Cannot believe this - cruise overbooked!!

[PH8]

I never said she was coming out ahead.:)

.

That was my point....I think she should come ahead....even a little..:D

 

Oh the OP is on now.......probably laughing at the all the bickering going on here,,;)

[johneeo]

I never said she was coming out ahead.:)

 

Its 300 miles more round trip for the OP give or take and she says she drives a "little car". Lets just say little car gets at worst 25 MPG (most little cars get at least that) so she needs 12 extra gallons of gas at what? +/- 3.50 a gallon down there right now?

 

Thats 42.00 in extra gas and 20.00 extra for parking in Miami assuming they were going to park at the port in PC.

 

The offer is fair and would even be sweeter with a little more OBC to further compensate her "troubles"....That is ALL I was trying to say :)

 

 

You do not mention the aggravation of additional hours of driving on not the best or easiest of highway. So, you do not consider their time and aggravation of any value whatsoever.

 

I know that driving I95 in many metropolitan areas can take years off your life.

 

Nothing, zip, nada fair about it.

[reney313]

You do not mention the aggravation of additional hours of driving on not the best or easiest of highway. So, you do not consider their time and aggravation of any value whatsoever.

 

I know that driving I95 in many metropolitan areas can take years off your life.

 

Nothing, zip, nada fair about it.

 

I agree--maybe some folks don't put a value on their time--but I do. I also value wear and tear on my car, etc. I have no idea the OP's view on driving. But I often pay $200+ more per person to fly out of my hometown airport vs. driving 2 1/2 hours to a larger airport. So, to only offer $100 total OBC to drive an extra 2 1/2 hours each way would have been not reasonable to me...but that's just my opinion for what I care about.

 

I understand overbooking from time to time--not quite sure that was a good gamble for the company to make (it is NOT a passengers fault for accepting a guarantee booking and paying in full!). If they make that gamble, they should be prepared for a better offer to make it worth it. And by the way, an Oceanview is not much of an improvement over an inside on Majesty or Monarch. I've sailed in both and actually I prefer the inside cabins (better sleeping) if those are my only 2 choices.

 

If it were me, I would have done the same with Majesty and made the extra drive, but I would not have done it without more OBC to make it worth MY while since RCI are the ones that accepted the booking. Otherwise it should have been showing as sold out or a wait list if someone cancels.

[zebra]

I haven't disappeared - I've been reading all comments a few times per day and am heartwarmed to see that many of you feel the same as we did. Thank you for your support .... it's always so easy to rather take the low road of judgment without knowing all the facts (which I didn't want to bore you with in the OP) but so many were caring with the few facts that I gave and also gave good advice.

I took your advice and called RCCL.

After hearing me out the resolution specialist said: "I agree that you should not have only been awarded a $100 onboard credit, we will up that to $300" Thank you Royal Caribbean ... He also agreed with me that the upgrade to a Deck 2 oceanview with a small 18 inch diameter porthole was not great either but this ship is also full ... Whether we got the upgrade or not wasn't any kind of a deal breaker for us .. it was more about the compensation for our inconvenience.

We have done 26 cruises and have NEVER cruised out of Miami before because of the horrendous traffic getting to the port, as a previous poster also mentioned. It's different if you fly in and take a taxi with a driver that is on familiar turf, than when you have to drive yourself.

As my OP mentioned in the 2nd paragraph: We only had the Majesty as a choice because DH cannot get off at any other time in the near future. The full refund wasn't an option for us either for 2 reasons. 72 year old DH needs the break and this cruise would also bring us to the next Crown & Anchor level.

SPDbigG: I was simply made that comment because this is the level that we are on, I never mentioned anyone else or their level ... all I meant was with all the money we have poured into sailing on this product, you would have thought we would have got better treatment under the circumstance that THEY screwed up.

