empress first 6 sailings canelled

[ltjn]

I guess your personal opinion of other countries, depends upon your personal experience. My father was a Navy Corpsman during WWII in the Pacific Theater. After his service, he went college and become a chemist for a major chemical company. In the mid 60's he's was given an opportunity to go to Japan to help start up a chemical plant. Due to his experiences he refused. (Right or wrong he could not relive what he saw and experienced).

 

Some people have very strong opinions and feeling about interacting with communist countries.

[coaster]

That is just wrong. Suppose (for example) that you booked the Empress on January 3, 2016. If you had known that the Empress cruise would be cancelled, you would have booked a different ship on January 3, 2016 at whatever rate was in effect on January 3, 2016. It is absolutely wrong for Royal to make you pay March 23, 2016 rates for a substitute cruise when it was they not you who cancelled (unless there was no increase in rates between the two dates). Royal should also take care of ALL incidental costs associated with the change such as airfares, hotels, ground transportation. The airfare issue can be particularly complex if the original airline ticket was purchased or upgraded with frequent flyer miles and those capacity controlled awards are no longer available. A service oriented company would make its customers whole in all of those regards.

 

 

The support like this and that others have shown for those of us in this situation is greatly appreciated. I just wish a corporation who is in the hospitality business would be as understanding and offer more options to folks who are willing to shift to other ships in the fleet.

 

 

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[SaintL]

I can provide a few stories that relatives of mine in Italy had to tell about what sorts of things happened when the Germans decided to roll through the town that we are from over there.

 

 

And i would never take anything away from those experiences, however the same people are not in power in germany anymore but yet in cuba its the same regime.

[coaster]

If you paid 349$ for a oceanview room because you were enticed by a really great deal on a new ship experience, Then booked great rate flights because you are on a budget and have handicapped teenager at home to change diapers and looked forward to all year long for a break for sanity-this was a fellow cruiser. Then the airlines want to charge 400.00 in change fees that you do not have If you look at from a cold business perspective then it makes sense to the corporation. Loyal royals and new Royal customers left with a bad taste.

 

 

Islandcrazed,

 

The personal details you shared are something I can't stop thinking about after I read it. My disappointment with our cancelled cruise is misplaced compared to what you have shared with strangers such as me. I am sorry RCI put you in a situation that has caused further stress for you.

 

Please add me as a contact if possible. I really would like to start a process to help your situation.

 

 

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Edited March 23, 2016 by coaster

[actuarian]

Some people have very strong opinions and feeling about interacting with communist countries.

 

The Peoples Republic of China is a communist country. It is also responsible for the deaths of well over 200,000 Tibetans. I would never go there but Royal Caribbean does go there and I cannot find an iPhone (or very much else) that is not marked "Assembled in China". So, IMHO, Royal Caribbean might as well go to Cuba too. I will not go to either place.

Edited March 23, 2016 by actuarian

[magicsoccer]

Can anyone tell me how long it should take Empress to get to Tenarife? And how long from there to Freeport?

[Clarea]

Can anyone tell me how long it should take Empress to get to Tenarife? And how long from there to Freeport?

We made it in less than three days from Cadiz on Voyager.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

Can anyone tell me how long it should take Empress to get to Tenarife? And how long from there to Freeport?

 

We made it in less than three days from Cadiz on Voyager.

 

My MarineTraffic app has her arriving in Tenerife at 10:30 (am? pm?) UTC. I think that would be about 6:30 here in Pennsylvania. Could be wrong on that.

Edited March 23, 2016 by OfTheSeasCruiser

[Merion_Mom]

My MarineTraffic app has her arriving in Tenerife at 10:30 (am? pm?) UTC. I think that would be about 6:30 here in Pennsylvania. Could be wrong on that.

 

I'm just realizing that you are right up the turnpike from me! ;)

[magicsoccer]

Thank you-faster than I was thinking.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

I'm just realizing that you are right up the turnpike from me! ;)

 

Haha, yep. We're right on the Delaware. :)

[chengkp75]

Can anyone tell me how long it should take Empress to get to Tenarife? And how long from there to Freeport?

 

My MarineTraffic app has her arriving in Tenerife at 10:30 (am? pm?) UTC. I think that would be about 6:30 here in Pennsylvania. Could be wrong on that.

 

About 7 days 18 hours, less 4 hours time change.

 

10:30 utc is 10:30 am, as opposed to 22:30 which is 10:30 pm.

[Merion_Mom]

Haha, yep. We're right on the Delaware. :)

 

Last stop before Jersey! ;)

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

About 7 days 18 hours, less 4 hours time change.

 

10:30 utc is 10:30 am, as opposed to 22:30 which is 10:30 pm.

 

I should've known that. :o

 

My app has her arriving tomorrow, but that seems a little fast?

