Reservation cancelled!

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

There are other cruise ships sailing out of the same port on similar time schedule. But if you insist on Allure only and nothing else, that's a choice you make.

 

I was thinking this as well. There are other options.

 

Allure leaves on Sundays from Port Everglades. Harmony will be leaving on Saturdays from that same port. Oasis will be leaving on Sundays from Port Canaveral. Freedom has 6/8 itineraries leaving on Saturdays and Sundays from Port Everglades.

 

Is this post rude? I don't want to get in trouble just because I don't see the OP's problem as a big deal. ;)

[molly361]

It's all in the eye of the beholder. :cool:

 

I agree

[cot427]

From what I can tell about my brief time on CC is that there indeed is a large amount of rude and insulting people on here. ******* seems to fit this bill quite well. Royal Caribbean Blog seems much more friendly. I do still like the information presented on here, but also wish it was not as hostile of an environment. I feel bad for all the people that get hammered by others for simple mistakes or saying a slightly wrong thing. Not just an isolated thing either. Seems to be in pretty much every topic opened up.

 

OP... it will work out in the end for you. I would be upset as well, but would find an alternative.

 

I agree - I have been a member here for quite a number of years now and I don't ever remember it this bad. While I have not read through this entire thread, I am speaking generally. Not only in RCI but on NCL, Celebrity, Cruise Air, etc. Yes, there is a wealth of knowledge here and a few posters in each should be praised for the amount of info they give, but there are some who are always witty and rude.

 

OP - Since this is a year out, as long as they offer you price protection and give you $100 pp, that's a better deal than when you started, correct? Hopefully you are a little flexible with dates. Unfortunately, this sort of thing can happen. Just be lucky that it wasn't a partially chartered cruise - I've been there and they actually closed several venues for the group which I thought was not right since regular paying passengers are paying for the whole ship.

[setsail]

Really :eek:

I've made 6 or 7 posts and not one was rude or insulting. I wasn't even dismissive of the OP. At one point I politely asked how they felt insulted. Welcome to CC.

 

Maybe this could be one of the 5 topics you talked about:p

 

I mean really, you are just going to have to change these percentages now, they are already outdated:D

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=48843234#post48843234

[John&LaLa]

Maybe this could be one of the 5 topics you talked about:p

 

I mean really, you are just going to have to change these percentages now, they are already outdated:D

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=48843234#post48843234

 

The Willy Wonka meme above was the one I mentioned in that thread. Now I need to find some new ones

[RocketMan275]

From what I can tell about my brief time on CC is that there indeed is a large amount of rude and insulting people on here. John&LaLA seems to fit this bill quite well.

 

After you've been here awhile, you'll find John&LaLa are some of the most helpful posters here.

[critterchick]

Thank goodness someone else sees it from a different country's perspective. Planning a cruise for the Med, USA etc from Australia requires many months pre planning and flight bookings. Planning and booking for us starts 15 months out. Cancelling a cruise after bookings have been made is much more costly than $100 OBC.

 

I'm curious to know what other expenses are involved 15 months out. As far as I know, the international carriers open up air 365 days in advance. I wouldn't book a non refundable hotel that far in advance, although I acknowledge that many other people do. Just curious, really.

 

Yes, it's a year out, but I also understand being upset. I don't understand why they cannot simply make it clear that the date sales will be released to the general public is X and any full-ship charters MUST be contracted by a date before X. Would there be complaints? Probably, because they've allowed this ridiculous practice of allowing full-ship charters after bookings have begin by this clause that part of the finances of the charter will include compensation for the displaced cruisers. But they could remove that clause and redo the entire thing by saying charters must be contracted before general sales begin.

 

Honestly the more of these reports I read, the less likely I'm going to be to rebook on RCCL - especially because I AM limited in when I can travel, so a smattering of random offerings isn't going to cut it for me if a cruise I book gets chartered after the fact.

 

RCI is the only line that we've had offer us OBC for a reschedule or redeployment. All Princess offered was an incentive to the TA (me) to convince the clients to rebook another cruise - no alternative dates, no price protection, nada. I think that's probably typical. When it's too far out to have booked air and it's unlikely that anybody has booked nonrefundable/non changeable hotel or car, then the amount really is a gift IMO.

 

OP, I understand being annoyed at having to change your plans, but it's not as if you don't have plenty of time to come up with something else similar or perhaps better (Harmony will be brand new, but I'll bet that wasn't offered). I admit to having hopscotched through the thread - is RCI offering anything on the same departure weekend or just other departure dates?

