Guaranteed cabin and rci have downgraded us

[Ourusualbeach]

22 minutes ago, Coralc said:

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. 

 

They actually suggested cancelling the shore excursions they had already paid for and get a refund and then use the  OBC to repurchase those shore excursions. 

[Coralc]

43 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

 

They actually suggested cancelling the shore excursions they had already paid for and get a refund and then use the  OBC to repurchase those shore excursions. 

 

Yes. Thanks Ken. Got it. It is a tacky and condescending suggestion by Royal Caribbean. Why not, we noted that you have purchased shore excursions in Paris, we can refund your payment on those as additional onboard credit and enjoy your cruise? 

Edited May 24, 2019 by Coralc

[Iamcruzin]

I can just visualize  them canceling the excursion and upon rebooking they find out that it's sold out. I would just leave bad enough alone. 

[Ourusualbeach]

56 minutes ago, Coralc said:

 

Yes. Thanks Ken. Got it. It is a tacky and condescending suggestion by Royal Caribbean. Why not, we noted that you have purchased shore excursions in Paris, we can refund your payment on those as additional onboard credit and enjoy your cruise? 

 

The OP said they didn’t have use for the OBC as everything had been paid for.  Royal suggested that they could refund (to their credit card) the shore excursions so they could use the OBC to repurchase them.  Not sure how trying to find a way to turn that OBC into cash is tacky or condescending.  

[Coralc]

Because they are giving them money as compensation, and then they are saying …"Here look, cancel and re-book this shore excursion AND this is how you can give the money back to us, by using our money." 

 

That's ridiculous. They were unable to do any refunding of the drink packages. (according to the reply) Okay. So why not refund the shore excursion to build customer goodwill? They could look like they were actually doing something nice onboard for them. They could purchase an excursion at another port.

 

I will keep disagreeing Ken, if you wish.  Because I think these folks really received the short end of the stick. 

[Ourusualbeach]

3 hours ago, Coralc said:

Because they are giving them money as compensation, and then they are saying …"Here look, cancel and re-book this shore excursion AND this is how you can give the money back to us, by using our money." 

 

That's ridiculous. They were unable to do any refunding of the drink packages. (according to the reply) Okay. So why not refund the shore excursion to build customer goodwill? They could look like they were actually doing something nice onboard for them. They could purchase an excursion at another port.

 

I will keep disagreeing Ken, if you wish.  Because I think these folks really received the short end of the stick. 

I do agree with you that they received the shoe part end of the stick, just for different reasons.😇

Edited May 24, 2019 by Ourusualbeach

[nelblu]

4 hours ago, Coralc said:

Because they are giving them money as compensation, and then they are saying …"Here look, cancel and re-book this shore excursion AND this is how you can give the money back to us, by using our money." 

 

That's ridiculous. They were unable to do any refunding of the drink packages. (according to the reply) Okay. So why not refund the shore excursion to build customer goodwill? They could look like they were actually doing something nice onboard for them. They could purchase an excursion at another port.

 

I will keep disagreeing Ken, if you wish.  Because I think these folks really received the short end of the stick. 

 

Am I missing something.  I feel bad for the Op, however, RCL is suggesting to keep the excursion moneys (credit to cc) and use the OBC as a vehicle for payment, assuming the original price is guaranteed.  Don't know what you're upset about.

Other than the downgrade, it's a win win for the OP.  Unless you are suggesting, as  a goodwill gesture, that they maintain the OBC and offer an additional excursion for gratis.

 

 

[robyn206]

Perhaps the description should not include the word "guarantee" if it's not guaranteed.  Maybe the word "promise" with crossed fingers is more accurate.

Edited May 24, 2019 by robyn206

[Iamcruzin]

2 minutes ago, robyn206 said:

Perhaps the description should not include the word "guarantee" if it's not guaranteed.  Maybe the word "promise" with crossed fingers is more accurate.

Even promise is too strong of a word.  A Chance with fingers crossed is more accurate...LOL

[Homosassa]

10 hours ago, cruisinfanatic said:

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!

I take it you didn't bother to read the whole thread including my original comment which was misunderstood by the poster that I was responding to and taken further out of context by you. 

[mayleeman]

10 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

Even promise is too strong of a word.  A Chance with fingers crossed is more accurate...LOL

A.k.a., the "Crapshoot" option. With all the additional meanings the word can connote.

[fscool]

According to the RCL UK site (where the OP booked, I believe) what RCL has done is violate their own marketing and advertising program.

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.co.uk/discover-cruise-holidays/guarantee-rooms/

 

RCL is not being truthful with how they are operating.  You cannot bait and switch like this.  

[Tree_skier]

16 hours ago, legaljen1969 said:

The thing that concerns me is that apparently this is not just an issue with "guarantee" rooms but also with assigned rooms. They can just randomly re-assign and downgrade.

