Trying Celebrity from NCL. Booking experience , terrible….

[Married90]

Been hearing how Celebrity is much better in many ways to NCL, it’s been our go to for many years.  Wanted to try Celebrity.  Found a great deal on back to back Alaskan cruises  this summer on the Eclipse saving well over $1000 from the 10 day NCL spirit we had booked.   So we made the change.    While still looking forward to it my first experiences are just terrible.   We booked the back to backs.   Celebrity has now charged  my CC 5 times for the two cruises.   What was to be $4700 total is now almost a $12k charge on my credit card.   They tripple charged the card for one cruise and double charged the card for the other.  They say they seen the double charge but not the tripple charge.   Well guess what there are three charges on the card.  They are posted not pending.   While I am sure (I hope) it will get corrected, I am being told nothing can be done till Monday due to a specialist needed.   AMEX says I can dispute the charges but most likely the cruise will get cancelled try to work with the cruise line first.   ARGG!!! …..  Now on to plane flights.   Booked through air with Celebrity.   First researched what I wanted using their website.   Found the exact flights and prices. Of course when trying to book online the website is broken. Had to book the flights over the phone.   Got a live agent in under 5 minutes.   Great.   Called, dealt with an individual with a heavy (non English) accent.   Gave them exactly what flights I wanted, they confirmed the price and verified the flight numbers and times.    Just as the agent books it I am told the price changed by $4 . No big deal I said.    That should have been a flag for me….   Got the itinerary in email and found my outbound flight was completely different than what I asked for.  Went from a 6 pm non stop to a 6:30am changing flights .     It is now 10 pm  when I find this.  Called back to Celebrity to get it fixed.   Sat on hold for an hour + and finally gave up to go to bed.  Called the next morning waited 30 minutes on hold.   Found out the flight I asked for is no longer available….   Had to juggle another flight and time all because of the first agents screwup.    God I hope the ship experience is better then my exposure to Celebrity so far….   Is this just bad luck?

[Denny01]

Two comments:

  -  Use a TA. 

  - my experience with a CC is I’ve seen numerous repeated charges but are Pending as you said with yours, but when added with a date, one remains. Usually. And usually it’s the CC not the ‘charger’. 
 

den

[FlorenceItaly]

3 minutes ago, Denny01 said:

Two comments:

  -  Use a TA. 

  - my experience with a CC is I’ve seen numerous repeated charges but are Pending as you said with yours, but when added with a date, one remains. Usually. And usually it’s the CC not the ‘charger’. 
 

den

OP stated hers are NOT PENDING, but went through as charged.  To OP, what a nightmare, truly!

Yes, the experience is wonderful on board, but, I can understand why you are currently feeling the way you are.

[Married90]

9 minutes ago, Denny01 said:

Two comments:

  -  Use a TA. 

  - my experience with a CC is I’ve seen numerous repeated charges but are Pending as you said with yours, but when added with a date, one remains. Usually. And usually it’s the CC not the ‘charger’. 
 

den

I did use a TA.  They have been great trying to get celebrity to make corrections in the billing.    Their hands are tied as Celebrity charges the card not the TA and it is the weekend.   As for flights this TA does a lot of group bookings but doesn’t do Flights.   As such went to celebrity directly on that portion.

[Denny01]

59 minutes ago, FlorenceItaly said:

OP stated hers are NOT PENDING, but went through as charged.  To OP, what a nightmare, truly!

Yes, the experience is wonderful on board, but, I can understand why you are currently feeling the way you are.

 

51 minutes ago, Married90 said:

I did use a TA.  They have been great trying to get celebrity to make corrections in the billing.    Their hands are tied as Celebrity charges the card not the TA and it is the weekend.   As for flights this TA does a lot of group bookings but doesn’t do Flights.   As such went to celebrity directly on that portion.

I’m an idiot two times over!

 

den

[FlorenceItaly]

3 minutes ago, Denny01 said:

 

I’m an idiot two times over!

