Japan 2024 canceled…

[hubofhockey]

20 minutes ago, raananh said:

The Sept/Oct 2025 cruises for Japan are not even planned by Celebrity.

We had an October 2023 "oversold" cruise, and we would probably go for an October 2025.

All we were offered was October 2024, and we have other obligations for that month. So we had to cancel.   

 

I am on 5/15/24 and I know there are open cabins (not regular verandah, but others).  

 

You are pretty patient waiting for a cruise that 2.5 years out.  So much can change between now and then.  I don't get those defending actions which are indefensible.  I suppose what bothers me most here is the low margin bookings SEEM to be the ones being canceled, so it just appears to be a little corporate greed here, almost to the point where the cruise line is making the most of its mistakes.

 

I love the actual Celebrity product, specifically the M class ships, which Celebrity constantly updates and upgrades.  After my Japan cruise next May, I will probably not book Celebrity anymore because of their new policy on grabbing 100% of deposits on nonrefundable deposits. Maybe I would consider booking a cruise, but only a nonrefundable very close to final payment on a good deal.  The refundable prices get to a range where more premium lines cost about the same.  I'll look for Azamara and Oceania or even other options.  

[ReubenR]

This whole debacle created by Celebrity should remind all of us to make sure we buy travel insurance at the time we pay rather than waiting until just before the cruise/flight/vacation. It's also important to do that to avoid exclusion clauses like pre-existing condition.

 

I don't think I'd recommend the cruise line's insurance, though. Some of them are very restrictive in what they cover and sometimes have a cap on total reimbursement. At the same time, you could be more likely to get a favorable result using the cruise line's own insurance if you have to file a claim.

 

My mindset when I buy travel insurance is that I hope it's a complete waste of money and just think of it as an unavoidable tax. If I pay it and never use it, it means the vacation went perfectly!

 

The only question I'd have in this situation is whether Celebrity's actions would be considered a cancellation. Yes, you've been kicked off the cruise, but it seems like Celebrity is trying to navigate some grey area of "we'll move your cruise to another sailing, but if you don't want that then YOU will have to cancel." And if YOU cancel, does your travel insurance pay? A rather slimy situation and dubious quandary, if you ask me.

[anniegb]

24 minutes ago, hubofhockey said:

 

I am on 5/15/24 and I know there are open cabins (not regular verandah, but others).  

 

You are pretty patient waiting for a cruise that 2.5 years out.  So much can change between now and then.  I don't get those defending actions which are indefensible.  I suppose what bothers me most here is the low margin bookings SEEM to be the ones being canceled, so it just appears to be a little corporate greed here, almost to the point where the cruise line is making the most of its mistakes.

 

I love the actual Celebrity product, specifically the M class ships, which Celebrity constantly updates and upgrades.  After my Japan cruise next May, I will probably not book Celebrity anymore because of their new policy on grabbing 100% of deposits on nonrefundable deposits. Maybe I would consider booking a cruise, but only a nonrefundable very close to final payment on a good deal.  The refundable prices get to a range where more premium lines cost about the same.  I'll look for Azamara and Oceania or even other options.  

On my Oct 24 roll call, some 'low margin bookings' were confirmed only in April just before the 'culling' - they had previously been waitlisted.  Go figure as they say.  Which cabin grade I don't know.

Occasionally I have had the thought, that X selected cabin numbers by lottery,

I have no evidence that I have been culled but thinking of cancelling and offering my cabin to a multi-generational family impacted but that would cost me my non-refundable deposit (SOP in UK).

[XLVIII]

36 minutes ago, ReubenR said:

This whole debacle created by Celebrity should remind all of us to make sure we buy travel insurance at the time we pay rather than waiting until just before the cruise/flight/vacation. It's also important to do that to avoid exclusion clauses like pre-existing condition.

 

I don't think I'd recommend the cruise line's insurance, though. Some of them are very restrictive in what they cover and sometimes have a cap on total reimbursement. At the same time, you could be more likely to get a favorable result using the cruise line's own insurance if you have to file a claim.

 

My mindset when I buy travel insurance is that I hope it's a complete waste of money and just think of it as an unavoidable tax. If I pay it and never use it, it means the vacation went perfectly!

