Contacting Celebrity/free Parking

[oldsilverfox]

I know that all of the cruise lines are cutting back on everything that they can in order to cut costs but I do feel that RCL/Celebrity have gone way too far with their "Contact us" facility.

 

I've have just spent a considerable time on the phone waiting to be connected, just so that I could pay the balance on my forthcoming cruise. At least Carnival has a dedicated "button" if you are settling your account.

 

As well as long waiting times on the telephone, we also do not appear to have the benefit of an email contact that you can try as an alternative to the mostly non-applicable FAQ's on the site, however remote the chance of getting a response.

 

Here is an example; I am uncertain whether my cruise deal includes free parking at Southampton. There is no information on my invoice nor on the Cruise Personaliser. So, should I spend another small part of my life listening to how "your call is important to us" or has any forum members in the UK got any better ideas on how to get a response ??

 

By coincidence at the same time, I also had a similar query on a forthcoming Viking river cruise. 0208 = UK number, straight through to a helpful person.

 

BTW I understand that the CEO of Celebrity and the UK Celebrity head will be on my cruise. If she is taking questions, and anybody from Celebrity ever reads these forums, I will be looking for some answers.

 

In case anyone thinks otherwise, I am a keen Celebrity passenger but I do think that their pre-cruise customer support is dire.

[julia]

Fox:

 

Never in my many cruises has "free parking" ever been offered. The cruiselines do not own, nor operate the parking facilities associated with ports. While I have never sailed from Southhampton, I highly doubt it would be any different there.

 

So sorry to hear of the terrible customer service you have received. It truly is inexcusable!

[cruisestitch]

Free parking has been offered sometimes from Southampton. I wish I could offer you a working phone number or email address, but there just doesn't seem to be such a thing. Sometimes someone from Celebrity monitors these boards, and has proven to be helpful in cases like yours. Perhaps they will see these posts.

[lucyliz]

I received free parking as a perk for our Eclipse cruise from Southampton in May. This was because at the time I booked the 123 promo wasn't running and they were doing something called the Wave promo instead, which included parking and drinks instead of the 123 standards.

 

The parking wasn't booked through Celebrity, though - to book I was directed to https://www.abparking.co.uk If you enter your cruise details there it will either come up as free or as a cost - so hopefully you'll find out without having to wait for Celebrity to answer the phone.

[20pluscruises]

Celebrity offered free parking out of Bayonne NJ in August of 2014. They send a voucher and you just hand it to the parking garage attendent

[Project_gal]

OP

 

Contacting Celebrity in the UK has been difficult ever since they "rationalised" [for that read "made virtually all the experienced staff redundant"] over a year ago not. During that time, on Cruise Critic, I have been reading about improvements being made to Customer Service in the US. [There is another thread ongoing at the moments where customer service reps in the US are empowered to offer additional perks to keep customers - something that was removed from UK reps some years ago!]

 

My advice is to telephone Celebrity the moment their office opens. It is the best I can offer for not having to hold on forever. Unfortunately, you still have a high chance of getting someone who knows less about Celebrity's processes than you do.

 

In an attempt to improve matters, eventually, please also email the contact of your post to contactmichael@celebrity.com. I have complained about the difficulty of dealing with the UK office but, unless others support my complaints, nothing is likely to be done.

[wendychloecruiser]

Fox:

 

Never in my many cruises has "free parking" ever been offered. The cruiselines do not own, nor operate the parking facilities associated with ports. While I have never sailed from Southhampton, I highly doubt it would be any different there.

 

So sorry to hear of the terrible customer service you have received. It truly is inexcusable!

 

 

Sorry Julia, you are mistaken. I have received free parking for a couple of years now out of Southhampton.

 

What? A perk that the UK get and the states don't? Shocking.

[Adammara]

See the UK Celebrity site today!!!

 

 

Spring into Luxury

Free flights, free upgrade and free car parking

 

Our brand new Spring offer means that when you book an applicable 2015 European cruise, you'll get free flights from a range of regional airports. On selected cruises, you'll also receive a free stateroom upgrade, meaning you can book a Balcony stateroom for the price of an Oceanview, and an Oceanview for the price of an Interior. If you're sailing from Southampton, you'll also get free car parking - saving you up to £125!

To reserve your free flights, call our UK call centre on 0844 493 2043.

 

See below for all applicable cruises.

 

 

To the OP, have you tried the UK Captains Club ? If you go to the UK Celebrity site, look at the bottom of the page and click Captains Club, you get the CC page, at the bottom of the page under 'Contact' are email and phone numbers for contact the UK office.

[terrierjohn]

If you don't have free parking from X you can still get a good deal from the port, ABP parking are offering £99 for a 14 nt cruise, so this would apply to Celebrity and RCCL.

[steve ch]

 

I've have just spent a considerable time on the phone waiting to be connected, just so that I could pay the balance on my forthcoming cruise.

And that 0844 number costs money, even on a BT "calls included" plan.

[Project_gal]

And that 0844 number costs money, even on a BT "calls included" plan.

 

Yes, and this is another of my complaints especially as a portion of this money goes to Celebrity. When I, with tongue in cheek, suggested that Celebrity in the US also charged customers to call them, it was considered totally unacceptable from their US-based customers.

 

If you feel like I do, please complaint to contactmichael@celebrity.com. Me complaining on my own is not getting anywhere.

[Suzy Smith]

The various Celebrity "incentives" come and go. On our last cruise we had the choice of free parking or free coach transfers plus OBC, on our next one we have the 123 Go.