Do you have an example of that actually happening?

[little britain]

Well, the OP should be on board by now... waiting to see how this one turns out.

I'm guessing it is Explorer -downside it is bank holiday weekend here so it will be full of kids/families on half term...  wonder how many no shows - or families that don't have the proper paperwork for taking other people's kids......who get denied boarding!!!

 

 

Edited May 24, 2019 by little britain

[Tagsalong]

OP please note their response "Please speak to Guest Services once on board as they may have some last minute cancellations or no shows and may be able to allocate the cabin you require."

 

I mention this because of an event that happened to us a couple of years ago.  We booked a specific inside cabin but the ship's Guest Services Manager promised our cabin to a B2B customer so we got moved to a different location on the ship.  We complained to GS and Corporate (via phone call at GS desk) to no avail.  The GS manager said they could do nothing until that evening (embarkation day) when they determined who did not show up for the cruise.  To our surprise, 18 seapass cards were brought on board from the terminal when the doors were closed.  These were the no-shows.  It took until 8:00pm before they were able to give us an upgraded cabin - a balcony - because they had to  try to contact all the no-shows to see if they would meet up with the ship at one of the Ports-of-Calls.

 

So I strongly suggest going to Guest Services as soon as you board, show them the document(s) and ask for a OV, or better, cabin.  Your choice, of course, to accept assigned inside or fight for your desired category.

[papaflamingo]

16 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

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

"When is a guarantee not a guarantee?"

MORE ANSWERS:

When booked on Carnival, Holland America, Celebrity, Princess, Viking, Regent, Seaborne, Silversea, any cruise line

When booked on Delta, American, United, Southwest, any other airline

When booked into Marriott, Hilton, Westin, any hotel

When booked on Hertz, Budget, Avis, Dollar, Thrifty, any car rental

Shall I go on?  A guarantee is always subject to the fine print.  Best to read the fine print. 

I think the OP should, at very least, get some future cruise credits to go along with the OBC.  But the fine print is the fine print. Argue and complain, but when the decision is final,  Live with it or don't cruise. 

 

[Tree_skier]

Honestly, I think all this talk about how a guarantee isn't a guarantee is a lot of nonsense.  There are hundreds of guarantees booked on each and every ship, each and every week, that go off without a hitch. Thousand upon thousands of successfully purchased and delivered guarantees. Also, we have multiple examples, documented right here on CC, of folks who booked guarantees getting more than they purchased a guarantee for.

 

The OP is the only example, in my search of CC, that I could find of this happening yet we have folks suggesting that a guarantee isn't a guarantee.  Don't get me wrong, I feel for the OP.  It sucks and I think that Royal should have and could have offered more. However, to impugn the entire "guarantee" program does a disservice to those who come to CC looking for info. The implication in these posts is that a guarantee is a "pig in a poke" which is far from the truth.

 

To the OP, have a great cruise and don't let this small change create a negative vibe that diminishes your cruise experience.

[Starry Eyes]

I am very sorry this happened to the OP.  I have sailed many times, often in gty, without such incidents.  Do make the best of it.

 

Airlines overbook and drive passengers batty.  Hotels overbook and “walk” people with guaranteed reservations to other properties...sometimes cancelling and multiday reservation at their property while securing only night elsewhere.  So cruiselines are certainly not the worst offenders.  I’d like to see the pitchfork after the above biggest problems.

 

in fairness to hotels and cruiselines, sometimes an issue may suddenly remove room(s) from available inventory with little notice.  A serious plumbing or structural issue, for example, could arise, and suddenly they are a cabin (or three or whatever number) short.  I think the cruiseline should seek out a volunteer to downgrade or move over to a different cruise in this circumstance, dangling a decent compensation package.  Good chance somebody in an OV cabin would have volunteered for the same deal resented by the OP especially if the inside cabin is in a decent location.

 

Like the others, I recognize that the cruise contract gives the cruise line the right to do such downgrades, not only to gty guests but also to those with carefully selected cabins.  If they downgrade passengers involuntarily more than rarely, it is terrible PR.  I wish the cruiseline would take the time to find someone to voluntarily downgrade for compensation rather than force it upon somebody.  If so, this thread might not exist or would have a different, maybe celebratory, tone (woohoo I still get to cruise and now I can afford XYZ, too)

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, Tree_skier said:

The OP is the only example, in my search of CC, that I could find of this happening yet we have folks suggesting that a guarantee isn't a guarantee.

CC seems to have search issues - we see probably one of these examples at least once a year, though not necessarily a GTY booking, just someone who gets bumped. Somewhat unique with this example is the rather low compensation amount.

