Hawaii to Vancouver Cancelled by Celebrity due to Inept Planning

[nfsalmo]

So the April 22, 2021 Hawaii to Vancouver cruise is toast thanks to the inept planning of Celebrity. They went ahead and booked passengers on a cruise without any confirmation of a dry-dock booking.

 

I received a call on Saturday asking for me to call them. Figured it wasn't going to be good news. I called on Sunday and was informed that the the trip I booked was cancelled and that there was no alternative arrangements that could be made to book us into similar accommodations on a similar sailing. At this point we are disappointed. They have downgraded our booking onto the Solstice sailing a week later and provided a $100pp onboard credit. Not really good enough. We really liked the cabin we had originally booked on a ship that would have been fresh out of re-fit. This significant booking downgrade, onto a tired ship about to go in for re-fit, is really not the same.

We have sailed on many other lines including Princess, HAL, Cunard and SIlverSea and had heard good things about Celebrity. This would have been our first Celebrity cruise but it may never happen. It has really left a bad taste about Celebrity and their fairly rude telephone staff leave a lot to be desired. 

 

Not sure what to do about the situation. I'd call someone if there was someone to call but they tend to keep customers a good distance away from any decision-makers. Managemnt is totally to blame here and it is truly impossible to contact just about any person who actually works for Celebrity. A call centre doesn't count. I believe they make a a policy that they should never have to actually talk to a customer.

 

Well I'm off to see where else we can cruise Spring of 2021.

[lola2013]

A few years back I was unhappy with a situation while sailing on Solstice...certainly nothing as major as having a trip cancelled...I was at the Guest Relations desk and made mention of a situation.  I was even more unhappy with the response that I received.  Coincidentally, we were sailing from Hawaii to Vancouver.

When I returned home, I sent an email to Ms. Lutoff-Perlo.  I received a return email from one of her staff who asked if she could call me to discuss the problem.  It was a lengthy conversation.  Of course, I was already off the ship, but I felt better knowing that someone would listen.

I can't put my finger on any of the correspondence now, but I'm sure someone who may read this has the current email address for LLP.

[bEwAbG]

I understand the disappointment but this is more than enough notice for you to make alternative plans.  You're not out any money at this point if you cancel.  A trip scheduled for right after a drydock is always more prone to cancellation or changes.  That's why a lot of people actively avoid them.  That is across all cruise lines, too...nothing unique to Celebrity.

[jelayne]

It’s disappointing that your Cruise was cancelled by the change in the Eclipse schedule.  We have friends who were scheduled on 1 of the canceled sailing and they too are disappointed.

We had a cruise scheduled for this October and about 12 months before our cruise we were notified that our cruise had been cancelled. Unfortunately these charters or changes in dry dock scheduling happen on all cruise lines. 

 

I hope you have a great time no matter what you do in the spring of 2021. 

[Fouremco]

Wow, I'd be disappointed too. Whether it's rescheduled dry-dock or loss of a cruise to a charter, it's frustrating. Offering $100 OBC is more insulting than compensating.

 

This thread may provide some additional insight even if it provides no solace: 

 

 

[K12Guy]

2 hours ago, nfsalmo said:

They have downgraded our booking onto the Solstice sailing a week later and provided a $100pp onboard credit. Not really good enough

I'm just curious what would have been good enough that you would not have posted?

[cruisestitch]

I guess if I thought a transportation company was inept I would not want to be on one of their vessels or vehicles.

 

 But I am curious how you know that this was an inept action on Celebrity‘s part. Could it be that there was a problem with the location they were going to use for the drydock so that location is to blame? 

Edited September 30, 2019 by cruisestitch

[RickT]

You say inept..... seems to me they figured out 18 months in advance that there was a problem with the date and were proactive in reaching out to you.  It is too bad they couldn’t offer you anything that would make you happy but it’s not like Celebrity has dozens of ships/sailings doing Hawaii.

[wrk2cruise]

Having been through this with the Silhouette dry dock change I do understand how inflexible and unempowered the redeployment team is.  They should have much more flexibility to provide an alternate price protected cruise.  I'm not saying that would have been something which would satisfy the OP given there are limited Hawaii cruises.  You shouldn't have to downgrade without something significant being offered as compensation.  I would think they could have come up with some sort of upgraded accommodation maybe at a reduced upcharge.

 

In our case with the Silhouette many of us did make our case to the office of LPP and CelebrityOneTouch and they eventually did expand the list of price protected cruises, but this was about 9 months out.  In the end we felt the compensation was pretty good.

[NMTraveller]

4 hours ago, lola2013 said:

A few years back I was unhappy with a situation while sailing on Solstice...certainly nothing as major as having a trip cancelled...I was at the Guest Relations desk and made mention of a situation.  I was even more unhappy with the response that I received.  Coincidentally, we were sailing from Hawaii to Vancouver.

When I returned home, I sent an email to Ms. Lutoff-Perlo.  I received a return email from one of her staff who asked if she could call me to discuss the problem.  It was a lengthy conversation.  Of course, I was already off the ship, but I felt better knowing that someone would listen.

I can't put my finger on any of the correspondence now, but I'm sure someone who may read this has the current email address for LLP.

Of course.

 

lLutoff-Perlo@celebritycruises.com <lLutoff-Perlo@celebritycruises.com>

 

I had to contact her for a debacle on my last Edge sailing.

[dolittle]

We had a cruise in Northern Europe canceled by Carnival we were not happy did not even call (credit card refund) . We went with another line and did not go on Carnival again for five or six years or so (it is all you can do) Went back when it was in my interest to do so. 

