unhappy on the adventure

[legaljen1969]

It's really too bad so many here have reading comprehension issues!

 

OP, I'm sorry a trip that should have been so good, turned out so bad. We've been cruising with Royal for a long time but I don't think I'd cruise with them again if I went through what you did.............

 

I completely agree. The OP could not have made it any more clear that they booked their entire package- using Choice Air. There are so many things wrong with what happened to the OP, I can see why they would not want to cruise with RCI again. I don't know that any line is any better.

 

I have never had a bad experience with RCI or any of their affiliated lines. The only flight related cruise problem I have ever had was returning home after a cruise, booked on Southwest Airlines. ****I BOOKED IT ALL ON MY OWN. NOT TRYING TO BLAME RCI. NOT EVEN THINKING ABOUT IT. THIS WAS ALL MY OWN FAULT FOR BOOKING A BUDGET AIRLINE.****

 

Anyhow, my husband's luggage was lost. We were assured it was on the next flight in, so we waited around the airport for about three hours. No luggage. It was sent to another city. So we asked the lost luggage lady what the protocol was for how they would contact us when it was found. She looked right at me and said "Lost luggage is part of the joy of flying. That's what you get when you pay for cheap airfare." She told us if we weren't there when the luggage arrived, they would just throw it away. Yes, great way to treat your customers.

 

I later found out that my neighbor's sister works for Southwest and verified that my luggage would not be "thrown away." (That little twit was a complete moron.)

 

Well, it's a good thing luggage flies free on Southwest (for the most part). The luggage took a cross country trip twice over. It finally transferred from the custody of Southwest into Fed Ex hands and took another journey up and down the eastern seaboard. I think we finally got it about a week later.

 

Anyhow, much like the OP- after being treated like garbage, I can say that I will never use that mode of transportation again. I will admit I paid for a budget airline- and it is true- I got exactly what I paid for. Not much.

 

I hope you will reconsider and give RCI another chance. Our experiences have always been wonderful. As to your diabetes, I know that is nothing to mess with. I cannot believe they were not any more concerned about you than that. So sorry.

[Peachy59]

Wow OP, so sorry this happened to you. You definitely handled this entire situation way better than I would have. I think RCI owes you a whole new cruise or a refund and I wouldn't let up until I got this resolved to my satisfaction. Good luck to you.

[LeeW]

Pretty harrowing experience and hope we never have something this nasty. A few lessons learned from her experience for everyone:

 

1. The customer service desk onboard is not going to be able to find luggage lost by the airline even if booked through Choice-Air.

 

2. Take a credit card! We've never had problems with Caribbean islands not accepting US cash but could happen (not sure if OP was trying Canadian cash, though).

 

3. NEVER put meds in checked baggage. While RCI might try to get replacement meds, they might not be available where you are going.

 

4. Assume at least one suitcase will be lost and cross-pack (our son has had all his clothes lost while wife's made it).

 

5. Watch out for short connections - even the airlines sometimes allow only 45 minutes in Dulles, not realistic. From what I have seen, Choice Air seems to like these (but OPs connections were not that short). Never fly in on the day of the cruise.

 

6. Read the reports of unusual experiences on Cruise Critic so you can be somewhat prepared if it happens to you.

 

Stress isn't good for keeping blood sugar balanced - sounds like OP did better than she thought she did. Please don't take this experience as an indication of how cruises usually go! This type of experience is really rare!

[hotmamma51]

So sorry to hear about your experience. Hopefuly your health didn't suffer to much from the stress and not having your own medications. Wish you all the best during your next vacation. :):)

[Miryam1234]

I am so sorry for you. I am a Diabetic too, and I would have been totally lost if I had no insulin, or was given some other brand compared to the ones I normally use. I have had nightmares about losing insulin pens - I got my handbag stolen once, with my insulins, so I totally know the feeling. That time I was not traveling, so it was only an inconvenience, not a serious situation like if I was on a cruise ship somewhere outside my country.

