Help about to lose me as a costumer very upset

[Rjh8842]

I booked my upcoming may 2019 symphony of the seas cruise in 2017 right after they came out. I booked 2 connecting rooms for my nieces and nephew and myself. I was very clear to the booking agent  when I booked that I wanted to make sure that we would be fine in two connecting staterooms. Fast forward to tonight almost a year and a half later I got an email from them. It said that I can not have a seperate staterooms becuase I am not the parent. So I called royal whom I just spent over 40 minutes on the phone with. And they said that we would have to change to 1 stateroom. Then they quoted me a price of $1000 more then what I was paying for 2 staterooms to change it. I explained I was not paying $1000 more to have half the room becuase they screwed up. Then after talking to the supervisor they oh so genourosly offered to give me me a room in the same category I was booked in for the same price I was already paying. So now I can have half the room for the same price. I asked about my obc. Well I can keep my obc for 1 room. So now I am given the option to have a room half the size and lose almost $200 in obc. So I asked about canceling since I have a nonrefundable deposit. Well of course they let me cancel I still have a couple weeks left before final payment. But they will not do anything about me losing my deposit. I am not happy. If I screwed up it would be one thing but I did not. If they had not taken well over a year to catch thier mistake I would not be this upset. But I already told my nieces and nephew at christmas that this was thier gift. But even so I may very well cancel this cruise. And if I do royal will never see me again. I have boycotted companies for a lot less. Here are the options that should have been offered but were not 1) keep my obc and upgrade to a suite ( i checked they are still available) 2) stay in the same category and double my obc ( not cut it in half like they offered) 3) switch to one room and half the obc (like they offered) but only pay for what I was paying for one room.

has anyone had a similar issue where royal screwed up? Is there a different number I can to get real results. I am justifably upset. I just can not believe they they are not willing to fix a mistake they made. And are trying to make me pay for it. Please help.

[tennislvr8]

18 minutes ago, Rjh8842 said:

Here are the options that should have been offered but were not 1) keep my obc and upgrade to a suite ( i checked they are still available) 2) stay in the same category and double my obc ( not cut it in half like they offered) 3) switch to one room and half the obc (like they offered) but only pay for what I was paying for one room.

has anyone had a similar issue where royal screwed up? Is there a different number I can to get real results. I am justifably upset. I just can not believe they they are not willing to fix a mistake they made. And are trying to make me pay for it. Please help.

1. Were you willing to pay for the suite? 

2. Why double the OBC, was it per person or per room? 

3. This option would allow all the people in the other room to go for free??.

[Rjh8842]

24 minutes ago, tennislvr8 said:

1. Were you willing to pay for the suite? 

2. Why double the OBC, was it per person or per room? 

3. This option would allow all the people in the other room to go for free??.

 

I think my reasonings are very sound

1) no but I did pay for 468sq feet. A grand suite is available which has 476 so i would gain a mere 8sq feet. Instead they offered for me to lose 234 sq feet.

 

2) it was per room. But if i were willing to take half the sq footage i should be compensated. And lets be honest an obc that is spent on thier ship and on thier island they are still ahead. Even if you do not take into acount that they would then have an additional room to sell for a lot more then a few hundred dollars.

 

3) i paid extra for the second room so why should I now pay the same amount for half the room.

 

I did my job I was very clear when I booked that my nieces would be in the second room. I repeatedly asked and confirmed that they could be in that second room as long as it had connecting door. They are the ones that failed. They Even admitted that the person that booked my room probably did not know the policy. They are the ones that took more than a year to find thier mistake. And now they want me to be penalized for what they did. Not acceptable.

[constable145]

2 hours ago, Rjh8842 said:

 

I think my reasonings are very sound

1) no but I did pay for 468sq feet. A grand suite is available which has 476 so i would gain a mere 8sq feet. Instead they offered for me to lose 234 sq feet.

 

2) it was per room. But if i were willing to take half the sq footage i should be compensated. And lets be honest an obc that is spent on thier ship and on thier island they are still ahead. Even if you do not take into acount that they would then have an additional room to sell for a lot more then a few hundred dollars.

 

3) i paid extra for the second room so why should I now pay the same amount for half the room.

 

I did my job I was very clear when I booked that my nieces would be in the second room. I repeatedly asked and confirmed that they could be in that second room as long as it had connecting door. They are the ones that failed. They Even admitted that the person that booked my room probably did not know the policy. They are the ones that took more than a year to find thier mistake. And now they want me to be penalized for what they did. Not acceptable.

There has to be more to the story here. RCI doesn't care what the relationship is as long as there is a Guardian....

[kerryincork]

I think you need to phone back and see if you get a different operator. It is not logical to allow nieces in the same room as you but not in adjoining cabin? I also agree with you that it was their mistake and you shouldn't be penalised because of it.

As you are in charge of the the children for the week can't you argue that for that week you are the guardian?

 

Or is there another adult who can travel with you? Then 1 adult and child in each cabin and just swap when you are on board.

