RCCL customer service sucks! So far I am NOT IMPRESSED!!!!!

Has anyone else had a problem with Royal Caribbean's Customer service? My sister and I are supposed to go on the Adventure of the Seas on Sunday, 03/12. We booked our cruise a month ago and have had nothing but problems with the customer service!

She and I live in different parts of the country and were planning on meeting in Puerto Rico. After more than 5 hours total of waiting on the phone, SHE finally one part of her package but no ticket information or guidebook. She had to call AGAIN and the person on the phone tried to tell her that she HAD gotten the complete package when she was looking at it in her hand and could clearly see that all of the information was not there! Finally they sent her the rest of the package which included her ticket information, the guidebook explaing the excursions, luggage tags and information about transfers.

However, after at least three separate DAYS of talking to them and another 2 hours on the phone explaining to them that I need my own information since I live in another part of the country, I STILL HAVE NOTHING FROM THEM!!! I don't even know what time or airline I am leaving on! I have NOTHING except the email that I ASKED them to send me confirming that there was even a purchase! For some reason they seem unable to comprehend why two adult people travelling from two totally different places might need their own information about travel! I just don't get it!!!

I have 7 days until this cruise and I don't have ANYTHING!!!!!!!!! And I'm getting nervous. And tonight, after waiting another hour and a half on the phone, they tell me that the "resolution department" is not open until Monday! And that they can not RE-ISSUE the information now. Last week we called and went through this same thing and they guaranteed that my information would have been sent to me by Tuesday (4 days ago). How is it a RE-issue, if I never got the FIRST issue?!!

I am fuming now. I have never been on a cruise and I was hoping that this would be a great experience, but I have to say, so far, I am not impressed. I just don't understand how spending over 2000.00 on a trip and the people can't even mail you a proper itinerary!

This sucks!:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: I am not having fun yet.

Has anyone else had problems with them? Does it get better? Have you heard of going on a cruise with no documentation? Isn't that risky? What should I do? If they ask me to hold one more time, I'm going to lose my mind!

If you were able to complete and print your set sail pass, you should have no problems. It's the only RCI documentation you really need. You can get luggage tags at the pier.

Also, yes, from what I've read on these boards, RCI customer service is not good at handling non-standard situations. 20/20 hindsight, given your circumstances you should have booked with a good TA who would have handled all the details for you.

Thanks for the quick response. I guess I will use a TA next time if I get that far. What is a set sail pass?

Has anyone else had a problem with Royal Caribbean's Customer service? ... I have never been on a cruise and I was hoping that this would be a great experience, but I have to say, so far, I am not impressed. I just don't understand how spending over 2000.00 on a trip and the people can't even mail you a proper itinerary!

 

This sucks!:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: I am not having fun yet.

 

Has anyone else had problems with them? Does it get better? Have you heard of going on a cruise with no documentation? Isn't that risky? What should I do? If they ask me to hold one more time, I'm going to lose my mind!

As MgoBlue said, fill out all of your information online, print out your SetSail pass, and you should be fine. The customer service reps at RCI are informationally deprived. Although they are very nice people, they cannot handle anything other than the status quo. For example, prior to our September cruise on Monarch in 2005, they were blissfully unaware that 3 crewmembers had DIED onboard (the ship sailed, but at midnight instead of 5:30), and in Barcelona, they were similarly unaware that there was a fishermans' strike holding Brilliance at bay outside the harbor for an extra 12 hours. OK, we're cursed. Don't cruise with us.

The good news is that the Miami-based CSRs will not be onboard Adventure, and the staff onboard will be wonderful (caveat: the folks at the Purser's desk often suffer from the same malady as the land-based CSRs, so avoid them if you can).

When two passengers sharing the same cabin have separate addresses, we request separate docs.

That is something most ta's know off the top of their head. Rez agents don't.

Usually for booking done 30 days or so prior to departure, e-docs are issued, not spiral-bound books.

You can complete all your necessary information online at RCL's website, including your credit card information.

Have a great cruise.

As long as you can fill in the online check in, you will be fine, the porters have spare luggage tags.

Worse comes to worst you will have to meet at the port and check in together.

I don't even know what time or airline I am leaving on!

Sounds like OP has air through RCI as well. I'd calmly call back, explain that your cruise leaves next week, and inform them that you have not recieved your travel documents. Ask for your flight information, including recervation code. With this and the Set Sail Pass, you are all set to go. If the call taker can't help you, ask to talk to their supervisor, and then repeat.

