Feel let down by RCI

[Happychappie]

[quote name='Merion_Mom']One example that most are probably recalling:

When that volcano erupted in Iceland, disrupting airline traffic, many U.S. travelers were left out in the cold. UK travelers were covered.

Also: These things are "covered" for you by UK consumer law. If US travelers want "equivalent" coverage, we must purchase travel insurance that you don't need.[/QUOTE]

I was covered for this by Travel Insurance I had purchased as was caught after being on Mariner of the Seas from LA. However I think there is a misconception over who and what was covered as many British were also caught out in the cold. Some travel companies looked after their clients out of goodwill but many did very little indeed. I was just fortunate that I only travel with very strong insurance as should we all!

Believe me, the booking conditions we have compared to those of a US citizen is very poor. The price differences are unbelieveable too. Im sure most of us would happily pay the same prices as you guys and then just take out an extra insurance policy to cover all other events.

Anyway, it is what it is but its good to let you guys know just how mighty miffed we get over here :D

Still looking forward to Freedom in 2 weeks time though!!

[delirious9876]

[quote name='Meggysmum']I would love to see what extra protection us UK residents get for our Cruises!

I am really starting to resent the way that our prices are high anyway compared to US for the same cruise and then they bring in price slashing which they know we can't take advantage of.

As a family who travel with children in a separate cabin we have to book early to endure that we can get cabins close enough together to pass RCIs rules. Last year we tried booking later and were turned down as they hadn't got cabins within 1 door of each other.[/QUOTE]
So book with a USA travel agent and save hundred of pounds !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[pennielz]

RCI will honor lower prices until the date full payment is due! :D I have four cruise booked. In total over the last four months, I have had my price reduced by a total of $1,800 on three of the cruises!!!!:eek: Because of that, I was able to book the fourth cruise! :cool: There is a website that will alert you when prices change, cabins come available. etc. I use it all the time!!! I love to Cruise and Fish the Net!!! Unfortunately, I can't tell you you on Cruise Critic what the website is but, if you do a search you can figure it out!!!!

Pennie

[Happychappie]

[quote name='delirious9876']So book with a USA travel agent and save hundred of pounds !!!!!!!!!!!!!!![/QUOTE]

Do you not think that many 1000's of us have tried to do that. However you cant. To do that you have to have a US Zip code as RC have restricted access to do this. You cant even view the .com website in the UK as they don't want you to see the huge difference in price!

Believe me, we have tried it all to get the same deals!!!

[Happychappie]

[quote name='pennielz']RCI will honor lower prices until the date full payment is due! :D I have four cruise booked. In total over the last four months, I have had my price reduced by a total of $1,800 on three of the cruises!!!!:eek: Because of that, I was able to book the fourth cruise! :cool: There is a website that will alert you when prices change, cabins come available. etc. I use it all the time!!! I love to Cruise and Fish the Net!!! Unfortunately, I can't tell you you on Cruise Critic what the website is but, if you do a search you can figure it out!!!!

Pennie[/QUOTE]

Pennie,

We all use the pricedrop websites and im constantly monitoring mine. However in the UK RC don't have a price drop policy like yours. You can only claim a pricedrop within I believe 48hrs of the original booking. After that your price is fixed at this level regardless of future drops. This is why I mention in an earlier post I have dealt directly with an agent at RC when booking and got her to confirm that she will personally ensure I get price drops as per the US on each booking I make and then get an email from the agent confirming this. It has helped me but is such a song and dance and you have to beg for it rather than get it as standard.

Its tough being a Brit!!

[peteukmcr]

[quote name='Merion_Mom']One example that most are probably recalling:

When that volcano erupted in Iceland, disrupting airline traffic, many U.S. travelers were left out in the cold. UK travelers were covered.

Also: These things are "covered" for you by UK consumer law. [I][COLOR="Red"]Wrong[/COLOR][/I] If US travelers want "equivalent" coverage, we must purchase travel insurance that you don't need.[I][COLOR="Red"]Wrong[/COLOR][/I][/QUOTE]Please let me know how we UK travellers were covered when the Icelandic volcano disrupted air travel?

I for one had to make my own way home from Sweden at my own expense that the insurance did not cover taking me 52 hours by train, rental car, taxi, ferry and train once back in the UK.

We also have to purchase travel insurance with specific cruise cover as well as paying extra to cover climate events such as disruption from volcano eruptions. These are not covered by UK consumer law, so I don't know where you got your information from, but it is incorrect. We do need travel insurance, to say we don't due to UK consumer law for an instance like you quote it totally wrong and it is misleading to do so.

Once home on this occasion, we then had to make our own way by train and ferry from the UK to Barcelona to catch a sailing on Adventure of the Seas when the airports in Northern Spain, including Barcelona were closed due to another volcanic eruption in Iceland. This again was not covered by our travel insurance nor UK consumer law. RCI would not allow us to cancel, nor transfer our booking as this event happened within 7 days of sailing, so if we cancelled we would have lost everything.

