Booking with Royal can be stressful!

[Gigi1068]

I called Royal to add a room for another family member.  During this call I also requested a room change (same category) for the original 2 rooms so we can have all 3 rooms together.  The new invoices are now showing a balance due but both were paid off.  My cruise planner still shows that we’re paid in full and the representative who made the changes also said we’re paid in full.  A ticket has been submitted to correct this but I was told it may take 2-3 weeks.  I am frustrated and will not feel comfortable until we receive new invoices reconfirming our $0 balance.  Thankfully, we don’t cruise until August so we have time to get this resolved.  

[poocher]

Never hang up until you’ve gotten and reviewed the new invoices.  Make them fix the problem right then & there.

[Gigi1068]

3 minutes ago, poocher said:

Never hang up until you’ve gotten and reviewed the new invoices.  Make them fix the problem right then & there.

The representative contacted the resolutions department and they could not explain why this occurred and could only submit a ticket.  I’ve sent an email to M. Bayley with hopes to get this resolved sooner than the 2-3 weeks quoted.

[nelblu]

19 minutes ago, poocher said:

Never hang up until you’ve gotten and reviewed the new invoices.  Make them fix the problem right then & there.

Agree.  Funny, the last few times that I asked Casino desk for repricing, the agent stayed online until I received the revised invoices.

[Gigi1068]

The agent stayed on the line until I received the invoices and I immediately brought the error to his attention.  He reviewed it and tried to help get it resolved but the only thing that could be done is a ticket because no one could figure out what happened or why.  Plus, they’re still showing a $0 balance due on their end.  
 

When I log into my cruise planner it shows “You don’t have a balance due” under Pay Remaining Balance.  When I select make a payment, the new balance due is there.  I’m assuming it’s a bizarre technical glitch and I’m an unfortunate victim of the glitch.

 

What’s even more bizarre is both cabins were booked together for the same number of guests.  Pricing the same for both and equal payments made at the same time for both but both are showing different balances due.  One shows $430.12 due and the other is showing $1,003.68.

 

I included a copy of the before and after invoices with my email to M. Bayley.

[Engineroom Snipe]

30 minutes ago, Gigi1068 said:

I called Royal to add a room for another family member.  During this call I also requested a room change (same category) for the original 2 rooms so we can have all 3 rooms together.  The new invoices are now showing a balance due but both were paid off.  My cruise planner still shows that we’re paid in full and the representative who made the changes also said we’re paid in full.  A ticket has been submitted to correct this but I was told it may take 2-3 weeks.  I am frustrated and will not feel comfortable until we receive new invoices reconfirming our $0 balance.  Thankfully, we don’t cruise until August so we have time to get this resolved.  

 

This can be very stressful. Just getting family together on one cruise for a specific time period requires so much coordination. You are now trying to get three cabins together with the two original rooms. Cruises this year are at extremely high occupancy.

 

I can understand your anxiety. Yes, there is a considerable amount of money involved but you are also juggling family expectations and every looks at you to be the cruise guru.

 

I started to use a travel advisor after going through such a scenario. My advisor and I keep an email trail and my stress level has been lower since then.  When you make it a full time job to coordinate all of the family expectations, it can be exhausting.

 

Hang in there and call as much as possible. So many experienced cruisers will tell you that the "squeaky wheel gets the grease".

[Longford]

There are many good reasons why it's best to have an experienced cruise travel agent handle things for us.  

[Gigi1068]

4 minutes ago, Longford said:

There are many good reasons why it's best to have an experienced cruise travel agent handle things for us.  

I’ve used an agent for some cruises and I’ve booked some on my own.  I’ve never encountered issues before and never would have expected to encounter this.

[Engineroom Snipe]

3 minutes ago, Gigi1068 said:

I’ve used an agent for some cruises and I’ve booked some on my own.  I’ve never encountered issues before and never would have expected to encounter this.

Every vacation experience, regardless of type, can be a roll-of-the-dice. Maybe that is why they call it a "cr@p-shoot". 😁🤣 Good luck with your outcome. I wish you the best outcome possible (7/11). 😊

[Morecruisesplz]

14 hours ago, Gigi1068 said:

I called Royal to add a room for another family member.  During this call I also requested a room change (same category) for the original 2 rooms so we can have all 3 rooms together.  The new invoices are now showing a balance due but both were paid off.  My cruise planner still shows that we’re paid in full and the representative who made the changes also said we’re paid in full.  A ticket has been submitted to correct this but I was told it may take 2-3 weeks.  I am frustrated and will not feel comfortable until we receive new invoices reconfirming our $0 balance.  Thankfully, we don’t cruise until August so we have time to get this resolved.  

Use a travel agent. Besides saving some $s, they will handle all the stress for you. Win, win!

[Gigi1068]

After thinking about this, the total amount showing due is the exact amount of the pre-cruise planner refund I was owed and refunded.  Apparently, Black Friday created havoc and is still a background issue.  Now that I figured out the issue, I’m not as worried.

