RCCL Uses a Child to Slip Between the Horns & ROOK Thousands of Guests

[oneputt18]

OP can go back to Carnival and bob around in the Caribbean with no propulsion or power. Many weren't happy about how Carnival handled that fiasco.

[fish6]

WOW!

 

It's pretty sad that people have to attack/accuse people on these CC threads. We are all adults here right? Everyone should be able to voice their opinions and experiences here. I am not a greedy person nor usually a complainer :o. I love RCI and have 4 more cruises booked with them. I am just stating the facts and am disappointed that RCI was not consistent with all of these Freedom sailings.

 

Like I said earlier.......please call or email RCI with your concerns if you were on the December 7th sailing. It is better to express your opinion/experiences there! Nothing may be done, but it is always good to give the company feedback whether positive or negative.

 

Thank you and Happy Sailing to you all in 2015 :)

 

Donna

[RocketMan275]

I've spoken with corporate and they refuse ownership of any problem and will not give us any compensation or percent off a future cruise. At this point it's the principle, not the money. They will not allow me to cancel my oasis cruise without penalty (past final payment). RCI is dead to me. I wrote a review detailing this scam (member reviews). RCI should have given us the option to cancel with full refund before the cruise.

 

Dude, hasn't any one told you that as soon as you say: "it's not about the money", every one knows that it is.

Edited January 2, 2015 by RocketMan275

[Starry Eyes]

WOW!

 

It's pretty sad that people have to attack/accuse people on these CC threads. We are all adults here right? Everyone should be able to voice their opinions and experiences here. I am not a greedy person nor usually a complainer :o. I love RCI and have 4 more cruises booked with them. I am just stating the facts and am disappointed that RCI was not consistent with all of these Freedom sailings.

 

Like I said earlier.......please call or email RCI with your concerns if you were on the December 7th sailing. It is better to express your opinion/experiences there! Nothing may be done, but it is always good to give the company feedback whether positive or negative.

 

Thank you and Happy Sailing to you all in 2015 :)

 

Donna

 

Donna, we all know that you did not start this thread. If you were the OP, you'd likely have titled it very differently. If you'd been the OP, the first post probably would have read completely differently. So, with a different title and a different lead post there is a chance the thread might have gone differently. Just a chance as plenty of threads go wacky on cruise critic (and on other Internet boards, too).

 

While a nicely-started thread can get uncivil now and then, a thread that begins with an accusation/attack in the title is apt to go badly. Follow the attack title with an wacky attack first post, add in a child with a medical emergency, and the odds of a sweet, civil thread drop to zero.

 

Totally accepting that you yourself are not a complainer, have you heard plenty of complainers when things go even a little bit awry? I heard it from my very first cruise. We could not tender to a private island due to rough seas, so the captain steered us toward smoother seas for a reasonably sunny sea day instead. Some passengers were pitching a fit, as though the Captain has a choice. Same has happened with small delays and missed ports many times since on a variety of cruise lines. If one cannot accept changes in itinerary, cruise are probably not the correct vacation; such changes happen and are mutually accepted by contract. I apprciate it when the cruise lines sometimes make a goodwill gesture (OBC, free drinks, substitute port, etc). asking for such consideration (as you are asking) seems reasonable. OTOH, demanding compensation, declaring never to return, declaring the business dead to me, those stance do not seem as well reasoned (and are likely to be less effective that your approach, too).

 

Can you tell me how long after you left Georgetown your ship turned back for the child's sake? When did the ship leave the second time?

[delirious9876]

When I was introdu

[twindaddy]

you want to cancel because you're going to miss a little time in ports?

 

I am torn on this one. I am a take the ship out to sea and park for seven days kind of guy, but that is how I cruise, I know not everyone is like that. To me once you have seen one port in Mexico/Caribbean/Bahamas, you have seen them all.

 

I guess what gets me about this is the level of anger the OP is having, that is where they loose me. Would I be annoyed if this happened to me? Yes. Would I let it simmer and rage inside me, like the OP is clearly doing, no.

 

To be totally honest, I would be more mad if I had to endure dynamic dining on the quantum.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

How long after leaving Georgetown did the ship turn around for the medical emergency? When did the ship depart the second time after seeing to the child's welfare?

