Where is Liberty and How are Things On board?

[baileybrad]

You're joking right?

 

People call RCCL on Friday

 

Caller: Hey this Harvey is looking pretty mean. Any chance the sailing will be canceled or I shouldn't go to the port?

 

RCCL: No. You need to proceed as planned. The sailing is still on.

 

Caller: What if I don't feel comfortable making the trip.

 

RCCL: You risk losing your fare unless you have the applicable insurance.

 

There's not doubt reading the multiple threads folks were told that.

 

WPC painted 25-40 inches of rain over the Houston-Galveston areas for days but I'll be damned that sailing was going to go on as planned.

Sadly, you might be wasting your breath with some on this board. RCL messed up having people proceed into the area. It seems to do no good to point out a company that has provided many good times for our family stumble badly.

[jerseygirl3]

RCCL issued that update on the morning of August 26th (maybe midday).

 

He was already at the port on August 25th. In hindsight, he perhaps could have turned around and left but the NWS office in Houston issued their first flash flood warning for Harris and Galveston county at 1327 UTC (827 AM CDT) Saturday morning. That was before RCCL's first press release.

 

My mistake. I thought he said he arrived on August 26.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

RCCL issued that update on the morning of August 26th (maybe midday).

 

He was already at the port on August 25th. In hindsight, he perhaps could have turned around and left but the NWS office in Houston issued their first flash flood warning for Harris and Galveston county at 1327 UTC (827 AM CDT) Saturday morning. That was before RCCL's first press release.

 

Also big difference between "proceed to the port" and getting to the area so that why COULD "proceed to the port". I read "proceed to the port" as getting your butt to the port terminal building, not to the general area.

[brywood]

If this has already been asked, my apologies. Curious, with LOS terminating Miami, how would that affect passengers with Birth Certificates, not passports? Would that cruise still be considered a close looped cruise?

[Hunwolf]

RCCL (and Celebrity) are by far our favorite lines. We've cruised them all and we prefer them for a variety of reasons. But no company is infallible, and they should be held accountable both internally and externally (by their customers). The last thing you want to do is place our customers in harms way. Recently they contracted/hired an entire Meteorology department to do in house forecast and decision support services. Did this department provide something different than the NWS/NHC? Who knows, but the rainfall forecasts and track information from the NWS was really REALLY good.

 

And for whatever reason Carnival reacted quicker with their situation though not perfect. What information where they ingesting that RCCL was not? What kind of internal decision tree do they utilize? Are they more risk averse due to their previous issues? Perhaps. But RCCL also had an issue as well (which led to the aforementioned met department).

 

Even the press release on the 26th was bizarre. If Liberty is keeping a safe distance behind Harvey but planned on proceeding as planned on Sunday those two are contradictory. Are they saying they either (a) had no idea about the forecast track position for Sunday, (b) didn't believe the track position for Sunday, or © wishcasting.

[Ocean Boy]

Not funny. You do realize people there are still in harms way? Including my family...

I don't think the meaning of that post was to trivialize what the folks in Texas are going through. I think he was taking a shot at RCI.

[perditax]

They certainly did not say that. Show me

 

People who weren't on these threads last week and over the weekend really shouldn't be making unilateral statements. Noticing it a lot today.

 

RC absolutely was telling people to show or lose their money *while the area was under a flood, storm surge and hurricane warning*. They didn't even admit they weren't going to be able to dock on Sunday *until Sunday*.

[perditax]

You didn't do anything wrong, you just commented on what you read. Some get very touchy whenever Galveston is mentioned.

 

I noticed the same thing. Unfortunately it isn't over for Galveston.

[blackshirt]

RC absolutely was telling people to show or lose their money *while the area was under a flood, storm surge and hurricane warning*. They didn't even admit they weren't going to be able to dock on Sunday *until Sunday*.

What exactly is that poor agent on the phone supposed to say given that at the time, the official word from corporate is that the next cruise is still going out as planned? Slam corporate all you want but all the agents were doing was being honest. They had no power to let cruisers cancel or change their reservations, so telling them they either make it to the cruise or risk losing their fare is just being honest, isn't it? The people calling in probably had more up to date information about actual conditions on the ground than some agent in a call center.

[time4u2go]

What exactly is that poor agent on the phone supposed to say given that at the time, the official word from corporate is that the next cruise is still going out as planned? Slam corporate all you want but all the agents were doing was being honest. They had no power to let cruisers cancel or change their reservations, so telling them they either make it to the cruise or risk losing their fare is just being honest, isn't it? The people calling in probably had more up to date information about actual conditions on the ground than some agent in a call center.

Who slammed a phone agent?

[gypsealin]

What exactly is that poor agent on the phone supposed to say given that at the time, the official word from corporate is that the next cruise is still going out as planned? Slam corporate all you want but all the agents were doing was being honest. They had no power to let cruisers cancel or change their reservations, so telling them they either make it to the cruise or risk losing their fare is just being honest, isn't it? The people calling in probably had more up to date information about actual conditions on the ground than some agent in a call center.

It wasn't a poor agent on the phone. It was text messages sent out by the company telling us the cruise was going. They also wanted us to answer the text so that they would know we received it.

[perditax]

Who slammed a phone agent?

 

Nobody did, that was just a weak attempt to shift focus.

 

Man, people digging in here like the giant company is their hometown football team.

[blackshirt]

Nobody did, that was just a weak attempt to shift focus.

