Should Celebrity give us something for missing the Holy Land on a Holy Land cruise?

[Natasha708]

Just back from the Celebrity Silhouette.

 

It was my dream cruise. I saved up for this one and used my savings to pay for it. I believed we would go to the port of Ashdod for two nights, and Haifa for one night.

I understand for safety reasons these ports were cancelled.

 

Yet, no future credit toward a cruise was given, no internet use for a day or hour to let our planned excursions know about the cancellation..no on board credit..nothing was given.

 

Am I wrong to think Celebrity missed an opportunity to keep a future customer?

[JLC@SD]

I believed we would go to the port of Ashdod for two nights, and Haifa for one night.

Did you go somewhere else ....or did you have days at sea.

[Natasha708]

Did you go somewhere else ....or did you have days at sea.

 

We over nighted in Istanbul, a port I had already over nighted at and do not consider it a Holy Land Port...

[dgparent]

You would think they would, sort like buying the booze package only to find they only have moonshine on board and not getting a refund.

[cruisemom42]

My opinion probably doesn't represent the majority, but I don't think cruise lines "owe" cruisers anything when a port is cancelled for clearly understandable reasons that have nothing to do with the operation of the ship or the line. (Other than the refund of any port taxes, if applicable.)

 

I was recently on a Med cruise on Swan Hellenic's Minerva. We could not make port in Civitavecchia due to extremely high winds and waves. The port was actually closed -- the captain waited about all morning hoping the wind would calm down and the port would open, but no go. We finally headed off toward our next port in Sardinia -- which was changed from Alghero to Cagliari, again due to weather considerations.

 

Many people were disappointed not to be able to get to Rome, surely a highlight for many cruisers. But not once did anyone suggest we were "owed" anything by the cruiseline, nor was anything offered. To me, as it should be.

[teajak]

Just back from the Celebrity Silhouette.

 

It was my dream cruise. I saved up for this one and used my savings to pay for it. I believed we would go to the port of Ashdod for two nights, and Haifa for one night.

I understand for safety reasons these ports were cancelled.

 

Yet, no future credit toward a cruise was given, no internet use for a day or hour to let our planned excursions know about the cancellation..no on board credit..nothing was given.

 

Am I wrong to think Celebrity missed an opportunity to keep a future customer?

Did you ask guest relations for internet or phone time to cancel any reservations? That is certainly all the cruise line owed you.Knowing the situation in the Holy Land you should have been prepared for changes:rolleyes:.

[Arubalisa]

My opinion probably doesn't represent the majority, but I don't think cruise lines "owe" cruisers anything when a port is cancelled for clearly understandable reasons that have nothing to do with the operation of the ship or the line. (Other than the refund of any port taxes, if applicable.)

 

Did you ask guest relations for internet or phone time to cancel any reservations? That is certainly all the cruise line owed you.Knowing the situation in the Holy Land you should have been prepared for changes:rolleyes:.

 

I am very sorry that this has happened to you. I have to agree with the above. Short of canceling your cruise entirely, this is a perfect argument for trip insurance. Google "trip insurance cancel for any reason political instability".

 

I would have approached the trip with a very open mind and schedule, hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. :(

[dln929]

Just back from the Celebrity Silhouette.

 

It was my dream cruise. I saved up for this one and used my savings to pay for it. I believed we would go to the port of Ashdod for two nights, and Haifa for one night.

I understand for safety reasons these ports were cancelled.

 

Yet, no future credit toward a cruise was given, no internet use for a day or hour to let our planned excursions know about the cancellation..no on board credit..nothing was given.

 

Am I wrong to think Celebrity missed an opportunity to keep a future customer?

 

I can understand your terrible disappointment but no, Celebrity owes you nothing. It's in your cruise contract that they have the right to change ports for any reason. In this case, it was your safety that came first and foremost and they did right by you in skipping such a volatile area of the world. Surely you knew the risk of cancellation before you embarked on the cruise?

[orchestrapal]

I can understand your terrible disappointment but no, Celebrity owes you nothing. It's in your cruise contract that they have the right to change ports for any reason. In this case, it was your safety that came first and foremost and they did right by you in skipping such a volatile area of the world. Surely you knew the risk of cancellation before you embarked on the cruise?

 

So sorry you missed Israel. It is a fabulous experience you can now look forward to on another trip. Try to do it by land so that you really havt time to appreciate the country and all it's amazing history.

As for any credits, unfortunately the other folks are right, X owes you nothing

according to their contract with you.

[chief joe]

No no no

[boogs]

As for any credits, unfortunately the other folks are right, X owes you nothing

according to their contract with you.

 

This is the contract that you AGREED TO when you booked this cruise.

[Andy]

Just back from the Celebrity Silhouette.

 

It was my dream cruise. I saved up for this one and used my savings to pay for it. I believed we would go to the port of Ashdod for two nights, and Haifa for one night.

I understand for safety reasons these ports were cancelled.

