Why Won't RCCL Be Upfront ?

[lr657]

33 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

You make a great point. It is easy to tell people to just sit back and relax when not being faced with a decision like yours. Some are acting like it is no big deal to have to send RCI a few thousand dollars for a service that, most likely, will not be provided. Yet it is perfectly fine for RCI to take its time getting refunds back to people because they are "busy". If RCI doesn't have to live by deadlines then they should relax the final payment deadlines for people in your position. 

 

I totally agree! Our May 2nd cruise was in the second wave of cancellations. Due to the limitations on the use of the FCC and uncertainty on when cruising would resume, we decided to request the refund. We have a final payment for a September cruise due in June and I very much doubt that cruise will sail. If we have not received our refund by the time final payment is due, we will not make the final payment and cancel the September cruise. I realize that RCI is "busy" but there is no excuse for continuing to take their customer's money but then expecting them to wait months to get it back if their cruise is canceled. 

 

 

Edited April 15, 2020 by lr657

[orville99]

Given the fact that they just laid off a quarter of their shoreside staff, I doubt they will be processing anything faster. If I had a cruise payment hanging fire right now, I'd cancel rather than rely on them to process a refund anytime before summer.

Edited April 15, 2020 by orville99

[not-enough-cruising]

4 minutes ago, NateUpNorth said:

 

I've been wonderng this for a while now.

Wouldn't it be prudent of RCI to decrease the final payment dates on cruises to, I don't know, 30 days out? Perhaps people would hold out longer with their bookings if they weren't totally pot committed 90 days out or more.

Unless they're using final payments coming in to try to offset refunds going out right now, which is likely part of their business strategy.....

WINNER, WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER!!!!!

[Joseph2017China]

If your normal workday, you sit at a desk, in a finance department and your job is to process payments and/or refunds.  Your normal day, you have 20 - 30 items routed to you, and you take care of first in, first out, and the work basket continues to fill as you work it.  The balance is that at the end of the day, you have a workbasket ready for you the next day.  Think of this, that all of a sudden, your workbasket gets thousands of tasks in a day.  You need the customers email, that says how they want to cancel, and you need to process all the excursions, and purchases.  Then the cruise.  This is huge, with a staff that is limited.  There is no conspiracy, just a bunch of bad things, and people trying to get things done.  You can only do so much with the staff you have. 

[Milwaukee Eight]

1 hour ago, Ocean Boy said:

You make a great point. It is easy to tell people to just sit back and relax when not being faced with a decision like yours. Some are acting like it is no big deal to have to send RCI a few thousand dollars for a service that, most likely, will not be provided. Yet it is perfectly fine for RCI to take its time getting refunds back to people because they are "busy". If RCI doesn't have to live by deadlines then they should relax the final payment deadlines for people in your position. 

This

[bobmacliberty]

4 hours ago, Snit13 said:

For what it is worth, I was told that the refund is processed 30 days after they received your reply to their question, "FCC @125% or refund.  I received my April 9 cancel notice March 14 and they received the request for my refund (according to their records) on March 17.  They said April 17 is the due date for my refund.  I was also told the refunds are done by hand, so to speak, one at a time.  Guess they have a lot of slow typists working the refund desk.

I've also seen reports that refunds are not processed until after the original sailing date and could take up to 30 days from then.  If that's true, you may not see your refund until mid-May.  I'm sure it will shock you to know this, but the person that you talked to on the phone may not have accurate information.  😵  I'm just happy that I only have $500 tied up in deposits right now.  I'll worry about that in June when final comes due.

[LINDAE3213]

my TA just told me the newest story from RCCL today after she called them.

 

My cruise got cancelled on March 13th  and I requested a refund on March 14th.

 

I got the generic screen shot attached that states refund request received and expect refund to your original payment on file within 30 days of your request date.

 

 Today, the story is they only processed my request on April 6th   (  the day after my cruise would have ended)  and refunds will take 45-90 days.  

 

 

[cb at sea]

I think you can assume that ALL cruise lines will be following the same schedules....this isn't gonna be over next month.

 

[potsie57]

I don't think anyone should be expecting to cruise until at least the late fall or early 2021.  Just my opinion...

[ano]

15 hours ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

The longer they hold out cancelling, the longer they have before issuing a refund. The longer they have liquidity with your cash. 

You have hit the nail on the head.

[ano]

7 minutes ago, potsie57 said:

I don't think anyone should be expecting to cruise until at least the late fall or early 2021.  Just my opinion...

There will be no "large group events" like cruising until such time as a vaccine is created and you have immunity. The vaccines are in testing now, and will be available next winter to next spring.  After you get your vaccine, wait a set time for immunity, and can show the cruise company you are vaccinated, then you can go no a cruise. Likely Early 2021 would be a good guess. 

 

I should add, this is under "best case" scenarios.

Edited April 15, 2020 by ano

[Kbonner]

14 hours ago, klfrodo said:

Why weren't you upfront with us as to why you were so concerned? You made it sound like Royal was the bad person. When in reality, there are no bad persons. Just some who wish things would move faster.

Whats your problem.  You have a cc -history to ridicule other posters who criticize RCI. Just concentrate on answering questions or stay away. I guess you are a RCI employee or member of their fan club.

[ONECRUISER]

On 4/15/2020 at 11:47 AM, ano said:

There will be no "large group events" like cruising until such time as a vaccine is created and you have immunity. The vaccines are in testing now, and will be available next winter to next spring.  After you get your vaccine, wait a set time for immunity, and can show the cruise company you are vaccinated, then you can go no a cruise. Likely Early 2021 would be a good guess. 

 

I should add, this is under "best case" scenarios.

States will start "opening" Phase One in few weeks, schools on time in Jul-Sept, they are even deciding now having Football in Fall. Just wont have full Restaurants or Stadiums(strict Distance). Schools open now have kids spread out, rest will also. Not normal for while, but most type Businesses will be opening in some form soon. Dont think Vacine will be requirement before Cruises resume, Fall2021-Early 2022? They'd be out business by then

Edited April 17, 2020 by ONECRUISER

[johnjen]

An interesting question I'd love getting answered (or, discussed):

Let's say our June 22nd cruise out of Amsterdam is ON, doesn't get cancelled. We booked air fare 30 days from it through choice air, so all is ON.

A week prior to cruising, the US State Department declares NO AMERICANS can travel abroad or cruise.

How would RCL handle that? Would they give us our refund? We do NOT want the FCC. At all. 

What happens?

[Biker19]

46 minutes ago, johnjen said:

What happens?

Too complex and unlikely hypothetical to even guess at it.

[firefly333]

On 4/16/2020 at 7:11 PM, ONECRUISER said:

States will start "opening" Phase One in few weeks

Texas starts in 6 days as I have been posting. Generalizations only work when states doing same thing. About 4 things, state parks open, retail to go, non essential stores you can now buy from starting next friday

 

Restaurants are phase 2. 

 

I'm hopeful Galveston will be one of earliest ports open. 

[davekathy]

On 4/14/2020 at 8:01 PM, TBurr said:

Why can't RCCL just be upfront...

They are social distancing. 😎

[KansasK]

I watched the interview with the Carnival CEO. I was glad he calmly did not let the interviewers bully him. I thought he did a good interview for the cruise industry. 

 

I had a May 17 cruise scheduled on the Liberty of the Seas that was cancelled. I asked for the refund and will get it in 45 days, less the non-refundable deposit.  I plan to cruise again, but am not sure the cruise industry can survive this. I want them to. 

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, KansasK said:

I asked for the refund and will get it in 45 days, less the non-refundable deposit.

You should get the full amount, including deposit.