Cabin Switch

[terri23]

Hi all,

 

checking my reservation through the RCI website, I see that I have been moved from an aft JS to a side JS on my 2007 cruise. Since I had waited and watched for that sailing to go on sale so I could book an aft cabin, I'm not too happy about the change!! Of course I dread calling CS (when it opens) and having them tell me "sorry, can't do anything". Can someone tell me what the customer service addresses are so I can send a letter (I did a quick search and didn't find them, and have limited internet access right now)? I have to express my displeasure somehow. Any recommendations on how I might get my aft cabin back??

 

Please don't tell me they can switch my cabin, change the ports of call, empty my wallet, take my in-cabin beverages, etc. because it's all in the contract. I know all that and choose to cruise anyway ;)

[CaptData]

Do you have a TA. Have them fight for your Origanl Cabin. If you picked it out and do not want it changed then tell your TA that when you book. No one should have moved you unless you had a GTY only.

[terri23]

Oops, I forgot to say I booked directly with RCI. I figure it will be an uphill battle.

[cincicruisers]

Do they do this often? I know that with a gty they can move your cabin around, but with a selected cabin arent they supposed to notify you if they want to change cabins?

[mimikens]

I have had better luck dealing directly with RCI. I have never heard of this happening until recently. If you are Crown & Anchor, call the desk. A letter is not going to do anything. You have to get on the phone with them. Truthfully, if you want an aft cabin, don't settle for anything less. If they can't accomodate you, then cancel and go to another cruise line. I am a big fan of RCI, but the truth is, if you treat your guests callously and irresponsibly (which they are), then you don't deserve the guests' loyalty. But first, I would call and call again if you have to. I have called C&A 5 times to get the response I wanted.

[terri23]

I hadn't though of C&A - thanks. After reading the "mandatory downgrade" thread I thought I was lucky not to have experienced that!! Then lo and behold, I find I've gotten a similar treatment. Let's hope RCI realizes soon that doing right by their customers is GOOD for the bottom line.

[rubrrick]

C&A relations is a good place to start. Work your way up the ladder if necessary to the supervisior of "Guest Relations". That department has the ultimate responsibility for cabin placement. Why you would be moved, when you booked a particular cabin, directly with RCI, needs a better explanation. Give them your best shot!!

 

Rick

[Alexis]

Crown and Anchor is open today at 1-888-437-1953.

If you are not a Crown and Anchor member, call 1-866-562-7625

Let us know how you make out.;)

[terri23]

Thanks for the advice....if only I had a C&A organization chart!! ;) Hopefully with a little luck and a lot of persistence I will find the right person to help me.

[terri23]

Well, the C&A explanation makes sense but is still a bit of a bummer. Empress is going in for drydock in late 06, and the aft JS's are going to be "downgraded" to D1's. They moved me to keep me in a JS category. The aft D1's are not available for booking right now, either.

 

Anyway, she was understanding but couldn't really do anything to help. Guess our "first aft" will have to wait a few more years... it's kind of a bummer to know people will book much later than I did will have a crack at the aft D1's...but OTOH the JS will be nice, too. :D

 

Thanks again for the suggestions and happy cruising.

[RichardK]

You say your booking was directly with RCL. However, I can't see where you booked a particular cabin or a QTY cabin??

[terri23]

Yes I booked a specific cabin. You'd think they would have known about the drydock plan before offering the cabins for sale in May, wouldn't you??? The real kicker is that we could have booked an aft on Jewel had we known we wouldn't get the one on Empress. Of course, the ones on Jewel are now long gone...oh well!! still can't wait to cruise, aft or not.

[RichardK]

Man, that stinks...........sorry!!

[holomuku]

I booked the Enchantment early 05 for September. She went into drydock sometime in the spring 05-- which I knew was going to happen.

 

when I first spoke with RCCL and had booked directly with them what was then an aft cabin they told me the cabin #'s were not going to change after drydock. That made little sense to me since they were adding 60 something cabins. I continued to pursue the topic (via C & A folks) and finally found a PWB (person with brain) who was able to find the deck plans for after refurbishment and I was able to keep an aft cabin -- but new cabin #.

 

even their website was wrong- for many months it showed the same deck plans for before and after drydock even though it showed "look here for these dates" and "look here for these other dates" (supposedly post dry dock) they were the same exact deck plans. Seemed crazy to me they weren't able to show the new deck plans much earlier- they certainly must have had them available somewhere.

 

Morale of the story is-- if you know a ship is going into drydock/refurbishment and you want a particular cabin loctation- be persistent in finding out what the new deck plans are. Glad we did!

[logan1_2000]

First, I must confess my bias that I am not a fan of the Empress. It was my first cruise,one of the pools, or was it one of the hot tubs if there is only one pool, was out of order the entire cruise...and then my next cruise a year later on DCL was full of "Wow" factor.

 

But that was pre-renovation for Empress, they have added more bells and whistles since then, and it sounds like this drydock includes an effort to make sure that a JS is a JS, and not something perhaps smaller on certain ships. I'm going on my own first AFT stateroom in January, to find out what all the fuss is about.

 

But it sounds like the person you did speak to appreciated the concept that you are losing out on something you booked early to get. There was something more in the aft stateroom--the larger verandah, yes?--that you paid for and now are not getting. Is it too much for them to apologize with a bottle of champagne in your stateroom? I got an "apology" bottle of champagne from DCL when they missed the note on my ressie--directly with the cruise line on that trip--that said to mail everything to my office address because the cruise was a surprise, and then they mailed a confirm to my house.

[mimikens]

Why aren't the afts available for booking? Can you be waitlistd for it? I don't understand this. If a cabin exists, why can't you reserve it? Is it not available because it is booked already?

[terri23]

LOL "pain in the aft".

 

I have to admit I can't believe they can't accomodate someone who just wanted to book an aft cabin nearly two years in advance. Surely they can make some sort of reservation based on the post-drydock configuration??? Holomuku, sounds like your persistence in a similar situation paid off. How do I find that C&A PWB???

 

Bottom line, yes, we went to extra effort to get the big aft deck (some spell that differently ;)) and it looks like we won't get it. That's disappointing and shows a lack of coordination on the part of RCI. I hate to say the "c" word in this forum ("compensation"), but logan1, I can't help but agree w/ you. I figure I should get a coupon for a free future cruise!! j/k!!!!!!!! :D

[terri23]

good question, mimikens. that's the part that sounds a little funny to me, too. C&A said they'd make a "notation on my reservation" that I'm interested in the afts when they become available....to be realistic, that doesn't sound very helpful.