Silhouette Trip Report (Yes, that Israel one!) October 2015 (Very Long)

[compman9]

Ditto

 

As someone who only cruises Celebrity, I have especially noticed all of the new sales pitches on board which really annoyed me. Sales pitches by the Qsine chef WHILE I WAS EATING DINNER is not my idea of a good time.

 

Sorry Celebrity, but even without the Israel debacle, you have turned me off cruising with you.

 

I am not quite there yet. I still have cruises booked with Celebrity, but something odd did occur yesterday - it must have been a subconscious thing...

 

I looked at a well know cruise provider's website which lists all cruises in a very well laid out manner (many of you will use it to base price your cruise), and I found myself looking at other cruise lines, focussing on itineraries

 

My experience of this trip has not put me off Celebrity cruises, but it has certainly opened my eyes to the potential alternatives

 

I await Celebrity's reply to my letter with baited breath

[raspberry ridge]

I can imagine your bitter disappointment at missing a perhaps long awaited destination.Celebrity obviously felt the risk of visiting Israel outweighed the potential benefits.Most assuredly the legal department viewed this as a high liability.I have been fortunate to visit Israel twice.The first time was on a similar itinerary on Celebrity Equinox and the second time on a two week land based Cavins pilgrimage.In both cases I found the security in Israel to be much higher than any where in the USA.Israel is extremely security conscience AND proficient.I felt much safer than I did visiting many ports in Mexico or the Caribbean as a matter of fact.While I would disagree with the conclusion that Haifa or Ashdod would be unsafe ports of call the real issue is that Celebrity has done next to nothing to bring any compensation to a customer who has every right to feel it is due.This lack of concern for the poster's satisfaction is just plain poor customer service.At minimum another cruise at say a 50% reduction in rate in equivalent accommodations seems warranted IMHO.When a company is unable to provide what one has contracted for the LEGAL remedy may be one thing but the ETHICAL remedy is greater!It is a shame that Celebrity has lost sight of this distinction.

[alaska_planner]

i haven't read this report yet, but it's interesting that celebrity (and i think RCI as well) cancelled their israel ports, while other cruise lines did not.

 

Since other cruise lines did indeed dock in israel at the very same time that yours didn't, i would wonder how they could legitimately argue force majeure.

 

.

Edited November 14, 2015 by alaska_planner

[compman9]

i haven't read this report yet, but it's interesting that celebrity (and i think RCI as well) cancelled their israel ports, while other cruise lines did not.

 

Since other cruise lines did indeed dock in israel at the very same time that yours didn't, i would wonder how they could legitimately argue force majeure.

 

.

 

Do you know which ships or lines visited Israel during that period?

[twin123185]

Why would anyone book a cruise this day and age to volatile areas? This stuff happens, deal with it. Want to visit Israel? Fly there and really see it.

Edited November 16, 2015 by twin123185

[twin123185]

Why would anyone book a cruise this day and age to volatile areas? This stuff happens, deal with it. Want to visit Israel? Fly there and really see it. I understand your point in regard to areas perceived to be safe and I am sure concert goers in Paris felt safe. You never know what can happen. Celebrity however should have told everyone much earlier, agreed

 

Sorry for the 2nd post, The app shut down on my before I finished and I couldn't edit.

[cruisemom42]

Do you know which ships or lines visited Israel during that period?

 

See my post #101 on this thread for one of them.

[alaska_planner]

Do you know which ships or lines visited Israel during that period?

 

i have to ask my brother in law (a tour guide who does excursions from all the ships - not privately, via the ship excursions)..

he's been posting pictures of groups on his FB page..

 

i know that Holland America has continued to visit...

and last week regent seven seas docked here as i remember seeing the picture posted...

 

i'll ask him exactly which ships and when they docked...

[alaska_planner]

Holland America had two ships (the rotterdam and the prisendam) dock in the port of Ashdod in October and one thus far in November (i think, based on the information i have). The regent seven seas voyager docked in haifa for 3 days in early november.

Edited November 16, 2015 by alaska_planner

[POA1]

Holland America had two ships (the rotterdam and the prisendam) dock in the port of Ashdod in October and one thus far in November (i think, based on the information i have). The regent seven seas voyager docked in haifa for 3 days in early november.

That's correct.

[royalcruz]

You can't satisfy everyone, but there is a better way to handle this. Example, we were caught in a storm on a Princess cruise. We ended up missing 2 Caribbean ports and were diverted through a beautiful passage to the brand newly built Grand Turk port instead. So we were on a weeklong cruise and just went there and Princess Cay. The captain was apologetic and gave us frequent updates via PA. I had to take medicine and stay in bed for 24 hrs due to seasickness. DH fell out of bed from the movement! Princess gave everyone OBC for the inconvenience (we didn't even have to ask for it). Loyalty works both ways.

