Port of Tampa fog this morning....

[GTO-Girl]

Thanks Thom.....sounds like you understand the situation..

[Boytjie]

How about the person that was told on the phone by a RCI EMPLOYEE (or are the people on the RCI 800 # not employees either) that they were covered for a hotel. Were they supposed to get that info on letterhead?

 

I would ask for an email confirmation, at least. Just like when I buy anything form the cruise line pre-cruise. And if they handed out vouchers at the port, what did that actually say?

[tbjl24]

We will be sailing Vision April 4th and We are flying in the morning of the cruise and flying out the afternoon we arrive back. I am getting very nervous with all this fog. Will fog be a problem in April?

 

It's possible but highly unlikely.

 

The issue this time around was we had a very severe cold front drop down over us for a few days....highs in the 50s.

 

Then almost immediately following, a warm front from the south brought warm humid air over the chilled bay waters.

 

By April, the cold fronts are packing less of a punch and our 'normal' highs are already in the 80s. The bay water has warmed up signficantly by then.

[reallyitsmema]

boohoo! Its life, deal with it.

 

Unless your a VIP, rich and powerful, or an Ohio state football player dont expect anything above and beyond. :rolleyes:

 

She is dealing with it and sharing her experience. It has nothing to do with being a VIP or rich and powerful, it is about trying to figure out what the cruise line is going to reimburse people for and what the insurance company will then cover. People might think twice about booking this particular policy in the future if it doesn't cover certain expenses.

 

If you aren't interested in the information, skip the thread.

[RDC1]

You went to a port for a cruise. The cruise wasn't ready. You waited until a final decision was made. They should cover the time you are waiting. Choice Air or not.

In the end they made the correct decision as the fog continued.

I'm usually against giving compensation for the slightest thing but this time it is justified.

 

I agree that they should cover the one nights expenses between when the trip was originally scheduled to depart and when it was finally cancelled..

[BILLP1]

Relic

 

Obama care is not a insurance company, You get your insurance from a private insurance company.

[GTO-Girl]

I would ask for an email confirmation, at least. Just like when I buy anything form the cruise line pre-cruise. And if they handed out vouchers at the port, what did that actually say?

 

Let me state this one more time.......On Monday people at the port, wearing Royal uniforms were quickly passing out sheets with hotel names/phone numbers and saying..."you will need to get a room for the night and come back tomorrow. ROYAL will be reimbursing all of you for your room up to $250". "You can either call Royal or bring your hotel receipt with you onboard and they can also refund you on the ship".

 

We will not be getting an e-mail from Royal because once we were back at the hotel and called the number the people at the PORT gave us Royal started trying to say that what we were told was not right and they would only pay for Choice Air people to be reimbursed. This was NEVER stated at the port.

 

I am done trying to explain all of this. It is very easy to sit in your home and say what should have been done......bottom line you weren't there.

[RDC1]

I do understand this was weather related that is not the problem. The problem was the wrong information given to us by Royal employees at the port.

 

They were shoving papers with a list of hotels and the 800 # for Royal telling us to "go get a room for tonight and Royal will pay for it". This was late Monday on the first day of delay. So 2200 people were scrambling to get rooms. We were also told by multiple people at the port that when we boarded on Tuesday (which never happened) we could take the hotel vouchers and they could credit us onboard.

 

We saw many families that really didn't know what to do or where to go but got hotel rooms thinking what they were told would be honored. On Tuesday our hotel lobby looked like the airport with people who had to give up their rooms sitting around with all of their luggage. The cruise was not cancelled until 3:00pm and by then all the hotels in the area we were in were already full.

 

We saw one family who had driven from Ohio and had two small children plus their elderly parents with them. They had sat around all day on Tuesday hoping to board. When that didn't happen we saw them getting into their van (Grandma was in a wheelchair) to begin the drive back to Ohio. I really felt bad for them.

 

It is very easy to be "armchair quarterbacks" and say what people should have done or could have done. Over the course of those two days we met many who had saved all year for that one cruise and had driven from very far away. They got their hotel room (as Royal told us to do) with the hope they would be able to board and be reimbursed......only to wait again, in a hotel lobby ALL day on Tuesday.

