disapointed with Celebry Beyond

[ahcanadiancruisers]

Hi All,I have just spend 45 minutes  on the phone with Celebrity ...We are meeting up with family from Scotland and wanted to buy a surprise shore excursion for our family...Not allowed...because it was booked in the UK with a different currency...I could book it under their reservation (so no surprise for them) and so they would know about it...so that defeats the surprise!

While having this conversation I asked the question: so dinner reservations, and was told these would have to be booked separately, because of the different currency,  "but once on board you can go to the reservation desk and see if they can maybe put your reservations together"... So maybe not for definite? and she said  no,  not definite!!!... so we can't book restaurant in advance...as we not be at the same table....I can't believe in this day and age with a company this size they cannot link us together because they were booked under a different currency...

Anyone else have a way around this...

Tried to find someone responsible I could email this to, and can't find any contact...I have email the normal help line to ask questions and no one ever got back to me..

[emmas gran]

Yes we have the same problem with both US and Australian friends, you cannot link the bookings

[Tyler414]

Sounds like your issue is with Celebrity itself and not the actual ship Beyond. 

[C4HCG]

15 minutes ago, ahcanadiancruisers said:

Hi All,I have just spend 45 minutes  on the phone with Celebrity ...We are meeting up with family from Scotland and wanted to buy a surprise shore excursion for our family...Not allowed...because it was booked in the UK with a different currency...I could book it under their reservation (so no surprise for them) and so they would know about it...so that defeats the surprise!

While having this conversation I asked the question: so dinner reservations, and was told these would have to be booked separately, because of the different currency,  "but once on board you can go to the reservation desk and see if they can maybe put your reservations together"... So maybe not for definite? and she said  no,  not definite!!!... so we can't book restaurant in advance...as we not be at the same table....I can't believe in this day and age with a company this size they cannot link us together because they were booked under a different currency...

Anyone else have a way around this...

Tried to find someone responsible I could email this to, and can't find any contact...I have email the normal help line to ask questions and no one ever got back to me..

Why not book an independent rather than Celebrity excursion, most people here seem to prefer them.

 

And in general, if they are unable to link them due to currencies, looks like you’re just going to have to believe it even in this day and age!

[Silkroad]

Regarding dining, this is not solely a currency issue, and it’s certainly not a Beyond issue. On two Celebrity cruises, we have been unable to arrange specialty dining reservations for ourselves and two other couples before boarding. We were all booking with USD, but we couldn’t link reservations because we’d used different travel agents. We had to each book a three night dining package in advance. Armed with everyone’s reservation numbers, the first couple to board (the couple in a suite) was tasked with going straight to the restaurant reservations table to arrange tables for the six of us. Unwieldy? Yes. Annoying? Yes. Did it ruin our reunion with our friends? No. 

Edited May 26, 2023 by Silkroad

[ahcanadiancruisers]

3 minutes ago, Silkroad said:

Regarding dining, this is not solely a currency issue, and it’s certainly not a Beyond issue. On two Celebrity cruises, we have been unable to arrange specialty dining reservations for ourselves and two other couples before boarding. We were all booking with USD. We had to each book a three night dining package in advance. Armed with everyone’s reservation numbers, the first couple to board (the couple in a suite) was tasked with going straight to the restaurant reservations table to arrange tables for the six of us. Unwieldy? Yes. Annoying? Yes. Did it ruin our reunion with our friends? No. 

thank you for the info...the person on the other end of the phone just told me it was a currency issue...obviously not...

[ahcanadiancruisers]

30 minutes ago, Tyler414 said:

Sounds like your issue is with Celebrity itself and not the actual ship Beyond. 

yes...I'm getting that feeling also...

[ahcanadiancruisers]

20 minutes ago, C4HCG said:

Why not book an independent rather than Celebrity excursion, most people here seem to prefer them.

 

And in general, if they are unable to link them due to currencies, looks like you’re just going to have to believe it even in this day and age!

yes we have done that with all our others except this one because of time constraints thought we'd be better with Celebrity!!!

[NutsAboutGolf]

I hear you, my WAG (Wild A$$ Guess) is its an X software limitation, different countries can't be linked together

[Silkroad]

9 minutes ago, ahcanadiancruisers said:

thank you for the info...the person on the other end of the phone just told me it was a currency issue...obviously not...

Oh I understand, believe me. We received different answers each time one of us called. When you board, look for a specialty dining desk if you’re arranging specialty dining reservations. If you’re seeking main dining room reservations, go to the first Maître d’ you find. They can help set up reservations at all four MDRs. You’ll need everyone’s cruise booking numbers.

 

Regarding your problem purchasing a surprise shorex for your family, this may actually be a currency or country of residence issue. I was unable to surprise my brother with a similar gift when he was living in the UK. 
 

Good luck! I hope you have a wonderful cruise. We sailed on Beyond last month, and had a lovely time.

[paulh84]

30 minutes ago, Silkroad said:

Regarding dining, this is not solely a currency issue, and it’s certainly not a Beyond issue. On two Celebrity cruises, we have been unable to arrange specialty dining reservations for ourselves and two other couples before boarding. We were all booking with USD, but we couldn’t link reservations because we’d used different travel agents. We had to each book a three night dining package in advance. Armed with everyone’s reservation numbers, the first couple to board (the couple in a suite) was tasked with going straight to the restaurant reservations table to arrange tables for the six of us. Unwieldy? Yes. Annoying? Yes. Did it ruin our reunion with our friends? No. 

