Canaries cruise rip off. Anthem of the Seas

[snitch]

Dear Sir

In August 2014 I booked , for myself&4 family members, a R.C. canaries cruise departing September 2015, total cost approx £8.5K, paying a non refundable deposit of £750.I now find that R.C. are now selling all 2015 sailings booked by end of January on an all inclusive basis which they inform me does not apply to us as we have already booked, this I find an appalling treatment of customers. To add insult to injury R.C. bring to my notice in the small print on reverse of booking Form that for those who have not prepaid gratuities, £12 per person per day will be added to their bill & staff will know on last day of cruise those persons who have not paid same, this is financial blackmail. Is there any way that this disparate booking system can be rectified ?

[Kartgv]

Not sure why your deposit would be non-refundable this far out, unless this is a UK thing. We've never booked a cruise with a non-refundable deposit - I just wouldn't do it for many reasons.

 

As far as the gratuities go, that's very common now. We were just on a Princess cruise and they do the same thing. You also don't mention how the price for the 'all-inclusive' cruise compares to what you are paying for the exact same cabin category. Is it higher or lower? If it's higher, then you don't have anything to complain about. If it's lower, prices drop frequently on cruises on ALL cruise lines. Sometimes you can get an onboard credit or an upgrade for the price difference, sometimes not. It's just a fact of cruising, not a 'ripoff'.

Edited November 26, 2014 by Kartgv

[snitch]

Not sure why your deposit would be non-refundable this far out, unless this is a UK thing. We've never booked a cruise with a non-refundable deposit - I just wouldn't do it for many reasons.

 

As far as the gratuities go, that's very common now. We were just on a Princess cruise and they do the same thing. You also don't mention how the price for the 'all-inclusive' cruise compares to what you are paying for the exact same cabin category. Is it higher or lower? If it's higher, then you don't have anything to complain about. If it's lower, prices drop frequently on cruises on ALL cruise lines. Sometimes you can get an onboard credit or an upgrade for the price difference, sometimes not. It's just a fact of cruising, not a 'ripoff'.

 

The price is exactly the same with or without the All inclusive package, plus the saving on gratuities alone would have been Approx $700 & yes in Uk deposit is non refundable or I would obviously cancelled & rebooked.

[snitch]

Not sure why your deposit would be non-refundable this far out, unless this is a UK thing. We've never booked a cruise with a non-refundable deposit - I just wouldn't do it for many reasons.

 

As far as the gratuities go, that's very common now. We were just on a Princess cruise and they do the same thing. You also don't mention how the price for the 'all-inclusive' cruise compares to what you are paying for the exact same cabin category. Is it higher or lower? If it's higher, then you don't have anything to complain about. If it's lower, prices drop frequently on cruises on ALL cruise lines. Sometimes you can get an onboard credit or an upgrade for the price difference, sometimes not. It's just a fact of cruising, not a 'ripoff'.

 

The price is exactly the same with or without the All inclusive package, plus the saving on gratuities alone would have been Approx $700 & yes in Uk deposit is non refundable or I would obviously cancelled & rebooked.

Some cruise lines , P&O for example now automatically include previous bookings into all new promotions.

[reedprincess]

Not sure why your deposit would be non-refundable this far out, unless this is a UK thing. We've never booked a cruise with a non-refundable deposit - I just wouldn't do it for many reasons.

 

As far as the gratuities go, that's very common now. We were just on a Princess cruise and they do the same thing. You also don't mention how the price for the 'all-inclusive' cruise compares to what you are paying for the exact same cabin category. Is it higher or lower? If it's higher, then you don't have anything to complain about. If it's lower, prices drop frequently on cruises on ALL cruise lines. Sometimes you can get an onboard credit or an upgrade for the price difference, sometimes not. It's just a fact of cruising, not a 'ripoff'.

It's not just a UK thing, it's an entire rest of the world thing with deposits. Only in US and Canada is a deposit refundable. (unless there is a special being offered in a specific could.Try) Also, only in US and Canada can you get price drops before final payment. All of us on all the rest of the world have non-refundable deposits, and no option of price drops. We pay whatever the price is at the time, and that's it. If we have to change or cancel, no refund of deposit. Enjoy your US/Canada perks. Maybe some day cruise lines will make the rules the same across the board.

