Celebrity Cruises Oversales Voyage Six Months Before Sailing

Celebrity Cruises has notified selected passengers booked on the Celebrity Millennium’s 24 October 2023 voyage that their trip has been oversold.

The cruise line provides numerous options for passengers whose reservations have been cancelled, but why are oversold situations occurring for different cruise lines?

Celebrity Cruises has notified a few clients that their reservation for the Celebrity Millennium’s 24 October 2023 cruise has been cancelled.

“We regret to inform you that your Celebrity Millennium 12-night Japan sailing departing 24 October 2023 has been oversold due to a rare and unexpected inventory error,” the email says. “This is uncommon, and we are deeply disheartened to report it.”

“We regret to inform you that we have no choice but to cancel this reservation.” Please know that we tried everything to avoid taking this step.”

The impacted cruise is a 12-night “Best of Southern Japan” roundtrip from Tokyo to seven stunning destinations, including Shimizu, Kyoto, Okinawa, and Korea.

Guests who made a booking on the cruise should be aware that it has been partially cancelled. Guests in overbooked accommodations, however, may have their bookings cancelled.

Celebrity Cruises is yet to reveal why some passengers have been cancelled. Others are not; however, some guidelines can influence such decisions, including cabin type, when the initial reservation was made, if the booking has already been paid in full, the loyalty status of the booked guests, and other reasons.

Celebrity Millennium was the first of her kind, debuting in 2002. She can accommodate 2,138 passengers on each voyage and weighs 90,963 gross tonnes, with roughly 950 staff aboard to provide excellent customer service.

For passengers whose bookings have been cancelled, Celebrity Cruises provides two choices.

Guests may “lift and shift” their reservation to other Asia cruises, with the cruise fee honoured for comparable cabin categories. In 2024, guests can select between three 12-night sailings on Celebrity Millennium: 24 September, 6 October, or 18 October.

Other charges, such as non-refundable flights or other travel arrangements related to the trip, are also refundable up to $500 (USD) per person with appropriate documentation.

The second option is for customers to cancel their voyage entirely, in which case they would get a full refund of all money spent and a $450 future cruise credit (FCC) for any future cruise booking on any ship and to any destination. Guests who cancel their cruise will be reimbursed $500 for additional proven ancillary expenditures.

If visitors used a prior FCC to make their now-cancelled stay, the credit would be reissued with a one-year expiration date. Similarly, the new FCC will have a one-year expiration date due to the cruise cancellation.

Guests who want to “lift and shift” their reservation must do so before 1 May 2023. Oversold bookings will be automatically cancelled and reimbursed after that date, and future cruise credits will be granted.

While oversold situations on cruise ships are uncommon, guests may take specific steps to reduce their chances of having their booking cancelled. Choosing a cabin directly rather than going for a fixed rate can help cement a booking, as can make sure the trip is paid in full long before payment due dates.

If an oversell occurs, the best course for any impacted guest is to be patient and aware of the unique circumstance and then determine whatever alternate option best fits their travel plans.