Disappointed with RCCL

[Ocean Boy]

Our standard cabin for two on Oasis seemed a tad tight, but the same size cabin next door held four that week. that would have been too crowded for me and would have been totally out of the question for DH.

 

The first time I walked into our cabin on Oasis the word "tight" crossed my mine but not the word "tad". ;)

[laurac22]

The room may indeed accomodate 4 people. It just can't accomodate 4 handicapped people. It may not be able to accomodate 3 people if the sofabed is opened. I don't think anyone would expect someone in a wheeelchair to use a pullman bed, but, as I've said, I don't know how accessible the room is if the third person is in the sofa bed (when one exists) and needs to use his or her wheelchair. It is not even clear to me that there is enough access for the wheelchair bound guest to use the inside portion of the queen bed. The only way you solve that problem is by putting someone in that room in a wheelcair testing all configurations. Then you can say what can and cannot be accomodated.

OK I wish I would have taken a picture of the cabin with the bed that they made up for my son. It was basically the same size as a double pull out sofa bed would have been. It was in the corner closest to the balcony, and along the wall, my son slept on it with is head by the windows and his feet were basically in my husbands face. LOL It was basically just like the position a sofa would have been, except unable to be put away.

 

I don't know what the law is for mandated space, But my son was able to park his chair at the corner of the bed. He had a wide enough path to get to the bathroom and get back to bed. Just not easily able to turn around in the middle of the room. He could turn around in the bathroom and right inside the door a little better. If we had had a double sofa bed that you slept with your head towards the arm of the sofa opposed to the back of the sofa(like we had on the freedom) there should have been no problem pulling it out at night and putting it up during the day. Then we would have still had plenty of room and a sofa and table. Maybe this will help paint a better picture.

[Starry Eyes]

The first time I walked into our cabin on Oasis the word "tight" crossed my mine but not the word "tad". ;)

well put:D. and it reinforces that even able bodied people have differing ideas of how much space is really needed.

[Beth C]

I like everyone else am glad you posted this. We are currently looking to book an Oasis/Allure/Freedom for 3 and was under the impression that all the "triangle" accessibles would have the same bed arrangement as the standard interior triple/quad we booked the last time (2 twins and 1 sofabed futon thingy that ~could~ fit 2 if necessary). I don't know if I can do a week on that thing they called a sofa bed in your cabin... might have to swing by Target on the way to the port and pick up a

 

 

We recently returned from the Rhapsody where my 2 aunts had an accessible oceanview which now that I look back has the 'triangle' on the deck plans but this room had the loveseat (single sofa bed?) as well as pullmans. Since there was only the 2 of them in the cabin we never investigated the 'sofa bed'. Their room had plenty of floor space to keep the twins separated even if the "sofa bed" had been opened up. Being that the Rhapsody is a 15+ yr old ship one would think the Oasis class would be more user friendly for the disabled!

Edited June 9, 2013 by Beth C

[laurac22]

I like everyone else am glad you posted this. We are currently looking to book an Oasis/Allure/Freedom for 3 and was under the impression that all the "triangle" accessibles would have the same bed arrangement as the standard interior triple/quad we booked the last time (2 twins and 1 sofabed futon thingy that ~could~ fit 2 if necessary). I don't know if I can do a week on that thing they called a sofa bed in your cabin... might have to swing by Target on the way to the port and pick up a

 

 

We recently returned from the Rhapsody where my 2 aunts had an accessible oceanview which now that I look back has the 'triangle' on the deck plans but this room had the loveseat (single sofa bed?) as well as pullmans. Since there was only the 2 of them in the cabin we never investigated the 'sofa bed'. Their room had plenty of floor space to keep the twins separated even if the "sofa bed" had been opened up. Being that the Rhapsody is a 15+ yr old ship one would think the Oasis class would be more user friendly for the disabled!

LOL, I didn't know you could bring air mattresses on board.

 

We would most likely not go on Oasis class again, even if we could find accommodations that would work for us. It just seemed that we were paying top dollar for a lot of amenities that we don't or can't use. IMO the Freedom is just the right size for a larger ship and has everything you could need to have a great time.

[xxHadleyxx]

Yes I believe this is RCL standing on the subject, as I was told by Loyalty that RCL assumes that the handicap person in the room would be in the main bed. If that is the case then that is just ignorance on their part. Disabilities vary greatly and the dynamics of the families effected as well. Companies as large as RCL should not be making assumptions like this. IMO

 

Please know, that I was not defending Royal at all, just pointing out that the room CAN be accessible in some circumstances.

