Help! There isn’t a single cruise that meets all the Lift & Shift requirements for me

[Cherries Jubilee]

My current cruise is a 7 night Southern Caribbean scheduled for August 30th on Freedom of the Seas out of San Juan. Next year Freedom will be in NJ during that time so it will not be doing the Southern Caribbean route. In fact there are NO cruises currently scheduled to leave from San Juan during the 4 week period I would need to qualify for Lift & Shift. I looked at all of the scheduled Southern Caribbean cruises for the time period I need and all of them are 8 days!

 

So basically there is no cruise that meets the requirements for me to shift to. There are no 7 day Southern Caribbean cruises within a 4 week window of August 30, 2020. I know they might add more cruise itineraries later but my final payment date for my current cruise is June 1st and I don’t want to have to pay for it and end up not having a viable cruise to move to. Right now the only money down on the cruise is a $200 Next Cruise Certificate which I’ll lose if I just cancel.

 

Has anyone had this problem?  What should I expect Royal to say? Will they let me go beyond the 4 week window to shift or tell me to pick an 8 day or will they tell me I’m s!|\t out of luck?

[molly361]

It does not have to leave from San Juan.  It just has to be a 7 day Southern Caribbean within 4 weeks can be a different ship

[Cherries Jubilee]

Just now, molly361 said:

It does not have to leave from San Juan.  It just has to be a 7 day Southern Caribbean within 4 weeks can be a different ship

 

I know, I tried to clarify in my post that ALL of the other Southern Caribbean itineraries leaving from other ports during that 4 week window are 8 days. My trip has to be a 7 day to qualify.

[Jimbo]

Maybe they will allow Freedom of the Seas  November 7th 2021,  Tell them that is the closest they are offering? Let the CSR talk to a Supervisor. Can't hurt to try. Might take more then one call to make it happen until you get the right person.

Edited May 12, 2020 by Jimbo

[Scoobydobe7]

40 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Maybe they will allow Freedom of the Seas  November 7th 2021,  Tell them that is the closest they are offering? Let the CSR talk to a Supervisor. Can't hurt to try. Might take more then one call to make it happen until you get the right person.

Just ask for a supervisor right off the bat....I did that last night...had to wait 10 minutes on hold...explained my situation and why I was upset...Supervisor took care of the issue and we both hung up satisfied....

[MommaBear55]

We encountered a similar issue with a Greece/ Italy cruise. We were told we were out if luck, so we just did a cruise with confidence reschedule. 

[Jimbo]

1 minute ago, MommaBear55 said:

We encountered a similar issue with a Greece/ Italy cruise. We were told we were out if luck, so we just did a cruise with confidence reschedule. 

 

What month in 2020? how many days?

[MommaBear55]

We had reserved a 9 night cruise this August 30th, so just under the wire for the Cruise with Confidence. The first available 9 day was October 1, 2021so just over the 4 week mark for Lift and Shift. 

[Jimbo]

5 minutes ago, MommaBear55 said:

We had reserved a 9 night cruise this August 30th, so just under the wire for the Cruise with Confidence. The first available 9 day was October 1, 2021so just over the 4 week mark for Lift and Shift. 

I would call and ask for a Supervisor.........it's  so close. Just keep calling until someone can make the switch for you.

[HicksRA]

How about Liberty out of Galveston?

[firefly333]

24 minutes ago, MommaBear55 said:

We had reserved a 9 night cruise this August 30th, so just under the wire for the Cruise with Confidence. The first available 9 day was October 1, 2021so just over the 4 week mark for Lift and Shift. 

Lol I booked the only 9 day cruise next January out of Galveston. I'd like to lift and shift, and do partial panama but I'm telling myself I bet neither the 9 day I booked or the 11 I now like better, bet some ports might be missed.

 

Find another time for a partial panama I'm telling myself.  If the world ever goes back to normal. It's the last cruise on my bucket list I'm missing. With 5 ports on the 9 day, I might miss some anyway and I already moved my parking from my cancelled april 26th to next January and booked new years eve and new years day in Galveston. Be happy and enjoy whatever ports I get next January 2nd. 

 

Sometimes there just isnt a lift and shift for every cruise. Rcl keeps adding new attractive things. Cant always take advantage. (Though I could move my b2b next april).

 

I want to do everything is my problem. There isnt a cruise I hardly see i dont want to go on is my problem. If i could I'd be like that guy and practically live on the cruise ship.

Edited May 12, 2020 by firefly333

[Cherries Jubilee]

26 minutes ago, HicksRA said:

How about Liberty out of Galveston?

 

I don’t see any Southern Caribbean on Liberty. I only see Western.

 

1 hour ago, Jimbo said:

Maybe they will allow Freedom of the Seas  November 7th 2021,  Tell them that is the closest they are offering? Let the CSR talk to a Supervisor. Can't hurt to try. Might take more then one call to make it happen until you get the right person.

 

I’d take it! I’m not looking forward to this battle. I guess I should prepare myself for several phone calls. Thank you for all your help!

[jp2746]

I was told there were no options for me.  I also have a Southern Caribbean out of San Juan in August.  Even if we cruise, which I know is pretty much 0% chance, where will we go?  I just don't think any of these Caribbean countries are going to allow cruise ships in August.  