 

I hope it gets sorted for you.

[Thorben-Hendrik]

6 hours ago, Rjh8842 said:

I just can not believe they they are not willing to fix a mistake they made. And are trying to make me pay for it.

They always do this.... Better get used to it! 👎🙄

[skoggs25]

Are your nieces and nephew under 21 years old?

[Biker19]

Move one adult on paper into the other cabin and one of the kids into yours - should cost nothing. 

[SRF]

10 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Move one adult on paper into the other cabin and one of the kids into yours - should cost nothing. 

 

Only one adult, the OP.

 

my nieces and nephew and myself

[SRF]

4 hours ago, constable145 said:

There has to be more to the story here. RCI doesn't care what the relationship is as long as there is a Guardian....

 

Probably LEGAL guardian, not just a temporary one.

 

Actual policy:

 

For voyages originating in North America:
No Guest younger than the age twenty-one (21) will be assigned to a stateroom unless accompanied in the same stateroom by an adult twenty-one (21) years old or older. A guest's age is established upon the first date of sailing.

This age limit will be waived for children sailing with their parents or guardians in connecting staterooms; for underage married couples; and for active duty members of the United States or Canadian military.

Certain other restrictions and conditions will apply; such as compliance with the age twenty-one (21) alcohol policy, and proof of marriage for underage couples or proof of active duty military status required.

[SRF]

6 hours ago, Rjh8842 said:

1) no but I did pay for 468sq feet. A grand suite is available which has 476 so i would gain a mere 8sq feet. Instead they offered for me to lose 234 sq feet.

 

A suite is not just about the square footage.  There are other perks that go with it.

 

They might go for an offer to pay something extra for the suite, but direct swap ain't going to happen.

[papaflamingo]

10 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Move one adult on paper into the other cabin and one of the kids into yours - should cost nothing. 

It appears from the original post that only 3 of them are going on the cruise.  

Also as to the comment "as long as there is a Guardian,"  I believe you have to be the "legal guardian," not just an adult.  But it's a stupid policy.  An adult in a nearby or connecting cabin is potentially more responsible than a 21 year old with his 3 underage buddies in a single cabin.   Royal Caribbean needs to review their policies.  Why would it be any better to have 2 underage kids in a cabin vs. a connecting cabin?  The adult will either be responsible or not.  

One last comment...OP, sounds like you booked directly with Royal Caribbean.  Keep escalating this until you get satisfaction.  You are absolutely right, unless you lied about you're nieces ages, they should have let you know as soon as you booked.  Keep escalating, I believe you will find a fair resolution.

 

[Rjh8842]

2 hours ago, kerryincork said:

I think you need to phone back and see if you get a different operator. It is not logical to allow nieces in the same room as you but not in adjoining cabin? I also agree with you that it was their mistake and you shouldn't be penalised because of it.

As you are in charge of the the children for the week can't you argue that for that week you are the guardian?

 

Or is there another adult who can travel with you? Then 1 adult and child in each cabin and just swap when you are on board.

 

I hope it gets sorted for you.

 

 

The email i recieved specifically said that I would not count as a guardian with the minor authorization form. Only if you are a court appointed guardian or birth parent do they count you as the guardian. And no other adults are available to travel with us. And even if they were I probably would bot go for it. For the last several years my christmas gift to them has been a vacation of just us.

[Iamcruzin]

5 hours ago, constable145 said:

There has to be more to the story here. RCI doesn't care what the relationship is as long as there is a Guardian....

I was wondering the same thing. I know on other lines that there has to be one person 21 yrs old in the room or traveling party. I thought maybe Royal had different rules.

 

[bouhunter]

They couldn't care less if you "boycott" them.

 

Good luck, sorry you have to deal with this so long after booking.

[Rjh8842]

2 hours ago, Thorben-Hendrik said:

They always do this.... Better get used to it! 👎🙄

 

I am sure this is nothing new. But i am not willing to give my bussiness to a company that would do this and not fix it. And alot of people I know come to me for vacation advice so it will not be just my business they lose.

 

1 hour ago, skoggs25 said:

Are your nieces and nephew under 21 years old?

 

No teens

 

1 hour ago, Biker19 said:

Move one adult on paper into the other cabin and one of the kids into yours - should cost nothing. 

 

I am the only adult

 

59 minutes ago, SRF said:

 

A suite is not just about the square footage.  There are other perks that go with it.

 

They might go for an offer to pay something extra for the suite, but direct swap ain't going to happen.

 

I am sure you are right but I do think it is reasonable. I had a board walk balcony so I already had a few perks. But the biggest thing that I would be losing is my privacy. My nephew was going to sleep on the coach in the girls room. Which meant I could have a bathroom to myself, no one disturbing my sleep with the tv, and a clean room.

 

58 minutes ago, papaflamingo said:

It appears from the original post that only 3 of them are going on the cruise.  

