Good Bye Celebrity

[greeneg]

For what it's worth, our January 28 itinerary is also affected by the change and I decided to call Customer Service and just ask what was going on. I was told that the reps had been told that Celebrity was not being allowed into Grenada at this time ( she did not know more than that--political issue of some sort??) but that they were trying to resolve whatever the issue was so that there is a possibility that the orginal itinerary might be resumed. Who knows.

 

I was worried that this might be another mechanical issue ( can you spell "pod"), but this is apparently not the case. Stay tuned, folks and we'll see where we actually end up.......:)

[JDSTURTZ]

I have previously tried to book excurions through the "My Celebrity" route where you bring up your cruise, do the "Modify" thing, and head for the Shore Excursion tab. The problem there seems to be that once you're logged into "My Celebrity", the system tries to create a second login for you when it switches over to the shorex pages, and the system gets real touchy about simultaneous logins for the same booking #. I've had the same problem.

 

This is going to sound a bit odd, but it seems to work (as long as the shorex for your cruise has actually been released!). It's similar to the way we used to do it before the "My Celebrity" thing was introduced:

 

So far, my best luck has been to go straight from the MAIN Celebrity page, "Plan Your Cruise" tab, then select "Shore Excursions".

 

Choose the destination for your cruise, whatever it is, and click Go.

 

Pick any port for your itinerary (doesn't really matter which one you pick). Doing this will route you to the shorex part of the web site, and will open a new window to do so.

 

In the upper left, you'll see a "Purchase" and "Go" button next to it. Click go.

 

Enter your booking number, ship, date and currency. If you booked online in the old days, this should be looking very familiar by now. It is IMPORTANT that you haven't tried to log in to "My Celebrity" for the prior 20 minutes when you do this else it'll bounce you.

 

If at THIS point they give you the "Not available at this time" message, something is holding your booking record open already, or your excursions haven't been opened for your cruise yet. If it doesn't say "Reservation Number not Valid", at least you know that part is right!

 

If you get past this, you can start booking excursions.

 

Hope that helps.

 

 

 

This is exactly correct!!!!!!!!!! I called X again this morning before reading your post and finally got lucky and a very helpful c/s rep answered. She took the time to call around and get an answer to the problem, which was exactly as you state here.

 

Thank you for the advice.

[canderson]

This is exactly correct!!!!!!!!!! I called X again this morning before reading your post and finally got lucky and a very helpful c/s rep answered. She took the time to call around and get an answer to the problem, which was exactly as you state here.

 

Thank you for the advice.

Sorry I didn't note the thread sooner -- could have saved you the call.

 

Which of course, begs the question of why they maintain the shorex tab on the "My Celebrity" since, by the nature of the dual login it causes, it seems destined to "blow up". Further, why don't they provide a cleaner home page interface to the shorex as opposed to the convoluted one I described above? One seems to be forever broken due to the way it was architected, and the other seems to be too cumbersome for most folks to "stumble" into. The "old" (pre 12/04) interface was a whole lot better.

 

Between this and their poor choice of the use of pop-ups, they've made the online purchase of shore excursions about as inconvenient as possible. Somebody at RCI/X needs to sit their web designer down for a chat.

[canderson]

This is exactly correct!!!!!!!!!! I called X again this morning before reading your post and finally got lucky and a very helpful c/s rep answered. She took the time to call around and get an answer to the problem, which was exactly as you state here.

 

Thank you for the advice.

See a slightly new and improved version that I just posted in the "Celebrity Secrets" thread and tell me if you think it needs anything.

[JDSTURTZ]

See a slightly new and improved version that I just posted in the "Celebrity Secrets" thread and tell me if you think it needs anything.

 

 

We have a new VP of Customer Service!!! Hopefully everyone reads this before they lose all their hair like we did.

 

Thanks again,

[hermang]

I guess the biggest gripe I have with C/S in most companies is that Upper Management treats the C/S reps as disposable cannon fodder. The last company I worked for was no better. Everything was "metrics based" How long they were allowed to be on a call, raise your hand to go to the bathroom etc.

