RCL handling of policy change

[Lost_in_BC]

How do I feel about the way they handled it? I don't care.

 

So it was discovered by social media first. So what? It's a policy change, not a ship disaster, for goodness sake.

 

Personally, I think some who don't like the news are grasping at straws by focusing on the method of delivery.

 

JMHO.

 

I agree with this. I don't see that they did anything wrong with the policy roll out. It's common place for companies to change their literature & signage before making such an annoucement. The problem is that they didn't seem prepared for how social media affects their buisness. Or that the news would go viral before they were able to send out a press release.

 

That said, I think the fact that the information was masked on their website early on due to cookies needing to be cleared, got some smokers ramped up and paranoid. Seeing conspiracies where there were none. This is a policy change. Nothing more.

[luvscruising2007]

This is what they should have done.

Before they released the 2014-2015 schedule they should have changed the policy effective with the first date of the new schedule.

Then they should have released the new schedule. They didn't. So, you either accept the new policy or rebook with another line. Or you could wait and see if they change the effective date of the policy change. Those are your options.

It doesn't matter to me because I quit smoking 35 years ago when I smoked 3 packs per day.

[SpringBreakMom]

Pardon me SpringBreakMom, but it would help so much if you could do a favor and leave the quote intact; I cannot see who you are quoting when you remove the member's screen name. By leaving the quote intact (and I mean leaving the member's handle in the quoted material - you don't have to quote the entire comment), we can click on the little symbol next to their name and be taken right to that person's quote. It just helps put things in perspective, and tells us who you are quoting.

 

Many thanks. :)

.

 

Thanks Langley Cruisers! I did not know how to do this, but your explanation makes lots of sense. I am giving it a try with this post and we will see if I did it correctly :)

[Langley Cruisers]

Thanks Langley Cruisers! I did not know how to do this, but your explanation makes lots of sense. I am giving it a try with this post and we will see if I did it correctly :)

 

Looks good hon! :D

[galavant3]

How do I feel about the way they handled it? I don't care.

 

So it was discovered by social media first. So what? It's a policy change, not a ship disaster, for goodness sake.

 

Personally, I think some who don't like the news are grasping at straws by focusing on the method of delivery.

 

JMHO.

 

I have to agree. I have been expecting this change for a long while so I wasn't even a little bit surprised. It seems like everyone found out within the span of a day or so anyway.

[crazyventures]

From Your cruise contract:

 

8. PASSENGER'S OBLIGATION TO COMPLY WITH AGREEMENT, APPLICABLE LAWS, AND RULES OF CARRIER; QUARANTINE; INDEMNIFICATION:

a) Compliance Obligation Generally. Passenger shall at all times comply with the provisions of this Agreement, all applicable laws, and rules, policies and

regulations of the Carrier, the Vessel and the Transport (as the same may be changed from time to time with or without notice).

 

http://media.royalcaribbean.com/content/en_US/pdf/cruise_ticket_contract_3.28.11.pdf

 

You mean it's a good idea to scan/read the fine print before you agree to a document? ;)

 

I see why some people are upset. RCI could have handled the official announcement better, but the timing of the eventual announcement did allow time for (most) people to recoup the money paid towards the cruise if they felt they couldn't comply with the new policy.

[Orlandocruiser]

I am sure there is some wording in the cruise contract to allow RCI to change anything any time they wish. If you think RCI handled this badly Disney recently changed their smoking policy with even less lead time and Holland Anerica tried to change their "bring unlimited wine onbaord" policy effective immediately even for those in mid cruise. ( the uproar on HAL board was so great over that fiasco that HAL changed the effective date to Jan 1 and then tried to weasel out of the initial announcement calling it a mistake even though the information regarding this change came from a TA who is a regular poster on the HAL board)

[Paul65]

Actually, no.

 

Copied from RCL website "Royal Caribbean updated the smoking policy July 2013 and the above policy is in enforcement on all ships with cruises departing on or after January 1, 2014."

 

As you can see the policy came out in July. It seems the CC post is what prompted RCL to finally make a public announcement.

 

Maybe, maybe not. It does say that they updated it in July, but they only published it this week. They actually made it public by posting it on their website, which is how a CC member learned of it (though, of course, it had been talked about and rumored for a while). I don't really think it was CC that prompted them to make a public announcement. I think them posting on the web site was the first step in their making it public, but in this internet age, once they took that first step, it spread quickly....

