Booking of Family Royal Promenade / oceanview

[2adults2kids]

Hello everyone! Glad to be part of the community and share my first post. :)

 

I am having a problem with my reservation of two rooms on a sailing of a RCCL ship about a week from now. *My wife and I had to book separate rooms with one kid each due to something about the Coast Guard restrictions...) When I made the online reservation, my particular travel site (who will remain nameless, as I read the rules here...) showed the rooms as the following:

 

Guarantee - Oceanview

FAMILY: A view of the Royal Promenade with bowed windows, two twin beds (can convert into queen-size), private bathroom, vanity area, closed-circuit TV, radio, and phone. (300 sq. ft.)

 

I booked the rooms and was given a guarantee room when I got my confirmation number. Later, when I was assigned my rooms they turned out to be the standard lowest level oceanview rooms and not ones that were 300 square feet.

 

I know that Oceanview should probably mean a view of the ocean, but in this case I assumed that since the travel site only had "inside, outside, balcony, and suite" as categories that this Royal Promenade family room didn't fit under any of them, and Oceanview was where they decided to put it. Since an inside room doesn't have a view, and this room didn't have a balcony and wasn't a suite according to what I knew of it.

 

I'm awaiting a reply from them via email and I did do a screenshot of the room description at the time of booking. I haven't heard back from them yet and it has been 24 hours although their site says that it might take up to 48 hours for a reply. (And I assume possibly a little longer due to the problem with the Grandeur...) I would attach a screenshot here, but it might via visual cues thereby disclose what travel site it is from. :confused:

 

I was just looking for any helpful information as to what I should do in this situation. The description of the room stated 300 sq feet and it certainly would be nice have the larger room. Thanks!

 

PS: I am looking forward to growing with the community here. Most of the posts I read are well thought out and generally very helpful to members new and old. Kudos to all of you! :D

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Can you mention the ship you are on?

 

You mention a "family" oceaview cabin. You would not need to book 2 cabins if it is a family cabin. How many did the cabin say it would hold?

[Host Jacquelyn]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

It sounds like you were given a bunch of misinformation. It's possible your travel agent site was cutting and pasting recklessly :( Let's try to break it down:

 

[1] Promenade rooms are considered inside rooms by Royal Caribbean. A Guarantee Oceanview means a room with a view towards the ocean.

 

[2] Standard Promenade rooms are NOT 300 sq ft. Depending on the ship, they are 160-200 sq ft. See THIS LINK on the RCCL page for sizes.

 

[3] What confused me initially is the word FAMILY. There is a FAMILY Promenade Stateroom, which is 300 sq ft (see THIS LINK). This room can accomodate up to 6 people.

 

I didn't think you could even book a Family Promenade room on a Guarantee as there are only a handful on each ship.

 

The TA site was clearly incorrect. I suggest you contact them ASAP to try and sort it all out!

[2adults2kids]

Yes, it is Freedom of the Seas.

 

I had been on the phone with a RCCL representative a day or two prior and they had mentioned that the sailing was at the limit for 4 people to a room so my wife and I would have to book separate rooms, one of us with each child (due to regulations?) They didn't show a max capacity per room under the room description but from the conversation I had with the RCCL rep, it wouldn't have mattered that we all wanted to be in the same room anyway because it simply wasn't available that way.

[2adults2kids]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

It sounds like you were given a bunch of misinformation. It's possible your travel agent site was cutting and pasting recklessly :( Let's try to break it down:

 

[1] Promenade rooms are considered inside rooms by Royal Caribbean. A Guarantee Oceanview means a room with a view towards the ocean.

 

[2] Standard Promenade rooms are NOT 300 sq ft. Depending on the ship, they are 160-200 sq ft. See THIS LINK on the RCCL page for sizes.

 

[3] What confused me initially is the word FAMILY. There is a FAMILY Promenade Stateroom, which is 300 sq ft (see THIS LINK). This room can accomodate up to 6 people.

 

I didn't think you could even book a Family Promenade room on a Guarantee as there are only a handful on each ship.

 

The TA site was clearly incorrect. I suggest you contact them ASAP to try and sort it all out!

 

Thanks for the welcome, Host Jacquelyn!

 

Needless to say, this is a huge travel site that I imagine does double digit percentages of bookings. Like I said I'm not going to name names, but when I and everyone else thinks internet travel sites, this one is probably always in the top five as far as traffic goes, so I was kind of surprised that this particular travel site would have their information incorrect. Although we all make mistakes... :D

 

I appreciate your information on the room type and will use this to help me in my "investigation" as to what could have possibly occurred. Thanks!

