BethKel

So we're looking to book on Royal Caribbean. There's 2 families traveling together and the other family will need 2 rooms, since they have a family of 6.

There's certainly a jump in cost pp between picking your own room vs. having RC pick it for you. But the family that needs 2 rooms will obviously want their rooms next to each other. BUT they don't really care WHERE on the ship those 2 rooms will be. Are they stuck paying the additional "pick your own room" cost to have the rooms next to each other?

And we were going to book directly with RC but is this where a travel agent could help?

Thanks!

On 6/29/2019 at 10:43 PM, Heather1972 said:

I had major issues getting my OBC while on board Majesty. Cristobal and Collins were NO help at guest services. I wrote an email to the director of guest relations on Tuesday after leaving her a voice mail on Monday. Someone from Royal called me while I was in Nassau, but they didn’t leave a message. So, I called that number back and made it very clear that guest services was no help and I was calling them while on board in Nassau. They again confirmed I was due $856 OBC. I was also told they had sent several urgent messages to the ship. 

 

Later on Tuesday, after being told by Collins how I was getting nothing, I went to talk to Kristina the casino host. She said I have good news — $368 in OBC and $488 in casino free play. I said I’ll take it. I was able to turn the casino free play into a bit more. So, I walked off the ship with more than $856 in cash. 

And Heather, if we end up in the same situation....

If we get the casino freeplay as part of the "deal," can we literally cash that in (minus that 5% fee that I think you mentioned in another post.)  No doubt we WILL want to gamble some but maybe not the full $488.  Tho hopefully we'll do like you, turn it into more!

6 minutes ago, Canadian Disney Mom said:

 

That is what I was told too.  Can you remind me if yours was a regular booking or a comp through MyVEGAS or club royale?  I don’t sail until 8/4 so I definitely curious to see how it goes for everyone who sails before me.  I am booked on  Club Royal offer

I used 2 million MyVegas points to "buy" the cruise, so I not sure if that is considered a comp or ?  But def through MyVegas.  I'll be posting from the cruise, departing July 8th.  

13 hours ago, Heather1972 said:

 

MOUTH DROP! No one asked Royal to do anything. They were the ones who offered compensation. To point fingers and lie and screw customers over is BS.  We PAID with 2 million myvegas points. There has to be some money exchanging hands some how some way.  

Yeah, I think that's the major point.  We didn't ASK for this, it was offered...in writing.  If it was a screw up, sorry, you need to honor that.

So here's the net-net from my call this morning to customer service:

June 21 – I spoke to Christian and explained that I was on the re-routed Cuba cruise, date, etc. Shared my reservation # and said that I got an email saying that I would get OBC of $1,029 due to the re-route.  Just wanted to confirm that it would be there for our cruise.

He looked up and then he said, “according to what we were told, it was 50% off of….

(then lots of mumbling and looking) and then “here it is.”  And he said that if I booked a shore excursion in Cuba, it would be refunded as onboard credit. I said I didn’t book any excursions in Cuba.

He then said that a 50% refund was sent on the 10^th.  I started to ask him WHERE it was sent – back to our credit card?  Refund of what – port fees & taxes?  But then he asked for the email that I received and while he waited for that to be forwarded, he would talk w/ their “Resolution Desk."  

He came back on the line saying that yes, he saw the email that I forwarded and the resolution desk confirmed that I would get OBC of $1,029 but that I couldn’t use that in advance of the cruise (which I knew), but it would be loaded onto my onboard account and ready to us on my SeaPass account.  Specifically, he said “You will have onboard credit of $1,029 and you can use that for whatever you’d like on board and if it isn’t completely used on the cruise, you will get that money back at the end of the cruise.”   

So we'll see if this holds!  

4 hours ago, Heather1972 said:

 

I typed this up and sent it off to Royal. If I don't have a response by tomorrow I will be calling the number listed in the canned response I got a couple of days ago. I'm ready to present this in person in Monday too.

----------------------------------------------

Here is what I have dealt with in the past two weeks:

 

JUNE 5 - I received email from Royal stating 50% refund of cruise fare paid as on board credit to be used on anything.

 

JUNE 5 - I called Club Royale and I spoke with Deja who said it was 50% of the discounted cruise fare  as on board credit to be used on anything. I made sure she understood that this was a cruise received through the MyVegas app.  $368 OBC

 

JUNE 10 - Since I had been hearing different things, I called again to Club Royale (Oshane) to see what the latest version was. He confirmed it is 50% of discounted cruise fare - $368 OBC to be used on anything. He also said he was adding the codes to get the OBC.

 

JUNE 13 - I received an email from Club Royale (Nicole Locker) stating I would get 50% of cruise fare paid as on board credit to use on anything. This was too vague of an answer, so I sent a follow up email. 

 

JUNE 15 - I called the regular Royal phone number to inquire about my Key West excursion. So, while I had Alex on the phone, I asked again about the OBC situation.  Alex said he double and tripled checked and said I would be receiving $856 as casino free play. This number is 50% of the cruise fare. He even said, “Yes, I know it sounds too good to be true!” 

 

Since this is the first time I had heard this directly and yes, it sounded too good to be true, I again called Club Royale. I spoke with Mikayla this time.  She too said it was $856 in casino free play.

 

By this time I was more than frustrated at the different numbers I had been quoted and how the credit can be used. Everyone refused to put anything in writing. So, I then contacted Royal through Facebook. Now, I was being told by Royal through FB that I would receive $368 in casino free play. 

