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

[LMaxwell]

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......

 

I can visualize booking a GTY on one computer, and a server room somewhere else receiving that booking and processing it through a software matrix and assigning a room. I highly doubt any human was involved in actually selecting the room or reading the request. Still can't believe the TA didn't say "Wait a minute, you can't put conditions on a guarantee rate. Are you sure you want to book guarantee or would you prefer to select your cabin?"

 

I guess the TA didn't want to "lose a sale" having to pitch a higher priced category to OP and said "Sure, I will notate the reservation with your request." Big Deal! Doesn't mean anything happens though!

[ramja96]

Poor OP - you don't get much sympathy around here, do you ...? :p

 

However, with that said, I have to agree that you made a pretty bold assumption in putting a stipulation like that on your GTY booking (and we all know what they say about assumptions, right?). I hope you enjoy your cruise none-the-less, and go into it with an open mind, and the determination to make your vacation as enjoyable as possible. Hopefully, you'll come away feeling that perhaps you judged RCI too harshly and you've found a new cruise line to enjoy many vacations in the future.

 

Bon Voyage! I hope you have a great trip.

Edited November 6, 2014 by ramja96

[gc]

About me - mid 60's New Yorker... 30 cruises - everything from ultra luxury to bottom of the barrel... (but only one previous on RCL)

So this time I pick Allure of the Seas. Check with the cruise line and find that there is only one GS available (on deck 6) but I can book a GS guarantee (for less). I check prices with my travel agent. He does offer a better price package, and so I book the guarantee asking him to please tell RCL that I specifically did not want the cabin on deck 6.

Three days later I am assigned the deck 6 cabin - oh well only GS available.

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.

 

Mr.WLBonds,

 

GS 9654 is available on your cruise....don't snooz and lose !!!

[John Reid]

"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."

 

Many times, I feel the board jumps on people with legitimate complaints. Not this time. Just analyze two aspects of your closing three sentences.

 

How could they have taken advantage of you when you booked a GTY and got a cabin in the category? If you didn't want to risk a deck 6, don't book under the clearly stated guidelines.

 

"Only my second on RCL and now we know why."

 

I'm confused. Did you not book more cruises on RCI in the past because you knew they would someday "take advantage of you"? A remarkable talent considering the Allure was probably not even built before your boycott began.

 

I am not an RCI cheerleader; RCI bookings account for about 30% of my cruises. But this complaint seems invalid.

 

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

 

Yes and no on this one. The guarantee only applies to two of the many Carnival booking options. There are sacrifices to make with this choice. One is that you cannot cancel and get a refund no matter how long before the sailing. You can get a credit and rebook another cruise with a $50 fee pp. If you change a passenger on the booking at any time, $50. One of the categories that offers the guarantee does not allow for cabin selection. Again, yes and no.

[gerif]

I don't believe anyone has actually answered OP's question (not that I think he will ever return to this thread), so let me - yes, you are wrong.

[critterchick]

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.

 

The suite guarantee gets you a GS or higher cabin, so they could have a large number of unsold Crown Lofts or other, higher, suite categories. I concluded from reading the original post that OP was hoping that, by stipulating that he didn't want Deck 6, he would get upgraded to a higher category.

 

Also, just because a category doesn't show as available on the website (retail or TA) doesn't mean that every cabin in that category has been sold. Sometimes, for reasons known only to them, RCI (and other lines) will keep a cabin or two empty, perhaps for upgrade, Bingo or repair.

 

I can visualize booking a GTY on one computer, and a server room somewhere else receiving that booking and processing it through a software matrix and assigning a room. I highly doubt any human was involved in actually selecting the room or reading the request. Still can't believe the TA didn't say "Wait a minute, you can't put conditions on a guarantee rate. Are you sure you want to book guarantee or would you prefer to select your cabin?"

 

I guess the TA didn't want to "lose a sale" having to pitch a higher priced category to OP and said "Sure, I will notate the reservation with your request." Big Deal! Doesn't mean anything happens though!

 

We don't know how the conversation went. It could be that OP gave us the Cliff Notes version and omitted that part of it. It doesn't exactly bolster his case.

 

OP, since you asked, yes, I think you are wrong to feel that you are being scr***ed over in some way. A guarantee is a roll of the dice and you can't attach conditions to it. And the rules about price drops/upgrades/OBC after final payment have been in place for several years, although since you cruise so infrequently with RCI, it's not surprising that you didn't know that. I don't like it, either, but it is what it is.

