Celebrity Customer Service - Incorrect Information Issue

[Daleed77]

I’m pretty disappointed in my TA and Celebrity and I would love to hear your opinions on what I should do. 

 

Background: We have been loyal cruisers with Celebrity and are currently Elite Captain Club members and have been a shareholder for 10+ years. 

 

We cruised on the Apex last summer out of Athens. It was the third sailing I believe. We didn’t care for the infinite veranda (it’s a window) and decided we wouldn’t book them again. We booked another cruise on board and discussed the issue with the consultant. She told us there were some cabins that didn’t have infinite verandas and booked us in one of those. We had a conflict for the original sailing and needed to move our reservation. We contacted our travel agent and told her that we liked the itinerary on the Edge for December and our only criteria was that it didn’t have an infinite veranda. She called Celebrity to confirm and booked us. That was in November 2021. 

 

Recently, I was looking at my travel plans for the year and thought I would look up my cabin for the holidays. I googled the cabin and it has an infinite balcony. I immediately contacted my travel agent and she contacted Celebrity. They confirmed that she was given incorrect information, but all the rooms with a real balcony were sold out. However, a sunset veranda popped up and she held it for us and then contacted Celebrity because it is now $2000 more than our November price. 

 

We just found out that Celebrity will not honor our rate for the new room. I’m vastly disappointed in this. It has been confirmed that Celebrity gave the agent incorrect information and essentially sold me a cabin that doesn’t have features that I was promised. 

 

Honestly, how Celebrity and our travel agent handles this will determine if we continue to cruise. We’ve had great cruises with Celebrity, but the lack of customer service on this issue and the fact that they admitted to telling us incorrect information has me questioning whether the company is trustworthy anymore.

 

I’m not asking for much to make me happy. I want my current rate for the type of cabin I was promised. It’s going from a Concierge class to Sunset Veranda! And yes, we were told that some Concierge cabins had real balconies - ugh! This should be an easy win for Celebrity. Am I being crazy? 
 

The TA has involved the brand team, whatever that means and has offered us more

credit if we upgrade, but no where close to the $2000 extra it costs. She said that Celebrity won’t allow them to discount the cruise rate. What should I do? Any thoughts on the next step I should try? 

 

Thanks,

Dale

[sasset]

Cancel

 

[Daleed77]

8 minutes ago, sasset said:

Cancel

 

That is always an option. I love the itinerary and I have the time off. We live in Miami now, so I can always explore other lines. 

[JFontaine]

I'd escalate this. A letter to the CEO from you, copy your travel agent. You don't have anything to lose. If you can piece together anything that confirms you requested a real balcony (confirmation from your canceled cruise of a real balcony), I'd include it. This is not a new issue to them. Good luck. 

[jelayne]

Sounds like the booking you made while on the ship was as Sunset Veranda and went you and when you changed the sailing there probably were no Sundet verandas available.  There are only about 24 of them.

 

There are some other non suite cabins that have a porthole veranda, you can sit outside, some cruise lines call them cove verandas.  Here is photo with tge category name so you can check on this option.

[RTShaker]

22 minutes ago, Daleed77 said:

 

We just found out that Celebrity will not honor our rate for the new room. I’m vastly disappointed in this. ...

 

I’m not asking for much to make me happy. I want my current rate for the type of cabin I was promised. It’s going from a Concierge class to Sunset Veranda! ...

So you are looking to upgrade to a Sunset Veranda at no charge? That is not likely in the cards. Best just to cancel. I will suggest that your TA has some responsibility in this as well. It is their responsibility to confirm that you are getting what you ordered. They all have the ability to look at the deck plans to see what each cabin has.

[Purplsmurf]

Is there anything in writing saying that the cabin you booked was a sunset veranda? If not, it’s more of a he says she says thing and not sure there is much you can do. When we book cruises we either tell the TA the exact cabin we want or in this case I would’ve confirmed the cabin location  immediately. Hope it all works out for you. 

[Bo1953]

23 minutes ago, Purplsmurf said:

Is there anything in writing saying that the cabin you booked was a sunset veranda? If not, it’s more of a he says she says thing and not sure there is much you can do. When we book cruises we either tell the TA the exact cabin we want or in this case I would’ve confirmed the cabin location  immediately. Hope it all works out for you. 

 

It sounds like the confirmation was not checked by the OP to determine they were getting what they were told, and now....

 

I hope the OP can recover and not blame everyone else for a possible fail on their part, not checking confirmation at the time reservation was made as that would have provided an opportunity to make it right, right away, or have the ability to cancel.

