Compensation for an involuntary downgrade

Hi, my first cruise with RC that I booked 9 months ago was downgraded by mistake. While they offered me a refund, I can't take it because of all the non-refundable flights and many nights of hotel room that I booked and paid before and after the cruise. I'm not sure what would be a fair compensation I can reasonably ask for. My kids are extremely upset for losing the stateroom we booked for and pushed me to keeping disputing. I'm totally new on cruise and would most appreciate some advice.

How much of a downgrade would determine what percentage I would ask for as a refund, not as a future credit.

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

Why don't you ask for a refund in the amount of the difference between the stateroom you paid for and the stateroom you were given.

Hi, my first cruise with RC that I booked 9 months ago was downgraded by mistake. While they offered me a refund, I can't take it because of all the non-refundable flights and many nights of hotel room that I booked and paid before and after the cruise. I'm not sure what would be a fair compensation I can reasonably ask for. My kids are extremely upset for losing the stateroom we booked for and pushed me to keeping disputing. I'm totally new on cruise and would most appreciate some advice.

Can you please share the circumstances as to how you were downgraded? It may help give us guidance as to what course to recommend based on what others in your similar situation have experienced.

I got a good price when I made the purchase 9 months ago. According to them, the downgraded statement now costs more than what I paid 9 months ago, and I was "price protected" and do not have to pay anything more to get this downgraded room. Ha ha!

How much of a downgrade would determine what percentage I would ask for as a refund, not as a future credit.

Thanks for the suggestion!!

I also think they owe you some OBC for the hassle and an explanation. Talk to your TA for help.

Can you please share the circumstances as to how you were downgraded? It may help give us guidance as to what course to recommend based on what others in your similar situation have experienced.

Yes, I was told that the cruise company has a new deployment and all the reservations were shifted to a different ship. Since I made the reservation 9 months ago, I argue that the cruise company should let me keep that type of stateroom that I booked.

What ship and sail date? What category did you pay for and what were assigned?

Before you agree to anything, do some research. At a minimum you should get Onboard Credit of at least the price difference between what you booked and what they assigned you. That is just making you whole from a monetary perspective so you should ask for more.

I would ask that if anything better opens up between now and sailing, Royal will offer it to you at no cost. Cancellations happen all the time. You might get lucky.

If Royal won’t give you that, then request either bonus OBC or a specialty dinner for all of you. Good luck.

I also think they owe you some OBC for the hassle and an explanation. Talk to your TA for help.

Thanks for the suggestion!

What ship and sail date? What category did you pay for and what were assigned?

 

Before you agree to anything, do some research. At a minimum you should get Onboard Credit of at least the price difference between what you booked and what they assigned you. That is just making you whole from a monetary perspective so you should ask for more.

 

I would ask that if anything better opens up between now and sailing, Royal will offer it to you at no cost. Cancellations happen all the time. You might get lucky.

 

If Royal won’t give you that, then request either bonus OBC or a specialty dinner for all of you.

 

Thank you so much for the response. I agree that these requests are fair and reasonable.

Yes, I was told that the cruise company has a new deployment and all the reservations were shifted to a different ship. Since I made the reservation 9 months ago, I argue that the cruise company should let me keep that type of stateroom that I booked.

This is the statement that confuses me. They moved you to a different ship without your permission? What ship and cabin type did you book?

What ship and cabin type did they move you to? Can you be specific please? Your comments seem vague and people are giving you info without really understanding what happened.

Hi, my first cruise with RC that I booked 9 months ago was downgraded by mistake. While they offered me a refund, I can't take it because of all the non-refundable flights and many nights of hotel room that I booked and paid before and after the cruise. I'm not sure what would be a fair compensation I can reasonably ask for. My kids are extremely upset for losing the stateroom we booked for and pushed me to keeping disputing. I'm totally new on cruise and would most appreciate some advice.

We would all like to help you. To do so, we need information.

What was your original booking? Ship, date, cabin category and number.

What happened to that cruise?

What is the new cruise? Ship, date, cabin category and number.

How many in the cabin?

This is the statement that confuses me. They moved you to a different ship without your permission? What ship and cabin type did you book?

 

What ship and cabin type did they move you to? Can you be specific please? Your comments seem vague and people are giving you info without really understanding what happened.

I meant to say RC redeployed their ships and I'll be sailing on a different ship. That's when the downgrade happened. Thanks for your response.

I meant to say RC redeployed their ships and I'll be sailing on a different ship. That's when the downgrade happened. Thanks for your response.

We would all like to help you. To do so, we need information.

