RCI ''Customer Service''

[patsfanwend]

Below is the letter I wrote to RCI regarding our experience on the Liberty of the Seas this past April.

The Liberty is a great ship and we had a great vacation, however, we had some serious concerns that I felt needed to be shared with the company.

Royal Caribbean really did not care at all!

This makes me sad because we have had some great cruise vacations on RC, but I am very hesitant to go on RC again due to their total lack of customer service.

I wasn't looking for anything but a sincere apology and they were completely unapologetic and uncaring. That fact has made my decision to post this easy!

 

 

Dear Royal Caribbean Customer Service,

I have spoken with your customer service department today, but I wanted to make sure that you have my concerns in writing. Having previously sailed on the Mariner we thought that the larger ship would be better for the kids. We were wrong. The problems began at the port where we were accosted by luggage handlers who were in our face and asking for tips! When we finally got to our room and began unpacking there was trash and food in our drawers, along with dirt, crumbs and grime on our balcony! Our poor room attendant was very nice and accommodating, however he was also very overwhelmed! He only ended up leaving towel animals in our room on 3 nights. On the first night we killed a cockroach in the hallway. We reported this to one of the attendants in the hallway. Throughout the week the cutbacks that you have made, and referred to in our phone call, were VERY apparent. The biggest one being no hand sanitizer anywhere! With the threat of flu and norovirus, how could you not have hand sanitizer? On the Mariner it was everywhere, and appreciated. There were also no more chocolates on our pillows, or turn down service, no midnight buffet and the service has really slacked off. While there are a lot of planned activities for small children, there is a lack of activities for the teens. Many times they would go to the teen area only to find it empty, not even any staff there.

The waiters and assistant waiters were also totally overwhelmed. They tried their best, but could not keep up. One night our waitress even told my husband that he could only have 1 meal. My husband's favorite part of our vacation is the food. He looked forward to this the most. When questioned, she did give in and bring him what he was entitled to. She was very nice and we enjoyed her, but again, she was overwhelmed. To top off our dining experience - my niece, who has a life threatening nut allergy was served a brownie full of nuts on the last night! This could have been fatal for her! The fact that she had to go through that terrifying experience is unacceptable! And, to end off our week there were cockroaches in our son's room - 9607! When I went to Guest Services the woman was completely unalarmed and not helpful or even apologetic. She looked at me and said "I'll tell Maintenance. You can call Customer Service when you get home." Not only is this disgusting, but it is also a HUGE inconvenience for us. Upon arriving home we had to leave all of our luggage out on the deck and go through each piece of clothing for 4 people individually and then carry each batch of clothing directly to the wash. If any cockroaches have made it into our home we will have to have our house exterminated at an expense to us. So, not only is it gross, it's a really big hassle! For the amount of money we paid I would think that our vacation would have turned out better than it did!

We have loved Royal Caribbean in the past. There were many really great things about our vacation - Flowrider, Rock Wall, Room Service, Kid's Pool, our Bar Waiter, Shows, Cruise Director, the Spa - but, unfortunately, along with the lack of good customer service, there were some serious issues that overshadowed our experience that are making us seriously consider another cruise line for our next vacation.

[Gracie115]

Well....sorry you had a bad experience...but seeing a single cockroach is not a sign of horrible infestation....there isn't a pest control company out there that guarantees against cockroaches..(here in Florida we call them Palmetto bugs)..now the little "german" roaches is a different story....THAT is an infestation...but if it's a cockroach well at least it wasn't one of those 6 inch hissing Madagascar roaches........no, not kidding...they exist...

 

Also the hand sanitizer issue seems to be ship by ship....some have it some don't...I don't use it. My DH is a microbiologist and he (and many others) claim they do little or no good..washing your hands thoroughly and frequently is MUCH more helpful and some of the ships have adopted this attitude....our Jewel cruise last fall had NO sanitizer either....

 

Hope these issues didn't ruin your cruise....