 

Yet, no future credit toward a cruise was given, no internet use for a day or hour to let our planned excursions know about the cancellation..no on board credit..nothing was given.

 

Am I wrong to think Celebrity missed an opportunity to keep a future customer?

 

Hi Natasha,

 

Sorry, but I'm in total agreement with others. IMO, Celebrity owes you nothing. While I completely understand the disappointment in not visiting Haifa & Ashdod... with everything going on in the world, one must expect the possibility, and in some regions - probability, of port changes. It's Celebrity's responsibility to keep their Guests out of harms way, and that's exactly what they did.

 

I agree with Teajack's internet comment. Had you asked for some internet time, Celebrity might have accomodated you, but that's the most they should have done in this case.

 

I hope you have a chance to visit Israel again in the future. All the best to you.

[Presto2]

Just back from the Celebrity Silhouette.

 

It was my dream cruise. I saved up for this one and used my savings to pay for it. I believed we would go to the port of Ashdod for two nights, and Haifa for one night.

I understand for safety reasons these ports were cancelled.

 

Yet, no future credit toward a cruise was given, no internet use for a day or hour to let our planned excursions know about the cancellation..no on board credit..nothing was given.

 

Am I wrong to think Celebrity missed an opportunity to keep a future customer?

 

I am so sorry to read of your disappointment. We were on the Silhouette's first Holy Land cruise in 2011 and it was the experience of a life time. Having said that, if it is any consolation to you, it was our 3rd attempt to get there due to the difficult situation over there. Better to go when you are safe.

 

Must admit, I would have been upset to go to Istanbul - it is one of those ports that really does not appeal to us at all. I would have preferred somewhere like Cyprus -

 

Sadly, I don't think Celebrity owe you anything - we should have had 2 days in Egypt when we were on our cruise and it was cancelled due to the political situation over there. We got a day in Haifa and Ephesus as a swap though.

 

It wasn't meant to be this time - I do hope that you get the chance to go again when it is safer over there.

[Hartlepool]

Just back from the Celebrity Silhouette.

 

It was my dream cruise. I saved up for this one and used my savings to pay for it. I believed we would go to the port of Ashdod for two nights, and Haifa for one night.

I understand for safety reasons these ports were cancelled.

 

Yet, no future credit toward a cruise was given, no internet use for a day or hour to let our planned excursions know about the cancellation..no on board credit..nothing was given.

 

Am I wrong to think Celebrity missed an opportunity to keep a future customer?

 

My wife and I were on the Silhouette and very much looking forward to visiting Israel. However, the safety of passengers is paramount and, although naturally disappointed at the change of Port, we fully supported the decision and do not expect any compensation.

[Can'tstopcruising]

Perhaps, legally, Celebrity owes the pax nothing, however, it would have been a very smart PR move to do SOMETHING to show that the company had a little empathy.

 

We have missed ports and received nothing. In this case, it was supposed to be a Holy Land cruise. That is not the same as missing one port in the Carib or Med.

[teajak]

Perhaps' date=' legally, Celebrity owes the pax nothing, however, it would have been a very smart PR move to do SOMETHING to show that the company had a little empathy.

 

We have missed ports and received nothing. In this case, it was supposed to be a Holy Land cruise. That is not the same as missing one port in the Carib or Med.[/quote']Holy land,Carib or Med it was done for the safety of the passengers,why is that so difficult to understand and be grateful they did it this way. :confused:

[WhansaMi]

Perhaps' date=' legally, Celebrity owes the pax nothing, however, it would have been a very smart PR move to do SOMETHING to show that the company had a little empathy.

 

We have missed ports and received nothing. In this case, it was supposed to be a Holy Land cruise. That is not the same as missing one port in the Carib or Med.[/quote']

 

But, if you think about the ramifications, it isn't fiscally reasonable for them to do so.

 

They lost a lot of revenue by having to cancel the excursions, so they take a loss there. If they also give all of the passengers OBC, that is more money lost. If that happens, they would probably have to rethink even offering cruises to that area of the world, where it is so turbulent.

 

By booking a cruise to a tumultuous area of the world, you run a risk of not being able to dock in some places. A lot of people *do* get there. Some don't. It is unfortunate, but the alternative is that you don't even have a chance.

 

Someone asked earlier something along the lines of "Didn't you know this could happen?" I think it is important that it be said loudly and often "Don't book a cruise if going to a particular port is of primary importance to you."

 

I didn't know (or I guess think about), when I took my first cruise, that the cruiseline's responsibility is only to get you out on the ocean, provide you with safe lodging and food, and get you back. Beyond that, if weather, political unrest, mechanical failure, etc. means you can't get to a port, that is part of the deal.

 

Cruise because you love cruising, the ship and being on the ocean.

 

We are going to do the TA on the Silhouette next December. We are researching private tours in Rome, Florence, Barcelona, and other places. Of course I will be disappointed if I can't go to one of them -- I will have been planning this for a year! But, ultimately, if I really want to go to those places, I need to plan a land based tour, because I know that it is not a guarantee that the ship can get me there.

