Cruise Refund - who to contact at Celebrity?

[Muffinz]

My wife and I are pulling out our hair here and we are both upset and angry

 

We had 2 cruises booked with Celebrity

1 for 2020 - April 1st out of Auckland to the pacific islands

1 for 2021 - March 14 from Hong Kong to Tokyo

both were booked through a travel agent here in NZ

 

We cancelled the 2021 cruise in February 2020, because the coronavirus was spreading all through Asia at the time, and we didn't feel comfortable going to Asia of the virus was still around.

It took about 2.5 months for the travel agent to get the $800 deposit back that we had paid for this cruise

 

The April 2020 cruise was effectively cancelled on 14 March 2020, when the NZ government banned cruise ships from NZ waters until the end of July 2020. We thought about taking the 125% FCC, but then decided to get the 100% full refund. We applied for the refund through our travel agent on March 18, and to date all we've had are excuses....

We understand there are thousands of people around the world all wanting refunds from Celebrity for their cancelled cruises, but many people we have spoken to on the Facebook page and the CC roll call for the April 2020 cruise have received their refunds from Celebrity and from their TA.

 

Our TA said about 3 weeks ago that the wholesaler had received the money and they were just waiting for the wholesaler to refund them - then they would refund us.

Then yesterday wife got an e-mail from TA saying the refund would take another 30 days!!!

 

Not satisfied with this she phoned Celebrity (NZ) and got hold of someone earlier who could not give her any information or tell her anything because of the privacy act..... and because the booking (although in our names) was done by the TA / Wholesaler!

My wife phoned me in tears when she was told this... it's $8,000 NZ of our money that should be in our bank account

 

We think our TA might be telling us porkies and making excuses - because most other people have had their refunds for the April 2020 cruise

 

is there someone higher up the chain at celebrity we can contact about this?

We just want to know exactly what is going on and when we can expect our refund

 

thanks in advance

Edited June 3, 2020 by Muffinz

[cruisestitch]

Can you go up the chain at your TA’s office?  Is it a large agency?  Get to the TA’s boss.  If it’s a Big Box agency, work your way up there.  
 

Celebrity’s policy is that if you booked through a TA, all communication Has to go through that TA. So they probably will not discuss this with you and that’s why you have to keep your pressure up on the travel agent

[Arizona Wildcat]

You booked reservations through a TA.  The TA if I understand then booked as part of a group with a consolidator of some sort.

It sounds like the consolidate has your money at this point.  Hard to imagine how anyone at Celebrity could assist as They have already done their job.

You might have better luck through your NZ regulators as NZ has strict rules for travel tour operators.

I do understand.  It took 8 weeks to get most of our $$ returned on a Celebrity cancelled cruise.

[1025cruise]

Unfortunately, if you booked with a TA, that is the only person you can communicate with. Celebrity is not allowed to talk with you as their contract is with the TA who handled the booking.

 

Refunds right now are taking up to 90 days, if not longer. Please, just be patient.

[Snit13]

I am not familiar with New Zealand law but I know if you book with a travel agent it is their responsibility to represent you and thus refund your money.

I had 2 cruises booked and I have received both refunds in full.  I learned my lesson booking with travel agent and now only book directly with cruise line.

I hope your agent has your best interest at heart and returns your money.

[jelayne]

Sounds like payment went through your TA to a wholesaler who then paid Celebrity and Celebrity refunded the money to the person/company who paid them.

 

Can you file a dispute With your credit card company?  Is there a consumer advocate at one of your local newspapers or TV station that might step in and assist or shine a light on what this wholesaler is doing?  Is there a Tourism Board or oversight organization that you can contact?  

Hope you get this resolved soon. 

[omeinv]

15 minutes ago, jelayne said:

Sounds like payment went through your TA to a wholesaler who then paid Celebrity and Celebrity refunded the money to the person/company who paid them.

 

Can you file a dispute With your credit card company?  Is there a consumer advocate at one of your local newspapers or TV station that might step in and assist or shine a light on what this wholesaler is doing?  Is there a Tourism Board or oversight organization that you can contact?  

Hope you get this resolved soon. 

Yes, calling Celebrity would do no good if - as your TA said - the money has been returned by Celebrity to the wholesaler. 

 

File a credit card dispute immediately.  This is particularly true of the original purchase amount shows as being charged by the travel agency or the wholesaler, rather than Celebrity itself. 

 

Harris

Denver, CO

[Muffinz]

thanks for the replies

We are just worried because a major chain of TA's here (not the one we booked with thankfully) are closing up many of their stores in an effort to save money and the last thing we want is for our TA company or the wholesaler to go bust while they still have our money.

