Bumped/Dumped off of RCCL Vision of Seas

[LSUfan4444]

I'd be pissed too. I'd come up with some options to work towards a compromise that make you "feel whole" and as a diamond member, demand that they do things under their control to work with you. As a diamond member, you deserve that they go above and beyond.

[maggie cruises]

Wearing your reading glasses?:confused: London is in Europe.

 

 

 

Duh. I only posted what I did because he was talking about one way tix and a night precruise

 

Very few Europeans....be it from the island nation north of France that can now be accessed by train ...or the actual European continent itself ever buy plane tix very far in advance.

 

Even I knew to NOT buy my paris to Rome tix with my r/t airfare from and to NYC and I also knew not to pay too much either

 

If I had bought my tix altogether....jfk..Paris...4 day layover...Paris..Rome...Naples..jfk. It would have cost me something like $350 a person just for the Paris to Rome one way

 

I wound up paying $75 a ticket on Alitalia My other flights were Air France and not at all connected to my Alitalia ticket

 

I could understand if the op were flying from the USA but ftlog this poster lives in London and that makes it a no brainer that he should be spending much less on airfare

 

Fwiw the op is probably talking about $200 in total for air not $1200.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Smag]

The RCCL charter racket definitely IS a bait and switch scam.  They advertise a decent rate during a holiday sale, (Black Friday, etc.)  Customer books a date, well in advance.  I booked over a year out to get a date first week of January 2020.

 

RCCL deliberately double/triple sells these popular dates (for families, these ones that are over Christmas break when the kids are out of school.

 

Then after their sale promotion is over, they "cancel" or "charter" the date, and bump all the remaining suckers off onto later dates in January or Febuary "with a guarantee on the same great rate." (for a cheaper cruise)   And many many of them take what is offered because they bought the cruise package for the family as a present or something. 

 

After you are hit with this RCCL scam, if you still need to sail over the holiday break, they will offer to sell you the New Year's cruise, conveniently priced at triple the rate of whatever it was you got bumped from.

 

So yes, RCCL will BAIT the customer with an attractive offer, appear to book them a room on a date they can sail on, then SWITCH them after the promotion is over to get as many of them shoved off onto the less popular January/February cruises as possible.

 

It's just a cheap, callous way to sell seats on these unpopular dates by baiting and switching and hurting people with families who need to sail over the holiday break, and in good faith made the mistake of booking on RCCL.

[mjkacmom]

7 minutes ago, Smag said:

The RCCL charter racket definitely IS a bait and switch scam.  They advertise a decent rate during a holiday sale, (Black Friday, etc.)  Customer books a date, well in advance.  I booked over a year out to get a date first week of January 2020.

 

RCCL deliberately double/triple sells these popular dates (for families, these ones that are over Christmas break when the kids are out of school.

 

Then after their sale promotion is over, they "cancel" or "charter" the date, and bump all the remaining suckers off onto later dates in January or Febuary "with a guarantee on the same great rate." (for a cheaper cruise)   And many many of them take what is offered because they bought the cruise package for the family as a present or something. 

 

After you are hit with this RCCL scam, if you still need to sail over the holiday break, they will offer to sell you the New Year's cruise, conveniently priced at triple the rate of whatever it was you got bumped from.

 

So yes, RCCL will BAIT the customer with an attractive offer, appear to book them a room on a date they can sail on, then SWITCH them after the promotion is over to get as many of them shoved off onto the less popular January/February cruises as possible.

 

It's just a cheap, callous way to sell seats on these unpopular dates by baiting and switching and hurting people with families who need to sail over the holiday break, and in good faith made the mistake of booking on RCCL.

All of the mainstream lines charter cruises, it’s not a scam, just make sure not to book non refundable airfare or hotels more than 6 months in advance. This happens with cruises, usually at off peak times.

[Chipmoose]

11 minutes ago, Smag said:

RCCL deliberately double/triple sells these popular dates (for families, these ones that are over Christmas break when the kids are out of school.

 

That is a pretty serious allegation you are making in resurrecting this 9 month old thread for your first post.

Do you have any proof that RCL (or any of the large cruise lines) is knowingly double and triple selling a cruise which they are in reality planning to charter, or is that just pulled out of thin air?

[Smag]

You think a large cruise line can't keep track of what rooms they sell?  When you sell something twice, it's double selling.  When you do this and then try to offer one of the customers an inferior product in exchange, it' double selling + bait and switch. 

