Why I'm not a fan of RCL (or am I wrong)

[tgnorton]

So, let me get this straight - you saw there was only ONE GS available which happened to be on deck 6, so you went for a (cheaper rate) gty KNOWING full well that there was only one place they could put you. Then, when they DID put you there, you start to complain? Am I missing something here? How were you taken advantage of? Something tells me that no matter what you are going to stew over this and not enjoy your cruise.

 

seems like, huh

[tlatrice]

but you might just as well scream your request into your toilet bowl and flush it away;).

 

The visual I got in my head when I read this...:D:D:D

[Vitamin_Sea]

The thing is, deals change often. The deal you had was good at the time, Then it changed and was not so good. No reason to dislike a cruise line. It happens, and its a chance we all take.

 

I been going crazy checking prices with my upcoming cruise.

 

I know I have 2 more weeks to adjust/cancel the cruise if I choose.

And If I find a better deal, I will make a move. But so far I like the deal I have

[silentbob007]

Not the price I'm complaining about. I asked for anything but deck 6 and they gave me that cabin almost immediately.

 

You can't set terms for the guarantee assignment. That's why it's a guarantee. It sounds like you are fulfilling your own expectations.

[Vitamin_Sea]

You can't set terms for the guarantee assignment. That's why it's a guarantee. It sounds like you are fulfilling your own expectations.

 

exactly, A guarantee Is the cheapest way on but it comes with some uncertainty/risk.

Seems the OP knew the odds but rolled the dice

[reallyhooked]

Should have booked yourself. Evidently your travel agent dropped the ball when booking, and not made your request known. From my understanding when you book a gaurantee you don't have a choice to choose where it's located. Sorry you're unhappy. Allure is a great ship. Enjoy your cruise

[Big_G]

So, let me get this straight - you saw there was only ONE GS available which happened to be on deck 6, so you went for a (cheaper rate) gty KNOWING full well that there was only one place they could put you. Then, when they DID put you there, you start to complain? Am I missing something here? How were you taken advantage of? Something tells me that no matter what you are going to stew over this and not enjoy your cruise.

 

As Gomer Pyle would say,

 

[Paulette3028]

So, let me get this straight - you saw there was only ONE GS available which happened to be on deck 6, so you went for a (cheaper rate) gty KNOWING full well that there was only one place they could put you. Then, when they DID put you there, you start to complain? Am I missing something here? How were you taken advantage of? Something tells me that no matter what you are going to stew over this and not enjoy your cruise.

 

It seems to me you have clarified it very well. The OP clearly knew there was only ONE GS available at the time and it was in a location he did not want....but he wanted the cheaper price that came with a gty.

[mechcc]

We were on deck 6 on the Allure & loved the location so much we booked deck 6 for the Oasis. Loved having the Schnoor bar & Johnny Rockets (for breakfast) on the same deck, one deck down to the Promenade & 2 decks up to Central Park. And getting elevators to go to the upper decks never seemed to be a problem as they were never full going up. You might just love the location.

[Merion_Mom]

I understand your frustration OP, but you're mostly wrong here. I don't mean to sound offensive here, but basically you've gotten just what you paid for, a guarantee GS on the ship for that date.

 

You knew likely which cabin you were going to get, and if you weren't happy with it and strongly felt like you would get it, I would not have booked a GTY for that category. Were you maybe you were thinking someone else would book that GS and you'd get an upgrade to a different category? That's a pretty big risk to take, IMO, if you are choosy about location. There's nothing wrong with not wanting that cabin / location, but you made all the choices that would most likely get you that cabin.

 

With 30 cruises in your history, I don't know all the lines or anything, but certainly you understand generally how the cruise business works. Your travel agent should have done the following:

-inform you of RCI policies, perhaps indicating differences to other cruise lines you may be more familiar with

-should have told you point blank that if you've got a special request don't book GTY!

- if your TA did those things above they wouldn't have had to do the little dog and pony show pretending like they are begging for OBC for this super special client, one time exception stuff, because they would have told you up front when you book within final payment.

 

30-ish days is fairly last minute for a higher end suite on a ship. I'm not sure what to tell you or what is going to make you happy; you knew the category was mostly sold out, you took a gamble, you lost on the gamble. Look at the bright side, you've still got a great cabin on the ship and you have a vacation to look forward to shortly. Accept that a bunch of what you have in your hand now is from the choices you elected to make and go have a great trip without dwelling on it.

 

Sounds to me like you don't like RCI's GTY/late date booking policies, which aren't different from most other cruiselines anyways, and that your TA didn't deal with you in a direct and clear manner to manage your expectations. It's kind of a shame that suboptimal TA servicing would cause you to write off any cruise line.

