Is RCI's "refund" for the Oasis "Tragedy at Sea" Appropriate?

We just received the following e-mail from RCI. With all that went wrong (see various threads), we would like to ask our fellow cruise critic friends if this is what you would do if you owned a company that screwed up and wanted to encourage their customers (passengers) to try your product again.

Dear Valued Guest:

We understand how much our guests look forward to and invest in their vacation. I am so sorry there was some disappointed on your Oasis of the Seas cruise and we hope to regain your trust.

We never want our guests to go through any kind of difficulties during their time with us and we recognize how frustrating it must have been for you to encounter delays due to the additional mandatory customs inspections. We are sorry our efforts fell short and would like to apologize for the disappointment with the service provided.

Additionally, as part of our commitment to provide our guests with the best vacation facilities, we added several improvements to the Oasis of the Seas during her refurbishment. However, with so many changes being completed in a short span of time, there were unforeseen complications that arose. We apologize for any inconvenience these enhancements may have caused you.

To thank you for your understanding, we would like to provide you with a special discount for use on a future Royal Caribbean International sailing. The discount value will be 20% of the cruise fare paid for this sailing. You should receive your certificate in approximately 6 weeks. Please be guided by the offer instructions on the certificate when finalizing plans for your next cruise vacation.

Again, thank you for choosing to sail with Royal Caribbean International. We look forward to welcoming you back again in the not too distant future.

Sincerely,

Lisa Lutoff-Perlo

Executive Vice President, Operations, Royal Caribbean International

I'm actually a little confused. I thought the main complaints I saw regarding that sailing were that because the weather was terrible, too many people were crammed indoors for too long on a ship not designed for everyone being indoors. Was there more?

Was there more?

Yes. There were many areas and venues either closed for the cruise that would be expected to be opened, or permanently closed to most with little to no prior notice.

I'm actually a little confused. I thought the main complaints I saw regarding that sailing were that because the weather was terrible, too many people were crammed indoors for too long on a ship not designed for everyone being indoors. Was there more?

There were a lot of things covered by a few review/journal threads. Art's is here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2114373

Yes. There were many areas and venues either closed for the cruise that would be expected to be opened, or permanently closed to most with little to no prior notice.

If that was the bulk of the problems, then it seems there are two choices for RCI, cancel the sailing, or issue discounts.

Obviously they should have budgeted in more time before their sailing, but since they didn't, this seems reasonable from their perspective. Of course, I would expect that incident to be a factor in upcoming refurbishments and when they plan on the ship being able to sail again after dry dock.

I would be a little offended with this response. Again, just my opinion, but they are not taking ownership for all of the problems that were of their own doing. I would expect a more forthright response to the effect of "we really dropped the ball and offer our sincerest apologies for the issues encountered by our valued customers...we want to learn from this experience and we are reviewing all of our customer feedback so that we can address the concerns that are within our control..."

I honestly don't know how compensation for all the issues faced should be handled, given the varying cruise fares paid, but I would be more satisfied with at least a 25% immediate credit issued to each passenger. That might make me think it was a one-time occurrence and make me willing to give them another chance. I don't think providing credit towards a future booking shows any accountability for the problems. Since I have no loyalty to any business, I would be less inclined to give them another dime of my money - I am known to cut off my nose to spite my face - and chalk it up to lesson learned. Again, this response would not make me happy but others may think differently and that is fine.

I know several people that were on this cruise and they said it wasn't near as bad as what people have posted here. Yes, it was crowded since the weather prevented people from going outside, but they said the worst part of the cruise was listening to all the whiners and complainers-- most of whom were D and above. I think the future discount offer is more than fair IMHO.

Yes!

I think it would take issues far, far beyond what was reported to actually be given a refund. Issuing a future cruise credit is the much more likely scenario to deal with issues.

RCI gave this to all guests whether they complained or not and has acted timely in doing so. Since all guests are being treated the same I do feel it is fair.

We were on the sailing and had a great time. Sure, there were some problems with embarkation and disembarkation but onboard, we had a wonderful time. True the weather sucked and sent most everyone inside which crowded the venues not designed for that many people - but hey, we were on a cruise. We always found space along the Promenade for four of us to play cards and have a drink, saw the shows we wanted to without waiting in lines. Who wouldn't have thought there would be long lines for the first showing of Cats? We went the second day with no reservation and no line. Go figure. Same for shows that were cancelled due to weather, of course the next showing will be more crowded, it's just logical and same happens on the seven day sailings.

