Deceptive Advertising by Royal Carribean

[azarak]

Oh wow. What a thread. I personally have only cancelled 1 cruise (with CCL) and I did not get a refund but my $500 deposit was held for 2 years to apply to a new cruise. We applied it literally 2 years later and everything worked out great. As for itinerary changes... That's a different story. I've gone from an Eastern itinerary to a Western last year (hurricanes). I've had a port cancelled and we returned to the exact same port we had just been at the day before. I've had ports just cancelled and we never went to another port. I know when I book a cruise all I can do is hope we go to the ports we booked but if for some reason they change, hey I'm on a cruise. Who cares! In regards to Miami being a port of call I personally would use that as an explore the ship day and take advantage of onboard activities and events. I've been to Miami many times and I would prefer the ship--but I wouldn't explode and threaten a law suit. But then again, that's just my opinion. Take it for what it's worth.

[Bloodgem]

Perhaps I'm missing something. The OP books a non-refundable cruise for his honeymoon? :confused:

I'm assuming that the OP did not take out insurance, either, as the OP would not be moaning about losing $800. Surely as it is his honeymoon he would have either booked a refundable cruise or taken out "cancel for any reason" trip insurance. Especially as he promised his wife they would go to the Bahamas for their honeymoon.

What kind of message does this send to his bride? :confused:

It would have been a nice goodwill gesture from RCI to refund his deposit but legally he is not entitled to a refund as he booked a non-refundable cruise.

[sfaaa]

Perhaps I'm missing something. .

 

Something is definitely missing. Firstly, OP cannot get his math straight about his $800 vs $500 financial loss claim. He has since gone MIA after throwing an internet rage on CC. OP also claimed RCCL is being unreasonable and heavy handed to him but that's just a one sided blanket statement without much detail as to why RCCL refused to play ball with him. There are definitely some holes in his story that need further explaination.

[ryano]

There is someone on this forum (cant remember exactly who) that is like 0 for 4 when it comes to Coco Cay. Ive never saw them complain or call it deceptive advertising though. Im 1 for 2. Honestly, since Ive "been there and done that" I would rather go to Miami. Ive never been there before.

[Domino D]

Perhaps I'm missing something. The OP books a non-refundable cruise for his honeymoon? :confused:

Especially as he promised his wife they would go to the Bahamas for their honeymoon.

What kind of message does this send to his bride? :confused:

 

I was confused because the screen name made it sound like this was not a first marriage, but this is a rookie husband mistake. No experienced husband would ever make a decision or book anything. We have no opinion, and don't do anything until specifically instructed, even then we can end up in trouble.

 

 

 

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[nolesrule]

There is someone on this forum (cant remember exactly who) that is like 0 for 4 when it comes to Coco Cay. Ive never saw them complain or call it deceptive advertising though. Im 1 for 2. Honestly, since Ive "been there and done that" I would rather go to Miami. Ive never been there before.

 

People feel differently about different ports. I'm 5 for 5 at Coco Cay. And I've been to Miami a few times. I'd rather go back to Coco Cay, even with the jellyfish. I can't stand Miami, but maybe that's because I grew up on the west coast of Florida.

 

 

They need to add a "shrug" smilie.

[papaflamingo]

Everyone seems to talk a lot about "goodwill." First, Royal Caribbean went to non-refundable deposits because many people were booking numerous cruises, holding prime cabins out of inventory, then 60-90 days out, when Final Payment came due, they would dump all but the cruise they wanted. Then, Royal Caribbean (and all the cruise lines) had excess inventory suddenly open up. People who booked a different cruise because the one they wanted was booked, people who took cabins not as desirable, etc. lost out. Plus, the NRD is generally considerably cheaper than the Refundable Deposit. Just like hotels, etc. If the OP had booked the Atlantis Hotel, with an NRD, and decided to cancel his honeymoon, he'd lose his deposit and no one would bat an eye. Why is it different for a cruiseline?

As for "goodwill." Where is THAT line drawn. We see posts all the time "I got sick, didn't have insurance and they wouldn't refund my money. What about the goodwill?" "My girlfriend and I broke up and I have to cancel my cruise and can't get a refund. What about the goodwill?" "My vacation was cancelled and I don't have insurance to cover it and they won't refund my money. What about the goodwill?" "It rained on sailaway and I didn't see Ft. Lauderdale in the sunshine and the only reason I booked the cruise was for the sailaway. I want money back. What about the goodwill?"

If you think you might, for any reason, cancel a cruise, hotel, airline flight, don't buy a nonrefundable rate, and buy travel insurance. I always take out cruise insurance. To be very honest, if a cruiseline refunded for illness, disappointment, missed ports, vacation cancellations, etc. how is that "fair" to those of us who pay for insurance? Like others have said, it sets a precedence. What then becomes the "event" that is worthy of a free cancellation regardless of rate rules?

