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RCL has cancelled our March 10-15 cruise on Navigator of the Seas, as well as a couple others. Supposedly they have chartered all three cruises.

8 months away. March break. All they offered was $100 onboard credit to rebook and my rebooking fees on my flights.

I can't even find a four night cruise interior cabin at the same price of my large Panoramic room 5 night cruise. If I say screw it and don't travel, I lose $2000 in flights, which, since I booked my flights early, have to be used by the end of April 2019.

My twin girls are so upset, and I have no idea what to do. I used MEI travel and will talk to Sharla in the morning, but rooms booked up fast overnight. Right now our best option may be Universal Orlando this August before school starts.

We had the perfect cruise. I booked the corner large panoramic room on the corner of the ship. We had a beach bungalow on Labadee and ultimate dining package, all set for Navigator a month after its refurb. Now, nothing. it's 2am and I can't sleep.

Never, ever, EVER will I EVER book Royal again, and I will tell everyone I know what happened and to never, ever, EVER book with them.

They screwed three ships worth of customers for a little extra cash.

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Royal has a website dedicated to organizations that desire to charter a ship.

It's interesting that the FAQs state they don't normally consider a chart with 12 months of sail date which clearly they did in this case:

Further it seems they pass the cost of "displaced" guests onto the company that is chartering the ship.

http://www.royalcaribbeanincentives.com/full-ship-charter-faqs/

How far in advance should an organization charter the ship?

Royal Caribbean International does not typically consider Full Ship Charter requests within 12 months of the requested sail date and/or for those sailings booked above a pre-determined threshold.  Most clients charter one year in advance and some as far out as two or more years.

For Re-Sale charters, it is in the best interest of the client to allow ample time to promote the charter (13 months+).  The cost of displacing booked guests will be a factor for any “open” sailing and will generally be lower if the charter is contracted farther out.

  

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I never realized the extent to which full ship charters occur.  Researching this led me to this page:

https://www.cruisetimetables.com/full-cruise-ship-charters.html

What this doesn't tell you is when the ship was chartered which leads to how many guests were displaced (and upset in the process).

It will be little consolation but Royal doesn't appear to charter as much as some of the other cruise lines.

 

I'd consider writing a letter to Royal's CEO.  I think it is important for him to realize the long term impact of losing loyal customers versus the short term gain of a one time cash grab.  

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43 minutes ago, twangster said:

Royal Caribbean International does not typically consider Full Ship Charter requests within ... 

The critical word here, of course, being "typically". So they didn't break any rules, because this situation wasn't typical. ?

Gotta wonder how much they paid RC for that.....? You have my sympathies, for all the good it will do....

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16 minutes ago, Keeves said:

 

Gotta wonder how much they paid RC for that.....

From the FAQ above. 

4 & 5 Night $1,500,000 – $2,300,000+ Voyager Class

However this probably assumes chartering 2+ years out and it may be a little dated.  Adding costs for displaced guests and factoring in the newness from the dry dock and I bet it's more in the $3M-$4M+ range.

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I think the policy is terrible.

 

I wonder how many people would consider NOT booking Royal if they knew this ahead of time. For most people that travel, its a big occasion, costs a lot of money and planning and isn't easy to simply change it.

 

Royal should require those that want to charter to have to do it further out at the very least.

 

But like it has always been stated on this form....Royal is a business and in it for max profits...they aren't in it to please or accommodate you if they can make more money doing it for someone else. They are so big that its worth to piss off or lose a few customers if they make more $$ in the long run.

 

Sad but true........

 

Big question is.....what are the other cruise lines policies on charters I wonder?!

 

 

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Funny thing is my only other RCL cruise was a charter. A Comic Con like cruise on Brilliance two years ago.

To me, it's like renting a hall for a wedding. You book over a year ahead, then the hall says eight months before your wedding "We found someone that's willing to pay more, here's your money back."

I booked this last August, early, like Matt said. I booked m,y airline early, a day before our cruise and two days after. because it was March break, I didn't even risk waiting until the return flights were available and booked two one way tickets for us 11 months out. Now I have to use my flights by mid April 2019 or lose the $2000 US I paid for them (around $2600 Canadian).

