Royal Room problem on Rhapsody

[Bobal]

We are also on the Grandeur in November and have aft Junior Suite 7150 for a transatlantic. I would be beyond annoyed if they changed our cabin. According to the Royal Caribbean website, they show 3 stages for deck plans for Grandeur. The last one being May 31, 2012 to April 15, 2013. This deck plan still shows our cabin number being where it should be. I am truly hoping that after the debacle of the Rhapsody update that Royal will be a little more careful in what they do after the Grandeur's update!

 

nicola

 

Hello Nicola - we're in that cabin in June :) Would you mind letting me know where you saw the 3 stages on the RC website, I've done a search and can't find it. Thanks

[papakaiser]

How did you contact him? I sent a letter to Miami earlier this month and received a response within two weeks. It could very well be filtering down to the appropriate people and them trying to figure out who screwed up where so they can prevent this in the future.

 

This is definitely something that doesn't reflect well on RCI's part.

Nothing is filtering down to the appropriate person at RCI. They're just ignoring the messages altogether. As I said previously: RCI is just hoping I'll shut up, and go away.

 

The messages that were sent to Adam Goldstein from myself and my TA were sent via email. The same method used by several others here. A message was also posted on RCI's Facebook page, in the "Ask Adam" blog. RCI knows all too well who screwed up. And they're hoping no one else finds out.

[papakaiser]

I'm with you Desertpiolot, and feel your pain. I know you tried as hard as I did to be a "Royal Pain" in their arse.

 

With the $200 on board credit I have for Royal's screw up, I also have an additional $100 for booking on board. I may have to make it my mission not to exceed $300 of on board spending, just to make a point. And I'll have a great time doing it if it kills me.

[ehfl]

TA blames the cruise line. How convenient. If you want to avoid finger-pointing, then just book direct. If you're TA is not making things right, then why on Earth are you using a TA? Avoid the middle man, if the middle man is causing problems. Just make sense...right?

[desertpilot]

And to close out my day of happiness...

 

...so I tell my wife about my discussion/argument with customer service, and now's SHE'S mad at me because I wouldn't relent sooner. What? She thinks we're "red flagged" -- whatever that means? Does that even exist?? I guess they're going to spit in our food now?

 

This thing has spiraled to a point that I guess I wouldn't be winning even if I won. RCI tells us we're booted, she and I get furious. Then I fight for what's right and I bring her to tears when I tell her about my persistence. So saddening...I give up.

[Royjan]

Reading all these threads re not being given your correct cabin. I would be SO annoyed . Are all of the cabin numbers changing or is it only the aft cabins? We've already booked our cabin for Feb 2013.

 

Jan

[chookie65]

Reading all these threads re not being given your correct cabin. I would be SO annoyed . Are all of the cabin numbers changing or is it only the aft cabins? We've already booked our cabin for Feb 2013.

 

Jan

Jan

You should check .... All the aft cabins numbers have changed and this happened around feb 25 ..... Check the deckplans on the RCI WEBSITE as they now reflect the new cabin numbers on deck 8. You may find your location is diffferent. Then see if the new cabin number in the location you chose, if you chose a location, is available to book by doing a dummy booking and if its not available then its likely that someone else has your location.

 

For example I had cabin 8094 which was absolute centre cabin aft deck 8 and this location is now cabin number 8102 and cabin 8094 is the last port side cabin with the obstructed view. Someone else booked 8102 which did not exist on the deckplan but now does .... And they only booked it in january when it was released and i know that because i enquired abiut the same cabin because the website did not state its location and i phoned sydney RCI offices. Of course they didnt know either because miami had kept them in the dark.

 

By the way, all of us who have lost our preferred locations due to this error where the first people to book the location but then lost it due to the error but RCI are not prepared to move the person who booked at a later time than us and that is what is so terrible about this situation! I hope everyone else agrees with this but if not please feel free to vent some more!

[Clarea]

Reading all these threads re not being given your correct cabin. I would be SO annoyed . Are all of the cabin numbers changing or is it only the aft cabins? We've already booked our cabin for Feb 2013.

 

Jan

The only cabin numbers that were changed were those on deck 8 aft of the centrum.

[Nigeldelarue]

We are also on the Grandeur in November and have aft Junior Suite 7150 for a transatlantic. I would be beyond annoyed if they changed our cabin. According to the Royal Caribbean website, they show 3 stages for deck plans for Grandeur. The last one being May 31, 2012 to April 15, 2013. This deck plan still shows our cabin number being where it should be. I am truly hoping that after the debacle of the Rhapsody update that Royal will be a little more careful in what they do after the Grandeur's update!