 

What they really need to do IMHO - Dan Hanrahan if you are reading this post - is empower your reps and all of your Celebrity folks to make it right the first time.

 

There is no excuse for calling C/S and asking about why an Itinerary was changed and be insulted with "We reserve the right to make changes" Well we reserve the right to sail with any other cruise line. The first time a CSR gets a question about say - Why was Grenada pulled off the itinerary - there should be an immediate communication from management saying - for example " Govermnent has withdrawn our right to sail there and we are in negotiations to fix the problem. One answer from every CSR not make it up on the fly.

 

Celebrity needs to get more focus groups and find out What the passengers really want and not be so arrogant and think - well that is what they are going to get = take it or leave it.

 

IMHO

[pennstater]

I guess the biggest gripe I have with C/S in most companies is that Upper Management treats the C/S reps as disposable cannon fodder. ...

 

There is no excuse for calling C/S and asking about why an Itinerary was changed and be insulted with "We reserve the right to make changes" Well we reserve the right to sail with any other cruise line. The first time a CSR gets a question about say - Why was Grenada pulled off the itinerary - there should be an immediate communication from management saying - for example " Govermnent has withdrawn our right to sail there and we are in negotiations to fix the problem. One answer from every CSR not make it up on the fly.

 

Celebrity needs to get more focus groups and find out What the passengers really want and not be so arrogant and think - well that is what they are going to get = take it or leave it.

 

IMHO

 

I totally agree hermang - I've said it before here and elsewhere - Celebrity is practically chasing me away! I know that I seem to be the only one who cares about losing Cirque, but that has been taken away also. We booked an advertised "Cirque du Soleil cruise" and now no Cirque (and yes, I know it wasn't a show, but an interactive experience, and I wanted that!)...just give me a solid reason why they dropped Grenada and some sort of notice or apology for dropping Cirque -- some of us bought into the major advertising campaign and booked specifically for it.

 

That being said, all of the loyal Celebrity customers have made a supreme effort to 'nudge' me into looking at all the positives of Celebrity, and I certainly appreciate it. I'll try my best to keep an open mind and will DEFINITELY have a great vacation...but Celebrity isn't making it easy for me to be a repeat customer. Maybe I'll fall in love with the cruising experience, but usually my vacation choices are based on location and entertainment...I can't count on either from X. The "take it or leave it" attitude just aggrevates my disappointment.

 

Fool me once... :rolleyes:

[Host Karen]

hermang, well said!

[wolfganghowell]

pennstater - if it makes you feel any better, the Cirque thing sounded like a total bust and not a true Cirque experience. Being a Cirque fan, I was excited when I first heard the news but it sounds like it was not really up to standard. A noble effort to try something new perhaps, but not worthy of the expense.

 

Having had my itinerary changed once on Celebrity and once on RCCL, I empathize with your disappointment BUT it's spelled out in writing from the getgo that cruise lines can change for any reason at any time. To me, it is not a valid complaint. Venting of disappointment is fine and understandable but saying the cruise line did you wrong and you won't sail them again is, IMHO, an overreaction. Go with the flow, it's still a CRUISE! (and yes, I hate Casa de crappo as much as the next guy but at least they have added Catalina Island back as an "excursion" now.)

[Host Karen]

The reason why we and Pennstater have voiced valid complaints about this sailing is due to the significant itinerary changes made after final payment was due and therefore putting us in the penalty period. It is further aggravated by the fact that these changes were made to 2006 sailings some time ago, but only recently announced for the Nov. 19 and Dec. 3 sailings. We now arrive in Casa de Campo four hours later, which prevents anyone from taking daytime excursions, and we actually port (tender) at Catalina Island -- it's not an excursions from CDC. This itinerary is not what we paid top dollar for, and DH and I would not have chosen this itinerary if it was the one originally offered (I don't think any of us would have). We would have taken a Royal Caribbean cruise instead.

