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RCI double booked OPT, Procedure for Athol Buoy?

Sallyandtex

By Sallyandtex,
in Australia & New Zealand Cruisers

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lyndarra Holiday Sharing Rare

lyndarra

Posted
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Hi, was wondering if you are booked on the Feb 9.2017 cruise Sydney to Perth, Radiance.

Also can you share the link to that meet and mingle chat group you mentioned?

 

BTW we are in the states and RCCI has not notified us of any of this.

 

Thanks

Dee

This one?

http://boards.cruisecritic.com.au/showthread.php?p=51407466#post51407466

 

You'll need to register with RCI to attend the shipboard Meet & Mingle.

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Sallyandtex

Sallyandtex

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Hi, was wondering if you are booked on the Feb 9.2017 cruise Sydney to Perth, Radiance.

Also can you share the link to that meet and mingle chat group you mentioned?

 

BTW we are in the states and RCCI has not notified us of any of this.

 

Thanks

Dee

 

Hi Dee,

No we get off in Sydney Feb 9.

You can find your meet and mingle group by going to the Roll Call section of the forum page.

February 9 is here

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2263376

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  • 4 weeks later...
Sallyandtex

Sallyandtex

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It will be:D

 

Just heard back from RCI after many enquiries. I have waited weeks.

 

Basically we are on our own, and the underlying smug answer of.. . Well it's still Sydney port so technically we haven't changed anything. Oh, and BTW we are wonderful as we found a ferry service from Barangaroo at $9 each plus you walk 6 minutes.

 

Bad luck if I am at Central or Circular Quay, so no there is no free shuttle from Circular Quay.

 

I have found their attitude and customer service very poor and will not be cruising with them again.

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MicCanberra Holiday Sharing Rare

MicCanberra

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Just heard back from RCI after many enquiries. I have waited weeks.

 

Basically we are on our own, and the underlying smug answer of.. . Well it's still Sydney port so technically we haven't changed anything. Oh, and BTW we are wonderful as we found a ferry service from Barangaroo at $9 each plus you walk 6 minutes.

 

Bad luck if I am at Central or Circular Quay, so no there is no free shuttle from Circular Quay.

 

I have found their attitude and customer service very poor and will not be cruising with them again.

 

Glad you have sorted it out but it is a shame that RCI responded in that way.

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gbenjo

gbenjo

Posted
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Just heard back from RCI after many enquiries. I have waited weeks.

 

Basically we are on our own, and the underlying smug answer of.. . Well it's still Sydney port so technically we haven't changed anything. Oh, and BTW we are wonderful as we found a ferry service from Barangaroo at $9 each plus you walk 6 minutes.

 

Bad luck if I am at Central or Circular Quay, so no there is no free shuttle from Circular Quay.

 

I have found their attitude and customer service very poor and will not be cruising with them again.

 

I am a little confused, are you now talking about when you debark at White Bay after your cruise? If so, then yes you are correct, there may not be "free" transport from there to Circular Quay or Central station but then again ,as far as I am aware no ship that debarks at White Bay ie P&O,Princess, Holland America etc provides "free" transport to the city. They provide a user pays service (booked on board ) and there is an independant ferry service that takes you to Darling Harbour but no free service regardless of which cruiseline you sail with.

 

I still think there will be some sort of free shuttle between the OPT and White Bay on the embark which is what RCCL has done in the past for those Radiance pax that arrive at the OPT "in error";)

 

It seems as though the cruise lines cannot win. For many years cruisers here in Australia have complained that we only ever get the old, worn out, discard ships here and then when they do bring a brand new ship here they still get criticized. The only reason we have a "double up" of ships on the one day is because of the chance to extend the Ovation season in Australia to give more people the opportunity to sail on a NEW ship. Unfortunately, as cruise schedules are planned so far in advance this meant that the Radiance's schedule could not be changed (even by a day) as it would have meant a knock on effect of all its scheduled cruises for the rest of the season and I am sure future schedule planning will be aimed at avoiding 'double ups, Perhaps the communication of arrangements may need improvement but as someone famous (was it Abraham Lincoln?) once said ..you cannot please all of the people all of the time.

Edited by gbenjo
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The_Big_M

The_Big_M

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It seems as though the cruise lines cannot win. For many years cruisers here in Australia have complained that we only ever get the old, worn out, discard ships here and then when they do bring a brand new ship here they still get criticized. The only reason we have a "double up" of ships on the one day is because of the chance to extend the Ovation season in Australia to give more people the opportunity to sail on a NEW ship. Unfortunately, as cruise schedules are planned so far in advance this meant that the Radiance's schedule could not be changed (even by a day) as it would have meant a knock on effect of all its scheduled cruises for the rest of the season and I am sure future schedule planning will be aimed at avoiding 'double ups, Perhaps the communication of arrangements may need improvement but as someone famous (was it Abraham Lincoln?) once said ..you cannot please all of the people all of the time.

 

I don't think it's to do with the new ship, just the change in plan. And while not unique to RCL, it does leave a sore point to make a booking with one terminal and then get sent to another without the line organising the transfer, since their actions resulted in the change. Given those passengers who are already booked don't get the benefit of the disruption from Ovation's arrival in any case. And RCL have made the change for their business benefit. They wouldn't be making the change if it wasn't in their interest - i.e. their revenue gain from extending the deployment here was way more than the revenue from returning her in low season to China.

 

While as you say they may run a shuttle, they may not as well. If it was offered to all that would be fine, but as it stands the official advice is it is not.