I've spent the last 10 or so years in one way or another working with a call center, and can tell you that if you are pleasant to the call taker, generaly people will go out of their way to help you as they can. And if they can't, just follow the escalation tree to you get to someone who can.

If you have the booking (reservation) number, go online to Royalcaribbean.com and click "my cruises". Enter a user name and password and do the online check-in. That will generate your "set sail" pass. That should be all you need, along with proper id/birth certificate or passport. You can get luggage tags at the pier.

I agree- this shouldn't have been such a hassle. Try and have fun, anyway!

Oh my gosh... I understand you are anxious, but take a big huge chill pill.

Ask your sister to give you the booking number, go to http://www.royalcaribbean.com, and fill out all of your information in the "my cruises" section. It really isn't a huge deal, I promise.

You are going on *vacation*....take a deep breath and have a good time!

Tracy

Hey there,

Relax. Breathe.

You can get your flight info by calling the custom air desk. The number is (800) 636-2440.

Have a wonderful cruise.

:)

Good luck trying to go online to get the "set and sail pass". I have been dealing with customer service for 9 months trying to get my information to come up on my computer. I can't pull up anything about my cruise. Therefore, I can't fill out my info or anything. Also, I am missing a C&A cruise credit for a cruise we took in January and can't get them to fix that either. I think they just put someone there to answer the phone and don't care if they can help the customer or not. Worst customer service I have ever seen. I even wrote to headquarters and it still didn't help. They have no trouble taking your money but after that they can't seem to do anything.

Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you view it) the land based CS for RCI is nothing compared to the ship's staff. Why the fundementals of good customer service seem to escape RCI is beyond me. The best I can figure is they have one of the weakest training and support systems of any large company in the world.

They really seem to try but always come up short. After three months I FINALLY got a receipt from them for a charter flight purchased through them when we missed our flight secondary to a port blockade. The blockade was not their fault. Many of the things that happened afterwards were a mix of miscommunications and bad timing but, to not be able to send out a receipt for $1,400 so I could file a claim with my insurance company was just plain old dropping the ball.

First I'm told my credit card receipt is my receipt. The poor child on the end of the phone just could not understand that the insurance company needed something the would show WHAT that charge was for. Not just that RCI billed my $1,400. For all the insurance company knew that could have been a deposit on another cruise or ship board charges. Try as I might, she just couldn't get it.

Finally I got another person on the line who promised me they'd be sending EVERYONE reciepts. A month later, after not getting the reciept, I called back for round two, which was a lot like round one.

By December I was on the line with one of the higher ups asking them to explain why I might have to skip Christmas because I couldn't file a claim with my insurance company because they didn't know how to write out and mail a receipt in less than 90 days. That finally got the receipt to me and then guess what, the insurance company refused the claim. I'm telling you I have no hair left after that one.

At any rate, RCI has a long ways to go with their land based customer service. It seems to be very tough to get them to either understand what you want or need and then when you do, just as tough to get the action you need.

It's a good thing RCI has some of the most inovative ships on the sea's. Otherwise I'm afraid as a company, they'd be in trouble.

Hi Loliznel,

When you go to the Royal Caribbean web site to get your "Set Sail Pass" you will need your booking number to to get to the area where you input your personal information. From what you have said it is possible that you haven't recieved the booking number. There is only one booking number for you and your sister, so you will use the same number that she has.

You have already recieved some good information about getting your flight details, and since you are booked with a Royal Caribbean flight there will be ground transportation from the airport to the ship included. When you retrieve your checked bags at the airport there should be people with Royal Caribbean placards near the exit door to direct you to the bus. Be sure you have your birth certificate/passport and your drivers license/photo ID, with you. You should be able to relax a little, and get prepared for a great vacation. Good luck.

Petert

Oh my gosh... I understand you are anxious, but take a big huge chill pill.

 

Ask your sister to give you the booking number, go to http://www.royalcaribbean.com, and fill out all of your information in the "my cruises" section. It really isn't a huge deal, I promise.

 

You are going on *vacation*....take a deep breath and have a good time!

Tracy

That is so condescending. Yes, of course the OP will probably be able to work it out, and eventually have a great time on the cruise. The OP wasn't expressing panic, he or she was expressing frustration with the "customer service" arm of a company that can't seem to handle anything that is more complicated than "book a cabin, charge a credit card." This is a common theme here, and even folks who LOVE to cruise on RCCL have had terrible customer service from the land-based sided when there was a problem.

