Great Cruise, Poor Customer Service

[c@nadian]

My wife and I just got back from our first cruise last week for our honeymoon. We did the southbound Alaska/Vancouver cruise on Radiance of the Seas.

 

The food, drinks, service, and boat were spectacular! The weather sucked, and we still had a great time and can't wait to do it again. We did have two issues related to the business and customer service side of things, and I'm curious if anyone else has experienced similar.

 

We had "honeymoon celebration - *date*" on our itinerary. From what I've read since, this meant a bottle of wine or flowers or something along those lines would show up in our room one night. That's cool, and everyone likes free stuff of course! We didn't know what it meant while we were on the boat, so two days after the date mentioned, we asked at the customer service desk, the agent looked up our file and then told us "oh, that's a surprise, I can't tell you".

 

On the last night of the cruise, we asked again at the customer service desk, and were told they had no record of anything. I showed them a printout of our itinerary, and they told us that we had received it already, which we had not. We weren't expecting anything, but it's a disappointment to be told there's a surprise, and then not have anything happen.

 

Next is the issue of charging us in CAD or USD. I made a photocopy of the form before I gave it to them at the boarding port, and have since made sure I selected to be charged in USD. When I looked at the statement mid-cruise, I saw they were charging me a ridiculous exchange rate and charging CAD. I asked customer service to change it, and the first person told me they couldn't do it. I went back later, and have a receipt from them changing it to USD.

 

A week after the cruise, the charges have settled on my credit card as CAD. The exchange rate was around $1.44, while the rate I would have gotten from my card is about $1.33 based on the other charges I had from the trip.

 

Are these normal experiences with this cruise line?

[BeachChik]

On any given cruise probably half are celebrating some type of special event. There is no way for them to give freebies to everyone. It is random on who receives anything IF they even give anything away.

[attitudeda]

First welcome to Cruise Critic, and Congrats.

Why would you expect a USD rate when you live in Vancouver.

Edited August 5, 2016 by attitudeda

[Clarea]

... Are these normal experiences with this cruise line?

Unfortunately, the billing thing is fairly common, so much so that it seems to be planned. Easy way for the cruise line to make a few more bucks.

 

I would contact port cruise support and try to get a refund: (800) 256-6649.

Edited August 5, 2016 by clarea

[spookwife]

they do NOT routinely offer ANY sort of freebie to anyone who's listed a celebration. not unless you order and pay for something ahead of time.

 

cannot offer any info on the exchange rate fiasco.

[constable145]

First welcome to Cruise Critic, and Congrats.

Why would you expect a USD rate when you live in Vancouver.

Often it is cheaper for our banks to do the exchange than it is for RCI. My credit card has a lower exchange rate.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

[c@nadian]

First welcome to Cruise Critic, and Congrats.

Why would you expect a USD rate when you live in Vancouver.

 

Thank you! We can't wait for our second!!! Why else would they give me the option? Everything purchased on the cruise was in USD, and they asked which currency I wanted charged to my card. I wouldn't expect a store anywhere in the state to charge me CAD just because I am Canadian, I expect them to charge me the same as everyone else.

 

On any given cruise probably half are celebrating some type of special event. There is no way for them to give freebies to everyone. It is random on who receives anything IF they even give anything away.

 

That's understandable, until they say that we'd already received it. I have seen other mentions online of cake, wine, flowers, a party one night for honeymooners, etc.

 

they do NOT routinely offer ANY sort of freebie to anyone who's listed a celebration. not unless you order and pay for something ahead of time.

 

cannot offer any info on the exchange rate fiasco.

 

 

 

What does the honeymoon celebrade - *date* on the itinerary mean then? And why did they both tell us there would be a surprise, and then say we had already received it?

Edited August 5, 2016 by c@nadian

[c@nadian]

Unfortunately, the billing thing is fairly common, so much so that it seems to be planned. Easy way for the cruise line to make a few more bucks.

 

I would contact port cruise support and try to get a refund: (800) 256-6649.

 

It really does seem like it...I'm glad I kept copies of my paperwork!

Edited August 5, 2016 by c@nadian

[awestover89]

Thank you! We can't wait for our second!!! Why else would they give me the option? Everything purchased on the cruise was in USD, and they asked which currency I wanted charged to my card. I wouldn't expect a store anywhere in the state to charge me CAD just because I am Canadian, I expect them to charge me the same as everyone else.

 

That's understandable, until they say that we'd already received it. I have seen other mentions online of cake, wine, flowers, a party one night for honeymooners, etc.

 

What does the honeymoon celebrade - *date* on the itinerary mean then? And why did they both tell us there would be a surprise, and then say we had already received it?

 

When we put special celebrations the most we've gotten for free was a cupcake with a candle after dessert and our waiters wishing us a happy birthday/anniversary. The only time we've ever gotten anything more significant was when we purchased one of the celebration packages.

 

Is it possible you got something like a card for a free cheese plate or something with your paperwork one night and just didn't notice it? We got a card for a free movie rental once, just a little notecard, and almost didn't notice it at all. I've personally never heard of anybody getting free wine, cake, or flowers without purchasing a celebration package.

