Royal Caribbean Lied and Deceived us

[genesis40]

Serenade of the Seas had mechanical problems in Jan 2015, most of which were not communicated clearly, but rather discovered after we boarded. After waiting in line over 7 hours to board, they announced the ship was cleared for "boarding". THIS WAS DECEITFUL because it was NOT clear for "sailing" by the Coast Guard. Hundreds were sent home due to no power in their cabins, fully refunded, including transportation and a voucher for free cruise. After boarding and confronting the crew about the real situation, the ship crew advised my group that, if we departed the ship by 1AM, we would be refunded the cruise and reimbursed travel expenses, but we would not get a free cruise voucher since our cabins had power. However, if we were not off by 1AM, NO REFUND - PERIOD. The main theater was closed, workout facility closed, many other areas also out of commission, plus we were advised that the ship may not depart for 24-48 hours and miss an island stop. Based on this information, my group of 15+ Sr citizens decided to leave the ship and arrange for a 3AM bus ride back to our city 3 hours away! Ugly experience and expensive.

 

Royal Caribbean LIED to us!!! I mailed in all my expenses and was told, SORRY, can't help you, but here's a $116 credit toward another cruise that expires in a year with all sorts of conditions! We should have at least been given MUCH more credit for another cruise. I just can't believe they would lie like that. It cost me over $600 in transportation expenses-- all for NOTHING!

[Retired LEO]

Welcome to CC

[Langley Cruisers]

^ Again. :rolleyes:

[MOcruiserman]

Serenade of the Seas had mechanical problems in Jan 2015, most of which were not communicated clearly, but rather discovered after we boarded. After waiting in line over 7 hours to board, they announced the ship was cleared for "boarding". THIS WAS DECEITFUL because it was NOT clear for "sailing" by the Coast Guard. Hundreds were sent home due to no power in their cabins, fully refunded, including transportation and a voucher for free cruise. After boarding and confronting the crew about the real situation, the ship crew advised my group that, if we departed the ship by 1AM, we would be refunded the cruise and reimbursed travel expenses, but we would not get a free cruise voucher since our cabins had power. However, if we were not off by 1AM, NO REFUND - PERIOD.

Did you leave by 1AM? Your post isn't clear on this point.

If you did, you should have received full reimbursement plus travel expenses under the terms of Royal's offer. By the way was Royal's offer in writing? Have they denied making such an offer?

 

[SoCalTraveler]

Serenade of the Seas had mechanical problems in Jan 2015, most of which were not communicated clearly, but rather discovered after we boarded. After waiting in line over 7 hours to board, they announced the ship was cleared for "boarding". THIS WAS DECEITFUL because it was NOT clear for "sailing" by the Coast Guard. Hundreds were sent home due to no power in their cabins, fully refunded, including transportation and a voucher for free cruise. After boarding and confronting the crew about the real situation, the ship crew advised my group that, if we departed the ship by 1AM, we would be refunded the cruise and reimbursed travel expenses, but we would not get a free cruise voucher since our cabins had power. However, if we were not off by 1AM, NO REFUND - PERIOD. The main theater was closed, workout facility closed, many other areas also out of commission, plus we were advised that the ship may not depart for 24-48 hours and miss an island stop. Based on this information, my group of 15+ Sr citizens decided to leave the ship and arrange for a 3AM bus ride back to our city 3 hours away! Ugly experience and expensive.

 

Royal Caribbean LIED to us!!! I mailed in all my expenses and was told, SORRY, can't help you, but here's a $116 credit toward another cruise that expires in a year with all sorts of conditions! We should have at least been given MUCH more credit for another cruise. I just can't believe they would lie like that. It cost me over $600 in transportation expenses-- all for NOTHING!

 

See my post about a two year odyssey through RCCL customer service.

 

If this happened in January, why didn't you insist on being done and refunded by February? What is the cause of an apparent 8 month delay?

[Ren1216]

Anyone else hear about this back in January?

 

I'm also confused... was the 'ship crew' even authorized to make such a promise? And if so, they offered a full refund plus agreed to reimburse your travel expenses so long as you disembarked by 1AM, right? But you stayed on until 3AM?

 

Did it take 8 months for them to send you the $116 credit? :confused:

Edited September 23, 2015 by Ren1216

[Stephluva2711]

soooo, you waited for 8 months to stew on this and then write a post about it on CC? Or was that a typo when you typed January? I'm so confused lol. and of all the people to give you instructions, the crew told you to be off by 1am? And like part of this post seems incomplete, like i'm just lost lol

[Merion_Mom]

Anyone else hear about this back in January?

 

I'm also confused... was the 'ship crew' even authorized to make such a promise? And if so, they offered a full refund plus agreed to reimburse your travel expenses so long as you disembarked by 1AM, right? But you stayed on until 3AM?

 

Did it take 8 months for them to send you the $116 credit? :confused:

 

You missed all the excitement:

 

 

 

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2156647

[Biker19]

Anyone want to give odds of the OP ever responding in this thread?

 

Biker, who has seen other incendiary threads started by newbies and they usually don't end well.

[Lionesss]

WOW

 

Wonder what the next concern will be when post #2 comes along:D

 

Sea Ya

[LilBlackDress]

Anyone want to give odds of the OP ever responding in this thread?

 

Biker, who has seen other incendiary threads started by newbies and they usually don't end well.

