Travel agent canceled my daughter's cruise

[Coralc]

39 minutes ago, beachbell said:

Thanks for your advice JFontaine. I was just going swap my husbands space in one of our connecting cabins with my daughter. We have 3 cabins booked on this cruise but only 5 people going. There were no triples available so I had to get my daughter her own cabin. Being that she is 20, I was made aware by a cruisecritic member that it's against Royal policy since she is in a guarantee cabin and will not be near our 2 connecting cabins that she may not be allowed to board. I was going to do what you suggested and just wait to see if it's an issue at the port. If it turned out to be a problem, I was just going to, as you suggested, swap my husband to her cabin and put her in the connecting cabin. However, someone else said that the people working at the port are not RCCL employees and may not be able to do that.  I will update on this board as to what transpires so that it might guide some others in similar predicaments. 

With the issues that you have already had, I don't think I would move anyone around anywhere. 

 

Just check in with your daughter, and tell them "Aunt Sue" will be along later.  She is 20 years old, for Pete's sake. 

 

The cancellation has apparently been resolved. I would just leave it all alone at this point. But that is just me. You have 3 cabins, the family is all onboard. You have an obnoxious TA that you won't use ever again. Have a nice Christmas cruise. 

Edited November 10, 2021 by Coralc

[beachbell]

 

1 minute ago, Ocean Boy said:

Apologize for what?

 

I wasn't quite sure what I had to apologize for either. The travel agent finally got back to me at 5:30 pm.

This is after my daughter sent the resolution desk, tied to his agency, an email requesting that the booking be transferred to Royal Caribbean (this is what the resolution desk told me had to be done as they can't transfer the booking to another agent). The email was just asking me for final payment, which is not do for 3 weeks. I emailed him back explaining that by him not even acknowledging canceling my daughters cruise and having me spend hours on the phone with his agency's resolutions desk and Royals resolution desk make me really uncomfortable working with him. I told him that he needs to reassure me that my daughter's reservation is safe from another cancelation and that if I need anything done to the reservation, which looks like I do, that he is willing to work with me in a respectful manner. I have gotten no response yet. I feel really jaded from this whole experience and just want everything to fall into place so I can just start looking forward to our cruise.

 

[beachbell]

7 minutes ago, Coralc said:

With the issues that you have already had, I don't think I would move anyone around anywhere. 

 

Just check in with your daughter, and tell them "Aunt Sue" will be along later.  She is 20 years old, for Pete's sake. 

I know! Seriously! The crazy thing is Royal's policy states the age restriction is waved for underage married couples. I guess she needs an underage husband by her side to keep her...what... behaved? subdued? safe? 🤣

[marktwothousand]

An agent is supposed to repazent your interests to the tour operator. If you don’t use an agent, You’re giving up your right to be repazented. 

[Ocean Boy]

14 minutes ago, marktwothousand said:

An agent is supposed to repazent your interests to the tour operator. If you don’t use an agent, You’re giving up your right to be repazented. 

No, you are retaining the right to represent yourself.

[marktwothousand]

3 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

No, you are retaining the right to represent yourself.

We’re saying the same thing brotha. What I mean is that once you book direct, you can’t hire a third-party to repazent, yo… unless y’all gonna be transferrin’ dat reso bro. And some terms and conditions usually apply to reso transfers buddy 

[Iamcruzin]

53 minutes ago, marktwothousand said:

We’re saying the same thing brotha. What I mean is that once you book direct, you can’t hire a third-party to repazent, yo… unless y’all gonna be transferrin’ dat reso bro. And some terms and conditions usually apply to reso transfers buddy 

Are you really from Toronto because you have Brooklyn/Bronx accent.

[marktwothousand]

4 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

Are you really from Toronto because you have Brooklyn/Bronx accent.

There’s something about when I start using the word “repazent” that transforms my vocabulary and accent into something right outta da hood lol. 

