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May not be able to cruise after all, and Celebrity isn't interested in helping :(


OttawaJohn
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Like far too many, my passport is lost in limbo here in Canada.  Three months after submitting it for renewal and no idea if/when I'll get it.  I am hopeful it'll be returned before our cruise at end of July but losing faith 😞

 

I reached out to Celebrity to see if anything could be done and they quickly said no.  Bit sad and surprised honestly.  Our first cruise with them, was really looking forward to it.  The main thing we hear from those who sailed with them is the great service. 

 

We asked if we could get a FCC, or even just push it to the next sailing, and we'd pay any difference in price.  Anything.  Nope.  Not even sure we'll get back shore excursions or the pre-paid specialty dining reservation.

 

I get it, we're within the final payment window, but just disappointed.  For all the claims of superior service with Celebrity, they don't seem to care about helping with this in any way.

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You’re taking out your passport anger on the wrong company.  Celebrity is a great cruise line but like any business they have rules and policies.  The unfortunate issue is you are past final payment date and Celebrity is within their right to follow the payment and penalty rules. 
 

Your best hope at this point is to see if there is anything that can be done to get your renewed passport.  If you have a Nexus card you can also see if Celebrity will accept that in lieu of a passport (they should).

 

Anything our Government touches is usually horribly inefficient and our passport office is no exception (I read an article in The Globe stating the newly hired passport reps require 12 weeks of training).  Good luck and hopefully your passport arrives. 
 

 

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Many won’t like that I post this, email the CEO, someone from their exec team will contact you.  If anything can make exceptions they can.  This is how they seem to like to operate, phone reps say “no” exec team may say “yes”.

 

Furthermore, if you already haven’t done this look into any expedited services Canada may offer.  For example, in the US, there is an expensive option in Miami to get a passport renewed the same day.

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When did you book this sailing.   If it was prior to March 31, 2022 then you are eligible for CwC and can cancel up to 48 hrs prior to the sailing and get 100% FCC.

 

If you are eventually unable to sail any bookings for onboard activities and Taxes/Fees I believe are automatically refunded to the original form of payment.

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If you booked before March 31,2922 then you should be covered by Cruise With Confidence which would get you a FCC.  Celebrity has many new customer service reps and you may had reached one that didn’t understand CWC.

 

If this was a booking made from 4/1 then hope you have travel insurance or possibly a credit car that provides some trip cancellation coverage.

 

 

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Have you looked into using the urgent option for your passport, making an appointment at your passport or service Canada Office? I wouldn't recommend the walk up option, since it looks like people are in line for over 2 days in some cities.

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Do you have a Govt Representative you can contact for help with hour Passport in Canada?  In the US many House of Reps have staff than can be of great help with Passport issues....

 

I'll echo this isn't Celebrity's problem, going up the "food chain" via email can't hurt...but I wouldn't expect a miracle.  

Edited by PTC DAWG
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20 minutes ago, jelayne said:

If this was a booking made from 4/1 then hope you have travel insurance or possibly a credit car that provides some trip cancellation coverage.

Better hope that is 'cancel for any reason' insurance as failing to ensure you have a valid passport isn't usually covered...

 

Hopefully this isn't a recent booking and the CWC guaranty will be the answer...

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I hope the OP gets their passport in time. Luckily my passport does not expire until 2027 but my Nexus card expires at the end of this year so the OP's post is very much appreciated and I will get that renewal process ASAP.

 

Hey it took six months to get a new washer/dryer during covid. I just ordered a new car. It will be here in 18 months. Things are taking longer these days. We all need to plan accordingly. 

 

Edited by DirtyDawg
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Sorry to hear of your problems and can understand your frustration.   Unfortunately passports are totally outside both your and Celebrity's control.  

 

As for shifting your cruise I would check to see what rules were in effect when you booked your cruise and the date of your cruise.    I'm sure you read many good stories regarding cancellations using the Cruise with Confidence.  Unfortunately this program is being phased out and only apply to cruises booked before March 31 for sailings prior to December 31, 2022.     If you booked after March 31 unfortunately you are under the regular cancellation policy and could potentially loose your complete final payment unless you are covered by insurance that allows cancellation for  your situation.

