Disappointed to the Verge of Tears

[MNCruiser_21]

[quote name='232271']Well, so far I have emailed my TA and let them know that I am very upset that the email I sent CLEARLY dated Friday April 6, at 953 AM, central time, was not acted upon until Monday. (causing this whole mess)

I explained that common/polite business practices would be to have an out of office reply sent to me. We had 3 full days to get this resolved before we hit day 69. [/quote]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=darkorchid]If you do talk to RCCL, and they do want to charge you for a cancellation/change fee, which they shouldn't, bring up the email to your TA and ask where you can fax a copy of it showing the inaction of the TA. Maybe they will be sympathetic and waive the fees based on the TA's inaction.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[quote name='232271']My husband is going to call RCCL after he is all ready for work and then he is going to call the TA and ask for the supervisors phone number. We did not realize TA had a supervisor, thought it was an idependant operator. [/quote]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=darkorchid]Even independant operators work for someone; a corporate entity who they pay fees to and gives them the privileges and access to the booking systems. If it is an independant operator, go to the company they represent and let them know.[/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=#9932cc][/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=#9932cc]I am glad your DH is getting involved and not making you take the full brunt of this issue any longer.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[quote name='232271']I just hope I dont fuel the fire by sending that email out. I actually was going to just "save" it and hit the send button on mistake. [COLOR=red]TA was already trying to put this all off on me[/COLOR], so I will let you know what happens with that.[/quote]

[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=darkorchid]By the TA not taking any responsibility and placing all of the issues on you is a good indicator that they are not customer focused. Another reason to report them to the BBB and their supervisor.[/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=#9932cc][/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][COLOR=#9932cc]I know that this is an electronic era and that you will probably find a cheaper deal on the Internet, but maybe working with a local TA that you are able to drive over to and sit down with them might help next time. I am sure there are some good local TA's in your area.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[divaofdisney]

[FONT="Georgia"][SIZE="3"]232271- I have been following this situation also, and I really do feel for you. No one can afford to lose $1,000 no matter how much money someone has. That would be an awful lot of money for us to lose. I had a similar siutation - we were booked in a GS for our Adventure cruise this June- but we knew that final payment was approaching, and that due to many unexpected expenses, we were going to have to downgrade a bit- so we booked 2- D 1's and it was a mess trying to move my daughters in the reservation to another room along with their depost....don't ask me why but it was not an easy task. I also went thru a TA (thru AAA) and I have to say she is just wonderful- and stayed on the line with RCCL until is was all done and handled- and beleive me it took awhile!! I was actually surprised that we were able to secure 2 D1's (they are connecting rooms on deck 6) for lower than the price of a GS- by like $1,500. That was a huge savings for us. Anyway, don't give up- stay on it and I hope it all works out for you. Please keep us posted! Good Luck. [/SIZE][/FONT]

[Iamthesea]

232271 - You may also want to ask your TA if she has ever heard of Cruise Critic and tell her that you have posted your "problem" over here. hmmmm :rolleyes:

It seems that something similar happened to me when we cruised on the Mariner. I don't remember the exact details, but I was looking to upgrade my children from the Inside that they were booked in, to a balcony. My TA told me that I didn't want to do that, because we were just two weeks away from the cruise and if I changed their reservation, it would be like cancelling. I didn't argue, and just let it go. ;) I trusted my TA and had used her many times. She always gave me the discounts when the prices went down, etc.

[lvtotrvl1]

I can't understand why your TA bascially is threatening you not to call the cruiseline. As a TA, if I knew I was correct on an issue, I would be the first to tell you to call the cruiseline. Sounds like she is afraid you will find that she IS wrong! Please keep us posted..hope your hubby can sort this out today for you!

[Boo Boo]

[quote name='cruisinMike']If this were me, I would call and ask them, without giving your current situation with your TA away, if you had a cabin with your DH, and 2 teens and made final payment, but now wanted to put the teens in a separate cabin, how does RCI handle that. Make sure you are clear what you want. If it doesn't sound right, get a supervisor. I would be making sure that I could apply my 3rd and 4th fare to the new cabin. Once you hear the right answer which is you should be able to do this, then you can bring in the problem you are having with your TA. Your TA cannot cancel your cruise that you have made final payment on.[/QUOTE]

This advice is SPOT ON...