[twin123185]

I have carefully read all the posts on the Oct 17 sailing.

 

It appears that there are a few overzealous Celebrity Loyalists who believe that Celebrity can do no wrong. Many of them do not cruse on other lines and have no comparative. They knock all those who review the cruise as substandard and continue with their "Kum-By-Ya" narratives. There are even some Israeli citizens on the cruise who have commented that " if you want to see Israel, go for 2 weeks not 2 and a half days" They obviously do not understand other people.

 

We cruise for many reasons: superb dining, great entertainment including dancing, excellent steward and dining services, fun casino, late snacks, ability to do many ports without repacking, etc. We do not choose a cruise based on sleeping, catching up on reading, playing cards, or watching movies.

 

In most cases the ports are not that important as many are repeats anyway. However, in the case of Israel, this is a bucket list port and a first time visit. There are many Christians and Jews who look for this possibly once in a lifetime opportunity to visit their religious roots. Most of us are retired and on a fixed income and the loss of this port is very hurtful to many. The onboard Celebrity staff was robotic and insensitive in their responses. The Captain, in a jovial tone, noted that the substitution with many Greek ports is not due to the fact that most of his executive staff are all Greek.

 

We tried to "make lemonade out of the lemons" served. Celebrity made this very difficult: The only services onboard that were acceptable were the Room Steward and the Room Service breakfast. The Dining room services were very slow and talking to the dining room management meant only change of tables -service was still slow. The food for 5 of the 14 days was very good. The selection and quality in the other 9 days was poor at best. We tried the Tuscan Grill at $45 per person - mediocre at best (BTW other cruise lines charge $25 to $30 for specialty dining). We loved Celebrity in the past for the food quality and service. No more (carnival does a better job).

 

Entertainment was never a plus for Celebrity. In this case, they are consistent. Photos @ $25 ea?? Walking past the cruise shops onboard, being accosted by sales people from the shops and future cruse travel agency sure lowered the level of the cruise. Exorbitant costs in Canyon Club for services did not help either.

 

Overall, it appeared that Celebrity is in a belt tightening mode and as a result the only seem to be concerned about revenue increase and not customer satisfaction. They did not offer any form of compensation in the form of future cruise to Israel discounts, cabin credit, specialty dining, tours of substitute ports -- NADA!

 

 

Although we are Elite members of the Captain's Club, and with no comments from Celebrity regarding corrections of the deficiencies we will probably never book on Celebrity in the future. This has now become a very bad investment. There are many other Cruise lines that appreciate our business.

 

These are my personal thoughts only and for those who are an their first cruise ever ore only cruise on Celebrity, there are many other cruise lines, including Celebrity's parent Royal Caribbean who can offer a substantially better cruise experience than Celebrity.

 

See you on another roll call (not Celebrity).

 

 

I was just about to type 90% of this. I was on the TA after this cruise. The nickel and diming was incredible. The pushiness of a couple of people in shops surprised me. The constant trying to sell me a drink package pissed me off so much I decided not to buy one drink on the entire cruise. Food was good ONE night in the MDR. Room service food miserable and some of the screw ups were laughable - i.e. no cups with coffee pot. Bistro on 5 was FABULOUS though. Shows mediocre at best. Some of the guest entertainers quite good but the comedian - Joe Napote - so bad most walked out. Celebrity paid for this guy to get to the ship in Tenerife from LA, gave him a week of cruising and he performed one night twice. PATHETIC. He winged the whole show. My proper review will be forthcoming for sure. However i will sail Celebrity again if they are the cheapest TA cruise to where I want to go!

[hillslife]

Just returned from the Constellation "Israel" cruise and TA....agree wholeheartedly with the OP....this was not handled very professionally...we were already in Istanbul when we received the email...not a lot we could do at that point. Plus, no time to make private excursion plans, so we paid $$$ for a Greek Island cruise and ships tours :mad:

 

We did talk to the Asst Hotel Manager, Leo, but he stuck with the party line of "passenger safety". We also heard the Holland America Prosendam and a Princess ship went to Israel at the same time we were diverted. Haven't been able to confirm yet...but we booked this cruise for Istanbul and Israel...both of which were altered or missed entirely, with NO consideration or compensation for the passenger. (Yes, I have read the passenger contract, I know they can change ports at will, blah blah....so no need to post this redundant info)... But our entire cruise was changed..not just 1-2 ports....Celebrity needs to step up and do the right thing!

