Worst Itinerary Change ever!!!

[The Big Booper]

According to Cruisecal.com, the Mariner alternates Mondays at Coco Cay with the Radiance. If RCI canceled the 3/6 Mariner stop, what has been done with the other RCI ships stopping there that week, ie. the Sovereign on Sunday and Tuesday and the Majesty on Wed and Saturday. Not to mention the prior and following weeks. Ships stop at Coco Cay every day except for Thursday and Friday.

[Dafydd]

You know, I wonder if that kenny chesney concert cruise has something to do with that cancellation over march 5; soverign of the seas and majesty of the seas are doing a cruise together first week of march through bahamas with a secret undisclosed mystery island a stop where the kenny chesney concert will be held. neither of these ships list this cruise starting the end of feb. and going into first week of march. one leaves miami, the other port canaveral, but will sail in tandem to undisclosed island for this concert. I wonder if that has something to do with why just that week they are cancelling cococay.

[Ocean Boy]

I disagree.......... However, in this case the style of the post far outweighed its intent. By your post count you've been on this forum long enough to know that a "Drama Queen" type of statement -- e.g., "Worst Itinerary Change ever", will hardly ever elicit any sympathetic responses. In fact, expect just the reverse…………..

Agreed;)

[Lou_70]

Ya know I heard less whining from the people who were stuck at port last week due to the plane crash...

[dougp26364]

when I called customer service to question the change they told me that there was no room on the dock at Cococay. I informed them the Cococay was a tender port and she said no it is not we dock there.

 

Don't you just love RCI customer service. It gives you great confidence in a cruise line when we know more than they do about their own ports. I often wonder how long they can maintain their place in the business before they tick off enough people to affect the bottom line.

 

Great ships, good itenerary's, great onboard staff but when it comes to the land based staff and before/after cruise service, RCI is really lacking.

[brn2crz]

Thats ok Doug..We had issues with Carnival out of Galveston a few years back...After the cruise.. It took 3 calls to get through to someone,who knew that the ship sailed from Galveston,and not Miami.. :rolleyes:

[Charles4515]

You know, I wonder if that kenny chesney concert cruise has something to do with that cancellation over march 5; soverign of the seas and majesty of the seas are doing a cruise together first week of march through bahamas with a secret undisclosed mystery island a stop where the kenny chesney concert will be held. neither of these ships list this cruise starting the end of feb. and going into first week of march. one leaves miami, the other port canaveral, but will sail in tandem to undisclosed island for this concert. I wonder if that has something to do with why just that week they are cancelling cococay.

 

Aha. I think you might have something there!

[ckrobyn]

Don't you just love RCI customer service. It gives you great confidence in a cruise line when we know more than they do about their own ports. I often wonder how long they can maintain their place in the business before they tick off enough people to affect the bottom line.

 

Great ships, good itenerary's, great onboard staff but when it comes to the land based staff and before/after cruise service, RCI is really lacking.

 

I have had several pathetic experiences with RCI customer service, and several incredible experiences. In my opinion, it's hit or miss with them - the luck of the draw ( or the phone). My advice to RCI would be to focus on properly training their CSR's so that they can accurately answer the customer's queries. Too often they are quick to answer when they really have no clue. The above example about Coco Cay illustrates my point.

[brn2crz]

Aha. I think you might have something there!

 

 

I agree Watson!

[Retired not Expired]

Thats ok Doug..We had issues with Carnival out of Galveston a few years back...After the cruise.. It took 3 calls to get through to someone,who knew that the ship sailed from Galveston,and not Miami.. :rolleyes:

 

How true. I prefer Freestyle cruising on NCL but their customer service sucks, too. No one company holds a monopoly on it. It's industry wide.

 

Unfortunately, if we want to cruise, we have to deal with it until one of the cruise lines get smart and does something about it forcing the others to do the same.

[Libba]

I'm on the Mariner cruise on March 5, so I'm in the same "boat".

 

Ok - here's an advantage that nobody has considered.

 

The itinerary change to San Juan from Coco Cay will eliminate the standard immigration process in St. Thomas. No early morning cattle call to have your passport checked by Homeland Security! The first non-US territory call will be in St. Martin. IMO, this is a positive change.

 

Don't flame me, but I prefer the revised itinerary.

[RenieRaider]

Bummer. I don't blame you for your disappointment but I'd still go!

 

For San Juan, I'd make dinner reservations for the Specialty resturant. :-)

 

Enjoy the extra day at sea and stay up top longer than usual and watch everyone else get off. Take your time showering, dressing and have a before dinner drink and then off to dinner at WHATEVER time YOU want to make your reservations for. Say 8:30? It'll be about a 2 1/2 hour experience.

 

It's a great ship to spend time on. Lot's to do!

 

Bon Voyage!

[AFT_LOVER]

but those poor folks who booked 5 nights in Bermuda & got East Coast of Canada instead. Far from sunny, warm waters, great pool days, when all they got was windy rainy cold days.

 

So if E Carib isn't for you without Co Co Cay, then cancel & book another somwhere else. They will not be comping you anything for the change, it may have to do with food items delivered there or other stuff.

 

We booked a Princess Panama Canal inagural that they changed to a W Carib instead & not the inagural which was moved to a few months later. We booked it a year in advance, it had it departure date moved 3 times before they totally changed it. We were paying for the Canal venture, not a cruise we booked it on!

[CMurph]

Hey, if this upsets you...then it does and I have no right to tell you that you shouldn't feel that way. The only thing I don't understand is how people seem to take a change such as this and personalize it...."I'VE been to X island X number of times.....I planned my cruise around this itinerary....I..I...I!!! The cruiseline is not doing this to cause problems for you, and for all those that are upset by the changes, they are probably just as many that will say "OK...Cool...we will get to see something we didn't plan on". If you board the ship with the attitude that your cruise is ruined...you will just be wasting your time and money. If you really can't accept this, cancel and rebook something that....hopefully....won't change their intinerary before it sails (or after),

[TrinaLC]

but those poor folks who booked 5 nights in Bermuda & got East Coast of Canada instead. Far from sunny, warm waters, great pool days, when all they got was windy rainy cold days.

 

I was thinking the exact same thing!!

 

We did Canada last year (on purpose though) and I couldn't believe how cold, rainy and foggy it could be in late july/early august!

[Ocean Boy]

The only thing I don't understand is how people seem to take a change such as this and personalize it...."I'VE been to X island X number of times.....I planned my cruise around this itinerary....I..I...I!!!

Are you somhow implying that when someone books a vacation it should not have to do with what "I", or that, particular person is looking for??? Are not vacations supposed to be about you and your family?:confused:

[Lou_70]

Sheesh folks I just went to the bathroom and a BULB burnt out...

 

I swear it was the WORST BATHROOM VISIT I HAVE EVER HAD... I am gonna call the light company, the light bulb manufacturers and my local electrician...

 

SOMEONE IS GONNA PAY

[Retired not Expired]

Sheesh folks I just went to the bathroom and a BULB burnt out...

 

I swear it was the WORST BATHROOM VISIT I HAVE EVER HAD... I am gonna call the light company, the light bulb manufacturers and my local electrician...

 

SOMEONE IS GONNA PAY

 

And I hope you find RELIEF.:D

[CPT Trips]

Sheesh folks I just went to the bathroom and a BULB burnt out...

 

I swear it was the WORST BATHROOM VISIT I HAVE EVER HAD... I am gonna call the light company, the light bulb manufacturers and my local electrician...

 

SOMEONE IS GONNA PAY

Well, at least we know you aren't "full of..." :)

[Charles4515]

Are you somhow implying that when someone books a vacation it should not have to do with what "I", or that, particular person is looking for??? Are not vacations supposed to be about you and your family?:confused:

 

Of course they should look at the itinerary but it is in the nature of cruising that the itinerary of a cruise is subject to change. I have been on 21 cruises and I have seen a lot of changes in itinerary. Weather was the biggest factor followed closely by human factor. The human factor was people getting sick and even dying. This year I lost a day at St. George, Bermuda because of having to return early as there was a hurricane along the east coast. Also arrived two hours late at first port because of a passenger heart attack when we had to turn back to New York. We only lost a couple of hours since we did not end up going all the way back, the person died. The year before we arrived six hours late at St. Maartin on one of my cruises because of a medical emergency. My vacations were not ruined by these itinerary changes. If you are heart set on a certain port I suggest you do it on a land vacation because you are never going to have a guaranteed itinerary on a cruise vacation. In this case at least they can cancel. I don't think they should because Mariner of the Seas is a great destination itself, I was just on it a couple of weeks ago.

[shirleygr]

Shirley from the Enchantment here. I am so sorry to hear about your itinerary change. First we missed Cozumel and now you get this. :( I think if you are going to stay with this cruise, staying on the ship and enjoying all the distractions is has to offer may be your best bet. I remember how supportive you were when we thought we had to change our plans with the girls for the Enchantment, so I wanted to chime in here with some empathy instead of flaming you. Anywho, I hope you and your family have a great time in spite of this change. I found it helps to remember that at least I am on a cruise and don't have to cook, clean or do laundry and I get to eat a hot meal for a change. :) Have a wonderful holiday.

[vikeqn]

For the record I am not asking for compensation of any kind. I am just disappointed with San Juan after 4 pm at night. The ship gets in at 4 and off the ship by?? My whole point is there is not much to do in San Juan after 4 pm. I know itineraries change.

Thank you for all your responses - I agree after rereading that I am acting like a drama queen - I was just really bummed out. Heaven forbid I guess I am not allowed to be disappointed cause worse stuff has happened to most of you. My sympathies to all of you who have suffered worse fates.

I am out of here. Off to church and then on a jet with the family to Vegas for 5 days. Maybe I will win money. HAHA

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and than you again for putting this into perspective.

[PhoenixCruiser]

Good luck in Vegas!! I hope you win big :D :D

 

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[Lou_70]

bet on black

[macgirl]

Check this out. We were supposed to get married in Key West on Tues, Jan. 3. We found out on Dec. 16 that RCCL had changed the itin and we are now stopping in Key West on Sat, Jan. 7 instead. Thank God I hired a great wedding coordinator in Key West, and she is frantically working to get everything rebooked. As of now I still don't have a photographer, but am sure I will by then.

 

As if that wasn't bad enough, the clerk's office is closed on Saturday, so we couldn't get a marriage license and have had to hire a company to do it by mail which cost me a lot more money. I had one week to get all this straightened out.

 

But I knew planning a port wedding off the ship was risky, and had to roll with the punches. But I must say, I thought that I was safe once the trip was 2 weeks away, that was quite a shocker.