[pingpong1]

Papaflamingo - +10

[grapau27]

Everyone seems to talk a lot about "goodwill." First, Royal Caribbean went to non-refundable deposits because many people were booking numerous cruises, holding prime cabins out of inventory, then 60-90 days out, when Final Payment came due, they would dump all but the cruise they wanted. Then, Royal Caribbean (and all the cruise lines) had excess inventory suddenly open up. People who booked a different cruise because the one they wanted was booked, people who took cabins not as desirable, etc. lost out. Plus, the NRD is generally considerably cheaper than the Refundable Deposit. Just like hotels, etc. If the OP had booked the Atlantis Hotel, with an NRD, and decided to cancel his honeymoon, he'd lose his deposit and no one would bat an eye. Why is it different for a cruiseline?

As for "goodwill." Where is THAT line drawn. We see posts all the time "I got sick, didn't have insurance and they wouldn't refund my money. What about the goodwill?" "My girlfriend and I broke up and I have to cancel my cruise and can't get a refund. What about the goodwill?" "My vacation was cancelled and I don't have insurance to cover it and they won't refund my money. What about the goodwill?" "It rained on sailaway and I didn't see Ft. Lauderdale in the sunshine and the only reason I booked the cruise was for the sailaway. I want money back. What about the goodwill?"

If you think you might, for any reason, cancel a cruise, hotel, airline flight, don't buy a nonrefundable rate, and buy travel insurance. I always take out cruise insurance. To be very honest, if a cruiseline refunded for illness, disappointment, missed ports, vacation cancellations, etc. how is that "fair" to those of us who pay for insurance? Like others have said, it sets a precedence. What then becomes the "event" that is worthy of a free cancellation regardless of rate rules?

We have never had non refundable deposits in the UK and have missed out on prime Suites because they were taken possibly by people who had no intention of keeping them.

[grapau27]

We have never had non refundable deposits in the UK and have missed out on prime Suites because they were taken possibly by people who had no intention of keeping them.

We have never had REFUNDABLE deposits in the UK and have missed out on prime Suites etc because they were booked up possibly by people who had no intention of keeping them.

[myfuzzy]

WOW, just WOW. I have never been to Coco Cay, but I have been cruising for 30 years. IF a port is so important to visit. Just fly to the destination and spend all your time there. Bahamas...MEH, can do without it. Other islands in the Caribbean that offer more and are much better beaches, along with warmer, calmer waters.

 

I confess, I didn't read all the posts, but what I saw was "Honeymoon, wife, $800 vs $500, Lawsuits, Miami. Its a cruise, you don't get to one island, go to another, for pete's sake...Sounds like a one post complainer.......moveing on..........

[KevinKruzer]

The contract is to protect Royal "legally", of course. But, just because they aren't legally required to accommodate the OP ( or others) doesn't mean that it isn't the "right" thing to do in this case.

 

 

 

Not EVERY consumer is as brilliant and savvy as all the Militantly Loyal Royal fanboys & girls on CC (re: travel insurance or refundable vs non-refundable, etc). Yes, you can say (and many have in one form or another) in essence- TOUGH LUCK- GO pound sand & READ your contract..... That is the wrong approach for Royal in this scenario, imo, as it's laid out, considering:

 

 

 

-It appears that port (CoCo Cay) was a BIG reason for that specific booking. Is it really a shock to some that itineraries (or ships or embarkation port) are reasons some pick a sailing?

-He asked to switch to later date to ensure that port. (this far out from sail date seems like a win-win )

-Seems like he jumped on the issue ASAP after hearing of the change, 5 or more months BEFORE sail date.

 

This is a scenario where Royal SHOULD be flexible if there ever was one..... The only exception would be if that & all near future cruises on same ship/itinerary are all sold out (which is extremely unlikely). Not everyone (me included) reads or understands EVERYTHING in the contracts..... In recent years- I have had things fixed (APPLE, FORD, to name two) that were not under warranty still but because they felt the nature of the repair was the right thing to do... Name two companies that I continue to do business with (professionally & personally)?

 

 

Contracts are legally binding. But, many good businesses that care about their reputation and retaining customers negotiate and make exceptions EVERY day. So to those RCCL Loyalists that say "if they make an exception for him, they will have to do it for EVERYONE"..... Nonsense. "Precedents" are set every day in business to make or keep deals. I bet if he escalates this thing 1 level it will get resolved. The quip in OP about lawsuit I took as him venting......not actually trying to get a lawsuit going...

