What happened to RCCL’s exquisite customer service?☹️

[itsnowjoke]

I’m an RCCL Diamond, and have recently booked a cruise.  As usual, I invited a group of friends.  Funnily, I missed the email that said that they were booking the exact same cruise a week earlier!  I had booked three days prior and made my final payment.  Obviously I wanted to change my date. RCCL has been completely unaccommodating, stating that I had made my final payment, too bad so sad.  Since I booked through a travel agent, they told me to have them call RCCL.  RCCL told him that I’d have to pay a hefty “penalty.”  A penalty for wanting to cruise with my group?  What?!  What is the deal here?!  Now you have a group of upset frequent cruisers.  I wrote an online letter to RCCL -using the template on their website- and got the canned response that they will answer my question asap, that was 10 days ago.  I never heard back   I called a customer service rep and she was not empowered to help, and I was told a manager would be in touch.  That was six days ago.  RCCL used to have a Crown and Anchor number where the reps would help.  That appears to be gone.  Before someone starts quoting booking and cancellation policies, yes, I understand that they are following their own rules.  But what is the harm in re-booking a cruise 90 days out?  Where is the customer service here?  As an aside, there are more members of the group who want to go, but are split between who to go with.  They are leaning towards not going at all because they don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.  The simple decision of not being able to accommodate a change is actually going to cost RCCL bookings.  I guess the days of proactive customer service are over, it’s sad to see it coming from RCCL.

[goldfish65]

If there wasn't a penalty, a lot of people would book a date they weren't sure of, knowing they could change it. What does your travel agent advise? 

[la_croisiere_s'amuse]

51 minutes ago, itsnowjoke said:

RCCL told him that I’d have to pay a hefty “penalty.”  A penalty for wanting to cruise with my group?  What?!  What is the deal here?!  

Granted, I've only been cruising since 2004, so maybe there was some "golden age" of rule breaking that I missed out on ... but I think you hit the nail on the head, they are following their own rules, which has always been the case on every cruise line I've tried. I understand that you're disappointed and frustrated, but I'm sure you realize that you're not being penalized for wanting to cruise with your friends. You're being penalized for not verifying dates before you made your payment.  It's a tough way to learn the lesson, but I'm guessing you won't make that mistake again! 

[firefly333]

1 hour ago, itsnowjoke said:

I’m an RCCL Diamond, and have recently booked a cruise.  As usual, I invited a group of friends.  Funnily, I missed the email that said that they were booking the exact same cruise a week earlier!  I had booked three days prior and made my final payment.  Obviously I wanted to change my date. RCCL has been completely unaccommodating, stating that I had made my final payment, too bad so sad.  Since I booked through a travel agent, they told me to have them call RCCL.  RCCL told him that I’d have to pay a hefty “penalty.”  A penalty for wanting to cruise with my group?  What?!  What is the deal here?!  Now you have a group of upset frequent cruisers.  I wrote an online letter to RCCL -using the template on their website- and got the canned response that they will answer my question asap, that was 10 days ago.  I never heard back   I called a customer service rep and she was not empowered to help, and I was told a manager would be in touch.  That was six days ago.  RCCL used to have a Crown and Anchor number where the reps would help.  That appears to be gone.  Before someone starts quoting booking and cancellation policies, yes, I understand that they are following their own rules.  But what is the harm in re-booking a cruise 90 days out?  Where is the customer service here?  As an aside, there are more members of the group who want to go, but are split between who to go with.  They are leaning towards not going at all because they don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.  The simple decision of not being able to accommodate a change is actually going to cost RCCL bookings.  I guess the days of proactive customer service are over, it’s sad to see it coming from RCCL.

If you are before final payment I believe it can be moved for $100 pp. 

 

Ask about that.

[not-enough-cruising]

Any post that professes the posters C&A status  in the first sentence is an immediate “ignore” for me 

[time4u2go]

7 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

If you are before final payment I believe it can be moved for $100 pp. 

