Recommendations - urgent today

[Sunbeam56]

I just had a phone call from my travel agent that Celebrity will not be able to honour our flights on March 10th because being March break in Ontario, they cannot find flights out of Ottawa that day.

 

They offer a flight the day before and they would pay for the hotel on the 9th.

 

Inconvenience no 1: The day before is a Friday and my husband would have to take the day off WITH NO PAY (not calculated in our budget). It would cost me an additional day of holidays (I can live with that). My husband cannot cancel his holidays being a bus operator, they were booked many months ago.

 

Inconvenience no 2: The hotel that they are offering us is the Marriott Airport in Miami which is a mile and a half from the airport and about 6 miles from downtown. So almost in the middle of nowhere, unless we rent a car (again not calculated in the budget).

 

Would I be so bad to ask for a hotel downtown, or for Celebrity to pay for some meals on the 9th, or even wine on the ship. This was a holiday to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary.

 

We stretched our budget on booking a cabin in concierge class. I guess I sould not even dream of a suite (a few are still available).

 

Thank you for all your comments, I have to give my answer tomorrow.

 

J

[j!m]

i just went to air canada website

 

there are numerous flights avail ottawa/toronto/lax

 

tell x to buy one for you and husband

[Sunbeam56]

That's fine for Los Angeles (LAX), but we are going to Miami (MIA).

 

Thank you.

[j!m]

sorry about that

 

had lax on my mind

 

but they also have flights to mia still avail

[Sunbeam56]

Thank you for the effort. Every little bit counts. Now have ammunition when I talk to travel agent tomorrow.

 

You gave me an idea and I went to check Expedia.ca and there is 3 flights out of Ottawa on the morning of the 10th of March for Miami (between 6 am and 7:05 am).

 

Is it because they are expensive and they also have a budget.

 

But still should we have more than what they are offering. Our trip was booked in August to try to avoid this mess.

 

J

[Pisces11]

Most of the hotels around airports have complimentary vans to take you downtown. We just stayed at the Embassy suites airport in Miami and they picked us up at the airport and took us to the pier. I bet the Marriot has those vans just sitting in front. I feel badly for you that this happened. It seems that sometimes the cruise lines don't appreciate that people have to work and can't change their plans at the last minute. Good luck! It certainly is not unreasonable to ask for a bottle of wine at the very least for all the stress they are causing you. I personally think they should pay for all your costs on the 9th, too.

[j!m]

my impression is the cruise lines pre book tix they think they will sell sometimes they dont have enough and someone (like you this time) has a panic to deal with. if you booked in august it is rather poor of them to tell you now that they dont have air for you. i never take the cruise line air for the main reason that the only time i did they flew us 2 stops to get to lax, we have numerous direct flights from toronto and i dont like sitting in airports.

 

anyway, good luck with them. there are seats, just not on their preferred airline. be polite BUT be firm.

 

enjoy your cruise

 

jim

[stipmom]

The only legitimate complaint you might have is the Friday departure and having to take the day off. Perhaps there is a Friday evening flight they can book you on

The hotel is because you need a place to sleep. Won't you be boarding the ship the next day?Check the air/sea section of the cruisebook. I think they reserve the right to send you out the day before if you take their air.Transfers to the hotel should also be given. You'd have to get from the airport to the ship anyway.

[Sunbeam56]

Thank you STIPMOM. I guess I found part of my answer. We are at their mercy: they choose the flight, the hotel (if necessary).

 

But we are a Captain's Club Member and we are booked in a Concierge Class cabin and we reserved 7 months prior to the cruise. Having said this, now I will be at the mercy of my travel agent, if is not persistent enough.

 

Found in Celebrity Web site:

 

Mandatory day prior gateways are cities where we are unable to secure any flights on the same day or on a red eye for you to arrive at the seaport in time for your cruise. For this reason Celebrity Cruises will make arrangements for you to arrive at the seaport one-day/night prior and provide complimentary hotel accommodations. NOTE: Red-eye service may be used from a mandatory day prior gateway if it becomes available.

 

An optional day prior gateway may require you fly to the seaport the night prior to the cruise on a red-eye flight schedule. If Celebrity Cruises is unable to provide you with air transportation on the day of your cruise or on a red-eye flight, we will provide complimentary hotel accommodations at our option. If you do not want a red-eye flight you may utilize our CUSTOM AIR department for a nominal service fee and hotel arrangements at your own expense*. Contact Us.