[volk904]

1 hour ago, beachbell said:

 

 

I wasn't quite sure what I had to apologize for either. The travel agent finally got back to me at 5:30 pm.

This is after my daughter sent the resolution desk, tied to his agency, an email requesting that the booking be transferred to Royal Caribbean (this is what the resolution desk told me had to be done as they can't transfer the booking to another agent). The email was just asking me for final payment, which is not do for 3 weeks. I emailed him back explaining that by him not even acknowledging canceling my daughters cruise and having me spend hours on the phone with his agency's resolutions desk and Royals resolution desk make me really uncomfortable working with him. I told him that he needs to reassure me that my daughter's reservation is safe from another cancelation and that if I need anything done to the reservation, which looks like I do, that he is willing to work with me in a respectful manner. I have gotten no response yet. I feel really jaded from this whole experience and just want everything to fall into place so I can just start looking forward to our cruise.

 

 

[volk904]

Your original post said Holiday cruise so I assume this year.  How is your final payment not due for several more weeks?  My final payments have been due over 60 days out.   
 

I know you wanted a balcony for your daughter but outside window cabins are not that bad. Be happy you got a cabin. 
Hope you get it worked out.  

[brillohead]

1 hour ago, volk904 said:

Your original post said Holiday cruise so I assume this year.  How is your final payment not due for several more weeks?  My final payments have been due over 60 days out.

RCI has changed Final Payment to 30 days for the time being, due to COVID cancellations.

[crazyank]

11 hours ago, beachbell said:

 

I just went onto Royal's website and did read their policy. I just pulled up my daughter's reservation and the agent put a fake person as a place holder for her in case she brings a friend. He put the placeholders age as 50. I booked her cabin with a big cruise agency. After speaking with this agency's resolutions desk and trying to get my booking moved to another agent, they are telling me they can't do that because this agent is a franchise holder. I had and really have no idea how this would affect my booking as I called the phone number on the website, not this guys agency. If this travel agent is a franchise holder, shouldn't he know that my daughter can't sail as a 20 year in a cabin not next to me? This just gets crazier as the day goes on! Thank you for catching this Oursusualbeach! Luckily our other 2 cabins are connecting so I can put my daughter in there and move my husband to her cabin. The problem lies in I have travel agent who won't work with me to make the changes because he won't return my phone calls or emails.

contact RCL immediately,  tell them the problems you are having with the TA and request that they take over the booking.  They will do so.  We've done this twice when we had problems with a TA, RCL was very cooperative both times.

[DMWT Cruiser]

8 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

Apologize for what?

I wasn't suggesting that OP did anything to apologize for...but if the other party in a relationship (business or otherwise) acts in a manner such as described by the OP, sometimes simply starting a dialog by saying "hey, if I've done something to offend you, I apologize" can calm the situation and get things back on track.  It signals that you are a reasonable person and interested in moving forward to a resolution.

 

I've taken that step a time or two where the other party is being difficult for some unexplained/unknown reason, and my "apology" has often been met with something like "no, not at all, I'm just having a rough week/bad day/difficult time...I'm sorry....let me get this worked out for you..."  We don't always know what is going on with the other party.  One time, the person's mother had passed away the day before and their employer would not let them have time off except for the actual funeral.  My "apology" opened the door for them to express why they had been difficult/rude/unreasonable, they apologized, I empathized and expressed my sincere condolences for their loss and by the end of the conversation the problem was resolved in a more than satisfactory manner, in fact, much better than I would have hoped for.  My willingness to apologize and listen let them turn what had been a very negative customer service experience into one that was very positive.

 

OP had a time-sensitive problem that needed to be quickly fixed and likely by the person she had been dealing with.  My personal approach is to do what is required to get things smoothed out and the problem fixed.  If it is still necessary and appropriate, the complaint about the conduct of the other party and any appropriate consequences can come later.  Of course, this approach may not result in a satisfactory resolution all the time in which case the matter can be escalated right away.

