Royal up "pending"

[Engineroom Snipe]

1 minute ago, Ret MP said:

This question is for all you IT types in here.  If you messed up as many times and as much as Royal's IT seems to, would you still have a job.  I've fired employees just for not showing up to work on time (repeat offenders, of course).  I wonder how much it costs Royal every time they have a glitch like this and the other glitch examples I could give.  

I am one of those IT, Electrical, Electronic type with degrees in each and advanced in some. I am not sure if this is a glitch. In most cases, a planned outage is preceded by an advance notice. "The following website applications, xxxxxx, xxxxxx, and xxxxx will not be available from date & time to date & time." I do not think they want to advertise that their sites will be down for patch maintenance, so they optimistically pick an arbitrary low volume period during the month and have at it. They are going to get complaints if they advertise the shutdown. If they do not advertise the shutdown, they are going to get complaints. I think they just buckle the seatbelt and click the restart screen knowing the complaints will be coming. If management did not want it to happen, they will have to spend more money.

 

Otherwise, they would have to have a "hot-site" redundant system which would duplicate the costs of the current system but only be utilized 1% of the time (estimated on 8 out of 720 hours per month usage). If you want full redundancy, get ready for ticket prices to go up and I do not want to give them an excuse,  🤐 

[Ret MP]

12 minutes ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

I am one of those IT, Electrical, Electronic type with degrees in each and advanced in some. I am not sure if this is a glitch. In most cases, a planned outage is preceded by an advance notice. "The following website applications, xxxxxx, xxxxxx, and xxxxx will not be available from date & time to date & time." I do not think they want to advertise that their sites will be down for patch maintenance, so they optimistically pick an arbitrary low volume period during the month and have at it. They are going to get complaints if they advertise the shutdown. If they do not advertise the shutdown, they are going to get complaints. I think they just buckle the seatbelt and click the restart screen knowing the complaints will be coming. If management did not want it to happen, they will have to spend more money.

 

Otherwise, they would have to have a "hot-site" redundant system which would duplicate the costs of the current system but only be utilized 1% of the time (estimated on 8 out of 720 hours per month usage). If you want full redundancy, get ready for ticket prices to go up and I do not want to give them an excuse,  🤐 

I don't disagree with what you said, at all.  But, it seems to happen far too often and far too randomly.  In this case it seems to be system wide.  But, how often do we hear of individuals and/or small groups of people having issues with Royal's IT, with various issues.  My bank(s) and other very large organizations notify it's customers/clients when they are going to have a system outage for maint.  Usually done on a Sunday morning starting at 2:00AM.  And no where near as often as Royal does.  In fact, my bank, I can't remember when their last scheduled maint., was done.  And many of the businesses I'm talking about are world wide, so time zones don't seem to be an issue with them.  Personally, I'd prefer and complain less if I know what is going on.  Nothing worse than scheduling my time to find out that my time, as a customer, doesn't mean much to the company that I'm a customer of, a long time customer of, a loyal customer of.   Again, I see what you are saying and this is not meant to be argumentative.  Just one layperson's experience/view of things.  One thing I totally disagree with though.  Accepting complaints of not being informed.  I'd rather be inconvenienced with a known issue than not being informed in advance.  It's like their philosophy is like, "It's easier to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission".  It's not exactly like they are begging or asking for anything but I hope you get my premise. 

 

Having said that, I've read complaints about Royal's IT when I believe it has had nothing to do with Royal's IT.  For example:  Pricing errors, wrong bookings, etc etc.  But, access issues is totally on IT when not scheduled maint.  I bet we will never know if this morning's issue was, as it's up now, scheduled or not.  I'm sure they thing it's none of our business.

[bruce85]

I sail Saturday. Today I received an email saying that was bid was still been reviewed. The email stated that the review could last until after I board. If after I board and they accept my bid, they said I would get a notice in my room. All the room I bid is on show sold out. 

Edited October 27, 2022 by bruce85

[Engineroom Snipe]

2 minutes ago, Ret MP said:

I don't disagree with what you said, at all.  But, it seems to happen far too often and far too randomly.  In this case it seems to be system wide.  But, how often do we hear of individuals and/or small groups of people having issues with Royal's IT, with various issues.  My bank(s) and other very large organizations notify it's customers/clients when they are going to have a system outage for maint.  Usually done on a Sunday morning starting at 2:00AM.  And no where near as often as Royal does.  In fact, my bank, I can't remember when their last scheduled maint., was done.  And many of the businesses I'm talking about are world wide, so time zones don't seem to be an issue with them.  Personally, I'd prefer and complain less if I know what is going on.  Nothing worse than scheduling my time to find out that my time, as a customer, doesn't mean much to the company that I'm a customer of, a long time customer of, a loyal customer of.   Again, I see what you are saying and this is not meant to be argumentative.  Just one layperson's experience/view of things.  One thing I totally disagree with though.  Accepting complaints of not being informed.  I'd rather be inconvenienced with a known issue than not being informed in advance.  It's like their philosophy is like, "It's easier to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission".  It's not exactly like they are begging or asking for anything but I hope you get my premise. 

