Email to A Goldstein RE: 2 guests in triple/quad cabins

[Donut23]

Is this where everybody beats me up? Of course I guess I'm asking for it by posting my email.

 

How did I do?

 

 

 

 

Good Morning Mr. Goldstein-

 

I have been a rabid Royal Caribbean cheerleader for many decades. Years ago, as a RCI top accounts travel agent, I turned to Royal or Celebrity first. I knew my guests would return happy.

 

Fast forward to 2006 when I convinced my fiancé to visit Alaska. I wanted the Radiance. Your ship and crew did not disappoint. In fact it was so magical that halfway through Jim scrapped our honeymoon plans to Italy to return to Alaska and the Radiance. We came back in 2007 and were married in Juneau.

 

On that first trip I introduced Jim to aft-facing balcony cabins. He is totally hooked.

 

Sadly, I travel now with an EVC/scooter and have a fraction of the energy I once had. Your regular aft facing balcony cabins are perfect. The scooter fits alongside the larger sofa easily. On days I am too tired to leave the cabin I can spend the day on the lounge chair on that beautiful big balcony well protected from bad weather. The big lounge chair is a blessing to me.

 

Your new policy of not allowing 2 guests in a triple or quad has taken our aft facing balcony cabins away from us. I am completely crestfallen.

 

We have finally found a way for me to travel again. I can physically pace myself to enjoy everything I want and Jim can still explore and tour and not worry about my comfort.

 

We are returning to Alaska with our Best Man to celebrate our Anniversary. Jim made the reservation the night before my heart surgery to cheer me up.

 

Is Royal Caribbean going to break my heart and not allow us to stay in our favorite cabins?

[LetsGetWet!]

That letter is WORLDS classier than the one that the other poster sent about this topic. While not everyone will agree with your viewpoint, no one should beat you up about a classy letter like that. Let us know what response you get - whether or not you get any actual action taken, I'm sure your response letter will reflect the style of the letter you sent.

[ryansmith18]

This was far more polite and professional than the e-mail from the thread you are referencing. However, it's probably not going to change anything sadly. I'd imagine you'll get a similar response from Goldstein, with maybe less blunt attitude.

[Ourusualbeach]

Love your letter, so much more eloquent than the previous one.

 

Just one small issue though. If you are referring to a balcony cabin on the aft of a Radience class ship they are all double occupancy except for the suites.

[Ourusualbeach]

I think that there is still a lot of confusion on exactly what is and is not changing with regards to booking 2 into a quad room.

 

I just booked a D1 cabin on the Brilliance oct 18, 2015. This is a hump cabin that sleeps 4 and I was able to book it with 2 people.

 

Based on some posts it seems to be more affecting done of the cabins on Oasis and Allure and only in the summer months when it is peak family season and they need to have those quad cabins for those families. It does not appear to be affecting the majority of sailings.

 

I also booked an aft JS with a balcony beside it for Dec of this year and both cabins had an occupancy of more than 2. The CVP did have to call over to C&A or revenue to get the cabins released for double occupancy but was able to do so no problem.

[sunnydaysmile]

Looking forward to reading the reply

[Donut23]

Email sent around noon. Just off the phone with Royal Caribbean-----nicest lady.

 

First, she wanted to assure me we were fine for our cruise on the Radiance this summer.

 

We discussed using my scooter. We tried in the smaller cabin-doesn't fit the same. She said the crew would store it but that certainly removes any spontaneity, doesn't it----that was a little whine.

 

Basically I told her Radiance Class ships are our favorites but we felt penalized by being restricted to only 4 ships in the fleet.

 

She said they are actually listening to everyone. Learning about problems they had not considered, like ours. Our next cruise on the wish list is b2b on the Jewell in the S Caribbean January 2016 - no worries. She told me we had a special circumstance which they should be able to accommodate. For example, the Quantum will be our hometown ship. For us, they probably don't have to worry about accommodating us too much until 2017 or so unless we win the lottery! The Jewell is getting most of our pocket's attention after a big Alaska trip.