[Host Jacquelyn]

Thanks for familiarizing yourself with the guidelines and not mentioning the TA site :D

 

The fact that it is a major TA gives you leverage. They have a reputation to uphold, and I am sure that part of the reason you booked with them was because you assumed they were trustworthy.

 

Please post back with updates as to how you are resolving!

[2adults2kids]

At this time there has been no return correspondence from them to speak of. I normally prefer to put any items of concern in writing via email or online form submission so that everything stays consistent. Apparently in this case I will need to make the phone call.

 

I'm not really sure of what to expect for an outcome. At this point they are showing extremely limited availability for the sailing. What is a typical concession made in this case if there are no larger rooms available?

 

I suppose I could dispute the charge on my card when I get the bill, but I've never disputed anything ever...although I've seen many credit reports of people who have. I guess I'll have to reserve that for later. Definitely not my preferred way of dealing with the matter.

[cruisinfanatic]

At this time there has been no return correspondence from them to speak of. I normally prefer to put any items of concern in writing via email or online form submission so that everything stays consistent. Apparently in this case I will need to make the phone call.

 

I'm not really sure of what to expect for an outcome. At this point they are showing extremely limited availability for the sailing. What is a typical concession made in this case if there are no larger rooms available?

 

I suppose I could dispute the charge on my card when I get the bill, but I've never disputed anything ever...although I've seen many credit reports of people who have. I guess I'll have to reserve that for later. Definitely not my preferred way of dealing with the matter.

there is no such thing as a 300 sq ft cabin unless you've booked a family cabin or a certain suite.

What cabins were you given?

Dispute charge on credit card for what?

[2adults2kids]

there is no such thing as a 300 sq ft cabin unless you've booked a family cabin or a certain suite.

 

According to the description I encountered while booking, the room was 300 sq ft.

 

What cabins were you given?

 

As I said in a prior post above, the lowest level oceanview standard room.

 

Dispute charge on credit card for what?

 

I hope it never actually comes down to that. Of course that would be the last step in the process and would probably be quite avoidable.

 

The point is that I booked two 300 sq ft rooms (according to the description of the room online) and if they keep me in a standard oceanview room then they will need to do something to make me happy. I'm not sure what they will offer, but they simply cannot use advise you that the room is 300 sq ft and then assign you a room about half the size.

 

I am not expected to know all of the room types and available configurations. They are the travel professional and I rely on them to have the correct information on their site. I am already paying a higher fare due to there not being a 3rd and 4th passenger discount due to having to split into two rooms. That was something I was willing to do because the rooms sounded like they were indeed larger than standard rooms.

 

I'm not usually one to cause any fuss over anything. But when they describe the room as an entry-level Mercedes and it ends up being an mid-level Chevrolet, that's where the problem lies. Not only for me...but for others. As of yesterday, their website was still showing the oceanview guarantee room with the same exact description. That's misleading in my opinion. Could be an error, yes. But after I notified them days ago of the issue and it still remains? I don't understand that at all.

 

I'll be calling them either today or early tomorrow. Hopefully we can come to a quick resolution and I'll report my findings back here. :)

[cruisinfanatic]

According to the description I encountered while booking, the room was 300 sq ft.

 

 

 

As I said in a prior post above, the lowest level oceanview standard room.

 

 

 

I hope it never actually comes down to that. Of course that would be the last step in the process and would probably be quite avoidable.

 

The point is that I booked two 300 sq ft rooms (according to the description of the room online) and if they keep me in a standard oceanview room then they will need to do something to make me happy. I'm not sure what they will offer, but they simply cannot use advise you that the room is 300 sq ft and then assign you a room about half the size.

 

I am not expected to know all of the room types and available configurations. They are the travel professional and I rely on them to have the correct information on their site. I am already paying a higher fare due to there not being a 3rd and 4th passenger discount due to having to split into two rooms. That was something I was willing to do because the rooms sounded like they were indeed larger than standard rooms.

 

I'm not usually one to cause any fuss over anything. But when they describe the room as an entry-level Mercedes and it ends up being an mid-level Chevrolet, that's where the problem lies. Not only for me...but for others. As of yesterday, their website was still showing the oceanview guarantee room with the same exact description. That's misleading in my opinion. Could be an error, yes. But after I notified them days ago of the issue and it still remains? I don't understand that at all.

