Royal Kicked Us Off!!!

[crisndeefromde]

The OP booked through RCI using their employee. She did not do an on-line booking or use a TA.

 

I just reread the thread...ooops..i somehow saw the part about her friend being a ta and thought she was having her look into this. gosh i need more coffee...watching airfare prices to san juan has been dazed and confused!

[pspercy]

For condo rentals etc, try: http://www.vrbo.com/

 

...but I hope you get to cruise as originally planned. Good luck.

[sarahc78]

Another point of interest -- just had a call from a woman from RC inquiring why WE CANCELLED our reservation -- so I tell her the WHOLE STORY -- now she is investigating. Mike thinks she is in accounting & got the message today to refund my cruise payments in total (which they rarely do 5 days before cruise) and accounting doesn't want to pay it back!!!!

Could they refund your money and you book another sailing on another cruise line possibly?

[sarahc78]

I thought their policy has always been someone 21 or older had to be booked in a room w/ minors (under 21):confused:

 

Even married couples under 21 need to provide a marriage certificate in order to book their own room.

[mheinrich]

So in reviewing the occupancy in each the C+A woman said "Oh I see Megan was born in 1983 and I said no, 1993 -- she said "well, it was entered that way" and I said the repr I talked to entered it." So that may have been what triggered a red flag on our booking....unbeknowst to me that was a problem!!!

 

And there's the missing piece of this puzzle. The original rep had it entered that the person in that room was 28, not 18 which allowed it to be a legit booking. Honest mistake? probably, but that doesn't help the situation.

 

I second the suggestion for VRBO. I've used them tons and never had any problems with any rentals. Doing a week private rental in a couple weeks prior to an Alaskan cruise. The rates are fantastic when you're booking a small group.

 

Good luck to you!

[LittleMissMagic]

Oh my goodness - if this new "legal court-ordered guardianship" deal is true, it affects us, too!!!

 

We are sailing on a graduation cruise on the Monarch of the Seas June 4. Most of the girls are traveling with their parents, but we have two girls who are traveling without their parents, but have notarized letters stating that it is okay for them to board.

 

Oh my goodness, I'm worried, now. I think I'm NOT going to call and ask about it, though.

 

Let us know how things work out for you! That is absolutely ridiculous that they would take away your booked and paid-for cruise!!! If there is a new policy, it shouldn't be in affect for a cruise that you already booked.

[bahrain_not_dubai!]

I don't know if this is at all any help, but I wanted to inform you that Disney has 4-5 day cruises out of Port Canaveral and they WILL allow all these girls aboard, even alone.

 

I know it sounds childish but the quality of DCL voyages are said to be excellent.

[KuffMUp]

It's difficult to help without the exact reason RCCL is canceling your reservation. According to RCCL policy, someone over 21 needs to be assigned to each cabin. If there are two cabins, you and DH would need to be assigned to 3 cabins. If you had 3 cabins, I understand the problem.

 

I think that this may be your problem. I reserved a room in Puerto Vallarta for my step daughter and friends for a graduation present. I found out rather late that there had to be someone over 21 in the room with them. I am glad I found out before they got there. DH and I couldn't go (darn) and ended up paying for a flight for his ex so that DD could go on vacation.

 

If this is the reason, can you somehow combine into 2 rooms so that 1 adult over 21 can be assigned to each room?

[LittleMissMagic]

Just a suggestion, if you're set on cruising - Disney Cruise Lines does not have the 21-and-up to be booked in a stateroom rule. You can sail on Disney with no "adult" once you are 18 years of age, and you should be able to take your 17-year-old granddaughter with a notarized letter. However, Disney is a good bit more expensive than the Monarch of the Seas, but perhaps you can catch a last-minute deal.

[retiredgram]

We, as grandparents, have cruised on the FOS, twice. Granddaughter brought a friend and they had their own cabin. Both times, the girls were below the age of 18. They stayed in a cabin across the hall. Neither husband now I were listed there room. Never had any problem.

[sarahc78]

We, as grandparents, have cruised on the FOS, twice. Granddaughter brought a friend and they had their own cabin. Both times, the girls were below the age of 18. They stayed in a cabin across the hall. Neither husband now I were listed there room. Never had any problem.

Interesting we have had to have an adult (21) in each of the rooms w/ booked for our own children (under 18) We were told once on board my husband and I could have one room while the children were in the other. But it HAD to be booked w/ one of us in each room.

 

 

This has been the requirement on every sailing on both Celebrity and RCL.

[avazah]

I'm no cruising veteran so maybe I just don't get it, but 18 means they are legal adults. Why is there an issue at all? I've lived on my own since I was 18, and I imagine back then I'd be pretty pissed if I were to go on a trip or something and be told that I don't have a legal guardian with me... That's the whole point of it being 18! I hope you get this worked out promptly!

[BillOh]

But that's not the point. Related or not they aren't children/teens/minors any more and can legally travel in their own right. There's something else going on here.

 

Legally travel is one thing, using a private carrier is another. Back when I was 21 (1980) I regularly traveled for business and used all the big rental car companies because I had their card, but on vacation I couldn't rent on my own till I was 25.) I think they still do that.

[Kristi Williamson]

Hmmm....well, we just booked FOS last week for a 5/12/2013 sailing and the rep. did everything in her power to get us to book a balcony cabin and an inside across from it. She SPECIFICALLY said, more than once, that we did NOT have to have an adult in the cabin as long as we were across the hall. We don't like those kinds of rooms since we like to keep a better eye on our four kids than that provides; so we got connecting rooms on deck nine....the one all the way forward that's a balcony and OV connected.