 

The only question I'd have in this situation is whether Celebrity's actions would be considered a cancellation. Yes, you've been kicked off the cruise, but it seems like Celebrity is trying to navigate some grey area of "we'll move your cruise to another sailing, but if you don't want that then YOU will have to cancel." And if YOU cancel, does your travel insurance pay? A rather slimy situation and dubious quandary, if you ask me.

I agree that you should always protect yourself with travel insurance. I don’t think I’ve ever seen medical insurance that doesn’t have a ‘pre-existing condition’ clause though. 

[C4HCG]

14 hours ago, raananh said:

I do not believe you!!!

No one will be happy to get just their cruise money back for their vacation being cancelled and not a penny more.

Even Celebrity does not think like you.

Don't be ridiculous with your obsessive defense of Celebrity... 

 

Thanks for being such a polite poster, good manners are great and cost nothing. We should be able to have differing opinions without questioning integrity and being called ridiculous. 

Edited May 1, 2023 by C4HCG

[susan450]

My cruise on 16th March 2024 has officially been cancelled. It is what it is. I will find other exciting and interesting things to do

[Mark_T]

45 minutes ago, XLVIII said:

I agree that you should always protect yourself with travel insurance. I don’t think I’ve ever seen medical insurance that doesn’t have a ‘pre-existing condition’ clause though. 

I suspect the comment referred to the period between taking the insurance and sailing when there is a significant time period involved, so take the insurance early rather than leaving the it until later and risk something emerging...

[pmarrsouth]

7 minutes ago, susan450 said:

My cruise on 16th March 2024 has officially been cancelled. It is what it is. I will find other exciting and interesting things to do

😞

 

Can you give more details? When were you contacted about it? How did you book?

[susan450]

I booked through a TA in the UK. I received an email from them today saying it was cancelled due to an ERROR. They offered alternatives which I have declined. I will look for other adventures in my own time.

[anniegb]

16 minutes ago, susan450 said:

My cruise on 16th March 2024 has officially been cancelled. It is what it is. I will find other exciting and interesting things to do

Sorry to hear that.

 

Maybe of interest, but MSC have just announced they will be sailing year round out of Japan. Between Jan and Mar, the Bellissima will homeport in Naha.

 

 

Edited May 1, 2023 by anniegb

[zorb22]

56 minutes ago, XLVIII said:

I agree that you should always protect yourself with travel insurance. I don’t think I’ve ever seen medical insurance that doesn’t have a ‘pre-existing condition’ clause though. 

If you buy the travel insurance within 7 days of the initial deposit the pre-existing condition clause is generally waived. It always has been for me, and it specifically says so on the insurance I just purchased recently.

[Honolulu Blue]

15 minutes ago, susan450 said:

My cruise on 16th March 2024 has officially been cancelled. It is what it is. I will find other exciting and interesting things to do

For my own curiosity and clarification - did they tell you that they canceled THE WHOLE CRUISE, or did they just eliminate the booking FOR YOUR PARTY?

 

Best of wishes for your and your future plans. 🙏

[anniegb]

1 minute ago, zorb22 said:

If you buy the travel insurance within 7 days of the initial deposit the pre-existing condition clause is generally waived. It always has been for me, and it specifically says so on the insurance I just purchased recently.

Possibly for USA cruisers but I doubt that very much in the RoW.

[jeno]

Our travel companions received an email from the TA late Saturday night, 4/29.  Their cancellation is for 9/30/23.  We are three couples linked by the travel agent on Celebrity records.  We are all doing the 9/15/23 and 9/30/23 b2b. One couple received cancellation of one of the two legs. The other two couples are apparently still okay.  The email said that they had to have their choice to move to one of 3 2024 cruises or cancel, by today.  The other two couple are currently cruising around Africa and it’s hard for them to make contact. The TA also said she is going out of town as of yesterday. 
I find it hard to believe that she just found out about the cancellation on 4/29.  She’s another issue, but now we need to try to figure out if there is any hope of getting them back on this cruise. 

[susan450]

3 minutes ago, Honolulu Blue said:

For my own curiosity and clarification - did they tell you that they canceled THE WHOLE CRUISE, or did they just eliminate the booking FOR YOUR PARTY?

