Beware RCCL

[johnjen]

22 hours ago, SRF said:

Obviously you did not read your terms and conditions.

 

1) You booked a non-refundable fare.  Any change of ship OR sailing date will cause you to loose $100 per person of the deposit. Clearly stated.

 

2) Any OBC from a deal, such as booking on board, it subject to lose from changing the booking.  Again, clearly stated.

 

NOT RCCL fault that you did not do YOUR homework.

Is that really necessary? NO.

[Teacher42]

News update for everyone. Our savvy TA has informed us that the $200 change fee is being immediately charged to our credit card and our NON-REFUNDABLE deposit is now $700.  Did you all read or were told of this at time of booking? Did you find this in BOLD type in the terms and conditions page?

[Ocean Boy]

3 hours ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

The problem is (in this case, others on CC and other websites, and IRL) people want to blame others for their mistakes.   The OP says to "beware" and that RCI "screwed" them.  But that's not really the case.  Let me rewrite the OP...

 

"We were on Allure this summer and had a wonderful time.  While we were on board, we booked a future cruise on Symphony and got a booking bonus of $100 OBC.  We had to change the dates of our sailing, and since we had booked a GS, the deposit was not refundable.  We had to pay a $100pp change fee AND lost the OBC.   That sucks, but is the hazard of booking a non-refundable deposit.  Make sure you pay attention to what you're booking so you don't make the same mistake we did."

 

 

At least the OP stated that they had a wonderful cruise on Allure. Usually when people post anything at all negative about RCI there is always the obligatory post... "but did you like anything about your cruise"....

[KatWoman92]

2 hours ago, Teacher42 said:

News update for everyone. Our savvy TA has informed us that the $200 change fee is being immediately charged to our credit card and our NON-REFUNDABLE deposit is now $700.  Did you all read or were told of this at time of booking? Did you find this in BOLD type in the terms and conditions page?

 

I am sending good thoughts your way, Teacher42.  Hope the cruise turns about to be your best one so far.

[HBE4]

On 1/1/2019 at 2:02 PM, ONECRUISER said:

I don't care for rudeness either but half the people on this page are very experienced cruisers, knowledgeable and give accurate info.

 

100% agree but will add:

 

I'll  always value the advice on an experienced, knowledgeable, expert cruiser who can give a straight judgement free answer over that of an experienced, knowledgeable, expert cruiser who is rude, condescending and feeling the need to lecture someone on how stupid they are.

 

These forums seem to transition from  seeking/supplying helpful knowledge to full contact blood sport at a moments notice.

[Teacher42]

Dear Nel, Our savvy TA told us that when we except the $574 price reduction on the cabin, we would lose the $100 OBC bonus anyway. We wonder if everyone was told this would happen at time of booking as well? We imagine that if they had to make their presentation too long, they would have to wake us both up with a final statement, " Do you understand the terms and conditions I have outlined for you?" Half asleep, we would nod, "Then sign here."  Followed by   " Who's next?"

[HBE4]

4 hours ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

The problem is (in this case, others on CC and other websites, and IRL) people want to blame others for their mistakes.   The OP says to "beware" and that RCI "screwed" them.  But that's not really the case.  Let me rewrite the OP...

 

"We were on Allure this summer and had a wonderful time.  While we were on board, we booked a future cruise on Symphony and got a booking bonus of $100 OBC.  We had to change the dates of our sailing, and since we had booked a GS, the deposit was not refundable.  We had to pay a $100pp change fee AND lost the OBC.   That sucks, but is the hazard of booking a non-refundable deposit.  Make sure you pay attention to what you're booking so you don't make the same mistake we did."

 

 

 

True. The tone of the OP set the tone for the replies. Unfortunate since there is some valuable information in the OP that can serve the casual cruiser that might not be aware of the ins-and-outs of the process that many take for granted.

 

 Still, you'd think by now many of the CC regulars should be able to see past the "tone" when giving their advice and write something like this....

