Kudos to Royal & Jet Blue's customer service--unexpected response to our problem!

[GUEST71919]

I don't understand how my having insurance or not could have any bearing your reaction. It didn't matter to RCI, as they never asked.

 

But thanks...

 

Since I am one who backed you up (and this caught some crap, albeit unfairly), I can tell you maybe why some are thinking it is a big deal - leaving out information that is important can make the hiding seem purposeful (this negative). If I understand your situation correctly, you are right that it wouldn’t be essential info to know in the end. But I am not sure on a board like this people are spending a lot of time reading and understanding and more time just reacting.

 

If you had received a refund from the cruise line AND somehow also applied for/received an insurance benefit that would be both a moral issue and fraud (while I am not an experienced criminal, I can’t see a way someone could pull that off if they wanted to since you have to submit a proof of loss and here you certainly could not). But I can’t imagine why someone would have a problem with Royal simply refunding your money vs. Royal keeping your money and a 3rd party refunding your money. Either way your money is refunded. And to me it’s more ethical for Royal to refund it if they can sell or upgrade to a room (the insurer then isn’t required to, risk rates aren’t effected, etc).

 

Again, I think the “hidden” aspect was the problem for some even if the info really wasn’t hidden but just not included as it truly was not relevant. People overall seem to be quite ready to be suspicious these days and can attack before taking a close look.

 

As for me, I will say goodbye. Good luck and happy sailing! :)

[reallyitsmema]

I don't understand how my having insurance or not could have any bearing your reaction. It didn't matter to RCI, as they never asked.

 

But thanks...

 

Did you have third party insurance or cruise line insurance?

 

I asked for an exception to be made in the past and was denied because I had cruise line insurance. This was a few years ago when they were more flexible about moving OBC. I was able to get a refund through insurance but it was frustrating as someone else posted with in days of my cancellation saying they had no insurance and the cruise line made an exception for them, moving all their funds to a different sailing.

 

I understand that you are just posting a positive experience you had, but it does make one wonder whether we should actually buy insurance if they will make exceptions for those who don't have insurance or for those who don't disclose that they have insurance.

[cruisegirl1]

We "spend money" on insurance for every cruise, including this one. I'm genuinely puzzled though as to why my story bothers you. Do you have a problem with one mitigating their damages prior to filing an insurance claim? I hope that most people would do that.

 

Going into this process, I was prepared to submit a claim. However...with my time at a premium these days, I am grateful I don't have to deal with that thanks to some CSRs who made my life a little bit easier.

 

I started this thread for two reasons:

 

1. I was blown away by the response I received, and thought others might like to hear a good story about customer service instead of the usual bitching and moaning about poor service and/or incompetent reps.

 

2. I noticed another recent thread by a person in a similar, albeit more dire situation than ours and they asked if there was any chance that Royal would help them. The overwhelming response in that thread was an emphatic "No!" Well, this proves that that's not the case. I may be the exception to the rule, but it is certainly not written in stone that there is no flexibility when it comes to refunds/penalties. I did not ask for nor expect a full refund; I simply and politely asked if there was any possibility of adjusting the penalty. A full refund is what the company offered. They won't do it every time, and that's why I'll continue to purchase insurance. I'll also remember that although they could have rightly said "We're sorry, but that's the policy," they instead chose another path this time. And I thought I would try to repay the favor by praising them here.

 

I am very sorry you had to cancel your cruise. I apologize to you if my comments were not appropriate. I was under the impression that you did not have insurance and were pleased that you were able to receive a full refund for your cruise without purchasing insurance.

 

I had to cancel a cruise because of a medical issue shortly before sailing. Yes it was a hassle. I had used Royal Caribbean insurance, but if I remember correctly it was actually a third-party provider. I had to provide a lot of confidential medical information to the insurance company. It took several months to receive the reimbursement back from the insurance company.

 

Further, my medical condition was severe and we were not in a frame of mind to want to spend time gathering, copying and sending all the info. I think is was 20 or so pages. They wanted lots of medical information, I guess to look at the timing of the diagnosis compared to cruise dates.

 

Would have been lovely if the cruise line would have simply given me a refund.

 

Best wishes.

M

[Mikew0805]

I too think it’s really important to say thank you, because policies aside we always feel so grateful when someone helps us in our time of need no matter who or what helps! My mother said to me once that you never forget what is done and not done for you in time like this. I hope things are better for you all soon.