 

Anyway, she was just lovely on the phone. I was not surprised by the call. Just by how quickly they called.

Edited February 18, 2014 by Donut23

[Dave85]

Email sent around noon. Just off the phone with Royal Caribbean-----nicest lady.

 

First, she wanted to assure me we were fine for our cruise on the Radiance this summer.

 

We discussed using my scooter. We tried in the smaller cabin-doesn't fit the same. She said the crew would store it but that certainly removes any spontaneity, doesn't it----that was a little whine.

 

Basically I told her Radiance Class ships are our favorites but we felt penalized by being restricted to only 4 ships in the fleet.

 

She said they are actually listening to everyone. Learning about problems they had not considered, like ours. Our next cruise on the wish list is b2b on the Jewell in the S Caribbean January 2016 - no worries. She told me we had a special circumstance which they should be able to accommodate. For example, the Quantum will be our hometown ship. For us, they probably don't have to worry about accommodating us too much until 2017 or so unless we win the lottery! The Jewell is getting most of our pocket's attention after a big Alaska trip.

 

Anyway, she was just lovely on the phone. I was not surprised by the call. Just by how quickly they called.

 

Very touching e-mail, OP, glad you got a polite call back and I hope you're able to work out a satisfactory solution for your future cruises.

[Donut23]

Very touching e-mail, OP, glad you got a polite call back and I hope you're able to work out a satisfactory solution for your future cruises.

 

 

 

 

Thank you, Dave.

 

I'm sure we don't cruise enough for Royal Caribbean to loose sleep over but I DO know they listen to guests comments, good and bad.

[wolfganghowell]

Bravo! Wonderful letter - it was well written, sincere, showed a sense of humor and a willingness to work together to make your trip successful. No wonder you got the response you did. This proves that old axiom that exceptions make the rule. By approaching your situation with the right attitude, they worked with you and resolved your issue.

 

Of course it got a better response than the other letter. Which person would YOU be inclined to help?

[betmust]

Donut,

Did you book a JS or a D1 on the Radiance? I thought this was only for the D1 cabins and did allow people to book suites...

[Mapleleafforever]

Nicely worded email. You catch more flies with honey right? Good luck.

[Oppalopa]

Nicely worded email. You catch more flies with honey right? Good luck.

yes I agree

[tserface]

This is a nicely written letter (as others have stated).

 

I wonder if they wouldn't let you reserve these cabins if you simply pay for 3 people in a similar way that singles pay for double occupancy?

 

Or maybe one of the accessible rooms would work for you? I've never been in one of those so I don't know what they are like, but I thought they had more room for moving around in a wheeled device. These rooms also have the advantage of easier bathroom access, etc.

 

I don't have your same situation so I'm not trying to say that I understand by any means. I just thought of a couple of suggestions so figured I'd post.

 

It's probably fair for RCI to save rooms that fit 3 or 4 people for 3 or 4 people if they can book them that way. A similar frustration would be to want to travel and find out there are no rooms available to accommodate a party of that size because they are filled by couples.

 

Tom

 

Is this where everybody beats me up? Of course I guess I'm asking for it by posting my email.

 

How did I do?

 

 

 

 

Good Morning Mr. Goldstein-

 

I have been a rabid Royal Caribbean cheerleader for many decades. Years ago, as a RCI top accounts travel agent, I turned to Royal or Celebrity first. I knew my guests would return happy.

 

Fast forward to 2006 when I convinced my fiancé to visit Alaska. I wanted the Radiance. Your ship and crew did not disappoint. In fact it was so magical that halfway through Jim scrapped our honeymoon plans to Italy to return to Alaska and the Radiance. We came back in 2007 and were married in Juneau.

 

On that first trip I introduced Jim to aft-facing balcony cabins. He is totally hooked.

 

Sadly, I travel now with an EVC/scooter and have a fraction of the energy I once had. Your regular aft facing balcony cabins are perfect. The scooter fits alongside the larger sofa easily. On days I am too tired to leave the cabin I can spend the day on the lounge chair on that beautiful big balcony well protected from bad weather. The big lounge chair is a blessing to me.