I've read somewhere they were 2.5 hours out of GC when they had to turn around. So if they left GC at 4 on schedule, turned around at 6:30, and lets say even went faster to get back to GC, that would put them back at GC at 8:30. How fast would they have to go to leave GC at 9 to be in Cozumel on schedule?

[JasonTehGreat]

Of course I wasn't there and am at home sitting at a computer; but if I had to miss a port and lose some port time so the ship could arrange life saving emergency care of a passenger, especially a child, then so be it.

 

If I were in that child's or parent's position I would expect the same thing. A human life is more precious to me than feeling-up some stingrays or whatever else the excursions that were planned to be done are.

 

I think people need to take a step back and look at it from a different perspective. Yes other cruises received OBC. Did you have more notice of a possible itinerary change than they did? Maybe, maybe not. Did those cruises have a medical emergency on board? Probably not.

 

I've been on airlines where a flight was unreasonably delayed and I actually missed an appointment with a US Senator in Washington DC as a result. I, and the other passengers, were compensated. Had the flight taken off and then we made an emergency landing as a result of a medical emergency I would not expect any sort of financial compensation, missed meeting or not, as long as I eventually made it to my destination.

[71Corvette]

So when is Freedom actually going to be fixed... It seems these issues have been going on forever. Time to fix the ship! At the rate their going they'll have paid out more in OBC than the cost of simply cancelling a cruise to fix the propulsion issue!

 

To the OP- Sorry to hear the situation, and I agree with your point - just doesn't sound fair. That said, I hope you decide to give RCI another shot sometime in the future. My experiences have been overwhelmingly positive. Unfortunately it seems you just pulled the "short straw" this time around.

Edited January 3, 2015 by 71Corvette

[SherriZ366]

So when is Freedom actually going to be fixed... It seems these issues have been going on forever. Time to fix the ship! At the rate their going they'll have paid out more in OBC than the cost of simply cancelling a cruise to fix the propulsion issue!

 

To the OP- Sorry to hear the situation, and I agree with your point - just doesn't sound fair. That said, I hope you decide to give RCI another shot sometime in the future. My experiences have been overwhelmingly positive. Unfortunately it seems you just pulled the "short straw" this time around.

FR goes into drydock on Jan. 7. Drydock was pushed ahead because of propulsion problems.

[Sailor_Sally]

I was on a cruise when a hurricane hit . We skipped two ports totally and stayed at one an extra day . The ride back was very scarey . Were we offered compensation ? No. Did anyone expect it ? No . This compensation thing has gotten out of hand with people demanding compensation for everything . If you went to an all inclusive and it rained all week and you could not use any of the facilities your compensation would be zero .

[fish6]

Can you tell me how long after you left Georgetown your ship turned back for the child's sake? When did the ship leave the second time?

 

We left Georgetown at 2:30 pm (shortened port time). Our Top Tier event was at 4:45 pm and I want to say the Captain made the announcement about halfway through regarding the medical emergency and the need to turn the ship back around. I would say we were around 2.5 hours from Georgetown when Freedom turned around to go back. The family and medical team were taken off the ship and then we had to wait for the medical team to return so I'm guessing at least 1 hour was spent waiting. I'm sorry I can't say for sure when we restarted our journey back towards Port Canaveral but my guess would be around 8:00/8:30 pm.

Edited January 3, 2015 by fish6

[SherriZ366]

FR goes into drydock on Jan. 7. Drydock was pushed ahead because of propulsion problems.

It may actually be Jan. 6 -- she is doing a 2 day cruise from Port C to Nassau on Sunday.

[cruzsnooze]

OP , I think many people agree with you but are afraid to express it because the cheer leaders put anyone down who doesn't side with the cruise line.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

It is hard to defend the RCL decision to not provide any OBC to one cruise and to give it to each of the others. [i was not on this cruise--so my comment is not personal]

 

I believe that RCL is likely sorry they did not offer some type of compensation for this cruise. The negative comments it has generated is bad for business. [looking at it as a pure business decision.]

 

The decision to not cancel a cruise and fix it before the dry dock does not look like a good one in hind sight, either.

 

PS--Grand Cayman is a Tender port [often takes 2-3 hrs to get all passengers that want to go ashore off the ship] and with a 2:30 departure they would have had to be onboard by 2 pm. There was not much time to do anything.

