Brilliance - November 30, 2015 Has Disappeared?

[orville99]

Vision is doing a 10 day southern Caribbean that departs Tampa on the same day. If time is not an issue, I'd hold out for that one as an alternative.

[yogimax]

Let's stay in touch with each other on this thread to make sure we get the best offers possible. I was looking at a five night cruise on Independence that coincides with this one, but it departs out of Fort Lauderdale.

[ready4sunshine]

I've bee looking at the Independence and oasis. Oasis leaves out on Nov 28.

[yogimax]

Dear Valued Guest,

 

Please be advised that the following Royal Caribbean Brilliance of the Seas sailing has been chartered. As a result of the changes, all guests who are currently booked on the sailing will need to be moved or cancelled. This memo addresses compensation for guests booked on the impacted sailing.

 

Guests currently booked with names and money in house on Brilliance of the Seas November 30, 2015:

 

Re-book on the select sailings below, in like accommodations, at the protected/lowest available cruise fare or any other Royal Caribbean sailing at prevailing rate. Price protection is limited to the cruise fare only. Taxes, fees, gratuities and other non-cruise fare items are subject to prevailing rates regardless of the sailing chosen.

 

Select Brilliance of the Seas Sailings

November 21, 2015

December 5, 2015

December 14, 2015

 

Receive $100 onboard credit per standard stateroom, $200 onboard credit for suites when you rebook any Royal Caribbean sailing.

 

Guests who incur a fee due to the change in their airline reservations will be reimbursed up to $150 per person, for Domestic Flights & $200 per person, for International Flights. A faxed copy of air fees accessed must be provided for reimbursement. Guests who cancel their sailing or air are not eligible for air change fee reimbursement.

 

A full refund for amounts paid will be processed to the original form of payment if guests choose to cancel; however, they will not receive any of the above compensation, including air change fee reimbursement.

 

A special help desk has been established to assist you with moving your sailing. The desk is available now, and will remain open until March 6, 2015. All reservations that are not changed by the specified close date will be cancelled and ineligible for the compensation offered.

 

For Individual Reservations: 1-888-281-9344 ext. 28546

 

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Royal Caribbean International®

 

 

So, it looks like the price protection will be limited to these sailings. Or am I wrong?

[yogimax]

In thinking about it, $100 OBC doesn't seem much for the inconvenience.

[racerxspeedy]

Thank for the update -I received the same email.

 

Not sure what to do now -- other than call and request other options that fit the original schedule. I'm sure I won't be the only one considering cancelling if I only have $100 to upgrade to a different cruise. I personally was hoping to travel while we are off work after Thanksgiving.

 

"Wow" is not the word that comes to mind........

[yogimax]

Thank for the update -I received the same email.

 

Not sure what to do now -- other than call and request other options that fit the original schedule. I'm sure I won't be the only one considering cancelling if I only have $100 to upgrade to a different cruise. I personally was hoping to travel while we are off work after Thanksgiving.

 

"Wow" is not the word that comes to mind........

 

I booked this because I have meetings starting in Orlando on the Saturday we were to return to Tampa. The three choices they give are pretty lame and if they would be willing to switch me to the Independence cruise with the same dates, I would then have to drive from Fort Lauderdale to Orlando. As I said, $100 doesn't seem like much compensation.

[Nabalab]

Thanks for posting this info. The online TA (that I booked with) hasn't contacted me, so I will give them a call in a few days if I don't hear from them sooner.

 

Not sure what we are going to do yet.

[Montgolfiere1980]

Hi everyone - first time poster :)

 

Though, the reason I am posting is because I too was booked on this cruise :(

 

I took a look at the e-mail, and to be honest I am pretty annoyed for a few reasons. First, their offer of $150 to cover a change fee for a domestic flight does not even cover the whole fee for certain airlines right now. I am booked on Delta and theirs is $200. Second, I was booked in what I believe to be the only studio cabin on this ship, which is not available on the 11/21 sailing. So I would need to upgrade to a different cabin which will cost approximately $350 more. Honestly I am so annoyed with them I just may cancel altogether.

 

Also - As a word of caution, note that the 11/21 sailing does not go to Grand Cayman. It's ports of call are Cozumel and Costa Maya.

[Nabalab]

Hi everyone - first time poster :)

 

Also - As a word of caution, note that the 11/21 sailing does not go to Grand Cayman. It's ports of call are Cozumel and Costa Maya.

 

Thanks! And the 12/5 sailing goes to Cozumel and Key West...

[charv831]

We were also booked on this cruise with three friends. I called the regular RCI number tonight and got no help at all. At the end of my conversation with a supervisor, she told me to have a nice cruise! I suggested she NOT say that to someone who has just been bumped off a ship.

I looked at the Fucillo"buy a Kia, get a cruise" website and no amount of money in the world would get me on that cruise.

The cruise before it has ports we're not interested in and will be full of kids. Ones after are too close to Christmas. We specifically booked this cruise because we need 5 nights to reach Diamond level in the Crown and Anchor Society. We may start looking for a new cruise line instead.

[racerxspeedy]

We were also booked on this cruise with three friends. I called the regular RCI number tonight and got no help at all. At the end of my conversation with a supervisor, she told me to have a nice cruise! I suggested she NOT say that to someone who has just been bumped off a ship.

