$500 fee to change cruise / No more Cruise with Confidence?

[boilachicken]

About 2 years ago, my wife and I booked a cruise out of Europe on the Harmony of the Seas for this past October. Ultimately that cruise was cancelled and we moved everything to a new cruise. They were not offering a similar ship or itinerary, and we ended up on a different itinerary on Vision of the Seas, not quite the class ship we originally had.

 

Long story short, my wife noticed the other day that our original itinerary was back and now available on the Wonder of the Seas... YES PLEASE!!! So she called back Royal and asked to have the bookings transferred to the newly added listing.

 

She was informed that there would be a $500 for transfer or cancellation as, and I quote, "They are no longer under Cruise with Confidence"..

 

So I guess this is where I'm confused. We booked our existing cruise while under cruise with confidence, but apparently according to their website even though we booked under it, they are only honoring sail dates to 9/2022 (ours is the first week of 10/2022).

 

Has anyone experienced this? Is there any recourse? We simply want to take our original itinerary and preferably on a new ship with all the features our previous booking had prior to cancellation. Not the one with few attractions and currently being used as a quarantine spot.

 

[molly361]

Yes as of now CWC only covers cruises with sail dates  thru the end of Sept 2022 so you got correct info. 

Edited February 15, 2022 by molly361

[DukeASUGirl]

2 minutes ago, molly361 said:

Yes as of now CWC only covers cruises with sail dates  thru the end of Sept 2022 so you got correct info. 

Yes, that is technically true, but the OP's original cruise was canceled by RCCI, not by him. The only reason he's on a subpar itinerary/ship is because they'd changed the details. He simply wants to be back onto the itinerary he'd originally booked.

[Funky Fusion FoodsJ]

15 minutes ago, boilachicken said:

About 2 years ago, my wife and I booked a cruise out of Europe on the Harmony of the Seas for this past October. Ultimately that cruise was cancelled and we moved everything to a new cruise. They were not offering a similar ship or itinerary, and we ended up on a different itinerary on Vision of the Seas, not quite the class ship we originally had.

 

Long story short, my wife noticed the other day that our original itinerary was back and now available on the Wonder of the Seas... YES PLEASE!!! So she called back Royal and asked to have the bookings transferred to the newly added listing.

 

She was informed that there would be a $500 for transfer or cancellation as, and I quote, "They are no longer under Cruise with Confidence"..

 

So I guess this is where I'm confused. We booked our existing cruise while under cruise with confidence, but apparently according to their website even though we booked under it, they are only honoring sail dates to 9/2022 (ours is the first week of 10/2022).

 

Has anyone experienced this? Is there any recourse? We simply want to take our original itinerary and preferably on a new ship with all the features our previous booking had prior to cancellation. Not the one with few attractions and currently being used as a quarantine spot.

 

I realize this seems unfair to you.  But unfortunately a business can't keep accommodating these type things forever.  They have to have a cutoff and unfortunately this one affected you.  If they accommodate you, what about the people with sailings in November who complain?  It would never end.

[boilachicken]

6 minutes ago, Funky Fusion FoodsJ said:

I realize this seems unfair to you.  But unfortunately a business can't keep accommodating these type things forever.  They have to have a cutoff and unfortunately this one affected you.  If they accommodate you, what about the people with sailings in November who complain?  It would never end.

What seems unfair is that they cancel your trip, then promote this “Cruise with Confidence”, so you book under cruise with confidence thinking it will protect you, then you realize there was no confidence at all. 
 

Any cruise booked during that period should be honored under it. 

Edited February 15, 2022 by boilachicken

[boilachicken]

11 minutes ago, DukeASUGirl said:

Yes, that is technically true, but the OP's original cruise was canceled by RCCI, not by him. The only reason he's on a subpar itinerary/ship is because they'd changed the details. He simply wants to be back onto the itinerary he'd originally booked.