I think the chair bed is totally misnamed as a "sofa bed" AND that it looks like it would not be an option for the majority of people with mobility issues, it just does not look stable enough, or wide enough, to work well with transfers, etc.

 

I really feel that Royal needs to be EXTREMELY accurate and clear on EXACTLY what beds are provided in accessible staterooms, knowing that they, Royal, cannot guess at which guest (or guests) in any family are in need of the accommodations, so that guests can accurately determine what will work for their families.

 

Royal completely failed in this instance, providing you with false, or at best highly misleading, information about the type of accommodation you were booking.

 

I sincerely hope that RCI comes back with a very nice offer to make this up to you and also that they change their descriptions to accurately reflect what is in the room, so that others do not end up in a similar situation.

[laurac22]

UPDATE:

 

I received an email yesterday evening saying that I would be hearing from Goldstiens office sometime today "June 11TH" That was after sending them an email yesterday morning saying that I had not yet received the written documentation promised as per our last conversation.

 

I will keep you posted.

 

Thanks

[galavant3]

UPDATE:

 

I received an email yesterday evening saying that I would be hearing from Goldstiens office sometime today "June 11TH" That was after sending them an email yesterday morning saying that I had not yet received the written documentation promised as per our last conversation.

 

I will keep you posted.

 

Thanks

 

Good luck. I rarely follow these threads but for some reason I am very interested in hearing the outcome here.

[gerif]

UPDATE:

 

I received an email yesterday evening saying that I would be hearing from Goldstiens office sometime today "June 11TH" That was after sending them an email yesterday morning saying that I had not yet received the written documentation promised as per our last conversation.

 

I will keep you posted.

 

Thanks

 

Please keep us posted. I sincerely hope they do the right thing.

[laurac22]

Well, I had a very productive conversation with Mrs Wan today, as well as receiving the written correspondence I was expecting. I am happy to report that she spent a great deal of time talking with me about all the issues we experienced while on Oasis. She listened intently and even took notes. She apologized and said she was sorry that we did not have the vacation we desired. She was very kind and thanked me for contacting them. She stated that she felt honored to be able to help with our complaint, and she learned a lot because of it.

 

RCL has spent the last few weeks meeting and investigating our complaint to make sure that they are complying with requirements of the “Transportation for individuals with Disabilities Passenger Vessels” rule. After our investigation they were unable to determine if there was a violation because there was no records of my conversation with their representative stating what size the sofa bed was, and because the deck plans are available on the websites and describe the stateroom as having a sofa bed without mentioning the size. So It appears that there was not a violation, as much as just confusion. She stated that they would be working on possible reconfiguration of the accessible cabins, and are looking into what went wrong in our case, IE.. not being able to separate the beds and other things.

 

Having said all that, they were truly sorry for our experience, and understood our disappointment for the discomfort we experienced.

 

Here’s the BEST part….. As a result of my complaint and their review they have identified an opportunity to provide their guests with additional information about accommodations. Within the next 45 days they will update the website to alert guests to contact their travel agent or RCL If they require additional information regarding sofa bed configuration. Also they are going to update the information housed under the "accessible section" with a specific description of the sofa bed in each accessible stateroom. She also stated longer term objectives to be… updating the deck plans for all ships to include a legend describing the type of sofa bed in each stateroom (accessible and non accessible). She said there is a lot of changes to be made therefore it will require additional time to be implemented.

 

I feel sure that RCL took my complaint seriously, and I am hopeful that the changes they are planning will make passengers feel confident in making future reservations.

 

I am satisfied with the way RCL handled our situation, I think they were fair and am happy with the outcome. I am so happy to say that God willing we will most likely be sailing with Royal Caribbean in the future. Just not in a cabin with a CHAIR bed, sorry to say I don’t think those will be coming off anytime soon, but at least now maybe we all can avoid them!

 

I can not thank you all enough for your support and kindness! Especially those sneaky ones that contacted Royal on our behalf. Yes she told me about you:).

 

Happy Sailing!

[silverfoxcruiser]

Laura -- I'm really glad that they have finally responded, and that you're happy about the outcome. I just wonder how many of these same types of conversations have occurred over the past few years. It's none of my (our)business, but I certainly hope you and your family have been provided compensation for this experience. Otherwise, to me, it's all words, blah, blah, buh. Don't be taken in by professional "kindness". Words mean nothing with no action to back them up -- I'm sorry, but without some tangible effort to compensate for this terrible experience, I feel that you, and your family, have been tooled again. Silver

I plan to check their website again in 45 days -- we'll see.

Edited June 12, 2013 by silverfoxcruiser

[xxHadleyxx]

I'm glad to hear that it seems they are really listening and are going to take steps to minimize such confusion for disabled passengers and their families in the future :)

I'm glad you stayed on this--hopefully it helps lots of people avoid the same problems later on.

[WetToes]

OP - Glad you are satisfied. :)

[galavant3]

Wow! It looks like you've made a huge difference! Congratulations!

[Travel R]

Bravo -- you made a change for the better for future passengers.

[funfamilyof6]

Well, I had a very productive conversation with Mrs Wan today, as well as receiving the written correspondence I was expecting. I am happy to report that she spent a great deal of time talking with me about all the issues we experienced while on Oasis. She listened intently and even took notes. She apologized and said she was sorry that we did not have the vacation we desired. She was very kind and thanked me for contacting them. She stated that she felt honored to be able to help with our complaint, and she learned a lot because of it.

 

RCL has spent the last few weeks meeting and investigating our complaint to make sure that they are complying with requirements of the “Transportation for individuals with Disabilities Passenger Vessels” rule. After our investigation they were unable to determine if there was a violation because there was no records of my conversation with their representative stating what size the sofa bed was, and because the deck plans are available on the websites and describe the stateroom as having a sofa bed without mentioning the size. So It appears that there was not a violation, as much as just confusion. She stated that they would be working on possible reconfiguration of the accessible cabins, and are looking into what went wrong in our case, IE.. not being able to separate the beds and other things.

 

Having said all that, they were truly sorry for our experience, and understood our disappointment for the discomfort we experienced.

 

Here’s the BEST part….. As a result of my complaint and their review they have identified an opportunity to provide their guests with additional information about accommodations. Within the next 45 days they will update the website to alert guests to contact their travel agent or RCL If they require additional information regarding sofa bed configuration. Also they are going to update the information housed under the "accessible section" with a specific description of the sofa bed in each accessible stateroom. She also stated longer term objectives to be… updating the deck plans for all ships to include a legend describing the type of sofa bed in each stateroom (accessible and non accessible). She said there is a lot of changes to be made therefore it will require additional time to be implemented.

 

I feel sure that RCL took my complaint seriously, and I am hopeful that the changes they are planning will make passengers feel confident in making future reservations.

 

I am satisfied with the way RCL handled our situation, I think they were fair and am happy with the outcome. I am so happy to say that God willing we will most likely be sailing with Royal Caribbean in the future. Just not in a cabin with a CHAIR bed, sorry to say I don’t think those will be coming off anytime soon, but at least now maybe we all can avoid them!

 

I can not thank you all enough for your support and kindness! Especially those sneaky ones that contacted Royal on our behalf. Yes she told me about you:).

 

Happy Sailing!

 

Laura -- I'm really glad that they have finally responded, and that you're happy about the outcome. I just wonder how many of these same types of conversations have occurred over the past few years. It's none of my (our)business, but I certainly hope you and your family have been provided compensation for this experience. Otherwise, to me, it's all words, blah, blah, buh. Don't be taken in by professional "kindness". Words mean nothing with no action to back them up -- I'm sorry, but without some tangible effort to compensate for this terrible experience, I feel that you, and your family, have been tooled again. Silver

I plan to check their website again in 45 days -- we'll see.

 

Laura, thank you so much for the update!!!

 

I hate to have a negative outlook on things like this, but I agree with Silverfox due to the fact that Laura was not the first person to have this experience. I also have an issue with the "no records of conversation" part of the story, how convenient for RCCL not to have the records. The issue here was that RCCL had incorrect deck plans (or should I say "confusing") which should not have been the case in the first place and since they had received this complaint before why had these issues not yet been addressed before Laura booked her cruise?

Edited June 12, 2013 by funfamilyof6

[laurac22]

Laura -- I'm really glad that they have finally responded, and that you're happy about the outcome. I just wonder how many of these same types of conversations have occurred over the past few years. It's none of my (our)business, but I certainly hope you and your family have been provided compensation for this experience. Otherwise, to me, it's all words, blah, blah, buh. Don't be taken in by professional "kindness". Words mean nothing with no action to back them up -- I'm sorry, but without some tangible effort to compensate for this terrible experience, I feel that you, and your family, have been tooled again. Silver

I plan to check their website again in 45 days -- we'll see.

I totally understand what you are saying here:) but up until this situation We have had nothing but great experiences with RCL. They have never given us reason to doubt them, so I am choosing to give them the benefit of doubt, that they will go on to make these changes. I assure you I will be watching as well! I am also satisfied with what RCL provided my family and believe it to be fair.