Edited January 3, 2015 by DragonOfTheSeas

[lalenalei]

OP , I think many people agree with you but are afraid to express it because the cheer leaders put anyone down who doesn't side with the cruise line.

 

I can't speak for others, but I am not trying to side with RCCL/RCI/whatever we call it. I'm just saying that you get what you get. Yes, it sucked for the OP. I'm not saying to just be all rainbows and unicorns. But being eternally bitter only hurts you in the end. They don't care if you never cruise with them again. They will still make gazillions of dollars and forget about you. But if you keep carrying that around and harboring that anger, it's like acid in a vessel -- eating you up from the inside.

[Starry Eyes]

We left Georgetown at 2:30 pm (shortened port time). Our Top Tier event was at 4:45 pm and I want to say the Captain made the announcement about halfway through regarding the medical emergency and the need to turn the ship back around. I would say we were around 2.5 hours from Georgetown when Freedom turned around to go back. The family and medical team were taken off the ship and then we had to wait for the medical team to return so I'm guessing at least 1 hour was spent waiting. I'm sorry I can't say for sure when we restarted our journey back towards Port Canaveral but my guess would be around 8:00/8:30 pm.

I appreciate your taking the time to share your recollections. thank you.

 

it sounds like the ship did indeed have to devote a substantial amount of time to getting the child to ground based medical care. thank goodness they did so.

 

Just playing with the numbers, let's assume the ship had not had mechanical issues and instead had been able to sail at the planned speed, she'd have made the trip to Cozumel in 18 hours...if Cozumel were willing and able to accommodate a late arrival, if FOS left at 8:30 pm, she'd arrive at about 2:30 pm. if local authorities and ground operations were quick, guests might get off at 3pm. They'd need to be back aboard at about 6:30 for 7 pm sailing. So, if there had been no mechanical issue, guests might have had 3.5 hours or so at Cozumel. Less time if they were slow to clear the ship, guests were congested at gangway, if one does not push the all-aboard time to the limit, or if one had early dinner. I doubt guests would have been happy with such a stop. and the port might not have been willing or able to deal with the new timeframe.

 

If the ship was in tip top shape and sea and wind conditions were great, maybe she could have the trip a bit faster (maybe an hour?), but it would still have been a brief stop....probably too short to allow many activities or excursions (ship or private).

 

As it was, the ship was not able to sail full speed, so she'd have needed extra time to cover the distance. So, a slower ship leaving at 8:30 would not be able to give guests a stop in Cozumel.

 

To me, it sounds like an unfortunate confluence of events. By the numbers, I do think the child's illness was the major reason the ship missed Cozumel; I do not think it was just a cover for a "rook" as asserted by the OP. Nevertheless, the ships' condition did have some impact on the cruise. in such circumstances, cruiselines do sometimes make a good will gesture. as the cruise was likely much less expensive than the Christmas cruise, any gesture will likely be much smaller, too. level headed sorts will probably be Ok with that, while the angry sorts probaly would remain angry. funny how that happens....

[Starry Eyes]

It is hard to defend the RCL decision to not provide any OBC to one cruise and to give it to each of the others. [i was not on this cruise--so my comment is not personal]

 

I believe that RCL is likely sorry they did not offer some type of compensation for this cruise. The negative comments it has generated is bad for business. [looking at it as a pure business decision.]

 

The decision to not cancel a cruise and fix it before the dry dock does not look like a good one in hind sight, either.

 

PS--Grand Cayman is a Tender port [often takes 2-3 hrs to get all passengers that want to go ashore off the ship] and with a 2:30 departure they would have had to be onboard by 2 pm. There was not much time to do anything.

Do you have detailed knowledge of the problem? do you know if needed parts are already available? Do you have know that the propblem could be fixed within a week with the ship in the water (vs in dry dock) if they did cancel a cruise? And if the did cancel somebody's cruise week, whose should it have been? I'd much rather be on a slower (but still safe) cruise ship than have my vacation cancelled on short notice. I think they'd have gotten just as much negative feedback had they cancel on thousands of people.