100% this. We don’t want to cancel or go get our money back. We just want back on the itinerary we originally had before they removed it. 

[Jimbo]

I thought everyone on Harmony got switched to Wonder of the Seas like we did for our September 2022 sailing, how did you end up with Vision of the Seas? Did you cancel and switch to Vision yourself before Royal redeployed Harmony to Wonder? Not understanding why you ended up on Vision?

 

At the worse it should cost you only $100 per person change fee to switch to Wonder, but you will lose your lift and shift price, you would have to rebook at current price of Wonder

Edited February 15, 2022 by Jimbo

[boilachicken]

2 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

I thought everyone on Harmony got switched to Wonder of the Seas like we did for our September 2022 sailing, how did you end up with Vision of the Seas? Did you cancel and switch to Vision yourself before Royal redeployed Harmony to Wonder? Not understanding why you ended up on Vision?

When they cancelled ours, Wonder and that itinerary did not exist for Oct, they told us we could get a refund or pick a different one. The only one available around that time was on Vision.

Edited February 15, 2022 by boilachicken

[RosieRoo]

Have you tried to speak to someone at Crown and Anchor?  I think they are taking peoples requests on a case to case basis. A lot of people have been left with issues since Covid. You could try and explain what happened to them and perhaps that will get you somewhere.  It’s worth a try. 

[Jimbo]

6 minutes ago, boilachicken said:

When they cancelled ours, Wonder and that itinerary did not exist for Oct, they told us we could get a refund or pick a different one. The only one available around that time was on Vision.

Personally this is how I would have handled it. There is no way I would want to be switched to Vision, sailed on that ship once, never again.

 

I would have  held out and requested Royal move me to one of the September sailings on Wonder, a ship more like Harmony, Vision is nothing like Harmony.

 

Either I would have talked to the higher ups or have my travel agent talk to their contacts at Royal to get it done, yes it would have taken sometime and lots of phone calls but  I'm sure it would have got it done eventually.

 

Just curious what category cabin did you have booked on Harmony?

[boilachicken]

Just now, Jimbo said:

Personally this is how I would have handled it. There is no way I would want to be switched to Vision, sailed on that ship once, never again.

 

I would have  held out and requested Royal move me to one of the September sailings on Wonder, a ship more like Harmony, Vision is nothing like Harmony.

 

Either I would have talked to the higher ups or have my travel agent talk to their contacts at Royal to get it done, yes it would have taken sometime and lots of phone calls but  I'm sure it would have got it done eventually.

 

Just curious what category cabin did you have booked on Harmony?

Unfortunately September is not an option for us this year. 
 

not sure, my wife would probably know though. We had two side by side balcony cabins. 
 

we’re still waiting on a call back from royal from our cruise we took 3 weeks ago. Despite the lengthy check in process and verifying with guest services 10 times in 5 days that our 8 year old is fully vaccinated, we had to fight to get off the boat at ports and they tried putting us in mixed vax dining. As a new RCCL customer, I’m struggling to find reasons to stick around 

[boilachicken]

14 minutes ago, RosieRoo said:

Have you tried to speak to someone at Crown and Anchor?  I think they are taking peoples requests on a case to case basis. A lot of people have been left with issues since Covid. You could try and explain what happened to them and perhaps that will get you somewhere.  It’s worth a try. 

Thank you, I’ll try that. 

[Ocean Boy]

11 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

 There is no way I would want to be switched to Vision, sailed on that ship once, never again.

 

I have not sailed on Vision even once and I intend to keep it that way.

[Starry Eyes]

3 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

I have not sailed on Vision even once and I intend to keep it that way.

I think about port intensive cruises differently than my usual Caribbean cruise. On some European cruises, for example,  we planned long, rather tiring excursions nearly every day.  We used the ship as a floating hotel…mostly eating, sleeping, showering and kicking back.  It was OK if the ship lacked bells and whistles, so long as  the  food and service were good.  Opinions vary, but for a port intensive cruise like that, I’d sail Vision again.  

