alamode123 Posted July 19, 2018 Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 As expected, Sharla and her supervisor did their magic since my cruise cancellation, and put on hold the exact same room on Mariner. Same week, same port, just one day fewer. They are now talking with Royal to see about price matching back to when i booked my original cruise, as I shouldn't be paying more for one less day through no fault of my own. Best case scenario it all works out, and we end up with an extra day before our cruise. Hopefully my girls will be as accepting of this result as I will be. islandgrandma, ellcee, NS8VN and 12 others 9 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellcee Posted July 19, 2018 Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 I'm sure they will!!! Yay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 19, 2018 Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 I know you have been looking at Mariner reviews. @Lovetocruise2002 will be on Mariner in August and I'll be on Mariner in September. Look for scopes and a live blog. I'm excited to see the Amped up Mariner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted July 19, 2018 Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 Mariner is a great choice. Glad you got that squared away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruisinUngs Posted July 19, 2018 Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 Been following your posts as it really is heartbreaking when you plan and plan and let yourself get excited. Fingers crossed for the price match!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alamode123 Posted July 19, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 4 minutes ago, Matt said: Mariner is a great choice. Glad you got that squared away! It's not done yet, but I'm hoping for the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rose City Cruiser Posted July 19, 2018 Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 That is great news! Awesome work Sharla and MEI! I will be on Mariner in August. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mljstr Posted July 19, 2018 Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 Good news! The girls will come around- they just have to be “teenagery” for a while. A day in Miami ain’t a bad thing! coneyraven 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AGSLC5 Posted July 19, 2018 Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 After just being on the New Mariner twice.. I think this is the next best option. They did a fabulous job renovating the boat and I had quite a lot of fun on both my quick 3 night sailings. I even enjoyed playing laser tag. Try to go with a group its much more fun that way. Anyway I hope they work out the pricing for you but the boat itself is great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coneyraven Posted July 19, 2018 Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 This is fantastic news ..... MEI agents are Rock Stars..... WAAAYTOOO, accio7 and Matt 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lovetocruise2002 Posted July 19, 2018 Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 2 hours ago, alamode123 said: As expected, Sharla and her supervisor did their magic since my cruise cancellation, and put on hold the exact same room on Mariner. Same week, same port, just one day fewer. They are now talking with Royal to see about price matching back to when i booked my original cruise, as I shouldn't be paying more for one less day through no fault of my own. Best case scenario it all works out, and we end up with an extra day before our cruise. Hopefully my girls will be as accepting of this result as I will be. 1 hour ago, twangster said: I know you have been looking at Mariner reviews. @Lovetocruise2002 will be on Mariner in August and I'll be on Mariner in September. Look for scopes and a live blog. I'm excited to see the Amped up Mariner. Great news all around @alamode123!!! We are still rooting for you that you get your original price back. The revitalized Mariner looks great from all the photos and videos that I've seen. I'm sailing her mid-August and @twangster is sailing in September so look for live blogs in the live blog section. Feel free to ask anything and we will do our best to find out for you! Your girls will come around...they always do accio7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted July 19, 2018 Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 Awesome news! Fingers crossed that you get the price matching, and maybe Sharla can work some extra voodoo on Royal so you get extra OBC or something else to ease the sting a little more. I do hope your girls come around, at least by the time you actually fly down and sail out. They deserve to enjoy that trip without any metaphorical clouds hanging over them. With luck, 8 months will be enough time that they can start watching new YouTube videos and reading new reviews and find some excitement and anticipation coming back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nico Posted July 19, 2018 Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 The noted cruise was cancelled on me as well - very disappointing. I rebooked on a 5 night cruise out of Lauderdale, Mar. 9th and had to pay about $400 more but get $200 back in credits. The upside is the refurb on the Independence of the Seas is very kid friendly and my kids will enjoy the upgrades as well porting in Jamaica versus Nassau which I actually prefer a bit. I'm glad my flights are Mar 8-17 as I left a window to spend a few days in Florida - phew. Still leaving a bitter taste though. RC cancelled us for a party cruise and the worse part is they have been advertising using the boat for quite some time so Royal Caribbean have known for a while. Search Dream Weekend Cruise and you will see the info. https://www.instagram.com/dreamweekendcruise/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alamode123 Posted July 19, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 Just got a call from Royal executive office, some guy named Damian. They are refusing to budge on the price. I gave him Sharla's phone number. She still has the room on hold but I have no idea how much $$$ I will have to pay for LESS cruise. Plus the extra expense of another day in Miami. I hate this. I'm almost crying at my desk. accio7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted July 19, 2018 Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 While not a slam dunk decision, yes you will have to pay more than before, but it's still a cruise and I'm guessing still better off than letting your non-refundable airfare go. At the end of the day, it's still a cruise and still vacation. Carlos A. