Sharla

22 minutes ago, Susie said:

Thank you for your reply. I will be on Anthem OTS this weekend. I will possible do "The Open end booking". I assume that I can transfer to MEI if it is not more than certain days, correct? Or I should put MEI as my agent right away?

Yes you can transfer an open end booking up to 30 days after it's booked. 

14 hours ago, Susie said:

Thank you. Do you have her MEI Email?

Susie email [email protected] or fill out the form on the right side of the page https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/ and someone will contact you ASAP.

KSF isn't always the best deal- they often raise the cruise fare so you're paying higher rates for guests 1&2

Right- we can no longer get OBC if the price drops after final payment (based on the date, not when you actually pay it). 

4 hours ago, Jill said:

I do this all the time with @Sharla. Sometimes it’s the weekend or after hours. I’m impatient and when I find the room I want, I book it then send the reservation number to Sharla to put in for a transfer. 

I have a lot of clients who do this. The downside is if you're not familiar with Royal Caribbean and you don't know how to book a refundable deposit, pick a specific room, etc. I have seen quite a few people who book non-refundable without realizing it. (But of course Jill knows how do do this!)

20 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

We're thinking of somewhat of a last minute cruise and there are limited room left in the category we want. I don't want to bother my TA on the weekend to book it. Does a TA find it "offensive" at all if a client books direct then transfers to them? I would think no but I didn't know if there was any kind of etiquette there.

Not at all offended (and it can be easier for sure). But if you pay in full you won't be able to transfer it to the TA. 

24 minutes ago, CrimsonCruiser said:

There are 2 reasons why you may not see the discount:

1 - I have heard that if Royal is offering a better deal they won't apply the C&A because it could void the larger discount.

2 - if you/your TA didn't apply your c&a number at booking time.

Otherwise, it's possible that once the cruise is booked, all of the cost details are hidden and you may be able to get a breakdown invoice by calling Royal or asking your TA.

Her TA put in the C&A number

29 minutes ago, OasisQueen said:

We'll be in Ft. Lauderdale.

There is a lot to do in Fort Lauderdale! The issue will definitely be luggage though, but if you rent a car you could store it in the trunk/back. 

I have seen hearses and caskets in port before, it happens a lot, sadly.

Last week on our Disney cruise we heard Red Parties but it was just for the drill they do in Nassau.

On 8/27/2022 at 7:21 PM, Pooch said:

Danette left MEI a couple of years ago. I was then moved to Emily.  Now she’s leaving too.  IS IT ME?!?!?!

Definitely not! 

4 hours ago, NJCruisers said:

I filled out the contact us link on the Blog but haven't heard from anyone from MEI in 2 days. I reached out to @Sharla directly after hours last night via email and hope to hear from her today. So many people speak highly of her and I'm so excited to start planning our cruise  

Someone will definitely contact you soon if they haven't already! I am not able to take new clients right now so it will be given to someone who is. We are all dealing with so much pent up demand!

It's not only about the price of the policy, it's about what it covers. Allianz has more customizable plans than what Royal offers. 

On 8/26/2022 at 3:17 PM, Pattycruise said:

Personally I feel all communication that gets emailed to the TA should also be sent to the customer.  
I don't rely on my husband to read my mail and relay messages to me from mail, telephone or otherwise.  I like to see things firsthand.  No one should be my filter since I might find something more important than they do, or interpret it differently, see the deadline etc.  Sorry that happened to you.

I most cases now it is. I do forward important info because I'd rather you get it twice than not at all.

2 hours ago, Bowen said:

I think if you have a good TA then it's awesome, but I think a bad TA is a hinderance. We booked a B2B on Allure for December when it was originally announced they would be going out of Galveston (so 2019 ish). I used a TA that was a friend of mine. When COVID hit and the delays came, she got an email telling her that I could either change sailings, cancel for a full refund, or get an FCC. She sent me a note telling me this and said "There's no rush though, you've got time to decide." What she did not send me was the original email that she got from RC.

Turns out "time to decide" was ten days, which she never once mentioned. 

When I got back to her a couple of weeks later and told her that we just wanted to cancel, she couldn't do it. She told me that RC told her they had the right to change my itinerary whenever they wanted, that she fought hard to make the change, etc.

The only reason I ever found out that there was actually a cut off date was because someone on the CC board got the letter from RC (they didn't use a TA) and they posted it. It was right there, plain as day, time limit to respond.

That TA caused me to have $4000 and three years wrapped up in RC. I don't use a TA anymore now, I'm too worried about something like that happening again.

You need a better TA. You're not wrong for feeling wronged here. 

On 2/4/2022 at 8:16 AM, jeffmw said:

This is where having a travel agent can be a negative. Since you booked it through them, they're the only people RCI will talk with about the reservation (I believe). However, if you were able to deal with Royal yourself, this seems like something you could get out of with a little complaining. Royal aren't usually total d*cks about this stuff and they've been particularly accommodating with COVID stuff, at least in my experience. 

I would call Royal yourself and if they won't discuss it with you maybe talk to someone on the ship about it. They can issue pretty decent-sized future cruise credits if you talk to the right person. 

Disagree. This happens a lot and I as the travel agent have always had it fixed without extra cost to the client. 

You need to do it yourself- there are terms and conditions that travel agents cannot agree to on your behalf. 

3 hours ago, twangster said:

If you desire to have any level of control over cabin location or specific type you should avoid GTY.

I cannot stress this enough. Most of the time Royal Caribbean will not let you change a room once it's assigned. If you don't want obstructed or if you want a certain location then do not book GTY! 

Two connecting rooms or one large room. Either way you'll have two reservation numbers- anything over 4 guests you will have an additional reservation number.

I wish you a speedy recovery!

For the future, this is a travel agent's literal job, to sit on hold (and get cut off after 3 hours, yes) and fix this for you.

But for now, I would just keep trying to call and get it sorted out. You could send an email to guestrelations@rccl.com or reach out on social media but calling is likely the best course of action. Good luck!

3 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

Playmakers on Navigator had Terrapin, Stone and Funky Buddha (which they were out of) last month.

Terrapin is brewed in my city. I don't drink beer but we go to that brewery quite often (and have a friend who works there and supplies us with plenty!).

The travel agent invoices are going out just fine, I don't know if it's a systems issue or not.

The same argument could be made for "why would anyone pay for a meal on a cruise when there are so many great included options?" 

I will be wearing a mask on my upcoming cruise, the numbers are too high for me to not personally. Do what makes you feel comfortable!

1 hour ago, OCSC Mike said:

There are occasionally TA Friends & Family sales with rates that you cannot book yourself.

Key word here occasionally! They aren't just handing those out. Group rates are the biggest perk, but they aren't for everyone either.

You want a room as far aft as possible!