Very disappointed with Celebrity treatment over shortened Summit cruise

[Ma Bell]

I could understand what you're saying if they did not receive any cash. As far as I'm concerned $300 on board plus $200 is what I call cash. I just think Celebrity was trying to be fair and gave a combination of both. As I said, if you are truly unhappy then pursue it farther, but I don't quite understand the angry face on the post, the being "very disappointed " and the not being able to recommend Celebrity even though you had a wonderful cruise. As Joan said, if everyone runs down at the same time and they don't have a representative for each person on board, it's going to take a bit of a wait.

[mrfred]

To me, the only fair way to START to compensate is to give 1/x (x being the number of days in your cruise) times the cost of your cruise. This seems only fair as a starting point.

 

$300 per room (often more than 2 people in FV or Suites) for food and lodging on shore or changing flights is absurd. How about a per person compensation?

 

I'm never in favor of making up for a problem with a discount on future business. While it is good for the business (generally costs them nothing) it does mean the customer has to come back to see any benefit. If one does not plan on another trip in the time period or just doesn't want to use that cruise line again, they get nothing.

 

Those who had their trip canceled got a good deal, but those who lost a day were not properly compensated IMO.

[tbelian]

I'm never in favor of making up for a problem with a discount on future business. While it is good for the business (generally costs them nothing) it does mean the customer has to come back to see any benefit.

 

What are you saying? That the 'cost to do business' is zero? That's not very realistic. Turning the lights on, cooking up the food, and spinning the props has a cost associated with it.

[M&MJ]

for the those who don't think the 'abbreviated' cruise dictates any further 'compensation'. Has this sort of thing ever happened to you on a cruise? We're not talking about an unavoidable situation with the weather. I was on a cruise to the Western Caribbean and we had to miss Cancun due to rough water, I understood that and didn't expect anything in return. This problem was mechanical, and not an emergency. We were assured that there was no immediate danger to the ship or passengers, just that a slot had opened in dry dock. This was a business decision made by Celebrity, they knew about it enough in advance so that parts would be available for repairs. Also, please keep in mind that this was a cruise to Alaska, not just a 3-day jaunt to the Caribbean. Probably a once in a lifetime trip for the majority of people. It's pretty tough to plan for something and anticipate it for quite a while only to be told that one of the ports is being dropped. I think they were very generous with the people scheduled for the June 3 cruise, it would have been nice if they had offered the the May 27 paseengers the option of delaying the cruise to another time so that they could then decide if they wanted to miss the port of Ketchikan, but that's a done deal now. I know that several people plan to follow up with letters to the company, we'll just have to see how things go from here.

[Ma Bell]

If you feel it was not fair you should definitely follow up. There would obviously be some people who were in suites where the $300+$200 would not cover the cost of 14% of their cruise. The amount offered would cover most of the passengers. If I were a person who could take another cruise and I traveled in a suite or FV on a regular basis, I would be very happy to have 25% off on another cruise for missing one day. In fact if I usually traveled in an inside cabin the discount would enable me to have a balcony next time.

 

For those who are unhappy I have said definitely pursue it. I just don't think the compensation is out of line for the great majority of cruisers on this itinerary.

[canderson]

Pod issues -- given the long history of this problem across the entire fleet of M-Class ships, it's gotten to the point where pax ought to be invoking the spirit of a "lemon law", and Celebrity should be doing the same with Alstrom. Providing Celebrity has assured that correct periodic maintenance has been performed to assure that bearings & etc. have been properly cared for, it's time somebody starts playing hard ball here. I understand that the issue with Alstrom & Rolls is already headed for the courts, and so it should be. Anything that is the perennial problem this has been and, by its nature, causes such a large amount of heartburn and expense for both Celebrity and its pax should be very firmly addressed. We're not talking about minor issues of the a broken sauna in the spa -- these are propulsion problems that require unschedule dry-dock maintenance and hard interruptions in the fleet schedules.

