RC May Hawaii cruise last minute changes by RC

[pattyg01]

I spoke with an rep from RCI on Saturday and I got the same info as most everyone else. SHe told me that Royal was very shocked with the last minute request from the Coast Guard. I asked her if they didn't realize that the ship would have to be inspected when it got to the US and she said yes, they did but they didn't know the exact DAY that it would be required. I said that Royal certainly knew it was going to happen when they got to the Hawaii, but she reiterated they did not know the exact DAY. Clearly, they knew it was going to happen in Hawaii but they are playing a little game here by saying they didn't know what day. I asked if we could cancel with no penalty and I told her of all the folks on here that said it was still a great deal and the how anyone would be happy with the current itinerary and RC should EASILY be able to fill our cabin but she said no go.Odd. 

 

We do plan on going on this cruise and I ALWAYS roll with things and we will still have a good time but I don't think it is wise to let Royal steam roll us with this crap. Maybe we can later get to the bottom of this.  I get that some people are still happy with the new itenary and that great but please understand that some people cannot use the "extras" on this cruise because they are wheelchair bound or they have other reasons for really wanting the former itinerary.  If you went to a rib place for dinner and they were out the beef ribs, no one would blame you for wanting to go elsewhere. It is really that simple. If you like pork ribs, understand that others don't and just move along. No need to attack people on this forum for their choices. I really thought that Royal stopped the Royal Champions program awhile back. I hope that is true. 

[ggtjr]

On 3/5/2019 at 9:19 PM, pattyg01 said:

We received this notice today about our upcoming cruise.

Dear Guest:

We have an itinerary change to share with you for our upcoming Ovation of the Seas, May 2^nd, 2019 cruise.

We must conduct two separate inspections, the Certificate of Compliance and an annual exam, to comply with U.S. Coast Guard regulations. Both are required by the U.S. government to continue sailing.

In cooperation with the Coast Guard, to minimize impact to your vacation, these exams will be conducted over two sailings: the previous one and this one. The inspections are anticipated to take three consecutive days and we must remain alongside the pier till completion. As a result, we will replace Kailua Kona, Hawaii with additional time in Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii. Unfortunately, we’ll be unable to visit the Napali Coast, but were able to shift the time that we sail past the Kilauea Volcano to a more suitable time. We are sorry for the inconvenience this causes and hope you take advantage of the opportunity to get a taste of Honolulu both during the day and at night.

Additionally, because of this disruption to your holiday, we’re adding a refund in the value of one day of your cruise fare paid to your onboard account during your cruise. You may use this credit anywhere onboard and if you don’t use it, it’ll be refunded back onto your credit card on file. Below, please find our updated itinerary.

 

They say they will refund us for one day but this actually changes our cruise quite a bit. two stops are gone and we are staying another day in Honolulu but we are already staying there before the trip so we really don;t want another day in Honolulu. The unfotunate thing is that we can no longer cancel our flights or our airbnb's because this notice came so last minute. We are thinking the cruise but we see no way out at this point. 

ANy advice at all will be much appreciated.

Thank you.

With the extra time in Honlulu, a trip to Polynesian Cultural Center is possible!

[pattyg01]

ggtjr, Yes, we already have plans to go there during the week that we already will be spending in Oahu before the cruise. 

[gatour]

5 minutes ago, pattyg01 said:

I spoke with an rep from RCI on Saturday and I got the same info as most everyone else. SHe told me that Royal was very shocked with the last minute request from the Coast Guard. I asked her if they didn't realize that the ship would have to be inspected when it got to the US and she said yes, they did but they didn't know the exact DAY that it would be required. I said that Royal certainly knew it was going to happen when they got to the Hawaii, but she reiterated they did not know the exact DAY. Clearly, they knew it was going to happen in Hawaii but they are playing a little game here by saying they didn't know what day.

Did you not read Cheeng reply how about this may been scheduled?

 

The cruise line knew that two inspections were needed.  My guess is that RCCL was expecting both inspections could be accompllished during the two day layover.  However the Coast Guard did not have staffing to accomplish the inspectations during this time frame. They were also unwilling to send staff to one of the other islands to accomplish one or the other inspectations perhaps due to funding issues.

