Rhapsody Rough Seas

[BermudaBound2014]

So happy for you ruthieg- good karma :)

[kernow]

Glad that you have finally got rebooked. Hope you have a great cruise this time.

 

Keep us updated on any news from the UK office.

 

Julie

[RuthieG]

Our email has now been passed to a "Royal One Touch Executive" whatever that means?

 

We are also doing battle with our travel agent, as our refund has still not arrived. "Credit card refunds can take time to process" he said. a) I asked for a cheque and b) they don't take 3 weeks! (RC's came though 2-3 days after processing

 

Woke up today very excited though, flights and cattery were booked last night and we just have to pick a hotel in venice!

[RuthieG]

Just off the phone with Royal Caribbean. Not a happy bunny

 

Re the difficulty in using the Future Cruise Voucher, I was basically told "Well, we have the discretion to make exceptions, which we have done. These are standard terms and conditions".

 

On the discrepancy over the compensation for those disembarked vs those who stayed on board, he said he thought that we all received very generous compensation. He said that "the people who stayed on board weren't in the cabins they booked, and were anxious about what had happened", ie. we all had equal amounts of disruption.

 

I ended up terminating the call as it was obvious that we were getting nowhere and I was getting upset.

 

Wish I hadn't even booked the replacement cruise now. Add this to the fact that STILL haven't received our refund from our travel agent, and I am ready to explode with delayed rage and frustration!

 

And breathe!

Edited June 9, 2016 by RuthieG

[internetwhiz]

Just off the phone with Royal Caribbean. Not a happy bunny

 

Re the difficulty in using the Future Cruise Voucher, I was basically told "Well, we have the discretion to make exceptions, which we have done. These are standard terms and conditions".

 

On the discrepancy over the compensation for those disembarked vs those who stayed on board, he said he thought that we all received very generous compensation. He said that "the people who stayed on board weren't in the cabins they booked, and were anxious about what had happened", ie. we all had equal amounts of disruption.

 

I ended up terminating the call as it was obvious that we were getting nowhere and I was getting upset.

 

Wish I hadn't even booked the replacement cruise now. Add this to the fact that STILL haven't received our refund from our travel agent, and I am ready to explode with delayed rage and frustration!

 

And breathe!

 

 

 

Time to write: mbayley@rccl.com

 

Include the conversation from today. I hope you asked the person's name. It's utterly ridiculous. At least the others' cruises were not terminated involuntarily on Day 2.

[RuthieG]

The person I spoke to was someone who deal with emails sent to the executive office, so I am guessing my complaint higher up would just end up back on the same desk.

 

Think I need to take a few days to decide what I hope to achieve by pushing this. At the moment it is giving me heartburn!

[tazza_0712]

The person I spoke to was someone who deal with emails sent to the executive office, so I am guessing my complaint higher up would just end up back on the same desk.

 

Think I need to take a few days to decide what I hope to achieve by pushing this. At the moment it is giving me heartburn!

 

 

 

I've been reading this thread since the beginning and I just want to say, hang in there. Try not to let some fool behind a desk make you upset. You guys have been through a lot.

 

I feel like you have a couple of options. One is to persist with the chain of command and push for what you want. The other is to accept the result as it is, and let it go.

 

I can't tell you which I would pick, although having been through similar situations in my dealings with companies, I often find the ultimate result is further frustration and I never get that time I spent frustrated back at the end.

 

If you're ultimately even 80% satisfied with the compensation you received, maybe you should just let it be and close this chapter for your own wellbeing. Some dimwit working for a company isn't going to be anywhere near as invested in it as you are.

 

Just a few words of support. I hope it all works out whatever you choose to do.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[CptSticky]

Just off the phone with Royal Caribbean. Not a happy bunny

 

Re the difficulty in using the Future Cruise Voucher, I was basically told "Well, we have the discretion to make exceptions, which we have done. These are standard terms and conditions".