[CruisenLexie]

We were on the Independence in March and did not have the same experience as you. I mention this becase it is the same class ship and therefore the same size. I do think the waiters are overwhelmed though. No one usually came back to re-fill my mothers wine and there were nights she had to ask for it to be brought out. There were nights when our water did not get re-filled and it is all I drink so it is important to me. We were on a back to back and during the first week our service was just fine but during the second week we had some complainers at the table so the attention of the waiter and assistant waiter went to the complainers and we could tell the difference in our service. These people recieved more than one entree I believe every night if not three on some nights. Same with desserts. All in hopes of making them happy. Truth be told nothing would have made one or two of them happy and at least one of the couples did not tip. I really felt for the waiters. It also seems over the last 2-3 years the head waiters are helping out more. Now I am wondering if that is do to fewer waiters.

 

Our room was clean and our cabin steward was wonderful. No bugs in sight. (thank God)

 

We were told they are using a different cleaning method and therefore do not put out the sanitizer anymore. Of course you are free to use your own. I did read something the other day indicating once the ships started using sanitizer illness went up. Maybe people start counting on that and dont wash their hands as often or don't pay attention to where their hands are going as much. Not sure.

 

I say this because I would hate to see you miss out on a cruise on the Independence. I can't speak for the Freedom.

 

I don't know how long you waited for a response from your letter. My mother wrote in about a credit card mishap on the B2B and it took about a month to get a response. It was nice getting a response of course it included specific things that has nothing to do with her.

 

Sorry for crusie ended up like this. All the crusie lines need to step up in the customer service department. I e-mailed Azamara at least a month ago and have heard nothing and it was a question about an upcoming cruise.

 

Good luck on your next cruise.

[CruisenLexie]

but if it's a cockroach well at least it wasn't one of those 6 inch hissing Madagascar roaches........no, not kidding...they exist...

 

It might be woman overboard at that point...:eek:;):D

[NCMtnBoys]

Below is the letter I wrote to RCI regarding our experience on the Liberty of the Seas this past April.

The Liberty is a great ship and we had a great vacation, however, we had some serious concerns that I felt needed to be shared with the company.

Royal Caribbean really did not care at all!

This makes me sad because we have had some great cruise vacations on RC, but I am very hesitant to go on RC again due to their total lack of customer service.

I wasn't looking for anything but a sincere apology and they were completely unapologetic and uncaring. That fact has made my decision to post this easy!

 

 

Dear Royal Caribbean Customer Service,

I have spoken with your customer service department today, but I wanted to make sure that you have my concerns in writing. Having previously sailed on the Mariner we thought that the larger ship would be better for the kids. We were wrong. The problems began at the port where we were accosted by luggage handlers who were in our face and asking for tips! When we finally got to our room and began unpacking there was trash and food in our drawers, along with dirt, crumbs and grime on our balcony! Our poor room attendant was very nice and accommodating, however he was also very overwhelmed! He only ended up leaving towel animals in our room on 3 nights. On the first night we killed a cockroach in the hallway. We reported this to one of the attendants in the hallway. Throughout the week the cutbacks that you have made, and referred to in our phone call, were VERY apparent. The biggest one being no hand sanitizer anywhere! With the threat of flu and norovirus, how could you not have hand sanitizer? On the Mariner it was everywhere, and appreciated. There were also no more chocolates on our pillows, or turn down service, no midnight buffet and the service has really slacked off. While there are a lot of planned activities for small children, there is a lack of activities for the teens. Many times they would go to the teen area only to find it empty, not even any staff there.

The waiters and assistant waiters were also totally overwhelmed. They tried their best, but could not keep up. One night our waitress even told my husband that he could only have 1 meal. My husband's favorite part of our vacation is the food. He looked forward to this the most. When questioned, she did give in and bring him what he was entitled to. She was very nice and we enjoyed her, but again, she was overwhelmed. To top off our dining experience - my niece, who has a life threatening nut allergy was served a brownie full of nuts on the last night! This could have been fatal for her! The fact that she had to go through that terrifying experience is unacceptable! And, to end off our week there were cockroaches in our son's room - 9607! When I went to Guest Services the woman was completely unalarmed and not helpful or even apologetic. She looked at me and said "I'll tell Maintenance. You can call Customer Service when you get home." Not only is this disgusting, but it is also a HUGE inconvenience for us. Upon arriving home we had to leave all of our luggage out on the deck and go through each piece of clothing for 4 people individually and then carry each batch of clothing directly to the wash. If any cockroaches have made it into our home we will have to have our house exterminated at an expense to us. So, not only is it gross, it's a really big hassle! For the amount of money we paid I would think that our vacation would have turned out better than it did!

