My letter to Celebrity on Mercury March 17th/the phone response from Customer Service

[SandyMc]

Another day gone and still no response to any of our party of 8 from Celebrity. I can only hope that all of you with future cruises on Mercury have no problems at all because, if you do, Celebrity will offer you any customer service! A great cruise is great anywhere but now we know where not to be if things are not so great.

[hobbit81]

Nan, your letter was very well written. Most of us know that everything on a vacation will not go as planned but one hopes that when we spend our hard earned money on such a luxury, as a cruise, then the one we choose to spend our money with will acknowledge that it isn't everyday that we can do this. We know that they can't stop all bad things from happening but there was a real problem and they should acknowledge the problem. (communication and better customer satisfaction).

[SandyMc]

Have you read the latest posts on the the apology letter from Celebrity for the March 27 cruisers? It seems to get worse - they tell people on our cruise there is "compensation" only for those quarantined. Now we find that people sick on the March 6 cruise were given a small "Voucher"......great compenstation, huh? Of course it expires before most people can garner the funds and time for another cruise - what a deal!

[NanD]

Thank you for pointing out the new posts on the other thread. I hadn't seen them. Somewhere along the way with all of this, I've come to the understanding that compensation for being quarantined might even be the standard and personally think that would be fair. If something is handled in the same fashion across the board, I don't have a problem. This would be consistent with my argument that Celebrity set a "standard" by compensating 3/27 for a particular set of circumstances, making it inequitable not to compensate 3/17 for the same circumstances, as well. I believe most people agree with that premise; an exception, of course, is the folks at Celebrity. We'll keep trying.

Nan

[SF49erfan]

I feel so sorry for what you went through. A cruise is supposed to be a joyful, relaxing experience.

We were on Celebrity's Galaxy in February, and while we did not experience an illness (that we were aware of!:confused: ) there were some rough seas and delays getting into Cozumel. As a result, the tenders had difficulty getting the pax ashore and shore excursions were delayed. There were no announcements about any of this.No one told us anything, even when we got to shore. We had booked a later excursion were able to get ashore close to the time. That's when the fun began!:eek: The people who were scheduled for the excursion before ours also got to the pier at the same time. They took a number of people and the rest were simply told that they had to wait 40 minutes. No other explaination. Of course, IF we had thought about the situation, we might have been able to figure out what was happening. (But who thinks about other peoples' schedules??)

Anyway, when we got back on board, we went to the tour desk to discuss the situation and were told that it didn't happen!!!:confused: That was the attitude we found with many of the staff around the ship - "We're right and you're wrong, so don't bother us." It is because of that attitude that we decided this would be our first and last Celebrity cruise. We have sailed with Princess and HAL before, and these two lines would keep us busy cruising for a long time.

I do hope that your situation gets resolved. Good luck!

[NanD]

Sounds as if you had a bit of a glitch in being "treated famously", too. Someone here commented that Celebrity is great when things are going well, but faulter when problems arise. Stories such as your experience with customer relations seems to back up the theory. Also, I appreciate your support in hoping we can get this resolved. Earlier this week I sent a group letter out to Celebrity signed by 38 passengers. We're waiting for a reply and, obviously, hope our request for fair and equal treatment will produce a favorable response. We'll keep you all informed.

Nan

[dadmag]

X Ma Bell since you were not on this cruise I feel your replies are irrevalent. This was my intial cruise and I feel that management's complete failure to be outright about the problem would never had been acceptable in my company. Many of the messages that were made such as do not touch handrails and so forth were not broadcast throughout ship to cabins. The reimbursement to the March 27 group and not to the March 17 group is totally unacceptable and replies after the fact are all nothing but gooble the gook remarks. I sincerely hope you enjoy your many future cruises with X but In view of the handling of this situation never again with X for me.

[SandyMc]

Now - how scary is that - to be on a cruise where they tell you not to use the handrails? My husband has very bad knees but still tries to use the stairs whenever possible - here we were on a cruise where the handrails were always wet with bleach and very slippery - that could well have caused more problems then it prevented - I cringed each time he decided to take the stairs!