 

On the discrepancy over the compensation for those disembarked vs those who stayed on board, he said he thought that we all received very generous compensation. He said that "the people who stayed on board weren't in the cabins they booked, and were anxious about what had happened", ie. we all had equal amounts of disruption.

 

I ended up terminating the call as it was obvious that we were getting nowhere and I was getting upset.

 

Wish I hadn't even booked the replacement cruise now. Add this to the fact that STILL haven't received our refund from our travel agent, and I am ready to explode with delayed rage and frustration!

 

And breathe!

Don't mean to sound "preachy" but do you recall the parable about the vineyard owner who hired various workers at various times during the day and then paid them all the same wage? I guess what I'm trying to say is that you should only worry about if you got an acceptable offer and not what others got. Otherwise you will never be happy and that's way to high a price to pay for their error. Hope you don't take this the wrong way. Not trying to criticize only trying to help end your pain and get you a good resolution so that you can move on.

[MindyJohn]

 

Think I need to take a few days to decide what I hope to achieve by pushing this. At the moment it is giving me heartburn!

 

I think you're wise to pause and think about what would make you feel "whole". If you identify something, by all means compose your thoughts and send them off to Mr. Bayley, including your specific request for the additional gesture or compensation you're requesting from them. Perhaps it's some OBC, or an upgrade or whatever. OTOH you may be very fatigued of it all and want it over. You've definitely taken the high road so far and we all sympathize with you and wish you many happy vacations ahead. Good luck !!!

 

Sent from my XT1064 using Tapatalk

[internetwhiz]

The person I spoke to was someone who deal with emails sent to the executive office, so I am guessing my complaint higher up would just end up back on the same desk.

 

Think I need to take a few days to decide what I hope to achieve by pushing this. At the moment it is giving me heartburn!

 

 

 

You are insightful to ponder this awhile. If what you sent went to the executive level, are you willing to continue thinking about this.

 

I'm not trivializing what happened, I have nothing but empathy for you. In our family, mainly due the ongoing, critical illness of a grandchild the past eight years, we do our best to turn loose of the small things. For us, compared to a life and death situation with Mallory, most things, while aggravating and worrisome, aren't tragic.

 

I hope whatever you decide, it gives you peace, and that your next cruise is all that you hope.

Edited June 10, 2016 by internetwhiz

[RuthieG]

You are all so wise and sensible!

 

By allowing us to use our Future Cruise Certificate at full value, Royal Caribbean were able to redeem themselves somewhat in using their discretion to solve an issue.

 

I think that we are going to stick with our thought, which we have had from the start, that those who stayed on the ship were perhaps over-compensated, whilst we got the right amount. Then we can move on, and start looking forward to our next cruise which is now only 108 days away!

 

We have so much to be thankful for at the moment. We are off to Lisbon this evening to celebrate my husband's 40th birthday, the first time we have gone back to a cruise port for a holiday!

 

Thank you all

[CptSticky]

You are all so wise and sensible!

 

By allowing us to use our Future Cruise Certificate at full value, Royal Caribbean were able to redeem themselves somewhat in using their discretion to solve an issue.

 

I think that we are going to stick with our thought, which we have had from the start, that those who stayed on the ship were perhaps over-compensated, whilst we got the right amount. Then we can move on, and start looking forward to our next cruise which is now only 108 days away!

 

We have so much to be thankful for at the moment. We are off to Lisbon this evening to celebrate my husband's 40th birthday, the first time we have gone back to a cruise port for a holiday!

 

Thank you all

Good for you. It's what makes you happy that counts and not what some corporation does that matters. Hope all your future cruisers are great. Every once in a while we have a less than good experience cruising. So, hopefully, you have already had yours and now will experience nothing but great.

[RuthieG]

Now to keep going with our other battle... to get our refund from our TA! 4 weeks is a long time to wait when it is a months pay we are due back....

[CptSticky]

Now to keep going with our other battle... to get our refund from our TA! 4 weeks is a long time to wait when it is a months pay we are due back....

Don't now you rules over there. Over here, I would file a claim with the credit card company.

