Tatra603

Why are some people assuming this new class of ship will replace the Radiance class rather than the Voyager class? If it's likely to be a similar size to Voyager and the Voyager class ships are older than the Radiance class, then surely it makes sense to move on the older vessels, especially as they are so similar in design to the Freedom's. Radiance class is my favourite.

Can anyone onboard tell me whether RC have said anything about a visa for Madagascar? Are they being sorted by RC or do we have to apply ourselves online?

Even that is vague. Anybody want to be my friend?

And yet their attitude towards mini segmenters, particularly those stranded in Dubai has been curt and dismissive.

Thanks to everyone who has been supportive of my vain and ultimately futile attempt to get some level of clarity from RC via my email to RC Executive Office and M Bayley. Fwiw, I've fired a short email back to them after this rather unempathetic and formulaic reply to my original email (post 4038). Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately, you have failed to address the main question. Which is, if RC are determined to 'remain consistent and fair to all guests equally impacted by these changes', then why have those of us due to embark in Dubai not been given first option to book the new itinerary, in our original stateroom, before it goes on general sale? It should be easy enough to do. I (and many of your customers in the same situation) are very disillusioned by the way RC has treated us. Many loyal RC cruisers online have vowed never to sail with you again if you continue with this baffling and unfair oversight.

Just received this from RCI Executive Office: Thank you so much for your email and please accept my apologies for the delay in getting back to you. My name is Kaitlyn; I work in the Executive Office of Royal Caribbean. I am pleased to respond on behalf of our executives. I am sorry to hear that the cancelation of this sailing has negatively impacted your vacation plans. I understand how frustrating and disappointing this can be. Many factors go into to deciding whether we offer any form of compensation or price matching when a sailing is canceled or redeployed. We also have to make certain we’re remaining consistent and fair to all guests equally impacted by these changes. At this time we are offering guests to cancel and to receive a full refund paid or rebook any sailing at the prevailing rate. If you are booked under a non- refundable rate, we are waiving change fees. While we understand our guests frustrations with not having alternative options, we must remain firm in our decision to offer the option to fully refund or move to a different sailing at prevailing rates. I apologize for any disappointment this may cause. Please know, for further information, I unfortunately need you to contact your Travel Agent that was assisting you with this reservation. Any financial information needs to be discussed with the agency as we are not able to discuss, per the privacy contracts between Royal Caribbean and the Travel Agencies associated with us. Again, thank you for contacting us with your feedback.

Exactly this (apart from the wrong pronouns). I don't know how anyone can misunderstand my (and many others) genuine disillusionment with the way RC has handled this, let alone conflate it with the sad situation in Gaza.

My TA knew nothing about it until I forwarded her my email from RC.

Thanks Jimbo

I did think of this, but decided that given the title of this thread, it was wholly relevant. I don't wish it to distract from the ship postings, which I am very much enjoying. But there's no reason why this subject shouldn't exist alongside.

Fair enough, but I'm just seeking some clarity and I don't think that's unreasonable. If they were going to give us mini segmenters 'first dibs' on the new itinerary, I'm thinking they would have at least intimated as much. If they haven't yet decided, then my email and hopefully others saying similar can do no harm. The utterly pointless 11 day delay before deciding just makes the situation worse.

Hi Biker19, I know what you mean, but I can only react to things as they stand at the present time and RC's intransigence needs to be challenged. With only two and a half months to go, a bit of certainty would be appreciated, then there would be no need to vent.

I'm not sure if I should have done this, but I needed to vent. I've just emailed the following to M Bayley: Hello, I am writing as a loyal but disillusioned Royal Caribbean cruiser. I have had the Dubai to Athens segment of the UWC booked for some considerable time, even getting the stateroom I really wanted. It has long been apparent that the Middle East itinerary was no longer viable, so I waited with baited breath to find out where we would be going instead. Flight to Dubai for two is booked, as are the (non refundable) 4 nights pre cruise hotel. Imagine my (and hundreds of others in the same situation) disappointment when an email came through giving me the stark choice of rebooking a different cruise (there are none suitable) with no more than $100 OBC or a full refund. So we're left high and dry in Dubai. The uncertainty exacerbated and prolonged by the baffling and pointless decision to draw it out by another 11 days before letting your more important cruisers vote on the new itinerary (let's not kid ourselves, it will be option 1). So Dubai to Cape Town will be the same 18 nights as Dubai to Athens was. When my TA contacted RCI (UK), she was met with a wall of denial that Pravda would be proud of, both from the agent and then the supervisor. Rebook or refund, there is no other option. There will not be a RC cruise leaving Dubai on the 9th May. Even when my TA pointed out that it's part of a world cruise and RC are unlikely to let Serenade sail half full, the denial continued. Now, we're not silly. We know RC is all about the $$. We know the new cruise can and will be repackaged and remarketed at a higher asking price than I paid for the Middle East. I don't mind that. What irks me and many others, is the unceremonious dumping of us and our custom. Why not give us first refusal on the new segment, allowing us, if we want, to keep the stateroom we had booked? Instead, should the new segment come up for sale, we'll be involved in a massive bun fight for what will be a very popular cruise. A random and unfair fight to get THE CRUISE SHIP AND STATEROOM THAT WE HAD ALREADY BOOKED. I can envisage a scenario where we can see Serenade docked from our hotel window, knowing that we won't be boarding it. If that happens, then needless to say, our long and happy relationship with Royal Caribbean will have come to a sad end.