Edited November 26, 2014 by reedprincess

[onlyonetrevorfrancis]

This is the second time RCI have introduced the "all inclusive" offer (it isn't all inclusive but that's another story) for cruises in 2015.

 

Our Anthem cruise which we booked outside of these offers like yourself went up in price instantly both times the offer was announced. It may be something to check.

[wowprincess]

It's not just a UK thing, it's an entire rest of the world thing with deposits. Only in US and Canada is a deposit refundable. (unless there is a special being offered in a specific could.Try) Also, only in US and Canada can you get price drops before final payment. All of us on all the rest of the world have non-refundable deposits, and no option of price drops. We pay whatever the price is at the time, and that's it. If we have to change or cancel, no refund of deposit. Enjoy your US/Canada perks. Maybe some day cruise lines will make the rules the same across the board.

 

I would imagine this isn't based on what the cruise line would like to be able to do, but about the laws in each country. I'm sure if the cruise line could get away with non-refundable deposits in the US and Canada, they certainly would do it. I'm just guessing, but I would imagine there are some consumer protection laws in place in these 2 countries that the rest of the World doesn't enjoy for one reason or another.

 

Again, this is just my guess.

[setsail]

That's terrible, they add 12.00 a day in tips to your account. WOW, who knew, shame on them. Demand a refund. I bet they do that for the little children also, bummer

Edited November 26, 2014 by setsail

[Havingfun2010]

I'm not sure what you mean by all inclusive but all sailings include everything you need, except alcoholic drinks. Food and entertainment is included for everyone. Prices do change, and they always seem to work with you prior the final deposit date. As far as the tips are concerned, that is an industry standard. You can consider it a tip, or a service charge but it is an industry standard.

[reedprincess]

I would imagine this isn't based on what the cruise line would like to be able to do, but about the laws in each country. I'm sure if the cruise line could get away with non-refundable deposits in the US and Canada, they certainly would do it. I'm just guessing, but I would imagine there are some consumer protection laws in place in these 2 countries that the rest of the World doesn't enjoy for one reason or another.

 

Again, this is just my guess.

Yes, it is most definitely just a guess as I can guarantee you there are no consumer protection laws in my country, or various other Caribbean nations, as several of our island countries are working on those as we speak, and trying to decide whether it should be region wide or individual country protections. While the UK does have excellent consumer protection laws, those most definitely do not exist in all 200+ other countries in the world, while RCI and other cruise line policies about both non-refundable deposits and no price drop policies do exist across the globe, except US and Canada. Most likely has much more to do with historical cruising practices, seeing as US been the major market for some time, and has had the majority of ships leaving from there and pricing structures developed to entice customers due to competition, etc. For the rest of the world, the cruise line's attitudes are much more "Take It or Leave It", as evidenced by the original poster's situation.

[lisiamc]

Dear Sir

In August 2014 I booked , for myself&4 family members, a R.C. canaries cruise departing September 2015, total cost approx £8.5K, paying a non refundable deposit of £750.I now find that R.C. are now selling all 2015 sailings booked by end of January on an all inclusive basis which they inform me does not apply to us as we have already booked, this I find an appalling treatment of customers. To add insult to injury R.C. bring to my notice in the small print on reverse of booking Form that for those who have not prepaid gratuities, £12 per person per day will be added to their bill & staff will know on last day of cruise those persons who have not paid same, this is financial blackmail. Is there any way that this disparate booking system can be rectified ?

 

I think the best approach is just to make sure I'm happy with the price when I buy something. When I fly somewhere, I know that the person sitting next to me could have paid half as much for their ticket as I did for mine, or twice as much. The person in the hotel room next door could have paid the rack rate, or found the bargain of the century. As long as I'm happy with the price at the time I book, that's the best I can really hope for.

 

And I know that if I buy something, and find out later that the price has gone way up, I certainly won't insist on paying more. So why should I feel entitled to pay less if the price goes down after I've bought mine?