 

So, let me get this straight - you saw there was only ONE GS available which happened to be on deck 6, so you went for a (cheaper rate) gty KNOWING full well that there was only one place they could put you. Then, when they DID put you there, you start to complain? Am I missing something here? How were you taken advantage of? Something tells me that no matter what you are going to stew over this and not enjoy your cruise.

 

^^ These. :)

 

The OP is actually twisting himself into a pretzel trying to justify his unhappiness by faulting RC for doing EXACTLY what he paid RC to do.

 

It's a puzzlement! (as Yul Brynner would say! ;) )

Edited November 6, 2014 by Merion_Mom

[Big_G]

We were on deck 6 on the Allure & loved the location so much we booked deck 6 for the Oasis. Loved having the Schnoor bar & Johnny Rockets (for breakfast) on the same deck, one deck down to the Promenade & 2 decks up to Central Park. And getting elevators to go to the upper decks never seemed to be a problem as they were never full going up. You might just love the location.

 

Agree. We've been on deck 6 in a forward balcony and enjoyed it too.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

Probably small comfort to the OP, but I am joining the chorus of those who actually prefer Deck 6 for its convenient location to many of Allure's features. We have requested Deck 6 cabins almost every time we have sailed on Allure and Oasis.

 

I'm not sure why the OP is especially opposed to a Deck 6 cabin, but he might be pleasantly surprised once he gets on the ship and sees how convenient his cabin is.

[vickiw0318]

What OSUZorba said. On my first cruise on the Allure, I was upgraded to a Crown Loft from a GS. Same deal. They were offering a guarantee GS category. It is a technique that is apparently used by the Revenue Department. There were several C&A members that got lucky on that cruise.

 

To the O.P., I honestly think that you will find that you will very much enjoy your cabin location.

[reney313]

I agree with the others.

 

1. You (or your TA) are not able to specify any terms (anything but deck 6, for example) on a GTY booking. If your TA led you to believe that, then that is their error.

 

2. On most ships, I do prefer higher decks. On Oasis/Allure, Deck 6 is one of the preferred decks. You might find you are happy to be there vs. another location.

 

3. If you are worried, if another GS opens, then you can ask to be moved. With ~30 days out, I would not count on that happening.

 

4. I'm not sure what type of compensation you would be asking. Again, you are unable to specify anything on a GTY booking. If you didn't do the GTY, then the only open to book would have been that cabin. Was there a different cabin you would have booked instead? You can still upgrade to higher category if one is available.

[swim13]

I beg to ask your opinion after you step off the ship. :)

[NolaFireLI]

I still wanna know what the issue with Deck 6 is?????

[Charles4515]

Not the price I'm complaining about. I asked for anything but deck 6 and they gave me that cabin almost immediately.

 

They told you that only deck 6 GS was available! How would booking a guaranty get a cabin on a different deck if only deck 6 was available? You are not making any sense to me. Ok I guess you were expecting an upgrade to a higher cat. That iwould be the only thing that makes sense. But that is the risk you take with a GTY. I have booked GTYs on several cruise lines and sometimes have had an upgrade but just as often only got a cabin in the GTY cat I booked. Booking a GTY is a gamble.

Edited November 6, 2014 by Charles4515

[ladylawyer]

It is true that not all lines are kind enough to allow such swaps. Royal Caribbean has let me do it many times. I think Celebrity has, too. Princess allowed me to do so a couple years ago; I hope they still allow it. OTOH, I have never heard of NCL allowing a gty assignment swap.

 

Carnival, either ... :rolleyes:

[Big_G]

I still wanna know what the issue with Deck 6 is?????

 

Some have said that the lifeboats are just below and obstruct a downward view. We've had a balcony on 6 and it wasn't an issue and I don't believe there are any lifeboats directly below the grand suites on the Oasis Class.

[tinkerme1]

Two weeks go by and I check the RCL website. They are still offering a GS guarantee and the price is significantly lower than when I booked.

Go to the TA. Can I get some relief? A cabin upgrade? A reduction in cost? OBC? Or just a different GS cabin (like I originally requested)? He calls RCL.

I get nothing. They will do nothing for me.

Bottom line is my trip is a month away and I feel that RCL took advantage of me. This is about my 30th cruise. Only my 2nd on RCL. Now we know why.

 

First, I agree with most of the replies here but I do have a question. What do you consider "significantly" lower in price? Sometimes, if you call RCL and ask to help you upgrade to next category, they will take into consideration the lowered guarantee price and find a price that may or may not be acceptable to you for an upgrade after final payment.

