How Cheap Can RCL Get

[mcrcruiser]

2 minutes ago, Baron Barracuda said:

You say you booked direct with a cruise consultant at Royal.  You also say you went through a TA.  Which was it?  Did you book direct and then transfer it to TA?  Once booking is in hands of TA cruise line often won't allow you to speak directly with them.  That's what TA is getting paid for.  Whoever you booked with should have sent you a confirm (which you apparently didn't read) indicating the booking was non cancelable.  Regardless I'd push hard on the TA to fight with Royal.  It would help if you had replacement cruises picked out that he/she could try to slot you into.

We would have loved to pick new cruises .The problem there was there was none except in September & we will be getting back from a one month road trip   .Thus the timing was just  too tight to jump into the RCL cruise that  was like the October cruise that RCL chartered .  November & December are holiday months  & we never will book any cruise with   the kiddies being out from school  . Ganuary we are booked on a 18 night Gawaii cruise & end of March we are booked on a 14 night Solar Eclipse  which takes us into April . We need  October of 2024 cruise that Navigator of the Seas would be doing  from LA since we no longer fly  .This would work for us but ,you can not even book that far in advance  right now  .A FCC  of $200 would   have been applied to 2024   of equal lengths ,7 day plus the 4 day  . We would book that cruise as soon as it was available as we need a  handicap cabin which sells quickly 

[ARandomTraveler]

13 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

We would have loved to pick new cruises .The problem there was there was none except in September & we will be getting back from a one month road trip   .Thus the timing was just  too tight to jump into the RCL cruise that  was like the October cruise that RCL chartered .  November & December are holiday months  & we never will book any cruise with   the kiddies being out from school  . Ganuary we are booked on a 18 night Gawaii cruise & end of March we are booked on a 14 night Solar Eclipse  which takes us into April . We need  October of 2024 cruise that Navigator of the Seas would be doing  from LA since we no longer fly  .This would work for us but ,you can not even book that far in advance  right now  .A FCC  of $200 would   have been applied to 2024   of equal lengths ,7 day plus the 4 day  . We would book that cruise as soon as it was available as we need a  handicap cabin which sells quickly 

I understand your frustration. You booked a back-to-back trip during a time that worked best for you, and because of mobility issues, the length of the back-to-back made it worth the effort. 
 

However,  just because you have these personal requirements for your travels, does not make Royal Caribbean responsible for your decision to put another person in charge of your booking instead of making the booking yourself so you could ensure you got what you wanted. If there is any risk that someone won't want to take their trip if X,Y.Z happens, then you should either not take the risk of booking a trip at all, or you should get travel insurance. And you most definitely should never book a non refundable fare.
 

I get it that what you're saying is it's just $200, and given it was Royal's decision to knock you guys off your 7-day cruise for a charter, the least they could do is extend you some discretionary goodwill by not charging the $200 penalty you're paying for your decision to cancel the 4-day cruise. But they don't have to. It's not legally required, and their travel agent did nothing wrong by booking you a non-refundable fare. And let's say they DID lie to you. How do you prove that? Don't you have a receipt that was sent to you that shows what you booked and paid for? And if you don't, why didn't you call and ask for one? Why would you ever allow someone to take your money and not provide you paperwork that shows what you paid for?
 

It's your job as a consumer (and as you explain, you're a very well traveled and well informed consumer), to read the terms and conditions of your receipts. You've cruised enough to know there is a refundable vs non-refundable fare, and you should have specified that that's what you wanted, and then followed up by reading  your receipt that shows if it's non refundable or not (a non refundable fare will have the letters NRD listed on the receipt). 
 

Sorry that you're upset, but I think you need to take a step back into reality and recognize that your anger is really at the fact that you're bummed that your plans didn't work out the way you wanted, and that's disappointing. 

Edited February 10, 2023 by ARandomTraveler

[mcrcruiser]

20 minutes ago, ARandomTraveler said:

I understand your frustration. You booked a back-to-back trip during a time that worked best for you, and because of mobility issues, the length of the back-to-back made it worth the effort. 
 

However,  just because you have these personal requirements for your travels, does not make Royal Caribbean responsible for your decision to put another person in charge of your booking instead of making the booking yourself so you could ensure you got what you wanted. If there is any risk that someone won't want to take their trip if X,Y.Z happens, then you should either not take the risk of booking a trip at all, or you should get travel insurance. And you most definitely should never book a non refundable fare.
 

I get it that what you're saying is it's just $200, and given it was Royal's decision to knock you guys off your 7-day cruise for a charter, the least they could do is extend you some discretionary goodwill by not charging the $200 penalty you're paying for your decision to cancel the 4-day cruise. But they don't have to. It's not legally required, and their travel agent did nothing wrong by booking you a non-refundable fare. And let's say they DID lie to you. How do you prove that? Don't you have a receipt that was sent to you that shows what you booked and paid for? And if you don't, why didn't you call and ask for one? Why would you ever allow someone to take your money and not provide you paperwork that shows what you paid for?
 

