Future Cruise Booking bait and switch

[kdkstormy]

On our November 2022 cruise we put a deposit down for the choose later.  It was 12 months that we were told we had to make a booking.  
 

I just got an email that it is expiring on May 16th.

 

I want to book a repositioning from Florida to Vancouver in 2025 but they haven’t released those yet!

[jelayne]

What does your paperwork show as the expiration date?

 

 

 

[markeb]

Can you book a placeholder and then shift to your “real” booking?

 

We ran into this with an onboard booking for Alaska 2024. We had 90 days, but the schedule wasn’t out. We were able to book something, not sure what any more, as far out as possibly, then rebooked Alaska once the schedule was released. 
 

Not perfect, but it’s an idea. 
 

Does your paperwork show 12 months? If so, call them on it. That’s a pretty major change. If it’s all verbal…

[1Virgo]

The timeline for FC definitely has changed. We had 1; indefinite expiration. Next one has a 12 month and one we just got expires in 6 months

Do you have a Celebrity rep?  I d contact them and ask to send you the deadlines for the FC certificate you have. 

[kdkstormy]

9 minutes ago, jelayne said:

What does your paperwork show as the expiration date?

 

 

 

Just checked it and it does say 12 months.

[Georgia_Peaches]

1 minute ago, kdkstormy said:

Just checked it and it does say 12 months.

Guess you’ll be making a call tomorrow. Please follow up and let us know how it pans out. 

[kdkstormy]

This page clearly shows one year.

[kdkstormy]

4 minutes ago, Georgia_Peaches said:

Guess you’ll be making a call tomorrow. Please follow up and let us know how it pans out. 

Will update you for sure

[RichYak]

21 minutes ago, kdkstormy said:

Just checked it and it does say 12 months.

So don’t you think “bait and switch” should read “mistake” in the thread title instead?

[mahdnc]

2 minutes ago, RichYak said:

So don’t you think “bait and switch” should read “mistake” in the thread title instead?

 

pending a favorable outcome.

[kdkstormy]

1 minute ago, RichYak said:

So don’t you think “bait and switch” should read “mistake” in the thread title instead?

Unless they are changing the terms for previous future bookings as well.  I will update everyone after I talk to my celebrity cruise planner tomorrow 

[mayleeman]

@RichYak Since Celebrity has every reason to know what the OP's FC date and paperwork show, "mistake" just treats this as excusable. No excuse for "accidentally" cutting their time in half.

 

Sell them the FC reservation, tell them it's a year, then cut it to 6 mos and hope no one notices. Bait and switch seems a justifiable term.

[Tee & Chilli]

On Royal now. They have a 1 year policy. Celebrity has 6 months for book later.

The next cruise desk explained to me the difference in the two offers/companies.

Edited May 15, 2023 by Tee & Chilli

[RichYak]

1 minute ago, mayleeman said:

@RichYak Since Celebrity has every reason to know what the OP's FC date and paperwork show, "mistake" just treats this as excusable. No excuse for "accidentally" cutting their time in half.

 

Sell them the FC reservation, tell them it's a year, then cut it to 6 mos and hope no one notices. Bait and switch seems a justifiable term.

OP hasn't spoken to anyone at Celebrity. They got an email. At the very least, this thread is premature.

[Galaxy2004]

We received the same email about a month ago for ones we purchased on our Equinox cruise in November. I double checked the paperwork to confirm we had 12 months and then ignored the email. About a week later, I and my cruisemate received separate phone calls from Celebrity agents wanting us to book our next vacation before they expired. We ignored the first round of calls, then I received one during a slow day and took the call. I told the agent we were still trying to decide and had 12 months and she simply said, yes, you are right, then left her name and number for when we were ready to book. I think they just have some things set on automatic reminders. Or maybe they just like to cause us to panic for a minute. 

[RichYak]

2 minutes ago, Galaxy2004 said:

I double checked the paperwork to confirm we had 12 months and then ignored the email.

Wouldn't it have been more fun to post alarmist threads on social media sites instead?

[bEwAbG]

If people have a year, then they shouldn't be sending them notices that the expiration is approaching (with a date attached).  Even if it's an error, it's wrong for the company to operate that way.

[mayleeman]

16 minutes ago, RichYak said:

OP hasn't spoken to anyone at Celebrity. They got an email. At the very least, this thread is premature.

 

Don't the number of mistakes bother you? I have seen many threads where they are possibly understandable, but this one seems almost targeted.

 

Color me suspicious. Burden should be on X to not make mistakes like this, not on the customers to do their supervision for them.

[RichYak]

1 minute ago, mayleeman said:

 

Don't the number of mistakes bother you? I have seen many threads where they are possibly understandable, but this one seems almost targeted.

 

Color me suspicious. Burden should be on X to not make mistakes like this, not on the customers to do their supervision for them.

Did I miss the part where X has refused to honor the expiration date on OP's certificate?

[mayleeman]

17 minutes ago, RichYak said:

Wouldn't it have been more fun to post alarmist threads on social media sites instead?

 

So you are doubling down on how customers should react, despite finding out it happened to another customer who also had to deal with 2 phone attempts to perpetuate the error?

[mayleeman]

1 minute ago, RichYak said:

Did I miss the part where X has refused to honor the expiration date on OP's certificate?

 

How would a customer know until they are forced to contact Celebrity to find out?

[RichYak]

1 minute ago, mayleeman said:

 

How would a customer know until they are forced to contact Celebrity to find out?

Gee, I don't know. Maybe read the actual expiration date on the certificate? Which is exactly what the other customer whose hair did not explode into flames did.

[kdkstormy]

35 minutes ago, RichYak said:

So don’t you think “bait and switch” should read “mistake” in the thread title instead?

Unless they are changing the terms for previous future bookings as well.  I will update everyone after I talk to my celebrity cruise planner tomorrow 

[Fly and Sail]

With all the other Celebrity IT issues combined, it's unacceptable to panic customers like this. Even more reason not to buy this nonsense.

[kdkstormy]

I didn’t mean to create a heated debate.  I have already sent an email to my celebrity cruise rep and will update all when I have more info.  

 

It was alarming to see the email.  I have been so bombarded with Celebrity emails lately I almost deleted it without reading it.