[Starry Eyes]

6 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

CC seems to have search issues - we see probably one of these examples at least once a year, though not necessarily a GTY booking, just someone who gets bumped. Somewhat unique with this example is the rather low compensation amount.

Depending upon the length of the cruise, I’m not sure this was such a bad compensation offer.  The OP is still, after all,on their original cruise.  They did not give up a special, hand selected cabin.  What is the value of the gty window...the window in the worst OV cabin on the ship?  The OP perceives it to be greater than the compensation offered; that is the shame here...it is being forced  on the wrong cruiser.  Others cruisers would be as happy or nearly as happy in an inside cabin as in an OV cabin; such a cruiser might be delighted to get a refund of $125 pp price differential plus $300 OBC.   

[Tree_skier]

19 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

CC seems to have search issues - we see probably one of these examples at least once a year, though not necessarily a GTY booking, just someone who gets bumped. Somewhat unique with this example is the rather low compensation amount.

And with that I agree.  Perhaps a combination of OBC and FCC would have made the OP feel better about everything. 

[legaljen1969]

14 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. 

I stand corrected.  That does sound terrible.

[Biker19]

4 minutes ago, Starry Eyes said:

Depending upon the length of the cruise, I’m not sure this was such a bad compensation offer.  

Value is in the eye of the beholder, that's why different people will jump (and complain) at different compensation levels. 

[Starry Eyes]

3 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Value is in the eye of the beholder, that's why different people will jump (and complain) at different compensation levels. 

Exactly.  When they found this cruiser to be non-receptive, they could have sought a volunteer and ended up with a happy outcome/decent PR.  I would not think it would be hard.  Perhaps they could somebody in an OV who is active on the roll call. Heck, if they just called a few of the people they assigned to crummy OV cabins, one of them (now knowing their lousy location) might have jumped at the inside cabin compensation offer.  Instead, they forced the deal on this Gty cruiser who really wants an OV cabin, and they are getting an unhappy customer and bad PR.

[fscool]

48 minutes ago, papaflamingo said:

"When is a guarantee not a guarantee?"

MORE ANSWERS:

When booked on Carnival, Holland America, Celebrity, Princess, Viking, Regent, Seaborne, Silversea, any cruise line

When booked on Delta, American, United, Southwest, any other airline

When booked into Marriott, Hilton, Westin, any hotel

When booked on Hertz, Budget, Avis, Dollar, Thrifty, any car rental

Shall I go on?  A guarantee is always subject to the fine print.  Best to read the fine print. 

I think the OP should, at very least, get some future cruise credits to go along with the OBC.  But the fine print is the fine print. Argue and complain, but when the decision is final,  Live with it or don't cruise. 

 

 

I don't disagree with your post.  Companies are always protecting themselves. 

 

But can you find the "fine print" anywhere on this RCL UK page?

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.co.uk/discover-cruise-holidays/guarantee-rooms/

 

Even the Booking T&Cs and UK Booking Conditions clearly state how the Guarantee program is supposed to work.  See below. 

 

1.8 WHAT IS A ‘GUARANTEE’ (GTY) BOOKING? We may (at our discretion) offer you the option of making a ‘Guarantee’ (GTY) booking. This means you may book a stateroom of a guaranteed minimum category type, (specified by us prior to booking) on your chosen ship. However, the exact location of the stateroom on the ship will be allocated by us (at our discretion) and at any time up until checking in at the Port. Once your GTY stateroom has been allocated to you, we are unable to accept any changes requested by you. The benefits to you of a GTY stateroom are that, after your booking has been confirmed, we may (at our discretion) upgrade your stateroom to one of a superior category to that originally booked at no extra charge to you. In any event, you are ‘guaranteed’ the minimum category of stateroom we agree to offer at the time of booking. The stateroom we allocate will be suitable for the number of guests occupying it and this may mean you are allocated a room with upper berths which are accessed by a ladder. Upper berths may only be used by guests over 6 years old so GTY staterooms are not recommended for young families. If you have a specific requirement regarding your stateroom, or stateroom location, or are travelling with family or friends, (especially children) you want to be near, then we suggest you do not book a GTY. At times, we may offer promotional GTY offers. Such promotional GTY categories are defined as follows: WS – Suite Guarantee * XB – Ocean View Balcony Guarantee XN – Neighborhood Balcony Guarantee YO – Ocean View Guarantee ZI – Interior Guarantee * – Suite layouts and benefits vary by category. We may allocate you an entry level suite without a balcony and/or which does not include the same benefits as a higher grade Please note: If you book 2 or more cruises to be taken back to back and either one or all cruises are booked under a GTY basis, there is the possibility that you will be allocated different staterooms on each cruise, therefore necessitating the need to move between staterooms on the changeover day between your back to back cruises