We have loved Royal Caribbean in the past. There were many really great things about our vacation - Flowrider, Rock Wall, Room Service, Kid's Pool, our Bar Waiter, Shows, Cruise Director, the Spa - but, unfortunately, along with the lack of good customer service, there were some serious issues that overshadowed our experience that are making us seriously consider another cruise line for our next vacation.

 

Honestly, I don't feel that anything you've mentioned above warrants a letter of complaint. These issues were not serious. Not even an inconvenience, really. The only issue I feel is even remotely of concern would be the cockroaches, and hopefully housekeeping was made aware and took care of it. Yes, seeing cockroaches is unpleasant, but what about the ones you didn't see? Trust me, they're there. ;)

 

I don't even feel the brownie incident is of concern to RCCL. Did you order the brownie? If it is SUCH a serious issue and could conceivably result in death (and yes, I know you can't be too careful), didn't you ASK ahead of time whether it contained nuts? When ordering, did you INFORM your waiter about the nut allergy? Further, eating other food that is prepared in a kitchen which obviously contains nuts puts her entire dining experience at risk for all other meals.

 

Lack of towel animals, lack of pillow chocolates, no midnight buffet, not being allowed to order more than one entree, lack of hand sanitizers (can't you carry your own little travel size bottle?) - you're bothering RCCL with this?? It's no secret that ALL lines have had to find ways to cut their expenses. Nothing new, and nothing unique to RCCL.

 

I was on Liberty last September and enjoyed it, even with all the cutbacks (which weren't that apparent to me since I was already aware of them ahead of time). Each person's experience is what they make of it and it sounds like your overall experience was good, which is always the goal.

[nancy anne]

I don't understand why you expected the wait staff to be aware of your niece's nut allergy unless they were specifically warned about it.

[Happy ks]

We've written letters to cruise companies in the past and a reply wasn't received for almost 4 months, so don't despair!

 

I'm sorry to hear you had a bad experience but perhaps can help you with a couple things. It seems as if RCI has done away with the chocolates on the pillows (bummer, we really liked that). Towel animals for 3 nights seems about the norm now as well.

 

The hand sanitizers usually come out when there is an indication of Noro or other illness onboard. Like others have stated, it's not really all that effective to kill viral bacteria and people rely on it too much. I don't like it because my hands get so dry from the alcohol in it, I prefer to wash with soap and water instead.

 

A lot of people utilize the Guest Services desk for every complaint and the people behind the desk do try to help. If you understand the way things work you will be able to help yourself without going to the Guest Services for housekeeping or maintenance at all. Usually there is a number on the cabin phone for these departments. A call directly to them most of the time will get faster results because all Guest Services can or will do for you is to make the phone call in your behalf when they get the time. Many people don't realize this when they are onboard a ship or staying in a hotel. Guest Services is really the money department.

 

The most serious complaint I can see in your letter is the one about the nuts and the allergy. The serving staff should have been made aware that your niece has a serious allergy, the head waiter should have made sure she had a specially prepared diet all week. That is, of course, if the special medical needs department was notified in advance.

[pcur]

Below is the letter I wrote to RCI regarding our experience on the Liberty of the Seas this past April.

The Liberty is a great ship and we had a great vacation, however, we had some serious concerns that I felt needed to be shared with the company.

Royal Caribbean really did not care at all!

This makes me sad because we have had some great cruise vacations on RC, but I am very hesitant to go on RC again due to their total lack of customer service.

I wasn't looking for anything but a sincere apology and they were completely unapologetic and uncaring. That fact has made my decision to post this easy!

