Problem on RCCL - What type of Compensation do I expect? (merged)

[Clarkk W Griswald]

This incident has obviously placed an indelible mark on Royal Caribbean...we are cruising next time with Celebrity.

 

Doesn't RCI own Celebrity?

[Elizanessie]

It isnt CC's fault the OP has a problem...so why should they be dragged into it....so you can bet this will go whoosh very very soon.

 

Liz

WYWH Cruiser

[Goldryder]

Doesn't RCI own Celebrity?

 

 

 

sssshhhhhhh...don't let them know that...they might start inspecting the carpets for puddles ;) :D

[crusinmama06]

It isnt CC's fault the OP has a problem...so why should they be dragged into it....so you can bet this will go whoosh very very soon.

 

Liz

WYWH Cruiser

 

If my memory serves me, there are at least 3 other emails listed in this thread that references the post here at CC...and the thread hasn't gone "whoosh" yet. :D

 

And in regards to that email, yes RCCL does own Celebrity.

[familycruises]

I have written a letter to both of the mentioned men in charge. I seriously hope they make this right!

[faithwins]

Doesn't RCI own Celebrity?

 

I was thinking the same thing

[johnjen]

Doesn't RCI own Celebrity?

 

Actually, they don't.

[Goldryder]

Actually, they don't.

 

Actually they do...along with a significant investment in Island Cruises too...which is where their retired ships end up, Horizon and Viking Serenade (Island Star & Island Escape) :)

[crusinmama06]

Actually, they don't.

 

Yes they do...a quote from the RCCL site...

 

Richard D. Fain is chairman and chief executive officer of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., the global cruise company operating 29 ships under the Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International brands.

[broberts]

If you guys are as experienced cruisers as you insinuate that you are, then you should have known that a soggy carpet was not normal, was not cleaning or anything else. Its called using initiative to go and ask at reception for housekeeping to come to the cabin and clarify/confirm and get it in writing in the ship's complaint log (which all ships have if you ask).

 

If one has never had to deal with a problem onboard before - clearly the case of the OP - one might not know that one had to start out immediately with a written complaint and acknowledgement.

 

I don't think its unreasonable to assume that a hotel room has been checked out by staff before occupancy. In the situation described by the OP I would have assumed that staff would not have allowed the room to be let if there was any serious and / or health related issues outstanding. It was quite reasonable that the OP made the assumption he did on the first day.

 

I also think that you are being most unfair to expect that someone who is starting on vacation wants to immediately transfer into consumer battle mode. I know that I would try to avoid it. I purchased, after all, the expectation of a pleasurable time. The company sold me that expectation. Its not unreasonable to assume that we both want the same thing.

 

While your suggestions may have merit, it appears that the OP had no idea of procedures available for reporting problems. Nor had he any idea of the command structure in the Vessel & Hotel operation. Do cruise lines provide this information to passengers? Is it printed in the contract? Posted onboard? I've never seen it. Perhaps someone can point me to cruise line procedures for onboard problem reporting and resolution.

 

Use your initiative people...it it doesn't look/feel/smell right, it is likely that it won't be right...so report it straight away. Don't sit there twiddling your thumbs and scratching your head thinking about it or go to bed and then report it the next day. Get it sorted there and then...otherwise credibility gets thrown out of the window, along with your claim.

 

Apparently good advice. I know now that if there is anything wrong with my cabin I will immediately go to the front desk and initiate a written complaint and will not accept my room until I'm satisfied. There obviously isn't any latitude for good faith. And I obviously can't accept that cruise line personal want to provide me with the best experience possible. I wonder how this attitude will affect ship hotel operations if it is adopted by the 2,000+ other passengers boarding at the same time?

 

Strewth....common sense is in short measure sometimes and the get rich quick compensation claim lawyers are laughing all the way to the bank too...their bank:rolleyes:

 

True engough and I certainly wouldn't want to do anything to encourage the behavior.

 

As with many other posters I make no comment on the complaint in the OP. But I am extremely disturbed by the descriptions of the interaction between the complainant and the hotel staff. If true they highlight a seriously dysfunctional staff and/or poor operational procedures.