[nelblu]

45 minutes ago, Funky Fusion FoodsJ said:

I realize this seems unfair to you.  But unfortunately a business can't keep accommodating these type things forever.  They have to have a cutoff and unfortunately this one affected you.  If they accommodate you, what about the people with sailings in November who complain?  It would never end.

It's not that their ships are sailing full.  RCL should be more accommodating during these trying times--But, at the same time it's a money grabber as they want to charge $500.  

 

To the Op, you mentioned 2 cabins do you have 5 travelers.

 

 

[Starry Eyes]

If your conversations now do not go well, you have the option to wait to see if CWC dates are extended.  Of course prices might rise during that time

[Another_Critic]

23 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

There is no way I would want to be switched to Vision, sailed on that ship once, never again.

 

10 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

I have not sailed on Vision even once and I intend to keep it that way.

Thanks for staying away from Vision; more room for me.  😄

 

Sailed on Vision once (16 night TA), and it was one of my favorite cruises.  I would have no issue sailing her again.

[LGW59]

58 minutes ago, DukeASUGirl said:

Yes, that is technically true, but the OP's original cruise was canceled by RCCI, not by him. The only reason he's on a subpar itinerary/ship is because they'd changed the details. He simply wants to be back onto the itinerary he'd originally booked.

He can be on the original booked cruise, just has to pay the $500 fee.

[LGW59]

7 minutes ago, nelblu said:

It's not that their ships are sailing full.  RCL should be more accommodating during these trying times--But, at the same time it's a money grabber as they want to charge $500.  

 

To the Op, you mentioned 2 cabins do you have 5 travelers.

 

 

More accommodating??  IMO the cruise lines have been very accommodating the past 2 years and for most of those they were shut down.  Don't like, don't cruise.

[Ashland]

19 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

I have not sailed on Vision even once and I intend to keep it that way.

We sailed on Vision May 2019 a 12 night Med/Greece in a great true aft JS. The itinerary was amazing and we loved the ship for this port intensive itinerary. I wouldn't hesitate to book her again if all was similar.

[Ourusualbeach]

1 hour ago, Jimbo said:

the worse it should cost you only $100 per person change fee to switch to Wonder, but you will lose your lift and shift price, you would have to rebook at current price of Wo

If the first cruise was in penalty phase when it was moved those penalties follow through to rhe new booking. 

[nelblu]

19 minutes ago, LGW59 said:

More accommodating??  IMO the cruise lines have been very accommodating the past 2 years and for most of those they were shut down.  Don't like, don't cruise.

Why not.  Paxs did not ask for refunds and in essence provided them liquidity.  So instead we have FCCs with expirations dates.  

[LGW59]

5 minutes ago, nelblu said:

Why not.  Paxs did not ask for refunds and in essence provided them liquidity.  So instead we have FCCs with expirations dates.  

This pax got refunds for all that I cancelled.

[leyla]

2 hours ago, Another_Critic said:

 

Thanks for staying away from Vision; more room for me.  😄

 

Sailed on Vision once (16 night TA), and it was one of my favorite cruises.  I would have no issue sailing her again.

Also sailed on Vision Transatlantic twice in my case and both times loved it.  

 

[Maryscooking]

2 hours ago, LGW59 said:

This pax got refunds for all that I cancelled.

 

The point is that if you didn't ask for a refund, and instead let them hold your money on credit (to their benefit), it is poor practice to make rules that make it hard for you to use that money in the future. I had two issues related to RCCL holding my money through the pandemic that left me rather unhappy, and one that was resolved well. I'm chalking it all up to covid, but it didn't leave me feeling great.

 

To top it off, the policy that they've adopted of charging a ton extra to get a refundable deposit has really pushed me away. We have one more 2022 cruise scheduled with Royal and it remains to be seen if there will be more.