UK booking advice please

[Blue Skies]

After a lot of angst, frustration, time and money speaking to RCI in Guatemala! Lesson learnt!! They couldn't do what was advertised on the UK Webb page. I want to book what is on their Webb page and also speak to someone not in Guatemala!

How can I book direct with RCI in the UK, I have a Tel no. For RCI, Azamara and Celebrity but it requires an extension no which I can't find.

Totally frustrated!

[swoopy2110]

Why don't you just book on the website ?

[Flatbush Flyer]

After a lot of angst, frustration, time and money speaking to RCI in Guatemala! Lesson learnt!! They couldn't do what was advertised on the UK Webb page. I want to book what is on their Webb page and also speak to someone not in Guatemala!

 

How can I book direct with RCI in the UK, I have a Tel no. For RCI, Azamara and Celebrity but it requires an extension no which I can't find.

 

Totally frustrated!

 

 

Yet another reason to use a travel agent.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Blue Skies]

I had a few questions with extra connecting flights that I wanted to speak to a "person live" and their site was giving me the best deal with those flights but Guatemala could not do it even tho I sent them a screen shot with the price and the connections.

[Roofire]

In the past we've booked with Virginholidays and directly on the RCI website. For an UK sailing, we've found it better to book direct, as although Virgin matches the RCI website, there is always an incentive to book direct such as OBC and/or free wi-if. That said we have always had problems with deals etc. missing from the invoice, so have to always contact customer services with screenshots to get things sorted.

On the other hand, for USA or European cruises we use Virgin, 90% of the time there has been some issue with a deal not being applied correctly, they've always sorted it out, also they get better prices on the flights. You are also ATOL protected, if something goes wrong.........we book flights, transfers and the cruise to ensure we get complete cover.

That's just our experience, not sure if we've just been unlucky...

[Blue Skies]

Thanks, Roofire, I probably should have "pushed the button" on the Webb site but was concerned if something went wrong which would have been re connecting flight to London then USA. I would have had to speak back to the Guatemala RCI call centre and they couldn't give me the UK deal anyway. Why do RCI use Guatemala for U.K. bookings when they can't match the UK deals?

Doesn't make sense to me. Never used to be like that. I have been on different cruise lines the last few years so I'm a little out of touch with RCI direct bookings.

[Roofire]

No problem.

Off-shore call centres are real pain, and seems to be the norm for a lot of companies theses days.

Hope it works out ok for you....

[swoopy2110]

I think the problem here is that the call centre only does 'fly cruise' bookings (where they do the entire thing). They pick the departure / return flights and include a hotel and transfers as part of the 'deal'

 

When you book on the website you are not booking one of these 'fly cruise' bookings as you are selecting our own flights / hotel / transfer which makes it your own package, rather than their package

[sky0000547]

Why do RCI use Guatemala for U.K. bookings when they can't match the UK deals?

 

 

Doesn't make sense to me. Never used to be like that.

 

 

You are right that doesn't make sense at all. Have you spoken to a different agent? Hope you are using the free phone number 0800 0182020 for your calls.

[Blue Skies]

Oops I think it was 0844 no. Which I got of the RCI webb site, had I seen an 0800 I definitely would have used it.

Thanks I will make a note of it .

[SandraDJ]

You may be better in booking through an agent. The only choice you would have online would be from a London airport. I have a couple of good agents that I use.

[cloud_nine]

The only choice you would have online would be from a London airport. I have a couple of good agents that I use.

 

Actually you have a choice of airports online - when you go to add flights you can type in which airport you want to fly from and it brings up all flights which go from that airport. Did it just the other day for Cardiff.

[Blue Skies]

Yes, I found Jersey to Gatwick , Gatwick to Tampa , I have never been able to do that before so I decided to ring up to check, got Guatemala they couldn't do it and kept me on the phone so long I ended up with a £5 phone bill.

Did booking connecting flights on line go ok ? and if you had a problem who then would you contact? I would hate to go through RCI Guatemala to sort anything out.

[bogofman]

I hate ringing RCI customer services phone line, as I have no confidence in them,

 

I have trouble understanding them, and they have trouble understanding me

 

It's so frustrating,

 

We book on line where possible

 

Problem is you cannot book a flight without accommodation

So we end up booking flights independantly

 

Why not book the Gatwick to tampa with Royal online and do in dependant flights from Guernsey?

 

 

If worried about missing the flight transfers go the day before

[Blue Skies]

I could have pressed the button to book on on line with RCI for Transatlantic Cruise for

 

1) Return flights on a through tickets with BA Jersey -Gatwick, Gatwick-Tampa,

Barcelona-GAtwick, Gatwick -Jersey.

 

2) Plus accommodation for 2 nights in Tampa

 

3) Plus cruise +grats etc .

 

I was too nervous to do so , I had never been able to do that and decided to phone thinking I would get personal service....my mistake Guatemala could not do it .

