When it comes to cruise vacations, no one wants to hear the word “delay,” especially not right before a sailing. On the other hand, I would almost always welcome a delay in getting back to homeport.A recent email went out to impacted guests of Edge-class Celebrity Beyond, letting them know that their cruise will start at least a day later than originally planned. But the cruise line is going above and beyond to compensate these passengers.
Celebrity Beyond is experiencing a technical issue that has directly impacted its upcoming sailing from PortMiami. This means a delay in embarkation, a shorter cruise, and an altered itinerary for those hoping to set sail from South Florida.
Cruise tracking data shows the ship is traveling at about 17 knots off the coast of Cuba currently. The ship usually travels closer to 22 knots when at full cruising speed.
Some guests onboard have claimed on social media that the ship is traveling on one engine, but we have not had those reports verified by the cruise line at this time.
The Celebrity Cruises ship was originally scheduled to embark guests for a 4:00 PM departure from PortMiami on Sunday, July 20th. However, due to this technical issue that has reduced the ship’s cruising speed, its arrival into Port Miami has been pushed back to Monday, July 21st, docking at Terminal C.
Repairs for the Ship
Celebrity Cruises has been quick to reassure guests that while the problem affects the ship’s speed, it absolutely does not compromise the safety or seaworthiness of the vessel.
As the letter sent to guests states, “Beyond is currently experiencing a technical issue and we are working to address it. While this does not impact the safety or seaworthiness of the ship, we are sailing at reduced speed which will delay our arrival into Miami tomorrow.”
Compensation for Passengers
For the 3,200+ passengers currently on board who were expecting to disembark on Sunday, this delay means an extra day at sea on their cruise. While a change in flights back home can be a nuisance, many cruisers would have a hard time feeling too bad for them.
Celebrity Cruises is offering compensation for this added time at sea. Guests will receive a full day’s cruise fare back, delivered as onboard credit.
This could mean a free spa treatment, specialty dining experience, or whatever else the passengers want to use this new-found money for.
On top of that, a one-day refund will be issued for any pre-purchased packages, such as internet plans, drink packages, or specialty dining reservations.
Compensated Hotel Arrangements
Adding an extra night at a hotel in Miami on top of original travel plans can offer its own logistical issues. To help make up for this, the cruise line is also providing up to $250 per stateroom to assist with Sunday evening’s hotel accommodations for those passengers who must wait another day for their vacation at sea to begin.
Celebrity Beyond was the second Edge class ship from Celebrity Cruises.
Itinerary Changes
Their embarkation, originally planned for a Sunday, July 20th departure from PortMiami, will now begin on Monday, July 21st, also from Terminal C.
This means a slight change from the original 7-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary, which included calls at Nassau (July 21st), St. Thomas (July 23rd), and Philipsburg, St. Maarten (July 24th), before returning to Miami on July 27th.
With embarkation delayed by a full day, the upcoming cruise will now be a shorter 6-night sailing, assuming, of course, that the technical issue is resolved smoothly and quickly.
The delayed start means that at least one of those planned port calls from the original itinerary will likely be dropped. Celebrity Cruises has promised to send out further updates on the revised itinerary and exact check-in times, urging future guests to keep a close eye on their inboxes.
For anyone impacted by these changes, keep a close watch on your emails and Celebrity Cruises’ official communications for the very latest information.
And, if nothing else, this incident serves as yet another gentle nudge for all travelers to seriously consider cruise travel insurance – because when unexpected cruise hiccups happen, it can make all the difference.
Appeared first on: Cruisefever.net
