Tim - wrong! The conflict lies with the diamterically opposite levels of competence. The onboard experience is outstanding (my cruise on the Galaxy in 1996 remains my favorite), while the land-based operation is the generally acknowledged as the worst in the industry. Irrespective of the situation last April (which, by the way, turned out to be a blessing in disguise), there is no excuse - none - for any organization (be it a cruise line, a department store, an on-line merchant or whatever) to render such inept service to those of us who put money in their pockets. I booked another Celebrity cruise hoping for a hassle-free vacation. Thus far, it has been anything but that. Other factors notwithstanding, I'm looking forward to the vacation (we're also taking Joyce's daughter and friend), and anticipate a thoroughly delightful week.
I've managed retail establishments (three units, 40 employees), and agree that most folks are just fine. Under no circumstances, however, would I allow my staff to endure the wrath of those parasites you accurately describe (all such matters were referred directly to me). Yet I emphasized that customers should be treated with courtesy and respect. As I noted, I brought the matter of Celebrity's double-crediting my account to their attention. I don't want anything which is not rightfully mine; but I will settle for nothing less than what I am entitled to - in this case, my $250 credit for their overcharge and the Captain's Club discount. Had they not screwed up, you wouldn't have heard from me. No, I'm not looking for anything free. Celebrity offered both the excellent price and the CC coupon. That's all I'm asking for. I remind you again that I contacted Celebrity about my account being credited twice.
Celebrity reps read these forums; and only by bringing such matters to the attention of others (the direct contact with the line fell on deaf ears) will there be a possibility of reversing the policies which result in such incompetence. I genuinely wish that such posts were not necessary; but if we sit here and take it, it won't get any better. My request to Celebrity is simple: invest some time and money in training customer service personnel. Rather than denying an error (despite hard-copy documentation ), look into it - and treat the customers as the lifeline they are.
For the record, had this been a Carnival (or RCI, or HAL, or NCL) issue, I'd have been over there - and I do not look for minutae to complain about. Things have gone awry on just about every cruise I've taken; but they didn't detract a bit from my overall enjoyment of the vacation, so nobody heard about them. All Celebrity has to do is get it right at the customer dervice desk. I don't think that it's asking too much.