 

I have always been instructed not to put any insulin into checked luggage. I have a medical statement from my doctor stating that I am allowed to carry on insulin and all needles etc with me. I have been asked to show them a couple of times in security checks in various airports around the world, but they have never caused anything more troubles. Lucky me.

 

Glad you did not put yourself into more serious medical condition. I hope you did get the luggage in the end.

[Summerknight]

This is called "magical thinking": If something bad happens to someone else, if you can come up with a way it's their fault, you can convince yourself that bad thing will never happen to you because you'd never do what that person did.

 

OP, I'm sorry your vacation was the opposite of what a vacation should be - relaxing and fun. Honestly, you held it together a lot longer than I would have.

 

It seemed that Royal could have done a lot more to help you and make the ordeal less painful since you did not get the cruise you paid for. We had a few problems with Celebrity, and they fell all over themselves trying to make it right for us and doing everything they could to take the bad taste of the problems away.

 

I agree and so sorry. It sounds like you could not have thought of this even in a nightmare. I too am diabetic and would have thought 7 days of Meds in my carry on would have been enough.

[BonnieSte]

How can people be so condescending on this? SHE BOOKED THROUGH ROYAL CARIBBEANS CHOICE AIR. You know, they "guarantee" you get there on time. Which to me they are saying "WE" the cruise line, is responsible to get you there. PERIOD. Guess the lesson is not only is Choice Air way more expensive then booking your own flight but THEY DO NOT GUARENTEE you get there on time. So RCCI is saying HA JOKES ON YOU. I understand that loyal royals don't want to admit that RCCI messed up and does not want to compensate. God forbid that they would be wrong about something. This story is horrible. I would have lost it after the first night. RCCI should reimburse you for every night that you were not on the ship and any meals and travel expenses for every day you were not on the ship. I hope you are making a fuss? Keep us posted. I am so sorry for you guys. You handed it way better then I would have.

[BonnieSte]

Yes, we have travel insurance and ultimately it is not the loss of the luggage albeit alot of valuable things lost that is really bothering me. It is the lack of customer care from Royal Caribbean. Just really disappointed. I guess I will go back to Norwegian!

 

I don't blame you at all. I have two more booked so I am stuck till they are done but after that I am done. The prices they are charging now are for a product they don't have. You can't charge prices that rival better cruise lines with what they provide. :mad: Between way over working their poor employees, poor entertainment and bland food what do they have??? Definitely not a good customer service.

[setsail]

How can people be so condescending on this? SHE BOOKED THROUGH ROYAL CARIBBEANS CHOICE AIR. You know, they "guarantee" you get there on time. Which to me they are saying "WE" the cruise line, is responsible to get you there. PERIOD. Guess the lesson is not only is Choice Air way more expensive then booking your own flight but THEY DO NOT GUARENTEE you get there on time. So RCCI is saying HA JOKES ON YOU. I understand that loyal royals don't want to admit that RCCI messed up and does not want to compensate. God forbid that they would be wrong about something. This story is horrible. I would have lost it after the first night. RCCI should reimburse you for every night that you were not on the ship and any meals and travel expenses for every day you were not on the ship. I hope you are making a fuss? Keep us posted. I am so sorry for you guys. You handed it way better then I would have.

 

As long as the flights go with no problems you are correct. Otherwise, they only say they will get you to your vacation. Code talk for we will catch you up with the ship

 

Why were my flights changed?

 

Occasionally, our airline partners’ make changes to the times that flights operate; the type of aircraft; or even the city that flights originate from. When this happens we will work with the airline to get you re-accommodated to get you to your cruise vacation.

 

What happens when my flight is delayed?

 

Assured Arrival is our guarantee to assist our ChoiceAir® guests when they encounter any flight disruptions that occur through no fault of their own. We have a team of Emergency Travel Specialists standing by that proactively monitor flights and act as a liason between our ships and our guests. This team is available to assist you 24/7 @ 800-256-6649 (domestically) or 305-539-4107 (internationally).