That is what I would do, exactly. Phone RCCL direct and try to remedy the situation (don't mention your TA or the problems with them - that will only confuse matters).

Get this sorted out with RCCL and THEN deal with your TA. Priorities - sort out the important stuff first...

Good Luck,
Boo

[forpaws]

[quote name='232271']Well, so far I have emailed my TA and let them know that I am very upset that the email I sent CLEARLY dated Friday April 6, at 953 AM, central time, was not acted upon until Monday. (causing this whole mess)

I explained that common/polite business practices would be to have an out of office reply sent to me. We had 3 full days to get this resolved before we hit day 69.

My husband is going to call RCCL after he is all ready for work and then he is going to call the TA and ask for the supervisors phone number. We did not realize TA had a supervisor, thought it was an idependant operator.

I just hope I dont fuel the fire by sending that email out. I actually was going to just "save" it and hit the send button on mistake. TA was already trying to put this all off on me, so I will let you know what happens with that.[/quote]

Girl, you are the CUSTOMER, and you have hired her to do a job which she isn't doing. Don't worry if you've fueled any fire!! They aren't worried about you, are they?

Please stop worrying so much and insist on being treated appropriately...fairly...and most of all, ACCURATELY.

You have to teach people how you want them to treat you...if you don't like how she's treating you, it will not change unless YOU insist she do her job and treat you decently. If she thinks you'll mamby pamby around and not follow through with any repercussions on her, then she will continue to run you around.

You don't deserve that. You paid her to do a job and to provide a service. The people here on CC are "usually" right on with their advice (there are a few instances where advice is crap - but when that happens, the seasoned cruisers put them straight right away). You can trust what you read here. And..you have the added advantage of posts which have come from SEVERAL TAs. Take advantage of their advice.

You're in the right...you have to expect results to get them...now, go look in the mirror, and let out a big CAT-LIKE snarl...and get the results you deserve.

JMHO...and good luck! :)

[MacThespian]

[quote name='Sue L']I am confused, why can't you just book the additional room, what does that have to do with the deposit you already paid because it is past the 70 days. Couldn't they just switch the deposit for your kids to the new room? Have you already paid the final payment? Unfortunately it doesn't sound like your TA went to bat for you. I know this is no help but this is one of the reasons why I book myself so I can call 24/7 and have control over my reservation.

Is your TA a local place? If yes, go to their office and have them make a call with you there and see what can be done. Have them put it on speaker phone so that you can hear.. Also if your TA emailed you yesterday why did they wait until today to pursue this?[/QUOTE]

It sounds like they've already made final payment (less than 70 days until the cruise), so the TA is saying they'll lose the payment for the 3/4 pax if they book another cabin. Even so, I second the advice to call RCCL yourself to find out if you can have the 3/4 pax charges applied to a second cabin.

[232271]

My husband called our TA just now and was told they were on the phone with the East Coast Office of RCCL. TA claims that RCCL is the only cruise line that does not allow you to change anything after 70 days-any other cruiseline would have no problem.
TA said we have to wait on the "head honcho" at RCCL East Coast office to talk with book-keeping. (which could be several days) I cant stand this put off and waiting, but now for sure it will confuse the issue if I call a regular person at RCCL. I need to tell my husband to get this "head-honcho's" phone number and confirm the answer we get?

By the way in my husbands defense, he is handling this the best he can becuase his grandmother just died yesterday, so to those who think we are being "wimpy", yes, we arebut I am not wanting to cause too much more grief for us. I was hoping our TA would be good enough to get this worked out quickly.

thanks for all the advice and I will keep you up-to-date.:)

[yj2cute]

First, my condolences on your loss.
Next, I've been reading this thread in absolute disbelief. I cannot believe that STILL this mess is ongoing. I am also a cruise TA and this is a SIMPLE request that is done on a regular basis. There is NO NEED WHATSOEVER to get any head honchos involved in this. Your TA is selling you a load of crap due to either incompetence or embarrasment. But whatever the reason, it's obvious that they cannot handle this for you. CALL RCCL YOURSELF! What is it going to take for you to do this? This change is simple and done EVERY DAY! Give up on this TA and handle it.

If you don't, well then unfortunately, whatever the outcome will be no one's fault but your own. I wish you the best outcome in this.