It's your job as a consumer (and as you explain, you're a very well traveled and well informed consumer), to read the terms and conditions of your receipts. You've cruised enough to know there is a refundable vs non-refundable fare, and you should have specified that that's what you wanted, and then followed up by reading  your receipt that shows if it's non refundable or not (a non refundable fare will have the letters NRD listed on the receipt). 
 

Sorry that you're upset, but I think you need to take a step back into reality and recognize that your anger is really at the fact that you're bummed that your plans didn't work out the way you wanted, and that's disappointing. 

 

RCL sent receipts for the 2 cruises  BUT neither said non refundable .We still have those receipts which say nothing about being non refundable deposits 

[mcrcruiser]

22 minutes ago, ARandomTraveler said:

I understand your frustration. You booked a back-to-back trip during a time that worked best for you, and because of mobility issues, the length of the back-to-back made it worth the effort. 
 

However,  just because you have these personal requirements for your travels, does not make Royal Caribbean responsible for your decision to put another person in charge of your booking instead of making the booking yourself so you could ensure you got what you wanted. If there is any risk that someone won't want to take their trip if X,Y.Z happens, then you should either not take the risk of booking a trip at all, or you should get travel insurance. And you most definitely should never book a non refundable fare.
 

I get it that what you're saying is it's just $200, and given it was Royal's decision to knock you guys off your 7-day cruise for a charter, the least they could do is extend you some discretionary goodwill by not charging the $200 penalty you're paying for your decision to cancel the 4-day cruise. But they don't have to. It's not legally required, and their travel agent did nothing wrong by booking you a non-refundable fare. And let's say they DID lie to you. How do you prove that? Don't you have a receipt that was sent to you that shows what you booked and paid for? And if you don't, why didn't you call and ask for one? Why would you ever allow someone to take your money and not provide you paperwork that shows what you paid for?
 

It's your job as a consumer (and as you explain, you're a very well traveled and well informed consumer), to read the terms and conditions of your receipts. You've cruised enough to know there is a refundable vs non-refundable fare, and you should have specified that that's what you wanted, and then followed up by reading  your receipt that shows if it's non refundable or not (a non refundable fare will have the letters NRD listed on the receipt). 
 

Sorry that you're upset, but I think you need to take a step back into reality and recognize that your anger is really at the fact that you're bummed that your plans didn't work out the way you wanted, and that's disappointing. 

BTW  are you employed by RCL . Who would know about letters NRD ? Certainly not the general cruising public  Hmmm !!

[ARandomTraveler]

3 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

BTW  are you employed by RCL . Who would know about letters NRD ? Certainly not the general cruising public  Hmmm !!

I know about them because whenever I call to get a price reduction on my current cruise bookings, I ALWAYS make a point to say "remember that my fare is refundable, are you doing the price adjustment as refundable, because I want to keep that?" 
 

The first time I did this, I asked the person on the phone to send me the receipt before I hung up, and I asked her how I could tell that my booking was refundable. They told me that non-refundable bookings will always have the "NRD" designation on them, and as long as I didn't see that on my receipt, it meant that my booking was still refundable. 
 

I know this because I made sure to ask. Because I don't just trust that someone else making my booking is doing it the way I expect. I double check.

[mcrcruiser]

4 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

BTW  are you employed by RCL . Who would know about letters NRD ? Certainly not the general cruising public  Hmmm !!

BTW of the cruise line uses letters of NRD should they not be responsible to   some where on their invoice explain what NRD means ?  just wondering is that clear & legal  to any consumer ?

[crzndeb]

5 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

 

RCL sent receipts for the 2 cruises  BUT neither said non refundable .We still have those receipts which say nothing about being non refundable deposits 

Is there nothing under the list of Booking charges that says this?

 

The minimum deposit for this reservation is Non-Refundable. A change fee of $100 USD per guest will apply for ship or sail date changes

 

And I am almost 72, cruising since 1980, and a solo cruiser. I know what NRD means, because I make sure I am knowledgeable in every cruise I book. When it’s my money, I go over everything with a fine tooth comb and make sure it’s what I want. 

[ARandomTraveler]

9 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

 

RCL sent receipts for the 2 cruises  BUT neither said non refundable .We still have those receipts which say nothing about being non refundable deposits 

Then you should just call your credit card company and dispute the charge. If you're correct that your receipt doesn't say that, then when you give it to your credit card company, your credit card company will present it to Royal Caribbean, and Royal Caribbean will say "you're right, our mistake" and the credit card company will get your $200 back for you. 

[mcrcruiser]

1 minute ago, ARandomTraveler said:

I know about them because whenever I call to get a price reduction on my current cruise bookings, I ALWAYS make a point to say "remember that my fare is refundable, are you doing the price adjustment as refundable, because I want to keep that?" 
 

The first time I did this, I asked the person on the phone to send me the receipt before I hung up, and I asked her how I could tell that my booking was refundable. They told me that non-refundable bookings will always have the "NRD" designation on them, and as long as I didn't see that on my receipt, it meant that my booking was still refundable. 
 

I know this because I made sure to ask. Because I don't just trust that someone else making my booking is doing it the way I expect. I double check.

How many people do what you just explained ?

