First time on RCCL...maybe the last...

[cruisinfanatic]

Hopefully you've already printed your SetSail pass. It could be a major hassle getting on board if you don't have that. Also, how about your guest ticket booklet? It would also show all of the reservations you've made.

You know, it's really NOT! You shouldn't be spreading this stuff

[SteveH2508]

Ship Happens

 

That is about as helpful as some RCCL staff were - we have cruised enough to be able to 'ride the rough waves' on a cruise holiday. A few waves is fair enough but, when they come one after the other, you ask yourself "should I sail these seas again?" - for us the answer is 'not at this time' - YMMV.

[Merion_Mom]

Thanks - that's a few minutes of my life I won't get back - what a crock of corporate BS! "Once we get you, we've got you" - sums up their attitude. Yes, you had us for 4 days on IoTS - you had your chance - you blew it - we were not impressed.

 

Nothing major, but an accumulation of small frustrations which culminated in not getting fed one night at the MDR because they could not organise MTD (well done to the buffet manager for rescuing the situation BTW).

 

Getting a drink in a timely manner was an issue - getting something edible out of normal dining hours was an issue.

 

There were some major systemic issues which impacted on our cruise experience - they were serious enough that RCCL are now at least third on our list of preferred cruise lines. We could have been profitable cruisers for them (our onboard spend is significant) but - the taster cruise left a nasty taste.

 

I would really love to hear more about your problems.

 

Having been on many many Royal Caribbean cruises, including the Independence, I cannot even conceive of "not getting fed", etc.

[galfromkazoo]

I am a seasoned cruiser and somehow I neglected to print all of my paperwork for our last cruise in January. No Set Sail pass. I completely freaked out. First RCL guy I encountered at pier told me I had to go to a special area and it would take awhile but I would be allowed to board. Got to the door of the building and when I told her my problem and where I was told to go she told me to just get in the regular line and it would be fine. Got to the desk and there was no problem checking in. I just had to fill out one extra paper that took 2 minutes.

 

 

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[Aquahound]

I doubt you have anything to worry. You can´t Access your reservations up until sailing and they disappear like 3 days Prior to the cruise. I´m pretty sure everything will be transmitted to the ship. As others said just in case take your prints and let them handle it onboard. No Need to get all fussed up about it.

 

I totally missed the leaving tomorrow part. I definitely think that is the issue here. Too bad RCI couldn't figure that out on the phone. :rolleyes:

[jlat]

Okay, I see that there are plenty of loyal Royals here.. Let me explain a little more.

 

First this isn't our first cruise. I alway print my docs. That's why I went to check the site anyway. I don't have time to sit on the RCCL site day in and day out to tend to my reservation. I checked it last around the 23rd of Feb and everything was choice. I checked again on Thursday and all of it was GONE. Now I have NEVER in 7 or 8 cruises seen a site wipe everything away like this. Basically it says that I have not reserved ANYTHING. Their front line couldn't tell me one thing that I had reserved, and couldn't tell me why they disappeared except it was an IT problem. Now if this is how RCCL does business, then they should let their front line and their "resolution department" know this, because neither could explain why this happened. I spoke in detail with one of their "resolution" people and he could not explain why all my reservations are gone. He did mention that he should be able to see them in my master file, but they aren't there. He said that this was pretty unusual. He is going to send my information over to the ship, but he could not guarantee that anything that I asked for (and paid for btw) would happen (basically the specific times I asked for and my two reservations at Chops and Portifino). So...my only recourse is to print out all my documentation and head over to guest services and re-book everything once I get on board. Maybe the times that I asked for back last summer will be available, maybe they won't. The whole point of doing this on the front end, is that I won't have to do it once I get on board. You know, that whole relax once you get on board thing...

 

So basically thanks to RCCL, I've wasted time before cruise and will have to waste even more time, once I get on board, for results that are probably going to be less than optimum. Not a great way to start a vacation IMO. Maybe I'm expecting too much from RCCL. Like I said, this is my first experience with them. If they can't manage reservations any better, or be able to resolve problems better than leaving it up to the customer to resolve, I'm not sure that they don't need my business. Like I said I've sailed plenty and never once had any reservations "disappear" without any reasonable explanation. But maybe RCCL is just different, I dunno. I'm going to have a good time regardless, I hope it works out. If it doesn't that's fine too...

