Has this happened to anyone before??

[rimmit]

So completely unrelated to the debacle my friend had in my other topic so I thought I’d start a separate thread.

 

So we board today and go to the area where our cabin was that we booked.  I did not look at the cabin number, but we went to deck 8 FWD where we booked conmecting inside staterooms.  I cannot find the cabin number that is on the card anywhere.  We look and look and go to cabin finder and it directs us to 8 AFT along the wall which are balcony cabins. We assume we got an upgrade for free and were not informed.  We get to the cabins, and they are CONNECTING BUT NOT TO EACH OTHER!!!  They connected to the cabins on either side but not in the middle.  We have two younger kids and are “like this is not gonna work.”

 

We go to the guest services and they say we can’t do anything until 6 PM. So we spent all day as normal, and go back after dinner at 7:15. They state that they still can’t do anything until they get done dishing out the upgrades that people have requested.  

At this point it is like 830 at night as we have soent an hour and 15 minutes arguing with them and they are telling us that they have to upgrade everyone before they can find us a room. We are like, we need a room first before you start upgrading people we need connecting state rooms which is what we paid for and what we booked.  Our kids are going to bed in an hour and you need to find us a room.  They keep telling us that there are none left. I was “Like this boat sailing 2000 under capacity, I find it hard to believe you don’t have two connecting state

rooms.”  (Also for the record, I went on An OTA, and went through every stateroom category to see just how many empty cabins there are before we left and there were a ton of connecting balcony state rooms.  They were out of insides.)

 

She keeps going to talk to her supervisor who keeps telling us that there’s nothing they can do. “I told her this is completely not acceptable given that we paid for a connecting state room and that is what we should have.  I dont think it’s fair for you to wait for when your upgrades are done before you take care of the passengers who have paid for a cabin.”  

Finally, she keeps typing into the computer, goes behind the wall one more time comes back,  and says we may have something.  Let me check.   30 minutes later she finally gets us two connecting balcony staterooms 30 doors down from the other ones.  Not sure what they were doing or if they were earmarking those cabins for an upgrade for someone in an inside or oceanview, but before they do that we needed a room to sleep in.  

 

I thought RCI’s computers know which ones connect to each other.  I know when I book they sure do.  While we appreciated the gesture, upgrading us to non connecting staterooms is a downgrade for our family and most families that booked a connecting stateroom.

 

 

Edited April 4, 2022 by rimmit

[SRF]

You say you PAID for connecting cabins.  Did you actually pay extra for connecting cabins?

 

But I agree, they should have fixed your cabins before doing upgrades, especially since it seems they upgraded you

[Sunshine3601]

You are very lucky you were upgraded from interior to balcony cabins without having to pay the difference or even ask for the upgrade.

did you book direct with royal or with a TA?

 

[MiniChunks]

What were the original cabin numbers you were assigned? 

[puppycanducruise]

Glad you got it resolved.

[gmros]

33 minutes ago, SRF said:

You say you PAID for connecting cabins.  Did you actually pay extra for connecting cabins?

 

But I agree, they should have fixed your cabins before doing upgrades, especially since it seems they upgraded you

When I was booking our upcoming cruise, connecting cabins cost more.

[SRF]

Interesting.

 

As most people DON'T want them, unless it is family that is connecting. 🙂

 

Hmm, but the OP had booked interior and was upgraded to balcony (2 steps), so they got cabins that would have cost a lot more than the connecting fee.

 

And I wonder if the wait for upgrades to be processed was to free up two connecting interior cabins for them, which is what they booked.

[firefly333]

44 minutes ago, gmros said:

When I was booking our upcoming cruise, connecting cabins cost more.

This very much varys, especially by category. Most promenade cabins are connecting, the majority... so the non connecting 90% of the time ive looked cost extra. Supply and demand.

[mjkacmom]

44 minutes ago, SRF said:

Interesting.

