Suspicious Mini-bar charges

[skid10]

Left Adventure OTS yesterday. Invoice showed charge for $12.82 for mini-bar. As many know, there is no mini-bar, just an empty fridge. The charge was obviously for the 2 bottles of water they put on the vanity. I called the number provided on the bill and had virtually no wait time. The rep happily and professionally explained that if the cabin steward moved the bottles and the person inspecting the room afterwards sees the original spot empty, it is reported as used and then billed. Seems a bit odd to me, but the bottom line is I spent less than 5 minutes on the phone and had the charge cheerfully refunded.

[grapau27]

Totally agree!! If they want to eliminate the mini bar, as they have for the most part...eliminate it all!! Why hang on to offering two overpriced bottles of water?

 

Last ditch attempt for "mysterious charges". :mad:

 

So many pax getting these nefarious charges, it puts some bad light on RCI here on CC especially.

 

Save money RCI...take the fridges out completely. Use that space for much needed storage, and getting rid of the cost of the fridges, and the maintenance on them totally?

I agree with taking the water out but the fridges are a necessity for a lot of people.

[grapau27]

I agree totally. We ordered a pack of 6 sparklingly water to put in the fridge and had a coffee maker and kettle in our JS so no need for 2 one litre bottles of water so now question why they are there.

 

love sailing with RCCL

When we board in Barcelona i always bring a case of tonic and a case of San Miguel beer on the ship and put them in the fridge with my free C&A drinks.The big bottles​ of still water are useless and should be removed immediately.

[grapau27]

Wow, glad you don't ever have real issues!

We all have real issues but the point is most of us are happy paying for what we have had it is the bad feeling of being ripped off rather than the tiny amount of 6-12 dollars overcharge.

Most of us give 20 times that amount in extra tips so it is clear We Don't Like Dishonesty.

[island lady]

I agree with taking the water out but the fridges are a necessity for a lot of people.

 

Ahhh.....I agree. You are right, had not thought of the pax needing those fridges. I have never been able to keep anything in those except at "almost cool", they always seem too warm. But at least, cooler than room temperature! :)

[skid10]

I agree with taking the water out but the fridges are a necessity for a lot of people.

I emailed RCCL less than 4 hours ago about the charge for 2 bottles of water that was billed AFTER debarkation (I had previously had the charge removed via telephone). I called the practice despicable. I got a phone call about it "from Michael Bayley's office" a few minutes ago.

 

I was told that "a decision was made today that effective July1, water will no longer be left in the staterooms" and that an order form will be left for those that do want it.

 

We are not sailing again until next May, so it would be nice if anyone here sailing July 1 or later can let us know if that happens. Thanks!

[grapau27]

I emailed RCCL less than 4 hours ago about the charge for 2 bottles of water that was billed AFTER debarkation (I had previously had the charge removed via telephone). I called the practice despicable. I got a phone call about it "from Michael Bayley's office" a few minutes ago.

 

I was told that "a decision was made today that effective July1, water will no longer be left in the staterooms" and that an order form will be left for those that do want it.

 

We are not sailing again until next May, so it would be nice if anyone here sailing July 1 or later can let us know if that happens. Thanks!

Fantastic news thanks for letting us know.

[txcruserServiceDogMom]

Yes THANK YOU for letting me know. I LOVED the cruise but the way the water situation was handled left me disliking the whole line. Looking at MSC next year.

[skid10]

Sorry for the duplicate post. Didn't know how to delete it so just edited here.See #56 above.

Edited June 6, 2017 by skid10
Accidentally posted twice

[swoopy2110]

Removed the water from cabins stopping these 'mistaken' mini-bar charges..... put a $15 corkage fee on wine instead

 

Genius :D

[txcruserServiceDogMom]

I went on Majesty of the Seas-- old but good. No fridge in the stateroom. My "mini bar" was the 2 bottles of over-priced water. The same thing happened to me.-- when I left at 9 AM I had a credit balance.-- by the time I got home I was charged for 2 bottles of water.

[island lady]

Removed the water from cabins stopping these 'mistaken' mini-bar charges..... put a $15 corkage fee on wine instead

 

Genius :D

 

LOL!! But at least no corkage if you consume your brought on wine in your cabin. That is the only place

we enjoy it, a glass of wine on the balcony before getting ready for dinner. :)

[island lady]

I emailed RCCL less than 4 hours ago about the charge for 2 bottles of water that was billed AFTER debarkation (I had previously had the charge removed via telephone). I called the practice despicable. I got a phone call about it "from Michael Bayley's office" a few minutes ago.

 

I was told that "a decision was made today that effective July1, water will no longer be left in the staterooms" and that an order form will be left for those that do want it.

 

We are not sailing again until next May, so it would be nice if anyone here sailing July 1 or later can let us know if that happens. Thanks!

