Half of B2B cancelled - RCCL not helping!

[mikentara]

HI all,

 

We were booked on Adventure Feb 10 and 17 B2B. So excited for our first B2B!

 

The first cruise of the 2 was canceled due to the dry-dock for adventure. understandable, these things do happen. Rcl has offered to move us to a different date on adventure or jewel with price protection.

 

However, they are refusing to make any accommodations for price protection to move our second portion of the B2B (even to the itineraries they listed as prices protected) because that particular cruise itsself wasn't cancelled.

 

So we are forced to choose between rebooking the second cruise on a different date for over $400 more per person, or pay for flights of $1150 per person round trip for flying over the Canadian family day holiday.

 

My stance is... I paid for a B2B on one ship, that is what I should get. I was responsible and booked early to get a good deal and itineraries I want. They may have only changed one cruise but they affected my entire vacation and I simply want a comparable alternative without being out of pocket a minimum additional $800.

 

Has anyone experienced this sort of schedule change, and were you able to get any positive resolution?

 

Looking for help and/or advice to deal with this horrible customer service experience!

[BNBR]

I find your requirements entirely reasonable. They need to provide you with the B2B that you paid for, at the same price. Period.

 

Just start climbing the ladder. I have made my way to VP's at the corporate office before doing that, and believe me, when you get there, problems seem to get solved real quick - as they do not want to be bothered with it. Google the corporate office phone numbers, etc. And start pounding the phones. You'll find a solution :)

[Ocean Dancer]

Try calling resolutions....Hopefully Bob will chime in with the number. Good luck!

[mikentara]

Try calling resolutions....Hopefully Bob will chime in with the number. Good luck!

I've talked with two resolutions agents and my travel agent has talked to 4. All are saying it is against policy to accommodate a cruise they didn't cancel.

 

They also keep telling me there is no one above them, which I am not buying.

[mikentara]

I find your requirements entirely reasonable. They need to provide you with the B2B that you paid for, at the same price. Period.

 

Just start climbing the ladder. I have made my way to VP's at the corporate office before doing that, and believe me, when you get there, problems seem to get solved real quick - as they do not want to be bothered with it. Google the corporate office phone numbers, etc. And start pounding the phones. You'll find a solution :)

I have looked up their head office but can only find a contact for the president and the chief operations officer (who doesn't appear to oversee guest relations).

 

Any recommendations on who to call or where I can find other contact info would be appreciated![emoji5]

[Cruisegirl6]

That certainly isn't fair and I would suggest writing to corporate on this problem.

[BNBR]

I have looked up their head office but can only find a contact for the president and the chief operations officer (who doesn't appear to oversee guest relations).

 

Any recommendations on who to call or where I can find other contact info would be appreciated![emoji5]

 

Those are exactly the kind of people I would be calling. :D

 

It was years ago, but believe me, the Allstate executives knew who I was.... and my problem that was going on for 2 months was resolved in 1 day. Comcast, too.

[awestover89]

I'm going to say that Royal will most likely stick to their stance on this one. Unfortunately, you didn't book a Back to Back because Royal doesn't sell B2Bs as a package (as far as I'm aware) You booked 2 separate cruises on the same ship that are scheduled back to back to create a B2B, and now one of those two contractually distinct cruises has been cancelled.

 

That being said, I do feel that they should honor it, I just don't think they will; B2Bs show strong brand loyalty, and a voucher to honor the current price isn't too much to ask for to maintain that brand loyalty

[bouhunter]

Hope it works out, keep us posted. I would be frustrated and angry too.

 

We were booked on Adventure B2B also (in January) and were cancelled. Fortunately we were able to switch to Jewel. We called the first morning this news broke. The email from RCCL said "we'll be calling you to work something out.......". I bet if we'd waited for a call that might never have come Jewel would have been sold out of Junior Suites which is what we had booked on Adventure. Some people on the roll calls said they never even got the email..................

