Having the worst customer service experience right now...

[RonnieCosmic]

I've been sharing this over on my roll call thread but I thought I would make it its own post to see if I could get any advice or insight as to what to do.

 

 

May 11 - 12:01pm

My excitement of today is trying to figure out why my cruise reservation has disappeared from the site. :eek:

 

Logged in to check if entertainment was up to book & was met with "You have no reservations at this time" and when I clicked the button that said "don't see your reservation" and entered in my res # and info it told me that they cannot retrieve a reservation with that number.

 

I called customer service and they told me "go talk to your travel agent and see if they can find out why" :mad:

----------------------------------------

 

May 11 - 1:22pm

Turns out they deleted my reservation in error :mad:

They've booked me back in the same room but all my dining, activities, excursions and drink package (which I got on "real" sale) are gone and they can't book anything back in for 4 hours. :mad:

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May 11 - 4:55pm

So after calling back when they told me to, they are now telling me that I can't add anything back on to my booking until I make my full final payment.

Which I am unable to do until next week (and isn't due until the 24th anyway).

I am so frustrated right now!

I thought cruise planning was supposed to be fun? :S

Though their off-ship customer service for this cruise - multiple issues on their end for the ENTIRE process starting over a year ago - has been absolutely abysmal, I love sailing with RC. (I have to keep repeating that to myself haha !)

----------------------------------------

 

May 12 - 1:22pm

Update: turns out RC moved my final payment date up by 12 days without informing me or my travel agent and then said that I must pay in full today. Luckily my dad was able to call his credit card in to our travel agent and make that payment as I am unable to right now.

 

I called into RC today to finally try to get all my reservations back that yesterday they promised me would be no problem since it was their error....

 

I think we all know where this is going....

 

The first person I spoke to said there is no way to book the same dining time since it doesn't show as available on their screen. I explained that I was promised the same times as I was dining with other people and (I reiterated) it was their fault that they were deleted in the first place.

 

He put me on hold and transferred me to a different department who said that since *I* cancelled the cruise there is no way for them to honour what I had before. I told them that, no, it was cancelled in error and she said no that is not what happened. She asked for my prior reservation number, which I told her was the same as it is now and she said no that's not possible because this number is only showing as a new booking starting today. I explained that it IS possible, it's the same number I had since booking over a year ago and then explained what I was told yesterday about the booking being cancelled in error due to RC system switching over to a new cancellation policy for new bookings that somehow swept mine into it and marked it as passed due.

 

The woman told me there was no way this is possible. Both I and the travel agent would have received something by email and that the reason it was cancelled was my own fault and she would not believe otherwise unless my travel agent was on the phone with me.

 

So... my not so happy travel agent is on the phone with them right now and I have no idea what is going to happen.

[Clarea]

When you say "they deleted my reservation in error", I assume you mean Royal.

 

Is Royal saying that when the final payment dates were moved from 75 days to 90 days, your booking got caught with the change and automatically was cancelled?

[RonnieCosmic]

When you say "they deleted my reservation in error", I assume you mean Royal.

 

Is Royal saying that when the final payment dates were moved from 75 days to 90 days, your booking got caught with the change and automatically was cancelled?

 

Yes, sorry, I meant Royal.

Apparently the change was only meant to impact new bookings but my booking from last April was caught in it, changed and automatically cancelled.

 

(Unless you ask them today, in which case I cancelled it myself or I ignored a final payment notification and the cancellation is completely my own fault, depending on which customer service rep you ask)

[Pipo]

Do you keep any evidence of your original booking? I save EVERYTHING, emails, screenshots, entertainment confirmations, notes from my TA,etc.

That can be very helpful in situations like these, I believe.

[Clarea]

I don't know exactly how the relationship between Royal and the travel agent works, but I would have expected some communications between them before the booking was cancelled.

 

Good luck and I hope you get all your arrangements back as much as possible.

[RonnieCosmic]

Do you keep any evidence of your original booking? I save EVERYTHING, emails, screenshots, entertainment confirmations, notes from my TA,etc.

That can be very helpful in situations like these, I believe.

 

Luckily I am definitely an email hoarder and I have everything still.

 

I've sent it all over to my TA for her to give it a try now. I am just too exhausted after trying to sort over 6 hours yesterday only to be basically called a liar today.

[SonicShip]

Luckily I am definitely an email hoarder and I have everything still.

 

I've sent it all over to my TA for her to give it a try now. I am just too exhausted after trying to sort over 6 hours yesterday only to be basically called a liar today.