 

 

Dear Royal Caribbean Customer Service,

I have spoken with your customer service department today, but I wanted to make sure that you have my concerns in writing. Having previously sailed on the Mariner we thought that the larger ship would be better for the kids. We were wrong. The problems began at the port where we were accosted by luggage handlers who were in our face and asking for tips! When we finally got to our room and began unpacking there was trash and food in our drawers, along with dirt, crumbs and grime on our balcony! Our poor room attendant was very nice and accommodating, however he was also very overwhelmed! He only ended up leaving towel animals in our room on 3 nights. On the first night we killed a cockroach in the hallway. We reported this to one of the attendants in the hallway. Throughout the week the cutbacks that you have made, and referred to in our phone call, were VERY apparent. The biggest one being no hand sanitizer anywhere! With the threat of flu and norovirus, how could you not have hand sanitizer? On the Mariner it was everywhere, and appreciated. There were also no more chocolates on our pillows, or turn down service, no midnight buffet and the service has really slacked off. While there are a lot of planned activities for small children, there is a lack of activities for the teens. Many times they would go to the teen area only to find it empty, not even any staff there.

The waiters and assistant waiters were also totally overwhelmed. They tried their best, but could not keep up. One night our waitress even told my husband that he could only have 1 meal. My husband's favorite part of our vacation is the food. He looked forward to this the most. When questioned, she did give in and bring him what he was entitled to. She was very nice and we enjoyed her, but again, she was overwhelmed. To top off our dining experience - my niece, who has a life threatening nut allergy was served a brownie full of nuts on the last night! This could have been fatal for her! The fact that she had to go through that terrifying experience is unacceptable! And, to end off our week there were cockroaches in our son's room - 9607! When I went to Guest Services the woman was completely unalarmed and not helpful or even apologetic. She looked at me and said "I'll tell Maintenance. You can call Customer Service when you get home." Not only is this disgusting, but it is also a HUGE inconvenience for us. Upon arriving home we had to leave all of our luggage out on the deck and go through each piece of clothing for 4 people individually and then carry each batch of clothing directly to the wash. If any cockroaches have made it into our home we will have to have our house exterminated at an expense to us. So, not only is it gross, it's a really big hassle! For the amount of money we paid I would think that our vacation would have turned out better than it did!

We have loved Royal Caribbean in the past. There were many really great things about our vacation - Flowrider, Rock Wall, Room Service, Kid's Pool, our Bar Waiter, Shows, Cruise Director, the Spa - but, unfortunately, along with the lack of good customer service, there were some serious issues that overshadowed our experience that are making us seriously consider another cruise line for our next vacation.

 

First of all, I am very sorry that you or any of your family had your cruise spoiled by any of what you described above. However, I am having a hard time buying into the whole description, especially from someone who has cruised before, and who has older kids.

 

The most important: your neice's nut allergy. Most parents dealing with this kind of allergy alert the staff ahead about it. RCCL accommodates all kinds of special diets. It is your responsibility to notify them ahead of time if you are bringing an at-risk child on board.

 

I have cruised with RCCL for almost 37 years, and I have yet to meet an "overwhelmed" room steward. Perhaps if this was his first cruise, yes, but yours just wasn't up to the job obviously. A word to you and all viewers of this thread: CALL THE HEAD OF HOUSEKEEPING BEFORE YOU UNPACK!!!

 

The teen program is the luck of the draw and how many are on boared; not RCCL's job to make sure they are there for you.

 

Hand sanitizer: take your own; I do everywhere I go. Costs me about 99 cents a bottle in the travel section.

 

Amenities on board: we have discussed all of this on Cruise Critic, and frankly I don't see chocolates on a pillow, turning down your bed, or towel animals as a deal breaker. If it was important to your children, then an extra $5 to the room steward with a request for more of them would do the trick.

 

Now, the cockroaches: CALL THE HEAD HOUSEKEEPER. I cannot fathom why everyone runs to Customer Service. Call the guy in charge of keeping your room clean. The little beasties are COMPLETELY unacceptable, I agree, and I feel for you having to carefully check everything when you got home.

 

Again, I've never seen a single one in 37 years, though.

 

I have been on 3 RCCL ships in the last 7 months and I found the service on all of them to be great. I think the Mariner's recent problems with the flu and itinerary change may have caused some of the problems you experienced.

 

I hope you keep cruising, and I hope the next one is better for you!:D

[temple1]

Oh the roaches would do me in. Living on the coast we have a lot of trouble with bugs, especially our state bird - the palmetto bug (nice way of saying big black cockroach.) Along with most people I know we have a standing quarterly visit from the bug guy. But to see one of those little brown ones! Nasty!