We got a kick out of watching the masses lining up 30 minutes early for the Diamond and above lounges to open, or for traditional dinino times - like somehow they wouldn't get in. Went to the lounges around 6 or 7, no problem getting a drink, but trying to find a seat -not gonna happen. People went in at 5 and camped out for the entire time. As we're not into that, we just got a drink and small snack, and took off. We're not big on camping out in a lounge for 3.5 hours to get our drink on for "free", lots of lounges and bars around the ship, and shows to see (with no lines) during that time. Again, go figure.

Truly didn't find any venues actually closed that had any affect over a regular cruise except Viking Crown, which was rarely used on a regular sailing anyways (in five Oasis sailings before, we've been in there total of 3 times, no loss to us). Sure, theater was closed for rehearsals, but not much happens in there normally. Izumi was closed, but as it used to be part of Windjammer, that actually gave more public space in Windjammer and had no affect as it took part of the dining room which wasn't open normally anyways. Those with access to Co clergy lounge still had the option, etc.

We simply had a great time. Would uave been betterm if the weather had been better. Certainly did not expect any kind of compensation for what was, for us, a good cruise. This is more than generous in our opinion. I understand some people had hot water probkems or TV problems , but we didn't at all, and the crowds were a non-issue, except having to hear people complaining left and right about them (not sure exactly what RCI was supposed to do about that). Overall, more than fair in our opinion.

And I certainly would not refer to this cruise as "Tragedy of the Seas". That is quite extreme for a cruise that sailed fine, didn't capsize or have major deaths onboard, etc. Cool weather is not a tragedy.

We were on this sailing and did not see a lot of the complaints until we got home and read about them on here, weather could have been better but it's still better being on a cruise than at work. We had issues such as people already being in our cabin (RCI gave us another upgraded one) and some items being stolen from the Solarium (they did not take great action here) but overall it was fine, we opted to walk off early so missed all the debarkation fuss. The worst part of the cruise was as others have mentioned all the whiners who felt they were entitled to something as they were D and above, we would go into the D lounge after 6pm and you could here the complaints in the air - while they drank their free drinks..... :D

Truth of the matter, cruise lines dont have to give anyone a dime..

http://media.royalcaribbean.com/content/en_US/pdf/bill_of_rights.pdf

I would take the 20% and rebook when im ready.

reprint from RCCL contract...

6. CANCELLATION, DEVIATION OR SUBSTITUTION BY CARRIER:

Carrier may for any reason at any time and without prior notice, cancel, advance, postpone or deviate from any scheduled sailing, port of call, destination,

lodging or any activity on or off the Vessel, or substitute another vessel or port of call, destination, lodging or activity. Carrier shall not be liable for any

claim whatsoever by Passenger, including but not limited to loss, compensation or refund, by reason of such cancellation, advancement, postponement,

substitution or deviation.

When I saw the words "Tragedy at Sea" I thought someone had died and then wondered why Royal Caribbean would be offering refunds. Being "stuck" on a ship with ongoing construction, closed venues, crowding, bad weather, etc. hardly merits a tragedy.

You should check with some folks who have experienced a real tragedy. :rolleyes:

Since apparently there are people who have not read about (or experienced) what took place on this voyage, let me mention a couple of the biggest issues we faced.

1. The biggest problem by far was the lack of service and attitude of the staff. In any business things go wrong. How you deal with them is what makes the difference in a service oriented business. When the embarkation problems in Rotterdam and then Southampton occurred, there were NO RCI to be seen anywhere. When lines occurred for events during the cruise, it was the same and finally when we disembarked in Fort Lauderdale and the situation was even worse, the staff was still in "hiding". Any attempt to discuss the problems with "Guest NON-relations" was met with defensive replies.

2. Construction in progress - RCI did not allow sufficient time in dry dock to complete their renovations. So not only were there several venues closed (which added to the overcrowding), but there jackhammers being used, the smell of paint in many parts of the ship. Personally we experienced an even more blatant example as they decided to shampoo our carpet while the cruise was still in progress. All of this occurred without any notification to the passengers or even to their travel agents (as I am one).

Of course there were more, but I truly do not want to rehash them here as there were also lots of things that I liked about the ship. You can read them in my "live" thread. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2114373

That was not the purpose of my original question.

What I was asking is whether you believe the 20% credit toward a future cruise was an appropriate response. What would you do if your company did not perform as you hoped it would and your customers did not receive the benefits from your product that you hope they would.

