Beverage Package (ineligible due to age)

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, SNJCruisers said:

I'm still bitter because I lost out on 57/day UBP

Some had it for $18/day and lost it - should they be more bitter than you?

[SNJCruisers]

23 hours ago, Biker19 said:

 Their IT system allows for cabin cancellation reinstatements but not planner ones. Refunds for one are also different than the other. 

Refunds are not different for one than the other.  I paid for my planner purchase in November with my MC.  The balance on my cruise had about 1075 on it.  I recently got a promo through Amex with a 1000 limit card.  Used it all on the 1075 balance and put the 75 on my MC.  My planner refund of 200.40 that originally went on my MC was refunded onto my Amex.  I had been looking for the refund and had no inkling that RCI would put it on the Amex.  It was confirmed today.

One more bit of confusion.

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, SNJCruisers said:

Refunds are not different for one than the other. 

The folks who have experienced both kinds, would probably disagree with you. Cabin refunds are usually more complicated, typically take longer, have more issues (they may need manual intervention) and are many times refunded in odd amounts- quite different than planner refunds. 

[SNJCruisers]

6 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Some had it for $18/day and lost it - should they be more bitter than you?

No, not at all.  It's just another thing that is wrong with dynamic pricing.  Royal even comes up with their based on price depending upon the length of the cruise.  My recently added 3 day cruise on the Freedom is based on 105/day before the "discount" comes into play.  Once again, it's all a joke.  

It is so refreshing that every other cruise line is straight forward with their peripheral purchases pricing.  No needing to throw darts at a board like RCI.

[SNJCruisers]

3 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

The folks who have experienced both kinds, would probably disagree with you. Cabin refunds are usually more complicated, typically take longer, have more issues (they may need manual intervention) and are many times refunded in odd amounts- quite different than planner refunds. 

Still trying to figure out why they refunded me on my Amex when I made the purchase with my MC.  Any logic with that?

[Biker19]

18 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

Once again, it's all a joke.  

It is so refreshing that every other cruise line is straight forward with their peripheral purchases pricing

If fixed prices are a criteria for booking with RCI, go elsewhere. 

[Biker19]

18 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

Still trying to figure out why they refunded me on my Amex when I made the purchase with my MC.  Any logic with that?

Trying to figure out why RCI does things a certain way just leads to frustration- just accept it and move on. 

[S.A.M.J.R.]

3 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

Royal did me no favor at all by reinstating the cruise.  They got paid on the date the final payment was due.  No other cruise line puts a 500 pm time on the due date, just like no other cruise line charges varying amounts for their drink packages depending upon sail date and ship.  They reinstated the reservation, but then they say they will not reinstate the planner purchase.  Either do both or do neither.  I'm still bitter because I lost out on 57/day UBP and 65/pp Coco Cay Beach Club on a cancelled August 2020 Oasis cruise.

All of the Loyal Royal's will never admit that Royal does no wrong even regarding the asinine dynamic pricing policy.

I will readily admit when I think Royal does wrong.  I simply don't think this is a good example, heck, it's not even a bad example.

 

3 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

I made no mistake.  Royal got their money on the date it was due.  Within a day, the reservation was reinstated.  Since planner purchases are a different department and I keep getting stonewalled, I fully realize that the best I can hope for is a 30% discount.  It'll end up costing me 50-60 extra when all is said and done.  Chalk it up to experience and one more reason that Royal is at the bottom when deciding on future cruises.

YOU. MADE. A. MISTAKE.    I assume you work somewhere and have a boss.  If your schedule says you're supposed to be somewhere at 9am, you think you can show up at 1p?  I mean, after all, it's the same day, right?  Or, better yet, the cruise says you need to be on board by 3pm, and you show up at 8pm.  They should wait for you, right?  After all, it's the same day. 

 

YOU made an agreement to pay the final payment by a certain time.  Whether that deadline is appropriate or not is beside the point.  YOU agreed to meet it.  YOU didn't.  Therefore your cruise (and your planner purchases) got cancelled.  

[SNJCruisers]

7 hours ago, Biker19 said:

Trying to figure out why RCI does things a certain way just leads to frustration- just accept it and move on. 

That's the mantra with RCI.  Do things the exact opposite of other cruise lines.  Those who are loyal will accept it.  Those who are clueless will accept it.  Those who know the policies of other cruise lines will question it.

[SNJCruisers]

7 hours ago, Biker19 said:

If fixed prices are a criteria for booking with RCI, go elsewhere. 

I have with 16 current bookings on other lines. Just need to survive through my 6 current RCI bookings.  Luckily 3 of them are post Cyber Monday, so there is a chance of some reasonable pricing.

[SNJCruisers]

4 hours ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

 

YOU. MADE. A. MISTAKE.    I assume you work somewhere and have a boss.  If your schedule says you're supposed to be somewhere at 9am, you think you can show up at 1p?  I mean, after all, it's the same day, right?  Or, better yet, the cruise says you need to be on board by 3pm, and you show up at 8pm.  They should wait for you, right?  After all, it's the same day. 

