Travel agent canceled my daughter's cruise

[Ourusualbeach]

Just now, beachbell said:

 

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

I have heard of exceptions made but it is rare.  Possibly because your daughter is 20

[beachbell]

3 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

I have heard of exceptions made but it is rare.  Possibly because your daughter is 20

 

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.

[DirtyDawg]

So, now that the OP has a cabin for her daughter (we hope) , what is the 'moral of this story'?

Never use a TA? 

Or, never have kids? 

😊

[Ourusualbeach]

4 minutes 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.

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

[beachbell]

25 minutes 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

So do you suggest not bothering to switch my husband to her cabin?

[Ourusualbeach]

7 minutes ago, beachbell said:

So do you suggest not bothering to switch my husband to her cabin?

If you have already put in the fake persons name even if you move your husband to her cabin you still have to keep the fake person as one of the original names must remain on the reservation

[molly361]

44 minutes ago, DirtyDawg said:

So, now that the OP has a cabin for her daughter (we hope) , what is the 'moral of this story'?

Never use a TA? 

Or, never have kids? 

😊

Second one😇

[beachbell]

16 minutes ago, molly361 said:

Second one😇

For some of us...probably most of us...too late for this advice.

[beachbell]

24 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

If you have already put in the fake persons name even if you move your husband to her cabin you still have to keep the fake person as one of the original names must remain on the reservation

.

🙄 all these rules... will keep my new fake relative Sue on the reservation. Thank you for the great info and advice!

[Another_Critic]

26 minutes ago, beachbell said:

.

🙄 all these rules... will keep my new fake relative Sue on the reservation. Thank you for the great info and advice!

Don't be surprised when your daughter opens the cabin door and your TA's friend Sue is taking a nap.  😉 

[not-enough-cruising]

6 hours ago, Palmetto Pilot said:

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. 

 

5 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 . 

 

3 hours ago, Ashland said:

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.

Yet there are posts on here weekly Tour "Royal cancelled my cruise" Eliminating the TA in the equation, far from eliminates the possibility of a problem.

[beachbell]

10 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

Don't be surprised when your daughter opens the cabin door and your TA's friend Sue is taking a nap.  😉 

Lol, I'll hope Sue is at least a fun 50 year old.

[DMWT Cruiser]

58 minutes ago, beachbell said:

.

🙄 all these rules... will keep my new fake relative Sue on the reservation. Thank you for the great info and advice!

A word of caution...what happens when the over 21 yoa "passenger" is a no-show? Will RCL deny boarding of your daughter?

 

I don't know the answer but you may want to mull over your options, wouldn't want you to run into any trouble at the pier...

[FTLCruiseGal]

2 hours 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. 

I could be wrong, but doesn’t Royal require insurance, which includes Covid, in order to sail?

[beachbell]

I don't think they do but even if they did, I wouldn't have to get it through the travel agent. I am planning on adding insurance after I make final payment. We are about 2 hours driving distance from the port and Royal will refund our money if anyone tests positive for COVID either way.  I will purchase insurance primarily for the medical aspect of it such as one of us needing medical attention. 

[beachbell]

14 minutes ago, DMWT Cruiser said:

A word of caution...what happens when the over 21 yoa "passenger" is a no-show? Will RCL deny boarding of your daughter?

 

I don't know the answer but you may want to mull over your options, wouldn't want you to run into any trouble at the pier...

I will just have them put my husband in her cabin and move her to one of our connecting cabins.

[Mom*3]

24 minutes ago, DMWT Cruiser said:

A word of caution...what happens when the over 21 yoa "passenger" is a no-show? Will RCL deny boarding of your daughter?

 

We had this situation occur before. Two of my children were booked in the same room. One was 23 at the time, one was 20. The older one was not able to cruise, we left them as a "No Show". The stateroom attendant didn"t even ask until a few days into the cruise.

[ustasmom]

25 minutes ago, DMWT Cruiser said:

A word of caution...what happens when the over 21 yoa "passenger" is a no-show? Will RCL deny boarding of your daughter?

 

I don't know the answer but you may want to mull over your options, wouldn't want you to run into any trouble at the pier...

 

The reservations have to be linked because someone 21 or older must check in.

 

I have a B2B2B. The outer pieces are two solo cabins with my 14 year old next door to me. These happen to be connecting. They were not on the last cruise which tended to be a pain going back and forth. My middle piece is only one cabin. Across the hall was not an option. Next door or connecting, that is it.

 

I got the Royal Up offer on all three of the sailings. She did not receive any offers. But since I cannot possibly get the upgrade and leave her behind or upgrade her as well but not next door, I do believe that they will deny her boarding. The people at check-in don't work for the cruise line. They just about had a cow as it was with my 14 year old having her own cabin. 

[beachbell]

2 minutes ago, ustasmom said:

 

The reservations have to be linked because someone 21 or older must check in.

 

I have a B2B2B. The outer pieces are two solo cabins with my 14 year old next door to me. These happen to be connecting. They were not on the last cruise which tended to be a pain going back and forth. My middle piece is only one cabin. Across the hall was not an option. Next door or connecting, that is it.

 

I got the Royal Up offer on all three of the sailings. She did not receive any offers. But since I cannot possibly get the upgrade and leave her behind or upgrade her as well but not next door, I do believe that they will deny her boarding. The people at check-in don't work for the cruise line. They just about had a cow as it was with my 14 year old having her own cabin. 

We have a placeholder over 21 person in her cabin.  As Mom*3 stated, this would be a no show situation. Regardless, I would try to get this worked out before hand anyway by having my husbands name put into her cabin and having her name on the cabin connecting to mine.

[Ourusualbeach]

1 hour ago, FTLCruiseGal said:

I could be wrong, but doesn’t Royal require insurance, which includes Covid, in order to sail?

Only if you are not vaccinated

[Ourusualbeach]

40 minutes ago, ustasmom said:

Across the hall was not an option.

I have put children directly across the hall from their parents many times.  Not all Royal reps are fully aware of their own policies.

[JFontaine]

2 hours ago, beachbell said:

We have a placeholder over 21 person in her cabin.  As Mom*3 stated, this would be a no show situation. Regardless, I would try to get this worked out before hand anyway by having my husbands name put into her cabin and having her name on the cabin connecting to mine.

I wouldn't move your daughter. If you create a triple it will cost you more.  If you do anything just put one parent in with her. If it were me, I'd leave it as is, and if anyone says anything when you check in, do the parent swap then.  

[beachbell]

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. 

[ONECRUISER]

4 hours ago, molly361 said:

Second one😇

Though w/o Kids wouldn't have my Grand Daughters to spoil and treat better then ever did my Kids

[Ocean Boy]

9 hours ago, DMWT Cruiser said:

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.  🙂

 

Apologize for what?