Sharon R. Rue's Trip Report

Dear Sirs,

I have traveled with Royal Caribbean many times my husband and I were on our 12th trip with you in April.  My parents (80 plus years young) were also with us.  This was their 14th cruise with you.  We have always regarded Royal Caribbean as the highest standard cruise line.

I regret to inform you that this trip was the greatest vacation disappointment for all of us.  There were over 1000 in one ethnic group with approx. 700 children on board.  Our trip was RUINED by children that were unattended, unruly, and out of control in general.  Our stateroom had a maintenance area on the left and an adjoining stateroom on the right that had been booked BY ROYAL CARIBBEAN to 2 14 year old girls without an adult.  Their parents were across the hall in a balcony ( we found out at 3:00 am as we had a confrontation in the hallway) on the 4th night that we had not been able to get any sleep!!!  Security was called and it was terribly upsetting.

I had been so looking forward to this trip with my aging parents, probably our last out of the country because of their health conditions.  We are in retail and are very tired and had looked forward to this trip. 

Your company did respond, sent a plate of choc. covered strawberries, a note of apology and a followup phone call after reading our survey.  BUT after 2 emails to your customer reps. I still feel we were cheated out of our family vacation.

Your reps have been pleasant and even offered $100 CREDIT toward another international cruise.  I appreciate the gesture but in looking back and figuring what the four of us have spent with you in past travels this seems so inadequate and really upsetting.  My husband even bought a large diamond wedding set 2 years ago on our 40th anniversary cruise.

My husband says we will never cruise again.  The children layed on the stairwells, pushed all the buttons on the elevators, played board games in the elevator, pushed people, even your staff seemed unsure how to handle this group.

Perhaps as your industry is reaching out to more families, you need separate floors for them and even separate dining areas.  I love children, have some and some grandchildren, but this was a mutiny on the bounty situation with the the victims being those of us that paid FULL FARE and were placed at the mercy of this group.  PLEASE check into this problem.  \

I am respectfully asking for compensation for this nightmare experience in the form of at least one refund out of 4 tickets purchased.  We are diamond members here!!!

Thank you for your time, Sharon Rue