*Did you know Captain's Club members receive complimentary CUSTOM AIR allowing you to choose the flights you want when booking your air arrangements through the cruise line?

Simply contact the CUSTOM AIR department after you have placed a deposit on your cruise reservation and our knowledgeable agents will assist you in obtaining your flight/airline preference.

• One complimentary CUSTOM AIR per person per booking. Subject to flight availability. Additional air costs may apply.

[Rev22:17]

Sunbeam56,

 

I just had a phone call from my travel agent that Celebrity will not be able to honour our flights on March 10th because being March break in Ontario, they cannot find flights out of Ottawa that day.

 

They offer a flight the day before and they would pay for the hotel on the 9th.

 

Inconvenience no 1: The day before is a Friday and my husband would have to take the day off WITH NO PAY (not calculated in our budget). It would cost me an additional day of holidays (I can live with that). My husband cannot cancel his holidays being a bus operator, they were booked many months ago.

 

Inconvenience no 2: The hotel that they are offering us is the Marriott Airport in Miami which is a mile and a half from the airport and about 6 miles from downtown. So almost in the middle of nowhere, unless we rent a car (again not calculated in the budget).

 

Would I be so bad to ask for a hotel downtown, or for Celebrity to pay for some meals on the 9th, or even wine on the ship. This was a holiday to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary.

 

We stretched our budget on booking a cabin in concierge class. I guess I sould not even dream of a suite (a few are still available).

 

Thank you for all your comments, I have to give my answer tomorrow.

 

The terms of the cruise lines' air packages say that they can send you a day early if they provide overnight accommodations at a suitable hotel, and it's tough to argue that a Marriott isn't suitable. I'm sorry that your travel agent did not disclose this to you when you booked.

 

At this point, you probably have three options.

 

>> 1. You can ask Celebrity to refund what you paid the airline tickets and book your own air instead. I'm not sure how Celebrity will respond to this (it may mean a need to reprice your cruise at today's fare, which may be more or less than what you paid). Be sure to check the available air fares before you make this request, though!

 

>> 2. You can submit a request for custom air arrangements through your travel agent. You will have to pay the difference in air fare, but Celebrity should include credit for the cost of the hotel room in the calculaton of the difference.

 

>> 3. You can take what's offered and have an extra day to soak up the warm weather in Florida. Your air package includes transfers, so Celebrity also will provide transportation between the aiport and the hotel and betwee the hotel and the pier.

 

If you choose the third option, the only additional expense that you will incur "out of picket" is a day's meals. You should be aware that most of Florida's hotels are in areas where there are a lot of hotels, restaurants, and shopping centers, so you probably will have no trouble finding very affordable restaurants within walking distance. As another poster noted, many of Florida's hotels also have free courtesy shuttles that will take their guests to nearby attractions, including restaurants and shopping centes, free of charge.

 

I have to admit that the loss of a day's pay does have a nasty sting, though!

 

Norm.

[Sunbeam56]

Thank you everyone for your input.

 

Tomorrow will tell how Celebrity will be dealing with this situation.

 

Jo

[lysolqn]

How about trying to book your own air?

[jasm8449]

Your travel agent should be fighting this fight for you. That's his/her job.

[Cruise or Lose!]

Each and every cruiser should plan ahead to be in port the day before, not the day OF. I realize that holidays are sometimes hard to come by, and certainly do not advocate that anyone take too many days off without pay.

 

However...let the following story be your guide.

 

I have been on 7 cruises. I am usually accompanied by my mother, my younger sister and my aunt. Everybody lives in different places.

 

2 of our cruises have been Christmas cruises. In 2005, my sister booked air the day of the cruise (December 21) from Ottawa to Fort Lauderdale and was nearly sent to Miami instead of Fort Lauderdale because the airline (Air Cattle Prod...er, Air CANADA) was overbooked. In 2006, she was to fly out from Ottawa to Fort Lauderdale the night before the cruise (December 22) at 8 PM, and arrive in Fort Lauderdale at midnight. Midnight is when the plane TOOK OFF. Sudden and pervasive freezing rain when there had been none all day.

 

Cruise air can be complicated enough without further complicating matters. That being said, X should be able to come up with two seats. Ottawa is not a "hub" city, March Break or not.

[chessbriar]

They can't fly you down to Fort Lauderdale and provide transport to Miami.

[Ichiban Nekko]

Sunbeam,

 

What did you finally decide on?

