Cruise not taken due to Hurricane Sandy 11/03/2012

[rvsullivan]

Unlike most, I think the OP has a fair point. They paid £x,000 to Royal Caribbean, and in exchange Royal Caribbean agreed to provide a ship, a bed, a load of food, and a few loyalty points.

 

Then, the OP told Royal Caribbean that they could keep the £x,000 but the OP didn't want the ship, bed, or food any more - but could they keep the loyalty points please. Royal Caribbean's got the money - why shouldn't they fulfil that tiny part of the contract that they can still supply?

 

Except, you leave out a key point. The OP did not tell the cruise line to keep the money. They filed an insurance claim and were reimbursed their cost. If anyone were entitled to the points it would be the insurance company that actually paid for the cruise! And I don't think the insurance company cares.

Next time when someone signs up for insurance, ask how much extra you need to pay to insure your points also. They may price it out for you!!:D

[DirtyDawg]

Except, you leave out a key point. The OP did not tell the cruise line to keep the money. They filed an insurance claim and were reimbursed their cost. If anyone were entitled to the points it would be the insurance company that actually paid for the cruise! And I don't think the insurance company cares.

Next time when someone signs up for insurance, ask how much extra you need to pay to insure your points also. They may price it out for you!!:D

 

My question is what the cruise line's policy would be if the Op didn't have insurance? Would it change? Or is all this discussion about insurance just a moot point. Does the cruise line care whether a customer's recovers insurance money or not since they have the cash the the nights anyway? Now, what they don't have, when a cruise is missed, is all the high margin on-board spending in the casino, spa, bars etc.

[fortinweb]

My question is what the cruise line's policy would be if the Op didn't have insurance? Would it change? Or is all this discussion about insurance just a moot point. Does the cruise line care whether a customer's recovers insurance money or not since they have the cash the the nights anyway? Now, what they don't have, when a cruise is missed, is all the high margin on-board spending in the casino, spa, bars etc.

 

You raise a good point. It is well known that cruise lines will heavily discount rates to fill their ships because they gain zero on board revenue from empty cabins. Since the OP did not occupy that cabin, and the cruise line would have had very little chance of filling it, the OP's misfortune has caused the cruise line a loss of revenue. Is it any wonder why the OP won't get rewarded with points when they did not show up? Why reward someone who has, in essence, lowered your revenue stream?

[taglovestocruise]

Unlike most, I think the OP has a fair point. They paid £x,000 to Royal Caribbean, and in exchange Royal Caribbean agreed to provide a ship, a bed, a load of food, and a few loyalty points.

 

Then, the OP told Royal Caribbean that they could keep the £x,000 but the OP didn't want the ship, bed, or food any more - but could they keep the loyalty points please. Royal Caribbean's got the money - why shouldn't they fulfil that tiny part of the contract that they can still supply?

 

You Brits have a different sense of humor. happy cruising

[momofmeg]

You Brits have a different sense of humor. happy cruising

 

You know, I understood the OP wanted at least a partial refund. If all it is loyalty points that they are asking he is right, RCI is being jerky. They got the money, small price to pay.

[shorbr]

You know, I understood the OP wanted at least a partial refund. If all it is loyalty points that they are asking he is right, RCI is being jerky. They got the money, small price to pay.

 

I agree!

[boogs]

You know, I understood the OP wanted at least a partial refund. If all it is loyalty points that they are asking he is right, RCI is being jerky. They got the money, small price to pay.

 

By the OP's admission, they got their money back from the insurance, so they ended up paying nothing. Well, for paying nothing, they get nothing. Seems fair to me.

[momofmeg]

I agree!

 

How are you? good to "see" you!

[navybankerteacher]

You know, I understood the OP wanted at least a partial refund. If all it is loyalty points that they are asking he is right, RCI is being jerky. They got the money, small price to pay.

