RCCL Certificates - be careful!!

[cbabe]

I booked my dec. cruise on the rccl website. I had an RCCL certificate which I mailed to them. I have now lost all access to payment and amount due data for MY RESERVATION!! :mad: It's assigned to some travel agency that I never heard of (Maritz)I now cannot make payments or view my balance due on line either. JUST TO HAVE A $100 CERTIFICATE APPLIED TO MY ACCOUNT. :mad: I called the rccl customer service number, I was transferred 3X'S!! I work in customer service, We wouldn't do that to our customers!!

I was finally told that because I used an RCCL certificate that they HAD TO change the number on the reservation!! Now, I'm an IT person, but THAT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN!!, :mad: Just had to vent here, now hopefully they will get it straightened out, but I just wanted to warn others of how they do things.

[isujim]

Why was it assigned to a travel agency.........or is that exactly what the heck you are trying to find out??

[MadCnty]

Sorry to hear that... I have used RCCL's website to book all of my cruises except two, and I've never had this problem... Also, the last one I booked via a TA, I still could access the reservation, on RCI's website, just not make any changes to it as it had to be done via the TA, other than booking shore excursions...

[fozziscooter]

Why would they give your reservation to some travel agency????

Something else must be going on here.:(

[cbabe]

Why was it assigned to a travel agency.........or is that exactly what the heck you are trying to find out??

 

Why was it assigned to a travel agency?? Good Question, I called to try find out... supposed website glitch. I'm not trying to find out anything, just letting others know what will happen if they try to apply a RCCL certificate.

[fozziscooter]

Why would they give your reservation to some travel agency????

Something else must be going on here.:(

[MadCnty]

The last time I sent in a coupon I emailed them my reservation number, name, sail date, C&A number, and coupon code to coupons@rccl.com, and it was applied 3 days later without a hitch...:confused: Was the coupon directly from RCI or the TA???

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Why was it assigned to a travel agency?? Good Question, I called to try find out... supposed website glitch. I'm not trying to find out anything, just letting others know what will happen if they try to apply a RCCL certificate.

 

it sounded like you were trying to figure out why it was transferred to a travel agency you never heard of by the tone of your first post, ie:calling RCI 3 times.

 

Now you say you are not trying to find out anything.:confused:

 

Bill

[takeavacation]

Just a guess- but, maybe the certificate the OP sent in wasn't actually issued by RCL -- could have been a promo. from a travel agency - and when it was returned, it had to be transferred to that agency for OP to get the credit.....like I said, just a guess.

[Sheffie]

There is a travel agency at www dot royal carribean dot com. (instead of royal caribbean) My friend was going to book a cruise through what she thought was the cruiselines website, and it was this other one. I recognized that it wasn't the correct home page and told her. She didn't even realize what she had done. I wonder if that is what happened.

[critterchick]

What kind of coupon did you send in? Was it a Crown & Anchor Society coupon? I've never had the ressie number change because of applying a coupon. As you've already found out, the customer service reps at RCI often don't have a clue what they're talking about.

[PH8]

Just a guess- but, maybe the certificate the OP sent in wasn't actually issued by RCL -- could have been a promo. from a travel agency - and when it was returned, it had to be transferred to that agency for OP to get the credit.....like I said, just a guess.

 

That sounds like a very logical answer.............

 

To the OP,where did you get the certificate from??:confused:

 

********looks like Maritz deals with corporate travel........http://www.maritztravel.com/travel-who-we-are.html

[pmshirl]

I think its very possible , this person wasnt on RC Real website. There are so many sites out there, that are different by just one alphabet, period, etc. I have gone on a Princess site once, and realized it wasnt the actual Princess Home site. It was the site of a travel agent and they promoted Princess cruises. I don't know of any travel agent that hands out RC cerrtificates/coupons, unless it was a gift type certificate. I also can't understand how RC would be able to just pick a TA out of a hat and assigned them your reservation!! Did you inquire how this TA was assigned to your reservation? From the initial time you made your reservation on this so called RC website, could you ever view your reservation? If not, then I would assume you booked through a TA site that promotes RC cruises. Good Luck!

[piercetc4]

i accidentally went to that other site once too- very tricky travel agency name....... royal carribean instead of royal caribbean......

[cbabe]

To answer your questions.

I called once and was transferred 3X.

I got the certificate redeeming my credit card points. It looked like it was issued by RCCL, had the logo, the rccl address and everying. Nothing about a TA. I did not see anything on it that said it was a promo. I didn't see anyother travel agency name on it, so I'm really stumped about this. I really find it annoying at best because I would like access to my account financial info.

If something else is going on, I would like to know about it. I've never had anything like this happen. At first I panicked because my reservation referred my to a TA that I've never heard of.

LASTLY: .... I was trying to INFORM people of what could happen, using the certificate.

