Freedom of the Seas - Mechanical Problems

[JinxyB]

I was on the 12/7 sailing and have no issues with the way the medical evacuation went-I would expect the same treatment if one of my family members was sick. I can't imagine how terrifying it was for that poor family. I would like to know why every other sailing affected by the mechanical/propeller issue has received generous OBC and ours was not. I don't think that is whining?!

[ratred]

Seems a fair question. Far too many people in this thread derailed by the ill child. They are missing the forest for the trees immediately before them. Would be interested to know. Princess is much more receptive to customer issues.

 

Best-

 

Steve

 

The 12/7 sailing on the Freedom of Seas was our 4th sailing. That was our second on the Freedom. We were planning to due all of our cruising with Royal. With the unfair treatment we received this sailing I think we will try some different we liked NCL but didn't like Carnival we may give Princess a shot.

[fourkittys]

Has anyone received anything about their 25% future cruise credit from the 11/30 Sailing?

 

Not yet but as I understood it....it would be several weeks

[Thetrail]

Yes we all read the fine print. Why did RCCL give the 12/21 credit?

Feeling benevolent for that date?:D

[cruisegirl1]

No compensation for the 12/28 cruise. Three of the four stops have been changed or shortened so that any meaningful excursion is difficult or impossible. Many excursions from RCCL have been canceled and those who have booked privately have to cancel.

 

This is not a last minute or unexpected weather or mechanical issue.

 

Still not sure why some sailings are receiving compensation for the change and others are not.

 

M

[ratred]

Found this on RCCL site:

Anchored In Excellence

 

We always provide service with a friendly greeting and a smile.

We anticipate the needs of our customers.

We make all effort to exceed our customers expectations.

We take ownership of any problem that is brought to our attention.

We engage in conduct that enhances our corporate reputation and employee

morale.

We are committed to act in the highest ethical manner and respect the rights

and dignity of others.

We are loyal to Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises, and strive for continuous improvement in everything we do.

 

 

I think they failed on all but the first statement on the 12/7 sailing.:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

[winobucks]

Frankly, I am quite disgusted that you would even have the balls to write and complain about the missed port considering that it was purely for a medical emergency. Had it been you that fell ill, you would expect the same treatment or more. The decision to turn around and provide proper medical care for that child was a humanitarian decision and not to "ruin" yours or anyone else's vacation.

 

Was it disappointing to miss a port? Yes. Did it ruin the vacation enough to complain to RCI headquarters? Absolutely not. The cruise was still a great cruise and we all made due with the extra sea day. It makes me sick when people will waste the time to bitch about things out of your control and let it ruin an otherwise good time and to keep it going nearly three weeks later.

 

I would imagine you were one of those passengers that the captain was referring to when he stated in his announcement the following morning about not taking out disappointment on the crew and to address senior staff or corporate offices.

 

In the end, it's a vacation. Enjoy it.

 

Frankly you did not see the original email I sent to Royal Caribbean. My complaint was all the missed port time including the pitiful port time we had in the Grand Caymans due to the missing propeller. As I have said before and will repeat for the last time for those of you living an hour away from Port Canaveral and are avid cruisers (That would be you ryguyburns and retired leo) - you certainly do not understand what it means to spend $2000 on airfares and other costs to get to Port Canaveral, spending two days of your vacation flying to and from to get to your cruise, only to have a disappointing cruise mainly due to mechanical failure issue they were fully aware of. Then to hear other cruises before and after were getting compensation and it appears we on the 12/7 sailing are not as they now have the medical emergency as an excuse. Cruise vacations for many take years to save. So frankly for those who cannot understand our complaints- lucky for you. For the record, I for one only spoke to senior staff and corporate offices so you are imagining wrong.

[Alwaysacruiseinthequeue]

Frankly, I am quite disgusted that you would even have the balls to write and complain about the missed port considering that it was purely for a medical emergency. Had it been you that fell ill, you would expect the same treatment or more. The decision to turn around and provide proper medical care for that child was a humanitarian decision and not to "ruin" yours or anyone else's vacation.