 

I very bummed.  I called Chase, my TA, and they said that there is nothing that we can do.  I may try again tomorrow and ask them to speak to a supervisor.  The last time I called I asked them to do this and the rep with RC refused to get a supervisor.  He was determined that I could not switch to anything.  :( 

 

Let me know what you find out and what happens.  But I am realizing that what happens with one person is not the same for everyone.  They really need to work on this and help people who have no options based on their requirements.  For example, let us move to any other Caribbean cruise.  I mean, who wants to go to Jamaica when you can go to Aruba and Curacao?  It's not like we are coming out ahead.  If we had to go back to Jamaica because of the switch, we may just stay on the boat.  But at least we would go somewhere and would be able to sail next year!

[bobmacliberty]

@Ourusualbeach has previously reported that it does not need to be a southern.  You can L&S a southern for a western or an eastern.  I can't personally confirm that this is true but Ken said that there was an example given in the TA webcast that supports this.

[GalwayGirl03]

I am in the same boat! We have a 8 day Southeast Coast in  VO scheduled on Grandeur in November.  We will most likely keep it b/c it is still 6 months away but given what is going on I wanted to look at our options for Lift & Shift...well we are out of luck b/c Grandeur is being sold and Enchantment is taking her place so EOS is the only ship doing SouthEast Coast in 2021. Well we are in a VO on Grandeur and there is no VO on Enchantment (same class ship but EOS doesn't have a VO but all other's do!).  It is annoying but oh well...they are really strict with Lift & Shift!

[Ourusualbeach]

22 minutes ago, bobmacliberty said:

@Ourusualbeach has previously reported that it does not need to be a southern.  You can L&S a southern for a western or an eastern.  I can't personally confirm that this is true but Ken said that there was an example given in the TA webcast that supports this.

Unfortunately that was early on.  They have started restricting that move.  They did allow one recent one where there was no other Southern itinerary.

[weejasser]

Have they been allowing a Western to Eastern switch?

I’m currently booked on a Western on Harmony from PC at the end of Aug. The only close switch next year would be Symphony from Miami or Allure from PC however both are Eastern on the weeks I can get off within the switch window

[molly361]

5 minutes ago, weejasser said:

Have they been allowing a Western to Eastern switch?

I’m currently booked on a Western on Harmony from PC at the end of Aug. The only close switch next year would be Symphony from Miami or Allure from PC however both are Eastern on the weeks I can get off within the switch window

One person said that they were able to and others not. Give it a try and let us know

[Jimbo]

5 minutes ago, weejasser said:

Have they been allowing a Western to Eastern switch?

I’m currently booked on a Western on Harmony from PC at the end of Aug. The only close switch next year would be Symphony from Miami or Allure from PC however both are Eastern on the weeks I can get off within the switch window

Remember it can go either way 4 weeks of your booking date...........so there are possible 16 dates you can pick from on as you say 2 ships.

[weejasser]

1 minute ago, Jimbo said:

Remember it can go either way 4 weeks of your booking date...........so there are possible 16 dates you can pick from on as you say 2 ships.

Yes thanks I know however there’s only a couple of dates that suit with my work and school so it only leaves a couple of Eastern itineraries

 

Appreciate your replies and I’ll post here how I get on

[bouhunter]

16 hours ago, Cherries Jubilee said:

My current cruise is a 7 night Southern Caribbean scheduled for August 30th on Freedom of the Seas out of San Juan. Next year Freedom will be in NJ during that time so it will not be doing the Southern Caribbean route. In fact there are NO cruises currently scheduled to leave from San Juan during the 4 week period I would need to qualify for Lift & Shift. I looked at all of the scheduled Southern Caribbean cruises for the time period I need and all of them are 8 days!

 

So basically there is no cruise that meets the requirements for me to shift to. There are no 7 day Southern Caribbean cruises within a 4 week window of August 30, 2020. I know they might add more cruise itineraries later but my final payment date for my current cruise is June 1st and I don’t want to have to pay for it and end up not having a viable cruise to move to. Right now the only money down on the cruise is a $200 Next Cruise Certificate which I’ll lose if I just cancel.

 

Has anyone had this problem?  What should I expect Royal to say? Will they let me go beyond the 4 week window to shift or tell me to pick an 8 day or will they tell me I’m s!|\t out of luck?

If you can't get anything for a lift and shift, walk away and be glad you only lost 200.00.

[di T]

14 hours ago, bobmacliberty said:

@Ourusualbeach has previously reported that it does not need to be a southern.  You can L&S a southern for a western or an eastern.  I can't personally confirm that this is true but Ken said that there was an example given in the TA webcast that supports this.

I know this is different, as I was booked on celebrity western Mediterranean. But I managed to get an eastern Mediterranean for next June it was the same ship leaving a few days later for the same length 10 days. But very different itinerary! 

[The Fun Researcher]

16 hours ago, jp2746 said:

I was told there were no options for me.  I also have a Southern Caribbean out of San Juan in August.  Even if we cruise, which I know is pretty much 0% chance, where will we go?  I just don't think any of these Caribbean countries are going to allow cruise ships in August.  

 

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/aruba-kickstart-holidays-july-britons-101946189.html

 

There is hope?  See linked article about Aruba.

Dan

[jp2746]

5 minutes ago, The Fun Researcher said:

 

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/aruba-kickstart-holidays-july-britons-101946189.html

 

There is hope?  See linked article about Aruba.

Dan

Thanks for the article!  I have hope now!  However, our back up plan to fly to Aruba was canceled by Southwest airlines, well sort of.  I don't see any departure flights or return flights, but we have not received a formal notice from Southwest that our flights have been canceled.  So, I'm not sure what that is about. 

[NeedsVitaminSea]

How much is it to cancel and rebook?  There are no change fees.  I was able to L&S for our October 2020 cruise but a rebook was only going to be about $100 more, total, for the four of us if I had to go that route.