We Made Enough Noise, RCCL WILL ALLOW US TO COMBINE OBCS

[ChevyCruiser]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChevyCruiser

I choose to stand up and be heard. Here's the text of a letter I sent to RCCL:

 

My wife and I are "Loyal Royals" having cruised exclusively with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. We are Diamond members of the Crown and Anchor Society, Royal Caribbean shareholders, and as young retirees looking forward to many, many more years of cruise vacations. We have introduced several friends and family members to cruising and we frequently book cruise vacations on RCI together.

 

We are distressed to learn from a cruising friend - we missed the official announcement from RCI - that we will no longer be able to combine Next Cruise on-board credits with shareholder benefits. Luckily, we learned of the change in time to utilize two open Next Cruise certificates that we purchased on the Radiance of the Seas in September and we hurriedly booked two cruises prior to the October 15th deadline. Had we known in September of the changes taking effect in October, we would not have booked two open Next Cruise certificates.

 

Because of this sudden change in benefits that even had the RCI phone reps scratching their heads in trying to explain the ramifications to the customers, our confidence in RCI has been seriously eroded. We do understand that RCI retains the right to adjust loyalty program benefits, but you must understand that we retain the right to adjust our cruise plans.

 

With the ill-timed, sneaky, and poorly communicated changes to the RCI loyalty program, we have begun to look elsewhere for cruise vacations and recently booked a two-week cruise with Princess Cruises this winter. Another couple with whom we have cruised with RCI in the past, will join us on the cruise. That represents approximately $10,000 in revenue that RCI has let slip away.

 

Any wet-behind-the-ears MBA understands that it is much more cost-effective to retain loyal customers than find new ones.

 

We hope that RCI will reconsider the recent changes to shareholder benefits.

 

 

And here's the answer I just recieved from RCCL - the bolding is mine.

 

 

Dear Mr. & Mrs. Clampett,

 

Thank you for your e-mail to Mr. Ian Bailey, VP of our Investor Relations Department. We appreciate this opportunity to respond to your concerns.

 

Please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience or disappointment this recent change has caused you. After some consideration, we will be allowing the combinability of the onboard credits until further notice. Please feel free to contact me at the number listed below if you wish to discuss this matter further.

 

Thank you,again, Mr. & Mrs. Clampett, for your feedback. I look forward to hearing from you.

 

 

 

Best Regards,

 

Janelle

Executive Guest Specialist

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

[PH8]

smart move on their part

[billylen]

I too received a call from RCCL and this is another example that it pays to speak up!

 

The stock credit will become combinable again!

[firefly333]

Im glad to hear it, as a shareholder that is way underwater now.

[batoryfirst]

Great news. I'm sitting here with 2 Next Cruise certificates that I just purchased on the Mariner at the beginning of October. I'm a stockholder as well and everytime I saw those two envelopes on my desk, I was very unhappy.

[hylasgirl]

That is awesome news!!! Thanks for sharing!!!:)

[emmy]

Thanks for posting this..great news :)

[seagoer55]

So since OBC are going to be combinable will we also be able to use any C&A coupons that may come out for our sailing as well?? Hope so...

[piercetc4]

great!!!!

thanks for sharing and for speaking up! i just used 2 nextcruise bookings with one left to decide on- one is nov 2010 ( so far away) so had just gotten that booking done in time for being able to combine nextcruise / stockholder obc.........now i can relax and decide on the 3rd nextcruise! woo hoo----

[petel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChevyCruiser

I choose to stand up and be heard. Here's the text of a letter I sent to RCCL:

 

My wife and I are "Loyal Royals" having cruised exclusively with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. We are Diamond members of the Crown and Anchor Society, Royal Caribbean shareholders, and as young retirees looking forward to many, many more years of cruise vacations. We have introduced several friends and family members to cruising and we frequently book cruise vacations on RCI together.