 

I eventually rang a U.K. TA And they spent 45 mins on the phone to RCI, they eventually agreed they could book what was quoted but charged an extra £150 for the flights that showed on the original RCI site, it was still a good deal so I bit the bullet and booked through the TA.

Through tickets suit us better, for various reasons ,one is being fogged in then they accommodate onward connections.

 

Maybe I should have been brave enough to press that original button!

[SandraDJ]

Actually you have a choice of airports online - when you go to add flights you can type in which airport you want to fly from and it brings up all flights which go from that airport. Did it just the other day for Cardiff.

 

Sorry, what I actually meant to say was that of course flights from the Channel Islands wouldn't show on the website.

[newport dave]

They can do the deals off the UK website, we've had them do it. Unfortunately most of them as incompetent.

 

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[Blue Skies]

They did when I typed in jersey the correct connecting flight s showed up , for the return journey as well. I was to nervous to hit the final button! But got them eventually.

[Roofire]

They did when I typed in jersey the correct connecting flight s showed up , for the return journey as well. I was to nervous to hit the final button! But got them eventually.

 

Glad you got there in the end. Have a great time :)

[bogofman]

They did when I typed in jersey the correct connecting flight s showed up , for the return journey as well. I was to nervous to hit the final button! But got them eventually.

 

I prefer to book on line, as you have full control of what you are booking

 

Too easy to get interpreted wrongly over the phone, since you only see the paperwork after you have agreed and payed your non refundable deposit (uk)

[Paulxyz2004]

I could have pressed the button to book on on line with RCI for Transatlantic Cruise for

 

1) Return flights on a through tickets with BA Jersey -Gatwick, Gatwick-Tampa,

Barcelona-GAtwick, Gatwick -Jersey.

 

2) Plus accommodation for 2 nights in Tampa

 

3) Plus cruise +grats etc .

 

I was too nervous to do so , I had never been able to do that and decided to phone thinking I would get personal service....my mistake Guatemala could not do it .

 

I eventually rang a U.K. TA And they spent 45 mins on the phone to RCI, they eventually agreed they could book what was quoted but charged an extra £150 for the flights that showed on the original RCI site, it was still a good deal so I bit the bullet and booked through the TA.

Through tickets suit us better, for various reasons ,one is being fogged in then they accommodate onward connections.

 

Maybe I should have been brave enough to press that original button!

 

 

When booking the flights seperately it´s important to have them on a single PNR in order to have the Airline protect your onward journey in case of delays.

 

When booking your flights through the cruiseline you would be protected anyway, as it´s sold to you as a vacation package and they have to protect you anyway.

 

(The above is in regards to UK / Europe bookings!)

[crosby99]

I could have pressed the button to book on on line with RCI for Transatlantic Cruise for

 

1) Return flights on a through tickets with BA Jersey -Gatwick, Gatwick-Tampa,

Barcelona-GAtwick, Gatwick -Jersey.

 

2) Plus accommodation for 2 nights in Tampa

 

3) Plus cruise +grats etc .

 

I was too nervous to do so , I had never been able to do that and decided to phone thinking I would get personal service....my mistake Guatemala could not do it .

 

I eventually rang a U.K. TA And they spent 45 mins on the phone to RCI, they eventually agreed they could book what was quoted but charged an extra £150 for the flights that showed on the original RCI site, it was still a good deal so I bit the bullet and booked through the TA.

Through tickets suit us better, for various reasons ,one is being fogged in then they accommodate onward connections.

 

Maybe I should have been brave enough to press that original button!

 

Done flights through RCI and they actually work out ok. From experience they are actually quite a bit cheaper than booking with airlines direct.

However; they did mess up my Miami overnight accommodation last time but the compo paid nicely towards my summer cruise.

The other option is using a TA...interesting a major well known UK TA gives you a much bigger discount in their stores now than either online or on their website...a few years ago of course the reverse was true....however the days of decent service from UK hughstreet travel agents are long gone.

I have booked my next flights through RCI to Puerto Rico Heathrow-madrid Madrid San tuan and return to maimi and then Miami to Heathrow.

To date everything seems ok and they were over £1000 cheaper than booking same flights with BA. :)

Edited January 22, 2017 by crosby99

[cas21]

Crosby99 Quote

"The other option is using a TA...interesting a major well known UK TA gives you a much bigger discount in their stores now than either online or on their website."

 

Is the TA tom and his son or the chefs one

[little britain]

After a lot of angst, frustration, time and money speaking to RCI in Guatemala! Lesson learnt!! They couldn't do what was advertised on the UK Webb page. I want to book what is on their Webb page and also speak to someone not in Guatemala!

How can I book direct with RCI in the UK, I have a Tel no. For RCI, Azamara and Celebrity but it requires an extension no which I can't find.

Totally frustrated!

 

RCI UK outsourced their booking team and their customer 'service' team to Guatemala at the end of 2013. There is no booking team in the UK I'm afraid.

[bogofman]

Before it was out sourced the team in Uk were very good and knowledible

Not so now :(

 

I was surprised calling celebrity uk last year they were still in the uk