 

But if you are still reading, call your TA and ask him to switch you to 9654 - your original post doesn't say whether there were other GS available at the time you booked, but if not, well, now there is one. Do a mock booking and put a hold on the cabin. Then after your TA agrees to do it, release the cabin while he is on the phone with RCI so nobody else snatches it up.

 

And there is still a hope, albeit faint, that somebody will want a GS on Deck 6 and they will bump you to a higher category - they've been known to do that with gty bookings, too.

Edited November 6, 2014 by critterchick

[Dave85]

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.

 

That was precisely my reaction as well. You booked a GTY... in a category where there was only 1 suite left... and you got that suite.............

 

If you haven't arleady you should follow everyone's advice to try again to move to a different GS, but this situation certainly isn't RC's fault in any way (and I'm more than happy to criticize them when they screw up, which has been frequently of late).

Edited November 6, 2014 by Dave85

[Johnamac123]

Yes, you are wrong.

[WJBonds]

Of course I will return to this thread....

I want to thank everyone for their kind (and not so kind) responses. KIM, in my question I stated that I could be wrong in my thinking. But truthfully I am appreciative towards the responders. especially those who told me to get over my fear of deck 6.

Few of the responders got my actual point, but for those who did... yes, I should be annoyed with my TA and not with RCL.

I learned that a gty can not have any preconditions - even if a Suite on deck 9 becomes available they won't give it to you. Once they lock you in, that's it.

And lastly, to the one responder who thinks I won't enjoy my trip - you're VERY wrong. Of my 30 over the years all have been fun and wonderful vacations....

[tlatrice]

Few of the responders got my actual point, but for those who did... yes, I should be annoyed with my TA and not with RCL.

 

:confused:

 

So, was your actual point that you were annoyed with the TA? Because the title of the thread...

Edited November 6, 2014 by tlatrice

[uksimonusa]

Of course I will return to this thread....

I want to thank everyone for their kind (and not so kind) responses. KIM, in my question I stated that I could be wrong in my thinking. But truthfully I am appreciative towards the responders. especially those who told me to get over my fear of deck 6.

Few of the responders got my actual point, but for those who did... yes, I should be annoyed with my TA and not with RCL.

I learned that a gty can not have any preconditions - even if a Suite on deck 9 becomes available they won't give it to you. Once they lock you in, that's it.

And lastly, to the one responder who thinks I won't enjoy my trip - you're VERY wrong. Of my 30 over the years all have been fun and wonderful vacations....

 

If you have been allocated a cabin and another cabin in the same category is or becomes available, RCI will let you switch to that cabin.

[golfer1966]

About me - mid 60's New Yorker... 30 cruises - everything from ultra luxury to bottom of the barrel... (but only one previous on RCL)

So this time I pick Allure of the Seas. Check with the cruise line and find that there is only one GS available (on deck 6) but I can book a GS guarantee (for less). I check prices with my travel agent. He does offer a better price package, and so I book the guarantee asking him to please tell RCL that I specifically did not want the cabin on deck 6.

Three days later I am assigned the deck 6 cabin - oh well only GS available.

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.

 

 

Id rather book directly with RCCL so I can also make changes to my reservation on line myself...and if there are charges, I work with a rep and its changed. Also, a guarantee is exactly what they say it is. Your guaranteed to get that category but no location yet....I bet someone who booked with RCCL wouldn't get that cabin... :rolleyes:

[gc]

Of course I will return to this thread....

I want to thank everyone for their kind (and not so kind) responses. KIM, in my question I stated that I could be wrong in my thinking. But truthfully I am appreciative towards the responders. especially those who told me to get over my fear of deck 6.

Few of the responders got my actual point, but for those who did... yes, I should be annoyed with my TA and not with RCL.

I learned that a gty can not have any preconditions - even if a Suite on deck 9 becomes available they won't give it to you. Once they lock you in, that's it.

And lastly, to the one responder who thinks I won't enjoy my trip - you're VERY wrong. Of my 30 over the years all have been fun and wonderful vacations....

 

Rccl will allow you to change your current cabin on deck #6 to cabin 9654 when your TA calls in with the request.

