Cannot believe this - cruise overbooked!!

We booked on the Monarch of the Seas 10 days ago and today (4 days before we sail) RCCL called to say that they apologize but they have overbooked this cruise so we have 3 choices.

1. Cruise on same date but out of Miami on the Majesty for an upgrade to oceanview plus $100 OBC

2. Cruise on Monarch but on another date for upgrade to oceanview plus $100 OBC

3. Full refund.

Well DH can only get off this coming week so that narrowed our choices down but it sucks that we now have a 4 and a half hour drive (one way) as opposed to a 2 hour drive (one way).

I guess this is how RCCL treats loyal Emerald customers ..... this makes us rethink our cruise future with the company.

You can probably talk them into a little more OBC if that will make you happy.

I've not heard of them overbooking before. We've had 3 cruises cancelled due to the ship being put in drydock for work each time. But we were notified with more notice than 4 days.

If it were me, I'd still go. On all ours, we were never offered an upgrade. We were offered more on the shipboard credit, plus they covered our change air frees. Hey, maybe you could talk the resolutions department into covering the extra gas it will take to go to the other departure port.

Good luck!!

Zebra -- I'm confused... :confused:

If you booked ten days ago, did RC give you a specific cabin number, or did you just book a cabin category "guarantee"? If you paid a deposit, and booked a specific cabin -- how could RC turn around and kick you out of it? :eek:

Like Cheryl H, we have had a cruise pulled, due to an unscheduled dry-dock -- but we were notified months in advance. Good luck on getting this resolved. :cool:

You didn't list option 4.....stay on the cruise you paid in full on !! They can't kick you off....Princess does this all the time and they always offer "option#4".......people can't always move.

We need to hear why you *have* to move....they'll find somebody that wants to move

When you booked did you get a cabin number?? If so, I would say I booked cabin # so and so. Are there no cabins available at all? Seems odd they would overbook.

Haha - compared to our 13 hour flight to get to our cruise - a 4 and a half hour drive sounds like a dream!!! BUT pretty ****ty thing to do none the same!!:rolleyes:

I've been reading this a lot lately (overbooking). I don't understand how they overbook accidentally. Don't the computers keep track of the inventory left :confused:

Gee what would happen if you already bought plane tickets? I wouldnt be able to switch to another date or anotehr port...tell them to upgrade you to a suite or find another unhappy cruiser to move. How unfair...

A four and half hour journey instead of a two hour doesn't seem like the end of the world to me. They are offering an upgrade as compensation. Personally I think they were a little mean in the amount of OBC I am sure they could have done a little better than that. Maybe a cabin upgrade, 300 OBc and dinner vouchers? That seems fair to me for the extra travelling. If its the only time you can get off work then it would be a shame to miss your holiday :(

Good luck x

A four and half hour journey instead of a two hour doesn't seem like the end of the world to me.

Not the end of the world, but a big inconvenience.

Heck it is a bit of a PITA but you still get to cruise and for a little longer drive you get an upgrade and some OBC . I'd take it specially since it was a last minute deal . If I had planned it a year in advance and was so excited about the ports and had done tons of planning I could see how it would be a big deal but in this case I'd still be happy!

Not that it is a perfect situation but maybe it is a hidden silver cloud??

Overbooking happens all the time with airlines. While it's not a regular occurrence with ships, they do the same thing as the airlines. They know a certain percentage, on average, cancel a cruise so they overbook to cover that percentage (they are called guarantees as others have referred to). When cancellations don't materialize they can be overbooked. I bet this happens most often on the short run cruises. They are trying to fill every cabin on every cruise so they factoring cancellation rates into the reservations they accept.

Zebra ~ bigeagle is right. Ask for a big more in OBC. It's going to cost you more in gas to drive to Miami and probably more to park. If they "cancel" you, a "full refund" as an option isn't really compensating you and the $100 OBC for sailing on Majesty might not even cover the extra expense you are going to incur driving to and from Miami.

Good luck and I hope you can enjoy the cruise should you decide to go.

Monarch seems to be getting busy since its retirement was announced. It has quite a following, but perhaps they should have kicked off a lowly gold who booked 1 year ago to accommodate the Emerald who booked 10 days ago?

If you do not like any of the listed options, tell them so. The cruiseline can make to offer to another Florida (ie close enough to drive) person. Some other person will get this oversell call and negotiate it into something that makes them happy (maybe an even better room...maybe a longer cruise) when they happily leave, the cruiseline will have space for you...