This brings me to another point. We cruised in April from Sydney to Hawaii on a 18 night cruise. We paid for an 18 night cruise. Once we got back home everyone on the cruise was only credited with 17 nights because their computer system could not compute the 2 days going over the International date line. We have waited for 2 months for the additional credit to post and it still has not to date .... they are still working on it. One credit you might say - well again we were working towards our next step with RCCL and with that 1 point plus this "Monarch/Majesty" cruise it would have given us our goal. So this overbooking of the Monarch screw up was the "final straw" for us ......

Anyhow - sorry I had to offload my life story here on CC, but again I really appreciate those who stood behind me and gave me good advice, you gave me the courage to call RCCL - you guys are what makes this forum worthwhile.

[zebra]

Too late. They took the Majesty option :)

 

Lets see here, a stop at Key West on Majesty vs. a sea day on Monarch. A better room on a little newer ship (I have heard such great reviews about Compass deli and I loved Johnny Rockets!) with some OBC to boot? Seems like a no brainer to me :)

 

Hopefully, the OP was able to get compensation for the extra gas and parking costs.

 

Yes, I would have gladly taken this offer if I were a central FL resident.

 

In fact, I almost called up RCI when they overbooked our Freedom cruise and ask them if I could be switched to Allure like they offered some FL residents knowing good and well it would have been about 3 extra hours of driving and another 100.00 in gas. I doubt they would have still had any accessible cabins left though. :o

 

I would like to respond to this and other postings that you posted:

Yes we took the Majesty option - see my above post for the reasons why.

The above post will also give you some insight into why we were so unhappy with RCCL.

With regard to a day at sea as opposed to Key West ..... why in the world would this be a no brainer for us? We are Floridians remember? We have stayed in Key West many times - why would a Florida port of call be something that we would choose on a cruise? As my husband is 72 and still works, we actually usually choose our cruises with as many restful sea days as we possibly can - and due to the circumstances of my husband only being able to get off for this short amount of time, and only this coming week .. we were thrilled to at least have one sea day on the Monarch.

With regards to Johnny Rockets - we don't eat burgers, fries or milkshakes .... try and eat healthy as much as possible as DH has Diabetes so we don't even go there.

with regards to the Deli - although I'm sure it is very nice .... we aren't interested in sandwiches (can do plenty of those at home) we prefer veggies, fruits and salads and being served in the MDR.

So a good lesson would be - not everyone's opinions on what they look for in a cruise is the same. It would have been great if you too could have given support and advice as opposed to your opinion on what WE should enjoy.

[Aquahound]

Zebra- Thank you for returning and explaining your choice. Glad to hear they raised the OBC. You deserve it. :)

[johneeo]

I haven't disappeared - I've been reading all comments a few times per day and am heartwarmed to see that many of you feel the same as we did. Thank you for your support ....

 

No need to thank anyone.

 

First, I love the RCI product, and am looking forward to my Oasis cruise. Not looking forward to the rectal exam I will go through boarding, as I have consistently voiced my displeasure with RCI customer service and management numerous times on this board.

 

The inconsistencies of this organization blows the mind ... from bringing water and other beverages on board, etc.

 

How difficult is it to address a situation where a customer gets the shaft, discuss it, and come up with a decent resolution?

 

But ...... no ......

 

As I posted before, If I was a manager, I would have called you, apologized profusely, and come up with whatever it took to make you happy.

 

The drive of an additional 4 hours was too much for you? For a couple of hundred bucks, I would have sent a stretch limo to pick you up.

 

If the drive was not a concern, maybe a balcony and a couple of hundred bucks in OBC.

 

Whatever. I will never ever understand how RCI customer service allows these things to happen on a regular and consistent basis.

 

Blows my mind. And don't let me get into it about the RCI cheerleaders.:rolleyes:

[PH8]

OP-Congrats on the extra OBC.......Now you are getting compensated the way you should be.......I hope you and your husband have a wonderful time....

[richstowe]

Glad you came back Zebra although it was not necessary. Your deal with RCI was the least they could do.