 

Was it disappointing to miss a port? Yes. Did it ruin the vacation enough to complain to RCI headquarters? Absolutely not. The cruise was still a great cruise and we all made due with the extra sea day. It makes me sick when people will waste the time to bitch about things out of your control and let it ruin an otherwise good time and to keep it going nearly three weeks later.

 

I would imagine you were one of those passengers that the captain was referring to when he stated in his announcement the following morning about not taking out disappointment on the crew and to address senior staff or corporate offices.

 

In the end, it's a vacation. Enjoy it.

 

As it turns out it was passing the buck anyway. There was no point in addressing corporate land-side, as they were fully equipped with canned unyielding responses. After only two cruises, we're done with RCCL and will be returning to (believe it or not) CARNIVAL.

[Alwaysacruiseinthequeue]

The 12/7 sailing on the Freedom of Seas was our 4th sailing. That was our second on the Freedom. We were planning to due all of our cruising with Royal. With the unfair treatment we received this sailing I think we will try some different we liked NCL but didn't like Carnival we may give Princess a shot.

 

We're moving on as well. :cool:

[Alwaysacruiseinthequeue]

Found this on RCCL site:

Anchored In Excellence

 

We always provide service with a friendly greeting and a smile.

We anticipate the needs of our customers.

We make all effort to exceed our customers expectations.

We take ownership of any problem that is brought to our attention.

We engage in conduct that enhances our corporate reputation and employee

morale.

We are committed to act in the highest ethical manner and respect the rights

and dignity of others.

We are loyal to Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises, and strive for continuous improvement in everything we do.

 

 

I think they failed on all but the first statement on the 12/7 sailing.:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

 

Considering how they shut guests of the 12/7 sailing down afterward...yup...you're right.

[Alwaysacruiseinthequeue]

No compensation for the 12/28 cruise. Three of the four stops have been changed or shortened so that any meaningful excursion is difficult or impossible. Many excursions from RCCL have been canceled and those who have booked privately have to cancel.

 

This is not a last minute or unexpected weather or mechanical issue.

 

Still not sure why some sailings are receiving compensation for the change and others are not.

 

M

 

Maybe because we so-happened to have a medical emergency the port cut could be blamed on that instead of the props.

[Alwaysacruiseinthequeue]

Frankly you did not see the original email I sent to Royal Caribbean. My complaint was all the missed port time including the pitiful port time we had in the Grand Caymans due to the missing propeller. As I have said before and will repeat for the last time for those of you living an hour away from Port Canaveral and are avid cruisers (That would be you ryguyburns and retired leo) - you certainly do not understand what it means to spend $2000 on airfares and other costs to get to Port Canaveral, spending two days of your vacation flying to and from to get to your cruise, only to have a disappointing cruise mainly due to mechanical failure issue they were fully aware of. Then to hear other cruises before and after were getting compensation and it appears we on the 12/7 sailing are not as they now have the medical emergency as an excuse. Cruise vacations for many take years to save. So frankly for those who cannot understand our complaints- lucky for you. For the record, I for one only spoke to senior staff and corporate offices so you are imagining wrong.

 

I couldn't believe the cold, "too bad/read your contract" canned response I got from the guest service person land-side. I'm new to RCCL and, up and to this point was extremely impressed with guest service...but not necessarily their ships....it's over....

[William W]

Let's put that aside and ask the REAL question here...

 

Why is Royal Caribbean offering OBC for this week's sailing; it is a reduced itinerary that should have been the same itinerary as 12/7. People that boarded 12/21 were given the OBC right off the bat. I believe the alternate itinerary cruises immediately before and immediately after the 12/7 cruise were given some form of compensation.

 

It just makes no sense to me. For the past 4 cruises when guests boarded there were conditions known that would impact itinerary and three out of four of those cruises were given compensation.

 

I was also on the Dec 7th sailing, and I have written to the executive office, and subsequently have received a call back from someone at that office a day after I sent the email. Kudos for them for the speedy response.

