Royal Caribbean vs. Travel Agent -- Finger pointing.

[Carnival AZIPOD]

I have a reservation with for an upcoming sailing with RCI. Several weeks after I made final payment, someone allowed a change to my reservation which took me out of the stateroom I had selected and paid for in full. I was moved to another stateroom (abiet it being in the same category) to a lower-deck on another part of the ship, all without my consent let alone notice.

 

This is where the finger pointing begins.

 

Immediately after I found out about the unauthorized change, I reached out to my TA, someone whom I have always been happy with in the past and have never let me down. The TA said he called RCI and they told him that RCI needed the room for another reservation and had to relocate me. The TA claims he never authorized the change nor was he aware of this before my call.

 

I reached out to RCI's executive office. They assigned someone who responded to me in a timely manner. The person claims that RCI did in fact reach out to the TA, and the TA authorized the change. They also provided an individual name which happens to be the same name of my TA representative and provided a date in which this "authority" was supposely given by the TA.

 

Who's telling the truth here? Does anyone know RCI's process in making changes to a stateroom on a booking that's already fully paid? No one is accepting responsibility.

 

Note, there is no dispute that there was a change. The question here is who gave or took on the authority to change it without notifying me? RCI or the TA?

[JHawk63]

Any changes made to a reservation are documented in the "notes" advising who called in to make the changes.

[Aquahound]

If RCI was able to provide a name and date, it sounds like this might be on your TA.

[lbjen]

I'd call your TA's bluff and say RC is sending you a recording of the call.

[danv3]

Why would your TA have approved a change? Surely the default position for any TA would be "no" unless expressly authorized by the client.

 

I think this is on RCI. They wanted your stateroom and they took it. At the end of the day, they know there's not a whole lot you can do about it.

 

FTR, any documentation RCI has (i.e., notes) could easily be faked. Unless you see an e-mail from your TA or hear a recording, I wouldn't assume the TA has done wrong.

Edited June 9, 2017 by danv3

[Ashland]

Without a doubt...this is your TA's doing...not RCI's and apparently RCI has the documentation to prove it.

 

I would be extremely unhappy with a TA that did this to my chosen cabin location....and would expect compensation in some form from them.

[mmkern]

They know the name of your TA because it's on your reservation. They just pulled up your reservation, mentioned TA by name and gave the date of the change. I say it's RC.

 

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[Ashland]

They know the name of your TA because it's on your reservation. They just pulled up your reservation, mentioned TA by name and gave the date of the change. I say it's RC.

 

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Hmmm...So you think RCI is in the business of upsetting (alienating) a paid in full customer just to appease the needs of someone else and then some one in the executive office lied about it....interesting assumption :rolleyes:

[davekathy]

Without a doubt...this is your TA's doing...not RCI's and apparently RCI has the documentation to prove it.

 

I would be extremely unhappy with a TA that did this to my chosen cabin location....and would expect compensation in some form from them.

 

Agree. I would also be looking for another TA for all my future cruises or other vacations.

[quiltsnh]

I am a TA and know that overtime there is a change there is a log and all the notes are there. I also know that this does happen from time to time and they will send an email to the TA indicating the change after it has happened and it may be and upgrade or not.

[JHawk63]

ANY changes made on a reservation will have documentation stating WHO called in such as "TA Mary called to change staterooms" or "DG called to ask why stateroom was changed" & any extra details pertaining to the call if it isn't a routine call. Yes, the cruiseline has the TA's name, but they aren't going to just change a random room in the same category without consulting the TA on the booking....an upgrade, possibly, but not the same category. As for RCI faking notes, what would the point be? Documentation is key, especially in an industry where one might be speaking to many different people. I still conclude it's on the TA.

[woehwdy]

One option could have been you were in a room for 3 or more guests, as the room was need to accomodate the larger party.

 

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[mtsnd1900]

Your travel agent may be a home agent for a host agency. The host agency will have a name on file at RCCL (and other lines), that is a full time agent for the company, and the one that has a phone number on file with RCCL. RCCL may have called the host agency and talked to the "Bob on File" of the company and put it into the notes that they talked to the agent.

 

You called in to find out, talked to a different RCCL agent and that one looked in the notes and finds your TAs name and says that is who they talked to. Something like this may have happened (and if it doesn't make sense to you, i am sorry, maybe the way I am wording it doesn't make sense)... Someone else in this string of comments made mention that the TA name is on file with the reservation - this is 100% accurate... The person you talked to just saw that name and the comment of saying RCCL called the agent (at the agency your TA hosts with), talked to "an agent", and the one you talked to says, yup, we talked to YOUR agent...

