Overbooked Cruise. Thoughts?

[whatyouknowsays]

Dear Guest,

Ahead of your Allure of the Seas May 21^st, 2023 sailing, we're looking to see if you and your travel party have flexible travel plans. If your travel plans are set in stone, mark this email as "Read", and gear up for your upcoming adventure - although, there are some pretty sweet options below.

If your travel plans are flexible, you may be able to take advantage of our special offer. Below, we've outlined some options that may be available to you.

Your Options

Option 1: Receive 100% refund, plus a $300 Onboard Credit, per stateroom and move to one of the select 2023 Voyager of the Seas sailings below:

• July 10^th, 2023 5-Night Western Caribbean sailing departing from Galveston, Texas visiting:
  • Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico | Cozumel, Mexico
• July 15^th, 2023 5-Night Western Caribbean sailing departing from Galveston, Texas visiting:
  • Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico | Cozumel, Mexico

What you'll receive: 

• A full refund your current booking on Allure of the Seas, a $300 USD non-refundable OBC per cabin, PLUS, you'll receive a complimentary transfer to the selected Voyager of the Seas sailing in the same category you previously booked. Please note, the complimentary transfer covers your cruise fare for the new sailing only and excludes taxes, fees & gratuities. 
  • If your booking was already paid in full and your cruise fare rate decreases, we'll provide you with a refund for the difference. 
  • You can expect to receive your refund to your original form of payment within 14 business days after we move you. Kindly note, refund times may vary depending on your financial institution.
  • Please note, each sail date is subject to stateroom availability.
• If you used a Future Cruise Credit (FCC) to pay for your reservation, any NEW funds paid above the certificate amount will be refunded and the original FCC will be reinstated and valid for a year from issuance.

Option 2: Move to the one of the Allure of the Seas Summer 2023 sailings below, departing from Galveston, Texas:

• July 30^th, 2023 7-Night Western Caribbean sailing visiting:
  • Roatan, Honduras | Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico | Cozumel, Mexico
• August 6^th, 2023 7-Night Western Caribbean sailing visiting:
  • Roatan, Honduras | Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico | Cozumel, Mexico

What you'll receive: 

• Your original stateroom category price will either be protected at your original cruise fare rate or reduced to the current cruise fare rate (whichever is lower). This excludes taxes, fees, gratuities, and other non-cruise fare items. 
  • If your booking was already paid in full and your cruise fare rate decreases, we'll provide you with a refund for the difference. 
  • You can expect to receive your refund to your original form of payment within 14 business days after we move you. Kindly note, refund times may vary depending on your financial institution.
  • Please note, each sail date is subject to stateroom availability.
• If you used a Future Cruise Credit (FCC) to pay for your reservation, any NEW funds paid above the certificate amount will be refunded and the original FCC will be reinstated and valid for a year from issuance.

Option 3: If you choose to cancel, we'll be sad to see you go. You'll receive a 100% refund, plus a 100% Future Cruise Credit to book an alternate Royal Caribbean sailing.

What you'll receive:

• A full refund of your current booking on Allure of Seas. PLUS, a Future Cruise Credit (`FCC') valued at 100% of the cruise fare paid on your current booking to book an alternative RCI sailing departing by May 15^th, 2024.
• If you used a Future Cruise Credit (FCC) to pay for your reservation, any NEW funds paid above the certificate amount will be refunded and the original FCC will be reinstated and valid for a year from issuance.

Regardless of which option you choose, we'll also reimburse you for any non-refundable, pre-purchased travel expenses (e.g. hotel, flight) you have incurred.

Please note that this special offer is time-limited and subject to availability. If you're happy to be excluded from the special offer, please disregard this email - no further action is required.

If you have wiggle room in your plans, please reach out to us directly. We'll be collecting your option preference via our survey that will remain open through May 17^th, 2023. Please note, filling out our survey does not guarantee you will be chosen. Our team will reach out to you via your provided contact method should you be selected. If you're not contacted by May 18^th, 2023, you will remain booked on your existing Allure of the Seas sailing.

Thanks for sharing your preferences and we'll see you onboard soon!

Sincerely,

Royal Caribbean International

[Merion_Mom]

good options

[whatyouknowsays]

Merion_Mom Option 3 was a great option IMO. Thanks for the response.

[SG65CB]

9 minutes ago, whatyouknowsays said:

Please note, filling out our survey does not guarantee you will be chosen. Our team will reach out to you via your provided contact method should you be selected. If you're not contacted by May 18^th, 2023, you will remain booked on your existing Allure of the Seas sailing.

 

As usual, if you opt in it does not mean you will get this offer. They are taking volunteers and will later decide who to choose, if anyone. 

 

At least they have fixed the major flaw - previous offers just said if you do not hear from us then you will remain in your existing booking. This meant you would have to wait until departure day to see for sure if you were accepted or not. Now you will have a definite answer by three days before departure, in this case May 18 for a May 21 cruise. 

[whatyouknowsays]

SG65CB  Yes we saw that .  We live within 3 hours of the port , so no plane tickets or organized plans with others.  We put in for an option and will see what happens .  Win Win for us since we are flexible due to location.

[kitkat343]

Just now, whatyouknowsays said:

SG65CB  Yes we saw that .  We live within 3 hours of the port , so no plane tickets or organized plans with others.  We put in for an option and will see what happens .  Win Win for us since we are flexible due to location.

Perfect!  Hope it all works out for you.

[SG65CB]

Option 2 does not appear to have any financial incentive. No refund, no future cruise credit, no OBC. Just switch to a different date with no compensation. I think there's a typo or they left something out. 