 

Ask about that.

They have already made final payment.

[Ret MP]

                                                     ^

 

 <

 

Damn, I'm doing three things at once.  So, I'm editing a lot right now.  But, it seems the number for the C & A Society is the same as the regular number.  No help at all.

 

Edited January 28, 2023 by Ret MP

[TexasRon]

38 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Any post that professes the posters C&A status  in the first sentence is an immediate “ignore” for me 

…and yet you replied.

[not-enough-cruising]

38 minutes ago, TexasRon said:

…and yet you replied.

No, I commented; it’s different. 

[colesc15]

3 hours ago, itsnowjoke said:

I’m an RCCL Diamond, and have recently booked a cruise.  As usual, I invited a group of friends.  Funnily, I missed the email that said that they were booking the exact same cruise a week earlier!  I had booked three days prior and made my final payment.  Obviously I wanted to change my date. RCCL has been completely unaccommodating, stating that I had made my final payment, too bad so sad.  Since I booked through a travel agent, they told me to have them call RCCL.  RCCL told him that I’d have to pay a hefty “penalty.”  A penalty for wanting to cruise with my group?  What?!  What is the deal here?!  Now you have a group of upset frequent cruisers.  I wrote an online letter to RCCL -using the template on their website- and got the canned response that they will answer my question asap, that was 10 days ago.  I never heard back   I called a customer service rep and she was not empowered to help, and I was told a manager would be in touch.  That was six days ago.  RCCL used to have a Crown and Anchor number where the reps would help.  That appears to be gone.  Before someone starts quoting booking and cancellation policies, yes, I understand that they are following their own rules.  But what is the harm in re-booking a cruise 90 days out?  Where is the customer service here?  As an aside, there are more members of the group who want to go, but are split between who to go with.  They are leaning towards not going at all because they don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.  The simple decision of not being able to accommodate a change is actually going to cost RCCL bookings.  I guess the days of proactive customer service are over, it’s sad to see it coming from RCCL.

So you booked the wrong date but it's Royals fault for following their policy for your mistake? Got it. 

[ARandomTraveler]

The only problem I see here is bad planning on the part of you and your friends. You booked a cruise inside final payment before bothering to ask your friends if they wanted to go (so you were obviously fine with going on this cruise whether they came or not). And your friends booked a cruise and never even bothered to tell you about it, and didn't invite you until after you invited THEM (so they were fine going on their cruise without YOU).
 

You've all cruised often enough to know that these are the rules, and expecting them to change them just because you guys are frequent cruisers and because some "potential friends who weren't gonna go at all, but now think they might have gone but are now maybe not going at all" is also ridiculous. 
 

Don't book a last minute cruise and assume everyone is gonna jump on board to go with your plan. Maybe next time, check with your friends first if there's a chance you'd change your plans to match theirs. 

Edited January 28, 2023 by ARandomTraveler

[firefly333]

Well let's face it, it's a bummer to lose money. 

 

OP make it a b2b so it includes your friends week.

[Coralc]

Royal Caribbean was very cruiser friendly during the pandemic with cancellations and adjustments. I think they lost a lot of money during that time and have gotten very unpleasant about the whole booking thing. As in, you lose your entire deposit if you cancel. I don't even book hotels that way. 

[brillohead]

Changing the sailing date or ship is a $100pp change fee, unless you booked with a Refundable Rate (higher fare).  

I don't consider $100 to be a "hefty penalty" in the grand scheme of things.

And having made the final payment means nothing if the Final Payment Date hasn't happened yet.  It doesn't matter when you pay, it matters when that payment was DUE.

If your sailing is still before the Final Payment Due Date, your travel agent can change your sailing date for a fee of $100pp.  Your travel agent should be able to explain ALL of this to you -- you shouldn't need to talk to Royal at all.... that's why you booked through a travel agent. 