 

 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/cruise-with-confidence

 

 

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2 hours ago, cruisestitch said:

I hope that your passport shows up quickly, but do not fret about a refund for prepaid dining or shore excursions.  That will happen if you are unable to take the cruise.

That's good to know, some comfort, Alaskan excursions are expensive 🙂 Thanks.

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2 hours ago, RichYak said:

Sounds to me like your gripe should be with Passport Services, not Celebrity.

I'm a multi-faceted man and can be annoyed at more then one thing at a time.

 

1-The government is annoyance one regarding this disaster

2-Celebrity though I can still be annoyed at for not helping a bit. 

 

I know they are a business, and have their policies.  But as someone who runs a department at a major company, I make concessions all the time for what's in the customers interest, and to promote good will.  Converting my fare to a FCC for legitimate reasons will not break them.

 

Just my thought at least.

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I really love the number of people informing me that Celebrity has nothing to do with passports.  Thank you, I was truly confused on this.  I thought celebrities controlled everything 😋

 

Thanks for everyone who have some helpful suggestions or pointed out a few options.

 

Once we get to the 10 day window, I am going to try to get it transferred locally.  And if it gets to the two day, I will do what I can for the expedited.  As I understand it, your MP can sometimes help as well if you're really stuck.  Still, will see what happens.

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54 minutes ago, DirtyDawg said:

I hope the OP gets their passport in time. Luckily my passport does not expire until 2027 but my Nexus card expires at the end of this year so the OP's post is very much appreciated and I will get that renewal process ASAP.

 

Hey it took six months to get a new washer/dryer during covid. I just ordered a new car. It will be here in 18 months. Things are taking longer these days. We all need to plan accordingly. 

 

As for NEXUS renewal... well mine expired in 2021 and I applied for renewal months before the date. Still don't have it. This renewal requires and interview and that process has been shut down. Just opening a couple of centers and there are countless people waiting!.. so I am pending and they have extended the expiry date

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It sounds like much of your problem is out of your control and you have my sympathy (and I’m going to rush and check my passport).

Everyone should also remember that many destinations require your passport to have at least 6 months of validity left when you travel, so renewal should very early in the year that it expires.

It might be helpful to add “passport issue”, or something similar to your thread title to help disseminate these valuable reminders!

 I hope you get this resolved and have a wonderful trip!

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1 hour ago, 39august said:

Can you not use a birth certificate in lieu of passport? We can in the U.S.

No, you sail out of your own country so you don't need one if you are on a closed loop. We need one to fly into the USA

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51 minutes ago, OttawaJohn said:

I'm a multi-faceted man and can be annoyed at more then one thing at a time.

 

1-The government is annoyance one regarding this disaster

2-Celebrity though I can still be annoyed at for not helping a bit. 

 

I know they are a business, and have their policies.  But as someone who runs a department at a major company, I make concessions all the time for what's in the customers interest, and to promote good will.  Converting my fare to a FCC for legitimate reasons will not break them.

 

Just my thought at least.

 

I empathize with your situation, but I think it's unreasonable to expect them to make an exception.  Otherwise, everyone who wanted to cancel would just use that as an excuse.  Documentation issues are typically ones where travel providers have traditionally shown very little leniency.

 

I suspect if you contact the executive office with proof of the passport status the week of the cruise, they might bend the rules to let you move it to another date, but then again how will they know how far out it will be safe to move you to?  I find it unreasonable for you to expect them to do that this far out.  Your passport may very well come before then or there may be other avenues for you to pursue to get it expedited that you haven't yet taken.  I don't think this would be any different with any other cruise company.  A bit odd to expect an unaffiliated party to automatically "help" you when the issue is not theirs, especially if they're having to rely solely on what you're saying during a phone call.

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3 hours ago, RichYak said:

Sounds to me like your gripe should be with Passport Services, not Celebrity.

 

100%!  How on earth do you expect a cruise ship company to up and tell other countries not to require a passport because you're their customer and you can't get one in time?  Seriously, just think about that for a minute.

 

I don't mean to be harsh, but as a Canadian this has been in the news for a couple of years now with warnings to renew your passport ASAP because once restrictions lift there's going to be a mass rush on passports and it's going to be rough.

 

EDIT: I'm kind of beating a dead horse with this comment, but anyone who travels frequently should have heard alllll about this.

 

 

Edited by WorkerBee74
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