Booked on board -- Now deposit NOT refundable

Please believe me, we check every item on our bill and there was no OBC. There is no way we would have missed a $400 credit.

I can see how the immediate OBC would be a very nice benefit and nonrefundable. IF it was available for us, surely the salesperson on board would have at least mentioned it. What's the point of a deal if it's not used to entice you into a purchase.

The problem, I think, is that I booked on Royal Caribbean and while they could do the booking for Celebrity, their system did not apply the same perks on our Royal Caribbean ship. But the Celebrity system assumes I did get the OBC.

We did a booking onboard this past November. We were given the option of taking the OBC applied to the sailing we were currently on or apply it toward the new one we booked. We opted to take it on the future cruise. So it does not HAVE to be applied immediately. And this wasn't the case with the OP anyway. My advice for the OP is to book a phantom cruise with that deposit. Then cancel it. I don't see hiw they could keep your deposit. I'm wondering if your TA is the problem in not getting the facts straight.

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I may be wrong but it sounds like you were planning on getting a refund on your deposit before you ever booked. Whats up trying to get a liitle something for nothing:eek:

I may be wrong but it sounds like you were planning on getting a refund on your deposit before you ever booked. Whats up trying to get a liitle something for nothing:eek:

You are indeed wrong. I was not trying to get a little something for nothing.

I was not positive at the time that we would be able to make it, but figured that since the deposit amount was reduced, we were only tying up a small amount of money and if it turned out that we could not make it, then the money would be refunded as in the past. I was just keeping my options open.

So I'm not sure what you think I was trying to get.

I may be wrong but it sounds like you were planning on getting a refund on your deposit before you ever booked. Whats up trying to get a liitle something for nothing:eek:

As life would have it, we book a number of cruises that we wind up cancelling prior to final payment date....in fact we changed TA's to one that doesn't charge a cancellation fee. Heck...I don't even know if I'll be alive in 2016 or 2017....

The OP apparently has a real issue....

We did a booking onboard this past November. We were given the option of taking the OBC applied to the sailing we were currently on or apply it toward the new one we booked. We opted to take it on the future cruise. So it does not HAVE to be applied immediately. And this wasn't the case with the OP anyway. My advice for the OP is to book a phantom cruise with that deposit. Then cancel it. I don't see hiw they could keep your deposit. I'm wondering if your TA is the problem in not getting the facts straight.

 

 

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According to my TA, if we book a phantom cruise, it will still remain nonrefundable per Celebrity. She asked about that. She has been talking to regular/clueless Celebrity people who appear to have their needle stuck in "nonrefundable." Tomorrow she is taking it up the chain-of-command.

My reluctance to book a series of phantom cruises is the hassle for her. At some point, I will have to start paying cancellation fees to the TA.

I see it as Jenna posted above. Since we received obc on the cruise we were on, as well as on the one we reserved, even if we cancel and don't get the deposit back, we still come out even. Seems fair.

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According to my TA, if we book a phantom cruise, it will still remain nonrefundable per Celebrity. She asked about that. She has been talking to regular/clueless Celebrity people who appear to have their needle stuck in "nonrefundable." Tomorrow she is taking it up the chain-of-command.

 

My reluctance to book a series of phantom cruises is the hassle for her. At some point, I will have to start paying cancellation fees to the TA.

From the posts here, I am not sure what "special program" you booked under. Has celebrity sent you anything to substantiate why it's not refundable or are they just saying it verbally.

Please insist in an email that they tell you in writing why your request for a refund is being refused. Keep a copy of that email and if they refuse or send you something that doesn't apply, include it with your claim to your credit card company....if it comes to that.

It sounds like you have reached the write it, don't just talk about it stage...it's time to have a written trail of your request.

Celebrity could well be correct...no way to tell from the info here where people are guessing what program you booked under....or it's possible that the agent coded the wrong program, a different one than you thought you were agreeing to.

I see it as Jenna posted above. Since we received obc on the cruise we were on, as well as on the one we reserved, even if we cancel and don't get the deposit back, we still come out even. Seems fair.

 

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Since I did NOT get an OBC on the cruise I was on, this is how I see it ...

Celebrity gets my $200 because I booked onboard. That gets me emotionally (as well as financially) invested in taking another cruise with them. Surely of value to them, otherwise why would they have a sales force onboard.

They also gave us a $100 OBC to be used on that future cruise, if we took it. (And therefore gave them the opportunity to make $thousands more.)

