Beware of "sold out" cruises - ours was cancelled

[dani negreanu]

Jewel out of San Juan, March 19th, 2017.

 

It was "sold out" for the last month.

 

When calling C&A I've heard the standard "shpiel" -- "voyage maintenance", "inventory", "itinerary re-evaluation", etc.

 

Why, even a couple of hours before getting the email about the "redeployment sailing", RC said to someone in our Roll Call that the "sailing" is closed to new bookings, BUT all the existing bookings will be "honored":confused:.

 

We have just until May 27th, 2016, to decide if we want to re-book at the prevailing cost --

 

Jewel 9th April, 2017 (one day before Passover... NO ! - plus a different itinerary than the one I've carefully picked)

 

Adventure 15th April, 2017 (one day before Easter... and NO -- Hello, RC, if I'd wanted to book Adventure, I wouldn't have booked Jewel !!!) - an itinerary not on my bucket list for the moment.

 

Both cruises at peak prices in terms of flights/hotels :mad:

 

No compensation for hotels and flights already booked......

 

Otherwise, we get a very "generous" compensation of 200$ for standard cabins, and 400$ for suites.

 

US citizens in our roll call are talking about consumer laws, fraud re: causing financial loss (hotels, flights).

 

I'm afraid that since RC is registered in the Bahamas - complaining to the AG in their respective states will be moot ?

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

Read the contract. Royal (or any other cruise line) can cancel a cruise WHENEVER they want, and will have technically done nothing wrong.

 

Also, they don't have to do anything regarding flights or hotels booked separately. They'll just say that you should've booked through Air2Sea.

Edited May 15, 2016 by OfTheSeasCruiser

[Langley Cruisers]

Sorry you are disappointed - I would be too. I have nothing more than that to offer you. :(

[out2sea]

Just went thru this with NCL for Nov sailing. Nightmare. Offered 50 obc and small amount to change air which was laughable. To rebook air it was $2200. Switched to rccl sailing. Good luck

[dani negreanu]

Read the contract. Royal (or any other cruise line) can cancel a cruise WHENEVER they want

 

Thanks, Luke, I know THEY CAN. Been enough on those boards to see others go through the same "Via Dolorosa" (speaking of Easter...). Pax on our roll call - most of them r first time cruisers, and I've tried to explain that to them. I'm also an Israeli citizen, so I can't appeal to your AG anyhow :):)

 

Sorry you are disappointed - I would be too. I have nothing more than that to offer you. :(

 

Thanks, Karen. Appreciate it. Looking at your "history" - let's just say that I'm very happy to see that you're cruising again :)

 

I'm deeply disappointed because I've chosen this cruise --

 

1) Because of the itinerary (Grenada, Dominica)

 

2) Fond memories of our first cruise on Jewel

 

3) And... my b'day is one day before the cancelled cruise (18th March)

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

Thanks, Luke, I know THEY CAN. Been enough on those boards to see others go through the same "Via Dolorosa" (speaking of Easter...). Pax on our roll call - most of them r first time cruisers, and I've tried to explain that to them. I'm also an Israeli citizen, so I can't appeal to your AG anyhow :):)

 

Sorry it happened to you. It is a shame for the first-timers. I guess this is one of the risks we take when we cruise.

 

Hope you figure out a good solution. :)

Edited May 15, 2016 by OfTheSeasCruiser

[PH8]

Unfortunately this is nothing new..as was mentioned, it is in your cruise contract.

 

Won't help to sue or file a legal complaint, but good luck with your decision.

[steveru621]

I would be upset as you are but most of your complaints beyond the actual date are not true.

 

If a cruise is sold out your wouldn't be able to book it, so there is no reason to beware.

 

You are not booking at peak prices for a year away. For airline. hotels, or cruise fare.

 

RCI will pay your airline change fees and hotel cancellations.

 

Suck it up and re-book.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

So sorry this happened to you.

 

While knock wood it's not happened to me so far, I've seen so many cases of it. It seems like there SHOULD be an easy fix - the cruiselines contact their charter providers as soon as they know their schedules and give them until a week or so before the public release date to book any of their charters - after the scheduled are released to the public, no more full-boat charters allowed. It seems simple.

 

But then I'm not getting paid the big bucks, so there's probably something I'm missing.

[dani negreanu]

If a cruise is sold out your wouldn't be able to book it, so there is no reason to beware.

 

You're right.

 

The title should be: "Beware - if your already booked cruise suddenly shows 'sold out' - it could be cancelled".

 

But it could be too long for a title :confused:

 

And, my whole purpose for this post was --

 

Don't book hotels / flights too far in advance - at non-refundable rates, of course - your cruise can be cancelled ...

[steveru621]

You're right.

 

The title should be: "Beware - if your already booked cruise suddenly shows 'sold out' - it could be cancelled".

 

But it could be too long for a title :confused:

 

And, my whole purpose for this post was --

 

Don't book hotels / flights too far in advance - at non-refundable rates, of course - your cruise can be cancelled ...

 

We are all sympathetic to your issues. But I would NEVER base my hotel and airline decisions on an RCI cancellation. RCI will reimburse you for those costs.

[LisaAtlCruiser]

Jewel out of San

US citizens in our roll call are talking about consumer laws, fraud re: causing financial loss (hotels, flights).

 

 

Seriously? Give me a break! This cruise is a year out. My Princess cruise that was a year out was canceled and they gave me a whopping $15. If RCCL is really giving you $200 that is EXTREMELY generous.

 

Do people just sit around and look for reasons to be bitter and file a lawsuit???

[webecruzin2]

I would be upset as you are but most of your complaints beyond the actual date are not true.

 

If a cruise is sold out your wouldn't be able to book it, so there is no reason to beware.

