Royal oversells Wonder of the Seas for Spring Break. Offering 100% refund and $300 onboard credit on Explorer

[CruisingSteve]

 

This is why I like sailing with Royal Caribbean. When they make a mistake, they take care of the customer. This cruise was oversold so they are giving customers 100% refund of the Wonder of the Seas fare, as well as a $300 onboard credit to enjoy Explorer of the Seas
https://www.cruisehive.com/worlds-largest-cruise-ship-oversold-for-spring-break/95664

[JohnK6404]

8 hours ago, CruisingSteve said:

 

This is why I like sailing with Royal Caribbean. When they make a mistake, they take care of the customer. This cruise was oversold so they are giving customers 100% refund of the Wonder of the Seas fare, as well as a $300 onboard credit to enjoy Explorer of the Seas
https://www.cruisehive.com/worlds-largest-cruise-ship-oversold-for-spring-break/95664

I agree! I saw this on a Wonder FB page. This final option is even better! 100% refund on the Wonder sailing PLUS 100% FCC!  Yes, I'll gladly take the FREE cruise (can be applied to ANY sailing/ship departing through 3/15/24)! Takes the sting away very quickly!

 

[Lovetocruise2002]

They made the same offer for HM sailing 3/11/23. Also said they oversold and same offer was given to move to Explorer. 

[Matt]

1 hour ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

They made the same offer for HM sailing 3/11/23. Also said they oversold and same offer was given to move to Explorer. 

Let's give up our suites and both go to Explorer!

[AshleyDillo]

Not surprised. That's Spring Break week for the local area and that week was one of the first sailings available for the casino folks to use their annual free cruise on Wonder.

[RafaellaCG]

Same happened on Rhapsody last summer. I wonder if it's a glitch or if they intentionally oversold assuming some would cancel.

[TXcruzer]

While I agree that the offers are generous; overbooking a cruise ship is just really unacceptable.  Any junior high computer geek could write a program that would disallow multiple parties booked in the same cabin, or booking numbers to exceed a pre set number.  Just really an embarrassing situation for the Royal IT department (again)

[smokeybandit]

27 minutes ago, TXcruzer said:

While I agree that the offers are generous; overbooking a cruise ship is just really unacceptable.  Any junior high computer geek could write a program that would disallow multiple parties booked in the same cabin, or booking numbers to exceed a pre set number.  Just really an embarrassing situation for the Royal IT department (again)

It happens on airlines quite often.  

I bet RC  is still adjusting its post-covid algorithms for how many GTY rooms it can sell over capacity to account for expected cancellations.

[TXcruzer]

58 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

It happens on airlines quite often.  

I bet RC  is still adjusting its post-covid algorithms for how many GTY rooms it can sell over capacity to account for expected cancellations.

I understand it happens on airlines, it is no less unacceptable.  At least with an overbooked flight, one can get a rather generous offer to simply take the next flight in a couple hours, not have an entire week or more affected.

I had an overbooked flight from DFW to LAS a few weekends back, when it was all said and done DW and I got to Vegas 2.5 hours later than planned, and with $3200 American Airlines credits in our wallet.

[smokeybandit]

14 minutes ago, TXcruzer said:

I understand it happens on airlines, it is no less unacceptable.  At least with an overbooked flight, one can get a rather generous offer to simply take the next flight in a couple hours, not have an entire week or more affected.

But in either case, it's not an IT problem. It's a corporate data science lapse in an otherwise profitable model. We don't know how many cruises are oversold, but end up sorting themselves out naturally due to cancelations.

[TXcruzer]

19 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

But in either case, it's not an IT problem. It's a corporate data science lapse in an otherwise profitable model. We don't know how many cruises are oversold, but end up sorting themselves out naturally due to cancelations.

Good point

[Lovetocruise2002]

2 hours ago, Matt said:

Let's give up our suites and both go to Explorer!

Easy pass lol. Already loss the Villa once, don't want to lose it a second time.

[SweetPea]

2 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Easy pass lol. Already loss the Villa once, don't want to lose it a second time.

I'm guessing Royal would not have you made you whole as Star Class if you had chosen to move to Explorer? As in, UBP/UBP/grats no longer included so the 300$ OBC doesn't cover the loss. 

[smokeybandit]

I'm going to guess star class passengers were not affected by the oversell

[NotPayinExtra]

When there are 40 ships a day departing to and from your destination, you can compare this situation to airlines. Till then it's nothing like airlines. 

The amount of things to change, refund, rebook, etc. It's just too much for some. Flights, hotels, car rentals, pet accommodations, tickets to pre and post cruise events, WORK. No, this kind of "mistake" just doesn't fly for some.

