Travel agent canceled my daughter's cruise

[beachbell]

I am coming here for any help or advice I can get. I booked on Anthem of the Seas Holiday/Christmas sailing. I booked two connecting cabins for my husband, 2 sons, and me. At first, my 20 year old daughter didn't want to join, but happily, reconsidered as she realized her friends would be busy with their families and she didn't want to be alone for the holidays. By this time, our sailing was sold out. I found a couple of agencies that had group space. I booked her in a balcony gty with one of these agencies last week. I received an email from the agent saying that my cabin was on hold but it took a few days to receive the invoice, which came in today. I realized that the quoted balcony gty is a window gty. I immediately emailed and called the agent. He simply said that probably all they had left. I explained that is not what he quoted me. He told me he would call Royal Caribbean when they opened as it was early in the morning. He also offered to cancel the cabin and I said absolutely not to do that. When I got off the phone with him, I emailed him just to make sure he under no circumstance canceled the cabin. This was around 8:30 am. At 9:17 am I received an email from Royal stating that Voom and Surf package was cancelled. I logged on and low and behold my daughters cruise is missing. I called the travel agent immediately, he did not answer. I emailed him as well. I called the corporate offices of the cruise agency and was speaking with the agent from resolutions when the email came in from the travel agent telling me he cancelled my daughter's cruise, is terminating our relationship, will refund me my deposit, will charge me the agency fee of $35 for his time, which was not on the original invoice. I explained the email I received to the travel agency resolution agent and she said she will call the agent and call me back. I am now on the phone with a Royal Caribbean agent who, at first said there is nothing he can do but he is now speaking with Royal Caribbean resolutions desk so I am now holding my breath and reminding myself to breathe. 

[WindinmySails]

I'm  sorry this has happened to you.  First of all, a travel agent shouldn't cost you anything, as far as my experience goes I've always received a lower cost from  my agent.  However, I usually pay right away, because inventory moves very quickly.  I sure hope that you get what you'd like and that your daughter can join you!

 

[beachbell]

Thank you WindinmySails. Royal is working with me as I type so fingers crossed 🤞.

[Palmetto Pilot]

Unpopular opinion on here, but that's exactly why I never use agents. My booking is between Royal and my self. No one else can access or make changes, certainly couldn't cancel without my consent. 

[beachbell]

Palmetto Pilot, I would prefer to do that at this point but Royal just told me that the only way they can reinstate my daughter's booking is going through the travel agency that the cruise was booked with. I am still on hold as they are calling the agency.

[beachbell]

Update: Royal reinstated my daughter's booking but I have to still go through the same travel agency I booked with but I can use a different agent. I hope the person I spoke to from the resolutions desk gets back to me so that I can switch agents. I just am having a hard time wrapping my mind around as to why the travel agent would behave in such an egregious manner. Why would he want to put a damper on our family vacation?

[DMWT Cruiser]

2 minutes ago, beachbell said:

Palmetto Pilot, I would prefer to do that at this point but Royal just told me that the only way they can reinstate my daughter's booking is going through the travel agency that the cruise was booked with. I am still on hold as they are calling the agency.

 

Unfortunately, if RCL has no available cabins (as you noted in your original post was the situation when your daughter expressed her desire to join you) and if you cannot add your daughter as an additional passenger to one of your cabins booked with RCL, your/her options are limited or non-existent.

 

In that case, finding a travel agent who has a block of cabins they have booked/reserved is probably your only option and in that case, you may have to settle for what they have available.  Perhaps the agent made an error about availability of a balcony guarantee or something else happened, but until money was paid, your daughter did not have a cabin.  A verbal hold is nothing. 

 

So you may wish to swallow your pride/disappointment and either work it out with the travel agency OR see about adding your daughter as a passenger to one of the cabins you booked with RCL.  Otherwise, unfortunately, she may just simply not be able to go.  That sometimes happens when one turns down an offer to travel and later changes their mind only to find out that the trip is now "sold out."

 

Good luck.

