How long should it take to see a refund?

[schlimazel_traveler]

We sailed on a cruise on 5/23.

Shortly (maybe a week) before, we had to cancel one passenger from one of our cabins. It had been booked for 3 passengers during a "kids sail free" promotion, so passenger #3 had only paid taxes and gratuities (which we'd prepaid due to using MTD).

 

We were told we'd be credited back the taxes and gratuities, which seems only fair. Certainly, there would be no reason to charge us gratuities for a passenger who wasn't on the ship.

 

The only credit on the bill (from the day before we sailed) is $27.16. They said they were crediting us more like $500.

 

I am anxious because apparently they never sent anything IN WRITING confirming we would be getting a refund and now I'm concerned they are going to say we aren't.

Edited June 14, 2014 by schlimazel_traveler

[matj2000]

Although its is a different situation than yours.

But I have cancelled entire bookings before and always got my deposit refunded much sooner than the stated timeframe that I was given.

[cb at sea]

Refunds take MUCH longer than charges....don't know why, as they are both but a click of a button! Give it 2 weeks....could be sooner, but it shouldn't be longer!!

 

How much were the taxes and grats? Seems like $500 is a bit much!

[schlimazel_traveler]

Refunds take MUCH longer than charges....don't know why, as they are both but a click of a button! Give it 2 weeks....could be sooner, but it shouldn't be longer!!

 

How much were the taxes and grats? Seems like $500 is a bit much!

 

My husband was surprised by the number, too. And of course, didn't write it down.

 

The booking says taxes, fees, and port expenses of $178.57.

The person on the phone is trying to tell my husband that all they needed to refund us was $27.

 

This is pretty aggravating.

We had other issues with this booking, too. They didn't credit us the OBC that the NCC entitled us to, nor did they credit us the $100 we paid for the NCC. But they seem to think they did.

 

I'm not getting a very good feeling about Royal's business practices from this experience.

Edited June 14, 2014 by schlimazel_traveler

[DebJ14]

In my experience they don't refund the port charges, only those extra government fees and taxes and the pre-paid gratuities.

 

Every time I have gotten a refund from RCCL it has hit the credit card within 2 or 3 days.

[reallyitsmema]

Call again, you should have seen a refund by now. You should get prepaid gratuities back ($84 for a 7 day cruise) and taxes and fees for that person. You can see that figure on your booking confirmation. As far as the next cruise, did you create a new booking by mistake when you booked this or is the reservation number the same number as the next cruise? We had issues with the OBC being applied correctly with one of our bookings and it took a couple of calls to get it fixed.

 

Call them, you should have had some refund with 4 days or so. Try to figure out what you are actually due though before you call so you don't settle for the wrong amount.

[schlimazel_traveler]

Thanks, all!

The refund was processed quickly, just wrong.

They only refunded $27, for some reason.

It took some arguing (believe it or not!) to convince them that we were owed more than that.

 

Eventually, we did get the taxes, fees, port charges, and gratuities back, and someone once again said something about $500 but then corrected himself. So my husband wasn't insane to think that is what he had been told.

 

I then spent another 45 minutes resolving the NCC issue.

Marissa, at the loyalty desk, was brilliant. Completely understood the issue, told me I was absolutely right and that the booking agent had erred. Transferred me to someone in resolutions and we ended up going around and around for a bit but eventually I got $100 credited back to my card for the OBC I should have, indeed, been given.

 

The rules have changed since I purchased that NCC and Marissa was the first person who seemed to understand that I was entitled to the terms under which the certificate was purchased.

 

So, essentially, we had to catch two errors in order to get about $350 of our own money back...but it's taken care of.

 

THEORETICALLY.

I will be watching that credit card statement CAREFULLY.

Edited June 14, 2014 by schlimazel_traveler

[pcur]

I had a similar situation recently:

 

I found a price drop of $210 on 5/23 before final payment date, but after I had paid in full a little early.

 

On 5/27 I got $176 credited to my credit card.

 

I had to email my TA about the rest, and they told her they had refunded everything due me. She went and looked at my reservation, and it showed a $34 credit AND paid in full. She had to call them back and make them go in and look at the payment history.

 

I got the remaining $34 credit on 6/4.

 

I've always watched my invoices carefully, but this is the first time I didn't receive the full refund within a few days.