 

There is no acceptable "we didn't know" excuse, they know how many beds are on a ship, therefore it's deliberate, especially considering this was one of the most heavily promoted "black friday" cruises from their holiday promotion.

 

If you sell rooms on a ship, then "charter" it, you have double sold those rooms.  It doesn't matter what language you dress it up in.  Clever way to scam people onto boats that would otherwise be 1/3 full, 

 

[mjkacmom]

13 minutes ago, Smag said:

You think a large cruise line can't keep track of what rooms they sell?  When you sell something twice, it's double selling.  When you do this and then try to offer one of the customers an inferior product in exchange, it' double selling + bait and switch. 

 

There is no acceptable "we didn't know" excuse, they know how many beds are on a ship, therefore it's deliberate, especially considering this was one of the most heavily promoted "black friday" cruises from their holiday promotion.

 

If you sell rooms on a ship, then "charter" it, you have double sold those rooms.  It doesn't matter what language you dress it up in.  Clever way to scam people onto boats that would otherwise be 1/3 full, 

 

Do you know what a charter is? Are you new to cruising or just CC?

[Smag]

"Charter" is a word they use on the customer when they double sell his reservation.  It is used interchangably with "cancel" depending on which double-talking rep you talk to the phone. 

 

Guy 1: "We have canceled your reservation because charter"

Guy 2: "Your cruise date is cancelled."

 

Either way, it means that they took your deposit, decided to sell your room someone else for a better profit, and then tried to offer you something less in exchange.  The boat will still sail, you just won;t be on it because they found they could make a few more bucks some other way, and even more if they can shove you off onto some lousy date. 

 

Ether way it means that your reservation is not a reservation, it is a worthless marketing tool in the hands of unscrupulous sales people.

 

[parrotfeathers]

So you are saying the cruise was already chartered and they sold you a reservation anyway?

[Ourusualbeach]

7 minutes ago, Smag said:

"Charter" is a word they use on the customer when they double sell his reservation.  It is used interchangably with "cancel" depending on which double-talking rep you talk to the phone. 

 

Guy 1: "We have canceled your reservation because charter"

Guy 2: "Your cruise date is cancelled."

 

Either way, it means that they took your deposit, decided to sell your room someone else for a better profit, and then tried to offer you something less in exchange.  The boat will still sail, you just won;t be on it because they found they could make a few more bucks some other way, and even more if they can shove you off onto some lousy date. 

 

Ether way it means that your reservation is not a reservation, it is a worthless marketing tool in the hands of unscrupulous sales people.

 

 

You really need to do some research before posting.

 

a few points,

 

I’ve never seen a charter on the higher priced Christmas and new tears sailings for the simple reason that it would be too expensive for a company to charter a ship for those dates.

 

Royal  does not keep your deposit.  If your ship is chartered you have 3 options .  1. They most often offer a couple price protected sailings that you can switch to and offer some on board credit in addition to that.  2. You can move your reservation to any other sail date at current pricing and still receive the on board credit offer and 3. you can cancel and receive a full refund including any fares that had a non refundable deposit.

 

Everything  is your choice, Royal is not getting any extra money in fact it ma6 end up costing them money.  More often than not I’ve seen the alternative price protected cruises be more expensive than the ones chartered and yes I have been an several cruises that have unfortunately been chartered.  

 

[Smag]

They heavily promoted this package.  It was one of the "best price" dates that fell into the right dates.  I bought it.  I paid a deposit over the phone.   ( As I am sure a couple other thousand people did as well.) 

 

Whatever lingo you use in this cruise world doesn't matter to me.  If you sell thousands of tickts to the public over a holiday promotion, you don't "umm cancel" on them and then offer them a choice of 4 of your most unpopular dates as a consolation prize, plus a few bucks room credit, unless it's a scam.

[Ourusualbeach]

7 minutes ago, parrotfeathers said:

So you are saying the cruise was already chartered and they sold you a reservation anyway?

 

What I have seen happen in the past is that a charter group will start advertising the sail date that they are going to charter to its me,bets before they have finalized the paperwork with Royal.  This paperwork can sometime ps take a long time to complete.  A recent example was the Star Trek cruise on the Explorer in March of 2020.  It was advertised however until the paperwork is signed and the necessary deposits paid by the charter operator Royal will continue to sell cruises (and later offer them OBC and alternate dates.). Totall6 understandable that Royal does not pull the cruises for sale until the charter is 100% confirmed.