 

Thus the need for a 3 day layover.

 

Just my speculation based on the various inputs that have been posted here.

[pattyg01]

Yes, I did read all the replies but I am basing my response on what RC told me. They mentioned none of what you are speculating. They said they didn't know which day. They said it over and over again. All I am saying is that we should be willing to continue to look into this. Nothing wrong with that idea. 

[gatour]

42 minutes ago, pattyg01 said:

Yes, I did read all the replies but I am basing my response on what RC told me. They mentioned none of what you are speculating. They said they didn't know which day. They said it over and over again. All I am saying is that we should be willing to continue to look into this. Nothing wrong with that idea. 

Actually you and Saltrock were also speculating about when RCCL knew about this.  So other people were giving their ideas about the sequence of events.

 

Per your response above...

"I spoke with an rep from RC on Saturday and I got the same info as most everyone else. SHe told me that Royal was very shocked with the last minute request from the Coast Guard".

 

So you are speculating that RC knew about the actual need for a 3 day time period vs 2 day time months or even weeks in advance.

Edited March 11, 2019 by gatour

[pattyg01]

Yes, of course. Everyone is allowed to speculate. Nothing wrong with that and as I said, we can try to figure it out later. Nothing wrong with that. As I said, I am basing my thoughts on what Royal told me. I don't know when they knew but I will continue to work on trying to find out. 

[chengkp75]

Since Hawaii is not the ship's home port, there is no requirement to have the certificate of compliance done there, it could be done on the West Coast.  Obviously, the USCG decided to schedule it in Hawaii due to availability of inspectors in the time frame that RCI gave them for the ship's itinerary.  You are dealing with Customer Service Representatives, who have absolutely no idea about marine safety inspection.  Yes, RCI knew the inspections would need to be done before the ship started service homeporting out of the US, but they most likely were not told it would happen mid-cruise.  It is a bit unusual for the USCG to schedule something like this, since their major mandate when doing Port State Control inspections is to "not interfere with the vessel's enterprise, as much as possible", meaning RCI probably felt it would happen on the West Coast between cruises.

[xpcdoojk]

2 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Since Hawaii is not the ship's home port, there is no requirement to have the certificate of compliance done there, it could be done on the West Coast.  Obviously, the USCG decided to schedule it in Hawaii due to availability of inspectors in the time frame that RCI gave them for the ship's itinerary.  You are dealing with Customer Service Representatives, who have absolutely no idea about marine safety inspection.  Yes, RCI knew the inspections would need to be done before the ship started service homeporting out of the US, but they most likely were not told it would happen mid-cruise.  It is a bit unusual for the USCG to schedule something like this, since their major mandate when doing Port State Control inspections is to "not interfere with the vessel's enterprise, as much as possible", meaning RCI probably felt it would happen on the West Coast between cruises.

 

Chief, could it be because the Ovation is going to port out of Vancouver (don’t know this) and Seward that Hawaii is being done because Vancouver isn’t Seattle?  Of course, maybe Ovation is going to Seattle on the initial sailing?  I get off in Honolulu, and I have forgotten the continental bits.  

 

JC

[chengkp75]

6 hours ago, xpcdoojk said:

 

Chief, could it be because the Ovation is going to port out of Vancouver (don’t know this) and Seward that Hawaii is being done because Vancouver isn’t Seattle?  Of course, maybe Ovation is going to Seattle on the initial sailing?  I get off in Honolulu, and I have forgotten the continental bits.  

 

JC

Could well be.  Seward would be under the USCG district headquartered in Anchorage, and I'm not sure how many marine inspectors they have there these days.  The closest I've come to doing a certificate of compliance inspection was the reflagging of the Norwegian Sky to the Pride of Aloha, and that lasted over the 3 week drydock period, I'm not sure if they need to bring folks out from Headquarters in DC or not, and so travel budget may also enter into the equation.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

12 hours ago, xpcdoojk said:

 

Chief, could it be because the Ovation is going to port out of Vancouver (don’t know this) and Seward that Hawaii is being done because Vancouver isn’t Seattle?  Of course, maybe Ovation is going to Seattle on the initial sailing?  I get off in Honolulu, and I have forgotten the continental bits.  

