Experiences With Onboard Booking Agents

[iuki]

I'll share a couple of our experiences with the cruise agents onboard RCCL ships.

I always check the RCCL brochures and the website before I cruise, so that I know which cruise I will book onboard. On one occasion, when requesting a cruise that goes to Key West, I was told that RCCL has NEVER had cruises going to Key West, despite my telling the agent that I have seen it in the RCCL brochure.

On another occasion, when booking a balcony onboard, we were Platinum at the time and told the agent that we would become Emerald on a future cruise. He said that all we had to do was contact RCCL after we become Emerald and they would apply the additional Emerald discount. I asked him at that time if they would have to rebook the cruise at the current rate or would they just make the additional $25 deduction per person and reduce the balance due. He said they would just apply the $25 deduction pp off the balance. Well, when we became Emerald, guess what? They would have to rebook the cruise at the current price, apply the Emerald discount, and we would lose our OBC that we received for booking onboard. We kept it as it was.

On our recent B2B cruise, we booked 3 cruises (2 with one agent; and 1 with another agent). One of the 2 cruises booked with one agent had to be changed twice. We asked for a handicap room because of my scooter. To make a long story short, the agent insisted that the room booked would accommodate my scooter. I kept telling her it's not the size of the room, but the size of the door. I finally convinced my husband to measure the door width of our room and that of a standard room. Our stateroom attendant told him that only a handicap room was wide enough (barely) to accommodate a scooter. After two different bookings, we finally booked, for the third time, a cruise with a handicap room. We also told her to put the booked cruises on my husband's RCCL credit card. Guess what? She booked both cruises on my AAA VISA and paid one of the cruises in FULL which was booked for March 2019!! In addition, she did not add the Vacation Protection Plan to the second part of the B2B cruise. The other agent booked the one cruise without any problems.

When we returned from our cruise, we received a "Welcome" email from our "assigned Vacation Planner." She and I worked very hard to undo all the errors from when we booked those 2 cruises onboard. In the future, when we book onboard, we will tell them to list the booking agent that we have been assigned by RCCL. Once booked, if there is a problem, we will contact our assigned agent when we return home.

[twincheryl]

Haha... I just booked onboard Explorer yesterday. Booked three solo balcony cabins for July 2018. All seemed to go smoothly and she had no questions for us as we proceeded. I did ask about applying our new discount after our next cruise when we become Diamond. Of course, she said just call and they will take care of that. We'll see how that plays out.

 

Surprised when I opened my email a bit later and find NINE emails... three for each cabin with differing totals. The last emails match the paper copies we received.

 

Totally agree to check carefully as you are booking and after you get paperwork.

 

Anyone have other experience with changing discount after booking?

 

 

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[Clarea]

... Anyone have other experience with changing discount after booking?

Yes, the onboard agent either didn't know the policy or lied about it. Changing a balcony discount now reprices the cruise.

[molly361]

Yes they will re-price your booking in order to give you the higher balcony discount

[EmiGirl826]

They lie. Told us that there wasn't anything below a superior ocean view balcony. Later found out at home there were interior and ocean view and inside balconies available. Wasn't pleased.

[mek]

It's been my experience that the onboard agents are basically order takers.

[mikebz]

I normally use a travel agent for cruises, but have booked on board. My booking gets placed with my travel agent which is a good thing as she fixes all the mistakes that were made on board.

[Merion_Mom]

Some of them are very good and do their jobs very well. I have almost overwhelmingly positive experiences with booking on board.

[iuki]

My husband was told by a supervisor in the C&A Dept, that eventually RCCL will not refund deposits on suites when people cancel their bookings. He was told that too many people who book suites cancel just before final payment and the cruise line has difficulty filling the suites causing them to lose money.

[twincheryl]

My husband was told by a supervisor in the C&A Dept, that eventually RCCL will not refund deposits on suites when people cancel their bookings. He was told that too many people who book suites cancel just before final payment and the cruise line has difficulty filling the suites causing them to lose money.

 

 

We were told yesterday that people were booking suites while onboard and using the onboard credit on their PRESENT cruise... then cancelling the suite... and there was no way for RCI to get theor money back... sounds kind of strange to me.

 

 

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[dd likes to cruise]

Not sure about the OBC part of it, but I've heard many people book the suites when they first open up, or a good sale, or low deposits on MULTIPLE ships, then slowly take their time deciding which they want to do and cancel the rest. So yes, the cruise lines then have to have a sale on them to get rid of them. Atleast one reason they are doing non refundable deposits on suites.

[reallyitsmema]

We are on allure and booked a cruise last night. It was the easiest booking I have ever done. Everything was done correctly the first time.

 

Not sure how the op had the wrong credit card charged since you have to give them the card they charge.

[John&LaLa]

We were told yesterday that people were booking suites while onboard and using the onboard credit on their PRESENT cruise... then cancelling the suite... and there was no way for RCI to get theor money back... sounds kind of strange to me.

 

 

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Doesn't the OBC equal the deposit?

 

If so, it doesn't really matter

 

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[John&LaLa]

 

Not sure how the op had the wrong credit card charged since you have to give them the card they charge.

 

Not necessarily. They use the one on file. You might want to use a different one.

 

 

 

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[Ashland]

If RCI would bring back the NCC with the older higher OBC some might not take up space booking cruises they had no intention of using...This is what happened to us onboard HOTS recently...the bookings weren't out yet for when we wanted to cruise...actually some still aren't.

[Tljcruiser]

We booked onboard Allure in 2016 for Oasis in 2017 first time booking onboard no issues whatsoever. Booked onboard Freedom in march this year for Alaska 2018 with multiple issues. My mother and I both applied for the rccl credit card to receive additional discounts. Mine was approved immediately while hers was denied which is laughable because she has credit score in the 800s and no debt to speak of. Shortly after we got home she received her approved credit card with her first name and my last name! When she called to get it corrected they told her she would have to submit her proof of a name change. It took multiple phone calls and an in person appearance at the bank to get the card issued in the correct name. A little scary to think they have your social and full name but still issue you a credit card with someone else's name on it :o

[Missusdubbya]

I have mostly good experiences booking onboard

 

 

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[SnorkelAway]

We have spoken with the on-board next cruise people many times and, as with all things, their abilities have varied. None of the ones we dealt with were terrible. A few were really excellent in their knowledge and ability to respond specifically to the things in which we had interest. I do not remember any mistakes being made in any bookings we made on-board. We always link on-board booking to our TA who can look it over, as well.

[Big_G]

Doesn't the OBC equal the deposit?

 

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We were looking to book Symphony on our last cruise and were told $500 deposit for a GS gets you $250 OBC. Not that it mattered because the price of the GS was too steep anyway. The more disappointing part was not mentioning nonrefundable deposit and change fees.

[Clarea]

We were looking to book Symphony on our last cruise and were told $500 deposit for a GS gets you $250 OBC. Not that it mattered because the price of the GS was too steep anyway. The more disappointing part was not mentioning nonrefundable deposit and change fees.

That makes sense because the suites have required a higher deposit, but I believe that is still a reduced deposit than if the suite was not booked onboard.