Elevator Incident on Rhapsody of the Seas

[amybeth4]

A little somethin' somethin' would've been nice, including just a phone call or a note. To some people, being stuck in an elevator is a nuisance and to others it's torture.

 

I was on an RCI-sponsored scuba trip once and when I jumped off the scuba boat and surfaced, I hit my head so hard on the bottom of the ladder that I started bleeding. Well of course when you bleed from your head it drips down your face. And when blood drips down your face it looks REALLY scary but to ME it was nothing...I didn't even notice it - I thought it was the water, haha. I was fine and begged them to let me dive, which they did.

 

Later that afternoon I HAPPENED to be in my cabin and someone (don't remember who) onboard actually called me and insisted I see the doctor (at no charge).

 

Of course I told my friend that I thought that was a really nice gesture...of course HER reaction was, "Of course it was...they don't want you to sue them for not taking care of you!" lol I never even thought of that.

 

So to me it was a nice gesture. Champagne would've been NICER, but I'll take what I can get. :)

[Caribbean_Dreamer37]

Glad you're safe..... that's one scary incident; you handled it well, under the circumstances. I'm surprised RC didn't apologize to you or offer you something.

[wraithe]

A few weeks ago my wife and I had a flight delayed due to a mechanical breakdown and we each got a $250 voucher for a future flight. They called it a gesture of goodwill. Maybe you need to switch to a better airline.

 

If I had been paying for the tickets, I never would have chosen a legacy airline to begin with. Fact still remains, they got me from point A to point B just like they contracted to, they "owed" me nothing else.

[DocJohnB]

The only thing lacking on the part of ships personnel (hotel mgmt staff) was a follow-up call or visit. Sort of a "Sorry about that elevator incident, Ms X, is everything OK now?" Period, end of story.

 

Makes sense from a hospitality and perhaps even a legal point of view.

[BecciBoo]

Flame suit on....O.K. my 2 cents, if you don't want my 2 cents...move on...

Why is it with so many people these days that think the whole world owes them something. This incident, while inconvenient would've have been nothing more than a minor kink in my day and after having been retrieved, I would have totally forgotten it. But to expect financial reparation....nah.

Sorry, but this story would've been nothing but an amusing anecdote for me. I do agree a note from the hotel manager would've been a nice touch but not a requirement.

[KarinaGW]

I was stuck in an elevator once for an hour and a half with the Pittsburgh Penguins. You want trauma...there ya go. But it wasn't from being stuck in an elevator.

 

There are 3 reasons to freak out about getting stuck in an elevator:

1. You are claustrophobic.

2. You live in a town where no building is higher than 2-3 stories and the only elevator you have ever encountered was at Sears.

3. You are stuck in an elevator on a Friday night where offices don't open until Monday and the guard drinks.

 

Otherwise, get out your cell phone and play Tetris til someone shows up or do that sing at the top of your voice thing that you do in the shower when no one's home.

 

Is it inconvenient, sure it is. Does it make for a cool story? Depends on the novelty of being on an elevator to your listeners. Is it worth a bottle of champagne...no.

[micro yaya]

I think some of you haave missed the whole point of the message. When you are in a building, or the mall, you don't pay to be there. On a ship like a hotel you are paying, and as such when something like this happens a token of "i'm sorry" is the right thing to do, especially from a company that uses word of mouth advertishing......for instance these boards

[KarinaGW]

I think some of you haave missed the whole point of the message. When you are in a building, or the mall, you don't pay to be there. On a ship like a hotel you are paying, and as such when something like this happens a token of "i'm sorry" is the right thing to do, especially from a company that uses word of mouth advertishing......for instance these boards

 

I was paying $150/night at the hotel where it happened. There are hotels that have had impromptu songs written about their elevators and the awfulness thereof.

 

I'm sorry, but an elevator is a mechanical device...sometimes they break. I would blame the people (not just kids) who think it's funny to push every button on the elevator and add more wear and tear to them.