 

We are distressed to learn from a cruising friend - we missed the official announcement from RCI - that we will no longer be able to combine Next Cruise on-board credits with shareholder benefits. Luckily, we learned of the change in time to utilize two open Next Cruise certificates that we purchased on the Radiance of the Seas in September and we hurriedly booked two cruises prior to the October 15th deadline. Had we known in September of the changes taking effect in October, we would not have booked two open Next Cruise certificates.

 

Because of this sudden change in benefits that even had the RCI phone reps scratching their heads in trying to explain the ramifications to the customers, our confidence in RCI has been seriously eroded. We do understand that RCI retains the right to adjust loyalty program benefits, but you must understand that we retain the right to adjust our cruise plans.

 

With the ill-timed, sneaky, and poorly communicated changes to the RCI loyalty program, we have begun to look elsewhere for cruise vacations and recently booked a two-week cruise with Princess Cruises this winter. Another couple with whom we have cruised with RCI in the past, will join us on the cruise. That represents approximately $10,000 in revenue that RCI has let slip away.

 

Any wet-behind-the-ears MBA understands that it is much more cost-effective to retain loyal customers than find new ones.

 

We hope that RCI will reconsider the recent changes to shareholder benefits.

 

 

And here's the answer I just recieved from RCCL - the bolding is mine.

 

 

Dear Mr. & Mrs. Clampett,

 

Thank you for your e-mail to Mr. Ian Bailey, VP of our Investor Relations Department. We appreciate this opportunity to respond to your concerns.

 

Please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience or disappointment this recent change has caused you. After some consideration, we will be allowing the combinability of the onboard credits until further notice. Please feel free to contact me at the number listed below if you wish to discuss this matter further.

 

Thank you,again, Mr. & Mrs. Clampett, for your feedback. I look forward to hearing from you.

 

 

 

Best Regards,

 

Janelle

Executive Guest Specialist

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

 

 

 

That's the RCI I love and trust !

:D Way to go. :D

[Clarea]

This is great news. I was one of probably many many others who sent letters and emails to Royal asking them to reconsider. Weather permitting, I will be on Majesty tomorrow. I had not planned to purchase a Next Cruise because it did not make sense to me anymore, being a shareholder. Now I will purchasing one or more Next Cruise certificates.

[grandsix]

We were also one of those who expressed our displeasure of the OBC.

This was constructive criticism and are glad RCL has reversed a very bad policy change. Good for them.

[hcleaner]

Wonderful news! I am happy to hear that RCCL is listening to it's stockholders. Thank You Royal Caribbean.

[tomatopa]

that is really something...I feel like sending the other post and see what kind of answer I get....LOL

 

See you soon....Judy

[I Church]

We were also one of those who expressed our displeasure of the OBC.

This was constructive criticism and are glad RCL has reversed a very bad policy change. Good for them.

 

We also had deceided not to do on-board credit pre-booking aboard other RCI ships. We still have our RCI stock and only wish it was worth more but plan on keeping it and the news of being able to combine the credits sure pleases us. We will be going on 4 future already booked Royal Caribbean and Celebrity cruises and am please we can get both credits as planned.

 

Irene & Miles

[havebagswilltravel]

I posted this earlier today after receiving the call from Corporate Guest Relations and am adding it here where it will be seen. Glad you thought to make it a NEW thread - so the wonderful word will get out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by havebagswilltravel

I have just received a MOST welcome phone call from Royal Caribbean.

They've restored my faith - and then some - they are currently calling people who expressed concern with the policy change; they are revising it - he called it "making exceptions" - and I cannot swear that it is for all time - but when I asked if it were (just) being grandfathered for those of us who made Next Cruise purchases before the announcement, (which was all I had asked for),

I THINK he indicated that it's more than that - (I told you I was excited.) I asked if it will apply to my daughter who was with me on September 11; also purchased three Next Cruises and also is a shareholder; but had not communicated her concern and he said YES!!!!!!