 

Knowing how things go in corporations, they probably intended to announce it in July, which is what the original rumor was, but there were probably some internal debates going on about exact wording, timing, etc. so it slipped until September.

[cruisenfever]

Actually, no.

 

Copied from RCL website "Royal Caribbean updated the smoking policy July 2013 and the above policy is in enforcement on all ships with cruises departing on or after January 1, 2014."

 

As you can see the policy came out in July. It seems the CC post is what prompted RCL to finally make a public announcement.

If you go to this link and start with page 5, post #98 and read forward, you will see where the rumor started about no smoking on balconies http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1881474&page=5

[KansasK]

I think RCI could have done a better job of notifying passengers booked after Jan. 1, 2014. I have checked my May 10, 2014 Oasis of the Seas cruise online account every day and no message yet. I does not affect me in the same way since I don't smoke.

 

Even had they had done this, I think the uproar on this site would have been just as great, but there would have been no confusion as to whether the smoking change is true. The issue for most people is not that they learned it on this site first, but that policy changed.

 

People move on for many reasons from places, vacations and activities they have always done. There are other people who will fill the vacancy they left until they have a reason to leave.

[Eng23]

I think they did a good job.

[cruzsnooze]

If you go by published percentages, this effects 20% of their passengers, most likely more if only one person in a couple smokes. Certainly enough people to be afforded common courtesy. While they do claim they will have more outdoor areas available, I have yet to see specifics. I have emailed a request for details, we will see what answer, if any, I receive.

 

I don't believe it effects 20% of the passengers. That number is the general population and cruisers are more upscale on the whole. The higher up the socio-economic ladder you go the fewer the smokers.

There is no way RCL could have announced this wonderful policy change that the smokers would have enjoyed.

I do think it's a disappointment to people like yourself who booked their cruise thinking one set of rules would apply and then find out differently. How does any company institute a new policy without that overlapping period of those who booked. I think the fair solution would be for RCL to allow those smokers who want to cancel their cruises even if it's after final payment. I think those cabins would quickly resell to those of us who welcome not having to have a smoker on the next balcony. A win win situation for smokers and non smokers.

[Big_G]

ZZZZZzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZ

 

[FLACRUISER99]

Final post in this thread. IMO as long as this announcement was made before final payment it's. OK. Anyone can cancel and not not loose anything. If you booked independent air or with a TA that charges you a fee you knew or should of known the risk.

 

 

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[Sass4]

I wasn't aware of this change until I logged in here.

 

There was no email from RCCL or cr u c on, so I wouldn't of known it at all because my t a didn't notify me nor did Rccl.

 

I am not whining but I just don't think it is right to change something that is huge to some people?

[EVALUATOR]

When we knew about the c&a changes, Oasis 3, project sunshine or many other things before they were officially announced we were investigative reporters with great sources.

 

When reading about the smoking policy before public announcements suddenly we are betrayed customers.

 

Maybe it's not slow corporate timing, but lower level employees unable to keep their mouths shut when hearing about upcoming policy changes.

[mom says]

You can't smoke on your balcony anymore. Get over it and go on with your life.

 

 

How utterly charming.

 

My TA still had not received an email notification from RCI as of close of business yesterday. Nor have I. In fact I was the one who informed my TA, who confirmed this by phone and then proceeded to call all of his other clients who were affected. What percentage of cruisers are devoted CC members and thus already know? What percentage of cruisers check the FAQs daily in case there is a change that might significantly affect their cruise? How many people read the CEOs blog? I forsee a significant number of cruisers who are going to slip thru the cracks and have a nasty shock waiting for them on embarkation day.

 

I think the way they went about this is questionable. I see quite a few devoted RCCL fans who think the cruise line execs can do no wrong. I'm not prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt.

 

They had more than 5 weeks to make this policy change public. In that 5 weeks I will be willing to wager that they sold a significant number of cabins to guests who might have chosen differently if they had known about this change.

 

Many will be able to get a full refund. Some will not. Most will face problems with existing air and hotels. And it is very late to try to find acceptable alternate arrangements. Many equivalent or at least similar cruises are already heavily booked and have a poor selection of cabins remaining.