[Starry Eyes]

Rccl will allow you to change your current cabin on deck #6 to cabin 9654 when your TA calls in with the request.

 

Jumping in to agree....since this is a north american booking (other counties have other rules), this cruise line will in all likelihood let you swap from the gty assigned GS to another GS. Make the call to your TA now if you want deck nine.

 

There are other cruise line that would not let you make such a swap if you book gty. So, be glad this happened with Royal Caribbean! Maybe you should be more of a fan...

[rusty nut]

I just went back and re-read the OP. In my opinion you guys are being way too harsh. Perhaps you forgot what the OP wrote. He wanted a GS, but not on deck 6, fine. He saw only one available but it was on deck 6 so he booked a GS GTY to get the lowest price. Guess what, he got the GS on Deck 6, no big deal. The OP himself basically said it is what it is. This is not why he's upset.

 

The reason he's upset is because 2 weeks later, he checks and sees that they're still booking GS GTY's. Wouldn't you be upset, especially after settling for what you thought was the last GS?

[Starry Eyes]

I just went back and re-read the OP. In my opinion you guys are being way too harsh. Perhaps you forgot what the OP wrote. He wanted a GS, but not on deck 6, fine. He saw only one available but it was on deck 6 so he booked a GS GTY to get the lowest price. Guess what, he got the GS on Deck 6, no big deal. The OP himself basically said it is what it is. This is not why he's upset.

 

The reason he's upset is because 2 weeks later, he checks and sees that they're still booking GS GTY's. Wouldn't you be upset, especially after settling for what you thought was the last GS?

 

No, I would not be upset.

Mostly, I'd have no right to be upset, as the cruise line has fulfilled its promise (GS gty booking gets at least a GS).

Second, the cruise line is not obligated to show each and every cabin in inventory; I'd have no right to be upset if they keep some inventory in the shadow.

Third, I'd understand that the cruise line can keep selling gs gty's as long as the cruise line knows it can fulfill its promise to those bookings with at least a GS. They can fill those shadow cabins (if they have some), they can reassign a cabin if somebody cancels, they free up a GS by upgrading somebody in a GS or they can give the gty booking an upgrade. Would I want to be the one that gets the upgrade? Sure, that would be true if I booked a specific GS or if I booked the GS gty, but I'd have no right to be upset if nobody gets an upgrade or if somebody else gets an upgrade.

Finally, as another GS had popped up, the OP now has a chance to swap if he acts in time.

[critterchick]

Of course I will return to this thread....

I want to thank everyone for their kind (and not so kind) responses. KIM, in my question I stated that I could be wrong in my thinking. But truthfully I am appreciative towards the responders. especially those who told me to get over my fear of deck 6.

Few of the responders got my actual point, but for those who did... yes, I should be annoyed with my TA and not with RCL.

I learned that a gty can not have any preconditions - even if a Suite on deck 9 becomes available they won't give it to you. Once they lock you in, that's it.

And lastly, to the one responder who thinks I won't enjoy my trip - you're VERY wrong. Of my 30 over the years all have been fun and wonderful vacations....

 

A suggestion: call Crown & Anchor (the loyalty program that you may have joined after your first RCI cruise) and ask them the policy. 800-526-9723. If they contradict what your TA has told you, ask them if they will change your cabin since it does not affect your TA's commission (that's the main reason they tend not to deal directly with the customer). If they won't, then ask your TA to call them back. I've been assigned cabins on a guarantee and have been able to change them in the same category.

 

I just went back and re-read the OP. In my opinion you guys are being way too harsh. Perhaps you forgot what the OP wrote. He wanted a GS, but not on deck 6, fine. He saw only one available but it was on deck 6 so he booked a GS GTY to get the lowest price. Guess what, he got the GS on Deck 6, no big deal. The OP himself basically said it is what it is. This is not why he's upset.

 

The reason he's upset is because 2 weeks later, he checks and sees that they're still booking GS GTY's. Wouldn't you be upset, especially after settling for what you thought was the last GS?

 

No I wouldn't, because inventory can change from day to day, even after final payment. Besides, the gty doesn't mean that they have any GS left in inventory. A GS guarantee gets you a GS OR HIGHER, so they likely have OS, CLS, etc. left. I would be upset to learn that RCI won't allow a change within the category, because that would be yet another a policy change (and one that benefits nobody - it costs them goodwill and it costs the client a preferred location).

