jdjlt

I understand US dollars and Cuban Pesos trade at 1 to 1 rate (minus 13% fee). If I use the Euros from my last trip there, I understand I won't incur the 10% USD fee (but the 3% fee still applies), but does anyone know the exchange rate for Euros to Cuban? Thanks.

Well to update you, the Royal Caribbean agent actually called me back today. Bottom line is that they claim they fulfilled all of their obligations and no formal apology about how the matter was handled by Royal Caribbean/Air2Sea was tendered and no compensation (either cash refund or future cruise credit) will be considered.

As a followup, the lies from Royal Caribbean continue because the customer service agent that I talked to for nearly an hour on Monday , October 16th about this situation said she would investigate it on her end and liaise with the Air2Sea folks and call me back, but, of course, I have received nothing from her or Royal Caribbean. :mad::mad:

Any recommendations for a new cruise line, even Carnival can't be this bad right?

Well that does sound like it was poorly handled. I'm sorry you had such a bad experience. And, I appreciate the warning. as we are using Air2Sea for the first time in May. I think we would have likely called the number anyway had there been significant delay docking, but it is nice to know that we SHOULD do so ASAP.

 

I am surprised 500 people all passively waited for 4 hours standing out of doors there at the Venice port (absolutely no comfortable place to wait there!) and then continued to wait for several hours more once allowed in the terminal building, which doesn't offer much more than chairs. I know we would have gotten fed up after half an hour or so and arranged our own hotel and taxi and risked not getting reimbursed but at least managed to not be miserable for so long. I would have thought a lot of people would react similarly.

We all thought of trying it on our own and some tried it, however, with limited or no cell service in a foreign country (most everyone there were from either the US or UK) it was easier said than done. I think a big part of the problem was that Royal Caribbean waited so long to make alternative arrangements for us (it seems clear that although Royal knew it was very likely we would be late a full day in advance, yet they did nothing in those 24 hours), meanwhile the other 2000 people on the ship who had control over their booking had that time to make alternative plans and already got all of the nearby hotels. Hopefully you don't need their "service" on your cruise.

Im a loyal RC cruiser, Diamond status with Crown and Anchor, but after my recent sailing on Rhapsody might need to rethink that loyality. I was on the Oct 7, 2017 sailing out of Venice. The cruise was great UNTIL the final day. At about 3PM the captain announced that due to expected foggy weather in Venice we might be late in arriving. The ship then gave everyone free internet to start making other arraignments and we all realized weather happens and there is nothing Royal can do about it. However, when I inquired about my flights, crew assured me that since I booked with Air2Sea I had to do nothing bc RC would take care it. So i figured no worries (my first of many times wrongly trusting I was getting accurate info from RC). When I woke at 6;30 the next morning sure enough, we were fogged in and didn't dock as scheduled at 6am. When i asked at 6;30 when they would provide new flight info, I was told that they would put new info under my cabin door. This didn't make sense as it was disembarkation day and we needed to leave room at 8am, but I thought why would they lie to us? By the time 8 arrived and we had to leave the room, RC still did not communicate with us so i again asked when they would advise Air2Sea passengers when they would get info, I was assured they would either send an email or page me soon. More hours go by and still no communication and again asked what was happening and again was told they would page me. Finally at 3;30Pm the ship was cleared to proceed to the dock. I again asked when they would email and now was told the new flight and hotel would be provided as we left the ship. At 5pm disembarkation started and now their story was that as soon as we got off the ship new flight info would be provided dockside. Of course when we got off the ship, (and by we I mean the 500 or so people that booked with Air2Sea) we found no one with instruction on the dock. In fact they only people there were a small handful of port employees who had no information. For 4 hours we stood in a chilly foggy parking lot helpless in a foreign country with no information from royal Caribbean on how they were getting us home and with no contact from any Royal Caribbean employee. Finally one employee came off the ship and was rather unconcerned with our situation, including for elderly people with medical conditions or young children. After 4 hours exposed to the elements, they finally let us back into the terminal, but still gave us no information. Finally after about 6 hours of no information, food or water, they brought some bottles of water and sandwiches. But still in there terminal we waited for info. At midnight, 7 hours after getting off the ship they brought us to a cheap dirty hotel (the sheets and towels smelled of mildew and the shower was moldy. Still we had no idea of when we would go home. Finally I found a number to call someone at Air2Sea and they gave me the flight info (how someone without a smart phone and the willingness to pay for international calling would have gotten that info, I don't know). Yet still they had no plan to get us to the airport (the hotel was about an hour from airport). I fortunately got back to NYC and now home called Royal to complain about the situation and am still meant with indifference and despite a representation that they would call or email me to at least explain what happened, I still have yet to hear anything from them (not that I expected anything given their pattern of lies and misrepresentation. Given the bad publicity that the airlines have gotten from their treatment of people you would thing Royal Caribbean would try to do the right thing, but obviously not.