 

JC

The Ovation is going to be home porting out of Seattle for the season.  The first Alaska cruise is a repositioning cruise (the one I am on).  It is an 11 night from Vancouver to Seattle.  After that she will be doing the Seattle round trip Alaska run.  No stops in Seward.

[xpcdoojk]

Well there you go theory busted.  Why can’t they do the inspections part 1 in Honolulu for two days and then in Seattle? I know that the ship goes to Vancouver on the second portion of the transpacific.  So, there must be a travel agent / press event there or Seattle.  Why can’t they do that stuff then?

 

Lots of unhappy people.  It appears to me unnecessarily unhappy people.

 

jc

[mr walker]

On ‎3‎/‎12‎/‎2019 at 10:16 AM, pattyg01 said:

 I don't know when they knew but I will continue to work on trying to find out. 

 

To what end?

[pattyg01]

To what end? Really?!? To know whether or not they lied to us and used their own policies to to leave us stuck with a cruise that they knew was going to be pretty bare. If that is the case, we will no longer cruise with them. This is not the only problem we have had with Royal recently. It is just the last straw. Actually, this entire thread has really maginiefd my suspicions will all the people saying to just let it go or that people that question the changes are troublesome. Again, we will go on this cruise and we will enjoy it so I’m not sure why anyone, outside of RC or their employees, would be bothered by my simply checking into this issue. BTW, cheng is on the money and it appears that Royal did not know until the last minute but I want to be sure. I would think you all would want to be sure but I certainly wouldn’t judge anyone that chooses to let it go. I would appreciate the same courtesy. 

  

[xpcdoojk]

I appreciate the wanting to know things for sure, but alas, you are very likely to either be unable to, or worse misinformed.  May the force be with you regarding figuring out that.

 

jc

[Pratique]

On 3/7/2019 at 5:35 AM, chengkp75 said:

During the recent government shutdown, the USCG Marine Safety Division was virtually closed, and there were regulations promulgated to extend mariner's licenses because the exam facilities were closed, and to extend vessels' certificates of inspection because the inspectors weren't working.  Even after the shutdown, there is a backlog of licensing and inspections. 

With every day that goes by I think this is more and more likely to be a significant factor. The shutdown caused a ripple effect in many places, and it's effects are still being felt.

[pattyg01]

It is possible that I will be unable but I will NOT be misinformed. When I research, I verify, verify, verify. 

 

[xpcdoojk]

16 minutes ago, pattyg01 said:

It is possible that I will be unable but I will NOT be misinformed. When I research, I verify, verify, verify. 

 

 

 

Call me skeptical.  Reality, you may read something but it will probably be rumor or opinion.  I doubt very much you will ever find, Michael Bayley or some other honcho admitting they did it just to screw patty from Georgia.😈  JMHO

 

jc

[Pratique]

The problem here isn't an unwillingness to take the cruise line representatives at their word. It's fair to be a skeptic. The problem, rather, is injecting speculation in a public forum, without reasonable basis, that they might be intentionally lying to their customers and hiding behind their itinerary change policy.

 

We have a reasonable explanation of what happened, which is that they simply didn't expect this inspection to take three days, and it's for reasons like this that the itinerary change policy exists in the first place because not everything is under the cruise lines' control. It seems like at this point you are just seeking a more satisfactory resolution or explanation while also conceding that you probably won't cruise with them again for a multitude of unrelated reasons.

 

I appreciate your frustration but I can also think of worse things than being stuck in Honolulu for an extra day during a cruise. Perhaps that's just me. I sincerely hope that you have an otherwise pleasant cruise.

[pattyg01]

You should try rereading my posts. I have already said that I will still enjoy the cruise. I also said that it appears as though RC is being honest. I just want to be sure as I am on the fence about Royal and this would make my decision for me. AT this point, I will still probably cruise with them. But, I want to be sure. 