 

What was your original booking? Ship, date, cabin category and number.

 

What happened to that cruise?

 

What is the new cruise? Ship, date, cabin category and number.

 

How many in the cabin?

If you answer, we will try to help

I meant to say RC redeployed their ships and I'll be sailing on a different ship. That's when the downgrade happened. Thanks for your response.

I'm sorry but your response still doesn't make sense. Are you saying your original cruise was cancelled? If you accepted another cruise, no downgraded happened. You said okay. You could have gotten a refund.

I got a good price when I made the purchase 9 months ago. According to them, the downgraded statement now costs more than what I paid 9 months ago, and I was "price protected" and do not have to pay anything more to get this downgraded room. Ha ha!

HA... This is where the fireworks would have begun for me.

So,,, your original cruise was cancelled (doesn't matter for what reason).

And,,, you were give the option of a refund, or applying your cruise fare to any other cruise.

And,,, fares have gone up and your cruise fare does not get you the same class of room.

So,,, you're not involuntarily downgraded, you just can't get the same class of room on the new booking/ship.

I would still pursue the "you cancelled my cruise, I want the exact same class cabin on the new ship" argument. The cruise line does not "owe" you anything, but insisting that they "make you whole" by putting you back in the same cabin class for the same price is not an unreasonable request. Sounds like you tried this argument and got a stiff arm. Try again and escalate to a supervisor.

Again, the cruise line does not owe you anything other than a refund. But, keep trying to get yourself back to the same cabin class.

So,,, your original cruise was cancelled (doesn't matter for what reason).

 

And,,, you were give the option of a refund, or applying your cruise fare to any other cruise.

 

And,,, fares have gone up and your cruise fare does not get you the same class of room.

 

So,,, you're not involuntarily downgraded, you just can't get the same class of room on the new booking/ship.

 

I would still pursue the "you cancelled my cruise, I want the exact same class cabin on the new ship" argument. The cruise line does not "owe" you anything, but insisting that they "make you whole" by putting you back in the same cabin class for the same price is not an unreasonable request. Sounds like you tried this argument and got a stiff arm. Try again and escalate to a supervisor.

 

Again, the cruise line does not owe you anything other than a refund. But, keep trying to get yourself back to the same cabin class.

Everything you just said is an assumption as the OP has not clarified the scenario.

Always worth arguing the case but you also need to draw up a contingency plan as to what to do if you don't get anywhere.

If flights are booked and cannot be cancelled then you have to weigh up the cost of not going versus accepting a downgraded room. In the worst case scenario, I would still go although I would not be happy.

In the UK, my experience has been that the travel agents have limitations over what they can do. I have been with a number of major travel agents and they do provide a good service but sometimes dealing with Royal Caribbean is a major headache.

I sometimes find a polite email conversation via Crown and Anchor more productive than a phone call to someone at a call centre. That way I have a written trail of conversation and I can reason my arguments in a clear and concise way.

So far, I have not had a cruise cancelled but have had other issues which I have managed to resolve satisfactorily.

We had a Carnival cruise on the Valor cancelled on me a few years ago when they decided to reposition the ship. They offered us some other options for those same dates, but we already had airfare to San Juan booked, so we looked for availability for those same dates on another cruise line (and ended up on Adventure of the Seas.)

It worked out great for us, and we ended up with a full refund for the cancelled cruise (obviously) and 25% off credit on a future Carnival cruise for the inconvenience.

As others have mentioned, if you provide more details about the ship, category and cabin you had originally booked and what you ended up with you will get more constructive and complete advice. Best of luck to you!

Yes, I was told that the cruise company has a new deployment and all the reservations were shifted to a different ship. Since I made the reservation 9 months ago, I argue that the cruise company should let me keep that type of stateroom that I booked.

I think you are probably out of luck here. The cruise contract you agreed to when you purchased the cruise allows them to change you to a different ship if they need to. However, they don't just switch people between cruise ships....they will notify you that your scheduled cruise is cancelled and give you several options, one of which is to receive a full refund. You were given your options and chose one, and now you're unhappy with your choice. You were not "involuntarily downgraded" nor did they "mistakenly downgrade you".

Enjoy your cruise.

I'm sorry but your response still doesn't make sense. Are you saying your original cruise was cancelled? If you accepted another cruise, no downgraded happened. You said okay. You could have gotten a refund.

I'm guessing the ship was either redeployed or chartered. As you said, the OP has not clarified, but piecing together the comments those are the two most likely scenarios. They likely chose another sailing, and now are unhappy with their choice.

The OP is really going out of their way to avoid saying what the "downgrade" actually was.

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