 

Your new policy of not allowing 2 guests in a triple or quad has taken our aft facing balcony cabins away from us. I am completely crestfallen.

 

We have finally found a way for me to travel again. I can physically pace myself to enjoy everything I want and Jim can still explore and tour and not worry about my comfort.

 

We are returning to Alaska with our Best Man to celebrate our Anniversary. Jim made the reservation the night before my heart surgery to cheer me up.

 

Is Royal Caribbean going to break my heart and not allow us to stay in our favorite cabins?

[ehfl]

While the facts of the letter are wrong, the tone is nice.

[MIcruiser99]

While the facts of the letter are wrong, the tone is nice.

 

I am glad someone else mentioned this. We always book an aft on the Radiance class with only two of us so I am somewhat confused about this.

[Miss Vickie]

Is this where everybody beats me up? Of course I guess I'm asking for it by posting my email.

 

How did I do?

 

 

 

 

Good Morning Mr. Goldstein-

 

I have been a rabid Royal Caribbean cheerleader for many decades. Years ago, as a RCI top accounts travel agent, I turned to Royal or Celebrity first. I knew my guests would return happy.

 

Fast forward to 2006 when I convinced my fiancé to visit Alaska. I wanted the Radiance. Your ship and crew did not disappoint. In fact it was so magical that halfway through Jim scrapped our honeymoon plans to Italy to return to Alaska and the Radiance. We came back in 2007 and were married in Juneau.

 

On that first trip I introduced Jim to aft-facing balcony cabins. He is totally hooked.

 

Sadly, I travel now with an EVC/scooter and have a fraction of the energy I once had. Your regular aft facing balcony cabins are perfect. The scooter fits alongside the larger sofa easily. On days I am too tired to leave the cabin I can spend the day on the lounge chair on that beautiful big balcony well protected from bad weather. The big lounge chair is a blessing to me.

 

Your new policy of not allowing 2 guests in a triple or quad has taken our aft facing balcony cabins away from us. I am completely crestfallen.

 

We have finally found a way for me to travel again. I can physically pace myself to enjoy everything I want and Jim can still explore and tour and not worry about my comfort.

 

We are returning to Alaska with our Best Man to celebrate our Anniversary. Jim made the reservation the night before my heart surgery to cheer me up.

 

Is Royal Caribbean going to break my heart and not allow us to stay in our favorite cabins?

 

1104 and 1604 on SR and JW used to be d1's, but were reclassed to d2's several years ago; my husband and I always book one or the other. I don't know about other classes, but on Radiance class, the aft facing balconies are available to 2 people.

Edited February 19, 2014 by Miss Vickie

[critterchick]

1104 and 1604 on SR and JW used to be d1's, but were reclassed to d2's several years ago; my husband and I always book one or the other. I don't know about other classes, but on Radiance class, the aft facing balconies are available to 2 people.

 

On Serenade they are reclassified as D-1s again, but still only hold 2 people. I think RCI has finally figured out that they are popular so is making an exception to their new classification to get a few more bucks out of us. I have no issue with that.

[Miss Vickie]

On Serenade they are reclassified as D-1s again, but still only hold 2 people. I think RCI has finally figured out that they are popular so is making an exception to their new classification to get a few more bucks out of us. I have no issue with that.

 

I wonder if they'll reclass them to D1's when they refurb JW. I've actually wondered for a long time why they weren't sold at a premium - on X M-class ships the comparable cabins are concierge class. I'm okay with it, we'll continue to book them.

[Donut23]

Donut,

Did you book a JS or a D1 on the Radiance? I thought this was only for the D1 cabins and did allow people to book suites...

 

 

 

This once, because it was special, we are cruising in 1100, the corner Junior Suite.

 

Otherwise, for some reason even we cannot explain, if 1104 is open, it's ours. 1104 is a D1 and our Best Friend Lou will be traveling as a single in that cabin on our sailing.