[Ma Bell]

X Ma Bell since you were not on this cruise I feel your replies are irrevalent. This was my intial cruise and I feel that management's complete failure to be outright about the problem would never had been acceptable in my company. Many of the messages that were made such as do not touch handrails and so forth were not broadcast throughout ship to cabins. The reimbursement to the March 27 group and not to the March 17 group is totally unacceptable and replies after the fact are all nothing but gooble the gook remarks. I sincerely hope you enjoy your many future cruises with X but In view of the handling of this situation never again with X for me.

 

I don't know how many times I can say I wasn't there so really don't know exactly what your experience was and if you feel you should have compensation then I hope you do. I was just asking a question and relating our experience. Sorry you feel my remarks are irrelevant. You make your decisions from your own experience. I had several bad experiences with Princess and after sailing with them 15 times have never been back. I did give them more than one chance and believe me my experience would make your cruise look like something wonderful.

 

The one thing I didn't do is get everyone else involved in my situation. I don't find it necessary to complain to anyone but the cruiseline.

[crucero-amante]

I Had A Message On My Machine Today (from Alex, Who Later Told Me That Was Not His Real Name Only The Name He Was Assigned For Making These Calls). To Documnets Comments And Put In Our Files Our Comments Re 3/27 Sailing After All This I Requested A Copy Of This That Was To Be Put In My File And Was Told It Was Not Possible.-ha I Asked Him To Please Double Check And Call Me Back To Advise The Answer.

Anyway

The Group Of Peolpe Who Are Taking The Information Can Be Reached At 1-800-280-3424 X33157 But You Are Never Able To Enter An Extension So Go Figure??

Any Claims For Clothes Or Personal Item or personal injury is

Risk Management

1-800-256-6649

#1

#4

#2

The Person In Charge Of This Group At Celebrity (I Was Told) Has No Phone Only Was To Contact Her Is By Fax Or Email No Email Address Given.

Ms. Jayme Porkalab

Fax# 1-800-886-6485

Dont Expect A Sympathetic Ear Or A Professional Customer Service Oriented Person To Handle Any Of This

Or

If You Do Get One. Please Advise Me Of Thier Number And Or Fax So I Can Contact Them.

A Very Unhappy Client

Marcia

Ps

Excuse The Spelling I Am Still So Upset Due To The Impact This Situation And Injury Has Impacted The Quality Of My Life.

 

Whats Up With The Capital Letter At The Beginning Of Every Word?

[FortyNinerLiz]

Hi, Marcia!

 

I certainly understand your frustration with all the stonewalling being done by Celebrity. I do wonder tho - have any of the passengers from the 3/27 cruise ever actually received the compensation the cruise line promised? I've not seen any posts noting that their credit card was credited or even that they have received anything official indicating a credit on a future cruise. Just curious about their followup.

 

As for us 3/17 passengers - trust me - we have found every deaf ear you have found and then some. It still just amazes me! Hang in there and do what you have to do.

We were on the 3/27 cruise and have received no information other that the "letter".

[SandyMc]

Wish I could say I'm surprised that the 3/27 cruisers have not yet received their promised compensation. Maybe if we had cruised Celebrity before 3/17 and already had a good feeling about the company things would be different but, since 3/17 was our first experience with them - I have to admit that, in my opinion, they have yet to do anything right! It seems to me they have just snubbed their nose at all of us who have voiced a complaint and apparently could not care less. If I taught a course on customer service, Celebrity would be my model of what not to do!

[NanD]

It is frustrating, isn't it, Sandy! As more information comes out it just gets worse. I just posted the following on the norovirus "sticky" thread at the head of the page. The subject is that some 3/17 cruisers have been compensated. Celebrity is going so many directions on this it must be hard to keep themselves straight.