 

nicola

 

Im on the same cruise as you with the opposite aft room 7650 sure hope this doesnt change !!!!!!

[papakaiser]

TA blames the cruise line. How convenient. If you want to avoid finger-pointing, then just book direct. If you're TA is not making things right, then why on Earth are you using a TA? Avoid the middle man, if the middle man is causing problems. Just make sense...right?

Correct me if I'm wrong. How many TA's do you think were in the room when RCI re-numbered the cabins ?

 

And how many TA's do you suppose were in the room when RCI's Revenue Department prematurely released the new cabin numbers into inventory, without contacting the affected bookings first ?

 

If you believe the answer to either question is more than "0" I have a bridge I want to sell you.

[desertpilot]

If you believe the answer to either question is more than "0" I have a bridge I want to sell you.

 

Thanks for that...first time I've laughed in this thread.

[booze brothers]

Most of us are still so very unhappy with this situation. You would think that RCI would pay much more attention to this fact. I still have heard nothing in the way of satisfaction from RCI or my TA. Still burning up the phone lines, but all we keep hearing is how wonderful the new ship will be with all the changes. They don't seem to understand that we will all be boarding with a pre-existing bad attitude and that will make a difference to the whole cruise. I wish I had the luxury of cancelling my reservation, but unfortunately the other 3 cabins in my party did not have the benefit of cancelling without losing some of their deposit.

 

Bill, thank you for pointing out when you received your call. I asked my TA why we didn't receive notification until 1 month later and she said they were notified by RCI on March 20, the very day that they notified us of the problem. So it seems like RCI has taken care of the reservations that were made with them first and then taken care of everyone else.

 

In order for us to stay on the deck with the rest of our party, we have had to move my parents to a different cabin and take theirs. Their's was the only cabin that we could find on deck 8 that accomodated 3 people. This puts them farther from the elevators and I am very concerned about the fact that my father has a difficult time with his back when he has to walk too far or stand too long. This is a celebration of their 50th anniversary and I was really hoping that everything would turn out perfect for them.

 

At this point, I am so sorry that I chose RCCL for this special cruise. To be perfectly honest I really am not that concerned about how wonderful all the new features on the ship will be. What I am concerned with, is this pathetic excuse for customer service that we are starting the cruise with.

 

Still hoping for a resolution!

 

I would write to both Adam and Richard Fain.

 

Politely tell them of the situation and how much this means to your family. Ask them if it would be possible to reassign your parents to a suite, especially because it's such a special anniv.

 

Never hurts to try !

 

This wasn't your fault . I sure hope it turns out for you.

 

Regardless, have a wonderful vacation.

[ehfl]

Correct me if I'm wrong. How many TA's do you think were in the room when RCI re-numbered the cabins ?

 

And how many TA's do you suppose were in the room when RCI's Revenue Department prematurely released the new cabin numbers into inventory, without contacting the affected bookings first ?

 

If you believe the answer to either question is more than "0" I have a bridge I want to sell you.

 

This really doesn't have anything to do with the situation. The TA sold the client rooms that were not available. They then blamed it on RCL "renumbering the rooms".

 

Read the boards.....there are constant problems with TAs and they always have some excuse or other....and of course, they never take responsibility...it's always the cruise line's fault.

 

Eliminate the middle-man, and you eliminate a big part of the problem. And in the cases where there is a problem, there can be no finger pointing if you book direct.

 

Don't believe me....look at all the people who have had problems.....most unresolved problems involve TAs. The minute a problem happens, they point the finger at the cruise line, and (like the OP) expect the customer to work things out.

[desertpilot]

This really doesn't have anything to do with the situation. The TA sold the client rooms that were not available. They then blamed it on RCL "renumbering the rooms".

 

Read the boards.....there are constant problems with TAs and they always have some excuse or other....and of course, they never take responsibility...it's always the cruise line's fault.

 

Eliminate the middle-man, and you eliminate a big part of the problem. And in the cases where there is a problem, there can be no finger pointing if you book direct.

 

Don't believe me....look at all the people who have had problems.....most unresolved problems involve TAs. The minute a problem happens, they point the finger at the cruise line, and (like the OP) expect the customer to work things out.

