Royal Let Down

[xxHadleyxx]

I 100% agree that pre-ordered items should be there when you arrive and you should not have to hunt them down as you did on your first cruise. You certainly should not have confirmations for somethign that they have no record of--that was a fail on RCI's part.

 

I do not think it is the cruise line;'s fault at all that it was a bank holiday. It is your job to check those things if you want to just shop, etc in port. I imagine most guests were heading into Paris--as that is the nearest port. Museums and other attractions would have been open there. I actually think you got a heck of a deal being given OBC when you complained about this! This astounds me.

 

The third issue? I am sort of in the middle there. As the PP says, your bank is likely the hold up in getting the funds returned quickly.

As far as being accidentally overcharged, if I preordered an item and then changed my mind about what I wanted once onboard, I would expect some hiccups in straitening it out--best not to preorder photos if you do not really know what you want. Nonetheless, it would be frustrating to be overcharged. I do not understand how more than just the original smaller package was EVER charged to you though--since the on board bill should not have been processed onto your card until after you were off the ship--meaning you should have been charged ONCE for the full package (since you caught the error while onboard, and dealt with it then) and also have paid once for the prepaid smaller package and now only be waiting for that one prepaid item to be refunded.

 

Ans the transportation? Yeah, again I am torn but thinking the fault is mostly your own. It would be nice to get clearly written step by step instructions on how to handle the buses, but you knew you did not have them long before you were in a bind. If it not clear where to meet the bus, ask before you leave (via email or phone call) and if it is not clear when to be back for the bus, ask the driver before you get off. These are pretty basic travel things that I would expect out of just about anyone.

[pcur]

I am really sorry you had a "hat trick" of problems (3 in a row). It would be enough to sour anyone on sailing with RCCL again. If you decide to stay, or even go with another cruise line, I have a few suggestions for you:

 

Anything you buy in advance, check your bank or credit card statement within 3 days of buying it to make sure the transaction went through. I'd be pretty cautious if I were in your place, so I also suggest you print out or copy the statement showing the charge, AND keep it with any email confirmations.

 

I think you would have had less time spent if you had gone directly to the photo studio that last night. I have always suggested cruisers go to the source of their complaint, not Customer Service. The department you have the complaint with is more into the details, and Customer Service is just a go-between.

 

If you ever have any future problems where you've been charged in error for something, or it wasn't delivered, ask for a discount or an obc for your time and trouble. You are not there to stand in line; you paid for a cruise and it's their JOB to take care of you. That photo screw up was pretty bad, IMO.

 

I hope you don't give up on cruising!:D

[JohnSnowGOT]

absolutely......RC dropped the ball.

You deserve to have that acknowledged and corrected.

However, you traveled half way around the world and spent hundreds of dollars for a vacation. With all the millions of things that could have gone wrong.......It appears the really important parts remained intact.

Your going to allow a few silly issues ruin the memories (not to mention the cost) of an otherwise brilliant vacation. Count your blessings.:):):)

[Wilda]

You got a confirmation for the room decorations before they took payment? I've gotten the confirmations always after payment has posted. I'm sorry you were disappointed. Perhaps a more upscale line would suit you better.

 

We purchase pictures separately so I'm not sure I understand the problem with the pictures. We pay $20 for each one.

 

I'm also unsure about bank holidays. You're saying NOTHING was open in port the day you were in france on the AOS? I would think a business opportunity fail on the part of the businesses in port but certainly not the fault of RCI. If you sail on any holiday you need to beware. I'll bet excursions ran that day.

 

In Miami, what time was your flight out? I would think it would be safe to assume if you have a 9 or 10 pm flight you don't need to hang out waiting for your ride all day. You didn't ask at guest services? You just sat in a chair all day and waited for your ride? That makes no sense at all.

 

All in all, I am sorry you feel let down but most of what you mention are things that shouldn't bother you too much. Hope you enjoy whatever line you choose next!

 

If I experienced the billing, transportation, and photo issues the OP did, and lost my last night on the ship standing in line trying to rectify their mistakes...I would be ballistic...I'm thinking most people would be. Why are you recommending another cruise line?

