Complaining Couple Banned from RCI

[Cuizer2]

The real bone of contention may be public mention of compensation. If I had a legitimate complaint about my cruise and the line compensated me in some manner, I don't think I would post the details of that compensation online. I might indicate that the company had resolved the issue to my satisfaction, but that's it.

 

Karen

 

I think you just hit the nail on the head here.

 

I would hope that everyone realizes that the cruise lines read these boards. The cruise lines would be fools not to.

[Ms Belvedere]

Someone asked earlier how RCCL figured out who they were based on a Cruise Critic review...

 

I am willing to bet that in one of the complaint letters to the cruiseline, the person stated something like, "And I am a member of Cruise Critic, and on-line community with XXXXX members.." and then went on to explain that the cruise forum is a great way for them to share their negative experiences with those other XXXXX members, should their problem not be resolved.

CeleBrat

I'd imagine she name-dropped Cruise Critic more than once when making her complaints to Royal Caribbean. After reading her review and seeing who it was, I remember her style of posting on the boards. I'm sure the mods on here know her well. :cool:

[syotyu]

I don't think anyone should worry about posting honest comments on this site. I'm sure Royal Caribbean had a multitude of reasons for banning the couple. Maybe they just were impolite over the phone, who knows. Businesses have the right to ban customers if they want to without even giving a reason in some cases, as long as it is not due to race or age. I read the news story and I am surprised MSNBC even published it without checking the facts. You have to corroborate a complainer's story before it becomes news. Ridiculous fluff piece.

[hermang]

I think if you read the review, you'll find it's balanced and the ship was highly rated by the member. I can't see how Royal Caribbean could find fault with the review.

 

Let's keep in mind that any discussions on these boards must be about the topic. Cruise Critic is serious about the Community Guidelines. Please stick to the issue at hand or you may find your posting privileges permanently suspended.

 

Karen

HostKaren@CruiseCritic.com

 

I am guessing RCCL management is "upset" at the poster describing how everytime they complained RCCL compensated them and worse still said how much.

 

If I find something wrong on a cruise - I'll write management - I actually did get very well compensated for an incident - but that was between RCCL and I.

 

I guess the saying is - even a fish wouldn't get caught if it kept it's mouth shut.

[Cuizer2]

Maybe I am a little slow on the uptake, but how did RCCL know who to call and ban? Esp if this person has numerous screen names how did they know who it was?

 

This should be a warning to everyone. Given very little information, a little from this post, a little from that post, an entire picture can be put together.

 

For example. There were 2000+ people on the Serenade in April. There were 2000+ people on the Monarch in December. There were 4000+ people on the Freedom of the Sea in June. Now how many people do you think were on all three? A computer could narrow this down in less than two seconds.

 

Never mind that with a sailing date and cabin number (both on the review) the cruise line could ID someone just from that. From there you have a screen name (again on the review) and now you can index posts.

 

Or in a company with thousands of employees, guess how many are female supervisors of field adjusters in Sacramento?

 

You are not as anonymous as you might think.

[hermang]

I'm not sure that it's really wrong to discuss compensation that was received. I still think it's more likely that they recognized a distinct pattern of complaining and expecting compensation that looked a bit fishy. I received compensation for issues on one cruise I took and have posted about it on here. (But then, it does meet your criteria of being something that everyone on the sailing received.)

 

You will note that when the estate of George Smith settled with RCCL - the details were supposed to be private. I think that was also the case for another settlement - I am sure the legal beagles don;t want to say what they settled for lest some unscrupulous ambulance chaser tries to up the ante for his client knowing what the cruise line was willing to pay in a specific case

[kathanderik]

Forgive me if this has been asked earlier in the thread, I lost steam after 140 posts- lol

 

How the heck does MSNBC know about this woman being banned from RCCL?

 

Do you think RCCL told them?

[Cuizer2]

I tend to be a little incredulous about articles of this nature, so I have two serious questions:

 

1. If you post a review like this, can you come back later and change what you wrote? If so, it seems rather likely to me that the original review was genuinely scathing and the author changed it later to be reasonable so other people'd take her side. After all, the original post said that the review seemed to be instruction on how to scam the cruiseline into giving you free stuff . . . and that's certainly not in the current review.

 

2. How does Royal Caribbean know the name of the person who wrote the review? I only see her email. You can't figure out my real name from my email address!

 

Funny i was wondering that too - but soon worked it out

 

 

If you ever sign up to a M-M party - you have to give your user name on here/CC along with your personal details !!!