 

I had a couple of issues from our last cruise, loved it but there were a couple of things I needed to vent about. I wrote it all out and the email response was almost funny in missing the pont of the orignial email.

[Cruiserccl]

You said you were on the Liberty in April when in April if you dont mind me asking? BTW: Sorry for you bad experience!

[unklez]

It seems that you did not have such a great time on this cruise. These things do happen unfortunately.

 

Sorry to hear about the unkempt room to start with. Maybe the assistant room attendant mistakenly "check marked" the room although it was not fully cleaned. Also, the cockroaches could have easily traveled in another passenger's bags to the ship.

 

I'd have contacted house-keeping and ask them to fumigate and clean the room.

 

The nut issue is obviously a communication breakdown somewhere. As serious as it can be, I am sure parents of kids with allergies have to look out for these things all their lives.

 

Lack of organized activities for teens - surprising. What did the on-board guest relations / teens program manager have to say about this?

 

I am not sympathetic about not being served more than 1 entree or the lack of midnight buffets. There are many ways to seriously stuff yourself even now on a ship.

 

Towel animals and pillow chocolates - yes, when cruise lines cut back, they don't realize that it is often these little things that mean so much to some passengers.

 

Sanitizer - hot water and soap is much better for sanitizing hands.

 

Overall, it seems that you had a certain set of expectations and were surprised when some of those expectations were not met on this cruise. I can certainly understand that. On vacations, I usually go with the flow and enjoy each day on its own without having any pre-conceived notions or expectations. It works well for me.

[cb at sea]

This letter was "tongue in cheek", I'm sure....are you all taking it seriously?

[amybeth4]

This letter was "tongue in cheek", I'm sure....are you all taking it seriously?

 

I don't think this guy's letter (sorry, OP, if you're a female...no idea by your name) is tongue-in-cheek at ALL. I hope he/she comes back and answers some of the replies above.

 

However, I can't IMAGINE writing a letter to Corporate about a lack of towel animals...the chocolates on the pillow were a lovely touch but again, not something to write about.

 

Roaches in the room? HORRIBLE!!!! So sorry for that. That would've really turned me off to the ship. Maybe your steward was new and was overwhelmed, like you say. That stinks.

 

I agree the waitstaff isn't what it was in the old days. Another cut back, I guess.

 

Don't fall into the hand sanitizer trap. They're all a crapfest. The ONLY one that comes close to MAYBE doing a bit about a VIRUS is Purell because it has a certain percentage of alcohol in it. None of the others has as much alcohol and are therefore useless for viruses (such as Norovirus and the stupid swine flu). Soap, warm water and a 20-second hand wash in the bathroom are far more useful than any hand sanitizer that does nothing but kill the "good" bacteria (see: bacteria, not viruses, i.e. colds or flu) on your hands in the first place...and make you more likely to get sick!!

[WooWooGirl]

Well....sorry you had a bad experience...but seeing a single cockroach is not a sign of horrible infestation....there isn't a pest control company out there that guarantees against cockroaches..(here in Florida we call them Palmetto bugs)..now the little "german" roaches is a different story....THAT is an infestation...but if it's a cockroach well at least it wasn't one of those 6 inch hissing Madagascar roaches........no, not kidding...they exist...

 

Also the hand sanitizer issue seems to be ship by ship....some have it some don't...I don't use it. My DH is a microbiologist and he (and many others) claim they do little or no good..washing your hands thoroughly and frequently is MUCH more helpful and some of the ships have adopted this attitude....our Jewel cruise last fall had NO sanitizer either....

 

Hope these issues didn't ruin your cruise....

 

The OP saw more than ONE and at more than one time...

[RJL58]

Just back from Liberty 05/02, sanitisers everywhere due to swine flu I think.

 

Dining room as many appetisers/entress I wanted, one guy on table had 8 lobsters.

 

Saw no Cockroaches:eek:

 

Had turndown service(bathroom refreshed and beds made up, to just get in,lights dimed, AC adjusted and Ccompass laid on bed), no chocs,4 towel animals.

 

NO Cozumel, but CocoCay instead UUUGHHHHH prefered a stop in Nassau

 

Had a great time sorry your cruise was not what you expected......

