up to 30 business days...  we’ll see how it goes!

[ipeeinthepool]

10 minutes ago, twincheryl said:

Same issue with Delta.  Called a week ago and rep said she would submit the request.  Since I didn’t get any kind of acknowledgement via email, I gave it a week and called back yesterday.  Got in the queue to receive a call back in approx. 25 min and that happened as scheduled.  New rep said there was no note regarding previous refund request... and she would do a new one.  I actually received the email noting the confirmation number immediately following the call.  It says to please allow up to 30 business days...  we’ll see how it goes!

 

Delta must have a group of new agents.  It actually took two calls for me to get the request submitted.  The first time I called, the agent told me it had to be handled through AMEX and I was forwarded to AMEX.  After a couple of minutes explaining the situation to AMEX, I concluded that this was the wrong approach.  I hung up and called back and the agent submitted the request and I received a confirmation in a minute or two.   I guess it's taking longer, here's the text of the confirmation e-mail.

 

We will make every effort to process eligible credits and refunds within 7 days. However, due to extremely high volume related to coronavirus and government-issued travel guidance, please allow up to 21 business days. Once processed, refunds may take up to two billing cycles to appear on your credit/debit card statement. Credits will appear in your account on delta.com and can also be retrieved using your Ticket Number.

 

Tickets paid for by cash or check will be refunded within 21 business days of Delta's initial receipt of the refund request. However, please allow additional time for mail delivery. 

 

A notification of your refund request will be sent to the email address provided.

 

We appreciate your patience while we review your refund request.

 

Sincerely,

 

Passenger Refunds

Delta Air Lines