Freedom of the Seas, May 3, 2015 Not available for booking?

[LadyMage]

For those of you going on the capital jazz supercruise:

 

I just realized that we will be in port together! We are sailing out of San Juan as well on Oct 24. We'll be waving to you from the Summit!

 

Hey hey! See you across the way! :D If we're sharing a host hotel, please feel free to party with us!

[TifffanyD]

Hey hey! See you across the way! :D If we're sharing a host hotel, please feel free to party with us!

 

I think we're going to be cheap-O's and fly in the day of the cruise! Boo, I know. :)

[LetsGetWet!]

I really, really hope it won't come to that. Final payments on this thing are due on March 15th - I'm sure that there will be answers by then.

I'm with you, I sure hope it doesn't come to that. But their silence, and outright lies to customers as recently as a week ago that the charter is still on - leads me to believe they're in full melt-down mode at this point. I'm betting they simply don't have the money to provide refunds to all the customers that they've taken payments from, and the online silence & lies to customers on the phone speaks to their desperation at this point.

 

EDIT: Here's a post from one of those event pages:

 

I just talked to the promoter today, the cruise is not cancelled! If it should get cancelled we will be notified. They just have a couple items to work out so the entertainers are satisfied with what their customers are getting from them.

January 28 at 12:56am

Edited February 3, 2015 by LetsGetWet!

[LadyMage]

If there is a silver lining to this situation, the guests booked after RCI reclaimed the FOS can thank the Maxwell Group for the discounted rates and the FOS is coming out of drydock with several upgrades and enhancements

 

Hopefully this situation will not over shadow the incredible product that the successful music charters are providing to their guests

 

San Juan PR will be the epicenter of full charter music cruises in the next few months....Festival at Sea in July, Capital Jazz SuperCruise in October and Dave Koz & Friends in Feb 2016...all 3 are sell outs

 

I kick myself for always seeming to miss Dave Koz & Friends!!! But the problem is, it doesn't jive with my work schedule, and it's ALWAYS such a great lineup...argh!

 

But CapJazz has been just such a great time. So yep, I'm going to stick with them.

 

I think that this will actually put a spotlight on the other music charters. If anything, Maxwell at Sea has been an example of "what NOT to do in public relations when putting on a music cruise". If people see that other music charters are nothing like Maxwell/BTW, that's more business to the good eggs.

[hattack]

Hi Tiffany....look for a huge Capital Jazz SuperCruise banner on the port side of the Carnival Liberty ..we will know when we receive our final newsletter in early October if we will be lucky enough to have a Lido Deck concert prior to sailing so while you are waiving goodbye to us you can dance to the LIVE music....ours is an 8 day charter so we return Sunday Nov 1st

 

You might want to consider joining us next year the Capital Jazz SuperCruise 10...suggest you sign up on their website, now, to receive notification when it will open for sale

[TifffanyD]

Hi Tiffany....look for a huge Capital Jazz SuperCruise banner on the port side of the Carnival Liberty ..we will know when we receive our final newsletter in early October if we will be lucky enough to have a Lido Deck concert prior to sailing so while you are waiving goodbye to us you can dance to the LIVE music....ours is an 8 day charter so we return Sunday Nov 1st

 

You might want to consider joining us next year the Capital Jazz SuperCruise 10...suggest you sign up on their website, now, to receive notification when it will open for sale

 

I will definitely look for the sign and hope to sponge off your music! :) I wonder if we will be in any other ports together. I saw the port list but couldn't see which day you were at each - do you have that info?

[LadyMage]

I'm with you, I sure hope it doesn't come to that. But their silence, and outright lies to customers as recently as a week ago that the charter is still on - leads me to believe they're in full melt-down mode at this point. I'm betting they simply don't have the money to provide refunds to all the customers that they've taken payments from, and the online silence & lies to customers on the phone speaks to their desperation at this point.

 

EDIT: Here's a post from one of those event pages:

 

I just talked to the promoter today, the cruise is not cancelled! If it should get cancelled we will be notified. They just have a couple items to work out so the entertainers are satisfied with what their customers are getting from them.

January 28 at 12:56am

 

Yeah, that's what I saw too. The sound you hear is my facepalm.

 

It just doesn't jive. R.C. confirmed to me that the full-ship charter is canceled - in those words. Detr0tvsEverybody had it on P. 7 that there's no partial or any charter at all, and he (or she) got it from the exec offices. So are the people at BTW trying to salvage it and hit on some sort of a solution, or are they just lying to save face?

 

Considering they're still playing the delete-the-negative-comment game, I'm putting my money on the second option.