[Lovetocruise2002]

53 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

I'm going to guess star class passengers were not affected by the oversell

+1 on that guess 

[AshleyDillo]

5 hours ago, NotPayinExtra said:

The amount of things to change, refund, rebook, etc. It's just too much for some. Flights, hotels, car rentals, pet accommodations, tickets to pre and post cruise events, WORK. No, this kind of "mistake" just doesn't fly for some.

That's why they asked for volunteers. Locals could benefit from taking the offer without all of the other considerations being issues.  

It's possible the oversell has something to do with GTY rooms and muster station capacity.  The offer to voluntarily give up the sailing was a targeted one. Not everyone received the offer.

[NotPayinExtra]

20 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said:

That's why they asked for volunteers. Locals could benefit from taking the offer without all of the other considerations being issues.  

It's possible the oversell has something to do with GTY rooms and muster station capacity.  The offer to voluntarily give up the sailing was a targeted one. Not everyone received the offer.

The problem I see is giving them that kind of power. We except this (over booking) from airlines because it has become common place. Once you become excepting of this type of business practice (as you have with explanation) it's a slippery slope. I can see eventually not targeting locals, not having enough volunteers, not making offers so good, and randomly picking people to cancel. Just like airlines do. Basically not a good road to start going down. And please everyone don't tell me that hasn't happened. I'm not saying it has, but how do you think this kind of garbage started with the airlines. I'm just very hesitant to find any positives in something that I fear could become out of control given time and acceptance.

[rlancos]

We received the email also about the overbooking on our March 12 cruise. We were considering it until we read, way at the bottom, that you must fill out a survey, and that "this is the only way to APPLY for this special offer..." and "IF you're successful..." (my capitalization). So, what happens if we apply and get it, but the other couple we are traveling with applies, and they don't? 

[NotPayinExtra]

4 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

That's why they asked for volunteers. Locals could benefit from taking the offer without all of the other considerations being issues.  

It's possible the oversell has something to do with GTY rooms and muster station capacity.  The offer to voluntarily give up the sailing was a targeted one. Not everyone received the offer.

Targeted at who?

[Happy Cruisers]

It would be interesting if it could be confirmed whether this is truly a "guarantee"-level booking issue.  Can I know I'm "safe" from adverse selection if I pony up the money to choose my own cabin? And, conversely, can I assume going forward that the risks of oversubscription and denied boarding are only hobgoblins of the guarantee? If so, there's some opportunity here for people with the right flexibility. 

I travel for work and for years (pre-Covid) could usually plan on my Friday flight home from some of our offices having a decent shot at being oversold.  Other flights were, too, but if I was just going home I'd game that when I had the right flexibility.  I also knew how it worked, though - i.e., oversold or not, I knew that my elite status in the frequent flier program would likely defend me against an adverse selection/denied boarding situation if I didn't want to make a quick buck for hanging out in the Sky Club a while longer and taking a later flight. 

Once the rules can gleaned through observation (they'll probably never come right out and tell us), this could be a great opportunity for the right traveler who doesn't necessarily need to care about exactly when they sail but would value a stunningly good deal (some locally-based retirees might come to mind).  I.e., observe the macro factors that some have pointed out here (spring break week locally, one of the first cruises the casino folks can use a certificate on - and, by the way, it's one heck of an in-demand ship anyway) and book a guarantee level cabin - then, cross your fingers and toes and hope for an oversold situation where you can get all your money back + a credit for a free replacement cruise.  If it doesn't work out that way, oh well, it's a cheap game to play so long as you really don't mind taking the cruise to begin with.  It's the same game I played with the airlines - I could fly out at 8 am Friday morning and likely not be in an oversold situation, or fly out at 2 pm with everyone else and have probably a 50/50 chance of scoring a quick buck from taking a later flight.  Apples and oranges, of course, and the cruise version of this game is definitely not for most cruisers, but the opportunity is there nonetheless. 

One thing we can probably bet on is that, with RCI's mountain of debt, this oversold business is going to continue and we're going to need to adapt to the rules.  Hopefully, the opt-out for those not wishing to play the game is just to not book a guarantee-level cabin. It would be nice if C&A members above a certain level could know they are for sure not on the chopping block, but as far as I know no one has said that out loud and I wouldn't depend on it.  After all, Royal tells us that new cruisers tend to spend more on board than experienced cruisers... 

[smokeybandit]

If it wasn't just guarantee cabins, then that'd mean there are multiple reservations booked in the same cabin, which would be bad.

[Happy Cruisers]

17 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

If it wasn't just guarantee cabins, then that'd mean there are multiple reservations booked in the same cabin, which would be bad.