 

JUNE 17 - I received an email from Club Royale (Julie V.) staying that $368 OBC to be used on anything would be on my sea pass card by the time I am onboard.  

--------------------------------

So, how do you like all those different responses!?!? Trying to get my 2 million points back from MyVegas is a whole other story. 

Holy Moses Heather, you've been so diligent!!

What's your best hoped for scenario - the $368 (or more) in OBC or the $856 in casino free play?  

Do you get concerned that they say (at least my initial email did) that we would get 50% of the paid cruise fare back in OBC (since, at least for me, this was a "free" cruise tho "paid for" through MyVegas points.)

My original email from Club Royale on June 6 said we'd $1,029 in OBC, usable for anything (NOT just casino freeplay).  For 2 people in an outside stateroom.

On June 14th, I sent a note to Club Royale to confirm that $1,029 in OBC would be available upon boarding on July 8th.  No response.

Thanks to your inspiration, I'm going to escalate this and start calling.

On 6/17/2019 at 2:03 PM, luv2vacation said:

st day on the ship I saw a credit of $395.00, and after 2-3 days they credited me a difference of $430.00 as casino credit (use it or lose it), while telling me via twitter that I would get those $430.00 as OBC (which never happened).

Ugh, thanks for posting all this.  Looks like we're in for a "fight" once we get onboard, DESPITE having emails, etc. stating exactly what we are supposed to get (OBC to use wherever.)

So Belugos, your net-net was this?:

OBC of $395 for use wherever

Casino credit of $430 (did you use it?)

$500 for "future cruise"

And when you were onboard, who did you talk to?  Just Guest Services or anyone in particular?  By the time I sail, they will have HAD to have quite a few MyVegas-ers come through with the same situation. Will their policy be to plead ignorance until we argue with them enough to get something?  

And Heather, I thought you said you had a July sailing but you have June! (I was going to offer to send you deets on my experience from the July 8th cruise once onboard.)  But I'd love to know what responses you get from any of the email addresses and then obviously, how everything nets out for your trip.  Good luck!

14 hours ago, belugos said:

Well.. bad news for those (like me) who booked throught the club royale. After being told over the phone AND confirmed in writing (email from ClubRoyale) about the amount we would received, we got the the ship and discovered the OBC was for less than half of the 50% of the cruise fare they told us. 

Guest services has NO idea what to do.. just told me to contact Club Royale... I emailed club royale, and got no reply... then called them (Im still on the Majesty as I type this) and the 1st person there told me"oh.. you use points so you qualify for ZERO dollars in obc.." I explained to her that this was nonsense as there was already a decent credit, just not the correct amount.. she did not belive me, and I had to forward her the email from Club Royale... still, no solution.. told me to wait.

I then sent a Twitter to RCCL.. someone replied to me quickly, and it has been 2 days.. they still have no idea.. just keep telling me "we are trying to get more info on this matter and will get back to you shortly". Today, they sent me a direct message via Twitter telling me they would credit me 200 pp in casino money.

 

Club Royale keeps telling me to contact Guest services, and guest services has no idea of what ClubRoyale is (a man at the desk kept looking at me like I was an alien explaining extraterrestrial affairs).

 

We were told if we cancelled, we would get the full cruise fare... and if we took the cruise, we would get 50% of the cruise fare as per invoice, which would have been 826.00. 1st day of cruise, we noticed a 197.50 obc per person.

Any update on this?  I booked through MyVegas (essentially through Club Royale from my understanding), as did at least one other person on this board (hello Heather!)

We got the same information, via calls and emails, about the OBC.  The letter very specifically told us the dollar amount we would be getting in OBC, and that it could be used for anything, and that any leftover funds would be credited back to our card.  

This was my fear - that once folks using MyVegas / Club Royale points would get on board, the "deal" would change.  

Keep us posted - thanks.

31 minutes ago, AdventureKenandCar said:

Direct from Royal Caribbean:

 

Cuba Travel Policy Update - June 05, 2019 at 2:30 p.m. (EDT)

 

Effective immediately, the U.S. government has implemented new regulations that prohibits travel from the U.S. to Cuba by cruise ship. This change requires us to immediately replace all Cuban ports. For all 2019 sailings on both Majesty of the Seas and Empress of the Seas, we have secured alternative ports and we are in the process of communicating the new itineraries to our guests and travel partners. For these guests, they will have the option of remaining on their sailing with the new itinerary and receiving a 50% refund or they may cancel their cruise and receive a full refund.

For 2020 sailings on both Majesty and Empress of the Seas, we are working to secure alternative itineraries and expect to be able to communicate to our guests and travel partners within the next week. 

We are sorry for this unexpected and sudden change to our guests’ upcoming vacations and appreciate their understanding. 

Interesting!  I haven't received this notice yet and I'm on the Majesty in July (or I was).  If cruise is refundable, great, but if they change OUT of Key West, I doubt my snorkle trip (private tour booked just TWO days ago) is.  Also, probably not refundable airfare. Gah.

11 hours ago, Shmoo here said:

When is your cruise?

July 8th!  All paid, travel booked. Grrrr.

Hmmm, I just got a note saying essentially "hold tight, we'll let you know by tomorrow at 6pm":

Today, the United States government shared that educational and recreational (or people-to-people) travel to Cuba is no longer permitted and you may be wondering how this affects your upcoming cruise. Please know, we are assessing what these changes mean for all of our future Cuba cruises and we kindly ask for your patience. We promise to share an update with you and your Travel Partner by tomorrow, June 6th, at 6:00 PM EST.