Royal Caribbean do not do weddings! Run as far away as possible!

We chose Royal Caribbean because we had sailed on the Oasis of the Seas before but we should have listened to the reviews we found regarding the wedding side of this company. Our wedding was cancelled less than 90 days from boarding and our dreams destroyed. The so called "executives" and "wedding team" (Royal Ocean Events) felt that they had done all they can to make our wedding day special and decided to cancel our wedding due to us asking too many questions. We are now fighting to scrape every penny back from everything we had booked because Royal Caribbean are taking no responsibility for their actions and leaving us to do all the hard work. The Royal Caribbean representatives at the end of the phone in a crisis are obnoxious, arrogant and delight in their power to make the little people suffer whilst they sit on their big piles of money congratulating themselves on the misery they spread.

The other side of this story must be something to behold.

The other side of this story must be something to behold.

Care to clarify what you mean?

Care to clarify what you mean?

I think they mean we need more info to have a balanced story. Give us some examples, etc.

I think they mean we need more info to have a balanced story. Give us some examples, etc.

Wanting to speak to the salon manager and being told that was possible by several members of staff but Maud and Laura (from the executive office) said this wasn't possible, yet we got a reply from the salon manager herself confirming this was do-able.

They make mountains out of mole hills.

Got three different stories when we wanted to buy out the chefs table and still never got an answer about which version of the story was true.

Let down by the wedding co-ordinators when we have booked a call when them time and time again.

These were the issues, I know you are thinking that these issues are small and easy to deal with and that was our thoughts as well. Even Craig & Sam from the UK team agreed that these issues should be something the wedding team can sort out.

However answers to these resulted in the cancellation of our cruise and wedding.

This is the level of ridiculous that we have had to deal with from a company who pride themselves on catering for extraordinary.

What was the specific wording when they informed you that your cruise was canceled?

What was the specific wording when they informed you that your cruise was canceled?

Here is the exact email we received:

Hello Charles,

Thank you for taking time to speak with me today. I apologize for the circumstances of our conversation.

Per our conversation, please note that your wedding onboard the Allure of the Seas has been cancelled. A refund of $1170 will be refunded to your Visa card ending in 3813. For the amount of your refund from your cancelled cruise, please contact your travel agent directly. I will be in contact with them tomorrow morning to advise of the cancellation of the cruise and to request for them to send you an update on the amount of refund you can expect.

Additionally, I understand you have requested me to cancel the reservations, flights and remaining holiday arrangements for your wedding attendees. Unfortunately, they will need to reach out to their respective travel agents to make these changes. I apologize for any frustration this may cause.

Finally, you have advised that you intend to bring a lawsuit against Royal Caribbean for the cancellation of your cruise and wedding. We are sorry you feel this step is necessary as we truly feel we did everything in our power to fulfill your wedding and cruise requests. Please find our legal departments contact information below:

Bradley H. Stein

1050 Caribbean Way

Miami, FL 33132

Charles, congratulations on your upcoming wedding and I hope that it is everything you both had hoped and dreamed of.

Sincerely,

Beth Icenogle

Royal Guest Experience Management

I guess I was looking for their exact stated reason for canceling.

Generally a business doesn't throw away thousands of dollars over too many questions about the hairdresser.

I guess I was looking for their exact stated reason for canceling.

 

Generally a business doesn't throw away thousands of dollars over too many questions about the hairdresser.

That was the last email we receiving in regards to our cancellation.

You wouldn't think so but clearly Royal Caribbean just wanted to punish us for asking questions about the salon.

That was the last email we receiving in regards to our cancellation.

 

You wouldn't think so but clearly Royal Caribbean just wanted to punish us for asking questions about the salon.

The email refers to a previous conversation regarding the cancellation. I assume they told you why at that point.

Look, you're obviously not going to give the whole story here, which is entirely your right. However, if you're really going to pursue legal action AND you're not going to tell the whole story, you're better off not posting about at all, because you won't get any kind of supporting social media army here. At least not with the story so far. It's obvious something is missing.

(And if you REALLY are going to pursue legal action, your lawyer will probably tell you not to post about the situation publically in the first place.)