Edited March 27, 2015 by setsail

[Ocean Boy]

Really none of this was RCI's fault. They certainly don't have any control over flight delays or lost luggage. I'm guessing you didn't buy insurance either. Others have reported lost luggage and getting a credit from RCI to use to purchase essentials onboard. The ship does sell some items such as shorts, dresses, swimsuits, etc. I would have bought myself some new clothes, just a few pieces, but enough to get through the trip with washings. We never fly to a cruise (one time) but if we did, we would carry a couple of changes of clothes (including underwear) in our carryon and always carry medications and items of value in our carryon's too. You also could have bought a few things in port to carry you through.

 

I'm also confused. You were flying to San Juan but flew to Barbados to board the ship. Did you miss the ship in San Juan? Also, I live 5 miles from Dulles Airport and you could have easily taken a cab to a restaurant outside of the airport. There are a lot within 5-6 miles.

Domestic flights haven't fed passengers (except for business and first class) for years. You can, however, buy food onboard. And they do sell boxed meals that are diabetic friendly (higher protein, fiber and lower carbs). I don't get why you said you had to eat airport fast food for "several days". How many days did you spend in the airport?

 

And the OP doeasn't live 5 miles from Dulles. Maybe she was not comfortable traveling around an area that she did not know with the stress of trying to make it to a cruise added on.:rolleyes:

[trev71]

Lesson learned...never, EVER put medications in a checked bag...EVER! And, don't fly United...they suck the big one!

 

 

First off sorry to hear you had to deal with all of that, I know I would have felt the same way. I agree with that post. I also think everyone should travel with a credit card. Sure some people dont like them , I like paying for everything in cash too but when I travel its nice to know you have a credit card to cover something incase something comes up.

[Bert64]

I always book my own air and fly in the day before, but I have oftentimes been tempted to use the cruise line's air package ONLY because of their guarantees. Glad to know that they don't really guarantee much but a headache and begrudging attempts to appease you.

 

Sorry this happened to you OP. If I were you, I'd not cruise on RCI again either after that kind of experience.

 

Also, didn't she pack 7 days worth of medication in her carry-on? How much should she have packed? Her entire medicine cabinet, "just in case"? I wish people on here would approach things from a more practical and realistic standpoint. I'm surprised OP wasn't blamed for not living within driving distance of the port, because obviously it's her fault she chose to fly there, causing all these problems. It's not RCI's fault!!!

[trev71]

I always book my own air and fly in the day before, but I have oftentimes been tempted to use the cruise line's air package ONLY because of their guarantees. Glad to know that they don't really guarantee much but a headache and begrudging attempts to appease you.

 

Sorry this happened to you OP. If I were you, I'd not cruise on RCI again either after that kind of experience.

 

Also, didn't she pack 7 days worth of medication in her carry-on? How much should she have packed? Her entire medicine cabinet, "just in case"? I wish people on here would approach things from a more practical and realistic standpoint. I'm surprised OP wasn't blamed for not living within driving distance of the port, because obviously it's her fault she chose to fly there, causing all these problems. It's not RCI's fault!!!

 

Whole medicine cabinet. ? I know alot of people who are diabetic, it can be very serious if not controlled. Always be safe and bring the amount you are going to need for your trip. I know when I travel luckly i am only one medication but i bring some extra with me as well incase something happens and you get stuck for a few extra days

[LilBlackDress]

Whole medicine cabinet. ? I know alot of people who are diabetic, it can be very serious if not controlled. Always be safe and bring the amount you are going to need for your trip. I know when I travel luckly i am only one medication but i bring some extra with me as well incase something happens and you get stuck for a few extra days

 

From what I understand from her timeline... She packed a 7 day supply in her carry on and the rest in her luggage. They were going for 11 days, leaving from Seattle (about 10 pm) with 1 connections arriving in SJ in the about noon the next day (day of departure) If all went as planned, there was NO need for her to think 7 days was not going to be enough!!