 

 

 

We may not know the whole story, but if this case is nothing more than a guy booking his honeymoon (and paying in full) 5-6 months ahead of time and immediately asking for help as soon as he hears his main reason (bahamas/coco cay) for booking is in jeopardy- what reputable business wouldn't try to help him?

[CruiseGal999]

So you'd be fine if you booked a cruise to Aruba but 4 months before the cruise they changed the port to Nassau:confused:? Yes, I get that they can change the ports and that sometimes it has to happen. All I'm saying is it would be nice if they offered anyone who wanted to cancel because of the change to do so without penalty, including receiving a full refund. The sticking point is the non-refundable deposit, because if it were not for that the OP could cancel and receive his deposit back. The cruise has changed from what he booked and because of that Royal should waive the non-refundable deposit, which was made for a different itinerary. Can Royal be forced to do this? I have my doubts. But I still think it's the right thing for them to do from a customer service standpoint.

 

Now multiply this 'good will' theory to THOUSANDS or 10s of thousands of people ... it would be impossible to keep everything straight, and the money would be a mess.

 

As it has been said before, this isn't ONLY RCI's policy ... it's standard throughout the industry. It is wholly user (cruiser) error.

[lazydayz]

Now multiply this 'good will' theory to THOUSANDS or 10s of thousands of people ... it would be impossible to keep everything straight, and the money would be a mess.

 

As it has been said before, this isn't ONLY RCI's policy ... it's standard throughout the industry. It is wholly user (cruiser) error.

 

If Carnival changes an itinerary, it allows cruisers a brief window to cancel. Royal SHOULD do the same thing here. It created this mess and can easily fix it.

[Merion_Mom]

If Carnival changes an itinerary, it allows cruisers a brief window to cancel. Royal SHOULD do the same thing here. It created this mess and can easily fix it.

Carnival also limits how many drinks you can have per day with your beverage package.

 

Do you want Royal Caribbean to adopt THAT Carnival policy, too?

[KevinKruzer]

Now multiply this 'good will' theory to THOUSANDS or 10s of thousands of people ... it would be impossible to keep everything straight, and the money would be a mess.

 

As it has been said before, this isn't ONLY RCI's policy ... it's standard throughout the industry. It is wholly user (cruiser) error.

 

First of all, most transactions DON'T have issues... Second, why do you think they have a customer service department? To correct the mistakes, misunderstandings, etc.....to keep customers satisfied through good will accommodations. Especially when it doesn't cost them anything (such as switching from a cruise 5 months out to one 6 months out)

[nelblu]

The contract is to protect Royal "legally", of course. But, just because they aren't legally required to accommodate the OP ( or others) doesn't mean that it isn't the "right" thing to do in this case.

 

 

 

Not EVERY consumer is as brilliant and savvy as all the Militantly Loyal Royal fanboys & girls on CC (re: travel insurance or refundable vs non-refundable, etc). Yes, you can say (and many have in one form or another) in essence- TOUGH LUCK- GO pound sand & READ your contract..... That is the wrong approach for Royal in this scenario, imo, as it's laid out, considering:

 

 

 

-It appears that port (CoCo Cay) was a BIG reason for that specific booking. Is it really a shock to some that itineraries (or ships or embarkation port) are reasons some pick a sailing?

-He asked to switch to later date to ensure that port. (this far out from sail date seems like a win-win )

-Seems like he jumped on the issue ASAP after hearing of the change, 5 or more months BEFORE sail date.

 

This is a scenario where Royal SHOULD be flexible if there ever was one..... The only exception would be if that & all near future cruises on same ship/itinerary are all sold out (which is extremely unlikely). Not everyone (me included) reads or understands EVERYTHING in the contracts..... In recent years- I have had things fixed (APPLE, FORD, to name two) that were not under warranty still but because they felt the nature of the repair was the right thing to do... Name two companies that I continue to do business with (professionally & personally)?

 

 

Contracts are legally binding. But, many good businesses that care about their reputation and retaining customers negotiate and make exceptions EVERY day. So to those RCCL Loyalists that say "if they make an exception for him, they will have to do it for EVERYONE"..... Nonsense. "Precedents" are set every day in business to make or keep deals. I bet if he escalates this thing 1 level it will get resolved. The quip in OP about lawsuit I took as him venting......not actually trying to get a lawsuit going...

 

 

 

We may not know the whole story, but if this case is nothing more than a guy booking his honeymoon (and paying in full) 5-6 months ahead of time and immediately asking for help as soon as he hears his main reason (bahamas/coco cay) for booking is in jeopardy- what reputable business wouldn't try to help him?

 

Jeez! You are so verbose. Read papaflaming post # 157 for all of the possible reasons.