[Coralc]

That is really sad. But unless you had a travel agent that arranged something special for your honeymoon celebration that you didn't receive; the cruise line ignores that little celebration box and doesn't usually provide or take note of anything.

 

I would be ticked about the deceptive comments by guest services as well. I think they sometimes feel that if they can placate you, you will be off the ship before you have a chance to get their names or complain.

 

Annoyances. Glad that you enjoyed the cruise. Other Canadians say that they set up a cash account at check in, and then pay it off in cash or with a credit card at the end of the cruise to ensure that it is charged correctly. It seems to be a common *issue* by or with royal Caribbean.

[Merion_Mom]

My wife and I just got back from our first cruise last week for our honeymoon. We did the southbound Alaska/Vancouver cruise on Radiance of the Seas.

 

The food, drinks, service, and boat were spectacular! The weather sucked, and we still had a great time and can't wait to do it again. We did have two issues related to the business and customer service side of things, and I'm curious if anyone else has experienced similar.

 

We had "honeymoon celebration - *date*" on our itinerary. From what I've read since, this meant a bottle of wine or flowers or something along those lines would show up in our room one night. That's cool, and everyone likes free stuff of course! We didn't know what it meant while we were on the boat, so two days after the date mentioned, we asked at the customer service desk, the agent looked up our file and then told us "oh, that's a surprise, I can't tell you".

 

On the last night of the cruise, we asked again at the customer service desk, and were told they had no record of anything. I showed them a printout of our itinerary, and they told us that we had received it already, which we had not. We weren't expecting anything, but it's a disappointment to be told there's a surprise, and then not have anything happen.

 

Next is the issue of charging us in CAD or USD. I made a photocopy of the form before I gave it to them at the boarding port, and have since made sure I selected to be charged in USD. When I looked at the statement mid-cruise, I saw they were charging me a ridiculous exchange rate and charging CAD. I asked customer service to change it, and the first person told me they couldn't do it. I went back later, and have a receipt from them changing it to USD.

 

A week after the cruise, the charges have settled on my credit card as CAD. The exchange rate was around $1.44, while the rate I would have gotten from my card is about $1.33 based on the other charges I had from the trip.

 

Are these normal experiences with this cruise line?

 

Unfortunately, the Canadian dollar thing is not uncommon. There are several threads on here about it.

 

Let me try and figure out the "honeymoon" thing.

 

Did you change cabins at any time during the booking process, particularly as the cruise came closer? Sometimes things are delivered to your "old" cabin by mistake, and the people just keep it.

 

Any chance that this happened to you?

 

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1257366

 

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2298744

 

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2278001

Edited August 5, 2016 by Merion_Mom

[c@nadian]

When we put special celebrations the most we've gotten for free was a cupcake with a candle after dessert and our waiters wishing us a happy birthday/anniversary. The only time we've ever gotten anything more significant was when we purchased one of the celebration packages.

 

Is it possible you got something like a card for a free cheese plate or something with your paperwork one night and just didn't notice it? We got a card for a free movie rental once, just a little notecard, and almost didn't notice it at all. I've personally never heard of anybody getting free wine, cake, or flowers without purchasing a celebration package.

 

That's most likely it! I was mostly curious, didn't really care. The currency thing is more of a concern to me. :-) Thanks for the response!

[c@nadian]

Unfortunately, the Canadian dollar thing is not uncommon. There are several threads on here about it.

 

Let me try and figure out the "honeymoon" thing.

 

Did you change cabins at any time during the booking process, particularly as the cruise came closer? Sometimes things are delivered to your "old" cabin by mistake, and the people just keep it.

 

Any chance that this happened to you?

 

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1257366

 

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2298744

 

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2278001

 

I don't believe we changed cabins, but I'm guessing awestover89 had it right. :-)

 

I honestly don't know if we had paid for something extra, as we did not ask for anything, but our travel agent (family friend) must have done something while booking it for us.

 

As far as the currency, I don't understand why they'd keep changing back to CAD for us, hopefully it can be reversed by the folks on the phone in the morning.

Edited August 5, 2016 by c@nadian

[Langley Cruisers]

The exchange rate has plagued us a few times as well. On your next cruise, do what we do now: sometime during the cruise, go to Guest Relations and ask for them to print out a copy of your bill. At the bottom, it will state which currency it is being charged in. If it says anything other than USD, have them change it before you disembark the ship. It's easier to fix while you are still on board. :)

 

EDITED TO ADD: Sorry, I read your original post too fast. I see you did this and thought all was well. You should be able to dispute this; have you called your credit card issuer?

 

Also, sorry about your "freebie" letdown. I can fully understand that you thought there would be a little something, but as you now know, "ticking that box" means nothing. It's a part on the reservation I wish they would delete because it is misleading and means nothing.

Edited August 5, 2016 by Langley Cruisers

[umlaut]

1.5 years ago I ticked the box to be charged in USD, was still charged in SEK. Seems like RCI do that systematically.