 

If you book through a travel agent then you have to call them and can't talked to Royal directly.

 

I would check the orginal invoice from Royal as it has the final payment date on it. It sound like the TA dropped the ball. The new invoice should have been checked.

[cruisinfanatic]

This is more than likely a travel agent problem. Royal does not just cancel reservations without notice to TA. Usually 5 business days.

Also the OP cannot just cancel a cruise if booked with TA.

[RonnieCosmic]

If you book through a travel agent then you have to call them and can't talked to Royal directly.

 

I would check the orginal invoice from Royal as it has the final payment date on it. It sound like the TA dropped the ball. The new invoice should have been checked.

 

I've been forwarded all the invoices by my TA all along and they all say May 24 until a new one was sent to her yesterday with today's date.

 

I've also been able to make reservations etc myself all along both on the cruise planning site and by calling in to Royal directly, there's always an extension to press if you have booked through a TA.

[RonnieCosmic]

This is more than likely a travel agent problem. Royal does not just cancel reservations without notice to TA. Usually 5 business days.

Also the OP cannot just cancel a cruise if booked with TA.

 

I agree that's what they usually do. That's why we all were so confused yesterday, including the different RC reps we both spoke to who agreed it was their error and they aren't sure how it happened.

Edited May 12, 2016 by RonnieCosmic

[RonnieCosmic]

I should also mention my parent's reservation booked through the same travel agent is not having the same issues.

[Merion_Mom]

I should also mention my parent's reservation booked through the same travel agent is not having the same issues.

 

All I can suggest is:

 

Breathe. Let your travel agent deal with Royal Caribbean. That is why you are using a TA.

 

Good luck.

[jennmaybe]

If your cruise was completely cancelled, whether it be the result of Royal or TA, they would have had to issue you a refund for your deposit. Did you ever get a refund?? They cannot cancel your reservation and keep your deposit this far out.

[gethin90]

Sorry to hear about your difficulties. I've had a few problems pre cruise and found their call centre less than helpful, nothing on the scale of my whole cruise getting cancelled though!

I hope your TA sorts it for you and you enjoy your cruise eventually

[Paul65]

Sounds like something your Travel Agent should be chasing down on your behalf. Hope it all works out.

[billsgal]

This is more than likely a travel agent problem. Royal does not just cancel reservations without notice to TA. Usually 5 business days.

Also the OP cannot just cancel a cruise if booked with TA.

 

 

Sorry, but it no longer works that way.They used to give the travel agent 5 business days after final payment date before cancelling the reservation, but they stopped the 5 day notice some time ago. Now the reservation is just cancelled without notice and no deposit is refunded after final payment date

[billsgal]

This is more than likely a travel agent problem. Royal does not just cancel reservations without notice to TA. Usually 5 business days.

Also the OP cannot just cancel a cruise if booked with TA.

 

 

Again, not supposed to happen but I have had two reservations cancelled by clients. When I went to cancel them they we're already cancelled, when I asked who cancelled them I was told "........"

When I asked who "......." Was they couldn't tell me......not supposed to happen as I said, but it does

[Royal2464]

If the situation is not resolved to your liking by tomorrow, Friday. Send a concise and accurate summary of your problem to the following, if she cannot resolve the issue it cannot be resolved.

 

Aurora Ayera-Rodriguez

Aurora "Laly" Yera-Rodriguez Director, Guest Relations & Shared Services Azamara Club Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, & Royal Caribbean International

 

Email = ayera-rodriguez@rccl.com

[knittinggirl]

When you say "they deleted my reservation in error", I assume you mean Royal.

 

Is Royal saying that when the final payment dates were moved from 75 days to 90 days, your booking got caught with the change and automatically was cancelled?

Didn't they change the final payment date to 90 days for reservations booked after a certain date? I'm guessing that's what's happened. Since they re-keyed it all back in, the computer thinks it's now a 90 day prior final payment date, and they can't just insert the old final payment date.

 

Ask them to escalate the problem for you and also ask for some OBC/Specialty Dining/Etc. for your trouble.

[ISABELLA]

I've been sharing this over on my roll call thread but I thought I would make it its own post to see if I could get any advice or insight as to what to do.

 

 

May 11 - 12:01pm

My excitement of today is trying to figure out why my cruise reservation has disappeared from the site. :eek:

 

Logged in to check if entertainment was up to book & was met with "You have no reservations at this time" and when I clicked the button that said "don't see your reservation" and entered in my res # and info it told me that they cannot retrieve a reservation with that number.

