You could just cancel!

[chefchick]

I can’t be the only one who is unhappy with the “new” protocols, am I?  When I booked my August Ovation cruise to Alaska many months ago I was under the impression it was a “fully” vaccinated cruise.  Then they started adding protocols for the unvaccinated….oookkkayy, then it was masks for all (ummmm, not great) now it’s everyone needs to get tested beforehand.  If Royal was doing the testing at the pier, on their dime, it might be one thing (oh, sorry, they are actually doing that for the unvaccinated).  It is becoming increasingly more frustrating and although I want to cruise terribly, I’m not sure I want to under these circumstances. I have stated this in other threads and received the obvious advice to “cancel and book with the other guys”…great, except I can’t just take my money and book elsewhere as they will only give out FCC…unless of course, you are unvaccinated…or you test positive for the virus 😱. In other words….when I booked many months ago it looked like they wanted everyone to be vaccinated and I am….now it feels like I am being penalized for it.

 

Sorry for the rant….but those of you who think there is an easy solution to this there isn’t necessarily.  I get it’s a gamble….I get it’s just a vacation, but this my first Royal Caribbean cruise and it’s leaving a bad taste in my mouth. 

[molly361]

Call them  According to a webinar with TA's if you don't like the protocols you can get a full refund

 

Ms. Yera-Rodriguez responded that Royal Caribbean will indeed offer a refund for both money paid on the reservation and money owed in most FCCs.

"If we've announced protocols for a particular sailing that anyone is booked on, we're glad to offer them a refund."

"Any FCC that has their funds backed by it, like a Cruise with Confidence or a Global Suspension, we will refund it if they disagree with our announced protocol."

[chefchick]

Interesting….do you know if this only applies to the unvaccinated or those who are showing symptoms prior to sailing?

[lazydayz]

I called today and was only offered FCC. 

[Scoobydobe7]

9 minutes ago, lazydayz said:

I called today and was only offered FCC. 

I also called and questioned my options...and I was told a FCC also

[chefchick]

Well, it looks like this was also reported on the blog who shall not be named…dated July 1.  This woman is the assistant VP of guest experience.  

Of course things change daily around here and July 1st was a lifetime ago right? 😎

 

 

[tserface]

33 minutes ago, lazydayz said:

I called today and was only offered FCC. 

To be fair, according to the contract they are not required to do refunds after final payment, and even then only partially.  Providing FCC is, at least, better than just losing the funds paid.

They are also allowed to make changes like itinerary and service based for safety purposes.  We've missed some islands because of winds and had to do special things because of Noro.

So, there is a precedent.

I'm kind of glad they are willing to require whatever it takes to keep people safe.  I'm not a fan of wearing a mask either, but it's not such an inconvenience for the little we'd have to wear one on a ship (only indoors and when in public places and not eating).  We're mostly eating all the time 🙂  We're also learning more about the virus all the time.  I just learned today that you can carry a bunch of corona bugs around in you even if you are vaccinated.  Before, we were told this was minimized by the vaccinations.  We are safer from the effects of the bugs, but we can still pass them on to others like children who may not have been vaccinated yet.  If we wear masks we are minimizing the chance of that happening.

 

I wish they'd invent a vaccine that would just zap the suckers.  Alas...

 

I don't think the cruise lines want to continue giving out bonuses to people (like 125% FCC) or refunds for things they have no control over.  They also don't need a repeat of the media nightmare they had last year.  I also appreciate that that they are following the laws and recommendations of the country of embarkation.

[CruisinNole]

Is testing at the port only for the unvaccinated? In other words, let's say that I'm vaccinated but unable to get an appointment for a PCR or Antigen test within the 72 hour window, would I be able to get the Antigen test at the port on my own dime?

[Ourusualbeach]

2 hours ago, chefchick said:

When I booked my August Ovation cruise to Alaska many months ago I was under the impression it was a “fully” vaccinated cruise.  Then they started adding protocols for the unvaccinated…

Sailings to Alaska have not changed with regards to being vaccinated.  Only guests under 12 who are unvaccinated may sail and they have always been allowed to since the sailings were announced.  No unvaccinated guests over 12 will be allowed. 
 

Out  of an abundance of caution they have added the requirement for pre boarding testing.  This was not due to them allowing unvaccinated passengers on board. 