Edited November 7, 2013 by Wilda

[SammiC72]

...... ..... .. --

Edited November 7, 2013 by SammiC72
didnt format correctly

[SammiC72]

We took home 139 photos and the DVD with all of our photos on it, the problem arises with the fact that they are "holding" nearly $2000 for a package that costs $469.95 due to their incompetence to put through the till correctly.

 

The photograph have nothing to do with RCCL. Independant company. I know because there was an issue on our first cruise where we had purchased the full package on the website however onboard they said we had only purchased the DVD. It was the one piece of paperwork we hadn't printed to take with us... turns out they put the info into their website incorrectly and we purchased the full package for the wrong price.

 

My DH fixed it before I ripped the photo managers head off with my bare hands as he continued to tell me I was wrong. We ended up paying $50 extra for the whole package a discount of $220.

 

Next cruise we purchased the DVD only, to be told we had purchased the full package and being given all our printed photos, cruise in review dvd and photo DVD! Karma I say! :p

[Lunarclipse]

I see a LOT of room for guest error here. Did you place a late order for the decorations? Late orders sometimes do not get the late fee applied and you never know its late and makes them delivered 2nd day. Sometimes if you buy them close to sailing they are delivered and turnaround on the 2nd day. Did you even call RCI to get the bus info? There is only so much people can blame the company for but sometimes you need to take charge of your money and vacation and not assume things happen as you plan them in your head. Sorry your experience wasnt top notch but based off what I read I don't have much sympathy. Except for the photo that sucks.

[PattyG12]

Really? Did you not see the part about how they were charged 4 times for the same package?

 

No ... I understand OP used a debit card for purchases. They ALWAYS hold on debit cards ... then it's released.

 

As for the decorations, OP was never charged. I'm not sure what they expect when charges weren't occurred.

 

Look, I think RCI should accept responsibility for some issues but I just don't see blaming them because it's a bank holiday in France.

 

I also think the poor customer service is unacceptable but why not deal with it while on board and not after coming back from vacation.

[time4u2go]

No ... I understand OP used a debit card for purchases. They ALWAYS hold on debit cards ... then it's released.

Do they always hold FOUR TIMES THE AMOUNT? Did you not see that part? Here it is, in case you missed it:

"On checking our account on the last night, we noticed we had been charged $340, $369.95, $369.95 & $369.95."

 

As for the decorations, OP was never charged. I'm not sure what they expect when charges weren't occurred.

They expected that because they had placed the order, and printed out a CONFIRMATION of the order, that they would be charged and receive what they ordered.

 

Look, I think RCI should accept responsibility for some issues but I just don't see blaming them because it's a bank holiday in France.

This one I agree with you on.

 

I also think the poor customer service is unacceptable but why not deal with it while on board and not after coming back from vacation.

Maybe because they don't want to spend their valuable and precious and limited vacation time dealing with problems that weren't their fault.

Edited November 8, 2013 by time4u2go

[JohnSnowGOT]

No ... I understand OP used a debit card for purchases. They ALWAYS hold on debit cards ... then it's released.

 

As for the decorations, OP was never charged. I'm not sure what they expect when charges weren't occurred.

 

Look, I think RCI should accept responsibility for some issues but I just don't see blaming them because it's a bank holiday in France.

 

I also think the poor customer service is unacceptable but why not deal with it while on board and not after coming back from vacation.

 

Agreed..

Seems we would rather lament about issues the OP arguably could also have handled better. We all share a certain responsibly when things don't go as planned

Again RC dropped the ball....No doubt....But to let this spoil a Caribbean vacation, on an amazing ship others would have given their eye teeth for? Not me! This glass is 95% full!

[waterbug123]

I

we had free transfers to the hotel, then to the ship and vice versa on return, this would have been great if we knew where the bus was. No signs and no paperwork to tell us, we took a chance and eventually found our way. We then had to wait for nearly an hour for the other passengers to find their way to the bus. On the way back from leaving the ship, the bus was outside waiting for us which was great, they dropped us off at the Sheraton Hotel by Miami Airport but did not give us a time they would be picking us back up, this left us hanging around the hotel most of the day doing nothing until the bus came back for us.

 

As for the photo package fiasco and the gifts ordered but not delivered, you have every reason to be upset. Regarding the transfers though, I'm confused.