 

OP, are you upset because your TA didn't tell you that you can't put conditions on a guarantee or for some other reason? Inquiring minds want to know.

[papcx]

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

 

 

That is brilliant.

 

I'm going to try and use that at least once every day, from now till the day I die.

[CruisingMachine]

About me - mid 60's New Yorker... 30 cruises - everything from ultra luxury to bottom of the barrel... (but only one previous on RCL)

So this time I pick Allure of the Seas. Check with the cruise line and find that there is only one GS available (on deck 6) but I can book a GS guarantee (for less). I check prices with my travel agent. He does offer a better price package, and so I book the guarantee asking him to please tell RCL that I specifically did not want the cabin on deck 6.

Three days later I am assigned the deck 6 cabin - oh well only GS available.

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.

 

Wow. Very wrong. Don't even know where to start. There's only 1 GS showing available and it's on Deck 6? EVEN IF you paid the full GS price instead of the GTY, you STILL could not request to be assigned a higher deck. If that's the last room left, that's the last room left. So basically, you wanted to pay a much lower price and be given MORE consideration for room location than someone paying full fare?! Incredible.

[SunshineCruiser24]

If you really don't want your grand suite I will take it off your hands!

[American Bear]

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

 

Yes and no on this one. The guarantee only applies to two of the many Carnival booking options. There are sacrifices to make with this choice. One is that you cannot cancel and get a refund no matter how long before the sailing. You can get a credit and rebook another cruise with a $50 fee pp. If you change a passenger on the booking at any time, $50. One of the categories that offers the guarantee does not allow for cabin selection. Again, yes and no.

 

 

 

 

Should have worded it differently, this is yes, yes!

Copied from the Carnival site,,,

 

Here's how the Early Saver program works:

1. When you book a 3-5 day cruise three months in advance, or 6 day or longer cruise five months in advance, you are assured the

lowest rate with a cabin assignment.

2. In the unlikely event that you do find a lower Carnival-advertised rate after booking your cruise, we will honor it and adjust your cruise rate accordingly. Simply fill out the Price Protection Claim form and we'll take care of the rest. If you booked your cruise with a travel agent and need to make a Price Protection Claim, simply contact your travel agent and they will submit it for you.

This is something all cruise lines could adopt and make those who wish to book early, happier customers!:D

Edited November 7, 2014 by American Bear

[Clarea]

Should have worded it differently, this is yes, yes!

Copied from the Carnival site,,,

 

Here's how the Early Saver program works:

1. When you book a 3-5 day cruise three months in advance, or 6 day or longer cruise five months in advance, you are assured the

lowest rate with a cabin assignment.

2. In the unlikely event that you do find a lower Carnival-advertised rate after booking your cruise, we will honor it and adjust your cruise rate accordingly. Simply fill out the Price Protection Claim form and we'll take care of the rest. If you booked your cruise with a travel agent and need to make a Price Protection Claim, simply contact your travel agent and they will submit it for you.

This is something all cruise lines could adopt and make those who wish to book early, happier customers!:D

Aren't there some significant restrictions with the Early Saver?

[iheartbda]

Aren't there some significant restrictions with the Early Saver?

There are a number of them that don't make it attractive to me.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=3008

[Clarea]

There are a number of them that don't make it attractive to me.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=3008

Thanks, looks like deposits are non-refundable and changing ship or sail date will cost $50pp. Still, I'd like to have that option on Royal.

Edited November 7, 2014 by clarea

[ladylawyer]

Should have worded it differently, this is yes, yes!

Copied from the Carnival site,,,

 

Here's how the Early Saver program works:

1. When you book a 3-5 day cruise three months in advance, or 6 day or longer cruise five months in advance, you are assured the

lowest rate with a cabin assignment.

2. In the unlikely event that you do find a lower Carnival-advertised rate after booking your cruise, we will honor it and adjust your cruise rate accordingly. Simply fill out the Price Protection Claim form and we'll take care of the rest. If you booked your cruise with a travel agent and need to make a Price Protection Claim, simply contact your travel agent and they will submit it for you.

This is something all cruise lines could adopt and make those who wish to book early, happier customers!:D

 

However, Carnival is one of the lines that definitely will NOT let you change cabins, on a GTY, once assigned. And, as others have said, there are significant restrictions.