OBC for Central Park and Boardwalk

[tinkertwo]

Has anyone seen the $50 OBC that was promised for these cabins?  My email said they would be posted on the 11th but I don't see anything on either of my cruises.  Just wondering if anyone has.  

[gcbranscome]

I just checked my account, and the $50 has not been added to my OBC yet either. 

Edited October 12, 2019 by gcbranscome

[Maplemoose]

Same here. I DID get an email from them yesterday unsolicited which contained a Cruise Vacation Receipt (invoice) so I figured that was because of OBC but it was not mentioned. As per another thread here it should show up at the top of the Cruise Planner when you first click on it. 

[tinkertwo]

Anyone see it yet?

[Sherri914]

Not yet.  And I called today.  Spoke to a "supervisor".  She told me  "we actually have no anticipated date that this will be applied to passenger accounts.  Another department handles this, and we can't get in touch with them directly."   So I mentioned the two different emails from RC saying the credit would be applied on two different dates (first one was 9/20/19, second promised date was 10/11/19).   She said "actually nobody has received the credit yet because ..." (and this I found this completely unbelievable so I had her repeat it 3X)...   "another passenger hasn't responded to the email saying if they wanted the credit or the package, so nobody's credit has been applied yet."    I literally shook my head when I heard it.  I thought perhaps she was referring to the other person on my reservation (which didn't make sense either), so I asked for clarification.  She repeated it two more times.  "Another passenger" (singular, not plural) failed to respond.  I then mentioned the deadline for responses which was October 4th.   She agreed, but continued to repeat that "another passenger" and this time went further to say "on another sailing" didn't respond, so they couldn't apply the credits to anyone yet.  When I told her i found that to be very odd, she went silent.  Nothing was said for at least 30 seconds... then she said "there's nothing I can do".   That was it.  End of conversation.  I was polite, she was polite, but absolutely no resolution.  They went from promising it on a specific date, to moving the date, to telling me it would be applied that day (the 11th when I called because it wasn't yet applied) to telling me to be patient (on the 13th when it still hadn't been applied and I called again) to telling me there's no anticipated date that it will be applied and nothing can be done (today).

 

Oh, and I forgot to mention that before I spoke to the Supervisor, the regular CSR who first took the call informed me that I already had received my $50 OBC.   What he was seeing was a DIFFERENT $50 OBC in my account.  After explaining this to him, he then put me on a 20 minute hold to confer with his supervisor.  He came back and said I would have to be patient, there's a delay, but it would eventually be applied.   

 

I found this to be poor customer service all the way around, so much so that I got her name and penned an email to corporate to ask for clarification and voice my displeasure at having had to call multiple times asking for what had been promised, in writing, on two different dates.  

 

Crickets.   No response whatsoever.  Not even an 'thank you for emailing but there's nothing we can do'.  

[Maplemoose]

Certainly a line of BS about waiting for someone to decide! The email stated that if no reply was received then the default would be the $50 OBC as opposed to the grandfathered perk. 

 

"If you don't select an option by the date above, we will take that as you have selected the Onboard Credit and we will add it to your booking by October 11th" .

[Sherri914]

15 hours ago, Maplemoose said:

Certainly a line of BS about waiting for someone to decide! The email stated that if no reply was received then the default would be the $50 OBC as opposed to the grandfathered perk. 

 

"If you don't select an option by the date above, we will take that as you have selected the Onboard Credit and we will add it to your booking by October 11th" .

 

That's the exact line I read to the "supervisor" yesterday, and she said "there's nothing I can do".  

 

[AlohaBoundHK]

Wow, what a Royal mess...I hope they can get this straightened out soon! We are sailing in 27 days, and I do not want to have to deal with this after boarding.  I completed the form request via the RCL link, and got the same messages as shown above.  At the very least, I would like to have the original CPB deal, but I would much rather have the OBC as promised!

[Grandma Petania]

We will be sailing in a CP balcony on Allure on November 17, 2019.  Have not received any mention of choice between “normal” perks and $50 OBC.  Would prefer the OBC, but don’t know how to choose that.

[rhuntington3]

5 hours ago, Grandma Petania said:

We will be sailing in a CP balcony on Allure on November 17, 2019.  Have not received any mention of choice between “normal” perks and $50 OBC.  Would prefer the OBC, but don’t know how to choose that.

The discontinuation starts in January 2020 so your sailing is not affected.  You’ll get what ever perks you had when you booked your cabin.

[Illbcruzn4life]

after reading this thread I went into my account and my $50 OBC I opted for was on my account.

[Grandma Petania]

15 hours ago, AlohaBoundHK said:

Wow, what a Royal mess...I hope they can get this straightened out soon! We are sailing in 27 days, and I do not want to have to deal with this after boarding.  I completed the form request via the RCL link, and got the same messages as shown above.  At the very least, I would like to have the original CPB deal, but I would much rather have the OBC as promised!

 

3 hours ago, rhuntington3 said:

The discontinuation starts in January 2020 so your sailing is not affected.  You’ll get what ever perks you had when you booked your cabin.

 

Replying to rhuntington3:  AlohaBoundHK mentions that they will be sailing in 27 days, and that she/he had completed the form request via the RCL link, so it seems that RCI has offered the OBC to some who are sailing before January 2020 when the OBC becomes automatic.  I haven’t gotten any emails, but they might have been sent to the TA that I booked through.  I have emailed her with my questions, and hope to get an answer soon.

 

P.S.  While I was composing my post, someone else just posted that they now have the credit they opted for.

Edited October 18, 2019 by Grandma Petania

[Grandma Petania]

The original thread announcing the discontinued perks contains RCI’s walking back the decision.  I just read all 17 pages, and it seems that they are offering the option of accepting the $50 OBC or keeping their original perks.  I chose the OBC since I don’t drink wine, and I can get a good lunch without extra charge.  I’ll use it to help pay gratuities.

