Freedom of the Seas, May 3, 2015 Not available for booking?

Has anyone heard why?

We are booked on it and wondering if it's going to be canceled. :confused:

I've read posts about a dry dock, but not sure it's been confirmed by Royal.

Nooooo!!! We booked the Ben & Jerry's Sweet on opening day! Will they call us and let us know or just boom canceled with no explanation?!

I read that the dry dock is in January 2015.

I read that the dry dock is in January 2015.

Thanks for the update. I had not remembered the dry dock date.

Nooooo!!! We booked the Ben & Jerry's Sweet on opening day! Will they call us and let us know or just boom canceled with no explanation?!

If the cruise has been chartered, then Royal will eventually notify you. Don't cancel before official notification because you won't get any consideration (should Royal offer any) if you cancel on your own.

Hopefully it's just a website glitch.

Chartered.

http://www.maxwellatsea.com/faqs/faqtop

Chartered.

 

http://www.maxwellatsea.com/faqs/faqtop

Does anyone have any experience with charters? Does it mean we'll get booted for sure, or only if our cabin is needed?

Does anyone have any experience with charters? Does it mean we'll get booted for sure, or only if our cabin is needed?

Depends on whether it is a full ship charter. It sounds like it is as they have it listed as N/A. As Bob said do not cancel or move your cruise until they contact you as you will lose any type of compensation. I have heard that OBC for this kind of move is around a $200 OBC.

Does anyone have any experience with charters? Does it mean we'll get booted for sure, or only if our cabin is needed?

If it's a full ship charter, you will be cancelled.

When they move you they will usually honour the price that you paid on a select number of sailings that are close to the original date.

If you booked or had your price adjusted because of the BOGOHO sale then make sure that they honour that for whatever date you book for.

Others have also had success in getting RCI to allow them to choose an alternate date other than what they were initially offered due to travel constraints. You may have to escalate that to resolutions.

What happens if you've already purchased flights but not travel insurance? Will the cruise company pay any change fees?

I'm not on this cruise, but we do tend to plan way in advance so it might eventually happen. Also, is it less likely to happen in the summer months?

Thanks!

What happens if you've already purchased flights but not travel insurance? Will the cruise company pay any change fees?

 

I'm not on this cruise, but we do tend to plan way in advance so it might eventually happen. Also, is it less likely to happen in the summer months?

 

Thanks!

I don't believe they will pay any change fees. Don't forget that this is a year out so I'm not sure if you can even book airline tickets this far out.

Full ship charters can happen at any time of the year.

It is definitely a full ship charter. Found this on the Charter groups website.

This is a full ship charter, which means that the entire ship will be dedicated to providing guests with the

Maxwell + The 7 Seas experience. Click here for details on exclusive experience only available on the cruise. The cruise will also have on board Celebrity Chef G. Garvin who will be creating special menus for the cruise as well as doing live cooking demonstrations. Rest assured, the party will never stop and you will be enjoying every minute along with thousands of others who all share the same musical passions as you do!

Depends on whether it is a full ship charter. It sounds like it is as they have it listed as N/A. As Bob said do not cancel or move your cruise until they contact you as you will lose any type of compensation. I have heard that OBC for this kind of move is around a $200 OBC.

When they move you they will usually honour the price that you paid on a select number of sailings that are close to the original date.

 

If you booked or had your price adjusted because of the BOGOHO sale then make sure that they honour that for whatever date you book for.

 

Others have also had success in getting RCI to allow them to choose an alternate date other than what they were initially offered due to travel constraints. You may have to escalate that to resolutions.

We actually noticed it marked as N/A just after the BOGOHO was released. We quickly booked another date using the BOGOHO just in case it was canceled, which is only about $200 less than we have this one for.

It's been a few weeks since it was N/A'd and looks like charter sales start Wednesday. Guess we'll just wait it out. DH is hoping we don't get booted. ;)

We actually noticed it marked as N/A just after the BOGOHO was released. We quickly booked another date using the BOGOHO just in case it was canceled, which is only about $200 less than we have this one for.

 

It's been a few weeks since it was N/A'd and looks like charter sales start Wednesday. Guess we'll just wait it out. DH is hoping we don't get booted. ;)

Good move, I was going to suggest you book something while the BOGOHO sale was still running. Hopefully you will get some OBC from the cancellation.

 

If the cruise has been chartered, then Royal will eventually notify you. Don't cancel before official notification because you won't get any consideration (should Royal offer any) if you cancel on your own.

 

Hopefully it's just a website glitch.

For sure wait for them to contact you. Just had this happen and they offered the same price I paid for any other cruise in the same room. I was able to bump up to 9 days from 7 because of this. Also got obc because of it. I didn't ask for any of that they just called said sorry and put that on the table. They gave me two weeks to select something else before the offer was off the table.

Just got the email:

Dear Valued Guests,

Please be advised that the following Royal Caribbean Freedom of the Seas sailing has been chartered. As a result of the changes, all guests who are currently booked on the sailing will need to be moved or cancelled. This memo addresses compensation for guests booked on the impacted sailing.

