Frustrating Website Glitch & Telephone Connection

[CruisingOz]

Hello Community, I thought I would share my recent "fun times" with Royal Caribbean and a possible glitch with their new look cruise planner. Sorry this is long winded. 

For the recent cruise planner sale I decided to use some of my on board credit to pre-purchase the usual items for an upcoming Symphony sailing. As a side note, I do like the new cruise planner layout, cleaner and easier to navigate. Anyway, all done went to check out, used the on board credit box, putting in the amount of on board credit which has a small balance owing and my credit card details are already set up on the system, and completed the transaction.

I went to my next sailing, to repeat process but before doing so I went back to check something and saw my full on board credit was still there and to my horror, upon checking my credit card; it charged me the full amount, not once but twice. So my CC has two charges of $3777 AUD each, filling up my CC right at the end of the month when bills come out; so a little upset. Also unusually never emailed any invoice as normal with Royal transactions.  

 I live in Sydney Australia but booked the cruises through Casino Royale US, so on the phone I go; luckily my mobile plan includes the US. With the time differance, took me a couple calls to find the right number which is open, spoke to the gentleman who did the cancellations, used on board credit and had to charge my credit card a balance again. Frustrating but okay, or so I thought. No emails sent this time either, so flags raised. 

Later that night checked cruise planner, all good, order history, items reserved; happyish as credit card will sort it self out. Called a few hours later to sort out CC charges as wanted a letter to my bank and was told no purchases and on board credit still there; started story, got disconnected; I think the rooster in the background chewed the telephone wire? Call back, start story, to and fro with lady and supervisor; 40 mins later got disconnected. Called back, tried to talk to same supervisor, no luck and start story again, 36 min and disconnected.

No more, I was a broken man. Hours later at work, we had a local power outage so to kill time I called Royal again and started again. With the time diferance it was around 10ish Miami time so was hoping not to be routed to a South American call centre; great staff, but bad phone lines. Finally, this time the whole process to resolve the issue took me over three hours on the phone, and another small CC charge but I have it sorted. 

Royal IT explinaed that as I booked online and I am from down under, it was Monday at home and Sunday in the US, so that is why I was charged twice, one for Sunday and once for Monday and also as I was from the futore, the booking system online could not work with the date timing and so cancelled all that I did online and what the agent did in the call centre. I order product from the US sites regularly and this is a first?

I have booked online for US cruise planner bookings before with no issues; so they blamed the new cruise planner. 

Despite all the trouble they tell me that the multiple refunds could take up to 45 days and now my CC has nearly $10K tied up until refunds come and the currency exchange fees will be lost money and Royal can't make it process refunds any faster. My wife has sent me to the dog house, thanks Royal. 

The other issue is Royal systems for US and International are seperate / different, so International (Australia) staff can't view US booking's and vice versa; not even staff in the Miami head office can see International booking details. So I am forced to deal with time differences and can not call local or my TA to resolve any of my US bookings. I question the "international" in RCI?  

I know my issue is possibly an outlier but having less staff and using off shore call centres during this down time; Royal should make sure the staff at home in the various countries have a phone system which doesn't crackle, and drop out. This is not just a US issue as I have had the same calling the Australian number which also uses off shore call centres with staff at home.    

 I agree with Matt that using a TA is the way to go but in this case when booking using casino promotions, my TA gets nothing for it so I do it myself as times are tough enough for travel agents and I believe they don't need to work for nothing.  

[twangster]

Wow.  If it's any consolation refunds haven't actually been taking 45 days here even though that's what they say every time. 

Refunds I requested on 4/16 were posted to my credit card on 4/22.  Visa is slower at processing compared to American Express by a few days.   

[smokeybandit]

3 hours ago, twangster said:

Wow.  If it's any consolation refunds haven't actually been taking 45 days here even though that's what they say every time. 

 

I'm still waiting on $197 in March refund money.  Last time I called they just said it wasn't 45 business days from cancellation yet.