[RuthieG]

Don't now you rules over there. Over here, I would file a claim with the credit card company.

 

According to Amex, the company has 30 days to apply a refund, so come Monday we will be getting them involved.

 

The original response from my TA was "we will just keep hold of it for you for when you book your next cruise". Eh, no!

 

Having checked the paperwork when I booked the cruise, they state that refunds will take "up to 6 weeks" to process. And they will deduct £50 as an Admin charge. *sigh*

Edited June 10, 2016 by RuthieG

[pk_crusing]

oh my, I have just found this thread. What an experience for all the involved passengers.

RuthieG you guys have been amazing in your dealing with the whole incident, I look forward to hearing that you have also received your refund.

[insidecabin]

According to Amex, the company has 30 days to apply a refund, so come Monday we will be getting them involved.

 

The original response from my TA was "we will just keep hold of it for you for when you book your next cruise". Eh, no!

 

Having checked the paperwork when I booked the cruise, they state that refunds will take "up to 6 weeks" to process. And they will deduct £50 as an Admin charge. *sigh*

 

Complain to ABTA they are in breach of the code of conduct.

 

Client Refunds

Code 6H Members shall apply for and forward to clients any applicable refund without delay.

The Code of Conduct Committee would normally regard a period of 10 days to dispatch a refund as being

acceptable, unless there are good reasons why this can't be achieved. If the refund will be dispatched in the next

monthly reconciliation, that will be fine. It shouldn't take more than 30 days to send out a refund.

[MindyJohn]

 

We have so much to be thankful for at the moment. We are off to Lisbon this evening to celebrate my husband's 40th birthday, the first time we have gone back to a cruise port for a holiday!

 

Thank you all

 

Cheers to Lisbon and your husband's 40th!!! I don't know if this is a repeat visit for you, but we had our first visit there in April just before Barcelona. If you're looking for touring ideas, John has a post in his blog (link in signature) with lots of pix of what we did - we enjoyed it very much! Scroll down about 8 posts. Best wishes for a great holiday!!!

[johnjen]

...explaining a pressure point had been created when the bow and stern of the ship were temporarily supported between two swells with the middle of the ship momentarily out of the water. Five cabins on deck 3 had windows burst at the pressure point.

 

Engineering-wise, that's enough to cause some concern about hull safety.

[CptSticky]

According to Amex, the company has 30 days to apply a refund, so come Monday we will be getting them involved.

 

The original response from my TA was "we will just keep hold of it for you for when you book your next cruise". Eh, no!

 

Having checked the paperwork when I booked the cruise, they state that refunds will take "up to 6 weeks" to process. And they will deduct £50 as an Admin charge. *sigh*

I'm thinking it may also be time for a new TA. My TA does not charge me anything ever. He uses my card to pay Royal and any refunds from Royal come directly back to my card. Not only doesn't he charge me anything, he even rebates part of his commission from Royal back to me. As you may have noticed, not all TA's are created equal.

[RuthieG]

British TAs tend to work a bit differently I think. He won't be getting any more business from us anyway .. . For some reason RC sent them a cheque for our refund

[CptSticky]

British TAs tend to work a bit differently I think. He won't be getting any more business from us anyway .. . For some reason RC sent them a cheque for our refund

Maybe they had paid RC by check.

[insidecabin]

British TAs tend to work a bit differently I think. He won't be getting any more business from us anyway .. . For some reason RC sent them a cheque for our refund

 

Cruise Lines have optimised getting money not giving it back

 

TA should not be taking anything off you from the refund, they should claim off RCI for any of their extra costs, complain to RCI as well.

 

Also name and shame, not really possible here, but plenty of other places that are UK based.

[RuthieG]

Monday is 30 days, so will be firing out emails to TA, Amex and RCI. Originally the TA told me that they basically had an account with RCI that was settled each month, not convinced that is true!

[RuthieG]

Good news, most of our refund money was received today, directly in to our bank account.

 

Bad news, we are £50 short, so it does seem that the TA has deducted an admin charge. We are fuming! Stroppy email sent.