 

I think this policy change should have either been rolled out much, much earlier, to coincide with when the 2014 itineraries were announced, or should have had an effective date at least 9-12 months from now so that people wouldn't have had to be worried about their flights.

 

IMO, RCI knew full well what kind of uproar this announcement would cause and put it off just as long as they could, hoping most cruisers would find out too late to make a change.

[Cruzin-K]

I really don't think it's a big deal at all. The changes don't go into affect until January, that's still four months away, plenty of time to change, or cancel your plans. I don't think Royal did anything wrong at all.

 

Now, showing up at the port only to discover that your Caribbean cruise has dropped a port for "operational reasons", and the wedding you had planned with 50 guests won't take place. Now, THAT would be a problem.

 

It's all about how you look at things :rolleyes:

[BND]

I don't get why some seem concerned about getting a refund. The change goes into effect on 1 Jan 2014. Almost 4 months away, well within cancellation without penalty timeframe for ALL. No one will be denied a refund if they want to cancel now, NO ONE.:confused:

[mom says]

I don't get why some seem concerned about getting a refund. The change goes into effect on 1 Jan 2014. Almost 4 months away, well within cancellation without penalty timeframe for ALL. No one will be denied a refund if they want to cancel now, NO ONE.:confused:

 

I'm sorry, but I believe you are dead wrong. Those who booked from the UK have non-refundable deposits. Those who booked while on a previous cruise also have constraints. Those who already have non-refundable air tickets are looking at a significant loss of cash. THAT is why some seem so concerned.

[BND]

I'm sorry, but I believe you are dead wrong. Those who booked from the UK have non-refundable deposits. Those who booked while on a previous cruise also have constraints. Those who already have non-refundable air tickets are looking at a significant loss of cash. THAT is why some seem so concerned.

 

Well, okay. But, that said, those that booked their own airline tickets as non-refundable, well that's a personal issue and a lot of other things could impact that. I would never book non-refundable tickets.

 

As for UK and those that booked while on previous cruises, I'd be willing to bet if they contact RCI and state why they want to cancel, it will be waived. RCI has done it for others for a variety of reasons. I'm also pretty sure if you book on a previous cruise that your deposit is completely refundable if you cancel outside the penalty time.

 

After all, the reality is, very few people are really going to cancel. It's a lot of empty threats from those hoping to change it back. It won't happen.

[mom says]

Well, okay. But, that said, those that booked their own airline tickets as non-refundable, well that's a personal issue and a lot of other things could impact that. I would never book non-refundable tickets.

 

As for UK and those that booked while on previous cruises, I'd be willing to bet if they contact RCI and state why they want to cancel, it will be waived. RCI has done it for others for a variety of reasons. I'm also pretty sure if you book on a previous cruise that your deposit is completely refundable if you cancel outside the penalty time.

 

After all, the reality is, very few people are really going to cancel. It's a lot of empty threats from those hoping to change it back. It won't happen.

 

 

You seem to be very comfortable making blanket statements based only on assumptions for which you have no facts with which to back them up.

[Yillup]

I haven't been notified yet. My date for final payment is rapidly approaching for my February sailing. Others in Australia are already past their final payment and probably have no idea of the policy change. It's been handled appallingly and it's still being handled appallingly.

 

And I don't smoke...

 

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[cruzeluver]

As long as they update the policy on their web site I see no need to make sure every customer is personally made aware of the change.

 

As I stated in another thread, they could call every person booked on a Royal ship, put the announcement in a banner on their site in an enormous font, have gigantic signs at all ports of embarkation and there will still be those that claim they had no idea.

[Yillup]

As long as they update the policy on their web site I see no need to make sure every customer is personally made aware of the change.

 

As I stated in another thread, they could call every person booked on a Royal ship, put the announcement in a banner on their site in an enormous font, have gigantic signs at all ports of embarkation and there will still be those that claim they had no idea.

 

So you regularly check all the policies of every company you have an agreement with? PayPal, Facebook, banks, insurance companies, even apps on your smart phone, etc. all have a requirement to inform their customers if even the smallest part of their policy changes. All it takes is a simple form email. Yes, people will still miss it, but a HELL of a lot less than changing it on the website and expecting people to find it themselves.

 

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