[dani negreanu]

As far as I checked, the ALL inclusive doesn't apply to Quantum & Anthem :mad:

[peteukmcr]

Dear Sir

In August 2014 I booked , for myself&4 family members, a R.C. canaries cruise departing September 2015, total cost approx £8.5K, paying a non refundable deposit of £750.I now find that R.C. are now selling all 2015 sailings booked by end of January on an all inclusive basis which they inform me does not apply to us as we have already booked, this I find an appalling treatment of customers. To add insult to injury R.C. bring to my notice in the small print on reverse of booking Form that for those who have not prepaid gratuities, £12 per person per day will be added to their bill & staff will know on last day of cruise those persons who have not paid same, this is financial blackmail. Is there any way that this disparate booking system can be rectified ?

It's $12 (~ £7.60) per person per day, not £12 unless you're in a suite then it's $14.25 per person per day. If you booked direct with RCI it will have been clearly shown during the booking process.

 

As for special deals, these often happen but I will challenge you to find the cabins you've booked at the price you paid during the 'promotion', they will be costing a lot more I wager.

Edited November 26, 2014 by peteukmcr

[Wilda]

Op, sorry for your issue, UK rules are different from US...

 

That's terrible, they add 12.00 a day in tips to your account. WOW, who knew, shame on them. Demand a refund. I bet they do that for the little children also, bummer

 

Since the OP only has 3 posts I am going to assume they may be unaware of prepaid gratuities.

[Merion_Mom]

Dear Sir

In August 2014 I booked , for myself&4 family members, a R.C. canaries cruise departing September 2015, total cost approx £8.5K, paying a non refundable deposit of £750.I now find that R.C. are now selling all 2015 sailings booked by end of January on an all inclusive basis which they inform me does not apply to us as we have already booked, this I find an appalling treatment of customers. To add insult to injury R.C. bring to my notice in the small print on reverse of booking Form that for those who have not prepaid gratuities, £12 per person per day will be added to their bill & staff will know on last day of cruise those persons who have not paid same, this is financial blackmail. Is there any way that this disparate booking system can be rectified ?

 

Yes, gratuities are automatically added to your onboard SeaPass account. Since you were surely planning on tipping your staff, I am certain that you are not actually upset by this.

 

Unfortunately, YOU are correct and poster dani is not. The Anthem is NOT excluded from the offer. It certainly is frustrating to find that someone else has gotten a better deal than you have. Have you compared the cost of losing your deposit vs the value of the "package"?

 

 

 

:)

Edited November 26, 2014 by Merion_Mom

[orville99]

Yes, it is most definitely just a guess as I can guarantee you there are no consumer protection laws in my country, or various other Caribbean nations, as several of our island countries are working on those as we speak, and trying to decide whether it should be region wide or individual country protections. While the UK does have excellent consumer protection laws, those most definitely do not exist in all 200+ other countries in the world, while RCI and other cruise line policies about both non-refundable deposits and no price drop policies do exist across the globe, except US and Canada. Most likely has much more to do with historical cruising practices, seeing as US been the major market for some time, and has had the majority of ships leaving from there and pricing structures developed to entice customers due to competition, etc. For the rest of the world, the cruise line's attitudes are much more "Take It or Leave It", as evidenced by the original poster's situation.

 

Statistically, 87% of cruise passengers come from either the US (60.2%) or Europe (27%). European countries have very rigorous consumer protection laws - apparently to their detriment in this case. The industry simply caters to its major revenue stream. The next largest segment is Asia with 6.7%. The rest of the world makes up just over 6% of the total market.

Edited November 26, 2014 by orville99

[Big_G]

It's a holiday sail on the UK site and the OP's cruise is included in the "All Inclusive" offer.

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.co.uk/cruise-deals/#allinclusive/itineraries

 

...and I'll add that it pretty much sucks if you're the OP.

Edited November 26, 2014 by Big_G

[katiel53]

That's terrible, they add 12.00 a day in tips to your account. WOW, who knew, shame on them. Demand a refund. I bet they do that for the little children also, bummer

 

You really are kidding, right? Royal Caribbean's gratuity policy is $12 a day and is billed in advance if one has My Time Dining or with Dynamic Dining. Kids eat, sleep etc. just as adults do. If the gratuities are not paid in advance, they are billed once onboard.

