Room selection fee?

[HTab]

I recently booked a cruise on Royal Caribbean with a group of friends. Because we wanted to be together, we booked as a group through a travel agent and paid the additional Royal Caribbean fee (per person) to select our state rooms. We have just received notification that due to COVID protocols, Royal Caribbean is moving some of our state rooms to other floors, so our group will now be split up. Additionally, Royal Caribbean is refusing to refund the additional money paid (approximately $50 per person) to select our state rooms, even though we are no longer in the state rooms that we paid to select. Has anyone else experienced this? Any advice for how to get the fees refunded? We have talked to customer service, the supervisor, the Royal Crown and Anchor customer service, as well as Guest Relations and all just keep telling us that there is nothing they can do. Advice?

[rockmom]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.  If you booked through a travel agent, you MUST go through them for anything and everything (other than purchases via the Cruise Planner for drinks, dining, excursions, wifi).  That's why Royal can't/won't help you.  

Edited May 26, 2022 by rockmom

[HTab]

We have been working through the travel agent. The travel agent has been with us on every call. But Royal Caribbean still refuses to refund the fees, even though they did not maintain the rooms we paid to select. 

[rockmom]

1 minute ago, HTab said:

We have been working through the travel agent. The travel agent has been with us on every call. But Royal Caribbean still refuses to refund the fees, even though they did not maintain the rooms we paid to select. 

I understand, but it's a battle for your TA since you booked with them.  FYI, if you book directly with Royal, they don't call it a 'room selection fee'.  There are usually two options, but not always.  One is choose your room, the other is a guarantee room and they choose.  Sometimes the guarantee room costs more than choosing, which seems silly, but it happens.  I think what it comes down to, is did they move you into the exact same category (example a J4 to another J4, or a1D to another 1D)  To them, that's the 'same room'.  

 

[HTab]

I see what you are saying. They "upgraded" us, but unfortunately, it is really a downgrade as our group is now split up around the boat--multiple floors apart. And they created a safety issue as they have moved a room with young children from an internal room to a balcony. What a headache. 

 

[rockmom]

5 minutes ago, HTab said:

I see what you are saying. They "upgraded" us, but unfortunately, it is really a downgrade as our group is now split up around the boat--multiple floors apart. And they created a safety issue as they have moved a room with young children from an internal room to a balcony. What a headache. 

 

They do have some good safety locks up at the top of the sliders on balcony rooms.  And when the littles are asleep, the adults can hang out on the balcony?  But I do get your frustration.  

[firefly333]

1 minute ago, HTab said:

I see what you are saying. They "upgraded" us, but unfortunately, it is really a downgrade as our group is now split up around the boat--multiple floors apart. And they created a safety issue as they have moved a room with young children from an internal room to a balcony. What a headache. 

 

I doubt they downgraded you. You just dont like the new cabin location.

 

You had guarantees where they could put you anywhere and paid $50 pp approx to choose a cabin. So now that's your category. Unless you were moved to a lower category it's not a downgrade.

 

There is a escalation dept my travel agent did twice. Yours can escalate the problem to a higher dept. It's up to him. Maybe let him handle it as having you on the line calling it a fee to pay for a particular category confuses the issue and saying you were downgraded. Say we were moved and want to be moved back together and move the problem to escalation. .

 

This isnt the first time people have been moved ..or cabins separated. Let's hope there are cabins left where you can be together and made happy.

[sandy toes]

It was not termed a "room selection fee" just the upcharge for us picking our own cabin. This was in 2019. I do not know if it was the cruise line or our fabulous TA, but we "lost" our cabin choice, along with 3 others in our group of 15 cabins. I did not ask if any of them received any compensation,  because I was not sure if it had to do with a loyalty level, the amount of business we brought the TA, or just a blessing, but we did have an OBC that was equal to the difference between the 2 rates. Just a thought,  have you asked your TA for this compensation? 

[taglovestocruise]

They do not charge a fee if you pick your own cabin. They offer a discount for a GTY or a discount if you let them pick, GTY or they pick is the same thing. . 