If you are satisfied, then that the only important thing.:) Perhaps it's time to investigate other cruise lines

 

Johneeo "Blows my mind. And don't let me get into it about the RCI cheerleaders.:rolleyes: "

Frankly cheerleaders I can accept. What I can't accept are those who attack others who are not cheerleaders.

[johneeo]

Johneeo "Blows my mind. And don't let me get into it about the RCI cheerleaders.:rolleyes: "

Frankly cheerleaders I can accept. What I can't accept are those who attack others who are not cheerleaders.

 

I agree.

 

Geez, if you read my reviews, you would have to conclude that .... well .... I love RCI.

 

Had the greatest of times cruising on RCI.

 

But, the incredible incompetence of customer service and upper management amazes me. Thankfully, they are not involved with the operation of the ships that I have (and will) cruise(d).

 

But, as with all businesses, the fish rots from the head on down, and when you have the clowns running the circus, over time, the results are inevitable.

[WeighAnchor]

But hey, people will still go on for weeks complaining about RCI and how they handle things without knowing all the details because thats the Cruise Critic way :cool:

Ha ha! So true! :D

[Ander026]

I personnaly would take the cruise on the Majesty and the OBC. One plus about Majesty is it does sail to Key West.

[SRQfireman]

You didn't list option 4.....stay on the cruise you paid in full on !! They can't kick you off....Princess does this all the time and they always offer "option#4".......people can't always move.

We need to hear why you *have* to move....they'll find somebody that wants to move

 

I am still surprised this was not addressed by anybody! Why did you HAVE to come off of this cruise? Apparently on RCCL they can just flat kick you off?

With Princess they give ya the option until they find some takers...very strange

[Big_G]

Lousy customer service. :mad: What? Satisfied? A satisfied customer??? :eek::D:D

[Poorplaya]

In regards to the OP, I've never heard of overbooking on a cruise before but if you don't want to switch and take the upgrade and OBC i would just tell them this is not an option for us and move someone else lol. That just wouldn't fly with me.

[toxicfairy]

I'm confused with why everyone thinks the OP deserves 300-$500 OBC for a cruise that is 3 nights and they probably spend $200pp. RCL is already upgrading their room, giving them an OBC and they are going to Key West which costs more in taxes for the cruise line. The only justified complaint is if they Majesty price was going for less than the Monarch on that sailing date.

 

I agree but was afraid to say that for fear of the flame thrower ;). When we cruise we have to save up and then save even more because we have to fly out of philadelphia to florida which is usually between 350. and 400.(sometimes a bit more) per person. I would love an upgrade and OBC never had either. I understand it is upsetting but it isn't like it was a cruise they had been planning for a long time. Oh well they will probably be back to tell how awful it was!

[Hunwolf]

I am a huge fan of the overall RCI product...but their customer service is mind boggling at times.

 

Sometimes you have to just bite the bullet and make things right with the customer...especially your repeat/frequent customers.

[setsail]

Interesting, seems to be a gty thing

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1376065&highlight=overbooked+cruise+on+royal+caribbean

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=63404&highlight=overbooking

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=514533&highlight=overbooked

[Host Anne]

Zebra ~ thanks for returning and letting us know what happened. Glad you made the call; hope you have a fantastic cruise and safe travels to and from Miami!!!

 

SRQ ~ Zebra booked a "guarantee" which you can see that booking one does not guarantee you will get a room!!! That meant she was never really assigned a cabin number and when they got down to assigning cabins to the guarantee bookings, they didn't have enough cabins left. I haven't read the fine print on what happens when the cruise line cancels us (I've never booked a guarantee) but they are going to try and get you to accept something else so they don't get to the point of confrontation. If they don't have a cabin, they don't have a cabin. My feeling is that their cancellation policy should go both ways. If they cancel a passenger, they should compensate the passenger 100% of their cruise fare -- beyond the full refund. What if the passenger is from out of state and has non-refundable plane tickets?

