Ever Been Denied Boarding for Not Knowing Something the Royal Travel Agent Didn't Tell you?

[Ferry_Watcher]

Yes, I wonder about the insurance claim as well. 

Also, if there were other family members traveling in other staterooms who had voluntarily decided not to cruise because of the denial, I think that they wouldn't be able to make an insurance claim.  I think it would be a straight up loss. 

[dada2199cc]

1 hour ago, Bencruisin said:

I appreciate all the responses so far but I've only had one response answering the questions asked:

 

Anyone else experience something like this?  Were you able to get a refund for more than taxes and fees?  

My story isn’t with RCL, but over ten years ago I was sailing with a friend who didn’t have the proper documentation so they got bounced and I decided to skip the cruise along with them.

 

About a month of back and forth and that cruise line offered them a full credit towards a future cruise but I only got my port fees and taxes refunded as I elected to skip.  We were not married or even housemates.

 

Never cruised that cruise line again and tossed the friendship when the didn’t offer to go halfsies with me on joining them on their credit cruise.

 

I think you’ll have better luck asking for cruise credit as travel documentation isn’t an insurable claim, usually.

[Ferry_Watcher]

20 minutes ago, Bencruisin said:

Are they really out all that money just like that?  Because of a honest mistake like a PR BC?

My friend, sadly, they are all 'honest mistakes'

 

 

[njkruzer]

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

You understand that the outward facing email address for the execs go to an off-shore call center where sub-minimum wage call center personnel respond with canned, legally approved responses signing the boss' name? That email address gets hundreds and hundreds of emails a day that Mr. Bayley never sees. 

No, they go to an office in Miami. 

[njkruzer]

Why would you expect a booking agent to advise you, apparently a Florida resident,  about PR birth certificates?  For a period of time Hudson County, NJ, birth certificates were also in question.  Not a problem for a third party who has no reason to inquire about your birth place.  The question you asked was very common and wouldn't create a reason for the agent to inquire any further than ask about marriage certificate. 

[BND]

1 hour ago, dada2199cc said:

My story isn’t with RCL, but over ten years ago I was sailing with a friend who didn’t have the proper documentation so they got bounced and I decided to skip the cruise along with them.

 

About a month of back and forth and that cruise line offered them a full credit towards a future cruise but I only got my port fees and taxes refunded as I elected to skip.  We were not married or even housemates.

 

Never cruised that cruise line again and tossed the friendship when the didn’t offer to go halfsies with me on joining them on their credit cruise.

 

I think you’ll have better luck asking for cruise credit as travel documentation isn’t an insurable claim, usually.

Seriously?

[dada2199cc]

11 minutes ago, BND said:

Seriously?

Yeah I voluntarily didn’t board so I was denied whereas they were denied boarding so they were able to somehow get a credit.

 

It wasn’t a lot of money, short cruise, but I was already unhappy with the cruise line for other reasons.

[BND]

Just now, dada2199cc said:

Yeah I voluntarily didn’t board so I was denied whereas they were denied boarding so they were able to somehow get a credit.

 

It wasn’t a lot of money, short cruise, but I was already unhappy with the cruise line for other reasons.

Besides that, I'm referring to the fact you dropped a friend for not giving you half of their credit.  Just because you chose not to go, they didn't owe you anything.

[Bencruisin]

1 hour ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

As for the the way you were treated - my guess is that once it was apparent that your spouse did not have the correct documents needed to sail, the first agent called a supervisor, who then brought you both to a 'document recovery' team to help your spouse figure out if there were any other documents that Royal (and CBP) will accept.  

 

I am guessing that you were quite adamant and vocal in response to your spouse's denial, and there is only so much these pier staff can take,

 

It is unlikely that you will receive a refund.

 

 

I'm just never going to convince anyone that my entire family was shocked by what was happening but we never raised our voice or took anything out on anyone.  I'm actually proud of that.

 

The same lady who reviewed our documents was the one who walked us to the "exception" window and the only person we talked to from then on was the lady who seemed to be having a horrible day.

 

I've already verified we will get a 90% cruise credit from AON (The Royal recommended insurance).

[Bencruisin]

1 hour ago, d9704011 said:

You seem pretty certain that your insurance company will pay the claim.  

I never take out insurance but this time I did.  Its the insurance Royal recommends and I've verified I'm getting a 90% cruise credit.

 

This is why I wonder about the customers who didn't have insurance.  Seems kind of harsh to not do something other than take their money and show them out.

[Bencruisin]

1 hour ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

Yes, I wonder about the insurance claim as well. 

Also, if there were other family members traveling in other staterooms who had voluntarily decided not to cruise because of the denial, I think that they wouldn't be able to make an insurance claim.  I think it would be a straight up loss. 

The insurance was expensive but after what happened I guess it paid off.  I never take the insurance on these things. Got lucky...

[LGW59]

4 hours ago, long4acruise said:

Sorry you experienced this and thanks for sharing with others.

 

My personal "Golden Rule" - always travel with my passport and have more than 6 months prior to expiration and have Global Entry for my international travel/flights.

Just prefer stress-less and hassle-free lifestyle as much as possible.

Me too, even in the US, I NEVER travel w/o my passport.  I guess perhaps because I've done so much international travel it is just a force of habit.  

[LGW59]

5 hours ago, Bencruisin said:

Not saying she was supposed to know that....I would expect her to know about the rule though and to mention it during the time we asked about using birth certificates just like the myriad of things she mentioned about covid.  Many didn't pertain to us but we were told about them.