[CroozeAddict]

Your letter may have been taken a bit more seriously if it was rational and coherent. All that ranting and raving really bores people. It kind of takes away any credibility. I couldn't even get half way through it.

[mrstrod]

Your letter may have been taken a bit more seriously if it was rational and coherent. All that ranting and raving really bores people. It kind of takes away any credibility. I couldn't even get half way through it.

 

I agree with you 100%. I'm not saying this to rant at the OP, but there are certain things to write in letters and certain things to leave out. And when you start telling them what your entitled to, odds are your letter just became a ball in a game of garbage basketball.

 

BTW - there is nothing anywhere that says any cruiser is entitled to order multiple meals in the MDR. This is something that is done as a courtesy, and not a mandatory item that a cruiser must receive. I too enjoy ordering multiple desserts, but I also understand that they may not be able to accommodate my REQUEST every single time.

 

Regardless, I wouldn't expect much from this letter.

[MAZANDSTEVE]

How awful finding cockroaches, I am not surprised you complained, I would too.

[I'm on holiday]

Your letter may have been taken a bit more seriously if it was rational and coherent. All that ranting and raving really bores people. It kind of takes away any credibility. I couldn't even get half way through it.

 

Well said.

 

(I have to admit though, the roach sightings creep me out!)

[ziggypup]

How awful finding cockroaches, I am not surprised you complained, I would too.

 

If you just see one or two cockroaches that means that more than likey that they hitched a ride on board in someones luggage. Now if you see a whole herd of them, well that is a different story.

[jmraggs]

Liberty was one of the best cruises we have ever had, it was clean, had friendly service and great food. No issues what-so-ever. I never would have written a letter or even complained about most of these issues that the OP had. :rolleyes:

[patsfanwend]

First of all, I cannot possibly quote every line I am responding to, sorry. So, here is my general response.

 

I wrote this letter in order to inform Royal Caribbean of our experience, thinking they would appreciate some customer feedback.

I did not 'expect' anything from them except maybe an apology or at least some concern.

I posted it on this board in order to inform fellow cruisers of possible concerns on the Liberty. I did not post it for grammatical review. I realize that it is not a perfectly written letter. I don't think criticizing me is productive, but if you feel the need... If you don't want to read the post, then don't read the post.

 

The letter was not written because of lack of chocolates, hand sanitizer, extra meals, midnight buffet or towel animals. These things were all pointed out as examples of the obvious cutbacks. None of these things, alone, would have prompted a letter. I understand cutbacks, however, our price should then be cutback. The point is that we paid the same amount and got less.

 

Several cockroaches seen = who knows how many unseen. This was reported to housekeeping. Then it was brought up to customer service in order to double check that the problem was, hopefully, addressed before the new passengers boarded.

Side note - a cruise voucher for $150 was issued for the people in that room. I am thankful for that.

 

Regarding the nut allergy -

Of course Royal Caribbean was informed about my niece's allergies BEFORE boarding the ship. Of course the dining room was informed. All of her meals WERE specially prepared and served by the head waiter only. The head waiter was VERY helpful up until this mistake. Every night she ordered her meal and dessert for the next night. Of course she did NOT order a brownie with nuts! It was brought to her! It was a mistake! And, if she had eaten it, she very well could have gone into anaphylactic shock! Thank God that it was caught before that happened. That is why it is just listed as another problem that happened.

 

Our cruise was not ruined. None of these things on their own would have been that big of a deal. But, all of them combined, in my opinion, prompted an email and phone call to Royal Caribbean

Customer Service. As a business owner customer service is the cornerstone of my business' success. That is why I chose to inform them and you. As I listed in the letter, there were many great things about our cruise. We had a great time. I am not the type of person to let this ruin a vacation that we planned and looked forward to for so long.

My hope is that this informs you of things to look out for. That's it.

 

Thank you for the words that were kind.

[Sue L]

The letter was not written because of lack of chocolates, hand sanitizer, extra meals, midnight buffet or towel animals. These things were all pointed out as examples of the obvious cutbacks. None of these things, alone, would have prompted a letter. I understand cutbacks, however, our price should then be cutback. The point is that we paid the same amount and got less.