 

It does sound like an up-grade which X would not do in this type of situation without an increase in fare or am I incorrect on that?

 

Sorry it happened to them and hopefully they can get some satisfaction or resolution which will not leave a too bad of taste against X or their TA...

 

Responsibility is spread around, it sounds like....

 

bon voyage

Edited May 4, 2022 by Bo1953

[cruisestitch]

I say cancel.

[Daleed77]

Thanks everyone. My issue is that the TA talked to Celebrity and they confirmed that it was a real balcony. This was my only request for rebooking. So, is it my fault? Sure. My TA assured me that she talked to Celebrity about it when I booked and I never had an issue with her before. 
 

My new reservation that I made was more expensive than the original, so I assumed everything was correct. Is sunset verandas significantly more expensive than concierge usually? 
 

By the way, the TA and Celebrity said they info they gave was incorrect and they’ve updated it since then. Oh well, I’ll probably cancel and not book the Edge class again. It’s not worth the hassle. 
 

- Dale 

[Jeremiah1212]

It sounds like the agent is trying to deflect blame on Celebrity. Cabin descriptions and info are widely available without having to call to confirm. This is travel agent 101. You wanted an SV or a Porthole veranda. With such a significant price increase I really doubt Celebrity will budge, especially when their hold falls off and someone else grabs the SV. 

[Covepointcruiser]

Sunset verandahs are significantly more expensive than the other, port hole style verandahs.   I would be very surprised if people were not waitlisted for sunset verandahs as they are the most sought after non suite cabins.

[sasset]

52 minutes ago, JFontaine said:

I'd escalate this. A letter to the CEO from you, copy your travel agent. You don't have anything to lose. If you can piece together anything that confirms you requested a real balcony (confirmation from your canceled cruise of a real balcony), I'd include it. This is not a new issue to them. Good luck. 

I agree. I had an issue several years ago of an attractive rate listed on the Celebrity site for a FV that went up each time I tried to book it. When I saw it again, I screen shot it and attached it to an email to Lisa Lutoff-Perlo. Got a response from an assistant and made the fare happen.

Edited May 4, 2022 by sasset
grammar

[NutsAboutGolf]

Was on the Edge during the 5th sailing restart

9 hours ago, Daleed77 said:

I’m pretty disappointed in my TA and Celebrity and I would love to hear your opinions on what I should do. 

 

Background: We have been loyal cruisers with Celebrity and are currently Elite Captain Club members and have been a shareholder for 10+ years. 

 

We cruised on the Apex last summer out of Athens. It was the third sailing I believe. We didn’t care for the infinite veranda (it’s a window) and decided we wouldn’t book them again. We booked another cruise on board and discussed the issue with the consultant. She told us there were some cabins that didn’t have infinite verandas and booked us in one of those. We had a conflict for the original sailing and needed to move our reservation. We contacted our travel agent and told her that we liked the itinerary on the Edge for December and our only criteria was that it didn’t have an infinite veranda. She called Celebrity to confirm and booked us. That was in November 2021. 

 

Recently, I was looking at my travel plans for the year and thought I would look up my cabin for the holidays. I googled the cabin and it has an infinite balcony. I immediately contacted my travel agent and she contacted Celebrity. They confirmed that she was given incorrect information, but all the rooms with a real balcony were sold out. However, a sunset veranda popped up and she held it for us and then contacted Celebrity because it is now $2000 more than our November price. 

 

We just found out that Celebrity will not honor our rate for the new room. I’m vastly disappointed in this. It has been confirmed that Celebrity gave the agent incorrect information and essentially sold me a cabin that doesn’t have features that I was promised. 

 

Honestly, how Celebrity and our travel agent handles this will determine if we continue to cruise. We’ve had great cruises with Celebrity, but the lack of customer service on this issue and the fact that they admitted to telling us incorrect information has me questioning whether the company is trustworthy anymore.

 

I’m not asking for much to make me happy. I want my current rate for the type of cabin I was promised. It’s going from a Concierge class to Sunset Veranda! And yes, we were told that some Concierge cabins had real balconies - ugh! This should be an easy win for Celebrity. Am I being crazy? 
 

The TA has involved the brand team, whatever that means and has offered us more

credit if we upgrade, but no where close to the $2000 extra it costs. She said that Celebrity won’t allow them to discount the cruise rate. What should I do? Any thoughts on the next step I should try? 