 

Man, people digging in here like the giant company is their hometown football team.

Please don't accuse me of trying to shift focus. That's a cheap shot. This is a very long thread and not the only one on the same subject. Sorry but I didn't see anything about text messages but I have seen many posts about calls to agents. I am not attempting to change focus or defend Royal. I guess I should have known better than to post anything. You're either labeled a fanboy or a hater here.

[perditax]

Please don't accuse me of trying to shift focus. That's a cheap shot. This is a very long thread and not the only one on the same subject. Sorry but I didn't see anything about text messages but I have seen many posts about calls to agents. I am not attempting to change focus or defend Royal. I guess I should have known better than to post anything. You're either labeled a fanboy or a hater here.

 

Sorry. I'm a (hobby) weather enthusiast and I've been on all the threads since last week--and I've only been as active as I have because a lot of pro & amateur meteorologists whose opinions I respect have been expecting this to be exactly as bad as it is since Thursday or so (and they expect it to continue to be bad). That's my main "angle". That's the angle from which RC's actions, up till yesterday when they finally caved, look insane to me personally.

 

(My secondary angle is it makes me sad when people become emotionally invested in defending mega-corps. The company doesn't love you back.)

 

Anyway, it just seems like the new work week brought a bunch of posters who don't know what's gone down already and who are ready to defend RC to the death.

[tugboat]

I noticed the same thing. Unfortunately it isn't over for Galveston.

 

 

 

What do you base this on?

 

 

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[perditax]

What do you base this on?

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

http://www.weather.gov/hgx/

[sunshinelover59]

I will probably regret weighing in on this but, oh well. You have hit the biggest issue where I believe that RCL erred from a public relations position from the point that the huge amounts of rain were being forecast for the area. Telling people to continue with their journeys to the area with the port being closed was wrong on every level. Traveler safety should have been the most important consideration. Airlines were cancelling flights, the port had been closed, and the weather forecast was getting more dire and RCL was still not acting in the best interests of the August 27 cruisers. They should have said if you feel uneasy or at risk with your plans, a full credit on a future cruise will be honored. Once things became so bad flooding wise, someone finally came to their senses at RCL and saw the PR mess that had been created. So now full refunds are available, you would have thought that the light bulb would have come on sooner. There were some posters on here who went ahead and flew into the area because of RCL's self interested wallowing. Those folks really should be compensated by RCL. And I know people will bring up trip insurance. This was poor behavior by a company whose product that most on here have enjoyed in the past.

 

For a few people on here to keep blindly defending the behavior is sad. I have noticed some of the more strident folks have slunk away from the issue of how this was handled. Putting your customers at risk because of the all mighty dollar is not a very good look.

 

While some of the events going on the Liberty as to how the Captain was relaying information to the passengers seems a little alarming. I do not think that RCL would have put those passengers in direct harm's way. Sending one ship through a hurricane should have been enough. It did seem that the "home office" was pushing out most of the information coming from the Captain. It is just sad that it took RCL so long to get their act together.

 

Folks throwing around stuff like: will C&A points be awarded, are the drink packages free, etc. is kind of sad. I know everyone on here cares about the devastation happening in Texas and most likely headed to Louisiana. Unfortunately, reading some of the posting on here makes it seem that is being forgotten.

Yes, yes, yes!

 

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[cruisinfanatic]

Wow; that's a pretty wicked response. How do you know what they said to people? All you have to do is read all the first hand experiences on the boards and facebook to know that it's true.

The only thing we hear is what we read unless personally affected. I find it hard to believe most of it. You know if you read it on the internet it must be true.

If I confirmed that the port was closed for the next several days, I sure wouldn't be traveling there regardless of what the cruiseline said

Edited August 28, 2017 by cruisinfanatic

[cruisinfanatic]

If this has already been asked, my apologies. Curious, with LOS terminating Miami, how would that affect passengers with Birth Certificates, not passports? Would that cruise still be considered a close looped cruise?

It won't be a big deal if getting off in Miami

[perditax]

The only thing we hear is what we read unless personally affected. I find it hard to believe most of it. You know if you read it on the internet it must be true.

 

You think this person was running a very long, elaborate forum con?

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2537836

 

They've been on this site for sixteen years and, if I recall correctly, were attempting to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary.

[Biker19]

So a (hobby) weather enthusiast and I've been on all the threads since last week--and I've only been as active as I have because a lot of pro & amateur meteorologists whose opinions I respect have been expecting this to be exactly as bad as it is since Thursday or so (and they expect it to continue to be bad). .

I assume you saw the rather rosy picture painted by RCI's own meteorologist?

[cruisinfanatic]

You think this person was running a very long, elaborate forum con?

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2537836

 

They've been on this site for sixteen years and, if I recall correctly, were attempting to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary.

Not at all. I don't think that I would have tried so hard to go see floods and knowing the port was closed. Wouldn't have cared what RCL said

[Milwaukee Eight]

I assume you saw the rather rosy picture painted by RCI's own meteorologist?

 

 

 

What was his twitter account name? He needs a new job.

 

 

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[EBFURR]

They certainly did not say that. Show me

 

They certainly did say that to me more than once and as late as Saturday afternoon. You can call me a liar at your risk.

[perditax]

I assume you saw the rather rosy picture painted by RCI's own meteorologist?

 

When I saw that meteorology was his second choice after 'country music star' it was hard to take him seriously. :)

 

(I kid.)