 

IMHO, if it's at all possible for you & DH to head out the day/night before, I think it would be worth it. I grew up and lived in Ottawa for many years. And have a memory of some very nasty winter weather altering travel plans to/from warm climates ... after months of planning and anticipation. Then "stuff" just happens with air travel today.:p I don't want to sound negative, but for me personally, sleeping in at a nice hotel and chilling out for a day sure beats dealing with anxiety over weather, flight changes, etc.:D

 

I understand you have a lot of things to consider (husband's schedule, financial implications) and just hope your TA was able to work something out with Celebrity that meets your needs.

 

Look forward to reading what you final decision is. Have a wonderful cruise!

[Sunbeam56]

Ichiban Nekko -- We decided that we were going to take Celebrity's deal -- sort of. I talked to my travel agent and asked him to ask them if we could negotiate a bit. We were going to renew our vows on the ship (35 years), I was about to make the reservation when this news came along. I do not need that ceremony to know that we love each other, but it would have been nice. Instead, the money will go towards our pay loss.

 

So, what I asked my travel agent to do is to ask Celebrity, if they could put us up in the InterContinental (downtown) instead of the Marriott Miami Airport, if he could obtain a bottle of wine for us for dinner one night and if it is possible that we could have an early flight so that we could enjoy the hotel.

 

I don't think that my travel agent will work for us, he thought it was pretty frivolous demands. I do not have to tell you that he just got his last contract with us. He didn't know if he could obtain an answer today but he would phone me back on Monday.

 

I already have a draft of a letter ready that I will fax to Reservations as soon as hear from him if the news is not great.

[Pisces11]

Sunbeam, can I ask you why you chose to book your air with Celebrity rather than finding your own transportation? Is it cheaper? I think what happened to you is terrible. This is a special occasion and you certainly don't need this grief. After having an airline lose a suitcase on the way to a cruise, we only fly non stop flights and go the day before the cruise. On our upcoming cruise, I wanted to go two days before since we have never been in San Diego, but my husband can't get the extra day off from work. You planned this trip months in advance, why were they making the reservations now? I hope this all works out for you.

[Sunbeam56]

As stupid as it sounds, I always did it this way, only to find out during the Holidays, that you could do it separately. Here in Canada, it is a package - cruise and air. It probably is a bit cheaper.

I will find out on Monday that probably we will be flying all over the States to get to Miami when a direct flight is 3 and half hours.

[Pisces11]

As stupid as it sounds, I always did it this way, only to find out during the Holidays, that you could do it separately. Here in Canada, it is a package - cruise and air. It probably is a bit cheaper.

I will find out on Monday that probably we will be flying all over the States to get to Miami when a direct flight is 3 and half hours.

 

Actually, it doesn't sound stupid at all and don't you go blaming yourself for someone else's incompetence. I knew there had to be a good reason which is why I asked you. If you have to switch airplanes, please make sure that you have a carryon with a change of clothes. Once you get there, you will have a fantastic, romantic cruise. Let us know what happens with your TA.

[SusieV]

You must have a really crappy agent to think that you had to book cruise and air together. I sure wouldn't use that guy again!

[Rev22:17]

Sunbeam56,

 

Ichiban Nekko -- We decided that we were going to take Celebrity's deal -- sort of. I talked to my travel agent and asked him to ask them if we could negotiate a bit. We were going to renew our vows on the ship (35 years), I was about to make the reservation when this news came along. I do not need that ceremony to know that we love each other, but it would have been nice. Instead, the money will go towards our pay loss.

 

So, what I asked my travel agent to do is to ask Celebrity, if they could put us up in the InterContinental (downtown) instead of the Marriott Miami Airport, if he could obtain a bottle of wine for us for dinner one night and if it is possible that we could have an early flight so that we could enjoy the hotel.

 

I don't think that my travel agent will work for us, he thought it was pretty frivolous demands. I do not have to tell you that he just got his last contract with us. He didn't know if he could obtain an answer today but he would phone me back on Monday.

 

I already have a draft of a letter ready that I will fax to Reservations as soon as hear from him if the news is not great.

 

I have to agree with your travel agent on this. You probably won't get much of your request. Celebrity probably has an agreement in place with the Marriott, and has scheduled shore staff to be there to coordinate your transportatoin to the pier for embarkation. Also, other passengers in similar situations are booked at the same hotel. The cost of putting you up at a different hotel, where the cruise line does not have a group arrangement, would be prohibitive.

 

Norm.

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