Royal not so loyal

I just returned this morning from a 12 day western Caribbean on the Anthem.the ship is beautiful...the embarkation was quick and stress free...however it seems as if Royal's new concept of cruising on Anthem really falls flat.

Staff was wonderful,very helpful even though they seem to be out there on their own without much direction from management. Food was not good at all.once again staff tried their best but I've come to expect much more from Royal Caribbean and they definitely did not deliver.

That said, I am booked once again on the Jan. 25 cruise on the Anthem...same itinerary. Had I known before booking my January cruise that I would return home today for the first time in 30 cruises as disappointed as I am, I would never have booked a second one on Anthem.

I just got off the phone with a rep from Royal and asked if it is possible to change my sailing date and embarkation port from Anthem on 1/25 to Grandeur

From Baltimore on 2/3. I was promptly told no that this would be a cancellation.

This regardless of the fact that the sailing on the Grandeur was 10 days as opposed to the Anthem that was 2 days longer (12 days) and the Grandeur would cost me an additional $200 for a shorter time at sea. I asked for no price reduction, no special accommodations just a lateral move from one ship to another. The rep checked again with his supervisor and advised me that "the system" would view this as a cancellation and since final payment was already made I would be subject a penalty. I asked if this could not be done manually. I was told no...."the system will show it as a cancellation".

I am extremely annoyed at this point by Royal who apparently expects US to be loyal but when it comes to making an exception for a very Loyal customer I suppose the same treatment is not in order.

Sorry, I just don't quite understand why you feel you are so special that rules that pertain to everyone else should be waived for you.

Having said that, if you have cancel for any reason insurance, just go ahead and cancel.

WOW Gerif

A bit of a nasty reply to my post....never said that I think I am that special. Apparently making a snide remark to a legitimate post makes you feel good.

To that end have a merry Christmas.

WOW Gerif

 

A bit of a nasty reply to my post....never said that I think I am that special. Apparently making a snide remark to a legitimate post makes you feel good.

To that end have a merry Christmas.

You did ask for something that no one expects or gets

WOW Gerif

 

A bit of a nasty reply to my post....never said that I think I am that special. Apparently making a snide remark to a legitimate post makes you feel good.

To that end have a merry Christmas.

I think their point was based on the fact that you feel that because you chose to sail with them that they should make an exception to the rules for you. It makes no sense to be unhappy that they have rules and they won't bend them.

If you are really unhappy your option is to pay the $200 to change. Otherwise take the cruise you paid for.

I think their point was based on the fact that you feel that because you chose to sail with them that they should make an exception to the rules for you. It makes no sense to be unhappy that they have rules and they won't bend them.

 

If you are really unhappy your option is to pay the $200 to change. Otherwise take the cruise you paid for.

It's not $200 to change. It is an entire forfeiture of the money that they have already paid. The OP's logic was that they were going to be spending an additional $200 on the Grandeur cruise however Royal denied this request.

"Ourusualbeach" thank you so much for understanding what I posted.

I am perfectly willing to pay the additional $200 and asked for absolutely no special compensation whatsoever. As I see it it is lateral move from one ship to another and one that I am willing to pay an additional charge for as well as have two less days at sea. I have cruised with Royal as well as Celebrity for years.

And NO I do not think that I am entitled to anything more than anyone else.

I posted this in hopes that somewhere someone else may have been in a similar situation and could advise me .

It is no wonder people hesitate to post on this forum sometimes.....very judgemental comments made for no reason.

I'm a TA that uses Cruising Power on a regular basis and what you were told is correct. There is no way around what you suggested because it would automatically register as a cancellation.

I would suggest you go on your Anthem cruise, don't sweat the small stuff, and you may find you enjoy yourself.

"Ourusualbeach" thank you so much for understanding what I posted.

 

I am perfectly willing to pay the additional $200 and asked for absolutely no special compensation whatsoever.

But you are asking for special compensation. You're asking for them to ignore the cancellation rule. That is asking for special consideration that they aren't required to do.

It's not $200 to change. It is an entire forfeiture of the money that they have already paid. The OP's logic was that they were going to be spending an additional $200 on the Grandeur cruise however Royal denied this request.

It is not. OP is about 45 days away. That's 50% penalty

I dont think the OP thinks they are special. The point is clear, if Royal wants to have exempliary service they would bend rules like this. Delta has done this for me on a change and I was blown away that they did.

From a business standpoint how can it, hurt Royal? They get $200 more, sell a cabin on Granduer, then sell the now empty cabin for same price or possibly more on Anthem. Plus they make a customer happy.

