Involuntary Downgrade

[TravelerThom]

...What concerns me is the 'at our discretion' bit.

It seems obvious to me that the first "at our discretion" says that they don't have to offer any GTYs on a particular cruise (and indeed they don't), and the second "at our discretions" says that even though you have a Z inside GTY they may put you in a Royal Suite (I wish:p).

 

Of course who knows how the Legal Department could distort obvious meanings.:mad:

 

Thom

[irishgal432]

A while back I was booking a JS with a TA that had a great price. No wow sale, Tuesday sale or anything like that. Just one of those weird price reductions that pop up on sailings from time to time. I saw the JS and put a hold on it with RC online. I called my big TA to start the reservation. When the time came, I cancelled my online hold and it popped back into inventory, they saw it and assigned it to me. We went on to finalize the other rooms I was paying for and finished up with the JS. I put my deposit down with the TA on the JS, and their records showed the room.

 

They called back when trying to put the reservation through and said that the room somehow became double booked during the reservation process and Royal would not accept the reservation. Since it was the weekend, they told me they would call Royals department on Monday to resolve the issue. And that I have a JS booked and that I would be guaranteed another JS at that price.

 

Come Monday, I couldn't see any more JS avail on line the JS became sold out . My TA called me back while Royal was on another line holding telling me there were no more JS available. She apologized and said that Royal wanted to know if I would accept a GS instead. As I watched the availability of rooms throughout the next week or so, I noticed that several JS became available and thought they would reassign me back down, but that did not happen.

 

Good luck, I hope it can get resolved and you can get a JS or BETTER!

[Mac303]

I don't know if this helps or not but here are the T&C with regards to GTY bookings from the UK site....

 

 

 

What concerns me is the 'at our discretion' bit.

 

 

In the above it does state that " in any event, you are "guaranteed" the minimum catagory of stateroom we agree to offer at the time of booking", it describes a W cat as deluxe stateroom.

 

My understanding of the W catagory has always been a JS or higher.

[Out to sea!]

I don't know if this helps or not but here are the T&C with regards to GTY bookings from the UK site....

 

 

 

What concerns me is the 'at our discretion' bit.

 

the "at our discretion" bit is only concerning upgrades to a higher category, not a down grade to a lower category. The very next line states you will receive what you booked, at the minimum.

[truffles2]

never booked a gty but also interested in the outcome of this....

[hairymelon]

I have thought about booking a GTY is the price was right but this really puts me off if they can use their 'discretion'.

 

I will be very interested (like everyone else) to see what the outcome of this will be.

[jmrothermel]

I also have never booked a GTY room, but am interested in the outcome. Something is NOT RIGHT here!

 

 

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[gerif]

I also have never booked a GTY room, but am interested in the outcome. Something is NOT RIGHT here!

 

 

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I so agree. Just the fact that they are offering tie bits to sweeten the deal tells me that they know they are dead wrong. I do hope the OP let's us know the outcome and hope they get the Royal Suite.

[beej]

This happened some years ago on one of my cruises, on a bigger scale. They double booked several rooms. People who had guarantees for balconies went from balcony to inside deck 2 or 3. They offered on board credit to make up the difference. Almost everyone one on CC stood behind our fellow CCers. By the time it was done (I'm sure RCCL thought there would be a mutiny) Some mgot balconies and others got a free cruise in an inside and something off the next cruise. Those who took the first offer had to stay with that.

 

That being said talk to everyone and see what tey can do for you to make you happy.

[Beachammo]

I might be the "lucky one", but i've booked GTY CAT W my last two cruises and have been very happy with the results. Got my cabins not long after final payment as was able to shift to Aft JR Suites both times. Like others have said, I wouldn't take less than a JR Suite or they should comp cabin 2.

[LMaxwell]

$1000 OBC. That's the minimum I would accept. I'd go to the Casino the first night and cash out; wouldn't give RC a dime of "their own money" for a stunt like this. $$$ is the only language some companies understand.

[Tropicalgal2]

We have not booked GTY but would like to know the outcome too. RCCL has been pulling some "interesting" things lately like showing deals that are not deals! Putting the word "deal" with a sailing doesn't make it a deal!! :eek:

 

I know that each week is different but there are 15 JS still showing for next Sunday's cruise! :D Find it odd that they are sold out for this Sunday since they usually "save" at least one cabin for problems that might necessitate a cabin change! :)

[Starry Eyes]

I have booked at lot of gty over the years, and I have always gotten the promised category or better.

 

I do not understand what happened to the OP this time, but I hope a call to resolutions or corporate bring some kind of satisfaction.

 

Even if it is a computer error, human error or something else resulting in an overbooking, and no JS or higher are currently available, the cruiseline likely can find a way to make this right by the OP. They could try, for example, to offer a price drop that makes the OP happy enough with the "deluxe ocean view" (OP, did that mean E balcony on Freedom?). Or, if they cannot find a mutually agreeable number with the OP, they could negotiate with somebody else in a JS or higher. For example, they could ask others in the JS if they move to the "deluxe ocean view" for a discount, OBC, or future cruise. With the right number, the OP or somebody else would take them up on such an offer.

[39august]

OP, if you do not get satisfaction today, I suggest you go to Guest Services on Monday and ask to use their phone to call Miami corporate. They should be willing to let you do this so it costs you nothing. I have had issues a few times while on board and GS was always happy to dial the number of either Miami or my TA for me on their phone. IMHO you should be comped this cruise and your money refunded in full if they don't have a JS or higher to move you into.