Here is what Ellie suggested:

1. First acknowledge your mistakes. Don't try to whitewash them and blame the problems on everyone else.

2. Offer compensation for what took place. Remember the size of the company we are talking about, the amount they spend on advertising and the goodwill that could be created.

3. Offer a discount on a future cruise.

What do you think? Is that too much to expect?

I would be a little offended with this response. Again, just my opinion, but they are not taking ownership for all of the problems that were of their own doing. I would expect a more forthright response to the effect of "we really dropped the ball and offer our sincerest apologies for the issues encountered by our valued customers...we want to learn from this experience and we are reviewing all of our customer feedback so that we can address the concerns that are within our control..."

 

I honestly don't know how compensation for all the issues faced should be handled, given the varying cruise fares paid, but I would be more satisfied with at least a 25% immediate credit issued to each passenger. That might make me think it was a one-time occurrence and make me willing to give them another chance. I don't think providing credit towards a future booking shows any accountability for the problems. Since I have no loyalty to any business, I would be less inclined to give them another dime of my money - I am known to cut off my nose to spite my face - and chalk it up to lesson learned. Again, this response would not make me happy but others may think differently and that is fine.

ll

I totally agree with your first paragraph. All I was looking for was at least one sincere apology. Didn't get it on the ship and in my opinion not in the email (which I haven't received). I hope the discount off a future cruise does not come with so many restrictions it becomes useless. If it doesn't then I think it is fair.

In my survey I said that of 30 Royal Caribbean cruises this one ranked number 30 and the main reason was the overall lack of communication and response from the staff and especially to the two embarkation issues. I complimented the crew - I thought they were great as usual and I actually said I thought the food was better than it had been on my last few cruises.

I know that this cruise was not typical of the RCI product. I have 4 more cruises booked and I am looking forward to all of them. Had this been my first one though I'm not really sure if I would be inclined toward a second one.

Since apparently there are people who have not read about (or experienced) what took place on this voyage, let me mention a couple of the biggest issues we faced.

 

1. The biggest problem by far was the lack of service and attitude of the staff. In any business things go wrong. How you deal with them is what makes the difference in a service oriented business. When the embarkation problems in Rotterdam and then Southampton occurred, there were NO RCI to be seen anywhere. When lines occurred for events during the cruise, it was the same and finally when we disembarked in Fort Lauderdale and the situation was even worse, the staff was still in "hiding". Any attempt to discuss the problems with "Guest NON-relations" was met with defensive replies.

 

2. Construction in progress - RCI did not allow sufficient time in dry dock to complete their renovations. So not only were there several venues closed (which added to the overcrowding), but there jackhammers being used, the smell of paint in many parts of the ship. Personally we experienced an even more blatant example as they decided to shampoo our carpet while the cruise was still in progress. All of this occurred without any notification to the passengers or even to their travel agents (as I am one).

 

Of course there were more, but I truly do not want to rehash them here as there were also lots of things that I liked about the ship. You can read them in my "live" thread. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2114373

 

That was not the purpose of my original question.

 

What I was asking is whether you believe the 20% credit toward a future cruise was an appropriate response. What would you do if your company did not perform as you hoped it would and your customers did not receive the benefits from your product that you hope they would.

 

Here is what Ellie suggested:

 

1. First acknowledge your mistakes. Don't try to whitewash them and blame the problems on everyone else.

 

2. Offer compensation for what took place. Remember the size of the company we are talking about, the amount they spend on advertising and the goodwill that could be created.

 

3. Offer a discount on a future cruise.

 

What do you think? Is that too much to expect?

Yes it is too much to ask. Maybe cruising or RCCL isnt for you.

Also if you were to actually do some research, you would find many other similar experiences to your after a ship is in dry dock. Thats is why you avoid those sailings, duh!

One of the problems with "vacations gone bad" is that vacations often are very emotional.

Not only has the person usually invested a lot of hard earned money but there is also an element of "expectation".

Cruises, Disney, first trip to Paris.... You get the idea. usually the vacationer has built up this wonderful scenario and when that scenario does not play out there usually is a snow ball effect.

As to the question, yes I do think the offer was fair.

Even though there were other issues, I'm thinking that the weather sucking and forcing everyone inside was the Major problem which snowballed every thing else.

For example, you mentioned some one vacuuming. That probably would not have been an issue had you been able to escape some where else. So now the vacuuming takes on a bigger problem than usual.