 

"It's unfortunate that the booking agent did not explain the terms and conditions in a clear and understandable manner.  When booking a non-refundable fare, any change of ship OR sailing date will cause you to lose $100 per person of the deposit. Any OBC from a deal, such as booking on board, it subject to lose from changing the booking and subject to any other promotions at the time the change is taking place.

 

Let this be an expensive reminder to all that we all need to do our homework when booking or making changes to our sailing"

 

 

[Teacher42]

Dear Steel, Please do not be disheartened at our treatment on these CC boards. There are enough of you understanding folks out there to make it all worthwhile. "Tis nobler in the mind to suffer slings and arrows...than take  (up) arms against a sea of trouble" Shakespeare

[HBE4]

4 hours ago, Teacher42 said:

Dear HB,. We are both at the point in our lives that we do not remember what we both ate for dinner last night. But we did check and did receive a price reduction from the time of booking, June or July, to December of $574 on the Grand Suite cabin, which softens the bite we got of $300 change fee and loss OBC bonus. We consider ourselves lucky in this regard. But what about the thousands of passengers like us that will fall victim to these cruise line practices. First they entice you with a low deposit,when you sit down and spend the time to go through dates, itinerary, placement of cabins, then availability of the cabin you pick out,  followed by price of cabin, then 'sticker shock' at the price of the cabin, you look at each other and say " but we are having such a good time, let's go for it!" After saying yes so many times, how can you start to say "no"? "Oh,but sir the deposit is $500 for this category, etc,etc..."

 

 

Absolutely! The Next Cruise desk is designed to entice passengers to book while experiencing their euphoric high. I understand that when a lot of information is given in a short amount of time, some of it can be lost or not processed right away. Personally, that's why I'll never go to the Next Cruise. I prefer to do my own research for hours on end from the comfort of my home.  Otherwise, I'd probably spend 3 full days at the Next Cruise desk researching all the options 😨

 

 

4 hours ago, Teacher42 said:

Booking a cabin on board RCCL is not as passenger friendly as their sister organization Celebrity. Perhaps that is why we are being so attacked on this thread by all the travel agents . We are being 'locked' into the 'sale' . They love it !  These TAs become 'defense  lawyers' for their beloved RCCL. Passengers have to realize booking a cabin on board some cruise lines is like buying a car with the tactics they are now employing.  Thank you for all you consideration.

 

There are a few loyal-to-royal cheerleaders. Saying something negative about their favorite cruise line is akin to attacking their mother.  I tend to gloss over their posts.

 

Considering that Celebrity is owned by Royal, I wonder why their booking process is not the same passenger friendly process? I've never sailed on Celebrity.

 

 

 

[Teacher42]

Dear Kat, We have no 'beef' against the cruise or the treatment on board the RCCL line. It is one of our favorites for 40 years, and was reason we did not hesitate booking another Grand Suite. We never had occasion before to alter a date and felt that everything being said to us at the time was 'ya-da, ya-da, ya-da. We just feel that everyone should be aware of all the booking loses that could occur if you do this or accept that.  Thank you for your kind support.

 

[KatWoman92]

17 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

 

True. The tone of the OP set the tone for the replies. Unfortunate since there is some valuable information in the OP that can serve the casual cruiser that might not be aware of the ins-and-outs of the process that many take for granted.

 

 Still, you'd think by now many of the CC regulars should be able to see past the "tone" when giving their advice and write something like this....

 

"It's unfortunate that the booking agent did not explain the terms and conditions in a clear and understandable manner.  When booking a non-refundable fare, any change of ship OR sailing date will cause you to lose $100 per person of the deposit. Any OBC from a deal, such as booking on board, it subject to lose from changing the booking and subject to any other promotions at the time the change is taking place.

