2/2022 Freedom canceled - replaced with Explorer

[hermialam]

We are on Freedom 1/23/22, got the email but no update to itinerary of room yet

[mack44]

We were originally booked on Oct 2020 Freedom but lift and shifted it to Nov 2021 and now this change to Explorer.  For those that received an email offering the OBC for accepting the change of ship (I did not receive this email), was this your original booking with no lift and shift?  Or do you have a refundable deposit?  Just trying to figure out why I never received an email from RCI about the ship change and whether I wanted to accept this change and why I wasn't offered OBC.  The only thing I received from RCI was an email with the new invoice and a slight price change because a new port was added-port fees.

[mack44]

Never mind, found the email from RCL.

[Sianli]

I just spent 39 minutes on the phone wanting to change the room location when they changed my Freedom sailing to Explorer. After much holding time, they put me through to re-deployment who now tell me that this sailing is being changed to Radiance and itinerary/rooms not set yet, but to check again on Friday. Maybe they gave me bad info, but I am not willing to spend another 40 minutes on the phone to see if I am getting the same answer this morning. Anyone else heard this?

[Dan-P]

29 minutes ago, Sianli said:

I just spent 39 minutes on the phone wanting to change the room location when they changed my Freedom sailing to Explorer. After much holding time, they put me through to re-deployment who now tell me that this sailing is being changed to Radiance and itinerary/rooms not set yet, but to check again on Friday. Maybe they gave me bad info, but I am not willing to spend another 40 minutes on the phone to see if I am getting the same answer this morning. Anyone else heard this?

 

If you were booked on Freedom out of San Juan, you will now be on Explorer.

 

Those originally booked on Explorer out of Miami will now be on Radiance.

 

Seems as though someone you were speaking with was a bit confused if they thought Radiance would be in San Juan.

 

Dan.

[Sea Dog]

31 minutes ago, Sianli said:

Anyone else heard this?

I have not heard this, my guess rep got it wrong. 

[Sianli]

 Well i'm Well I'm hoping that you are right.  I did talk to 3 different people there. Maybe I will call the direct # they gave me to call Friday on my lunch break. This is Explorer  March 20, 22 sailing and does not show up for purchase. Maybe they are scheduling a dry dock in there?

Edited October 28, 2020 by Sianli

[Dan-P]

15 minutes ago, Sianli said:

 Well i'm Well I'm hoping that you are right.  I did talk to 3 different people there. Maybe I will call the direct # they gave me to call Friday on my lunch break. This is Explorer  March 20, 22 sailing and does not show up for purchase. Maybe they are scheduling a dry dock in there?

 

I had a back to back booked on Explorer out of Miami in February 2022 and am being moved to Radiance.  Only one of the two cruises shows up online as bookable right now.  I think they are still working behind the scenes getting folks moved so have the sailings blocked out.  I'm not even sure travel agents can seem them properly yet.

 

Dan.

[Ashland]

49 minutes ago, Sianli said:

 Well i'm Well I'm hoping that you are right.  I did talk to 3 different people there. Maybe I will call the direct # they gave me to call Friday on my lunch break. This is Explorer  March 20, 22 sailing and does not show up for purchase. Maybe they are scheduling a dry dock in there?

I'm on a B2B for March 20 & 27, 2022 changed Freedom to Explorer out of San Juan. I've also tried to call and was told their still working on the cabin assignments. Was told our itinerary would stay same just a change of ship. I don't think it's going to show up on website until all cabins have been assigned. They said my cabin number would change but probably not location (I have an OS). Just hoping this all gets sorted out soon. Very doubtful that Explorer is due for a drydock at this point in time. Apparently she had a recent maintenance one.....someone posted.

[Sianli]

I just called again and was told they my res# wouldn't come up. They found it by ligging in to my account but said something about a note sayi g do not give information. I think it prby is Explorer since that shows on my account. But my room is in a far different location. Same category.....will wait and see.

[Ashland]

12 minutes ago, Sianli said:

I just called again and was told they my res# wouldn't come up. They found it by ligging in to my account but said something about a note sayi g do not give information. I think it prby is Explorer since that shows on my account. But my room is in a far different location. Same category.....will wait and see.

Best of luck to all of us that are experiencing a change of ships. I love Radiance but not for the caribbean. At least I feel if we had to have a change from Freedom to Explorer we did OK. 

[Dan-P]

9 minutes ago, Ashland said:

Best of luck to all of us that are experiencing a change of ships. I love Radiance but not for the caribbean. At least I feel if we had to have a change from Freedom to Explorer we did OK. 

 

Yeah, I'm not real excited about the change from Explorer to Radiance and even less excited about the change in itinerary.  The 9nt first leg of our B2B is 100% different.  Not even heading to the same part of the Caribbean.  The 5nt second leg is going to Key West instead of Nassau.  I'll take that change all day.

 

Currently, when I log into my account, I can see that both of my cruises have been moved to Radiance, and can see our cabin assignments - which are two different cabins (when we had the same center hump JS booked on Explorer) - but am hoping my TA will be able to get that squared away.  Clearly no desire to move cabins for the B2B.

