Horrible Customer Service -- is there someone over a CSR Supervisor I can call?

[boilachicken]

(I'm about to rant... for that.. I'm sorry)

Cliff Notes: Have spent 30+ hours on the phone with customer service and supervisors and booking is still messed up. Is there someone higher up I can call?

 

Story:

We originally had a cruise scheduled for August 2020. Obviously that got cancelled and we were issued FCCs. We used those to book another one for April 2021. That one also got cancelled. We decided to push way out and book for March of 2022. However, the sticking point here is one of the individuals who was originally slated to go, could no longer go. I relayed that to the Sales representative I spoke to and expressed my concern that this individual would lose not only the money he spent for the cruise, but also the money he had spent for the drink package. The sales rep informed me that once the credits are applied, they will remain applied to the room itself and at that point I can change the name on the cruise to someone else. The replacement could pay the original on their own. 

 

During that process, the FCC's they issued could no longer be applied to the new one, since they were applied to the second one and they did not give us new numbers. 

 

It took about 12 hours of phone calls to finally get that resolved, but it got resolved and had the FCC's applied to the rooms.

 

I waited about a week to make sure everything was in there, then called and changed the one person out. When this happened, it removed the FCC, but not the On Board credit that was applied. It actually increased the balances on two other rooms by nearly 100% and the balance on the room in question by 300%.

 

I called again, multiple times and dealt with about 5 people over just as many calls, each call being 2-2:30 hours a piece. Eventually the final person was able to get the two rooms back to the original balance due, and the one room down to 100% more (about $570, vs the nearly $1000 it had risen too). He informed me that I would receive a new FCC for the difference so we could apply it and get that room back down to the $261 it should be, but it would take about a month. That month came and went. I never received it.

 

So, again, I call back. I end having to do this again 3-4 more times, each call again being over 2 hours. This time I'm told the FCC can not be kept on the room because it's for a specific person. I spoke to a supervisor and I informed them that the sales rep told me I could and the rep who tried fixing the room costs also said it was allowed. They checked the audio for the 2nd person who had made the changes and determined that the 2nd person did not tell me otherwise and agreed it could be done this way. However, they refused to look for the sales call. I was informed I would have to have the one person who couldn't go email them with authorization and they would call me back this past Monday, but they would make an exception and apply the credits due to the misinformation of the one representative once they received that email.

 

The person sent the email last Thursday. Monday came and went, and no telephone call (shocked). I've now been on the phone again, for another 2 hours (and counting) and they simply have no clue how to fix this or make this right.

 

At this point, I'm about 15+ calls in and I've spent well over 30 hours trying to get this resolved. This is the most incompetent customer service I've ever spoken with.  We have 3 cruises scheduled with Royal Caribbean (6 total rooms) and I'm on the verge of cancelling all 3.

 

Is there a higher up like some kind of VP or Supervisors Supervisor or something I can call? No one on the regular customer service knows what they are doing.

 

[Jimbo]

Ask for Resolution Department right off the bat and go from there.

 

[MommaBear55]

51 minutes ago, boilachicken said:

(I'm about to rant... for that.. I'm sorry)

Cliff Notes: Have spent 30+ hours on the phone with customer service and supervisors and booking is still messed up. Is there someone higher up I can call?

 

Story:

We originally had a cruise scheduled for August 2020. Obviously that got cancelled and we were issued FCCs. We used those to book another one for April 2021. That one also got cancelled. We decided to push way out and book for March of 2022. However, the sticking point here is one of the individuals who was originally slated to go, could no longer go. I relayed that to the Sales representative I spoke to and expressed my concern that this individual would lose not only the money he spent for the cruise, but also the money he had spent for the drink package.

At this point, I'm about 15+ calls in and I've spent well over 30 hours trying to get this resolved. This is the most incompetent customer service I've ever spoken with.  We have 3 cruises scheduled with Royal Caribbean (6 total rooms) and I'm on the verge of cancelling all 3.

 

Is there a higher up like some kind of VP or Supervisors Supervisor or something I can call? No one on the regular customer service knows what they are doing.

 

I'd be annoyed too. I also recommend going directly to the Resolutions Department.

 

Unless your cruises have refundable deposits, you will lose money on each reservation if you cancel. I believe it's $100 per each. If you booked suites, there are no refundable deposits.

 

[Joseph2017China]

I'm confused.  If FCC is given to each person.....and OBC given to each person, as is shows in each email, than when you rebooked, you apply each one except for the person that is no longer going.  That FCC and OBC is not completely off all your bookings.  Those two items is what the questions is right?  So, the person will not go for whatever reason.  You can work with them to see if a name change can happen or not.  But FCC is assigned to a person, not a cruise.  Feeling bad for you, but I'm not sure if anyone can truely understand your pathway here since it is outside what FCC is handled.

 

[boilachicken]

9 minutes ago, Joseph2017China said:

I'm confused.  If FCC is given to each person.....and OBC given to each person, as is shows in each email, than when you rebooked, you apply each one except for the person that is no longer going.  That FCC and OBC is not completely off all your bookings.  Those two items is what the questions is right?  So, the person will not go for whatever reason.  You can work with them to see if a name change can happen or not.  But FCC is assigned to a person, not a cruise.  Feeling bad for you, but I'm not sure if anyone can truely understand your pathway here since it is outside what FCC is handled.

 

When I spoke to sales I told them the situation and informed them that the one person would not be able to cruise before his FCC expired. 
 

they told me to add him to the booking, apply the FCC and then change the name. 
 

that is what I did. That did not work. 

[boilachicken]

12 minutes ago, MommaBear55 said:

 

I'd be annoyed too. I also recommend going directly to the Resolutions Department.

 

Unless your cruises have refundable deposits, you will lose money on each reservation if you cancel. I believe it's $100 per each. If you booked suites, there are no refundable deposits.

 

Today they told me since the money came from a FCC, if I cancelled they would NOT refund any money to anyone. 

[Floater4life]

I had similar interactions with Royal with months of phone calls. Each call required starting the conversation all over again and repeating everything even though there was hours of notes of conversations. My FCC were deactivated even though they were good until 4/22.  They said it took 45 days to activate??? Well that turned into 45+45.    I asked for the supervisor...manger...or whoever gets expedited issues...never got anyone. Finally I have to say I had a nutty on the phone. My final words were if I don't have those FCCs available for my final payment for my September cruise I was getting on a plane and coming to their headquarters and they were giving me a check for all my credits on the spot and I would not leave until I get it. Email came the next day...good news credits were there and available. 

 

Summary...they kick the issues down the road as long as they can.  I kept telling the CSR that my anger was not directed at them but they needed to pass my words on to ....whoever.  Their systems are ridiculous and need serious overhaul. I worked in IT all my career and I can tell you I would fire the head of IT and get systems that are flexible and able to handle the information and FCC issues.

[Sunshine3601]

7 minutes ago, boilachicken said:

When I spoke to sales I told them the situation and informed them that the one person would not be able to cruise before his FCC expired. 
 

they told me to add him to the booking, apply the FCC and then change the name. 
 

that is what I did. That did not work. 

If I am understand correctly you are trying to transfer a FCC that belongs to someone else to a the new passenger since the original one cannot cruise before expiration date of the FCC.

 

I don't think that can be done.    Maybe @Ourusualbeach can answer this question.

[boilachicken]

Just now, Sunshine3601 said:

If I am understand correctly you are trying to transfer a FCC that belongs to someone else to a the new passenger since the original one cannot cruise before expiration date of the FCC.

 

I don't think that can be done.    Maybe @Ourusualbeach can answer this question.

Correct. That's what we're trying to do because that's what the Sales Department and the first customer service rep I spoke to told me to do.

[Ourusualbeach]

13 minutes ago, boilachicken said:

Correct. That's what we're trying to do because that's what the Sales Department and the first customer service rep I spoke to told me to do.

Unless the guest is under 12 or over 70 you cannot transfer a FCC to another person. 

[boilachicken]

Just now, Ourusualbeach said:

Unless the guest is under 12 or over 70 you cannot transfer a FCC to another person. 

So basically they can just hold the money hostage and anyone who is unable to use it before it expires is screwed? Seems fair and reasonable.

 

Looks like it's time to cancel my other two cruises and go back to Princess.

[Ourusualbeach]

3 minutes ago, boilachicken said:

So basically they can just hold the money hostage and anyone who is unable to use it before it expires is screwed? Seems fair and reasonable.

 

Looks like it's time to cancel my other two cruises and go back to Princess.

Those have been the restrictions for the past 16 months. 

[boilachicken]

Just now, Ourusualbeach said:

Those have been the restrictions for the past 16 months. 

For something created during an unprecedented time.

We booked our first cruise pre-pandemic. None of us could predict a pandemic would occur and cancel that. So either make the FCC endless with no expiration or allow the owner to transfer it. 

We provided them with money and they are making rules on if it can actually be used in a specific period of time after they cancelled the cruise. 

How can the owner of the FCC be held responsible for any of that?

[Biker19]

5 minutes ago, boilachicken said:

So basically they can just hold the money hostage and anyone who is unable to use it before it expires is screwed?