 

Thanks,

Dale

 

In your Nov 2021 booking email, which stateroom type were you originally booked in, IV, SV or Porthole?  If your TA booked you an IV then it's their fault, unfortunately.  Google the CEOs email and send an email (her team is surprisingly responsive), I wouldn't expect a miracle but can't hurt

[jagoffee]

If you really do not wish to cruise with an infinity veranda, I suggest you cancel.  I also suggest you consider changing TA’s.  
Any possibility that Celebrity did not really tell your TA that some Concierge Class cabins had regular verandas?  The TA should have known better and it is very easy to check.  Is Celebrity really telling your TA that they made a mistake?  Or is this just what the TA is saying?

 

I am a little suspicious of what your TA is telling you.  
 

I always check out any cabin before I book.  I am sure you will be following that approach in the future.  
 

Best of luck.

[Mr. Click]

I appreciate your feelings and comments on the IV.  We have not been in one but the whole idea is unappealing to me.  

 

If you have the paperwork from your TA showing you should have a real veranda cabin then I would contact Celebrity's CEO since everyone else you have talked to is dodging responsibility.   Personally I hate it when people I am paying do that but I would give LLP one shot to fix it or just walk away with a follow up to the TA telling, not the TA but someone above that level why you are walking away.

Lisa Lutoff-Perlo
President and CEO
1050 Caribbean Way
Miami, FL 33132
lLutoff-Perlo@celebritycruises.com

 

•  

 

[bEwAbG]

I'd be curious if the President's office would even deal with anyone but the TA since Celebrity is paying the TA to service the reservation (the regular agents will not discuss such things if you book with a TA).  I think this is why the TA is offering to sweeten the deal a little in order to keep the reservation...they lose the commission if OP cancels + they know they don't really have a leg to stand on because they didn't book/confirm what the OP requested.  From X's perspective, the OP has a room booked at a certain level, so it doesn't make much sense to give a premium upgrade for free if they have people who will book it at full price.  Bottom line is that it pays to be diligent by confirming that everything in writing matches your expectations at the time it happens.  If the TA gave you something in writing that says you have a balcony and it turns out you do not, then you have a stronger case with getting more out of the TA.  I think it's the TA's managers you will end up having to deal with rather than any manager at X.

[Jeal]

Which cabin did the consultant give you when you booked onboard?  Are there concierge cabins on Edge class ships with regular balconies? 
I’m sorry this happened to you. It’s always difficult when your expectations aren’t met. 

Edited May 4, 2022 by Jeal

[jelayne]

14 minutes ago, Jeal said:

Which cabin did the consultant give you when you booked onboard?  Are there concierge cabins on Edge class ships with regular balconies? 
I’m sorry this happened to you. It’s always difficult when your expectations aren’t met. 

If I'm not mistaken, early on the Op said the originally had a Sunset Veranda then they had to change sailings.

[papaflamingo]

This isn't meant to sound snarky so I apologize if it does.  Always check the cabin in the deck plans when you book and you'll avoid this. In fact I always check the deck plans and available cabins and let my TA know which one or one's I want.  that way I know exactly what I'm booking and can avoid noisy areas or cabin features I don't want.  

[jagoffee]

5 hours ago, Mr. Click said:

I appreciate your feelings and comments on the IV.  We have not been in one but the whole idea is unappealing to me.  

 

If you have the paperwork from your TA showing you should have a real veranda cabin then I would contact Celebrity's CEO since everyone else you have talked to is dodging responsibility.   Personally I hate it when people I am paying do that but I would give LLP one shot to fix it or just walk away with a follow up to the TA telling, not the TA but someone above that level why you are walking away.

Lisa Lutoff-Perlo
President and CEO
1050 Caribbean Way
Miami, FL 33132
lLutoff-Perlo@celebritycruises.com

 

•  

 

Based on what the OP posted that is the problem.  Their , booking is and shows a Concierge Class cabin.  They have reported that their TA told them that Celebrity assured the TA that their chosen  CC cabin have a regular veranda.  When just now researching the OP found out that it does not although the cabin is exactly what is listed in the booking.  The price of the Sunset Veranda is much more expensive than their CC booking.  Allegedly no CC cabins have regular Verandas, which makes sense.  
 

[Daleed77]

I wanted to report back and let you know what the resolution is. 
 

To clarify an issue that keep coming up in the responses. I originally had a SV, but had to change. I didn’t want an Infinite Balcony and made that clear to the TA. She confirmed with Celebrity (there was proof). We would have probably cancelled all together if they gave the correct information. Also, I’ve never had a problem with this TA before and stopped worrying about doing exhaustive research since she has always done well by us. 
 

The TA offered to give us $700 (via check or obc) and Celebrity offered an additional $300 obc on top of what was already part of the package, if we upgraded to the SV that was now being held for us. The price difference at this point was over $2k. Celebrity admitted to the mistake, but said this was the best they could do. I wasn’t happy with it and thought I would cancel. 
 