[sandy toes]

Smug

Goodness. Chill. Many people on various mainstream lines have been told after booking that the sailing is chartered, or the ship is being drydocked or whatever. Happens at land based resorts too. Companies with major bucks come along and decide after seeing their profit margins that they are booking a cruise for their top employees and families. I have had a cruise canceled because of a Bud Cruise and also another cruise to an unknown group. The 3rd cruise, I wish would have been canceled as the ship was near 70% chartered and they took over everything. Yes, I had to change flights on my cruise and adjust holiday time off work but everything worked out for cruise #2. For Cruise #3, a family holiday, we were able to find a different cruise line sailing from the same area with the same dates and all worked out. I rebooked a future date with the discount/credit they afforded us and again, all worked out. Be flexible. Look at the good things instead of focusing on the dark side. Now for the landbased holiday...NOTHING. Not even an I'm sorry. I was told my week was closed and the resort was charted. No option to rebook, no discount or credit given. I have rebooked with the cruise lines but NEVER again with the resort. 

[Smag]

18 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

 

Everything  is your choice, Royal is not getting any extra money in fact it ma6 end up costing them money.  More often than not I’ve seen the alternative price protected cruises be more expensive than the ones chartered and yes I have been an several cruises that have unfortunately been chartered.  

 

 

If this was the case they would have gladly offered to book us on the Dec 30 date as the same rate, when I explained that I had to go over holiday break.  But no, they tried to gouge me for 3x the fare because more desirable date.   

 

Then they tried to shove me off onto a different port, "no pressure, but there's only 2  cabins left, what a good deal, and only a little more money, want me to switch you to it right now?"

 

I made my choice when I booked the date I needed and was given a reservation.  The only thing I have been offered since by RCCL are the types of choices the classic bait & switch scammer offers to someone who has had the rug yanked out from under them ; worse dates, worse ports, or else take your deposit back and start completely from scratch. 

 

You know the look on your kid's face on Christmas when you give them a cruise?  You know what it's like when you have to watch it disappear and turn into tears?

RCCL knows that look.

RCCL banks on it, because it makes the customer far more desperate and likely accept "choices" like they ones they offer after pulling this scam.

 

I regret my choice.

 

Edited January 13, 2019 by Smag

[setsail]

Maybe start a go fund me

[Ourusualbeach]

4 minutes ago, Smag said:

 

If this was the case they would have gladly offered to book us on the Dec 30 date as the same rate, when I explained that I had to go over holiday break.  But no, they tried to gouge me for 3x the fare because more desirable date.   

 

Then they tried to shove me off onto a different port, "no pressure, but there's only 2  cabins left, what a good deal, and only a little more money, want me to switch you to it right now?"

 

I made my choice when I booked the date I needed and was given a reservation.  The only thing I have been offered since by RCCL are the types of choices the classic bait & switch scammer offers to someone who has had the rug yanked out from under them ; worse dates, worse ports, or else take your deposit back and start completely from scratch. 

 

You know the look on your kid's face on Christmas when you give them a cruise?  You know what it's like when you have to watch it disappear and turn into tears?

RCCL knows that look.

RCCL banks on it, because it makes the customer far more desperate and likely accept "choices" like they ones they offer after pulling this scam.

 

I regret my choice.

 

It’s unfortunate that this happened however the cruise dates that include December 25 and 31 and the cruises departing in between are considered holiday cruises and are considerably more expensive.  I know, we sail on them every year.

 

you did not book a holiday cruise so there is no way you should receive the option to go on one of those cruises considering that you paid 1/3 of what they cost.

 

yeah it sucks and I understand it’s a huge disappointment but it is not a scam.  

[Smag]

3 minutes ago, setsail said:

Maybe start a go fund me

 

Lol, I'm not out any money.  I'm out a lot of time spent buying a cruise, and a whole lot of faith in humanity.

 

Oh, and telling my kids that daddy is a douche and their cruise was a fantasy.

 

But on the bright side, I guess at least I won't have to have them in the hospital with a bad case of Royal Norovirus (a free upgrade better than what I was offered)

[molly361]

It's very annoying when this happens🍺

[Smag]

12 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

It’s unfortunate that this happened however the cruise dates that include December 25 and 31 and the cruises departing in between are considered holiday cruises and are considerably more expensive.  I know, we sail on them every year.

 

you did not book a holiday cruise so there is no way you should receive the option to go on one of those cruises considering that you paid 1/3 of what they cost.

 

yeah it sucks and I understand it’s a huge disappointment but it is not a scam.  