 

PS your TA won't have to go through "all kinds of trouble" to switch your reservation. Once you've picked what you want, tell him and it's just a few keystrokes or a phone call to RCI to get it done. Easy peasy. :)

Edited January 25, 2016 by critterchick

[John&LaLa]

After you've been here awhile, you'll find John&LaLa are some of the most helpful posters here.

 

Thanks, but I do have a snarky side. I have been trying to keep it in check though. Maybe powerboy is referring to something i have said in the past. And as far as I'm concerned there is nothing wrong with injecting a little humor into a thread. Laughter is the best medicine.

 

Safe travels and see you on Oasis someday.:D

[ezcruizer]

I agree that the cruise line can do what, however, when you are fortunate enough to snag a cabin at a fantastic price you would be disappointed that you may now have to pay a potential higher price for the same cabin on a different sail date. I got a fantastic price on my Harmony sailing when I booked last year. It is 3x the amount now. I don't really care if they offer an OBC as compensation, I would rather have the savings in the cruise price.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

I agree that the cruise line can do what, however, when you are fortunate enough to snag a cabin at a fantastic price you would be disappointed that you may now have to pay a potential higher price for the same cabin on a different sail date. I got a fantastic price on my Harmony sailing when I booked last year. It is 3x the amount now. I don't really care if they offer an OBC as compensation, I would rather have the savings in the cruise price.

 

Usually Royal will offer a few price-pretected alternative sail dates to choose from.

[sfaaa]

 

Is this post rude? I don't want to get in trouble just because I don't see the OP's problem as a big deal. ;)

 

The big deal is clearly the $100 compensation which according to OP is an insult to him. Had RCL offered $1,000 upfront, perhaps there would have been no issue and we may never get to read this thread to begin with. But who knows?

[novicetraveller]

The big deal is clearly the $100 compensation which according to OP is an insult to him. Had RCL offered $1,000 upfront, perhaps there would have been no issue and we may never get to read this thread to begin with. But who knows?

Only a $1,000? I would say more. After all the OP is a D+

[John&LaLa]

Usually Royal will offer a few price-pretected alternative sail dates to choose from.

 

In my limited experience, the price protection is great, but if it's a popular cruise, the cabin category may no longer be available

[Pushka]

I'm curious to know what other expenses are involved 15 months out. As far as I know, the international carriers open up air 365 days in advance. I wouldn't book a non refundable hotel that far in advance, although I acknowledge that many other people do. Just curious, really.

 

 

 

RCI is the only line that we've had offer us OBC for a reschedule or redeployment. All Princess offered was an incentive to the TA (me) to convince the clients to rebook another cruise - no alternative dates, no price protection, nada. I think that's probably typical. When it's too far out to have booked air and it's unlikely that anybody has booked nonrefundable/non changeable hotel or car, then the amount really is a gift IMO.

 

OP, I understand being annoyed at having to change your plans, but it's not as if you don't have plenty of time to come up with something else similar or perhaps better (Harmony will be brand new, but I'll bet that wasn't offered). I admit to having hopscotched through the thread - is RCI offering anything on the same departure weekend or just other departure dates?

 

PS your TA won't have to go through "all kinds of trouble" to switch your reservation. Once you've picked what you want, tell him and it's just a few keystrokes or a phone call to RCI to get it done. Easy peasy. :)

 

 

We usually spend a month or more overseas and if the cruise is at the end then flights will certainly have been booked more than 12 months from when the cruise starts. If we are spending 3 months overseas then the 15 months time period kicks in.

[Semi Retired]

This happened to us on Celebrity (RCCL partner) on a year and half time out. I did intense search and found out it was a Microsoft convention that hire ship as hotel accommodation in San Francisco. I told my agent and fellow cruisers before it got out officially. We were ignored for 2 weeks before the official announcement. They offered 100 obc on our cruise that was changed to different itinerary. Most of us abandoned ship. I think Microsoft ended up cancelling and I noticed the ship trying to fill for a new set itinerary. Their loss.

[travelgoddess1]

How unfortunate to have had this happen to you. We always book our cruises about two years out, and what happened to you is our worst fear. You pick your perfect cabin, get a decent rate, and you really look forward to all the fun you will have. Then RCCL takes it all away from you! I feel extremely sorry for you. I agree with Bob, Royal should offer you something else, and with price protection. Hopefully you will be able to turn this horrible situation around. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

We've had multiple cruises cancel after we book them. It's the nature of the beast as ships redeploy and are chartered. We are currently on Oasis, and several people from NV joined us this week as NV was chartered, sometime in October! They had less time to change plans and ships, and airfare had been purchased. They were price-protected and given the same OBC as the OP was offered.

 

Not a big deal, really.