Yea, exactly.  That would seem to be a huge IT/booking glitch if it were the case.  I think it is almost certainly an issue of overselling guarantee-level cabins, and then cancellations + Royal Up not working as well as usual at opening up the needed space to assign those cabins around.  Plus, with anecdotal reports of this starting to happen with some notable frequency, man alive, this practice is going to be a great opportunity for the right traveler.  Even if someone only "hit it" once every two years, that's still a free cruise every two years (admittedly, a big assumption to both of my posts on this topic is that denied boarding compensation will in the future be consistent to what is being offered today, but I kind of think that assumption is somewhat fair until Royal proves otherwise). 

[TXcruzer]

20 hours ago, NotPayinExtra said:

The problem I see is giving them that kind of power. We except this (over booking) from airlines because it has become common place. Once you become excepting of this type of business practice (as you have with explanation) it's a slippery slope. I can see eventually not targeting locals, not having enough volunteers, not making offers so good, and randomly picking people to cancel. Just like airlines do. Basically not a good road to start going down. And please everyone don't tell me that hasn't happened. I'm not saying it has, but how do you think this kind of garbage started with the airlines. I'm just very hesitant to find any positives in something that I fear could become out of control given time and acceptance.

It has once or twice, we have read about involuntary forfeiture of cabins on the various boards and blogs.

[NotPayinExtra]

14 minutes ago, TXcruzer said:

It has once or twice, we have read about involuntary forfeiture of cabins on the various boards and blogs.

And that's just all kinds of wrong.

[TXcruzer]

14 minutes ago, NotPayinExtra said:

And that's just all kinds of wrong.

Agreed in spades

[TheMaxRebo]

On 3/5/2023 at 9:29 AM, RafaellaCG said:

Same happened on Rhapsody last summer. I wonder if it's a glitch or if they intentionally oversold assuming some would cancel.

I don't know for sure but I wouldn't be surprised if they intentionally oversell it a little, expecting that a certain % will cancel, and then when that didn't happen they had to course correct (pun intended)

Probably want those ships as full as possible given the high cost week of travel 

[RafaellaCG]

6 hours ago, TheMaxRebo said:

I don't know for sure but I wouldn't be surprised if they intentionally oversell it a little, expecting that a certain % will cancel, and then when that didn't happen they had to course correct (pun intended)

Probably want those ships as full as possible given the high cost week of travel 

That's really not OK, though, if they cancel anyone not voluntarily. I would be livid if I were canceled like that, even with FCC plus a refund.

[Joe01]

There's no way I would take this, Wonder to Explorer???

[ZBrady]

39 minutes ago, Joe01 said:

There's no way I would take this, Wonder to Explorer???

Wonder to Explorer PLUS all of your money back PLUS $300 OBC. If you're not interested in Explorer you can still get the refund + FCC to be used in the next year. Either way its a free* cruise.

[Ampurp85]

I don't sail during spring break but if I did I would have taken this offer. Explorer would have been less crowded and I could have used my money to book another Wonder sailing, so I'm getting two cruises for a better price.

[SuperPlanner]

I bet overselling is less about selling the same cabin twice as miscalculation/estimates of room occupancy. For example, if they typically assume that 50% of the 4-occupancy room will contain a family of 4 and the other 50% a couple with just two people, but this time 80% of the cabins were used by families of 4 and only 20% by couples, they could be over the overall passenger limit within selling a room twice.

[TXcruzer]

On 3/17/2023 at 2:27 PM, Speggy said:

This is exactly what I'll be trying in 2 weeks.  I specifically bought one with a removable power cord.  Figure I'll pack the cord in checked and put the USB hub in carry-on for best chances. 

 

On 3/17/2023 at 9:05 PM, Linda R said:

Pretty much anything with a cord gets taken.  Except curling irons and hair dryers.  I have the cube style converter and no problems.  I plug it into the European outlet and give me 2 more US ports. 

No need to remove the cord, USB hubs pass through with no problems

[Linda R]

Just wanted to mention to the people who talk about flights canceling and you can get another flight in couple hours.  That works if you live in large city.  I live in a small town, if a flight gets canceled it could be couple days til I get another available flight.  And usually comes with an overnight at some other city in between.  I also understand why airlines and cruises get overbooked.  And you do not have to accept their offer.  Youi can continue your cruise as planned.  But there will always be others that do accept the offer, and can benefit from it.   We all have choices.

[RafaellaCG]

On 3/20/2023 at 10:19 PM, Linda R said:

Just wanted to mention to the people who talk about flights canceling and you can get another flight in couple hours.  That works if you live in large city.  I live in a small town, if a flight gets canceled it could be couple days til I get another available flight.  And usually comes with an overnight at some other city in between.  I also understand why airlines and cruises get overbooked.  And you do not have to accept their offer.  Youi can continue your cruise as planned.  But there will always be others that do accept the offer, and can benefit from it.   We all have choices.

You can't continue if they cancel you unilaterally (happened on my August cruise).