 

[mac_tlc]

I certainly don't know for sure, but I bet the damage done to the dry dock at Grand Bahama Shipyard when the Oasis of the Seas was there is reeking havoc with cruise ship drydocks around the world. It certainly impacted Oasis and Allure as it did the Equinox -- and probably many others. 

 

 

mac_tlc

[baggal]

I don't understand the problem.  That cruise was scheduled for 18 months from now leaving plenty of time to find another cruise. 

 

Its not as though a doctor called and said you had to cancel your trip so that your DH can start chemo right away.  Having been on the receiving end of that phone call, I would not at all be bothered by a canceled cruise 18 months from now.

[Cruise Junky]

You’ve never been on Celebrity, how do you know Solstice is a step down? I assure you she’s not unless you booked Eclipse in a suite and we’re counting on the retreat deck.  Jeez, chill. No one died, drydock dates got moved. 

[Caribbean Chris]

Celebrity very helpfully puts their schedules out so much further in advance than some of their competitors that it’s inevitable valid reasons will arise to change the occasional sailing.

 

Sorry to seem unsympathetic, but in life’s big scheme of things, this is small potatoes. So many much worse things can and do happen. 

 

Cruise cancellation has happened to me (and I’m sure many others on these boards) with a lot less notice, and half the OBC offered, on another cruise line. That’s life, no big deal - we just booked something else. 

 

You are right to seek out another line - you’ll probably enjoy it a lot more.

[NMTraveller]

Eighteen months is a lot of time.  You haven't even booked flights or hotels yet.  

 

For those of you that do these Canada to Hawaii trips, why?  For me it seems like a lot of sea days.  

[Muffinz]

While it is very frustrating to have a cruise cancelled (especially your first Celebrity cruise), these things do happen......

Eclipse and Solstice are both 'S' class ships and are pretty identical from what I understand, so I don't know what you mean by being 'downgraded' to Solstice

I'm sure celebrity would have offered you a full refund

[Bo1953]

7 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

Eighteen months is a lot of time.  You haven't even booked flights or hotels yet.  

 

For those of you that do these Canada to Hawaii trips, why?  For me it seems like a lot of sea days.  

nm some passengers really enjoy and look forward to sea days. 

 

I enjoy them as well, low keyed and no thoughts about rather to go into a port or not. Sometimes sea days can be the destination for some vs ports. 

 

Bon voyage 

[Creekside89]

Eclipse and Solstice are sister ships, so I also can’t understand about your downgrade statement.

The delay for Eclipse was so that it didn’t impact on the summer AUS/NZ season.

The dry dock will be in Singapore.

A cruise of ours was cancelled 18 months in advance and we got $100 pp compensation from Celebrity.

We too enjoy sea days.

[mayleeman]

Good grief. Full refund plus $100 they were under no obligation to give you. They notified you in plenty of time. You are not damaged except for feeling angry because they were allegedly inept (no) and their phone person was rude. I wonder how you acted to elicit that--I have never spoken to a single rude person at Celebrity, phone or ship.

 

Obviously their deployment changed. l

Life happens. Most of us get over it. 

[lovecruzin]

Just off 10 days on Solstice on this itinerary, our 5th cruise on Solstice in 3 years. We’ve never been on Eclipse but they are both S class ships, sure Solstice is older but a downgrade? The ship is clean , well maintained and a happy crew.

 

[alwaysonaship]

It is unfortunate that the OP gets bashed for saying how they feel. Some people book far in advance. I know we do. Regardless of the timeframe of course they should get a full refund and a $100 is almost insulting. 

 

Really sorry about bout your trip. 

[Bo1953]

10 minutes ago, alwaysonaship said:

It is unfortunate that the OP gets bashed for saying how they feel. Some people book far in advance. I know we do. Regardless of the timeframe of course they should get a full refund and a $100 is almost insulting. 

 

Really sorry about bout your trip. 

Bashed or placing things in perspective, given their stated cruising experience?

 

The situation is quite unfortunate and unlike the OP, we have never suffered a cancellation, to date, YET were we, it would not be cause to come here to complain and thrash dispersions about due to it. We would contact our TA or X to work out a better 'deal' were we to believe what was offered not acceptable.

 

At any rate, most everyone here does wish the OP good luck in either moving on or selecting another sailing for this trip and understand that things happen, unfortunately, which will change ones anticipation!

 

With a trip booked 18 months out or so, would it be insulting to X were passengers to cancel before penalty period kicked in, I do not think so, as passengers cancel many times for good and not so good reasons?

 

Just my thoughts on this, correct or not for some.

 

bon voyage

 

[alwaysonaship]

First of all we don’t agree on much.

 

The OP is from Newfoundland and that is a very long way from somewhere that they can just jump on another ship. We are just returning from there on Seabourn.

 

This board seems to be one where instead of being helpful, it continues to be critical of anything someone says.

 

It sure is not helpful when someone is disappointed and the world chimes in with mostly criticism. 

 

It would sure be better if people had something nice to say. 

 

 

[Bo1953]

Would it matter more if they were from Timbuktu? Same outcome, cruise cancelled. No non-refundable fees could have, usually, been paid this far out yet.

 

This board, IMO, very helpful even when I get into 'hot water' from time to time for statements made or thoughts expressed. No Malice Aforethought by the responders (or so I believe 😁), for sure...

 

So it is not helpful to point out that there are other ways to think about dis-appointment and cruising, even when an occurrence is or can or may be common regardless of type it is?

 

Many of us do believe our comments to be 'nice' yet a keyboard may not always express it as such.

 

It is never good to have a sailing cancelled that one is really, really, really looking forward to...

 

bon voyage