Customer service leaves a lot to be desired.

[jg51]

6 hours ago, If only said:

You are a lucky person, we have a cruise that goes up $200. a day for no apparent reason other than a CVP made a mistake & changed our Refundable deposit to Non-Refundable and now it cannot be changed back.

.

What you say, @If only, is very puzzling to us!

 

First:  If you were mistakenly switched from "refundable" to "non-refundable," then the fare should have gone down, not up!  According to our experience, using a refundable deposit (right from the beginning) would saddle a guest with a higher fare, not a lower one.

 

Second:  You should not say that your deposit "cannot be changed back."  Your interactions with the CVP were recorded.  You should contact Celebrity's "Resolutions" department (directly or through the CVP's supervisor) and ask them to review the recordings of your conversations.  If they find that the CVP made a mistake, they will fix it for you.  (We know this from a similar personal experience with RCI.)

.

Edited July 23, 2021 by jg51

[If only]

6 hours ago, jg51 said:

.

What you say, @If only, is very puzzling to us!

 

First:  If you were mistakenly switched from "refundable" to "non-refundable," then the fare should have gone down, not up!  According to our experience, using a refundable deposit (right from the beginning) would saddle a guest with a higher fare, not a lower one.

 

Second:  You should not say that your deposit "cannot be changed back."  Your interactions with the CVP were recorded.  You should contact Celebrity's "Resolutions" department (directly or through the CVP's supervisor) and ask them to review the recordings of your conversations.  If they find that the CVP made a mistake, they will fix it for you.  (We know this from a similar personal experience with RCI.)

.

We did catch it while talking to the CVP so they did correct it & there is a note on the file that states it’s Refundable, but the computer adds $200. change fee every day as it cannot read notes.  We have been in touch with Resolutions & they corrected it but also said it cannot change it back which seems strange to us as  it starts adding $200. a day again.   It’s definitely a computer problem but very frustrating.  We have been on many Celebrity cruises so it’s a good job we love the ships.

 

 

 

Edited July 23, 2021 by If only

[Oceangoer2]

3 hours ago, If only said:

We did catch it while talking to the CVP so they did correct it & there is a note on the file that states it’s Refundable, but the computer adds $200. change fee every day as it cannot read notes.  We have been in touch with Resolutions & they corrected it but also said it cannot change it back which seems strange to us as  it starts adding $200. a day again.   It’s definitely a computer problem but very frustrating.  We have been on many Celebrity cruises so it’s a good job we love the ships.

 

 

 

My suggestion would be....the CVP could scrub this trip and rebook it correctly.  The Resolutions Dept can authorize it at the original rate and perks (I've had this done for me in the long ago past when my trip was mistakenly deleted by me and they reinstated it).  Maybe this was before they PERFECTED their website to the 9th degree...so much so that things can't function logically....LOL....and a human was able to do it.  Hope you resolve this to your advantage...eg:  an OBC for goodwill.

[If only]

3 hours ago, Oceangoer2 said:

My suggestion would be....the CVP could scrub this trip and rebook it correctly.  The Resolutions Dept can authorize it at the original rate and perks (I've had this done for me in the long ago past when my trip was mistakenly deleted by me and they reinstated it).  Maybe this was before they PERFECTED their website to the 9th degree...so much so that things can't function logically....LOL....and a human was able to do it.  Hope you resolve this to your advantage...eg:  an OBC for goodwill.

I was advised they could start over but this is a cruise that was booked onboard so had a OBC if they give it a new # it could cause more problems as I was advised the paper trail would end.  I know it will be fixed just frustrating.  It’s the same with the AI which includes bev, internet & gratuity but the amount that goes on for gratuity is never the same as what is taken off. They just have an old system.  I did have a

laugh when you stated no problems, you are indeed lucky.  We won’t give up cruising with them as we really enjoy the cruises.  It’s just getting onboard.

Edited July 23, 2021 by If only

[HappyCamper49]

On 7/15/2021 at 3:00 PM, Dwight1 said:

I know many on here love using a TA. I never do and book directly with Celebrity so there is no “ middle man” to avoid any issues. 

I am with you!

 

On 7/15/2021 at 6:04 PM, Denny01 said:

Except being on the phone for 1.5+ hrs…..

 

den

I agree with you.  I have booked all my cruises directly with Celebrity without any issues.  Do not like dealing with a "middle person".

[Denny01]

2 hours ago, HappyCamper49 said:

I am with you!

 

I agree with you.  I have booked all my cruises directly with Celebrity without any issues.  Do not like dealing with a "middle person".

I’m afraid you misunderstood my post. It wasn’t in support of booking directly, for me, it was in support of using a Professional TA. My comment about being on hold for 1.5hrs was when trying to get a Cruise Line rep on. 

