Brilliance of the Seas 2nd June 2012 Norway fjords cancelled now we go to Denmark!!

[Addict]

You do realize that "ad hominem" attacks are the weakest forms of argument?

Your dealing with crap every day might not deserve sympathy but it certainly wouldn't merit criticism if you dealt with it to the best of your ability. That is all that I was suggesting for the folks at RCI who had this challenge suddenly thrust upon them. Perhaps sympathy wasn't the best choice of words, but "understanding" might better describe was being suggested.

Incidentally, not that it has anything to do with the legitimacy of my opinions of which you are so critical, but I definitely do not work for RCI or any cruiseline.

 

Really? No I didn't know that. Thanks for pointing that out.

 

I was not attacking you or criticising you personally - merely pointing out that although I agreed with most of what you said, I disagreed with one point - and the reasons why.

[Cotswold Eagle]

I too am on this cruise. I am desparately disappointed to be missing the fjords, but have decided to make the most of it and enjoy the new itinerary (and put the fjords back on my bucket list, as I move Copenhagen off it :) ). I have nothing but sympathy for those, like the OP, who clearly have more emotionally invested in the original itinerary than I do, however, and feel their frustration and need for anger.

 

It became clear that this was likely to happen earlier in the week and I posted on this board, various roll calls and the North Europe board to alert folk. The strike in the pilot boat service (not the pilots themselves) went nationwide on Wednesday, but it would have been imprudent (in my opinion) for RCI to have acted hastily without seeing what the actual effects (which remain confused - some ships are getting into some ports) were going to be. Meanwhile they have clearly activated contingency planning and arranged a new itinerary in short order.

 

I understand there was mediation planned overnight last night in the strike, so I can understand them holding back in case it was called off. They were really between a rock and a hard place, as described by previous posters.

 

The compensation is adequate for me - I am not going to waste my energy and stress in fretting about it. When RCI called me this morning, it was clear that the polite and apologetic lady I spoke to was getting a hard time from (understandably) upset cruisers. She said she really hates having to do this, and of course she has limited information and no power.

 

My one real criticism would be them talking about Berlin (Warnemunde) - that has clearly casued confusion. Plenty of other nice things to do in the area without slogging in to Berlin and back in a day.

 

I hope all those affected find their own way to deal with the situation.

[Artemis]

OP, what a bummer! It is disappointing to see your trip change so dramatically.

 

Have you already visited the places they substituted? If not, consider making an adventure of it! Copenhagen is, of course, amazing, and as others have indicated, we found interesting things in both Aarhus and Warnemunde/Rostock.

 

Here are two things I would do ASAP:

 

(1) Check my insurance. Some travel insurance covers strike/labor action! Other travel insurance excludes that kind of risk.

 

(2) If no coverage, prepare an itemized list of non-refundable expenses with receipts and call RCI to learn who has authority to approve. Escalate as necessary in effort to get an answer within the next couple of hours to decide whether to cancel.

 

 

Best wishes on re-grouping.

[ptngr]

If this itinerary change a done deal, why is it that the RCCL update page: http://www.royalcaribbean.com/contentPage.do?pagename=important_updates still treating it like it's just a possibility?

Should the strike continue and include all port pilots in Norway, Brilliance of the Seas’ next sailing will be unable to call to any of the Norwegian ports of call on its itinerary. We have been diligently working to prepare an alternative itinerary should the strike continue, which will include port calls to Copenhagen and Aarhus, Demark, and Berlin (Warnemunde), Germany. We encourage guests on the Saturday, June 2, sailing of Brilliance of the Seas monitor this website for any additional updates.

 

I just refreshed and that's what's still showing right now. If they're going to have passengers monitor the site, they should keep it updated. People could be traveling and checking this page at every wifi hotspot they find and still wouldn't know that they've changed the itin? That doesn't seem right!

[negc]

If this itinerary change a done deal, why is it that the RCCL update page: http://www.royalcaribbean.com/contentPage.do?pagename=important_updates still treating it like it's just a possibility?