In 2 weeks it will be 90 days since we applied for the refund, so we will follow up with the TA then

[cheeseheads4ever]

We truly feel bad for you and agree with all Celebrity will not talk to you if you booked thru a TA. Like they say keep the pressure on the TA. Go up the ladder. Reading this to me is another reason to forget booking with a TA. We learned our lesson last November when we booked our cruise with a TA. All others we booked direct. Never again will we use a TA.
But anyway we wish you luck getting your money refunded. Be persistent...

[alibaba1]

3 hours ago, Muffinz said:

My wife and I are pulling out our hair here and we are both upset and angry

 

We had 2 cruises booked with Celebrity

1 for 2020 - April 1st out of Auckland to the pacific islands

1 for 2021 - March 14 from Hong Kong to Tokyo

both were booked through a travel agent here in NZ

 

We cancelled the 2021 cruise in February 2020, because the coronavirus was spreading all through Asia at the time, and we didn't feel comfortable going to Asia of the virus was still around.

It took about 2.5 months for the travel agent to get the $800 deposit back that we had paid for this cruise

 

The April 2020 cruise was effectively cancelled on 14 March 2020, when the NZ government banned cruise ships from NZ waters until the end of July 2020. We thought about taking the 125% FCC, but then decided to get the 100% full refund. We applied for the refund through our travel agent on March 18, and to date all we've had are excuses....

We understand there are thousands of people around the world all wanting refunds from Celebrity for their cancelled cruises, but many people we have spoken to on the Facebook page and the CC roll call for the April 2020 cruise have received their refunds from Celebrity and from their TA.

 

Our TA said about 3 weeks ago that the wholesaler had received the money and they were just waiting for the wholesaler to refund them - then they would refund us.

Then yesterday wife got an e-mail from TA saying the refund would take another 30 days!!!

 

Not satisfied with this she phoned Celebrity (NZ) and got hold of someone earlier who could not give her any information or tell her anything because of the privacy act..... and because the booking (although in our names) was done by the TA / Wholesaler!

My wife phoned me in tears when she was told this... it's $8,000 NZ of our money that should be in our bank account

 

We think our TA might be telling us porkies and making excuses - because most other people have had their refunds for the April 2020 cruise

 

is there someone higher up the chain at celebrity we can contact about this?

We just want to know exactly what is going on and when we can expect our refund

 

thanks in advance

Muffinz,

Don't feel bad; we're all in the same boat.
What I understand is that "X" is dealing with all the refunds first, then issuing the FCC's.
We have not received our FCC Certificate Number, from "X's" cancellation of our March 15, 2020 Celebrity Silhouette Caribbean Cruise.
Also agree with all the above others. Celebrity will not discuss anything if you booked through a TA.
We are dealing with our TA, Jason, from VTG. it's in his hands.
Love to have the FCC Certificate Number so we can apply it to our upcoming Oct 5, 2020 and Dec 9, 2020 cruises.
We'll all have to be patient -------but for how long?

 

[Shadow9612]

If Celebrity already refunded the money to the consolidator/wholesaler, why is it going to take another 30 days for you to get it? I don't think I'd be waiting another 2 weeks to contact my travel agent. Contact them immediately, and consider filing a dispute with your credit card company if that is a possible route in New Zealand...

 

  Good luck.

[Snit13]

13 hours ago, Muffinz said:

thanks for the replies

We are just worried because a major chain of TA's here (not the one we booked with thankfully) are closing up many of their stores in an effort to save money and the last thing we want is for our TA company or the wholesaler to go bust while they still have our money.

In 2 weeks it will be 90 days since we applied for the refund, so we will follow up with the TA then

Why are you waiting?  I got refund for my 1st canceled cruise in 6 weeks and refund for my 2nd canceled cruise within 3 weeks.

If the TA's go out of business you most likely will be out all of your money.  Act now, please.

[Trixsea]

13 hours ago, cheeseheads4ever said:

We truly feel bad for you and agree with all Celebrity will not talk to you if you booked thru a TA. Like they say keep the pressure on the TA. Go up the ladder. Reading this to me is another reason to forget booking with a TA. We learned our lesson last November when we booked our cruise with a TA. All others we booked direct. Never again will we use a TA.
But anyway we wish you luck getting your money refunded. Be persistent...

Or deal with a travel agent who has been in business for many years...has not been closed for one day since the pandemic started...has spent MANY hours on hold with the cruise lines and been able to assist ALL their clients.

[cheeseheads4ever]

I agree Trixsea. There are good ones out there but not being able to find out who they are because we can’t discuss on Cruise Critic makes it difficult. You just go by word of mouth and not actually from the people that cruise all the time.

We just had a bad one for the first time. Leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

[sanger727]

I had a similar situation last year where we had a flight cancelled and the refund went to the company we bought the package through. And then we had to wait on them to refund us. I agree that there's absolutely no reason to continue pursing this with Celebrity, as far as they are concerned your business is done and over with a refund issued. Your TA will have to get the wholesaler to issue the refund. If they have had the money for 3 weeks and are saying it will take another 30 days, I would definitely start a credit card dispute.