How good is the Celebrity Cruise

[Nhan Nguyen]

We booked the Europe trip with flights on Celebrity cruise web in May 2023

The flight from Seattle to Amsterdam was late more than 2 hours (the paper said it was 1.5 hours late, but actually it was more than 2 hours late, (compare to the time on the tickets). That is the reason we missed the transfer flight from Amsterdam to Barcelona, Spain, where to start the cruise trip. We called the customer service for help but they were not helping much except telling us to catch the cruise at the next stop, which is at Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

We had no choice but to fly to Barcelona that day, booked a hotel, spent the night and took the flight to Palma de Mallorca the next morning and boarded the cruise.

We had to pay for hotel, flight, taxi,...to get to the next stop.

We request the cruise to re-imburse the expenses that cause by the mis-flight. The cruise replied:" I am afraid to say that we cannot offer reimbursement for flights disruption as this is needed to be addressed directly with your airline company, as we do not have control over flight delays."

I think I booked the flights on their web with the cruise trip, that is more expensive than book on airline. So they have responsibility to any mis-flights and the expenses caused by the delay.

They got the benefit from selling the flights but they just walked away when there is issue!

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@Nhan Nguyen This is so disappointing! I'm so sorry you had to go through all of this with Celebrity Cruises and pay all of that money out of pocket to make it to your port of embarkation time. This is truly such a shame. The cruise line should have taken more responsibility for the flight, but cruise lines don't have control over the airline's schedule. If you book your flights through the cruise line they should have been better at coordinating and handling the flight delay on their end. This isn't the first time I have heard of cruise lines not owning up to their mistakes and fully taking responsibility for flight delays and mishaps. I prefer just to book my flights myself. The bundle method sounds great in theory but sometimes it's just easier to work directly with the airline instead of through a third party. 

[Woody14]

Ouch that is not a nice one.   That is a prime example of why I would not accept flights to Europe landing on the same day as my cruise, I would want to be in a day early.    Living on the west coast the only place I have risked flying in the day of my cruise is LA (I can drive to Vancouver or Seattle) and then I am still always concerned.   My plan is always to fly in the day before, for Europe I often am in 2 days before as it is a long way from the west coast to Europe.

[kefthecruiser]

@Nhan Nguyen Yikes, sounds like a nightmare start to your cruise. Two thoughts for future trips. As @Woody14 suggests, plan to fly in at least the day ahead. My guideline is to do so anytime I have a connecting flight and / or will go through Customs / Immigrations at the airport. Lots can and does go wrong. Also, don't go cheap by skipping the travel insurance. That is what covers all the expenses you're trying to get from the cruise line. Otherwise, you're gambling - sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.

[PaulB]

That's very disappointing and typical of companies not holding out responsibility for what they charge. They might be right in saying they can't offer reimbursement for flights, but they happy to take your money when booked all in one. Too bad we feel the need to go a day earlier just to make sure we get there on time and spend even more monies because of no fault of your own.

[Cruising Caribbean]

Unfortunately, cruise lines, and most products, are just looking to turn a profit. That's why I don't enjoy cruising when I'm constantly being solicited. I understand that it's a business but at the same time, it becomes bothersome when you feel like a money tree. Getting to the port a day earlier is always a good call. You spend all this money on a very special cruise itinerary, the last thing you want is to not make it to the ship on time! 

[Seaawgs]

I get hung up on the line " I think I booked the flights on their web with the cruise trip". When you book with Flights By Celebrity your flight information is everywhere. You get email confirmation. It's there when you login to manage your trip and it shows up on your app. You also receive flight updates in the app notifications as well as email updates. These flights are generally more expensive because they are "flexible" and unpaid until your final cruise payment. Most of us agree, show up a day early and spread the wealth. 

[PaulB]

@Cruising Caribbean I could not have put that better myself. That's exactly the expression you feel like, a money tree. This is how companies that are looking to make a bigger profit and the quantity rather than quality make you feel.

[Cruising Caribbean]

@Seaawgs I value your perspective here! Have you enjoyed booking both your flight and cruise itinerary at the same time through Celebrity Cruises? I would much rather book separately to ensure I make it there on time. Arriving a day early at the port of embarkation is definitely more important to me. If the flight is delayed, at least I can make it to another flight without missing my cruise itinerary. 

I'm at the point in my cruising journey where I would rather spend more to have a quality cruise experience. I don't mind a simpler stateroom, but I definitely want to be somewhere where the cruise crew is happy, and I'm able to relax without fighting for a pool lounger.