 

Royal should honor what their employees said! If they were not going to do that then it should NEVER had been stated.

 

Did they actually hand out sheets with the list of hotels? Did you keep what they handed out? I would send an e-mail to the CEO with an image of those sheets attached. There are a couple of travel magazines that have advocates that deal with travel issues (for example CondeNast Ombudsman) You might also send a letter to them and let them argue your case. It is the kind of thing that they might want.

 

As far as dealing with the insurance company, keep track of your expenses from the original sailing time, until the cancellation time (hotel, food, taxi, etc.) That would basically be your loses because of trip delay/interruption.

Coverage actual depends upon your actual insurance policy. I would expect that policies sold through the cruise line is probably the weakest for something like this. But if they cover the hotel, it would be hard for them to argue that other expenses that took place during that period would not be covered (provided you have receipts).

Edited February 26, 2015 by RDC1

[orville99]

The people who work inside the cruise ship terminals are NOT employees of the cruise lines. They work for a private company who contracts their service. If the information that you received was from them I wouldn't necessarily consider it to be fact but rather what THEY THINK will be done. If someone has the reimbursement printed information that they say was handed out and it is on RCCI letterhead,will you please copy and post it.

 

How about the person that was told on the phone by a RCI EMPLOYEE (or are the people on the RCI 800 # not employees either) that they were covered for a hotel. Were they supposed to get that info on letterhead? I agree that the people at the pier are probably under contract, but they wear official RCI name badges and represent RCI. When you issue someone a company uniform, it is more than a little disingenuous to claim you have no responsibility for their actions. Yep - I predict that RCI will stonewall claims, get tons of bad publicity and eventually pay anyway - the worst of all worlds for the company.

 

Thom

 

I have no dog in this hunt, but Thom is correct. The legal principle in play in this scenario is vicarious liability. When the people behind the counter (to anyone observing them engaged in whatever their contracted role requires) visually present as representatives of the cruise line, then the nature of the contractual chain is legally irrelevant. If one acts or is reasonably perceived by the consumer as acting as an agent of the company, then the company has vicarious liability for the actions of that person.

[RDC1]

Relic

 

Obama care is not a insurance company, You get your insurance from a private insurance company.

 

However, it is an insurance company that must comply with the rules established by the act, including minimum coverage limits and a number of other regulations, that dramatically impacts the types of policies, the way rates can be calculated, resulting in many cases a substantial increase in premium amounts, with less physician access, higher max out of pocket, etc. For example mine went from $305 per month to $783 per month. My old policy provided emergency coverage overseas, the new more expensive one does not.

Max out of pocket expense on my old one $3500, max on new more expensive policy $5,000.

 

Now back to the actual issue of travel insurance, fog, and cruise line issues.

Edited February 26, 2015 by RDC1

[bluegirlum]

Let me state this one more time.......On Monday people at the port, wearing Royal uniforms were quickly passing out sheets with hotel names/phone numbers and saying..."you will need to get a room for the night and come back tomorrow. ROYAL will be reimbursing all of you for your room up to $250". "You can either call Royal or bring your hotel receipt with you onboard and they can also refund you on the ship".

 

We will not be getting an e-mail from Royal because once we were back at the hotel and called the number the people at the PORT gave us Royal started trying to say that what we were told was not right and they would only pay for Choice Air people to be reimbursed. This was NEVER stated at the port.

 

I am done trying to explain all of this. It is very easy to sit in your home and say what should have been done......bottom line you weren't there.

 

GTO-Girl, I'm so frustrated for you. :( I really hope you try to get your money back from both RC and the travel insurance. Good luck!!!

 

This is a good reminder to me and everyone to document, document, document. I know it's the last thing you think of in these kinds of situations, but try to always get the name of the person you talk to who tells you that you'll get reimbursement, keep any slips of paper you get, etc.

 

As a total aside, anyone know the fog forecast for Saturday?

[CptSticky]

But it was a weather-related delay, not anything RCL was responsible for. An "act of God" in insurance parlance. If you've taken a trip somewhere and you go to the airport to catch your return flight home, but the flight is cancelled due to a snowstorm so you have to spend the night in a hotel, the airline is not responsible or liable for paying your bill or reimbursing you for same. Why would this situation with Royal be any different?