 

I'll be calling them either today or early tomorrow. Hopefully we can come to a quick resolution and I'll report my findings back here. :)

I know you can't tell us the TA, but could you copy-paste the description that you saw. Would help

[boulders]

According to the description I encountered while booking, the room was 300 sq ft.

 

 

 

As I said in a prior post above, the lowest level oceanview standard room.

 

 

 

I hope it never actually comes down to that. Of course that would be the last step in the process and would probably be quite avoidable.

 

The point is that I booked two 300 sq ft rooms (according to the description of the room online) and if they keep me in a standard oceanview room then they will need to do something to make me happy. I'm not sure what they will offer, but they simply cannot use advise you that the room is 300 sq ft and then assign you a room about half the size.

 

I am not expected to know all of the room types and available configurations. They are the travel professional and I rely on them to have the correct information on their site. I am already paying a higher fare due to there not being a 3rd and 4th passenger discount due to having to split into two rooms. That was something I was willing to do because the rooms sounded like they were indeed larger than standard rooms.

 

I'm not usually one to cause any fuss over anything. But when they describe the room as an entry-level Mercedes and it ends up being an mid-level Chevrolet, that's where the problem lies. Not only for me...but for others. As of yesterday, their website was still showing the oceanview guarantee room with the same exact description. That's misleading in my opinion. Could be an error, yes. But after I notified them days ago of the issue and it still remains? I don't understand that at all.

 

I'll be calling them either today or early tomorrow. Hopefully we can come to a quick resolution and I'll report my findings back here. :)

 

 

You should be on the phone with them NOW! You are assigned what is on your booking confirmation, not what you may have seen online. It's your responsibility to make sure the confirmation you received was in line with your expectations. At this point, your options are twofold: 1) accept what is on your confirmation and go on the cruise or 2) don't accept what is on your confirmation and try to cancel. I doubt you would be successful with #2 without a lot of hassle.

[cruisinfanatic]

According to the description I encountered while booking, the room was 300 sq ft.

 

 

 

As I said in a prior post above, the lowest level oceanview standard room.

 

 

 

I hope it never actually comes down to that. Of course that would be the last step in the process and would probably be quite avoidable.

 

The point is that I booked two 300 sq ft rooms (according to the description of the room online) and if they keep me in a standard oceanview room then they will need to do something to make me happy. I'm not sure what they will offer, but they simply cannot use advise you that the room is 300 sq ft and then assign you a room about half the size.

 

I am not expected to know all of the room types and available configurations. They are the travel professional and I rely on them to have the correct information on their site. I am already paying a higher fare due to there not being a 3rd and 4th passenger discount due to having to split into two rooms. That was something I was willing to do because the rooms sounded like they were indeed larger than standard rooms.

 

I'm not usually one to cause any fuss over anything. But when they describe the room as an entry-level Mercedes and it ends up being an mid-level Chevrolet, that's where the problem lies. Not only for me...but for others. As of yesterday, their website was still showing the oceanview guarantee room with the same exact description. That's misleading in my opinion. Could be an error, yes. But after I notified them days ago of the issue and it still remains? I don't understand that at all.

 

I'll be calling them either today or early tomorrow. Hopefully we can come to a quick resolution and I'll report my findings back here. :)

 

I suspect that there was a whole lot of misunderstanding going on between you and the agent on the phone. First, there is no such thing as an ocean view - -promenade cabin. If it's a family cabin regardless of category, you usually need 5 to book it.

 

He probably said that that cabin was not available and that you would have to get 2 cabins.

[2adults2kids]

I suspect that there was a whole lot of misunderstanding going on between you and the agent on the phone. First, there is no such thing as an ocean view - -promenade cabin. If it's a family cabin regardless of category, you usually need 5 to book it.

 

He probably said that that cabin was not available and that you would have to get 2 cabins.

 

Again...I booked this room online myself without any conversation about family rooms with an agent. The prior call I did have was with RCCL direct regarding why I was unable to find rooms that would accommodate 4 people. Their response was something regarding they were at the limit for the Coast Guard regulations and I would have to split my family into two rooms. That's all I asked them. I was getting frustrated with why I was able to fit everyone in one room while searching for a different sailing date, but for the preferred date there were no 4 person bookings available. That was a few days prior to me making the actual reservation online with the .com internet travel agency.

 

I suppose one could make an argument as to this is a good reason why one would want to avoid a huge internet travel agency vs a regular mom and pop travel agent...but I do most everything online and just prefer the ability to search options myself vs calling and having someone go through seemingly endless options via phone.