As some suggested, I emailed the president’s office. Who knows where that actually goes, but I did receive a call back from a man named John. He asked me to send screenshots of the conversation between me and my TA with the Celebrity communications, which I did. He researched the issue with the reservation/revenue and communication teams. 
 

After some back forth, they agreed to bring the price down to what it would have been in November, which is $300 more than what I originally booked. Of course, they and the TA took away all the “we’re sorry for the inconvenience” money. I balked at this with the TA since I’m the one that actually had to work to get this resolution. The TA threw in an additional tiny amount and Celebrity added $200 obc and a night at a specialty restaurant. We called it a day and took the offer. 
 

Ultimately, the take away for me is that Celebrity is not great at customer service. Even with proof of misinformation, it took a lot for everyone to a good resolution. Celebrity may have saved this purchase, but I will probably be looking for a new TA after 10+ years. I don’t think I’m allowed to ask for recommendations here!

 

Thanks for coming on this journey!

 

Dale

 

[chemmo]

So pleased the issue has been resolved to your satisfaction. Enjoy your cruise. Thanks for returning with an update, always useful for others hitting similar walls re customer service.

 

Much as you trusted your TA I am with 

On 5/4/2022 at 9:07 PM, papaflamingo said:

This isn't meant to sound snarky so I apologize if it does.  Always check the cabin in the deck plans when you book and you'll avoid this. In fact I always check the deck plans and available cabins and let my TA know which one or one's I want.  that way I know exactly what I'm booking and can avoid noisy areas or cabin features I don't want.  

 

We always book (independently or with a TA) with a specific room number we have personally gathered all information on. TAs are often unfamiliar with ship designs and layouts. I think many would not even be aware that an infinity veranda was not a true veranda. Swap your TA but take personal responsibility for your room choices in the future! Lots of opportunities on CC to look at room reviews before booking….

Edited May 14, 2022 by chemmo

[NutsAboutGolf]

13 hours ago, Daleed77 said:

and a night at a specialty restaurant.

 

 

Be sure to ask that the newly implemented18% gratuity is included as well.  Thanks for the followup and great news it was resolved.  I have no problem reaching out the CEO's exec team if I get no where with customer service, its the only way they'll learn.

[Dar & Bob]

14 hours ago, Daleed77 said:

I wanted to report back and let you know what the resolution is. 
 

To clarify an issue that keep coming up in the responses. I originally had a SV, but had to change. I didn’t want an Infinite Balcony and made that clear to the TA. She confirmed with Celebrity (there was proof). We would have probably cancelled all together if they gave the correct information. Also, I’ve never had a problem with this TA before and stopped worrying about doing exhaustive research since she has always done well by us. 
 

The TA offered to give us $700 (via check or obc) and Celebrity offered an additional $300 obc on top of what was already part of the package, if we upgraded to the SV that was now being held for us. The price difference at this point was over $2k. Celebrity admitted to the mistake, but said this was the best they could do. I wasn’t happy with it and thought I would cancel. 
 

As some suggested, I emailed the president’s office. Who knows where that actually goes, but I did receive a call back from a man named John. He asked me to send screenshots of the conversation between me and my TA with the Celebrity communications, which I did. He researched the issue with the reservation/revenue and communication teams. 
 

After some back forth, they agreed to bring the price down to what it would have been in November, which is $300 more than what I originally booked. Of course, they and the TA took away all the “we’re sorry for the inconvenience” money. I balked at this with the TA since I’m the one that actually had to work to get this resolution. The TA threw in an additional tiny amount and Celebrity added $200 obc and a night at a specialty restaurant. We called it a day and took the offer. 
 

Ultimately, the take away for me is that Celebrity is not great at customer service. Even with proof of misinformation, it took a lot for everyone to a good resolution. Celebrity may have saved this purchase, but I will probably be looking for a new TA after 10+ years. I don’t think I’m allowed to ask for recommendations here!

 

Thanks for coming on this journey!

 

Dale

 

Sorry you are still unhappy.  IMO this sounds fair as SV is a more pricey cabin.  It's unfortunate that you had to work so hard to get the right solution but it looks like you got the right one.

We have only been on one (so far) cruise on Celebrity but we booked direct and have a CVP that was very good in my opinion.  When the Caribbean promo came up we got an extra $100 OBC without any communication on our part.  When an additional sale came out -  I did a chat an got an offer that we had already purchased, the person on the chat told me to fill out Best Price form and we got the difference in OBC about 5 weeks before sailing.  This may be an option for you to go with Celebrity direct.