Allure Itinerary Change/Havoc with Customer Service!

[Carol28]

The November 27 Allure cruise changed from visiting Dominican Republic and St Kitts and Nevis to the RCCL private island and Puerto Rico.  While that would not concern some, we've been to those two ports many times and were looking forward to visiting the ports that were new to us.  But, oh well.  The thing that caused havoc was that the first sea day is Day 3 instead of Day 2 which means formal night probably changed. So we needed to change our specialty restaurant for a party of six.  Two of us spent 90 minutes each on the phone trying to do this. And that was after several other phone calls trying to deal with this.  Finally, the 'Problem Solution' office said it cannot be done.  Two of us have a 7pm reservation and the other four have a 7:15 reservation, but not necessarily at the same table!  I'm hoping that when we get on board we can straighten this all out.  Does anyone have any suggestions?

[twangster]

You are always better to deal with details such as this onboard. 

 

Given that reservations have a 15 minute buffer you already pretty much have the same time.  It's not like one party is at 6pm and the other at 8pm.

 

The day you board drop by the restaurant and talk to them.  

[cruisegirl1]

Once on board, go to the restaurant, or seek someone in the promenade taking specialty restaurant reservations. I am confident that you will you will be able to be at the same table  somewhere around 7-7:15.  

 

Please remember that when you call Customer Service, you are  basically  getting a sales agents.  Most have never been on a ship and can only read a script to assist you.  If a time is blocked, they cannot make any exceptions   As Twangster noted, many issues  like this can easily be handled once  on board.  

 

Good luck and have a great crusie. 

Edited October 22, 2021 by cruisegirl1

[Liverpoolfan181]

40 minutes ago, Carol28 said:

The November 27 Allure cruise changed from visiting Dominican Republic and St Kitts and Nevis to the RCCL private island and Puerto Rico.  While that would not concern some, we've been to those two ports many times and were looking forward to visiting the ports that were new to us.  But, oh well.  The thing that caused havoc was that the first sea day is Day 3 instead of Day 2 which means formal night probably changed. So we needed to change our specialty restaurant for a party of six.  Two of us spent 90 minutes each on the phone trying to do this. And that was after several other phone calls trying to deal with this.  Finally, the 'Problem Solution' office said it cannot be done.  Two of us have a 7pm reservation and the other four have a 7:15 reservation, but not necessarily at the same table!  I'm hoping that when we get on board we can straighten this all out.  Does anyone have any suggestions?

Formal night can still be day 2 on a port day. It likely wouldn’t change even though your itinerary has. 

if you still want to change your reso, can you do it on your cruise planner? We’ve been able to do it that way for a party of 5 

[Carol28]

Just now, Liverpoolfan181 said:

Formal night can still be day 2 on a port day. It likely wouldn’t change even though your itinerary has. 

You're right!  And then we went through all this for nothing.  But I doubt it would be on the Day at Coco Cay which is where we are on Day 2.  I sort of wish formal night was on Day 2 which is my birthday!

[Liverpoolfan181]

8 minutes ago, Carol28 said:

You're right!  And then we went through all this for nothing.  But I doubt it would be on the Day at Coco Cay which is where we are on Day 2.  I sort of wish formal night was on Day 2 which is my birthday!

Well that would be amazing birthday celebrations:) Hmmm, our last cruise before the pandemic in Jan 2020 has coco cay on day 2 and we still had formal night.  I do agree with the others that I till you see your day by day at a glance in the app, that either changes to your reso onboard or on your app would be the simplest to change. Calling will result in unnecessary stress 😂 

 

also we are Also on an an 8 night Allure with same ports as you so I’m following you closely with your updates and now guessing our port changes will mirror yours. 😉 do you mind sharing the days the ports are now assigned?

Edited October 22, 2021 by Liverpoolfan181

[Elevatorman]

50 cruises for us and the answer to dining room problems is always the same, tip the Maître d and he will work wonders

[cruisegirl1]

35 minutes ago, Elevatorman said:

50 cruises for us and the answer to dining room problems is always the same, tip the Maître d and he will work wonders

Ask nicely  and get the same response.    Staff will do whatever they can to assist.   We've never had to tip ( up front)  to get a positive resolution. 

 

M

[Carol28]

21 hours ago, Liverpoolfan181 said:

Well that would be amazing birthday celebrations:) Hmmm, our last cruise before the pandemic in Jan 2020 has coco cay on day 2 and we still had formal night.  I do agree with the others that I till you see your day by day at a glance in the app, that either changes to your reso onboard or on your app would be the simplest to change. Calling will result in unnecessary stress 😂 

 

also we are Also on an an 8 night Allure with same ports as you so I’m following you closely with your updates and now guessing our port changes will mirror yours. 😉 do you mind sharing the days the ports are now assigned?

Sure!

