Summit march 8 2014

Just received an email from Celebrity that the cruise we booked has been chartered. We are frequent celebrity cruisers and are extremely disappointed they would book us in January and cancel it weeks later. Very disappointed at the nonchalant attitude of the person in resolutions dept. at Celebrity. Any suggestions?

Did they offer any incentives to move to another ship or anything at all?

Other forum (search CC forums) the offer was rebook and $200 OBC on the rebooking.

Other forum (search CC forums) the offer was rebook and $200 OBC on the rebooking.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=37833145&postcount=33

is one confirmation of a rebooking offer on cruise month earlier.

And thanks to this thread I was able to scoop up a suite on this atlantis cruise before it really went on sale...Its always impossible to nab a suite on these.

I love CC...

Does anyone know if the $200 OBC is in addition to price protection (i.e. same cabin category on Reflection at the same price as currently booked on Summit)? We are restricted to travelling the March 8 week only so an OBC on the Summit or price protection on the Summit for a different date doesn't work.

Also, would the $200 OBC be applicable to the 2 RCI cruises sailing out of San Juan? I'm not sure how big the wall is between Celebrity and RCI.

Just received an email from Celebrity that the cruise we booked has been chartered. We are frequent celebrity cruisers and are extremely disappointed they would book us in January and cancel it weeks later. Very disappointed at the nonchalant attitude of the person in resolutions dept. at Celebrity. Any suggestions?

Book another cruise, this happens on all cruise lines not just Celebrity. Usually this far out they don't offer anything because most people really don't lose anything.

Book another cruise, this happens on all cruise lines not just Celebrity. Usually this far out they don't offer anything because most people really don't lose anything.

We booked under the 123 promotion - so if we loose the drink package - they lost my business for good.

First of all, I think a cruise line should be obligated to advise and offer alternatives and compensation promptly to anyone who booked a cruise in good faith only to find out it has been chartered. People have limited vacation time, and often this needs to be arranged well in advance to acommodate scheduling requirements at work. I don't think anyone on here has expressed anti-gay views in stating their legitimate concerns about Celebrity's delay in notifying them of the charter and offering alternatives and compensation. I myself have booked the March 8 sailing with Atlantis, and they have already charged my credit card for the deposit. So I think the charter is finalized at this point. Atlantis does full ship charters, not group sailings on regular cruises. I am pretty sure you have to book through Atlantis, and a regular booking for the cruise through Celebrity or a travel agent would be cancelled. Atlantis does not discriminate against anyone, but the cruise will be 99% gay men. When I was on the Atlantis charter on the Independence of the Seas this past February, there were were only a couple of dozen women passengers on a ship with a capacity of 3500. Most of these women were lesbians or female friends of gay men. Also, the cost of an Atlantis cruise is much higher than what people would pay for a regular cruise even on a premium cruise line. Atlantis invests a huge amount of money in entertainment. For example, the headline entertainer on the February Atlantis cruise on Independence of the Seas was Patti Lupone. A major, Tony Award-winning star is not something you get on a regular cruise and does not come cheap. Atlantis also installs sound and light/laser systems that are unlike anything found on a regular cruise. On the Atlantis Independence cruise in February, we passed a Carnival ship one night during one of the outdoor parties and there were camera flashes going off all over the Carnival ship. They must have been thinking there was one hell of a party going on on the Independence. Bottom line, anyone can book an Atlantis cruise, but it will be geared 100% to a gay audience and the cost for an inside cabin will be more than you'd pay for a balcony on a regular cruise.

First of all, I think a cruise line should be obligated to advise and offer alternatives and compensation promptly to anyone who booked a cruise in good faith only to find out it has been chartered. People have limited vacation time, and often this needs to be arranged well in advance to acommodate scheduling requirements at work. I don't think anyone on here has expressed anti-gay views in stating their legitimate concerns about Celebrity's delay in notifying them of the charter and offering alternatives and compensation. I myself have booked the March 8 sailing with Atlantis, and they have already charged my credit card for the deposit. So I think the charter is finalized at this point. Atlantis does full ship charters, not group sailings on regular cruises. I am pretty sure you have to book through Atlantis, and a regular booking for the cruise through Celebrity or a travel agent would be cancelled. Atlantis does not discriminate against anyone, but the cruise will be 99% gay men. When I was on the Atlantis charter on the Independence of the Seas this past February, there were were only a couple of dozen women passengers on a ship with a capacity of 3500. Most of these women were lesbians or female friends of gay men. Also, the cost of an Atlantis cruise is much higher than what people would pay for a regular cruise even on a premium cruise line. Atlantis invests a huge amount of money in entertainment. For example, the headline entertainer on the February Atlantis cruise on Independence of the Seas was Patti Lupone. A major, Tony Award-winning star is not something you get on a regular cruise and does not come cheap. Atlantis also installs sound and light/laser systems that are unlike anything found on a regular cruise. On the Atlantis Independence cruise in February, we passed a Carnival ship one night during one of the outdoor parties and there were camera flashes going off all over the Carnival ship. They must have been thinking there was one hell of a party going on on the Independence. Bottom line, anyone can book an Atlantis cruise, but it will be geared 100% to a gay audience and the cost for an inside cabin will be more than you'd pay for a balcony on a regular cruise.

