Celebrity gave away my cabin. Has this ever happened to you?

[woodinville cruisers]

My husband and I booked cabin #7003 for back to back cruises on the Constellation 3/19/2021 and 4/3/2021. It looks to be a very choice cabin with extra space at the bow of the ship. We booked on 11/9/2018, selected our cabin and held the reservation on the first sailing.  We then held the second reservation on 11/12/2018.  In each case we received a booking confirmation from celebrity.  We paid the $900 for each cruise 11/13/2018.This was before either deposit was due.  We were able to add on OBC to our prepaid gratuities on the first booking and we got a price reduction on the second.  Somewhere along the line celebrity moved the date on the first sailing from 3/19/2021 to 3/18/2021 increasing the number of sailing days by one.  I never was given any information about the change and just noticed when checking prices.  I spoke to my TA 4/10/2019 and discovered that celebrity has moved us from cabin #7003 to cabin #7001 on the 3/18/2021 sailing.  This means that we will have to move cabins.  At the time that we booked every cabin in our category was available on both sailings.  Now, since there have been price reductions for the 4/3/2021 sailing it's not possible to change to another choice cabin in the same category so that we wouldn't have to move.  We cruise frequently and are diamond plus on Royal Caribbean and 4 star mariners on Holland America.  We love to cruise, see new sites and we've met some wonderful people on our cruises and we've never had a complaint like this before. We are not a fan of moving cabins.  I know they will move your things for you but you still have to spend the time packing and have part of a day that you really don't have a cabin.  We were not given any compensation for this change.  I've always thought that once you've made your reservation you were locked in unless you don't make your final payment.  That isn't due until 12/2020.  Is this a common practice for Celebrity?  

Mary

[jsf]

Have you talked to Celebrity about this or just posted here?

[TeaBag]

I think you should phone Celebrity immediately.  I don't know why they gave away your cabin.  it just might be that someone made a mistake and put 7001 instead of 7003?  I would make them change it back to the way it was.  7003 is an amazing cabin.  We have been in it for a B2B.  7001 is nice too but not as nice.  Is 7002 still available for the B2B?  It is a mirror image as I'm sure you know.  Good luck at getting back your original cabin choice.

[spamwhiches]

4 minutes ago, jsf said:

Have you talked to Celebrity about this or just posted here?

Looks like the OP booked through a T/A  

Edited April 13, 2019 by spamwhiches
lost a word

[davekathy]

Your original confirmations show 7003 for both legs? If so call whoever you booked with to get this straightened out. Especially because this is a B2B cruise. Having the same stateroom is always a must for us on our B2B cruises. 

Edited April 13, 2019 by davekathy

[woodinville cruisers]

I talked to my TA and also sent him an email.  He said that he spent half an hour on the phone with Celebrity and no resolution.  We've used the same TA since 2003.  We can't change to one of the other cabins at the bow because they are all booked for the 4/3/2021 sailing.  I thought when you book it's like a contract.  The big difference in this incidence is that they changed the schedule on the first cruise.  

Mary

[davekathy]

5 minutes ago, woodinville cruisers said:

I talked to my TA and also sent him an email.  He said that he spent half an hour on the phone with Celebrity and no resolution.  We've used the same TA since 2003.  We can't change to one of the other cabins at the bow because they are all booked for the 4/3/2021 sailing.  I thought when you book it's like a contract.  The big difference in this incidence is that they changed the schedule on the first cruise.  

Mary

Have your TA call the Captains Club (1-800-760-0654). They may be more help. 

[hcat]

11 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Have your TA call the Captains Club (1-800-760-0654). They may be more help. 

Have TA escalate through the chain of command..to Resolutions Dept

 

Curious...When the new/ revised paperwork came in...did your TA notice the change?

[woodinville cruisers]

I called customer service to see what is going on.  Apparently they changed the sailing from 3/19/2021 to 3/18/2021 on January 29 which made it a whole new cruise.  They sent a notification to my TA that day, didn't hear back and sent another notification on Feb 1.  In the meantime anyone could book the new cruise in any of the cabins (it was public Jan 29).  Our reservation was not automatically moved over and we essentially had no priority to our original cabin.  Now there are no cabins on the bow of the ship that are available for both sailings. It just seems that they should have given at least a week to change bookings.  I'm just very very disappointed.

Mary

[Silkroad]

I would be very disappointed too. And furious! Why didn’t your TA respond to the messages? When they didn’t get a response from your TA, why didn’t  Celebrity contact someone else at that agency? I’d definitely find a different TA for future bookings. 

Edited April 13, 2019 by Silkroad

[davekathy]

45 minutes ago, woodinville cruisers said:

I called customer service to see what is going on.  Apparently they changed the sailing from 3/19/2021 to 3/18/2021 on January 29 which made it a whole new cruise.  They sent a notification to my TA that day, didn't hear back and sent another notification on Feb 1.  In the meantime anyone could book the new cruise in any of the cabins (it was public Jan 29).  Our reservation was not automatically moved over and we essentially had no priority to our original cabin.  Now there are no cabins on the bow of the ship that are available for both sailings. It just seems that they should have given at least a week to change bookings.  I'm just very very disappointed.

Mary

Sounds like your TA dropped the ball not Celebrity. Time for a new TA. 