[Goofyisme]

My condolences on your recent loss, however I have little sympathy for the situation you have allowed yourself to get into. If you allow this TA to do this to you then you are just keeping her in business to mistreat other customers.
Either demand to conference with RCCL or call them directly in the manner previously suggested.
You have gotten some great advise here from some really knowledgeable people on how to get this corrected. If you refuse to use this information then the fault, unfortunately, falls on you.
Good luck whatever you decide to do.

[BethCarp]

Am I the only one who doesn't really see this is a big deal (other than the lack of customer service from the TA)? The OP is still going on her cruise. She just may not get a second room. Also she's been sitting on this since yesterday afternoon and has yet to call RCI herself. This whole thing probably could have been cleared up yesterday if she had just made the call. Either she gets another room or she doesn't. Either way, she's still going on the cruise. She's not going to have to pay a penalty. She's not losing any money.

OP, just call RCI. Either it's allowed or it's not. Take this cruise and rebook the other cruise with RCI or a different TA.

[Buccaneergirl]

[SIZE=3][B]I too have been following this thread and now have to put my 2 cents in! I am like 232271 and don't like to cause problems and sometimes won't speak up for myself [U][I]unless[/I][/U] I know I am in the right. In this case, because everyone here has told her that this is possible to do, I would call RCCL and speak to them. It will not confuse the people at RCCL because the person you talk with has no idea of your situation. I promise that they are very nice at the 800 number!! Just call and say this.......[/B][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][/SIZE]
[SIZE=3][B]If I have made final payment and want to switch my two children to an adjoining cabin and pay the additional amount, how do I go about it and is it a problem? Don't tell them any of your info or anything about all this mess. Just act like you don't know anything and wanted to discuss the possibility of getting the 2nd cabin with you DH once you had all the facts. Please, please, please call them!!![/B][/SIZE]

[akysmom]

I agree with yj2cute, if you let this drag out for days it will only add to the problem. Call them yourself. It's not like you are the only person to ever do this. Several posters have told their stories. What is it going to take for you NOT to believe what the TA is telling you. You asked for advice and you got it, now act on it and straighten out your problem. I'm not trying to mean but it sounds like you are a passive person and that's perfectly fine but if you let someone like this TA run all over you then she will. Good luck!

[roadnut]

Sorry to hear about you and your husband's loss.

Why do you keep contacting the TA, however? As you mentioned, there's only a few rooms left. I think she's trying to prevent you from talking to anyone at RCCL for a few days in hoping that the rooms will be booked.

IMMEDIATELY, STOP TALKING TO YOUR TA!!!!!! Make a simple phone call to RCI. You must do this. You're only hurting yourself more in the process.

[kc320]

I agree, I am not one for making waves either, but there comes a time you have to stand up for yourself!!!
You have been given excellent advice here by several real live TA'S, how do suppose they can make changes like this with no problem and your TA is giving you the run around??? For my own peace of mind I would call RCCL and make sure you really HAVE a reservation!

[jtwisconsin]

[quote name='roadnut']I think she's trying to prevent you from talking to anyone at RCCL for a few days in hoping that the rooms will be booked.[/quote]


I have to say that this is my opinion as well. She is just stalling. Like I and many others have done, I truly believe just a simple phone call to RCCL will get this fixed for you. But you really need to do this as soon as possible if you have any hope of getting what you want.

As someone else has already mentioned, just call and pose a "what if" question if you don't want to give them your name or the TA's name.

[Lightsluvr]

[quote name='232271']I really want to do this, but
I am a little afraid to make my TA more mad, hubby thinks she could cancel the entire cruise and we would be out it all. :confused:[/quote]

I would dare a TA to cancel a reservation without my consent. I would go after their license in a heartbeat. Start keeping contemporaneous records on your conversations with this person. Have you asked for a supervisor yet???

LL

[jtwisconsin]

[quote name='232271']TA claims that RCCL is the only cruise line that does not allow you to change anything after 70 days-any other cruiseline would have no problem. [/quote]


From my own experience, this is an outright lie. Should give you an idea of what kind of person you are dealing with.

[ILoveScotland]

This saga is better than one on TV! I have no advice or comments one way or another except to say that while I consider myself rather level headed and can tolerate a lot I can also get to be one pushy woman when I think I'm getting a raw deal. And this sounds like a very raw deal.

Now to find out what the outcome of the saga is.