So if we cancel, they get to keep our $200 and we "get nothing" of any value to us.

While the deposit amount would have been higher if we had booked online, at least it would be 100% refundable and we would have gotten the same cabin and the same price.

Don't get me wrong, we love Celebrity and will probably take the second of the two cruises that we booked. But this SNAFU in Miami needs to be fixed.

Morals: 1. Don't book a Celebrity from a Royal Caribbean ship (and probably vis a versa). 2. Don't book a potential cruise while on board just because it might be easier to talk DH into it. (I am being punished for being manipulative.)

Sorry to ask, but do you have the hard copy of the paperwork you received when you booked on Royal? That should have all the details and be of help as you pursue this with Celebrity. Is there possibility the the future cruise salesperson there might have unspoken to entice you to book? Usually sales on board for the sister lines has gone smoothly in my personal experience and according to what I read here on CC.

Hope you get it straightened out soon.

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Sorry, I meant mispoken above and do not have an edit function here.

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Since I did NOT get an OBC on the cruise I was on, this is how I see it ...

 

Celebrity gets my $200 because I booked onboard. That gets me emotionally (as well as financially) invested in taking another cruise with them. Surely of value to them, otherwise why would they have a sales force onboard.

 

They also gave us a $100 OBC to be used on that future cruise, if we took it. (And therefore gave them the opportunity to make $thousands more.)

 

So if we cancel, they get to keep our $200 and we "get nothing" of any value to us.

 

While the deposit amount would have been higher if we had booked online, at least it would be 100% refundable and we would have gotten the same cabin and the same price.

 

Don't get me wrong, we love Celebrity and will probably take the second of the two cruises that we booked. But this SNAFU in Miami needs to be fixed.

 

Morals: 1. Don't book a Celebrity from a Royal Caribbean ship (and probably vis a versa). 2. Don't book a potential cruise while on board just because it might be easier to talk DH into it. (I am being punished for being manipulative.)

It is a little confusing. In post #26 the OP states "we did not get a $400 credit".

In post #34 the OP states "Celebrity gets my $200. "

To be real clear here :- How much "deposit" did you pay onboard the RC Ship towards a "future cruise"? How much was actually charged and how? How much are they saying you will forfeit if you cancel the "future cruise". Have they said that you can transfer this deposit to another cruise?

We booked 2 cruises with a deposit of $200 each for a total of $400 onto our credit card.

If we cancel the first cruise, we receive $0.

They say that we can not apply it as additional deposit on our second cruise, that it must be a new booking. We do not want to book another cruise.

I hope that makes it less confusing for you.

We booked 2 cruises with a deposit of $200 each for a total of $400 onto our credit card.

 

If we cancel the first cruise, we receive $0.

 

They say that we can not apply it as additional deposit on our second cruise, that it must be a new booking. We do not want to book another cruise.

 

I hope that makes it less confusing for you.

Yes Cherski, clear now.

With the program that was in place when you did this, Sept 2014, called "cruise now", you should have received equal amount as OBC on the cruise that you were on at the time (I know you know this now, sorry). The fact that you didnt receive the OBC, something is wrong. That being the case you should definately be entitled to cancel and get the $200 back and the same eith the second cruise you have booked if you subsequently decide to cancel that one as well. The only "spanner in the works" I can think of, is the cruise you are now wanting to cancel past the "final payment" stage?

I just re-booked my 2016 cruises on the Reflection Future Cruise Desk to get the extra on-board booking OBC. Called my TA (who I gave credit for the re-booking) and he said should see the deposit on the original booked cruise in a week.

I just re-booked my 2016 cruises on the Reflection Future Cruise Desk to get the extra on-board booking OBC. Called my TA (who I gave credit for the re-booking) and he said should see the deposit on the original booked cruise in a week.

Re-booked? I suppose the amount of the cruise (your stateroom category)stayed the same as you paid previously, or you would not have rebooked?

OP - We also had a problem when we booked a cruise onboard the Oasis for a Celebrity cruise. The Future Cruise guy was awful to work with! :( I eventually got it all worked out with the Captains Club.

I just re-booked my 2016 cruises on the Reflection Future Cruise Desk to get the extra on-board booking OBC. Called my TA (who I gave credit for the re-booking) and he said should see the deposit on the original booked cruise in a week.

Did you have to cancel and rebook the same rooms etc?

