Is Royal Caribbean the best ?

[syndyj]

My travel agent is really working on me with this issue. Wht I have figured out is that because I visit the royal caribbean site from Trinidad I don't go to the U.S. site, I visit ain international site for which the travel agents are A&A Tours.This is what Royal Caribbean emailed me when I placed a cruise on hold:

 

Thank you for making a reservation with Royal Caribbean International

through the A & A TOURS website.

 

Then I got this from A&A

Good Morning

 

Thank you for visit Royal Caribbean's Website. We received from them your confirmation. We recommend you to claim your reservation through a local travel agency, in order to process the payment and coordinate any other details that you may need for the success of your trip.

 

attached to that email was this from Royal Caribbean

 

Dear A & A TOURS,

 

This is to notify you that your client, has made an online reservation on the Royal Caribbean International website.

 

Please take a moment to read this email carefully for details regarding your client's reservation. If it is on "Hold" status, you must respond promptly to secure your client's vacation plans.

 

Once your client's reservation is confirmed, your agency is responsible for servicing this guest and processing any reservation amendments. This includes forwarding all travel documentation and collecting any outstanding balances from your client within the required time period.

 

So since A&A are the travel agents they are the ones not honouring the $99.00 discount not Royal Caribbean. That's why the rep could not give me an explanation when I asked why there were two different policies on the same discount.

 

My travel agent is trying to get the booking released, transfered to Royal Caribbean instead of me canceling and having to wait for the desposit to be credited to my CC.

 

I must say this has been a learning experience.

[Leesbrug Land]

I have only cruised four times. Carnival (1983), HAL (1999), NCL (2004) and RCI (2004). SO I don't claim to be an expert, but the thing that bothers me most about all the cruise lines is their itinerary clause:

 

"In the event of strikes, lockouts, riots, weather conditions, mechanical difficulties or for any other reason whatsoever, we may, at any time and without prior notice, cancel, advance, postpone or deviate from any scheduled sailing or port of call and may, but is not obliged to, substitute another vessel or port of call, and shall not be liable for any loss whatsoever to guests by reason of such cancellation, advancement, postponement, deviation or substitution. We shall not be responsible for any failure to adhere to the arrival and departure times published in this website for any of its ports of call."

 

I can't believe I am the only traveler that this bothers. I read one post where the lady booked a Caribbean Cruise and because of three hurricanes, ended up doing the New England/Canada cruise. When I book a cruise, it's because I want to go to that particular itinerary. That the cruise line can alter that itinerary "for any reason whatsoever" and "shall not be liable for any loss whatsoever to the guests" just doesn't sit right with me. I'm paying for that cruise, that itinerary, not just a week on the ship going somewhere?

agabbymama

 

I don't get it:confused: . Are you suggesting that you would rather sail towards THREE HURRICANES then do another itinerary?:eek:

 

Canada isn't that bad:p

 

 

 

[agabbymama]

I'm saying I don't like the clause in the cruise line contract, "that they can change for any reason whatsoever" and "not be liable for that change".

 

I had a land vacation planned to New Orleans in December 2005. Hurricane Katrina hit, then Hurricane Rita. I was able to cancel those reservations and get all of my money back. Try that on a cruise, and they do what they want to do. Summit passengers just got $200 shipboard credit and 30% off another cruise?

 

That isn't how I want to spend my vacation dollar.:rolleyes:

 

And you're right, Canada isn't that bad. I have a Canada/New England cruise booked in Sept/Oct. I'm just praying that the Constellation stays healthy and Canada/ New England is indeed where we end up!

[BearySweet2Cruise]

well, I have only sailed RCCL.. have thought about sampling others.. but I already know what I am getting with RCCL.. so I say it's the best in my opinion, since I will not book any other cruise lines..:)

[VCruisers]

We have only traveled Royal in the past, but are venturing out in a couple of weeks, only to try and experience all the industry. I think any cruise and or land vacation is what you make of it. Some times it is better than others.

 

Hope you have a good vacation

[Catnip]

 

I can't believe I am the only traveler that this bothers.

 

Yet all the cruise lines have this similar clause.

 

At the cost you pay to cruise, it would sure seem to me more people would be up in arms over this issue. :eek:

 

I'm pretty sure it bothers most cruisers if their cruise is re-routed. :rolleyes: However, if the Captain is trying to get the crusie ship out of the way of a hurricane or bad storm, then I say "HAUL A$$"!!!!! I guess if I was that dead-set on going to a particular island, and only booked the cruise to go to that particular island, then I would consider a land-based vacation instead of a cruise. That way, I would not be disappointed.....

