FCC Nightmare! Anyone success??

[AlohaLivin]

12 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

I’m not sure If is illegal or not.  Some cruise lines (not Royal) actually allow TA’s to mark up prices by a set amount and the markup is included in the cruise fare. So for example a cruise drops $500 in price per person, the TA passes along $250pp to the guest and the cruise line marks up the fare by $250pp.  

 

I suspect a lot more of this happened in the days before internet.  I can’t even fathom doing this as a TA and I suspect as M8 pointed out that those that do end up getting caught by customers doing their own price checks and wont long in the industry.  

 

Could you clue us in as to which cruise lines allow that? I would very much like to avoid those lines! OH please tell me NCL isn't one!!

[John&LaLa]

On 4/13/2020 at 7:52 PM, bonsai3s said:

 

Ourusualbeach...as always, we can count on you...thank you.

 

 

Ken is the new Bob

[AlohaLivin]

1 minute ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Ken is the new Bob

haha... both of them are definitely encyclopedia's!  Speaking of, where is Bob? 

[John&LaLa]

2 hours ago, AlohaLivin said:

I had it repriced (my request) a few times. But this makes me crazy. This isn’t close to okay, I can’t imagine that there are many TA’s who would do this. Surely this isn’t remotely kosher? Oh man, we so need another TA and fast since we just booked a very expensive cruise with this TA.

 

not going to lie, I did my google best to figure out a contact for you this morning 😂 I bombed 😧

 

Try again, dig deeper😉

[AlohaLivin]

14 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Try again, dig deeper😉

I dug to china and found the pot of gold or the rainbow or something (yes, it's not supposed to be in China, but hey that is my story and I'm sticking to it!) 😁

[LMaxwell]

2 hours ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

I just can’t see a TA that does this lasting. Eventually it is found out. 

 

Plenty of TA's advertise in my area in local news papers with rates that are OK, not the lowest, but they are good for a long time.  May be a group rate.  Either way, it is baked into the rate a safety net for the travel agent.  I can't imagine Royal just allows people to set their own rates without something in it for them as well. 

[Ourusualbeach]

1 hour ago, AlohaLivin said:

 

Could you clue us in as to which cruise lines allow that? I would very much like to avoid those lines! OH please tell me NCL isn't one!!

Princess is one that I know for sure.  

[Ourusualbeach]

16 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:

 

Plenty of TA's advertise in my area in local news papers with rates that are OK, not the lowest, but they are good for a long time.  May be a group rate.  Either way, it is baked into the rate a safety net for the travel agent.  I can't imagine Royal just allows people to set their own rates without something in it for them as well. 

If they are advertised for a long time they would be group rates. The thing with group rates is that you could have 5 TA’s all with group space and all at different group rates depending on when they created the group. The  earlier the group is booked the better the rate (usually).  Btw, group rates are not supposed to be publicly  advertised according to the agreement that the agents have signed with Royal, however many break that rule. 

Edited April 16, 2020 by Ourusualbeach

[AlohaLivin]

16 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

That is how it should be done. If the client provides a credit card the payment should go direct to Royal. 

 

I went to see the amount and the payee of balance on that Grandeur cruise at issue and found this craziness -

 

• RCL ran a charge for us for $ 6,170.86 (the balance per the TA). We had paid $200 deposit.
• But RCL's own invoice shows that the total price of the cruise was $5931.86
• Yet RCL's invoice shows that the payments made to them were totaled $5931.86 rather than the $6370.86 we actually paid (the $200 deposit paid at Next Cruise and then the final payment from the TA on our behalf of $ 6,170.86).  The CC shows RCL as the payee (not the TA).

 

What the heck? Did I just jump down the rabbit hole?

Edited April 16, 2020 by AlohaLivin

[Ourusualbeach]

7 minutes ago, AlohaLivin said:

 

I went to see the amount and the payee of balance on that Grandeur cruise at issue and found this craziness -

 

• RCL ran a charge for us for $ 6,170.86 (the balance per the TA). We had paid $200 deposit.
• But RCL's own invoice shows that the total price of the cruise was $5931.86
• Yet RCL's invoice shows that the payments made to them were totaled $5931.86 rather than the $6370.86 we actually paid (the $200 deposit paid at Next Cruise and then the final payment from the TA on our behalf of $ 6,170.86).  The CC shows RCL as the payee (not the TA).

 

What the heck? Did I just jump down the rabbit hole?

I think the only way to resolve this is a three way call with your TA and Royal.  

[AlohaLivin]

10 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

I think the only way to resolve this is a three way call with your TA and Royal.  

We have tried to contact him without success the last couple of days. I just sent an email CC'd to the company's owner. I will move up the 'chain' as necessary. It is just so unfair to spend time dealing with issues that shouldn't have happened in the first place if people would just do the right thing. 

 

I appreciate that you jumped in to help, you didn't have to but it has really helped me out a lot by feeling I wasn't quite as insane as I was feeling.  Thanks again, you really add so much to CC!

 

[Ourusualbeach]

10 minutes ago, AlohaLivin said:

We have tried to contact him without success the last couple of days. I just sent an email CC'd to the company's owner. I will move up the 'chain' as necessary. It is just so unfair to spend time dealing with issues that shouldn't have happened in the first place if people would just do the right thing. 

 

I appreciate that you jumped in to help, you didn't have to but it has really helped me out a lot by feeling I wasn't quite as insane as I was feeling.  Thanks again, you really add so much to CC!