It also seemed that there was airfare involved. Also, I've known too many people who had problems printing the set-sail pass to blithely tell someone who was having problems to take a chill pill and print the set-sail pass.

I believe only one of you need to print the set sail pass. They are per cabin, and both names should be on the ticket. Just click to register both names. Sorry you are having bad luck. My TA is the worst!! Will never use him again, so it's hard to know how to book your cruise. Good luck.

I know you are frustrated but trust me when you arrive onboard it will be Totally different!!! The crew onboard will make all the problems you had getting there worth it.

Now call customer service back tell them you need your air schedule, then you call the airline to verify it and get your seat assignments.

Please next time use a travel agent they will run interference for you and like someone said a travel agent would have requested separate docs for you and would have been on top of getting them to you.

Have a great cruise!!

Well, everyone thanks SO MUCH for your advice.

I have tried to do the Set Sail pass thing online. However, the system is telling me that I can not do it online if there are two travellers coming from different locations. It is suggesting that I, (guess what?) call Royal Caribbean for assistance. So (guess what?) I'm on hold again!

I get it now! Maybe their Idea is to get you sooooo FRUSTRATED that by the time you get to the cruise you are just glad for ANY kind of customer service you can get!

BTW, what does "OP" mean?

OP means "original poster" or "opening poster" depending on who answers, but always refers to the person who originated the thread.

One question. Who originated the booking? You or your sister? I don't see why one or both of you cannot print a set-sail pass on the web-site. During the reservation process, did you/she request the cruise docs to be mailed or e-mailed? Hope everything works out, I think it will.

I hope you got the persons who delt with you in customer service name ....When you get on board, when its not crowded go to the purcers office, it they can't satisfy you or just brush you off..I would go way above their head...keep climbing the ladder with this complaint...this is not what RCI wants to do-drive away customers. If you don't get satisfaction...switch over to ships run by Carnival (Princess, Holland America). Be firm and don't raise your voice but be persistant! Good Luck!

I hope you got the persons who delt with you in customer service name ....When you get on board, when its not crowded go to the purcers office, it they can't satisfy you or just brush you off..I would go way above their head...keep climbing the ladder with this complaint...this is not what RCI wants to do-drive away customers. If you don't get satisfaction...switch over to ships run by Carnival (Princess, Holland America). Be firm and don't raise your voice but be persistant! Good Luck!

"Person's name?" I wish it were only one person, but like I said we have called so many times and we have spoken with so many people... But we have kept a few people's names. I am thinking about writing a letter to management though when this is all over. However, I've read other posts on here that suggest this does not really do much anyway.

As for us asking for the original stuff to be mailed to us, yes we did do that. In fact, we have been assured with "It is going to be overnighted in the mail tomorrow" multiple times. But I think it is unbelievable that we would even have to ask in the first place! I mean when you spend this much money on a trip, you would just expect to get some kind of guidebook, manual, acknowledgement letter, ANYTHING without having to ask. We went on a safari several years ago and after we booked the trip with the company (Somak Safari - great trip if anyone is interested) we were getting stuff from them almost every day! We even got some of the same materials twice! There were three of us who went on that trip and we all lived in different locations and we EACH got our own package of material.

BTW, still on hold. And now I have to go run some errands and I will have to call them again later. So once again, I will have spent another day wasted on this trip.:eek:

That is so condescending. .

Wasn't meant to be.

Wishing the OP a wonderful vacation!

Tracy

I came from MI and my sister came from FL for our Grandeur cruise. Both names were on the set sail pass. I made the reservation with sis as guest. Had seperate info for credit cards, emergency contact, home addresses everything. Both names were on 1 set sail pass, we both signed the 1 sheet each of us gave our credit card to the check in lady for verification. No problem. Anytime I've had to call a CSR I've always gotten a friendly helpful person. But I realize one day my turn will come to face that ugly beast called the..."I-dont-care-about-your-problems-go-away-leave-me-alone CSR"

Just want to say that I have had only good experiences with the RCI customer service. I have never waited on hold more than 5 minutes. I usually get right through. I have not heard any good words about them so I thought I should add this. :)

I don't know if you saw my post up there, but if you call them, they can give you the flight info.

Hopefully, you have. :)