 

Having said that, I've read complaints about Royal's IT when I believe it has had nothing to do with Royal's IT.  For example:  Pricing errors, wrong bookings, etc etc.  But, access issues is totally on IT when not scheduled maint.  I bet we will never know if this morning's issue was, as it's up now, scheduled or not.  I'm sure they thing it's none of our business.

I think you make some good points. Banks, financial institutions, hospitals, and credit card agencies are more reliable because there are laws regulating their information in which they can be fined for malfeasance. RCI does not have those laws apply to them except for their publicly listed stocks. While its corporate home is in the USA, it is hard to fine them for lack of access to a website or your account. You can only sue them if you can prove that the lack of website or app damaged you financially. If RCI cancelled your cruise because you could not get to the website for final payment, that would be cause. If you are inconvenienced because they do not have a working website today but take your deposit tomorrow, no legal harm done.

 

That said, I agree with most of your points. Whatever opportunity, good will, or possible monetary loss created by these outages; RCI finds it acceptable. As I read in so many threads of problems constantly reoccurring, if RCI wanted them fixed, they would be fixed. I think it all comes down to the financial bottom line. 

[Engineroom Snipe]

6 minutes ago, bruce85 said:

I sail Saturday. Today I received an email saying that was bid was still been reviewed. The email stated that the review could last until after I board. If after I board and they accept my bid, they said I would get a notice in my room. All the room I bid is on show sold out. 

There used to be more possibilities of a last minute upgrade during the pandemic. One family member (especially children) would test positive for Covid one or two days before boarding or at the point of being in line at the port. I

 

would enjoy your cruise in your designated cabin. Have FUN!!!

[Ret MP]

3 minutes ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

I think you make some good points. Banks, financial institutions, hospitals, and credit card agencies are more reliable because there are laws regulating their information in which they can be fined for malfeasance. RCI does not have those laws apply to them except for their publicly listed stocks. While its corporate home is in the USA, it is hard to fine them for lack of access to a website or your account. You can only sue them if you can prove that the lack of website or app damaged you financially. If RCI cancelled your cruise because you could not get to the website for final payment, that would be cause. If you are inconvenienced because they do not have a working website today but take your deposit tomorrow, no legal harm done.

 

That said, I agree with most of your points. Whatever opportunity, good will, or possible monetary loss created by these outages; RCI finds it acceptable. As I read in so many threads of problems constantly reoccurring, if RCI wanted them fixed, they would be fixed. I think it all comes down to the financial bottom line. 

LOL, I get what you are saying, I really do.  But, the wiseguy in me wants to say that "malfeasance" is totally acceptable because they are not regulated by the FDIC, FCC, et al, their incompetence is acceptable.  Again, just the wise guy in me.

[Ret MP]

2 minutes ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

There used to be more possibilities of a last minute upgrade during the pandemic. One family member (especially children) would test positive for Covid one or two days before boarding or at the point of being in line at the port. I

 

would enjoy your cruise in your designated cabin. Have FUN!!!

As I've said in the past, I'm a realist, I live in Realville.  I made the minimum bid for the RU.  I have no delusions of grandeur.

 

And despite my constant complaining about Royal Landside operations, including IT, I'm still loyal to royal.  I love the shipboard experience, and that's enough for me.  

[Ret MP]

32 minutes ago, bruce85 said:

I sail Saturday. Today I received an email saying that was bid was still been reviewed. The email stated that the review could last until after I board. If after I board and they accept my bid, they said I would get a notice in my room. All the room I bid is on show sold out. 

Mine still says, "SUBMITTED".  lol

[cruise77]

How do you know,  the status of your bid

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, cruise77 said:

How do you know,  the status of your bid

Go back to the bidding site. 

[ckrobyn]

Today I won my bid and went from an OV balcony to a Grand Suite.

I got an email from RoyalUP at 2:23PM, and a new booking invoice from Royal at 2:24PM.  I only checked my email at 4:40PM!!!

Super excited!

I won with $30 over the minimum bid!

[cruiseboy89130]

I could not solve my issue as there is absolutely NO support or anybody you can talk to - so I'll just stay in my original cabin and save the money for the upgrade.

What a consumer unfriendly way a doing business!

[Dynamictwo]

2 hours ago, cruiseboy89130 said:

I could not solve my issue as there is absolutely NO support or anybody you can talk to - so I'll just stay in my original cabin and save the money for the upgrade.

What a consumer unfriendly way a doing business!

I received an email that they were considering my bid on board the ship in 2 days. But last evening we already got the Royal Up assigned cabin. In the past 1 year I have bid twice on cabins and won both of them. Last time I won a Royal Suite from a balcony and this time I won a balcony from a Boardwalk balcony. 

[cruiseboy89130]

9 minutes ago, Dynamictwo said:

I received an email that they were considering my bid on board the ship in 2 days. But last evening we already got the Royal Up assigned cabin. In the past 1 year I have bid twice on cabins and won both of them. Last time I won a Royal Suite from a balcony and this time I won a balcony from a Boardwalk balcony. 

So how does this relate to anything I wrote?