No more group bookings thru RCCL?

[allthatjazz]

Has anyone heard that RCCL will no longer be dealing with group bookings? I heard that they did away with this and I was just curious if anyone else heard this? We have a group booked for next month thru RCCL and was interested in using them again for next year's cruise.

Sandy:)

[FL_Cruiser64]

Has anyone heard that RCCL will no longer be dealing with group bookings? I heard that they did away with this and I was just curious if anyone else heard this? We have a group booked for next month thru RCCL and was interested in using them again for next year's cruise.

Sandy:)

 

As far as I am concerned that is a rumor. I am putting a group together as we speak and go through RCI directly.

 

I did send an e-mail to my RCI pipeline though. I let you know if that is planned in the future.

[allthatjazz]

Thanks, I would greatly appreciate it if you would let me know if this is a rumor. I enjoyed working directly with the cruise line instead of an outside TA.

Sandy:)

[FL_Cruiser64]

Thanks, I would greatly appreciate it if you would let me know if this is a rumor. I enjoyed working directly with the cruise line instead of an outside TA.

Sandy:)

 

I do know that he is traveling this weekend. Usually he checks his mail on the weekends. But yesterday he told me that he will be on the road and doesn't know if he can answer my weekend questions until Monday.

 

But I let you know.

[FL_Cruiser64]

Thanks, I would greatly appreciate it if you would let me know if this is a rumor. I enjoyed working directly with the cruise line instead of an outside TA.

Sandy:)

 

Just got the mail.

 

Here is your answer:

 

Hello _____

 

That is correct, we no longer have an individual group department here at Royal Caribbean. We know only service group bookings for trave agents. We can still book up to 7 cabins for you, if and when you reach 8 cabins and our outside of the final payment due date, you can transfer your reservation to a trave agent. Before transferring your reservations, we recommend you verify with your trave agent if they still have group benefits for your sailing and what those benefits may be.

 

_________, your group vacation planner is actually working in my department know as an individual booking agent, she sits right next to me.

 

Best regards

 

________________

Certified Vacation Planner

Celebrity Cruise Line

Royal Caribbean International

800 859 7225 ?????

_______________

Hours of operation

Monday - Friday 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM EST

Saturday 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM

http://www.celebrityseurope.com

 

I might have slipped through the cracks.....

:(

[hcat]

So it seems there will still be large groups booking & cruising--just through a different source... I still wish they'd post all large group cruises so individuals can decide if they want to be on board with those groups

[vmom]

So it seems there will still be large groups booking & cruising--just through a different source... I still wish they'd post all large group cruises so individuals can decide if they want to be on board with those groups

 

That's how I'm reading it also. That there will still be groups, but the groups will have to book through a TA and not through the cruise line directly.

 

I also agree, that if there is a large group...and I mean LARGE, not just several cabins such as a family group or group of friends might have....that this information should be available so that fellow cruisers can decide whether to book a different date. I personally would not be happy being on a cruise with 1500 people from any sort of large group. I know it will never happen tho due to the cruiseline would have too many people trying to rebook and would have trouble booking the rest of the space on the ship.

[allthatjazz]

Thanks so much for the info. It seems like it will be pretty easy to transfer a group over, I wil definetely check ahead of time to make sure the perks of a group. Thanks again.

Sandy:)

[Lynnees]

That's how I'm reading it also. That there will still be groups, but the groups will have to book through a TA and not through the cruise line directly.

 

I also agree, that if there is a large group...and I mean LARGE, not just several cabins such as a family group or group of friends might have....that this information should be available so that fellow cruisers can decide whether to book a different date. I personally would not be happy being on a cruise with 1500 people from any sort of large group. I know it will never happen tho due to the cruiseline would have too many people trying to rebook and would have trouble booking the rest of the space on the ship.

 

Groups will now only be booked through TA's.

 

As for the large groups, as much as I may agree with you, it will never happen. First and formost there is a privacy issue. They just can't give that information out legally.