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coneyraven Posted July 19, 2018 Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 5 minutes ago, alamode123 said: Just got a call from Royal executive office, some guy named Damian. They are refusing to budge on the price. I gave him Sharla's phone number. She still has the room on hold but I have no idea how much $$$ I will have to pay for LESS cruise. Plus the extra expense of another day in Miami. I hate this. I'm almost crying at my desk. Did Royal call YOU or Sharla? If it were you, he may not be aware of the work that's going on with Sharla ..... hoping for the best Baked Alaska 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alamode123 Posted July 19, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 Just now, coneyraven said: Did Royal call YOU or Sharla? If it were you, he may not be aware of the work that's going on with Sharla ..... hoping for the best They talked to me, then i gave her number to him. Just now, Matt said: While not a slam dunk decision, yes you will have to pay more than before, but it's still a cruise and I'm guessing still better off than letting your non-refundable airfare go. At the end of the day, it's still a cruise and still vacation. They COULD do it if they chose to, they are just choosing not to. They will give me price protection on a few cruises of THEIR choice. The new cruise price, for one LESS day, is almost $800 US MORE than the one I booked (around $1200 Canadian). So, my choices are, pay $1200 extra for a shorter cruise, plus the extra expense of a day in Miami, spend $1200 canadian to change flights and go somewhere elae, say screw it and lose $2000 in flights, or spend a week in Miami extremely pissed off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted July 19, 2018 Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 Just now, alamode123 said: So, my choices are, pay $1200 extra for a shorter cruise, plus the extra expense of a day in Miami, spend $1200 canadian to change flights and go somewhere elae, say screw it and lose $2000 in flights, or spend a week in Miami extremely pissed off. I'd add a few other options to consider. I do agree that's a lot more money and I'd probably balk at it too. Have you looked into two back to back cruises on shorter sailings? Like whatever ship(s) are doing the 3 and 4 nighters to the Bahamas? Perhaps doing a shorter cruise out of Port Canaveral and then spending a few days in WDW before or after so it's still the same amount of vacation time. I forgot which airline you booked, but in my experience non-refundable airfare means you will get hit with a change fee if you cancel, but at the end of the day, you'll get some credit for a future flight (as opposed to skipping the flight all together). It's not ideal, but if the other options are just going to be too pricey, then you might be best off taking the hit on airfare, having some airfare credit to use later and planning a different cruise vacation when the prices line up better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alamode123 Posted July 19, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 7 minutes ago, Matt said: I'd add a few other options to consider. I do agree that's a lot more money and I'd probably balk at it too. Have you looked into two back to back cruises on shorter sailings? Like whatever ship(s) are doing the 3 and 4 nighters to the Bahamas? Perhaps doing a shorter cruise out of Port Canaveral and then spending a few days in WDW before or after so it's still the same amount of vacation time. I forgot which airline you booked, but in my experience non-refundable airfare means you will get hit with a change fee if you cancel, but at the end of the day, you'll get some credit for a future flight (as opposed to skipping the flight all together). It's not ideal, but if the other options are just going to be too pricey, then you might be best off taking the hit on airfare, having some airfare credit to use later and planning a different cruise vacation when the prices line up better. Thanks Matt, but if anyone really expects me to give one dime to Royal after this, it's not happening. Looks like I'll change flights to end of August and go to Universal instead. We've been to WDW 8 times, are DVC members, and my daughter is Potter obsessed. Sorry for bad mouthing Royal. I know it's your thing and all, but how do they really expect people to react? No one I know, or my kids know, will EVER cruise with them again if we can help it. Adriana 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted July 19, 2018 Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 1 minute ago, alamode123 said: Sorry for bad mouthing Royal. I know it's your thing and all, but how do they really expect people to react? No one I know, or my kids know, will EVER cruise with them again if we can help it. It stinks, not going to deny that. But I also recognize this is an industry-wide practice. All cruise lines do this. Doesn't excuse the behavior or make it any easier to accept, but it's something as a traveler/consumer you just have to roll with sometimes. I think we've all encountered something similar to this where our best laid plans go up in smoke for any number of reasons. Like they say, time heals all pain and I hope as this incident passes months from now, that perhaps you will be willing to give it another shot. In the meantime, you're always welcome to hang out here and be part of the fun. accio7, ellcee, coneyraven and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