LOL, it's like when you first meet your doviee and they have those "cute" idiosyncrasies that at first are so "adorable" then after 30 years of marriage they drive you crazy.

Now I never criticize what people have a problem with. What is important to you, may not be so important to me. I'm a huge "meanderer". I love lounging so bath towels are crazy important to me. people get on me all the time because I complain about them. lol, yes if I'm kicking out 600 a night for a luxury hotel I want some Turkish towels that I would sell a kidney for. you get the point.

So matter what the reasons, you are unhappy with a product and that should be acknowledge and addressed.

No you are not asking too much. the question isn't whether cruising is for you. RCCL is offering a customer service oriented product. If they cannot handle their responsibility to the customer then THEY need to get out of the game

One of the problems with "vacations gone bad" is that vacations often are very emotional.

Not only has the person usually invested a lot of hard earned money but there is also an element of "expectation".

Cruises, Disney, first trip to Paris.... You get the idea. usually the vacationer has built up this wonderful scenario and when that scenario does not play out there usually is a snow ball effect.

 

As to the question, yes I do think the offer was fair.

 

Even though there were other issues, I'm thinking that the weather sucking and forcing everyone inside was the Major problem which snowballed every thing else.

 

For example, you mentioned some one vacuuming. That probably would not have been an issue had you been able to escape some where else. So now the vacuuming takes on a bigger problem than usual.

 

LOL, it's like when you first meet your doviee and they have those "cute" idiosyncrasies that at first are so "adorable" then after 30 years of marriage they drive you crazy.

Some people just cannot be satisfied and try to get as much as they can from companies, had they not vacummed the OP would have complained about the floor being dirty and demanded a free cruise.

When I saw the words "Tragedy at Sea" I thought someone had died and then wondered why Royal Caribbean would be offering refunds. Being "stuck" on a ship with ongoing construction, closed venues, crowding, bad weather, etc. hardly merits a tragedy.

 

You should check with some folks who have experienced a real tragedy. :rolleyes:

Like!!

To answer the original question, yes, I think RCI has offered a fair response. It seems that many people on this same sailing had no issues other than the weather and other people complaining. Of course, with 6,000 people on board, some will always be easier to please than others, and everyone's experience will differ.

I hope you're able to put that 20% discount to good use, and that you have a fantastic cruise next time.

It is difficult to answer your question since I wasn't on the cruise and RCI's "screw up" is subjective from person to person. I have been on cruises and heard people say they couldn't wait until the cruise was over, it was horrible from start to finish, etc. We couldn't believe we were on the same ship as them because we had a fantastic time. Even on your thread you are getting contrasting opinions.

If the email did not meet your standards then reach out to Mr. Goldstein.

"Tragedy of the Seas" does seem a bit over the top...don't you think?

Since apparently there are people who have not read about (or experienced) what took place on this voyage, let me mention a couple of the biggest issues we faced.

 

1. The biggest problem by far was the lack of service and attitude of the staff. In any business things go wrong. How you deal with them is what makes the difference in a service oriented business. When the embarkation problems in Rotterdam and then Southampton occurred, there were NO RCI to be seen anywhere. When lines occurred for events during the cruise, it was the same and finally when we disembarked in Fort Lauderdale and the situation was even worse, the staff was still in "hiding". Any attempt to discuss the problems with "Guest NON-relations" was met with defensive replies.

 

2. Construction in progress - RCI did not allow sufficient time in dry dock to complete their renovations. So not only were there several venues closed (which added to the overcrowding), but there jackhammers being used, the smell of paint in many parts of the ship. Personally we experienced an even more blatant example as they decided to shampoo our carpet while the cruise was still in progress. All of this occurred without any notification to the passengers or even to their travel agents (as I am one).

 

Of course there were more, but I truly do not want to rehash them here as there were also lots of things that I liked about the ship. You can read them in my "live" thread. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2114373

 

That was not the purpose of my original question.

 

What I was asking is whether you believe the 20% credit toward a future cruise was an appropriate response. What would you do if your company did not perform as you hoped it would and your customers did not receive the benefits from your product that you hope they would.

 

Here is what Ellie suggested:

 

1. First acknowledge your mistakes. Don't try to whitewash them and blame the problems on everyone else.

 

2. Offer compensation for what took place. Remember the size of the company we are talking about, the amount they spend on advertising and the goodwill that could be created.

 

3. Offer a discount on a future cruise.

 

What do you think? Is that too much to expect?