 

Hope that helps you understand where I was coming from...

[beachbell]

I completely understand what you are saying DMWT Cruiser. My husband and I run a small business that survives on providing the ultimate in customer service and much of our clients are repeat. I did state in my last email to the agent that everyone is entitled to a bad day but that I need reassurance that this will not happen again. He however, did not even acknowledge that he canceled the cruise and the mayhem this caused me and my family. I told him that I am not ready to make final payment as it is not do and that the reservation still needs some work. I asked him if he is willing to work with me in a trustworthy and respectful manner as the reservation still needs some work (name change). He has not answered as of this morning.

 

[Ocean Boy]

How does an agent, someone working on behalf of a client, unilaterally cancel a cruise unless the client violated a provision of the contract? I don't care what sort if bad day he/she was having. Something does not smell right here.

[Merion_Mom]

3 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

How does an agent, someone working on behalf of a client, unilaterally cancel a cruise unless the client violated a provision of the contract? I don't care what sort if bad day he/she was having. Something does not smell right here.

 

By only reading this thread, I smell the odor of incompetence.

[csnarpy]

If you can get some sort of help from the TA, you should just put your husband in your daughters room now and put Fake Sue in your room. (I mean on the bookings). There will be no hassle while checking in when Sue doesn’t show. When you get on board, just go to Guest Services and have them switch your husband back to your room. 
 

We have done this a few times without problems.

 

 

 

Edited November 10, 2021 by csnarpy

[beachbell]

I have a feeling that this travel agent, an older gentleman (by his picture in his email), whom owns his own franchise (as said by the resolution desk), dealt with what COVID did to the travel industry (many industries), and has maybe just had enough. He quoted me a balcony gty but booked an oceanview gty. When I received the invoice, I immediately emailed and called him. I'm assuming instead of dealing with his mistake, it was easier for him to wash his hands of this booking and cancel it. 

 

[SRF]

Could you call the agency again, for a different phone, get a different agent, and book what you need, then cancel the current reservation?

[beachbell]

17 minutes ago, csnarpy said:

If you can get some sort of help from the TA, you should just put your husband in your daughters room now and put Fake Sue in your room. (I mean on the bookings). There will be no hassle while checking in when Sue doesn’t show. When you get on board, just go to Guest Services and have them switch your husband back to your room. 
 

We have done this a few times without problems.

 

 

 

Hmmm...don't know why I didn't think of that. Thanks csnarpy! These boards are really an invaluable tool when booking cruises!

[beachbell]

4 minutes ago, SRF said:

Could you call the agency again, for a different phone, get a different agent, and book what you need, then cancel the current reservation?

Wish I could and would have done that but the cruise is sold out. I had to call multiple agencies to find the ones that still had some group space rooms held on board.

[HxFx]

19 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Good call on putting in the fake person.  It wouldnt change the price other than the port fees and taxes which would be refunded anyway with a no show.  Once on board the ship staff really don't care

Don't you have to input the passenger's passport / identification information for the online check-in? I thought the information was run against some official database. Can you just put in fake information? Thanks!

[Another_Critic]

2 minutes ago, HxFx said:

Don't you have to input the passenger's passport / identification information for the online check-in? I thought the information was run against some official database. Can you just put in fake information? Thanks!

I don't think it's mandatory that you check in prior to arrival at the pier.

[beachbell]

2 minutes ago, 1stin71 said:

There ALWAYS is 2 sides to a story. 😲😲😲

At least 2 sides to a story. In this case it's the side of the wronged party and the side of the one doing the wrongdoing.  But thanks for your helpful comment. 

[Ourusualbeach]

19 minutes ago, HxFx said:

Don't you have to input the passenger's passport / identification information for the online check-in? I thought the information was run against some official database. Can you just put in fake information? Thanks!

Not really fake.  Real person, just not traveling