 

Why was the room allowed to be occupied? Does the staff not inspect each cabin before re-occupancy? If they do, was the cabin passed? If it was, why was it passed? Perhaps only cabin attendants do the instpection, i.e. no supervisory check is done. If it wasn't, where in the chain of command was the problem ignored? Does the inspection staff have or know about the procedures for reporting rooms that should not be occupied?

 

Why did the problem take so long to fix? What was the hold up and why wasn't the customer kept informed?

 

What is perhaps most concerning is that once the problem moved beyond housekeeping there appears to have been a remarkable lack of good customer relations practice. Lying to a customer is never a good idea. Even when being entirely truthful one must always be careful about insuring that the customer clearly understands what is being communicated. One should also take the time to listen and understand what the customer is really saying. Above all, it seems to me, keeping the customer informed is very important. One may not like reporting negative news to an upset client, but it sure beats letting them stew, imagining that nothing is being done and no one cares about their problem.

[mcgore83]

Is Rich off the ship yet? Is there a resolution to the problem yet? I have been trying to keep up with this thread, but if I missed something, I apologize. I am very curious about the outocome of this situation.

[madelinerose]

Yes, this is a fact, but neither did the OP demand to be moved. Of course, there was an option. I know that this whole mess has certainly taken on a life of its' own. However, I can guarantee you that DH and I would have been moved to another cabin before we were unpacked on day one. At the very moment my shoes squished as I entered the room, something would have been done.

 

I am also allergic to mold spores and there is no way on earth that any vacation is going to ruin my health.

 

If I was the OP at this very moment, I would go on with my life on the cruise, take whatever this Darren person has offered and after returning home, have a "legal" letter drafted to the powers-that-be at RCI. Done. ;)

 

 

Some people seem to have missed the fact that an alternative cabin wasn't offered until day 5! There was no option to move earlier!!!

[FlaWaterFlirt]

 

 

While your suggestions may have merit, it appears that the OP had no idea of procedures available for reporting problems. Nor had he any idea of the command structure in the Vessel & Hotel operation. Do cruise lines provide this information to passengers? Is it printed in the contract? Posted onboard? I've never seen it. Perhaps someone can point me to cruise line procedures for onboard problem reporting and resolution.

 

 

The above comment made my wonder if there is anywhere in print some organizational chart of what the positions are onboard a ship. I.E. rank of control within the dinning rooms, cabins, etc. I would love to see this organization chart should one exist in the event of possible future problems we might have in the future.

[MGilly]

We've sailed four times with RCCL (the fifth will be this December). On only one cruise did we encounter a "problem." When we boarded the Explorer, we opened the cabinets on both sides of the large mirror across from the bed, we saw crushed beer cans left over from the previous passenger. We laughed about it and call our cabin steward. We asked if this was a new location for some modern art. He felt awful about the stuff being in there, but we told him it was no problem! Relax! He ended up cleaning it - and the entire cabin -again, and that night, there was a bottle of wine for us at dinner from the purser's office as an apology for any inconvenience. All we really wanted from the episode was for the beer cans not to be taking up our storage space!

 

Sometimes things can be solved in a much more pleasant fashion if problems are brought to the attention of people in a pleasant manner. Not hearing the OP's tone of voice or his exact words, we really cannot even begin to guess how his complaint was perceived by the RCCL staff. No, I'm not "siding" with the cruise line. I'm just noting that every human being has feelings and perceptions, and we really do not know how either party perceived the other's point of view. But once a slight is felt by either side, the human beings involved will have a hard time being gracious to the one doing the slighting. It's human nature.

[EJNutz]

It seems "GoldMember" still has not read the first post. The OP reported it as soon as he noticed it and it still took 5-days for them to offer a new cabin. He should not have to ask for a new cabin. RCCL should have offered it immediately. It is called Customer Service.

 

Day 1 Op noticed the wet carpet. He straightaway unpacked.

Day 2 OP noticed a smell and called maintenance, who say they will take care of it

Day 3 OP calls maintenance again, cause of problem is explained. The stateroom attendant and boss turns and offers to do the dry cleaning

Day 4 a cleaner. stateroom attendant, housekeeping are involved.