 

If you choose to attract business with an offer, and promise someone a reservation for a price, then cancel the offer for whatever arbitrary reason:

 

A. to offer a more valuable product at the same rate:  compensation; NOT a scam, respectable business

B. To offer a less valuable product in exchange, or try to sell a more expensive product over the phone: bait and switch, a classic scam.

[mjkacmom]

29 minutes ago, Smag said:

 

If this was the case they would have gladly offered to book us on the Dec 30 date as the same rate, when I explained that I had to go over holiday break.  But no, they tried to gouge me for 3x the fare because more desirable date.   

 

Then they tried to shove me off onto a different port, "no pressure, but there's only 2  cabins left, what a good deal, and only a little more money, want me to switch you to it right now?"

 

I made my choice when I booked the date I needed and was given a reservation.  The only thing I have been offered since by RCCL are the types of choices the classic bait & switch scammer offers to someone who has had the rug yanked out from under them ; worse dates, worse ports, or else take your deposit back and start completely from scratch. 

 

You know the look on your kid's face on Christmas when you give them a cruise?  You know what it's like when you have to watch it disappear and turn into tears?

RCCL knows that look.

RCCL banks on it, because it makes the customer far more desperate and likely accept "choices" like they ones they offer after pulling this scam.

 

I regret my choice.

 

Then don’t choose another cruise on any line.

[Ourusualbeach]

3 minutes ago, Smag said:

 

If you choose to attract business with an offer, and promise someone a reservation for a price, then cancel the offer for whatever arbitrary reason:

 

A. to offer a more valuable product at the same rate:  compensation; NOT a scam, respectable business

B. To offer a less valuable product in exchange, or try to sell a more expensive product over the phone: bait and switch, a classic scam.

 

As others have said.  Charters happen.  They are a are a fact of life in the cruise industry.  Take a look at the fine print of your contract.

 

It doesn’t make it any better but just because it happens does not mean it’s a scam.

[Smag]

Just now, mjkacmom said:

Then don’t choose another cruise on any line.

I guess that says everything anybody ever needed to know about cruising. 

 

I've been all over the world, been in fancy places, slept on benches in third world countries, lots of places in between, but I've never felt more of a worthless piece of meat and fool then since my family wanted a cruise.  This whole scene has been one disgusting experience from the first minute, from the first video of one of these horrible ships I watched. 

 

I assure you it wasn't my idea or my cup of tea to be cattle-herded onto a plague infested tin can and be fed virus-infected garbage while I watch horribly lame performers and lose money in slot machines, for the purpose of bragging to people I don't even care about that I went on a cruise.  This sucks.  I got my own boat.  This was for my family who wanted it.

 

The fact that I was B&S scammed, immediately, by one of the biggest players in the industry, only drives the reality home even harder.

[PhoenixCruiser]

I don't think this is going to end well

[Ourusualbeach]

4 minutes ago, Smag said:

I guess that says everything anybody ever needed to know about cruising. 

 

I've been all over the world, been in fancy places, slept on benches in third world countries, lots of places in between, but I've never felt more of a worthless piece of meat and fool then since my family wanted a cruise.  This whole scene has been one disgusting experience from the first minute, from the first video of one of these horrible ships I watched. 

 

I assure you it wasn't my idea or my cup of tea to be cattle-herded onto a plague infested tin can and be fed virus-infected garbage while I watch horribly lame performers and lose money in slot machines, for the purpose of bragging to people I don't even care about that I went on a cruise.  This sucks.  I got my own boat.  This was for my family who wanted it.

 

The fact that I was B&S scammed, immediately, by one of the biggest players in the industry, only drives the reality home even harder.

You see it all does work out in the end.  Enjoy whatever other vacation you choose.

[Merion_Mom]

16 minutes ago, Smag said:

I guess that says everything anybody ever needed to know about cruising. 

 

I've been all over the world, been in fancy places, slept on benches in third world countries, lots of places in between, but I've never felt more of a worthless piece of meat and fool then since my family wanted a cruise.  This whole scene has been one disgusting experience from the first minute, from the first video of one of these horrible ships I watched. 

 

I assure you it wasn't my idea or my cup of tea to be cattle-herded onto a plague infested tin can and be fed virus-infected garbage while I watch horribly lame performers and lose money in slot machines, for the purpose of bragging to people I don't even care about that I went on a cruise.  This sucks.  I got my own boat.  This was for my family who wanted it.

 

The fact that I was B&S scammed, immediately, by one of the biggest players in the industry, only drives the reality home even harder.

 

I  just love this post.