 

With no explanation other than the "We reserve the right" blah blah blah, we do feel the right to complain. There are no mechanical problems, weather issues, or civil unrest in Grenada that we are aware of, so the reason for waiting until we cannot cancel without penalty is what has some saying they will not sail with X again.

 

You may not feel our complaints are valid, Wolfie, but DH and I certainly do. We feel like we've gotten the old bait and switch, and we're not happy about paying alot of money for something we never would have purchased in the first place and now cannot return or exchange. We'll have a great time anyway, but we're not pleased with Celebrity at the moment.

 

Karen

[pennstater]

Wolfgang - I appreciate your empathizing, but my complaint is more based in how Celebrity is handling the changes. I have not been able to get any sort of reason for the change in itinerary - customer service ran me in circles and just stated their policy, which I know - and the Cirque thing, while unsuccessful, was marketed as a "Unique Celebrity Getaway" - they made a big deal of it and that's why I chose this vacation. It may very well have been "not worth the expense" but I've already incurred this expense and now won't get it. Yes, it is still a cruise, but it isn't the "Cirque du Soleil Cruise" that they advertised. I think they should at least address this with the customers that booked their CdS cruises - I don't think that is too much to ask.

 

Many people are saying "go with the flow" and that also bothers me. If we all blindly accept the poor customer service (at least prior to the cruise, I hear that service on the ships is great) and don't express our discontent, then we aren't making the system better. IMO, I think it best to share my thoughts and feelings with other cruisers and, more importantly, with Celebrity in the hope that opinions will make a tiny difference.

[greeneg]

Guys, I think that you are missing the point: if they ( Celebrity/RCCL) are not permitted to sail to Grenada, then they can't go there......period.

 

I was told that they are working on it and that they may be able to re-instate the original itinerary ( which I would also prefer), but it would take a crystal ball at this point to see what is actually going to happen.

 

I certainly think that it is a good idea to make your thoughts known to Celebrity Customer Service, preferably in writing, but I don't know what else you can do at this point.

 

Perhaps they will get it resolved.....

[pennstater]

Guys, I think that you are missing the point: if they ( Celebrity/RCCL) are not permitted to sail to Grenada, then they can't go there......period.

 

I was told that they are working on it and that they may be able to re-instate the original itinerary ( which I would also prefer), but it would take a crystal ball at this point to see what is actually going to happen.

 

I certainly think that it is a good idea to make your thoughts known to Celebrity Customer Service, preferably in writing, but I don't know what else you can do at this point.

 

Perhaps they will get it resolved.....

 

 

greeneg - I hope the information you were given is the correct info. My point is that in terms of posts here and my own experience, others have been given conflicting information. I, personally, was given no reason for the change. I truly hope this is correct! Thanks for the info!

[greeneg]

True enough, Dawn, I hope it's correct also. We'll just have to wait and see.

[ingrid295]

The alternate port for Grenada is not an equivalent port or even a port for that matter. It's a tender ride to a beach.

 

For those of you who can't understand what the fuss is about -- it's about advertising and marketing your company as treating customers "famously" and then not doing so. It's about having the attitude that there is always someone else waiting to take your place, so our customers need to live with whatever changes, charges, etc. we wish to make, however last minute, however inconvenient and however unwanted. The guy with the gold may make the rules... but that attitude changes abruptly when enough people become disgruntled and move on.

 

Some of you on this board are retired or don't care where you go as long as you are cruising somewhere. You go for the experience. I'm happy for you.

 

But please open your minds to the possibility that others still work and look forward to one or two vacations a year. Please accept that many people DO NOT cruise for the onboard experience, but for the itinerary, ports of call and off-ship experience. Accept that yours is not the correct opinion, or the only opinion -- it's just a different opinion. Step back and wear another pair of shoes for a minute.

 

We leave San Juan at 11 p.m. and arrive in Casa de Campo at 5 p.m. when the daylight is gone and shore excursions are unavailable. So basically, we sail from SJ and park overnight at the dock in CDC. We depart at 8 a.m. for a one-hour sail & tender to Catalina for a beach opportunity. In essence, 3 days in Dominican Republic, the least favorite port on this itinerary.

