QueenofKrakatoa

Just as an FYI, my husband and I called for pricing for the Radiance sailing to Alaska the first two weeks as a last minute cruise and under his EMT discount we got an E1 balcony for $2100 or so. Normal pricing was almost $2k more. We've never seen that good of a deal before and I wanted to share!

"i'm going to endlessly complain about the prices and how the sales aren't really sales, but still book anyway." -everyone

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

Oh, and the fact that I can't bring my friend who isn't diamond in the DL because she's in my cabin! Rude!

You forgot to complain about Royal's pricing, website, the very nerve of charging tips, no chocolates on the pillows, slow embarkation (because it's not like that's custom's fault or anything), not being invited to dine with the captain, too many people in the diamond lounge (fainting at the very thought of having to mingle with the peasants with your drink vouchers) and that they have not yet hired someone to wipe your a** at any given opportunity.

These are great responses. I have a friend about to cruise Royal and I showed her these, now she's really excited for her cruise. Thanks guys!

Free drinks in the Diamond Lounge!

Can't forget about those!

I feel like we get caught up in a lot of negativity, so I want to know...what do you love the most about Royal Caribbean? What keeps you coming back? Is it a certain ship/class, certain staff members, destinations?

I'll start by saying my absolute favorite thing about Royal has been the Oasis class ships (and the staff on said ships).

Call Crown and Anchor. They handle MyCruise Rewards. Ask the rep if they can email the project coordinator in charge of MyCruise Rewards to change from robes to onboard credit. This same thing literally just happened to my dad. Hope this helps.

#2. Adventure is a great way to introduce yourself to Royal and the ports are fantastic. Then do the Oasis. You'll be wowed either way no matter which one you pick, but the Oasis is kind of saving the best for last.

With the price difference, the space, and separate sleeping areas, I'd totally do the FO.

I have been on quite a few cruises, all but one on RCCL (we did Celebrity for the first time last summer) and the food on both lines is excellent, considering that they're making food for thousands of people all day.

I book through the cruise line, because you never know what can happen and the ship won't wait for you if you get held up on a private tour. I'm okay with paying a few bucks more on an excursion rather than a few hundred or thousand for unnecessary extra travel for being left behind.

Good, I'm glad it worked out. I told you the Oregon people are the best.

"The ship no longer provides shampoo made from imported Tibetan yak tears? This is an outrage!"

I never really understood the fuss behind the soaps. I have always brought my own, everyone I know brings their own...

I usually book online, so don't have any contact with their agents, but all I have to say is, if the employees information systems suck as badly as Royal's public website, I feel sorry for them having to try to come up with an accurate answer to callers....:rolleyes::rolleyes:

I have worked for a company that had the most useless computers to try and work with- I could pick any one of 3 answers shown, since whenever they added information they didn't bother to delete the old, so you had to do a lot of reading before you could figure out the current correct answer. Add in a language problem at the call center, and it's a recipe for dissatisfied customers.

We are booked on the Harmony for next year, and I had a little snafu with the reservation (staterooms switching around when I didn't want them to). Got an Oregon agent who promptly fixed it and had a lovely conversation. And it would seem that you are correct; from what the agent told me they have a database that they get information from (like a Royal Wikipedia, if you will) and it's a LOT of information that is constantly changing.

I'm with you. The agents I've spoken with have been great.

Oregon agents in particular are genuinely friendly. Every time I get someone from Oregon they go out of their way to help me, and most of the time they seem better informed. And if they don't know the answer, they'll go find out.

I wish to heaven above Royal were able to publicly share my last call with them where I was calm, collected, polite, and the resolution manager went OFF on me; threatening to cancel my cruise, refusing to give me the name of anyone above her, flat out lying to me regarding the other agent I had spoken to.

 

It was one of the most bizarre customer service experiences I have had with any company, any time, anywhere. She literally snapped on me even though I was very polite, no foul language, in fact at that point I had asked for nothing other than to have Royal's policy in writing. I truly, truly wish a recording of the call were made publicly available because everyone would agree it was unprofessional and in no way what this company should employ as a representative.

 

Do I think she snapped because of my call? No. Do I believe she may have been having a bad day and / or personal issues? Yes. She profusely apologized for being "rude and belligerent" (her words, not mine). Do I think that is acceptable? No. Do I think she answered all my questions? No. Am I satisfied with how she resolved the issue? Not entirely, no.

 

What's the famous cruise critic mantra? if you don't like the answer you get from RC on the phone call back and get a different answer. if you don't like that one, call again. Just shows you how poor the training is. No consistency.

 

Once again, if it were possible for that call to be made publicly available I have NO DOUBT whatsoever people would be in agreement.

 

I'll send a letter to RC executives about it and ask for a response so at least they can address the issues caused by their phone agents with their multiple different answers.

 

For the record, I don't know where Annie the Resolutions Manager is stationed and I had no trouble with her accent. :rolleyes:

Maybe you should start recording your calls.

And last time I did that, their system recently changed, and I was rudely pushed off to the reservations line....overseas. I have gotten 2 very rude C&A reps in the past 3 or 4 weeks....

2 out of probably 100 or so. It's unfortunate they were rude, but 2% is hardly representative of the whole department. Every time I talk to them they're very pleasant.

It might also be because I'm not rude and I don't act entitled. Not that I'm implying that you are, but I'm betting those agents get a lot of really rude people, all day every day. Calling them worthless, like one person on this thread did, doesn't help anyone.

If you want to reach the Springfield OR office every time, call Crown and Anchor. Springfield is the only office that has it.

Even the most well parented children can do stupid things. I hardly think a Broadway show is what would tip a wayward child over the edge.

Extremely easy to answer this question:

 

Ask any 100 Mercedes drivers who have driven many Mercedes for a total of 25 years straight without trying another brand to review a brand new 2016 Mercedes vs. a brand new 2016 BMW and see what the ratings will be. (ie. Quantum/Anthem is the BMW). Is the BMW truly any worse to anyone else or just the 100 drivers polled who all they know is Mercedes vehicles?

Perfect analogy, thank you!

Pretty often, you just have to keep an eye on it. There's always some sort of sale going on.

Do it now. The earlier, the better. Then if there's a price drop when the next sale comes out (and you're before final payment) you can take advantage.

How do you explain the ships that have 80%+ approval ratings? This is coming from the same small percentage of the cruising population that took the time to say what they don't like on the Anthem. If this was truly the best cruise ship in the world, there would be more lovers than haters.

I'm not saying it's the best ship in the world, as I've never been on it.

I actually rather addressed the issue as far as the stark difference in opinions; it's because the small percentage of the cruising population on this website, from my personal observation, does not like change. Quantum class ships are new and are unique to the fleet, and the differences don't sit well with experienced cruisers. Dining is different, layout is different, target audience is different, and some cruisers felt slighted by that.