Quantum of the Seas Overbooking

[cheznandy]

1 minute ago, cheznandy said:

 

Double posted..whoops

Edited November 30, 2023 by cheznandy

[Chiliburn]

23 minutes ago, Cruisers47 said:

Sorry Chilli but I have to ask….did your shower..ha ha.

I found the cold shower and the bible helpful, @NSWP  give me that advice how to not be tempted.

[resordanis]

8 minutes ago, cheznandy said:

We got exactly the same worded letter except  25%.....forgot to add in post above that deck 3 aft was definately poop deck, they were always spraying it with Eucalyptus spray as it stunk of sewer.

Stewards told us that there had been many leaks, so they just keep spraying.

Chez, you don’t give me much hope for our cruise next week.! Although we are on deck 10!

[NSWP]

30 minutes ago, Chiliburn said:

I found the cold shower and the bible helpful, @NSWP  give me that advice how to not be tempted.

Those strategies kept you away from the Cougars, Chili, god bless you my son.🙏

Edited November 30, 2023 by NSWP

[Chiliburn]

28 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Those strategies kept you away from the Cougars, Chili, god bless you my son.🙏

It’s good to see you out there uncle Les ,giving us young fellas guidance.

[arxcards]

11 hours ago, NSWP said:

If the cruise line won't cover air fares etc, then travel insurance claim would apply.

No, travel insurance would not cover.

[arxcards]

1 hour ago, resordanis said:

Chez, you don’t give me much hope for our cruise next week.! Although we are on deck 10!

 

[NSWP]

18 minutes ago, arxcards said:

No, travel insurance would not cover.

Why is that Geoff ?

[arxcards]

7 minutes ago, NSWP said:

Why is that Geoff ?

The booked flights are not an out of pocket expense. The flight to the ship would have already been provided, and you are only covered for out of pocket expenses until you can resume a similar itinerary or return home. The insurer would assist to get you an earlier flight home, cover the expenses of your change of flight and any accommodation/out of pocket incurred to get back on schedule or back home.

 

You aren't able to claim for any travel/accommodation that has already been provided or what will still be provided. 

[pully8]

Feel sorry for the people who were unable to cruise especially if they had other expenses to get to/from the port. 

Apart from overbooking another is the quality of some of the ships in Australian waters.

Some seem old and as some have said poorly maintained/cleaned.

Lack of staff might explain the cleaning issue.

We do not seem to get the new ships here why? 

 

[NSWP]

43 minutes ago, pully8 said:

Feel sorry for the people who were unable to cruise especially if they had other expenses to get to/from the port. 

Apart from overbooking another is the quality of some of the ships in Australian waters.

Some seem old and as some have said poorly maintained/cleaned.

Lack of staff might explain the cleaning issue.

We do not seem to get the new ships here why? 

 

The new ships generally go to the American and European market.   Big customer base and the demand is for the new ships in those areas.

[springaussie]

I don’t why Royal just didn’t just  ring up a few high tier cruisers who live in Brisbane on that cruise a few days earlier who normally spend nothing on the ship. 
With  a good offer! 
Promblem solved! 

Edited November 30, 2023 by springaussie

[bretts173]

5 hours ago, pully8 said:

Feel sorry for the people who were unable to cruise especially if they had other expenses to get to/from the port. 

Apart from overbooking another is the quality of some of the ships in Australian waters.

Some seem old and as some have said poorly maintained/cleaned.

Lack of staff might explain the cleaning issue.

We do not seem to get the new ships here why? 

 

Ovation and Quantum are hardly old.

[ceeceeDee]

I don't understand what part of 'guarantee' the cruise line doesn't understand?!!

 

The definition of guarantee is a formal assurance (typically in writing) that certain conditions will be fulfilled

 

Note: will be not may be ....................

 

I think it is reprehensible to leave passengers who have paid up front finding themselves at the terminal forlornly watching the ship sail without them. It would appear that the RCI deliberately overbooked, gambling that there would be enough cancellations/no shows to accommodate all the guarantee bookings. They lost the bet, but it was the poor passengers who paid the price. Then again, with gambling the odds are always stacked in favour of the house.🥺🙄

[arxcards]

3 hours ago, ceeceeDee said:

I don't understand what part of 'guarantee' the cruise line doesn't understand?!!

 

The definition of guarantee is a formal assurance (typically in writing) that certain conditions will be fulfilled

 

Note: will be not may be ....................

 

I think it is reprehensible to leave passengers who have paid up front finding themselves at the terminal forlornly watching the ship sail without them. It would appear that the RCI deliberately overbooked, gambling that there would be enough cancellations/no shows to accommodate all the guarantee bookings. They lost the bet, but it was the poor passengers who paid the price. Then again, with gambling the odds are always stacked in favour of the house.🥺🙄

I disagree. Any overbooking would be known about several days before departure, and enough passengers given a voluntary offer they couldn't refuse to resolve the issue. If this was the case, we would hear about this happening regularly. Something has happened last minute that has reduced the capacity of the ship.

 

I don't agree with the compensation though - inadequate. 

[arxcards]

9 hours ago, pully8 said:

Feel sorry for the people who were unable to cruise especially if they had other expenses to get to/from the port. 

Apart from overbooking another is the quality of some of the ships in Australian waters.

Some seem old and as some have said poorly maintained/cleaned.

Lack of staff might explain the cleaning issue.

We do not seem to get the new ships here why? 