Guests currently booked with names and money in house on Freedom of the Seas May 3, 2015 7-Night Caribbean:

Re-book on the select sailings below, in like accommodations, at the protected/lowest available rate or any other Royal Caribbean sailing at prevailing rate.

Select Freedom of the Seas Sailings

April 19, 2015 – 7-Night Caribbean

April 26, 2015 – 7-Night Caribbean

May 10, 2015 – 7-Night Caribbean

May 17, 2015 – 7-Night Caribbean

Receive $200 onboard credit per standard stateroom, $400 onboard credit for suites when you rebook any Royal Caribbean sailing.

Air change fee reimbursement is not being offered.

A full refund for amounts paid will be processed to the original form of payment if guests choose to cancel; however, they will not receive any of the above compensation.

A special help desk has been established to assist you with these changes. The desk is available now, and will remain open until May 28, 2014. All reservations that are not changed by the specified close date will be cancelled and ineligible for the compensation offered.

For Individual Reservations: 1-888-281-9344 ext. 28546

For Group Reservations: 1-888-281-9344 ext. 28623

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

Sincerely,

Royal Caribbean International®

It took some finagling, but we were able to have the $200 OBC applied to our March 8, 2015 Freedom cruise that we had booked just in case we were booted from this one. :)

...It took some finagling, but we were able to have the $200 OBC applied to our March 8, 2015 Freedom cruise that we had booked just in case we were booted from this one. :)

Thanks for reporting back. I think it's a very nice compensation, price protection on selected cruises and OBC.

Thanks for reporting back. I think it's a very nice compensation, price protection on selected cruises and OBC.

Yeah, we're happy with it. Glad we booked another when we first saw the N/A though... the Ben & Jerry's Sweet is no longer available on any cruises in March/April/May, so we definitely would have lost it!

What is price protection anyhow?

Yeah, we're happy with it. Glad we booked another when we first saw the N/A though... the Ben & Jerry's Sweet is no longer available on any cruises in March/April/May, so we definitely would have lost it!

 

What is price protection anyhow?

That's this part of the email you posted:

"Re-book on the select sailings below, in like accommodations, at the protected/lowest available rate ..."

It means you could have booked in the same category in any of the listed cruises for no more than you were paying on the cancelled cruise.

That's this part of the email you posted:

 

"Re-book on the select sailings below, in like accommodations, at the protected/lowest available rate ..."

 

It means you could have booked in the same category in any of the listed cruises for no more than you were paying on the cancelled cruise.

Ahhh, ok. I had read it and thought that was what it meant, but wasn't sure.

Our March 8 cruise was actually less, so I guess we made out all around! :D

We were contacted by RCI and rebooked for May 17, 2015. Protected our price, which reflected the BOGO and got $200 each for onboard credit as we are in a JS.

I know this is an old thread, but I found it in a search today and wanted to get some opinions.

Here is what happened today:

I started searching for a good priced cruise on the Freedom of the Seas.

There was a great price on the May 3rd, 2015 sailing. I booked my wife and I and two other couples.

A few hours later I decided to find the Roll Call board for our new sailing. I scrolled through 4 pages and couldn't find one that had been started, yet. I thought it was odd - since the cruise is in May. So, I did a Google search for Freedom of the Seas May 3, 2015 and discovered a page advertising this to be a "Maxwell" cruise. I turned to Cruise Critic and found this thread.

So, my question -- Is this a full charter or not? How am I able to book it? Am I going to get cancelled at some point?

Thanks!

I know this is an old thread, but I found it in a search today and wanted to get some opinions.

 

Here is what happened today:

 

I started searching for a good priced cruise on the Freedom of the Seas.

There was a great price on the May 3rd, 2015 sailing. I booked my wife and I and two other couples.

 

A few hours later I decided to find the Roll Call board for our new sailing. I scrolled through 4 pages and couldn't find one that had been started, yet. I thought it was odd - since the cruise is in May. So, I did a Google search for Freedom of the Seas May 3, 2015 and discovered a page advertising this to be a "Maxwell" cruise. I turned to Cruise Critic and found this thread.

 

So, my question -- Is this a full charter or not? How am I able to book it? Am I going to get cancelled at some point?

 

Thanks!

Odd! I hope it gets figured out for you soon!

I know this is an old thread, but I found it in a search today and wanted to get some opinions.

 

Here is what happened today:

 

I started searching for a good priced cruise on the Freedom of the Seas.

There was a great price on the May 3rd, 2015 sailing. I booked my wife and I and two other couples.

 

A few hours later I decided to find the Roll Call board for our new sailing. I scrolled through 4 pages and couldn't find one that had been started, yet. I thought it was odd - since the cruise is in May. So, I did a Google search for Freedom of the Seas May 3, 2015 and discovered a page advertising this to be a "Maxwell" cruise. I turned to Cruise Critic and found this thread.

 

So, my question -- Is this a full charter or not? How am I able to book it? Am I going to get cancelled at some point?

 

Thanks!

Yup, our original cabin is available again.

Crazy!

It appears the Maxwell + the 7 Seas is still on too, which to me would mean clubs/areas unavailable to non-Maxwell cruisers. No thanks!