Overbooked cruise and turned away at port

[The_Big_M]

A full refund of the cruise plus travel expenses, along with a complimentary cruise to the value of what we originally booked is what they have offered.

 

Yes, that's been the typical compensation offered for last minute cancellations.

[The_Big_M]

Hope you don't mind but I've posted a link in the Australian/NZ cruising section, where Celebrity cruises is also covered. I just think this is a pretty serious issue, even though rare, so of interest to people there. I'm really surprised Celebrity dropped the ball so badly.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=51748830

[CYNSport]

Hope you don't mind but I've posted a link in the Australian/NZ cruising section, where Celebrity cruises is also covered. I just think this is a pretty serious issue, even though rare, so of interest to people there. I'm really surprised Celebrity dropped the ball so badly.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=51748830

 

I think it's also fair to ask what role the online TA had in this debacle. OP (mat781) has indicated that they likely were not informed by Celebrity of the problem, but they should certainly be advocating for mat781 and should be asking Celebrity how this happened.

[sanger727]

I can't imagine having this happen with the planning that we put into our trips. We have to put in at work for vacation months in advance and it's not easy to change. It's hard to say what they most fair method of choosing who to bump is, but I would think that there were some people on the cruise that lived locally and were retired or had flexible schedules that would have jumped at a chance for a free cruise. Would have been nice if they had a system in place to offer a voluntary bumping to people as opposed to picking the people who checked in/booked later. For me, it would have been a 16 hour flight! No way I'm hearing back home 2 days later.

 

Good to know that this can happen and is more likely on a more exotic cruise. Will be sure not to book guarantee rooms on those just as added insurance against this practice.

 

 

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[Cruise Raider]

A full refund of the cruise plus travel expenses, along with a complimentary cruise to the value of what we originally booked is what they have offered.

 

NICE!! And well deserved!!

You have been very patient and are to be commended for that.

[mat781]

Hope you don't mind but I've posted a link in the Australian/NZ cruising section, where Celebrity cruises is also covered. I just think this is a pretty serious issue, even though rare, so of interest to people there. I'm really surprised Celebrity dropped the ball so badly.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=51748830

 

No worries. It's all in the spirit of transparency.

 

One thing I do want to be clear is that I do believe Celebrity has been reasonable to deal with. They didn't just leave us stuck at Auckland port to look for a hotel but made the accommodation booking and personally drove us to the hotel. Apparently during turndown, even Celebrity's office staff go down to the pier to help out and we got a nice chap who worked in their accounts department drive us to the hotel.

[mat781]

I think it's also fair to ask what role the online TA had in this debacle. OP (mat781) has indicated that they likely were not informed by Celebrity of the problem, but they should certainly be advocating for mat781 and should be asking Celebrity how this happened.

 

Well this is the part that annoys me a little. Our travel agent was just contacted by Celebrity today to process a refund of our fares. The only explanation that was provided to the TA initially was that we were 'denied boarding' so a refund needed to be processed.

 

It wasn't until our TA phoned Celebrity and asked why we were denied boarding that the full explanation of overbooking was provided to them.

 

Btw, the TA told me they have never heard of people being left at the wharf.

 

*Update - just to be clear. The TA were not advised at any point of the overbooking issue. They only found out when a refund had to be processed.

Edited December 13, 2016 by mat781

[SPacificbound]

I am so sorry that this happened to you, I know I would be very upset.

 

I'm glad that Celebrity did make the offers and handled your expenses, but no amount would cover that last minute shock of no cabin.

[cruiseycruisin]

A full refund of the cruise plus travel expenses, along with a complimentary cruise to the value of what we originally booked is what they have offered.

 

Good to hear they looked after you. Hope you get some extras thrown in too. You deserve it after going through the ordeal and still have the ability to speak well of them. You are one composed individual.

[caribill]

 

Good to know that this can happen and is more likely on a more exotic cruise. Will be sure not to book guarantee rooms on those just as added insurance against this practice.

 

 

 

OP booked just a few weeks before embarkation and probably GTY was all that was available (except for the expensive suite).