The email refers to a previous conversation regarding the cancellation. I assume they told you why at that point.

 

Look, you're obviously not going to give the whole story here, which is entirely your right. However, if you're really going to pursue legal action AND you're not going to tell the whole story, you're better off not posting about at all, because you won't get any kind of supporting social media army here. At least not with the story so far. It's obvious something is missing.

 

(And if you REALLY are going to pursue legal action, your lawyer will probably tell you not to post about the situation publically in the first place.)

This is what Royal Caribbean have on their notes but we were not sent this via email.

***

From the notation on your booking it appears that we've made multiple attempts to help establish your wedding, fulfill your requests, and ensure you had the best possible experience. I'm so sorry these efforts fell short. It appears a decision has been made to no longer conduct business with you as we're unable to fit your needs. You've been advised that the other members of your group are booked with travel agencies and can communicate with us on cancelling if they choose, as we're still within the final payment window. These responses have come from multiple members of our management and executive teams. I apologize for these experiences.

***

No legal action can actually be taken against companies like this as they have a the ability to cancel the cruise at any point and for any reason.

We are not trying to pull the wool over anyones eyes or fabricate a story that we have made up.

My partner and I have spent months back and forward trying to plan the perfect wedding and Royal Caribbean told us that their best was not good enough, even though their employees were capable of actioning our requests (we have an email to prove this).

Happy to share as much information as you like if you still don't believe what we are saying but we are sharing our experience to warn other people that this is the service we have received and want other people to be aware of how Royal Caribbean has treated their customers.

We are now fighting to scrape every penny back from everything we had booked because Royal Caribbean are taking no responsibility for their actions and leaving us to do all the hard work. The Royal Caribbean representatives at the end of the phone in a crisis are obnoxious, arrogant and delight in their power to make the little people suffer whilst they sit on their big piles of money congratulating themselves on the misery they spread.

From the e-mail you posted, they are doing what they can to refund you money, even communicating with your TA. There is only so much they can do.

And for me, it was the line about how they were trying to "spread misery" and all that, instead of take money from a paying customer, that did it.

From the e-mail you posted, they are doing what they can to refund you money, even communicating with your TA. There is only so much they can do.

 

And for me, it was the line about how they were trying to "spread misery" and all that, instead of take money from a paying customer, that did it.

What about everything else that we booked after our cruise that we then had to cancel because they had changed our plan?

"spread misery" wasn't what was communicated to Royal Caribbean.

Going only on the sparse details you have provided, I am led to believe that you were demanding that the salon deliver services that they do not perform.

Also that you were unwilling to settle for what they could offer.

It is really hard to tell without getting both sides of the story, which you seem unwilling to give us.

Going only on the sparse details you have provided, I am led to believe that you were demanding that the salon deliver services that they do not perform.

Also that you were unwilling to settle for what they could offer.

It is really hard to tell without getting both sides of the story, which you seem unwilling to give us.

How is it sparse detail?

We didn't even know what services the salon had to offer as we never got to communicate with them.

Royal Caribbean couldn't tell us what they could offer.

Feel free to contact Royal Caribbean to ask for their side of the story but was I have input into this thread has come straight from our emails and their twitter feed.

The reason the story sounds so ludicrous and outrageous is because we were only asking for such trivial things yet Royal Caribbean seems to think we wanted the whole ship to ourselves for our wedding.

So was it like this?

"Hello we'd like to book a wedding onboard, with XX passengers in addition to the wedding couple. Here's our credit card."

"Fantastic! Happy to have you!"

"And we'd like to talk to the salon manager about some specific details."

"Sorry to hear that. Here's your refund."

Or was there more to it?

So was it like this?

 

"Hello we'd like to book a wedding onboard, with XX passengers in addition to the wedding couple. Here's our credit card."

"Fantastic! Happy to have you!"

"And we'd like to talk to the salon manager about some specific details."

"Sorry to hear that. Here's your refund."

 

Or was there more to it?

I wish it was like that and would have saved us loads of time and money.

The so called "executive" team would say one thing and the royal ocean events team would say another thing and then the team in the UK would say a completely different story in regards to one question.