 

 

I know you felt you paid a lot but keep in mind a 7 night cruise in a oceanview room 20 years ago when I started cruising was more then I am paying for my 12 night cruise in a balcony this year. I actually just found the receipt from my first cruise recently.

 

these cutbacks while not making anyone jump for joy are allowing the line to maintain their low prices. If cruises had increased they way other items have over the last 20 years no one would be able to afford to cruise.

[weegl]

Unlike many of the respondents posting on this thread, I actually support the OP and his/her attempt to share a point of view. As consumers, we are obliged to provide feedback to those selling a product or providing a service. If something did not meet our expectations for the price paid, we need to discuss it.

 

The letter identified a declining level of service that he/she observed on RCI. Each item alone is not cause to complain, but little cutbacks accumulate and can impact a vacation experience. RCI needs to understand this. That doesn't mean that it ruined the cruise or that they had a horrible time, it means that the overall experience was affected. We as Cruise "Critic" members should understand this best of all.

 

I have written letters for both things that exceeded our expectations and those that disappointed. I do not expect compensation. Rather, I am trying to help a company I support to improvce its customer experience.

 

I am thankful to the OP for sharing, particularly with RCI. They should glean some constructive information from it that will make all of our experiences better for the future.

[carribeanpirate18]

First of all, I cannot possibly quote every line I am responding to, sorry. So, here is my general response.

 

I wrote this letter in order to inform Royal Caribbean of our experience, thinking they would appreciate some customer feedback.

I did not 'expect' anything from them except maybe an apology or at least some concern.

I posted it on this board in order to inform fellow cruisers of possible concerns on the Liberty. I did not post it for grammatical review. I realize that it is not a perfectly written letter. I don't think criticizing me is productive, but if you feel the need... If you don't want to read the post, then don't read the post.

 

The letter was not written because of lack of chocolates, hand sanitizer, extra meals, midnight buffet or towel animals. These things were all pointed out as examples of the obvious cutbacks. None of these things, alone, would have prompted a letter. I understand cutbacks, however, our price should then be cutback. The point is that we paid the same amount and got less.

 

Several cockroaches seen = who knows how many unseen. This was reported to housekeeping. Then it was brought up to customer service in order to double check that the problem was, hopefully, addressed before the new passengers boarded.

Side note - a cruise voucher for $150 was issued for the people in that room. I am thankful for that.

 

Regarding the nut allergy -

Of course Royal Caribbean was informed about my niece's allergies BEFORE boarding the ship. Of course the dining room was informed. All of her meals WERE specially prepared and served by the head waiter only. The head waiter was VERY helpful up until this mistake. Every night she ordered her meal and dessert for the next night. Of course she did NOT order a brownie with nuts! It was brought to her! It was a mistake! And, if she had eaten it, she very well could have gone into anaphylactic shock! Thank God that it was caught before that happened. That is why it is just listed as another problem that happened.

 

Our cruise was not ruined. None of these things on their own would have been that big of a deal. But, all of them combined, in my opinion, prompted an email and phone call to Royal Caribbean

Customer Service. As a business owner customer service is the cornerstone of my business' success. That is why I chose to inform them and you. As I listed in the letter, there were many great things about our cruise. We had a great time. I am not the type of person to let this ruin a vacation that we planned and looked forward to for so long.

My hope is that this informs you of things to look out for. That's it.

 

Thank you for the words that were kind.

 

 

I too would be concerned with a nut allergy and would not be happy. But to complain in writing, probably not.

 

You may not have intended for your note to come across as negative, but it did and the response does as well. You are a business owner....if you cut costs do you also lower the prices for your customers? Of course not, that's what the meaning of cost savings are. If you take $1 out of the system in cost and charge $1 less in revenue, what's the point?? I am sure RC receives complaints like this daily, smiles and says they will look into it. Your complaints really are meaningless in the scope of things (no towel animals??) Perhaps your expectations were too high.

 

anyway, I was on Liberty in April as well and had such a good time, we booked again for next year. We would like to request the same waiter that we had because he was so good in the dining room. Our teens had to be assigned a curfew everynight because they would have stayed out until 1:00 every day because there was so much to do.

 

Anyone can find things to complain about, but we found the fun things to do and remember them.