 

I'm sure many letters will follow to corporate, but I'm not expecting miracles...but Celebrity will be very low on my list of cruise lines...not just for missing ports, but the entertainment was the worst we have seen, lack of variety in entertainment; very few ship board activities if you did want to pay for them; up selling everyday, mostly the specialty restaurants; Activities Manager (Baldo) was not organized, very poor English, used questions he didn't even know how to pronounce or know what the words meant in trivia...heard many irritated and frustrated on board re this; slot tournament advertised In the daily paper was not open to all...just invited people ( so don't list it in the paper then); "$20,000 Final Bingo" only paid out $330... So don't list it as $20,000 Bingo then; ran out of plates at an outside BBQ with no one around to get more; tables in the buffet were rarely bussed and there were always several full of dirty dishes with people pushing them aside to sit down; B2B luncheon hosted for over 200 people in the dining room...no welcome, no talk by anyone, just stand in line, get a drink and find a seat, then get back in line for a buffet, no drawing or token gift given, total waste of time; etc.....

 

Not the cruise of a lifetime, to be sure and we are big cruisers....

 

Thanks for posting OP

 

Dolores

[compman9]

A friend who was on the cruise with us has just had a missed call from Celebrity regarding the letter he handed in to Guest Relations while on the cruise

 

I have not received a reply to the letter I handed in while on the cruise, nor the letter I sent on my return

 

I appreciate that Celebrity are fully aware of this thread and I will probably not receive a reply until I approach ABTA and ask for their advice, but I would like to know if anyone else on our cruise has received a reply yet

 

Many thanks

[jagoffee]

 

You have not however commented on whether you think it is fine and dandy to inform passengers on arrival at the port despite the cruise line knowing well in advance of travel.

 

 

Assuming this is true IMO no reasonable person could agree that this is acceptable. Since the cruise preceding yours sailed as normal it is hard for me to believe that Celebrity knew of the change well in advance. I hope that it was a very last minute decision if not that is a poor decision by someone and that someone should be fired. If I was the person in charge I would have provided a partial credit for use on a future cruise as a goodwill gesture.

Compman9, I am impressed as to how well you have responded and I hope Celebrity provides you something. Good luck.

[CathyCruises]

I posted my comments about the canceled Israel ports and our issues with that on Celebrity's Facebook page and also on the Silhouette page. Within 10 minutes, I had an acknowledgment from the celebrity social media person asking me to forward my comments to concerns at celebrity.com. I did so straightaway and immediately received an email saying that my comments had been passed along and I would receive a response within three days. A couple of days later I got another post saying that my comments had been forwarded to the corporate offices and I would be receiving a response in short order. That's the last I've heard and that had to be at least 10 days ago. Should I ever receive a response, which I doubt based on previous lack of response to my emails, I will be sure to post the results here.

[Jimbo59]

I sent an email to Celebrity while on the ship. Just yesterday I had a phone call from Celebrity. I was told that there was a corporate decision not to provide any compensation for the missed ports.

 

I said that I understand that the cruise contract does not obligate Celebrity to provide compensation for the missed ports; I felt that Celebrity should have provided some consideration, such as a future cruise credit, as a goodwill gesture, and to recognize loyalty of their passengers.

 

I was left with the impression that Celebrity did not feel the need to to provide any consideration for the passengers on the October 17, 2015 Silhouette cruise.

[sylmack]

I sent an email to Celebrity while on the ship. Just yesterday I had a phone call from Celebrity. I was told that there was a corporate decision not to provide any compensation for the missed ports.

 

I said that I understand that the cruise contract does not obligate Celebrity to provide compensation for the missed ports; I felt that Celebrity should have provided some consideration, such as a future cruise credit, as a goodwill gesture, and to recognize loyalty of their passengers.

 

I was left with the impression that Celebrity did not feel the need to to provide any consideration for the passengers on the October 17, 2015 Silhouette cruise.

 

I also get this impression.

 

I sent an email to Celebrity 10 business days ago which was supposed to get a reply within 3 business days. Still nothing.

 

Celebrity corporate has dug in its heels and I am not expecting even a response.

 

This makes my decision as to what to do for future cruises easier. It's too bad because up to now Celebrity was MY cruise line.

[Jimbo59]

A friend who was on the cruise with us has just had a missed call from Celebrity regarding the letter he handed in to Guest Relations while on the cruise

 

I have not received a reply to the letter I handed in while on the cruise, nor the letter I sent on my return

 

I appreciate that Celebrity are fully aware of this thread and I will probably not receive a reply until I approach ABTA and ask for their advice, but I would like to know if anyone else on our cruise has received a reply yet

 

Many thanks

 

What is ABTA?

