No unvacinated kids on TA's?

[lm121]

Just seen this from Royal

Vaccination Requirement

All Royal Caribbean guests must present proof of full COVID-19 vaccination with the final dose administered at least 14 days before sailing. Guests who do not meet this requirement, including unvaccinated children under age 12, will not be permitted to board a transatlantic sailing departing from the U.S. to Europe.

 

We have been booked on an April TA for years now (kept being cancelled due to covid)

 

Cruise starts in florida ends in spain. We are from the UK.

Traveling with 2 under 11 year olds who can not be vaccinated in the UK yet. (First dose is booked)

 

Full amount paid including flights, set sail passes completed. 

 

I have had no contact from RCL to say the kids will not be allowed to board. I have emailed and had no reply yet. When we phoned we were advised this doesn't apply as we booked a while ago and these are new rules. Got an email sent to confirm this information. But the email has a link which says children can not travel unvacinated on TA's.

 

So many questions, but does anyone know if this information is accurate. It seems to only be on RCL website. And I don't understand why we could travel on any other cruise but a TA.

We could also fly from UK to USA, USA to Spain and UK to Spain, Spain to UK.

 

 

[SE fla]

There ships and there rules. If it’s on there web site that’s the gold standard for there company. Just give it time that may even changed. 

[lm121]

I assume if they change the rules someone will be in touch to organise a full refund?

[Itchy&Scratchy]

49 minutes ago, lm121 said:

I assume if they change the rules someone will be in touch to organise a full refund?

I think YOU are that someone who will need to be in touch. RCI won't know your kids are unvaxxed until right before the boarding.

Edited March 22, 2022 by Itchy&Scratchy

[lm121]

9 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

I think YOU are that someone who will need to be in touch. RCI won't know your kids are unvaxxed until right before the boarding.

I'm trying but they aren't responding to emails. And currently via the phone they are saying there are no issues and the cruise is going ahead.

[twangster]

It seems like you know the answer.  Is your question about getting a refund?

 

When Royal has announced protocols that guests are not able or willing to comply with there has generally been an avenue to seek a full refund.   Email will not be your best approach going forward.  Call them to discuss options.  Yes there can be long hold times.

 

Better yet have your travel agent deal with it. 

Edited March 22, 2022 by twangster

[PolytheneGirl]

17 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

I think YOU are that someone who will need to be in touch. RCI won't know your kids are unvaxxed until right before the boarding.

 

Surely they will know from her location of the booking, etc? Since its not actually possible for them to be vaxxed at this stage and up until now this wasn't a requirement put in for her sailing?

I understand the need for the person to be calling RC but surely there has to be some of the burden on them since they've introduced this criteria which it isn't physically possible for them to meet?

[Itchy&Scratchy]

1 hour ago, lm121 said:

And I don't understand why we could travel on any other cruise but a TA.

it may be because of the number of sea days far away from land without a possibility of evacuation, if the need arises.

 

7 minutes ago, lm121 said:

And currently via the phone they are saying there are no issues and the cruise is going ahead.

 

well, the cruise may very well be going ahead, but it doesn't look AT THIS TIME that your kids will be on that cruise.

[Another_Critic]

1 hour ago, lm121 said:

And I don't understand why we could travel on any other cruise but a TA.

TAs have many days at sea far away from rescue resources.  My guess is they are simply doing CYA if unvaccinated get severely ill.

 

Also note that kids must be >= 1 year old if there are 3? sea days in a row (vs 6 months for less sea days).  so, they are kinda applying the same logic.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

1 minute ago, PolytheneGirl said:

Surely they will know from her location of the booking, etc? Since its not actually possible for them to be vaxxed at this stage and up until now this wasn't a requirement put in for her sailing?

are you sure, though, that somebody in some random country who is answering customer services phones knows about vaccination situation in the UK?

 

This was a requirement for a TA Harmony sailing back in November, why would it be unexpected for April?

[PolytheneGirl]

Sorry , I meant more RC getting in touch with her - its fairly easy to do a database search for everyone on that cruise location and notify those with kids under X that cannot be vaccinated that they will not be able to board and give a link to the refund process. Rather than the burden being on the person to ring and stuff. Takes pressure off the customer and off the customer call lines as well 🙂

[Another_Critic]

Also note the 1 day prior test requirement for all the spring TAs visiting Spain.  Anthem is still 2 days prior since it doesn't visit spain.

