Guaranteed cabin and rci have downgraded us

[legaljen1969]

2 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

The number of times that this has happened is so few that I for one am not in the least bit concerned.  You could take any business out there and find horror stories if you looked hard enough, it’s not an indication that that is common practice 

You double posted your response.  Not sure if you think I'm not bright enough to understand, or if you just made a mistake.  I got the point the first time.  LOL

 

[JessyCruises]

OP thanks for the update.  I actually prefer Inside over Oceanview and would not pay additional for it.  I think you will be happy with it and you have the right attitude to not let it dampen your enthusiasm for the cruise.  

 

Take your OBC and rebook your excursions as RC suggested.  Or use it for tips, or set up your account as a cash account at check in and head to the casino and withdraw the OBC as cash.  You can then head to guest services the next day and add your credit card on the account.

[Iamcruzin]

2 hours ago, grapau27 said:

Good idea with the title.

When Is A Guarantee Not A Guarantee??

Answer: When it's booked for a Royal Caribbean cruise.

[legaljen1969]

7 hours ago, Homosassa said:

So, lesson learned about cruising (on any cruise line). Do not book a guaranteed cabin unless you will be happy with the poorest cabin in that category or a "higher" category cabin. Just be aware that the cruise line's definition of a higher category may not match your idea of a better cabin.

But that's not what happened.  They didn't upgrade the OP to a cabin they considered a "higher" category cabin.  OP was downgraded from OV to Interior.  I don't know if any situation in which the poorest oceanview cabin is still not a superior category to the very best interior cabin.

[Ourusualbeach]

2 minutes ago, legaljen1969 said:

You double posted your response.  Not sure if you think I'm not bright enough to understand, or if you just made a mistake.  I got the point the first time.  LOL

 

Gee, I’m sorry if part of my post repeated itself but you keep going on about it like it’s a common occurrence when it’s not.  Nobody is saying what Royal has done is correct but there’s really no reason to treat it as something it’s not.  

[legaljen1969]

4 hours ago, Judyrem said:

Mind exploding🤪   Nothing says customer loyalty than paying 200$ to Delta to "change" a ticket.  Makes me want to go Southwest(which has awful flight connections for me).

Wait until someone at Southwest tells you, when they screw up, "that's the joy of flying.  We can do whatever we want and you pay your money and hope we get you where you want to go."

 

[legaljen1969]

4 hours ago, Suemorganrose said:

Well the TA got back to us and it sounds as thought we are stuck with an inside cabin, going to try and push for more compensation though, even if it's just a higher amount of obc. We've decided not to let it dampen our spirits as we have been looking forward to this cruise for months.

Enjoy your cruise.  You will have fun no matter where you sleep.  Like others have said, your cabin is basically a place to sleep and change clothes.   Just have fun. I am sure you will.

[legaljen1969]

4 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Gee, I’m sorry if part of my post repeated itself but you keep going on about it like it’s a common occurrence when it’s not.  Nobody is saying what Royal has done is correct but there’s really no reason to treat it as something it’s not.  

Hence the reason I put the LOL after my post. 

[Iamcruzin]

43 minutes ago, beardedladies said:

 

i seriously wonder if the new royal up system is to blame and royal are keeping cabins unassigned longer to try to maximise upgrade potential (why assign anything less than the minimum cabin type in the guarantee if higher types can be used with paid upgrades?). If this is the case, we may start to see this issue more and more and it seems royal is no longer prepared to compensate well. 

You go to the head of the class with that very astute observation.

[Ourusualbeach]

1 hour ago, cruisinfanatic said:

For what? The TA didn't downgrade them

The way some post about the EU rules it is if the cruise line fails to deliver on its promise.  Maybe it's not ABTA they need to file a claim with then.  

[Arzeena]

4 hours ago, Suemorganrose said:

This is a copy of rc's response that was given to us via our ta 

This is not fair at all!

[Colorado Babe]

I am so sorry this happened to you.  I don't ever recall reading anyone getting downgraded. There is nothing you can do at this point but just enjoy your trip and know you will be sleeping great on the ship.  Have a great vacation and don't let it ruin your time off.

[mayleeman]

1 hour ago, Ourusualbeach said:

You could take any business out there and find horror stories if you looked hard enough, it’s not an indication that that is common practice.