function12 Posted July 19, 2018 Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 Wow I am just shocked the way this has turned out. What seemed to be a very simple solution goes up in smoke. Shocked..... Skid 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 19, 2018 Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 Hoping MEI can still work their magic. Don't let one intern programmed to work from a script cause you to throw in the towel. coneyraven and Adriana 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skid Posted July 19, 2018 Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 43 minutes ago, alamode123 said: Sorry for bad mouthing Royal. @alamode123 you have NOTHING to be sorry for! This is all on them. Hopefully you and your family will find a way to end up having a great vacation. Here's wishing you guys all the best!! Please do keep us updated with the final outcome. We care! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flypped73 Posted July 19, 2018 Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 I don't blame you for never wanting to trust Royal Caribbean with a future trip, but you deserve to get what you were already put so much planning, anticipation and financial investment into. I don't know how social media savvy you are (perhaps here is where the teen kids can help) but you can often get a strong response by airing your grievances publicly on sites like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. I'm sure people who are part of this community would help amplify any of those posts with likes, shares, retweets, etc. This is an injustice and it seems Royal is not stepping up. Sometimes some negative publicity can nudge them to do the right thing, especially if see think people are watching. Very commonly, large companies like this have entire positions with people who monitor social media who can respond to situations and often have additional powers of quick resolution. Just a thought... Skid and coneyraven 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alamode123 Posted July 19, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 Sharla and Annette at MEI have gone above and beyond and have gotten a vacation that at least I am happy with and at no extra cost to me. My daughters need some convincing, but I have 8 months to do so. CruisinUngs, accio7, Bob_KY and 12 others 4 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mljstr Posted July 19, 2018 Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 So you dropped the cruise and are going to Universal? I guess there were no ports with ships and airfares that worked! I know your travel agent would have found you something if it were possible. Good luck and enjoy the trip with your children while they will still travel with you, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnetteJackson Posted July 19, 2018 Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 48 minutes ago, alamode123 said: Sharla and Annette at MEI have gone above and beyond and have gotten a vacation that at least I am happy with and at no extra cost to me. My daughters need some convincing, but I have 8 months to do so. We are so glad that we could jump in and try to help you out. It does take some time to talk to all areas at the cruise line, and sometimes it doesn't work out this well, but so glad we could could help keep your spring break plans in place. Im sure once the kids see the new ship and the changes they will be excited and then all the new changes on Cocoa Cay. I know many times people will ask Matt or our agents, "why should I use a Travel Agent" its these situations where you need a few other people in your corner to fight for you - and we are happy to do that for all our clients. mom2mybugs, Matt, Bob_KY and 10 others 5 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 19, 2018 Report Share Posted July 19, 2018 1 hour ago, alamode123 said: Sharla and Annette at MEI have gone above and beyond and have gotten a vacation that at least I am happy with and at no extra cost to me. My daughters need some convincing, but I have 8 months to do so. Awesome news! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adriana Posted July 20, 2018 Report Share Posted July 20, 2018 Best wishes! In the end, I hope you have a great time with your daughters. I am sorry this happened. Who knows, it may have been for the best for some reasons we don’t yet know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincipalTinker Posted July 20, 2018 Report Share Posted July 20, 2018 3 hours ago, alamode123 said: Sharla and Annette at MEI have gone above and beyond and have gotten a vacation that at least I am happy with and at no extra cost to me. My daughters need some convincing, but I have 8 months to do so. Were you able to find another Royal cruise? I am so sorry this happened! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mljstr Posted July 20, 2018 Report Share Posted July 20, 2018 All’s well that ends well. Put this in your journal of travel horror stories. We all have them. Some day it will bring a smile to your face and your girls can recall how crazy you were! Bon voyage!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twangster Posted July 20, 2018 Report Share Posted July 20, 2018 As I've thought about this and in particular your last sentence in reference to your daughters accepting this: I can safely predict that won't be an issue. You have displayed great patience and resolve as this has played out. Sure at moments it has gotten to you, and how couldn't it? In the end you let it play out, maintained faith in Sharla and MEI Travel and worked towards a resolution. That is commendable. Our children watch and learn from us in subtle ways none of us appreciate from their early years to later in life. My kids have endured flat tires, locked up brake calipers, hotels that didn't come close to the brochure, flights delays, lost luggage, pets pass and so on. It didn't take me long to learn that their reaction mirrored my own during life's challenging moments. This is a process for them too but I'm confident you will find they handle it with as much grace as you have despite how frustrating it has been. After all, they learned that from you. Lovetocruise2002, Deedeelynn, MikeK and 9 others 8 