1. You booked the transfer, were never told where you would meet the bus, and just assumed there would be a sign? Why in the world would you not contact Royal ahead of time and ask, "where will we find the bus?" Barring that, I would simply have followed the signs for "ground transfers" and asked someone there. Your post makes it sound much more dramatic than it probably was, or needed to be.

 

2. You knew you'd be on a bus, yet you expected the bus to leave the minute YOU arrived? Did you expect that through some miracle of timing ALL the passengers would arrive at the exact same moment? I believe your expectations here may have been unreasonable.

 

3. Presumably you had a late evening flight, but had no idea when the bus would return so felt you couldn't leave the hotel. If you were truly unable to find out when the return transfer would be, you had two choices as I see it: Stick around the hotel to avoid missing the free transfer, or head out to do whatever it is you wanted to do off the property, figuring that if you missed the transfer you could take a cab. Would the cost of the cab have been that significant?

 

I'm not saying you had no reason to be frustrated, but it seems you could have taken some action to minimize the frustration.

[PattyG12]

I'm not going to go point for point. I get that OP is disappointed. I think being prepared goes a long way. I think it's crazy that they are holding that much but the charges aren't going through, just holds. And it's NOT RCI that handles the photos. If the charges go through I would challenge them with my bank. The decorations were never paid for ...

 

Honestly I can understand the disappointment but I'm just not sure what OP expects here.

[maureencruiser]

Sorry you had a hard time. The Sheraton at the Miami Airport advertises itself as being the closest hotel to the airport and offers free transfers to the airport. Whatever you decide to do, I hope you have better luck. I think I'd stop ordering the packages, though. Most people seem to think they are a waste of money from what I have read.

[papaflamingo]

Sounds like tough time for the OP. I have done 17 cruises with RCI, 4 Carnival, 1 NCL and 1 Princess. I like RCI. We have had small irritations on nearly every cruise. Sometimes things show up on day 2 instead of day 1. I figure that I order it, the order has to get to the ship, then credited to the right account, cabin, etc. So I just don't sweat it. I realize that a ship is a machine, things break. So be it. There are 6000 passengers on Oasis. That's a lot of stuff to keep track of. But that's just me. Each time there has been a problem and I have brought it to their attention, they have been most apologetic and eager to correct it. That is all I can ask. On one cruise it was my wife's and my birthday (8 days apart). A friend paid to have it announced in the Cruise Compass. They missed it. He went to Guest Services and they were most apologetic, refunded his money, and authorized each of us (my wife and I and his wife and him) a free glass of any champaign of our choice on Formal Night at the Champaign Bar. We each selected a very expensive glass on them. Nice touch.

So I understand the frustration. But I am surprised they were not dealt with respectfully. That is one of the reasons I choose Royal, they have always dealt with me with dignity and respect.

[KarinaGW]

I'm not going to go point for point. I get that OP is disappointed. I think being prepared goes a long way. I think it's crazy that they are holding that much but the charges aren't going through, just holds. And it's NOT RCI that handles the photos. If the charges go through I would challenge them with my bank. The decorations were never paid for ...

.

 

I'm just using you to emphasize to the OP.

 

The holds have nothing to do with RCCL or even the photo idiots (who are NOT part of RCCL AND who may or not have a legitimate reason why the $369.95, $369.95 & $369.95 appeared 3 times... (and I can genuinely think of circs why they may have tried 3 times before YOUR CC approved it)). Pre-auth holds have NOTHING TO DO WITH the biller. The length of times a Hold is Held is purely the bank. Call them.

[crisndeefromde]

sorry for the frustration....but as you are here on cruise critic....

a...never use your debit card

b...confirmations are given after payment received...not sure how you got one..

c....not sure what royal caribbean could have done about a french holiday

d...I personally have yet to be at the Miami airport or fort lauderdale for that matter and not seen a sign waving in the air saying royal caribbean or any other cruise line...just saying

e. enjoy trying other cruise lines as you are disappointed in your three trips.

 

Sorry about the photo issue...I wouldn't have gotten off that ship without some resolution if you were this frustrated. Glad we are here for you to vent. I am not sure if UK RCCL has different resolution policies.

[hellsop]

We took home 139 photos and the DVD with all of our photos on it, the problem arises with the fact that they are "holding" nearly $2000 for a package that costs $469.95 due to their incompetence to put through the till correctly.

