New rccl fee for route deviation

So why have they never charged it before?

A trip of 1,000 miles starts with but a single step.

This is like the 25th step. :rolleyes:

Hi,

 

There's a new fee from RCCL. Last year we embarked in San Juan, PR on day 3 of a TA cruise starting in Tampa (Brilliance). Got permission, no problem.

 

This year, wanting to do the same thing. Now there's a fee of $65 per booking to do this.

 

So not only do we lose three days of our cruise (no discount either), but now have to pay for the service of boarding later.

 

One more papercut.

 

 

NJ

Funny, you booked last year and "lost" 3 days so you have done it to yourself again. Have not learned a thing:rolleyes:

I called RCCL when my agent advised of the fee. They are charging this, not the cruise port.

 

NJ

And you believed the agent??:p

I'm glad to hear that you're being charged for the inconvenience that you're creating. $65 seems far too little to me.

What a jerk! I'll bet you are fun at parties.

There is a terminal facility at the dock in Old San Juan, but RCI never docks there. They always dock at the newer dock.

 

Back in 1997 when Monarch sailed out of San Juan that is where embarkation took place, at the terminal in Old San Juan.

Patti, not sure what you are referring to. We sailed from the Pan American pier in December. Over by the small municipal airport. That's where RCI originates sailings and it has a full terminal.

The (newer?) pier at OSJ only has a fence and it is used as a port stop. The Hilton is across the street.

We are probably saying the same thing? Or are you saying they would divert to a dock with a terminal facility?

So why have they never charged it before?

Good question! These times of everyone in the travel industry charging extra for services that used to be free. Resort charges, bag charges, etc... Plus a good helping of taxes heaped on the price from local governments.

Not saying it's right or wrong. Just sounds reasonable.

Patti, not sure what you are referring to. We sailed from the Pan American pier in December. Over by the small municipal airport. That's where RCI originates sailings and it has a full terminal.

 

The (newer?) pier at OSJ only has a fence and it is used as a port stop. The Hilton is across the street.

 

We are probably saying the same thing? Or are you saying they would divert to a dock with a terminal facility?

Steve, PanAm Pier is where embarkation takes place now. When you visit SJU as a port, you dock in the downtown area at a new pier with CVS across the street. I believe the pier was constructed to accommodate Quantum class, but could be wrong. Across from this new pier is the pier where the terminal is located where embarkation used to take place back in the last 90s when ships actually embarked in the downtown area. A Carnival ship is at the old terminal in the picture below. This is no where near Pan Am Pier.

And you believed the agent??:p

Hi,

No, I didn't just believe the agent (never do!). Did my homework.

Trust me, I am not complaining about this. Happy to be able to cruise. Merely trying to pass on info about a new fee being imposed. I do not expect sympathy.

As we live in SJ for the winter, it is just easier to leave from here - at least on this particular cruise. We fly to FLL if ship does not stop here. TA cruises (Adventure/Jewel) used to leave here all the time in the past but looks like now only the Jewel.

NJ

Steve, PanAm Pier is where embarkation takes place now. When you visit SJU as a port, you dock in the downtown area at a new pier with CVS across the street. I believe the pier was constructed to accommodate Quantum class, but could be wrong. Across from this new pier is the pier where the terminal is located where embarkation used to take place back in the last 90s when ships actually embarked in the downtown area. A Carnival ship is at the old terminal in the picture below. This is no where near Pan Am Pier.

 

Thanks for the photo.

Yes the last five times we have originated a cruise in San Juan it was from the Pan American pier. Big traffic jams when two ships are loading at the same time!

OK I see in the photo what you are referring to, but since this is a port stop they will use the newer pier. It been a few years since we stopped at San Juan as a port. Don't remember the CVS, just the security fence and the outdoor restaurant area for the Hilton across the street.

Maybe I'm not seeing your point. Are you saying RCI will go to that pier in your photo? Sorry, my old brain is not grasping what's happening. :D

But they will need to bring your SeaPass cards from the ship's origination port, and try to duplicate a check-in process in OSJ with only the ship's facilities.

First of all, they are capable of creating SeaPass cards on board. They do this when guests lose or damage their cards. Secondly, they are used to checking in guests after a cruise has begun. People miss the ship all the time and catch up at a later port. So none of this entails handling anything above and beyond the routine. Still, if you have to pay a convenience charge for purchasing theatre tickets (when this is really a convenience for the vendor) then I suppose the $65. is just another chance to squeeze a few more bucks out of the guests. So you can always do what Rita Rudner does when someone owes her money...break something of theirs of equivalent value! :D

... Maybe I'm not seeing your point. Are you saying RCI will go to that pier in your photo? Sorry, my old brain is not grasping what's happening. :D

Yes, RC used to use the downtown pier for embarkation/disembarkation years ago. Carnival still uses that pier for embarkation/disembarkation.

Hi,

No, I didn't just believe the agent (never do!). Did my homework.

 

Trust me, I am not complaining about this. Happy to be able to cruise. Merely trying to pass on info about a new fee being imposed. I do not expect sympathy.

 

As we live in SJ for the winter, it is just easier to leave from here - at least on this particular cruise. We fly to FLL if ship does not stop here. TA cruises (Adventure/Jewel) used to leave here all the time in the past but looks like now only the Jewel.