 

I called customer service and they told me "go talk to your travel agent and see if they can find out why" :mad:

----------------------------------------

 

May 11 - 1:22pm

Turns out they deleted my reservation in error :mad:

They've booked me back in the same room but all my dining, activities, excursions and drink package (which I got on "real" sale) are gone and they can't book anything back in for 4 hours. :mad:

----------------------------------------

 

May 11 - 4:55pm

So after calling back when they told me to, they are now telling me that I can't add anything back on to my booking until I make my full final payment.

Which I am unable to do until next week (and isn't due until the 24th anyway).

I am so frustrated right now!

I thought cruise planning was supposed to be fun? :S

Though their off-ship customer service for this cruise - multiple issues on their end for the ENTIRE process starting over a year ago - has been absolutely abysmal, I love sailing with RC. (I have to keep repeating that to myself haha !)

----------------------------------------

 

May 12 - 1:22pm

Update: turns out RC moved my final payment date up by 12 days without informing me or my travel agent and then said that I must pay in full today. Luckily my dad was able to call his credit card in to our travel agent and make that payment as I am unable to right now.

 

I called into RC today to finally try to get all my reservations back that yesterday they promised me would be no problem since it was their error....

 

I think we all know where this is going....

 

The first person I spoke to said there is no way to book the same dining time since it doesn't show as available on their screen. I explained that I was promised the same times as I was dining with other people and (I reiterated) it was their fault that they were deleted in the first place.

 

He put me on hold and transferred me to a different department who said that since *I* cancelled the cruise there is no way for them to honour what I had before. I told them that, no, it was cancelled in error and she said no that is not what happened. She asked for my prior reservation number, which I told her was the same as it is now and she said no that's not possible because this number is only showing as a new booking starting today. I explained that it IS possible, it's the same number I had since booking over a year ago and then explained what I was told yesterday about the booking being cancelled in error due to RC system switching over to a new cancellation policy for new bookings that somehow swept mine into it and marked it as passed due.

 

The woman told me there was no way this is possible. Both I and the travel agent would have received something by email and that the reason it was cancelled was my own fault and she would not believe otherwise unless my travel agent was on the phone with me.

 

So... my not so happy travel agent is on the phone with them right now and I have no idea what is going to happen.

 

I have an answer to all your problems - CS at RC told me that there is a glitch in their system that time to time cancels cruise bookings, dining and show reservations after I had some " canceled" issues when I was doing reservations for my Anthem cruise in April, so frustrated and fed up with all - I called C&A and everything was fixed. But dealing with so many issues just ruined my cruise.

[Clarea]

Didn't they change the final payment date to 90 days for reservations booked after a certain date?... .

Yes, here's that info:

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/faq/details.do?pagename=frequently_asked_questions&pnav=5&snav=2&faqId=227&faqSubjectId=323&faqSubjectName=After+You+Purchase&faqType=faq

[blackshirt]

I've also been able to make reservations etc myself all along both on the cruise planning site and by calling in to Royal directly, there's always an extension to press if you have booked through a TA.

 

Everyone can do that regardless of whether booked through a TA or not but any actual changes to your reservation (price drop, cancelling the reservation, etc) can only be done by the TA. When you pull up your reservation on Royal, you should see the following:

 

Please note that only reservations made on RoyalCaribbean.com with your My Cruises account can be modified online. You can however complete your Online Check-In and make advanced reservations using our Cruise Planner.

[waterbug123]

 

(Unless you ask them today, in which case I cancelled it myself or I ignored a final payment notification and the cancellation is completely my own fault, depending on which customer service rep you ask)

 

Any chance this is a screw-up on the part of your TA? Like maybe they found out final payment date changed and forgot to tell you? Or figured it was a mistake but didn't bother to clarify things with Royal? And one way or another they didn't ensure that your payment was made so Royal canceled the rez? And now the TA is scrambling to cover his/her own a**?

 

I suggest that because a few years ago we had a cruise booked via a TA that my boyfriend's extended family had used a number of times and they just loved her. We booked a cruise with her and I booked an excursion through the cruise line. There were emails between us regarding final payment and what card to use and everything was set to be processed (by her) by final payment deadline. Well a day or two later I get a notice that our excursion was canceled and refunded. I called Royal to ask why and was told it was because our cruise rez was canceled since we didn't pay. Call the TA and she was out of town; my guess was that she left on vacation and "forgot" to have someone else in the office process our final payment on time. She ended up fixing it but never shared any details other than to say she didn't know why it had happened, but I call bullsh*t on that. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that she was out of the office when final payment was due and she just didn't take care of it.