Royal Up Reneging

[rimmit]

On another forum I saw a post of someone getting a Royal Up for an Owners Suite 2.5 weeks out.

 

They made payment, got an email from the concierge and everything.  36 hours prior to departure which they get a call that there was an error and they’ll be rebooked for their original stateroom class.  They did not in fact get the original JS they originally booked and instead were rebooked in an obstructed Balcony.  They state and this is a direct quote from the call they got from RCI that “Someone on the revenue team found a higher paying customer.”

 

After spending 3 hours on the phone, they state all they were offered aside from their Royal Up money back was $25 dollar OBC and a bottle of wine which is useless as they have the beverage package.  They state they will call again tomorrow to see what else they could maybe be compensated.  
 

This is for the April 19th sailing on the Navigator.

 

I was wondering if anyone has had this happen to them and could weigh in on what compensation they have maybe gotten in the past so I can relay it to the OP and give them some expectations regarding if they can get any compensation at all.  
 

RCI obviously owes nothing back aside from their Royal Up money and the original room they booked, but this would obviously be a huge blow to anyone if you were lead to believe you won an owner’s suite for over 2 weeks and packed accordingly and then had it reneged because RC’s “ revenue team found a higher paying customer.” After you were told you already won the OS.

 

Especially as they had already left for the embarkation port and packed as if they would have the extra space of an owners suite than a JS which was then reduced to an obstructed balcony.  

[Charles4515]

6 minutes ago, rimmit said:

On another forum I saw a post of someone getting a Royal Up for an Owners Suite 2.5 weeks out.

 

They made payment, got an email from the concierge and everything.  36 hours prior to departure which they get a call that there was an error and they’ll be rebooked for their original stateroom class.  They did not in fact get the original JS they originally booked and instead were rebooked in an obstructed Balcony.  They state and this is a direct quote from the call they got from RCI that “Someone on the revenue team found a higher paying customer.”

This story sounds like BS to me. Do you think RCI would tell one customer that they gave the cabin they paid for away to a higher paying customer they found? No way....

[Merion_Mom]

I remember that discussion.  Not all of the details, but the general gist.

 

It wasn't pretty.  But it was true.

[BirdTravels]

18 minutes ago, rimmit said:

On another forum I saw a post of someone getting a Royal Up for an Owners Suite 2.5 weeks out.

 

They made payment, got an email from the concierge and everything.  36 hours prior to departure which they get a call that there was an error and they’ll be rebooked for their original stateroom class.  They did not in fact get the original JS they originally booked and instead were rebooked in an obstructed Balcony.  They state and this is a direct quote from the call they got from RCI that “Someone on the revenue team found a higher paying customer.”

 

After spending 3 hours on the phone, they state all they were offered aside from their Royal Up money back was $25 dollar OBC and a bottle of wine which is useless as they have the beverage package.  They state they will call again tomorrow to see what else they could maybe be compensated.  
 

This is for the April 19th sailing on the Navigator.

 

I was wondering if anyone has had this happen to them and could weigh in on what compensation they have maybe gotten in the past so I can relay it to the OP and give them some expectations regarding if they can get any compensation at all.  
 

RCI obviously owes nothing back aside from their Royal Up money and the original room they booked, but this would obviously be a huge blow to anyone if you were lead to believe you won an owner’s suite for over 2 weeks and packed accordingly and then had it reneged because RC’s “ revenue team found a higher paying customer.” After you were told you already won the OS.

 

Especially as they had already left for the embarkation port and packed as if they would have the extra space of an owners suite than a JS which was then reduced to an obstructed balcony.  

Don't believe everything you read on the internet.

 

Unless you are personally involved with the dispute, then passing on Fake New is just Fake News. 

[smokeybandit]

RC doesn't manage RoyalUp either. That's a third party company.

[rimmit]

11 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

This story sounds like BS to me. Do you think RCI would tell one customer that they gave the cabin they paid for away to a higher paying customer they found? No way....

The use of “revenue team” is what made me believe the story, as who uses the term “revenue team” in regular speech.  They have also never bothered to post in a cruise forum before so it me not like they are trying to stir up a hornet’s nest. 
 