Now tell me how many gay families with kids are out there that have March break that week compared to straight families with kids in school? In there lies my frustration with Celebrity's close minded thinking. Just move Atlantis to the week before or after and everyone would be happy and we would not be having this discussion.

Well it's official. We received notice this afternoon that the cruise has been chartered and we have been bumped. No option to stay on. Shipboard credit of $200 offered for select sailings plus you keep the 123 package. Good luck to all you cruisers in rebooking. We will probably try for Reflection but it is so much more to start with and fewer ports. We've no choice as we need March Break cruise for kids.

Happy sailing wherever you go.

Now tell me how many gay families with kids are out there that have March break that week compared to straight families with kids in school? In there lies my frustration with Celebrity's close minded thinking. Just move Atlantis to the week before or after and everyone would be happy and we would not be having this discussion.

:confused: Or Gay teachers, or gay college students on spring break, or gay educational support staff of any kind, or gay anyone looking or one amazing spring trip each year, or whatever.

Or the fact that schools all over Spring breaks varied 2-3 week periods anyway. not only March 8-15. In my community the public schools are a week different than the parochial schools, in the same city! and neither coincided with the local college on trimesters, nor the other on quarters, or the rest on semester systems....

Ships get chartered for many reasons other than gay cruises and lots of large groups like to travel at peak travel times just like everyone.

I do not have specific figures, but apparently there are enough to fill at least one ship that week. :D

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=37833145&postcount=33

 

is one confirmation of a rebooking offer on cruise month earlier.

 

And thanks to this thread I was able to scoop up a suite on this atlantis cruise before it really went on sale...Its always impossible to nab a suite on these.

 

I love CC...

Congratulations on the suite!!!! I hope you enjoy yourself tremendously. You have a very level headed and calm demeanor. You said what I was thinking in your earlier post.....and to me the person who jumped on here ranting, not the original OP, sounded like he thought he exposed some terrible dirty secret.......to blackmail Celebrity with......these cruises are nothing new and evryone needs to relax.......the offer will come to move, quite simply because the rates that they can get for the Charter rooms far exceed the rates that the other cruisers have paid........

Unfortunately I also received the useless offer as we are locked into the same week for the same reasons as most people. I am pleased that Celebrity finally offered to do something though disappointed it doesn't keep us on a Celebrity or RCI ship. To jump to the Reflection or Silhouette would be an extra $800 per couple and there is no way some in my group are willing to pay that.

I have no idea why they wouldn't, at the very least, extend the OBC offer to any other RCI or Celebrity ship to keep the bookings in the family. A $600 difference I could probably sell to the rest of my group given I LOVE the S class ships but the $800 is a complete non-starter for them. Even the $200 OBC towards the Jewel or Adventure would probably work as it gives us a similar itinerary but that doesn't seem to be on the table at this point. Looks like we may be back to Carnival but I am going to wait and hope someone in the executive offices decides to keep us in the Celebrity family.

Looks this was originally scheduled on Summit March 15 to 22 then got swapped for some reason...

http://gaytravelagent.wordpress.com/2013/03/05/gay-travel-atlantis-2014-southern-caribbean-gay-cruise/

the ad has 15-22 dates but the website indicates they were changed in red. I imagine this was a flyer passed out onboard on some prior cruise for promotion.

Well it's official. We got the letter. What a PR blunder. Alienating their core customers.

We might drop Celeb and switch to RCCL.

Signing off from this roll call.

We were bumped from this cruise too. It's a family cruise for us and we had three cabins booked. Fortunately for us, we were not locked into the March 8 date, so we were easily able to rebook for March 22. Our 123 Go promo is still in effect, the itinerary is the same and the fantastic CC price we received from our agent was protected. We just had to shift our original cabins to ones that were a few doors away. We also will be receiving OBC of $200 per cabin as compensation. I feel badly for those who were locked in to the March 8 date. I I feel Celebrity should offer the OBC and price protection to all who book any Celebrity ship for that original sailing period.