 

 

 

jj.....

 

But, no, that doesn't answer the question. The review gave her EMAIL ADDRESS. My screen name is NOT the same as my email address -- I think that's true for most people. I just checked my "public profile", and my email isn't there either. So if I'd written this review, I don't see how anyone could connect it to ME.

 

You are looking in the wrong place. Look again at the review. The cruise AND cabin number are identified. The cruise line can look up a person's name just from that information.

[DALSAL]

I have I mentioned today how much I love RCI ??? :D

 

BTW Princessdreams4P&B, you wrote...

 

Last year, there was a 13 year old girl in front of our family, waiting in line. The Cast Member looked suspiciously at her (as there was nothing apparently physically or mentally wrong with her by the way she was jumping around with her friends). He asked her why she had a GAC card, and she said that if she is in the sun too long that it affects her skin. I almost passed out from anger...Yes dear it's called a SUN BURN and they have a lotion for it..

 

When my son was young, he broke out in a horrible rash each time he was in the sun for long..only where the sun hit his skin directly..his conditioned stumped several doctors, as he was not taking any medications..so we were limited of how long he could be in the sun..so maybe it was a legit "excuse" and not a "sunburn"..Thank goodness he out grew it..but it was a real pain for about 5 years...

 

Oh yeah, I love you RCI and if you cant figure out my name from my post, I will tell you my cabin # on my upcoming July cruise just in case you want to send something nice to my cabin...:D

[Cuizer2]

Does this person now have the right to blast me publically for having made the mistake?

 

In the USA - yes.

[vmom]

First of all, I would like to thank LauraS for leaving this thread up so that I could read all ten pages. :eek:

 

To anyone who thinks that RC acted hastily or rashly or without justification: All I can say is, if you have been on these boards long enough, not only are you not surprised at the ban, you are wondering what took RC so long.

 

Many credible members of Cruise Critic have been on cruises with this couple, and their reports of their encounters with this couple would make your hair stand on end.

 

B. seems to have enjoyed her first cruise (in 20 years) on Norwegian very much, and we all wish her many happy sailings there. :D

 

:

 

Thank you for the very valid point you make. Its the HISTORY, long standing history with RCCL and this couple that caused RCCL to ask them to cruise elsewhere. Not just one review or one cruise.

 

Too many people are loosing sight of that fact which was very clearly stated in the report.

 

I read recently that Sprint had recently "fired" some of their customers, asking them to find service with another company for simialar reasons.

[Sandytoes]

I just want to state, again, that RCI did NOT ask us to remove the review.

Did they ask who exactly posted? Requesting their name? :confused:

 

This should be a warning to everyone. Given very little information, a little from this post, a little from that post, an entire picture can be put together.

 

You are not as anonymous as you might think.

 

As the saying goes, big brother watching us and warns us that everything we do on the Internet is under surveillance, whether good or bad.

 

This is a good lesson to us all.

 

Be careful what you say, because someday it might come back to haunt you.

[c-legs]

Ya know, I was wondering the same thing. RCCL banned them "last November". It's not news NOW...it was news "last November". I am wondering why MSNBC decided to pick up this story. Just seems odd. And this is coming from someone with a journalism background. It's not news if it happened 7 months ago, it's HISTORY.

 

 

 

. ;)

Hi,

How about : the ''star of the day''herself tipping them up to a good story !!

Chronic complainers are also well ''trained'' into whose phone to ring....

Cheers

:eek:

[Alexis]

Someone asked earlier how RCCL figured out who they were based on a Cruise Critic review...

 

I am willing to bet that in one of the complaint letters to the cruiseline, the person stated something like, "And I am a member of Cruise Critic, and on-line community with XXXXX members.." and then went on to explain that the cruise forum is a great way for them to share their negative experiences with those other XXXXX members, should their problem not be resolved.

 

I have a friend who works for a really large well-known resort, which also happens to have its very own forum with a gazillion members, and he has gotten letters in the past where a disgruntled traveler has mentioned their association with the forum, as if it were a threat to compensate them better.

 

My 2 cents.

 

CeleBrat

 

That was a common thing done and it was always posted on here by said person.

[kingsgirl]

That was a common thing done and it was always posted on here by said person.

 

Ugh. Time is better spent working to save more money for another cruise. Plus, by doing it this way, you don't have to feel guilty about bullying someone into giving you something you don't deserve.

[MakinGold]

I have I mentioned today how much I love RCI ??? :D

 

BTW Princessdreams4P&B, you wrote...

