RCI last minute cruise cancellations

[ramrax4]

We are currently booked on the VOS, this will be our second cruise with RCI and our first to the Mediterranean.

 

While we are very excited I am somewhat guarded. It seems that Royal Caribbean thinks nothing of cancelling cruises with no consideration for it's guests and the expenses associated as a result of those cancellations.

 

We do have travel insurance as well as flight protection but as others have posted the insurance is not covering cancellations initiated by the cruise line. It seems to me that this is bad business and I will hesitate to book another RCI cruise after this one because of this issue.

 

 

I know it happens on other cruise lines as well but it seems to me that RCI has a higher rate of cancellation than the other lines. I do not say this lightly, I have experienced it first hand through friends who were given no explanation just a notice that their vacation plans were now cancelled. This was to be their first cruise and it left a very bad impression of the cruise industry overall and I don't blame them.

 

So my question is....am alone in this or do others see this as an issue as well?

[Oceansaway17]

I agree with you!!!!!. And I think another thread is sharing same concern (being tossed of Vision). If they booked a charter that is wrong for them to do. Charters should be scheduled a year or more out by the cruise line. And a charter could always be just say 500 not the whole darn ship.

 

I bet if a ship is not booking well, they go and hunt for charters to save them. Just not nice.

 

Disney won't do this and their ships are very nice and also good for adults too. One ship that goes out 99% full all the time is NCL Pride of America in Hawaii. I have heard good things about the cruise but they have no casino and very port heavy.

 

well good luck.

[Milwaukee Eight]

I agree with you!!!!!. And I think another thread is sharing same concern (being tossed of Vision). If they booked a charter that is wrong for them to do. Charters should be scheduled a year or more out by the cruise line. And a charter could always be just say 500 not the whole darn ship.

 

I bet if a ship is not booking well, they go and hunt for charters to save them. Just not nice.

 

Disney won't do this and their ships are very nice and also good for adults too. One ship that goes out 99% full all the time is NCL Pride of America in Hawaii. I have heard good things about the cruise but they have no casino and very port heavy.

 

well good luck.

 

 

 

A Charter has to meet Royals revenue requirements. They have a target to meet on Alcohol sales as well. If a Charter only sales with 500 people, they still must pay Royal the Charter fee.

 

The best way to insure your cruise will not be sold to a Charter, book prime time cruises in high demand seasons. If Royal had a sold out cruise at higher fares, it’s not likely they would sale to a Charter

 

 

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[peach section]

 

We do have travel insurance as well as flight protection but as others have posted the insurance is not covering cancellations initiated by the cruise line....

 

?

 

Why wouldn’t travel insurance cover trip cancellation?

 

Is this only referring to insurance bought through the cruise line?

 

Thanks

[Thorben-Hendrik]

Totally agree!

[SRF]

I don't understand the comments that insurance would not cover if cruise line canceled.

 

During the hurricanes last year, the mantra was, insurance would not cover UNLESS the cruise line canceled.

 

Who has actually read their coverage? Or called their insurance provider.

[mjkacmom]

I don't understand the comments that insurance would not cover if cruise line canceled.

 

During the hurricanes last year, the mantra was, insurance would not cover UNLESS the cruise line canceled.

 

Who has actually read their coverage? Or called their insurance provider.

Insurance doesn’t pay out if a ship is chartered because the cruise line offers a full refund. I don’t think insurance pays for flights and hotels in this situation, because they haven’t been canceled. Most lines cancel cruises for charters 6+ months out. It’s a good idea to check previous years before booking a cruise.

 

The OP doesn’t need to worry, they’re not going to cancel a June cruise for a charter.

[mugtech]

:o

I agree with you!!!!!. And I think another thread is sharing same concern (being tossed of Vision). If they booked a charter that is wrong for them to do. Charters should be scheduled a year or more out by the cruise line. And a charter could always be just say 500 not the whole darn ship.

 

I bet if a ship is not booking well, they go and hunt for charters to save them. Just not nice.

 

Disney won't do this and their ships are very nice and also good for adults too. One ship that goes out 99% full all the time is NCL Pride of America in Hawaii. I have heard good things about the cruise but they have no casino and very port heavy.

 

well good luck.

I had a TA and a TP canceled within the last 9 months and charters had nothing to do with it.

[123funcruiser]

We are currently booked on the VOS, this will be our second cruise with RCI and our first to the Mediterranean.

 

While we are very excited I am somewhat guarded. It seems that Royal Caribbean thinks nothing of cancelling cruises with no consideration for it's guests and the expenses associated as a result of those cancellations.

 

We do have travel insurance as well as flight protection but as others have posted the insurance is not covering cancellations initiated by the cruise line. It seems to me that this is bad business and I will hesitate to book another RCI cruise after this one because of this issue.

