What happened to RCCL’s exquisite customer service?☹️

[reallyitsmema]

5 minutes ago, itsnowjoke said:

I'm still wondering where this elusive Royal invoice is, lol.

 

Request one from your travel agent. 

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

2 minutes ago, itsnowjoke said:

I'm still wondering where this elusive Royal invoice is, lol.

Contact your TA.  It's been brought up multiple times in the thread to do so.  And, as mentioned, part of the "fees" to change the cruise might be from the TA.  

 

As far as everyone "reading you wrong", whether you intended it or not, your OP, along with subsequent posts, came off as you should be entitled to the rules being changed for you.  It basically sounded EXACTLY like someone barging through a line saying "I'm Diamond, make way."  

 

When everyone else sees things one way and you see it a different way, you may want to reconsider how YOU see it.  

[BonTexasNY]

On 1/28/2023 at 10:42 AM, firefly333 said:

I do think cruises are different than anything else requiring final payment 90 days ahead.

 

Not even airlines do this. Of course loyalists think this is great and we knew the rules and rush to defend. When I try to tell a newbie no refunds after final payment they look at me like I'm crazy.

 

Ive had several people tell me they are sure I'm wrong. If I'd just call the cruiseline would understand and refund or move my cruise. They cant believe I'm missing a cruise next monday and losing the money. I'm like no, that's how it is, they dont make exceptions. I fell and broke my arm, set twice. The day after my arm had surgery my mom had a stroke and now passed away. So I have big reasons for not going. I've told them if you dont have insurance no refunds. They are sure I'm wrong, the cruiseline would allow a refund   ..they think I'm wrong.

I only read page 1 of this thread.  I am so sorry to hear of your mother's passing.  She led a long life well lived, I am sure.  You were an exceptional daughter.  I hope your arm heals quickly.

[Tiggerontheseas]

6 minutes ago, itsnowjoke said:

I'm still wondering where this elusive Royal invoice is, lol.

 

Your TA can send a copy of ìt to you.  Just ask them for the Royal Caribbean booking invoice. 

[Ourusualbeach]

9 minutes ago, itsnowjoke said:

I'm still wondering where this elusive Royal invoice is, lol.

That is up to your TA to send you. 

[itsnowjoke]

5 hours ago, not-enough-cruising said:

Really?? I dial 800-526-9723 and the line is answered "Welcome to Royal Caribbean Crown and Anchor Society"

Thank you.  That number is lo longer listed, even on the C&A page.  I will call them tomorrow and yell and scream that I'm an entitled Diamond and they'd better do what I say!!!🤪😆

[Amberle3]

4 hours ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

Good to know there are controls now after the problems they had with all the independent TAs years ago.  I remember reading stories here of people that lost all their funds and TA disappeared.

 

It's been their official policy for a long time. I was with an agency 20 years ago that would deliberately NOT follow this procedure.  Back then there were fewer checks on credit card information, the name on the order didn't have to match the name on the card and almost no one asked the name on the card. The agency owner told his agents to call the cruise lines to make payments, give them the client's name and info but the agency card number, and he ran the client's card as a charge to the agency.  He did this because his card earned mileage points, so he and his wife would take vacations with the points he earned from his client's travel. 

 

[TeamCan]

30 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

That is up to your TA to send you. 

 

30 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

That is up to your TA to send you. 

I've booked once with a TA from another agency and he said it was company policy not to give/email of copy of RC's booking invoice. He said his company's invoice is all I needed. Why would the company refuse to give  a copy of RC's booking invoice?  I like to have both the agency's copy and RC's booking invoice.

[Ourusualbeach]

5 minutes ago, TeamCan said:

 

I've booked once with a TA from another agency and he said it was company policy not to give/email of copy of RC's booking invoice. He said his company's invoice is all I needed. Why would the company refuse to give  a copy of RC's booking invoice?  I like to have both the agency's copy and RC's booking invoice.

I dont understand it either.  I used to work for a company that did not like thr cruise lines invoice going out...I ignored it.  

 

One thing that does come to mind is some TA's set their own final paymemt date, while Royals invoice lists the absolute last date, many do not like clients knowing they are collecting final paymrmt 2 to 4 weeks early. 

