RCI NOT answering email - CAN YOU HELP??

[Cheggs]

hi all

I have sent a few emails to RCCL but they have only bothered to reply to one (regarding Gluten free for my daughter) the rest - go unanswered - for weeks now... We are cruising on Liberty of the Seas - Western MED 3-10 July from Rome

a) If I book a shore excursion once on-board instead of now before the cruise - do we pay any tax or vat on the amount or is amount we see the amount we pay? I would prefer to pay onboard BUT if it is going to cost me extra - I will do it now!

 

b) Still would love to know which beach club they use in Viareggio - but that may just have to be a "surprise"

 

MY other question was regarding how they get to the total they do for the kids soda package - but I see that there are "extra taxes for certain itineraries and ports" so I am guessing that is why we are being quoted a higher total than expected!

 

thanks for your help!

 

Cheryl

[vacation_junkie]

It's simple...pick up the phone and call!

People seem to forget about that thing called the telephone. The thing that will get you an answer right away :)

 

Not trying to be sarcastic... But instead of waiting just call.

 

Remember RCL gets inundated with emails on a daily basis of varied importance. They may not be purposely ignoring your reply. You could just be 9579th on the list of emails to reply back to.

 

I know calling is a pain but it works!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[marci22]

Not trying to be sarcastic... But instead of waiting just call.

 

I don't think you're trying to be sarcastic, but as a customer, I would expect an email answer to my question at some point within a week, I don't care what company you are.

 

I do a lot of my business online through email, as it is usually the easiest and most efficient way to communicate, plus, you have a record of what went on.

 

It is inconceivable to me that a large company like RC cannot routinely answer emails in a 48 hour time period. I can't think of a company that hasn't answered my emails in a decent time, whether it is a very small company staffed with a few people, or Amazon.

 

They got problems.

[cruzinlady1947]

I usually get a quicker response from my certified planner at RCCL when I email her then I do when calling. At least when I'd like an immediate result with something.

 

Gwen :)

[yolanda1]

It's simple...pick up the phone and call!

People seem to forget about that thing called the telephone. The thing that will get you an answer right away :)

 

Not trying to be sarcastic... But instead of waiting just call.

 

Remember RCL gets inundated with emails on a daily basis of varied importance. They may not be purposely ignoring your reply. You could just be 9579th on the list of emails to reply back to.

 

I know calling is a pain but it works!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

 

 

I would have agreed with you on this until fairly recently, when I found to my cost after the relocation of the UK call centre, that it is now better to have written confirmation from RCI than to rely on someone who doesn't know what they are talking about giving an incorrect answer and then you cannot prove that the conversation took place!

 

The so called "recorded" customer service calls are not always recorded or retained, despite the announcement at the beginning of the call, as I found when I asked the management to play back my call from a few days previously in which I was given the same piece of wrong information several times. After many attempts to get resolution, they finally admitted they didn't actually have the call, but they refused to honour the information I had wrongly been given on the phone. The difference was hundreds of ££s, so it wasn't a minor detail. Lesson learned :mad:

 

My advice would be, if it is important, ALWAYS get it in writing :)

 

 

.

[FLACRUISER99]

hi all

I have sent a few emails to RCCL but they have only bothered to reply to one (regarding Gluten free for my daughter) the rest - go unanswered - for weeks now... We are cruising on Liberty of the Seas - Western MED 3-10 July from Rome

a) If I book a shore excursion once on-board instead of now before the cruise - do we pay any tax or vat on the amount or is amount we see the amount we pay? I would prefer to pay onboard BUT if it is going to cost me extra - I will do it now!

 

b) Still would love to know which beach club they use in Viareggio - but that may just have to be a "surprise"

 

MY other question was regarding how they get to the total they do for the kids soda package - but I see that there are "extra taxes for certain itineraries and ports" so I am guessing that is why we are being quoted a higher total than expected!

 

thanks for your help!

 

Cheryl

You didn't even get something like this?

"Thank you for contacting the Shore Excursion Inquiry Desk. This email is

your receipt the email has been received. More customers than ever before

are choosing the convenience of email as their primary mode of

communication. As a result, the turnaround time for responses has increased

and we will respond to your inquiry in the order it was received.

 

Thank you for your patience and we look forward to having you on board!"

[Cheggs]

Thanks FLACRUISER99, I did receive those messages - so I know that my emails were received......just nothing since then.....

 

I would call - BUT - that would require an international call from my mobile from South Africa - and no doubt would be on hold for ages too......hence my email instead!

[mattpro]

This is RCL's 6/19/2014 partial response to an e-mail sent to them on 6/8/2014:

 

Thank you for your e-mail. We cannot apologize enough for the extended delay in our response. More customers than ever before are contacting us by phone and e-mail. As a result, the turnaround time for responses has increased. Acknowledging that this level of service is unacceptable regardless of cause, we hope you will accept our apologies, and believe that this is not indicative of our normal operations.

 

 

Draw whatever conclusions you like from their response.

[MiniChunks]

I understand that you don't want to incur the phone charges, but i would make the call if you need an answer sooner than later and insist on their answer being emailed to you before you end the conversation. There is no reason they can't shoot you an email while you have them on the phone.

[cb at sea]

You can get email confirmation of your phone call....so call on the phone, ask your question and request the answer be emailed to you!