For example, trying to communicate with the salon manager or trying to buy out the chefs table.

We have numerous conversations and emails back and forward in trying to arrange everything, even spending over £200 on phone bills calling America.

Rudy from the executive team said we had to pay for all 16 seats (we only have 10 guests) which we were happy to do and then told that we would only get 10 plates of food. I then spoke to Desiree and she told me that if we only had 10 guests, the other six seats would get refunded.

The wedding team even agreed that they could sort out something extra to incorporate the extra food that we had paid for on the chefs table but Rudy told us otherwise.

We only wanted clarification on the questions we asked and yet we didn't realise emailing Royal Caribbean and asking a question was such a crime when you are trying to book a wedding, yet we feel like the bad guys for asking a question.

Additionally, I understand you have requested me to cancel the reservations, flights and remaining holiday arrangements for your wedding attendees.

It sounds like they are saying that the OP cancelled.

But the other email implied that RC was unable to meet your requests.

It seems strange that this would occur over a matter of talking to the salon manager.

It sounds like they are saying that the OP cancelled.

 

 

But the other email implied that RC was unable to meet your requests.

 

 

It seems strange that this would occur over a matter of talking to the salon manager.

What do you mean OP?

This is what we mean, they have put that RC was unable to meet our requirements when they actually could meet them but it is as if no one communicates with anyone else at RC.

This is exactly our point and RC just didn't want to bother doing anything anymore.

I think they just wanted us to buy the package wedding and not change or question a single option.

You got a refund.....go and get married BEFORE your board the ship...you can save a bundle. It's really not the 'wedding' that is important...it's the MARRIAGE. Doesn't really matter how you make it legal...it's how you DO the marriage.

You got a refund.....go and get married BEFORE your board the ship...you can save a bundle. It's really not the 'wedding' that is important...it's the MARRIAGE. Doesn't really matter how you make it legal...it's how you DO the marriage.

They have cancelled our cruise.

My partner has a different opinion about a wedding as it is her very special day.

What do you mean OP?

 

 

 

This is what we mean, they have put that RC was unable to meet our requirements when they actually could meet them but it is as if no one communicates with anyone else at RC.

 

 

 

This is exactly our point and RC just didn't want to bother doing anything anymore.

 

 

 

I think they just wanted us to buy the package wedding and not change or question a single option.

I agree. Look I’ve been sailing on RCCL since My first cruise on Song of America in 1988. So I’ve dealt with these people a Loooooonnnnggg time. Special requests don’t work! It’s pretty much buy the package and that’s what you get. It’s not like on land where you could arrange every detail. Crews change every so often, even cruise directors change. So plans you make with one might not go over with another. I’m sure there’s more to the story on both parts but it’s a shame you and your future wife have to deal with this during what should be a fun time of planning. I love RCCL but I’ve learned a long time ago not to ask for things above and beyond. And I’m not referring to extra towels or ice in the room. I’m speaking of bigger issues such as buying out the Chefs Table or special Spa Treatments for the Wedding Party. Good luck and I hope whatever your plans for your wedding goes well.

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I hope things work out for you guys.

This is NOT against you, it’s just reality setting in,,,,you’re expectationswere too high.

If nothing else, you should have hired a wedding planner to work with the wedding coordinators at Royal.

You got too many different levels of decision makers involved. A company the size of Royal, the left hand never communicates with the right hand and things get dropped or blown out of proportion.

There was room for improvement on both sides of this development.

As soon as legal action was discussed,,, all discussions are over.

Your title is pretty misleading. Sounds as if this was a bad fit. Your booking wouldn’t be cancelled because you asked too many questions. There’s a lot missing from your story, which is ok, don’t really need to hear it.

You have to give up a lot of control if you choose a cruise wedding, and it’s not for everyone.

You should take your refund and book somewhere else. What would your cause of action be for filing legal action? If you receive a refund, you have no loss, thus there’s nothing to sue for.

They have cancelled our cruise.

 

My partner has a different opinion about a wedding as it is her very special day.

Sorry, but it is a special day for both of you.