Downgrading of room - please help

[Cruisecruisee]

Hello. I booked two balcony cabins on a RCI cruise in the Mediterranean for September 2023. I booked the two cabins on the same booking and paid in full in May 2022.

In August 2022 we were advised that the ships had been redeployed and were offered to either switch to a different ship or cancel our booking.

While the new ship is slightly smaller (12 levels instead of 13 levels, staterooms are 127sqm instead of 160sqm and there are four less restaurants/lounges), we agreed to move to equivalent cabins on the new ship. On our original booking, both cabins were balcony rooms on level 9.

This month I noticed that on our ‘Plan my cruise’ site, one of the cabins said “ocean view” rather than “balcony”. It turns out while one room has been changed to a level 7 balcony room, our second cabin is now a level 2 ocean view room. 
When I called to ask about this I was told that this was “equivalent” and told my options were to cancel or accept the room change.

I definitely don’t want to cancel but I feel as though we should be compensated for this change. I would understand more if both rooms had been downgraded, but since the redeployment/change of ships and cabins was actions 11 months ago, I don’t see how one room remained a balcony room and one has moved to the bottom of the ship.

I am extremely frustrated. Any advice would be appreciated. Unfortunately when I raised these points with the customer service rep (1800754500) I was told the rep was the highest escalation point and that if I didn’t want to accept my room I should cancel.

Thanks in advance.

Edited July 26, 2023 by Cruisecruisee
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[Merion_Mom]

16 minutes ago, Cruisecruisee said:

Hello. I booked two balcony cabins on a RCI cruise in the Mediterranean for September 2023. I booked the two cabins on the same booking and paid in full in May 2022.

In August 2022 we were advised that the ships had been redeployed and were offered to either switch to a different ship or cancel our booking.

While the new ship is slightly smaller (12 levels instead of 13 levels, staterooms are 127sqm instead of 160sqm and there are four less restaurants/lounges), we agreed to move to equivalent cabins on the new ship. On our original booking, both cabins were balcony rooms on level 9.

This month I noticed that on our ‘Plan my cruise’ site, one of the cabins said “ocean view” rather than “balcony”. It turns out while one room has been changed to a level 7 balcony room, our second cabin is now a level 2 ocean view room. 
When I called to ask about this I was told that this was “equivalent” and told my options were to cancel or accept the room change.

I definitely don’t want to cancel but I feel as though we should be compensated for this change. I would understand more if both rooms had been downgraded, but since the redeployment/change of ships and cabins was actions 11 months ago, I don’t see how one room remained a balcony room and one has moved to the bottom of the ship.

I am extremely frustrated. Any advice would be appreciated. Unfortunately when I raised these points with the customer service rep (1800754500) I was told the rep was the highest escalation point and that if I didn’t want to accept my room I should cancel.

Thanks in advance.

 

When this sort of response occurs, hang up and call again later.  Do this repeatedly until you get someone who can help you.  (I am assuming that you booked directly and did not use a travel agent.)

[Cruisecruisee]

Thanks Merion. I will try that. Has anyone had a similar situation where they’ve been compensated?  
We booked directly, not through a TA.

[Cruisecruisee]

Thanks Merion. I will try that. Has anyone had a similar situation where they’ve been compensated?  
We booked directly, not through a TA.

[Merion_Mom]

14 minutes ago, Cruisecruisee said:

Thanks Merion. I will try that. Has anyone had a similar situation where they’ve been compensated?  
We booked directly, not through a TA.

Yes, it has happened.  Here's just one thread about it:

 

Overbooked Cruise. Thoughts? - Royal Caribbean International - Cruise Critic Community

[LobsterStalker]

2 hours ago, Cruisecruisee said:

Hello. I booked two balcony cabins on a RCI cruise in the Mediterranean for September 2023. I booked the two cabins on the same booking and paid in full in May 2022.

In August 2022 we were advised that the ships had been redeployed and were offered to either switch to a different ship or cancel our booking.

While the new ship is slightly smaller (12 levels instead of 13 levels, staterooms are 127sqm instead of 160sqm and there are four less restaurants/lounges), we agreed to move to equivalent cabins on the new ship. On our original booking, both cabins were balcony rooms on level 9.

This month I noticed that on our ‘Plan my cruise’ site, one of the cabins said “ocean view” rather than “balcony”. It turns out while one room has been changed to a level 7 balcony room, our second cabin is now a level 2 ocean view room. 
When I called to ask about this I was told that this was “equivalent” and told my options were to cancel or accept the room change.

I definitely don’t want to cancel but I feel as though we should be compensated for this change. I would understand more if both rooms had been downgraded, but since the redeployment/change of ships and cabins was actions 11 months ago, I don’t see how one room remained a balcony room and one has moved to the bottom of the ship.