A five day cruise may not seem like a big deal to you, but I'm a widowed father of three teenagers. I saved up almost two years for this trip, and had EVERYTHING set. Room 1864 on the Navigator, the pie shaped Large Panoramic View room. It was a month after the Navigator's refurb. I had a bungalow booked on Labadee, our first time there. I booked the Ultimate Dining package. We watched endless hours of Youtube videos all about the ship, the ports, Miami and now ..... screwed.

And their offer for the inconvenience? two sailings of THEIR choice that they will give me the price fix from when I booked. I have kids in high school. Ever heard of March break? Otherwise I get $100 on board credit for a new cruise, and rescheduling fees for my flights (but ONLY if I rebook, and it doesn't include increases in flight costs). Screw that. The ONLY way I could see them salvaging this is to say "We'll put you on ANY ship that week out of Miami or Ft lauderdale in an equivalent cabin, no extra cost. $100? Gee thanks but no thanks.

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That just stinks!  I would be really mad and upset too if any of my cruises were cancelled.  My DH would be able to get over it and go to plan B very quickly but I would hold a grudge and want to cancel all of my other Royal cruises too.   We have kids so like you our dates are not flexible. 

I understand that the airfare is one of the biggest concerns between change fees and additional cost.  If your TA can't make a change that you find acceptable, I hope you salvage your vacation with your kids and just go to Florida.  There are so many places to go: the Keys, west coast, east coast, Orlando, etc.  Often times you can find a reasonably priced VRBO or AirBnB for the week (Orlando in particular is fairly inexpensive).  As the teens get older, every vacation is more precious as we won't have many more opportunities to vacation together.

I would also write a letter to the Royal Caribbean CEO.  How many customers did they lose over this?  With it being a spring break cruise, I'm sure many families will feel the same as you.

Good luck!

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1 hour ago, monctonguy said:

I think the policy is terrible.

Big question is.....what are the other cruise lines policies on charters I wonder?!

Agreed, two years out is one thing, but not 8 months out once other cruises are booking up and prices have been tracking upwards as prices tend to do.  Knowing they are passing along any 'displaced guest' costs to the chartering company isn't helping their cause.  Plus during a peak demand period - March break, impacting families.

Carnival is known for this, particularly with their smallest ships.  No experience with NCL.

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1 hour ago, alamode123 said:

To me, it's like renting a hall for a wedding. You book over a year ahead, then the hall says eight months before your wedding "We found someone that's willing to pay more, here's your money back."

This is EXACTLY what they are saying to you but also, "...sorry for whatever OTHER money you've expended on this.  You will have to eat that".

I do not blame you for being upset about this at ALL.  I had a cancellation fiasco with the Empress when it first came back up to majors from the minors and it was a complete disaster as well but we have much more flexibility to cruise than you do and we made alternate plans fairly easily.

I would be livid.

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5 minutes ago, Mljstr said:

Would it have made a difference if the air were booked by Air2Sea? Would the airfare have been refunded?  I'm just asking for future reference?

Not specifically addressed in the Air2Sea terms and conditions.

They offer a "Lowest Price Guarantee" (24 hr window after booking) and "Assured Arrival".

A note on the bottom of a recent Air2Sea booking states this:

"You have purchased REFUNDABLE WITH FEE airline tickets through our Air2Sea program, please note that airline cancellation penalties may apply. If you have any questions regarding our airfare refund policy please contact the Air2Sea Support Desk at 800-533-7803. If you are unable to travel, the itinerary must be canceled before the departure time of your first flight, or the next flight if you have already flown the first flight. Failure to cancel in advance will result in a loss of the entire ticket value."

Looking a different Air2Sea booking I see this note:

"You have purchased NON-REFUNDABLE airline tickets through our Air2Sea program; please note that even if the fare allows changes, a fee and other restrictions may apply. Electronic Air Tickets (e-Tickets) are NOT TRANSFERABLE and name changes are NOT ALLOWED. If the reservation is cancelled on/before the originally ticketed departure date the value of the unused original non-refundable ticket may be applied within one year from original date of issue for future travel. All travel must be completed within one year from the original ticket issue date. Any unused ticket segments will have no value unless passenger cancels/changes ticketed flight reservations on/before ticketed departure date. Failure to cancel in advance can/will result in a loss of the entire ticket value."