[TSS Olympia]

I really think some of the comments have been uncalled for regarding this Ladies elevator problem. . This woman paid her hard earned cash for a vacation on Royal. She trusted and expected RCCI to keep her safe and comfortable. I think it would have been only proper for a manager to knock on her door and apoligise for the mishap and offer her, yes a bottle of champagne or dinner in one of the pay restaurants or bistro. First, its the right thing to do and second its only good business sense. Royal would have made many many additional dollars from this womans gratitude in monies on return cruises and word of mouth advertising.

[megr1125]

Exactly....and this is OP's first post too. :rolleyes:

 

uh, yeah....at least someone else noticed as well...and i don't think the OP has been back....

 

 

 

 

 

 

please don't feed the trolls...

[Ula]

A few weeks ago my wife and I had a flight delayed due to a mechanical breakdown and we each got a $250 voucher for a future flight. They called it a gesture of goodwill. Maybe you need to switch to a better airline.

Our last trip we had to make an emergency landing. Amazing the amount of emergency vehicles they can put on a runway. The landing was fine, and honest we got a voucher as a goodwill thing. I was amazed. To me no harm no foul.

Now we have to plan another vacation. Some acknowledgment to the OP would not have been amiss. Personally I might not have climbed out. Have read where people have been cut in half doing that. The elevator starts moving.

Cruising is customer service to the extreme. They have to provide it, this is to get people to return. Flying not so much. Sometimes you have to fly. You do not have to cruise.

[EV2008]

Why do you feel you should have scored something?? Be happy you are fine and did not get hurt.

[DocJohnB]

Exactly....and this is OP's first post too.

 

uh, yeah....at least someone else noticed as well...and i don't think the OP has been back....

I always wonder what quotes like the above have to do with anything (other than to add to a persons post count).

 

Every single poster on these boards, no matter which board, at some time had the number 1 listed behind posts:

 

Although I disagree with the entitlement the lady seems to have expected, I found her post to be interesting and informative. From some poster's point of view, because of its' negative connotation of their cruise line, it should not have been posted.

 

And, why should she have to come back and justify her comments to any of us. Although it may help to clear up some points in a story, a poster has made their thoughts known and justification may not be felt to be necessary by the poster.

[bmazzo]

A few weeks ago my wife and I had a flight delayed due to a mechanical breakdown and we each got a $250 voucher for a future flight. They called it a gesture of goodwill. Maybe you need to switch to a better airline.

 

 

Let me explain something. I work for a major US Airline and you were delayed for a mechanial breakdown. You were entitled to compensation as per the airlines contract of carriage. This was no "goodwill gesture". You were given a fair amount of spendable credit towards future travel on that carrier. By all means, this is a good deal for your inconvenience but believe me when I tell you, airline travel certificates are a major revenue source for them. Heck, in my company, they bring in millions of dollars annually. ;)

[Gracie115]

And you come across as very service oriented.

 

Another difference between you and I is that I respect and appreciate my customers.

 

I not only respect and appreciate my customers...I also happen to think most of them have brains enough to know that an elevator malfunction is NOT generally anyone's fault.

 

I'm very over the "it's all about me" attitude....things happen...life isn't perfect and we are not "owed" anything because everything isn't absolutely 100% perfect all the time....an elevator is a machine..they break...just like a stereo..a car...whatever.

 

I wouldn't be in the position I'm in if I didn't care about my customers. I give "freebies" when needed and when we have erred, which happens on occasion..my freebies consist of anything from a drink to an entire vacation. An elevator malfunction for 10-15 minutes doesn't qualify.

 

My resort has been around for more than 70 years....we're doing something right.

[megr1125]

I always wonder what quotes like the above have to do with anything (other than to add to a persons post count).

 

 

maybe you should take your own advice.....and not add to your post count......

[bmazzo]

And you come across as very service oriented.

 

Another difference between you and I is that I respect and appreciate my customers.