[smplybcause]

28 minutes ago, CruisinNole said:

Is testing at the port only for the unvaccinated? In other words, let's say that I'm vaccinated but unable to get an appointment for a PCR or Antigen test within the 72 hour window, would I be able to get the Antigen test at the port on my own dime?

 

So prior to this change unvax had to show up with a negative test and get tested again at the pier at their cost if over 16/12. They've just added the vax to the show up with a test list. 

 

I haven't seen anyone mention for sure that vax could get a test at the pier if needed yet. Probably depends on if they can get enough test/personnel to offer that option. 

[Sunshine3601]

1 hour ago, Scoobydobe7 said:

I also called and questioned my options...and I was told a FCC also

If you received an email with the protocols for an august sailing they are giving full cash refunds.

If you called about a cruise for later this year and you cancel now then you get fcc.

When is the sailing you called about today?

[Sunshine3601]

1 hour ago, Scoobydobe7 said:

I also called and questioned my options...and I was told a FCC also

When is your sailing? 

Did you receive an email with the protocols specific to your sailing?

[Sunshine3601]

2 hours ago, chefchick said:

Interesting….do you know if this only applies to the unvaccinated or those who are showing symptoms prior to sailing?

This applies to anyone that has received the health protocol specific to their cruise and do not want to sail under those terms.

Did you receive that email for your august sailing?

[Sunshine3601]

55 minutes ago, CruisinNole said:

Is testing at the port only for the unvaccinated? In other words, let's say that I'm vaccinated but unable to get an appointment for a PCR or Antigen test within the 72 hour window, would I be able to get the Antigen test at the port on my own dime?

If your cruise leaves on a saturday you need to get tested no earlier than wednesday and most pharmacies allow you to schedule your test a week to 10 days prior.

Edited July 31, 2021 by Sunshine3601

[coldflame]

I called a little while back and was told only FCC, however, I believe for what I've read you need to wait until you get an email from Royal specifying the protocols for your particular sailing and then if offered as an option, you can get a full refund.

[chefchick]

10 minutes ago, Sunshine3601 said:

This applies to anyone that has received the health protocol specific to their cruise and do not want to sail under those terms.

Did you receive that email for your august sailing?

I’ve received 2.  The first 7/9 regarding the mask protocols for all and the second today for the testing requirements.  Both only have a link to the healthy sail center verbiage that is on the Royal Caribbean site.  No mention of refunds on the emails themselves.  When I dig further into the link it has the verbiage that I posted above regarding FCC. 
 

If you know where to find the link on the site that says if I am vaccinated and on an August cruise to Alaska and I am not comfortable with the protocols so am therefore entitled to a refund vs FCC then please I’d appreciate any help I can get.

[Coralc]

I just think you need to be a little more forceful. And hopefully get one of the Oregon CSR's. It is possible to get a refund, because people have. "The new protocols are not acceptable to me." Should be your mantra. "This was not in effect when I booked the cruise" is the follow up line. 

[Oceansaway17]

3 hours ago, chefchick said:

I can’t be the only one who is unhappy with the “new” protocols, am I?  When I booked my August Ovation cruise to Alaska many months ago I was under the impression it was a “fully” vaccinated cruise.  Then they started adding protocols for the unvaccinated….oookkkayy, then it was masks for all (ummmm, not great) now it’s everyone needs to get tested beforehand.  If Royal was doing the testing at the pier, on their dime, it might be one thing (oh, sorry, they are actually doing that for the unvaccinated).  It is becoming increasingly more frustrating and although I want to cruise terribly, I’m not sure I want to under these circumstances. I have stated this in other threads and received the obvious advice to “cancel and book with the other guys”…great, except I can’t just take my money and book elsewhere as they will only give out FCC…unless of course, you are unvaccinated…or you test positive for the virus 😱. In other words….when I booked many months ago it looked like they wanted everyone to be vaccinated and I am….now it feels like I am being penalized for it.

 

Sorry for the rant….but those of you who think there is an easy solution to this there isn’t necessarily.  I get it’s a gamble….I get it’s just a vacation, but this my first Royal Caribbean cruise and it’s leaving a bad taste in my mouth. 

I so AGREE with you. Nut NCL is doing tests at the port in Seattle and RCI is not. 

I gotta say the glee we all had 6 months ago is gone

[not-enough-cruising]

2 hours ago, lazydayz said:

I called today and was only offered FCC. 