 

I am writing this explanation just in the strange possibility you weren't kidding.

[Merion_Mom]

Terms & Conditions: (From the RC UK website)

 

1. The All Inclusive (Select Drinks Package, Soda Package & Gratuities) promotion is applicable to new bookings created & confirmed from Sat 01st November 2014 to Sat 31st January 2015 (OF & BK status) meeting the below criteria. Existing bookings will not receive the promotion benefits.

 

2. The All Inclusive (Select Drinks Package, Soda Package & Gratuities) promotion is applicable to bookings made in all stateroom categories, excluding Z, Y, X, XN & W GTYs, for all sailings on the following product, within the given date ranges.

Sailings from the UK on Anthem, Explorer & Brilliance of the Seas, with a duration of 3 Nights & above: 22-April 2015 - 24-October 2015

Sailings from Europe on Allure, Rhapsody, Splendour, Serenade & Vision of the Seas, with a duration of 3 Night & above: 26-April 2015 - 21-November 2015

Sailings from Alaska, Asia, Australia, Canada, Dubai, Hawaii, Panama, South America, South Pacific, Transatlantic & Repositional itineraries on Allure, Anthem, Brilliance, Explorer, Grandeur, Jewel, Liberty, Legend, Mariner, Quantum, Radiance, Rhapsody, Splendour, Serenade, Vision & Voyager of the Seas, with a duration of 6 Nights & above: 01-January 2015 - 31-December 2015

China sailing are not applicable.

 

3. The minimum drinking age for all alcoholic beverages on Royal Caribbean ships sailing from North America & Canada is 21 yrs.

The minimum drinking age for all alcoholic beverages on Royal Caribbean ships sailing from Europe, South America, Asia & Australia is 18 yrs.

The Select Drinks Package promotion will only be applied to guests who meet the minimum required drinking age.

The Soda Package will be applied to all guests under the minimum drinking age.

A guests age is established upon embarkation (beginning of the cruise) and the relevant package will be applied accordingly.

 

4. Passenger date of birth information must be provided at the time of booking before the drinks package can be applied. This is a legal requirement and we reserve the right to withdraw the package if guests do not meet the qualifying criteria. Please drink responsibly.

 

5. If the All Inclusive (Select Drinks Package, Soda Package & Gratuities) promotion is applicable to a sailing, the promotion eligibility will be visible on the reservations system at the time of booking. The drinks packages and gratuity savings will be applied within 1-2 weeks of booking.

 

6. The All Inclusive (Select Drinks Package, Soda Package & Gratuities) promotion is not combinable with Crown & Anchor Discounts / Travel Agent Rates / Interline Rates / Net Tour Op Rates / Gross Tour Op Rates / Friends & Family / Interline (unless otherwise stated) or any form of Non Revenue price programs such as, but not limited to Seminars at Sea, Perishable Inventory & Complimentary prize winner staterooms.

 

7. The All Inclusive (Select Drinks Package, Soda Package & Gratuities) promotion is combinable with the benefits offered by booking onboard via our Future Cruise Consultants (Reserved or Open Bookings) and Future Cruise Certificates only.

 

8. The All Inclusive (Select Drinks Package, Soda Package & Gratuities) promotion is not combinable with any other offer unless stated otherwise.

The Select Drinks Package, Soda Package includes Beer, Wines by the glass (up to $8 value), Non-Alcoholic cocktails (includes frozen non-alcoholic drinks), Fountain Soda with souvenir cup. Room Service & minibar are not included.

 

9. The Soda Package includes unlimited Fountain Soda with souvenir cup. Stateroom soda/water set ups, room service, bottled water, juices or sodas sold in bottles or cans are not included.

 

10. Drinks packages are non transferrable and guests must comply with the ships terms & conditions of use.

 

11. The All Inclusive (Select Drinks Package, Soda Package & Gratuities) promotion is combinable with Groups benefits such as GAP & Tour conductor benefits if named between 01st November 2014 & 31st January 2015 at prevailing rate.