 

The scooter fits perfectly alongside those longer sofas.

Edited February 19, 2014 by Donut23

[Donut23]

I am glad someone else mentioned this. We always book an aft on the Radiance class with only two of us so I am somewhat confused about this.

 

 

 

 

With the new policy, if we wish to cruise in aft facing balcony cabins we are now restricted to 4 ships in the fleet. Nothing incorrect about that though it sounds like they are willing to help us when we want to cheat on our Radiance Class ships for something else.

 

I know they look like Barbie Dolls next to the big girls at the dock (Oasis, Freedom, Etc) but the Radiance class are our favorites.......luckily!

[Miss Vickie]

With the new policy, if we wish to cruise in aft facing balcony cabins we are now restricted to 4 ships in the fleet. Nothing incorrect about that though it sounds like they are willing to help us when we want to cheat on our Radiance Class ships for something else.

 

I know they look like Barbie Dolls next to the big girls at the dock (Oasis, Freedom, Etc) but the Radiance class are our favorites.......luckily!

 

Radiance-class are our favorite, too. However, we "cheated" last year on Adventure. Have you checked the aft corner suites on the Voyager class? We had 1388, which was a d1, I believe, and HUGE. There is a pole in the room, but is much larger than any other d we've been in.

[Donut23]

Radiance-class are our favorite, too. However, we "cheated" last year on Adventure. Have you checked the aft corner suites on the Voyager class? We had 1388, which was a d1, I believe, and HUGE. There is a pole in the room, but is much larger than any other d we've been in.

 

 

 

OMG!

 

We did a 13 night on the Explorer in 1688. Was that the most amazing cabin!

 

We left Bayonne in December.....flat calm down and back. Slept on the lounger on the balcony in the tropics! We had 20+ on the balcony for the cabin crawl!

 

Ain't life great aft!

[Donut23]

This is a nicely written letter (as others have stated).

 

I wonder if they wouldn't let you reserve these cabins if you simply pay for 3 people in a similar way that singles pay for double occupancy?

 

Or maybe one of the accessible rooms would work for you? I've never been in one of those so I don't know what they are like, but I thought they had more room for moving around in a wheeled device. These rooms also have the advantage of easier bathroom access, etc.

 

I don't have your same situation so I'm not trying to say that I understand by any means. I just thought of a couple of suggestions so figured I'd post.

 

It's probably fair for RCI to save rooms that fit 3 or 4 people for 3 or 4 people if they can book them that way. A similar frustration would be to want to travel and find out there are no rooms available to accommodate a party of that size because they are filled by couples.

 

Tom

 

 

 

Hey Tom-

 

Thanks for the ideas.

 

I want to address the handicapped cabin idea...as I did with Royal yesterday. I have a heart issue which makes longish walks difficult but I'm not handicapped. I can mosey around the room well. Now that we know the scooter fits alongside the larger sofa I would hate to take an accessible stateroom.

 

Hey, I'm going to be 60 next year (gasp). We found something which we love and we are going kicking and pouting if it keeps us from the occasional bigger ship.

[critterchick]

With the new policy, if we wish to cruise in aft facing balcony cabins we are now restricted to 4 ships in the fleet. Nothing incorrect about that though it sounds like they are willing to help us when we want to cheat on our Radiance Class ships for something else.

 

I know they look like Barbie Dolls next to the big girls at the dock (Oasis, Freedom, Etc) but the Radiance class are our favorites.......luckily!

 

That's not entirely correct. I just looked at the deck plan for Vision and Rhapsody, and both have aft balconies that only hold 2 people, according to the most recent deck plans. That includes the corners, which blow the Radiance class corner balconies out of the water (although Radiance has the nicer interiors IMO).

 

But I agree that it's slim pickins for aft lovers. I just wonder how RCI will handle a JS booking on a ship where the capacity varies (such as on Rhapsody). I still haven't seen anything definitive stating that suites are exempt from the new rules, although common sense would seem to dictate that they would be.