[cruisenfever]

I am not Bob (just his understudy :D) but my suggestion would be to contact the following explaining the situation....

 

Aurora "Laly" Yera-Rodriguez

Director, Guest Relations & Shared Services

Azamara Club Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, & Royal Caribbean International

954-628-9313

ext. 19313

ayera-rodriguez@rccl.com

[Cruisegirl6]

I didn't know that they don't offer B2B and you booked two separate cruises, in that case, I don't think you have a leg to stand on, sorry.

[StolidCruiser]

Let's start by saying that they should be more accommodating to customers who are in the unique situation of having scheduled back-to-back cruises which are now decimated by the introduction of a dry-dock eliminating one part of that "conjoined" itinerary. It's just good customer service.

 

However, those "at the bottom of the food chain" customer service-wise are reading from their standard playbook that even though to you a back-to-back is one cruise for them it is two separate bookings and are able to offer substitute "price protected" options for the cancelled segment which likely makes rescheduling a nightmare/loss for the customer.

 

You're asking them to cancel both bookings (because one was cancelled by them) and offer you price-protection for two different bookings. They are willing to "price-protect" you for one of them.

 

I can see both sides of the coin on this one. On one side, the customer gets the short end of the stick. On the other, the company does. As a matter of customer relations, the company should suck it up.

 

Keep calling up the chain. The worst that can happen is you keep getting "no". Your satisfaction then can be cancelling entirely and expressing that you are taking your business elsewhere. That's usually the Hail Mary that gets someone's attention.

 

Good luck!

[dani negreanu]

Try the President's office, it goes to some of the PAs anyway --

 

mbayley@rccl.com

 

Worked for me with a minor problem :D

[Clarea]

I am not Bob (just his understudy :D) ...

I think you got that backwards.:)

[Cruisegirl6]

Bob hahahaha

[FLACRUISER99]

I hate to disagree with everyone but the OP should be able to cancel everything and get refunds.

[Cruisegirl6]

I do agree with that in a way yes....RC has made the changes that give conflict to the OP.

[MrsKC08]

I'm going to say that Royal will most likely stick to their stance on this one. Unfortunately, you didn't book a Back to Back because Royal doesn't sell B2Bs as a package (as far as I'm aware) You booked 2 separate cruises on the same ship that are scheduled back to back to create a B2B, and now one of those two contractually distinct cruises has been cancelled.

 

This is kind of my feeling as well. I understand that in your mind, you booked one vacation, but it is still technically 2 separate cruises and the second one was not canceled or affected. I don't see you having any leg to stand on here, unfortunately. It is a tough situation and one I hope you are able to resolve, but I don't fault Royal for this. I would like to think that you could just do the following cruise so that you still have a B2B, just flipped. Granted, there will most definitely be a price difference, but hopefully you are able to come to some resolution that works for you and your family.

[mikentara]

You guys are awesome, thanks for all the feedback.

 

Definitely don't want to cancel... my husband and I are really looking forward to taking both of our parents on their first cruise.

 

I just want equivalent of what I paid for. I understand that they don't 'have' to, but I feel is it the right thing to do from a customer service perspective.

 

I emailed Michael Bayley as that was the contact info I found first. Hoping for a positive response from his office!

 

Will keep you all posted. Please cross your fingers for me! 😊

[bigque]

You all do know that more than likely your correspondence never reach the President or CEO, right?

Back some years ago, I worked in telephone banking for a large national bank. We had an area within that unit that had about 6 employees that were trained on responding to complaints from people to the President/CEO be it written communication or phone. I worked in that area for about 6 months. We never met or talked to the President/CEO and as a matter of fact we were not in even in the same building as him but when we received calls we would answer Thank You for calling ----------------, office. We had letterhead paper with his signature already on it for our responses. We had full authority to act in his behalf of these complaints and they went through a vigorous QA process before correspondence was sent out and their is a staff meeting every morning to go over what was received the day before and to assign them out.