I am extremely frustrated. Any advice would be appreciated. Unfortunately when I raised these points with the customer service rep (1800754500) I was told the rep was the highest escalation point and that if I didn’t want to accept my room I should cancel.

Thanks in advance.

Just curious , what is your desired resolution ?

Compensation , or your balcony cabin reinstated ?

I don't get why you say you would understand if both rooms were downgraded...

[Kiki and The Noush]

I'm really sorry this has happened to you.  Have you checked the cabin prices on the 2nd ship to see if they are comparable? I'm wondering if you might be better off to take the full refund and completely rebook the cruise choosing the cabins you would prefer.  I know this doesn't help for this time, but in the future, a good travel agent could help navigate a problem like this for you.  Please let us know how it works out - if it happened to you, it could happen to us.  

[cruisegirl1]

You will likely not get compensation but should ask for a balcony cabin.   If your original booking was a balcony, the new one should be a balcony as well. 

 

Sort of similar.  Our ship was redeployed, and we were offered a few options or cancel.  We selected one. The cabin was to remain the same category. (balcony)   We were moved from a standard balcony to an Obstructed balcony Cabin.  We were told that is all that was available when the ship change was made. The new ship had been open for booking for months.  The new cabin was more money than the original booking price, but we were price protected.   I came down to take the obstructed cabin or cancel.  We kept the cruise.  No compensation.  

Good luck

M

Edited July 26, 2023 by cruisegirl1

[BecciBoo]

2 hours ago, Cruisecruisee said:

We booked directly, not through a TA.

Contact Laly at: ayera-rodriguez@rccl.com

Aurora "Laly" Yera-Rodriguez
Director, Guest Relations & Shared Services
Celebrity Cruises, & Royal Caribbean International
954-628-9313
ext. 19313

 

 

 

Edited July 26, 2023 by BecciBoo

[Starry Eyes]

What was the original ship and what is the replacement?

Some ships have significantly fewer balcony cabins than others.  If that was the case, perhaps they ran out of balconies cabins on the replacement ship and slotted some balcony reservations into oceanview cabins. If so, one of your reservations was lucky enough to get one of the balconies while the other got stuck with an OV.  You can try, though I wonder if your odds of getting compensation would have been better if you had noticed the reassignment 11 months ago vs now (just weeks before the cruise).  
 

[RedIguana]

6 hours ago, Cruisecruisee said:

staterooms are 127sqm instead of 160sqm

I assume you mean square feet, and not square meters, but even at square feet these cabin sizes seem odd, and do not correspond to any royal ship I know of (160 square feet may not be too far off for radiance class balconies). Are you sure you booked on Royal? What ships were/are they?

 

[bigmoose7563]

You should of received an updated invoice when the change was made back in August 2022. If you did did you review it? It's now almost a year later and after final payment. I don't think much can be done. 

You can just keep trying to call back and hopefully get it straightened out 

[Mum2Mercury]

8 hours ago, Cruisecruisee said:

When I called to ask about this I was told that this was “equivalent” and told my options were to cancel or accept the room change.

In what world is a balcony "equivalent" to an oceanview? 

The truth is that the customer service people at Royal are well-trained in deflecting the question.  They're also skilled at pissing on your leg and telling you it's raining.  

7 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

When this sort of response occurs, hang up and call again later.  Do this repeatedly until you get someone who can help you.  (I am assuming that you booked directly and did not use a travel agent.)

I was going to say the same thing.  Consistency isn't Royal's greatest strength.  

7 hours ago, Cruisecruisee said:

Thanks Merion. I will try that. Has anyone had a similar situation where they’ve been compensated?  

This isn't the quite the same, but we booked a 7-night, which was "downgraded" to a 6-night.  We were given a couple choices about changing cruises, etc., but we opted to stay because the price, well, the price is pretty incredible.  

I argued hard for a price reduction (yeah, I have no shame) because we did lose a day of vacation, 3 meals and an island stop ... nope.  Got nothing.  When they dig in their feet, they dig in their feet.  

5 hours ago, LobsterStalker said:

I don't get why you say you would understand if both rooms were downgraded...

I don't like it, but I understand it.  The OP could understand BOTH rooms being changed to oceanviews, but treating the rooms differently is not logical.  

2 hours ago, Starry Eyes said:

Some ships have significantly fewer balcony cabins than others.  If that was the case, perhaps they ran out of balconies cabins on the replacement ship and slotted some balcony reservations into oceanview cabins. 

Have you gone into the reservation system as if you're making a brand-new ressie /checked to see whether balconies are still left?  If so, you could call and say, I see that balcony room XXXX is still available. I'd like to be moved to that room.  Knowledge is power.