Day 5 Front Desk are involved.

 

The OP never reported it when he first noticed it. He left it for 1 day. Now the staff around tried to repair the damage. Maybe they could have taken it further and suggested a room move. This could have been done we don't know. We don't know if OP was accepting of the plan of action promised. All we have heard is he discussed his problem with staff. He has not at any time said that he wanted to make a formal complaint or a change of room.

 

Whilst we all have sympathy for OP's predicament I do not think it is right to entirely put the blame at RCI. Yes they could handle it better, but at the end of the day we all have to look after ourselves and take personal responsibility.

 

With regards not wanting to cruise with RCI again I would never make that statement based on this thread. We don't have the full facts. It is like saying someone is guilty until proven innocent. Is that right?

[madelinerose]

I'm sorry, but just like every other situation in life, if you're not satisfied with a product, room, service, whatever, you voice your complaint(s) to the "person in charge".

 

I have only been on one cruise, have idea who reports to whom and have absolutely no intention of ever looking at an organizational chart.

 

It seems quite simple to me.....you head to the front desk and demand to see the person in charge of dealing with the flood in my cabin. If you're given the runaround, you plant your feet there until someone with the authority to handle the entire situation arrives. Just seems like plain old common sense to me.

 

 

While your suggestions may have merit, it appears that the OP had no idea of procedures available for reporting problems. Nor had he any idea of the command structure in the Vessel & Hotel operation. Do cruise lines provide this information to passengers? Is it printed in the contract? Posted onboard? I've never seen it. Perhaps someone can point me to cruise line procedures for onboard problem reporting and resolution.

The above comment made my wonder if there is anywhere in print some organizational chart of what the positions are onboard a ship. I.E. rank of control within the dinning rooms, cabins, etc. I would love to see this organization chart should one exist in the event of possible future problems we might have in the future.

[Loucat]

 

 

While your suggestions may have merit, it appears that the OP had no idea of procedures available for reporting problems. Nor had he any idea of the command structure in the Vessel & Hotel operation. Do cruise lines provide this information to passengers? Is it printed in the contract? Posted onboard? I've never seen it. Perhaps someone can point me to cruise line procedures for onboard problem reporting and resolution.

 

 

The above comment made my wonder if there is anywhere in print some organizational chart of what the positions are onboard a ship. I.E. rank of control within the dinning rooms, cabins, etc. I would love to see this organization chart should one exist in the event of possible future problems we might have in the future.

On every RCC ship I have sailed on, there are two ways to know who is in charge of what. On embarkation day, passengers are provided with a flyer that gives the names, titles and pictures of the top managment team. In addition, usually on the embarkarkation deck in the foyer area, there are pictures of the top management team and others who are responsible for important functions. Obviously, the captain has overall responsibility. Next is the staff captain and the Hotel Director.:D

[windjamming]

FYI, the hotel director on the Explorer is being relieved at the end of the month. The HD on the Serenade said he would be heading there in a few weeks. Very professional and experienced guy, and FWIW he really seemed to want people to enjoy their vacations.

 

I know this doesn't help the OP but wanted to let anyone going on the EOS know that there is a change on the way...

[Mildred]

A third of each day is essentially spent in the cabin. I thought I read that your rate was 300 per day per person, so ask for 100 per day per person times the number of days or 1800 fior the entire 9 day trip, then duduct any thing positive from that.

 

Just a suggestion

 

Mildred's other half :cool:

[Wine Luvuh]

Clearly Brian and Darren do not work for tips.... :D

[Lynnees]

abounds on this thread.

 

It boggles my mind the way the OP is being treated with distain on here. The RCL cheerleaders once more charging to the defence.

 

It's because so many people say "forget it" "take less than your entitled to" "you screwed up youself" and all the other epitaths on here that only shows why companies like RCL do what they do and why they are now being sued.

 

This used to be a fairly decent company that listened to the consumer and dealt with the problems in a manner conducive to the problem. Not anymore.

 

Don't people realize that the more often you let them give you shaft the more often they will?