[Billy Baltic]

7 minutes ago, PolytheneGirl said:

Sorry , I meant more RC getting in touch with her - its fairly easy to do a database search for everyone on that cruise location and notify those with kids under X that cannot be vaccinated that they will not be able to board and give a link to the refund process. Rather than the burden being on the person to ring and stuff. Takes pressure off the customer and off the customer call lines as well 🙂

It would be possible but probably does not concern RC. They have a difficult enough time issuing an accurate invoice at times. 

[lm121]

Just to confirm that we have phoned rc twice and been told there will be no issues with the kids boarding. But they can not give this information in writing. 

Therefore they can't refund for something that they are saying isn't a problem. 

 

I don't want to fly to florida to be told at the port that we can't board. 

Edited March 22, 2022 by lm121

[sgmn]

16 minutes ago, lm121 said:

Just to confirm that we have phoned rc twice and been told there will be no issues with the kids boarding. But they can not give this information in writing. 

Therefore they can't refund for something that they are saying isn't a problem. 

 

I don't want to fly to florida to be told at the port that we can't board. 

I presume you booked direct? If via an agent then it should be the agent doing the work.

Have you tried via their fb page. I've heard that people have had good results from using that avenue.

Very sorry for you and your family having to deal with this upset. Hope you get fully refunded and the cost of the flights back too. 

[DukeASUGirl]

2 hours ago, lm121 said:

I assume if they change the rules someone will be in touch to organise a full refund?

I would call and ask for your refund. Most likely they don't realize that your kids are unvaccinated. Remember, the cruiseline is based in US, so their customer service and booking people likely aren't aware that UK kids are ineligible to be vaccinated, and the onus is on you to let them know that you are unable to meet their vaccination rules.

[sgmn]

6 minutes ago, DukeASUGirl said:

I would call and ask for your refund. Most likely they don't realize that your kids are unvaccinated. Remember, the cruiseline is based in US, so their customer service and booking people likely aren't aware that UK kids are ineligible to be vaccinated, and the onus is on you to let them know that you are unable to meet their vaccination rules.

They do have a UK office though who you would presume would keep the head office fully updated.  Especially as one of the ships is home porting in the UK. 

It's not difficult to find out, they are a global company 

[DukeASUGirl]

5 minutes ago, sgmn said:

They do have a UK office though who you would presume would keep the head office fully updated.  Especially as one of the ships is home porting in the UK. 

It's not difficult to find out, they are a global company 

And maybe that's something the UK office should be handling, but it appears they are not. Things do slip between the cracks, and it's entirely possible that the UK office isn't even aware that their compatriots in customer service/refunds/whatever the department is called don't realize that kids in the UK aren't eligible to be vaccinated. 

 

I would imagine most of us on this thread had no idea that kids in the UK weren't eligible until reading it. So most likely whoever would be expected to handle such things isn't aware either, but once it is brought to their attention likely it can be resolved.

[njkruzer]

1 hour ago, Heymarco said:

That was the guidance for fall TA’s last year, we had to cancel due to vaccine requirement. Where did you see this information? My guess is that Royal has not updated their website yet. When I called last fall, I had to point the policy out to the CSA to get my booking properly moved.

Received email yesterday. 

[njkruzer]

2 hours ago, lm121 said:

I'm trying but they aren't responding to emails. And currently via the phone they are saying there are no issues and the cruise is going ahead.

Try emailing mbayley@rcci.com.  They usually respond quickly. 

[lm121]

29 minutes ago, njkruzer said:

Try emailing mbayley@rcci.com.  They usually respond quickly. 

I done that thus morning, so hopefully with the time difference I will get a reply soon.

[twangster]

You can also try

 

Aurora Yera–Rodriguez
AVP, Guest Experience
1050 Caribbean Way
Miami, FL 33132
ayerarodriguez@rccl.com

[njkruzer]

9 minutes ago, lm121 said:

I done that thus morning, so hopefully with the time difference I will get a reply soon.

They sometimes take a day or 2 but definitely reply.  I've had good luck with this email. 

[DukeASUGirl]

16 minutes ago, lm121 said:

I done that thus morning, so hopefully with the time difference I will get a reply soon.

Yes, it's still the morning in the US. You posted originally 3 hours ago, complaining that you hadn't gotten any reply. It's 8:39 am on the West Coast, meaning 11:39 am on the East Coast. Three hours ago, it was only 8:39 am on the East Coast.

 

I know it's late afternoon for you, but it wasn't even the start of the business day when you first complained of not having received a response. Give it some time. 🙂

[lm121]

We have been told on the phone that it is being investigated and should have a reply today or tomorrow.