[DMWT Cruiser]

Just now, beachbell said:

Update: Royal reinstated my daughter's booking but I have to still go through the same travel agency I booked with but I can use a different agent. I hope the person I spoke to from the resolutions desk gets back to me so that I can switch agents. I just am having a hard time wrapping my mind around as to why the travel agent would behave in such an egregious manner. Why would he want to put a damper on our family vacation?

I think I posted a moment ago just as you posted the update.

 

If you want your daughter to join your trip, don't worry about what happened.  It is in the past and doesn't matter now.  Just call the travel agency back and see about getting her booked and paid for...even if you have to be the bigger person and apologize.

 

Hope it works out.  🙂

 

[Biker19]

4 minutes ago, DMWT Cruiser said:

In that case, finding a travel agent who has a block of cabins they have booked/reserved is probably your only option and in that case, you may have to settle for what they have available. 

That sailing has been closed to new bookings for some time and all TA cabins were probably returned to RCI inventory a long time ago.

[beachbell]

DMWT Cruiser, we did make a $500 deposit with an agency that was holding group space on this sailing and my cc was charged. I even woke up early to check us in this morning as our check-in opened today. I received the invoice in the morning and realized that what was booked was a window gty not a balcony gty as promised. When I made the agent aware of this, he told me he would call Royal when they opened this morning. He also offered to cancel the cruise. I told him not to do that. I also emailed him as soon as I got off the phone and told him, under no circumstance to cancel. I honestly believed that he knew he made a mistake with the booking category and instead of owning up to it, he just canceled. 

[Merion_Mom]

1 minute ago, beachbell said:

DMWT Cruiser, we did make a $500 deposit with an agency that was holding group space on this sailing and my cc was charged. I even woke up early to check us in this morning as our check-in opened today. I received the invoice in the morning and realized that what was booked was a window gty not a balcony gty as promised. When I made the agent aware of this, he told me he would call Royal when they opened this morning. He also offered to cancel the cruise. I told him not to do that. I also emailed him as soon as I got off the phone and told him, under no circumstance to cancel. I honestly believed that he knew he made a mistake with the booking category and instead of owning up to it, he just canceled. 

 

The way he spoke to you  ("the travel agent telling me he cancelled my daughter's cruise, is terminating our relationship, will refund me my deposit, will charge me the agency fee of $35 for his time, which was not on the original invoice") is inexcusable.  This person is in the wrong line of work, no matter how bad a day he may have been having. 

 

I hope that the agency makes this right and assigns you a better agent.  Good luck.

[DMWT Cruiser]

1 minute ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

The way he spoke to you  ("the travel agent telling me he cancelled my daughter's cruise, is terminating our relationship, will refund me my deposit, will charge me the agency fee of $35 for his time, which was not on the original invoice") is inexcusable.  This person is in the wrong line of work, no matter how bad a day he may have been having. 

 

I hope that the agency makes this right and assigns you a better agent.  Good luck.

I fully agree, but step one is getting her daughter back on board!  😃

[DMWT Cruiser]

5 minutes ago, beachbell said:

DMWT Cruiser, we did make a $500 deposit with an agency that was holding group space on this sailing and my cc was charged. I even woke up early to check us in this morning as our check-in opened today. I received the invoice in the morning and realized that what was booked was a window gty not a balcony gty as promised. When I made the agent aware of this, he told me he would call Royal when they opened this morning. He also offered to cancel the cruise. I told him not to do that. I also emailed him as soon as I got off the phone and told him, under no circumstance to cancel. I honestly believed that he knew he made a mistake with the booking category and instead of owning up to it, he just canceled. 

 

Got it.  Yes, once the deposit was paid, the cabin should have been held.  Was the deposit just paid (within the past few days) or has it been some time?  I don't suppose you requested or received an invoice or confirmation when the deposit was paid, did you?  It obviously would help you get some resolution with that travel agency if that invoice/confirmation showed balcony guarantee.

[beachbell]

Thanks Merion_Mom and DMWT Cruiser for your sympathetic words.  My daughter is back on the sailing with us. I am waiting for the agency to call me back and assign me a new agent as I don't want the original agent to have access to the booking anymore.