 

 

I just refreshed and that's what's still showing right now. If they're going to have passengers monitor the site, they should keep it updated. People could be traveling and checking this page at every wifi hotspot they find and still wouldn't know that they've changed the itin? That doesn't seem right!

 

This is a point with which I totally agree. If RCI is already contacting passengers to advise them that the changes are indeed going to occur, they should be updating their website with that same information. However, we should know by now that the RCI IT department has serious deficiencies in this and other matters.:rolleyes:

[shaggyofwv]

I agree that this situation sucks, but RCI is really looking out for the passengers in this situation. If a strike occurs and they arrived at the port, you probably couldn't even disembark.

 

I say go ahead with the cruise and make the best of it.. Any cruise is a good cruise.

[kimberley]

If this itinerary change a done deal, why is it that the RCCL update page: http://www.royalcaribbean.com/contentPage.do?pagename=important_updates still treating it like it's just a possibility?

 

 

I just refreshed and that's what's still showing right now. If they're going to have passengers monitor the site, they should keep it updated. People could be traveling and checking this page at every wifi hotspot they find and still wouldn't know that they've changed the itin? That doesn't seem right!

 

On RoyaVision of the Seas and Brilliance of the Seas

*Strikes in Norway

May 31, 2012

 

Vision of the Seas will call to Geiranger, Norway, today, Thursday, May 31, spend Friday, June 1, at sea and conclude its sailing in Gothenburg, Sweden, on Saturday, June 2. The sailing was scheduled to end in Oslo.

 

Brilliance of the Seas will call on Bergen, Norway, today, Thursday, May 31, spend Friday, June 1, at sea and conclude its sailing in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on Saturday, June 2, as scheduled.

 

####

 

 

May 25, 2012

 

Royal Caribbean International continues to monitor the ongoing workers strike in Norway, which currently includes the port pilots in Oslo.* Local and International Maritime regulations stipulate that all cruise ships must have a pilot onboard in order to enter various ports of call throughout the world.* Port pilots are experts in the navigation of the local waters and play a crucial role in entering and departing ports of call.*

 

Since the port pilots in Oslo are on strike, and they are required to be onboard in order for us to enter the port, if the strike continues Vision of the Seas will be unable to dock in Oslo on Sunday, May 27, as originally planned.* Because of this, it will be necessary to modify Vision of the Seas’ boarding and debarking process on Sunday.* Vision of the Seas will arrive in Gothenburg, Sweden, on Sunday, and guests will be transported to and from Oslo via motor coach.**

 

# # # # #

This is what is on the UK site Saturday 2nd June 2012 at 5.34am

l Caribbean.co.uk it doesnt even show the updates!!

 

RCCL will not help out with any non refundable items this came from the top. Choice Go or stay at home.

I think what is most upsetting is what we have actually paid for the cruise. A premium rate for the itinary for a inferior product.

[MikaelT84SE]

http://www.kystverket.no/en/News/The-strike-of-the-pilots-and-pilot-boat-skippers-is-called-off/

[trojan3000]

Kimberley with the strike being call off lets us know if they changed Brilliance back to Norway

[Iluvcruising2]

www.kystverket.no/en/News/The-strike-of-the-pilots-and-pilot-boat-skippers-is-called-off/

 

This may even cause more chaos. Wonder if the cruise lines will resume the original itinerary. Maybe not.

[Ross Revenge]

Let's hope todays Azura cruse will now revert to original Norway itin, the car ferry terminals & container ports of Europe was a poorly thought out substitute. P&O may well have thier "reasons" we this cannot be done. They will have lots of unhappy passengers if they don't!

[CruiseImage]

http://www.kystverket.no/en/News/The-strike-of-the-pilots-and-pilot-boat-skippers-is-called-off/

 

Looks like its over Kim, hope you get over your flight problem you now have.

Hope you and Ian have a great time.