 

As most people DON'T want them, unless it is family that is connecting. 🙂

 

Hmm, but the OP had booked interior and was upgraded to balcony (2 steps), so they got cabins that would have cost a lot more than the connecting fee.

 

And I wonder if the wait for upgrades to be processed was to free up two connecting interior cabins for them, which is what they booked.

As a parent who has cruised with young kids, I’d rather have connecting interiors than non connecting balconies. We once booked a 2 bedroom suite for our family of 7 at a hotel, when we got there they gave us 2 one bedroom suites, and said they wouldn’t charge us extra even though 2 one bedrooms cost more than 1 two bedroom. Five young kids, we only ended up paying for 1 one bedroom.

[Jasukkie]

I don't blame you for being frustrated. The whole point is to be connecting together. Dealing with that is no way to start a vacation.

[JessyCruises]

Wow you guys have had a heck of a few days.  I hope the rest of the vacation is more relaxing for you!!

Edited April 4, 2022 by JessyCruises

[SRF]

Not disagreeing.

 

But I was thinking out loud that why there was a wait was to deal with people PAYING for an upgrade, and possibly moving them back down an OV or interior to get connecting.

[pstone1]

The OP did not ask for an upgrade and should have been given the connecting cabins they booked and paid for.  

[Cigar King]

1 hour ago, gmros said:

When I was booking our upcoming cruise, connecting cabins cost more.

I just booked some on Oasis.  They were the same price.  (I also booked some non-connecting)  Balcony cabins if that matters.

[planeprincess]

We also booked connecting on Oasis and they were more expensive than non connecting.

[Cigar King]

Balcony cabins?

 

[gmros]

7 minutes ago, Cigar King said:

Balcony cabins?

 

Yes, it was balcony.

[Peak city]

Curious -

Did RCCL or your TA send you  any notification of the change?

Did you not see the different cabin numbers on your set sail passes? (Knowing that many folks were having their rooms changed prior to sailing, I was checking our account every day.)

[ONECRUISER]

1 hour ago, pstone1 said:

The OP did not ask for an upgrade and should have been given the connecting cabins they booked and paid for.  

Use to  have option on Royal Site to click for no Upgrades/Cabin changes. I always use to click that as never want change from my Fav Cabin, not to mention dont like change cabins middle of B2B's

[Cigar King]

1 hour ago, gmros said:

Yes, it was balcony

Interesting.  I bought three balcony cabins.  Two connecting, one not.  All three were the same price.  Bought on board if that makes a difference.

[pstone1]

1 hour ago, ONECRUISER said:

Use to  have option on Royal Site to click for no Upgrades/Cabin changes. I always use to click that as never want change from my Fav Cabin, not to mention dont like change cabins middle of B2B's

Now that you mention it, I do remember that!  I think it was in our C&A profile.  We also had “no” for the same reasons.

[Biker19]

55 minutes ago, Cigar King said:

Interesting.  I bought three balcony cabins.  Two connecting, one not.  All three were the same price.  Bought on board if that makes a difference.

Having a different price for connecting is a recent change (since the restart), but having connecting and non-connecting being the same price could still happen - booking on board won't make a diff.

Edited April 4, 2022 by Biker19

[flamingos]

What a long, strange trip this has been for you!  I'm glad it worked out, but it seems bizarre that they could not find connecting interior cabins until after all the upgrades.  Their system needs improvement.  

 

Also, this is why I never bother Guest Services on the first day, because they seem to have quite enough to do. 

[Cigar King]

1 hour ago, Biker19 said:

Having a different price for connecting is a recent change (since the restart)

I think the horse is dead, but, just in case, I just booked these rooms in March.

[ONECRUISER]

2 hours ago, Cigar King said:

Interesting.  I bought three balcony cabins.  Two connecting, one not.  All three were the same price.  Bought on board if that makes a difference.

Yeah there is no set 100%. At times Connecting is higher, others no difference at all with Standard Balcony and Cruises I Book most time it is listed Cheaper then non-Connecting Superior Balcony