[Gilligan101]

We were scheduled for the March 30th sailing on Empress. This was our first ever cruise and the entire family was going to celebrate birthdays over spring break. We were all new to cruising. I found Cruise Critic and joined because there was so much good information provided. Since it was uncharted waters for us (pun intended), we hired a TA and bought insurance for this trip. I’m so glad we did that. I can deal with the general disappointment of not being able to go on this trip. However, I’m not so understanding of RC’s complete lack of customer service.

 

To have cancelled so many sailings at late notice indicates a significant issue of which they should have been aware. At this point I’m just trying to break even. I know we’ll get refund from RC and we should (hopefully) get our airfare back. The fact that RC isn’t providing much info is making it more difficult for the TA to file a claim.

 

TA also told us (as well as RC) that she will not book their product again because their handling of this was not even close what other cruise lines have done when they have experienced problems. Oddly enough, I’d actually still be interested in taking a cruise some day, although obviously we’ll never do business with RC again.

[richstowe]

We were scheduled for the March 30th sailing on Empress. This was our first ever cruise and the entire family was going to celebrate birthdays over spring break. We were all new to cruising. I found Cruise Critic and joined because there was so much good information provided. Since it was uncharted waters for us (pun intended), we hired a TA and bought insurance for this trip. I’m so glad we did that. I can deal with the general disappointment of not being able to go on this trip. However, I’m not so understanding of RC’s complete lack of customer service.

 

To have cancelled so many sailings at late notice indicates a significant issue of which they should have been aware. At this point I’m just trying to break even. I know we’ll get refund from RC and we should (hopefully) get our airfare back. The fact that RC isn’t providing much info is making it more difficult for the TA to file a claim.

 

TA also told us (as well as RC) that she will not book their product again because their handling of this was not even close what other cruise lines have done when they have experienced problems. Oddly enough, I’d actually still be interested in taking a cruise some day, although obviously we’ll never do business with RC again.

I'm sorry that this was the outcome of your first cruise . You have every right to be angry and disappointed .

I must say I am disappointed by the usual apologists here who spout the usual drivel about how it's a business ,

people need to have insurance and how RCI is making everyone whole . I hope people remember this treatment .

The combination of a ridiculously late cancellation date, little attempt at compensation and poor customer service

is really the trifecta of corporate arrogance .

[chengkp75]

I should've known that. :o

 

My app has her arriving tomorrow, but that seems a little fast?

 

She's slowing for arrival at Tenerife now. That required just about 18 knots for the trip.

[MattInFLL]

I got an email from

Marine Traffic that she arrived in Tenerife.

[FLACRUISER99]

Yes and she is now taking on fuel.;)

[MADflyer]

They have currently not informed the port of any departure time or date.

 

The information at the port, Dársena de Anaga at Tenerife states:

 

Planned Arrival : March 21, 2015 at 8:00 AM.

Planned Departure: March 22, 2015 at 18:00 PM.

 

Actual Arrival : March 24, 2015 at 12:40 PM

Actual Departure : none specified

 

Type of Stop : Embarkation for Cruise

Terminal: ship provided.

Berth : South 3

 

Most likely was originally planned as a one night stop for embarkation of crew and staff.

[MattInFLL]

Marine Traffic just sent out an alert that she departed Tenerife at 7:24pm local time.

[FLACRUISER99]

Shes headed to Freeport ETA: 2016-04-02 09:00.

http://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:-16.1/centery:28.6/zoom:12

Edited March 24, 2016 by FLACRUISER99

[Clarea]

Shes headed to Freeport ETA: 2016-04-02 09:00.

http://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:-16.1/centery:28.6/zoom:12

Good news!

[kimlovesfl]

I think this is a horrible situation, and one of the posters on here who was affected is one of my closest friends. I do want to say, don't shoot the messenger. The people you are talking to in a call center are only doing what they are told to do, and I'm sure they hate it as much as you do. They have no power or authority to give concessions above and beyond what RCI is offering. I have been on their end. I worked for a tour wholesaler for years, and we once advertised a price on a package that was way below what it should have been. All people affected who did not make final payment were called, and told they had to pay a new, much higher, rate. EVERYONE yelled at those of us who had to do this, and our management team ended up dealing with every passenger that didn't want to cancel outright. I thought what we did sucked, but I could do nothing about it.

 

RCI really should have given full refunds, or full credit towards ANY future sailing (say, up to a year in the future), WITH OBC of at least $100 pp. At the least. I hope you all write letters to the president of the company demanding something more, or consider a class action lawsuit.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

 

RCI really should have given full refunds, or full credit towards ANY future sailing (say, up to a year in the future), WITH OBC of at least $100 pp. At the least. I hope you all write letters to the president of the company demanding something more, or consider a class action lawsuit.

 

Not saying what Royal did was right, but they did offer the option to switch to another Empress or Majesty sailing for the same price, or you could take a full refund. I believe anyone who switched to another sailing received $100 OBC per stateroom.

 

Technically, as bad as it is, Royal did all that was required. So I really don't think a law suit will get much accomplished.