RCL refunded (Alaska) excursion with no explanation

[CatLadyFemme]

I just got an email from RCL saying they are refunding a Juneau excursion (Mendenhall Glacier and Salmon Hatchery your), with no explanation as to why. Has anyone else had this happen as of late? Any idea why? (With all the drama in so many facets of the world, I am a little anxious this doesn’t bode well for this trip actually happening, but am hoping that’s just my anxiety).

 

[aka303]

Just happened to me, too, for the same excursion! (I'm on the June 27 sailing out of Seattle btw.) A couple days ago, they cancelled and refunded another excursion I had in Icy Strait Point. I booked different excursions for both ports without issue. My sense (hope?) is they are finalizing the contracts with the vendors since they're getting closer to departure date, because if they were going to cancel the cruise or change the itinerary, I can't imagine they'd still be selling other excursions in the same ports. But I guess we'll see!

[Lane Hog]

I mentioned this in the Carnival forum the other day -- just like everywhere else in the US, excursion operators are having trouble being fully staffed, so it's possible they canceled because they couldn't staff the excursion.  Or, it didn't meet the minimum needed to operate.  For a cruise in June, I'll bet on staffing shortages.

On our RCL cruise last week, we were told after boarding that our Day 2 excursion canceled, but that was in Belize, not Alaska... possibly for the same issue of staffing availability.

Edited March 11, 2022 by Lane Hog

[CatLadyFemme]

19 minutes ago, aka303 said:

Just happened to me, too, for the same excursion! (I'm on the June 27 sailing out of Seattle btw.) A couple days ago, they cancelled and refunded another excursion I had in Icy Strait Point. I booked different excursions for both ports without issue. My sense (hope?) is they are finalizing the contracts with the vendors since they're getting closer to departure date, because if they were going to cancel the cruise or change the itinerary, I can't imagine they'd still be selling other excursions in the same ports. But I guess we'll see!

Oh no! So sorry. There aren’t a ton of open items left on our August sailing that are fairly accessible, so we will probably just catch a cab and check out the Alaska State Museum on our own. Hope you have a lovely time!

[TigersFan1130]

Yes, same thing happened. I had booked Burro Creek Waterfall and Alaskan Crab Feast in Juneau in September was cancelled without explanation. 

[vistapat]

RCL canceled our booked excursion in Cabo San Lucas about a month ago, like you, without an explanation.  I started worrying that our cruise had been canceled, but we sail one week from today on Navigator.  That excursion has never come back on the Royal website, so I suspect that staffing issues are the problem.  I know the excursion went in December, because someone on the b--g mentioned taking it.  

 

The thing about Royal canceling without explanation is it gives rise to a lot of speculation about the cruise itself being canceled.  I think they need to be a little more forthcoming when they have to do something like this.

 

Pat

[Joseph2017China]

I'm never worried about a cruise being canceled because one excursion was canceled.  Excursion come in go, and it happens when the tour people say, sorry, we can't go this at this time and all the money goes back.  The things in Alaska is a side gig for many places.  They offer tours because it's easy money but it is not necessary their business.  So the hatchery said they can't handle tour, this week, or maybe a few weeks, because they need all hands on deck for a large fishing season and they were just shut down for two seasons. The reality is, that RCCL, may not actually know the reason because the contract, may not require a reason.  Or maybe the company does not want the reason to be disclosed because it can affect the future bookings in a negative way.  

[vistapat]

1 hour ago, Joseph2017China said:

I'm never worried about a cruise being canceled because one excursion was canceled.  Excursion come in go, and it happens when the tour people say, sorry, we can't go this at this time and all the money goes back.  The things in Alaska is a side gig for many places.  They offer tours because it's easy money but it is not necessary their business.  So the hatchery said they can't handle tour, this week, or maybe a few weeks, because they need all hands on deck for a large fishing season and they were just shut down for two seasons. The reality is, that RCCL, may not actually know the reason because the contract, may not require a reason.  Or maybe the company does not want the reason to be disclosed because it can affect the future bookings in a negative way.  

I absolutely agree with you that excursions come and go.  However, lately all of us are gun shy about cancellations, with good reason in some cases.  Until this uncertainty is all the way in the past, I still think more clarity would be good.

 

Pat

[twinmommy08]

What sailing? I booked this excursion on the 5/27 sailing and I haven’t been notified. 

[CatLadyFemme]

7 minutes ago, twinmommy08 said:

What sailing? I booked this excursion on the 5/27 sailing and I haven’t been notified. 

Looks like June 27th for someone else and an August sailing for me.

[vistapat]

We're on Quantum August 29, 2022, and many of the helicopter type excursions are showing sold out, which wasn't typical in the past.  I do believe that many cruise excursion operators are having the same problems finding staff that everyone else is.  I hope that by late summer the situation will be better and there will be more choices.  I surely don't want a trainee helicopter pilot!