I know exactly how you feel. Ours is a little different. We booked on board and we were told that before final payment we could move the booking to another one and she even put a note on the booking that the obc was to stay as well. We rang up to move the cruise one week later and we were told it was after the penalty time (although still before final payment) so it would be a cancellation. We wanted to change from a $4000 cruise to an $8000 one. We were going on what we had been advised on board. So I do feel for you in that it would seem to me that they should be able to consider it at least. We see so many people on here talking about all the changes they can do on their bookings, and cabin changes on guarantee allocations, but the one thing that does seem to be a sticking point is once final payment has been passed.

I hope you can enjoy your cruise anyhow. We just did back to back on Voyager and we would nearly swear it was a different ship from one trip to the next, even though the itineraries were very similar.

It does seem silly that someone at Royal can't manually make the change

I understand the frustration, and I understand where you are coming from. And let's face it Royal could easily make the switch if they wanted to. "The system won't allow it" is a cop out. What that really means is "we don't want to." The system won't allow it, ok cancel the reservation and book a new one and waive the cancellation fee. Can't waive the cancellation fee then reduce the new booking by $200. Can't do that? Then put $200 OBC on the account. Can't do that? Comp specialty dining. Point being you can do something if they really wanted too.

Royal is completely in their right to say we can't do anything. It's all there in the legal jargon when you book. And they can simply point to that, and that's fine. But, you would like to think that if they are dealing with a customer who has sailed, and sailed, and sailed with them they would be willing to work something out.

This is why I love Disney and am so loyal to them. I have had countless times that Disney has gone above and beyond to help make something right. I remember a time I visited the parks and one ride did not operate properly while I was riding. It was New Year's Eve and the lines were very long so I did t try to ride again. When I got home I wrote a nice email saying how much fun I had and then explained what happened on my ride and said something like it would of been nice to have been able to reride it right then. What happened? Disney called me 2 days later and gave me a free park hopper ticket. I was blown away! I didn't expect anything and here they are giving me a free one day park hopper because one ride didn't function properly while I was on it!

Did they have to do that? Absolutely not! They could of said "sorry, but our rides break down from time to time and may not be available all days or times of day" and they would of been right, it's right there in their legal jargon. But they make things right and it's why every other travel company pails in comparison. Disney has a gigantic comp budget that they get to work with every year, other companies don't do that.

So, OP, I feel for you. Royal is well within their rights to do what they are doing. You just wish these companies would give a little back to us from time to time. I hope you have a great vacation regardless of what you choose to do.

It does seem silly that someone at Royal can't manually make the change

They do it for one person and the can of worms are open for thousands in the future.

Rules are for a reason

This is why I love Disney and am so loyal to them. I have had countless times that Disney has gone above and beyond to help make something right. I remember a time I visited the parks and one ride did not operate properly while I was riding. It was New Year's Eve and the lines were very long so I did t try to ride again. When I got home I wrote a nice email saying how much fun I had and then explained what happened on my ride and said something like it would of been nice to have been able to reride it right then. What happened? Disney called me 2 days later and gave me a free park hopper ticket. I was blown away! I didn't expect anything and here they are giving me a free one day park hopper because one ride didn't function properly while I was on it!

 

Did they have to do that? Absolutely not! They could of said "sorry, but our rides break down from time to time and may not be available all days or times of day" and they would of been right, it's right there in their legal jargon. But they make things right and it's why every other travel company pails in comparison. Disney has a gigantic comp budget that they get to work with every year, other companies don't do that.

 

So, OP, I feel for you. Royal is well within their rights to do what they are doing. You just wish these companies would give a little back to us from time to time. I hope you have a great vacation regardless of what you choose to do.

I agree with you about Disney! They really go out of their way to improve the customer experience. We had dinner and special seating show tickets. The show was rained out, and they told us to stop by the customer service office. They offered us a Park Hopper tickets first, but I asked for replacement (skip the line/special seating) show tickets for the following evening, and they happily obliged. Disney has really good customer service. So does Apple.

I really wish Royal Caribbean and many other companies would get onboard with better customer service for expensive purchases. :)

I assure you, if the representative or their supervisor could do something to get past the cancellation - they would. They love you being a happy customer as much as you'd love being one. With that said, they make their policies on this crystal clear when booking, when reviewing their site prior to the cruise, and ultimately there is probably a reason why they have their hands tied at this point in the game beyond the simple "we told you so." With that said, I'm sorry your cruise was less fulfilling than expected and I hope your next go around is better. :)

I agree with you about Disney! They really go out of their way to improve the customer experience. We had dinner and special seating show tickets. The show was rained out, and they told us to stop by the customer service office. They offered us a Park Hopper tickets first, but I asked for replacement (skip the line/special seating) show tickets for the following evening, and they happily obliged. Disney has really good customer service. So does Apple.