[Maxima81]

As others have already pointed out, this whole storywith dealing with the "head-honcho" of RCCL sounds a little fishy to me. If anything, the TA may be trying to boost his/her credibility by making it sound like they're jumping through hoops to make this happen for you when in reality, it is something that is easily accomplished with a simple phone call and explanation.

Again, as long as you are not canceling anything with them (or anything that would require a decrease in the price you've already paid), there should be no reason why you can't request the changes you want. I'm sure if you wanted to upgrade categories, you would get a complete different story as RCCL (and the TA) would be making more $.

[MIcruiser99]

[quote name='232271'][B][COLOR=red]UPDATE: YOU WILL BE GLAD TO KNOW MY HUSBAND IS ON THE PHONE WITH RCCL RIGHT NOW.[/COLOR][/B][/quote]

Let us know what you find out! This is almost as good as watching a soap opera!!:D

Seriously, I hope that you can get this straighten out and enjoy a great cruise.

[Suzanne74]

I agree. This will be interesting. I think you should send the TA this thread and tell her CC will be after her.:D

[tjljsc]

[quote name='232271']My husband called our TA just now and was told they were on the phone with the East Coast Office of RCCL. TA claims that RCCL is the only cruise line that does not allow you to change anything after 70 days-any other cruiseline would have no problem.
TA said we have to wait on the "head honcho" at RCCL East Coast office to talk with book-keeping. (which could be several days) I cant stand this put off and waiting, but now for sure it will confuse the issue if I call a regular person at RCCL. I need to tell my husband to get this "head-honcho's" phone number and confirm the answer we get?

By the way in my husbands defense, he is handling this the best he can becuase his grandmother just died yesterday, so to those who think we are being "wimpy", yes, we arebut I am not wanting to cause too much more grief for us. I was hoping our TA would be good enough to get this worked out quickly.

thanks for all the advice and I will keep you up-to-date.:)[/quote]

Honestly, you will not confuse RCCL if you call them directly. PLEASE make the call for your own peace of mind. They're not going to tell your TA that you called. I also like another poster's idea of you calling and asking for information. They can pull up your itinerary and tell you whether or not it's possible and, if it is, how it can be done. Ask how long you have to make a decision, thank them for the info and hang up. The next time you talk to your TA, if the issue isn't resolved, you then inform them that you called RCCL yourself, this is what needs to be done, and since they obviously need your help to get this completed, call RCCL together on a conference call. You can be nonconfrontational about it by playing the "let's fix this together" tone of voice and not taking no for an answer. If your TA gets upset at that point... call RCCL and express your concern and ask for their help. Go to a supervisor if you have to. At this point, you need to either call RCCL yourself asap, or accept that the 4 of you will be in the same cabin. Regardless of the outcome, I would still call RCCL to confirm your reservation. This TA seems fishy to me and, personally, I'd want the peace of mind of confirming with RCCL at this point.

[mollyeilis]

[quote name='232271']I spoke with my TA again and TA said they are handling it right now. Claiming to have a high status with RCCL (and that TA has spoken to supervisors at RCCL) , so TA states it would only confuse the situation if we called and got involved? my hubby wants to give TA ONE chance to make it right.[/QUOTE]

Why are you still trusting ANY thing this person says?


[quote name='232271']My husband called our TA just now and was told they were on the phone with the East Coast Office of RCCL. TA claims that RCCL is the only cruise line that does not allow you to change anything after 70 days-any other cruiseline would have no problem. [/QUOTE]

You are being told, here, by multiple, unaffiliated-with-each-other TAs that this is hogwash.


I'm really sorry for your hubby's loss. May I suggest that YOU take the burden of calling RCCL? Let him grieve while you take care of business? Also, I'm not entirely sure that your DH understands the situation, since he has been stalling calling the TA up until today.



[quote name='232271'][B][COLOR="Red"]UPDATE: YOU WILL BE GLAD TO KNOW MY HUSBAND IS ON THE PHONE WITH RCCL RIGHT NOW.[/COLOR][/B][/QUOTE]

Woohoo! I'm hoping he started the conversation hypothetically, like I mentioned first (:D) and as others have since mentioned. Starting the convo with mentioning the TA might only get "then we can't talk to you", and that will likely stop you guys in your tracks.

[Buccaneergirl]

[SIZE=3][B]We are all anxiously awaiting to see what the outcome is! I have to leave for work at 3:00, so I am hoping we will know what RCCL said by then!![/B][/SIZE]