[TPFKAH]

Breathe deep. Hopefully everything comes together for you. Enjoy your cruise.

[jlat]

Breathe deep. Hopefully everything comes together for you. Enjoy your cruise.

 

Oh I plan to. It isn't a big deal, but a major hassle that I wasn't expecting to have to deal with. Just want to get on board, have the DOD and have a good time. Standing around futzing with Guest Services isn't my idea of a good time, but hey I don't cruise RCCL often, so maybe that's the norm. I dunno.

[Yorkvillain]

Not to make light of the problem, but is it that hard to print out your confirmations and take them with you?? I do that anyway, for everything, I trust NOBODY but myself and the papers I have in my hand.:eek:

 

Yeah, I don't see a problem with printing everything out either. I always do it.

[akcruz]

There was another post last night where someone else had the same issue. They were reminded reservations "go away" the day before. They thanked the poster and let it go.

 

Hopefully this is your issue and those on the phone did not know what they were talking about. Not a good way to start off a cruise, but don't let it taint your experience.

[Yorkvillain]

I had only one thought when I began to read your post.

 

The information ALWAYS disappears from the website about 24 hours before your cruise. You wrote that you are leaving tomorrow.

 

I would not be upset at all.

 

As others wrote, you should always take your paperwork with you, no matter the circumstances.

 

Do I check-in online these days for my flights? Yep. Do I get a mobile boarding pass? Yep. DO I STILL PRINT OUT THE PAPER COPY? I sure do!

 

No difference here.

 

I am really really really really sorry that you are so upset. I absolutely believe that NOTHING is wrong and that your cruise will be wonderful. But you have to wrap your mind around these facts and DECIDE to have a good cruise!

 

Bon Voyage!

 

:)

 

Something tells me he is not going to have a good cruise.

[delirious9876]

What did you reserve besides dining times? Shore excursions? Spa appointments?

If the issue hasn't been resolved to your satisfaction by the time you board the ship, you should simply remake the reservations as soon as you board. It should not be a problem since not everyone pre-reserves those things and it is very possible that you can replicate your original reservations with a minimum of trouble. Sure it is aggravating, but IT glitches are not reserved solely to RCI and most of us have encountered similar situations in our everyday life and have learned to deal with them. Try to relax and enjoy the cruise experience that RCI provides while you are onboard. It is very likely that those experiences will be what you will remember and which will bring you back to RCI ships again and again, despite any of their technical failings.:) For all those failings, the service and cruise experience that RCI and its onboard staff provides, more than compensate for them.

You obviously missed the OP's point based on your reply

 

:-(

[delirious9876]

Okay, I see that there are plenty of loyal Royals here.. Let me explain a little more.

 

First this isn't our first cruise. I alway print my docs. That's why I went to check the site anyway. I don't have time to sit on the RCCL site day in and day out to tend to my reservation. I checked it last around the 23rd of Feb and everything was choice. I checked again on Thursday and all of it was GONE. Now I have NEVER in 7 or 8 cruises seen a site wipe everything away like this. Basically it says that I have not reserved ANYTHING. Their front line couldn't tell me one thing that I had reserved, and couldn't tell me why they disappeared except it was an IT problem. Now if this is how RCCL does business, then they should let their front line and their "resolution department" know this, because neither could explain why this happened. I spoke in detail with one of their "resolution" people and he could not explain why all my reservations are gone. He did mention that he should be able to see them in my master file, but they aren't there. He said that this was pretty unusual. He is going to send my information over to the ship, but he could not guarantee that anything that I asked for (and paid for btw) would happen (basically the specific times I asked for and my two reservations at Chops and Portifino). So...my only recourse is to print out all my documentation and head over to guest services and re-book everything once I get on board. Maybe the times that I asked for back last summer will be available, maybe they won't. The whole point of doing this on the front end, is that I won't have to do it once I get on board. You know, that whole relax once you get on board thing...