[ghstudio]

I think there is a large difference between the Reflection missing a port on it's recent TA due to a ship problem....and this cruise that missed a port due to a decision based on safety of the passengers and ship, things that were completely out of Celebrity's control.

 

If the missed stop is due to a problem with the ship or something under Celebrity's control, then compensation of some sort seems reasonable. However, when you miss a port, be it Israel or Egypt or the Falklands due to concerns about passenger or ship safety, then that's a risk that all of us take when we book any trip or cruise.

 

In this case, I don't think Celebrity owes anything....they made a reasonable decision based on the safety risk given the current situation (there really are missiles flying around and blowing things up, albeit not where the ship docks).

 

I guess I have to ask...had they docked in Israel and you were injured due to some "political" event, would you turn around and sue Celebrity for putting you in harms way? Note: Don't post your answer here...but think about it...and think what others on the cruise would do in that situation).

 

Going to Israel (or Egypt) right now would be viewed by most people as pretty risky. I think Celebrity made the right decision. On the other hand, from a marketing perspective, they could have offered some free drinks for everyone...but that's a marketing decision. Even if they had done that, some on the ship would still want a full refund, significant dollars, etc. There's really no win here...I'm sure Celebrity would have prefered to make the stops.

[Bxc53]

I'm also sorry you missed the ports and your opportunity to see Ashdod and Haifa on that trip.

 

I do have to agree that Celebrity did the right thing in canceling the port visits for obvious reasons.

 

Maybe it's just a language issue but they do not 'owe' you anything. As noted, the contract clearly covers the possibility of missing ports or other itinerary changes.

 

Perhaps you are feeling that they should make a concession for customer satisfaction, even though they had no part in the situation that led to the port changes.

 

This would be more accurately a 'gift' rather than a debt owed.

 

Apparently they decided not to offer a gift in this case. If that bothers you, perhaps you would be happier with another cruise line..

[KirkNC]

Sorry to hear you missed those ports but as you said, X did it for your safety so I don't understand why they should compensate you. This is an inherent risk in cruising or traveling overseas.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

Perhaps' date=' legally, Celebrity owes the pax nothing, however, it would have been a very smart PR move to do SOMETHING to show that the company had a little empathy.

 

We have missed ports and received nothing. In this case, it was supposed to be a Holy Land cruise. That is not the same as missing one port in the Carib or Med.[/quote']

 

Maybe it's not the same to you, but another passenger might have saved up to visit some port in the Med or the Caribbean that was special for him/her. A missed port is a missed port. It's one of the risks of cruising.

 

I do believe that cruisers should do some minimum due diligence about their destinations before sailing. Then they can be aware of the possibility of missing port due to the political situation and decide whether or not to take the risk. I'm dying to go to Egypt; however, I wouldn't book that at present due to the unstable political situation.

 

To the OP, I'm sorry for your disappointment. Perhaps if things settle down in the middle east, you will get another chance to go there.

[Despegue]

The whole Palestine, which is the geographical area ( not country) of Israel and Palestina has been quite stable up to a couple of weeks ago.

We did a cruise last September that included a stop in Haifa and we visited Jerusalem. Very humbling and powerful experience.

Unrest can happen anywhere in the World. unfortunately, the Palestine has always been a hotpot and stops do get cancelled from time to time.

Let us hope that the situation improves and that we will once more be able to visit what some call " the Holy Land".

As for a reimbursement? as others said, it is all mentioned in the cruise contract.

[Natasha708]

Perhaps' date=' legally, Celebrity owes the pax nothing, however, it would have been a very smart PR move to do SOMETHING to show that the company had a little empathy.

 

We have missed ports and received nothing. In this case, it was supposed to be a Holy Land cruise. That is not the same as missing one port in the Carib or Med.[/quote']

 

Exactly! I know what the contract says. It just would have been good PR.... doesn't give me any reason to book with them for my next cruise.. a future cruise credit..even 100.00 would have..like I said it was a missed opportunity on their part.

[WhansaMi]

Exactly! I know what the contract says. It just would have been good PR.... doesn't give me any reason to book with them for my next cruise.. a future cruise credit..even 100.00 would have..like I said it was a missed opportunity on their part.

 

How many on the ship? 3000? That's $30,000 in loss, in addition to the excursions. And, missed ports happen with some regularity. How much in losses would you say that comes to?

[Bosjoe]

Exactly! I know what the contract says. It just would have been good PR.... doesn't give me any reason to book with them for my next cruise.. a future cruise credit..even 100.00 would have..like I said it was a missed opportunity on their part.

 

And it would have been worst PR if they did go and something happen. Better Safe then sorry.

 

These are the rules of cruising, you can miss ports due to weather violence or some other issue, if you don't like these possibilities I suggest not to cruise, because this could happen again in the future. Sorry no love from us when the cruise line did nothing wrong.