We booked twelve cabins on January 17th. According to the web site at the time, if you booked twelve or more Cabins, the basic wedding was included. We thought it would be fun to get married onboard since we are avid sailors and we are already engaged and the complimentary package, while not a deal maker, was an incentive to book with you.
In February, I called to talk about the details. After half an hour on hold, I finally got an operator that could do nothing more than record my contact information and promise to have someone call or email me. The only information she could give me was what she was obviously reading from the web site. There was supposed to be a downloadable brochure but the site said, "coming soon".
My cruise consultant then tried in vain to find a wedding planner and, after considerable time on hold, was told that the complimentary wedding was no longer offered as of January 30th.
The next day, I spent the better part of an afternoon on hold or being bounced from one department to another. Finally, I got Sharon Kirby on the phone. She was great and she confirmed that, because we booked before January 30th, a complimentary wedding was included. She also sent me a copy of the brochure that I couldn't get on-line.
I have since sent two emails and have not received a response in four days. One email included very specific instructions and questions as well as the dates and our booking reference. The included wedding is just a part of our plan. We will want to book dinners, decorations, receptions and musicians, in other words, we plan to spend considerably more than what is included in the package.
Here's a bit of business 101, If a customer is trying to contact you in an effort to book an event that will likely cost thousands of dollars, you should, at the very least, return that customer's emails. Here's a direct quote from your brochure:
"And peace of mind,
with complimentary planning included. With your vision and
input, our Royal Romance Specialists bring to life a beautiful,
one-of-a-kind event that truly reflects you."
Here's how it should have been worded.
"After half an hour on hold, you will be connected with someone that can do nothing but read to you from our web site and take down your contact info. After that, it is highly unlikely that you will hear from us ever again. Welcome Aboard!"
...See the difference? So here's what I'm going to do; I'm going to post this saga on every travel review web site I can find and let the entire planet follow my experience for the next ten months. You will be judged by millions of potential customers and your competitors. On top of that, they will be prospective wedding customers - I imagine, because of the multiple bookings for friends and family and the expensive onboard ceremonies, that wedding clients are people you want to attract.
Keep in mind that, first and foremost, we are your customers, our deposit is refundable and there may be more bookings in addition to our existing group. This depends greatly on the level of service you provide going forward.
An prompt, professional response from someone with the experience and cranial capacity to go beyond reading from the web site would be appreciated.
Royal Caribbean wedding
in Honeymoon & Wedding Cruises
Posted
Dear Royal Caribbean,
Here's my experience so far;
We booked twelve cabins on January 17th. According to the web site at the time, if you booked twelve or more Cabins, the basic wedding was included. We thought it would be fun to get married onboard since we are avid sailors and we are already engaged and the complimentary package, while not a deal maker, was an incentive to book with you.
In February, I called to talk about the details. After half an hour on hold, I finally got an operator that could do nothing more than record my contact information and promise to have someone call or email me. The only information she could give me was what she was obviously reading from the web site. There was supposed to be a downloadable brochure but the site said, "coming soon".
My cruise consultant then tried in vain to find a wedding planner and, after considerable time on hold, was told that the complimentary wedding was no longer offered as of January 30th.
The next day, I spent the better part of an afternoon on hold or being bounced from one department to another. Finally, I got Sharon Kirby on the phone. She was great and she confirmed that, because we booked before January 30th, a complimentary wedding was included. She also sent me a copy of the brochure that I couldn't get on-line.
I have since sent two emails and have not received a response in four days. One email included very specific instructions and questions as well as the dates and our booking reference. The included wedding is just a part of our plan. We will want to book dinners, decorations, receptions and musicians, in other words, we plan to spend considerably more than what is included in the package.
Here's a bit of business 101, If a customer is trying to contact you in an effort to book an event that will likely cost thousands of dollars, you should, at the very least, return that customer's emails. Here's a direct quote from your brochure:
"And peace of mind,
with complimentary planning included. With your vision and
input, our Royal Romance Specialists bring to life a beautiful,
one-of-a-kind event that truly reflects you."
Here's how it should have been worded.
"After half an hour on hold, you will be connected with someone that can do nothing but read to you from our web site and take down your contact info. After that, it is highly unlikely that you will hear from us ever again. Welcome Aboard!"
...See the difference? So here's what I'm going to do; I'm going to post this saga on every travel review web site I can find and let the entire planet follow my experience for the next ten months. You will be judged by millions of potential customers and your competitors. On top of that, they will be prospective wedding customers - I imagine, because of the multiple bookings for friends and family and the expensive onboard ceremonies, that wedding clients are people you want to attract.
Keep in mind that, first and foremost, we are your customers, our deposit is refundable and there may be more bookings in addition to our existing group. This depends greatly on the level of service you provide going forward.
An prompt, professional response from someone with the experience and cranial capacity to go beyond reading from the web site would be appreciated.
Regards,
Richard Mitchele