[mcrcruiser]

2 minutes ago, crzndeb said:

Is there nothing under the list of Booking charges that says this?

 

The minimum deposit for this reservation is Non-Refundable. A change fee of $100 USD per guest will apply for ship or sail date changes

 

And I am almost 72, cruising since 1980, and a solo cruiser. I know what NRD means, because I make sure I am knowledgeable in every cruise I book. When it’s my money, I go over everything with a fine tooth comb and make sure it’s what I want. 

That is great for you .However does not apply to mist people .you would think that a major cruise line would tell you   or are they trained to be deceptive  .It can be looked at 2 ways 

[ARandomTraveler]

3 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

How many people do what you just explained ?

I'm not saying they do, but they should. People should always read the fine print. I've learned to do that because I travel so much, and because I often spend a lot of money that I don't necessarily want to risk losing. Other people might not be as concerned if they lose their money so they don't do what I did. But maybe they should. 

[ARandomTraveler]

2 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

That is great for you .However does not apply to mist people .you would think that a major cruise line would tell you   or are they trained to be deceptive  .It can be looked at 2 ways 

To be fair to Royal, if you did the booking yourself, it's very clear on the booking page that you're getting a non-refundable fare unless you specifically select the option for refundable. I don't know if the people on the phone make it clear, because I don't book over the phone. 

[mcrcruiser]

People defending the cruise line we got to wonder who they truly are ??  

 FWIW  I did not cancel the 7 night cruise they did . They placed us in a very awkward  position  by doing this  .A good will gesture  of a FCC  would have solved the issue ,simple   .  They play hardball so can I   

[mcrcruiser]

3 minutes ago, ARandomTraveler said:

I'm not saying they do, but they should. People should always read the fine print. I've learned to do that because I travel so much, and because I often spend a lot of money that I don't necessarily want to risk losing. Other people might not be as concerned if they lose their money so they don't do what I did. But maybe they should. 

This is  not human nature for most people . We all have lives to lead  besides cruises or fun trips .   

[ARandomTraveler]

2 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

People defending the cruise line we got to wonder who they truly are ??  

 FWIW  I did not cancel the 7 night cruise they did . They placed us in a very awkward  position  by doing this  .A good will gesture  of a FCC  would have solved the issue ,simple   .  They play hardball so can I   

Why don't you just call your credit card company and dispute the charge. Isn't that easier than wasting your valuable time trying to go to small claims court (where you'll most likely lose anyway).

[zoepipes]

1 hour ago, mcrcruiser said:

Read my recent post  . We were lied to is the bottom line 

If you specifically asked if the deposit was refundable and they said yes, then that would be a lie.  Is that what happened?  Or did you fail to do your due diligence when reviewing the terms of your reservation and neglected to read the part about the non-refundable deposit?  I am sure that was in there somewhere.

 

[mcrcruiser]

This is going into small claims court  .The process has been started  ,RCL personnel must appear .If not I win hands down 

[zoepipes]

9 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

This is going into small claims court  .The process has been started  ,RCL personnel must appear .If not I win hands down 

You'll have to let us know how this turns out.

 

[DandDM]

1 minute ago, zoepipes said:

You'll have to let us know how this turns out.

 

Yes, please report back.

 

Thanks

[Tree_skier]

8 minutes ago, zoepipes said:

You'll have to let us know how this turns out.

 

I'm looking forward to the outcome as well 🙂

[DallasGuy75219]

3 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

Fact  is I can take this issue further into a Calif small claims court if we want to  & make RCL personnel appear because Calif small claims does not allow attorneys 

 

17 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

This is going into small claims court  .The process has been started  ,RCL personnel must appear .If not I win hands down 

Your lawsuit isn't going anywhere.  Royal's cruise contract requires binding arbitration for a complaint of this nature. 

[A&L_Ont]

18 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

This is going into small claims court  .The process has been started  ,RCL personnel must appear .If not I win hands down 

Email RC corporate office to Michael Bayley and explain your situation, versus wasting your time here on CC debating others.  If they don’t help, you can then go to small claims. If you have enough time to go to court, you can write an email to the CEO first.
 

Remember if you take them to court, your Diamond Membership and Elite Plus with Celebrity will be lost because as they will never allow you sail with them again. 

[IJustWantToGo36]

18 minutes ago, DallasGuy75219 said:

 

Your lawsuit isn't going anywhere.  Royal's cruise contract requires binding arbitration for a complaint of this nature. 

MOst contracts requiring binding arbitration allow small claims because  of costs and simplicity.

Are you sure RCL will argue venue?

 

[IJustWantToGo36]

18 minutes ago, A&L_Ont said:

 

Remember if you take them to court, your Diamond Membership and Elite Plus with Celebrity will be lost because as they will never allow you sail with them again. 

What is this based on?

[clochette]

38 minutes ago, mcrcruiser said:

This is going into small claims court  .The process has been started  ,RCL personnel must appear .If not I win hands down 

I am not a lawyer I do not play one on TV, but you do not have a case.  you were much better off escalating to supervisors and going higher and nicely asking for your money back, instead it seems that you jumped the gun got really pissed off and threatened to go to court.