 

If you don’t get a response from the owner, reach out to Royal, outline the steps that you have taken to contact the TA and owner and highlight the discrepancy and ask them for help.  They usually respond to clients with unresponsive TA’s. 

[MajorThor]

I chose the FCC originally for my April 4th cruise thinking two cruises would be great.  Rebooked for July paid cash deposit with the being told FCC can be applied retro.  Now July cruises canceled so moved to November cruise.  2 problems, my FCC for the really expensive April cruise is double the Nov cruise and I cannot take another cruise in 2021 with credits for trips from this year and bookings for next year non-cruise vacations. Second problem, I received my FCC, I booked and PAID for 4 people and only received FCC for three people AND the amounts confirmed with TA were wrong for the three people.  So after 52 minutes on the phone with the GREAT TA, RCI canceled my FCC and processed a cash refund.  Point being even after being issued FCC I was able to get a cash refund after all.  Just have to wait 30 days now.

[Ourusualbeach]

4 minutes ago, MajorThor said:

Point being even after being issued FCC I was able to get a cash refund after all.  Just have to wait 30 days now

You had until Dec  31 2021 to convert that FCZc to a cash refund.  New cancellations announced today are saying 45 days for a refund. 

[Milwaukee Eight]

16 minutes ago, MajorThor said:

I chose the FCC originally for my April 4th cruise thinking two cruises would be great.  Rebooked for July paid cash deposit with the being told FCC can be applied retro.  Now July cruises canceled so moved to November cruise.  2 problems, my FCC for the really expensive April cruise is double the Nov cruise and I cannot take another cruise in 2021 with credits for trips from this year and bookings for next year non-cruise vacations. Second problem, I received my FCC, I booked and PAID for 4 people and only received FCC for three people AND the amounts confirmed with TA were wrong for the three people.  So after 52 minutes on the phone with the GREAT TA, RCI canceled my FCC and processed a cash refund.  Point being even after being issued FCC I was able to get a cash refund after all.  Just have to wait 30 days now.

Please let us know when you get a full cash refund. 

[AlohaLivin]

3 hours ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

Please let us know when you get a full cash refund. 

 

@ MajorThor  Yes, please let us know. Apparently per the TA RCL has our FCC's and refunds listed, but we haven't been contact specifically about either FCC and only 1 of 3 expected refunds have hit. I feel for you, it's a lot of money to have out there in the mist.

[MajorThor]

@OurusualbeachYou had until Dec  31 2021 to convert that FCC to a cash refund.  New cancellations announced today are saying 45 days for a refund. 

 

You are correct, but I have $15000 in Trafalger credit from a canceled Italy/Sicily tour that has to be used and I already have a 14 day trip to Hawaii booked next year plus a week at WDW with my DVC membership in November next year.  The pushing the RCI cruise from April to July now to Nov this year, I cannot possibly get another cruise in next year to use the FCC anymore (the above trips are already cash outlay).  Therefore I had to request cash refund now instead of FCC.  But thank you for the tip.

 

 

[Ourusualbeach]

Deleted 

Edited April 17, 2020 by Ourusualbeach

[2flacruisers]

Finally received the refund of port charges/taxes...it showed up at the bank on April 5th and posted last night...about time, since we cancelled the cruise on March 13th....

 

[ashleyhaugh]

Here's a question for y'all experienced cruisers. Does the vacation protection plan go as a FCC, or does it get refunded with the taxes and fees?

[Ourusualbeach]

9 minutes ago, ashleyhaugh said:

Here's a question for y'all experienced cruisers. Does the vacation protection plan go as a FCC, or does it get refunded with the taxes and fees?

It gets refunded with the taxes. 

 

 

.My client purchased travel protection through Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Will the cost of it be refunded?

Yes, the full cost of the travel protection purchase will be refunded back to the original form of payment.

[ashleyhaugh]

@Ourusualbeach, thanks!

[zonacruiser25]

If we have to cancel our Allure cruises and opt for FCC does anyone know if we could use our RCCL FCC for a Celebrity cruise?

[Ourusualbeach]

6 minutes ago, zonacruiser25 said:

If we have to cancel our Allure cruises and opt for FCC does anyone know if we could use our RCCL FCC for a Celebrity cruise?

No, FCC’s are not interchangeable between brands 

[Teedlebeet]

On 4/11/2020 at 5:26 PM, mstayman said:

Just received my FCC April 10, 2020 from a canceled March 15, 2020 sailing.

 

The March 15 sailing was moved to July 4, 2020. Another deposit paid and also told I had to pay for the balance of the July 4 cruise (90 day rule) by April 5th, 2020 and then apply my FCC when I received it both from RCL and travel agent.

 

I read in my RCL FCC email that my FCC CAN NOT be applied to a cruise paid in full..which was done 6 days ago....or I would have my reservation canceled!

 

Called travel agent, I called RCL. Both declined to apply FCC to the July 4, 2020 paid in full cruise.

 

I now have a paid in full rescheduled "new" cruise for July 4, 2020 and an FCC from the canceled March 15, 2020 cruise which expires 12/2021.

 

To top it off, if the July 4, 2020 cruise is canceled due to the new CDC 100 day rule and FCC is issued for the July 4, 2020 cruise, I will have 2 FCC certificates that CAN NOT be applied to just one new future cruise.

 

Multiple FCC for the same person are required to be used separately on 2 DIFFERENT cruises.

 

If I request refund for the March 15, 2020 cruise I lose the $1000 rooms deposit.

 

Can’t really get ahead…..or break even.

 

Cruiser beware.

If you get the Refund you lose your non-refundable deposit?