 

In my letter, I essentially stated the facts and only brought up the missed port issue because I did not received a refunded of the port charges. But otherwise, I pretty much stated my disappointment of their inconsistent treatment for guests sailing on the 12/7 sailing as compare to other affected sailing. Sadly, the person from the executive office over the phones pretty much agree with me on the unfair treatment as she mentioned on the phone several times that she is not calling to dispute what I have stated as she agrees with them. However, her hands are tied and all she can do is to summarized the complaints and bring it to senior management attention. And if there are enough complaints, they may offer some form of compensation like they did for the guest that were on the Oasis Westbound Transalantic crossing.

 

And I'll probably get flamed for saying this, essentially, the message I got from this is, RCCL does not really value the business of people on the Dec 7 sailing. They tried to retain the loyalty of guests on other affected sailings, by going above and beyond of what is stated on the cruise contract and offered them OBC or FCC to retain their business. Yet, they are not willing to do anything for customers on the Dec 7 sailing despite acknowledging the terms of the contract was applied inconsistently and the decision was unfair to those on the Dec 7 sailing.

[LoveyHowell]

I was also on the Dec 7th sailing, and I have written to the executive office, and subsequently have received a call back from someone at that office a day after I sent the email. Kudos for them for the speedy response.

 

In my letter, I essentially stated the facts and only brought up the missed port issue because I did not received a refunded of the port charges. But otherwise, I pretty much stated my disappointment of their inconsistent treatment for guests sailing on the 12/7 sailing as compare to other affected sailing. Sadly, the person from the executive office over the phones pretty much agree with me on the unfair treatment as she mentioned on the phone several times that she is not calling to dispute what I have stated as she agrees with them. However, her hands are tied and all she can do is to summarized the complaints and bring it to senior management attention. And if there are enough complaints, they may offer some form of compensation like they did for the guest that were on the Oasis Westbound Transalantic crossing.

 

And I'll probably get flamed for saying this, essentially, the message I got from this is, RCCL does not really value the business of people on the Dec 7 sailing. They tried to retain the loyalty of guests on other affected sailings, by going above and beyond of what is stated on the cruise contract and offered them OBC or FCC to retain their business. Yet, they are not willing to do anything for customers on the Dec 7 sailing despite acknowledging the terms of the contract was applied inconsistently and the decision was unfair to those on the Dec 7 sailing.

 

What a load of manure! Why does RCI even have someone bother to respond to you that is completely powerless to do absolutely anything? That's insulting. In my line of work we are empowered to make things right. No sense horsing around for a month and sending some PR flak out to make doublespeak.

[winobucks]

I too emailed executive offices and received a prompt phone call. Apparently that is their policy when a customer contacts the executive offices. The response I received was sympathetic and understanding but also with an emphasis that their hands are tied as it is the higher ups that sit around a board table deciding who gets what. Interestingly enough they do also read cruise critic and I was told the more people complain the more they are apt to respond with some form of compensation. Keep on calling and emailing!

[ratred]

Funny---I first called after the cruise and was just bushed away. When asked to speak to a supervisor was told one would call back within 24 hours. I said I would stay on hold and wait wouldn't you a person picked up the phone within less than a minute. After speaking with this (so called supervisor) I got the same line of bull. Then asked for that persons supervisor and was told I would receive a callback in 24-48 hours. I did receive a call the next day and was given the same bull, I asked to speak to this persons supervisor and was told that this was as high as it would go. I said so great you are the CEO.

 

I then sent an email to Adam Goldstein and Michael Bayley on Dec 16 and from the 18 I received this reply:

 

 

Thank you for your correspondence into our Executive Offices at Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. We appreciate the opportunity to address the concerns you have brought to our attention.

 

Please be advised that your correspondence is currently under review and an Executive Guest Specialist will be reaching out to you soon to go over these concerns.

 

Again, Mr. & Mrs. Mara, thank you for reaching out to us. We look forward to speaking with you in the near future.

 

Sincerely,

 

Corey Richburg

Executive Office

Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd.

1-888-767-4644 Ext. 11609

crichburg@rccl.com

 

I have received a reply since and have sent follow up emails on Dec 29 and Jan 3

[William W]

What a load of manure! Why does RCI even have someone bother to respond to you that is completely powerless to do absolutely anything? That's insulting. In my line of work we are empowered to make things right. No sense horsing around for a month and sending some PR flak out to make doublespeak.