 

I really wish Royal Caribbean and many other companies would get onboard with better customer service for expensive purchases. :)

Apple's customer service at the store near us is far from good. :p

I understand the frustration, and I understand where you are coming from. And let's face it Royal could easily make the switch if they wanted to. "The system won't allow it" is a cop out. What that really means is "we don't want to." The system won't allow it, ok cancel the reservation and book a new one and waive the cancellation fee. Can't waive the cancellation fee then reduce the new booking by $200. Can't do that? Then put $200 OBC on the account. Can't do that? Comp specialty dining. Point being you can do something if they really wanted too.

 

Royal is completely in their right to say we can't do anything. It's all there in the legal jargon when you book. And they can simply point to that, and that's fine. But, you would like to think that if they are dealing with a customer who has sailed, and sailed, and sailed with them they would be willing to work something out.

 

This is why I love Disney and am so loyal to them. I have had countless times that Disney has gone above and beyond to help make something right. I remember a time I visited the parks and one ride did not operate properly while I was riding. It was New Year's Eve and the lines were very long so I did t try to ride again. When I got home I wrote a nice email saying how much fun I had and then explained what happened on my ride and said something like it would of been nice to have been able to reride it right then. What happened? Disney called me 2 days later and gave me a free park hopper ticket. I was blown away! I didn't expect anything and here they are giving me a free one day park hopper because one ride didn't function properly while I was on it!

 

Did they have to do that? Absolutely not! They could of said "sorry, but our rides break down from time to time and may not be available all days or times of day" and they would of been right, it's right there in their legal jargon. But they make things right and it's why every other travel company pails in comparison. Disney has a gigantic comp budget that they get to work with every year, other companies don't do that.

 

So, OP, I feel for you. Royal is well within their rights to do what they are doing. You just wish these companies would give a little back to us from time to time. I hope you have a great vacation regardless of what you choose to do.

I don't like Disney for their entertainment factor (not fan of their parks and such) but there customer service is the best. Royal needs to make note.

My gf and I own our own company (different companies) and if we get a resume from a former disney employee they get serious consideration and are practically shoe ins.

Point is if Royal wanted to get it done they would have, like Disney always does.

I just returned this morning from a 12 day western Caribbean on the Anthem.the ship is beautiful...the embarkation was quick and stress free...however it seems as if Royal's new concept of cruising on Anthem really falls flat.

Staff was wonderful,very helpful even though they seem to be out there on their own without much direction from management. Food was not good at all.once again staff tried their best but I've come to expect much more from Royal Caribbean and they definitely did not deliver.

That said, I am booked once again on the Jan. 25 cruise on the Anthem...same itinerary. Had I known before booking my January cruise that I would return home today for the first time in 30 cruises as disappointed as I am, I would never have booked a second one on Anthem.

 

I just got off the phone with a rep from Royal and asked if it is possible to change my sailing date and embarkation port from Anthem on 1/25 to Grandeur

From Baltimore on 2/3. I was promptly told no that this would be a cancellation.

This regardless of the fact that the sailing on the Grandeur was 10 days as opposed to the Anthem that was 2 days longer (12 days) and the Grandeur would cost me an additional $200 for a shorter time at sea. I asked for no price reduction, no special accommodations just a lateral move from one ship to another. The rep checked again with his supervisor and advised me that "the system" would view this as a cancellation and since final payment was already made I would be subject a penalty. I asked if this could not be done manually. I was told no...."the system will show it as a cancellation".

I am extremely annoyed at this point by Royal who apparently expects US to be loyal but when it comes to making an exception for a very Loyal customer I suppose the same treatment is not in order.

I wonder why you don't see that what you want IS asking for special consideration. I wonder why others don't understand that a company DOES not have to make exceptions....and I am sure, websites like Cruise Critic are reasons why exceptions are not made more often.

I work for a company that historically gave in to every customer who wanted some special accommodation. And what did it get them, more and more repeat customers wanting even more 'special pricing considerations'. Now they stick to their policies and make it much easier on management and staff -- and viola, we still are doing wonderfully -- sales up over 13% in many of our stores and corporate wide over 8% -- without breaking the advertised policies.

Apple's customer service at the store near us is far from good. :p

Sorry (off topic) I haven't been in the Apple stores, but they have spent over an hour with me on some calls to phone support. Type in your phone #, they call you within a minute. And several days of email exchange to make sure my problems were resolved. I have been pleasantly surprised by the service provided.