[Amberle3]

7 minutes ago, TeamCan said:

 

I've booked once with a TA from another agency and he said it was company policy not to give/email of copy of RC's booking invoice. He said his company's invoice is all I needed. Why would the company refuse to give  a copy of RC's booking invoice?  I like to have both the agency's copy and RC's booking invoice.

 

Because some agencies like to add additional fees and try to hide them.  And some agents don't know how to find the client copy of the invoice from the booking system and they don't want you to see the copy that breaks down the agency commission.

 

I mean I understand not providing the supplier's booking in some circumstances.  For example, agencies have access to what are basically wholesale consolidators who use massive buying power to (sometimes) get big discounts on things like airfare.  They sell only to travel agencies, they sell at a net cost, and the agency adds additional amounts to that net cost so that they make some money on the sale (there's no commission involved at all). In those cases there isn't a client-view invoice, because none of those transactions are meant for the client to see. Just like something is bought from a store customers don't get to see how much the store itself paid for those items.

 

There are travel consolidators who specialize in cruises - they work with the cruise lines to establish specials and deals etc, and they sell only to travel agencies. But I've never known any of them to NOT be able to have a client copy of the invoice.

[Amberle3]

8 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

One thing that does come to mind is some TA's set their own final paymemt date, while Royals invoice lists the absolute last date, many do not like clients knowing they are collecting final paymrmt 2 to 4 weeks early. 

 

Very true!  I forgot about that.
And there are far too many people who think that the "payment deadline" means "I can email my travel agent at 10pm on that day and everything will be fine."

[itsnowjoke]

14 minutes ago, Starry Eyes said:

Here’s my question:

You have learned that you Travel Agency is not providing you the info you need about cancellation penalties.  Are you going to continue using this agency for future travel?

 

 

Travel agents are supposed to handle the reservations.  If you reserve through a TA, you should no have to call the Royal Caribbean reps yourself; perhaps a conference call with your TA and RCI… but not just you.  Yet you say your TA told you to call yourself.  Are you going to continue to use this agency for future travel?

 

As you TA owns your reservation, it is possible the answer to the questions about your reservation went quite appropriately to the owner of the reservation, your TA, who should disperse the info to their client, you. As the TA failed in the above examples, it is possible th TA may be the failure point in the communications as well.

 

The customer service failure I see is that of your Travel agent.

 

I will definitely use them again.  I've been using them for decades, they take great care of me.  When I told them that I wanted to change, they called RCCL, and I didn't like the answer.  I asked if there was another angle on this, they told me that since they didn't have any luck, to call RCCL directly.  Which I did.  The person at RCCL had no access to financial info whatsoever and told me she wan't empowered to change the res, and assured me that a manager would be in touch with me.  I also filled out the online form, because why not?  No one ever got back to me, and at this point it's not that big of a deal.  I sure did get some people on here chasin' their tails though, didn't I?  The whole fiasco was almost worth it based on the entertainment value of that alone.😆

 

This is a one-off thing, they do a great job booking me.  Someone else recently stated on this thread that they NEVER see RCCL's invoice, their travel agent doesn't provide it.  At this point I'll just go with the flow, register online and suffer through the cruise.😁 

[Ourusualbeach]

1 minute ago, Amberle3 said:

 

Very true!  I forgot about that.
And there are far too many people who think that the "payment deadline" means "I can email my travel agent at 10pm on that day and everything will be fine."

If your travel agent has not reached out to you before 10pm on thst day it's time to find a new travel agent.  

[TeamCan]

12 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

I dont understand it either.  I used to work for a company that did not like thr cruise lines invoice going out...I ignored it.  

 

One thing that does come to mind is some TA's set their own final paymemt date, while Royals invoice lists the absolute last date, many do not like clients knowing they are collecting final paymrmt 2 to 4 weeks early. 

Thank you. I agree with the TA wanting to collect final payment b4 RC's final payment date. They're busy too, so it gives them time to send your payment to RC. Don't want to make final payment on RC's absolute last date in case there's a snag and your cruise can be cancelled.  That agency is the the only one that has refused to send a copy... don't know why.. and haven't booked with them again.