Hope this is not what the onboard service will be like

[j_anandu]

I have been really excited just like majority of you about the restart of crystal cruises but my experience today has already left a bad taste in my mouth. 
 

I called to get a quote for a booking on the crystal symphony and I was attended to by a gentleman (who I’ll leave his name out)and I asked he send me the booking to look over before making a deposit. He emailed me a booking with deposit required in 24 hours, which looked off to me. I emailed him asking why I only have 24 hours when it’s customary for at least 7 days, he responded saying that is the new policy and can push for an additional day or 2. 

After speaking with a friend last night who I have been trying to get to cruise with crystal from Regent, I called crystal again today to get a quote for a Panama Canal cruise on the Serenity and spoke with another Rep and he sent me over the quote. Right away I started getting multiple calls from prior rep and I refused to take his call because I was not happy with his service whatsoever. 

About 40 minutes later I received a cancellation email for this Panama Canal cruise and a reminder from the rep for the symphony cruise he had quoted me yesterday. I’m like what is going on so I called the office again and kept being told that this other rep is my personal consultant which I dismissed because I don’t want to deal with him. Needed to know why this booking I just got quoted on was cancelled, after putting me on hold for a couple of minutes I was hung up on. Then I called again and this time spoke with a 3rd person and asked to speak with a supervisor. He had me on hold and came back to ask me why I needed to speak with a supervisor and his supervisor was asking him. I said why would a supervisor be asking you that when he can get on the phone to find out directly from me. He apologized and I proceeded to tell him all the issues I’ve been having, the supervisor never came on the phone and said he was unavailable to take my call but would see what he can do. Put me on hold for almost an hour and got hung up on. 
 

Unbelievable !!! I truly hope this is not how they plan to start because this is just unacceptable. I don’t use a TA and usually book directly with the cruise line but have never gotten this kind of ludicrous service especially from a luxury cruise line that’s trying to get people back on board. 
 

I currently have 4 cruises booked with them but really starting to make me rethink things. 
 

Jo

[NWX]

Short answer - use a TA, they are worth their weight in gold.

[krb1000]

I’m sorry you had to deal with such nonsense. Please rethink engaging a TA…your TA will ease every aspect of your travels, not cost a penny more and offer additional amenities. We had an option on a Crystal sailing (through our TA)  - and a week to make our deposit. As @suzeluvscruz said: worth her weight in gold 😊

[Stickman1990]

Supporting the use a good TA comments - as well as great service and the biliary to support all your travel requirements from door to door there are often substantial financial benefits in using a good TA 😉

[j_anandu]

Yes, using a TA is necessary now I see but they also might as well get rid of the ‘request a quote’ option on the website. Service is service regardless, if you’re going to offer it then do it correctly especially this early in the game. Shouldn’t be this hard to make a cruise booking when they are looking for people to believe in them again. 

[NWX]

Our deal is just ask our TA, she gets the quote.  After over 50 cruises she’s never steered us wrong. A good TA has a dedicated Crystal liaison, always deals with her. Don’t know where that might go in the future as the liaison was just promoted. 

Edited July 13, 2023 by suzeluvscruz

[Leejnd4]

I'm reluctant to pile on because I see you've already been told this by several others, but I just couldn't help but to add to the cacophony: why not use a TA? There's literally no downside, and significant upsides!

 

My TA not only got me exactly what I wanted (including the specific cabin), but I'm getting a pretty substantial on-board credit from this agency PLUS additional OBC from their travel consortium! And I didn't have to wait on hold one single minute. We did it all through email. I told him what I was interested in, he gave me several options, I chose, he took care of everything.

 

I don't disagree that you had a horrible experience, but my thoughts are that few people actually book directly with the cruise line, so they are not as adept at this phase as our TAs are. Our TAs have relationships with the people at the cruise line, and THEY deal with them, insulating us from their less-than-perfect booking process and agents. Let THEM deal with waiting on hold. Let THEM work out the details. And - it costs us LESS in the long run (due to the OBC)!

 

As I'm sure you know, we can't recommend TAs on Cruise Critic. But there are several who have long relationships with Old Crystal, and have now established new relationships with New Crystal. I hope you are able to find one so you don't have to deal with this again. 🙂 

 

 

 

Edited July 14, 2023 by Leejnd4

[Keith1010]

I also recommend using a TA. 

 

I consider myself very savvy and many who have posted also know how to book a cruise and navigate through challenges. With that said,a good TA can save you a lot of time, cut through red tape, and sometimes save you money or provide additional amenities.  A good TA (and not all TA's are good) will ensure that something like that if they happened to them is addressed to the right people so it doesn't happen again one way or the other.

 

In spite of some initial hiccups when reservations first opened, I have heard from people who I respect that overall the reservation team is doing very well and I do not believe the issue you went through is representative of the reservation team and also has no bearing on what the on-board experience will be like. 