[Merion_Mom]

15 minutes ago, beachbell said:

Thanks Merion_Mom and DMWT Cruiser for your sympathetic words.  My daughter is back on the sailing with us. I am waiting for the agency to call me back and assign me a new agent as I don't want the original agent to have access to the booking anymore.

 

And please let us know what kind of cabin you get for her.  (an OV cabin for a 20 year old sailing for free/paid for by her parents should be just fine with her 😉 )

[loman]

Sounds like the travel agency i used a long time ago . 

Dont use them anymore, I just book direct with RCCL now. 

Find what i want online , pick my cabin and call in.

Not concerned about a small cruise credit.

Eliminates a layer of confusion . 

[Ashland]

2 hours ago, loman said:

Sounds like the travel agency i used a long time ago . 

Dont use them anymore, I just book direct with RCCL now. 

Find what i want online , pick my cabin and call in.

Not concerned about a small cruise credit.

Eliminates a layer of confusion . 

Agree....Been cruising with RCI since the early 1990's always booked directly with them...and have never felt a need to involve a 3rd party.

[ustasmom]

Was she booked as a solo or was there a 21 and older in the cabin with her? She cannot anchor a cabin at age 20 unless you are right next door which doesn't sound like it is the case.

[woneill63]

I agree with those saying they don't use travel agents.  I used one for my first cruise, back in 2004, and have not used one since.  I always deal directly with the cruise lines and have never had a problem.  I book at least a year in advance and call at least once a month about price reductions.  By the time the cruise rolls around I have usually gotten 15 to 20 percent reduced off the initial price.  

 

Happy sailing.  

[Ourusualbeach]

3 hours ago, DMWT Cruiser said:

Unfortunately, if RCL has no available cabins (as you noted in your original post was the situation when your daughter expressed her desire to join you) and if you cannot add your daughter as an additional passenger to one of your cabins booked with RCL, your/her options are limited or non-existent.

Not entirely true.

 

If a TA holds group space the sailing can be closed but Royal will still honour the group space that the TA holds.  I've booked cabins for a few clients on "sold out cruises"

 

The trick is finding a TA that still has group space available.

 

There still is at least one agency that has space available

[beachbell]

47 minutes ago, ustasmom said:

Was she booked as a solo or was there a 21 and older in the cabin with her? She cannot anchor a cabin at age 20 unless you are right next door which doesn't sound like it is the case.

 

No she doesn't have to be next door. She just had to be linked to my reservation.

[Ourusualbeach]

2 minutes ago, beachbell said:

 

No she doesn't have to be next door. She just had to be linked to my reservation.

Royals official policy is that anyone under 21 unless married or in the military must be directly beside or directly across the hall from an adult. (North American sailings)

Edited November 9, 2021 by Ourusualbeach

[beachbell]

Just now, Ourusualbeach said:

Not entirely true.

 

If a TA holds group space the sailing can be closed but Royal will still honour the group space that the TA holds.  I've booked cabins for a few clients on "sold out cruises"

 

The trick is finding a TA that still has group space available.

 

There still is at least one agency that has space available

That's exactly what I did. I just went down the google page and called agencies until I found one with group space. 

 

So far the agent won't release my booking but won't answer my phone calls or emails. He added trip insurance which I don't need. I'm also assuming I will have to contact him for the final payment and how will that work if he isn't responding? It's a shame that a few bad apples are pushing consumers to book directly with the cruise lines. I was in corporate travel many moons ago and client service was everything. 

[beachbell]

2 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Royals official policy is that anyone under 21 unless married or in the military must be directly beside or directly across the hall from an adult. (North American sailings)

 

I don't know what to tell you. I haven't run into this issue so far.

[Ourusualbeach]

1 minute ago, beachbell said:

That's exactly what I did. I just went down the google page and called agencies until I found one with group space. 

 

So far the agent won't release my booking but won't answer my phone calls or emails. He added trip insurance which I don't need. I'm also assuming I will have to contact him for the final payment and how will that work if he isn't responding? It's a shame that a few bad apples are pushing consumers to book directly with the cruise lines. I was in corporate travel many moons ago and client service was everything. 

Sorry you are having to through this....yep, a few bad apples....