 

I have read complaints about the problems of getting through to Celebrity UK, but my experience of contacting them by phone has been good. Like ProjectGal, I tend to call early in the morning before the backlog of calls has built up, but I have found this is always the best way to get through to any busy phone line. Our local airline is much worse than Celebrity in this respect! It would be nice if you could call at any time and get straight through, but in these days of cutbacks all round, most call centre staff are working flat out and generally the early bird catches the worm!:)

[gopro63]

free parking. I gues the next thing we here is free shuttle to the cruise lines.

 

welcome to what we made today on technology, and enjoy how business is now ran.

[sollyman]

All recent communications I have received from Celebrity UK, sales promotions, and all adverts I have seen in national newspapers over the last few months have 0800 240 4300 quoted as the contact number.

 

The website still shows the 0844 number.

 

This wont make them answer the telephone any quicker but at least it will not cost you anything.

 

By the way I used the 0800 number a few weeks ago on a Saturday morning and got through within a couple of minutes...seems to be all down to the luck of the draw.

[steve ch]

The various Celebrity "incentives" come and go. On our last cruise we had the choice of free parking or free coach transfers plus OBC, on our next one we have the 123 Go.

 

I have read complaints about the problems of getting through to Celebrity UK, but my experience of contacting them by phone has been good. Like ProjectGal, I tend to call early in the morning before the backlog of calls has built up, but I have found this is always the best way to get through to any busy phone line. Our local airline is much worse than Celebrity in this respect! It would be nice if you could call at any time and get straight through, but in these days of cutbacks all round, most call centre staff are working flat out and generally the early bird catches the worm!:)

 

It would also be useful if the representative you speak to knows what they are talking about. When I called to correct an problem with my booking, the first person told me (after a lengthy wait to consult her supervisor) that it couldn't be fixed. Not happy, I called again the next day. Different person, problem solved in a couple of minutes.

[oldsilverfox]

A profound thank you to all of the forum members for their relevant and constructive comments.

 

Here is my concern on the subject.

 

We have been on over 50 cruises with most of the cruise lines. Celebrity ranks as one of the best four star companies whilst you are on their ships. I like sailing with Celebrity.

 

BUT

 

In an increasing competitive market with increasing emphasis on luxury/class, they are seriously falling down with offering a dire, two star or less "customer service" from their UK office. Paying for a long premium call to pay your cruise balance is totally unacceptable. One of the replies mentioned similar phone delays contacting the airlines but these days, airlines are mass market brands, not promoting themselves as "Modern Luxury".

 

If anyone from Celebrity reads this forum topic, rest assured that on our forthcoming cruise if Lisa Lutoff-Perlo asks for questions, you are sure of one question in advance.

[Project_gal]

A profound thank you to all of the forum members for their relevant and constructive comments.

 

Here is my concern on the subject.

 

We have been on over 50 cruises with most of the cruise lines. Celebrity ranks as one of the best four star companies whilst you are on their ships. I like sailing with Celebrity.

 

BUT

 

In an increasing competitive market with increasing emphasis on luxury/class, they are seriously falling down with offering a dire, two star or less "customer service" from their UK office. Paying for a long premium call to pay your cruise balance is totally unacceptable. One of the replies mentioned similar phone delays contacting the airlines but these days, airlines are mass market brands, not promoting themselves as "Modern Luxury".

 

If anyone from Celebrity reads this forum topic, rest assured that on our forthcoming cruise if Lisa Lutoff-Perlo asks for questions, you are sure of one question in advance.

 

Please put your views in an email contackmichael@celebrity.com because this email account is being monitored by Lisa Lutoff-Perlo's office.

[DinaS]

Please put your views in an email contackmichael@celebrity.com because this email account is being monitored by Lisa Lutoff-Perlo's office.

 

You misspelled the email address.

 

It should be:

 

contactmichael@celebrity.com

[Project_gal]

You misspelled the email address.

 

It should be:

 

contactmichael@celebrity.com

 

Thanks!

[Celebrity Cruises]

I know that all of the cruise lines are cutting back on everything that they can in order to cut costs but I do feel that RCL/Celebrity have gone way too far with their "Contact us" facility.

 

I've have just spent a considerable time on the phone waiting to be connected, just so that I could pay the balance on my forthcoming cruise. At least Carnival has a dedicated "button" if you are settling your account.

 

As well as long waiting times on the telephone, we also do not appear to have the benefit of an email contact that you can try as an alternative to the mostly non-applicable FAQ's on the site, however remote the chance of getting a response.

 

Here is an example; I am uncertain whether my cruise deal includes free parking at Southampton. There is no information on my invoice nor on the Cruise Personaliser. So, should I spend another small part of my life listening to how "your call is important to us" or has any forum members in the UK got any better ideas on how to get a response ??

 

By coincidence at the same time, I also had a similar query on a forthcoming Viking river cruise. 0208 = UK number, straight through to a helpful person.

 

BTW I understand that the CEO of Celebrity and the UK Celebrity head will be on my cruise. If she is taking questions, and anybody from Celebrity ever reads these forums, I will be looking for some answers.

 

In case anyone thinks otherwise, I am a keen Celebrity passenger but I do think that their pre-cruise customer support is dire.

 

Hello there,

 

Sorry for the issues you are having.

 

Can you please send your contact information to concerns [at] celebrity [dot] com, so we can assist?