Royal Caribbean Stalling Future Cruise Credits

[Abracadebra1]

Royal Caribbean has touted its Cruise with Confidence program assuring passengers of various scenarios such as canceling and getting the best price guarantee. On December 27, 2021, I noticed our cruise fare leaving from Rome in May had been reduced by $1,630! Wow, was I excited and the RC customer service rep was in disbelief but there it was in black and white. Instead of posting an onboard credit due to the large amount, she began the issuance of two Future Cruise Credits, one for my husband in the amount of $815 and one for me of the same amount. She said to wait two weeks before they were funded. In two weeks, I called to redeem and was provided with the cruise credit numbers but told to wait another two weeks. Two weeks go by, and another and another. Today is March 14th and no future cruise credits have been credited. In the meantime, I booked another cruise with the "Cruise with Confidence" idea that the credits would help pay for it. The deadline is March 31st to use FCCs so you can see where this is going.

 

 

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[Biker19]

16 hours ago, Abracadebra1 said:

The deadline is March 31st to use FCCs so you can see where this is going.

The advice has been, since March 2020, to NOT take the FCC whenever possible.

[molly361]

16 hours ago, Abracadebra1 said:

Royal Caribbean has touted its Cruise with Confidence program assuring passengers of various scenarios such as canceling and getting the best price guarantee. On December 27, 2021, I noticed our cruise fare leaving from Rome in May had been reduced by $1,630! Wow, was I excited and the RC customer service rep was in disbelief but there it was in black and white. Instead of posting an onboard credit due to the large amount, she began the issuance of two Future Cruise Credits, one for my husband in the amount of $815 and one for me of the same amount. She said to wait two weeks before they were funded. In two weeks, I called to redeem and was provided with the cruise credit numbers but told to wait another two weeks. Two weeks go by, and another and another. Today is March 14th and no future cruise credits have been credited. In the meantime, I booked another cruise with the "Cruise with Confidence" idea that the credits would help pay for it. The deadline is March 31st to use FCCs so you can see where this is going.

 

 

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You were before final payment.  Not following why you got a FCC.  If you had paid in full you should have gotten a refund

[not-enough-cruising]

I would have never let the CS rep talk me into a FCC, sorry you are having to deal with this. 

[nelblu]

I thought there was an extension to book by May 31 with sailing by December 31, 2022.

 

Am I imagining this?

[Joseph2017China]

A few unanswered questions.  Was this paid in full 6 months prior, or was it not yet paid for?  If not paid for, the price would have just been reduced.  If paid for, why wouldn't you take your refund?  OBC is not issued that far out, just refunds.  OBC is just within final payment window, which was reduced to 30 days, but in worst case, 90 days.    I don't understand the FCC part and why you wouldn't take the cash if you did not have a cruise booked yet

 

[molly361]

8 minutes ago, Joseph2017China said:

A few unanswered questions.  Was this paid in full 6 months prior, or was it not yet paid for?  If not paid for, the price would have just been reduced.  If paid for, why wouldn't you take your refund?  OBC is not issued that far out, just refunds.  OBC is just within final payment window, which was reduced to 30 days, but in worst case, 90 days.    I don't understand the FCC part and why you wouldn't take the cash if you did not have a cruise booked yet

 

I don't get that either.  Price drop in December for a May cruise they must have paid it in full.  And then gotten a refund

[Abracadebra1]

Yes, this cruise was totally paid in full, but a refund wasn't offered. You wouldn't believe how those guys are cooking the books.

 

[Abracadebra1]

8 hours ago, Biker19 said:

The advice has been, since March 2020, to NOT take the FCC whenever possible.

I wish I'd been given the same advice. Now we're approaching our long-awaited May cruise with less enthusiasm not to mention how we can possibly look forward to the second cruise with this feeling of buyer's remorse?!!! If only RC would make things right with OUR money.

[Sunshine3601]

57 minutes ago, Abracadebra1 said:

Yes, this cruise was totally paid in full, but a refund wasn't offered. You wouldn't believe how those guys are cooking the books.

 

Email mbayley@rccl.com and ask for either a refund of your reprice or immediate issue of the fcc so you can apply as needed.

also curious why the fcc  would expire March 31st??

