WARNING: Do not "hold" cruise on RCI website!

[weluv2cruise]

Just an FYI . . . I research cruises on the RCI website and put a 24-hour courtesy hold to reserve my cabin of choice. After the courtesy 24-hour hold, my reservation falls off if I do not post a deposit to commit to the cruise. Evidently, I did this before actually reserving my last cruise with my TA, whose receipt showed a $230 per cabin (I had two rooms) shipboard credit. Onboard the Independence on her recent TA cruise, my cabin credit was only $30, so I inquired at the Purser's office. They said to wait 24 hours, as maybe all the updates had not been transferred from the RCI home office. I checked the next day and later found from both the employees onboard and with several emails to and from my TA and later at home with an RCI customer service employee my unhappy ending. Evidently, whenever your name is "associated" with any particular cruise (even without a deposit), any actual reservation is considered a re-booking and does not qualify for any perks as of that (new?) reservation date. Your name is "washed" though the data base, and any offers you thought you were receiving are effectively erased!

 

To add to this story, we spent more onboard than we would have, as we thought we were a total of $400 richer, as well as it was noted we were ineligible for the $200 per cabin shipboard within about two weeks after I posted my deposit, which was months before my pay-in-full date.

 

Word to the wiser Travel Agents - PLEASE confirm all details of bookings before your clients pay in full and are expecting money that they will not receive!!!

 

And to RCI . . . I assume this happens often, as the Customer Service Agent advised me that I was just "one of the many." This is obviously a good deal for them, as I felt I had no commitment with my "24-hour Courtesy Hold" and was making my "new" booking with my TA and that I would receive the listed shipboard credit(s). Even after expalining my side of the story, RCI made no effort to correct the situation.

 

P. S. Thanks for letting me vent . . . $400 worth . . . .grrrrrrrr . . . .

[Sue L]

did you book on one of the Wow sales? That is when they check for any previous bookings not for general cruise bookings only during the special sales.

[PhoenixCruiser]

Did you officially book the cruise on a Tuesday when your sailing was discounted?

 

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[rubrrick]

When you put a hold on a cabin for 24 hours, you are giving a "reservation" number. When you made your hold firm......did you use this number?

 

With that number, and the information that you printed off, RCCL will honor what they put in writing......to be held up to 24 hours after you put the hold on a cabin.

 

Something does not sound right here.

 

More details please!!:)

 

Rick

[Sue L]

When you put a hold on a cabin for 24 hours, you are giving a "reservation" number. When you made your hold firm......did you use this number?

 

With that number, and the information that you printed off, RCCL will honor what they put in writing......to be held up to 24 hours after you put the hold on a cabin.

 

Something does not sound right here.

 

More details please!!:)

 

Rick

 

 

I got that he put a hold on a reservation, but did not book with that but rather with his TA at some point later (maybe during a WOW sale) but one of the stipulations of the WOW sale is that it is for new bookings only. So when he let the original online booking was made (not deposited) it was still considered a previous booking so they were no longer eligible for the special sale since they were considered a previous booking not a new one. They do check to make sure EVERY booking is eligible.

[Morecruisesplz]

Sounds odd but I never do the courtesy hold thing because that takes the cabin out of the TA's choices I believe. Usually I want a specific cabin and wouldn't want it being held. If there is some need for the 24 hour hold I would think you could put it in a name not on the reservation though. Wouldn't that work?

 

Our TA emails notice of the OBC prior to the sailing so that we can print it and take along in case of questions. (Offiicial name is Amenity Confirmation and it's a confirmation from RCCL.)

 

Hope this helps!

[QTMichele]

Ouch. This is good to know. I guess a possible solution when holding a cabin would be to use an assumed name? For example, use just first two letters in your first and last names. Would that work?

[cruisetmc]

Same thing happened to me during a wow sale. 6 months prior I held a promenade cabin and was encouraged to put it on hold by RC agents. Because of high air fares we decided not to deposit the cruise. Later in the fall during the wow sale and an airline merger that made us eligible for frequent flier free ticket we paid in full an interior cabin. We did not get the on board credit. I can see if you deposit the cruise and then cancel before final a reason not to get the wow on board credit. So its best when one of their agents encourage you to put one on hold tell them why you won't.

[Sue L]

Same thing happened to me during a wow sale. 6 months prior I held a promenade cabin and was encouraged to put it on hold by RC agents. Because of high air fares we decided not to deposit the cruise. Later in the fall during the wow sale and an airline merger that made us eligible for frequent flier free ticket we paid in full an interior cabin. We did not get the on board credit. I can see if you deposit the cruise and then cancel before final a reason not to get the wow on board credit. So its best when one of their agents encourage you to put one on hold tell them why you won't.

 

 

 

The previous booking only applies to several days before the WOW sale, not months.

[bajathree]

The previous booking only applies to several days before the WOW sale, not months.

 

Sue....you may want to tell that to the IT guys at RCCL....they have some of the most quirky systems I have ever seen:eek:

[Sue L]

Sue....you may want to tell that to the IT guys at RCCL....they have some of the most quirky systems I have ever seen:eek:

 

 

Well the rules of the WOW sale are usually 5 days before, so if you had anything earlier I would protest it. Quirky that is a very nice way to put it....:rolleyes::D

[cruisldy]

I have to say that I had very good luck with this feature, for my upcoming cruise on the Radiance, in February.