 

Sorry you went through this.

 

Keith

[History&Wine]

I booked my booking direct with a Crystal rep.  My old TA does not work with new crystal.  The rep had all the details and was very professional.  He advised I had 30 days to move the booking to a TA.  Also, it seems that new crystal does indeed want the deposit money asap..there is no 7 day grace period.  No problems at all with the rep over the two weeks I worked with him. 

While new crystal has been successful in recruiting many of the original crew, they seem to have recruited their office/reservations team from scratch, using out of the US recruits relying on AI. 

After some research and feedback from Cruise Critic posters (thanks again to all who replied) I have a TA and moved my booking to the TA.  Once you do this, you must work through that TA and not the Crystal rep.

Working with a good TA is not only advisable, but virtually mandatory given all the points mentioned above. 

 

[crickette]

I agree that working with a TA is the way to go.  We have a great one.  But if you are just starting, a first time Crystal cruiser so to speak, having found the cruise you want to book, then needing to step back to take the time to find one of the great TAs is not the route you want to go.  You want to secure that booking now!  Wish it was easier for first timers.  

[May B]

What a frustrating series of events, J_anandu! Sometimes it’s like we’re at the mercy of who happens to be at the other end of the phone line.

 

Of course, mistakes happen, but cancelling your booking request before it actually expired certainly wasn’t a good way for your friend to get her very first taste of Crystal.

 

I hope things go much more smoothly for you in the future.

[ctjon]

The other advantage of using a TA is that when things happen - getting there or home or other parts of the trip a TA can work to get things right.  Hoping you never have the need but. 

We were getting off a cruise in Dublin on 9/11/2001 - due to fly home the next day.  Five days later we did get home but I can't imaging thinking of and making all the right arrangements without our great TA.

[Leejnd4]

11 hours ago, ctjon said:

The other advantage of using a TA is that when things happen - getting there or home or other parts of the trip a TA can work to get things right.  Hoping you never have the need but. 

We were getting off a cruise in Dublin on 9/11/2001 - due to fly home the next day.  Five days later we did get home but I can't imaging thinking of and making all the right arrangements without our great TA.

 

This brings to mind a story I just read about a woman who booked a cruise directly with NCL. She also had them book their flight to the embarkation port in Europe. Unfortunately their first flight leg was delayed and they missed the connection in Brussels, and there was no way to get to the port in time to make the cruise.

 

So she called NCL, who told her that since it was not possible to get to the ship, it was best to just cancel the cruise and they'd give her a full refund. But when they did that, they also cancelled all her flights, leaving her stranded in Brussels! And they refused to book them a flight home to the US. So they had to book and pay for an expensive last-minute flight themselves. NCL has refused to reimburse them.

 

Had she been working with a TA, the TA would certainly have ensured that they made it home at no cost to themselves. Or even better, if the TA knows cruising at all, they would have advised this couple NEVER to fly internationally to a cruise on the day of embarkation!

 

I cannot fathom not working with a competent TA, especially on cruise itineraries, which can be complex. But at this point I think we're beating a dead horse. LOL! 

[Keith1010]

To me working with a TA is not that all different than in the USA having a specialist help one through the signup for the Medicare supplemental plans and to have a lawyer draw up a will for you. Can you do each of these on your own?  Yes.  Could you make mistakes?  Yes.  Would some be costly?  Could be.

 

But like any profession not all TA's, Insurance Professionals or Lawyers are equal in terms of knowledge, commitment and overall capabilities/competency.

 

Keith

[FlyerTalker]

45 minutes ago, Keith1010 said:

But like any profession not all TA's, Insurance Professionals or Lawyers are equal in terms of knowledge, commitment and overall capabilities/competency.

 

DING DING DING....we have a winner.

 

Good agents are worth their weight in gold.  And the mere order-takers are sometimes worse than nothing.

 

Due diligence is the word.

 

 

[Leejnd4]

Oh, and I wanted to add one more thought to this thread (this time NOT about TAs, I promise!) 😉 

 

I agree that what @j_anandu experienced was poor service. But in my many years of cruising, on various lines, my personal observation is that cruise lines' land-based service operations are not at all representative of the ship-based crew. I've had some HORRIBLE experiences with cruise lines' land-based services, and went on to have fabulous cruises once I got on the ship.

 

This even happened with Crystal. Many years ago (and @Keith1010 I know you will remember this!) I called Crystal to address a visa issue prior to my Baltics cruise. I was treated rudely and given complete misinformation by the person who was supposed to be their documentation expert, which could have cost me quite a bit of money. Fortunately I dug deeper and learned the facts, and everything with my documentation worked out perfectly. But I was pretty upset at how I was treated.

 

I then proceeded to have THE BEST CRUISE OF MY LIFE once I got onboard the ship! 😁 What happened with the land-based operation was completely separate with what happened onboard. 