[richstowe]

I posted my comments about the canceled Israel ports and our issues with that on Celebrity's Facebook page and also on the Silhouette page. Within 10 minutes, I had an acknowledgment from the celebrity social media person asking me to forward my comments to concerns at celebrity.com. I did so straightaway and immediately received an email saying that my comments had been passed along and I would receive a response within three days. A couple of days later I got another post saying that my comments had been forwarded to the corporate offices and I would be receiving a response in short order. That's the last I've heard and that had to be at least 10 days ago. Should I ever receive a response, which I doubt based on previous lack of response to my emails, I will be sure to post the results here.

 

I also get this impression.

 

I sent an email to Celebrity 10 business days ago which was supposed to get a reply within 3 business days. Still nothing.

 

Celebrity corporate has dug in its heels and I am not expecting even a response.

 

This makes my decision as to what to do for future cruises easier. It's too bad because up to now Celebrity was MY cruise line.

Frankly even a empty apology is almost acceptable . What is not acceptable is no response especially after promising one . Shameful . :mad:

[DYKWIA]

What is ABTA?

 

The Association Of British Travel Agents.

 

A self governing trade association of UK Travel Agents and tour operators. Most UK Travel Agents and organisations that sell holidays within the UK are members. Members agree to a certain standard of practice, including how complaints are dealt with and what happens if elements of a packaged holiday fail (I.e. Your tour company goes out of business mid way through your holiday or you don't get a key element of what you've paid for).

 

Customers are offered certain protection in the event of most problems with a packaged holiday and Generally people in The UK are encouraged to book packaged holidays only with ABTA members.

 

It's not an insurance package and you still need travel insurance.

[Jimbo59]

Does anyone know the name of the group that left the ship in Athens to fly to Israel? If so, did Celebrity offer any assistance to the group in making travel arrangements to Israel?

[sylmack]

Frankly even a empty apology is almost acceptable . What is not acceptable is no response especially after promising one . Shameful . :mad:

 

 

Agreed.

 

The longer they wait to contact me, the more perturbed I get and the less likely it is that this 'Celebrity all the time' cruiser is going to re-book with them.

 

 

I forwarded their 'will contact you within 3 business days' email back to them after 10 business days, and remarked that their lack of response was confirming my suspicions about Celebrity not giving a crap about their clients. I received an almost immediate email my case was being escalated and I would receive a response at once.

 

......That was 6 days ago...... :mad:

 

 

Incompetent or don't care, I'm not sure which. :confused:

[Beanb41]

Agreed.

 

The longer they wait to contact me, the more perturbed I get and the less likely it is that this 'Celebrity all the time' cruiser is going to re-book with them.

 

 

I forwarded their 'will contact you within 3 business days' email back to them after 10 business days, and remarked that their lack of response was confirming my suspicions about Celebrity not giving a crap about their clients. I received an almost immediate email my case was being escalated and I would receive a response at once.

 

......That was 6 days ago...... :mad:

 

 

Incompetent or don't care, I'm not sure which. :confused:

 

 

I recently had an issue that was being ignored so I listed my complaint on the Celebrity Facebook page and had it resolved within 3 days. They sent me private messages and I replied in open forum. When it was finally resolved I was happy with the final outcome

[4774Papa]

I probably shouldn't respond, but here goes.

 

I think your review is relatively balanced and fair, but think you miss some contradiction you make yourself. I also think you bring in a number of straw man arguments comparing safety in the U.S. to that of Israel, but those I will not comment on. I will however illustrate a few contradictions in your thinking.

 

 

 

Forget the passenger safety question for a moment. If this is how you see Celebrity ("corporate behemoth that work with balance sheets and realism"), and presumably, with all your experience you saw them like this in advance, wouldn't why would you rely on them to get you to a specific itinerary? Did you just come to the realization about Celebrity or was this an opinion you previously held? Furthermore if they work in "realism" why wasn't this decision a realistic one with regards to safety?

 

 

 

When you rely on weather, you're definitely going to be disappointed. The driest desert on earth is blooming with flowers from all the rain.

 

 

 

So even if they knew about cancelling Israel, or even were fairly sure, not making an announcement until they had a full replacement itinerary in place seems reasonable, if only a little bit reasonable. and of course, "well in advance" is relative and not a measure of time. Of course, if we take your previous view of Celebrity "they are a corporate behemoth that work with balance sheets and realism" OF COURSE their goal is to maximize profit, reduce risk (financial, PR, etc). NONE of this should be of any surprise to you and you should be prepared to deal with this on all of your upcoming cruises to new places.

 

Happy sailing,

Jenna

Jenna,

I agree with your response. The poster's disappointment is understandable. Celebrity may or may not have handled it in the best manner, but I think it is a stretch to assume the cancellation of Israel was based on the evil profit motive.

 

Further, here was another Brit pointing out crime rates in the USA, which was another logical stretch. I have been to Israel and you see people carrying weapons everywhere.

 

I agree the if you want to visit Israel, not book a cruise.