I'm still confused, she mentioned BC rules etc but didn't mention the specifics about needing PR BC need to be replaced?

[klfrodo]

17 minutes ago, Bencruisin said:

I'm just never going to convince anyone that my entire family was shocked by what was happening but we never raised our voice or took anything out on anyone.  I'm actually proud of that.

 

The same lady who reviewed our documents was the one who walked us to the "exception" window and the only person we talked to from then on was the lady who seemed to be having a horrible day.

 

I've already verified we will get a 90% cruise credit from AON (The Royal recommended insurance).

The reason you are receiving a future cruise credit is because the insurance you bought includes a “Cancel For Any Reason” rider.

The insurance plan sucks in all actuality except for the CFAR provision. If you lived in NY, you couldn’t buy the Royal insurance plan.

[Ferry_Watcher]

17 minutes ago, Bencruisin said:

I'm just never going to convince anyone that my entire family was shocked by what was happening but we never raised our voice or took anything out on anyone.  I'm actually proud of that.

Did your spouse's denial cause multiple family members  (staterooms) to be abandoned?  If so, was there insurance on all the cabins?  I would be interested knowing if the insurance really did cover the cabins of folks who voluntarily decided not to board.  Truly curious.

[Ferry_Watcher]

3 minutes ago, klfrodo said:

The reason you are receiving a future cruise credit is because the insurance you bought includes a “Cancel For Any Reason” rider.

 

Good to know about this.  Thanks!

[LGW59]

2 hours ago, Bencruisin said:

I really feel for anyone who may not have had travel insurance.  At least I'll recoup most of it.

 

The reason for the post was ..... I've been wondering about other people who had a similar experience who had no travel insurance.  Are they really out all that money just like that?  Because of a honest mistake like a PR BC?  That's a lot of money!  And they were stranded.  In our case my grandkids luggage didn't show up along with some others who were denied boarding. Again we were the lucky ones....we live within a couple hours of the terminal.

 

I've run into two other recent denied boarding stories that look like the customer isn't going to recoup anything other than the taxes and fees.

 

I wonder how often this happens.

I can only relate a travel w/o travel experience to many years ago.  My ex and I had a very expensive trip planned, luxury hotels yada yada.  My TA, who is also a very good friend, strongly advised us to get travel insurance, being a young healthy know it all I said nah nothing will happen.  Well the know it all was WRONG and we had no recourse and lost the $$$.  My ex was beyond pissed and blamed our friend, when it was me who said no to insurance even though she strongly advised.  After that, I always have gotten insurance for every trip I take.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

3 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

You understand that the outward facing email address for the execs go to an off-shore call center where sub-minimum wage call center personnel respond with canned, legally approved responses signing the boss' name? That email address gets hundreds and hundreds of emails a day that Mr. Bayley never sees. 

Did anyone say that email address went to Mr Bayley?  

[njkruzer]

2 minutes ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

Did anyone say that email address went to Mr Bayley?  

Not to him but to bunch of worker bees in the exec office. 

[klfrodo]

28 minutes ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

 

Good to know about this.  Thanks!

cruise line policies with CFAR allow you to cancel up to scheduled departure time. 3rd party policies require additional money for CFAR and you must cancel 24 to 48 hours before "trip" departure.

 

So, in this instance, had they had a Travelguard or TravelSafe, the CFAR would not have covered them.

[twangster]

A couple of weeks ago I sailed Mariner from PCN.  I was an interior cabin so I dropped by guest service upon boarding and asked about any upgrade opportunities.  "We'll let you know once we set sail".  

 

That night GS called and offered me a balcony cabin.  It seems the people in this cabin didn't make it on the ship.  

 

During the cruise when I visited guest services I noted a dozen or so pieces of luggage behind the counter.  GS told me a family involving several cabins didn't make the ship.  They dropped off their luggage but were denied boarding for some reason.  Maybe a kid tested positive, maybe they didn't know they had to have test results, maybe they had insufficient documentation.  GS didn't tell me the reason, just that they did not board the ship after dropping off their luggage.  Their luggage went on a cruise without them.  

 

So does it happen?  Yes it does.  How often?  Probably more often than is reported by the people who are unable to board for whatever reason.  Most people tend to get quiet when they realize it was actually their fault for being denied boarding.  

[Biker19]

2 minutes ago, twangster said:

That night GS called and offered me a balcony cabin. 

At what price compared to Royal Up?

[twangster]

Just now, Biker19 said:

At what price compared to Royal Up?

 

Zero.  All of my minimum RU bids were rejected the day before the cruise.  

 

Another guy with no meaningful status in CAS was also upgraded on a complimentary basis.  I met him in the pub where I heard him telling the story of his free upgrade to a balcony.  

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, twangster said:

Zero.

There seems to be some ship based generosity going around.

[Ferry_Watcher]

Shore side staff will make every attempt to get the luggage of a denied passenger off the ship before it sails.  Sometimes it takes a bit of time and the luggage is the last thing off the ship before it leaves;  sometimes it sails on the ship without the passenger.

 

My personal wish is that the cruise lines did a better job spelling out what travel documents are needed for closed loop sailings, especially for our foreign guests. If a guest books an Alaskan cruise and enters that they have a passport from say India, Columbia or South Africa, there should be an automatic pause on the booking stating that a Canadian visa is needed, or the passenger will be denied boarding in Seattle.  I think the more info the cruise lines can give to passengers, the better experience the cruise will be (although I do know that many folks ignore email updates from the cruise lines).

 

It's all unfortunate and sad.