Need advice re: bad experience on FOS

[OrangeSquirrel]

I really like this Board. Everyone has been so helpful!

 

 

I do want to say that I loved, loved, loved our trip. The ship, crew, other passengers – everyone and everything was just top-notch. The one big downer was Guest Services. Their customer service was surprisingly terrible. And I guess that is more my complaint. The situation stunk, but we could deal with it if the response were up to snuff. But it wasn’t, and the final solution has me just more annoyed because as one poster noted, it does feel more like a marketing ploy (just as the “wait until Friday” felt like a real tactical move… give time and space from the incident and what – maybe we’d just forget our initial annoyances and drop it?). Just want to answer a few questions:

• We didn’t use a TA – booked through the RCI site and had a great late booking price/ resident discount
  
• Wet items – our shoes were on the ground in the closet, which is more like a wardrobe with an open bottom… the water went right in and soaked my running shoes (so I couldn’t work out for 2 days) and stained my gold fabric dress shoes and gold sandals (can’t notice on the black dress shoes, thankfully). I’m very neat, so there were no clothes on the ground but they brought in fans that blew our coats and other items off hooks and were lying on the wet floor when we got back from St. Thomas. Clothes can be washed… shoes are kind of a bummer.
  
• “Engine” noise – I can assure you there was DEFINITELY some sort of machine noise. We both slept soundly on deck 3 forward. In the deck 2 aft, random start up/gear shifting noises would disturb us (I could deal if it were a steady hum, but it wasn’t). Also, the 6’-9’ waves would crash against our walls, and WOW, it was loud. Didn’t have that on deck 3. I’m a good sleeper, but I was up a bunch through the night. Boyfriend is a bad sleeper…. and he didn’t get any good rest in that room (#2336). It’s one thing if this is what you expect and pay for, but I paid for a different room/experience that I didn’t get for over half the trip.
  
• Used my debit card to pay for the trip… lesson learned!!
  

Thanks so much for the VERY helpful link and the advice on how to bring this to RCI. I plan to write a concise (!) letter requesting a reasonable/justifiable return credit, and better terms for a future cruise discount to win my return business. I will let you know how it turns out!!

 

(Oh, and some of the other issues noted – non-working toilets, norovirus – sound just awful! My incident pales in comparison, but it’s more the service and solution from RCI that I guess I take issue with.)

[wolfganghowell]

Detail how the shoes were damaged and an estimated cost for them. You don't mention travelers insurance so I'll assume that's not in play. BUt let RCCL know that had reasonable expectations of the shoes being "safe" in the closet - you might be able to get some sort of replacement cost from them. best of luck.

[RetireeWannabee]

I do not understand why people are saying be nice to RCCI and you might get something out of them.

Their contract has provided you with a certain level of cabin, which you have paid for. through no fault of your own they have down graded you.

RCCI now owe you the difference in the cabin prices plus the inconvieniene caused.

Are RCCI so big that they do not care about customer service?

Surely RCCI depend on repeat bookings so looking after its customers is important in getting these repeat bookings.

I have always been totaly satisfied with RCCI and will be cruising with them in September, but I hate to see any body conned.

Yeah, I agree. you got screwed.

 

The discount off another cruise is not acceptable except as an 'oh yeah, and we'd like to give you...' on top of making you whole on the original problem.

 

cabin price difference + inconvenience + ruined belongings

[jeanrtco]

Unacceptable for RCCL to do this to you. I wish you good look with getting compensated with what you truly deserve!

 

jean

[Tankminder]

I do not understand why people are saying be nice to RCCI and you might get something out of them. ....

I hate to see any body conned.

 

Same here, but you need to dangle the carrot that you WANT to cruise with them again, so they have something to lose. Tell them you'll never cruise with them again and you're already a lost customer, there's much less reason to try and satisfy you.

 

I agree with many of the previous suggestions - remember the person getting this letter gets dozens or more a day. Make fixing the situation as easy for them as possible:

- Be brief, concise, factual, professional

- State a specific remedy - and make it a reasonable one

- Don't declare that you're "owed" or "entitled" to anything. As much as you feel like you should be - it only makes them more defensive

- Try to frame the impact to you in light of the overall experience. Don't use extremes like "it ruined my entire trip" or "I didn't sleep one night" - these ruin your credibility. If you ate a decent meal or enjoyed a day by the pool, your trip wasn't ruined. But it was less than you expected. Be fair.

- "Win-win" solutions that do not require cash out of pocket for them are probably your highest chance for success (discounts, OBC's, maybe an upgrade on a future cruise). Something that gets you value but puts something in the bank for them.

- Follow up and be politely persistent.

 

Good luck!

[lam2006]

I really like this Board. Everyone has been so helpful!

 

 

 

I do want to say that I loved, loved, loved our trip. The ship, crew, other passengers – everyone and everything was just top-notch. The one big downer was Guest Services. Their customer service was surprisingly terrible. And I guess that is more my complaint. The situation stunk, but we could deal with it if the response were up to snuff. But it wasn’t, and the final solution has me just more annoyed because as one poster noted, it does feel more like a marketing ploy (just as the “wait until Friday” felt like a real tactical move… give time and space from the incident and what – maybe we’d just forget our initial annoyances and drop it?). Just want to answer a few questions:

I would be upset too if my shoes got wet too. I was just on FOS 3/14 - 3/21. I am a shoe fanatic and my shoes are expensive (Louboutin, D&G, Chanel ...) If the leather of shoes are ruined, you betcha I would make sure RCI knows about it. If possible, take pictures of your ruined shoes and attached them to your email. Also, if possible - take them to shoe cobblers and ask for an estimate of repair.

[ehfl]

If you don't want that 25% discount, simply send it to me! I'll find a good use for it, and I won't even whine about it.

[nancy315]

Same here, but you need to dangle the carrot that you WANT to cruise with them again, so they have something to lose. Tell them you'll never cruise with them again and you're already a lost customer, there's much less reason to try and satisfy you.

 

I agree with many of the previous suggestions - remember the person getting this letter gets dozens or more a day. Make fixing the situation as easy for them as possible:

- Be brief, concise, factual, professional

- State a specific remedy - and make it a reasonable one

- Don't declare that you're "owed" or "entitled" to anything. As much as you feel like you should be - it only makes them more defensive

- Try to frame the impact to you in light of the overall experience. Don't use extremes like "it ruined my entire trip" or "I didn't sleep one night" - these ruin your credibility. If you ate a decent meal or enjoyed a day by the pool, your trip wasn't ruined. But it was less than you expected. Be fair.

- "Win-win" solutions that do not require cash out of pocket for them are probably your highest chance for success (discounts, OBC's, maybe an upgrade on a future cruise). Something that gets you value but puts something in the bank for them.

- Follow up and be politely persistent.

 

Good luck!

 

Excellent advice. But make sure you ask for immediate compensation for the price between what you paid for the original cabin and the price of the cabin you were moved to. That should not be given as a future cruise credit - you did not get what you paid for.

 

And if they come back with a solution that is not acceptable - go back to them and tell them it is not acceptable and you would like (a) (b) or ©.

 

I had a problem a long time ago on a Celebrity cruise and wrote to them asking for compensation and the offer they gave us - an apology - was not acceptable. I wrote back saying that their apology was not acceptable and gave them what I felt was acceptable again - and I was then given a credit toward a future cruise.