 

Definition of booking a GTY is that you are guaranteed to be on the ship. As mentioned by others, normal procedure is to "bribe" passengers with a confirmed cabin number, raising the "bribe" until someone accepts the offer. (One person on another cruise line received 100% refund and two free future cruises in a full suite.) Sooner or later, someone will accept an enhanced offer.

 

We were a GTY on one cruise (another cruise line) and did not get our cabin assignment until 24 hours before embarkation and this was after we had flown to the embarkation port. We had no worries because we knew a GTY meant we would be on the ship. (As it turned out, in order for us to get our GTY cabin, the president of the cruise line who was supposed to be in a full suite was not able to take the cruise, two related people were moved from two separate cabins into the full suite, and we were assigned one of those two cabins.)

 

Celebrity dropped the ball for the OP, especially for not making a notification as soon as they realized the problem existed.

[cruiseycruisin]

We were a GTY on one cruise (another cruise line) and did not get our cabin assignment until 24 hours before embarkation

 

So for future reference, if you do book GTY (I'm pretty certain I will be booking my cruise pretty last minute), should we expect to get a cabin number before embarkation ie. a day or two out from the cruise?

 

Is it not normal to rock up at the port to only be assigned a room number then? I wouldn't want to go through what OP went through.

Edited December 13, 2016 by cruiseycruisin

[villauk]

So for future reference, if you do book GTY (I'm pretty certain I will be booking my cruise pretty last minute), should we expect to get a cabin number before embarkation ie. a day or two out from the cruise?

 

Is it not normal to rock up at the port to only be assigned a room number then? I wouldn't want to go through what OP went through.

 

They can assign a cabin number right up to arriving at the port.

[ICANTWAITTOCRUISE]

Am I reading that there was a suite left open? If so, why wouldn't they have put you in that?

[The_Big_M]

So for future reference, if you do book GTY (I'm pretty certain I will be booking my cruise pretty last minute), should we expect to get a cabin number before embarkation ie. a day or two out from the cruise?

 

Is it not normal to rock up at the port to only be assigned a room number then? I wouldn't want to go through what OP went through.

 

In my experience with Celebrity locally, for guarantees they typically assign the room soon after booking, presumably to avoid situations like this.

 

As above though, there is no stipulated or certain time that the room is allocated, and it may not be done until last day.

[The_Big_M]

Am I reading that there was a suite left open? If so, why wouldn't they have put you in that?

 

It was available at time of booking, but presumably was allocated/purchased some time before boarding.

[Ru2on]

I would be so crushed if this happened , all the energy and effort that goes into arranging flights. Synchronising Work Holidays, pets, Cleaning the house, emptying the fridge , organising parking , hotels money, packing , I'm exhausted after getting everything done and need a cruise to recover.... your calm demeanour is astonishing , I think I would have told them to bunk the captain with the crew and give me his cabin !,!

 

 

 

 

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[derekjp47]

I've seen quite a few threads about overbooked cruises and it appears it's common practice. However, it seems from most people's experiences, you get some kind of notification a week or two out from the cruise that it's overbooked and the cruise company gives you the option to still take the cruise or be offered an upgrade on a future cruise. It's your choice whether you hang on to the booking or you happily get bumped for an upgraded room.

 

Has anyone had the experience of only finding out when they arrive at the port that there just isn't a room for you?

 

This happened to us recently, and the while there is compensation, there really was no option to get on the boat at all. As a first time cruiser, this was quite a disappointing experience. Just wondering how often this happens that there is no notice whatsoever. So you already take your leave from work, book your pet into the hotel, arrange housesitting, pack you bags, fly in from another country, only to find you can't board that ship.

 

I maybe wrong, but I don't think this is possible. The cruise line is compelled by law to turn in a passenger manifest to the authorities three days prior to sailing.

This being the case, I don't see how an overbooking could happen. I like many others have been cruising thirty plus years and reading this site all the time and have never heard such a story.

[brfan]

I maybe wrong, but I don't think this is possible. The cruise line is compelled by law to turn in a passenger manifest to the authorities three days prior to sailing.

This being the case, I don't see how an overbooking could happen. I like many others have been cruising thirty plus years and reading this site all the time and have never heard such a story.

 

Isn't that requirement just for sailings that start in the United States?