 

YOU made an agreement to pay the final payment by a certain time.  Whether that deadline is appropriate or not is beside the point.  YOU agreed to meet it.  YOU didn't.  Therefore your cruise (and your planner purchases) got cancelled.  

You know what they say about assuming.  No, don't have a boss because that part of my life is in my rear view mirror, just like cruising on RCI more than likely will  be after my B2B on the Wonder in 2024.

The cruise got reinstated and in my opinion so should have the planner. I learned long ago that we don't make the rules we just play the game, but the game does suck at times.  Missing out on a 5 day cruise to Canada means nothing to me since I currently have 22 cruises booked.  It's a lesson learned and I've moved on.

[Jenjer]

On 4/30/2022 at 6:45 PM, Ourusualbeach said:

We are on a Christmas cruise for my daughter's first cruise at 21.  That's her Christmas present...hope she remembers it. 

We are on a NYE cruise to celebrate my daughters 21st and I agree

 

[Biker19]

3 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

I have with 16 current bookings on other lines. Just need to survive through my 6 current RCI bookings.  Luckily 3 of them are post Cyber Monday, so there is a chance of some reasonable pricing.

Like many, you complain about RCI policy but when the prices are low enough you endure them - the almighty equalizer. All/most of the current dynamic pricing and policies were in place when you booked all your sailings - some things don’t go your way and now you say you are abandoning the brand due to the policies. Seems a little………

[S.A.M.J.R.]

14 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

You know what they say about assuming.  No, don't have a boss because that part of my life is in my rear view mirror, just like cruising on RCI more than likely will  be after my B2B on the Wonder in 2024.

The cruise got reinstated and in my opinion so should have the planner. I learned long ago that we don't make the rules we just play the game, but the game does suck at times.  Missing out on a 5 day cruise to Canada means nothing to me since I currently have 22 cruises booked.  It's a lesson learned and I've moved on.

So after their "terrible" policies, you're still keeping your cruises?  That will show them!  

[SNJCruisers]

14 hours ago, Biker19 said:

Like many, you complain about RCI policy but when the prices are low enough you endure them - the almighty equalizer. All/most of the current dynamic pricing and policies were in place when you booked all your sailings - some things don’t go your way and now you say you are abandoning the brand due to the policies. Seems a little………

Had a booking on the Oasis for August of 2020 with UBP for 57 and Beach Club for 65.  RCI cancelled, I immediately rebooked for June 2022.  Best UBP was 74 and Beach Club was 150.  Not buying.

Three of my six bookings are drivable to Bayonne and my 3 day on the Freedom uses up a small FCC and 100 in OBC from Royal.  The other two are a B2B on the Wonder in 2024.  Planner hasn't opened up yet, but I'm not being optimistic.

Royal has 180° opposite policies compared to their competition.  You and others on this thread can defend it, but I can question it and spend my retirement dollars elsewhere.

[SNJCruisers]

3 hours ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

So after their "terrible" policies, you're still keeping your cruises?  That will show them!  

Ever hear of NRD's?

But, when Royal is in my rearview mirror, so will the Loyal Royal's like yourself that think Royal does no wrong.

[Biker19]

19 minutes ago, SNJCruisers said:

You and others on this thread can defend it, but I can question it and spend my retirement dollars elsewhere.

Not defending anything- just pointing out some issues and that a lot of people, even ones like you who hate RCI policies, book if the product and price is good enough. 

[S.A.M.J.R.]

9 hours ago, SNJCruisers said:

You and others on this thread can defend it, but I can question it and spend my retirement dollars elsewhere.

Actually, no one is defending the policy. We are simply saying that IS the policy.  If you don't like a policy a business has, the best thing to do is not do business with them.  You apparently are OK with the policy, since its been in place a long time and you have multiple cruises booked.   

 

I have my fourth cruise in 10 years in a couple months.  You have six(?) cruises booked in the next year.  Who exactly is "Loyal to Royal"?  

[SNJCruisers]

4 hours ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

Actually, no one is defending the policy. We are simply saying that IS the policy.  If you don't like a policy a business has, the best thing to do is not do business with them.  You apparently are OK with the policy, since its been in place a long time and you have multiple cruises booked.   

 

I have my fourth cruise in 10 years in a couple months.  You have six(?) cruises booked in the next year.  Who exactly is "Loyal to Royal"?  

First of all, I am far from loyal to Royal.  I have six booked on Royal over the next two years, out of the 22 I have booked in total.  7 on Carnival, 2 on Celebrity, 1 on MSC, 4 on NCL and 2 on Princess.  20 of them are B2B or S2S.

I despise the dynamic pricing policy and had no problem with it until not being able to get reasonable pricing on my B2B on the Oasis next month after I previously had the UBP for 57 and the Beach Club for 65 for my August 2021 cancelled Oasis cruise.  My loyalties at this point are sailing on lines that package things together like Celebrity, Princess, NCL and MSC.  Or sailing on the Excel Class on Carnival.  If I'm able to get reasonable peripheral pricing on our Wonder cruises in 2024, then maybe the Icon could be on the horizon for me.  If not, then RCI will be in my rearview mirror, which is no big deal since I've only cruised them 4 times out of 41 cruises taken so far.

Edited May 5, 2022 by SNJCruisers