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pooch Posted July 20, 2018 Report Share Posted July 20, 2018 Think I missed something. What was the final outcome? A different cruise? Universal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alamode123 Posted July 20, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2018 3 hours ago, AnnetteJackson said: We are so glad that we could jump in and try to help you out. It does take some time to talk to all areas at the cruise line, and sometimes it doesn't work out this well, but so glad we could could help keep your spring break plans in place. Im sure once the kids see the new ship and the changes they will be excited and then all the new changes on Cocoa Cay. I know many times people will ask Matt or our agents, "why should I use a Travel Agent" its these situations where you need a few other people in your corner to fight for you - and we are happy to do that for all our clients. Thanks again Annette (and Sharla). Couldn't be happier. Thanks for the over the top help. 1 hour ago, twangster said: As I've thought about this and in particular your last sentence in reference to your daughters accepting this: I can safely predict that won't be an issue. You have displayed great patience and resolve as this has played out. Sure at moments it has gotten to you, and how couldn't it? In the end you let it play out, maintained faith in Sharla and MEI Travel and worked towards a resolution. That is commendable. Our children watch and learn from us in subtle ways none of us appreciate from their early years to later in life. My kids have endured flat tires, locked up brake calipers, hotels that didn't come close to the brochure, flights delays, lost luggage, pets pass and so on. It didn't take me long to learn that their reaction mirrored my own during life's challenging moments. This is a process for them too but I'm confident you will find they handle it with as much grace as you have despite how frustrating it has been. After all, they learned that from you. Twin 15-year-old girls are always a challenge, especially as the only parent 24/7. I totally saw their point. Why on earth would you give a company your money when they just screwed you over? If I could change our flights without penalty I would have done just that. But in the end, we'll be getting off the Mariner when Matt's group cruise is getting on. For those of you on that group cruise next March, make sure you ask at the Bamboo Room about Paul from Toronto from the cruise before you. I'm a tiki nut, so I'll be in there whenever I'm not eating or sleeping. Also, thanks for everyone's kind words. PrincipalTinker, accio7, Rose City Cruiser and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alamode123 Posted July 20, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2018 They already have my new cruise in the system, so booked ultimate dining package, Coco cay cabana and soda/internet for the girls. Im sure the drink package cost will drop. PrincipalTinker, accio7, ellcee and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted July 20, 2018 Report Share Posted July 20, 2018 Really glad to hear you got all this sorted out, and even happier to hear that MEI Travel came through for you with some TA magic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted July 20, 2018 Report Share Posted July 20, 2018 Bravo MEI ! SO happy that this is coming to a good end. There are so many lessons here. Twangbot's are extremely important - our children DO learn to handle life's disappointments (and joys !) from us and we don't know until WELL after it's too late that the way we handle crises is exactly the way they will handle crises. Another important lesson here is to be persistent (well done, alamode123) and not accept the answers you sometimes get if it's not what you want ! The third lesson is one we hear over and over and over again on these boards. A GOOD TA is worth waaay more during adversity than they are when things go the way you want them to go. I LOVE my Agent (Michelle Cunnningham, in case there's a soul on this planet that doesn't know yet). She works hard for us. Very hard. Believe it or not, I am NOT the easiest customer to have ! I ask for stupid stuff and have her check prices WAAAYTOOO often. I cancel and rebook, change rooms, overreact and whine. But she couldn't be more professional and attentive. To be completely honest (now that the crisis has passed) I did not expect this unfortunate scenario to end well for alamode123. I have heard MANY such stories (there shouldn't even be ONE) and they rarely (never ?) work out in the passengers' favor. Honestly, I think this might be the one and only time I've ever heard of Royal actually changing their minds and offering an alternative option to what their pathetic offers usually are. So, hooray for this time. The girls and you are going to have a great cruise. It won't be long and you will not even remember that your cruise was originally booked on a different ship. The truth is, you are getting a BETTER ship now and you will all have the time of our lives. Good deal ! JLMoran, AnnetteJackson, accio7 and 3 others 3 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alamode123 Posted July 20, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2018 34 minutes ago, Matt said: Really glad to hear you got all this sorted out, and even happier to hear that MEI Travel came through for you with some TA magic! Same here. Too bad it's one cruise away from your group cruise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
function12 Posted July 20, 2018 Report Share Posted July 20, 2018 That is awesome news. I will defiantly check out MEI when we go to book our next cruise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coneyraven Posted July 20, 2018 Report Share Posted July 20, 2018 This absolutely made my day ...... So glad I work with MEI (Michelle in my case) ---- The girls will come around ..... encourage them to watch YouTube videos of the ship and your destinations, that'll get them ramped up. Mark Deedeelynn, AnnetteJackson and bellemiche 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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