The situation was different because employees of Royal told the passengers to go get a hotel and Royal would compensate (verbal contract). Now Royal is trying to backtrack. You are correct that it would not have been their responsibility per the cruise contract to pay but this changed when they issued instructions.

[Boytjie]

Let me state this one more time.......On Monday people at the port, wearing Royal uniforms were quickly passing out sheets with hotel names/phone numbers and saying..."you will need to get a room for the night and come back tomorrow. ROYAL will be reimbursing all of you for your room up to $250". "You can either call Royal or bring your hotel receipt with you onboard and they can also refund you on the ship".

 

We will not be getting an e-mail from Royal because once we were back at the hotel and called the number the people at the PORT gave us Royal started trying to say that what we were told was not right and they would only pay for Choice Air people to be reimbursed. This was NEVER stated at the port.

 

I am done trying to explain all of this. It is very easy to sit in your home and say what should have been done......bottom line you weren't there.

 

I understand all that you have said but I was responding to the specific question "How about the person that was told on the phone by a RCI EMPLOYEE...", not to te situation at the pier.

[Boytjie]

As a total aside, anyone know the fog forecast for Saturday?

 

And LOTTO numbers, please! :D

[cruisingram1]

But it was a weather-related delay, not anything RCL was responsible for. An "act of God" in insurance parlance. If you've taken a trip somewhere and you go to the airport to catch your return flight home, but the flight is cancelled due to a snowstorm so you have to spend the night in a hotel, the airline is not responsible or liable for paying your bill or reimbursing you for same. Why would this situation with Royal be any different?

Things must be very different now with the airlines or I just hit someone on a good day. A number of years ago I was on a trip to NY with a change of planes in Houston. VERY bad weather in NY and flight from Houston to NY was cancelled after many delays. Airline gave me food vouchers and agreed to pay for a hotel room. This was a trip with points and when I decided I'd rather "go home" they flew me back to CA that night and refunded my points!! This is obvously an anomaly in the industry, but sure was appreciated at the time.

Edited February 26, 2015 by cruisingram1

[bluegirlum]

And LOTTO numbers, please! :D

 

I'm boarding Brilliance on Saturday. It's a legitimate and real question.

[Bamagirl_gina]

I've been following this thread since the beginning and see how frustrating it has been (and I'm not even affected) for those who were given information. Even tho I try to get names and positions of people I talk to when trying to resolved issues "similar" to this one, all of the confusions, stress, etc. that this situation caused probably would have overwhelmed me to the point of just trying to get info and to heck with names, times, etc. I know it's been said several times that the port staff are NOT RCI staff, just contractors. SO......IMHO, RCI should pay for what those contract staff promised as representing RCI, THEN RCI can go to the contract company and have them reimburse RCI for what they are having to pay out to customers for claims. There is an obligation on the side of the contract company for their actions as well, if they were not instructed to do so by RCI. (Ok, maybe my years of working as a Fed and dealing with contract companies is a bit unrealistic, but in a "perfect" world I think this is how it should be handled) rather than the customer being in the middle and left hanging out to dry.

[Bamagirl_gina]

I've been following this thread since the beginning and see how frustrating it has been (and I'm not even affected) for those who were given information. Even tho I try to get names and positions of people I talk to when trying to resolved issues "similar" to this one, all of the confusions, stress, etc. that this situation caused probably would have overwhelmed me to the point of just trying to get info and to heck with names, times, etc. I know it's been said several times that the port staff are NOT RCI staff, just contractors. SO......IMHO, RCI should pay for what those contract staff promised as representing RCI, THEN RCI can go to the contract company and have them reimburse RCI for what they are having to pay out to customers for claims. There is an obligation on the side of the contract company for their actions as well, if they were not instructed to do so by RCI. (Ok, maybe my years of working as a Fed and dealing with contract companies is a bit unrealistic, but in a "perfect" world I think this is how it should be handled) rather than the customer being in the middle and left hanging out to dry.

