Celebrity Air & Transfers - Venting!!!!!

B

Born To Cruise

Guest
Hi all,

Need advise. We are booked on the Summit for Sept 16, 2005 including air and transfers. As Captain's Club members we were allowed an air deviation at no addit'l charge.

The air is booked thru Celebrity (on Continental) and we come into Vancouver 2 days early on 9-14-05.
I used my Marriott Rewards for a two day pre-cruise stay at the Marriott Pinnacle (downtown - 2-3 blocks from cruise port).

I spoke with Celebrity yesterday about the transfer from the airport to town and was advised they WOULD
NOT provide the transfer and WOULD NOT REFUND the cost of the transfer. "I'm not happy" would be
an understatement. I'm being told that because I did not book my hotel thru them, they will not provide the transfer on the earlier date. However, if I had booked my pre-stay with them, they would then provide the transfer. To get to the "their" pre-stay hotel, you have to drive within ONE block of the Marriott. (OK fine, take me to your hotel and I'll catch a cab to take me one block to the Marriott.)

My position is: they owe me the transfer to the pier (which is 2-3 blocks) from the hotel regardless of the day I arrive, as you can "buy" the transfers as a separate item if you arrange your own air.

Has anyone else ran into this problem?????? What do you think???
 
S

Shipsbelle

Guest
The transfers Celebrity offers to those who do not use their hotel is for the day of cruise only--from the airport to the ship and then at the end of the cruise from the ship to the airport. There is no breakdown of costs for the airfare and the transfers--it's like they throw the transfers in when you use Celebrity air.

The Celebrity web site says this:

Transfer Program
When purchasing air transportation through Celebrity Cruises, the ground transportation between the airport and the ship is included. Should you purchase a hotel package with your cruise and air, your transportation is included between the airport, hotel and ship.


Guests who have purchased our Air Sea Program will receive meet and greet service at their destination airport which will transport guests to the ship.
Cruise only guests have the option to purchase transfers from the airport to the ship.
 
B

Born To Cruise

Guest
Sounds like you work for Celebrity.

"Cruise only guests have the option to purchase transfers from the airport to the ship. "

My point exactly: Since I have already paid for the transfer from the airport to the pier, they should
provide the transfer to the "pier". Since this is only 1-2 blocks from the hotel, I'll take a cab back to the hotel.

And, of course, Celebrity will be providing "transfers" for other passengers coming in early that booked
"their" hotel. One of which is exactly .31 mile from "my" hotel choice.

I'd rather spend $5.00 (US) for the 2 blocks than $25.00 in addition to the $82.00 I've already paid to
get back to "my" hotel choice.

Oh, did I mention that booking the air fare separately is cheaper than going with Celebrity, but I used them solely because of the transfer arrangements.
 
S

Shipsbelle

Guest
Born To Cruise Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sounds like you work for Celebrity.
>
> "Cruise only guests have the option to purchase
> transfers from the airport to the ship. "

I don't work for anyone, I'm retired. I was quoting from the Celebrity web site. If you notice it says "transfers from the airport to the ship". They have busses scheduled for mass transport of passengers from the airport. They don't use taxis from various other locations. Someone should have explained this to you when you were in the planning process. Did you use a travel agent or book directly with Celebrity? I'm sorry that you didn't get what you thought you were buying. I'm not unsympathetic, someone dropped the ball.
 
D

daliasgrandma

Guest
You have every right to vent! Last Sept. they continued posting daily how important it was for us to "use their transportation" because we were docking at Ballyntine Pier and the possibility of there not being enough cabs to take us to airport. That was total hogwash! They had the infamous "cheese" bus and to make matters worse, no one new what the heck they were doing. My other new found friends had no problems catching a cab at this pier.

It's all about the mighty dollar and poor customer service.
 
S

Shipsbelle

Guest
Born To Cruise Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi all,
>
> Need advise. We are booked on the Summit for Sept
> 16, 2005 including air and transfers.


> Oh, did I mention that booking the air fare
> separately is cheaper than going with Celebrity,
> but I used them solely because of the transfer
> arrangements.