So my TA called RC (UK) today to bat for me. She was baffled by the level of intransigence shown by both persons she spoke to. TA: "My client has booked flight and hotel in Dubai. He would like to book the new cruise leaving on the 9th May and is surprised he hasn't been given that option" RC: His options are to rebook another cruise or cancel for a full refund. There is no sailing on the 9th" TA: "It's part of a world cruise. We know that it won't sail a quarter full. We know it will be remarketed. Why haven't the existing bookings been given the option of the new itinerary?" RC: "Your client has no other option than to book another cruise or ask for a refund. There are no other options" They went round and round in circles. RC supervisor stuck to the script. They recommended I booked an alternative cruise and wallow in the incredibly generous $100 OBC, as there is no cruise leaving Dubai on May 9th. My TA was very professional, but could get nowhere. She said it's an awful way to treat loyal paying customers. It was weird just how much they were trying to steer us away from the idea that there might still be a possibility of Dubai to Cape Town. Everything, including the seemingly pointless 11 day delay before voting, seems designed to dissuade us mini segmenters from holding out in the hope of getting our cruise (and stateroom) back.

It does appear quite random and those of us that haven't been given the option to embark on the new itinerary can feel quite hard done by. I for one will be in Dubai as flight and 4 nights pre cruise hotel are already booked (no mention in the email of any compensation for hotels). There are no alternative cruises that fit in with our location and timescale. The thought of looking out of our hotel window and seeing Serenade docked, knowing that we won't be boarding fills me with dread and annoyance. Why are certain customers being prioritized? After 14 cruises with RC, this could be my last.

So you don't think the two new mini segments will be repackaged and put on sale?

Let's face it, there's no way option 2 will be chosen. I'm not even sure why a choice was given other than to delay the decision further and screw over the mini segmenters.

So the new itinerary will be voted upon on Feb 27th and we have to decide by March 1st. Not much of a window for us when they decide to repackage the new itinerary, double the price and make it available for purchase.

Nope Just 2 options given. Book an alternative cruise and get £100 per stateroom in OBC or get a refund. No option 3 to board in Dubai and take the new itinerary to Cape Town. We all know they'll repackage it and double the price, but I still reckon we should have been given first priority. Instead we'll be involved in a bun fight for a very sought after cruise with no guarantee of success even though having booked the flight and hotel, I'll be in Dubai anyway. And I'll lose the nice stateroom I had. This is very bad form from RC. Turns out us mini segmenters were considered second class passengers after all.

You would think so, but why not give us first option on that rather than unceremoniously cancelling our cruise?

I've already received my cancellation email for my mini segment for Dubai to Athens. No option to board in Dubai (as that's where I'll be on the 9th as flight and hotel is booked) and enjoy my 18 nights before disembarking in Cape Town. Not best pleased.

1) Radiance class. For all the reasons stated above. Outside area in Windjammers, glass everywhere looking out to sea, even in the elevators, best solarium etc. 2) Freedom class. Only been on Indy a couple of times many years ago but I remember enjoying it. 3) Vision class. Liked it much more than I thought I would. Gets marked down because of the layout and location of Windjammers. 4) Oasis class. Lots of stuff to do but boring itineraries and everything looks inward. 5) Quantum class. Been on Anthem many times but I simply don't like the layout or decor. The inside middle part of the ship has the whiff of shopping mall about it. Never been on Voyager class.

Genuine question. Did any of those cruises have any embarkations planned at any of those ports or is that something unique to this one?

I got my segments mixed up with my mini-legs.

Isn't Dubai the start of the third quarter and if so, wouldn't that make it harder to scrap that segment?