 

Typically the holds get released when the charge for the onboard spending charge goes through, or when your bank expires them as stale. You've been off the ship since... Saturday? So three business days. Has your bank seen the spending charge go through yet?

[PLEIKU68]

Why have you not sent this to Adam Goldstein ? :eek:

[Bobbyjean]

Royal Caribbean should not offer these packages if they find them difficult to deliver on time. It really is disappointing when you look forward to a special occasion and a surprise you have arranged for someone, only for it all to go wrong because the service provider was "too busy" or just does not care much. I genuinely think this sort of thing damages a company's reputation (in the eyes of the affected individual) and has a big emotional impact, even if it seems minor. They really need to fix this if they want to claim they provide great service.

 

On our recent cruise, the weather was bad and all the shops etc. were closed in several ports due to Sundays and national holidays. Perhaps this is not Royal Caribbean's fault, but it is their fault if passengers have nothing to do. It does not take much effort to identify the ports where passengers are likely to be looking for extra activities and entertainment (just like on sea days). It's just that little extra effort and energy which would ensure passengers have a good time.

[MarkusToe]

may be I'm on the wrong page, but:

If I do order something to a specific date and do have the confirmation for that: if it's not there at that date, I do not need it anymore...., therefore I do not pay for....

[Elizanessie]

Sorry to read about your issues.

 

Was it the Post Cruise Customer Relations Team that you spoke with ?

[bouhunter]

As for the photo package fiasco and the gifts ordered but not delivered, you have every reason to be upset. Regarding the transfers though, I'm confused.

1. You booked the transfer, were never told where you would meet the bus, and just assumed there would be a sign? Why in the world would you not contact Royal ahead of time and ask, "where will we find the bus?" Barring that, I would simply have followed the signs for "ground transfers" and asked someone there. Your post makes it sound much more dramatic than it probably was, or needed to be.

 

2. You knew you'd be on a bus, yet you expected the bus to leave the minute YOU arrived? Did you expect that through some miracle of timing ALL the passengers would arrive at the exact same moment? I believe your expectations here may have been unreasonable.

 

3. Presumably you had a late evening flight, but had no idea when the bus would return so felt you couldn't leave the hotel. If you were truly unable to find out when the return transfer would be, you had two choices as I see it: Stick around the hotel to avoid missing the free transfer, or head out to do whatever it is you wanted to do off the property, figuring that if you missed the transfer you could take a cab. Would the cost of the cab have been that significant?

 

I'm not saying you had no reason to be frustrated, but it seems you could have taken some action to minimize the frustration.

 

I pretty much agree with all this. One word to avoid these and other problems in the future: TAXI. Though I believe the OP may have said everything was a package, in which case they'd already paid for the transportation. We've been on 8 cruises in the past 8 years. The first one was a package deal with RCCL transportation. It wasn't a terrible experience, but the looking for buses, waiting for others, waiting for luggage to be loaded and unloaded........... We've used taxi's ever since;)

[bouhunter]

but it is their fault if passengers have nothing to do. .

 

Seriously?:rolleyes: I find it hard to believe any RCCL cruises don't have a list of excursions available.

[nanwel]

may be I'm on the wrong page, but:

If I do order something to a specific date and do have the confirmation for that: if it's not there at that date, I do not need it anymore...., therefore I do not pay for....

Nice try, they take payment first with your credit card. And only an oops, when it is late, damaged or not available???

Come on RC - people on this board will stop bothering to order on board items if this continues. We do not like to be dissappointed!

this is a bad policy!

I had a ta send me complmentary on board wine - she paid, I did not receive it. Now she gives me $50.00 on board credit to buy myself a bottle.

[JohnSnowGOT]

Nice try, they take payment first with your credit card. And only an oops, when it is late, damaged or not available???

Come on RC - people on this board will stop bothering to order on board items if this continues. We do not like to be dissappointed!

this is a bad policy!

I had a ta send me complmentary on board wine - she paid, I did not receive it. Now she gives me $50.00 on board credit to buy myself a bottle.

 

I think OP said the charge was never on the CC prior to sailing... Wouldn't that be the first clue there was a problem with the order??? I mean it doesn't appear as if the OP did their due diligence in regards to most of their issues. Nobody is perfect ...not even RC.