NJ

Just curious, did they give you a specific time to embark?

We were just on Jewel in December.

As a publicly traded company, their first obligation is to maximize profit for their shareholders. Someone saw an opportunity for a fee and ran with it sadly, but that is what they are supposed to be doing.

There were 25 of us boarding Brilliance in SJU last time. And to be honest, it was not the smoothest process.

NJ

As a publicly traded company, their first obligation is to maximize profit for their shareholders. Someone saw an opportunity for a fee and ran with it sadly, but that is what they are supposed to be doing.

If only one or two passengers embarked in San Juan, maybe they would have just let it go, but with 25 last time and who knows how many this time, maybe they felt that it was time to institute something more than an ad hoc late embarkation system for San Juan. Again, the loss of the daily per passenger profit from drinks, casinos, etc., probably isn't an issue if one or two passengers miss the first few days, but when 25 or more passengers skip these days, it starts to be more noticeable to the bean counters. Imposing an administrative fee for late boarding simply helps to reduce these losses.

First of all, they are capable of creating SeaPass cards on board. They do this when guests lose or damage their cards. Secondly, they are used to checking in guests after a cruise has begun. People miss the ship all the time and catch up at a later port. So none of this entails handling anything above and beyond the routine. Still, if you have to pay a convenience charge for purchasing theater tickets (when this is really a convenience for the vendor) then I suppose the $65. is just another chance to squeeze a few more bucks out of the guests. So you can always do what Rita Rudner does when someone owes her money...break something of theirs of equivalent value! :D

I like your Rita analogy. You may break something figuratively by not spending $65 on drinks or the spa?

Sadly all true, it's another chance to squeeze money out of us. Any merchant can justify a fee for anything, mainly because they have a captive audience that can't avoid it.

My minor thought on this, if it was meant to be punitive then it probably would have been a round number like $50 or $100. $65 seems like a number the bean counters imagined it costs them. To your point about them already doing this, the key word here may be imagined. :cool:

My minor thought on this, if it was meant to be punitive then it probably would have been a round number like $50 or $100. $65 seems like a number the bean counters imagined it costs them.

If this does reflect some perceived cost, I wonder if this will be some flat fee or varied by number of days missed/port, etc?

Did you pay the full price of the TA?

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Did you pay the full price of the TA?

 

 

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They stated that they did in their first post.

If this does reflect some perceived cost, I wonder if this will be some flat fee or varied by number of days missed/port, etc?

We just booked our cruise(s). In fact, we booked back to back cruises for total of 26 days. So missing three days. Yes, paying full prices for cruises, no discount.

To clarify, cruises visiting San Juan for the day dock in Old San Juan. Cruises departing (or originating ) in San Juan, depart from the Pan American Pier. Which is not within walking distance of Old San Juan (need to take taxi).

NJ

Is boarding a cruise mid-cruise only for TA routes? I know you can do so for a closed loop if you miss your sail-away.

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Is boarding a cruise mid-cruise only for TA routes? I know you can do so for a closed loop if you miss your sail-away.

It's more common on European cruises, where they call it interporting.

It's more common on European cruises, where they call it interporting.

OP is doing a Partial Cruise (see: http://www.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/faq/details.do?pagename=frequently_asked_questions&pnav=5&pnav=2&faqType=faq&faqSubjectId=322&faqSubjectName=Before+You+Purchase+&faqId=623 ).

Interporting means there are two or more embarkation (and disembarkation) ports during a cruise, allowing passengers to choose where they want to begin and end their cruise. An example would be a cruise that goes round trip out of Barcelona with a stop in Rome, that would also be offered as a round trip out of Rome with a stop in Barcelona.

I asked a few days ago about disembarking at LeHavre on the last day of our cruise and was quoted the same fee.

I asked a few days ago about disembarking at LeHavre on the last day of our cruise and was quoted the same fee.

Well, then it looks like RCCL has found a new way to charge fees for what is generally a simple process. There must be enough people affected by this that someone at RCCL figured out why not charge them. But it would have been nice to have some notice or at least a grace period. Not many travel agents/RCCL staff are fully aware of this. It's also called a "down line request".

Just to clarify, we often see people with suitcases getting on/off on Caribbean cruises too so it's not just a European thing.

On our last TA cruise (the Navigator from London), met one woman who was having such a unsatisfactory time during cruise (no hot water, flood in cabin, etc). she finally gave up & got off ship in New York. Good thing they didn't charge her for that then!!

NJ

I'll disagree on this one.

 

OP is doing a Partial Cruise (see: http://www.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/faq/details.do?pagename=frequently_asked_questions&pnav=5&pnav=2&faqType=faq&faqSubjectId=322&faqSubjectName=Before+You+Purchase+&faqId=623 ).

 

Interporting means there are two or more embarkation (and disembarkation) ports during a cruise, allowing passengers to choose where they want to begin and end their cruise. An example would be a cruise that goes round trip out of Barcelona with a stop in Rome, that would also be offered as a round trip out of Rome with a stop in Barcelona.

We did a Western Caribbean out of New Orleans on Carnival. Half the ship got on and off at Tampa as well. Haven't seen that kind of trip since then.