 

Grenada & Casa de Campo are BOTH eliminated from the itinerary since I do not accept that parking overnight without the opportunity to disembark safely to explore an island, constitutes a valid port stop.

 

I am personally displeased with the itinerary change as well as Celebrity's response to its customers. Their attitude in this instance is unacceptable. If this itinerary were posted in the pre-penalty phase, I would have opted out.

 

I have written a letter to Hanrahan, as have many others, and I expect a reply. If none comes, well I guess Celebrity has spoken volumes.

 

This itinerary is NOT what I wanted or expected when I made my final payment. Yes, the cruise line does have the right to make changes. However, when the changes are this drastic in nature, and at the eleventh hour for 11/19 and 12/3 sailings, I believe those passengers should have the right to a refund. Golden Princess also leaves SJ on 11/19, the price is lower than what we paid on Constellation for staterooms with better locations. The Princess' Southern Caribbean itinerary is actually in the southern Caribbean.

 

I will make the best of a bad situation like everyone else on this cruise. We take two cruises a year, but when I make my next reservation, it will not be with Celebrity.

 

Ingrid.

[wolfganghowell]

Like I said, I do understand your frustration and disappointment. We arrived in Casa de ugh 4 hours late due to mechanical issues and this was when the port was new so there was REALLY nothing to do. I understand they have added many excursions now and some are night outings. I also think you will enjoy Catalina Island - it has become one of our favorites.

 

I also want to point out that we too work hard and can only vacation 2 weeks a year so I know all about the difficulties of making changes. I know we don't agree on everything on this issue but I do understand and I hope you end up enjoying your cruise wherever it may take you.

[sammiedawg]

I agree with the OP and others who have written cancelling is not an option when you feel you have been baited and switched. Same cruise line, different scenario last year for me, we didnt get what we expected when we booked and paid. We had nonrefundable air fare, cruise fare paid in full and time off from work arranged. Celebrity customer service ( with the exception of one nice man named Ray who had no authority but tried to advocate our issues ) did nothing to assist. Good luck

[CruiserJen]

It's really a hassle once that final payment is made. We had a problem once on Celebrity after our final payment. Not as bad as the changes that this itinerary is having... these port changes are god awful IMO... but Celebrity just made so many changes to our itinerary after we booked! What seems to be their problem that they can't put an itinerary together and make it happen? This is why we booked on HAL for our next cruise.

 

It is a hassle when your airfare is non-refundable, the hotel is booked, and the itinerary just sucks! What a shame.. sorry guys. This is an ugly itinerary change.. glad I'm not on this cruise.

 

Catalina is only nice if you like to be on the beach or in the water which a lot of people do not enjoy. So what is there for them to do? So if you don't go to the beach in Catalina, you sail from SJ to CDC and then Catalina and another day at Sea. That's not much fun for people who enjoy land based tours. And it is 3 days of a 7 day cruise in Casa de crappo!

 

What shore excursions can you take & enjoy in the dark? I like to "see" the island on my excursions. Besides, DR is not the safest island at night, in fact I would not walk around on my own on any of the islands at night.

 

Jenna

[sacway]

Interesting that they cancelled Grenada for later cruises much earlier and only recently for the near term, and no explanation of timing, when or how they (and not other cruise lines) got in a dispute with the Grenada government.

 

We have jumped lines to Princess, not just because the southernmost port is gone but also because of the attitude of the management that is reflected in the posts above.

 

They offer no explanation, and ask for none from us (despite our never, ever cruising on another line than X/RCCL before). So we'll let our departure just be part of a larger drift, if indeed there is one.

 

sacway

[greeneg]

Interesting thread at least. We booked our trip really because we wanted to try one of the M class ships and this B2B worked best for us.

 

Worse thing that can happen to me is that I'll have to spend an extra day napping on my aft balcony.....:)

[Andy]

Hi Everyone !