 

That's exactly it, at first, when I received the call, I felt I'm being heard and being valued as a customer as at least they respond to my concerns.

 

 

But after the call, the more I think about it and digest the message, that's when I start to get really disappointed. My thought is:

- the person I just talked to on the phone is a representative of the Executive Team

- she is not disputing that guest on the Dec 7 sailing were treated inconsistently with guests on other affect sailing.

- nothing can be done about it, all she can do is to summarized the response and bring it to management attention.

 

So my conclusion is the person I talked to is

 

(a) not really a representative of the executive as she is not empowered to do anything. That position is more or less a PR position, pretty much there just to sooth angry customers. Or

 

(b) the Excutive Team does not make any decision, and there is another layer of management that calls the shot and makes these type of decision. Or

 

© The executive team doesn't really care, and just defer responsibility to "management:, after all, if the Exectuive Team can't make this right, I don't know who else can fix this.

[royalmariner24]

I was on the December 7th cruise and I agree 100% with the captain and his decision to go back to Grand Cayman with the child. I have been on many RCCL sailings and have had numerous medical emergencies. It makes me feel good to know if me or a family became ill we would be cared for by the RCCL medical team etc....

As far as compensation goes I feel as though they could have offered us an OBC or certificate for another upcoming cruise. I was in a balcony and paid @ $ 1700 . I just wished we could have spent more time in all the ports we visited. They knew there was a mechanical issue that was ongoing. The captain has NOTHING to do with the financials........ It's all the folks in Miami".......

 

 

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[William W]

I was on the December 7th cruise and I agree 100% with the captain and his decision to go back to Grand Cayman with the child. I have been on many RCCL sailings and have had numerous medical emergencies. It makes me feel good to know if me or a family became ill we would be cared for by the RCCL medical team etc....

As far as compensation goes I feel as though they could have offered us an OBC or certificate for another upcoming cruise. I was in a balcony and paid @ $ 1700 . I just wished we could have spent more time in all the ports we visited. They knew there was a mechanical issue that was ongoing. The captain has NOTHING to do with the financials........ It's all the folks in Miami".......

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

I totally agree with you about the Captain's decisions and it was also mentioned in my letter to the Exectuive Team.

 

I feel the main issue for those who sailed on the Dec 7 sailing is the inconsistent and treatment of affected guests. It just seems to me they have taken the paying guest on Freedom's December 7 sailing for granted, or they value them less as customers, thus they feel they don't need to be treated equally.

[cruiseluvingirl]

Does anyone know why Freedom is back in Port Canaveral today?

[John&LaLa]

Does anyone know why Freedom is back in Port Canaveral today?

 

Back from pre dry dock cruise, heading to Freeport now for dry dock

 

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[cruiseluvingirl]

Back from pre dry dock cruise, heading to Freeport now for dry dock

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Forums mobile app

 

Thanks! I was wondering when she was going in for dry dock this month.

[Hank99]

No compensation for the 12/28 cruise. Three of the four stops have been changed or shortened so that any meaningful excursion is difficult or impossible. Many excursions from RCCL have been canceled and those who have booked privately have to cancel.

 

This is not a last minute or unexpected weather or mechanical issue.

 

Still not sure why some sailings are receiving compensation for the change and others are not.

 

M

 

Noted here also. We booked before I'd seen anything on here about the issue the ship has. It was only days before the trip that we were informed of the changes, reducing time in ports of call so much that we found ourselves rushing around to see a bit of Jamaica, and the worst call was in Cozumel where we were very limited.

 

We heard people had excursions cancelled, and of course the return morning to Port Canaveral was a challenge. Captain was on the PA system advising that we'd be late the next day. I had the misfortune of needing to go to guest services... Oh dear. The line of people! 3 or 4 behind the desk. 12 or more waiting. Frustration when 2 or 3 walked up to the priority line lead to threats from those behind me that they were going to move to the priority line instead!! I queued for 20-25 minutes...

 

We enjoyed our week, but it was not the Royal Caribbean experience we enjoyed so much previously.

Edited January 24, 2015 by Hank99