 

EDIT - I had read your post (OP) but not all the responses to it. And I’m not kidding when I say that some of the responses make me truly sick to my stomach. And from what I have seen in other threads, those posters have not the first idea that there is any problem with those responses. You posted about a company treating you kindly at a time of a family emergency, at a time in life when we are unprepared and knocked off our feet, and we main things many of them can think of is somehow how it takes away from them? No doubt that they would hate the old lady who lost her home in a flood and got a little help from FEMA and her church to rebuild her home because “how dare they” help the old lady when they had paid for their flood insurance every years and it’s just not fair that she got helped when she wasn’t smart enough to buy insurance?? Geezus, but humans are so small.

 

Lynn

 

Agree!!

[Mikew0805]

(Here I refer to the initial OP and situation presented and the many initial responses (what happened long after I posted, I have no idea)

 

I would not normally have responded to this post, but you directed your comments solidly at me (when I made a general commentary and have no memory of reading anything you wrote, there were so many uncaring responses and I didn’t read all of them) - but now it is only fairly that I respond. I see your attitude as cold-hearted and narrow-minded. Some people don’t have the money for insurance and some don’t even understand flood insurance (and some didn’t have the option, as when we were flooded years ago and could not have purchased it as we were in a zone considered out of the risk area).

 

When someone’s IQ is higher than average (and some people’s much higher than average), when a person had at least basic life opportunities (to attend school, to live in a safe home, to be able to ride your bike without fear...), when a person had at least a basic education (or much better than that), when a person was taught important life info from their parents and helped along by them ( like someone took them to get a drivers license, or maybe somebody took them to the dentist regularly, or they had all the school clothes they really needed [even if they were hand-me-downs]), then in my opinion that person judging those with less is pretty disgusting. How can such a person know the first thing about what it is like to not understand things at an above average level (and that would be 75% of the population) or what it is like to have the most important thing in your life to be trying to stay safe at home or to not to smell at school because no one washed your dirty clothes for weeks?

 

So if you don’t feel any sympathy fine, tread not huh?! But in my opinion (and since you offered yours directly to me) a decent and moral person would have sympathy. They would understand that it’s not always so simple. But those with tiny or cruel hearts would not consider any of that. And will never...

 

You said what you wanted to say to me and I have said what I wanted to say in response. Be adult enough to move along, surely you have better things to do. I do.

 

OOH!! Super Agree!!

[GUEST71919]

I am very sorry you had to cancel your cruise. I apologize to you if my comments were not appropriate. I was under the impression that you did not have insurance and were pleased that you were able to receive a full refund for your cruise without purchasing insurance.

 

I had to cancel a cruise because of a medical issue shortly before sailing. Yes it was a hassle. I had used Royal Caribbean insurance, but if I remember correctly it was actually a third-party provider. I had to provide a lot of confidential medical information to the insurance company. It took several months to receive the reimbursement back from the insurance company.

 

Further, my medical condition was severe and we were not in a frame of mind to want to spend time gathering, copying and sending all the info. I think is was 20 or so pages. They wanted lots of medical information, I guess to look at the timing of the diagnosis compared to cruise dates.

 

Would have been lovely if the cruise line would have simply given me a refund.

 

Best wishes.

M

 

I imagine that they don’t make it easy. People complain about things like medical costs, but working in that profession I can assume them that the biggest issue is insurance. So often they bet on people not understanding or just go with wearing them down. Life can bite you hard, but I hope it doesn’t take another cruise from you! Happy sailing :D

 

Lynn

[GUEST71919]

Did you have third party insurance or cruise line insurance?

 

I asked for an exception to be made in the past and was denied because I had cruise line insurance. This was a few years ago when they were more flexible about moving OBC. I was able to get a refund through insurance but it was frustrating as someone else posted with in days of my cancellation saying they had no insurance and the cruise line made an exception for them, moving all their funds to a different sailing.

 

I understand that you are just posting a positive experience you had, but it does make one wonder whether we should actually buy insurance if they will make exceptions for those who don't have insurance or for those who don't disclose that they have insurance.

 

Hi :) I always hated the idea of those policies, they were so “no name” companies and they all seemed slightly scammy (I know, not a word LOL). So we decided to get one of the credit cards (one of the Chase that’s pretty well known) because it has pretty extensive travel insurance attached to it (and also some other good benefits, like no charge on foreign currency exchanges). I so like knowing that when I pay using the card (and then pay it off soon after) that the insurance is part of the deal (and pretty much free since we keep no balance). I feel more confident in my CC company than these seemingly random travel insurers.

 

See you on the high seas!

Lynn