My first question is "have you ever sailed before?" Lines to disembark at port calls are normal on cruise ships. Everyone wants off at the same time.

Second, my experience is you get from the staff what you give. We're you the angry American yelling at the staff? And what did you expect them to do about the situation anyway?

I think the fact they gave you anything for your complaints is more than enough! If you don't want the discount, I'll take it!

Yes it is too much to ask. Maybe cruising or RCCL isnt for you.

 

Also if you were to actually do some research, you would find many other similar experiences to your after a ship is in dry dock. Thats is why you avoid those sailings, duh!

I think it's worth noting that nobody actually asked for this. RC have themselves realised that they dropped the ball on numerous occasions and are offering something to say sorry. If they actually thought they had done nothing wrong they wouldn't have taken this path. It was their decision to offer every guest some compensation. They could have said 'you know what .. crap happens'.

Will those that apparently had no issue decline from using this special certificate if you thought everything was fabulous??

I think it's great they have acted in this way and despite what some say there were issues and not just because of weather or because a few venues were not available.

For example .. I don't want to queue in line like cattle, where tempers are flaring among guests as they jostle for the front of the Queue. It wasn't the dry dock that caused this shambles it was bad planning! When I finally boarded the ship I was so stressed the last thing I wanted was a bunch of dancers and band shouting 'hey you're on vacation' ... I needed a lie down.

I remain a fan of RC and the fact they have held their hands up and said 'we got stuff wrong' makes me a bigger fan.

Like!!

 

To answer the original question, yes, I think RCI has offered a fair response. It seems that many people on this same sailing had no issues other than the weather and other people complaining. Of course, with 6,000 people on board, some will always be easier to please than others, and everyone's experience will differ.

I hope you're able to put that 20% discount to good use, and that you have a fantastic cruise next time.

Maybe part of the problem is that 6000 people can live together really well when things are going right. Sometimes just having 3 other peole in the car with me is nerve racking when things are not so nice. One thing I do know, as unlikely as I am to ever do a TA, I think it is even more unlikely that I would do it on Oasis or Allure or any other ship that has just undergone a dry docking.

 

That was not the purpose of my original question.

 

What I was asking is whether you believe the 20% credit toward a future cruise was an appropriate response. What would you do if your company did not perform as you hoped it would and your customers did not receive the benefits from your product that you hope they would.

 

I'm not sure that you can make a blanket statement like that -- I was not there so I can't speak from experience but obviously there are some cruisers who enjoyed themselves and got good service and reaped the benefits of the "new Oasis". Everyone has complained about the embarkation and debarkation problems which could be attributed to port officials and customs.

I am not making excuses for RCI and the ship probably should have been at dry-dock one more week. However, what I am questioning is if the majority of the passengers did not encounter problems that you mention in your email and previous posts, what do you think is a fair compensation for the cruise? Should it be only for guests who had complaints and problems or across the board compensation for all guests or a simple discount for future cruise?

I would be a little offended with this response. Again, just my opinion, but they are not taking ownership for all of the problems that were of their own doing. I would expect a more forthright response to the effect of "we really dropped the ball and offer our sincerest apologies for the issues encountered by our valued customers...we want to learn from this experience and we are reviewing all of our customer feedback so that we can address the concerns that are within our control..."

Here is what Ellie suggested:

 

1. First acknowledge your mistakes. Don't try to whitewash them and blame the problems on everyone else.

 

2. Offer compensation for what took place. Remember the size of the company we are talking about, the amount they spend on advertising and the goodwill that could be created.

 

3. Offer a discount on a future cruise.

 

What do you think? Is that too much to expect?

Are we reading the same note? The one orignally posted?

I saw an apology- one for an instance that they actually had no control over, and another where they admitted that the work in dry dock was not done. How is that not acknowedging a problem or how is that blaming someone else? If they are blaming someone else, my English must be bad, as I don't see who they are blaming.

The note also specifically mentioned that they want the cruise experience to be good.

And they do offer a pretty good discount- it's not 20% off a next cruise, it's a value of 20% of the cuise that was just taken. So if you spend $3000 for one person, you will get a $600 voucher for a cruise- which would pay for a cruise on many ships/itineraries.

Basically, I'm trying to figure out why the letter is bad. Seems that they apoligized for not being more prepared for disembarking and then added an apology for the dry dock work not being finished and that people were inconvienenced by that.

What am I missing that it's a bad or insulting note?

The value of the compensation- it probably would be fine for us. But, OP, that's totally up to you.