 

Best of wishes for your and your future plans. 🙏

Due to an inventory error your booking has been cancelled.

I think it's just my booking.

 

 

[zorb22]

10 minutes ago, anniegb said:

Possibly for USA cruisers but I doubt that very much in the RoW.

Ah yes, could be. I stand corrected, thanks.

[cruisestitch]

14 hours ago, patty1955 said:

Is there any chance we can get back on topic? 

We're on the March 4, Northeast Asia cruise that's included in the group. We booked on Celebrity then transferred it to our big box TA. Both the Celebrity website and the TA's show us as still booked. Those of you who have received an email from your TA, did everything look okay until it wasn't? 

That pretty much sums it up. Everything looked OK until it wasn’t

Edited May 1, 2023 by cruisestitch

[Honolulu Blue]

52 minutes ago, susan450 said:

Due to an inventory error your booking has been cancelled.

I think it's just my booking.

Looks like it.  Thanks. 

 

Back to lurk mode...

[Wiltonian]

2 hours ago, susan450 said:

My cruise on 16th March 2024 has officially been cancelled. It is what it is. I will find other exciting and interesting things to do

I’ve asked my U.K. TA to check the status of my booking with Celebrity. If we’re cancelled, may look at Cunard - and Princess and HAL.

[Belgian fry]

If we’re cancelled, we’re also cancelling our Galapagos booking and will never sail Celebrity again. We may actually cancel our Galapagos cruise regardless. I’ve lost all faith in Celebrity 

[MandL]

18 hours ago, MandL said:

 

Do you have any idea where they got this list?  Or did someone simply type up this list on an assumption?

 

We are sailing 3/28/2024 (original booking from way back November 2019, lifted and shifted over and over again).  We always book now with Celebrity directly, and stay with them so I don't have to go through a third party to make adjustments.  One mishap a few years back was enough for me.  I just sent off an email to our contact at Celebrity to see what she knows. Should be interesting to get her take.   

All,

I reached out to my contact at Celebrity last night by email to find out what she knew.  I also wanted to clarify what the OP was told.  I just received her answer.  I’ve put it in quotes, but omitted my name and hers.

 

“Good afternoon Ms. xxxxx, the entire season of Asia is not cancelled, there are only select sailings and select cabins that were oversold if you have not been contacted then your sailing and reservation is not affected. I would be the one or the team handling that would have called, today is the final day for choosing what to do with those bookings, yours is not affected.”

 

Hope this helps and explains to some of you. I suggest if you are using a TA you make sure they aren’t sitting on a notification.  

[anniegb]

17 minutes ago, Belgian fry said:

If we’re cancelled, we’re also cancelling our Galapagos booking and will never sail Celebrity again. We may actually cancel our Galapagos cruise regardless. I’ve lost all faith in Celebrity 

Did you ever receive a reply from the Celebrity rep in Belgium ? I appreciate it is a Bank Holiday in most of Europe today and all offices may not be open.

[mahdnc]

23 minutes ago, Belgian fry said:

If we’re cancelled, we’re also cancelling our Galapagos booking and will never sail Celebrity again. We may actually cancel our Galapagos cruise regardless. I’ve lost all faith in Celebrity 

 

I don't blame you one bit.

[Belgian fry]

13 minutes ago, anniegb said:

Did you ever receive a reply from the Celebrity rep in Belgium ? I appreciate it is a Bank Holiday in most of Europe today and all offices may not be open.

Not yet, other than a message to say they had spoken to the US and were waiting for a reply. But you’re right, everything is closed here today anyway

[raananh]

5 hours ago, ReubenR said:

This whole debacle created by Celebrity should remind all of us to make sure we buy travel insurance at the time we pay rather than waiting until just before the cruise/flight/vacation.

We bought travel insurance, not through Celebrity, well before the cruise got "oversold". We always do, due to some incident in the long past with my father, where THANKFULLY(!) we had insurance.

How can travel insurance help here? For the cost of the cruise, I cannot honestly place a claim with the insurance because Celebrity offers refund (cruise credit) or S&L.

For other costs, such as flights, maybe I can place a claim with the insurance ... but Celebrity also offers some refund ($500). It will be messy, a lot of time.

I really wonder if people who bought travel insurance through Celebrity can get anything.

 

Thanks