 

I am still amazed at some of the replies on this thread. Rather than blame her for the nightmare they lived, why not see ALL the facts and feel horrible for their situation

[trev71]

From what I understand from her timeline... She packed a 7 day supply in her carry on and the rest in her luggage. They were going for 11 days, leaving from Seattle (about 10 pm) with 1 connections arriving in SJ in the about noon the next day (day of departure) If all went as planned, there was NO need for her to think 7 days was not going to be enough!!

 

I am still amazed at some of the replies on this thread. Rather than blame her for the nightmare they lived, why not see ALL the facts and feel horrible for their situation

 

Cool, It was hard to read it was all over the place. But like I said I do feel bad for her. I always carry all my meds on me, never chance it.

[pfk5454]

I sure wish the cheerleaders would cut the crap. The OP didn't do anything wrong!! RCL fell flat on their face with this. They failed to provide even adequate service here & should have done a lot more for their customer!

[Charger2008]

"I am a diabetic as well so I can understand all the hell that was. I have other medical issues as well, and my doctor made me promise I would put all my meds in my carry-on. . ."

 

I always put all of our meds in my carry-on also and on this last trip, the airline was asking everyone with a rolling carry-on to check it at the gate as the planes were full. When the attendant got to me I simply said "I am sorry, I cannot check this bag as all of our medications are in it" and kept on walking.

 

I am so very sorry to hear about the OP's troubles on her vacation. :(

[alfaeric]

So after all of that, what would be a fair compensation?

 

I'd be pretty confident that RCI will blame the airlines to compensate for your lost luggate- they are the one who lost it, afterall.

 

And what about the rest of the cruise? You arrived in Barbados on Day 3, and there are 4, 5, 6, and 7 before arriving back in San Juan. Which day wsa it that you went to the doctor and then the next day you felt horrible?

 

BTW, some of the "hateful" replies are people trying to provide some kind of solutions. Like the one suggesting that one have a credit car to travel overseas- that's a good suggestion. Or perhaps the suggestion that while in St. Thomas, you could have gone to a pharmacy to fill your perscriptions that you lost- it is the US afterall. Not sure if you did that when you got back to San Juan.

 

Yes, bottled water is expensive- even outside of airports. That $3 bottle cost $4 on board.

 

It's not likely that a ship would have actual clothing to replace what was lost other than gift shop stuff. So assuming you got stuff at the ports with cash that they give you- what would have been a good amount? I'm not sure what I would need- it would take some thinking.

 

But now, that's irrelevant- you are going to get the airlines minimum, probably. What do you want from RCI, bearing in mind that they will offer a discount (maybe up to free) for a future cruise? You lost 3 nights + a hassle- so a 4 night cruise for free? Inside cabin? Is that fair?

 

5 nights? Being that you got the majority of a 7 night cruise, I doubt it will be a 7 night compensation.

 

But your experience does make me think that our "carry on only" policy is a sound one. That way it's all with you the whole travel time.

[pfk5454]

Sorry OP. It looks like most here have no compassion & are more interested in laying blame at your feet than acknowledging RCL's lack of service. I hope you are able to resolve things with the airlines & RCL to your satisfaction.

[Bert64]

So after all of that, what would be a fair compensation?

 

I'd be pretty confident that RCI will blame the airlines to compensate for your lost luggate- they are the one who lost it, afterall.

 

And what about the rest of the cruise? You arrived in Barbados on Day 3, and there are 4, 5, 6, and 7 before arriving back in San Juan. Which day wsa it that you went to the doctor and then the next day you felt horrible?