 

Dan.

[Ashland]

I just got through to RCI again no one has access to the changes being done (March 20 & 27 2022 Explorer). But was able to sign in to my account and saw the itinerary and my cabin assigned...so I'm assuming this is correct. 

They said I could call back Monday so I assume the date of Oct 30th has been extended to accept or decline.

The only port change is St Croix now instead of St John Antigua...any thoughts new port for us.

Edited October 28, 2020 by Ashland

[bouhunter]

23 hours ago, Ashland said:

I just got through to RCI again no one has access to the changes being done (March 20 & 27 2022 Explorer). But was able to sign in to my account and saw the itinerary and my cabin assigned...so I'm assuming this is correct. 

They said I could call back Monday so I assume the date of Oct 30th has been extended to accept or decline.

The only port change is St Croix now instead of St John Antigua...any thoughts new port for us.

We had a B2B2B on Freedom January 2022, all in same center hump cabin.  They've assigned us to 3 different cabins none anywhere near the hump.  Not happy.  Called and they said to call back in a few days, that they can't do anything with any of the cabin assignments yet.

[Ashland]

57 minutes ago, bouhunter said:

We had a B2B2B on Freedom January 2022, all in same center hump cabin.  They've assigned us to 3 different cabins none anywhere near the hump.  Not happy.  Called and they said to call back in a few days, that they can't do anything with any of the cabin assignments yet.

We had a center hump OS on Freedom...now our cabin is forward of the hump on Explorer. Looking at the deck plans I'm OK with the change, at least it's the same for our B2B. 

Best of luck to you....I would also be upset to have to change cabins !

[bouhunter]

40 minutes ago, Ashland said:

We had a center hump OS on Freedom...now our cabin is forward of the hump on Explorer. Looking at the deck plans I'm OK with the change, at least it's the same for our B2B. 

Best of luck to you....I would also be upset to have to change cabins !

Glad they kept you in the same cabin.  I suppose being an OS it was more likely you'd not have to move since there aren't many of them.  Hopefully we can get a better arrangement soon.  We've moved cabins on B2B's before and it isn't the end of the world, but would rather not.

Edited October 29, 2020 by bouhunter

[ATC cruiser]

I posted this in another thread also. I had an aft corner balcony with an ocean view cabin directly across the hall. They gave me a regular balcony and the ocean view is on a completely different deck. I’m just going to cancel, we really wanted to be on the revitalized Freedom.

[zeppgirl]

So I just spoke with Costco and my rooms had finally switched over. We were able to keep our inside promenade connecting on the Explorer, but the people we are traveling with haven't moved over yet so whether we go will depend on if they can keep their connecting rooms.

 

One question though- we are near a huge blank area on Deck 7. Anyone know what this is?  Hopefully not a loud mechanical area. 

[ATC cruiser]

8 minutes ago, zeppgirl said:

So I just spoke with Costco and my rooms had finally switched over. We were able to keep our inside promenade connecting on the Explorer, but the people we are traveling with haven't moved over yet so whether we go will depend on if they can keep their connecting rooms.

 

One question though- we are near a huge blank area on Deck 7. Anyone know what this is?  Hopefully not a loud mechanical area. 

The blank area is probably a crew stairway and elevator. I’ve spent a cruise next to one of those before, I wouldn’t do it again. If you think the moving of pool chairs on the deck above is bad, wait till you hear the room service carts at 6am. 

[zeppgirl]

55 minutes ago, ATC cruiser said:

The blank area is probably a crew stairway and elevator. I’ve spent a cruise next to one of those before, I wouldn’t do it again. If you think the moving of pool chairs on the deck above is bad, wait till you hear the room service carts at 6am. 

Thanks!  I guess I can call them back and see if there's a way to move it. Not sure if we will have much choice though, as the connecting rooms were pretty limited:(

[zeppgirl]

So no other rooms available and they want $11,000 for a balcony room for 4!! Yikes!

[LadyBerard]

We were book on Freedom for 1/9/22 and got reassigned our new cabins on Explorer yesterday.  We are traveling with another couple.  We had 2 4Ds on deck 9, side by side on Freedom starboard side near forward elevators.  My reassigned room  was same place on Explorer, but my friends got an aft facing balcony on deck 9.  We were not happy, so we changed to 2Ds and paid $30 more pp and now we have side by side rooms on port side on the hump on deck 6.

[LadyBerard]

We also are supposed to be hitting same ports, in different order, but now we are also going to St. Kitts, so no sea days on Explorer for us.

 

[Ashland]

On 10/31/2020 at 7:16 AM, LadyBerard said:

We also are supposed to be hitting same ports, in different order, but now we are also going to St. Kitts, so no sea days on Explorer for us.

 

Our change from Freedom to Explorer has no sea days either...I actually like at least one.

[MrSnarkyPants]

Got an email confirmation this morning with the Explorer booking.

 

1. We had $175 in OBC on our original booking. That's now gone.

2. We only received $100 in OBC for them changing the cruise, not $100 pp. So the only OBC we have is right now is $100. 

 

Not real happy about this.