Forgot to mention - Living in Pensacola, FL we always sail on RCI out of NOLA since it's a short drive. Unfortunately RCI is pulling out of NOLA in April, so that leaves Tampa or Galveston as our two closest ports if we choose to drive (or switch to Carnival or NCL in NOLA). Both those ports are prone to fog issues which will now come into play next time we consider our next cruise. :rolleyes::(

[bluegirlum]

I've been following this thread since the beginning and see how frustrating it has been (and I'm not even affected) for those who were given information. Even tho I try to get names and positions of people I talk to when trying to resolved issues "similar" to this one, all of the confusions, stress, etc. that this situation caused probably would have overwhelmed me to the point of just trying to get info and to heck with names, times, etc. I know it's been said several times that the port staff are NOT RCI staff, just contractors. SO......IMHO, RCI should pay for what those contract staff promised as representing RCI, THEN RCI can go to the contract company and have them reimburse RCI for what they are having to pay out to customers for claims. There is an obligation on the side of the contract company for their actions as well, if they were not instructed to do so by RCI. (Ok, maybe my years of working as a Fed and dealing with contract companies is a bit unrealistic, but in a "perfect" world I think this is how it should be handled) rather than the customer being in the middle and left hanging out to dry.

 

Totally agree! But unfortunately we usually are all on our own and need to be proactive to get reimbursed in these situations. They are not going to come to us. I'm terrible with names, but it's amazing how well I can remember them in situations like this. :)

[Boytjie]

I'm boarding Brilliance on Saturday. It's a legitimate and real question.

 

Oh, I understand! But predicting something like fog this far out would be rather inaccurate, hence my attempt at humor by equating fog prediction with lottery number prediction.

 

I honestly hope that fog does not interfer with your cruise or anyone else's .

[orville99]

Things must be very different now with the airlines or I just hit someone on a good day. A number of years ago I was on a trip to NY with a change of planes in Houston. VERY bad weather in NY and flight from Houston to NY was cancelled after many delays. Airline gave me food vouchers and agreed to pay for a hotel room. This was a trip with points and when I decided I'd rather "go home" they flew me back to CA that night and refunded my points!! This is obvously an anomaly in the industry, but sure was appreciated at the time.

 

Probably an example of "the good ol' days" of airline loyalty programs. We haven't flown much since we relocated to Florida, but in our previous careers DW and I each accumulated more than 1 million air miles. That type of loyalty perk was one of the reasons why we chose specific airlines. We spent many evenings in hotels as the guests of the airlines in those days (I still have several of the dopp kits they gave us:)) , but I fear those days are long gone.

[bluegirlum]

Oh, I understand! But predicting something like fog this far out would be rather inaccurate, hence my attempt at humor by equating fog prediction with lottery number prediction.

 

I honestly hope that fog does not interfer with your cruise or anyone else's .

 

Ah, ok. If you haven't read this entire thread, I've been following it/posting from the beginning and I'm very anxious about us getting out on Saturday, so I just thought I'd ask. I was more worried about us being snowed in in the Midwest just a few days ago; I had no idea that I'd be obsessed with fog! :)

[nolesrule]

Technically, RCI is paying for out of pocket costs, but it's in the form of a 25% credit that can be applied to booking a future cruise, not straight-up cash. How valuable that is to the guests who had their cruise cancelled is dependent on a lot of factors.

 

I'm not going to get into an argument over whether that's good or bad, except to say that if it happened to me, as long as the 25% was equal to or exceeded my out of pocket expenses due to the delay/cancellation, then I'd be fine with that, mainly because I would still plan to go on a cruise in the future, so in the end it would net out.

[bluegirlum]

Well done RCI!

 

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/eye-on-college-football/25081156/look-cruise-line-welcomes-urban-meyer-back-to-shore-with-genius-tweet

[orville99]

I'm boarding Brilliance on Saturday. It's a legitimate and real question.

 

The good news is you won't have to worry about whether the ship will arrive in port in time for you to board - it's been moored there since yesterday. The worst case if fog rolls in on Saturday is you board and don't get to sail right away. When we sailed on Brilliance for NYE, we left the port in bright sunshine, and got within a half mile of the bridge when the fog rolled in and everything literally disappeared from view. We made it under the bridge, but couldn't see it until we were actually going under it.