 

Pat

[patty29]

We had two excursions cancelled.  One for Icy Point Strait in Alaska for Glacier Bay Flightseeing for May and another for Valencia, Spain for October.  So many excursions are sold out!

[DukeASUGirl]

On 3/10/2022 at 8:17 PM, CatLadyFemme said:

I just got an email from RCL saying they are refunding a Juneau excursion (Mendenhall Glacier and Salmon Hatchery your), with no explanation as to why. Has anyone else had this happen as of late? Any idea why? (With all the drama in so many facets of the world, I am a little anxious this doesn’t bode well for this trip actually happening, but am hoping that’s just my anxiety).

 

 

Very easy to get to Mendenhall Glacier on your own. Grab a cab, Uber, shuttle bus...no need to take a Royal excursion unless you're with unvaccinated kids. This is one excursion I'd never take through a cruise line.

[Joseph2017China]

On 3/11/2022 at 11:06 AM, vistapat said:

I absolutely agree with you that excursions come and go.  However, lately all of us are gun shy about cancellations, with good reason in some cases.  Until this uncertainty is all the way in the past, I still think more clarity would be good.

 

Pat

I'm not gun shy about booking an excursion and having it canceled.  The end result is the excursion is canceled, not the cruise, so I just find something else to do in that port.  Plus what uncertainity?  Cruises have been going on for quite some time now, and I have had 5 international trips in the last 2 years with very little issue.

[reallyitsmema]

1 minute ago, Joseph2017China said:

I'm not gun shy about booking an excursion and having it canceled.  The end result is the excursion is canceled, not the cruise, so I just find something else to do in that port.  Plus what uncertainity?  Cruises have been going on for quite some time now, and I have had 5 international trips in the last 2 years with very little issue.

 

Cruises have not been sailing to Canada, that is the uncertainty.  Canada just released their requirements and for ships sailing to Alaska roundtrip from Seattle, this requirement is going to be a challenge.  Most of those sailing don't visit Victoria until day 7, so everyone will need to be tested on the ship as our boarding covid tests will be too soon to fulfil the Canadian requirement.  The excursion cancellations started right after Canada released their guidelines, leading many of us to wonder if our itinerary is going to change and have us visit Victoria day 2.  If this happens, our other port times will have to be adjusted, making for a lot of last minute scrambling for excursions on an itinerary that historically sells out most excursions very early.

[mrsfecura]

1 hour ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

Cruises have not been sailing to Canada, that is the uncertainty.  Canada just released their requirements and for ships sailing to Alaska roundtrip from Seattle, this requirement is going to be a challenge.  Most of those sailing don't visit Victoria until day 7, so everyone will need to be tested on the ship as our boarding covid tests will be too soon to fulfil the Canadian requirement.  The excursion cancellations started right after Canada released their guidelines, leading many of us to wonder if our itinerary is going to change and have us visit Victoria day 2.  If this happens, our other port times will have to be adjusted, making for a lot of last minute scrambling for excursions on an itinerary that historically sells out most excursions very early.

This explanation makes the most sense of any I've seen.  Thank you.

[colesc15]

I noticed today Juneau isn't an option for excursions pm my ovation cruise I have booked for July, but it's still listed as a stop on the site for booking. Any ideas? 

[reallyitsmema]

1 minute ago, colesc15 said:

I noticed today Juneau isn't an option for excursions pm my ovation cruise I have booked for July, but it's still listed as a stop on the site for booking. Any ideas? 

 

Juneau excursions on our Quantum sailing are under the heading Endicott Arm since we do that first early morning and then Juneau in the afternoon.  I would check if that is how yours are too.

[colesc15]

12 minutes ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

Juneau excursions on our Quantum sailing are under the heading Endicott Arm since we do that first early morning and then Juneau in the afternoon.  I would check if that is how yours are too.

Just checked under Endicott and nothing for Juneau. So strange. 

[reallyitsmema]

5 minutes ago, colesc15 said:

Just checked under Endicott and nothing for Juneau. So strange. 

 

I just checked mine and I see Mendenhall Glacier, a helicopter excursion, whale watch and a bunch others.  They say Endicott Arm on them but they are really Juneau.  Their system can not deal with two separate names in one day.

Edited March 14, 2022 by reallyitsmema

[DCPIV]

Keep in mind that RCI may not have received an explanation, themselves, if the operator cancelled the excursion.  Even if you had received an explanation, it likely would be something very vague like "operational reasons" (which pretty much means that the operator cancelled it).  I've had shore excursion folks on board tell me that something was cancelled because of "lack of interest," but I've never actually seen that in an email.

 

As mentioned, it's very easy to go see the Mendenhall glacier on your own.  It's something of a shame about missing the hatchery, though.  The ones we've seen were interesting.