[Merion_Mom]

2 hours ago, ARandomTraveler said:

The only problem I see here is bad planning on the part of you and your friends. You booked a cruise inside final payment before bothering to ask your friends if they wanted to go (so you were obviously fine with going on this cruise whether they came or not). And your friends booked a cruise and never even bothered to tell you about it, and didn't invite you until after you invited THEM (so they were fine going on their cruise without YOU).
 

You've all cruised often enough to know that these are the rules, and expecting them to change them just because you guys are frequent cruisers and because some "potential friends who weren't gonna go at all, but now think they might have gone but are now maybe not going at all" is also ridiculous. 
 

Don't book a last minute cruise and assume everyone is gonna jump on board to go with your plan. Maybe next time, check with your friends first if there's a chance you'd change your plans to match theirs. 

 

Who's on first?

[Coralc]

50 minutes ago, brillohead said:

Changing the sailing date or ship is a $100pp change fee, unless you booked with a Refundable Rate (higher fare).  

I don't consider $100 to be a "hefty penalty" in the grand scheme of things.

And having made the final payment means nothing if the Final Payment Date hasn't happened yet.  It doesn't matter when you pay, it matters when that payment was DUE.

If your sailing is still before the Final Payment Due Date, your travel agent can change your sailing date for a fee of $100pp.  Your travel agent should be able to explain ALL of this to you -- you shouldn't need to talk to Royal at all.... that's why you booked through a travel agent. 

They were after final payment when booked. 

[Beeline Cruiser]

8 hours ago, itsnowjoke said:

 Obviously I wanted to change my date. RCCL

 

Seriously just do a B2B and the thing is both cruises could make great instagram photos but boy you don’t want to run out of money and have to rely on the windjammer for 14 nights!!

[Diver2014]

Funny how RCCL's customer service gets blamed for someone wanting special treatment against the written contract they agreed to.

[GTO-Girl]

Crown and Anchor phone number 1-800-526-9723

[BecciBoo]

Ask to speak to the Marketing office and talk to Laly Rodriguez...she just may be able to help you.

 

Aurora "Laly" Yera-Rodriguez
Director, Guest Relations & Shared Services
Azamara Club Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, & Royal Caribbean International
954-628-9313
ext. 19313
ayera-rodriguez@rccl.com

[edrussell]

Well as a _______ C & A member (seriously who starts their sentences with loyalty tier status??), you made the mistake.  Period.  Do you think RCCL should accommodate you just because you've cruised with them a few times?  Sorry but this level of entitlement just rubs me the wrong way.  Wow, just wow.

 

[Cigar King]

Tell it to the Chaplain...

[BecciBoo]

being overly OCD, if cruising with others, I ask for copies of their confirmations and watch like a hawk to see that all is done correctly.  They DO appreciate this.  Someone should have confirmed the sail date etc. a long time ago to be sure all were on the same page, but it's worth a try with marketing.  But as mentioned, be prepared for a penalty, just a couple hundred.  But your group seems to be snowballing as we speak, that's probably a little too much to hope for.

[lovesthebeach2]

11 hours ago, firefly333 said:

Well let's face it, it's a bummer to lose money. 

 

OP make it a b2b so it includes your friends week.

That was what I was about to suggest.  Nothing better than more cruising! 

[firefly333]

I do think cruises are different than anything else requiring final payment 90 days ahead.

 

Not even airlines do this. Of course loyalists think this is great and we knew the rules and rush to defend. When I try to tell a newbie no refunds after final payment they look at me like I'm crazy.

 

Ive had several people tell me they are sure I'm wrong. If I'd just call the cruiseline would understand and refund or move my cruise. They cant believe I'm missing a cruise next monday and losing the money. I'm like no, that's how it is, they dont make exceptions. I fell and broke my arm, set twice. The day after my arm had surgery my mom had a stroke and now passed away. So I have big reasons for not going. I've told them if you dont have insurance no refunds. They are sure I'm wrong, the cruiseline would allow a refund   ..they think I'm wrong.