That didn’t have anything to do with differing travel agents. You’ve never been able to book all of your reservations in advance if you have a dining package. Pretty easy to do once you board.

[Silkroad]

28 minutes ago, paulh84 said:

That didn’t have anything to do with differing travel agents. You’ve never been able to book all of your reservations in advance if you have a dining package. Pretty easy to do once you board.

Right. But our first intention had been to book restaurants individually if we could book them together. That was impossible, hence the package.

[ahcanadiancruisers]

50 minutes ago, Silkroad said:

Oh I understand, believe me. We received different answers each time one of us called. When you board, look for a specialty dining desk if you’re arranging specialty dining reservations. If you’re seeking main dining room reservations, go to the first Maître d’ you find. They can help set up reservations at all four MDRs. You’ll need everyone’s cruise booking numbers.

 

Regarding your problem purchasing a surprise shorex for your family, this may actually be a currency or country of residence issue. I was unable to surprise my brother with a similar gift when he was living in the UK. 
 

Good luck! I hope you have a wonderful cruise. We sailed on Beyond last month, and had a lovely time.

thank you  i'm sure we will...it was just so unexpected...i would have thought in this day and time it wouldn't have been a problem...oh well will think of something else...

[Covepointcruiser]

The title of this thread should be revised.   The complaint has nothing to do the the Celebrity ship Beyond.

[Essiesmom]

The problem is not unique to Celebrity.  A number of years ago we were on Queen Elizabeth and meeting friends from the UK.  We could not link our reservations for dining because the US and UK systems did not talk to each other.  EM

[TXGREG]

We were just on the Celebrity Equinox. My SIL booked at the very last minute and wanted to dine with us each night. It took 2 days and an impassioned discussion with a maitre d. However it was finally accomplished. It was difficult to understand since my DW and I and my SIL are all from the US and paid in USD. 

[CruiseCrew123]

We booked in US and our friends in UK . We linked our bookings ourselves and then made reservations for the 4 of us. Only problem is that it has to be paid by one cabin 

Edited May 27, 2023 by CruiseCrew123

[keesar]

13 hours ago, ahcanadiancruisers said:

Hi All,I have just spend 45 minutes  on the phone with Celebrity ...We are meeting up with family from Scotland and wanted to buy a surprise shore excursion for our family...Not allowed...because it was booked in the UK with a different currency...I could book it under their reservation (so no surprise for them) and so they would know about it...so that defeats the surprise!

While having this conversation I asked the question: so dinner reservations, and was told these would have to be booked separately, because of the different currency,  "but once on board you can go to the reservation desk and see if they can maybe put your reservations together"... So maybe not for definite? and she said  no,  not definite!!!... so we can't book restaurant in advance...as we not be at the same table....I can't believe in this day and age with a company this size they cannot link us together because they were booked under a different currency...

Anyone else have a way around this...

Tried to find someone responsible I could email this to, and can't find any contact...I have email the normal help line to ask questions and no one ever got back to me..

 

Your title used in this topic is very misleading.  Please show care in the future, especially if you are very so critical.

[Sox Fan Cruiser]

You are clearly upset about a minor detail of your vacation. I’m hoping I’m not on the same ship as you or don’t cross your path in general. 

[Sigyn]

 Can you each book dining reservations in advance at the same time, so the space is booked for that time slot, making it easier once you board to talk to the restaurant and ask to have everyone seated together? 

 

I agree about booking with an outside company for the excursion. I understand wanting to do it with Celebrity, but unless you want to tell about your surprise in advance, and forward them the money to pay for their portion, the outside company is the only way. Bummer!

[TeeRick]

14 hours ago, ahcanadiancruisers said:

thank you  i'm sure we will...it was just so unexpected...i would have thought in this day and time it wouldn't have been a problem...oh well will think of something else...

Actually this day and age - it might be more difficult to get things done as everything is mostly automated.  A good old fashioned face to face with a real person who can solve problems and issues is not common anymore.  But once on board you can do that.  This will highly likely be resolved to your satisfaction once on board.

[ahcanadiancruisers]

1 hour ago, TeeRick said:

Actually this day and age - it might be more difficult to get things done as everything is mostly automated.  A good old fashioned face to face with a real person who can solve problems and issues is not common anymore.  But once on board you can do that.  This will highly likely be resolved to your satisfaction once on board.

yes I know it will, but the shore excursion was mean as a surprise...but had do do it on their  site because of the different currency...got a phone call this morning as they saw it, and said "we didn't book that"  but they called us before they contacted their TA...lol...

[Lastdance]

6 hours ago, Sox Fan Cruiser said:

You are clearly upset about a minor detail of your vacation. I’m hoping I’m not on the same ship as you or don’t cross your path in general. 

???  Really? 

[Ferry_Watcher]

1 hour ago, ahcanadiancruisers said:

got a phone call this morning as they saw it, and said "we didn't book that"  but they called us before they contacted their TA...lol...

 

Thank goodness they asked you about it before trying to turn it back!  LOL

[Ferry_Watcher]

18 hours ago, Silkroad said:

Armed with everyone’s reservation numbers, the first couple to board (the couple in a suite) was tasked with going straight to the restaurant reservations table to arrange tables for the six of us. Unwieldy? Yes. Annoying? Yes.

 

LOL, I was waiting behind a couple doing this exact thing.  It took forever to book the 3 dinners for 6 friends - mostly trying to find an acceptable dining time.