 

Too many people these days accept shoddy service and products (I'm not simply referring to RCL here but to GM, Ford, home builders, Sears, repair people, everyone in other words) without so much as a whimper. That's why everyone gets treated so badly.

 

How about just saying "no more". If these companies including RCL can't stand by their product they don't deserve anyone's hard earned dollars.

 

For the OP if RCL doesn't give you satisfaction argue it with your CC company. Never mind the time limit, you've only just got the service - or in this case no service - take it to the press. Do whatever you have to do to get the resolution you deserve.

[ddsdoc]

just out of curiosity....did the OP or anyone take pictures of the area of the carpet to document its condition that could be sent to the head honchos??? or would photos not accurately reflect the scope of the problem???...a most unfortunate situation for all involved especially the OP....

[Inshape]

Rich: You keep at them. And NO WAY do they give you a bottle of wine for telling the room steward that the cabin stinks of smoke. I did this immediately for the inside cabin where my kids were on Mariner. He got a spray to spray. This did not work. He then took down all the curtains in the room and cleaned them( so he said) and still the odor was there. I have a children who are very sensitive to odors and this bothered them sooo much. They could not stand it. By the end of the first night they offered nothing but a plug in refresher for the air. Now reading all this, I also assummed going to the steward is what to do. NOPE, next time I will take it to the front desk and complain. So we all learned something here. DO not wait a moment. We all do since we do not want to start a vacation ( and if we were all rich we would be on Radison or the all inclusive lines)complaining. The comment by Brian that now the cruises are so affrodable is nonsense. Cruising is still a big chunk of money to shell out and no one should have a mildewed carpet. This would not be acceptable in any hotel.

[Cruising89143]

Rich: You keep at them. And NO WAY do they give you a bottle of wine for telling the room steward that the cabin stinks of smoke. I did this immediately for the inside cabin where my kids were on Mariner. He got a spray to spray. This did not work. He then took down all the curtains in the room and cleaned them( so he said) and still the odor was there. I have a children who are very sensitive to odors and this bothered them sooo much. They could not stand it. By the end of the first night they offered nothing but a plug in refresher for the air. Now reading all this, I also assummed going to the steward is what to do. NOPE, next time I will take it to the front desk and complain. So we all learned something here. DO not wait a moment. We all do since we do not want to start a vacation ( and if we were all rich we would be on Radison or the all inclusive lines)complaining. The comment by Brian that now the cruises are so affrodable is nonsense. Cruising is still a big chunk of money to shell out and no one should have a mildewed carpet. This would not be acceptable in any hotel.

 

Just make sure that you don't go to Darren or Brian!!!:)

[kucmkelly]

Dear Mr. Goldstein,

 

As a dedicated and loyal Royal Caribbean customer, I was concerned when I read this thread on the Internet regarding a problem that recent RCL customers had onboard Explorer of the Seas:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=374992

 

While it is blatantly apparent that you and your staff, including Brian, Michelle, and Darren onboard Explorer, do not take the customer seriously, take a look at the damage that has been brought to Royal Caribbean over this incident on the link provided. This problem should have been rectified DAY ONE into the cruise. Instead, it has turned into a disaster for your customers, and it was employed by none other than the three mentioned above.

 

We have noticed a steady, marked decline in customer service with Royal Caribbean. While we experienced minor customer service problems on our recent cruise onboard Explorer of the Seas, all of this negativity about RCL has added up. You really should be taking these boards very seriously, because there are potential future cruisers, looking to see what happens from all of this. Summing this up, this incident has become a PR disaster for Royal Caribbean.

 

Shame on YOU, sir, for having lackluster staff onboard Explorer and for them not taking appropriate action to make sure that your customers were taken care of in a QUALITY fashion.

 

We will no longer sail with your cruise line.

 

Sincerely

/s/

 

This incident has obviously placed an indelible mark on Royal Caribbean...we are cruising next time with Celebrity.

 

 

 

 

HAHAHA! I commend your actions and I personally fully support the demands of the OP, but Celebrity is owned by RCL, so your money is still going to the same pot.