[poocher]

👍.  Did you use OBC to pay for the purchases?  Seems to be a common thread with this type of issue.

[DirtyDawg]

14 hours ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

So many experienced cruisers will tell you that the "squeaky wheel gets the grease".

Experienced cruisers will tell you; "The squeaky Azipod gets the grease".

Wheels are for landlubbers. 😁 😉

[Gigi1068]

24 minutes ago, poocher said:

👍.  Did you use OBC to pay for the purchases?  Seems to be a common thread with this type of issue.

No.  I used my AMEX for everything.  Apparently, my refund issue was resolved on the surface but there’s still something happening in the background.

[matj2000]

Reason #85 not to book directly with RCCL..............

[Gigi1068]

24 minutes ago, matj2000 said:

Reason #85 not to book directly with RCCL..............

Understood and it won’t happen again 😅

[Engineroom Snipe]

4 hours ago, DirtyDawg said:

Experienced cruisers will tell you; "The squeaky Azipod gets the grease".

Wheels are for landlubbers. 😁 😉

I was not going to go there...., if you have a squeaky Azipod, odds are that you are on the Ovation and doing 8 knots. 😵 Grease will do nothing at that point but pollute the ocean.

[smokeybandit]

The only time I had a similar issue is when I booked a cruise with FCC. Sometime between booking and shortly before final payment something got messed up and I owed more money than I should have. It was quickly fixed though.

[DirtyDawg]

21 minutes ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

I was not going to go there...., if you have a squeaky Azipod, odds are that you are on the Ovation and doing 8 knots. 😵 Grease will do nothing at that point but pollute the ocean.

LOL.

You do realize it was just a joke. Not all jokes are based on absolute facts. Like the one about baseball players' names. Hate to reveal this, but there was never a team that had a first baseman named "Who" and a second baseman named "What". 

 

Oh, and that chicken, it really didn't cross the road. It tried to, but got squashed by an 18 Wheeler as it stepped onto the road. Now a squeaky wheel would have been very helpful to that poor flattened chicken. 😁

 

Edited January 7, 2023 by DirtyDawg

[Engineroom Snipe]

4 minutes ago, DirtyDawg said:

You do realize it was just a joke. Not all jokes are based on absolute facts.

 

Oh, and that chicken, it really didn't cross the road. It tried to, but got squashed by an 18 Wheeler as it stepped onto the road.

 

 Oh, do not get me started about the poor chicken. His name was Sam and he was only trying to get home before dark so he would not get "hen-pecked" by his wife. So many jokes are based upon poorly understood circumstances that seem funny because they did not happen to you.

 

Yes, I do understand it was a joke but I cannot resist playing the straight man. Every Abbott needs a Costello when you are trying to determine, "Who's on First, What's on second, and I Don't Know is on third." 🤣

[DirtyDawg]

2 hours ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

 Oh, do not get me started about the poor chicken. His name was Sam and he was only trying to get home before dark so he would not get "hen-pecked" by his wife. So many jokes are based upon poorly understood circumstances that seem funny because they did not happen to you.

 

Yes, I do understand it was a joke but I cannot resist playing the straight man. Every Abbott needs a Costello when you are trying to determine, "Who's on First, What's on second, and I Don't Know is on third." 🤣

 RIP Sam. 😢

You were a fine, upstanding chicken in your lifetime.

 

But damn, you're finger lickin' good in the afterlife! 😋

Edited January 7, 2023 by DirtyDawg

[Engineroom Snipe]

23 minutes ago, DirtyDawg said:

 RIP Sam. 😢

You were a fine, upstanding chicken in your lifetime.

 

But damn, you're finger lickin' good in the afterlife! 😋

The police identified the hit-n-run truck driver but the name was an alias: Mr. Colonel Saunders. He was witnessed as saying something like, "Finger licking good" as he was running from the scene. You apparently know much more than you are telling the authorities. 🤔

[DirtyDawg]

 

25 minutes ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

The police identified the hit-n-run truck driver but the name was an alias: Mr. Colonel Saunders. He was witnessed as saying something like, "Finger licking good" as he was running from the scene. You apparently know much more than you are telling the authorities. 🤔

🤐

I'm taking the fifth on that one.

 

The 5th chicken leg off the wonderful new  Royal Caribbean menu of course. 😁

 

See folks, your discussion is still all about cruising. 😊

 

 

Edited January 7, 2023 by DirtyDawg

[Engineroom Snipe]

4 minutes ago, DirtyDawg said:

 

The 5th chicken leg off the wonderful new  Royal Caribbean menu of course. 😁

 

See folks, your discussion is still all about cruising. 😊

 

The new menu item is called, "Windjammer Wings", the wings that sail the seven seas(copyright pending).

 

Way to bring it back on subject. 😂