pickering4

Hello All

Just wanted to share the conclusion to the saga of the 24hr cancellation charges.

Just to clarify...I discovered my credit card charges 2.5% on the initial USD purchase and then charges another 2.5% on the refunds plus a 1% difference in the exchange rates = a whopping 6% service charge.

RCCL did not respond to the final email that I sent to their customer complaint department, so I had my bank dispute the charge and I DID get my service charge money refunded.

Another life lesson learned the hard way...hope no one else ever has to go through this. DO NOT hold a booking for a cruise based on RCCL 24hr cancellation policy unless you are ok with them refunding the money instead of cancelling the original transaction. Otherwise you may end up with a outrageous service charge on your credit card to deal with.

Thanks for everyone's input..happy traveling. :)

Thank-you KJ Smith, I do hope it resolves itself.

I will not come back on this Forum until I know what the final verdict is, but I will let you know what happens in the end (if these Forums stay open??).

This is a month's worth of rent for my son at University, all because I was just trying to give him a break from all of his hard work during his reading week...not good. I have learned a very hard lesson.

I really hope it stops it from happening to someone else.

I doubt the OP will return with all the nasties on here and I don't blame her at all.

 

Some of you need to try reading once in awhile. She wanted a courtesy hold on 2 cabins - obviously they were within final payment. The rep at RCL CONNED her into payment when she was entitled to put a 24 hour non-binding hold on the rooms.

 

I am Canadian. She should dispute the cost against RCL for the foreign charges - I know I would, but then I also wouldn't be CONNED by an RCL sales person who is just trying to make a sale and just wasn't honest with the OP.

THANK-YOU...I am already so upset at having this happen. It has been really difficult to read all the nasty comments. You are a kind, observant and helpful person.

I have placed many reservations on my Visa and had the option to cancel them within a certain time period. I have never had it refunded instead of just "not posted" to my Visa. My understanding was the the booking was supposed to "held" and if I did not cancel, the payment would go through in 24hrs.

Correct me if I am wrong, but if she paid and was within 75 days of sailing, she would lose her deposit if she cancelled.

 

Personally, I have NEVER been able to use the 24 hour hold with a CVP over the phone. If I wanted to hold, they told me they could not do it, and that I can only do it over the website. If others were able to do a 24 hour hold over the phone with a CVP, please do tell.

 

To the OP: I am Canadian too, and have paid in US$ only to cancel after. Call your credit card company and explain, escalate to a supervisor if necessary. In MOST cases, they should be able to refund you the original charge, especially since this was only 24 hours from the original transaction. That sai, I too am confused over 2 things (1) Why did they charge you in US$? RCCL has always charged me CDN$ as soon as they see I am Canadian. They will allow us to pay in US$ upon request, but the default has always been CDN$. (2) Why did they charge you the full amount and not a deposit? Also, can you please confirm you booked with Royal Caribbean direct, and not a travel agent (who possibly has different policies)?

Hello Jacquelyn

Can I ask you.....

Was it a booking directly through RCCL that you were charged in Cdn funds for? If I had been charged and refunded in Cdn funds, none of this would have happened. Is that what is supposed to happen? They did not even ask me what currency I wanted. thanks

I am the OP (i guess)....the person with the response below wins the prize for diciphering the situation correctly. I called Royal directly because I could not find 2 cabins side by side. They found them and I asked if I could put it on a 24hour hold as I had seen on their website. I was told I could and I would have to give them my credit card to put through the booking but I had 24hrs to cancel it. Which I did within 8hrs. I have been back and forth with RCCL and my bank 5-6 times and am now disputing the charge. The total service charges were $472 (not just $200)....$472 for NOTHING!!!

"It sounds as if they OP called Royal directly because they were looking for specific attached cabins. I'm sure the person they spoke to put pressure on them to make a payment to hold the cabins as they wouldn't last forever.

I'm not sure it they should have made the OP pay the whole thing, but they definately will make you pay the deposit with 24 hours to pay the rest.

Been there, done that.:rolleyes:"

I just wanted to share my recent experience with Royal Caribbean and their 24hr hold policy. I will be stuck with hundreds of dollars in service charges because they actually process and then "refund" the payment they hold for you, instead of cancelling the transaction. Because it is in US funds, you will pay a service fee on your Canadian Visa which you will not get back with a refund (mine is 2.5%, which works out to over $200 on a $8000 cruise package).

I wanted to hold the cruise for 24hrs because there was only one set of side by side rooms available for my kids and my husband and I. I was told that they would need the full payment upfront but I had 24hrs to cancel the payment. I called back within 8hrs of the original booking once I determined that I could not make the cruise work for us. They told me they would refund my payment. I told them I did not want a refund and I then went through 3-4 different Royal Caribbean booking agents and customer resolution personnel (over a 3 day period), begging them not to refund the payment but instead to "not process" the original transaction (it is held for 3 days by your credit card company, so this is easily doable). All they have to do is not confirm and process the payment and it will automatically drop off the Visa.

Instead, they processed the payment and I will pay over $200 for the privilege of using their fantastic 24hr hold policy. BEWARE.

I will never book with Royal Caribbean, this is just poor customer service.