[myfuzzy]

Deleted

Edited August 13, 2018 by myfuzzy

[Merion_Mom]

First of all, most transactions DON'T have issues... Second, why do you think they have a customer service department? To correct the mistakes, misunderstandings, etc.....to keep customers satisfied through good will accommodations. Especially when it doesn't cost them anything (such as switching from a cruise 5 months out to one 6 months out)

And what happens if the construction isn't finished and that six-month-out cruise has a change in itinerary?

[sparks1093]

Now multiply this 'good will' theory to THOUSANDS or 10s of thousands of people ... it would be impossible to keep everything straight, and the money would be a mess.

 

As it has been said before, this isn't ONLY RCI's policy ... it's standard throughout the industry. It is wholly user (cruiser) error.

 

No, it's not industry practice, when Carnival changed the itineraries for many ships and changing the port permanently they gave all passengers the ability to cancel with full refund, even those with non-refundable deposits.

[CruiseGal999]

Originally posted by CruiseGal999 Now multiply this 'good will' theory to THOUSANDS or 10s of thousands of people ... it would be impossible to keep everything straight, and the money would be a mess.

 

As it has been said before, this isn't ONLY RCI's policy ... it's standard throughout the industry. It is wholly user (cruiser) error.

 

 

First of all, most transactions DON'T have issues... Second, why do you think they have a customer service department? To correct the mistakes, misunderstandings, etc.....to keep customers satisfied through good will accommodations. Especially when it doesn't cost them anything (such as switching from a cruise 5 months out to one 6 months out)

 

My point is IF they change the policy to what this OP wants (and apparently many others) to make a res., put a deposit and change willy nilly at your whim. THAT would create a Walmart atmosphere. Buy, change your mind, return. It would THEN become 10s of thousands reserving, putting a temporary deposit and changing at will. It is ridiculous to think a business should be run this way.

[John&LaLa]

Carnival also limits how many drinks you can have per day with your beverage package.

 

Do you want Royal Caribbean to adopt THAT Carnival policy, too?

Yes, they should limit loyalty lounge drinks also.

 

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

[myfuzzy]

Originally posted by CruiseGal999 Now multiply this 'good will' theory to THOUSANDS or 10s of thousands of people ... it would be impossible to keep everything straight, and the money would be a mess.

 

As it has been said before, this isn't ONLY RCI's policy ... it's standard throughout the industry. It is wholly user (cruiser) error.

 

 

 

 

My point is IF they change the policy to what this OP wants (and apparently many others) to make a res., put a deposit and change willy nilly at your whim. THAT would create a Walmart atmosphere. Buy, change your mind, return. It would THEN become 10s of thousands reserving, putting a temporary deposit and changing at will. It is ridiculous to think a business should be run this way.

 

Thank you, you pretty much watered down what I previously deleted.

[Mikew0805]

I agree with the OP and the cruise industry is full of deceptive practices. First, any cruise line should be required by law to refund your fare 100% if they sail full or re-book your cabin. It is just wrong to take money for no service when another cruiser took your spot and I do one day expect a class action suit along those lines for many industries.

 

When major points of the cruise change, cruisers should be offered a full refund and I do not care what the contract says, it is just good business practice. If a cruise line ever comes along who does that, the rest will have to fall in line or go out of business.

I do think the OP overreacted though, Ports are such a small part of why I cruise.

CCL already does when it is before the cruise date, and they are responsible. (That is the case here no matter what cheerleaders might say... this delay is the fault of RCI, as they planned, and hired the contractors)

 

They could do that, but that would mean higher fares for all of us. By offering non-refundable fares they create stability and predictability in their goal of booking the entire ship. The ability to make changes on a whim is there for those that desire it, in the form of fully refundable fares (non-suites), but this creates volatility that translates into higher fares.

 

Make no mistake. They are a business first and always. They have shareholders and are accountable to generate a profit, not have an half empty ship operating at a loss.

 

Everyone loves cheap fares but with those fares comes terms and conditions. Don't like those terms and conditions? Don't book those fares, and that includes suites.

 

Nah.. it does not mean higher fares. We are talking about rare instances where the line changes the itinerary long before the cruise.

[Mikew0805]

A lot of posters think that the cruise lines should waive the non-refundable deposit for OP. However, that sets a precedent to waive every non-refundable deposit every time there is an itinerary change any time in the future. This isn't just a $800 loss to the cruise lines. If this policy that some prefer was in place, the cruise lines would lose a lot more than that. Far more than they would gain in good will.

 

1st. Aww poor cruise line.

 

2nd. And more importantly... NO it does not! It would set a precedent every time there is an itinerary change that is the fault of the line. (Mechanical, over promising, over booking, re-deployments, etc.) However not for weather, not unsafe conditions, not man overboard, not medical evacuations etc.