 

 

If you work for a large enough company you should know that any small token of concern can be turned around to an admission of guilt or liability. Unfortunately in this litigous society with the abundance of ambulance chasing, legal system overloading lawyers, we have to be careful how we show concern or we are named in a lawsuit. Per most of our companies leagle departments advice, Do your job, offer medical assistance and document the facts. That's pretty much it. Understand something, this poster states specific date, and still has months to file a lawsuite. I wonder if a lawyer already contacted her already. :D Probably not, but take it from someone who has been there, you never know. :cool:

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

Once I was stuck all alone in a very hot Florida elevator. I learned a valuable trick while there. Elevators in the US have telephones. They are usually enclosed in a compartment in the elevator. I learned that pushing the alarm is nearly useless. Picking up the elevator phone gets results.

 

Whenever I get in an elevator now I locate the telephone. This is good to know in case the lights go out and you can't even see. So know where the telephone is right away when you enter the elevator. it is usually at the bottom of or beside the panel of floor buttons.

 

When Majesty had been recently refurbished, four of us got stuck in a rear elevator. I picked up the phone--yes, the elevator had one--and spoke with someone who confirmed which elevator we were in. Soon, the elevator door miraculously opened all by itself. I'm not sure if it was fixed remotely or if the mechanical problem just ironed itself out.

 

Anyway, always check where the phone is in the elevator just in case you might need it. And, yes, cruise ship elevators have phones.

[steponboard]

In the hospitality industry you expect hospitality. I think a bottle of something or a plate of chocolate covered strawberrys showing up in your cabin would have shown RCL to be a class act.

[luckyprincess]

I AM IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY, VERY SUCCESSFUL TOO AND HERE'S WHAT I SAY TO THAT:

 

BULL..... I manage a large resort in Florida...this kind of stuff happens...you do everything you can to insure safety..you say "I'm sorry, glad you weren't hurt" and you move on.

 

NO, "a little something" is not what RCCL should have done.

 

RCCL did EVERYTHING they needed to do.....they sent 4 guys...they got her out...END OF STORY...

Not acceptable in the service industry in the area I'm from, I afraid. Of course, I'm talking about a very high end private dining club but I've also lived in Florida and I moved back to the northest because of the 'whatever' attitude in Florida. This would never have happened where I am - they would have checked on the guest afterwards and also offered a token something - being that they pay good money to vacation or eat there and we feel they should be compensated for any inconvenience - if it has affected their stay in any way. It's really just going above and beyond for your customer. Where I'm from it's how you stand apart from everyone else - and how you command the big bucks:D

[Gablin]

Wow!

This was my first post on this forum. I thought it was useful and informative. Apparently, my "greed" at expecting a note or flowers, candy, wine, whatever, offends some. Sorry. I'll try to be more saintly in my expectations in the future.

 

On other cruise ships, I have very occasionally been mildly inconvenienced. In those other instances, something nice was offered by someone in an attempt to apologize - cruise director, hotel manager, once the captain, etc. Sometimes it was a pleasant handwritten note, sometimes a $50 shipboard credit, once a bottle of wine for just making a written suggestion about stronger coffee in the dining room and casual restaurant.

 

Once, in a nice hotel, it took a considerable length of time to fix the lock on my door. I received a handwritten note from the manager, apologizing, and a $25 credit on my bill.

 

When I told my elevator story to the other people in my group on the ship, my daughter and one other person reminded me of some of those other events and of the responses. The group pretty much agreed that I would probably receive a note or a phone call, and maybe something else. They were mistaken.

 

I posted this story on a general travel board, where I've been a member for the past ten years, and someone there suggested posting it on a cruise message board, where people who cruise frequently might be interested in knowing about the event. So I did, on this one and on CruiseMates.

 

Someone here commented that I had not been back since my original post this morning. It is Saturday and I had a lovely Saturday far away from the internet. I didn't realize that I should hover here waiting to respond to responses. The etiquette here is different from that on the travel message board where I usually post.