 

For me, it's simple. Zebra purchased and paid for something that couldn't be delivered. While it was nice of her to accept one of the options presented to her, she certainly shouldn't have felt obligated to do so. Why people book certain cruises and what they are looking for may different from other people. Zebra had every right to be upset with being cancelled. Forget that she lives in FL. It's just a lousy thing to happen to you, period. I'm glad it's working out for her.

 

Have a great cruise, Zebra!

[SRQfireman]

Guarantee actually means you are guaranteed a cabin in the category you picked/paid for or better.....if you have paid in full like they did, you are guaranteed to be on the ship. They have obviously covered themselve somewhere in the fine print that even though you're paid in full does not mean they have to give you a cabin apparently........hummmmmm

I still say I would like to hear if they were ever offered to remain on the Monarch if they so wished

[Host Anne]

Ah, SRQ ~ you are being FAR too logical!!! It SHOULD mean you are guaranteed a room but sadly you can see it doesn't. Now I'm going to have to go read the cruise contract fine print about our rights when they cancel us. I'll let you know what I find.

[Host Anne]

Here is the CANCELLATION BY CARRIER paragraph in the RCCL Cruise Contract:

6. CANCELLATION, DEVIATION OR SUBSTITUTION BY CARRIER:

Carrier may for any reason at any time and without prior notice, cancel, advance, postpone or deviate from any scheduled sailing, port of call, destination, lodging or any activity on or off the Vessel, or substitute another vessel or port of call, destination, lodging or activity. Carrier shall not be liable for any claim whatsoever by Passenger, including but not limited to loss, compensation or refund, by reason of such cancellation, advancement, postponement, substitution or deviation.

 

In connection with a CruiseTour, Carrier has the same right to cancel, advance, postpone or deviate from any scheduled activity, departure or destination, or substitute another railcar, bus, destination or lodging or other component of the CruiseTour. Carrier shall not be liable for any claim by Passenger whatsoever, including but not limited to loss, compensation or refund, by reason of such cancellation, advancement, postponement, substitution or deviation.

 

By way of example, and not limitation, Carrier may, without liability, deviate from any scheduled sailing and may otherwise land Passenger and her

property at any port if Carrier believes that the voyage or any Passenger or property may be hindered or adversely affected as a result of hostilities,

blockages, prevailing weather conditions, labor conflicts, strikes onboard or ashore, breakdown of Vessel, congestion, docking difficulties, medical or life

saving emergencies or any other cause whatsoever.

 

Carrier shall have the right to comply with any orders, recommendations, or directions whatsoever given by any governmental entity or by persons

purporting to act with such authority and such compliance shall not be deemed a breach of this Agreement entitling the Passenger to assert any claim for liability, compensation or refund.

What I find interesting about this clause is that it does NOT address the cruise line cancelling individual passengers from a cruise. It talks about cancelling the actual cruise, deviating from the itinerary, replacing with a different ship, etc. but nowhere does it address what happens when they cancel an individual passenger.

 

To read the entire contact, click here.

 

Another item of interest....this contact does not include Brilliance of the Seas. I'll have to go see what's different about their contract.

 

Great night to all!

[critterchick]

Another item of interest....this contact does not include Brilliance of the Seas. I'll have to go see what's different about their contract.

 

Great night to all!

 

Brilliance is owned by a different subsidiary; I believe that it's RCL UK. But I believe that several other ships have been transferred to that subsidiary, so I wonder how the cruise contract for them goes....

[The Big Booper]

Glad to see that RCI tripled the OBC for Zebra, that indeed is a tough drive to Miami. I'm surprised that RCI was selling guarantees and hoping that somebody would cancel when they knew inventory was very tight.

 

But that judgement is Revenue's, usually they know what they are doing.

[beachchick]

Doesn't sound like a bad deal to me. A 4 hour drive is nothing.

 

It's nothing to you; it's not nothing to everyone. That extra 2-1/2 hours would change a not too tiring 2 hour drive into a quite fatiguing, "probably going to be feeling rather lousy for the next day" drive for us. We are very careful with our timing and planning because we can no longer travel unless we do.

 

beachchick