 

Last year, there was a 13 year old girl in front of our family, waiting in line. The Cast Member looked suspiciously at her (as there was nothing apparently physically or mentally wrong with her by the way she was jumping around with her friends). He asked her why she had a GAC card, and she said that if she is in the sun too long that it affects her skin. I almost passed out from anger...Yes dear it's called a SUN BURN and they have a lotion for it..

 

When my son was young, he broke out in a horrible rash each time he was in the sun for long..only where the sun hit his skin directly..his conditioned stumped several doctors, as he was not taking any medications..so we were limited of how long he could be in the sun..so maybe it was a legit "excuse" and not a "sunburn"..Thank goodness he out grew it..but it was a real pain for about 5 years...

 

Oh yeah, I love you RCI and if you cant figure out my name from my post, I will tell you my cabin # on my upcoming July cruise just in case you want to send something nice to my cabin...:D

 

I thought the same thing about that post. It seemed a bit quick to judgement, as there are a few conditions that require a person to be very cautious about sun exposure, and just wearing sunscreen does not necessarily help. It could have been abusing the system, but it's quite possible this youngster had a legitimate reason.

[negc]

Did they ask who exactly posted? Requesting their name? :confused:

.

 

No need to ask. As others have pointed out the complainant identified herself by posting her stateroom number in her review. However, it is also obvious that there were other factors that apparently played a larger role in her banishment, namely the constant complaints and demands for some sort of compensation for real or imagined problems, leading to the cruiseline's realization that nothing could be done that would satisfy the complainant and that asking them to take their business elsewhere was not only the best, but possibly, the only solution.

[Germancruiser]

RCI did very well in banning them from their ships. They should stay at home and start to complain about the weather! Nothing against a well balanced critic- actually the name of the baords is CRUISE CRITIC! IMO a critic reflects both good and bad things!

In all cruises I took with RCI or X- their crew werre helpflull friendly and attentive- there may have been some more some less friendly.

So congratulations RCI wise decision!

Greetings

Michael

[AllieInMD]

front page

 

http://blogs.usatoday.com/cruiselog/2008/05/report-royal-ca.html?csp=34?se=yahoorefer

 

this report doesn't seem to be quite as anti-RCCL as the last one

 

and they've been reading CC again ;)

[RaeVynn]

Once upon a time, I managed a hotel at a beach.

 

70 rooms, and every day, there was ONE unhappy guest. Just random. SOMEONE would be unhappy about SOMETHING. It wasn't sunny enough, they didn't like the pastries on the breakfast buffet, they couldn't get fast enough Internet... yadda yadda yadda.

 

Professional complainers. Yes. Hotel managers keep each other informed about them. The ones that demand free rooms over things like "there are 4 of us, and only 3 plastic cups in the room. We want a free night". The hotel chain I worked for has hundreds of thousands of professional complainers, all carrying a "preferred status" card. Makes them easier to spot.

 

I got out of the business.

[crusinmama06]

That's the one from USA Today, just linked to Yahoo.

 

I can't imagine she expected this much coverage. :eek:

[Travel Angel]

And the more everyone keeps making threads on this topic within the CC boards, the more attention she will get !

 

It's old news,,, does not affect us, so why can't everyone just let it disappear ???

[kingsgirl]

That's the one from USA Today, just linked to Yahoo.

 

I can't imagine she expected this much coverage. :eek:

 

Just wait. There will be an update saying how much attention this is getting on Cruise Critic.

[crusinmama06]

Just wait. There will be an update saying how much attention this is getting on Cruise Critic.

 

There already is...lol. Just look at the replies the story is getting on the USA blog. :eek:

 

Yes, I chimed in there as well. ;)

[AllieInMD]

The fact that it got linked on the front page of yahoo means even more coverage.

 

Frankly, not sure that's a bad thing as another poster said - at least this one seems less anti-RCCL than the original. And any pointing towards CC shows the number of posts that tell the other side of the story. She gets her 15 minutes of fame, and maybe RCCL will get a fairer picture painted - by the people that know best - their customers. And - well - CC might get more members who didn't know about this site!

 

I don't know the poster or the history of her - only what I've read in the articles and commentary here. I'm with RCCL on this one - in any business - if you aren't happy with the service/product - why would you keep patronizing that company? If I had 2 or 3 bad cruises with a line - I'd either figure that I needed to switch lines, that cruising just wasn't for me, or *GASP* it was ME and not the cruise line.

 

That's the one from USA Today, just linked to Yahoo.

 

I can't imagine she expected this much coverage. :eek: