Bumped/Dumped off of RCCL Vision of Seas

[dodgestang]

14 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.

 

Silver lining.....now you don't have to go and go out of it free and clear. 

 

Cruising isn't for everyone.

[zdad59]

18 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.

 

Lighten up Francis.

[Smag]

Yeah Yeah, sorry.  Butthurt.  I'll leave y'all to your fun.

 

But first lemme just say: for way less than the price RCCL wanted to charge me for a lousy 4 day Miami-Bahama cruise in a 70 sqft cabin on Dec 30, (which would have doubled again once I paid for my kids to do all the rip-off stuff that's extra $) I have flown to Southeast Asia and spent 10+ days on beaches in Vietnam and Thailand, eating real food, doing real things, and being treated like a real human being by people who were genuinely glad to have business in their resorts.

 

In 2016 had a hotel owner named Ba rent me a 8th floor hardwood-finished balcony room with a view of Halong bay you couldn't dream of, give me down quilts to sleep on, had his family cook me and my daughter a wonderful meal which he ate with us, rented us  motor scooters to drive around the islands, where we explored caves, old forts, palm-tree covered beaches, rock climbing, boats, badminton tournaments, and whatever else. Treated me like I was a grandkid he hadn't seen for a decade.

 

When I checked out, he tried to charge me a total of $25.   That's less than you pay to drink bottled water for one day on one of these cruises.  Even if the lines delivered what they promised, you're still  being ripped-off.

 

So sorry if you like it, but this  whole "cruise" thing just makes me want to vomit like I just got off the Oasis.

[parrotfeathers]

Maybe you could just do like one of my relatives does (who vows never to cruise).  He flies his family of 5 to Nassau and stays a week at Paradise Island.  They love it.

 

[mjkacmom]

36 minutes ago, Smag said:

Yeah Yeah, sorry.  Butthurt.  I'll leave y'all to your fun.

 

But first lemme just say: for way less than the price RCCL wanted to charge me for a lousy 4 day Miami-Bahama cruise in a 70 sqft cabin on Dec 30, (which would have doubled again once I paid for my kids to do all the rip-off stuff that's extra $) I have flown to Southeast Asia and spent 10+ days on beaches in Vietnam and Thailand, eating real food, doing real things, and being treated like a real human being by people who were genuinely glad to have business in their resorts.

 

In 2016 had a hotel owner named Ba rent me a 8th floor hardwood-finished balcony room with a view of Halong bay you couldn't dream of, give me down quilts to sleep on, had his family cook me and my daughter a wonderful meal which he ate with us, rented us  motor scooters to drive around the islands, where we explored caves, old forts, palm-tree covered beaches, rock climbing, boats, badminton tournaments, and whatever else. Treated me like I was a grandkid he hadn't seen for a decade.

 

When I checked out, he tried to charge me a total of $25.   That's less than you pay to drink bottled water for one day on one of these cruises.  Even if the lines delivered what they promised, you're still  being ripped-off.

 

So sorry if you like it, but this  whole "cruise" thing just makes me want to vomit like I just got off the Oasis.

Dd22 wants to travel to Vietnam and Thailand because of how inexpensive everything is, I don’t see the comparison to a cruise though, travel to Europe can be a lot mote xpensive than cruising. I’d love to go to Iceland, but it’s expensive!

 

Wait, your cruise is a year away and you have this much drama!? You can’t find something else to book in it’s place!? Kid crying!? Unbelievable.

Edited January 13, 2019 by mjkacmom

[Paulxyz2004]

34 minutes ago, Smag said:

Yeah Yeah, sorry.  Butthurt.  I'll leave y'all to your fun.

 

But first lemme just say: for way less than the price RCCL wanted to charge me for a lousy 4 day Miami-Bahama cruise in a 70 sqft cabin on Dec 30, (which would have doubled again once I paid for my kids to do all the rip-off stuff that's extra $) I have flown to Southeast Asia and spent 10+ days on beaches in Vietnam and Thailand, eating real food, doing real things, and being treated like a real human being by people who were genuinely glad to have business in their resorts.

 

In 2016 had a hotel owner named Ba rent me a 8th floor hardwood-finished balcony room with a view of Halong bay you couldn't dream of, give me down quilts to sleep on, had his family cook me and my daughter a wonderful meal which he ate with us, rented us  motor scooters to drive around the islands, where we explored caves, old forts, palm-tree covered beaches, rock climbing, boats, badminton tournaments, and whatever else. Treated me like I was a grandkid he hadn't seen for a decade.