No mention of a "If we cancel your cruise guarantee".

They seem to be passing along the standard airline verbiage for the fare type purchased.

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1 hour ago, alamode123 said:

Funny thing is my only other RCL cruise was a charter. A Comic Con like cruise on Brilliance two years ago.

To me, it's like renting a hall for a wedding. You book over a year ahead, then the hall says eight months before your wedding "We found someone that's willing to pay more, here's your money back."

I booked this last August, early, like Matt said. I booked m,y airline early, a day before our cruise and two days after. because it was March break, I didn't even risk waiting until the return flights were available and booked two one way tickets for us 11 months out. Now I have to use my flights by mid April 2019 or lose the $2000 US I paid for them (around $2600 Canadian).

A five day cruise may not seem like a big deal to you, but I'm a widowed father of three teenagers. I saved up almost two years for this trip, and had EVERYTHING set. Room 1864 on the Navigator, the pie shaped Large Panoramic View room. It was a month after the Navigator's refurb. I had a bungalow booked on Labadee, our first time there. I booked the Ultimate Dining package. We watched endless hours of Youtube videos all about the ship, the ports, Miami and now ..... screwed.

And their offer for the inconvenience? two sailings of THEIR choice that they will give me the price fix from when I booked. I have kids in high school. Ever heard of March break? Otherwise I get $100 on board credit for a new cruise, and rescheduling fees for my flights (but ONLY if I rebook, and it doesn't include increases in flight costs). Screw that. The ONLY way I could see them salvaging this is to say "We'll put you on ANY ship that week out of Miami or Ft lauderdale in an equivalent cabin, no extra cost. $100? Gee thanks but no thanks.

@alamode123 --- I really feel for you --- I would be absolutely livid ...... What I like about how you handled it is that you gave them a way out...... just provide me and my daughters a comparable cruise compared to what I'm to receive and what I paid for, and we'll be able to work things out..... It's as though they're just brushing you aside.  Hopefully your TA can play hardball with them to get you what you paid for.  Please keep us posted on this.  This is every cruisers nightmare.  I wonder who chartered it.  I like the idea of e-mailing the CEO --- it can't hurt, it can only help.

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7 hours ago, twangster said:

I never realized the extent to which full ship charters occur.  Researching this led me to this page:

https://www.cruisetimetables.com/full-cruise-ship-charters.html

What this doesn't tell you is when the ship was chartered which leads to how many guests were displaced (and upset in the process).

It will be little consolation but Royal doesn't appear to charter as much as some of the other cruise lines.

 

I'd consider writing a letter to Royal's CEO.  I think it is important for him to realize the long term impact of losing loyal customers versus the short term gain of a one time cash grab.  

wow!   surprising to Mariner on that list for 7 times over the next year.   you would think after all of the hoopla of it's dry-dock revamp, they would have held back on charters for it.   Certainly makes it clear that money talks,,,

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3 minutes ago, alamode123 said:

Oh trust me, I'm doing more than writing. If we do end up going to Miami as planned, isn't RCL's head office there?

Right there, in the Port of Miami

https://www.google.com.mx/maps/place/Royal+Caribbean+Cruises+LTD./@25.7757993,-80.1800308,16z/data=!4m8!1m2!2m1!1srci+office+miami!3m4!1s0x88d9000cd153f173:0xbd70febc8ead0c07!8m2!3d25.7751799!4d-80.1784842

I hope all this ends well for you and your family! I understand you completely 

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18 minutes ago, alamode123 said:

Sorry for the rant.

I think we all can sympathize with you, as I'm sure any of us would be upset if the cruise vacation we booked ended up getting cancelled because of something like this.  

At the same time, I think after the initial shock and anger subsides, you will hopefully be able to get on another sailing and accept the change and more than likely have a great time on that sailing. 

I hope you are able to book something again soon and can focus on the great time you will have on that sailing. 

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16 minutes ago, Matt said:

I think we all can sympathize with you, as I'm sure any of us would be upset if the cruise vacation we booked ended up getting cancelled because of something like this.  

At the same time, I think after the initial shock and anger subsides, you will hopefully be able to get on another sailing and accept the change and more than likely have a great time on that sailing. 