Also they had a long post history, none of which was trolling and standard conversation in a forum and respectful and has a pretty high rating.  Could it be BS definitely, but they did not seem overtly irate, just very understandably upset at losing the upgrade and then being put in an obstructed balcony.

 

I am normally not one to pass on “hearsay” but on review of the posters account and history and ratings, I could find nothing to indicate they would just go off the rails to create some crazy story.

 

I was mainly asking to see if this has happened to anyone else before and if so what compensation they were offered so I could offer some advice.

Edited April 18, 2023 by rimmit

[firefly333]

10 minutes ago, rimmit said:

I was mainly asking to see if this has happened to anyone else before and if so what compensation they were offered so I could offer some advice.

Different but a friend of mine booked a spacious ov. He was told a entertainer wanted his cabin and bumped to a central park balcony, technically a upgrade. He went to customer service onboard and asked and was given a very nice obc and fcc. I think 1/3 of what he paid he got a future credit toward a future cruise besides obc. Probably to shut him up. I thought wow he is so lucky. 

 

It was allure last early dec when it first came to texas so fares were kinda high. 

[twangster]

Makes me wonder if it was a Royal executive who was "found".  

 

Revenue mgmt isn't in the habit of soliciting guests especially when a cabin is booked.  How exactly did they find someone willing to pay more?  

 

I believe it happened but I don't buy that revenue mgmt somehow found someone willing to pay more.  I think it's more likely a Royal executive wanted the cabin and told revenue mgmt to deal with it.  

[nelblu]

52 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Different but a friend of mine booked a spacious ov. He was told a entertainer wanted his cabin and bumped to a central park balcony, technically a upgrade. He went to customer service onboard and asked and was given a very nice obc and fcc. I think 1/3 of what he paid he got a future credit toward a future cruise besides obc. Probably to shut him up. I thought wow he is so lucky. 

 

It was allure last early dec when it first came to texas so fares were kinda high. 

If you complain long enough you may get something.  On our October oasis sail, my son and family were having issues with the air and plumbing, and they received 10% of their fare off a future cruise.

[Longhorn Cruiser]

Send an email directly to Royal executive offices:
 

ex-co@rccl.com

mbayley@rccl.com

 

 

[Charles4515]

24 minutes ago, twangster said:

Makes me wonder if it was a Royal executive who was "found".  

 

Revenue mgmt isn't in the habit of soliciting guests especially when a cabin is booked.  How exactly did they find someone willing to pay more?  

 

I believe it happened but I don't buy that revenue mgmt somehow found someone willing to pay more.  I think it's more likely a Royal executive wanted the cabin and told revenue mgmt to deal with it.  

As I said I don’t think they found someone to pay more and took the cabin away. I do think that the cabin might not have been available to begin with, like for example an original booking of the cabin was canceled by mistake, some other double booking error or it was defective, that the cabin  was and should not have been available for Royal Up. I suppose it is possible they wanted the cabin for an insider. 

[taglovestocruise]

26 minutes ago, Longhorn Cruiser said:

Send an email directly to Royal executive offices:
 

ex-co@rccl.com

mbayley@rccl.com

 

 

Waste of time, it is a very large third part company that is in business to sell upgrades.  Company is called Plusgrade and they handle upgrades for Airlines, Hotels, and Cruise lines.  They are based in Canada with offices around the world, currently they have over 200 major companies as clients. 

[Biker19]

10 minutes ago, taglovestocruise said:

Waste of time, it is a very large third part company that is in business to sell upgrades.

Once RCI took away the Royal Up cabin, they inherited the problem - nothing to do with Plusgrade anymore.

[LibertyBella]

The fact that they did not get the owner's suite is disappointing, but NO DAMAGE has been done to them, therefore, no compensation is needed.  Hopefully they will enjoy their cruise.

[monorail81]

15 minutes ago, LibertyBella said:

The fact that they did not get the owner's suite is disappointing, but NO DAMAGE has been done to them, therefore, no compensation is needed.  Hopefully they will enjoy their cruise.

Except for they weren’t rebooked into their original room and instead got an obstructed view. Had they been restored to their original room, I’d agree with you. 

[JessyCruises]

23 minutes ago, LibertyBella said:

The fact that they did not get the owner's suite is disappointing, but NO DAMAGE has been done to them, therefore, no compensation is needed.  Hopefully they will enjoy their cruise.