[Grandma Dazzles]

Hope this is not a dumb answer! Have you checked your spam? I requested a copy of a booking - called twice as I had not received it. Agent said he would send again, and to check my spam. Sure enough I had three copies there! Problem was that the reply did not indicate it came from RC - was some odd heading - computer did not recognize.

[MCC retired]

Call

Emails are easy to ignore .

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[ARCruisinNana]

Can you make the phone call via Skype? I've used it while in Europe to call home to the states. Very reasonable rates.

[LMaxwell]

Here is the full contact info page, although I see nothing for Africa

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/contactUs.do

[LindaO]

Did you book through a TA or directly with RCI? If you booked with a TA, it is your TAs responsibility to provide answers to your questions.

 

If you booked directly with RCI and choose to use email as your primary form of correspondence (which it sounds like you prefer) and you received the 'we will get to you in time' then you are in the cue and they will respond as they get to your email. Unfortunately, that is the way it is. Sometimes, especially with the huge BYGOHO sale here in the US, they are swamped with emails. Whether this is the way it should be or not is another discussion. So... if you are really ticked off... email the head office... if you search for Adam's email on these boards (sorry I don't have it handy) you can get the corporate office fairly quickly.

 

Good luck and I hope you enjoy your cruise.

[joepeka]

You can get email confirmation of your phone call....so call on the phone, ask your question and request the answer be emailed to you!

 

That's an excellent suggestion but lack of email from RCI is what brought the OP here. I wouldn't blame her for not expecting to receive any email confirming the telephone conversation. :(

[A Pisces]

I can tell you that some items on the menu said they were gluten Free, when we were on the Vision in May.

 

Shore excursions booked onboard, did not include extra taxes. They were the same price as listed before we got on the ship.

I hope that helps a little.

[DebJ14]

I always get a message saying they got the e-mail and will be responding within 24-48 hours. Hopefully, you did not send all your requests in the same e-mail to the same e-mail address. The Gluten free request goes through special needs., shore excursion to excursions etc.

I am shocked - that special needs has not responded, unless they are circulating one e-mail among the various departments. There is also a place on the TA reservation page to note GF, which my TA always does for us.

 

Even telling them ahead of time you still have to meet with the Maitre'D or head waiter onboard to go over GF options. When eating in the specialty restaurants, we stop by the day before and let them know so they have the GF bread from the MDR and a dessert other than crème brulee.

Edited June 20, 2014 by DebJ14

[vacation_junkie]

Thanks FLACRUISER99, I did receive those messages - so I know that my emails were received......just nothing since then.....

 

I would call - BUT - that would require an international call from my mobile from South Africa - and no doubt would be on hold for ages too......hence my email instead!

 

In that case....email away!!!!

I apologize I didn't realize where you were.

That would be an expensive call indeed!

[delirious9876]

I would have agreed with you on this until fairly recently, when I found to my cost after the relocation of the UK call centre, that it is now better to have written confirmation from RCI than to rely on someone who doesn't know what they are talking about giving an incorrect answer and then you cannot prove that the conversation took place!

 

The so called "recorded" customer service calls are not always recorded or retained, despite the announcement at the beginning of the call, as I found when I asked the management to play back my call from a few days previously in which I was given the same piece of wrong information several times. After many attempts to get resolution, they finally admitted they didn't actually have the call, but they refused to honour the information I had wrongly been given on the phone. The difference was hundreds of ££s, so it wasn't a minor detail. Lesson learned :mad:

 

My advice would be, if it is important, ALWAYS get it in writing :)

 

 

.

Can I suggest, if you have a speaker on your phone then have the conversation on speaker and record the call on your smartphone or tablet etc.

 

I have done this a few times recently with Royal and it has rewarded me ten fold in having it as 'proof' later down the line

[nascarcruiser]

I don't think you're trying to be sarcastic, but as a customer, I would expect an email answer to my question at some point within a week, I don't care what company you are.

 

I do a lot of my business online through email, as it is usually the easiest and most efficient way to communicate, plus, you have a record of what went on.

 

It is inconceivable to me that a large company like RC cannot routinely answer emails in a 48 hour time period. I can't think of a company that hasn't answered my emails in a decent time, whether it is a very small company staffed with a few people, or Amazon.

 

They got problems.

 

I work in customer service for a major shipping company. You send anemail to anyone in our department best case scenario I might be able to answer inside of 2 weeks odds are 3 is more like it. If you call you will get a quicker resolution. Sorry alot of places put priority on the live body on the phone. Odds are whoever answered your question about the diet could do so because its a common one these day.

[aftop]

In Nov 2013 I went on an IOS Eastern Caribbean cruise. Upon return home I submitted an e mail to RCI in Dec 2013 regarding one of their excursions I went on. I received the auto reply and nothing else. In Feb. 2014 I called RCI and was given a different address to send my question to. It is now June 2014 and I am still waiting for a reply.

[marci22]

I work in customer service for a major shipping company. You send anemail to anyone in our department best case scenario I might be able to answer inside of 2 weeks odds are 3 is more like it. If you call you will get a quicker resolution. Sorry alot of places put priority on the live body on the phone. Odds are whoever answered your question about the diet could do so because its a common one these day.

 

I don't know about shipping companies, but I don't think it's a good idea for most consumer-oriented companies to have such a lag time answering emails.

[delirious9876]

I don't know about shipping companies, but I don't think it's a good idea for most consumer-oriented companies to have such a lag time answering emails.

I agree totally marci22

[RC Dancers]

We sent three email inquiries after our May cruise and received one reply.