[Joyce From Yardley]

Wonderful news! I am happy to hear that RCCL is listening to it's stockholders. Thank You Royal Caribbean.

 

Hello,

 

We are also stockholders, & as the above poster states Thanks for listening.

 

Happy Sailings.

 

Joyce & Of Course Harvey

[petesweet]

smart move on their part

 

Smart move on OP's part, you mean - and on the part of others who went to the source to make their complaints known. It really doesn't do much good just to grouse on Cruise Critic. Once the issue is discussed, then we need to go to someone who can respond to the problem. Good for all of you who have done that. I did not feel that strongly about it or I, too, would have written.

 

And I think a few thank-you letters to Royal Caribbean would be appropriate. I plan on sending one.

[Jaxsonbrownie]

See, the squeaky wheel does get the oil!

Now, you should have included your $.02 about the steak in with it:D

[walcherw]

Now I will buy :D more on our cruise coming up. Woody

[snausman]

This is wonderful news. I will now buy a next cruise cert. on our next cruise. Thank you RCCL.

 

Laura

[cruisenfever]

Thanks for posting your response from RCI. It is indeed wonderful news. I also agree that thank you emails should be sent.

[dirtgirl]

This is great news!!

[spiritkat090909]

Well, I wasn't going to buy one...and bought the stock simply for this purpose...so, now when I sail 3/22, I will buy one & hope they don't change their mind about it between purchase & sail! Fingers crossed.

[klfhngr]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChevyCruiser

I choose to stand up and be heard. Here's the text of a letter I sent to RCCL:

 

My wife and I are "Loyal Royals" having cruised exclusively with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. We are Diamond members of the Crown and Anchor Society, Royal Caribbean shareholders, and as young retirees looking forward to many, many more years of cruise vacations. We have introduced several friends and family members to cruising and we frequently book cruise vacations on RCI together.

 

We are distressed to learn from a cruising friend - we missed the official announcement from RCI - that we will no longer be able to combine Next Cruise on-board credits with shareholder benefits. Luckily, we learned of the change in time to utilize two open Next Cruise certificates that we purchased on the Radiance of the Seas in September and we hurriedly booked two cruises prior to the October 15th deadline. Had we known in September of the changes taking effect in October, we would not have booked two open Next Cruise certificates.

 

Because of this sudden change in benefits that even had the RCI phone reps scratching their heads in trying to explain the ramifications to the customers, our confidence in RCI has been seriously eroded. We do understand that RCI retains the right to adjust loyalty program benefits, but you must understand that we retain the right to adjust our cruise plans.

 

With the ill-timed, sneaky, and poorly communicated changes to the RCI loyalty program, we have begun to look elsewhere for cruise vacations and recently booked a two-week cruise with Princess Cruises this winter. Another couple with whom we have cruised with RCI in the past, will join us on the cruise. That represents approximately $10,000 in revenue that RCI has let slip away.

 

Any wet-behind-the-ears MBA understands that it is much more cost-effective to retain loyal customers than find new ones.

 

We hope that RCI will reconsider the recent changes to shareholder benefits.

 

 

And here's the answer I just recieved from RCCL - the bolding is mine.

 

 

Dear Mr. & Mrs. Clampett,

 

Thank you for your e-mail to Mr. Ian Bailey, VP of our Investor Relations Department. We appreciate this opportunity to respond to your concerns.

 

Please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience or disappointment this recent change has caused you. After some consideration, we will be allowing the combinability of the onboard credits until further notice. Please feel free to contact me at the number listed below if you wish to discuss this matter further.

 

Thank you,again, Mr. & Mrs. Clampett, for your feedback. I look forward to hearing from you.

 

 

 

Best Regards,

 

Janelle

Executive Guest Specialist

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

 

 

Can you please put together a letter for my employer stating something to the effect that I deserve a raise?! All joking aside, great letter! Job well done, and THANK YOU!