 

Thank you for wanting the outcome to be good for my family,Its hard to believe that people here on CC care about people they have never even met. Shows the character of everyone here.

[Starry Eyes]

I am glad you had a productive interaction. Those changes should benefit future cruisers with special needs.

[funfamilyof6]

I totally understand what you are saying here:) but up until this situation We have had nothing but great experiences with RCL. They have never given us reason to doubt them, so I am choosing to give them the benefit of doubt, that they will go on to make these changes. I assure you I will be watching as well! I am also satisfied with what RCL provided my family and believe it to be fair.

 

Thank you for wanting the outcome to be good for my family,Its hard to believe that people here on CC care about people they have never even met. Shows the character of everyone here.

 

Very HAPPY to read the bolded part of this post....it certainly does give me a more positive outlook of RCCL! :)

[reallyitsmema]

I totally understand what you are saying here:) but up until this situation We have had nothing but great experiences with RCL. They have never given us reason to doubt them, so I am choosing to give them the benefit of doubt, that they will go on to make these changes. I assure you I will be watching as well! I am also satisfied with what RCL provided my family and believe it to be fair.

 

Thank you for wanting the outcome to be good for my family,Its hard to believe that people here on CC care about people they have never even met. Shows the character of everyone here.

Thanks for updating us. You have handled this situation with class from the start and I am glad you are happy with the outcome.

[broberts]

Laura, thank you so much for the update!!!

 

I hate to have a negative outlook on things like this, but I agree with Silverfox due to the fact that Laura was not the first person to have this experience. I also have an issue with the "no records of conversation" part of the story, how convenient for RCCL not to have the records. The issue here was that RCCL had incorrect deck plans (or should I say "confusing") which should not have been the case in the first place and since they had received this complaint before why had these issues not yet been addressed before Laura booked her cruise?

 

My thoughts were very much like yours.

 

What also struck me is that Royal Caribbean has no intention of indicating on their web site that they have two different types of "sofa beds", one of which I believe most of us would call a chair bed. Instead they simply intend to tell consumers to check with their TA or PVP if they have a question. But this is exactly what the OP did in the first place. Sadly, I do not see things improving noticeably in this area. Those in accessible cabins will be able to call and get bed dimensions, but passengers in other cabin types will not have this information and will continue to be misled.

 

I am also somewhat disappointed that Royal Caribbean has essentially indicted they do not believe the OP's version of events. The fact that Royal Caribbean has no written record is their fault and should mean that they have to accept the OPs version, not discount it.

[silverfoxcruiser]

Very HAPPY to read the bolded part of this post....it certainly does give me a more positive outlook of RCCL! :)

 

Thank you for understanding and supporting my opinion. I have a somewhat jaundiced opinion of customer service, and really don't trust words which are not confirmed by positive corrective action. I am truly glad that Laura and her family are satisfied, and will continue to withhold final opinion while waiting to examine the "new and correct" descriptions which will allow future customers to make more informed decisions. A positive outcome will be a WIN/WIN for all of us. Cheers, laurac22 -- and good wishes for terrific, future cruises!! Silver

[cruisingram1]

Laura, so sorry that your cruise was not what you expected. But if it is any consolation, many of us have learned from your experience. Whether in a HC cabin or any other, we all will be scrutinizing the "sofa bed" designation and what it means. I would have been terribly disappointed to find one of these in my cabin, even if it was only for my 10 year old granddaughter. I guess if the chair had arms it might seem more cozy. But as it looks now, it seems like anyone turning over risks rolling onto the floor. Glad that RCCL has acknowledged the issue. I look forward to seeing the chair bed called a CHAIR bed, not a sofa bed on the deck plans.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[laurac22]

Very HAPPY to read the bolded part of this post....it certainly does give me a more positive outlook of RCCL! :)

Thank you! You have been a true help and I appreciate it!

[laurac22]

Thank you for understanding and supporting my opinion. I have a somewhat jaundiced opinion of customer service, and really don't trust words which are not confirmed by positive corrective action. I am truly glad that Laura and her family are satisfied, and will continue to withhold final opinion while waiting to examine the "new and correct" descriptions which will allow future customers to make more informed decisions. A positive outcome will be a WIN/WIN for all of us. Cheers, laurac22 -- and good wishes for terrific, future cruises!! Silver

Thank you! Cheers to you my fellow watch dog:) They stated they new how popular this thread was, and I said everyone would be watching for the changes, so I guess we will see.