Sorry (off topic) I haven't been in the Apple stores, but they have spent over an hour with me on some calls to phone support. Type in your phone #, they call you within a minute. And several days of email exchange to make sure my problems were resolved. I have been pleasantly surprised by the service provided.

I guess I'll call next time, in lieu of going to the store.

I wonder why you don't see that what you want IS asking for special consideration. I wonder why others don't understand that a company DOES not have to make exceptions....and I am sure, websites like Cruise Critic are reasons why exceptions are not made more often.

 

I work for a company that historically gave in to every customer who wanted some special accommodation. And what did it get them, more and more repeat customers wanting even more 'special pricing considerations'. Now they stick to their policies and make it much easier on management and staff -- and viola, we still are doing wonderfully -- sales up over 13% in many of our stores and corporate wide over 8% -- without breaking the advertised policies.

Amazon. I purchased a rowing machine on Black Friday. It hadn't shipped yet on Monday, when the price went down $30. I attempted to cancel shipping so I could purchase it at the lower price. I was unsuccessful.

I sent them an email about the lower price, and within minutes they had replied with a $30 goodwill refund to my credit card.

I am NOT a repeat problem customer anywhere. Royal Caribbean, will give you the lower price if it before final payment...but they have also made their pricing structure so convoluted, that it is almost impossible to tell what the price actually is. :rolleyes:

And yes, as a goodwill gesture, they could have let this person move his booking to another sailing. I seriously doubt that he has asked before, or plans to ask again.

Anthem isn't getting particularly sterling reviews overall; maybe they were concerned about re-selling his cabin.

"Ourusualbeach" thank you so much for understanding what I posted.

 

I am perfectly willing to pay the additional $200 and asked for absolutely no special compensation whatsoever. As I see it it is lateral move from one ship to another and one that I am willing to pay an additional charge for as well as have two less days at sea. I have cruised with Royal as well as Celebrity for years.

And NO I do not think that I am entitled to anything more than anyone else.

I posted this in hopes that somewhere someone else may have been in a similar situation and could advise me .

It is no wonder people hesitate to post on this forum sometimes.....very judgemental comments made for no reason.

Just because someone doesn't agree doesn't mean they are judgmental or rude.

All companies have policies that could be bent but they won't make exceptions. Why? Because if you do it for one you do it for them all and the rules serve no purpose.

And you see it as a lateral move doesn't matter. Their cancellation polices are clear and their system may not allow for this type of change even if they wanted to help.

I dont think the OP thinks they are special. The point is clear, if Royal wants to have exempliary service they would bend rules like this. Delta has done this for me on a change and I was blown away that they did.

 

From a business standpoint how can it, hurt Royal? They get $200 more, sell a cabin on Granduer, then sell the now empty cabin for same price or possibly more on Anthem. Plus they make a customer happy.

Let me tell you a tale of woes regarding rigid rules. I had 84k miles balance in the United/Continental rewards programs. I had forgotten about the 18 mos. rule with expiring miles. Well lo and behold the miles were gone, except for 350 miles credited in on September 19, '15 for a hotel stay--most of miles expired on Sept. 1. Also, have a flight booked /paid in May, '15 for flight in Feb. '16 to cruise on Oasis.

Wrote to Customer Service of my ignorance to the miles expiration policy. Also, mentioned that I have a booked flight and had a relationship with United/Continental for some 40+ years and a courtesy heads up would have been appreciated so that I could have taken the corrective action.

The response wasn't good. Got a e-mail from a rep advising me of the rules and if I wanted to have the lost miles re-instated I would have to pay $500.

I was shocked and furious as it's simply a money grabber.

Responded to the rep and advised him that the suggestion does not make any economic sense to me. I explained that we usually fly to FL and would need approximately 50k miles for a r/t ticket from Newark and the $500 would equate to almost 2 r/t tickets. I also advise him that I would take reciprocal economic steps such as: Avoiding United at all costs and cancel the United Explorer card, under my wife, and the $95 annual fee and related $20-$25k in annual charges could be used for a better economic return. e.g. My Amex Fidelity cc pays 2% in cash rewards which is a much better payoff.

To make the situation even more frustrating, received an e-mail from a different rep a few days later, with the following:

"We appreciate your participation in the MileagePlus program and your support of United and our partners. We look forward to serving your travel needs again in the near future."

Ludicrous, I was tempted to respond with a simple "You are kidding, right", but I decided to simply ignore it.

Sorry for the lengthy dissertation.