Since we received notice regarding the cancelation of the Summit March 8th cruise we have been dealing with our travel agent trying to re-book on the Reflection. For sure, it is more money and so some of our group is backing out ruining our "family" vacation as everyone is no longer coming. They have offered the $200 on board credit but even tried backing out of that. Finally said it was a misunderstanding and we would get it. It doesn't cover the increase in cabin rate however. We are really fed up with Celebrity and if there was an alternative we would/will go for it should one arise over the coming months. People should write a letter expressing their displeasure (in a nice way) so at least Celebrity will be aware of how many people were inconvenienced by this fiasco. For sure we will always look to other cruise lines first in the future. It's a shame because Celebrity has always been our favourite up 'til now. They should be aware that people talk amongst themselves and to others, at work, on cruise critic and other places so it doesn't take long to get a bad reputation. Shame on Celebrity for letting so many people down.

Same feelings here. Our cruises on Solstice and Equinox were our favorites of 15 cruises so far. We have a small group of 4 cabins and were trying to show everyone how awesome Celebrity is and needless to say this has done just the opposite. We tried to get the OBC transferred to Silhouette and they said no way. Very disappointing to say the least.

Yesterday we booked one way flights to San Juan so it looks like we are going on the Carnival Valor, Adventure of the Seas or Jewel of the Seas. My group is upset with Celebrity right now and are insisting we go with Carnival. I haven't cancelled our Summit cruise yet, hoping they will offer something to transfer to either of the RCI cruises. My travel agent says they've done that in the past and is puzzled as to why they aren't this time. Celebrity is his favorite and the one he recommends the most as well so he's really disappointed in the poor service they are providing in this case.

Yesterday we booked one way flights to San Juan so it looks like we are going on the Carnival Valor, Adventure of the Seas or Jewel of the Seas.

Just wondering why you would book one way flights?

Also, The Jewel of the Seas is a lovely ship.

Hope in the end you and all the others mixed up in this have a great vacation.

I'm surprised by some comments who think 'March break' is only one week. Different states and provinces pick different weeks. Here in Quebec it this the first week in March.

Just wondering why you would book one way flights?

 

Also, The Jewel of the Seas is a lovely ship.

 

Hope in the end you and all the others mixed up in this have a great vacation.

 

I'm surprised by some comments who think 'March break' is only one week. Different states and provinces pick different weeks. Here in Quebec it this the first week in March.

Flights during Ontario March Break are very high so I watch them closely. In this case the one way flights were released and were very inexpensive so we jumped at them. Right after we booked, the flights doubled in cost and as I type this the lowest cost flight is quite a bit more than double what we paid. The return flights aren't available yet but we'll find something that works. We've done this a few times over the last few years.

Celebrity is giving us an OBC of $200 plus drink pkg for switching to Reflection so I don't see why you wouldn't get it for switching to the Silhouette.

Celebrity is giving us an OBC of $200 plus drink pkg for switching to Reflection so I don't see why you wouldn't get it for switching to the Silhouette.

We specifically asked for that a few days ago when we first received the standard offer and were told flat out no, that wasn't an option. Had we been offered that, we would have taken Silhouette. Now that we have flights booked to San Juan, it's no longer an option.

I was just reading some other threads on Celebrity and someone gave the name of the CEO to write a letter of complaint to. It is Michael Bayley at: contactmichael@celebrity.com. I will be sending him one this week.

I am reminded too to send a letter thinking him for Celebrity's continued support to the LGBT community.

The Atlantis cruise has already sold out of suites, it's going to be a lot of fun!

:)

Flights during Ontario March Break are very high so I watch them closely. In this case the one way flights were released and were very inexpensive so we jumped at them. Right after we booked, the flights doubled in cost and as I type this the lowest cost flight is quite a bit more than double what we paid. The return flights aren't available yet but we'll find something that works. We've done this a few times over the last few years.

I get March Break. I'm a teacher in Qc. What I don't get is why you went ahead and bought tickets when you knew there was a problem with this cruise? Your first post was on March 24th, then on the 26th after speaking with your TA. Even one way tickets were not available on those dates. Despite being aware that this ship was chartered, you went ahead and bought tickets. I guess I just wouldn't have done that. More cautious maybe.

Hopefully this will all work out for you. I do understand as I'd be disappointed if our cruise was chartered too. We love San Juan (and even better Rincon) so if our cruise was canceled, and air was purchased, some kind of other plan would be made.