Also as to the comment "as long as there is a Guardian,"  I believe you have to be the "legal guardian," not just an adult.  But it's a stupid policy.  An adult in a nearby or connecting cabin is potentially more responsible than a 21 year old with his 3 underage buddies in a single cabin.   Royal Caribbean needs to review their policies.  Why would it be any better to have 2 underage kids in a cabin vs. a connecting cabin?  The adult will either be responsible or not.  

One last comment...OP, sounds like you booked directly with Royal Caribbean.  Keep escalating this until you get satisfaction.  You are absolutely right, unless you lied about you're nieces ages, they should have let you know as soon as you booked.  Keep escalating, I believe you will find a fair resolution.

 

 

Yes I always book my vacations directly with whom I am treveling or staying with. That way if there is a problem it will be fixed. So I will probably spend the day on thr phone with them. And no they had the correct ages all along as a matter of fact the kids are crown and anchor. 

[Iamcruzin]

1 hour ago, papaflamingo said:

  An adult in a nearby or connecting cabin is potentially more responsible than a 21 year old with his 3 underage buddies in a single cabin.

 

 

 

This is the situation my son had 3 yrs ago which is why I find it so puzzling now. After reading this I thought they may have changed the rules.

[Ourusualbeach]

This comes up quite often when parents travelling with their own kids and  their kids  bring friends.

 

It is Legal Guardian.

 

OP, I would try sending an e mail to mbayley@rccl.com  This will get your issue in front of someone in the executive offices.

 

They most likely won’t budge from their position on the 2 cabins for legal reasons however they will probably be able to come up with a better solution.

 

Remember  to keep your letter polite, stating facts only and asking for their help.  Make sure you also include the fact that it was their booking agent who took this reservation over a year ago.

 

 

Edited February 18, 2019 by Ourusualbeach

[Rjh8842]

12 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

I was wondering the same thing. I know on other lines that there has to be one person 21 yrs old in the room or traveling party. I thought maybe Royal had different rules.

 

 

This is from the email

 

Parent / Legal Court Appointed Legal Guardian: Must be next door or directly across the hall from their minor children

Adults are the birth parent(s) or adults have gone through the Courts to obtain Court Appointed Legal Guardianship and guardianship/adoption papers are provided to adults by courts.

Having Sibling / Friend / Grandparent / 21+ adult next door to minors is not within Policy unless the above applies to the adults the minors are traveling with.

 

Notarized Letter:

Letter typed up by Parent / Legal Court Appointed Guardian and Notarized by Notary Public providing permission for their minor to go on sailing with another party. This does not assign guardianship to adults minor is sailing with. This only allows minor to be taken out of the country on a cruise.

[Rjh8842]

10 minutes ago, bouhunter said:

They couldn't care less if you "boycott" them.

 

Good luck, sorry you have to deal with this so long after booking.

 

I am sure they dont. But even if I just a tiny dent that they do not eben notice I will be satisfied. They say word of mouth is the best advertisement and I believe that opposite to also be true.

[Ourusualbeach]

How many people do you have in a Total?

 

a pair of connecting staterooms will hold 2+4 people

 

if there are only 3 in the quad cabin could you add an adult as the 4th guest.  This would make it acceptable. 

[Rjh8842]

6 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

This comes up quite often when parents travelling with their own kids and  their kids  bring friends.

 

It is Legal Guardian.

 

OP, I would try sending an e mail to mbayley@rccl.com  This will get your issue in front of someone in the executive offices.

 

They most likely won’t budge from their position on the 2 cabins for legal reasons however they will probably be able to come up with a better solution.

 

Remember  to keep your letter polite, stating facts only and asking for their help.  Make sure you also include the fact that it was their booking agent who took this reservation over a year ago.

 

 

 

Who excactly is mbaylay? Also if you have contacted them before How long should I expect for a response? Should I wait for a response from them before trying to call royal again? Tia

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, Ourusualbeach said:

if there are only 3 in the quad cabin could you add an adult as the 4th guest.  This would make it acceptable. 

Would RCI let them board if the second adult is a no show?

[mattb31]

This sucks but it sounds like it is in line with their policy:

 

"No Guest younger than the age twenty-one (21) will be assigned to a stateroom unless accompanied in the same stateroom by an adult twenty-one (21) years old or older. A guest's age is established upon the first date of sailing.

This age limit will be waived for children sailing with their parents or guardians in connecting staterooms; for underage married couples; and for active duty members of the United States or Canadian military."

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/international-age-policy

 

If you are not their legal guardian they will not waive the 21 year old age limit for the room, I know it sucks, but it is in their policy.

 

The room price thing also doesn't add up. A single occupancy + a double occupancy should not end up being more than a triple occupancy room.

[Ourusualbeach]

6 minutes ago, Rjh8842 said:

 

Who excactly is mbaylay? Also if you have contacted them before How long should I expect for a response? Should I wait for a response from them before trying to call royal again? Tia

He is the president.  You will usually get a reply back within a couple of days.  Worth the email.

 

mbayley@rccl.com

Edited February 18, 2019 by Ourusualbeach