 

 

Since you referenced the basic RCI cruise contract, this latest post of yours is interesting. Most businesses do not have contracts that literally provide that they can fail to give you anything you were expecting--Section 6 allows them to, without compensation, take you anywhere, or nowhere. Compensation is required only if the cruise is cancelled.

 

What businesses do you know that have that discretion?

Edited May 23, 2019 by mayleeman

[Ourusualbeach]

3 minutes ago, mayleeman said:

 

 

Since you referenced the basic RCI cruise contract, this latest pist of yours is interesting. Most businesses do not have contracts that literally provide that they can fail to give you anything you were expecting--Section 6 allows them to, without compensation, take you anywhere, or nowhere. Compensation is required only if the cruise is cancelled.

 

What businesses do you know that have that discretion?

All I said is that you could find horror stories with any business.  I did not say they would be the same as this.  Just to note, they did provide the difference in fare between the two categories and did offer $300 in compensation.  I’m not saying that’s satisfactory but they did provide something

.  

[mayleeman]

@Ourusualbeach

Yes  they did provide something, but reading that contract is scary! By its terms, they could close all dining venues except the MDR, cancel all onboard entertainment, sail 40 miles offshore and anchor for the entire cruise, randomly shuffle everyone's cabin assignments within the category booked, and not have to provide a dime except for refunding prepurchased activities not held.

[Ourusualbeach]

Just now, mayleeman said:

@Ourusualbeach

Yes  they did provide something, but reading that contract is scary! By its terms, they could close all dining venues except the MDR, cancel all onboard entertainment, sail 40 miles offshore and anchor for the entire cruise, randomly shuffle everyone's cabin assignments within the category booked, and not have to provide a dime except for refunding prepurchased activities not held.

If they did that on a regular basis they wouldn’t be in business. Even doing something like you described once could have a serious effect on their credibility.

[mayleeman]

5 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

If they did that on a regular basis they wouldn’t be in business. Even doing something like you described once could have a serious effect on their credibility.

Absolutely. But their power to do it is what lies behind their reply to the OP.

 

And for all the "doesn't happen very often" comments about the OP's problem (as optimistic as they are), how on earth can anyone claim to know? Cruise Critic participants writing in English are but a tiny microcosm of total cruisers. The OP's experience, or similar, or worse, could happen dozens of times a day in the industry as a whole.

 

Fortunately,  my 4 cruises planned through next year reflect the less gloomy side of my views!

[Ourusualbeach]

4 minutes ago, mayleeman said:

Absolutely. But their power to do it is what lies behind their reply to the OP.

 

And for all the "doesn't happen very often" comments about the OP's problem (as optimistic as they are), how on earth can anyone claim to know? Cruise Critic participants writing in English are but a tiny microcosm of total cruisers. The OP's experience, or similar, or worse, could happen dozens of times a day in the industry as a whole.

 

Fortunately,  my 4 cruises planned through next year reflect the less gloomy side of my views!

I agree with you that this is just a small fraction of the cruising population but stuff from other social media sites also makes its way over here as well.  When we only hear of a couple of events like this a year on here even multiplied out you may be talking a few hundred or even a thousand is still a very very small number when you factor in the number of guests that sail annually. 

[Homosassa]

1 hour ago, legaljen1969 said:

But that's not what happened.  They didn't upgrade the OP to a cabin they considered a "higher" category cabin.  OP was downgraded from OV to Interior.  I don't know if any situation in which the poorest oceanview cabin is still not a superior category to the very best interior cabin.

My paragraph clearly refers to a lesson learned about guarantees and adds what one should be willing to accept in a guaranteed cabin.

 

In any case, I definitely can tell you of a case where a poor oceanview cabin was definitely not a superior cabin to the best interior.

 

We were upgraded once (different cruise line) for our carefully selected interior cabin to an ocean view over the pot washer. It clanked and banged all night long. 

[brillohead]

7 hours ago, livylotte said:

Enjoy your cruise!  I hope it doesn't spoil it for you.  Perhaps a post on RC Facebook or Twitter warning people of the perils of booking a guarantee cabin?

 

7 hours ago, grapau27 said:

Good idea with the title.

When Is A Guarantee Not A Guarantee??

 

Honestly, there is no point in "warning people of the perils of booking a guarantee" -- something like this happens SO RARELY that it really is a non-issue. 

Things have happened before where a room has been taken out of inventory due to a maintenance issue, with nowhere else to put the people who were booked in that room and so they got bumped.... but it happens SO RARELY that it's not something for people to worry about for every single cruise booked.