Assuming the story is true, they were put into an obstructed balcony instead of the junior suite they originally booked and only give $25 OBC.  I would be livid.

[acuprulez]

From what I read they were given a JS, just one that happened to be an obstructed view aft balcony.

 

They originally booked JS, so they were given the same category.

[cruiseboy89130]

5 hours ago, rimmit said:

On another forum I saw a post of someone getting a Royal Up for an Owners Suite 2.5 weeks out.

 

They made payment, got an email from the concierge and everything.  36 hours prior to departure which they get a call that there was an error and they’ll be rebooked for their original stateroom class.  They did not in fact get the original JS they originally booked and instead were rebooked in an obstructed Balcony.  They state and this is a direct quote from the call they got from RCI that “Someone on the revenue team found a higher paying customer.”

 

After spending 3 hours on the phone, they state all they were offered aside from their Royal Up money back was $25 dollar OBC and a bottle of wine which is useless as they have the beverage package.  They state they will call again tomorrow to see what else they could maybe be compensated.  
 

This is for the April 19th sailing on the Navigator.

 

I was wondering if anyone has had this happen to them and could weigh in on what compensation they have maybe gotten in the past so I can relay it to the OP and give them some expectations regarding if they can get any compensation at all.  
 

RCI obviously owes nothing back aside from their Royal Up money and the original room they booked, but this would obviously be a huge blow to anyone if you were lead to believe you won an owner’s suite for over 2 weeks and packed accordingly and then had it reneged because RC’s “ revenue team found a higher paying customer.” After you were told you already won the OS.

 

Especially as they had already left for the embarkation port and packed as if they would have the extra space of an owners suite than a JS which was then reduced to an obstructed balcony.  

I call serious BS!

[Coralc]

WOW. That is pretty awful. 

[Husky1987]

How soon until we see the thread pop up from the other side?  I can just read it now...

 

 

I can't believe it!  RC cancelled my OS and I spent a couple weeks trying to get them to acknowledge that they made a mistake and I wasn't the one who cancelled.  This was our 25th anniversary cruise that we saved up for for years.

 

After talking with at least 10 people at Royal, they FINALLY admitted that it was their mistake a couple days before the cruise was set to leave.  "We can give you an aft JS" they said.  No deal, it was your mistake, I don't care if you have to kick the people out of MY OS, I want the cabin I originally paid for.  Thank God I don't give up easily and I'm a PITA. They agreed to put us back in the OS.  

 

I do hope the people they gave my OS to after they cancelled my cruise are treated alright, but honestly all I cared about was getting the cabin I paid for.

 

 

[S.A.M.J.R.]

12 hours ago, taglovestocruise said:

Waste of time, it is a very large third part company that is in business to sell upgrades.  Company is called Plusgrade and they handle upgrades for Airlines, Hotels, and Cruise lines.  They are based in Canada with offices around the world, currently they have over 200 major companies as clients. 

You hire a contractor to do some work on your house.  The plumber they hire causes issues.  Do you contact the plumber, or do you contact the contractor?  

 

 

[sowhat]

A long time ago, we were  given a free upgrade  from a balcony  to JS for 2 consecutive  cruises
Had all the paper work and luggage  tags for JS cabins.
While checking in at cruise  port, noticed the  original  cabin numbers on sea pass cards
Told to go check in supervisor  counter.
Hotel director happened  to be there, we explained  to  situation, straight  away  he  give us $500  OBC to go to original  cabins  that we had booked.
Ask regarding  luggage  that had the JS room numbers on tags, He informed  us that he would sort the luggage  and all cabin paper work.

[splashsmom]

Our Royal Up award was rescinded.  We were doing a side-to-side and received no notice that the Grand Suite we were awarded was taken away.  We found out when we were scrolling through the app for the second leg of the side-to-side (while on the cruise for the first leg) and happened to notice that the stateroom # had changed on our set sail passes for the second leg.  Luckily we caught it just before the 48 hours cancellation timeframe during the post-COVID restart and had the option to cancel if we so chose as the new room they assigned to us was inferior to the room we originally selected (and paid an additional amount to select).  I am very hesitant to do Royal Up after this experience.