 

Wow!! I hope that is indeed true!! :D:D

 

Perhaps all of the complaints and this long thread on CC had something to do with getting rid of those bottles

and the bad vibes they created. Would be nice to know that they actually listened, and did the right thing finally. :)

[island lady]

I went on Majesty of the Seas-- old but good. No fridge in the stateroom. My "mini bar" was the 2 bottles of over-priced water. The same thing happened to me.-- when I left at 9 AM I had a credit balance.-- by the time I got home I was charged for 2 bottles of water.

 

Ouch!! Perhaps they will indeed take those bottles out by July 1st, and then no more of this. :o

 

I left my account as "cash" for this reason alone. Worked well, impossible to charge me when I got off of MJ

last week.

[skid10]

Ouch!! Perhaps they will indeed take those bottles out by July 1st, and then no more of this. :o

 

I left my account as "cash" for this reason alone. Worked well, impossible to charge me when I got off of MJ

last week.

Island Lady, when you leave as cash account, 1. Am I correct to assume that you need to wait at guest relations on debarkation morning to pay? 2. Do you pay that final bill with a credit card, in which case they'll then have your information anyway to bill after you leave?

Thanks.

[Clarea]

Island Lady, when you leave as cash account, 1. Am I correct to assume that you need to wait at guest relations on debarkation morning to pay? 2. Do you pay that final bill with a credit card, in which case they'll the have your information anyway to bill after you leave?

Thanks.

You can close your account on the last evening.

[skid10]

You can close your account on the last evening.

Thanks, as always, Bob. .but if paying that final bill with a credit card, won't they then have your information anyway to bill after you leave?

[Clarea]

Thanks, as always, Bob. .but if paying that final bill with a credit card, won't they then have your information anyway to bill after you leave?

I don't know that for sure. Haven't seen any reports from people who had cash accounts, paid them off with a credit card, and gotten an erroneous charge post cruise.

[fridaythe13th]

It happened to me on HAL recently. We ended up with two bottles of water delivered at some point, but we never ordered them. We never drank the two bottles there but whoever delivered those bottles put the charge through. Makes me wonder if another cabin ordered them but they were delivered to our cabin. It was taken care of before we left though. I always keep my receipts and check my bill. You never know......

[island lady]

Island Lady, when you leave as cash account, 1. Am I correct to assume that you need to wait at guest relations on debarkation morning to pay? 2. Do you pay that final bill with a credit card, in which case they'll then have your information anyway to bill after you leave?

Thanks.

 

No, I was not planning on waiting in that long line on disembarkation morning. (And there indeed was a long line).

I cashed it out the day before, when there was no line, and made sure we did not charge anything else for the remainder of the cruise.

 

There was one poster that paid off their "cash" account with credit card...and guess what...there was that mini bar

water bottle charge!! :o

[skid10]

There was one poster that paid off their "cash" account with credit card...and guess what...there was that mini bar

water bottle charge!! :o

Well that certainly defeats the purpose! Let's hope they actually stop putting the bottles there and in turn, not billing afterwards.

[island lady]

Well that certainly defeats the purpose! Let's hope they actually stop putting the bottles there and in turn, not billing afterwards.

 

 

Me too!! :D

 

Was such a silly deal to take out everything with the mini bar...but leave those two

unwanted bottles of water there when they could have been ordered with the rest

of the mini bar supplies ...if indeed wanted. :o

[toras]

There was one poster that paid off their "cash" account with credit card...and guess what...there was that mini bar

water bottle charge!! :o

 

Could you possibly be referring to the poster who said they *changed* to a credit card account the day before and still got charged? That is different than just paying it off with the card.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=53174921#post53174921

and see Bob's reply to it.

[island lady]

Could you possibly be referring to the poster who said they *changed* to a credit card account the day before and still got charged? That is different than just paying it off with the card.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=53174921#post53174921

and see Bob's reply to it.

 

Yes, I saw that....but who is to know if they could not be charged later? They now have your credit card as payment

on file. ;) Do you know for sure if they would not do it?

[Over Land & Sea]

Got off Independence of the Seas last Saturday after a not very good cruise and salt in the wound found that £18.70 had been charged to our credit card in addition to final bill total. This was a separate transaction and no invoice or request was sent to us from RCL in relation to the charge. It's only that I was aware of these post cruise charges that I know it was for water.

 

Whilst on board I asked guest services to remove the water & ensure it was logged as I was aware of problems with charges for this ship. Cabin steward came and took them away, therefore he was also aware of situation.

It looks more likely that this is a head office directive to screw passengers for even more money on the basis that most either won't notice charges or not be bothered to go through a long premium line call.

 

I'll be taking this up with RCL and also ensuring that the cancelled pre-paid gratuities we requested on board are also credited, unsurprisingly no sign of them yet.