I looked at the Fucillo"buy a Kia, get a cruise" website and no amount of money in the world would get me on that cruise.

The cruise before it has ports we're not interested in and will be full of kids. Ones after are too close to Christmas. We specifically booked this cruise because we need 5 nights to reach Diamond level in the Crown and Anchor Society. We may start looking for a new cruise line instead.

 

I feel your pain. Let me know if you have any better luck calling the "help desk". I doubt you will get much help... but you never know.

[kc320]

The $100 is the same compensation we got last year when bumped off the Brilliance...we did have a couple more cruise choices though, only have 3 is not good at all...I'd try calling the special desk, but maybe on a Monday when there may be someone available that can make a change...good luck...been here, done this & feel your pain!

[ready4sunshine]

So let me get this straight. They are going to give us $100 obc if we choose one of those dates? What happens if we already had a $200 obc? Will that make it $300? And what happens if I can't pick one of those dates and decide to go on a different boat at the same time frame?

[Folk Singer]

It happened to that sailing last year as well

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2058867

 

Interesting.

[charv831]

Hi Everyone,

Do you think it would help if we emailed the director of guest relations? I asked for the CEO's contact info last night and they refused to give it to me. But I have the Director of Guest Relations email. Her name is Aurora Yera-Rodriquez. Email is directorguestrelations@rccl.com. That is my next email.

Edited February 22, 2015 by charv831

[kc320]

So let me get this straight. They are going to give us $100 obc if we choose one of those dates? What happens if we already had a $200 obc? Will that make it $300? And what happens if I can't pick one of those dates and decide to go on a different boat at the same time frame?

 

They will give you the $100 regardless of what date you eventually book...so yes...your OBC total should be $300 check your paper work closely when you make the change to be sure everything carries over properly...if the dates given do not work for you you will pay the current rate of the new cruise you book...you MAY be able to call & get them to work a deal on date that better suits you...but no garauntee...

[orville99]

They will give you the $100 regardless of what date you eventually book...so yes...your OBC total should be $300 check your paper work closely when you make the change to be sure everything carries over properly...if the dates given do not work for you you will pay the current rate of the new cruise you book...you MAY be able to call & get them to work a deal on date that better suits you...but no garauntee...

 

Of course the current rates for other cruises around the same time have probably increased substantially because of the incessant BOGO sales, so negotiation will be key to getting a decent rate.

[Ourusualbeach]

Hi Everyone,

Do you think it would help if we emailed the director of guest relations? I asked for the CEO's contact info last night and they refused to give it to me. But I have the Director of Guest Relations email. Her name is Aurora Yera-Rodriquez. Email is directorguestrelations@rccl.com. That is my next email.

 

Don't expect a lot of help. This is the standard offer that they make every time a cruise gets chartered. Ours for Oasis in 2016 was chartered as well. One person on our sailing who was D+ had the RS booked and they played games with taking cabins out of inventory so he could not get the price protection on that sailing.

[racerxspeedy]

Hello -

 

Just spent an hour on the phone with the "help" desk. It will now cost me a significant upcharge to sail on a different cruise on or around Nov 30. Two options - 1) cancel..... or 2) rebook on a different date for Brilliance.

 

After some research on cruise and flight costs I gave up and accepted the Dec 5 itinerary. Not ideal in any way, but here the difference:

 

Negatives

1) Messes up my vacation schedule at work

2) Key West (11:30 to 5:30), instead of Grand Cayman (10:00 to 6:00)

3) Lose the room I really wanted (9256)

4) No traditional dining times available - My time only (must prepay gratuity)

 

Positives

1) $100 OBC

2) $10 less port charges (no tenders required) and 1 hr longer in Cozumel

3) Found flights for less ($60)

4) Still on vacation away from cold MI weather!

 

Oh well.... I hope this works out for everyone. Best wishes

[knittinggirl]

We had the same thing happen on Rhapsody Honolulu to Vancouver for spring of 2015. It took them about a month to send us word, then they gave us 2 weeks to change to another cruise. Also, that two weeks included Thanksgiving weekend. So we really didn't have ten business days to make the change. We had booked the Rhapsody cruise right after it appeared at Royalcaribbean.com, and got a really good price. Not so with the one we switched to. They did compensate us $400 OBC for booking a Suite.

 

I think we were offered two itineraries which we didn't care for.

Edited February 23, 2015 by knittinggirl

[Folk Singer]

They will give you the $100 regardless of what date you eventually book...so yes...your OBC total should be $300 check your paper work closely when you make the change to be sure everything carries over properly...if the dates given do not work for you you will pay the current rate of the new cruise you book...you MAY be able to call & get them to work a deal on date that better suits you...but no garauntee...

 

true.

[yogimax]

Anyone else contact RCCL today?

[Nabalab]

Officially got the e-mail this morning from my TA.

 

Bummed we weren't able to choose any of the alternate sailings; ended up transferring the booking to a 4-nighter to Cozumel on Navigator.

[yogimax]

Bummer! No flexibility on the price protection. You have choose one of the three dates... one over Thanksgiving and the other two during the Christmas season. Meanwhile, prices have risen.

 

We wound up transferring to Enchantment leaving the same date. In essence, all we got was a $100 onboard credit.