Just received email from my TA which reads, in part ...

"I did speak to my inside rep and they are cancelling per your request and $200 will go back to your MC ending in xxxx. It can take a week but please let me know when you get the credit so I know all is good. Every time I called, I got a different answer -- how ridiculous!"

So I am very grateful to her for putting in a lot of time and effort to resolve a problem that was not her fault and something for which she will not get a dime. All this while she is getting ready for the "storm of historic proportions." She has my loyalty forever.

I am also very grateful to the posters on this thread who did not just assume that I was wrong, stupid or trying to double-dip. They were helpful with links etc. that applied to my situation which I could address and pass along to the TA.

So the bottom line is that I was right and Celebrity was wrong and I will be getting my money back.

Thanks,

Cher

PS I will be on the Oasis again in March and you can bet I will be visiting Future Cruise Sales, but NOT to book a Celebrity cruise with them.

Just received email from my TA which reads, in part ...

 

"I did speak to my inside rep and they are cancelling per your request and $200 will go back to your MC ending in xxxx. It can take a week but please let me know when you get the credit so I know all is good. Every time I called, I got a different answer -- how ridiculous!"

 

So I am very grateful to her for putting in a lot of time and effort to resolve a problem that was not her fault and something for which she will not get a dime. All this while she is getting ready for the "storm of historic proportions." She has my loyalty forever.

 

I am also very grateful to the posters on this thread who did not just assume that I was wrong, stupid or trying to double-dip. They were helpful with links etc. that applied to my situation which I could address and pass along to the TA.

 

So the bottom line is that I was right and Celebrity was wrong and I will be getting my money back.

 

Thanks,

Cher

 

PS I will be on the Oasis again in March and you can bet I will be visiting Future Cruise Sales, but NOT to book a Celebrity cruise with them.

Great result; glad to hear all was resolved favourably for you :).

Glad it all worked out, although with a lot of hassle. Celebrity shoreside customer service (& web site) is their own worse enemy; their on board experience is the exact opposite. If it weren't, they'd be out of business.

Glad it worked out.

Just received email from my TA which reads, in part ...

 

"I did speak to my inside rep and they are cancelling per your request and $200 will go back to your MC ending in xxxx. It can take a week but please let me know when you get the credit so I know all is good. Every time I called, I got a different answer -- how ridiculous!"

 

So I am very grateful to her for putting in a lot of time and effort to resolve a problem that was not her fault and something for which she will not get a dime. All this while she is getting ready for the "storm of historic proportions." She has my loyalty forever.

 

I am also very grateful to the posters on this thread who did not just assume that I was wrong, stupid or trying to double-dip. They were helpful with links etc. that applied to my situation which I could address and pass along to the TA.

 

So the bottom line is that I was right and Celebrity was wrong and I will be getting my money back.

 

Thanks,

Cher

 

PS I will be on the Oasis again in March and you can bet I will be visiting Future Cruise Sales, but NOT to book a Celebrity cruise with them.

Cher two things:

1. First, thanks for initiating and guiding the discussion on OBC and Deposits above; as a relative newbie in this cruising world I find I learn quite a bit from some of the discussions here, and yours was definitely a good on.

2. Do you have a grandson nicknamed Z_ _ _ _ _ (or maybe X _ _ _ _ _)? If so, Meg says to say Hi!

Stan (who used to live in the old house across from St Therese)

Glad it was resolved to your satisfaction.

Mary Lou

Cher two things:

1. First, thanks for initiating and guiding the discussion on OBC and Deposits above; as a relative newbie in this cruising world I find I learn quite a bit from some of the discussions here, and yours was definitely a good on.

2. Do you have a grandson nicknamed Z_ _ _ _ _ (or maybe X _ _ _ _ _)? If so, Meg says to say Hi!

 

Stan (who used to live in the old house across from St Therese)

Wow!

Yes that's me who is Xander's Grandma and Jennifer's Mom. You must be that handsome guy married to my favorite retired state rep! Don't know how your weather is up there, but it was 72 here today.

Wow!

 

Yes that's me who is Xander's Grandma and Jennifer's Mom. You must be that handsome guy married to my favorite retired state rep! Don't know how your weather is up there, but it was 72 here today.

Moderate temps (25-35°) most of the winter, snow coming in tomorrow and we are headed for Buenos Aires and two weeks on Celebrity Infinity. Life is good.

We'll keep an eye out for you on the ships. . .

Stan