 

I think what I mean by elevator maintenance records would be the small certificate that states the last time the elevator was inspected or maintained. There was nothing like that, which, of course, no one would notice unless she were stuck as I was.

 

Words on a screen appear "flat," with no emotion. I am actually considered to be rather a sweet and funny person, especially by my grandchildren, three of whom were on this ship with us. If I have come across as greedy or complaining, on this board, I am sorry. It's just words on a screen. :)

[Gablin]

There was no telephone in the elevator. That would have been a comfort.

[farnamcoach]

Well put OP some people on this board must have nothing better to do but read posts looking for a way to rip people apart. Who cares if you have 1 post or 1000. I am the director of a company that customer service makes or breaks us. I would have called you myself.

[Ladylouwho]

In the hospitality industry you expect hospitality. I think a bottle of something or a plate of chocolate covered strawberrys showing up in your cabin would have shown RCL to be a class act.

 

Well I was thinking the same thing. Instead of phoning the woman or dropping a note in her cabin with a little something to show they cared about her well being, we get this story. And many people are reading this and thinking, yeah, would it have killed someone at RCI to have checked on this woman after the fact? With this story now people may be more aware of elevator malfunctions on their next RCI cruise. I am guessing RCI would rather not have them thinking about that.

 

I am thinking the employees that rescued her may have dropped the ball by not informing someone in Customer Relations. At least I hope that is the case. Because if someone were in my home and had an incident of some kind where they possibly may have been hurt or traumatized, I would certainly check up on them after the fact. Just common sense and the right thing to do.

 

JMO,

Colleen

[Ladylouwho]

Wow!

This was my first post on this forum. I thought it was useful and informative. Apparently, my "greed" at expecting a note or flowers, candy, wine, whatever, offends some. Sorry. I'll try to be more saintly in my expectations in the future.

 

On other cruise ships, I have very occasionally been mildly inconvenienced. In those other instances, something nice was offered by someone in an attempt to apologize - cruise director, hotel manager, once the captain, etc. Sometimes it was a pleasant handwritten note, sometimes a $50 shipboard credit, once a bottle of wine for just making a written suggestion about stronger coffee in the dining room and casual restaurant.

 

Once, in a nice hotel, it took a considerable length of time to fix the lock on my door. I received a handwritten note from the manager, apologizing, and a $25 credit on my bill.

 

When I told my elevator story to the other people in my group on the ship, my daughter and one other person reminded me of some of those other events and of the responses. The group pretty much agreed that I would probably receive a note or a phone call, and maybe something else. They were mistaken.

 

I posted this story on a general travel board, where I've been a member for the past ten years, and someone there suggested posting it on a cruise message board, where people who cruise frequently might be interested in knowing about the event. So I did, on this one and on CruiseMates.

 

Someone here commented that I had not been back since my original post this morning. It is Saturday and I had a lovely Saturday far away from the internet. I didn't realize that I should hover here waiting to respond to responses. The etiquette here is different from that on the travel message board where I usually post.

 

I think what I mean by elevator maintenance records would be the small certificate that states the last time the elevator was inspected or maintained. There was nothing like that, which, of course, no one would notice unless she were stuck as I was.

 

Words on a screen appear "flat," with no emotion. I am actually considered to be rather a sweet and funny person, especially by my grandchildren, three of whom were on this ship with us. If I have come across as greedy or complaining, on this board, I am sorry. It's just words on a screen. :)

 

Welcome to cruise critic!!!!! There are plenty of us who didn't think of you as being greedy when we read your story. Some people just don't like it when there is even a hint of negativity against "their" cruise line. I think someone from Customer Relations should have contacted you after the fact to check on you. A little something on their part would have gone a long way toward making you feel appreciated and certainly would have been a good P.R. move on the part of customer service for RCI.

 

The fact that they did nothing only shows how much we have moved from a service oriented "The Customer is Always Right" to todays view "To Heck with the Customer, What's it Going to Cost Me?"

 

JMO,

Colleen