[tazza_0712]

I maybe wrong, but I don't think this is possible. The cruise line is compelled by law to turn in a passenger manifest to the authorities three days prior to sailing.

 

This being the case, I don't see how an overbooking could happen. I like many others have been cruising thirty plus years and reading this site all the time and have never heard such a story.

 

 

 

I understand it that you aren't actually questioning the veracity of the OP's story, but rather your amazement that this occurred.

 

In which case, I concur. It's completely ridiculous and troubling that the OP's entire holiday was ruined because of an obvious failing in the booking system.

 

Hopefully this doesn't happen to anyone else again.

 

 

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[Pushka]

I maybe wrong, but I don't think this is possible. The cruise line is compelled by law to turn in a passenger manifest to the authorities three days prior to sailing.

 

This being the case, I don't see how an overbooking could happen. I like many others have been cruising thirty plus years and reading this site all the time and have never heard such a story.

 

 

People cancel right up to embarkation or don't make it due to flight issues etc so I think it more like two hours prior.

[4774Papa]

We had booked a Vantage tour of China back in 2012 and the company called and admitted that they had overbooked our tour. Offered us $1000 discount if we postponed our trip for three weeks. Since we had purchased the airfare through Vantage, we took the deal and all was good. Of course, they called us a few months prior to the trip.

[patannel]

Oh my!

[Cruise Gopher]

Oh my!

 

This thread is a year old, FYI to those clicking on it.

[ldubs]

This thread is a year old, FYI to those clicking on it.

 

 

 

Noooooo! :D I read the whole thing and didn't notice. Haha.

 

Anyway, I'm impressed with the OP's cool headedness. I think I would have been inclined to rip someone's head off if this had happened to me.

[ken_ll]

Thanks Brenda and all the kind comments ...you guys are a lovely bunch.

 

I'm an Australian who flew from Brisbane to Auckland, so I didn't fly all the way from the other side of the world thank goodness. Still a long enough flight to be annoyed I guess.

 

We were told the selected few who couldn't board the ship are based on the last rooms booked in chronological order. I don't doubt that we were one of the last ones to book on this ship as the moment we received our booking confirmation, I went on the Celebrity site and saw that all rooms (except for one suite selling at 16k per person) was sold out. It's almost humorous to think back we actually thought at the time we were one of the lucky ones to get in at last minute to secure a room.

 

To Celebrity's defence, I actually think their system of selecting who to turn away is fair if it is based on chronological order of last cabins booked...first come first served, rather than turning away people who would cost them the least to compensate. And yes, we also did check in at a later time. I believe check in was open at 3pm for our deck and we arrived at the port at 5pm for an 8pm departure. So it could also have been that we were one of the later ones to check in. That was unfortunately the earliest we could get to the pier even taking the first flight out to Auckland that morning.

 

Having said all that, I did wonder if there were some locals boarding the ship that day that had more flexibility in their schedule and wouldn't have minded be bumped to the next cruise (with some attractive incentives of course).

 

After we found out we weren't boarding the ship, they sat down with us and outlined compensation. None of it was really sounding all that enticing at the time to be honest. The staff at Celebrity arranged hotel accommodation for us in Auckland and we ended up staying 2 nights in Auckland (at their expense) before flying home (ticket also at their expense). This all happened just last Friday!

 

mat781 Having travelled many cruises, I find that the compensation in these circumstances on the stingy side, especially the portion pertaining to a future cruise. It could have phrased in terms of a day range (8 - 12 days) and a Suite, even the cheapest.

 

I’m on the Dec 9 - 21 Auckland - Sydney cruise right now as I type from Wellington. There is a suite available, I believe it to be 1611, a Penthouse. Celebrity is selling $25 US tickets this evening to enter a draw for someone to occupy it until the end of the cruise, another 8 nights or so. If 400 tickets are sold, that’s $10,000 to the bottom line.

 

I’m wondering if this happened to your denied boarding cruise. Where you should have been a shoe-in for the suite, it may have been less expensive for Celebrity to compensate you and then re-sell the suite in a similar fashion to what is happening on my cruise. While not ethical, the cruise business is all business and sometimes unfortunate casualties.