It is only in recent years that due to this event that 'volcano' insurance is available as a supplement to 'standard' travel insurance, as is 'cruise cover' becoming required because UK travel insurers will invalidate insurance if you claim on a 'standard' policy used for land based trips, when in fact you are on a cruise.

These are more commonplace, but you pay a higher premium for it, so again please note, it is not covered by UK consumer law. Edited August 17, 2014 by peteukmcr

[setsail]

[quote name='Happychappie']Do you not think that many 1000's of us have tried to do that. However you cant. To do that you have to have a US Zip code as RC have restricted access to do this. You cant even view the .com website in the UK as they don't want you to see the huge difference in price!

Believe me, we have tried it all to get the same deals!!![/QUOTE]

Give us a break, there are 100's of post on cc from euro cruisers who use USA agents:rolleyes:

[delirious9876]

[quote name='Happychappie']Do you not think that many 1000's of us have tried to do that. However you cant. To do that you have to have a US Zip code as RC have restricted access to do this. You cant even view the .com website in the UK as they don't want you to see the huge difference in price!

Believe me, we have tried it all to get the same deals!!![/QUOTE]
You don't need a USA zip code. That's a load of rubbish.

So yes "1000's of you" might have tried it, but obviously incorrectly.

My family who live in the UK have booked their last 10 cruises with a US travel agent. They are UK citizens with a UK address.

[delirious9876]

[quote name='setsail']Give us a break, there are 100's of post on cc from euro cruisers who use USA agents:rolleyes:[/QUOTE]
Exactly, thank you. :-)

[NorbertsNiece]

[quote name='Happychappie']Do you not think that many 1000's of us have tried to do that. However you cant. To do that you have to have a US Zip code as RC have restricted access to do this. You cant even view the .com website in the UK as they don't want you to see the huge difference in price!

Believe me, we have tried it all to get the same deals!!![/QUOTE]

I've got a cruise on Rhapsody booked this year for next through a US TA no problem at all. No US address. And I can view the .com site using Tunnelbear..... Edited August 17, 2014 by NorbertsNiece

[little britain]

[quote name='Happychappie']Pennie,

We all use the pricedrop websites and im constantly monitoring mine. However in the UK RC don't have a price drop policy like yours. You can only claim a pricedrop within I believe 48hrs of the original booking. [/QUOTE]

Sorry but that is not correct. There is no 48hr limit on price drops. There is also no 'price drop guarantee' until final payment date as per the USA in the UK....however you can get a price drop right up until you sail, if, and this is a big if, you can get hold of someone (unfortunately now in Guatemala) who knows what a price drop is.:rolleyes:
I was lucky on my recent cruise and I had a good UK TA who called them, after final payment, and I got a £££ price drop. I then encouraged many on my roll call to call and I am happy to say that most of them (not all) got price drops applied to their bookings too. The money was refunded to my card within 24 hrs.

The key thing, as was explained to me, is that the price code has to be 'convertible'. The prices on the website are their most attractive prices, as if you are doing a new booking( because of course the website has no idea you already have a booking). It is only by getting your TA to call and ask the agent to check if the price is 'convertible' when you know if you can have that price or not.

I hope this helps.

ps: I also have a USA TA. Fabulous service from her, all by email. However a recent quote from her was more expensive than from my UK TA so it pays to have one on each side of the pond! Edited August 17, 2014 by little britain

[woodyren]

[quote name='Happychappie']Do you not think that many 1000's of us have tried to do that. However you cant. To do that you have to have a US Zip code as RC have restricted access to do this. You cant even view the .com website in the UK as they don't want you to see the huge difference in price!

Believe me, we have tried it all to get the same deals!!![/QUOTE]

This is not true. Deal direct with any US travel agent you want. I do ALL my bookings from Australia with a US TA because I refuse to cop the price hikes and cancellation fees ....BUT you would not have got the drinks pkg because it is ONLY available for NEW bookings and in the UK. So I might feel peeved now because I can't get it in my Quantum cruise. I would be disappointed if I booked and missed out but not angry as I understand how the system works and San only use it as best I can to get the best deal. I would certainly never believe anyone not even the CEO if they guaranteed to me a long way out from a cruise that prices will not drop.

Like others said and I will repeat If you don't like what happens in the UK book with a USA agent

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Forums mobile app

[suekay]

[quote name='NorbertsNiece']I've got a cruise on Rhapsody booked this year for next through a US TA no problem at all. No US address. And I can view the .com site using Tunnelbear.....[/QUOTE]

Me too.....US ta and Tunnelbear:).

[novicetraveller]

We, in the UK, also have ABTA protection as well. I don't agree that RCCL should take our deposit because of their mistake, but the reason why, in some cases, our holiday packages are less competitive than others is because of the Consumer Law and ABTA protection.

Travel Agents, in the UK, are required by law to have a buffer saved up to prevent them, the best they can, from going bankrupt. ABTA acts as an insurance policy so that if the Travel Agent, Airline, Cruise Line, etc. goes out of business, ABTA will be obligated to get you home again. I don't know if this is the case with the folks in the US.