Edited October 18, 2019 by Grandma Petania

[AlohaBoundHK]

Grandma Petania, we are on the Harmony sailing just before yours...Nov 10.  I, too, followed the link in the original thread about the dc’d perks...this was weeks ago.  Just checked and no credit yet.  I kept a copy of the response stating that I would be credited by 11/10.  I may try and call RCI, but I do not want to waste time. I will report back if any progress...

[rhuntington3]

If you read the first post in the 17 page thread...

 

Known as DINE • DRINK • DISCOVER program, Royal Caribbean will remove the program on all sailings departing on and after January 1, 2020.

Guests booked prior to September 18, 2019 in neighborhood balconies sailing from January 1, 2020 through April 2021 will receive a $50 non-refundable Onboard Credit per stateroom, as a consolation for the policy change.  Anyone booked on sailings from January 1, 2020 and after, following the announcement, will not qualify.

 

And the email I got...

 

Dear Guest,

We can't wait to have you onboard Allure of the Seas! Before we set sail, we have changes to our Central Park Neighborhood Balcony offerings to share with you.

Beginning January 2020, we've discontinued our DINE - DRINK - DISCOVER program. Instead, we'll add a $50 Onboard Credit to your booking by Friday, September 20th, 2019, to help make up for the discontinuation of this program. Your Onboard Credit is per stateroom and can only be used on your Central Park Balcony stateroom.

So, for your upcoming Allure of the Seas, October 25, 2020 sailing, you'll get to use this onboard credit where you want and how you want! No limits - oh yeah! And, you'll still be able to enjoy incredible views of our distinct neighborhood from your stateroom. We're confident you'll have an amazing time and consider this your home away from home.

Thank you for your understanding. We look forward to having you onboard soon!

Sincerely,

Royal Caribbean International

 

See the first sentence:  Beginning January 2020...

 

Sailings this year are NOT affected.  This is for sailings between 1/1/2020 and 4/2021.   That being said, my sailing on on Allure for 10/25/2020 that I booked back in May 2019, I just got an updated invoice that now shows a $50 OBC.

[Sherri914]

UPDATE to my above post....

 

Finally, yesterday afternoon I received a call from RCI Corporate Office.  The gentleman said the responses were overwhelming from people who chose the OBC rather than keeping the perk.  (Clearly they underestimated the magnitude of making this change -- and the application of the customers' choices.  Initially, after giving the option to keep the perk OR accept OBC, they only allowed themselves 7 days to apply any requested OBC.) 

 

The CSR Supervisor who stated that the hold-up was due to "another passenger" not having responded was inaccurate, and she would be corrected.  She was also incorrect in saying "no OBC had been applied to any passenger accounts" as yet.  In fact, they're working thru the list of those who opted OBC, and those will all be applied.    She was correct that there isn't a published date by when all requested OBC will be applied, but he was able to look at my reservation and see that I am still on the list of those waiting for it to be applied to our accounts. 

 

My suggestion to him (and he agreed) is that Royal needs to send out an update to everyone to let them know that this process is more time-consuming than originally anticipated, but that the credits are being applied and will take several more weeks (or whatever) to complete.   A little HONEST communication goes a long way in customer service.  

[rhuntington3]

The $50.00 OBC has been added to both of my 2020 sailings.  Double check your Cruise Planner today!

[Sherri914]

1 minute ago, rhuntington3 said:

The $50.00 OBC has been added to both of my 2020 sailings.  Double check your Cruise Planner today!

Still not there -- but based on my conversation yesterday with corporate, I'm sure it'll show up soon.  😉   Glad you got yours though!

[3eaglesfam]

My $50.00 was there today..

[Tree_skier]

Mine showed up today. 😁

[Illbcruzn4life]

2 hours ago, Sherri914 said:

UPDATE to my above post....

 

Finally, yesterday afternoon I received a call from RCI Corporate Office.  The gentleman said the responses were overwhelming from people who chose the OBC rather than keeping the perk.  (Clearly they underestimated the magnitude of making this change -- and the application of the customers' choices.  Initially, after giving the option to keep the perk OR accept OBC, they only allowed themselves 7 days to apply any requested OBC.) 

 

The CSR Supervisor who stated that the hold-up was due to "another passenger" not having responded was inaccurate, and she would be corrected.  She was also incorrect in saying "no OBC had been applied to any passenger accounts" as yet.  In fact, they're working thru the list of those who opted OBC, and those will all be applied.    She was correct that there isn't a published date by when all requested OBC will be applied, but he was able to look at my reservation and see that I am still on the list of those waiting for it to be applied to our accounts. 

 

My suggestion to him (and he agreed) is that Royal needs to send out an update to everyone to let them know that this process is more time-consuming than originally anticipated, but that the credits are being applied and will take several more weeks (or whatever) to complete.   A little HONEST communication goes a long way in customer service.  

 

Any communication at all would be welcomed by me.

 

To this day I have never received one email even stating that there was a change in the program.

 

I do get all the ads about the fake sales though.

[NCMtnBoys]

Ours was added today.

[tvlworm]

9 hours ago, rhuntington3 said:

The $50.00 OBC has been added to both of my 2020 sailings.  Double check your Cruise Planner today!

Where in cruise planner would this be listed by chance?  Is my trip too far out to see it yet?  We’re still 135 days away, so no big deal just not sure where I’ll see it. 

Edited October 19, 2019 by tvlworm

[rhuntington3]

Yes, it is shown at the top of your Cruise Planner.  It will be along the top.

Edited October 19, 2019 by rhuntington3

[Maplemoose]

I had it added to my cruise planner and also they sent a CVR/invoice at the same time which included it.