 

My guess is they will read the comments but not respond....

[theredwoodguy]

Based on this information, my group of 15+ Sr citizens decided to leave the ship and arrange for a 3AM bus ride back to our city 3 hours away! Ugly experience and expensive.

 

15+ Senior Citizens leaving the ship with all their luggage at 1:00 a.m. for a 3 a.m. bus ride back home? That must have been a sight to see.

[Big_G]

I remember the incident and the ship did sail but not at the original capacity. I don't remember anyone complaining they didn't get their refund. That must have been quite the bus ride if it cost $600.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

15+ Senior Citizens leaving the ship with all their luggage at 1:00 a.m. for a 3 a.m. bus ride back home? That must have been a sight to see.

 

^ LOL

 

But seriously... This thread should get interesting, if the OP ever decides to come back here and post!

[Ocean Boy]

15+ Senior Citizens leaving the ship with all their luggage at 1:00 a.m. for a 3 a.m. bus ride back home? That must have been a sight to see.

 

Maybe the bus just arrived back home and, thus, the new thread.

[American Bear]

WOW

 

Wonder what the next concern will be when post #2 comes along:D

 

Sea Ya

 

Your point?

Sounds like the poster has a legitimate beef!

I know I'd be an unhappy camper if this happened to us!

Many travel great distances, spending a lot more to travel then this OP mentioned!

A suggestion to the OP, buy insurance in the future! Once cruise lines like many other forms of travel have their hands on your money, its hard to get it back!

[Sascol]

Why do some people continually choose to jump on someone who's 1st post is negative? That is part of the reason this forum exists. The cruise was 8 months ago? So what. Time passed does not make the issue/problem go away.

[knittinggirl]

We've gotten a couple of cruise credit certificates for norovirus. Basically, you have to phone the number on the letter, and they put the thing in motion. Then weeks later, they get whatever approval they need and send you a certificate, which must be signed and forwarded (original) to the travel agent, who sends it back to the cruise line. We got the letter onboard in May, and barely got our credit in time to apply to a cruise in October.

[Biker19]

Why do some people continually choose to jump on someone who's 1st post is negative? That is part of the reason this forum exists. The cruise was 8 months ago? So what. Time passed does not make the issue/problem go away.

 

No, but between the thread title (which has certainly pulled in lots of views), the story itself and the lack of follow up one has to wonder what the OPs intentions were.

[Sascol]

No, but between the thread title (which has certainly pulled in lots of views), the story itself and the lack of follow up one has to wonder what the OPs intentions were.

 

Agreed IF there is no follow up. This was just posted last night. Not all CC members stare at the computer all day waiting for replies. Many may only check once a day or even every few days.

[Fouremco]

No, but between the thread title (which has certainly pulled in lots of views), the story itself and the lack of follow up one has to wonder what the OPs intentions were.

The OP was made just over ten hours ago, so the lack of follow up so far isn't at all unusual.

 

As for intentions, a good many similar threads here and on other CC boards are simply people venting. As much as most CC members enjoy cruising and one or more cruise lines, let's face it, mistakes do happen and sometimes the cruise line or ship's crew doesn't handle things very well.

 

If anyone has positive advice for the OP, provide it, but there's little sense in adding insult to injury by questioning the motivation behind the post IMO.

Edited September 23, 2015 by Fouremco

[Cruising89143]

Maybe the bus just arrived back home and, thus, the new thread.

 

Now that made me chuckle. LOL.....

[ewenix]

Why do some people continually choose to jump on someone who's 1st post is negative? That is part of the reason this forum exists. The cruise was 8 months ago? So what. Time passed does not make the issue/problem go away.

 

Personally I'd like to see the OP respond to some of the questions. Yes some were negative, but there are legitimate questions that need answered to give a proper response.

 

I'm always wary of someone who like in this situation joins CC, and makes a single post with some relatively outragous claims.

 

That said, I was on the Adventure last year when it had trouble. Communication was fine until the night we got back to port and everything just fell apart. No one seemed to know anything except that they wanted you off the ship. Guest services would tell you one thing and then someone else would contradict it. It was all wildly frustrating and very chaotic. We were very loyal to RCL up until that incident. I dealt with someone at the corp offices after and they were not interested in any compensation or voucher. So now RCL gets about 1/3 of our business. (Based on ship/itinerary/dates/cost.)

[wolfganghowell]

So this happened in January.....yet the OP did not join CC until this month and this is their first post. Yet some of you wonder why we find it fishy?

 

First - insurance should have covered some if not all of this.

 

Second - the story itself seems to lack details. Were their cabins among those affected? Did they choose their own transportation thus negating RCCL's assistance regarding it?

 

I totally get that this was an unfortunate situation and was probably mishandled to some extent by Royal. But bringing it here 8 months later to rehash it seems a bit useless at this point. Sadly it is old news. The time to vent has long passed. I am sorry their cruise was ruined and I hope there will be a better opportunity down the road.

[Sascol]

Personally I'd like to see the OP respond to some of the questions. Yes some were negative, but there are legitimate questions that need answered to give a proper response.

 

I'm always wary of someone who like in this situation joins CC, and makes a single post with some relatively outragous claims.

 

Again, the OP only made the post last night. Unless he/she is staring at the screen watching this very thread for replies it may be a day or two before he/she revisits to address the questions. Not everyone lives on this board 24/7.