grateful refugee from Milleneum

[Im your man]

Recently returned down-under following unhappy experience as first time cruiser with Celebrity Milleneum, Barcelona 28/06/07. We are told the cruise-line will compensate the cost of the cruise. I am a patient man. The first I hear is that Milleneum has debited me $1800 on Visa, exact reason for this unclear. Celebrity cruises are not winning favour for public relations. Hopefully all will clear up in due course. I loved the boat and am desparately unhappy it ended up onthe rocks.

[eh2zed]

Recently returned down-under following unhappy experience as first time cruiser with Celebrity Milleneum, Barcelona 28/06/07. We are told the cruise-line will compensate the cost of the cruise. I am a patient man. The first I hear is that Milleneum has debited me $1800 on Visa, exact reason for this unclear. Celebrity cruises are not winning favour for public relations. Hopefully all will clear up in due course. I loved the boat and am desparately unhappy it ended up onthe rocks.

So sorry this happened particularly to a first timer. Must have been a huge disappointment. I know here we have heard of the compensation package probably in Oz as well. Seemed quite reasonable from a distance. I would stay firmly in touch with your TA as well as by email with Celebrity directly. It will take time and some patience will be required but be firm and unrelenting. Good luck:confused: :confused: :confused: :confused:

[kaseyoz]

may i ask what happened on your cruise?

sorry you had an unhappy trip.

[Kathie44]

kaseyoz--I tried to find the threads describing the debacle, but they must have been removed. The Millie Barcelona-Venice 6/30 cruise hit some rocks while at anchor on July 2nd and the repairs were extensive, causing the cruise to be cancelled well before schedule. The July 12th sailing from Venice to Barcelona was also cancelled. Several posters on board were giving reports as the situation unfolded. They were not happy with the lack of prompt communication by the Millie staff. Many pax expecting to sail on July 12th were not notified in time to cancel their flights/pre-stays. :eek:

There may still be a news report in the CC newsletter archive.

I'm editing this to say that I found the news reports. Go to the CC home page and click on NEWS at the top right. Check out the Other Headlines menu on the left, looking for Millenium Repairs, etc.

[kaseyoz]

thanks a lot.

It must be so disappointing especially after all the hype and excitment we build on here.

[Aussie Cruisers]

G'day,

 

I thought that I would let you know my experience of X and how they deal with compo. DW and I had a wonderful cruise in every way and we will definately cruise with X again. Only thing is, we had brand new bags and were on a round the world trip and they destroyed one completely. We had torm off wheels, zips destroyed..... it was clearly negligence and not an accident.

 

Well, we had no help when we were off the ship, they just wanted us off the pier and so we scrounged for some tape and I just tried my best to repair it as we had valuables from Paris and all over that we did not want damamged. Plus three more flights to get back to Syd with a bag that was pretty useless. I was worried that I would get Shappelled - so I used so much tape!

 

Well, I wrote and called (as you do) and I was told to get an estimate for a bag. I did, and after 10 weeks of me calling over an over (is it really worth the hassle for $200?) I get a cheque... and guess what? It was an American cheque in US$. I called and said "Don't you realise you need an international cheque in Australian dollars?" Well, typical mentality - sorry to the well informed Americans reading this - but there are some people who just don't understand that people outside of America exist. She had no idea why an Australian bank could not accept American currency. She actually thought that it was not possible for X to do it, and that I would just have to sort it out myself at this end. I explained that local cheques are not accepted, and that it was actually useless so I would not be cashing it. I was ready to just give up as we arrived home and thankfully, we had no damage to the contents, so I was just over it all. We loved the cruise anyway right?

 

Well, I eventually spoke with someone who understood and rectified the problem. After all the hassle and the bank fees to accept a foreign cheque, we ended up with about AU$100.

 

As I said, we loved X and will cruise again. We have no hard feelings at all. These things happen all the time, and that is fine. Just be patient and be explicit with the need for an international cheque in Australian dollars to make it easier for you!:cool:

[Senga]

I get a cheque... and guess what? It was an American cheque in US$. I called and said "Don't you realise you need an international cheque in Australian dollars?"

 

I'm shocked that Australian banks can't accept cheques in a foreign currency. We are Canadian and, while we haven't received an Australian dollar cheque, we have received US$, Euros and Sterling and the banks just figure out the current exchange rate and we get the funds deposited to our account in Canadian dollars.

[mochuck]

She had no idea why an Australian bank could not accept American currency.

 

Actually I'm having trouble understanding why an Australian bank would not accept a cheque in $US. That is what banks do - exchange currency. They might not give you cash immediately but that would apply to any cheque. :confused:

[Globaliser]

I'm shocked that Australian banks can't accept cheques in a foreign currency. We are Canadian and, while we haven't received an Australian dollar cheque, we have received US$, Euros and Sterling and the banks just figure out the current exchange rate and we get the funds deposited to our account in Canadian dollars.

The issue is probably not whether it's technically possible, but whether the costs are worthwhile.

 

A cheque in a foreign currency drawn on a foreign bank needs to be negotiated by your own bank via a correspondent bank in the country of the bank on which the cheque is drawn. All of this costs money - in the order of many tens of dollars or pounds.

 

Occasionally, my own bank has taken such a cheque for a small amount of foreign currency and just waived (ie swallowed) the costs for a good and longstanding customer. But otherwise, I would have been in the same position as Aussie Cruisers - holding a cheque whose greatest value would have been for wallpapering the bathroom.

 

International money orders are different. Although they look like cheques, I believe that the payment mechanism is different so banks can give much more value for them.

[Aussie Cruisers]

Yes, Aussie banks can cash foreign cheques - but the cheque I received was not an international cheque. It was a US cheque in US dollars that could not be accepted by any institution outside the us..... hope that clarrifies. They did eventually fix this error and I did end up paying all the associated costs and fees, thus at the end of it I did not see much money!:p

[arxcards]

Yes, Aussie banks can cash foreign cheques - but the cheque I received was not an international cheque. It was a US cheque in US dollars that could not be accepted by any institution outside the us..... hope that clarrifies. They did eventually fix this error and I did end up paying all the associated costs and fees, thus at the end of it I did not see much money!:p

 

My bank (NAB) will cash an American cheque in US dollars, but charges $25 for the priviledge. Interestingly an international money order from the US cannot be cashed at the Post Office, and needs to be done at the bank, with you guessed it, a $25 fee.

 

The only way to avoid charges this big ( in Australia) is to have it done electronically - Having them credit your account, credit card or Paypal etc, or have a credit issued for your next cruise.

 

As mentioned before, the hassles of time and fees can hardly make this sort of compo worthwhile.

Cheers

[CruiseKidz]

My aussie bank charged me $35 for the privilege to bank a cheque in sterling into my account, peeves me big time the bank fees here compared to Uk.

[kaseyoz]

I paid the cheque from my excess OBC which was in US dollars into my St. George account. I was also charged (not sure how much) But I guess still better in my account than theres.

It would be best to get a credit on a bankcard. For me i Didnt give them a bankcard imprint as i knew i couldnt spend all my obc on my cruise.