 

When I checked out, he tried to charge me a total of $25.   That's less than you pay to drink bottled water for one day on one of these cruises.  Even if the lines delivered what they promised, you're still  being ripped-off.

 

So sorry if you like it, but this  whole "cruise" thing just makes me want to vomit like I just got off the Oasis.

 

You are funny.

I have some news for you. Nobody forces you to cruise. People on here like it, you don‘t. So what. Enjoy whatever you like, while we continue to cruise. 

Unfortunately for you, you came to the wrong place to convince people to stop cruising.

[Smag]

6 minutes ago, parrotfeathers said:

Maybe you could just do like one of my relatives does (who vows never to cruise).  He flies his family of 5 to Nassau and stays a week at Paradise Island.  They love it.

 

When I told the kids about this situation, it took a while for them to get over it, but then just directly flying to Nassau was one of the options we've discussed over the weekend.  We just might do that. 

 

Daughter wasn't too keen on the "private island" thing after I sent her the customization login link and told her to pick any of the attractions she wanted to do, and she realized that the prices to do any single thing besides just "sit there" cost more than a weekend in Ocean City. 

[sfaaa]

On ‎1‎/‎1‎/‎2018 at 9:53 AM, titolola said:

 

 

Any suggestions on how we can obtain an acceptable cruise and a suite that works for us and still pay the rate that we originally paid last year?

Be a bit flexible and RCCL may be willing to work with you. Coming across as overly demanding or my way or the highway will not get you very far.

[Biker19]

I'm confused, if you hated cruising so much why did you book? Or the hate all of a sudden surfaced when your sailing was cancelled?

[Smag]

7 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

Dd22 wants to travel to Vietnam and Thailand because of how inexpensive everything is, I don’t see the comparison to a cruise though, travel to Europe can be a lot mote xpensive than cruising. I’d love to go to Iceland, but it’s expensive!

 

Wait, your cruise is a year away and you have this much drama!? You can’t find something else to book in it’s place!? Kid crying!? Unbelievable.

My kid gets emotional about Christmas.  I give her some kind of trip usually, and her whole year centers around it.    

 

But when you spend days upon days on websites trying to find a cruise that fits your schedule, finally find one that works, and spend money reserving it, printing out the pictures of the boat and  islands and packaging it all up in a present, and it's the 'big' present' you shouldn't have to go back you your kid and apologize because the line decided they could make a bit more money or get a bigger guarantee by package-selling her Christmas present to someone else. 

 

Vietnam and Thailand aren't just inexpensive, they're some of the best places I've ever been, with the nicest folks. And Vietnam in particular has probably most of the best food I've found.  I remember when Iceland was dirt cheap, < $300 round trip out of Dulles with hotels and all that, wonder what happened?

[Smag]

8 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

I'm confused, if you hated cruising so much why did you book? Or the hate all of a sudden surfaced when your sailing was cancelled?

 

A guy wants to give his family what they want.  My wife decided that my the kids would want to cruise because some co-worker bragged to her about it, and sold them on the idea, then me, being Santa, was saddled with the work of making it happen, even though my ideal of cruising is sleeping out weekends in my sailboat on the Chesapeake and cooking burgers on an alcohol stove.

 

The more I researched, the more sick I became, until I just couldn't be more sick and just paid the money to give them what they thought they wanted.  Then just when I thought it was all over, and all I had to do was wait a year, grit my teeth and hold my breath for 4 days on this stupid nasty ship, the line decided to set me back to square one and burn our agreement, and then offer me unacceptable dates out of the holiday season when the kids are back in school.  joy.

[jagsfan]

On 4/26/2018 at 1:03 AM, Mikew0805 said:

 

 

 

Really need a “like” button here.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Do you see the Heart next to your post? 

Press it, and you’ll see three choices. One is a “like” button. 

[sfaaa]

20 minutes ago, Smag said:

When I told the kids about this situation, it took a while for them to get over it, but then just directly flying to Nassau was one of the options we've discussed over the weekend.  We just might do that. 

 

 

Of all the places in the world and you picked Nassau? LOL. 

[Biker19]

2 minutes ago, Smag said:

The more I researched, the more sick I became, until I just couldn't be more sick and just paid the money to give them what they thought they wanted.  

So, if they still want it why not give it to them? Or RCI gave you the excuse to swear off cruising to your family - you could have used that before you ever booked - you already had all the excuses/reasons not to cruise.

[Smag]

3 minutes ago, sfaaa said:

Of all the places in the world and you picked Nassau? LOL. 

No, they did.  It was the one place on the cruise stops they were interested in.  I don't know why.   I was trying to sell them on another trip to Asia, but they were on to me.