Nan

 

 

I'd like to share info about the latest shoe to drop on the inequity displayed by Celebrity to the March 17th cruisers affected by the "enhanced cleaning" voyage. Up to this point, the discussion has been about why 3/27 cruisers would be awarded compensation, while nothing was done for 3/17. Now we have another twist. We have all understood folks quarantined would be an exception and receive compensation. Prorating a refund to folks asked to remain in their cabin while ill is fair and I doubt anyone disagrees with the policy. I've learned there have been other exceptions, however. Because I took on getting our cruisers together for a group letter and put my address out as a result, I have been contacted by numbers of folks. Two people on the March 17th cruise told me that they had received compensation; they had not been quarantined or suffered damages. I received their permission to share this with you now. Maybe their letters were better; maybe they pressed more. I don't have an explanation why some are being singled out favorably, only the fact. The method of compensation was even different between the two. One received vouchers, the other awarded 25% off a future cruise. You have to assume these two cases are just the tip of the iceberg. Celebrity is not treating us equally after having experienced the same circumstances. Even on the same sailing and in the same situation some passengers get nothing and others receive compensation, and even those who got awards didn't get the same value. I don't think there's any way Celebrity can argue their case on this....it's just wrong. In my conversation with Jayme Porkolat in customer service I was told there wasn't a plan to compensate March 17th cruisers. Well, maybe it wasn't a "plan", but passengers are, indeed, being compensated....just not all passengers. Guess I didn't realize I was expected to parse words. I admit to being disappointed by Ms Porkolats apparent lack of candor. My opinion continues to be that we should receive the same compensation as 3/27 cruisers. At the least, Celebrity needs to be consistent in their awards to all 3/17 passengers. We'll continue to look to Celebrity to deal with this matter in a fair and equitable fashion.

Nan

[SandyMc]

Too amazing, Nan - but, again, I'm not surprised. Why does it seem that every thing Celebrity does in the form of "Customer Service" resembles nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction? They apparently have no plan and no consensus among the bigwigs to formulate one. It seems to me it would be so much easier for them to simply award the same compensation across the board and be done with it!

[NanD]

Does Celebrity really think they can knowingly treat their customers in different fashions and everyone will sit back and think that's fine? It seems this is what they were counting on, but as more and more information comes out they can't hide from the facts. They could argue we were comparing apples and oranges between 3/17 and 3/27....even if we read the accounts and could see the similarities. There's no way they can argue the justice in compensating some cruisers on the same sailing but not all. There's no way to spin those facts in their favor.

Nan

[SandyMc]

It seems Dave got the wishy-washy response of the year to his letters too. Still, they did wish him a wonderful cruise on September 8th! Pretty darn generous wouldn't you say??

[NanD]

SandyMc...Don't you envision someone snickering while penning these responses? They are laughable. By nature I'm not a cynical person. Celebrity may be my undoing! I should add, I would own up to being stubborn. My intention is to stay steadfast with this issue.

Nan

[SandyMc]

Nan - I'm with you all the way! This is just about the most bizarre example of customer service I have ever seen. Unlike Dave, we are not confirmed Celebrity cruisers but perhaps that only makes our disappointment in the whole "experience" so much keener. This was our first trip with them (though certainly not our first cruise) and I have just never been treated so shabbily!

 

I hope Dave's most recent letter will make someone stand up and say "enough - let's do what's fair!" (I've always been an optomist, you see!)

[NanD]

Speaking of confirmed Celebrity cruisers, Sandy....I know I've mentioned along the way that quite a few folks not part of our cruise have contacted me. This week I heard from a nice lady and self-described X cheerleader who has spent almost ten weeks aboard Celebrity ships. Her most recent experience was a nightmare and she repeatedly turned to customer service aboard the ship for assistance; they were nonresponsive. She is so upset and disillusioned that her beloved Celebrity would treat her this way; her loyalty was betrayed. She shared always being in a state of planning for her next Celebrity cruise, but not now. She's unsure if there will be a next one. There are increasing reports of poor customer service. Celebrity needs to sit up and take notice. They've built their reputation portraying an imagine of being a cut above. We all know X can't control everything that occurs. How they react when issues arise, tho, is totally up to Celebrity. When things go south word spreads quickly.

Nan

[SandyMc]

Nan - you mentioned in another thread about RCCL stockholders. You know, I bet you most of the people that cruise Celebrity are stockholders - whether they know it or not. It is certainly a stock held in many mutual funds, 401Ks, etc. Makes it harder for invididuals to opt out but, they could certainly start letting their fund managers know there displeasure. Imagine the losses to RCCL if these giant funds and retirement programs decided to divest themselves of this stock!