 

Believe you me, I'd love to see them salvage the event, pull through as a large group - something. Because it'll show that they at least tried to do right by the people who paid them, and it'll live up to the old-age motto that 'the show must go on' - yes, in a reduced capacity, but it'll be major points for them if they do something, anything at all, to salvage this thing.

 

You are right, it's meltdown mode right now.

 

But the way it's looking, I definitely do not like, and I think that they're well past the salvage point.

Edited February 3, 2015 by LadyMage

[hattack]

If the Maxwell folks try to salvage this unfortunate situation (IMHO) the major challenge will be fans ( or those that are curious) of the music and artists who are not a part of the Maxwell private event, wanting to see the concerts and intermingle with the artists....also because of the logistics of doing music concerts, certain public rooms (i.e. ice skating rink, rehersal rooms) will be reserved or have limited access, which causes challenges with the overwhelming number of guests who are not a part of the private group...not a great way to co exists for a vacation week

 

For those that have never been on a full charter music cruise, the main difference is the full immersion especially on full days at sea

 

March 15th will tell the tale

[LadyMage]

True. I can't imagine the nightmarish situation that will cause for the staff of BTW employees, and for the rest of the cruisers. I severely doubt the non-event attendees will be very displeased with being shut out from the concerts and entertainments.

 

Good grief, what a MESS.

[hattack]

Monday 10/26 - Martinique...Wednesday 10/28 - Grenada....Thursday 10/29 - Tobago...Friday 10/30 - Barbados

 

Another perk of a private charter, our itinerary can be customized based upon feedback from guests feedback and we have an extra day

[TifffanyD]

Monday 10/26 - Martinique...Wednesday 10/28 - Grenada....Thursday 10/29 - Tobago...Friday 10/30 - Barbados

 

Another perk of a private charter, our itinerary can be customized based upon feedback from guests feedback and we have an extra day

 

I don't think we will meet up anywhere other than San Juan. Tobago - interesting!! The rest we are hitting as well but different days :)

 

The extra day sounds great! There should be more ships that do 8 night cruises (maybe alternating with 6 night ones).

[hattack]

The extra day gives us 3 full days at sea....which means live concerts on the Lido Deck during the day and at least 4 concerts at night, workshops, parties, Q&A's, in the Atrium, CD listening parties, midnight allstar jam sessions, book signings, bid whisk & spades tournaments etc from 0700 thru 0200 am with 3400+ like minded music fans

 

No rest for the weary.....lol....

 

Enjoy your cruise...Celebrity has beautiful ships

[LadyMage]

And this just in... If you look at the official Maxwell at Sea event page, they put up a post that it's canceled.

 

https://www.facebook.com/events/1423822307879800/

 

Copypasta:

 

MAXWELLatsea.com

5 mins · Phoenix, AZ

The "Maxwell + The 7 Seas" cruise, previously scheduled for May 3-10, 2015, has unfortunately been canceled due to unforeseen events and circumstances between the cruise line and promoter.

Maxwell, "I'm so sorry that the 7 seas cruise has been canceled. I've been planning it for months, but the experience I had in mind for the fans just wasn't turning out as i had envisioned."

Please contact BTWatsea.com for details.

[Mott1086]

About time they stop lying to everyone

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[LadyMage]

Now time for them to issue refunds, ASAP.

 

And might I say it? Thank you to everyone on this forum for keeping the pressure on. This is how we weed out dishonest businesses: put the heat on and keep it lit. Y'all rock. :)

[LadyMage]

Apologies if FB links are not allowed...

[hattack]

RIP....so now this thread can die a natural death....so sorry for the guests that book but hopefully they will receive their full refunds quickly and have time for alternate cruising vacation plans

[LetsGetWet!]

And this just in... If you look at the official Maxwell at Sea event page, they put up a post that it's canceled.

 

https://www.facebook.com/events/1423822307879800/

 

Copypasta:

 

MAXWELLatsea.com

5 mins · Phoenix, AZ

The "Maxwell + The 7 Seas" cruise, previously scheduled for May 3-10, 2015, has unfortunately been canceled due to unforeseen events and circumstances between the cruise line and promoter.

Maxwell, "I'm so sorry that the 7 seas cruise has been canceled. I've been planning it for months, but the experience I had in mind for the fans just wasn't turning out as i had envisioned."

Please contact BTWatsea.com for details.

Wow, the deception just seems to continue - on again, off again! Glad you pasted the text of the announcement, because now they've simply removed the entire Facebook page! Your link just goes to a "content not available" error message now.