 

Pretty sure that, at least for this situation, there are plenty of folks affected by this that booked directly. Though I booked with a TA, I did talk with RCI directly at length following an email response from Adam's office, and RCI openly admits this was their problem. I put 100% of the blame on RCI.

 

And as I think we've highlighted it's not the mistake itself that mattered. Corporations are run by people, and people make mistakes. Thus, mistakes are a part of business. But what makes a mediocre company into a great company is how a mistake is handled once it happens. And while RCI claims to be addressing this issue for future dry docks, that is little consolation to the folks that have had their bookings in place for months (or sometimes over a year or more). The handling of those people's situations is completely unacceptable.

 

Customer service is absolutely everything in cruising, on and off the ship. RCI has been given the chance to step up and make things right, and instead they've said f-off. For a more substantial onboard compensation, or for a future cruise credit, or for pretty much anything that makes it seem like they actually give a crap, they would have continued to earn probably well over $100k of my future earnings over the next 20 or so years. But they've given it up for pennies.

[papakaiser]

This really doesn't have anything to do with the situation. The TA sold the client rooms that were not available. They then blamed it on RCL "renumbering the rooms".

 

Read the boards.....there are constant problems with TAs and they always have some excuse or other....and of course, they never take responsibility...it's always the cruise line's fault.

 

Eliminate the middle-man, and you eliminate a big part of the problem. And in the cases where there is a problem, there can be no finger pointing if you book direct.

 

Don't believe me....look at all the people who have had problems.....most unresolved problems involve TAs. The minute a problem happens, they point the finger at the cruise line, and (like the OP) expect the customer to work things out.

And how many people do you suppose have had equally as many problems with the cruise line, when they booked direct ? I've seen plenty of those as well.

 

You can try and twist this however you wish. This is RCI's fault. No one else.

 

At the heart of this problem is the fact that RCI, NOT A TA, renumbered cabins AFTER they had been sold. When I booked my cabin, it was booked from a current deck plan. RCI elected to change the deck plan a year after the fact, without telling anyone, and without telling the affected parties. My point was that RCI did not consult with any travel agent, or professional trade organization representing travel agents, before they went ahead, and re-numbered cabins that had already been sold.

 

Regardless if I had booked thru RCI direct or not, my cabin STILL would have been sold out from underneath me, and I STILL would NOT have been called by RCI prior to it happening. It took RCI 30 days before they started contacting anyone on their own about this mess.

 

If you put your pom poms down for a few minutes, and understand that RCI created this mess, not any TA, you might understand the actual problem.

 

But I should apologize for criticizing Royal Caribbean. How could they ever be wrong ?

[desertpilot]

Bill, are you planning to continue to sail with RCI given your D+ status? I realize I'm not in your boat with that much tenure (I think if I were your status that would make me even angrier, if that's possible) -- and maybe I'll even cool down after a few years or whatever -- but I just can't seem to get past this.

[Beezy961]

I would write to both Adam and Richard Fain.

 

Politely tell them of the situation and how much this means to your family. Ask them if it would be possible to reassign your parents to a suite, especially because it's such a special anniv.

 

Never hurts to try !

 

This wasn't your fault . I sure hope it turns out for you.

 

Regardless, have a wonderful vacation.

 

Thank you so much for the best wishes. Those would be my thoughts exactly. I think that is an excellent idea, unfortunately I don't work for the resolution department at RCI.

 

We will continue to try though. We still have a couple of months.

[Beezy961]

Correct me if I'm wrong. How many TA's do you think were in the room when RCI re-numbered the cabins ?

 

And how many TA's do you suppose were in the room when RCI's Revenue Department prematurely released the new cabin numbers into inventory, without contacting the affected bookings first ?

 

If you believe the answer to either question is more than "0" I have a bridge I want to sell you.

 

 

Here! Here! My sentiments exactly. I don't believe that the TA's had anything to do with the renumbering issue. I do believe that they were the last one's to be notified. After RCI had taken care of all of their reservations first.

[critterchick]

Jan

You should check .... All the aft cabins numbers have changed and this happened around feb 25 ..... Check the deckplans on the RCI WEBSITE as they now reflect the new cabin numbers on deck 8. You may find your location is diffferent. Then see if the new cabin number in the location you chose, if you chose a location, is available to book by doing a dummy booking and if its not available then its likely that someone else has your location.