 

 

I know it happens on other cruise lines as well but it seems to me that RCI has a higher rate of cancellation than the other lines. I do not say this lightly, I have experienced it first hand through friends who were given no explanation just a notice that their vacation plans were now cancelled. This was to be their first cruise and it left a very bad impression of the cruise industry overall and I don't blame them.

 

So my question is....am alone in this or do others see this as an issue as well?

 

It´s an issue in general - yes, but I don´t see this as something RCI specific. Every cruiseline does this. I have no data to say RCI is better or worse compared to other lines. It´s not keeping me from booking RCI or cruises in general.

 

IMO the chances of being hit by a charter are pretty low. Yes it sucks when it happens but the slim chance is nothing I lose sleep over.

[SRF]

Insurance doesn’t pay out if a ship is chartered because the cruise line offers a full refund. I don’t think insurance pays for flights and hotels in this situation, because they haven’t been canceled. Most lines cancel cruises for charters 6+ months out. It’s a good idea to check previous years before booking a cruise.

 

The OP doesn’t need to worry, they’re not going to cancel a June cruise for a charter.

 

I understand that the cruise would not be covered.

 

But if a hurricane hits and your cruise is canceled, the insurance covers the air and hotel you may have paid for.

[BekkaW]

A Radiance cruise was recently cancelled here due to mechanical issues. Royal gave a full refund plus full fare FCC and paid an amount (I think $200drom memory) towards other expenses such as flight changes.

 

It seemed pretty generous to me

[Ourusualbeach]

A Charter has to meet Royals revenue requirements. They have a target to meet on Alcohol sales as well. If a Charter only sales with 500 people, they still must pay Royal the Charter fee.

 

The best way to insure your cruise will not be sold to a Charter, book prime time cruises in high demand seasons. If Royal had a sold out cruise at higher fares, it’s not likely they would sale to a Charter

 

 

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Royal doesn’t care when it is. As long as the group can pay the fees Royal will charter it. Our March break cruise on Oasis in 2015 ended up being a full ship charter. I believe it was the first time someone had chartered an Oasis class ship.

[gatour]

I think the poster meant that the group would only be able to book 500 cabins, with the balance being used for "normal" passengers. Cruise lines already do this. A group can't justify chartering the whole ship, so they reserve a very large group of rooms. The issue is that they also reserve various normally public areas, for private functions. Then people come back to cruise critic complaining about not being able to use all of the facilities. Periodically threads pop up asking for help in how to figure out if there will be a large on a particular cruise.

 

Another problem with this idea, is that some charter groups are not conducive to intermingle with non-members.

 

A Charter has to meet Royals revenue requirements. They have a target to meet on Alcohol sales as well. If a Charter only sales with 500 people, they still must pay Royal the Charter fee.

 

The best way to insure your cruise will not be sold to a Charter, book prime time cruises in high demand seasons. If Royal had a sold out cruise at higher fares, it’s not likely they would sale to a Charter

 

 

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[Milwaukee Eight]

Royal doesn’t care when it is. As long as the group can pay the fees Royal will charter it. Our March break cruise on Oasis in 2015 ended up being a full ship charter. I believe it was the first time someone had chartered an Oasis class ship.

 

 

 

Let’s say less likely to be chartered.

 

Odds go down in prime season.

 

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[Milwaukee Eight]

I think the poster meant that the group would only be able to book 500 cabins, with the balance being used for "normal" passengers. Cruise lines already do this. A group can't justify chartering the whole ship, so they reserve a very large group of rooms. The issue is that they also reserve various normally public areas, for private functions. Then people come back to cruise critic complaining about not being able to use all of the facilities. Periodically threads pop up asking for help in how to figure out if there will be a large on a particular cruise.

 

 

 

Another problem with this idea, is that some charter groups are not conducive to intermingle with non-members.

 

 

 

That’s not a full ship Charter. That’s more like a group cruise.

 

 

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[Big_G]

 

I bet if a ship is not booking well, they go and hunt for charters to save them. Just not nice.

Is that really a thing? While there are plenty of ships to charter, is there really a market for the lines to go out and solicit people to charter if a ship is not selling well? I'm thinking they just lower their prices and that usually works.

 

 

 

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[Merion_Mom]

So much baseless conjecture and armchair quarterbacking on this thread, not to mention needless anxious hand-wringing.

[gatour]

Precisely. One of the posters basically suggested only allowing a group cruise after a certain date. Thus me bringing up the point that the group will be able to reserve certain lounges etc. Which will lead to further complaints about "groups taking over a ship". You trade one issue for another.

 

That’s not a full ship Charter. That’s more like a group cruise.

 

 

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