[KenzSailing]

2 hours ago, Leejnd4 said:

Oh, and I wanted to add one more thought to this thread (this time NOT about TAs, I promise!) 😉 

 

I agree that what @j_anandu experienced was poor service. But in my many years of cruising, on various lines, my personal observation is that cruise lines' land-based service operations are not at all representative of the ship-based crew. I've had some HORRIBLE experiences with cruise lines' land-based services, and went on to have fabulous cruises once I got on the ship.

 

This even happened with Crystal. Many years ago (and @Keith1010 I know you will remember this!) I called Crystal to address a visa issue prior to my Baltics cruise. I was treated rudely and given complete misinformation by the person who was supposed to be their documentation expert, which could have cost me quite a bit of money. Fortunately I dug deeper and learned the facts, and everything with my documentation worked out perfectly. But I was pretty upset at how I was treated.

 

I then proceeded to have THE BEST CRUISE OF MY LIFE once I got onboard the ship! 😁 What happened with the land-based operation was completely separate with what happened onboard. 

 

In the before time of OC, it was an article of faith on this board that Crystal shoreside customer service was not even slightly representative of the seaside experience.  Well, they have been promising us the Crystal experience we've come to know! (Kidding, more than a few shoreside people new in their jobs, no excuse, but miscommunication is going to be higher during the start-up phase.)

 

[crickette]

19 minutes ago, KenzSailing said:

 

In the before time of OC, it was an article of faith on this board that Crystal shoreside customer service was not even slightly representative of the seaside experience.  Well, they have been promising us the Crystal experience we've come to know! (Kidding, more than a few shoreside people new in their jobs, no excuse, but miscommunication is going to be higher during the start-up phase.)

 

This is a known disparity well known to passengers and senior executives.  A link to a Seatrade Cruise News article highlighting OC senior executives saying they are striving to improve shoreside services.
https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news-headlines/crystal-leaders-lay-out-brands-stabilization-strategy
 

[May B]

7 hours ago, crickette said:

This is a known disparity well known to passengers and senior executives.  A link to a Seatrade Cruise News article highlighting OC senior executives saying they are striving to improve shoreside services.
https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news-headlines/crystal-leaders-lay-out-brands-stabilization-strategy
 

A five year old article!

 

Or was that what you thought was noteworthy?

[crickette]

33 minutes ago, May B said:

A five year old article!

 

Or was that what you thought was noteworthy?

Yes, and it hasn't got better, did it?  Common amongst many lines too.

[Roland4]

58 minutes ago, crickette said:

Yes, and it hasn't got better, did it?  Common amongst many lines too.

Many lines?? All lines! I have been in the industry almost 20 years, and while the quality of the "ground staff" has always been variable, in the last two years, the number of times I have hung up and called back in the hope of getting someone "competent" has increased dramatically!

[Leejnd4]

12 hours ago, Roland4 said:

Many lines?? All lines! I have been in the industry almost 20 years, and while the quality of the "ground staff" has always been variable, in the last two years, the number of times I have hung up and called back in the hope of getting someone "competent" has increased dramatically!

I wonder if that's due to the cruise lines having to let people go during the pandemic, and now many of the ground staff are new recruits?

 

Doesn't make the situation any more acceptable, but I expect that's a big part of it. Maybe things will improve as the new people gain experience. (I'm an optimist!) 😉 

[May B]

2 minutes ago, Leejnd4 said:

I wonder if that's due to the cruise lines having to let people go during the pandemic, and now many of the ground staff are new recruits?

 

Doesn't make the situation any more acceptable, but I expect that's a big part of it. Maybe things will improve as the new people gain experience. (I'm an optimist!) 😉 

It goes back decades. I think the reason Larry says it has increased in frequency lately is b/c high school education has also decreased in achievement.

 

You are correct, however, that the pool of workers seems to have shifted somewhat since the pandemic, so perhaps the best customer service reps have chosen to retrain as something more lucrative, like nursing. Anyway, I hope that’s more lucrative.

[Roland4]

3 minutes ago, Leejnd4 said:

I wonder if that's due to the cruise lines having to let people go during the pandemic, and now many of the ground staff are new recruits?

 

Doesn't make the situation any more acceptable, but I expect that's a big part of it. Maybe things will improve as the new people gain experience. (I'm an optimist!) 😉 

There is no question all of the major lines lost people during Covid. They did not need as many reps, and I suspect like a lot of service industries, not all of those reps came back when things returned to "normal". What also compounds the problem is the lines still have reps working "remotely", which means they can't easily get help if they have a problem they can't deal with. 

 

Being a "realist", it is slowly getting better, but we are not all the way back yet.

[Stickman1990]

2 minutes ago, Roland4 said:

There is no question all of the major lines lost people during Covid.

Old Crystal “lost” 100% of their back office - new Crystal have been busy recruiting for all manner of roles over the last few months