 

Yes, this is a very interesting thread. As all of you know, I am a Huge fan of Celebrity. We have seen many interesting comments here.

 

I am sure we all totally are aware that ports can and do change and that it is in your contract. I have had that happen to me many times, and I always try my best not to get too upset about it. After all, being on ANY Cruise is a great thing.

 

With that said, I totally understand why the folks who are booked, are upset. I believe that the major point is, not that it happened, but HOW it was handled. It would have worked out much better for all concerned, had Celebrity made these changes BEFORE final payment was made. I sincerely feel that the changes were likely made for good reason, but the way it was handled, is still going to leave a bad taste in the passengers mouth.

 

To make matters worse, a port is lost, and a so-so port (Casa De Campo) is expanded in this change. I would think that if another more desirable port were added instead of expanding Casa De Campo, that we would not be having this discussion.

 

Bottom line ? IMHO, Celebrity has not handled this as well as they should have. They are known for an incredible Cruise experience, and it looks like they dropped the ball on this one. Any changes to the itinerary should have been made BEFORE final payment, so that the affected passengers had a chance to cancel, or change to another sailing if they were not happy. Another solution would have been to leave Casa De Campo as it was originally scheduled, and added another port to substitute to loss of Grenada. If this decision were mine, I would have seen to it, that an excellent port were added to make you feel like you gained something, instead of losing something.

 

As I suggested earlier... to those who are affected, I would continue to call Celebrity and let your feelings be known. I surely have no idea if it will bring good results, but frankly, you have nothing to lose by trying. Celebrity has done a tremendous job of listing to their passengers of late, and I hope they hear you on this matter.

 

I wish you all the best, and please try to remember that any Cruise is a great thing. No matter what ports you visit, I am sure you will have a wonderful time !

[ingrid295]

Just received an email from one of the travel discounters advertising the Constellation's 12/3 cruise for a DEEPLY discounted rate which includes everything - cruise, airfare, port charges, taxes and transfers.... ($800 for everything).

 

Gee, do you think X is having some difficulty filling the ship with this itinerary?

 

Host Andy - agree with your comments about how Celebrity handled the changes. Appreciate your empathy. Disagree that any cruise is a good one. Too many pax are easily compromised, otherwise the cruise lines would not make so many changes, especially after final payment. There is no excuse for this ugly itinerary change until X actually provides one.

 

 

Ingrid.

[greeneg]

Andy, I agree with everything that you say; I think that they have dropped the ball here. I do think that this is relatively unusual for Celebrity to do it like this ( with out more explanation and without an eqivalent port substitution), I hope this is not a trend rearing its ugly head here.

 

Ingrid, I think that you may also be right, there well may have been some cancellations/changes which are putting some pressure on prices. I looked at our two weeks in January ( we have not hit the final payment date yet) and there is definitely more apparent availabilty than there was a few days ago: the 1/21 week has had no verandah staterooms at all for over a month; now there appears to be at least an FV Guarentee availble. The second week has had a couple of CC cabins listed, now there seem to be more than there was.

 

Will be interesting to see if they change things again, hopefully for the better.

[CaribbeanBound]

Could be some agencies returning unsold inventory (as opposed to outright cancellations).

[Host Karen]

Andy, you have brought up some of the same points that I and others have been making on various threads. It's not so much the changes as the timing and the lack of explanation. While most of us seem to be in agreement that we booked mainly for Grenada, we would have been less disappointed if St. Lucia or St. Maarten, for example, were the substitute. And the reason for losing four hours in Casa de Campo, especially for those who were hoping to play golf or participate in some other daytime excursion, continues to be a mystery.

 

Our one Celebrity onboard experience was terrific, which is why our next three cruises are booked with X, but this unprofessionalism in the customer service area is disheartening. It's easy to have a great cruise, but the pre- and post-cruise experience is important, too. X seems to be having a problem grasping that point, and it will lose customers if some changes aren't made.

 

Karen