 

I do think the repercussions Celebrity will experience from this fiasco with be widespread and long lasting. And could have been so easily avoided!

[Black Obsidian]

Nan-- I'd like to congratulate you on the incredible calm and rationality you've displayed, both throughout and after your cruise. Few people in your situation would handle things as well as you have, and hopefully Celebrity will step up and accept responsibility for making things right across the board. I have the feeling that if they do so, you'll have been a major factor in having it happen.

 

I'm one of the people Celebrity should be worried about most; I've never cruised before, and I'm looking to start doing so, and to stick with one "brand" once I've started. Unlike folks who've cruised several times with Celebrity, I have no history of happy memories with the X to fall back upon. I take one look at the numerous and wide-spread reports of horrible customer service (this being the most egregious, but far from only, example of it), and cross Celebrity off my list. Sure, maybe it's not all of the ships all of the time, but since my first cruise will be my honeymoon, and rather expensive, it's a chance I simply won't take. It's a pity, because Celebrity has a lot of great destinations and beautiful ships. They appear to offer a good value and a lot of nice services, but if it's this hard to get them to own up to their mistakes, well... the search will continue elsewhere, I guess.

[NanD]

Black Obsidian~ Thanks for the kudos; I appreciate the positive feedback. It's particularly gratifying how many folks without a personal stake in this situation have followed the threads on the issue and given their support. You are right on target in opining X should be worried about you. I'm sure you came to this site with an open mind about the possibililty of sailing Celebrity. It appears you are less inclined after reading about this experience and how we and some others have been treated recently; it wasn't "famously", as the slogan goes. It was never my intention to damage Celebrity; I only wanted to try to lay out our case in a concise manner in the hope X would change their hardened view on how cruisers aboard our sailing would be handled. If losing potential business is a consequence, I argue they chose this path. Let's just say, they know how to reach me. In the meantime, the group will forge on. To a happier subject, I think a honeymoon cruise will be wonderful. My husband and I were late to cruising but, after the first, have been on one yearly. They can be wonderful. Now we are in a position to go even more often, and it's something I look forward to. In Celebrity's defense, I should point out that the line has had a strong reputation. After quite a bit of research, this is why we chose to cruise them. Maybe they are going thru a "rough patch" brought on by circumstances beyond their control, but handled in such a poor manner it has caused question if they've lost their way. We're willing to consider sailing them again. At this point, tho, there's a principle issue that Celebrity should make this easier by virture of compensation. Funny thing is, I would think X would want an opportunity to undo the impressions left by that particular Mercury cruise and be forthcoming. The fact they apparently don't speaks volumes. Happy, happy honeymoon....and best wishes for much happiness!

Nan

PS...Have you narrowed down your cruise destination? What's the timing? Inquiring romantics want to know!

[KenM]

It is time for this post to disappear and NanD to get on with life..

 

Good things happen, bad things happen- cope with it and move on..

 

There are no free lunches in life........

[NanD]

I can appreciate that you're tired of this subject. The fact that bad things happened isn't the issue...it's the manner it was handled at the time, and then exacerbated further by inconsistent decisions on compensation by corporate. No one is looking for "a free lunch", but if X thought the guy in the stateroom next door deserved a rebate and/or credit for his diminished cruise when it was what all of us experienced, then I don't think it's a stretch that the rest feel they deserve the same consideration and are working to that end. That's my opinion; now we have your's, too, and I respect that.

Nan

[SandyMc]

Funny you should even have read all the messages on this post. Obviously, you have not experienced the complete disruption of a cruise as the 3/17 passengers did. I'm glad of that because it should never happen to anyone!

 

That aside, if you have indeed read all the posts about the "bleach ship", then you should know that Nan is probably the most level-headed of all of us and has always indicated that she wants nothing more than what Celebrity freely offered others in the same position.

 

To simply tell her to "get on with life" is very arrogant and merely shows that you just don't get it!