Who Knows How To Resolve This Problem? RC Can’t Or Won’t!

[RKHOOKER]

Summary:-

Oct 2019 - Booked B2B Med Cruises directly with RC.

May 2020 - RC cancel Med cruises & issue FCC’s.

Dec 2020 - My Friend organises a 60th birthday cruise for March 2022.  I use my FCC’s to reserve 2 cabins.  I give the FCC’s to my friends TA whom is organising the group booking.

Sept 2021 - RC cancels March 2022 cruise.

Oct 2021 - I contact TA & request to FCC’s to be transferred to my July 2022 cruises.  The TA claims unless I transfer the July 2022 cruises to her she can’t apply the FCC’s to them.  Hence, I request her to remove my FCC’s from the booking.  She advises, It’ll cost me $100 per FCC to do so.  I contact RC & they advise that because the group booking was cancelled by RC they’ll be able to access the booking to transfer the FCC’s after 45 days.

Dec 2021 - RC advise the group booking is locked & they can’t access my FCC’s, it may take them 2 weeks to gain access.

Jan 2022 - RC advise they are looking for a solution it may take another couple of weeks.

Feb 2022 - RC advise they are escalating the problem.

March 2022 - RC advise they are manually going to override the computer system & apply the FCC’s to my July 2022 cruise.

April 2022 - RC advise contractually they can’t access the group booking.  They emailed the TA & advised her to release the FCC’s.  At the same time I emailed the TA requesting the release of FCC’s.  I also emailed Michael Bayley & detailed what is going on & the scam that is unfolding.  Makenna Harris responded & claimed to be working on a resolution.  MH then advised that as the cruise is a group booking, legally RC have no way in transferring my FCC’s.  I reminded MH that RC has my cash & not the TA.  The FCC’s are owned by me & my wife & not the TA.  Legally RC has a contract with me & my wife.  The group booking was cancelled by RC back in September 2021 & the planned cruise date was the 18th March 2022.  So as of todays date the cruise doesn’t exist it never happened.  So where are my FCC’s!

I then contacted NSW Fair Trading & they advised me to get the following information so action can be taken:-

1. What is the group booking Reservation ID

2. What is the name of the ship

3. What is the sail date

4. What is the departure port

5. What cabins have been booked

Well… the silence is deafening from MH & RC.

Does anybody see the scam unfolding here?  I do!

Who knows how to resolve this problem?

 

[irishgal432]

Why can't rc void the fcc's and issue new ones?  No need to access anyones booking since the cruise is not happening.

[Biker19]

20 minutes ago, RKHOOKER said:

Who knows how to resolve this problem?

 

Always take a refund when RCI cancels a sailing, but for now, mbayley@rccl.com.

[Cigar King]

It looks like they have already connected him and are not getting the resolution they hope for.

[RKHOOKER]

3 hours ago, irishgal432 said:

Why can't rc void the fcc's and issue new ones?  No need to access anyones booking since the cruise is not happening.

I’ve offered RC easy solutions.

1. Cancel those FCC’s & issue new ones.  No, they can’t be cancelled.

2. Give me OBC to the value of my FCC’s. No, they’re currently tied up with a group booking & are active.

3. Just offer a discount on my cruise to the value of the FCC’s.  No, contractually & financially we can’t remove the FCC’s from the TA booking.

Can you see the scam????

 

[RKHOOKER]

3 hours ago, Cigar King said:

It looks like they have already connected him and are not getting the resolution they hope for.

Yes I’ve emailed Mr Bayley & RC are claiming, that there is no way they can resolve this problem.  It’s very interesting since I paid RC direct.  It’s almost like they have some how paid out the TA the value of my FCC’s.  

Can you see the scam????

 

Once (IF THEY EVER) RC confirm all the details about the so called cruise my FCC’s are attached too, I’ll be in a better position to take legal action against RC & or the TA.  In the meantime I’m waiting & waiting & waiting.  I feel RC & the TA are looking for a solution whereby they don’t expose themselves to the scam.  It seems I’ve backed them both into a corner & they’re stuck with no way out.

[gadaboutgal]

I think the scam is with the TA.  Sounds like she wants the new booking and is going to hold you up until you give it to her. And you asked her to cancel the booking with her and then she will be charging $100 for each fcc?  

[smplybcause]

My shot in the dark is maybe it has to do with commissions? I know they were protecting commissions in the beginning of covid but I have no idea if it was tied to FCCs. In other words having to pay back or not get commissions if you use it with someone else.

[alfaeric]

7 hours ago, gadaboutgal said:

I think the scam is with the TA.  Sounds like she wants the new booking and is going to hold you up until you give it to her. And you asked her to cancel the booking with her and then she will be charging $100 for each fcc?  

That's exactly what I see, too.  The TA should have given the FCC back to you once the cruise was canceled.  But didn't.  And then held them hostage so that they get future business.  

 

That's the scam I see.

 

And RCI doesn't want to get involved with a TA dispute as it would remove a TA from their customer base.  Which is what would happen with any of the 3 options.

[twangster]

Group bookings are a nightmare when FCC is involved and the cruise doesn't sail.

 

Your TA is right that they can't access bookings to apply FCC when that booking isn't with them. 

 

The $100 fee sounds fishy.

 

I was involved with an FCC issue involving a cancelled group cruise.  Within Royal even their normal agents and resolutions department has limited powers when group cruises are in play.  

