Change to Shareholder Policy Credit Email

[drk]

Man I just returned from a TA on Princess to read this saga. I do love a happy ending since we are shareholders and also have a next cruise cert. with X. Funny that Princess just recently has started allowing the combination of OBC's. Anyway great job to those who communicated with RCL on this...I'm sure it made Linda Buchanon's life hell the past couple of weeks.

[CaroleSP]

Hooray! I guess I will be seeing the Future Cruiise Rep on the Connie this week.

[Host Anne]

Chevy ~ thanks so very much for sharing your correspondence with all of us. It indeed shows it it important to relay comments to the cruise lines. It can make a difference.

 

As a point of reference, would you mind sharing with us the date of the email received from RCI?

 

Thanks again for writing and sharing!

[Andy]

Hi Everyone !

 

I'm very happy to hear the news. I was one of many who let Celebrity know that we were unhappy about this, and asked for them to reconsider their decision. It is always great to hear that we were heard, and they made a sincere effort to keep their customers, and shareholders happy.

 

FYI, Not that I doubt Chevy at all, and I thank him for his post.... I've asked for confirmation of this, from a higher level at Royal Caribbean. When I confirm this, I will post it here.

 

I'd like to say..... Thank You to Royal Caribbean, and Celebrity for coming through for us !

[cabo de hornos]

We are sailing on Journey next October, and when I fortunately read this thread on 10/14, I realized I better give it the old college try and request my shareholder OBC which would be combined with some on-board booking credits (long story). I did notice that it took a few extra days for Linda to process my request, but I attributed that to what must have been a deluge of "beat the deadline" requests, and quite rightly since our sailing is so far away that a lower priority would be entirely justified.

 

I'm glad to hear that RCL has re-considered and done right by we pax/shareholders.

 

Cabo

[hancock]

I just read the FAQ section of Shareholder Benefits on the Celebrity website. It seems to confirm the information above that we will be able to combine OBC's just not for interline rates and onboard chartered sailings.

 

Hooray!!

[RJL58]

Well done guys, we ALL deserve a big pat on the back for this..........:)

 

RICH

[spearmint]

Well done, indeed! My congratulations to all who wrote RCI. :D

 

We just received our Captain's Club News, and I had planned to discard it, as the price reductions which are always offered at the end, would always be useless to us now that we are shareholders.

 

Bill

[RJL58]

ALSO a BIG thanks to RCL for considering our concerns and puting the benifits back to what they were before. Royal we love you.................:)

 

 

I can now book on board my Dubai cruise on Brilliance OTS (spring 2010)..........:cool:

 

 

RICH..........................

[Orator]

Great news. Glad that our points of view were heard. Will now be booking a few future cruises while on the Solstice Nov. 30th cruise.

[roadster08]

Congratulations to everyone involved in getting the matter resolved satisfactorily. This was the appropriate way to address the concern and achieve an outcome that benefits everyone involved.

 

Not intending to hijack this thread, but if only we could get a similar effort going to get some reasonable adjustments made to the 2 bottles of wine alcohol policy. It annoys the hell out of me that talented and successful people feel compelled to resort to smuggling to enjoy the simple pleasure of their favorite beverage in the privacy of their own room or balcony.

 

Again, please do not respond to this comment here.

[spearmint]

I just read the FAQ section of Shareholder Benefits on the Celebrity website. It seems to confirm the information above that we will be able to combine OBC's just not for interline rates and onboard chartered sailings.

 

Hooray!!

 

Can you tell me: what are interline rates and onboard chartered sailings?

[houstontx]

Man I just returned from a TA on Princess to read this saga. I do love a happy ending since we are shareholders and also have a next cruise cert. with X. Funny that Princess just recently has started allowing the combination of OBC's. Anyway great job to those who communicated with RCL on this...I'm sure it made Linda Buchanon's life hell the past couple of weeks.

 

I agree with this statement and thought about it when I sent in my emails for our three future cruises asking for the OBCs before the Oct 15 date. I expected not to hear back for possibly weeks. Instead Linda responded within a couple of days!! I know she had be deluged with emails during that time.

 

And Hooray for RCCL for hearing us and doing the right thing :D.

And now I'll purchase one or more Future Cruise Credits while onboard the Connie next month.

 

Alan & Regina

[Andy]

I agree with this statement and thought about it when I sent in my emails for our three future cruises asking for the OBCs before the Oct 15 date. I expected not to hear back for possibly weeks. Instead Linda responded within a couple of days!! I know she had be deluged with emails during that time.

 

And Hooray for RCCL for hearing us and doing the right thing :D.

And now I'll purchase one or more Future Cruise Credits while onboard the Connie next month.

 

Alan & Regina

 

Hi Alan & Regina !

 

I'm sure that RCCL's decision to put a deadline on the program kept Linda very busy for a few weeks. Thankfully, we can put this issue behind us. I would like to say thank you to Linda, and the other great RCCL & Celebrity employees, who do a fantastic job !

[sbalax]

It would seem that "further notice" has been given. The RCL Investor page now has a box at the top saying that the Stockholder OBC cannot be combined with other OBC's for bookings made after 12/31/08.

 

Frank in Sunny SBA:(

[CJsMate]

Here is the language from the Investor Relations web page:

 

Please note that as of December 31, 2008, the Shareholder Onboard Credit will not be combinable with other Onboard Booking Credits, Loyalty Programs and/or other Reduced Fare Offerings. For bookings made prior to December 31, 2008, the Shareholder Onboard Credit is combinable under certain conditions. Please direct queries to

InvestorRelations@rccl.com

, and a prompt response will be forthcoming.

 

I sent an email about this change, perhaps you should also.

 

Harvey

[signman]

The biggest news on the RCCL site is that for certain kinds of OBC's you will not be able to cash them out. There is a thread about this on the RCCL boards, with a link to this information, but I haven't been able to find similar wording on the Celebrity site.

 

Here's a link to that thread. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=900882

Edited January 7, 2009 by signman

[billc102]

If this was the only "takeaway", it probably wouldn't be such a big deal. Let's face it. If I am spending $5,000 - 6,000 on a cruise, $100 - $150 isn't much. But take $150 from the OBC, add the 3% fee to get money in the casino TO USE FOR GAMBLING, charges for shuttles into ports and all the other things that have either gone up or cost now but used to be free and you have several hundred dollars of new expense.

 

But the vast majority of stockholders don't cruise (or have such relatively small amounts of stock) that the promise of increased profits will carry more weight than our displeasure. Only by demonstrated losses that can be shown to be because of the change can we hope to get it back. I doubt if there is a lot of fear that I will vote my 100 shares against all the board of directors when one institution that owns 50,000 likes the move.

 

I mentioned in my e-mail to RCL that I am far more willing now to consider another cruise line than I have ever been in the past. It wasn't a threat to leave, just that I might try someone else. And if I do, there's $5,000 they'll never see, even if I do come back.

What is the correct fax number to send a request?

Bill

[CruisingChick]

Provide your name, address, confirmation number, ship and sailing date along with a copy of your shareholder proxy card or a current brokerage statement showing proof of share ownership in Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. All shareholder onboard credit requests must be received approximately 2 -3 weeks prior to sail date. Via Mail: RCL Investor Benefit, PO Box 025511, Miami, Florida 33102-5511 Via Fax: 1-305-373-6699 Via Email: shareholderbenefit@rccl.com