BOGOHO - A Cautionary Tale

Just a little FYI for you, even though it probably won't affect 99% of you. It's still worth commenting on because you just never know.

If you book a cruise under a buy one get one half off sale, and your cruise is abruptly canceled, the future cruise credit you'll be given is in proportion to the way the fare was booked, and this can't be changed.

Example (rounding used for simplicity): My friend and I booked a cabin where the booking paperwork showed my fare as $1600, and my friend's as $800, for a total of $2,400. We're two single friends traveling together and split the total cost of the cabin, so we each actually paid $1,200.

Three days before the cruise, Royal Caribbean canceled it, refunding all our money paid and giving us a future cruise credit (FCC) equal to the paid fare, less taxes and fees. So, in the FCC breakdown they e-mailed to us, I have an FCC of $1500, and my friend has an FCC of $700. Totally unfair since we each paid the exact same amount.

Because there are no other cruises that we want to take together any time soon, the only way to make this "fair" is for me to fork over $400 to my friend, to bring her up to $1100. Unfortunately for me, it does nothing for my FCC which basically means that I'm putting an additional $400 into Royal Caribbean's pocket for having my cruise canceled. :mad:

Just because you might ask - the cruise was the April 6, 2018, Radiance of the Seas cruise from Sydney, round New Zealand. We were already in Australia when we got the news, so ended up spending a significant amount of money on hotels and alternate travel plans because we preferred to do that rather than cancel the entire trip and face another 15 hour flight home just days after arriving Down Under.

I did send an e-mail to Michael Bayley's office to inquire about adjusting the FCC allocation and was told it wasn't possible. The lady I spoke with was very nice, but firm about what they could and could not do. I'm not holding this against Royal Caribbean (well, not too much ;p ) because I do understand that ships have problems from time to time. Still, it does make me a bit grumpy to be out an additional $400. Sure, now I get to "spend" a $1500 credit, but I'm sure I could have found a nice Caribbean cruise for the $1100 I should have received.

Just wanted to make you aware so you're not surprised when FCCs for canceled cruises appear to be unfairly allocated.

I understand your general frustration but Royal Caribbean had no control over --or knowledge of-- how you chose to split the cost of your vacation. I would be really irritated too, (REALLY irritated!) but in this case I'm on the side of Royal Caribbean.

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I guess I don't understand your frustration.

If you write a check to your friend for $400, she is made whole and in essence receives the $1200 FCC (now if she decides to use that $400 for other purposes that is her choice).

You still have your net $1200 FCC.

Yep...it was YOUR decision how to split the bill....so do what gatour said!

Can you not get a full cash refund since they were the ones who cancelled? Or is the FCC in addition to a refund?

I can see why you are upset and don't understand why RC can't split it as you'd like, what difference does it make to them? Anyway sorry this happened, I'd be very disappointed.

I understand your general frustration but Royal Caribbean had no control over --or knowledge of-- how you chose to split the cost of your vacation. I would be really irritated too, (REALLY irritated!) but in this case I'm on the side of Royal Caribbean.

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We chose to split the cost right down the middle, and each charged that amount to our respective credit cards which Royal Caribbean most certainly had knowledge of. Splitting costs evenly among friends should not be some foreign concept to a cruise line. Next time you take a cruise with a non-family member under one of these sales, go ahead and pay double what your friend does. I'm sure they'd appreciate it :')

I just stated the facts and said that in my opinion it was unfair for me to be basically forced to pay out an additional $400, or be forced to cruise together when our personal lives aren't at a place where we can do that in the next couple years.

It sucks, but I have to accept it and at some point find a cruise to spend my credit on. Because of that extra $400 though, I will probably not spend one dime on anything on board, just because I'm stubborn like that ;p:D

I understand what you are saying, we had a FCC issued for a problem and mine was twice what my DH got. Didn't make a difference to us since we cruise together, but if it was a friend that I occasionally cruise with, it would have complicated things.

Can you not get a full cash refund since they were the ones who cancelled? Or is the FCC in addition to a refund?

In addition to the refund. This cruise was canceled just three days before it was supposed to set sail. Most passengers were already in transit to the ship. We are all out airfare, hotels, etc. None of that is refundable, and from what I understand from MANY others on my Facebook roll call, travel insurance did not pay anything. People are very upset about the travel insurance thing. I didn't file a claim because we just came up with alternate vacation plans and sucked it up. The FCC issue is just kind of pouring salt in the wound. We booked this cruise two years ago.

I understand what you are saying, we had a FCC issued for a problem and mine was twice what my DH got. Didn't make a difference to us since we cruise together, but if it was a friend that I occasionally cruise with, it would have complicated things.

Yeah, if we'd been able to do another cruise together, it would have worked, but our personal situations just are not going to allow that. This cruise was a bit of a gamble towards the end. Both of us thought family situations might cause one of us to have to cancel at the last minute. It never even crossed our minds that Royal would cancel it for us. lol.