[MommaBear55]

I called them after 7 weeks and made them issue them on the spot, as I had a final payment coming up and wanted to use the credits for that.  It was an excruciating process, but it worked. 

[MiniChunks]

9 hours ago, MommaBear55 said:

I called them after 7 weeks and made them issue them on the spot, as I had a final payment coming up and wanted to use the credits for that.  It was an excruciating process, but it worked. 

 

12 hours ago, Abracadebra1 said:

I wish I'd been given the same advice. Now we're approaching our long-awaited May cruise with less enthusiasm not to mention how we can possibly look forward to the second cruise with this feeling of buyer's remorse?!!! If only RC would make things right with OUR money.

 

I did the same as @MommaBear55. Called and demanded(nicely) that they handle the issue immediately. I was over 2 months out from cancelling and had a final payment approaching that I wanted to use the FCC on. Be persistent. 

[Ozark_Kid]

2 hours ago, MiniChunks said:

 

 

I did the same as @MommaBear55. Called and demanded(nicely) that they handle the issue immediately. I was over 2 months out from cancelling and had a final payment approaching that I wanted to use the FCC on. Be persistent. 

We called too. Was on the phone for a very long time but finally got it applied to our cruise that was approaching.  

[Kawena]

Writing OFF RC after many years with them.  In 2019 I was on a cruise where a main water pipe burst causing flooding in my cabin.  No other available cabins so a few days with soaked carpet, towels and fans we made it thru.  With apologies I was granted an FCC with 1 year expiration.  In 2020 I booked another cruise using my FCC that RC later canceled for "redeployment" attributing it to the pandemic.  I had to FIGHT to get my FCC restored and was told my cust svc via resolutions that it was reinstated and would have no expiration.  Made sense since no one knew when the pandemic would be over.  Ok, so 2 days ago I went to book a cruise for April and there was no record of my FCC.  After 70 minutes on hold to resolutions and another hour explaining the situation and providing RC names and dates of the no expiration conversation I was told that the credits were good for one year and are expiring 12/31/22 and is there any way I can use them before that?!!  No more with RC when you can't trust what they tell you, when they tell you and who tells you this which I clearly recorded in my notes. Complete disregard for customer care and speaks volumes on their veracity.  Many other options out there!

[firefly333]

22 minutes ago, Kawena said:

Writing OFF RC after many years with them.  In 2019 I was on a cruise where a main water pipe burst causing flooding in my cabin.  No other available cabins so a few days with soaked carpet, towels and fans we made it thru.  With apologies I was granted an FCC with 1 year expiration.  In 2020 I booked another cruise using my FCC that RC later canceled for "redeployment" attributing it to the pandemic.  I had to FIGHT to get my FCC restored and was told my cust svc via resolutions that it was reinstated and would have no expiration.  Made sense since no one knew when the pandemic would be over.  Ok, so 2 days ago I went to book a cruise for April and there was no record of my FCC.  After 70 minutes on hold to resolutions and another hour explaining the situation and providing RC names and dates of the no expiration conversation I was told that the credits were good for one year and are expiring 12/31/22 and is there any way I can use them before that?!!  No more with RC when you can't trust what they tell you, when they tell you and who tells you this which I clearly recorded in my notes. Complete disregard for customer care and speaks volumes on their veracity.  Many other options out there!

So you have nothing in writing saying no expiration date. They have pushed them forward to end this dec. Use it or lose it unless you have something in writing, not just what someone said 2 years ago when cruises were shut down.

 

Helps to have a good ta who would have kept you up to date on expiration dates. 

 

Anything they cancelled I had the option to take a refund or 125%. I took one fcc, then the rest refunds. Yes that was said on here over and over, safer to take the refund. Biker was like a broken record, take the cash. 

[Biker19]

44 minutes ago, Kawena said:

Writing OFF RC after many years with them. 

Welcome to CC and a very long lurk period. You are right that getting a competent, knowledgeable and correctly answering CSR is difficult. The answer to that is to call back, perhaps more than once or as @matj2000 would point out, use a TA and don't talk to RCI.