 

den

No you are not!

[Married90]

1 hour ago, Denny01 said:

 

I’m an idiot two times over!

 

den

Nope, you are fine….  

[Married90]

Well, Celebrity has now issued over $7000 in refunds for their mistakes.   Of course now I am being told it can take 7-10 business days to actually see the refunds on the CC card....    It is amazing how a charge can hit your CC  in well less then 24 hrs but it can take 10 days after processing for the refund to show up....   

[PTC DAWG]

19 minutes ago, Married90 said:

Well, Celebrity has now issued over $7000 in refunds for their mistakes.   Of course now I am being told it can take 7-10 business days to actually see the refunds on the CC card....    It is amazing how a charge can hit your CC  in well less then 24 hrs but it can take 10 days after processing for the refund to show up....   

it’s always been that way with Cruise lines in my experience..they will make it right, and I’m guessing you will enjoy your Celebrity Cruise..I have also cruised both lines you speak of..the Bride and I prefer Celebrity, especially when youngsters aren’t going. 

[Married90]

2 hours ago, PTC DAWG said:

it’s always been that way with Cruise lines in my experience..they will make it right, and I’m guessing you will enjoy your Celebrity Cruise..I have also cruised both lines you speak of..the Bride and I prefer Celebrity, especially when youngsters aren’t going. 

Thanks.   Yep, we loved NCL with the kids.  Always thought they had one of the best kids programs.  Now that it is just the two of us time to broaden our horizons.   

[Arizona Wildcat]

On 4/23/2022 at 9:10 AM, Married90 said:

I did use a TA.  They have been great trying to get celebrity to make corrections in the billing.    Their hands are tied as Celebrity charges the card not the TA and it is the weekend.   As for flights this TA does a lot of group bookings but doesn’t do Flights.   As such went to celebrity directly on that portion.

Two things, there are some great TAs.  Ask on board for names.

Celebrity and every other line has both excellent and newbies.  Have booked cruises on both HAL and Princess in the last 2 weeks.  Total of 5 calls.  2 were probably ex-students of my wife - she taught special needs.  Three were excellent.

To the OP, seems you also have a credit card problem.  A duplicate or multiple charges on one day in large or small amounts are flagged and I am emailed AND texted.  I have had issues with HAL.  My credit card people took care of it.

[Bo1953]

On 4/23/2022 at 1:02 PM, Denny01 said:

 

I’m an idiot two times over!

 

den

D - you are not an idiot, but a savant...

 

bon voyage

[Married90]

21 minutes ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

Two things, there are some great TAs.  Ask on board for names.

Celebrity and every other line has both excellent and newbies.  Have booked cruises on both HAL and Princess in the last 2 weeks.  Total of 5 calls.  2 were probably ex-students of my wife - she taught special needs.  Three were excellent.

To the OP, seems you also have a credit card problem.  A duplicate or multiple charges on one day in large or small amounts are flagged and I am emailed AND texted.  I have had issues with HAL.  My credit card people took care of it.

Actually as I mentioned, my TA has been great and been all over this.   I am very happy with him and honestly the deals and service he has given me over the years can't be beat.  I won't deny there is a credit card problem but of course AMEX will admit to nothing  and says work it out with Celebrity.   AMEX says they could  flag  all the charges for dispute but that would cancel the cruise.   

[Arizona Wildcat]

6 hours ago, Married90 said:

Actually as I mentioned, my TA has been great and been all over this.   I am very happy with him and honestly the deals and service he has given me over the years can't be beat.  I won't deny there is a credit card problem but of course AMEX will admit to nothing  and says work it out with Celebrity.   AMEX says they could  flag  all the charges for dispute but that would cancel the cruise.   

Don't understand.   Duplicate charges generate a text AND email to me.  I simply say one of them is wrong and they fix it.   You are not looking to cancel ALL the charges.