[gatour]

Well the whole episode sucks, you keep on mentioning "bait and switch" .  There was no bait and switch, until they have a signed contract from company chartering it is prudent for the cruise line to keep booking rooms.  They have no idea that the charter company will actually consumate the contract until the signed contract actually hits the bean counters.

 

If you read YOUR contract they have the right to cancel your sailing or change the intenary.

 

They received the contract from the charter company.  The terms were acceptable to RCCL (proabably means more guranteed dollars than what people who were booking individiual cabins for).

 

Again it sucks for people who had already booked the cruise, and I wish cruise lines would "close the charter potential" earlier but they don't.

 

Bait and switch is a legal concept and be tried in court.  Feel free to contact an attorney to see if you have any legal recourse.  My guess you will just hear crickets on the end of the phone line.

 

 

[Paulxyz2004]

6 minutes ago, jagsfan said:

Do you see the Heart next to your post? 

Press it, and you’ll see three choices. One is a “like” button. 

 

That wasn‘t available on 4/26/2018, when the post you quoted was made.

[Smag]

1 minute ago, Biker19 said:

So, if they still want it why not give it to them? Or RCI gave you the excuse to swear off cruising to your family - you could have used that before you ever booked - you already had all the excuses/reasons not to cruise.

I am still trying.  Now I have to do it twice. The family knows I hate this.  But I want them to get what they want.  Looking at other different lines again.  But someone here said they are all crooked and will all  burn your reservation in a heartbeat if they think they can snatch up another dollar for doing it.

[dodgestang]

4 minutes ago, Paulxyz2004 said:

 

That wasn‘t available on 4/26/2018, when the post you quoted was made.

 

Holy crap....I didn't realize when I sounded off on this thread that it was already a year old. 

Edited January 13, 2019 by dodgestang
edited because I confused posters

[Ourusualbeach]

1 minute ago, Smag said:

I am still trying.  Now I have to do it twice. The family knows I hate this.  But I want them to get what they want.  Looking at other different lines again.  But someone here said they are all crooked and will all  burn your reservation in a heartbeat if they think they can snatch up another dollar for doing it.

 

It is a very small % of ships that get chartered.  You were unlucky,

[jagsfan]

On 4/26/2018 at 1:36 PM, maggie cruises said:

 

 

 

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

I don’t believe OP necessarily bought a one way ticket. What we call one way tickets Brits call return. 

Does it matter how much or how little OP spent? 

The point is, he is out that money through no fault of his own. And out the cruise they booked and planned on. Again, through no fault of his own. 

Cruise Lines should have the responsibility of make good expenses already incurred by passengers when cancelling their booking because of a charter. 

[Ourusualbeach]

1 minute ago, dodgestang said:

 

Holy crap....I didn't realize when I sounded off on this thread that it was already a year old.  Sheesh....Smag man....I think you are holding onto this too much....how about an update instead since chrismas season 2018 is now behind us....what did you end up doing with the family instead of the cruise that got canned?

These posts are new.  

[jagsfan]

7 minutes ago, Paulxyz2004 said:

 

That wasn‘t available on 4/26/2018, when the post you quoted was made.

Oops! I need to remember to look at posting dates!

And see, CC made the changes in format to give everyone a “like” button!

Edited January 13, 2019 by jagsfan

[Paulxyz2004]

4 minutes ago, Smag said:

I am still trying.  Now I have to do it twice. The family knows I hate this.  But I want them to get what they want.  Looking at other different lines again.  But someone here said they are all crooked and will all  burn your reservation in a heartbeat if they think they can snatch up another dollar for doing it.

 

Yep all other lines will do it as well.

[bakersdozen12]

On 1/4/2018 at 7:03 AM, ElasticMan said:

I've been bumped off the same cruise.

 

Unfortunate timing, as the email arrived two days after my wife and I booked return flights to Barcelona from London, and a hotel for the night before the cruise. These are paid for and cannot be cancelled. There are no other suitable RCI cruises so we will have to cancel the cruise and won't be refunded the cost of the flights and hotel.

 

I'm hoping that RCI will give us some compensation towards the additional expenses, as we have entered the period within which people could reasonably be expected to book flights etc. Not sure I hold out much hope of that, having read about the experiences of others.

 

Have you considered taking a land vacation in Barcelona instead? Cruises are my preference, so I don’t plan land vacations, but if I were forced to do one, Barcelona is a city that I would love to spend a week in. We spent a few days there before our cruise this spring, and it was not nearly enough time in this wonderful city. Would love to go back someday.