Edited April 13, 2019 by davekathy

[woodinville cruisers]

I think you're right that my TA dropped the ball.  The other issue is that the new cruise was published at the same time that the TA was initially notified so there was no grace period.  I think that would have alleviated this problem.

I called the captain club's number and talked to Jason and am waiting to hear back to see what he can suggest.

So far the only solution that celebrity has come up with is to contact the people in cabin  #7003 and ask if they will move. (Not a very good solution for them).

Mary

[Tourist1292]

I think they should offer you a free upgrade and/or OBC as compensation even that is not totally their fault. Your TA should do something too.

[woodinville cruisers]

I just heard back from Jason (Captain's Club) and they (Celebrity) are trying to see if the people in cabin #7003 will move.  I'm supposed to hear back Monday.  I sure hope I can get my original cabin back.

Mary

[davekathy]

11 minutes ago, woodinville cruisers said:

I just heard back from Jason (Captain's Club) and they (Celebrity) are trying to see if the people in cabin #7003 will move.  I'm supposed to hear back Monday.  I sure hope I can get my original cabin back.

Mary

I hope it works for you and those in 7003. I'd still find a new TA for any new bookings.

 

Edited April 13, 2019 by davekathy

[jelayne]

12 minutes ago, Tourist1292 said:

I think they should offer you a free upgrade and/or OBC as compensation even that is not totally their fault. Your TA should do something too.

 

The TA should offer something for their error.  I wouldn’t expect Celebrity to compensate a passenger because a TA messed up.  It’s great that the Captains Club is trying to assist but the blame and responsibility are the TAs.  

[hcat]

If not..your TA shpuld give some OBC as well as X...good luck!

[ScubesDad]

As previously mentioned I think your TA dropped the ball. However, Celebrity also bears some responsibility in not holding existing bookings on the revised cruise until they receive confirmation regarding the clients intentions. Given that they tried to contact your TA twice, from your disclosure of the timeline it appears they may have been holding the cabin possibly for 24 hours.  You didn't disclose how you were actually assigned the new cabin....from your description it appears you just recently became aware of the issue......is it possible you TA was hoping you didn't  notice.  If Celebrity is unable to persuade the current occupants to switch rooms, it is time for a serious heart to heart talk with your TA and their manager.    Best wishes for a positive outcome.

[Silkroad]

2 hours ago, woodinville cruisers said:

I just heard back from Jason (Captain's Club) and they (Celebrity) are trying to see if the people in cabin #7003 will move.  I'm supposed to hear back Monday.  I sure hope I can get my original cabin back.

Mary

I hope you are able to get your cabin back. It’s a pity you’re dealing with this uncertainty after having carefully arranged your b2b. Please let us know the outcome. Fingers crossed!

[Bo1953]

Not sure if you can or are willing to do this, yet offer to give the current passenger(s) in the cabin you desire $100 in OBC, maybe that will entice them to move, too.

 

Just a thought.

 

bon voyage

[mek]

I would be really ticked off at my TA and a little less with X, but still very unhappy with them.  I think the TA is the one that owes you big time and I would probably start with them and tell them they really need to make you happy.  Is this an on line TA or brick and motor?  Can't you just change cabins and have the same one for both legs?  I know you like the one you had, so this is where the "make me happy" part comes in with the TA.

Edited April 13, 2019 by mek

[Bo1953]

9 minutes ago, mek said:

I would be really ticked off at my TA and a little less with X, but still very unhappy with them.  I think the TA is the one that owes you big time and I would probably start with them and tell them they really need to make you happy.  Is this an on line TA or brick and motor?  Can't you just change cabins and have the same one for both legs?  I know you like the one you had, so this is where the "make me happy" part comes in with the TA.

We do know that the TA is the one who dropped the ball for whatever reason, at this juncture the reason is not the focus point, the focus point is to get the original cabin back, if possible.

 

If the current passengers in the original cabin booked refuses to move, then the OP has to think long and hard about what other cabin options are available to them aboard the B2B.

 

What is the (minimum) value you are placing on "make me happy", just curious?

 

bon voyage

[wrk2cruise]

Since Celebrity is offering to contact the other passenger with a request to move I suspect that they will offer some token good will OBC to try to get this settled.  I agree that the TA should be offering to sweeten the deal for the other passenger.  If it doesn't work out they defiantly should be doing something to make you happy due to their delay causing the issues.

[cruise kitty]

I'm so sorry this happened to you, & I hope you get your cabin back.  :)   We're on the 4/3 sailing, & there's a nice little roll call started, please join us :)

 

I strongly suspect that a good deal of the desirable cabins on this cruise are being held by travel agents for group pricing,  this years version had a good deal of availability in the two months preceding the cruise.  

 

Good luck on getting this resolved!

[mek]

41 minutes ago, Bo1953 said:

We do know that the TA is the one who dropped the ball for whatever reason, at this juncture the reason is not the focus point, the focus point is to get the original cabin back, if possible.

 

If the current passengers in the original cabin booked refuses to move, then the OP has to think long and hard about what other cabin options are available to them aboard the B2B.

 

What is the (minimum) value you are placing on "make me happy", just curious?

 

bon voyage

I think  "make me happy" is different depending on the person.  People who book this far out usually care much more about their cabin than someone like me who tends to book closer to sailing and can generally be happy with what's available.  Besides getting their original cabin back, I have no idea what or if anything would be satisfactory compensation.