Edited August 5, 2016 by umlaut
Language

[c@nadian]

Sorry, I read your original post too fast. I see you did this and thought all was well. You should be able to dispute this; have you called your credit card issuer?

 

I figure that I will give RC one chance over phone to correct it, and then I will dispute with my card issuer. I thought I would be ahead of the curve by checking mid cruise, but I guess not!

[c@nadian]

That is really sad. But unless you had a travel agent that arranged something special for your honeymoon celebration that you didn't receive; the cruise line ignores that little celebration box and doesn't usually provide or take note of anything.

 

I would be ticked about the deceptive comments by guest services as well. I think they sometimes feel that if they can placate you, you will be off the ship before you have a chance to get their names or complain.

 

Annoyances. Glad that you enjoyed the cruise. Other Canadians say that they set up a cash account at check in, and then pay it off in cash or with a credit card at the end of the cruise to ensure that it is charged correctly. It seems to be a common *issue* by or with royal Caribbean.

 

Like I mentioned to someone else, our travel agent ticked that box without letting us know, so I don't know the details of what was or wasn't set up. We still had our fun! :D

 

 

It was great! I had considered the cash account, but since we spent some time traveling before the cruise, I didn't want to take that much cash with us. Guess we know for next time!

[Merion_Mom]

Like I mentioned to someone else, our travel agent ticked that box without letting us know, so I don't know the details of what was or wasn't set up. We still had our fun! :D

 

 

It was great! I had considered the cash account, but since we spent some time traveling before the cruise, I didn't want to take that much cash with us. Guess we know for next time!

 

What Patty is suggesting is setting it up as a cash account but then taking your credit card to Guest Services on the last day to settle up your account with that.

 

I do it all the time now.

[tere247]

Maybe your surprise was supposed to be a cake like this delivered to you in the dining room?

 

 

They'll also sing Happy "whatever" to you.

[EBFURR]

A lot of our cruises have been over our anniversary. I think we have gotten a couple of small cakes in the MDR, but a TA might have done that or maybe our waiter scrounged it up after finding out. Some of those guys (and gals) really go out of the way for you. I never really questioned where it came from but we enjoyed it. Again, this has been irregular. However, I did just book a Majesty cruise for our anniversary this year and the RCI rep asked me about any celebrations. I told him and he offered a free bottle of wine. I said great and chose from a few options he gave. We will see if we get it or not, but it is not a big deal if we don't because we are not big wine drinkers anyway. It is the first time i recall being offered this though.

 

To the OP's point. It is a little disappointing to be told you are getting a surprise and then not seeing it. Possibly the "Surprise" that he "already got" was his Sea Pass bill. :)

Edited August 5, 2016 by EBFURR
typo

[NateUpNorth]

First welcome to Cruise Critic, and Congrats.

Why would you expect a USD rate when you live in Vancouver.

 

Because it's an option you're given when you book?

 

We booked a cruise in USD$ when it was at par, 18 months or so in advance. By the time it rolled around the exchange fluctuation alone was worth approx. 30% in our favour.

[MCC retired]

We had "honeymoon celebration - *date*" on our itinerary. From what I've read since, this meant a bottle of wine or flowers or something along those lines would show up in our room one night.

 

Wine , Flowers or something else would never had come from the cruise line.

As stated , 50% of the guests seem to be Celebrating something (a cruise is a popular way to celebrate anything).

 

However , OP's TA could have ordered a Gift for the Anniversary ? Just ask the TA ? TA can follow up if purchased and not delivered.

Edited August 5, 2016 by MCC retired

[Guest maddycat]

What Patty is suggesting is setting it up as a cash account but then taking your credit card to Guest Services on the last day to settle up your account with that.

 

I do it all the time now.

 

Would you please explain why you set up a cash account and then pay it off with a credit card. I can understand why someone from Canada would do that but not an American.

[ronandannette]

I understand the frustration of both these incidents, which basically boil down to "why imply you're doing something that you're not going to do".

 

The exchange rate issue is maddening because you have to specifically designate what currency you want to be charged in. They could very easily just default to the currency of your card, but instead they ASK you what you want and then fail to deliver. Chalking the discrepancy up to a simple mistake seems naïve given how regularly it happens.

 

As for the celebration thing, it's a head-scratcher why it's a required field when booking. :confused: What difference does it make? Why do they even care? I agree with many of the PP's that a special gesture for any given occasion is neither implicit or implied in any way by RCCL. I feel for the OP though, as a first-timer. There's so much subjective information available about people's individual experience, some lacking context and subtext. It's pretty easy to develop unreasonable expectations from reading all of it.

Edited August 5, 2016 by ronandannette

[Merion_Mom]

Would you please explain why you set up a cash account and then pay it off with a credit card. I can understand why someone from Canada would do that but not an American.

 

Because up to this point, I have been able to withdraw OBC in the casino without a fee. That is something that you can do with a cash account that you cannot with a credit card account.

 

You get the money from the casino cashier in the form of a voucher for the slot machines. Stick it in, play a round or two, cash it out.

 

Voilá! Cash!