 

BTW, some of the "hateful" replies are people trying to provide some kind of solutions. Like the one suggesting that one have a credit car to travel overseas- that's a good suggestion. Or perhaps the suggestion that while in St. Thomas, you could have gone to a pharmacy to fill your perscriptions that you lost- it is the US afterall. Not sure if you did that when you got back to San Juan.

 

Yes, bottled water is expensive- even outside of airports. That $3 bottle cost $4 on board.

 

It's not likely that a ship would have actual clothing to replace what was lost other than gift shop stuff. So assuming you got stuff at the ports with cash that they give you- what would have been a good amount? I'm not sure what I would need- it would take some thinking.

 

But now, that's irrelevant- you are going to get the airlines minimum, probably. What do you want from RCI, bearing in mind that they will offer a discount (maybe up to free) for a future cruise? You lost 3 nights + a hassle- so a 4 night cruise for free? Inside cabin? Is that fair?

 

5 nights? Being that you got the majority of a 7 night cruise, I doubt it will be a 7 night compensation.

 

But your experience does make me think that our "carry on only" policy is a sound one. That way it's all with you the whole travel time.

 

How about acknowledgment from Royal that their response to their passenger's situation was not up to par for what they expect customer service to be and apologize for it?

[alfaeric]

How about acknowledgment from Royal that their response to their passenger's situation was not up to par for what they expect customer service to be and apologize for it?

 

That's it?

 

On the flip side, what should have been expected for the customer service? It would be interesting to hear what the outcome should have been.

[ummgood]

So after all of that, what would be a fair compensation?

 

I'd be pretty confident that RCI will blame the airlines to compensate for your lost luggate- they are the one who lost it, afterall.

 

And what about the rest of the cruise? You arrived in Barbados on Day 3, and there are 4, 5, 6, and 7 before arriving back in San Juan. Which day wsa it that you went to the doctor and then the next day you felt horrible?

 

BTW, some of the "hateful" replies are people trying to provide some kind of solutions. Like the one suggesting that one have a credit car to travel overseas- that's a good suggestion. Or perhaps the suggestion that while in St. Thomas, you could have gone to a pharmacy to fill your perscriptions that you lost- it is the US afterall. Not sure if you did that when you got back to San Juan.

 

Yes, bottled water is expensive- even outside of airports. That $3 bottle cost $4 on board.

 

It's not likely that a ship would have actual clothing to replace what was lost other than gift shop stuff. So assuming you got stuff at the ports with cash that they give you- what would have been a good amount? I'm not sure what I would need- it would take some thinking.

 

But now, that's irrelevant- you are going to get the airlines minimum, probably. What do you want from RCI, bearing in mind that they will offer a discount (maybe up to free) for a future cruise? You lost 3 nights + a hassle- so a 4 night cruise for free? Inside cabin? Is that fair?

 

5 nights? Being that you got the majority of a 7 night cruise, I doubt it will be a 7 night compensation.

 

But your experience does make me think that our "carry on only" policy is a sound one. That way it's all with you the whole travel time.

 

Here is what my expectations would be. Of course this would be up for negotiation.

 

1. I would want a full refund for all out of pocket expenses for any cost occurred to me due to lost baggage plus food/drink costs while trying to get to the ship. This could either be from RCCL or whatever insurance pays out as long as I get paid.

2. I would want full medical reimbursement for the drugs that were lost and any future Dr. visits due to any medical problems arising from not having my meds.

3. I would want full refund of cruise plus airfare paid for this cruise. While I did get 5 days of cruise or so I also didn't have any clothes to wear but t-shirts. This would basically cause me to feel my vacation was a total loss so I would expect cash reimbursement for the cruise plus airfare.

4. I would want a written apology from RCCL for their handling of my situation.

 

I think this is fair given the circumstances.

[pamrose228]

Write a letter to RCI (to the CEO) emphasizing you're an insulin dependent diabetic. Gently imply if no remedy is offered you will have to bring this further. This was booked with RCI, they are 100% responsible.