[Piepkorn]

Monday 10/26 - Martinique...Wednesday 10/28 - Grenada....Thursday 10/29 - Tobago...Friday 10/30 - Barbados

 

Another perk of a private charter, our itinerary can be customized based upon feedback from guests feedback and we have an extra day

 

That is a great itinerary. The timing of the Dave Koz Cruise didn't work for us in 2016, so I'll be watching for this one.

[GSLeader13]

I am really disappointed with this promoter. I have sent them a message today requesting my full refund or I am filing a complaint. Then I see a FB message from Maxwell that it was cancelled. I am hoping I hear back from them today regarding my refund.

[hattack]

My sense in reading the 1st wave of FB postings following the cancellation announcement, his fan base did not actually book cabins....I would love to see the FB postings of paid guests and how they are reacting to the announcement...I suspect if full refunds are not processed quickly, that may change

 

It is the nature of the business that music charters will fail...depending on how the cancellation is handled would determine if there will be another swipe at the apple...what perplexes me is that normally there is an extensive ground game campaign to assess interest (usually a small refundable good faith deposit ) before one would approach a cruise line for a full charter.....less alone to charter the FOS which holds 4000+

 

Also, as a wise person in the industry that I respect, shared with me, just because an artist is popular, has a current hot release and has a large fan base, does not make that artist a "fit" to do a full charter music cruise....on the Capital Jazz SuperCruise (among others) there is alot of trust and respect between the artists and the guests......the artists don't have large entourages or "their people" between the artists & fellow cruisers...in return guests respect the artists privacy especially when they are with their families, and keep the interactions with their favorite artists, short, because we understand we share them with 3000+ others....there are no "private VIP events" where you have to pay extra to interact with the artists...and yet, like the Visa commercial...the brief interactions we have with the artists are....priceless....

 

Hopefully the Maxwell booked guests, will secure their refunds quickly and hopefully consider the Capital Jazz SuperCruise...about 1/3 of our line up has been announced so far, so if we are lucky some of tbe Maxwell artists will join us....I would love to have dinner with some of the Maxwell folks to find out...."the rest of the story"

[Wendy&Grumpy]

Wow, the deception just seems to continue - on again, off again! Glad you pasted the text of the announcement, because now they've simply removed the entire Facebook page! Your link just goes to a "content not available" error message now.

 

The message is still on Maxwell's page: https://www.facebook.com/Maxwell

 

If you look down a few posts to his ""me and the levitation expert @anasbukhash in dubai" post you'll see my post to him this morning asking about the cruise "More trickery, like the canceled Maxwell & the Seven Seas cruise charter that has been canceled but is still being advertised?!"

 

Do you think it's possible even Maxwell himself was kept in the dark about the status of the charter?!

[LetsGetWet!]

The message is still on Maxwell's page: https://www.facebook.com/Maxwell

 

If you look down a few posts to his ""me and the levitation expert @anasbukhash in dubai" post you'll see my post to him this morning asking about the cruise "More trickery, like the canceled Maxwell & the Seven Seas cruise charter that has been canceled but is still being advertised?!"

 

Do you think it's possible even Maxwell himself was kept in the dark about the status of the charter?!

I think its possible, yes. Unfortunately, even if he was, I imagine he'll end up embroiled in the ensuing legal mess since his name was on it.

 

Although they've simply removed their Facebook event page, the promoter has at least changed their own website - the entire site (which was still there this morning) has been replaced by a single page announcing the cancellation, and giving a form for customers to fill out to be contacted (like they're not sure if customers want to be contacted or not unless they fill out the form???)

 

http://maxwellatsea.com/

[Wendy&Grumpy]

I think its possible, yes. Unfortunately, even if he was, I imagine he'll end up embroiled in the ensuing legal mess since his name was on it.

 

Although they've simply removed their Facebook event page, the promoter has at least changed their own website - the entire site (which was still there this morning) has been replaced by a single page announcing the cancellation, and giving a form for customers to fill out to be contacted (like they're not sure if customers want to be contacted or not unless they fill out the form???)

 

http://maxwellatsea.com/

 

Yeah, I just saw that too.

 

I had also noticed this morning that the BTW FB page didn't have the cruise listed in their events.

 

It's irritating how they are trying to dump the blame on RCI too: "unforeseen events and circumstances between the cruise line and promoter." Now folks are upset with RCI! :mad:

[TifffanyD]

Yeah, I just saw that too.

 

I had also noticed this morning that the BTW FB page didn't have the cruise listed in their events.

 

It's irritating how they are trying to dump the blame on RCI too: "unforeseen events and circumstances between the cruise line and promoter." Now folks are upset with RCI! :mad:

 

Silly RCI... wanting to be paid and all that.