[molly361]

I hope the OP comes back and lets us know the outcome. Since they are new to CC we may never hear from him/her again

[travelgoddess1]

$1000 OBC. That's the minimum I would accept. I'd go to the Casino the first night and cash out; wouldn't give RC a dime of "their own money" for a stunt like this. $$$ is the only language some companies understand.

 

That sounds like something I would do. [Like]

[Mac303]

A deluxe ocean view on the Freedom is a catagory E-1, and would be in the X guarantee

 

A JS is a W guarantee.

[Ltgfrk]

Another 30 minutes on the phone with this time, the resolution dept. I am normally very calm but towards the end of the call I was not. She tried to spin this into THEM being so generous by refunding us $800 and giving us a $200 obc. I told her it was insulting. The $800 is just the difference between the yes, balcony, and JS. They weren't giving us anything other than a $200 obc and a cabin we didn't want for a price that's higher than we would have paid had we booked it at the time we made the reservation. Complete BS. The bottom line was, again, nothing she could do. She told me to show up tomorrow and that she was sure a JS would come open by the time we checked in. My reply was "and if it doesn't? to which she replied, "uh...well....uh." Totally unacceptable.

 

And I will most certainly ask GS to let me use their phone to call corporate on Monday. I will also send them an email today so that hopefully someone has it waiting for them Monday morning.

 

Bottom line is, apparently this "guarantee" is only such when it's in RCI's best interest. Airlines do more for you when they oversell a 2 hour flight than what RCI wants to do for a 7 day cruise! Incredible.

[TravelerThom]

Another 30 minutes on the phone with this time, the resolution dept. I am normally very calm but towards the end of the call I was not. She tried to spin this into THEM being so generous by refunding us $800 and giving us a $200 obc. I told her it was insulting. The $800 is just the difference between the yes, balcony, and JS. They weren't giving us anything other than a $200 obc and a cabin we didn't want for a price that's higher than we would have paid had we booked it at the time we made the reservation. Complete BS. The bottom line was, again, nothing she could do. She told me to show up tomorrow and that she was sure a JS would come open by the time we checked in. My reply was "and if it doesn't? to which she replied, "uh...well....uh." Totally unacceptable.

 

And I will most certainly ask GS to let me use their phone to call corporate on Monday. I will also send them an email today so that hopefully someone has it waiting for them Monday morning.

 

Bottom line is, apparently this "guarantee" is only such when it's in RCI's best interest. Airlines do more for you when they oversell a 2 hour flight than what RCI wants to do for a 7 day cruise! Incredible.

It is pretty rare on CC that there aren't people on both sides of an issue. I think I'm safe in saying that CCers support your cause, and feel that RCI is NOT dealing with this appropriately. Hang tough, and keep us posted. Good Luck.

 

Thom

[Starry Eyes]

Another 30 minutes on the phone with this time, the resolution dept. I am normally very calm but towards the end of the call I was not. She tried to spin this into THEM being so generous by refunding us $800 and giving us a $200 obc. I told her it was insulting. The $800 is just the difference between the yes, balcony, and JS. They weren't giving us anything other than a $200 obc and a cabin we didn't want for a price that's higher than we would have paid had we booked it at the time we made the reservation. Complete BS. The bottom line was, again, nothing she could do. She told me to show up tomorrow and that she was sure a JS would come open by the time we checked in. My reply was "and if it doesn't? to which she replied, "uh...well....uh." Totally unacceptable.

 

And I will most certainly ask GS to let me use their phone to call corporate on Monday. I will also send them an email today so that hopefully someone has it waiting for them Monday morning.

 

Bottom line is, apparently this "guarantee" is only such when it's in RCI's best interest. Airlines do more for you when they oversell a 2 hour flight than what RCI wants to do for a 7 day cruise! Incredible.

I really hope the highlighted statement means that resolutions is going to get on the phone and call passengers in a JS offering them, roughly, what you declined....an $800 refund and a $200 OBC to move to a balcony cabin....I am not sure if that is a good enough offer, but, depending upon their circumstances, somebody else might take that deal. Or if anybody had gotten a free upgrade, they might find the company reserves the right to rescind it.

[racerxspeedy]

Geez - Show up tomorrow and hope for the best????? Ridiculous.

 

There is no reason they have not resolved this - other than RC doesn't want to lose the $$'s. Which they are stealing from you.

 

Make sure you clarify that thousands of their customers have already viewed this CC thread. We are all standing by to assure that RC takes corrective action.

 

Thanks for keeping us informed!!

[critterchick]

Another RCI WOW moment.:eek:::mad:: OP, I do hope that you have a pleasant surprise waiting for you tomorrow. Please come back and let us know.

[waf125]

Good luck!

 

Hope RCI sees the light!:(:rolleyes::mad:

[xxHadleyxx]

It is pretty rare on CC that there aren't people on both sides of an issue. I think I'm safe in saying that CCers support your cause, and feel that RCI is NOT dealing with this appropriately. Hang tough, and keep us posted. Good Luck.

 

Thom

 

I think you are right. RCI's response to their mistake here is appalling.

 

OP, I REALLY hope that you get a much better response on Monday. This is awful.

[ACruiserinFL]

I'm surprised with their response, I hope that they work it out in a way that you feel is satisfactory. Don't settle for less than what you feel you deserve, they are in the wrong!