 

Short story: 10 years ago we were traveling from PBI to NYC, American Airlines flight was to leave at 10 am, on the plane for 3 hours they tell us mechanical issue, get off. We reload again in one hour and again same thing. By that time it's 5 hours. I am a diabetic non-insulin dependent taking meds. I needed to eat and take meds, by law after 6 hours they give you a food voucher for the airport. Fine we eat, all is well. An hour later bells and alarms start ringing and the airport is evacuated, suspicious package left somewhere. 2 hours later we are back in the terminal, waiting for our plane, guess what it's not there. It's already 5 pm. Wait wait, wait. 7 pm comes time for more food. Guess what THE FOOD COURT was closed, No food low bs. They had to eventually get a plane from Texas and we finally left PBI at 11 pm. 13 hours later. American Airlines refused to compensate us for anything. What if I had to be hospitalized or worse died. I couldn't leave the airport I was stuck. Came home wrote a letter explaining that it was potentially a life threatening situation and I should be compensated. Two weeks later I received a voucher for $1000 (full fare for 3). Squeaky wheel.

 

Try to be rational but thorough.

[Cuizer2]

I am just recently back from a “vacation” with Royal Caribbean. So I would like to share my story.

 

Thanks for reading,

:(:(:(:(:(

 

I have read a lot of horror stories about travel, some on Cruise Critic, some on the Internet, some in books, some in magazines, some in newspapers an some on TV. Yours is one of the worst. I'm sorry you had to go through all of this and have your vacation ruined.

 

However, it appears that you do not travel much, and were totally unprepared for the problems that came your way.

 

In today's society, you must have a credit card, even if only used for emergencies.

 

Travel insurance would have helped, even if it only reimbursed later for the additional costs you incurred. Instead you had to depend on the kindness of others, which in your case was in short supply. Being reimbursed later would have meant that you could have made things easier on yourself by being able to pay for the things you needed (hence the need for a credit card).

 

Do not put anything more valuable in your checked luggage than your clothing. ALL of your medicine should have been in your carry-on.

 

I will never book my flights through the cruise line. There is no such thing as a guarantee. Ships sink, airplanes crash, people get killed in auto accidents that are not there fault, criminals are everywhere. Supposing you had a cruise leaving on September 13, 2001 and back in May of 2001 the cruise line guaranteed you would make it to your ship on time. How do you think that would have worked out? Things happen and there are no guarantees. The problems you experienced in getting to your ship were caused by the airlines. The cruise line has no control over the airlines.

 

That said, part of the problem was that you booked your flights through the cruise line, which was trying to get you to San Juan on the day your ship departed. BIG MISTAKE. Forget booking through the cruise line, they don't take responsibility for anything. Book your own flights and make sure to have a back up plan. This means arriving one day prior to your cruise, so that if something happens you still have time to make things work.

 

One of the problems was, you ran out of time. The other problem was, you were a moving target. First you want your luggage in San Juan. Then you want your luggage in Barbados. Then you want your luggage on the next port and so on until finally you want your luggage at home, and it still hasn't caught up with you. Had you had that extra day in San Juan (which would have cost you a hotel stay) there is a good change your luggage would arrive in San Juan the following day before the ship departed.

 

Which would you rather have, the horror you went through, or a hotel bill and all of your luggage and an enjoyable cruise?

 

You've received a lifetime of travel problems in one vacation. Hopefully, whatever you choose as your next vacation you will prepare yourself by doing research, getting a credit card, buying insurance, planning your travel to allow for unexpected delays and making sure you are reasonably familiar with how the whole system works (though you certainly got quite an education on this trip).

Edited March 27, 2015 by Cuizer2

[Trickie Dickie]

I was on Adventure of the Seas out of Malaga Spain few years ago. They couldn't find me a sharps container for my pens. :confused: I ended up arranging to have my empty pens put in the incinerator. I guess things are done differently when cruising in Europe? :confused: