RCI IT department puts me in my place

[PLEIKU68]

:)

Why we use RCI Certified Vacation Planners:

 

1. Emails answered within 24 hours or less

 

2. Their own phone extensions make correspondence and payments easy

 

3. I still control my own booking online

 

4. When informed, RCI CVPs make all necessary changes regarding price drops and or upgrades after final payment

 

5. More secure than dealing with an IT Dept whose accuracy seems to be questionable.

 

6. Cause MerionMom told us to and we are grateful for that ;)

 

 

 

 

You are a CVP , right ?

[sr4mjc]

Once I started booking on board or converting NCCs the payment button went away for good. Four years ago I began booking myself through cruising power so that is where I can make final payment but don't. The horror stories happen there, too. I've paid on line through cruising power and had invoices suddenly change prices saying I owe more. The only safe way now is to make the payment over the phone.

 

And yes, I've had them tell me that sometimes there are these "glitches". IT issues of course.

 

I'd still like to know when they put the payment button back for those not booking through agents. It had to have been in the past 4 years and I never read anything about it happening.

 

Gina

 

I'm not sure it's a matter of putting it 'back', I've never lost the option. That's from my Oasis 2010 cruise on, 7 cruises.. Maybe cruising power is your culprit?

[Clarea]

All of mine whether made online thru RCL or onboard have the Green make a payment button. However, only the ones that I made online have the cancel button.

 

If I want to cancel any of the ones made onboard I have to call them to do so.

I experience the same behavior. In addition to cancel, you can make some other modifications such as changing staterooms.

[CavePearl]

Why we use RCI Certified Vacation Planners:

 

1. Emails answered within 24 hours or less

 

2. Their own phone extensions make correspondence and payments easy

 

3. I still control my own booking online

 

4. When informed, RCI CVPs make all necessary changes regarding price drops and or upgrades after final payment

 

5. More secure than dealing with an IT Dept whose accuracy seems to be questionable.

 

6. Cause MerionMom told us to and we are grateful for that ;)

 

When I called "my" CVP this weekend I was told he had left. I asked who I would be working with in the future and the representative told me they were no longer assigning them so I would just work with whoever answered the phone!

 

The CVP booked the second cruise for my b2b, linked the two together and now I can pay for the new one he booked online but not for the first reservation. The first reservation was booked onboard with a loyalty ambassador and using a NCC, and I could make payments online. After the two were linked I can no longer make online payments for the first reservation, and I can't see how much I still owe.

 

This is crazy.

[ksadonnab]

Yup.......I was told the same thing in regards to the cruise planner under my reservation. The rep said she would send the issue to IT but most likely will not get to it before the cruise. I was told to just call in to book or purchase anything else I wanted......:confused::confused:.

[mommabean]

I'm not sure it's a matter of putting it 'back', I've never lost the option. That's from my Oasis 2010 cruise on, 7 cruises.. Maybe cruising power is your culprit?

 

 

It was 2010 when I began using cruising power. Prior to that I had no payment button once I started booking on the ship. That's when the button went away and I was told I couldn't pay on line.

Edited July 22, 2014 by mommabean

[nivek82]

Wonder what they would of said if you stops them you were going to cancel them all? I agree that they prob won't fix it but when did the fake BS stop and the truth "we don't care about you or your money" start?

[Clarea]

It was 2010 when I began using cruising power. Prior to that I had no payment button once I started booking on the ship. That's when the button went away and I was told I couldn't pay on line.

Gina, is Cruising Power more reliable than Royal's public website?

[jd07]

I had some information told to me about payment for a booking by 2 RCI staff in half an hour. When I called a 3rd time I was told that the first information was incorrect. When I said it appears I cannot trust anything told to mr by RCI and to always demand advice in writing I was told yes that's the case.

 

Mao RCI response to saying they are incompetent staff. Is to agree and can we move on. Not the best customer service

 

 

Sent from JD's iPhone using Tapatalk

[sr4mjc]

If I'm not using a NCC, I will book online next time. I really like being able to move cabins myself.

[CVU]

Book all our cruises with RCL on the phone or on board! Use their web site for pricing etc. Just do not trust their web site.:eek:

Make final payments on the phone with back up email of the new document. Shows up on the web site when we are all paid etc.

Had No problems........:D

Like control of our bookings and all those other reasons.

Edited July 22, 2014 by CVU

[TC1957]

Why we use RCI Certified Vacation Planners:

 

1. Emails answered within 24 hours or less

 

2. Their own phone extensions make correspondence and payments easy

 

3. I still control my own booking online

 

4. When informed, RCI CVPs make all necessary changes regarding price drops and or upgrades after final payment

 

5. More secure than dealing with an IT Dept whose accuracy seems to be questionable.

 

6. Cause MerionMom told us to and we are grateful for that ;)

 

That is like saying Jeffery Dahmer had questionable dietary issues.

[alfaeric]

Why we use RCI Certified Vacation Planners:

 

1. Emails answered within 24 hours or less

 

2. Their own phone extensions make correspondence and payments easy

 

3. I still control my own booking online

 

4. When informed, RCI CVPs make all necessary changes regarding price drops and or upgrades after final payment

 

5. More secure than dealing with an IT Dept whose accuracy seems to be questionable.

 

6. Cause MerionMom told us to and we are grateful for that ;)

 

+1, to us, all of the advantages of the TA are overwhelmed by the advantages of using RCI directly. That's our experience, and I know others will tell me otherwise. But I'm sticking to our experience. (most important, I'd rather not be stuck with a TA that got us a great deal due to a group reservation, which changes if we need/want to make changes.)

 

Our CVP has become more of a friend- I called once, left a message, and then called someone else to deal with the issue. But he called back, and we talked and BS's for a good 45 min, talking about trips, concerts, his family, etc. It's so nice to work with him.

 

I know it's quite possible that we will lose our CVP, but all of his back up's have been very good to deal with, too. So when that time comes, we'll just deal with it.

 

DW made one on-line reservation. Probably won't do that again. It's much more plesant to talk to a person.

 

YMMV, as I see that people have very much different experiences than us. But I'm still happy with how we do things.

[joepeka]

I just don't want to deal with any of this. All my 38 cruises have been booked with the same brick and mortar TA

 

I know these TA references are somewhat off the OP's topic but I am with you on this. I've even told our TA that for our next cruise, when the time comes, I will probably ask her to make any reservations that we would normally do ourselves through the Pre-Cruise Planner on the web site because of all the problems people have reported here for months. She said she would be more than happy to make those reservations for us and deal with any subsequent problems.

[mommabean]

Gina, is Cruising Power more reliable than Royal's public website?

 

 

No. I've had it change my price just by looking at a reservation. When I still had the payment button in "my cruises", I once changed from one JS to another and it changed my price to the current price. Neither site seems especially safe for managing bookings. I've been told that I should just call them to make changes so I don't experience any glitches. In other words, I should just settle for long telephone wait times.

 

My cruises also tend to get "locked" for no apparent reason making it impossible to log into it without calling and getting it unlocked.

Edited July 22, 2014 by mommabean

[Clarea]

No. I've had it change my price just by looking at a reservation. When I still had the payment button in "my cruises", I once changed from one JS to another and it changed my price to the current price. Neither site seems especially safe for managing bookings. I've been told that I should just call them to make changes so I don't experience any glitches. In other words, I should just settle for long telephone wait times.

 

My cruises also tend to get "locked" for no apparent reason making it impossible to log into it without calling and getting it unlocked.

Sounds like the price changing thing is happening on the back end database then. Both websites would have to access the same back end.

 

Thanks for the info. Hope all is well with you and Denis.

[BonTexasNY]

:)

 

 

 

 

You are a CVP , right ?

 

Wrong. See #6 on my list. Up until 4 years ago we didn't know they existed.

 

When I called "my" CVP this weekend I was told he had left. I asked who I would be working with in the future and the representative told me they were no longer assigning them so I would just work with whoever answered the phone!

 

The CVP booked the second cruise for my b2b, linked the two together and now I can pay for the new one he booked online but not for the first reservation. The first reservation was booked onboard with a loyalty ambassador and using a NCC, and I could make payments online. After the two were linked I can no longer make online payments for the first reservation, and I can't see how much I still owe.

 

This is crazy.

 

Sorry you're having so much difficulty. Last time I had communication with my CVP was a year ago so perhaps their system changed since then. I'll be sorry if it does. At that time our CVP always had a back up name to reach if she was not available personally. Since we're still in temporary drydock I had no reason to be in touch since that time.

[BonTexasNY]

5. More secure than dealing with an IT Dept whose accuracy seems to be questionable

 

That is like saying Jeffery Dahmer had questionable dietary issues.

 

I was being kind ;)

 

+1, to us, all of the advantages of the TA are overwhelmed by the advantages of using RCI directly. That's our experience, and I know others will tell me otherwise. But I'm sticking to our experience. (most important, I'd rather not be stuck with a TA that got us a great deal due to a group reservation, which changes if we need/want to make changes.)

 

Our CVP has become more of a friend- I called once, left a message, and then called someone else to deal with the issue. But he called back, and we talked and BS's for a good 45 min, talking about trips, concerts, his family, etc. It's so nice to work with him.

 

I know it's quite possible that we will lose our CVP, but all of his back up's have been very good to deal with, too. So when that time comes, we'll just deal with it.

 

DW made one on-line reservation. Probably won't do that again. It's much more plesant to talk to a person.

 

YMMV, as I see that people have very much different experiences than us. But I'm still happy with how we do things.

 

Nice to know your experience was as pleasant as ours.

[hancogran]

:eek: Wow... I thought I was the only one experiencing this same problem. I also cannot make any payments online and it's pretty darn frustrating having to call RCL each time. Last week it was a 45 minute wait and the month before that it was half an hour.

 

I finally got an answer from the IT department telling me: It may be that your reservation was made through the US office. Please contact us at (866) 562-7625 for payment inquiries. Well I'm quite positive our reservation WAS through the US office but then again, what other office should it have been booked through???? We live in Canada but I have never had this happen before.. I've always been able to make payments online.

 

I guess I will just wait until it's time for final payment because the frustration and the wait is not worth it. :rolleyes:

[NorbertsNiece]

When I called "my" CVP this weekend I was told he had left. I asked who I would be working with in the future and the representative told me they were no longer assigning them so I would just work with whoever answered the phone!

 

The CVP booked the second cruise for my b2b, linked the two together and now I can pay for the new one he booked online but not for the first reservation. The first reservation was booked onboard with a loyalty ambassador and using a NCC, and I could make payments online. After the two were linked I can no longer make online payments for the first reservation, and I can't see how much I still owe.

 

This is crazy.

 

I read a few months ago about a similar situation, unfortunately I only remember the resolution not the thread : trick is to unlink the consecutive cruises on-line. Once final has been made they can be linked up again....

[CavePearl]

Wrong. See #6 on my list. Up until 4 years ago we didn't know they existed.

 

 

 

Sorry you're having so much difficulty. Last time I had communication with my CVP was a year ago so perhaps their system changed since then. I'll be sorry if it does. At that time our CVP always had a back up name to reach if she was not available personally. Since we're still in temporary drydock I had no reason to be in touch since that time.

 

I would like to think the system hasn't changed, but I'm afraid it probably has. I used to have a great CVP too, and was sorry when I was told he was gone. I asked to speak with the rep who had taken his accounts, and that's when I was told they don't do that any more. (It's possible of course that if a different CSR answered I might have heard another story, but it's what I was told at the time.)

 

The person I talked to this time was very nice and helpful, so I have no complaints there at all. My complaint is with the fact that I can't call him back. I just have to settle for whomever answers the phone. And, I don't like it at all that I can't see my balance or make payments online!

 

I hope it changes back again by the time you are finished with drydock. :)

[CavePearl]

I read a few months ago about a similar situation, unfortunately I only remember the resolution not the thread : trick is to unlink the consecutive cruises on-line. Once final has been made they can be linked up again....

 

I might try this. Now I just have to figure out how to do it. :p

[NorbertsNiece]

I might try this. Now I just have to figure out how to do it. :p

 

Might necessitate a phone call......

 

/runs from room and hides.....

[CavePearl]

Might necessitate a phone call......

 

/runs from room and hides.....

 

LOL. I'd hide too!

[mommabean]

Apparently way back when my payment button went away and I asked a customer service rep why, I believed the answer. I didn't know better back then about getting a different answer depending on which rep was asked, but have continued to believe the answer I got to this day. Of course, the way it sounds, if I had asked them to fix it, I'd have been waiting endlessly. Although I did get the same answer from loyalty ambassadors.

 

Gina