 

You are not booking at peak prices for a year away. For airline. hotels, or cruise fare.

 

RCI will pay your airline change fees and hotel cancellations.

 

Suck it up and re-book.

 

 

I think what the OP meant to beware if the cruise you are already booked on is showing sold out, that may not be true.

 

And having worked for an airline for many years I can say that yes, holidays are when they can and often do charge higher fares.

I've been in the OP's place s couple of times. The first time NCL canceled 3 weeks prior to sailing. They gave us a refund and offered 50% off future cruise, that was all. No change fees paid or hotel compensation.

The second time the cruise line gave us a full refund, free future cruise, paid all of our change fees and because they changed from 7 day to 4 day sailings and started including all meals they paid for our hotel for 3 nights in Athens including breakfast and dinners when we rebooked the following year.

So we essentially had a free vacation and had a wonderful trip but they went belly up soon after we returned home. That was easycruise.

 

 

 

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[webecruzin2]

Wanted to add to the OP I feel your pain. Hope things work out for you.

 

 

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[Langley Cruisers]

...Thanks, Karen. Appreciate it. Looking at your "history" - let's just say that I'm very happy to see that you're cruising again :) ...

 

Aww, thank you. Yep, we are planning "the big one" to Europe next year to replace the one we cancelled after my cancer diagnosis. Hopefully I can kick this lingering fatigue to the curb by then. ;)

[dani negreanu]

Seriously? Give me a break! This cruise is a year out.

 

Actually, it's 10 months out, but who is counting days on those boards :confused:

 

And, 11 months out you can actually book flights.

And, if pax r planning to use "miles", they'd better hurry. And "points" for hotels too.

 

I'm aware of the contract, and not planning to sue anybody.

[dani negreanu]

Aww, thank you. Yep, we are planning "the big one" to Europe next year to replace the one we cancelled after my cancer diagnosis. Hopefully I can kick this lingering fatigue to the curb by then. ;)

 

You would.

 

I'm praying for you, and, being in the Holy Land, I'm closer... :)

[steveru621]

Actually, it's 10 months out, but who is counting days on those boards :confused:

 

And, 11 months out you can actually book flights.

And, if pax r planning to use "miles", they'd better hurry. And "points" for hotels too.

 

I'm aware of the contract, and not planning to sue anybody.

 

Dani,

 

It's horrible that RCI has cancelled your plans.

 

Please get back to us. Many posters have reported RCI has re-reimbursed them for flight re-books and hotels. That is the least I would expect. AND I would expect some OBC as compensation.

 

Good luck.

[dani negreanu]

I've seen so many cases of it. It seems like there SHOULD be an easy fix - the cruiselines contact their charter providers as soon as they know their schedules and give them until a week or so before the public release date to book any of their charters - after the scheduled are released to the public, no more full-boat charters allowed. It seems simple.

But then I'm not getting paid the big bucks, so there's probably something I'm missing.

 

That's exactly what I was thinking.

 

It can save both RC a whole bunch of money and us disappointment.

 

 

Dani,

 

It's horrible that RCI has cancelled your plans.

 

Many posters have reported RCI has re-reimbursed them for flight re-books and hotels.

 

Pax at roll call reported they've phoned RC -- no re-imbursement.

 

 

That is the least I would expect. AND I would expect some OBC as compensation.

 

We're getting 200$ for standard cabins, 400$ for suites.

 

 

Good luck. Many thanks

[nbsjcruiser]

We've had 2 cruises that were taken over by groups. One cruise we were able to stay on and had a good time, the other one we could have stayed on the ship but elected not to. Its a real pain to change plans so I feel for you. Good luck finding a suitable replacement if you decide to do that.

[Thetrail]

Jewel out of San Juan, March 19th, 2017.

 

It was "sold out" for the last month.

 

When calling C&A I've heard the standard "shpiel" -- "voyage maintenance", "inventory", "itinerary re-evaluation", etc.

 

Why, even a couple of hours before getting the email about the "redeployment sailing", RC said to someone in our Roll Call that the "sailing" is closed to new bookings, BUT all the existing bookings will be "honored":confused:.

 

We have just until May 27th, 2016, to decide if we want to re-book at the prevailing cost --

 

Jewel 9th April, 2017 (one day before Passover... NO ! - plus a different itinerary than the one I've carefully picked)

 

Adventure 15th April, 2017 (one day before Easter... and NO -- Hello, RC, if I'd wanted to book Adventure, I wouldn't have booked Jewel !!!) - an itinerary not on my bucket list for the moment.

 

Both cruises at peak prices in terms of flights/hotels :mad:

 

No compensation for hotels and flights already booked......

 

Otherwise, we get a very "generous" compensation of 200$ for standard cabins, and 400$ for suites.

 

US citizens in our roll call are talking about consumer laws, fraud re: causing financial loss (hotels, flights).

 

I'm afraid that since RC is registered in the Bahamas - complaining to the AG in their respective states will be moot ?

AGAIN!.......:rolleyes:

[ctsharpie05]

We are all sympathetic to your issues. But I would NEVER base my hotel and airline decisions on an RCI cancellation. RCI will reimburse you for those costs.

 

They don't reimburse hotels.

[Maybug7]

Good luck...seems to be RCL's new favorite thing to do. Two Empress of the Seas cruises canceled on us. Each about two weeks out :(

 

 

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[PCWalton1]

It has happened to us twice (both ships were redeployed elsewhere) and I suppose it will happen again. It's just part of cruising.

[aussievc]

Oh NOOOO!!!! My 11 night Med cruise on Vision is showing sold out!!!! It's 16 months away in September 2017.....do I need to be worried?? There's a group of us going and arranging 3 weeks off from work isn't easy for us!

 

Virginia