 

I hope that your TA followed up with the cruiseline about this. Some don't want to be bothered. This is why I always book directly with RCL. If you book through a TA you cannot negotiate with RCL by yourself. Booking with/without a TA is always a personal choice. I just find that being able to speak with C&A about my booking far outweighs the advantage of receiving a small OBC.

[American Bear]

I understand how you feel. However, if you went out and bought a new car for xxx$ and then you discover 2 weeks later that the same car is now on sale for XX$, do you expect the dealer to give you some compensation?

 

My philosophy is that when I purchase a product, whether be a cruise, camera, or whatever, and I pay a certain price, then that is what I pay. I do not go back later and try to get something because the product is now on sale.

 

Think Black Friday!

 

I disagree, if you had,,,,

'bought the car/cruise, hadn't picked up the car yet/hadn't taken the cruise yet',,,,

"you could get a better price on the car, or cancel the car purchase with no penalty/can't do that with a RCL cruise!:D

 

Actually many stores now offer 30 days after your purchase price match!

Carnival has a better idea, 100% low price guarantee even after the final pmt.!

[American Bear]

I understand your frustration OP, but you're mostly wrong here. I don't mean to sound offensive here, but basically you've gotten just what you paid for, a guarantee GS on the ship for that date.

 

You knew likely which cabin you were going to get, and if you weren't happy with it and strongly felt like you would get it, I would not have booked a GTY for that category. Were you maybe you were thinking someone else would book that GS and you'd get an upgrade to a different category? That's a pretty big risk to take, IMO, if you are choosy about location. There's nothing wrong with not wanting that cabin / location, but you made all the choices that would most likely get you that cabin.

 

With 30 cruises in your history, I don't know all the lines or anything, but certainly you understand generally how the cruise business works. Your travel agent should have done the following:

-inform you of RCI policies, perhaps indicating differences to other cruise lines you may be more familiar with

-should have told you point blank that if you've got a special request don't book GTY!

- if your TA did those things above they wouldn't have had to do the little dog and pony show pretending like they are begging for OBC for this super special client, one time exception stuff, because they would have told you up front when you book within final payment.

 

30-ish days is fairly last minute for a higher end suite on a ship. I'm not sure what to tell you or what is going to make you happy; you knew the category was mostly sold out, you took a gamble, you lost on the gamble. Look at the bright side, you've still got a great cabin on the ship and you have a vacation to look forward to shortly. Accept that a bunch of what you have in your hand now is from the choices you elected to make and go have a great trip without dwelling on it.

 

Sounds to me like you don't like RCI's GTY/late date booking policies, which aren't different from most other cruiselines anyways, and that your TA didn't deal with you in a direct and clear manner to manage your expectations. It's kind of a shame that suboptimal TA servicing would cause you to write off any cruise line.

 

We agree with much of what you wrote, the OP dislikes RCL's 'after final pmt. policy', and honestly as a D+ member we also dislike it also from years of experience!

[phoenix_dream]

Am I the only one that finds it very strange that they would even offer a GTY if there were only one cabin left? I guess I understand the 'don't want to drop higher suite prices too much as it would make the people who originally purchased them angry' up to a point, but wouldn't they rather first try a higher level suite GTY to fill those cabins? If it is as the OP says, I can only suspect he/she assumed they would get an upgrade. After 30 cruises, they should know how the system works, even if they do not often use GTY. Sorry, I don't buy the ignorance claim on this one, nor do I feel RCI did anything wrong at all.

[Paulette3028]

Probably small comfort to the OP, but I am joining the chorus of those who actually prefer Deck 6 for its convenient location to many of Allure's features. We have requested Deck 6 cabins almost every time we have sailed on Allure and Oasis.

 

I'm not sure why the OP is especially opposed to a Deck 6 cabin, but he might be pleasantly surprised once he gets on the ship and sees how convenient his cabin is.

 

I fully expect this cruiser to have the absolutely WORST cruise of his life on this cruise.....all because of his mental attitude going on the cruise. He blames Royal for doing something that he knew came with the kind of gty booking that he did, YET, because he 'told them he did not want this cabin deck' expected them to oblige. He wanted the rules that govern a gty booking NOT to apply to him.

 

Nothing on this cruise for this cruiser will be satisfactory is my guess.

Edited November 6, 2014 by Paulette3028

[Charles4515]

He blames Royal for doing something that he knew came with the kind of gty booking that he did, YET, because he 'told them he did not want this cabin deck' expected them to oblige. He wanted the rules that govern a gty booking NOT to apply to him.

 

 

 

 

 

I can visualize someone in reservations seeing this request from someone booking a GTY but requesting anything but deck 6 thinking what nerve that person had. It was like demanding an upgrade. So they chuckled and assigned deck 6......