 

I haven't a clue how the contracts and warranty information may read between Celebrity and Alstrom, but it would seem appropriate for Celebrity to refund, as others have suggested ((cruise days lost / original length) x cruise price) -- a simple per diem for lost days -- per customer as many have suggested, add in the $300 per person for any verifiable costs to modify reservations or book a hotel, and add the whole bloody total to the cost of any suit against Alstrom.

[hermang]

I don't know how the so called lemon law pertains to the pods - but as you pointed out Celebrity has brought suit against Alstrom. You are in my estimation correct in saying that there should be a way to tack on additional costs for each cruise that gets cancelled assuming that Celebrity has performed the proper maintenance - which I am sure they are doing as the caught the problem before the pods ceased working.

I think an aribitrator should set a fixed rate that Celebrity can bill Alstrom for loss of revenue that can be given back to the passengers at least in part plus something for good will.

[canderson]

I don't know how the so called lemon law pertains to the pods

I'm sure they don't -- note that I referred to the "spirit" of a lemon law as a way of describing the stance I thought should be taken by Celebrity and its customers alike.

 

- but as you pointed out Celebrity has brought suit against Alstrom. You are in my estimation correct in saying that there should be a way to tack on additional costs for each cruise that gets cancelled assuming that Celebrity has performed the proper maintenance - which I am sure they are doing as the caught the problem before the pods ceased working.

I think an aribitrator should set a fixed rate that Celebrity can bill Alstrom for loss of revenue that can be given back to the passengers at least in part plus something for good will.

Redistributing any excess from that award back to Celebrity's customers for "good will" would be a real accounting project. Did customer A already receive some cash? Or did Customer A take advantage of the 25% coupon within the required time period (perhaps not yet even known) and if so, what were Celebrity's actual costs associated with that 25% discount, etc etc etc. This, and the fact that the policy has varied a good bit over the life of these pod problems would make it more of an accounting nightmare to manage equitably!

 

My concern is that Alstrom may insist that Celebrity has already come to any terms that they like with their customers for past recompense for days lost, and will be very unlikely to be pushed a step beyond that -- if that far. In other words, I doubt there will be any 'excess'.

 

Disclaimer: have never lost a single day or port on a Celebrity cruise except for one port due to the seemingly inevitable emergency medical issues on long cruises.

[tbelian]

acceptable compensation has always been relative.

 

There is a whole industry (and long term analysis to back it up) on 'CRM', or the lack thereof (CRM=Customer Relationship Management). The discovery of an acceptable CRM formula that pleases everyone would make someone very wealthy.

[Andy]

I think an aribitrator should set a fixed rate that Celebrity can bill Alstrom for loss of revenue that can be given back to the passengers at least in part plus something for good will.

 

Hi Hermang !

 

I may be wrong about this, but I believe I read somewhere that the company that designed the pods are either bankrupt, or in severe financial difficulty. If this is the case, I would think that Celebrity wont see very much from them, if anything. No question, they SHOULD be compensated.... but who knows if they will ever see any money from this mess.

[chickpea]

I'm with Hutchins on this. My husband and I were also on this cruise. First time cruisers. This trip to Alaska was a once in a lifetime trip for us. We hadn't taken a vacation since our honeymoon. I felt that the situation was poorly handled by Celebrity but we didn't let it spoil our vacation.

 

Our issues (and believe me, this will be included in a letter to Celebrity as well):

1. We were informed of the change via a folded letter included with our key cards upon boarding. As it was handed to us, they said that important information was included and to make sure to read it. I didn't think much of it, so imagine my surprise and dismay upon reading it. They attempted to inform all travel agents of the change, but I booked through Expedia, so I wasn't expecting much from them as a TA. Celebrity could have at least sent out a mass email (they had all our contact info from the registration on the website) with a heads up.

2. The staff sent to facilitate flight arrangements were less than helpful. We had to make 4 separate visits to finally get our arrangements made. First time we were supposed to get a call back because of technical difficulties with the satellite. No callback, we go again. Still having technical difficulties, they will call us back when its all arranged. No callback, we go again. They tell us the airline can't make the arrangements because it was done through Orbitz and we have to contact Orbitz. We contact Orbitz, and Orbitz says to contact the airline. We go back one last time before giving up and spending the night in Vancouver, and they make the change lickety-split, no questions asked. This should have been accomplished with one visit, one callback, period.

3. The 25% off coupon is completely useless to us as we probably won't take another real vacation for another 3-5 years.

 

With that said, we are not looking for any additional compensation. I understand that these things happen, but I see opportunities where Celebrity could have handled it in a better manner. My husband and I did our best to go with the flow and try to not be bothered by the significant change (half of our scheduled excursions were in Ketchikan), but the lack of good, responsive customer service from Celebrity left a bad taste in our mouths.

 

Its easy to point and say that we're asking too much from a company, but imagine yourself in our situation and ask yourself if you would be satisfied with this experience on your first and maybe only cruise.

[sasset]

I just read that Rolls Royce and Alstom have agreed to settle with Celebrity on the Mermaid Pods lawsuit.

 

The settlement will provide Celebrity with vouchers for 25% off all future Mermaid Pod purchases.

 

Regards

[excitedofharpenden]

I just read that Rolls Royce and Alstom have agreed to settle with Celebrity on the Mermaid Pods lawsuit.

 

The settlement will provide Celebrity with vouchers for 25% off all future Mermaid Pod purchases.

 

Regards

:D

 

Phil

[Host Walt]

If you write, keep your letter SHORT. Long letters with every intimate detail will eventually be read, and, unless the details pertain to a specific action by a Celebrity employee or a specific defect on a ship, will make no difference to the Customer Service (CS) Representative who will handle your case. Remember, you want that CS Rep. to be on your side in resolving your complaint.

In this case they know all about the missed port, they know you are disappointed at missing Ketchikan and that the offered "compensation" is unsatisfactory to you (otherwise you wouldn't be writing). To spend more than 1 or 2 sentences on the reasons for your disappointment is a waste of time and will make no difference in the outcome.

 

Then be sure you state clearly and succinctly what you would accept as fair compensation. The SC Rep can't guess what you will accept so, without a specific request from you, you may just get a form apology and little else.

 

Be reasonable (asking for monetary compensation in lieu of a 25% discount on a future cruise that you can't take is clearly reasonable). If you want reimbursement to extra expenses over and above what they provided, state briefly what those expenses were for and the total amount. If you can, attach a list and/or copies of receipts but do not include that detail in the body of the letter.

 

If your letter runs more than 1 page it's too long and won't get the quick attention you want. Remember, yours won't be the only letter in the stack so you want yours to be acted on before the others. You do that by respecting the time and effort required by the CS representative

 

Finally, resist being overly emotional; emotion won't make any difference in the ultimate resolution.

[mikiew]

Personally, I would say they were very generous, and you shouldn't complain.:)

 

 

There are a lot worse things than missing one day..............so enjoy it somewhere else.

 

 

It certainly wasn't something that Celebrity wanted to happen, so make lemonade out of lemons. That sounds pretty generous to me.

[Host Walt]

[quote name='sasset']I just read that Rolls Royce and Alstom have agreed to settle with Celebrity on the Mermaid Pods lawsuit.

The settlement will provide Celebrity with vouchers for 25% off all future Mermaid Pod purchases.

Regards[/QUOTE]And the attornies agreed to "reasonable fees" of $125,000,000.00.:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[albertiger]

now thats funny!!! :D

[lysolqn]

I may be in the minority, but I think the compensation offered is appropriate and fair. Compensation was offered to cover unforeseen expenses for hotel/meals in Vancouver, the cost of flight changes and the shortened cruise. I'd venture to say for most passengers, the cash compensation plus the value of the discount off a future cruise is greater than one-seventh or 14% of their total cruise fare. How much more should the cruiseline be responsible for?
Sure, I'd hate to have my cruise cut short for any reason, but no one hates having to alter an itinerary or cut short a cruise more than the cruiseline. Not only does it cost them in terms of dollars with respect to refunds and lost onboard revenue, but it costs them dearly in bad press, negative word of mouth and generally bad public relations. I'm not going to throw a benefit for Celebrity, but having to alter/cancel another cruise on an M-class ship as a result of pod problems hurts them in the pocket a lot more than it hurts the passengers.

[CalistaClap]

We were on the June 3 Summit cancelled cruise. I'm not going to complain about their compensation, because I do think that it was good.

But what I will say is that if I hadn't of checked this website, we would have flown to Vancouver and been sitting at the pier wondering why our boat wasn't there.

No one contacted us, or our travel agent for that matter. It was exactly 1 week before we were to go (3-4 days after the press release that it was cancelled), and I happened to come on here, and seen a big message saying the June 3 summit was cancelled.

We called the travel agent, who didn't know anything about it. She had to call the company and then called us to confirm. And we went through a large Canada-wide travel agency.

Celebrity really should have been more informative about the cancellation. I did a web search on it, and only got 2 matches.

I just feel bad for the people that didn't find out, and flew out there anyway. Or those who went out early. I'm sure there are alot of people on that cruise who didn't use this site.

I'm just glad that I did happen to come onto this site, because I know we wouldn't have found out any other way. They should make it the #1 priority to contact every guest.

[greatful]

I knew because of the board but we did get a call from our travel agent (we used online 1100 mile away one) a few hours after the announcement.

Does anyone know what the full benefits are for full cancellation besides the full refund & free cruise. Are they covering any of the additional airline fees or lost hotel $ etc? Thanks

[debjac]

Forgive my ignorance but very curious how insurance would play into this. Celebrity gave $200 towards changing flights or hotel. Would insurance also pay you for these expenses (in essence double dipping) or must you claim the money given from Celebrity to the insurance company?
Second, if you cannot change your flights and must stay in a hotel would insurance reimburse any difference in the cost, taxis, meals, etc?

[greatful]

If losses were over the Celebrity amount I would think insurance comes in. I wouldn't double dip because of legal, ethical, moral issues, but the combination of what Celebrity will do & insurance needs to be taken advantage of to the legal max.

[canderson]

[quote name='Host Andy']Hi Hermang !

I may be wrong about this, but I believe I read somewhere that the company that designed the pods are either bankrupt, or in severe financial difficulty. If this is the case, I would think that Celebrity wont see very much from them, if anything. [/QUOTE]If I understand how all of this took place, this was officially a [u]subcontractor[/u], which leaves Alstrom on the hook for their choice in this part of the design. That shouldn't effect Celebrity's efforts at compensation at all. While Alstrom may in turn have no pockets elsewhere to turn out, that's Alstrom's problem, and that doesn't preclude Celebrity from going after Alstrom.

[mrfred]

[quote name='tbelian']What are you saying? That the 'cost to do business' is zero? That's not very realistic. Turning the lights on, cooking up the food, and spinning the props has a cost associated with it.[/QUOTE]

What I'm saying is most of the time you get some kind of discount on a future purchase with a company it actually costs the company nothing. It does not eat through the entire profit margin of the purchase. The company just makes less profit than normal on the new purchase.

[Bollinge]

Firstly, how much did you pay for your cruise? In CC class, of course. If I were Judge Dredd or whoever he is on American daytime TV, that's the first question I would ask you.

Second, how were you inconvenienced? Did you incur extra expenses such as overnight hotel and meal charges, flight supplements / surcharges? Planned airport transfers home which had to be re-scheduled? Telephone costs for all of the above?

Finally, you are due an extra sum by way of loss of enjoyment by having your cruise curtailed. Should this be 1/7 of your fare paid? Or should it be more?

In my experience cruise lines go out of their way to compensate passengers on cancelled or curtailed voyages, but you have to admit, your trip was only slightly abbreviated.

Judge Bollinge decrees that a fair and equitable settlement would be as follows:

1: A cash refund of 1/7th of your cruise fare.

2: Reimbursement in full in cash of any definable expenses you suffered as a direct result of the schedule alteration.

3: A voucher for a 25% discount on a future cruise with the line, redeemable at any time in the next twelve months. (Remember, you can book eighteen months ahead, so this gives you plenty of time to arrange another vacation. I go away somewhere every month - Get a life. You're a long time dead!)

I am sorry that you had a problem on your cruise, and hope you are eventually satisfied with what you are offered.