 

In November, I was researching the cruise, found a Senior Rate, for which my husband and I both qualify for. I had never used the 24hr hold feature before, but had only read about it here on CC. I found a Grand Suite in the area I wanted (I'm the choosey one of this couple) at a price that was tempting, as my husband has always wanted to cruise in a suite. Normally we cruise insides or once in a while a balcony.

 

I tried calling my cruise TA and got the message that she was, unfortunatly, on a cruise herself and not to return for 7 days. What to do? As I like my TA and wanted her to get credit for the booking, so I called Royal Caribbean and talked to a nice young man to whom I posed this question. "If I use the 24 hr. hold feature, can I then transfer booking to my TA, if and when I can get ahold of her?" He told me that the 24 hr hold feature would work, however since the final payment was coming in a day, I would have to have her retrieve the reservation, within that period and make a deposit, otherwise I would have to make the deposit on my own (in this case final payment) and after that day, she couldn't retrieve the reservation, as the final had been paid.

 

I also asked him a few questions on this procedure, got good answers and decided I wanted to do this, although I'm always a "Nervous Nelley" when it comes to doing things for the first time.

 

The procedure was quick and painless and it gave me a confimation number. I then proceded to E-mail my TA as I know from past experience she reads her E-mails even if she is cruising. I put "Emergency" in the subject header and told her in the body, what I had done and why she needed to get back to me post haste as I really wanted her to take over the reservation.

 

She actually called me in short order and I told her the confirm number and she asked if I had told them I wanted to to take over, to which I told her there was no place to put that in the 24hr. hold, but they could call me and I would give my permission over the phone. She said she would call it in right away, as she hadn't left on her cruise yet. She did and I got a call from Royal Caribbean that asked me if I wanted my TA to take over the reservation, as they had her on the other line. I gave them her name and told them "yes" please give it to her.

 

I have to tell you my TA was so pleased that I went to all this trouble to make sure that she benifited from this reservation and I'm pleased with the outcome.

 

I don't know what cicrumstances caused the OP the trouble, but from my own experince it worked out perfectly. I got the Senior Discount, which by the way disappeared in two days time.

[Canadian Tyler]

I will never place a hold on the website for a different reason. I did so, and got a phone call at 10:00 at night from RC asking if I'm ready to book.

Glad my baby is a heavy sleeper!

[weluv2cruise]

I got that he put a hold on a reservation, but did not book with that but rather with his TA at some point later (maybe during a WOW sale) but one of the stipulations of the WOW sale is that it is for new bookings only. So when he let the original online booking was made (not deposited) it was still considered a previous booking so they were no longer eligible for the special sale since they were considered a previous booking not a new one. They do check to make sure EVERY booking is eligible.

 

Hi Sue. I think your response is the most accurate as to our situation. When we actually deposited with our TA, it probably was during a special sale, but my point is that I was not aware that the history of my "prior" booking was even as issue, and I assumed that the price with benefits applied to us, as quoted. To me, this was a new booking, as I actually put money down. My thread was simply to (complain, of course!) let others know not to do the 24-hold, unless you are happy with all prices and perks at the time.

 

As far as reserving under an assumed name, I was already signed in to RCI when reserving, so I don't know if that would work. Plus, I don't ever plan to do this again.

 

 

Now that I know the rules of "whenever you book the FIRST time, that is what you are getting!", I wonder if that applies if I got a better deal at first, then re-booked later with a worse one . . . ;)

[Jimbo]

I have been putting a cabin on hold just about every other night for a cruise that is in about 4 weeks......I'm trying to hold out for one of those Tuesday Specials Sales Events, you know the one for (New Bookings only)

 

If the cruise I'm looking at becomes one of them in say the next 2 weeks, they won't deny me that discounted special price for New Bookings only will they?

 

I have not put down any money for a deposit of any kind yet?

 

Will they be okay with that?

 

I assume a booking isn't a booking until money is down on that ship, that week? Correct?

 

Jimbo:)

[John Henry on CC]

I have been putting a cabin on hold just about every other night for a cruise that is in about 4 weeks......I'm trying to hold out for one of those Tuesday Specials Sales Events, you know the one for (New Bookings only)

 

If the cruise I'm looking at becomes one of them in say the next 2 weeks, they won't deny me that discounted special price for New Bookings only will they?

 

I have not put down any money for a deposit of any kind yet?

 

Will they be okay with that?

 

I assume a booking isn't a booking until money is down on that ship, that week? Correct?

 

Jimbo:)

Although any sane and rational person would assume that you are correct, Jimbo, the experience of the OP would say that RC feels otherwise.

 

Make the Tuesday sale reservation in your wife's name. If you are lucky, she kept her maiden name?????? ;)

[nolimits]

Op was saying that is a booking

[Jimbo]

Although any sane and rational person would assume that you are correct, Jimbo, the experience of the OP would say that RC feels otherwise.

 

Make the Tuesday sale reservation in your wife's name. If you are lucky, she kept her maiden name?????? ;)

 

I'm not looking for onboard credit though like the OP...just a lower price per person for the cruise.

 

Should be interesting.:eek::mad::D:D

 

If you book it and pay for it online within minutes after I book it how can they deny me with a fully paid cruise and my online docs in hand at the pier?

 

Jimbo:)