I guess I don't understand your frustration.

 

If you write a check to your friend for $400, she is made whole and in essence receives the $1200 FCC (now if she decides to use that $400 for other purposes that is her choice).

 

You still have your net $1200 FCC.

Because I am out $400 cash. Like I already said, I could have found a cruise for $1100. Sure I get to find a cruise for $1500, but it cost me $400 to do that. I'd have been perfectly happy with just $1100 to use.

Because I am out $400 cash. Like I already said, I could have found a cruise for $1100. Sure I get to find a cruise for $1500, but it cost me $400 to do that. I'd have been perfectly happy with just $1100 to use.

I see no obligation to give your friend anything, as they got all their money back and also have a$700 credit.

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Very unfortunate situation. Maybe just mutually agree to ignore the future cruise credit and no one owes anyone anything? You were refunded the cruise itself, right? The future cruise credit doesn't have to be used.

You aren't out anything, you got your money back.

 

I see no obligation to give your friend anything, as they got all their money back and also have a$700 credit.

 

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It isn't exactly fair or equal but I agree. The friend is just getting less extra compensation but its not OP's fault.

It isn't exactly fair or equal but I agree. The friend is just getting less extra compensation but its not OP's fault.

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I was once in a similar situation, but when I called, they accommodated me.

I understand, the first person was charged 1200, second 800 on paper but in reality you split the bill equally. In order to be fair you wanted to reimburse her so the FCC matches what was actually paid but then you are out the money.

I too would be frustrated.

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We chose to split the cost right down the middle, and each charged that amount to our respective credit cards which Royal Caribbean most certainly had knowledge of. Splitting costs evenly among friends should not be some foreign concept to a cruise line. Next time you take a cruise with a non-family member under one of these sales, go ahead and pay double what your friend does. I'm sure they'd appreciate it :')

 

I just stated the facts and said that in my opinion it was unfair for me to be basically forced to pay out an additional $400, or be forced to cruise together when our personal lives aren't at a place where we can do that in the next couple years.

 

It sucks, but I have to accept it and at some point find a cruise to spend my credit on. Because of that extra $400 though, I will probably not spend one dime on anything on board, just because I'm stubborn like that ;p:D

It isn't 'unfair'. It may be untimely for you to have a $400 expense now, but it isn't unfair as you'll gain the $400 back when you present the FCC.

Really would be neater and cleaner to simply split any FCC equally among room occupants. I understand op frustration in simply wanting the fcc split amongst the named parties 50/50

Since you won’t have the use of your $1100 credit until you book a cruise and your friend is in the same position with her $700 credit, I suggest you agree to give her $400 at the time either of you books another, individual cruise. Why should she have what amounts to an outright refund for $400 while you are forced to invest another $400 in your credit immediately?

What I find ironic about the situation is if you book the cruise under the BOGO offer this is how they break down the cost per passenger. Why wouldn’t they credit it back the same way? It gives the breakdown by passenger.

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What I find ironic about the situation is if you book the cruise under the BOGO offer this is how they break down the cost per passenger. Why wouldn’t they credit it back the same way? It gives the breakdown by passenger.

 

 

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You’re being a nice friend to try and make her “whole” in the same way that you were compensated, but I don’t think you should have felt obligated to give her $400 cash if you both got refunded your actual money for the cruise back.

If I understand correctly, the $1500 and $700 credits were in addition to the cash refund, so she didn’t get shorted in her actual refund by $400 correct? She just got shorted in the additional benefit of the future cruise credit. I agree that it sucks, but unless she can find a time to cruise in the next year, she would lose out on the certificate anyway, even if she’d gotten one for $1200.

I would not pay someone cash to compensate them for getting a smaller gift certificate, unless it’s really really important to you that this girl like you a whole lot, and she wouldn’t like you if you didn’t give her the $400, haha.

There are other workarounds for this. If she can take a cruise with someone else, you guys can book it together, use your certificates, then swap your name out for the person she’s really cruising with, and have that person pay you $1200 cash that they would have contributed to the cruise (so you would send in your $1500 certificate, then leave with $1200, leaving her with $400).

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I can see why you are upset and don't understand why RC can't split it as you'd like, what difference does it make to them? Anyway sorry this happened, I'd be very disappointed.

This.... because exactly right, it makes no difference to their bottom line, especially since the passengers agree. It’s one of a few, absolutely ridiculous things that a business does that does not affect their bottom line, but sours the taste of the customer towards that business.

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More of Royals screwy math. Since when is the $1278 discount for BOGO 1/2 of $1996

 

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When all is said and done it works out to be a 25% discount for each of the passengers which is why the FCC should just be credited equally. BOGO's are just another Madison Avenue marketing ploy . 50% drawers more attention than 25% even though it works out to be 25% in the end. Don't even get me started on how they raise the price to cover the discount.