Does it suck for the OP?  Absolutely! 
Is it something that happens regularly?  Absolutely NOT.  

 

[livylotte]

4 hours ago, beardedladies said:

This seems to be a more common issue with royal - I suspect the OP is on the trip on the ship immediately after ours (we’re currently on the last day of the cruise heading back to Southampton).

 

We booked a suite guarantee - we were not assigned until 5 days before sailing and on board it’s obvious our room was a cancellation as the previous occupants details are everywhere.

 

What would have happened to us if no cancellations for suites happened? The same paltry offer of a few hundred dollars on board credit?

 

i seriously wonder if the new royal up system is to blame and royal are keeping cabins unassigned longer to try to maximise upgrade potential (why assign anything less than the minimum cabin type in the guarantee if higher types can be used with paid upgrades?). If this is the case, we may start to see this issue more and more and it seems royal is no longer prepared to compensate well. 

 

The balcony cabin on our last cruise was a guarantee.  It wasn't assigned until we were days away from sailing but unlike the OP we lucked out and were given a very sought after centre hump. 

 

beardedladies - like you I also believe our cabin was someone else's - I don't know if they cancelled or upgraded - perhaps through royal up but I do know that cabins like that are usually snapped up. There is no way our cabin would have been left unsold . I suspect the previous intended occupants were upgraded.  I say a big thank you to them for giving up their cabin because who knows? We could have ended up in the same situation as the op.  

 

You take a risk with a guarantee cabin but I think that RC are out of order in down grading the OP.  Yes, they can do it - but really they should be trying every which way they can to give the OP the guarantee ocean view they booked and were promised.  I think the compensation is paltry.  Refunding the price difference is NOT compensation.  And then to suggest the OP uses the OBC to pay for an excursion is truly shocking.  So basically the only compensation they are being offered is a free excursion.  That stinks.    

 

OP I am angry for you.  I know you can't do much at this point as you are about to begin your cruise but please follow your complaint up. 

 

 

 

[cruisinfanatic]

2 hours ago, Homosassa said:

My paragraph clearly refers to a lesson learned about guarantees and adds what one should be willing to accept in a guaranteed cabin.

 

In any case, I definitely can tell you of a case where a poor oceanview cabin was definitely not a superior cabin to the best interior.

 

We were upgraded once (different cruise line) for our carefully selected interior cabin to an ocean view over the pot washer. It clanked and banged all night long. 

You clearly don't know what you are talking about. When booking a guarantee, you book a specific catergory and you should be given that category or above. Certainly not below!

[Coralc]

50 minutes ago, livylotte said:

 

 I think the compensation is paltry.  Refunding the price difference is NOT compensation.  And then to suggest the OP uses the OBC to pay for an excursion is truly shocking.  So basically the only compensation they are being offered is a free excursion.  That stinks.    

 

OP I am angry for you.  I know you can't do much at this point as you are about to begin your cruise but please follow your complaint up. 

 

 

 

 

I agree! 

[Ourusualbeach]

54 minutes ago, livylotte said:

 

The balcony cabin on our last cruise was a guarantee.  It wasn't assigned until we were days away from sailing but unlike the OP we lucked out and were given a very sought after centre hump. 

 

beardedladies - like you I also believe our cabin was someone else's - I don't know if they cancelled or upgraded - perhaps through royal up but I do know that cabins like that are usually snapped up. There is no way our cabin would have been left unsold . I suspect the previous intended occupants were upgraded.  I say a big thank you to them for giving up their cabin because who knows? We could have ended up in the same situation as the op.  

 

You take a risk with a guarantee cabin but I think that RC are out of order in down grading the OP.  Yes, they can do it - but really they should be trying every which way they can to give the OP the guarantee ocean view they booked and were promised.  I think the compensation is paltry.  Refunding the price difference is NOT compensation.  And then to suggest the OP uses the OBC to pay for an excursion is truly shocking.  So basically the only compensation they are being offered is a free excursion.  That stinks.    

 

OP I am angry for you.  I know you can't do much at this point as you are about to begin your cruise but please follow your complaint up. 

 

 

 

They received 100 pounds for the difference in price and $300 in obc as compensation. I'm not saying that is acceptable but they did receive compensation 

[Coralc]

It is incredibly tacky to suggest that they should spend their "compensation" on shore excursions that they have already purchased. That's just another win for the cruise line. They should cash it out and keep it.