 

So basically thanks to RCCL, I've wasted time before cruise and will have to waste even more time, once I get on board, for results that are probably going to be less than optimum. Not a great way to start a vacation IMO. Maybe I'm expecting too much from RCCL. Like I said, this is my first experience with them. If they can't manage reservations any better, or be able to resolve problems better than leaving it up to the customer to resolve, I'm not sure that they don't need my business. Like I said I've sailed plenty and never once had any reservations "disappear" without any reasonable explanation. But maybe RCCL is just different, I dunno. I'm going to have a good time regardless, I hope it works out. If it doesn't that's fine too...

I'm loyal to Royal as well but they take the biscuit when something like this happens.

 

You have a right to be angry and upset. I'd be thinking twice about travelling with them again if I was you as well.

[kruzerci]

Oh I plan to. It isn't a big deal, but a major hassle that I wasn't expecting to have to deal with. Just want to get on board, have the DOD and have a good time. Standing around futzing with Guest Services isn't my idea of a good time, but hey I don't cruise RCCL often, so maybe that's the norm. I dunno.

 

I think Royal Caribbean has a terrible IT department and website but I also think you're fixating and stressing yourself out what may or may not even be a problem. As many others have assured you, it's not unusual for information to be removed from MyCruises days before your cruise and yes it is weird.

 

You say your going to have a good time and follow it up with a passive aggressive comment. You very may well board and everything be intact. If not, you literally just have to walk to guest services and waste maybe five or ten minutes handing them your documentation and letting them fix it. It's annoying but its just not a massive problem. You're going on vacation.

 

Breathe and it may not require much if any fixing.

[jlat]

Something tells me he is not going to have a good cruise.

 

So why do you say that? I just relayed my experience. I plan on having a royal time :D If this is how RCCL does business, they should at least let their front lines know it. They should let their resolution department know it, because of the 4 employees of the company that I talked to, not one, explained that all the reservations are wiped out of the system 2 days before the cruise. Maybe cruise critic should start doing support for RCCL? Like I said, I've never sailed with them before, so I didn't know that I could not print out my schedule a day or two before the cruise.

 

Gee, I plan on having a great time thank you very much..so I have to cart around a half a ream of paper, no biggie, but to me, it is pretty darn stupid. But like I said, maybe RCCL is just different.

 

Peace to you brother!

[jlat]

i think royal caribbean has a terrible it department and website but i also think you're fixating and stressing yourself out what may or may not even be a problem. As many others have assured you, it's not unusual for information to be removed from mycruises days before your cruise and yes it is weird.

 

You say your going to have a good time and follow it up with a passive aggressive comment. You very may well board and everything be intact. If not, you literally just have to walk to guest services and waste maybe five or ten minutes handing them your documentation and letting them fix it. It's annoying but its just not a massive problem. You're going on vacation.

 

Breathe and it may not require much if any fixing.

 

It is going to be fine, I know this. At this point, I think I might be sorry I brought it up on the Loyal Royal board.

 

And absolutely that would be fine my friend, then please tell me why no one at RCCL was able to explain that? Why where they just a puzzled as I was? Why did nothing show up in my master file? Why is the resolution department having to send all my info back to the ship tonight? I'm not upset, really, but it does seem a bit stupid for this to happen and no one outside of this board seems to have a clue about it. Like I said, maybe y'all on cruise critic ought to do support for RCCL, because it is really evident that you all know way more than the folks that draw a paychek from the company. Just sayin'...

Edited April 11, 2014 by jlat

[delirious9876]

Ignore them jlat - some people just get all self richteous or start to make assumptions.

 

Have a great time

 

:-)

[Merion_Mom]

So why do you say that? I just relayed my experience. I plan on having a royal time :D If this is how RCCL does business, they should at least let their front lines know it. They should let their resolution department know it, because of the 4 employees of the company that I talked to, not one, explained that all the reservations are wiped out of the system 2 days before the cruise. Maybe cruise critic should start doing support for RCCL? Like I said, I've never sailed with them before, so I didn't know that I could not print out my schedule a day or two before the cruise.