It is rare for them to overbook, especially when they were still selling cabins days ago. perhaps a mishap is taking some cabins out of use?

Tell us the rest of the story:cool:

What are you gonna do?? I'd make them up the OBC...definitley

Good Luck!!

Haha - compared to our 13 hour flight to get to our cruise - a 4 and a half hour drive sounds like a dream!!! BUT pretty ****ty thing to do none the same!!:rolleyes:

Have to think the same thing. I would love to only have a 4 1/2 drive to any cruise port. Flights are the only way for my family of four $$$$. Our closest port of is in New Jersey....which is a 12-13 hour drive.

Overbooking happens all the time with airlines. While it's not a regular occurrence with ships, they do the same thing as the airlines. They know a certain percentage, on average, cancel a cruise so they overbook to cover that percentage (they are called guarantees as others have referred to). When cancellations don't materialize they can be overbooked. I bet this happens most often on the short run cruises. They are trying to fill every cabin on every cruise so they factoring cancellation rates into the reservations they accept.

 

Zebra ~ bigeagle is right. Ask for a big more in OBC. It's going to cost you more in gas to drive to Miami and probably more to park. If they "cancel" you, a "full refund" as an option isn't really compensating you and the $100 OBC for sailing on Majesty might not even cover the extra expense you are going to incur driving to and from Miami.

 

Good luck and I hope you can enjoy the cruise should you decide to go.

Thanks so much for your intelligent reply. Yes we had booked a guarantee 10 days ago because we were told that is all that they had available. As you say we now have double the mileage to do (2 tanks of gas in my little car for the roundtrip) plus parking at POM is $20 per day .... daylight robbery. I am still very surprised that this is how they reward loyalty to their product ......

They overbooked my Freedom cruise and were calling people from FL offering them a cruise on the same date on Allure of the Seas with OBC and an upgrade. Some in our roll call took the offer and I would have to.

If I lived in FL and it was "only" 4.5 hour drive I would gladly take their OBC offer and the upgrade. The Majesty is a little better ship if for no other reason than the Compass Deli and Johhny Rockets and its a little newer.

I just dont see how this is so upsetting, especially for a central FL resident, that it would make me think my future with RCI? :confused: I believe I would hit them up for a little more OBC to compensate for the extra gas and extra parking costs though :)

Not the end of the world, but a big inconvenience.

Yes an inconvenience I understand. But you can still go with a cabin upgrade and some OBC to spend. Sounds worth a couple of extra hours travelling to me. As I said good luck. I would be upset too as none of us want anything to go wrong with precious holiday time but it sounds like you could end up coming off better off. I personally think a cabin upgrade worth 2 extra hours travelling x

I dont think the compensation is enough. We were given a "move-over offer" on Princess - it was optional. The offer was an upgrade on any future sailing of our choice, plus a full refund of our cruise fare. We took the offer and essentially got the cruise for free (in a mini-suite).

Thanks so much for your intelligent reply. Yes we had booked a guarantee 10 days ago because we were told that is all that they had available. As you say we now have double the mileage to do (2 tanks of gas in my little car for the roundtrip) plus parking at POM is $20 per day .... daylight robbery. I am still very surprised that this is how they reward loyalty to their product ......

You are not happy with the offer. Say so...do not be a doormat. I doubt they want you to be unhappy. Let them find somebody else with a flexible schedule. I imagine there are local retirees or other flexible folks who can change dates easily and would like an upgrade and OBC.

I guess the OP took their Majesty offer according to their signature. I think its a good move and would have done the same. Hope they compensated her for the extra gas and extra parking they will have.

This seems typical of the terrible customer service RCI has shown in the past several months.

It amazes me the number of posters that say it's no big deal. I guess when it isn't effecting a person directly, most just don't really care.

RCI sold this cruise ten days ago. That is well beyond final payment date. To say they plan these over bookings anticipating cancellations seems like robbery. If a person cancels inside final they would lose most if not all their deposits. Cancellation inside 14 days on a 3/4 cruse results in a 100% loss of deposits.

$100 for an OBC is a joke. It wont pay for the expenses to get to Miami. And an upgrade from inside to oceanview is also pathetic.

Sickening.

As for treating a loyal customers poorly, it shouldn't matter if it was a first time cruiser or a pinnacle member.:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

It amazes me the number of posters that say it's no big deal. I guess when it isn't effecting a person directly, most just don't really care.

Exactly.