[ONECRUISER]

16 minutes ago, sandy toes said:

It was not termed a "room selection fee" just the upcharge for us picking our own cabin. This was in 2019. I do not know if it was the cruise line or our fabulous TA, but we "lost" our cabin choice, along with 3 others in our group of 15 cabins. I did not ask if any of them received any compensation,  because I was not sure if it had to do with a loyalty level, the amount of business we brought the TA, or just a blessing, but we did have an OBC that was equal to the difference between the 2 rates. Just a thought,  have you asked your TA for this compensation? 

Was supposed be on a B6B and B4B last yr all in same Corner AFT Cabin. One group they changed Ships(same Class) other Cruise changed number Nites. 5 of my 10 Cruises the Cabin was Changed, no OBC available and no way get my Cabins Back. I'm on a Cruise like to only Pack once, not 3-6 times. Able cancel the B4B and just took FCC for the B6B. 

[Sunshine3601]

1 hour ago, HTab said:

I see what you are saying. They "upgraded" us, but unfortunately, it is really a downgrade as our group is now split up around the boat--multiple floors apart. And they created a safety issue as they have moved a room with young children from an internal room to a balcony. What a headache. 

 

Unfortunately, what you are experiencing has had happened to lots of cruisers since 2021.     

If you are concerned about young children in a balcony cabin, there are safety locks or ask your TA to move to a different cabin.     

Have you looked at available cabins for your sailing on royal website?     Is there another block of cabins where at least some of the group may move to?     Or at least cabins all on the same floor?     

Also, it sounds to me like your TA collected the $50 fee as there is no such fee if you booked directly with royal other than selecting a guarantee rate vs selecting your own cabin.     Maybe your TA is not admitting to that ??      Not all sailings offer the guarantee rate.     

[Ourusualbeach]

2 hours ago, HTab said:

I recently booked a cruise on Royal Caribbean with a group of friends. Because we wanted to be together, we booked as a group through a travel agent and paid the additional Royal Caribbean fee (per person) to select our state rooms. We have just received notification that due to COVID protocols, Royal Caribbean is moving some of our state rooms to other floors, so our group will now be split up. Additionally, Royal Caribbean is refusing to refund the additional money paid (approximately $50 per person) to select our state rooms, even though we are no longer in the state rooms that we paid to select. Has anyone else experienced this? Any advice for how to get the fees refunded? We have talked to customer service, the supervisor, the Royal Crown and Anchor customer service, as well as Guest Relations and all just keep telling us that there is nothing they can do. Advice?

You won't get anywhere with trying to get the extra refunded.  I have had success in getting cabins changed again after Royals move so that my clients staterooms were close together as they originally booked.

[smokeybandit]

1 hour ago, taglovestocruise said:

They do not charge a fee if you pick your own cabin. They offer a discount for a GTY or a discount if you let them pick, GTY or they pick is the same thing. . 

This makes sense.  It was more of a guarantee discount they opted against instead of an extra fee to pick a room

[Biker19]

3 hours ago, HTab said:

Has anyone else experienced this?

Yes, COVID excused cabin moves have been reported by others. As suggested, try to move again to make the group closer.

[Threedrones]

3 hours ago, rockmom said:

I understand, but it's a battle for your TA since you booked with them.  FYI, if you book directly with Royal, they don't call it a 'room selection fee'.  There are usually two options, but not always.  One is choose your room, the other is a guarantee room and they choose.  Sometimes the guarantee room costs more than choosing, which seems silly, but it happens.  I think what it comes down to, is did they move you into the exact same category (example a J4 to another J4, or a1D to another 1D)  To them, that's the 'same room'.  

 

“To them, that’s the same room”. But their website doesn’t say pick your own category….it says pick your own room.

 

[MightyMike]

How far in advance is the booking? Probably the best you can do is to make regular mock bookings of rooms in the exact same category as what you have to see if anything opens up. Your travel agent should be able to easily move you between rooms in the same category. Given enough time, you might be able to find ways to get everyone closer together again.

[Russ Lomas]

You will not get a cent refunded from RCCL.  Best bet you have is to see if there are any available cabins that you can move your cabins to so that you are closer together.  Since you paid for the right to "select" a cabin and not have them select it, you can change your cabin choice to another currently available cabin.  If you have a good travel agent, they will take care of this for you.