Excursions...lots of cancellations...anyone else getting emails?

[bradsnana]

Just got an email saying our Pirate Encounter excursion has been discontinued for Grand Cayman.

I'm so disappointed...My grandson was so excited for this....he said he was going to have me walk the plank.

 

I tried to email the owners from their we page, but the email is bad and it kicked it back.

Anyone else heard anything about this?

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[suebcoop]

Just got an email saying our Pirate Encounter excursion has been discontinued for Grand Cayman.

I'm so disappointed...My grandson was so excited for this....he said he was going to have me walk the plank.

 

I tried to email the owners from their we page, but the email is bad and it kicked it back.

Anyone else heard anything about this?

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Someone on my Feb 2 Freedom cruise just posted that all their excursions were also cancelled. Seems pretty odd. I would call RCCL and check it out.

Sue

[dcourt]

Found out this morning that my excursion in Cozumel was cancelled. UGH!! I called RCI and they confirmed that the excursion was cancelled. I had to book another excursion this morning.

Edited September 27, 2013 by dcourt

[oldsailmaker]

Someone on my Feb 2 Freedom cruise just posted that all their excursions were also cancelled. Seems pretty odd. I would call RCCL and check it out.

Sue

I have also received cancellation (yesterday) of Chukka Beach excursion (being no longer available) in Jamaica for our December cruise on Navigator.

[Canadian Tyler]

Wow seems odd that there's so many discontinued tours at the same time..wonder whats going on.

[steveru621]

Our last two cruises we had one excursion cancelled on each cruise. My theory was there wasn't enough passengers signed up. But it could be something as mundane as equipment failure.

 

I'm only speculating, there may be more passengers booking their own excursions. 1) With the internet it's so much easier to find excursion operators, and with the travel sites, find reviews 2) RCI markups are making excursions too expensive. My two cents.

[fairweather]

I have also received cancellation (yesterday) of Chukka Beach excursion (being no longer available) in Jamaica for our December cruise on Navigator.

We received the very same email for our Chukka Beach Break excursion off the Allure for just next week. Another person on our roll call had received a cancellation for a deep sea fishing trip in Cozumel the day before we got ours.

 

Something certainly seems "fishy" about all these cancellations at one time. Do you think RCI has been trying to renegotiate terms with some venders and just dropped those that did not comply?

 

I certainly would have appreciated getting more than a week's notice. I guess this is another reason for looking into obtaining tours with local independent operators which are usually less expensive and less crowded. They obviously are much more reliable?

[Sunny AZ Girl]

It does seem odd that so many are being cancelled. That makes me even more hesitant to book RCI excursions. While I do tend to book independent excursions I have been on some nice ship sponsored excursions, too. It would be very disappointing to look forward to an excursion and have it cancelled on you.:(

 

I am looking at one excursion for our Jewel cruise in May in St. Kitts that's only available through the ship (Caribbean Cooks). Hopefully it will be a go! Otherwise, having a back up plan is always a good idea.

Edited September 27, 2013 by Sunny AZ Girl

[marklodi]

It's not just on cruises coming up in the near future. We received a cancellation notice for our Isla Pasion by Twister (Passion Island via Twister Boat) in Cozumel for May 2014 on the Oasis. Took a look and the Catamaran to Passion Island excursion is gone as well.

 

I agree that this sounds like tour operator contracts being renegotiated...or dropped.

 

Now just waiting for RCI to refund the amount I paid so I can rebook another using the funds...

[cruzinlady1947]

Sounds like mostly Western Caribbean excursions being cancelled. :confused: Would be interested in knowing where else the cancelling is being done. Does seem odd. We have a cruise in a couple weeks to Canada/ New England. Hope they don't cancel any there.

 

Gwen :)

[Folk Singer]

Our last two cruises we had one excursion cancelled on each cruise. My theory was there wasn't enough passengers signed up. But it could be something as mundane as equipment failure.

 

I'm only speculating, there may be more passengers booking their own excursions. 1) With the internet it's so much easier to find excursion operators, and with the travel sites, find reviews 2) RCI markups are making excursions too expensive. My two cents.

 

 

"If you are expecting perfection, don't travel, you will surely be disappointed."

 

 

What a great quote. made my day.

Edited September 27, 2013 by Folk Singer

[Cruzoholic]

Have not gotten an email cancelling it as yet for our January 11, 2014 cruise. Time will tell.

 

E.

[Nabalab]

Yes! Received separate e-mails yesterday that 2 excursions on my Eastern Caribbean Oasis cruise in November were discontinued.

[traceyleigh15]

For our March cruise on Indy some people for our roll call have had Falmouth excursions cancelled and Grand Cayman. It can't be not enough people signed up because it's only Septemeber. That's odd!!!!

[cruiselvr04]

Sounds like negotiations have not gone well. I know RCL renews contracts from time to time with those that run the excursions on the islands. Excursions make them money.

[coordinator23]

Look at what they are offering when you board ship and book then. Sometimes trips that are not listed on the web site are offered (and turn out to be better). You still may be able to book our excursion once on board.

[Trainman-2]

I would guess it is more problems with the quality, safety, and dependability of excursions that RCI endorses.

[M&M Hayden]

Doing the Panama Canal in November and there are a lot fewer excursions offered now than three months ago. We just booked our excursions last month, so hopefully they have everything set now.

[Sherlock43031]

Maybe RCI tried rising the kickback from the tour operators and they said sorry RCI.

[akcruz]

A few years ago I had heard it was just about this time of year that Royal re-negotiated their excursions. Found this out when we had a November cruise scheduled and after speaking with an independent vendor in one of our ports, found out we just got in before he signed with Royal. Once the contract was signed he wouldn't have been able to accept our tour request.

 

Maybe a lot of tour operators are not agreeing to the terms Royal wants????

[SECdawg]

I remember reading that a shore excursion company filed for bankruptcy, but it was a company that was independent of the cruise lines. I don't know if that is somehow affecting the cruiselines also.

[Snooksi]

I am sailing on the Allure in December and my Dunn's Falls and horseback riding swim excursion in Falmouth was also canceled.

 

Good luck getting any information from RCL. I called and spoke to 3 different individuals at various times throughout the day and none of them had a clue as to what they were doing and trying to communicate due the language barrier was completely frustrating. I finally gave up and booked the same excursion with another company. However, I am disappointed because lunch is not included with the new company even though it's a 6.5 hr excursion and the price is $5 more p/p. :(

 

RCL's customer service is beyond frustrating. I wasted 40 minutes of my day and learned absolutely nothing about an email THEY sent to me about a cancellation THEY made.

[estoyer]

WOW! RCCL did not send us out an email about our Turtle Farm Tour being canceled! A credit for the amount showed up on our total due on our cruise cost. I had to call teh C&A to find out.. Lets sea if I recieve an email after this post!!

 

Is this what they mean by WOWed!

[killtheump]

Maybe RCI tried rising the kickback from the tour operators and they said sorry RCI.

 

Yep I bet the operators told Royal Carribbean we don't care if you bring thousands of people to our island we are sorry we won't do business with you anymore! :eek:

[Pebbles468]

With so many cancellations, I wonder if they are competing for the other cruise ships in port on the same day -- and perhaps they are getting better rates.

 

It seems very early to cancel because of a lack of interest -- especially for December cruises.

 

I noticed a post elsewhere that suggested there are approximately 8 ships in Cozumel on December 20th...

 

Something doesn't seem right about all the cancellations.