I had booked a cruise many years ago for the Panama Canal...the day we got to the canal, it was gale-force winds. The Captain decided it was too risky to go through, so we left and had an extra day at sea. Lots of folks were angry, but there was no mutiny and no running to the Press when we got home. We got over it, and booked another PC cruise several years later!

just my $.02 worth. :)

[pcur]

We have sailed on 6 different cruise lines over the last 3 decades. Most of our cruises have been with Royal Caribbean, but we tried Costa, Cunard, NCL, Celebrity, and I went on Renaissance.

 

All in all, we prefer RCCL because they put the cruise package together better than the other lines. What I mean is you might get better food on Celebrity, but their ships aren't as stylish and attractive in our opinion. Costa was a great cruise, with fabulous Italian food, but the ship was pretty hohum. Cunard sucked. NCL tried but didn't come up to par in almost all categories. Renaissance was great, and went out of business.

 

Now, all of these cruises were booked with a lot of attention to cost. So, if you want a MUCH better cruise, yes, go on Crystal and pay the extra money.

 

For the money spent, I think you get a good package. DH won't touch Carnival, and we're toying with Princess. Why? Because we had a TERRIBLE experience with RCCL's customer service last October.

 

RCCL give a great cruise; their customer service is uneven and unreliable. Posters on this board say so, I say so, my TA says so, and now the OP here says so.

 

Work around the customer service problem, and you've got a great cruise.

[samtig]

I live in a hurricane-prone area so it doesn't break my heart to be rerouted, miss a port, or even have a trip cancelled (heaven forbid). I have a healthy respect for hurricanes/tropical storms & would really rather not go through one on a ship! Skirted around 4 or 5 tropical storms on cruises & that was weather enough. There is a reason for the "clause" cruiselines have & I'm glad they use it when they see fit.

[dockday]

We have sailed twice with them, once with our daughters last August and again for the transatlantic leaving April 28 this year. We enjoyed both experiences. I booked through Vacations To Go. My agent was Cheyna. She is so helpful and kind, answers questions and is very honest with her opinions. I value her judegment. They also have a great webside. I will use her again. JUst ask for her when you call their 800 number. Tell her Dianna sent you

[pxgrant]

Hi all!

 

We are also booked for 10/14/07 - how funny! October is a great month to sail.

 

Looking forward to seeing you guys aboard.

 

Warmly, Peggy Norwood MA:)

[pcur]

Whoops, Dockday!!! A gentle reminder: we aren't allowed to give travel agent recommendations on the CC boards. It's a rule, but since you've only posted twice, you might not know this.

 

Gets your post pulled if they find it.

[NancyIL]

So far I have cruised once with HAL and 3 times with Royal Caribbean. My RCI cruises were great - much more enjoyable than the HAL one, but a lot of that had to do with the circumstances of the HAL cruise than the cruiseline itself (rough seas, cruised with my 78-year-old mother who wasn't feeling well).

 

I initially booked with RCI for Alaska in 2007, then switched to the Pacific Princess. I kept reading that Princess and HAL "do Alaska" so much better than RCI that I decided to give Princess a try. HAL lost out by taking so "dam" long to get their 2007 Alaska itineraries/prices out there!

 

Returning to RCI is a definite possibility for a Mediterranean cruise in 2008.

[isujim]

Define BEST?????????:confused:

 

Yes it is subjective.........yes it is a RC board...........but only you can provide your definition of best.

 

Food? Entertainment? Value? Ships? Itineraries? Service?

 

There is really no way to answer this accurately unless you tell us what you are looking for.........and then still.........the RC lovers in all of us will probably come out.:)

[syndyj]

I did not qualify Royal Caribbean as "the best" the A.A. tours travel agent did. I have only done one cruise and that was on Royal Caribbean and the purpose of my post, aside from venting,is to find out if other cruisers held the belief tht Royal Caribbean is "the best". So, it's not what I am looking for, I know what I want out of a vacation,but since i have not been on every cruiseline out there,I just wanted opinions on wheter Royal Caribbean is the best thus worth the hassle of fighting for a $99.00 discount.

[Host Kewlguy]

I don't understand how much control you are giving up by not using a travel agent. If you have a good travel agent, he or she will follow your directions, will get you the same price reductions and other benefits that you might be eligible for, and will deal with some of those rude customer service persons you refer to. They will also know who, further up the chain, to contact should the customer service representative not have the answer to your question or problem. The TA works for you, while the RCI rep works for?

If you realize that your own time has a value, you may also come to understand that a lot of the grunt work involved in booking your cruise is done more productively by using a knowledgeable TA and freeing you to do things which are more productive.

 

I prefer not relying on anyone. I book my own cruises and plan my own vacations. For instance if a certain "high demand" stateroom becomes available I want to book it immediately and not have to worry about contacting a travel agent to do it for me. The Internet travel agent I formerly used would deduct 10% of my loyalty discount for RCCL cruises. Bottom line I enjoy doing things myself.