 

[Pratique]

11 hours ago, pattyg01 said:

To know whether or not they lied to us and used their own policies to to leave us stuck with a cruise that they knew was going to be pretty bare.

What's this then? The weight of evidence seems to point towards the cruise line being truthful with you. It sounds like you're still not even close to being convinced, but it's unclear what more you can learn at this point to convince you.

[pattyg01]

Oh, you know what? You are right! I have been so wrong! Thank you for straightening me out. I apologize for upsetting you.

[Plum Happy]

The April 17th trip to Hawaii from Sydney will not port at all in Maui.  So, both voyages will lose a port of call.

 

"In cooperation with the Coast Guard, to minimize impact to your vacation, the inspections will be conducted over two sailings: this one and the following. The inspections are anticipated to take three consecutive days and we must remain alongside the pier till completion. As a result, we will replace Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii with additional time in Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii. We are sorry for the inconvenience that this causes; however, we hope that you’ll be able to enjoy the extended time in Honolulu and the opportunity to get a taste of this exotic destination both during the day and at a night!"

 

 

[Salt Rocker]

16 hours ago, pattyg01 said:

You should try rereading my posts. I have already said that I will still enjoy the cruise. I also said that it appears as though RC is being honest. I just want to be sure as I am on the fence about Royal and this would make my decision for me. AT this point, I will still probably cruise with them. But, I want to be sure. 

 

 

15 hours ago, Pratique said:

What's this then? The weight of evidence seems to point towards the cruise line being truthful with you. It sounds like you're still not even close to being convinced, but it's unclear what more you can learn at this point to convince you.

Hi everyone,

It would appear that most of the members posting are not directly involved with this particular cruise. We are B2B from Sydney to Vancouver and will therefore spend THREE days in port for these inspections.

So what do we know.

1. Our understanding is that these inspections are mandatory for any ship entering USA waters.

2. This is Ovation of the Seas first ever entry into USA waters.

3. RCI knew that these inspections would have to be carried out but have stated they did not know when. Would it not make sense to anyone that if they are mandatory they would have to be conducted at the first USA port of call?

4. Since Honolulu is the first ever USA port of call for this ship, inspections would be required. RCI initially only allowed the 2 May cruise turnaround day in port. They therefore did not make any provision for inspection in their itinerary planning.

5. The cut off date for cancellation, without penalty, passed before, out of the blue, last minute changes to the itinerary are confirmed.

6. Prior to the itinerary changes we don't think anyone, who booked these two cruises, had any knowledge of these inspection requirements, other than RCI and the regulatory bodies involved.

From the above it is quite clear that the powers that be in RCI did not make the necessary advance planning or waited to confirm the changes until it was to late, without penalty, for us to do anything about it.

You can draw your own conclusions of who then is the party at fault.

Have a great day - Glenn & Patricia      

[chengkp75]

Yes, these inspections are "mandatory".  No, even though they are "mandatory", they are not always carried out within the mandated time frame, due to USCG budgetary restrictions and/or scheduling limitations.  There is no guarantee that the USCG, in initial correspondence, scheduled inspection in Honolulu, nor that they would schedule all inspections at the same time (initial and annual), nor would there necessarily be any communication between departments like the USCG and USPH, as to when each was scheduling their inspections, and each requires different scenarios for crew and operations, and so cannot be done concurrently.  As I believe I noted earlier in the thread, US flag cruise ships are required to have "mandatory" USCG inspections every 3 months, and yet despite repeated requests from the cruise line, the USCG let our quarterly inspection lapse for 5 months, even to the point where the "mandatory" biennial "Certificate of Inspection" (which requires its own inspection) had lapsed by two weeks, and the ship was actually sailing illegally due to this lapse, and the ship could have been in serious legal problems with an expired Certificate of Inspection, even though the issuing agency had failed to meet requests to inspect/reissue.  And, this was 10 years ago, without the further budgetary restrictions of a month long government shutdown, and subsequent backlog of inspections for US flag vessels, let alone foreign flag vessels.