We perfected the art of "If you can't dazzle them with brilliance then baffle them with Bull----"!

[mikentara]

You all do know that more than likely your correspondence never reach the President or CEO, right?

Back some years ago, I worked in telephone banking for a large national bank. We had an area within that unit that had about 6 employees that were trained on responding to complaints from people to the President/CEO be it written communication or phone. I worked in that area for about 6 months. We never met or talked to the President/CEO and as a matter of fact we were not in even in the same building as him but when we received calls we would answer Thank You for calling ----------------, office. We had letterhead paper with his signature already on it for our responses. We had full authority to act in his behalf of these complaints and they went through a vigorous QA process before correspondence was sent out and their is a staff meeting every morning to go over what was received the day before and to assign them out.

We perfected the art of "If you can't dazzle them with brilliance then baffle them with Bull----"!

Completely understand that it more than likely doesn't go to him.

 

But it does sound as though it goes to someone other than the 'resolutions team' (who have been less than helpful thus far).

 

I only emailed because the resolutions people kept telling me there was no one above them that I could talk to. I would have been more than happy to be transferred to their supervisor. 😊

[shipshape sam]

I would say that Royal does in a sense recognize B2B's or at least they have a specific/special procedure to handle any B2B's on the just completed sailing and the upcoming sailing.

 

It is my understanding that those who are onboard are taken as a group off and back on ship as a group unless they want to stay off till a later time.

 

I did not get the sense that OP was looking to take advantage of Royal and for sure it is 2 different bookings. I can only imagine the vast nature of potential 'exceptions to the rule' that Royal deals with. Not clear cut, but I also know that cruise lines make exceptions to the rule which is a double edge sword to both the company and the traveling public.

[mikentara]

I would say that Royal does in a sense recognize B2B's or at least they have a specific/special procedure to handle any B2B's on the just completed sailing and the upcoming sailing.

 

It is my understanding that those who are onboard are taken as a group off and back on ship as a group unless they want to stay off till a later time.

 

I did not get the sense that OP was looking to take advantage of Royal and for sure it is 2 different bookings. I can only imagine the vast nature of potential 'exceptions to the rule' that Royal deals with. Not clear cut, but I also know that cruise lines make exceptions to the rule which is a double edge sword to both the company and the traveling public.

You and I are totally on the same page!

 

I just don't feel I should have to pay extra for something I already paid for and booked well in advance because they made a change on their end. 😊

[bigque]

Completely understand that it more than likely doesn't go to him.

 

But it does sound as though it goes to someone other than the 'resolutions team' (who have been less than helpful thus far).

 

I only emailed because the resolutions people kept telling me there was no one above them that I could talk to. I would have been more than happy to be transferred to their supervisor. 😊

 

No and that is good. You are doing the right thing because even though it may never gets into his hands the people are very well trained in how to respond in his behalf as to not make him or the company look bad. They will at times do what they need to do to have the company come out looking good!

[BNBR]

You all do know that more than likely your correspondence never reach the President or CEO, right?

Back some years ago, I worked in telephone banking for a large national bank. We had an area within that unit that had about 6 employees that were trained on responding to complaints from people to the President/CEO be it written communication or phone. I worked in that area for about 6 months. We never met or talked to the President/CEO and as a matter of fact we were not in even in the same building as him but when we received calls we would answer Thank You for calling ----------------, office. We had letterhead paper with his signature already on it for our responses. We had full authority to act in his behalf of these complaints and they went through a vigorous QA process before correspondence was sent out and their is a staff meeting every morning to go over what was received the day before and to assign them out.

We perfected the art of "If you can't dazzle them with brilliance then baffle them with Bull----"!

 

It's been done that way for a LONG time. I've been pretty effective at actually getting through, though. But not via email or their normal phone number. Usually go after lower level executives as they don't have the team of reps to send copy/paste responses. However, once a customer is emailing the president, even those that you describe, are usually going to be more likely to correct the issue than a standard service rep.