SUMMIT 9/10/04 - CANCELED! More Propulsion Problems

Royal Caribbean cancels a cruise, sees profit hit

Wed Sep 1, 2004 06:25 PM ET

LOS ANGELES, Sept 1 (Reuters) - Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.'s RCL.N Celebrity group on Wednesday said it was canceling a cruise to Alaska to make a ship repair, which would cut Royal Caribbean's profit by about 3 cents per share in the third quarter.

Celebrity's Summit cruise ship will go into dry-dock on Sept. 12 to fix a propulsion system, and as a result it canceled a seven-night Alaska cruise set to begin on Sept. 10 and will delay a sailing scheduled for Sept. 17 until Sept. 20.

Here is the compensation being offered to booked passengers:

Passengers booked on the canceled cruise will receive a full refund and a free future cruise. Agent commissions are protected and a rebooking fee of $50 per cabin will be paid.

Ernie

Yikes! I'm on the 17th Sep Cruise. Too late to cancel air. Woe is me (I should say "us: as there are two other couples going). Thanks for the info. We will check with our T A in the morning.

Please say it is not so

I was hit head on by Hurricane Charley. I have left for some mental relief. My husband is back at home preparing for Frances.

I leave on the Summit September 17 for a month.

PLEASE, PLEASE Tell me that my ship will sail. I need this break more than I ever thought imaginable.

Any news please mail me at bananavan@aol.com. I have limited computer access.

Evana Young

Been on the phone with the TA for the past hour while they try to get us squared away. We have been offered by RC a Grand Suite in place of our Royal Suite on Summit (no charge), plus full refund on the RS on Summit. Problem is we are booked via Hotwire & Priceline pre & past in Victoria & Vancouver. HELP!!! With 2 day date changes on sailing scheduals we are will be out $$$ I have asked for Celebrity to foot the bill for those 2 nights. I could really use some feedback tonight folks, we meet with TA AM tomorrow to decide. Comparisons of ships & services & suites would be a big help too... And this was out 1st cruise for our anniversary... sigh... Murpheys Law kicks in, please answer quick while I go get another double scotch!!!

Kevin

Been on the phone with the TA for the past hour while they try to get us squared away. We have been offered by RC a Grand Suite in place of our Royal Suite on Summit (no charge), plus full refund on the RS on Summit. Problem is we are booked via Hotwire & Priceline pre & past in Victoria & Vancouver. HELP!!! With 2 day date changes on sailing scheduals we are will be out $$$ I have asked for Celebrity to foot the bill for those 2 nights. I could really use some feedback tonight folks, we meet with TA AM tomorrow to decide. Comparisons of ships & services & suites would be a big help too... And this was out 1st cruise for our anniversary... sigh... Murpheys Law kicks in, please answer quick while I go get another double scotch!!!

Kevin

Will your insurance cover the pre- and post- hotels?

Nope, no insurance...

Insurance schmurance.

I was hit by Charley, right in the head. At no point do I wish to cancel my B2B, but here is the deal. I asked my TA, who also has substantial home damage whether I would be able to postpone my trip as a result of the Hurricane.

For all of you who purchased a policy, go back and read the fine print.

The hurricane has to hit you within two days of your trip. Your home must be without water or electricity. (Five days no water and 12 without electricity is the standard in Charley country.) If you read the fine print, you can only have a covered car accident perhaps with death IF you have it on the way to the airport prior to the cruise. So if you get hit from behind the night before while you are buying motion sickness pills, stay in your vehicle until morning because you ain't getting squat.

I am also on the Summit. Because we live in Florida, I took the damned useless travel policy AND booked my air thru celebrity and also my hotel at a terrifically inflated price. But at least I should catch a break. IF not, I will add that to my list of top ten things that p!$$ed me off in 2004.

PHEW, that rant and perhaps a Zanax might lull me to sleep tonight.

God Bless all in Frances' path.

I have just finished dealing with an irate client I had booked on this cruise. He went totally balistic and took out his anger at me like I could do something about it. He should realize that a lot of people are a lot worse off than he is like some of you that have posted. My heart is out to you in Florida for all your problems and you are the ones that really need the vacation instead of some pampered spoiled yuppie from Palm Springs who doesn't work but really needs a vacation. Go figure.

I have just finished dealing with an irate client I had booked on this cruise. He went totally balistic and took out his anger at me like I could do something about it. He should realize that a lot of people are a lot worse off than he is like some of you that have posted. My heart is out to you in Florida for all your problems and you are the ones that really need the vacation instead of some pampered spoiled yuppie from Palm Springs who doesn't work but really needs a vacation. Go figure.

Hang in there Oppgaard. There are a lot of jerks out there. If you do find out anything definitive about the September 17 Cruise please post it here. I would suspect it will be shortened (by four days?) to allow it to leave San Diego on time for the second part of the Cruise through the Panama Canal. In the meantime there are a lot of us who are going to be stuck in Vancouver for four or more days. Sure hope they have enough hotel rooms.

Thanks for all the advice you gave us pre-bearing issue! Should we take the offer or wait for a better package back on the Summit?

"In the meantime there are a lot of us who are going to be stuck in Vancouver for four or more days. Sure hope they have enough hotel rooms."