Recently, RCI has allowed folks to get a refund for close in sailings, even if fare was paid by FCC, if you don't like the health protocols - that's quite generous of RCI.

[Ourusualbeach]

1 minute ago, boilachicken said:

For something created during an unprecedented time.

We booked our first cruise pre-pandemic. None of us could predict a pandemic would occur and cancel that. So either make the FCC endless with no expiration or allow the owner to transfer it. 

We provided them with money and they are making rules on if it can actually be used in a specific period of time after they cancelled the cruise. 

How can the owner of the FCC be held responsible for any of that?

Not disagreeing with you, only stating Royal's rules.  The only thing you can hope for is that the FCC's get extended again. 

[boilachicken]

8 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Recently, RCI has allowed folks to get a refund for close in sailings, even if fare was paid by FCC, if you don't like the health protocols - that's quite generous of RCI.

I asked for a refund today and was told no. The cruise doesn't sail until March 2022.

[Jimbo]

12 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

Recently, RCI has allowed folks to get a refund for close in sailings, even if fare was paid by FCC, if you don't like the health protocols - that's quite generous of RCI.

Not going to happen now  for  a cruise in March 2022 though.

Edited July 22, 2021 by Jimbo

[Biker19]

1 minute ago, boilachicken said:

I asked for a refund today and was told no. The cruise doesn't sail until March 2022.

As I mentioned, they only allow that for close in cruises. You may want to consider moving the booking to September with the hope that refunds will be allowed on those sailings.

[mauraoel]

44 minutes ago, Ourusualbeach said:

Not disagreeing with you, only stating Royal's rules.  The only thing you can hope for is that the FCC's get extended again. 

I am confused now, her cruises were cancelled by Royal due to the NSO.  After our last cancellation I was able to get my daughters and grandsons fares refunded (even though they were FCC from March 2020) because they were not going to be able to sail with us before they expired.  Couldn't she just cancel that one person and then request the fcc's get refunded since they were originally cancelled by royal?

[Ourusualbeach]

1 hour ago, boilachicken said:

When I spoke to sales I told them the situation and informed them that the one person would not be able to cruise before his FCC expired. 
 

they told me to add him to the booking, apply the FCC and then change the name. 
 

that is what I did. That did not work. 

Unfortunately you were told incorrect information, if the name changes the FCC will fall off.  It follows the guest.

 

Cruise planner purchases on the other hand will remain intact with a name change unless it was a drink package and the new guest is a minor

[Ourusualbeach]

7 minutes ago, mauraoel said:

I am confused now, her cruises were cancelled by Royal due to the NSO.  After our last cancellation I was able to get my daughters and grandsons fares refunded (even though they were FCC from March 2020) because they were not going to be able to sail with us before they expired.  Couldn't she just cancel that one person and then request the fcc's get refunded since they were originally cancelled by royal?

There is a limited time that you could request a refund, after that then you are stuck with it.  Some of the early cancellations had a long period to change your mind then Royal shortened that up.

[ampurp85]

I think it is an age thing. I was able to get my 80 yo grandmothers fare changed into another FCC on a cruise we cancelled. She will not ever be cruising, not based on health just she wasn't a fan and prefers land based casino vacations. But it was changed to my mother who has the same name with a middle initial.

[Ourusualbeach]

Just now, ampurp85 said:

I think it is an age thing. I was able to get my 80 yo grandmothers fare changed into another FCC on a cruise we cancelled. She will not ever be cruising, not based on health just she wasn't a fan and prefers land based casino vacations. But it was changed to my mother who has the same name with a middle initial.

As I mentioned earlier, exceptions are made for those under 12 and over 70

[Sunshine3601]

6 hours ago, boilachicken said:

For something created during an unprecedented time.

We booked our first cruise pre-pandemic. None of us could predict a pandemic would occur and cancel that. So either make the FCC endless with no expiration or allow the owner to transfer it. 

We provided them with money and they are making rules on if it can actually be used in a specific period of time after they cancelled the cruise. 

How can the owner of the FCC be held responsible for any of that?

Were they given the option for full refund at anytime or was fcc the only option?

 

I have had over a dozen cruises cancelled in the last 16 or 17 months.  Did lift n shift on a couple, took fcc for a couple but took full refunds on most of them.

 

I forget the date but I think royal extended the fcc expiration date till either sept or dec 2022.    Does that help him?

 

Edited July 23, 2021 by Sunshine3601

[AustinCruise]

What do you mean “lose money for drink package”??  That is fully refundable at any time and automatically refunds if the trip is cancelled. 

Edited July 23, 2021 by AustinCruise