 

The line's profit comes from the on-board spending; the fare covers salaries, fuel, entertainment, food and amortization of cost of ship-building; none of which costs were reduced by OP's failure to sail. Service staff probably lost income from auto-tip not being paid. OP got his money back - if he were also to get status points (which translate into value of some sort to him and corresponding cost to the line), he would be the only player to gain while all others lost.

[dsrdsrdsr]

Except, you leave out a key point. The OP did not tell the cruise line to keep the money. They filed an insurance claim and were reimbursed their cost. If anyone were entitled to the points it would be the insurance company that actually paid for the cruise! And I don't think the insurance company cares.

Next time when someone signs up for insurance, ask how much extra you need to pay to insure your points also. They may price it out for you!!:D

I'm not sure I get your point. Either the cruise line kept the money, or else the insurance paid it - not both. Under UK law, at least - it may be different in the USA - the holidaymaker makes two entirely separate contracts, one with the holiday company and one with the insurance company. For this particular circumstance, in UK law, the insurance contract isn't relevant - it's only the holiday contract that matters - unless US custom or practice is different?

[boogs]

I'm not sure I get your point. Either the cruise line kept the money, or else the insurance paid it - not both. Under UK law, at least - it may be different in the USA - the holidaymaker makes two entirely separate contracts, one with the holiday company and one with the insurance company. For this particular circumstance, in UK law, the insurance contract isn't relevant - it's only the holiday contract that matters - unless US custom or practice is different?

 

Yes, the cruise line kept the money - and, yes, the insurance paid for it. It IS both. The OP did not end up losing any money on his missed cruise. He was fully reimbursed by the insurance company. In the end, it was the insurance company that provided the funds for the cruise. The OP ended up paying nothing. So why should he expect to get points for paying nothing? That's the point.

 

What amazes me about some people's thinking is they seem to be ignoring the fact that it was the OP who missed the ship, not the cruise line cancelling his cruise. It is the OP that did not make it to the ship. The ship was there for him if he had made it. Why should he be rewarded for missing the ship????

Edited January 5, 2014 by boogs

[Jay23]

You Brits have a different sense of humor. happy cruising

 

What we Brits don't have is the facility to buy "cancel for any reason" insurance. If this had happened to us, we would get no refund, no insurance repayment and no loyalty points. The OP has been very lucky, IMHO!!!

[shorbr]

How are you? good to "see" you!

 

Doing great! Friday is my last treatment and now I am getting all excited about cruising on the Quantum!!!

[momofmeg]

Doing great! Friday is my last treatment and now I am getting all excited about cruising on the Quantum!!!

 

"like!"

[momofmeg]

The line's profit comes from the on-board spending; the fare covers salaries, fuel, entertainment, food and amortization of cost of ship-building; none of which costs were reduced by OP's failure to sail. Service staff probably lost income from auto-tip not being paid. OP got his money back - if he were also to get status points (which translate into value of some sort to him and corresponding cost to the line), he would be the only player to gain while all others lost.

 

you are correct IF the cruiseline did not turn around and resell that stateroom-on full sailing ships there is always a waiting list and normally transatlantics are full as they are very popular. There is a good chance they sold that cabin and still made their $$$. I know I have several times talked to people who were on a waiting list and boarded ship last minute, including my transatlantic. The ship still sailed out full

 

You know since the OP missed this cruise because of Hurricane Sandy and all they want is 4 loyalty points not the 16 they would have earned-RCI is chancing losing future booked cruises with the OP. It would cost them NOTHING, If I was the OP I would cancel that cruise and rebook with another line-send them a message. After all money talks and if the OP shows they will lose their business RCI may think differently on those 4 pitiful points. since the OP has already rebooked another cruise I am sure RCI does not see the need.

 

To the OP-bottom line-you have to decide how much those loyalty points are important to you. I guess if you really feel RCI is the absolute best cruise line then you should keep your booked cruise. I am not a cruise line loyalist, I may have my favorite cruise line but I will cruise other lines.