 

Fine print states they can switch parties from rooms designed for 3/4/5 to a similar/higher cat room if they need to. Heck, I bet if you read thru it, it most likely says they can move anyone at any time for any reason. Hopefully they (or your agent) compensated you..

 

I wouldn't blame your agent - they are probably just as taken back as you are. Ask your agent to find any other rooms that are available in your category, or ask RCCL to bump you up a category (your agent can pull up the empty room inventory). They may be able to compensate you a bump up, especially if sailing soon.

 

Good luck.

[grapau27]

They know the name of your TA because it's on your reservation. They just pulled up your reservation, mentioned TA by name and gave the date of the change. I say it's RC.

 

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Where is democracy when people can walk all over you like this and show you no respect.

Scandalous IMO.

[grapau27]

One option could have been you were in a room for 3 or more guests, as the room was need to accomodate the larger party.

 

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Yes that sounds a possibility.

[grapau27]

Your travel agent may be a home agent for a host agency. The host agency will have a name on file at RCCL (and other lines), that is a full time agent for the company, and the one that has a phone number on file with RCCL. RCCL may have called the host agency and talked to the "Bob on File" of the company and put it into the notes that they talked to the agent.

 

You called in to find out, talked to a different RCCL agent and that one looked in the notes and finds your TAs name and says that is who they talked to. Something like this may have happened (and if it doesn't make sense to you, i am sorry, maybe the way I am wording it doesn't make sense)... Someone else in this string of comments made mention that the TA name is on file with the reservation - this is 100% accurate... The person you talked to just saw that name and the comment of saying RCCL called the agent (at the agency your TA hosts with), talked to "an agent", and the one you talked to says, yup, we talked to YOUR agent...

 

Fine print states they can switch parties from rooms designed for 3/4/5 to a similar/higher cat room if they need to. Heck, I bet if you read thru it, it most likely says they can move anyone at any time for any reason. Hopefully they (or your agent) compensated you..

 

I wouldn't blame your agent - they are probably just as taken back as you are. Ask your agent to find any other rooms that are available in your category, or ask RCCL to bump you up a category (your agent can pull up the empty room inventory). They may be able to compensate you a bump up, especially if sailing soon.

 

Good luck.

An upgrade is the minimum requirement for doing this plus some OBC for your inconvenience.

[Merion_Mom]

Where is democracy when people can walk all over you like this and show you no respect.

Scandalous IMO.

This has nothing to do with "democracy". What an odd comment.

[grapau27]

This has nothing to do with "democracy". What an odd comment.

Why? You are fully paid for the cabin you want then it is taken away without consulting​ you,this to me is not democratic more like we want your cabin and we are going to take it and tough.

Surely not right.

[Clarea]

Why? You are fully paid for the cabin you want then it is taken away without consulting​ you,this to me is not democratic more like we want your cabin and we are going to take it and tough.

Surely not right.

May be unfortunate, but the cruise contract gives the company broad powers over a booking.

[jimbo5544]

Without a doubt...this is your TA's doing...not RCI's and apparently RCI has the documentation to prove it.

 

 

 

I would be extremely unhappy with a TA that did this to my chosen cabin location....and would expect compensation in some form from them.

 

 

 

Lol, love posts like this. Without a doubt you have nowhere enlightened information to make a claim like this. Just to make it complete, comp should be involved? Maybe free cruises for life?

 

 

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[grapau27]

May be unfortunate, but the cruise contract gives the company broad powers over a booking.

True but they should contact the customer and explain why they want their cabin and offer an agreeable compromise.

[sweet angel]

The OP says the move was same category. While it stinks, I don't believe compensation is warranted.

[NateUpNorth]

Is Royal a member of the "all calls recorded for quality assurance purposes" crowd?

 

If so, tell em you want the call to the TA pulled to see who authorized the change.

If they give you the run around, safe to assume it was Royal making the change.

 

I worked at a place with the "quality assurance" tag line. If I needed to pull a call it was a simple search function.

 

Shouldn't be too difficult for a company with Royal's I.T expertise. *sarcasm font*

[grapau27]

The OP says the move was same category. While it stinks, I don't believe compensation is warranted.

If the other cabin in same category was available why did RC not use that one instead of taking Ops?

[Aquahound]

No one here can say with certainty who is to blame. I'm sure none of us will ever know the answer. However, if party A can give a name and date and party B can't, it certainly does favor party A.

 

If the other cabin in same category was available why did RC not use that one instead of taking Ops?

 

Again, we will never know. But woehwdy probably had the best suggestion....it might have to do with occupancy.