[evanwier]

The original Norway cruise is on again. :)

[CruiseImage]

The original Norway cruise is on again. :)

 

Thank god for that... Those poor RCI staff, who will no doubt still get moaned at!

[evanwier]

Not by me, not even if we went to Copenhagen. I know it takes lots of work to change at the last moment and thenevenback again.

 

Better moan at the strikers :)

[Isa65]

Thank Goodness.....

 

But I sort of feel bad for those who have cancelled this cruise....

[Embracedbylife]

I feel really bad for those who cancelled, or changed flights and now are either missing the cruise or changes flights again etc. Crazy how things change so fast but they do, as everyone said communication is key, and hope everyone is getting this up to date info as they need it to catch the ship today! Good luck to those of you affected by this....

[bajathree]

I agree. I feel bad for anyone that has their itinerary changed but there is only so much that a cruise line can do. It's a gamble we all take when we cruise. Also, had RCI changed the itinerary earlier and the strike had somehow been settled before this cruise date, you would have the same people raising heck over the itinerary being changed too early. They are in a no win situation here.

 

That about sums it up Gordon.....you are dammed if you do and dammed if you don't.

[grvdggr71]

When I first started cruising, I was advised never to book a particular itinerary solely based on the stops - with the way cruise contracts are written and the dependence on weather for each stop, you are never guaranteed to stop at the scheduled ports. With this in mind, I have always shopped for well-covered travel insurance policy for any of our fancy trips. Assuming that you had this, you could cancel your trip outright and be refunded all of your money, minus the insurance premium.

 

I am certain that this was unexpected - I myself am booked on Vision going to Norway in September and I hope this situation is cleared up by then. If not, I can either choose to take whatever modified itinerary Royal Caribbean will offer, or cancel the trip and put a claim on the travel insurance. Either way, it is ultimately my decision. The thing that made me most sad about the OP is the general intonation that the cruiseline was forcing this upon you. To a degree they are, but I doubt they are happy about the situation either.

 

Here hoping it will all work out for you in the end.

[negc]

That about sums it up Gordon.....you are dammed if you do and dammed if you don't.

 

Exactly, and ironically some of those who were so critical of RCI's handling of the situation and claimed it was acting prematurely by publishing a possible alternative itinerary, now find that by choosing to cancel their cruise, they are the ones who acted prematurely. As the old saying goes, "Act in haste, repent at leisure". I am glad for those who stuck in and are now going to get the cruise that they originally paid for.

We had a similar situation many years ago when Bermuda transportation workers including the tender and ferry operators and bus drivers went on strike. As we sat on our cruise ship outside of Hamilton, the Captain strode dramatically into the theater to announce that the "Strike is Over". We still had to wait off the island until the following morning when the workers returned to their jobs before we could get on land.

[PH8]

 

I am certain that this was unexpected - I myself am booked on Vision going to Norway in September and I hope this situation is cleared up by then..

Posts this morning ,right here on this thread,say it is over and the cruise will be going to Norway..

[ptngr]

If this itinerary change a done deal, why is it that the RCCL update page: http://www.royalcaribbean.com/contentPage.do?pagename=important_updates still treating it like it's just a possibility?

I guess they were right after all to treat it as just a possibility and the chat reps were wrong to tell people the change was certain.

 

However, the website still says the same thing it did, even now that the strike is over! Get with it, RCCL people! It takes an intern just a few minutes to make these kinds of updates and it can makes a huge difference to your passengers.

[swcruise]

Looks like this all came good in the end. I wonder how many people changed plans based on the calls from RCI, hopefully not too many, but I'm sure we will hear more on the boards..

[daddynews]

We cancelled our 2nd June cruise to Norway based on the information given at 4.50 p.m. on Friday, 1st June that the itinerary had been changed to Germany and Denmark. Am I to believe the cruise has now reverted to it's original itinerary in Norway? If so I will not be a happy bunny.

[Elaine0138]

Sorry daddynews the cruise was able to revert to the original itinerary once the strike was called off.