[CaroleSS]

If I was the OP I would cancel that cruise and rebook with another line-send them a message.

 

The problem with that is that to them, losing one client means nothing...:(

 

I heard a CD talking about all the people he heard saying "I'll NEVER sail with you again".....and later would see them!

 

Sadly, I doubt they care. You'd be cutting off your nose to spite your face.

[momofmeg]

The problem with that is that to them, losing one client means nothing...:(

 

I heard a CD talking about all the people he heard saying "I'll NEVER sail with you again".....and later would see them!

 

Sadly, I doubt they care. You'd be cutting off your nose to spite your face.

 

Well the OP has to decide if they like RCI well enough that they would be cutting off their nose to spite their face. I have found that when a company gets so big that they no longer worry about losing a few customers that often they no longer have the same quality/service they previously had. The OP may find they like another cruise line just as well if not better.

 

BTW-did you read my WHOLE post? quoting that one line from my post is taking it out of context. I already told the OP if they really like RCI better than any other line they should stay with their booked cruise.

Edited January 6, 2014 by momofmeg

[dsrdsrdsr]

Yes, the cruise line kept the money - and, yes, the insurance paid for it. It IS both. The OP did not end up losing any money on his missed cruise. He was fully reimbursed by the insurance company. In the end, it was the insurance company that provided the funds for the cruise. The OP ended up paying nothing. So why should he expect to get points for paying nothing? That's the point.

I'm surprised the OP paid nothing. Surely he'd have had to pay an insurance premium, which wouild not be refunded? Or is it all completely different in the US?

 

I still don't see the point of trying to link the two separate contract, cruise and insurance. Are you saying that if the OP had not been iunsured, the cruise line ought to allow the loyalty points? Because it makes not a blind bit of difference to them whether the OP got his money back or not.

[rvsullivan]

I'm surprised the OP paid nothing. Surely he'd have had to pay an insurance premium, which wouild not be refunded? Or is it all completely different in the US?

 

I still don't see the point of trying to link the two separate contract, cruise and insurance. Are you saying that if the OP had not been iunsured, the cruise line ought to allow the loyalty points? Because it makes not a blind bit of difference to them whether the OP got his money back or not.

 

 

The OP is out the cost of his/her insurance. You do not get your insurance fee's refunded. Cruise lines do not give loyalty points for booking a cruise, they give them for completing a cruise. If you read the terms and conditions of a cruise contract, they state points will be awarded some number of days after completion of a cruise. There is NO reward for booking nor for paying for a cruise. The reward is for taking the cruise and in this case the OP did not take the cruise!

[boogs]

I'm surprised the OP paid nothing. Surely he'd have had to pay an insurance premium, which wouild not be refunded? Or is it all completely different in the US?

 

I still don't see the point of trying to link the two separate contract, cruise and insurance. Are you saying that if the OP had not been iunsured, the cruise line ought to allow the loyalty points? Because it makes not a blind bit of difference to them whether the OP got his money back or not.

 

The insurance was an option, not a requirement. Like auto and home insurance, it is a way to cover unexpected loses. The cruise line should in no way be expected to accommodate that cost since it is there only for the protection of the customer. If you own a home, you purchase home insurance to cover any catastrophic damages, hoping all the time that you will never need it. If you have a fire, you expect the insurance company to pay for the damages. Do you also demand that who you bought the home from offer you some additional compensation as well? After all, they got paid in full for the home. The answer, of course, is "NO".

 

What I, and several other reasonable people are saying is that the OP should expect zero points for a cruise that the cruise line made available to them but they missed due to their own circumstances, not the cruise line's, regardless of who paid for it. That they were reimbursed for it by their insurance makes the denial of points even more reasonable.

Edited January 7, 2014 by boogs

[CaroleSS]

...

Cruise lines do not give loyalty points for booking a cruise, they give them for completing a cruise. ...