 

As mentioned, Quantum & Ovation are comparatively new. Celebrity Edge is 5 years old,  Majestic Princess is 6 years old. Discovery Princess will be 3 years old when she arrives here in late 2025. Virgin's Resilient Lady is on her way to Sydney now and is only 6 months old.

 

Yes, there are our year round ships that are much older, but they are also small enough to fit under bridges and also dock in places like Cairns & Port Vila, which none of those new ships can do. 

 

As for putting new ships here full-time, the financial owners of each ship want them operating in their own markets or where they can make the most money. There is very little Australian finance backing any of those ships, so we just get what they will give us. China used to get leftover ships, but Chinese money & Chinese shipyards are changing that.

[arxcards]

7 hours ago, springaussie said:

I don’t why Royal just didn’t just  ring up a few high tier cruisers who live in Brisbane on that cruise a few days earlier who normally spend nothing on the ship. 
With  a good offer! 
Promblem solved! 

I suspect they didn't know until it was too late.

[MicCanberra]

We don't have the full story, we don't  know quite a few things. Like:

exactly when people were notified and

what type of people (i.e  locals or non locals) were notified.

Why there was a sudden shortage of cabins, maintenance issues, miscommunication with TAs, whatever.

 

So apparently the letter went out prior to the sailing day but we don't know how many days prior.

 

As some took option 1 and not any of the other offer/s, they found themselves stranded and couldn't board, they complained and got compensated sufficiently more than the 4th offer.

 

[Aus Traveller]

1 hour ago, MicCanberra said:

We don't have the full story, we don't  know quite a few things. Like:

exactly when people were notified and

what type of people (i.e  locals or non locals) were notified.

Why there was a sudden shortage of cabins, maintenance issues, miscommunication with TAs, whatever.

 

So apparently the letter went out prior to the sailing day but we don't know how many days prior.

 

As some took option 1 and not any of the other offer/s, they found themselves stranded and couldn't board, they complained and got compensated sufficiently more than the 4th offer.

 

I originally thought the letter sounded as it if was sent days prior to the cruise BUT I am now doubtful. It clearly wasn't an email and the sheet of paper has the RCI logo in colour and the page doesn't have fold marks from being posted in a standard envelope. It looks like it was handed to people in person and that would have to be at the terminal.

 

I understand it isn't unusual for a cruise to have a small number of over-bookings. The cruiselines know from experience how many cancellations they will get. They can then email a few customers with a move-over offer until they have enough cabins to accommodate all the guarantee bookings. In this case, maybe it is as a few people have suggested - some last-minute change either a maintenance issue or needing the cabins for another purpose such as isolation. Either way, it was sh...y for the people who were expecting to go on a cruise only to be turned away. I feel the compensation was very poor.

[MMDown Under]

On 11/30/2023 at 11:54 AM, Ondine said:

Maybe they could use the excuse Qantas made about selling seats for flights that had been cancelled.  Namely that they are selling seats to fly and not guaranteeing a particular flight or day or destination!!!

Yes that one took the cake!

What value do you put on shock, disappointment.  When it is the other way around there is no sympathy and understanding.  I got sick unexpectedly and lost all the money I'd paid for cruise and flights.  I understood but it doesn't make it less disappointing.  They offered me OBC for next cruise.  There will be no next cruise on that line which I had cruised the most on!

[bazzaw]

I think that guarantee fares are a VERY important part of the cruiselines business model. Else why do they mostly/normally go to such lengths to make attractive "moveover" offers to passengers who have already paid full fares so that they can accommodate lesser paying guarantee bookings?? . Seems to me like this may become a bit of an unintended disaster and own goal for them?? How many people here now will have second thoughts about booking a guarantee fare? - and how will that doubt impact the cruislines bookings model?? 

[arxcards]

16 hours ago, bazzaw said:

I think that guarantee fares are a VERY important part of the cruiselines business model. Else why do they mostly/normally go to such lengths to make attractive "moveover" offers to passengers who have already paid full fares so that they can accommodate lesser paying guarantee bookings?? . Seems to me like this may become a bit of an unintended disaster and own goal for them?? How many people here now will have second thoughts about booking a guarantee fare? - and how will that doubt impact the cruislines bookings model?? 

I just changed from a chosen cabin to a guarantee after a price drop in order to save $900 on a cruise.

The last time I heard of passengers being denied boarding like this was over 15 years ago, so I doubt this changes anything for anyone that hasn't been impacted.

[MicCanberra]

8 hours ago, arxcards said:

I just changed from a chosen cabin to a guarantee after a price drop in order to save $900 on a cruise.

The last time I heard of passengers being denied boarding like this was over 15 years ago, so I doubt this changes anything for anyone that hasn't been impacted.

Agreed, I think what happened with Qots was an anomaly, I have a few guarantees booked, and have never had an issue like that in the past.

[Aus Traveller]

I agree with Geoff and Mic. We have never had a problem with a guaranteed booking and will continue to book that way if there is a reasonable saving.

[arxcards]

30 minutes ago, Aus Traveller said:

I agree with Geoff and Mic. We have never had a problem with a guaranteed booking and will continue to book that way if there is a reasonable saving.

That is still key. We have always preferred to handpick a cabin, but not at any price. Location matters a bit, but if an otherwise identical cabin is cheaper by letting them choose it, why not.

 

In a rare occasion like this, I also think a new cruiser in a chosen cabin is more chance of being bounced to make room for a regular passenger with a guarantee cabin. Lets just hope this continues to be a rarity.