 

2 hours ago, Scoobydobe7 said:

I also called and questioned my options...and I was told a FCC also

When are your embarkation dates?

[sandebeach]

25 minutes ago, chefchick said:

I’ve received 2.  The first 7/9 regarding the mask protocols for all and the second today for the testing requirements.  Both only have a link to the healthy sail center verbiage that is on the Royal Caribbean site.  No mention of refunds on the emails themselves.  When I dig further into the link it has the verbiage that I posted above regarding FCC. 
 

If you know where to find the link on the site that says if I am vaccinated and on an August cruise to Alaska and I am not comfortable with the protocols so am therefore entitled to a refund vs FCC then please I’d appreciate any help I can get.

I received an email today about Florida sailings for August, and it does state that I can get a refund if not happy with the protocols. Did you get a similar email for Alaska August cruises?

 

Florida August 2021 Sailings' Protocol Update

Before we say, "Welcome aboard," we have an update to share with you regarding our pre-cruise testing requirement.

For sailings 5 nights or longer, all guests ages 2 and up, regardless of vaccination status, are required to provide a negative PCR or antigen test result for COVID-19 on boarding day. This test must be taken no more than 3 days prior to your sail date and must be arranged by each guest at their own expense with an accredited test provider, such as a drugstore chain or diagnostic lab.

We've added this extra precaution to give you added peace of mind. The below highlights protocols for guests sailing in August 2021 out of Florida homeports. If you do not wish to follow these protocols, we are happy to provide you with a refund or move your sailing into the future when circumstances may have evolved.

Health and safety protocols are subject to change and as these occur, we're committed to updating you.

[chefchick]

1 hour ago, sandebeach said:

I received an email today about Florida sailings for August, and it does state that I can get a refund if not happy with the protocols. Did you get a similar email for Alaska August cruises?

We've added this extra precaution to give you added peace of mind. The below highlights protocols for guests sailing in August 2021 out of Florida homeports. If you do not wish to follow these protocols, we are happy to provide you with a refund or move your sailing into the future when circumstances may have evolved.

Health and safety protocols are subject to change and as these occur, we're committed to updating you.

Ummm, no.  Pretty much exactly the same except for Alaska vs Florida and the paragraph above…..so much for my peace of mind.  Do we know why they would okay refunds for one embarkation port but not the other?  Is it because it’s Florida and all the legal stuff ?

[nelblu]

14 hours ago, tserface said:

To be fair, according to the contract they are not required to do refunds after final payment, and even then only partially.  Providing FCC is, at least, better than just losing the funds paid.

 

I would agree with you if the pandemic disappeared in the next few months, but that is not the case.  FCCs have an expiration date and if these protocols are in place for some time the individual(s) will never be able to convert the FCCs into a booking/enjoyable vacation.

 

I've got 4 cabins booked on Anthem Easter sail with FCCs from a precious Anthem cruise.  There are  3 granddaughters that will not take the jab.  If these protocols are in place, which weren't when I booked, i should be able to get a refund and not a useless FCCs.  I don't care what RCL's financial situation is.

 

I can see a class action suit coming if RCL sticks with it's FCCs policy.

 

 

 

[lazydayz]

13 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

 

When are your embarkation dates?

August 15 on the Allure.  I didn’t want a FCC so did not cancel.  
 

A few hours after my call, I found out one of my Royal Up bids was successful.  

[Scoobydobe7]

14 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

If you received an email with the protocols for an august sailing they are giving full cash refunds.

If you called about a cruise for later this year and you cancel now then you get fcc.

When is the sailing you called about today?

My sailing is at the end of October...Final payment is due tomorrow...I have unvaccinated children under the age of 12 (which are on the reservation)....and I was told either way my options were a FCC....whether I pay off the balance or not.   If I pay off the balance and then the "protocols" are announced (which they have not yet for October) and do not fit with my situation...I can cancel for a FCC for amount paid minus taxes and port charges (which would be refunded)...SO...IMO Royal is getting the best of both situations and leaving me no choice as to what is best for my family....so ..again no customer loyalty...

[deliver42]

We are vaccinated and booked on the Sept. 10th sailing out of Seattle. I'm very upset with the new protocols. I'd cancel, but only get FCC for another Royal cruise, which I have absolutely no interest in ever taking again even though I'll be Diamond after this cruise. For me, Royal and Celebrity are off my cruise list.