 

12. Guests who want to upgrade from the Select package to the Premium or Ultimate package can do so onboard, there will be an additional charge for this upgrade applied to the onboard account.

 

13. The All Inclusive (Select Drinks Package, Soda Package & Gratuities) promotion is applicable to UK agents & consumers in the UK & the Republic of Ireland (I.e. applicable to GBP & EUR).

 

14. Bookings that are created within the stated campaign period but that subsequently move to either a lower price program and/or non applicable ship & sailing date will not retain the All Inclusive (Select Drinks Package, Soda Package & Gratuities) promotion.

 

15. Please refer to the Royal Caribbean 2015/2016 first edition brochure for full details of the Drinks Packages and for full booking terms & conditions. The All Inclusive (Select Drinks Package, Soda Package & Gratuities) promotion is strictly subject to availability.

[Merion_Mom]

You really are kidding, right? Royal Caribbean's gratuity policy is $12 a day and is billed in advance if one has My Time Dining or with Dynamic Dining. Kids eat, sleep etc. just as adults do. If the gratuities are not paid in advance, they are billed once onboard.

 

I am writing this explanation just in the strange possibility you weren't kidding.

 

setsail was kidding, rolling eyes and being sarcastic all at the same time. I promise.

[Wilda]

It's a holiday sail on the UK site and the OP's cruise is included in the "All Inclusive" offer.

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.co.uk/cruise-deals/#allinclusive/itineraries

 

...and I'll add that it pretty much sucks if you're the OP.

 

Agree. Some of the responses just escape me...isn't this supposed to be the season of goodwill?

[orville99]

It's a holiday sail on the UK site and the OP's cruise is included in the "All Inclusive" offer.

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.co.uk/cruise-deals/#allinclusive/itineraries

 

...and I'll add that it pretty much sucks if you're the OP.

 

And those all inclusive deals are not available on the US booking site - I guess you give some to get some;)

[Wilda]

setsail was kidding, rolling eyes and being sarcastic all at the same time. I promise.

 

Sorry MM, but someone with only 3 posts on CC is probably not going to to pick up on that...and unless it was edited there were no icons to suggest the sarcasm. Assuming the OP is new to RCI/cruising..this is a tough and expensive lesson to learn. I believe that quoting rules and regulations will provide helpful information, but little comfort.

[Paulette3028]

I think the best approach is just to make sure I'm happy with the price when I buy something. When I fly somewhere, I know that the person sitting next to me could have paid half as much for their ticket as I did for mine, or twice as much. The person in the hotel room next door could have paid the rack rate, or found the bargain of the century. As long as I'm happy with the price at the time I book, that's the best I can really hope for.

 

And I know that if I buy something, and find out later that the price has gone way up, I certainly won't insist on paying more. So why should I feel entitled to pay less if the price goes down after I've bought mine?

 

How true....let's take a poll -- How many people booked a cruise and when the price went UP, called Royal to pay them more?

[Merion_Mom]

snitch states: September 2015 Canaries. There are two such cruises. Each is 13 nights.

 

In US dollars, the "all-inclusive package" is worth $40.25 per day for the select beverage package + $12 per day for the gratuities. That is $52.25 per day. For 13 nights, that is "worth" $680 per adult. At the current exchange rate (I am sure that RC uses a rate most favorable for RC :rolleyes:), that is £430.

 

snitch has put down £150 pp deposit.

 

Clearly, s/he would be way ahead by cancelling and rebooking under the new promotion.

 

UNLESS cabin prices have increased since s/he booked!

 

If so, then s/he has already come out ahead by booking early.

 

If not, snitch, then cancel and rebook.

 

See? I did the maths for you!

 

:)

 

P.S. If any of the 5 passengers is underage (18), and would be getting only the soda package, as per the terms & conditions reproduced above, then the calculation is much different. The soda package is only worth $5.17 a day. That makes it close to breaking even on the loss of deposit.

 

P.P.S. If I re-read the original post correctly, UK sailings/UK passengers are being charged £12 per day, not $12 per day, so the maths are even more in favor of cancelling and rebooking.

 

:D

Edited November 27, 2014 by Merion_Mom