Dear Guest, As part of the guidance received from the CDC, we’ve implemented new boarding protocols, and as a result, we’ll now depart from Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 5:00 PM, instead of 4:30 PM. Separately, due to delayed pier construction in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, we’ll no longer be able to visit this port and as a result of changes in itinerary planning, we unfortunately won’t make our visit to Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis either. Instead, we’ll make our way to our private destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay and San Juan, Puerto Rico, and we’ll visit Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas two days later than originally planned! We know how much time and effort go into planning your cruise with us, and we’re sorry for any inconvenience. We’re excited to take you to new ports and know you’ll have an excellent time! Below, please find our revised Allure of the Seas for our November 27th, 2021 itinerary. Day Port of Call Arrive Depart Sat Fort Lauderdale, Florida   5:00 PM Sun Perfect Day at CocoCay 7:00 AM 4:00 PM Mon Cruising     Tue San Juan, Puerto Rico 10:00 AM 9:00 PM Wed Philipsburg, St. Maarten 9:00 AM 6:00 PM Thu Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas 7:00 AM 6:00 PM Fri Cruising     Sat Cruising     Sun Fort Lauderdale, Florida 6:15 AM   Perfect Day at CocoCay is a private destination unlike any in the world. While there, lounge in the Caribbean’s largest freshwater pool, Oasis Lagoon, or take the plunge down North America’s tallest waterslide, Daredevil’s Peak! The vibrant capital of Puerto Rico, San Juan offers something for every traveler - world-famous beaches with crystal clear waters, incredible cuisine, rugged natural beauty, and a rich history that goes back 500 years. Discover beautiful beaches, rolling hills, mountains, and forests in St. Maarten; all offering spectacular panoramic views. Then in Charlotte Amalie, enjoy exploring colonial landmarks, like Blackbeard’s Castle, or sip on some local lager at a quaint microbrewery. Whether you’re looking for thrills or simply want to chill, these ports have something for everyone! Whatever you choose to do, we’re sure you’ll have a great time everywhere we take you! Our Shore Excursions team will automatically reschedule any pre-paid Royal Caribbean International shore excursions booked for Philipsburg and Charlotte Amalie. Any pre-paid Royal Caribbean International shore excursions booked for Puerto Plata and Basseterre will automatically be refunded to your original form of payment. In the next few days, your updated tour information will be e-mailed to you. In the meantime, feel free to browse all the exciting shore excursion options for your sailing in Cruise Planner.

[Liverpoolfan181]

46 minutes ago, Carol28 said:

Sure!

Dear Guest, As part of the guidance received from the CDC, we’ve implemented new boarding protocols, and as a result, we’ll now depart from Fort Lauderdale, Florida at 5:00 PM, instead of 4:30 PM. Separately, due to delayed pier construction in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, we’ll no longer be able to visit this port and as a result of changes in itinerary planning, we unfortunately won’t make our visit to Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis either. Instead, we’ll make our way to our private destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay and San Juan, Puerto Rico, and we’ll visit Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas two days later than originally planned! We know how much time and effort go into planning your cruise with us, and we’re sorry for any inconvenience. We’re excited to take you to new ports and know you’ll have an excellent time! Below, please find our revised Allure of the Seas for our November 27th, 2021 itinerary. Day Port of Call Arrive Depart Sat Fort Lauderdale, Florida   5:00 PM Sun Perfect Day at CocoCay 7:00 AM 4:00 PM Mon Cruising     Tue San Juan, Puerto Rico 10:00 AM 9:00 PM Wed Philipsburg, St. Maarten 9:00 AM 6:00 PM Thu Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas 7:00 AM 6:00 PM Fri Cruising     Sat Cruising     Sun Fort Lauderdale, Florida 6:15 AM   Perfect Day at CocoCay is a private destination unlike any in the world. While there, lounge in the Caribbean’s largest freshwater pool, Oasis Lagoon, or take the plunge down North America’s tallest waterslide, Daredevil’s Peak! The vibrant capital of Puerto Rico, San Juan offers something for every traveler - world-famous beaches with crystal clear waters, incredible cuisine, rugged natural beauty, and a rich history that goes back 500 years. Discover beautiful beaches, rolling hills, mountains, and forests in St. Maarten; all offering spectacular panoramic views. Then in Charlotte Amalie, enjoy exploring colonial landmarks, like Blackbeard’s Castle, or sip on some local lager at a quaint microbrewery. Whether you’re looking for thrills or simply want to chill, these ports have something for everyone! Whatever you choose to do, we’re sure you’ll have a great time everywhere we take you! Our Shore Excursions team will automatically reschedule any pre-paid Royal Caribbean International shore excursions booked for Philipsburg and Charlotte Amalie. Any pre-paid Royal Caribbean International shore excursions booked for Puerto Plata and Basseterre will automatically be refunded to your original form of payment. In the next few days, your updated tour information will be e-mailed to you. In the meantime, feel free to browse all the exciting shore excursion options for your sailing in Cruise Planner.

Wonderful - thank you!

[brillohead]

I never make ANY assumptions about what nights will be "formal" nights.  Sometimes it's 2 and 6, sometimes it's not.  Sometimes it's a port day, sometimes it's not.

Just make your reservations after you get on the ship -- you can confirm the formal night situation at that time, too.

[renza]

We are on Allure in March and specifically booked it for St kitts and Dominican. We have been to all the island multiple times except these two. It sucks. 
don’t worry about specialty restaurants now, a waste of time talking to anyone on the phone. When u get on ship it is never a problem getting what u want. We always purchase dining and always got what we wanted once onboard. 

[SummerBeee]

@Carol28 Also on this Allure cruise. I visited DR last month on Carnival and it was OK. I did a city highlight tour and the Amber Museum was the best stop, and the rum factory (the tour’s 1st stop and we sampled 10 rums!)

I think this is the 6th cruise to St Kitts that has been rescheduled or cancelled, most pre-COVID.

I’m also celebrating a birthday, the last full day. This is the 1st time I’ve gotten to do something big and fun on my birthday since I was a kid. Happy early birthday!

[TX.Mameow&Papeow]

On our recent B3B on Indy in September they actually didn't have Formal night, it was called "Dress your Best" and you saw a little bit of everything. If you and your party want to dress in formal wear on your birthday and celebrate in a specialty restaurant then make your reservation on the first day and enjoy your special day regardless of which day Royal declares "Formal or Dress Your Best." Also if anyone is D+ or above you can use a BOGO and eat 2 for 1 on the first 2 nights. This may also apply to Diamond but I'm not sure. Have a great cruise !