 

Even after agreeing on that room and confirming it, she again tried to discuss possibly getting a balcony for us and a promenade room for them. It actually got to be a little irritating.

 

Something is up with this. I'd definitely call and speak to someone else before I gave up on my cruise. Those ages do NOT fit in the category of a "minor" and that doesn't qualify as a "student group".

[gowensricks]

Wow, I am so sorry this happened to you. This is frightening to me, because I was thinking about taking my God Daughter on a cruise, but now I have to think twice about that.

[spookwife]

At ages 18+ can't they just have booked their own rooms? Even if it's in their names, and someone else pays for it...And if i'm remembering correctly, isn't it ok to drink booze at age 18 once your far enough out to sea? Weird thread.

 

no and no. the only lines that permit 18 year olds to book is Disney and Cunard. most require someone 21( and Carnival is even higher at 25)

 

any and all cruises that leave from a US port the drinking age is 21, period end of subject on board. only cruises departing from EUROPE allow drinking with written permission of the parents/guardians.

 

the only thing I can think of is there are not enough adults OVER 21 to cover the number of those under 21.. every cabin with someone under 21 in it must have 1 adult booked into it( yes we all know people rearrange once on board)

 

so if the OP has 3 cabins booked, but there are only 2 adults( Gram and Gramps) then one cabin does not meet the requirement of an adult 21 and over booked into it.

[PhoenixCruiser]

 

I just have to say that it really bothers me to read some of the things that have come up lately about a company, and product, that I really like. This also happens to be a company, and product, that I talk up to a lot of people.

 

Same here, I just keep shaking my head over their recent decisions, or non-decisions...

 

###

[DonnaK]

I thought their policy has always been someone 21 or older had to be booked in a room w/ minors (under 21):confused:

 

Even married couples under 21 need to provide a marriage certificate in order to book their own room.

 

Unless those minors are YOUR OWN children. Then they can be booking into their own room without having someone 21 or older, as long as their room is next to or directly across from your cabin.

[reallyitsmema]

I'm no cruising veteran so maybe I just don't get it, but 18 means they are legal adults. Why is there an issue at all? I've lived on my own since I was 18, and I imagine back then I'd be pretty pissed if I were to go on a trip or something and be told that I don't have a legal guardian with me... That's the whole point of it being 18! I hope you get this worked out promptly!

Their ship, their rules. Very few cruiselines will let you book a cabin if you are 18. Some will let you book if you are 21, some make you have someone 25 or older if you have someone under 21 in the cabin. You need to look into the booking requirements prior to booking. Same with booking a rental car. Some agencies won't rent to someone under 25, others will but only if you pay a surcharge and are 21 or older.

 

The problem the OP is having is because they have unrelated young adults and only two adults between three cabins. Because the cruiseline entered an incorrect birthdate on the original reservation, the problem is only surfacing now.

[ggo85]

Agree that the fact an 18-yr-old is an "adult" is not determinative. As others have noted, we don't allow people to consume alcohol until age 21 and most rental car companies won't let you rent until you're 25.

 

As a private company, I would assume RCCL can do what it likes in this regard. And, to an extent, I understand the issue. They don't want a bunch of high-schoolers or even young college kids aboard w/o "adult" supervision. In order to ensure there is appropriate supervision, they've apparently adopted a rule of 1 adult (over 21) per number of cabins booked, even if the adult isn't actually in the cabin. That has the effect of limiting the number of under 21s who are traveling with the "adults" to what RCCL considers a reasonable number.

 

The one concern is that the issue apparently didn't come up until you called. I know when I've booked, they've asked at booking the age of all the passengers, which should immediately highlight the issue. Without knowing all of the facts, it's hard to understand why in your case, it didn't come to light until a week before sailing. That is unfortunate and obviously inconvenient.

[sarahc78]

Unless those minors are YOUR OWN children. Then they can be booking into their own room without having someone 21 or older, as long as their room is next to or directly across from your cabin.

So thats where the problem is then. None of these graduates are their children.

[johneeo]

..... it's hard to understand why in your case, it didn't come to light until a week before sailing......

 

Not hard to understand at all.

 

RCI's customer service has earned their reputation, pretty poor to downright awful.

 

This situation does not surprise me a bit.

[Cruisin Kay D]

Yes, I agree that the Megan being born in 93 instead of 83 may likely have triggered the final straw -- but WHY OH WHY did they not have the decency to PHONE ME on last Fri or Sat or Sun or Mon???

 

Yes, I love VRBO and have used them many times in the past. I went onto their website last night and found an available condo in Daytona Beach -- girls came to my home a while ago to view it and hear the sad "no cruise" news and are great with the condo for 4 nts -- got to call all their parents now about the change in plans.

 

You all have given me such wonderful moral support in this crisis of mismanagement. Thanks.

[LovesCruising]

Another point of interest -- just had a call from a woman from RC inquiring why WE CANCELLED our reservation -- so I tell her the WHOLE STORY -- now she is investigating. Mike thinks she is in accounting & got the message today to refund my cruise payments in total (which they rarely do 5 days before cruise) and accounting doesn't want to pay it back!!!!

 

Very interesting - the rep is investigating - is she going to call you back?

[hazeleyez3]

I am so sorry to hear all the trouble you are going through - especially since it is a gift to your granddaughter and her friends

 

Wait.........back it up a second.

 

They are 18 & 19 years old, and just graduating from high school?!?!?

 

Are ANY of the girls under 18?

 

Why are those ages surprising?

 

I see you are from PA. I have 2 cousins up there who will be 18 when they graduate...one will be close to 19. Neither had to repeat a year.