[whatyouknowsays]

Thank you kitkat343.

 

[cruiselvr04]

We got one for our upcoming Cruisetour to Alaska.  Our plans are set in stone as we already have airfare.  So I’m ignoring the email. 
 

I know Royal is running a business and is trying to keep ships at 100%.  However it concerns me a bit that this is happening what seems to be frequently.   What happens if they don’t get takers?  Who gets bumped? 
 

When they over book and then have to offer Option 3 is the cruiseline really ahead?
 

By the way, our option 3 was to cancel and get a full refund with no additional compensation. I’m guessing no one is going to take them up on that.  

[c-leg5]

Again?

 

[Ourusualbeach]

1 hour ago, whatyouknowsays said:

Merion_Mom Option 3 was a great option IMO. Thanks for the response.

Be careful.  With prices what they are a refund and 100% FCC added together nay not cover a new cruise. 

[GJustice]

This is 3rd week in a row that Allure has been "oversold" We didn't like the options, so stuck with our original booking and had a great time.

 

At least they removed the "unfortunate inventory error" verbiage they used on the others 🙂 

[Biker19]

8 hours ago, cruiselvr04 said:

What happens if they don’t get takers?

They will up the compensation till someone takes the offer.

[Tippyton]

FWIW we are on the cruise and they are at 98% capacity.  Not 100, not 104.

[Biker19]

3 hours ago, Tippyton said:

FWIW we are on the cruise and they are at 98% capacity.  Not 100, not 104.

You are on the cruise next weekend and somehow know the capacity ahead of time? Not sure even RCI knows that.

[Tippyton]

3 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

You are on the cruise next weekend and somehow know the capacity ahead of time? Not sure even RCI knows that.

We're on the May 14 sailing currently.  I asked and was told 98%.🤷‍♂️  

[whatyouknowsays]

Just to follow up. They called this morning with acceptance of option 3.  Full refund and future cruise credit for 100% of paid fare.  I assume we booked a low rate and are residents of Texas.  Win for us,  we are headed to Cozumel for a week instead and will use the credit for a sailing in December. Cheers!

[mpdog42]

I am wondering if overbooking is even legal?

[happy cruzer]

Galveston seems to be very popular this year.  I booked out of New Orleans at a bit more than half the price of a cruise out of Galveston which more than paid for air, etc.

[HappyTexan44]

13 hours ago, whatyouknowsays said:

Just to follow up. They called this morning with acceptance of option 3.  Full refund and future cruise credit for 100% of paid fare.  I assume we booked a low rate and are residents of Texas.  Win for us,  we are headed to Cozumel for a week instead and will use the credit for a sailing in December. Cheers!

 

Awesome.   That is the only option that looked interesting.  When I was shopping, Allure was more expensive than Voyager so even for the same length of trip those offers were a downgrade.  

[SummerBeee]

1 hour ago, happy cruzer said:

Galveston seems to be very popular this year.  I booked out of New Orleans at a bit more than half the price of a cruise out of Galveston which more than paid for air, etc.

 New Orleans can’t handle an Oasis class ship. This is the first year an Oasis class has sailed out of Galveston. Excitement for something new

[Goodtime Cruizin]

1 hour ago, happy cruzer said:

Galveston seems to be very popular this year.  I booked out of New Orleans at a bit more than half the price of a cruise out of Galveston which more than paid for air, etc.

New terminal allowing the larger Oasis class ships! 

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

16 hours ago, Tippyton said:

We're on the May 14 sailing currently.  I asked and was told 98%.🤷‍♂️  

I would assume that meant they got enough people to switch from that overbooking.  Depending on how many had 3rd/4th berths would determine why the got to 98% vs 100-104%.

 

Count me as one of those who don't know how they overbook a ship?  Are that many people cancelling cruises last minute that they need to oversell?  And even if someone DOES cancel, RCI still get their money (granted, not on board spending).  

[HappyTexan44]

45 minutes ago, S.A.M.J.R. said:

I would assume that meant they got enough people to switch from that overbooking.  Depending on how many had 3rd/4th berths would determine why the got to 98% vs 100-104%.

 

Count me as one of those who don't know how they overbook a ship?  Are that many people cancelling cruises last minute that they need to oversell?  And even if someone DOES cancel, RCI still get their money (granted, not on board spending).  

 

My personal theory is that Royal has a computer program estimating how cabins will cancel at the last minute.   Then they allow people to book the real number of cabins plus that estimate.  The estimate would be based on historical data.  

That would generally work fairly well.   But, they haven't accounted for the world being a different place than a year ago or two years ago.  A year or two ago there were a lot of people cancelling at the last minute.  There was the people that cancelled because they or someone in the family was sick, and also the people that booked with the thought that vaccines and masks wouldn't be required by the cruise date.  

 

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

3 minutes ago, HappyTexan44 said:

 

My personal theory is that Royal has a computer program estimating how cabins will cancel at the last minute.   Then they allow people to book the real number of cabins plus that estimate.  The estimate would be based on historical data.  

That would generally work fairly well.   But, they haven't accounted for the world being a different place than a year ago or two years ago.  A year or two ago there were a lot of people cancelling at the last minute.  There was the people that cancelled because they or someone in the family was sick, and also the people that booked with the thought that vaccines and masks wouldn't be required by the cruise date.  

 

BUT, if someone cancels at the last minute, Royal still has their money (because they're not getting refunded).  Surely the amount of money spent on board by the "new" person is made up by the amount they have to pay people to cancel.