There is NO reward for booking nor for paying for a cruise. The reward is for taking the cruise and in this case the OP did not take the cruise!

 

Bingo has been called!

[momofmeg]

The OP is out the cost of his/her insurance. You do not get your insurance fee's refunded. Cruise lines do not give loyalty points for booking a cruise, they give them for completing a cruise. If you read the terms and conditions of a cruise contract, they state points will be awarded some number of days after completion of a cruise. There is NO reward for booking nor for paying for a cruise. The reward is for taking the cruise and in this case the OP did not take the cruise!

 

The OP booked and paid for a cruise. They also booked private insurance (like Travelguard) not through the cruise line. Due to circumstance beyond their control (weather, flights canceled) they were unable to make the cruise. Nearly a year later their PRIVATE travel insurance( non cruise line related,) reimbursed them their original cost minus insurance premium of course.

 

They are asking for 4 pitiful points from RCI. RCI has lost nothing as I am sure they resold the stateroom, even if at reduced rates, it would be a gain for them. There is a good chance that they did as I have talked to enough people on cruises who do this regularly. The guy on my transatlantic was retired and he said if he had not gotten on ours he would have gotten on one of Cunard's ocean crossings. He was single and so was not worried about when he came back to the US. From what he said to us, he makes pretty much a "career" of doing this.

 

Bottom line it seems to me RCI has gotten so big they do not care about customer service.

Carol S says "bingo" I am sure to this statement also.

 

Perhaps RCI is cutting off their noise to spite their face huh. Why do I say that? Well the OP is just one customer but how about all the potential customers who read this? I agree that those who really love their product will not care but others who simply like them okay will think twice especially if RCIs' ace in the hole with those people is building loyalty points.

 

I do not care about loyalty points myself. I think my signature shows that. I do like Celebrity a bit better than other lines and am "select" on them but with their new way of accruing points I am too far from "elite" for that to be a selling point in booking a cruise with them over another line.

 

My priorities is itinerary when booking a cruise with my husband. That is more important than cost. If it is pricey we are willing to wait and save. When we cruise with our daughter who works in our county school system it is different, then we book by price, as it is much more expensive when she can go.

 

Our third priority is the line. If there is little difference in price of course we will book Celebrity over NCL as they are a better line, but we are not adverse to cruising NCL if the price is right and we like the itinerary.

 

BTW we like RCI's radiance class ships very well so yes we cruise RCI. We are just not very likely to cruise her monster ships.

 

Why am I all of saying this? I know it seems OT. I am merely saying the OP and others who feel loyalty points are a big deal that I find there are often better values than "loyalty points" by being open to cruising different lines.

[CaroleSS]

momofmeg is correct in that ALL the mass cruise lines have gotten so big that customer service has fallen to the wayside.....

 

BUT, they are not the only ones! Airlines, department stores, big-box <anything>....they all could care less if they lose 'you' as a customer as for every 1 that is disgruntled, 4 more come walking in!!

 

I don't think the OP deserves the points and here is why:

1 - points are given to cruises sailed (days at sea). The OP did not SAIL. Granted it was of no fault of his, but he received his money back, so it was if nothing had happened. You don't get points for booking a cruise and then cancelling it.

2 - even if RCI sold his cabin, the NEW sail-or would get those points as THEY did the sailing.

3 - presidence - that's the biggie. If RCI starts passing out points to people who feel they are 'justified' in receiving them, where does it stop? (think formal night dress code here!) Someone on another board thought they should get money back for a stinky smell in their room. If you are refunded money, do you have to refund some of your points too?? The OP is only one, but if you start adding up all those that would abuse the system, it could be a LOT of points!

 

I'm not sure why the OP can't just take another cruise and attain "elite".

Edited January 7, 2014 by CaroleSS

[DRS/NC]

Isn't it it time to retire this thread?

[CaroleSS]

Isn't it it time to retire this thread?

 

This and all the formal dress code ones too!!!