[travelgoddess1]

We usually spend a month or more overseas and if the cruise is at the end then flights will certainly have been booked more than 12 months from when the cruise starts. If we are spending 3 months overseas then the 15 months time period kicks in.

 

I know there might be one or two exceptions, but most airlines do not open their flights for booking more than 1 year out. U.S. airlines are 330 days (roughly 11 months) prior to departure.

 

I wonder if at 15 months out, any money has been spent, other than on the cruise deposit itself.

[harz99]

I know there might be one or two exceptions, but most airlines do not open their flights for booking more than 1 year out. U.S. airlines are 330 days (roughly 11 months) prior to departure.

 

I wonder if at 15 months out, any money has been spent, other than on the cruise deposit itself.

 

Whether money has actually been spent or not matters little, it could easily have been.

 

I will shortly be booking the first flights to start part of a multi stop holiday which has a 12 night cruise at the end of the holiday, those flights would be at the start of the 15 month window referred to earlier. If that cruise was then cancelled I would find myself having to book a separate flight at some cost to cover the gap left en route home, and lose several days holiday which the booked cruise had filled.

[RocketMan275]

We've had multiple cruises cancel after we book them. It's the nature of the beast as ships redeploy and are chartered. We are currently on Oasis, and several people from NV joined us this week as NV was chartered, sometime in October! They had less time to change plans and ships, and airfare had been purchased. They were price-protected and given the same OBC as the OP was offered.

 

Not a big deal, really.

 

 

It can be a very big deal if you are particular about your cabin. We book as soon as the cruises are listed for sale because there maybe just a very few cabins we want. It does little good to offer us $100 as compensation when none of the cabins we want are available on any of the options offered.

[Beachammo]

It can be a very big deal if you are particular about your cabin. We book as soon as the cruises are listed for sale because there maybe just a very few cabins we want. It does little good to offer us $100 as compensation when none of the cabins we want are available on any of the options offered.

 

We feel exactly the same way. I book first day also to get certain cabins on the aft. Having the larger balcony out of the wind is a "must have" on our cruise vacation. We love breakfast on the balcony and find it extremely difficult with a normal side balcony.

 

When Royal chartered my last leg of a B2B....my only choice was to book an earlier leg. At first Royal would not price protect it and I had to go to battle. Even then.....I had to take a less desirable cabin. With due diligence, looking on the Royal site twice a day, I was able to to snag an aft. Not the same as my second week cabin, so I still gotta move after my first leg.

 

Don't really care about the $200 OBC. If I really wanted OBC......I would use a TA.

Edited January 25, 2016 by Beachammo

[RocketMan275]

We feel exactly the same way. I book first day also to get certain cabins on the aft. Having the larger balcony out of the wind is a "must have" on our cruise vacation. We love breakfast on the balcony and find it extremely difficult with a normal side balcony.

 

When Royal chartered my last leg of a B2B....my only choice was to book an earlier leg. At first Royal would not price protect it and I had to go to battle. Even then.....I had to take a less desirable cabin. With due diligence, looking on the Royal site twice a day, I was able to to snag an aft. Not the same as my second week cabin, so I still gotta move after my first leg.

 

Don't really care about the $200 OBC. If I really wanted OBC......I would use a TA.

 

Exactly, we feel the same way.

[Pushka]

I know there might be one or two exceptions, but most airlines do not open their flights for booking more than 1 year out. U.S. airlines are 330 days (roughly 11 months) prior to departure.

 

 

 

I wonder if at 15 months out, any money has been spent, other than on the cruise deposit itself.

 

 

Yes. If the cruise is at the end of a long stop overseas then flights are booked this far in advance of the cruise.

Exception? Majority of Aussies travelling abroad.

My SIL paid the non refundable deposit on her Europe cruise 15 months out that included a flight package.

 

Maybe people need to realise that it isnt just USA people who travel on cruises and our situation is very different.

Edited January 26, 2016 by Pushka

[BekkaW]

Thank goodness someone else sees it from a different country's perspective. Planning a cruise for the Med, USA etc from Australia requires many months pre planning and flight bookings. Planning and booking for us starts 15 months out. Cancelling a cruise after bookings have been made is much more costly than $100 OBC.

 

What airlines are you booking with? I've never been able to get something more than 11 months out

[Pushka]

What airlines are you booking with? I've never been able to get something more than 11 months out

 

 

Qantas is our main one. 365 days out flights are released. But TA packages can be purchased much further out than that.

[ScubaCruiser54]

That is not being generous. They inconvenienced them for all of their time and effort to make the choice and put down deposits. RCI is starting to act more like Carnival.

 

And I too am a Diamond Member, so I have a reference for my comments.