 

there are many posts, and one just a few minutes ago, about waiting extended times, or can’t get through to Cruise Line Reps. In the middle of the Pandemic cancellations, by TA was on hold for hrs but got through and took care of my business….you know what I was doing at that time?? I dont remember, but I wasn’t on hold waiting and waiting. 

 

My TA, and any professional isn’t a ‘middle person’ they are the go-to people. I saw a SR I wanted to move over to; I texted my TA; i had the SR. 

 

But each of us book as we feel it works for us. I’ll stick with someone who goes beyond being a Booking Agent and someone who doesn’t work for that particular Line in case some issue comes up and I don’t have to play the ‘let me talk to your supervisor’ games.

 

I had to cancel a cruise, this was before the Pandemic, and I was going to be charge the $100 to move to another itinerary. My TA called, asked them to look at how many times I’d cruised with them and suggested they Not go that route. Taken care of. 

 

Enough. We all do what we think works for us at the time. 

 

den

[mayleeman]

20 hours ago, Denny01 said:

posts, and one just a few minutes ago, about waiting extended times, or can’t get through to Cruise Line Reps.

 

And also many posts about people not being able to reach their TAs during the pandemic. The cutbacks, and backlogs for explanations/refunds/etc, during the pandemic affected all the actors in the travel industry. Not a good example of TA superiority.

 

Actually, I saw many posts complaining about TAs prior to the pandemic. A search shows dozens of posters asking how to transfer or what to do when a TA won't admit a mistake. These posts are invariably met with a few disparaging comments by people with, say, 20+ cruises about how the posting person should have chosen a good TA.

 

All the comments about choosing a better TA are useless on a board that will not allow recommendations. Many of us only have cruised once or a few times, and do not have a chance to track down CC members for recommendations, and many I met on cruises have seemed very reticent to share when I have tried to inquire. 

 

For those of you with TAs giving you 10%, do you give out the contact info onboard when a CC stranger brings it up?

Edited July 24, 2021 by mayleeman

[Denny01]

Almost all complaints about long times contacting TA’s is trying to contact online/website Booking Agents. they aren’t Travel Agents/Travel Advisors, they book you and that is their focus. Some are helpful, many aren’t. So as I stated in my thread, consider using a local Professional TA. Yes, we can’t share them but I suggest you look through your local listings, check with friends and CoC’s and so on and get a TA in your area. 

 

I suggest. I don’t care (nicely) who or how you book. And I’m Not a TA or retired TA or fronting for one. 

 

Den

[Fouremco]

2 hours ago, mayleeman said:

For those of you with TAs giving you 10%, do you give out the contact info onboard when a CC stranger brings it up?

If someone asked, I'd have no reticence telling them, but who we book with has never come up during conversations on any of our cruises.

[ScottC4746]

On 7/21/2021 at 3:48 PM, Dancing Shoes said:

I did this on another cruise line, but am pretty sure it would be the same.  Call the "new" whoever you choose and tell them you want to transfer.  They will then contact the the original TA to have them release the reservation.  I did this from a cruise line to a TA to get perks!!

The new TA would reach to the original booking source, the other TA or the cruise line directly, and ask if the new TA can take over the booking.

[Arizona Wildcat]

On 7/24/2021 at 11:05 AM, mayleeman said:

 

And also many posts about people not being able to reach their TAs during the pandemic. The cutbacks, and backlogs for explanations/refunds/etc, during the pandemic affected all the actors in the travel industry. Not a good example of TA superiority.

 

Actually, I saw many posts complaining about TAs prior to the pandemic. A search shows dozens of posters asking how to transfer or what to do when a TA won't admit a mistake. These posts are invariably met with a few disparaging comments by people with, say, 20+ cruises about how the posting person should have chosen a good TA.

 

All the comments about choosing a better TA are useless on a board that will not allow recommendations. Many of us only have cruised once or a few times, and do not have a chance to track down CC members for recommendations, and many I met on cruises have seemed very reticent to share when I have tried to inquire. 

 

For those of you with TAs giving you 10%, do you give out the contact info onboard when a CC stranger brings it up?

Disagree.  My TA responds within the same day.  I usually email specific issues and those are almost always addressed the following day.

Yes, I give out info for my TA when asked onboard.  No reason not to.

[mayleeman]

17 minutes ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

Disagree.  My TA responds within the same day.  I usually email specific issues and those are almost always addressed the following day.

Yes, I give out info for my TA when asked onboard.  No reason not to.

You disagree about other people having posted about TA problems? Or you disagree that it can be hard for only occasional cruisers to be able to locate one of those generous TAs?

 

I appreciate your willingness to discuss this stuff with newbies onboard, but most CCers I have met stay rather reticent. A few have said that their TAs do not want them to give out names because they aren't supposed to give out huge chunks of their commissions. Like their own special secret person.