I hope you are able to book something again soon and can focus on the great time you will have on that sailing. 

All I want is something fair. There's a 4 night mariner of the Seas cruise the same week out of Miami, leaving a day later than our original. From what I see looking online, they are extremely similar ships. The only change, other than one less night, is Cocoa cay stop rather than Labadee. Since we've never been to either, it's a wash.

If RCL can give me the same retroactive price when I booked originally I'd be happy. I wouldn't have to change flights, and we'd have an extra day in Miami. At the current price, I wouldn't even get an inside cabin.

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50 minutes ago, alamode123 said:

Sorry for the rant.

Please don't be sorry about your rant.  I've been reading all your information and the fact that you and your daughters have been looking forward to this for so long, saving your money, and looking forward to a wonderful family vacation.  I will pray that they do the right thing for you and get you on Mariner at a nice area of the ship.  This is just so awful.

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7 minutes ago, alamode123 said:

All I want is something fair. There's a 4 night mariner of the Seas cruise the same week out of Miami, leaving a day later than our original. From what I see looking online, they are extremely similar ships. The only change, other than one less night, is Cocoa cay stop rather than Labadee. Since we've never been to either, it's a wash.

If RCL can give me the same retroactive price when I booked originally I'd be happy. I wouldn't have to change flights, and we'd have an extra day in Miami. At the current price, I wouldn't even get an inside cabin.

Contact Michael Bayley's office and suggest this resolution.  Explain your situation and how you would like to remain a Royal Caribbean guest.  Seems fair to me.  

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No need to tell me how much your original cruise fare was but the Panoramic Ocean View on the Mar. 11, 2019  sailing of Mariner is around $1,625 for a 1L cabin on deck 12 for 3 adults.

It's actually the cheapest OV category, even less than an OV Guarantee.  Cheaper than interior too.

556187022_Mariner3-11-19.thumb.jpeg.5cf28019447208d6dc5a4c8c155a2cc3.jpeg

Is this very far off your original fare?  (Granted 1 less night)

Mariner just got out of her dry dock and is getting rave reviews.  She is the same class of ship as Navigator.

Cabin 1852 is open with direct forward facing panoramic views.  It will go fast though.  

1661490342_Mariner1LPanOV.jpeg.deb07abbba91144ee9c7f8e9877f95fd.jpeg

 

Perhaps Sharla can place a hold on it while you consider your options.

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@alamode123 This post has prompted me to look back at something a I saw a month ago.  I had to look around for it as I could not remember where I saw it.  Credit goes to a RCBlog Insider who posted the original photo.  Anyway, sorry for the delayed reply but an Oasis sailing for next year was cancelled back in June.  This was the message that was sent out:

Image may contain: text

Notice where is says "Your original stateroom category will be price protected".  I remember thinking at the time that was quite reasonable and fair.  Maybe this could be your point of argument right here.  If they can do it for one cancelled sailing, maybe they could do it for yours too if you bring it the the right person's attention.  Again, sorry for being late on this post.  It was a busy morning....

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44 minutes ago, twangster said:

Contact Michael Bayley's office and suggest this resolution.  Explain your situation and how you would like to remain a Royal Caribbean guest.  Seems fair to me.  

Good luck with this.  I hope he (or more likely, someone from his office, on his behalf)  gets back with you.  For an entirely different reason, recently, I sent my one and only (so far) email to his email address and never even received so much as an acknowledgement that they received the email....much less any kind of response or resolution.  Maybe you will be luckier than I was.

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Somewhere along the way I got the name Rudy Navarro added to a contact list for Royal.  At the time Rudy's position was SVP Sales Trade Support and Service.  

Unsure if Rudy is still there or occupies the same position.  Can't hurt to call corporate and ask for him.

This was from 2016.

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59 minutes ago, Boston Babe said:

Please don't be sorry about your rant.  I've been reading all your information and the fact that you and your daughters have been looking forward to this for so long, saving your money, and looking forward to a wonderful family vacation.  I will pray that they do the right thing for you and get you on Mariner at a nice area of the ship.  This is just so awful.

I'm Canadian and therefore obligated to apologize for everything.