[39august]

It appears that your problem was there were no cabins available to accomodate 4 in one cabin. The family style rooms are limited in number so they do tend to sell out rather early. It is, however, unfortunate that your TA seemingly mislead you. Don't be too concerned. The two cabins will have enough room for the two occupants. And, you have the bonus of two bathrooms! Also, if the rooms are close enough together that you are comfortable with the children being in one cabin and you and your wife in the other, you can switch occupancy after you check in. Just go to Guest Services and get extra Seapass cards for each cabin. RCI really doesn't care where anyone actually sleeps. But there are regulations which require that those under 21 years of age to be booked in a cabin with an adult.

[2adults2kids]

You should be on the phone with them NOW! You are assigned what is on your booking confirmation, not what you may have seen online. It's your responsibility to make sure the confirmation you received was in line with your expectations. At this point, your options are twofold: 1) accept what is on your confirmation and go on the cruise or 2) don't accept what is on your confirmation and try to cancel. I doubt you would be successful with #2 without a lot of hassle.

 

Telling me what my responsibility is or isn't seems a bit pretentious. Same as spelling out my options. The ultimate responsibility for the room description goes to the travel agency. Providing a somewhat ambiguous category/description isn't a valid excuse and could definitely be considered false advertising (more so after informed of the issue and if they didn't alter the text description in question.)

 

Like I said, mistakes do happen and I am understanding of that. However, I am not going to be disappointed due to what is seemingly an error that is not of my doing. The room was described in plain text on my computer screen as 300 sq feet, so that's what I expected I would be assigned. Sure, someone who was more familiar with RCCL such as an agent or frequent RCCL traveler might know exact room dimensions/quantity for the room type. I am no expert in that regard and I should not be penalized for what otherwise was a promise of a "roomy" room.

 

As for now, I'm awaiting a return call.

[cruisinfanatic]

Again...I booked this room online myself without any conversation about family rooms with an agent. The prior call I did have was with RCCL direct regarding why I was unable to find rooms that would accommodate 4 people. Their response was something regarding they were at the limit for the Coast Guard regulations and I would have to split my family into two rooms. That's all I asked them. I was getting frustrated with why I was able to fit everyone in one room while searching for a different sailing date, but for the preferred date there were no 4 person bookings available. That was a few days prior to me making the actual reservation online with the .com internet travel agency.

 

I suppose one could make an argument as to this is a good reason why one would want to avoid a huge internet travel agency vs a regular mom and pop travel agent...but I do most everything online and just prefer the ability to search options myself vs calling and having someone go through seemingly endless options via phone.

you're cruising on Oasis? Date?

[2adults2kids]

It appears that your problem was there were no cabins available to accomodate 4 in one cabin. The family style rooms are limited in number so they do tend to sell out rather early. It is, however, unfortunate that your TA seemingly mislead you. Don't be too concerned. The two cabins will have enough room for the two occupants. And, you have the bonus of two bathrooms! Also, if the rooms are close enough together that you are comfortable with the children being in one cabin and you and your wife in the other, you can switch occupancy after you check in. Just go to Guest Services and get extra Seapass cards for each cabin. RCI really doesn't care where anyone actually sleeps. But there are regulations which require that those under 21 years of age to be booked in a cabin with an adult.

 

Hey! The two bathroom deal would definitely be a plus, you're right! It would make it much easier to get ready at the start of the day and at dinner too. :)

 

Regarding this kids: unfortunately my children are a little younger and we just wouldn't feel comfortable with them being by themselves at night. Although I'm sure the day will come...and sooner than I think...I know. :eek:

[SRQfireman]

As mentioned.......I've never heard of a "family cabin" sold as a guarantee. They do offer suite guarantees once in awhile, but not 100% they'll do that for a quad cabin......something is not adding here

Let us know how you make out......I may have missed it; Have they given you assigned cabins yet? if so, they next to each other?

[2adults2kids]

I just got of the phone with the .com travel agent and their supervisor.

 

I am happy to report that they are providing additional concessions due to the apparent website misinformation regarding the room description. Also the supervisor was quite happy that someone pointed this out to them to avoid any future confusion. Her first call was going to be to Royal Caribbean and her second call was going to their web designers.

 

They didn't make it a requirement to keep my compensation as confidential, but I will do so out of courtesy for them and how they handled the situation.

 

Thanks everyone for helping me figure this out!