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gbenjo

gbenjo

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I don't think it's to do with the new ship, just the change in plan. And while not unique to RCL, it does leave a sore point to make a booking with one terminal and then get sent to another without the line organising the transfer, since their actions resulted in the change. Given those passengers who are already booked don't get the benefit of the disruption from Ovation's arrival in any case. And RCL have made the change for their business benefit. They wouldn't be making the change if it wasn't in their interest - i.e. their revenue gain from extending the deployment here was way more than the revenue from returning her in low season to China.

 

While as you say they may run a shuttle, they may not as well. If it was offered to all that would be fine, but as it stands the official advice is it is not.

 

One of the original considered options was to go to Pt Kembla with the Radiance but was dismissed due to the logistical problems transferring so many guests on the day would have created as they would not expect guests to make their own way to Wollongong whereas White Bay being in Sydney was a better option as most passengers could reasonably be expected to make their own way theire and provide some coaches from the OPT for those that cannot/ will not.

 

If it were not for the " new ship" they would not have had to change their plans and of course the changes are in their own interests... that's why they are in business... to make money... but having said that, they are not going to purposely set out to p... off all their customers in the process... kind of like collateral damage I suppose..having worked with RCCL for the last four years I can guarantee their aim is always guests first

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The_Big_M

The_Big_M

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If it were not for the " new ship" they would not have had to change their plans and of course the changes are in their own interests... that's why they are in business... to make money... but having said that, they are not going to purposely set out to p... off all their customers in the process... kind of like collateral damage I suppose..having worked with RCCL for the last four years I can guarantee their aim is always guests first

 

I'd say if their aim was actually guests first they'd let them know that shuttles were available from OPT so the guests didn't have to change their travel plans.

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MicCanberra Holiday Sharing Rare

MicCanberra

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I think some of us are getting a bit precious. When docking at ports all around the world things change.

At Southampton, there are many terminals, miles apart, which terminal they berth at can often change and does change right up until the sail date.

At one time, we could walk to the dock allocated but then it changed and we had to get a cab due to the distance. On our return, it was a differing one again and walking into town was not an option.

Similarly, the same happens at Barcelona and Civitavecchia. The check in is at White bay instead of the OPT, the difference may cost some people a bit more money but in the scheme of the total cost for the holiday it is minimal.

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gbenjo

gbenjo

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Posted (edited)
I'd say if their aim was actually guests first they'd let them know that shuttles were available from OPT so the guests didn't have to change their travel plans.

 

The big problem with doing that ie, bus all the pax from the OPT to White Bay, is that the OPT is a nightmare for vehicular traffic at the best of times without adding enough coaches to take the two and a half odd thousand pax plus their luggage to White Bay and the fact that the OPT will already, on the day, have five thousand guests embarking on the Ovation.All the guests would have been coming from somewhere,Hotels airports trains or private vehicles to the OPT so a deviation to another destination a few kilometers away is not such a great impost and avoids the chaos that would have been created.......guests first :D:D

 

PS Guests are their business.

Edited by gbenjo
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tazza_0712

tazza_0712

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I agree in principle with the view that the cruise line doesn't have to put on shuttles/transfers for the reason that there has been sufficient warning given to passengers. Months worth actually.

 

As others have noted, the deviation is not major. Any pre-booked transfer would undoubtedly be able to accommodate the change.

 

The only downfall is that White Bay is not serviced well by public transport. In the grand scheme of a holiday though, I feel that most would be able to rustle up a cab fare in a pinch.

 

At the end of the day, it's a cruise holiday that everyone is embarking on. Things aren't always perfect, but let's not forget how wonderful that ding sounds when you board.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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gbenjo

gbenjo

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Posted (edited)
I agree in principle with the view that the cruise line doesn't have to put on shuttles/transfers for the reason that there has been sufficient warning given to passengers. Months worth actually.

 

As others have noted, the deviation is not major. Any pre-booked transfer would undoubtedly be able to accommodate the change.

 

The only downfall is that White Bay is not serviced well by public transport. In the grand scheme of a holiday though, I feel that most would be able to rustle up a cab fare in a pinch.

 

At the end of the day, it's a cruise holiday that everyone is embarking on. Things aren't always perfect, but let's not forget how wonderful that ding sounds when you board.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but the "ding" is no longer....., replaced with a " do do da loop" sound :eek::eek: at least on RCCL ships in Australia

Edited by gbenjo
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avalon007

avalon007

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Hate to be the bearer of bad news but the "ding" is no longer....., replaced with a " do do da loop" sound :eek::eek: at least on RCCL ships in Australia

 

I'll take any sound - they could blow a raspberry at me if they wanted as long as they let me on board! :D

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The_Big_M

The_Big_M

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The big problem with doing that ie, bus all the pax from the OPT to White Bay, is that the OPT is a nightmare for vehicular traffic at the best of times without adding enough coaches to take the two and a half odd thousand pax plus their luggage to White Bay and the fact that the OPT will already, on the day, have five thousand guests embarking on the Ovation.All the guests would have been coming from somewhere,Hotels airports trains or private vehicles to the OPT so a deviation to another destination a few kilometers away is not such a great impost and avoids the chaos that would have been created.......guests first :D:D

 

PS Guests are their business.

 

Could always pick up around the corner at the bus terminal at Circular quay station.

 

Designed for buses, including tourist ones, and an easy connection/walk from the terminal, though many would arrive at the railway station anyway.

 

As said, I don't have a big issue with the change and as already mentioned other cruise lines have done similar too e.g. Princess. Just if they really wanted to put guests first they could have done things better.

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tazza_0712

tazza_0712

Posted
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Hate to be the bearer of bad news but the "ding" is no longer....., replaced with a " do do da loop" sound :eek::eek: at least on RCCL ships in Australia

 

 

 

Way to completely ruin my upcoming cruises!

 

I jest. My last was a few weeks ago and I don't even remember the ding/dong/doodaloo/raspberry.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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