[pmshirl]

So what you are saying is, you are POSITIVE that the TA was assigned due to the certificate you submitted , That is highly unlikely. I just submitted a certficate from BOA for 2 free on a cruise (125K certificate) and no TA got my reservation from it! If your reservation reffered you to a TA that you never heard of, most likely you didnt book this cruise with RC REAL website!

[cbabe]

pmshirl: when I called, they acknowledged that I did indeed book on their site, so it's not the "other rccl" site. I've seen that one, I recognize the difference. A misstep of the keyboard will land you there.

I'm still trying to figure out what's going on. Guess there's another phonecall to RCCL in my future:(

[LonW]

To answer your questions.

I called once and was transferred 3X.

I got the certificate redeeming my credit card points. It looked like it was issued by RCCL, had the logo, the rccl address and everying. Nothing about a TA. I did not see anything on it that said it was a promo. I didn't see anyother travel agency name on it, so I'm really stumped about this. I really find it annoying at best because I would like access to my account financial info.

If something else is going on, I would like to know about it. I've never had anything like this happen. At first I panicked because my reservation referred my to a TA that I've never heard of.

LASTLY: .... I was trying to INFORM people of what could happen, using the certificate.

 

Ok, here is what I know about this.

If you would have looked very closely at the certificate, in very small print you would have seen the Maritz name and a phone number. It is in very very small print in one corner. One of the Credit card companies uses them for reward points on travel. I did this on my cruise last fall, and I made my final payment to RCCL. I did not have any problems. Just gave them my booking number and told them I had to make a final payment.:)

[uksimonusa]

To answer your questions.

I called once and was transferred 3X.

I got the certificate redeeming my credit card points. It looked like it was issued by RCCL, had the logo, the rccl address and everying. Nothing about a TA. I did not see anything on it that said it was a promo. I didn't see anyother travel agency name on it, so I'm really stumped about this. I really find it annoying at best because I would like access to my account financial info.

If something else is going on, I would like to know about it. I've never had anything like this happen. At first I panicked because my reservation referred my to a TA that I've never heard of.

LASTLY: .... I was trying to INFORM people of what could happen, using the certificate.

 

what credit card did you redeem your points from, was it an RCI BOA card, or something else that lets you choose how to have your points applied?

[LonW]

P.S.

I made the final payment directly to RCCL. Not Maritz travel.

[seetosea]

I had booked a cruise while onboard and awhile back I wanted to make a payment. I called RCI to do so, and they said I couldn't because I had a TA and would have to go through them. I said I didn't and that I had booked onboard. Regardless, they said I had to go through my "TA" so they gave me the name and number of the "TA". I have NEVER heard of them or used them.

 

So I called this TA and asked to be released from them and they tell me that they can't release me because I am NOT in their system. They told me it was RCI's problem and they wouldn't write a letter stating anything. Several more calls to RCI (remember, all I want to do is make a payment) and I finally found an ANGEL. This ANGEL in customer service was able to take care of everything and revert the reservation back to RCI.

 

It seems the problem was initiated by the LA (this LA gives all the other LAs a bad name) who made the initial mistake.

 

Bottom line, we got it fixed after many phone calls and finding that one ANGEL in customer service. Don't give up.

[LonW]

It was a AT&T Universal Card.

My RCCL card is from MBNA not BOA

[LonW]

It was a AT&T Universal Card.

[katiel53]

Maritz is a huge travel agency that is for corporate accounts only. If you used points from a credit card, other than the RCI card issued by BofA, formerly NBNA, it is very possible you are going thru Maritz.

 

I agree with the poster that the certificate in some small print somewhere said something about Maritz. They are a reputable company. When I was employed by a very large utility, Maritz was the company that was used by us for employee rewards.

 

It wouldn't surprise me in the least that using that certificate sent you to Maritz as the bank has probably arrangements with them for all types of rewards. They do things other than travel.

 

Katie

[critterchick]

It was a AT&T Universal Card.

My RCCL card is from MBNA not BOA

 

Just FYI, MBNA and Bank of America are now the same institution, so your replacement card will be BofA.

 

For the AT&T Thank You Network certificates, here's what it says on the Thankyounetwork.com website:

 

"Royal Caribbean International Gift Certificate

Certificates must be redeemed through Royal Caribbean International for the U.S. dollar value on the face of the certificate. Certificates cannot be redeemed through travel agencies. Certificates can be used in multiples and can be supplemented with accepted cash or credit. Certificates can be used for deposits and final payments. All reservations are subject to availability. Certificates are not transferable. Certificates are valid for all sailings, ships and cabins, including air/sea cruises. Certificates cannot be applied to existing reservations and can only be used toward new cruise bookings. Certificates cannot be applied to shipboard credit, excursions or gratuities. Call Royal Caribbean International at 1-800-722-5237 to request a brochure or make reservations."

 

Note that it says nothing about using their TA, although maybe it does on the certificate (we have one at home; I'll check it out). Frankly I think that's dirty pool - you don't know that you've committed to a particular TA until after the certificate is issued, and you aren't allowed to re-deposit the points into your account if you don't want to use the TA.