 

For example I had cabin 8094 which was absolute centre cabin aft deck 8 and this location is now cabin number 8102 and cabin 8094 is the last port side cabin with the obstructed view. Someone else booked 8102 which did not exist on the deckplan but now does .... And they only booked it in january when it was released and i know that because i enquired abiut the same cabin because the website did not state its location and i phoned sydney RCI offices. Of course they didnt know either because miami had kept them in the dark.

 

By the way, all of us who have lost our preferred locations due to this error where the first people to book the location but then lost it due to the error but RCI are not prepared to move the person who booked at a later time than us and that is what is so terrible about this situation! I hope everyone else agrees with this but if not please feel free to vent some more!

 

I agree with you!

 

TA blames the cruise line. How convenient. If you want to avoid finger-pointing, then just book direct. If you're TA is not making things right, then why on Earth are you using a TA? Avoid the middle man, if the middle man is causing problems. Just make sense...right?

 

This really doesn't have anything to do with the situation. The TA sold the client rooms that were not available. They then blamed it on RCL "renumbering the rooms".

 

Read the boards.....there are constant problems with TAs and they always have some excuse or other....and of course, they never take responsibility...it's always the cruise line's fault.

 

Eliminate the middle-man, and you eliminate a big part of the problem. And in the cases where there is a problem, there can be no finger pointing if you book direct.

 

Don't believe me....look at all the people who have had problems.....most unresolved problems involve TAs. The minute a problem happens, they point the finger at the cruise line, and (like the OP) expect the customer to work things out.

 

I'm not sure what you're saying (highlighted in red). Nobody can book a room that isn't available. RCI double booked cabins because their software appears to be keyed in only to cabin numbers, not their placement on the ship and there was no human intervention to ensure that people who were already booked didn't get moved.

 

As for the rest of your postings, it's not the middleman who is at fault here - anybody who booked a JS aft of the centrum prior to the renumbering in February had their cabin location changed, whether they booked directly or through a TA. RCI pulled the rug out from under their clients and has left most of them sitting on their keisters rather than doing the right thing by restoring them to their original cabin locations.

 

I'm a TA, and manage my own bookings, so I guess you could say that I booked directly through a TA. The only reason I knew that there would be new cabin numbers was because I saw a post on CC regarding the Splendour redo (somebody was concerned because her cabin number had changed post-redo) and said, hmmm. Better check Rhapsody.

 

I saw that something was up three weeks because the cabin numbers were showing on the RCI website (with a deck location of "NA" and no sign of them on the deck plans) and called RCI frequently to ask what was happening with existing bookings. Each time I was assured that we would not be physically relocated, but would get a new cabin number. One agent on the D+ went so far as to call one of the systems people (title unknown) who said that the cabins wouldn't be available for booking until after the drydock started and that I should check back in mid-March, but that they would not be moved.

 

Chookie65 said earlier that s/he got an email from RCI Sydney assuring that they wouldn't be moved (that tells me that s/he booked directly), and then they were moved because RCI Miami fell down on the job.

 

I saw on a Friday (2/24, as I recall) that some of the new deck plans were up, but not Deck 8. The next morning I checked again and saw that Deck 8 plans were up. I was on the phone to C&A immediately, since our reservation still showed 8088, no longer a corner aft but a connecting side cabin. When the rep pulled up our reservation and went into the deck plan, she saw the original deck plan - RCI hadn't even updated their own agents' software yet. So I walked her through a dummy booking and she saw what I was talking about. She was unable to book the new cabin numbers, not because they were taken, but because the software hadn't been updated to allow it.

 

There was one person in the office (it was a Saturday) who could access the new cabins. It took her about 15 minutes, and she called me back to tell me that she had been able to secure our original location (now 8096) for me. It appears that we're just about the only CCers who got their original cabins back, and I imagine that it's only because nobody else saw it on the website and booked it before I did.

 

So tell me where the TA was at fault here, please. I agree that there are some who do things that give the industry a bad name, but this simply is not one of those instances.

[papakaiser]

Bill, are you planning to continue to sail with RCI given your D+ status? I realize I'm not in your boat with that much tenure (I think if I were your status that would make me even angrier, if that's possible) -- and maybe I'll even cool down after a few years or whatever -- but I just can't seem to get past this.

I honestly don't know, at this point. Your previous post mentioned that a corporation becomes a great one by way they handle their mistakes. By the way, I couldn't agree more. In my eyes, RCI went from a great corporation to a mediocre one, overnight.