Edited January 3, 2015 by Starry Eyes

[cruzsnooze]

I can't speak for others, but I am not trying to side with RCCL/RCI/whatever we call it. I'm just saying that you get what you get. Yes, it sucked for the OP. I'm not saying to just be all rainbows and unicorns. But being eternally bitter only hurts you in the end. They don't care if you never cruise with them again. They will still make gazillions of dollars and forget about you. But if you keep carrying that around and harboring that anger, it's like acid in a vessel -- eating you up from the inside.

Your answer was problematic. I was looking at the snarky ones that said "go back to carnival" and find another cruise line. Those comments come from an obvious cheerleader.

[mollyeilis]

What kind of compensation were you expecting? It's in the cruise contract that ports can be added or deleted anytime for any reason.

 

I would guess that the OP would have expected the same credit that all the other sailings got. They would have been affected by the change in port times just like the other cruises. The child doesn't change that. They should get the same, and nothing more for the changes b/c of the emergency. That would be fair.

 

I wasn't on the cruise, I'm not getting anything...and I still say that Royal is being ridiculous. They made the decision to give other sailings compensation, and they shouldn't be weaseling out of compensating for this sailing's changes.

[lalenalei]

Your answer was problematic. I was looking at the snarky ones that said "go back to carnival" and find another cruise line. Those comments come from an obvious cheerleader.

 

I gotcha. I wasn't coming from that angle, but can see what you are saying.

[Duke Mazer]

Let's take the sick kid out of the equation for a minute. Why are other cruises getting OBC's but not this one..... Don't know? Put the kid back in.... Oh wait we are delayed because of a sick kid, not our fault no comp. Sorry looking at it from the outside it looks like RCI took advantage of situation. Is it a slime move sure, but what large corporation isn't doing it. Old formula which will cost us more? Giving OBC's to 3000 passengers or loose repeat business of 2-5 people. Ya sucks but can't see RCI fixing this, when really they got away with it.

[Alwaysacruiseinthequeue]

Does your cruise contract say that they promise certain ports or certain times in port? IF the contract said that, you'd have a right to demand cancellation, etc. However, I am fairly certain your cruise contract says no such thing. If what is promised in cruise contracts is not enough to assure you will enjoy a cruise vacation, you have a problem. Perhaps it would be best to pay the cancellation penalty for your next cruise and select a different vacation that will make you happier.

 

Circular arguments all around, with NONE of the cheerleaders addressing the issue with any logic whatsoever. A contract is drawn with each guest to protect the guest and the cruise line. HOWEVER, when port changes are made or ports are missed...rather than stick to the contract FOR EVERYONE...they pick and choose whom they soothe and leave the rest to deal with it...

 

much like their separate spaces serving their caste system for guests on the ship...and even on the private islands. It's a culture I've never heard of on a cruise line before now.

[Alwaysacruiseinthequeue]

Let's run those numbers and see if your assertion is correct or incorrect.

 

If the original itinerary is to leave Georgetown at 4 pm and arrive Cozumel at 10 am, that is 18 hours. One must allow time on both ends for picking up pilot, dodging navigational hazards, low speed departure/approach, positioning, etc. So that leaves roughly 16 hours. Distance is about 325 nm, so ship ordinarily needs to make about 20 knots. That is already a substantial pace since it is a cruise ship, not a speed boat. Not a lot of wiggle room.

 

How long after leaving Georgetown did the ship turn around for the medical emergency? When did the ship depart the second time after seeing to the child's welfare?

 

Shortened port time versus totally missing the port, for sure.

[Alwaysacruiseinthequeue]

Here's the problem... you feel you got "shafted", simply because you know what happened on other cruises. If you didn't have that information, would you still be upset and leaving RCI?

 

Did you enjoy your cruise? Did they feed you? Did you feel safe? Did you get your port charges back?

 

Saying "they got money back and I didn't so I'm never cruising RCI again" sounds like kids saying "but Johnny's mom lets him go to the arcade" (pick whatever you want there). It sounds like whining to me.

 

Is it "fair" other cruisers got OBC/FCC and you didn't? No. Is it fair that other people on your same cruise paid more or less than you did for the same category of stateroom? No. Is it fair that airline passengers pay more or less depending on when they book? No. So? Life isn't fair.

 

Following your line of logic, if we both enter a McDonalds...both order fries...get to our separate tables and realize we were served cold fries....both go back to the counter at the same time...and I receive a nice extra large size of hot fresh fries and you're told "no, you are out of luck"....that's ok, right?