Hey Born to Cruise, can you still get cheaper airfare? You can cancel the Celebrity air and transfers right up until final payment without any penalty. Seems that this would be to your benefit and you wouldn't start your cruise being upset with Celebrity. Last time we took a cab from the airport to the Canada Place area we paid about $30 Canadian.
 
B

Born To Cruise

Guest
Hi all,

Very interesting development: I contacted the Marriott Pinnacle in Vancouver and was advised
THEY have a shuttle that runs every 40 minutes from the airport to their location. No reservations required. So, the "transfer" issue is resolved at no addit'l cost to us.

However, I'm still not "happy" with Celebrity's "couldn't care less attitude".

However, I really didn't want to cancel and rebook the flight as we still need the transfer from the Long Beach pier to LAX.
 
S

Shipsbelle

Guest
Born To Cruise Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi all,
>
> Very interesting development: I contacted the
> Marriott Pinnacle in Vancouver and was advised
> THEY have a shuttle that runs every 40 minutes
> from the airport to their location. No
> reservations required. So, the "transfer" issue
> is resolved at no addit'l cost to us.
>
> However, I'm still not "happy" with Celebrity's
> "couldn't care less attitude".
>
> However, I really didn't want to cancel and rebook
> the flight as we still need the transfer from the
> Long Beach pier to LAX.
>
>
I'm glad you have a satisfactory solution to your dilemma! Sometimes the land side people aren't as helpful as we expect them to be. A weakness in the fabric of Celebrity.
 
D

daysatsea

Guest
We had the same thing happen to us on our transatlantic. We booked the air through Celebrity but the hotel on our own. The transfer that comes with Celebrity Air is between the airport and the SHIP (not the pier). so it is only good on the day of sailing. The transfer between the airport and hotel and hotel and ship comes with the hotel package.
The day of sailing, there are large buses to transfer passengers between the airport and the ship. If you have a hotel package, it is usually a minivan to transfer the passengers to the hotel since there are just a few people on each flight that book a hotel package.
 
B

BECKER

Guest
Re above ;

We are from the U.K.,and are not to familar on how easy it is to get transport from Los Angeles
airport to board the Summit.

We have foundthat it is so much cheaper to buy our Air Fare independantly,and although
Celebrity's web site says you can access their transfare costs,I'm afraid I can't find them.

As we are a party of six,I think we would need a mini van with so many cases, does any
one know if it would be cheaper to try and persevere with finding out the cost of
Celebrity's transfer or is it easy to find a mini van

Many thanks for help

ps We will bed staying overnight at LAX ,is the Radisson a good choice
 
S

Shipsbelle

Guest
Can't say if the Radisson is a good choice or not, but here is what I would do in your situation. Book a hotel that has a free shuttle from the airport to the hotel. Then make arrangements with the hotel to have a taxi service, that uses vans, pick you up at a certain time to take your group to the pier the next day. The Celebrity shuttle service is from the airport only and would cost you more than even 2 taxis for your 6 people.
 
J

joanpav

Guest
If you are going directly from the airport (LAX) to the ship, you may want to e-mail www.supershuttle.com, they will give you a price for your group. The airport is approx 20 miles from the cruise port. We used the cruise ship shuttle( from a different port) for a group of 5 last time and paid Celebrity a total of $125. for what could have been a $35. taxi ride.

:CAN
 
P

Petert

Guest
Hi Becker,

You might consider taking the Supershuttle (as mentioned above) and spending the night in the Long Beach area. There are some nice, reasonably priced hotels that have shuttle service to the cruise terminals. There are two cruise terminals in the Long Beach area, the Long Beach port, which has the Carnival Cruise Line terminal, and the San Pedro Cruise terminal. They are not far apart, but am not sure which terminal the Summit will be using.

Peter
 
B

BECKER

Guest
Thanks so much for all your kind advice,as we will have been travelling for at leasr 16 hours (with
two children) we plan to sleep in the airport area, and from the replies regarding Celebrity
transfers I think we will just try and book independant transfers.

Happy Cruising and Good Luck

Becker
 
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