 

I really believe that the crew members that we have met on the ships try very hard to atone for Miami's mistakes. They're the one's that make a cruise a memorable one. And I'm sure they will take good care of us during this cruise.

 

I've cooled down a great deal over the past few weeks. And we have made some good friends that are Pinnacle Members with well over 100 cruises, that are flabbergasted at how RCI handled this. So that will play a big role in our future plans, also.

 

In 10 years of cruising with RCI, this is the first problem we have had with a reservation. Granted, it was a doozy. And things got away from RCI in a hurry. I think it even surprised them how fast it took off. I like to think they've learned something from it. Time will tell.

[chookie65]

I just went back through my emails and it was on 25 january that i noticed that six of the renumbered aft cabins appeared on RCIs and TAs websites for sale ... Yes for sale and as critterchick says they were NOT on the deckplan and no one at RCI could say where in the AFT section they were located.

 

I phoned the RCI Sydney office and asked as had my TA but of course the sydney office was clueless because they didnt have the new deckplans either.

 

So they were realeased for sale probably on every cruise that you could book ... RCI will be spending months and many $$$$ fixing this error so someone in the IT department MUST be in deep trouble.

 

What absolutely amazes me is their approach to resolving this. Why have they decided to P*** off the people who booked first? Rather than the people who booked the cabins that shouldn't have been released into inventory.

 

Can some please help me understand the logic here? Critterchick as a TA what are your thoughts?

 

I am over it now and have accepted my midship cabin and OBC but am just totally flabbergasted by this. Being our first cruise i damn well hope it is as good as everyone says it is .... Otherwise they will be hearing from me for the entire 12 nights that i am on that ship!!!!!

 

Enough said.:eek::eek::eek:

[Clarea]

...What absolutely amazes me is their approach to resolving this. Why have they decided to P*** off the people who booked first? Rather than the people who booked the cabins that shouldn't have been released into inventory....

Exactly my question too! I'd love to understand the logic (if any) if this decision.

[travelin_nat]

What are the chances CC would run a story on this? Not likely, I'm sure, but that sure would get RCI's attention....;)

[critterchick]

I just went back through my emails and it was on 25 january that i noticed that six of the renumbered aft cabins appeared on RCIs and TAs websites for sale ... Yes for sale and as critterchick says they were NOT on the deckplan and no one at RCI could say where in the AFT section they were located.

 

I phoned the RCI Sydney office and asked as had my TA but of course the sydney office was clueless because they didnt have the new deckplans either.

 

So they were realeased for sale probably on every cruise that you could book ... RCI will be spending months and many $$$$ fixing this error so someone in the IT department MUST be in deep trouble.

 

What absolutely amazes me is their approach to resolving this. Why have they decided to P*** off the people who booked first? Rather than the people who booked the cabins that shouldn't have been released into inventory.

 

Can some please help me understand the logic here? Critterchick as a TA what are your thoughts?

 

I am over it now and have accepted my midship cabin and OBC but am just totally flabbergasted by this. Being our first cruise i damn well hope it is as good as everyone says it is .... Otherwise they will be hearing from me for the entire 12 nights that i am on that ship!!!!!

 

Enough said.:eek::eek::eek:

 

I'm as flabbergasted as you are. I am probably going to write to somebody at RCI to see if they will explain why they couldn't just say to the second bookers, "We're so sorry. We mistakenly allowed you to book a cabin that was already occupied. Here's $200 of OBC and dinner at Chops, and you'll be in cabin xxxx, or you may cancel with no penalty and we'll give you $200 toward a future cruise booking." I'll let you know if I get a response, but please don't hold your breath.

[papakaiser]

I'm as flabbergasted as you are. I am probably going to write to somebody at RCI to see if they will explain why they couldn't just say to the second bookers, "We're so sorry. We mistakenly allowed you to book a cabin that was already occupied. Here's $200 of OBC and dinner at Chops, and you'll be in cabin xxxx, or you may cancel with no penalty and we'll give you $200 toward a future cruise booking." I'll let you know if I get a response, but please don't hold your breath.

It will certainly be interesting to see what response you receive. I know I won't be holding my breath. LOL

 

The curious thing from my end is that we are about 40 days out from our cruise. Whenever I try to make reservations for Chops, it tells me that there are no options for specialty dining on my cruise, and to check back closer to the cruise. I thought that would open up when the ship came out of dry dock.