They may have rooms, but they are out of sight in both Seattle and Vancouver!! Hubby is searching now as we are all self booked with air, hotel in Seattle and train to Vancouver on 16/17th.

Beth from

Cruise Critic thread on Summit Sept. 17 repositioning Vancouver - San Diego

Hang in there Bananavan!

My heart really goes out to you!!

Take Care,

Jaime

Will Celebrity ever get a permanent fix to this problem?

It's a big reason I'm hesitant about sailing on the M-class ships.

Reggie

Reggie:

My understanding is that the problem is a bearing showing premature wear -- something not necessarily related to the azipods. (I don't think the pods on the Summit have ever been a problem.)

What's bad is they are so overwhelmed with hurricane issues that I called two DIFFERENT customer service numbers and neither had any CLUE of what was going on with the Summit. They literally told me they could not help me, gave me another number to call at 9am...I'll post an update at that time-I'm on the Summit 17th-well now 20th...

Thanks Oppgard (Apologies if I blew the spelling.) My husband is presently driving NORTH and WEST. He was up at his now normal time of 3 am watching the local news (cable is a casualty of disasters) He finished securing the house and decided that heroism should be left in the hands of the men and women who gave so selflessly to restore our lives.

IF you want to really slam this irate client back into reality, email me his/her phone number. bananavan@aol.com. Some of my best friends USED to be that client. Now that their entire lives work and memories sit on the middle of the kitchen table, they have a different perspective.

Let me remind all, we are so fortunate to live in this wonderful country. My first "cruise' was on a rebuilt German troop carrier which brought my family to North America. And now I can live and love in a country where I am able to enjoy and afford cruises on luxury liners.

PS: Promise me that this irate client will NOT be sailing with us on the Summit.

GOD BLESS ALL WHO ARE AFFECTED BY FRANCES.

Ok here is info-I am typing as I am talking to them...this is for the Sept 17th now 20th sailing-updated itenerary-

20th-Leave from Vancouver 6pm

21st-Inside passage

22nd-Juneau

23rd-Skagway

24th-Hubbard Glacier

25th-Ketchikan

26th-at Sea

27th-Victoria

28th-at Sea

29th-San Francisco

30th-Sea

1st-San Diego

So we are missing some ports etc.

Here is the reimbursement info for my catagory of cabin. (1A)

If you remain on the sailing you recieve 25% future cruise credit, must be used by Dec. 2005-not valid on Christmas or New Years sailings. $500 on board credit per stateroom-now may I just say this sucks-we have 3 people in our stateroom, she said this is based on stateroom not per person. This amount changes per catagory. Also if you incurr air travel only charges to change flights etc you recieve $100 per person only with proof of airfare charges and fee.

Now I have to say this seems like a paltry amount to offer everyone for their inconvience. If you took 3 days off the cost of the cruise divided by 14 you would end up with more like $450 per person.

I think the 25% off of a future cruise PLUS the $500 on board credit does equate to the three missed days, as you've calculated above. 25% off of a future cruise, if there are three of you sailing, could easily amount to $750 or more on a 7 day cruise.

Good Luck!

I would stick with the reduced Summitt itineary. This itinerary, although reduced by three days, only happens twice per year. It's still a great one!

SDCruiser

Well what gets me is the people on the cancelled cruise get a free cruise and full refund. Celebrity isn't even helping people who want to cancel this trip, in fact you still would owe the fee for cancel under 30 days!

What gets me is that it is shipboard credit-it should be a refund of dollars. I have already paid my excursions etc-some of which will be cancelled and then I will end up with MORE shipboard credit. Shipboard credit and future cruise % just lines Celebrity's pockets instead of helping with monetary compensation to pay for 3 extra hotel nights, rental cars, food, and changed plane or train tickets?

Just think of the shipboard credits, either from cancelled excursions or from Celebrity, as a 'refund'.

Believe me, on a 11-12 night cruise, you will be spending money onboard the ship. If you end up with a 'credit balance' on your account at the end of the cruise, your card will be credited. After you return home, just use the same credit card for purchases and it will be like having 'free cash' until the balance goes to zero.

Good Luck!

SDCruiser

Also don't forget your tips. For three people, you can now consider them paid for.

Reggie:

 

My understanding is that the problem is a bearing showing premature wear -- something not necessarily related to the azipods. (I don't think the pods on the Summit have ever been a problem.)

My understanding is that the bearings are in the azipods. I also believe that all of the M-class ships have experienced similiar problems with the exception of the Connie. The Connie supposedly had this problem corrected during the building of the ship as the problem had already showed up on at least one of the other ships before or during the building of the Connie.

Reggie

HI BANANAVAN!!!

You sound like you are all set...Let us know.

HI JANET...

I would take the deal and run...See if you can negotiate an upgrade.

GOOD LUCK!!!

ROSS

Hi Janet!

If you have any "CREDIT" left at the end of the cruise, head to the cashier's cage at the casino, and take out a cash advance on the cruise account (I think the limit is $1500-2000 a day)...this puts the cash back in YOUR pocket:D !

Hope you have a wonderful cruise,

Jaime