 

Let this be an expensive reminder to all that we all need to do our homework when booking or making changes to our sailing"

 

 

The tone of the OP?  This is the original post:

 

"Had wonderful time aboard Allure this summer. Booked on board the Symphony and got a booking bonus of $100 OBC.  We just changed the date of our Symphony sailing, same cabin and RCCL charged us $100 /pp change fee and took away our $100 OBC bonus.  Please be aware !  A $300 penalty!"

 

At the risk of beating an already (very) dead horse, what about the "tone" of that post could possibly be offensive to anyone?

 

 

[KatWoman92]

2 minutes ago, Teacher42 said:

Dear Kat, We have no 'beef' against the cruise or the treatment on board the RCCL line. It is one of our favorites for 40 years, and was reason we did not hesitate booking another Grand Suite. We never had occasion before to alter a date and felt that everything being said to us at the time was 'ya-da, ya-da, ya-da. We just feel that everyone should be aware of all the booking loses that could occur if you do this or accept that.  Thank you for your kind support.

 

 

That's exactly how I read your post, Teach.  You were just passing along a frustrating experience in the hopes of helping others avoid it if possible.   Thanks again & Happy New Year to you!!

[HBE4]

26 minutes ago, KatWoman92 said:

At the risk of beating an already (very) dead horse, what about the "tone" of that post could possibly be offensive to anyone?

 

 

 

IDK, I wasn't offended in anyway. I recognized it as a post that someone was not happy and wanted to vent & pass along their experience and helpful information.

 

I'm guessing the word "Beware" in the title led some to believe that Royal was being accused of doing something under-handed and/or illegal. Hence the less than sympathetic posts.

Edited January 2, 2019 by HBE4

[ONECRUISER]

1 hour ago, HBE4 said:

 

100% agree but will add:

 

I'll  always value the advice on an experienced, knowledgeable, expert cruiser who can give a straight judgement free answer over that of an experienced, knowledgeable, expert cruiser who is rude, condescending and feeling the need to lecture someone on how stupid they are.

 

These forums seem to transition from  seeking/supplying helpful knowledge to full contact blood sport at a moments notice.

Well said. Unfortunately get good with the bad on most online sites, Cruise Critic is no different. Been on here myself for 21+ yrs since Xmas 1997. There is more accurate info available on here but the negative postings are actually about same as 10yrs ago. Moderators are more on top of the really bad stuff then on other sites...

Edited January 2, 2019 by ONECRUISER

[Ocean Boy]

7 minutes ago, HBE4 said:

 

IDK, I wasn't offended in anyway. I recognized it as a post that someone was not happy and wanted to vent & pass along their experience and helpful information.

 

I'm guess the word "Beware" in the title led some to believe that Royal was being accessed of doing something under-handed and/or illegal. Hence the less than sympathetic post.

Maybe "Take note" would have been less feather ruffling than "beware"? You never know what is going to pull someone's trigger around here.😉

[S.A.M.J.R.]

4 hours ago, KatWoman92 said:

At the risk of beating an already (very) dead horse, what about the "tone" of that post could possibly be offensive to anyone?

It wasn't that bad.  The follow up posts (from the OP) in my opinion were blaming RCI for their policies.  There was absolutely NOTHING in there that said "yea, we messed up".  I've seen frustration at the situation, frustration at RCI, and frustration at CC posters (who correctly point out, the OP agreed to the non-refundable deposit).

 

Were some of the responses rude?  Yea, maybe.  But I don't think things got really bad until OP came back (three times in five minutes) wondering where all the "defenders" had gone.    

[Teacher42]

Gentlemen and Gentlewomen of the jury, we rest our case.

[mugtech]

"The large print giveth and the small print taketh away"

Tom Waits:  Step Right Up.

[SRF]

19 hours ago, oddly excitered said:

I have been really trying to find something to book on board our February sailing on anthem but it doesn't seem like there are any real benefits in doing so. I feel like $100 obc is not sufficient compensation and most all TAs offer better!

 

You can book on board, then transfer the booking to your TA.

 

That gets you the $100 OBC for booking on board, PLUS your TA OBC.