 

Global suspension and CWC FCC is really just a pointer to the original form of payment.  It's an audit trail that traces back to the original payment.  When a group cruise is involved that revenue is bound to the groups department and only their own revenue department for groups can unlock it and allow it to be moved from the groups revenue bucket back into the wild.  That may not be a perfectly accurate statement is all respects but it's pretty close.  

 

So many times trying to get my FCC and then use it, it was being rejected despite assurances it was available.  Every attempt to use it led to a multi-hour phone call and "four to six weeks and you'll be good to go" but it was never was good to go four to ten weeks later. 

 

I'm not sure even within Royal they know how to get the right groups revenue person involved.  It's like you have to endure numerous attempts until you get lucky and the somehow the right person in the groups revenue department gets involved.

[TinkBellaMom]

Wow, we had a problem with our FCC also.  Ours was associated with the TA and a group booking.  It was around and around but finally resolved.

I learned a lesson, we will just take a refund next time.  The extra 25% was just not worth the aggravation.  Good Luck!

[GEORGIEGIRL]

It sounds to me like the issue is with the TA and not RCCL. Whether or not the OP realized it they booked with a TA that apparently had a "GROUP" or large number of cabins reserved (usually at a lower rate) for that original sailing that was cancelled/rebooked/FCC, etc..

 

If that was indeed the case, they need to get with the TA (possibly higher up management) to see what can be done to rectify this issue. As far as the $100.00 fee that they are trying to charge, that's definitely the TA and not RCCL.

I say this quite confidently as my wife is a TA (owns her own home based Travel Agency. Not looking to promote anything here) and during the shutdown due to the Pandemic, all Commissions were  protected.

Yes, I will admit that it is a "LOT OF EXTRA WORK" on behalf of the TA for no where near enough commissions for the time spent. However, that is what a TA's job is...

 

I would recommend not letting the TA off the hook..

 

[RosieRoo]

I agree, the issue is with the TA.  I had a cruise cancelled by Royal that was in a TA group. I wanted to move the funds to a future booking with the same TA and even that was a bit of a hassle. I had to get on a 3 way call with the TA and Royal and it still took a lot of time to get it accomplished. 
I would try to escalate the issue with someone higher up in the travel agency. 

[SRF]

File a law suit in small claims court against the TA.

 

They are the one with holding your FCC.

 

I bet that within 30 minutes of being served the law suit, the TA will release the FCC.

 

No lawyer required to file in small claims court.

 

Also, some states have consumer advocate offices that can intervene and try to get resolution, then help you with filing the suit if required.

[Biker19]

Just now, SRF said:

File a law suit in small claims court against the TA.

That may not work the same or be as easy in Australia as in the US.

[SRF]

Aah, missed that part.

 

CC while working. 😄

 

But I am sure there is some government group to assist in disputes.

[rudeney]

You probably can't sue in the US either - I'll bet the TA executed a Binding Arbitration Agreement with the booking.

[RKHOOKER]

What I can’t simply understand is the following:-

The cruise was cancelled by RC so where are all the cash deposits which according to RC are now 125% FCC’s & where are my FCC’s.  Apparently they are still attached to a group booking & neither RC or the TA will tell me which cruise, ship, date or departure port!  ***** is going on here!!!!!!!!!!!

[alfaeric]

1 hour ago, RKHOOKER said:

What I can’t simply understand is the following:-

The cruise was cancelled by RC so where are all the cash deposits which according to RC are now 125% FCC’s & where are my FCC’s.  Apparently they are still attached to a group booking & neither RC or the TA will tell me which cruise, ship, date or departure port!  ***** is going on here!!!!!!!!!!!

You clearly posted before that your TA has them, as part of a group cruise.  Why are they holding them hostage for a canceled cruse?

 

Hasn't your TA gotten back with you for choices of cruise alternatives?  That's what they are there for, as people post.

[nelblu]

IMO, get legal advice.

[Lane Hog]

Sorry, but you as the customer have the right to take control over your credit.  You might not be able to touch the group booking, but RCL should be able to return the FCC to you.  Don't take no for an answer on that -- they control the funds, not the agency.

[njkruzer]

Are the rules in Australia different?   In the US if you have a problem with a ta, i.e., they are unresponsive,  then you can ask Royal to sever the relationship.  Not sure why they won't help.

[mac_tlc]

On 4/12/2022 at 12:19 AM, smplybcause said:

My shot in the dark is maybe it has to do with commissions? I know they were protecting commissions in the beginning of covid but I have no idea if it was tied to FCCs. In other words having to pay back or not get commissions if you use it with someone else.

If the TA received the commission on a sailing that had an FCC applied, and it is subsequently cancelled, RC will reissue the FCC and they will recall a portion of the commission from the TA. Theory is that if the reissued FCCis used on a future cruise, the TA will get the commission on that one.

 

mac_tlc

[Lane Hog]

@RKHOOKER  How did you pay for the original cruise that resulted in the FCC?

 

You might be able to request a chargeback from your credit card company for failure to deliver services.  Some card issuers have time limits, but some like American Express and Discover do not.

[RKHOOKER]

9 hours ago, Lane Hog said:

@RKHOOKER  How did you pay for the original cruise that resulted in the FCC?

 

You might be able to request a chargeback from your credit card company for failure to deliver services.  Some card issuers have time limits, but some like American Express and Discover do not.

I paid RC cash.  They issued FCC’s after they cancelled the cruise.