 

Gee, I plan on having a great time thank you very much..so I have to cart around a half a ream of paper, no biggie, but to me, it is pretty darn stupid. But like I said, maybe RCCL is just different.

 

Peace to you brother!

 

Ding ding ding ding ding!

 

Actually, this is TRUE.

 

Most people find that when they want GOOD, ACCURATE answers to cruise questions, they are far better off asking HERE than calling RC.

 

:D

[jlat]

Ignore them jlat - some people just get all self richteous or start to make assumptions.

 

Have a great time

 

:-)

 

Thank you delirious! I intend to!

[jlat]

Ding ding ding ding ding!

 

Actually, this is TRUE.

 

Most people find that when they want GOOD, ACCURATE answers to cruise questions, they are far better off asking HERE than calling RC.

 

:D

 

 

yeah...GOOD and ACCURATE might be a bit of stretch...:p

[goodycruising]

I sympathise with you totally. We tried to book some stuff on our January cruise online and the website has had intermittent problems from about November through to NOW! They just are not getting it fixed. Things look different sometimes and functionality comes and goes. There are so may posts here about it. I was glad after reading your issues that I didn't get the chance to book and put money down.

 

We rang the other day as we have the reduced deposit for booking onboard and the website says our $800 deposit is due. This is not good. We ring and they say don't worry about it, well it doesn't sit well, and it makes us nervous that our cruise will get cancelled for not paying. That is what the website is telling us. **update after typing this - the reservation has now gone from our my cruises area on the website!** Feeling more nervous now. We have the paper copy...but....

 

Their website is a totally wreck, and to have to print out everything is something we do as there are many websites that are very substandard these days. I agree with you, it is very poor and does not give a good impression.

 

I hope you find when you get onboard that the issues are resolved and you get the bookings you originally had, but our experience once on board usually goes along the lines of "nobody else has had this issue". That is their standard line for everything.

 

Thanks for taking the time to come on here and warn others of this issue. :)

Edited April 12, 2014 by goodycruising

[negc]

You obviously missed the OP's point based on your reply

 

:-(

 

You are right, I missed his listing of the items he reserved because the bulk of his post was such a detailed account of his back and forth with the RCI phone personnel. I still believe that unless he allows his frustration with RCI's land operations inadequacies color his actual cruise experience everything should be fine once he boards the ship. However, we all know that sometimes one gets whatever they expect and if he allows his negative attitude to effect his cruise, he will be true to his word about never sailing with RCI again.

[goodycruising]

Part of the fun of the holiday is the planning. Some of the fun has been spoilt already. That is how I read it.

[jlat]

You are right, I missed his listing of the items he reserved because the bulk of his post was such a detailed account of his back and forth with the RCI phone personnel. I still believe that unless he allows his frustration with RCI's land operations inadequacies color his actual cruise experience everything should be fine once he boards the ship. However, we all know that sometimes one gets whatever they expect and if he allows his negative attitude to effect his cruise, he will be true to his word about never sailing with RCI again.

 

Wow..negative attitude...really ROFL...

 

I'd rather just relay my experiences, in detail, so that others might benefit from my situation. I basically just told it as I experienced it. I never said that I was going to have a bad time on the cruise. BUT I must point out, that if RCCL can't handle their reservations better than this, it does not bode well for the line IMO. If you are loyal to royal, good for you. But for someone that was more than willing to give RCCL a chance, it isn't going well at this point. I certainly can go on board with a stack of papers and get all this sorted out at Guest Services. My point is, why should I? I made all the reservations through their reps or online and they all got lost. That's not my fault, so I turned to RCCL to rectify the situation. They couldn't step up to the plate, so I don't think my attitude is all that negative. I will take my stack of paper with me to the ship and I will go to Guest Services and get all this sorted out. Again, it isn't what I signed up for, and it isn't they way I want to spend my much needed vacation time. And if this is how RCCL does business, then they don't need me as a customer. Pretty simple to me.

[DrD]

I'm glad people post tis stuff, I'm sure RCCL monitors these boards and the more they see this the higher the chances are that they'll fix it.

 

personally I've been lucky and never had a problem with the site other that the occasional "can't access reservation."