Lost my free cruise parking due TA error!

[Gingerbint]

Sorry all,

Had to come on and have a rant! :mad:

Got a call from TA today to advise tickets arrived for collection for June's cruise.

All ready to do the ticket dance and then asked them about what to do re the FREE parking which was given when booked the trip LAST YEAR!

Got told 'oh have you not booked that yet?!'

Told them no as I was not told I could to do so. They said 'oh dear'

Long story short, parking for my cruise is now FULL and they are only offering shuttle parking for £99!!! :eek:

TA says she told me but I know she didn't because I would have booked it at the time, as I came home after booking the cruise in July 09 and checked out parking to see how much it would cost if wasn't free and would have booked it then if I had known I could!

Waiting for a call back from my TA now but sooooo not happy, has put a damper on things ATM as we have to drive down and need to leave the car!

Thanks rant over!

[Aquahound]

Just curious because I have not heard of free parking. Are you talking about free parking at a UK airport, or at a cruise terminal? :confused:

[NorbertsNiece]

As an incentive for early booking UK TAs will include free parking at the cruise terminal.

 

I feel your pain OP.

[Aquahound]

As an incentive for early booking UK TAs will include free parking at the cruise terminal.

 

Gotcha. I'd be a little disappointed too if I was mislead in that area.

[Gingerbint]

Ok calm now :o

TA has called me back.

They have spoken to RCCL who said they sent out paperwork to TA to advise parking should be booked by Dec 09!

TA said they never got this, so never told me! :(

Means I have missed out on my parking at the port right by the boat.

This free parking was included as NN rightly said as an incentive to book early last year. (would have cost £129)

I have now had to book shuttle parking which has cost £99 but as TA taking responsibility for it they are reimbursing me this money.

They have also told me to write a complaint letter to RCCL as they say this is their error.

So sorted out but still upsetting as we got our bearings last week when went out on the Eclipse and now were are not sure where we need to go.

I'm sure we'll be fine, hopefully will have no other 'issues' arrise!

 

Fingers crossed the OBC shows!! :eek:

[steponboard]

I have now had to book shuttle parking which has cost £99 but as TA taking responsibility for it they are reimbursing me this money.

They have also told me to write a complaint letter to RCCL as they say this is their error.

:eek:

 

Why should you write the letter, the TA is supposed to earn their keep by going to bat for you or who needs a TA? And furthermore it is the TA's fault entirely for not following up on the promo of free parking for their client.

[NorbertsNiece]

Why should you write the letter, the TA is supposed to earn their keep by going to bat for you or who needs a TA? And furthermore it is the TA's fault entirely for not following up on the promo of free parking for their client.

 

Also..... as you booked your holiday through a TA RCCL won't speak to you to discuss aspects of your booking..... they're playing ping pong with you :(

[lady_cruiser]

I am glad that you are getting reimbursed for the parking but I have to agree with everyone else. DO NOT write to Royal Caribbean about the parking. The TA wants you to look like the "bad guy" and you will get the reputation with RCL as being a trouble maker. Just drop the matter, go on your cruise and enjoy it. And then when you come home just start looking for a new TA.

[madforcruising]

Why should you write the letter, the TA is supposed to earn their keep by going to bat for you or who needs a TA? And furthermore it is the TA's fault entirely for not following up on the promo of free parking for their client.

 

I agree it´s the TA that needs to complain as they are the ones claimng they didnßt get the memo. You never were supposed to get this information from RCI. You should have gotten the information from your TA, which ýou didnßt and that´s why the TA is now covering the cost. It´s up to them to complain if they wish so.

[moogiechompy]

We got free car parking as an early booking incentive with our cruises this year, on both bookings the TA took the details of our car when we made the booking and they booked it for us direct with ABP while I was still on the phone, without needing to consult RCI or Celebrity, we didn't need to do a thing. The first one seems to be ok as it is in a couple of weeks and we had the permit through from ABP.

 

Another option is to ask the TA to book you (and pay for) a hotel/car park package, the De Vere and Holiday Inn do this with a night in the hotel and then free car parking, plus transfers to the port - although they are both so close it would take you longer to pack a car up than walk it. :)

[moogiechompy]

Ok calm now :o

TA has called me back.

They have spoken to RCCL who said they sent out paperwork to TA to advise parking should be booked by Dec 09!

TA said they never got this, so never told me! :(

 

 

Sorry, just read that you posted this, we knew there was a Dec cut off, (and I'm not a TA!) as this proviso was on all the adverts and promo's we saw last year and was all over the various travel agents websites we looked at when trying to get the best price - it was one of the reasons I made the booking on the 30th Dec :D Unless you booked with a very small and local TA I think they have spun you a lie here - its their responsibility to know about the restrictions to offers and if they have made a mistake they should just go ahead and admit it - not blame RCI

[Gingerbint]

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts,

I'm not going to worry about it now as don't want to linger on it and let it spolit my hols.

I think I may speak to my TA later on, as you're right, was not my fault and RCCL won't speak to me as booked via TA. May wait till after I've travelled :rolleyes:

 

Moogiechompy - I would love to have a hotel and stay over the night before but I am working a night shift on the Friday night finishing at 6am on the Sat :eek: , Mad I know but I can't get the night off. I am currently trying to get some of it off or swop a shift! The joys of shift work!

 

I was aware that after the end of last year Free parking was no longer offered but was not aware it had to be booked by then too.

I would have done so had I been advised this was the case.

 

When I booked my recent cruise the first thing I did on getting home was book my parking.

 

Thanks again to you all. I felt much better after my first ranting post :)