[SRF]

17 hours ago, Teacher42 said:

News update for everyone. Our savvy TA has informed us that the $200 change fee is being immediately charged to our credit card and our NON-REFUNDABLE deposit is now $700.  Did you all read or were told of this at time of booking? Did you find this in BOLD type in the terms and conditions page?

 

Only $100 is lost.  The remainder is given as a Future Cruise Credit.

 

So while you do not get a refund of any of your $700 deposit, not all of it is lost if you change.

[papaflamingo]

Well.... seems this is running it's course (yea!).  So my question...all of you who say Royal Caribbean is always trying to trick or cheat you out of  your money... bait and switch (ok other threads), not explain the "fine print" purposely, high pressure you into buying something you don't want, etc. why...oh WHY to you take this horrible abuse?  Why not just show Royal Caribbean you won't stand for it and cruise another line?  

I'm not cheerleading for Royal. In fact we just did a cruise on another line and Royal can't hold a candle to it.  But I get tired of the attitude that if I fail to inform myself of the "ins and outs" of a financial decision it's somehow someone else's fault.  OP, your original post may not have been all that accusatory, but your title clearly was.  Your follow on posts, though, were sarcastic and challenging to people who simply explained, for the benefit of those who don't know, that these are the rules and have been for many years.  And explained how important, as you found out, it is to ask questions and familiarize yourself with these rules.  No one was trying to trick anyone.  It's reasonable that a Future Cruise Consultant expect you know the rate rules or will ask for them.  As for the "thousands of people" who fall into this "trap?"  Nope... if there were "thousands," this board would blow up with complaints.  In fact, most people know the rules or seek them out. If you are booking a cruise that you think you might cancel or change, why the heck wouldn't the question "what happens if I change or cancel the cruise?" be one of your FIRST questions?  So, sorry you learned the lesson.  Thanks for bringing your lesson to our attention.  And sorry if this insults you, it's not intended to, but you are looking for people to support your blame of some "devious business practice" by Royal Caribbean rather than simply admitting that YOU messed up.  
 

Edited January 3, 2019 by papaflamingo

[Biker19]

22 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

The OP posted some info that may be of benefit to help others to not fall into the same trap. Yup, they missed out on some important info when making the booking. Maybe their posting will be of help to someone.

Right, but this exact posting/issue could pop every month (and has) and the posts will be the same - at what point after the initial policy change/announcement is this no longer news?

[KatWoman92]

1 minute ago, Biker19 said:

Right, but this exact posting/issue could pop every month (and has) and the posts will be the same - at what point after the initial policy change/announcement is this no longer news?

Was useful information for a relatively new cruiser like myself and probably to others, as well.  More experienced cruisers who already know every exception/pitfall, can just simply move on to the next thread, perhaps?  Problem solved!  

[MKESail]

17 hours ago, HBE4 said:

Absolutely! The Next Cruise desk is designed to entice passengers to book while experiencing their euphoric high. I understand that when a lot of information is given in a short amount of time, some of it can be lost or not processed right away. Personally, that's why I'll never go to the Next Cruise. I prefer to do my own research for hours on end from the comfort of my home.  Otherwise, I'd probably spend 3 full days at the Next Cruise desk researching all the options 😨

Sooo with you on this! 👍I try to avoid the Next Cruise, don't want to make those decisions while being in cruise mode. 

[wytygr8]

On 1/2/2019 at 6:39 AM, papaflamingo said:

Teacher42, I think that you are a bit "touchy."  You are acting like everyone attacked you.  Yet if you read posts 2, 3, and 5, there's nothing "snarky" at all in them, yet you answer in a very sarcastic way in posts 6, 11, and 12. You might want to not be outraged by comments if you are going to go after very reasonable explanations for your situation in a sarcastic way.  

 

 

On the other hand, post 4 wasn’t just snarky but hostile, and that’s going to contribute to the overall tone of the thread. People seldom process posts in isolation.