 

 

26 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

@alamode123 This post has prompted me to look back at something a I saw a month ago.  I had to look around for it as I could not remember where I saw it.  Credit goes to a RCBlog Insider who posted the original photo.  Anyway, sorry for the delayed reply but an Oasis sailing for next year was cancelled back in June.  This was the message that was sent out:

Image may contain: text

Notice where is says "Your original stateroom category will be price protected".  I remember thinking at the time that was quite reasonable and fair.  Maybe this could be your point of argument right here.  If they can do it for one cancelled sailing, maybe they could do it for yours too if you bring it the the right person's attention.  Again, sorry for being late on this post.  It was a busy morning....

Similar to this email, RCL is only willing to price protect a few sailings of their choice, none of which are during the same week from the same port.

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Here's my email to RCCL customer service and the CEO:

Dear RCL;

Last August I wanted to surprise my twin 15-year-old daughters for their Grade 8 graduation and booked a 5 night Navigator of the Seas cruise out of Miami (Reservation #XXXXXX). I love researching our vacation, so I made sure and got a ship with a corner Large Panorama room, room 1864, which is oversized, on the corner of the ship, and amazing looking. 

We watched endless hours on Youtube of Miami (since we've never been), the ship (which we've never been on) and all the ports (especially Labadee, which looks amazing). Since its our March Break in Toronto, I booked the flights extra early, as soon as they were available, one day before our cruise and two days afterwards. 

Once I realized that Navigator will be coming out of drydock shortly before our cruise, we were even more excited. We watched even more Youtube videos about Mariner of the Seas' recent refurb and were hoping that the laser tag, the Skypad and the Bamboo Room would be included in our sailing. I even booked a beach bungalow and the Ultimate Dining Package, though I had to scrimp a bit more in our monthly budget.

Then yesterday, I got the news that you cancelled my cruise for a charter. Basically, from my point of view, you screwed over everyone currently booked on this and two other cruises because you had a better offer.

A 5-night cruise may not be huge to you, but I'm a widowed single father of three teenagers, and every dollar counts. I can't change the dates of our cruise to the options you gave me, since it's March break, and my girls will be out of school. I can't change my flights and go somewhere else, as the cancellation fees alone are $200/person/flight, and you'll only pay that if we rebook. Plus, because it's March Break, every flight has doubled in price, as have every cruise.

So I have two extremely pissed off teenagers and around $2000 of flights I can't change. And you're offering me $100 onboard credit? Really? 

What I would like, if at all possible, is for you to book us on the March 11, 2019 Mariner of the Seas cruise at the rate it was when I booked Navigator last August. It would be one less day of cruising, but I think it's the best I can do under the situation YOU created. Plus, I think my daughters and I deserve an actual apology for all the hardship you've created. Again, it's not a life or death situation, but I scrimp and save in order to afford vacations, and I shouldn't have them add stress to my life and expenses I wasn't planning on. My daughters shouldn't be crying and I shouldn't lose a night's sleep because RCL wanted a few extra dollars at the expense of their customers.


I await your prompt response.

Paul Cyopick

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Well worded letter @alamode123, and one that clearly conveys your frustrations, the poor "service" you've been offered so far, and the fact you're fine to make a deal if they'll just bend a bit for you. Hopefully you'll get a response, and it will be a lot better than a polite "take what we've offered you or go pound sand."

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1 minute ago, JLMoran said:

Well worded letter @alamode123, and one that clearly conveys your frustrations, the poor "service" you've been offered so far, and the fact you're fine to make a deal if they'll just bend a bit for you. Hopefully you'll get a response, and it will be a lot better than a polite "take what we've offered you or go pound sand."

Hopefully my travel agent at MEI travel will do her magic.

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I really like this letter ...... It shows that even though they screwed up royally (no pun intended), you're still willing to work with them for a resolution that makes everybody happy.  The part of your letter that I thought was pure genius was when you referenced all your expenses and that all they were will to offer you was the paltry $100 -- To steal a line from Nancy Pelosi..."crumbs" ..... It really put the whole thing in perspective, and if I was an employee of Royal, I'd be incredibly insulted that a company that I work for could be so thoughtless.  Please keep us posted.  I think it's safe to say that we're all rooting for you to have success. It does make me a little paranoid when it comes to the three I have booked coming up ......

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