Edited July 31, 2021 by mayleeman

[wrk2cruise]

On 7/23/2021 at 2:49 PM, If only said:

I was advised they could start over but this is a cruise that was booked onboard so had a OBC if they give it a new # it could cause more problems as I was advised the paper trail would end.  I know it will be fixed just frustrating.  It’s the same with the AI which includes bev, internet & gratuity but the amount that goes on for gratuity is never the same as what is taken off. They just have an old system.  I did have a

laugh when you stated no problems, you are indeed lucky.  We won’t give up cruising with them as we really enjoy the cruises.  It’s just getting onboard.

 

I had the same issue where the Celebrity rep selected the wrong rate when I was repricing a reservation, when they quoted the rate I said that's not right I want the refundable rate and that's what I got.  Because he evidently originally selected the NRD rate the reservation is marked as NRD FOREVER.  Like you after escalating it and being on hold forever we were told the reservation can't be fixed and it's noted that it is a refundable reservation.   I have an email from the agent with this confirmation as well.    Also an online booking.    Mine got a bit more complicated as I transferred the sailing to a new ship/date at a refundable rate.   Hopefully that sails and I'll never have to test the "notes".

[If only]

31 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

I had the same issue where the Celebrity rep selected the wrong rate when I was repricing a reservation, when they quoted the rate I said that's not right I want the refundable rate and that's what I got.  Because he evidently originally selected the NRD rate the reservation is marked as NRD FOREVER.  Like you after escalating it and being on hold forever we were told the reservation can't be fixed and it's noted that it is a refundable reservation.   I have an email from the agent with this confirmation as well.    Also an online booking.    Mine got a bit more complicated as I transferred the sailing to a new ship/date at a refundable rate.   Hopefully that sails and I'll never have to test the "notes".

Good luck on that, us also!  We transferred this cruise to have a b2b & it was supposedly fixed. The problem is computers cannot read notes so it still thinks it is NRD & it has gone up daily to almost double the price as it was only a 4 n cruise.   I am now awaiting a reply to my email sent to the Engagement Desk.  We know what we have to pay not so worried just wish they would fix their computers.  Seems incredible that it can be so easily changed to NRD but cannot be changed back to RD.

Edited July 31, 2021 by If only

[HappyCamper49]

On 7/15/2021 at 3:00 PM, Dwight1 said:

I know many on here love using a TA. I never do and book directly with Celebrity so there is no “ middle man” to avoid any issues. 

Used a TA for our first cruise in 2009.  Was misled in everything about the cruise, the ship, etc...  The most miserable 3 days we have ever had.  Refused to even consider cruising and could not understand WHAT the allure was for everyone that raved and raved about having a great cruise.  (I did not know about CC back then!).

My aunt begged me to try another cruise line, that I had chosen a "party cruise line".  My TA chose it.

 

Fast forward to 2017 and Celebrity.   I wanted to cry at the years we could have been cruising!  We had found the perfect cruise line for us!

[bucfan2]

Celebrity customer service leaves a lot to be admired!

 

Due to extremely late boarding/departure on the Edge yesterday (7Aug21), Celebrity provided buses to transport pax to Sawgrass Mall (25min from the pier) to help pass the time.

 

I imagine there were plenty of valid complaints, ranging from unacceptable seatbelt thickness to the wrong color selection on exterior of the busses....pretty nice gesture just the same. 

Edited August 8, 2021 by bucfan2

[wrk2cruise]

I thought they should provide some sort of "excursion" to pass the time.   I guess a bus to a local shopping mall was probably the cheapest thing they could do but still a nice gesture given the situation was out of everyone's control.

[hasentreelake]

It seems the OP may be long gone and has created quite a thread simply complaining about Celebrity and their TA.  I think we all (or most of us) know that service industry is struggling as is the travel industry.  We all must recognize it and show some patients.  😷😄😄

[canderson]

Hopefully, they test negative for CoVID 🙃

[wrk2cruise]

8 hours ago, Gracie115 said:

Actually on Celebrity, Royal, Princess, HAL you have 60 days.

 

With Celebrity it recently changed to 30 days, see FAQ at the following link.    Some TA's seem to have success after that point.   My advise is talk to the TA and have them pull the reservation with your consent.

 

 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/faqs/reservation-transfers

[Gracie115]

7 hours ago, wrk2cruise said:

 

With Celebrity it recently changed to 30 days, see FAQ at the following link.    Some TA's seem to have success after that point.   My advise is talk to the TA and have them pull the reservation with your consent.

 

 

https://www.celebritycruises.com/faqs/reservation-transfers

 

Thanks, I was unaware of that change. Seems X doesn't want those reservations going to TA's!!!!!!