What Gives with 4-Day Mexico Cruise September 2009?

[Sunny AZ Girl]

We're booked on the Sept. 30, 2009 4 dayer from San Diego.

 

But then, I booked it in May 2008. :rolleyes: :D

 

At that time, My TA said the ship had alot available.

(we have a hump balcony).

 

Pat

WE're booked on that cruise, too. We have two other couples from our AZ Cruiser's group booked, too. Why don't you come on over and join our Roll Call? The more the merrier! I am going to check on our reservations though! I sure hope it's just an IT glitch. I'm really looking forward to that cruise!:eek:

 

OK - I just checked on "My Cruises" & my reservation is still there. However, when I look at the website the cruise is gone - or says N/A on all cabin categories. I did google the ship and sail date and no charters came up. It won't do any good to call c/s as they usually only know what the website says. So, I am thinking it's a glitch. Also, I have been seeing a lot of ads lately for RCI promoting both the Mariner & the Radiance serving the Mex Riviera so I don't think they would have pulled the cruise already. We'll just have to wait and see. The posters who say that this is a weekend thing are probably right. I have had reservations disappear and worse over the weekend, only to magically reappear on Monday!:)

[kerrydee]

It could also be that now that our government has rejected any changes to the PSVA that RCCL is rethinking not having 3 & 4 night cruises and might try them out for a month or two!! Letty

 

that because of the PSVA rejection they may be sending the radiance to hawaii rt. san diego.:confused:

[funforsun]

that because of the PSVA rejection they may be sending the radiance to hawaii rt. san diego.:confused:

 

Sorry for being so ignorant here, but what does PSVA stand for and what could that do to Cruise Line's desire to cancel the short cruises?

[wrp96]

Sorry for being so ignorant here, but what does PSVA stand for and what could that do to Cruise Line's desire to cancel the short cruises?

 

 

The PVSA is the Passenger Vehicle Service Act. This is the act that regulates foreign ships sailing from US ports and requires them to do certain things like make a foreign port stop. Late last year, a proposal was made to change the PVSA which would've made the roundtrip Hawaii cruises from the West Coast impossible. Radiance used to do roundtrip Hawaii cruises in the spring and fall and it is only next year that she is starting the short Mexico cruises. On Friday, the White House sent the change proposal back to DHS and told them it was not necessary at this time, basically killing it for this year. So the person above is suggesting that RCCL is going to pull the Radiance off the short Mexico cruises and put her back on Hawaii cruises. While I know many people that would love that, I really don't think it's going to happen.

[funforsun]

The PVSA is the Passenger Vehicle Service Act. This is the act that regulates foreign ships sailing from US ports and requires them to do certain things like make a foreign port stop. Late last year, a proposal was made to change the PVSA which would've made the roundtrip Hawaii cruises from the West Coast impossible. Radiance used to do roundtrip Hawaii cruises in the spring and fall and it is only next year that she is starting the short Mexico cruises. On Friday, the White House sent the change proposal back to DHS and told them it was not necessary at this time, basically killing it for this year. So the person above is suggesting that RCCL is going to pull the Radiance off the short Mexico cruises and put her back on Hawaii cruises. While I know many people that would love that, I really don't think it's going to happen.

 

OK, thanks. I'll be checking Monday to see if it really was an IT problem.

 

Thanks to everyone for all the help.

[3kidsncats]

Very curious.....hope some real info is forthcoming from RCCI soon on what's up with these sailings......keeping my fingers crossed that they don't eliminate the shorter west coast sailings---especially with this ship, as I am really looking forward to sailing on her.

[funforsun]

Well, here it is, Monday morning on the West Coast and still no availability. I don't know about you all, but it doesn't appear to be an IT problem.

 

Any suggestions about contacting travel agents? We have already called several and they don't seem to know anything about whether their company has purchased these cruises for re-sale.

[Mydnite]

I may be a bit cynical, but maybe reducing availability on some ships just as it is coming up to time to book Oasis.

 

Also, if they are tinkering with the system the CSR's will have the same system info, so they will think it is sold out, even if it is not.

[critterchick]

I could live with them putting Radiance on the Hawaii run if they'd bring a Vision class back to do the 3/4 nighters out of LA....

 

The website shows that the fall is N/A except for OV on a single cruise. We're booked on a B2B for our anniversary in October and a girls' cruise in November, so if there's nothing but Mariner on the Left Coast I'm going to be sulking for awhile!

[Piepkorn]

Well, here it is, Monday morning on the West Coast and still no availability. I don't know about you all, but it doesn't appear to be an IT problem.

 

Any suggestions about contacting travel agents? We have already called several and they don't seem to know anything about whether their company has purchased these cruises for re-sale.

 

It was evident that the database was pulled down on Saturday night, but upon it's return, those trips not coming back on gives me the impression they are being cancelled. For those already booked...I wish you the best of luck.

[Dem920]

We have the Mariner 7 night cruise from LA booked as a group and when my DH who is also my TA tried to grab some more space he was told the ship was sold out, which totally doesn't make sense to him this far before a sailing, unless in fact someone chartered it. Luckily we still have 20 cabins left of our 50 cabin alottment, he just wanted cabins in other categories. Oh well. In speaking to RCCL a number of times over the weekend, he was told the cruiseline was trying to figure out how many cabins they had left on the sailing, but we still think it seems like a glitch. What he did hear is that they may remove theshorter cruises in September & October and instead go with 7 nights through September and OCtober which may be why those sailings are no longer showing available. That was not however confirmed by someone he feels is in the know enough to say the info is reliable. He has a call into his DSM to try and get more information.

[MomtoCCC]

We have the Mariner 7 night cruise from LA booked as a group and when my DH who is also my TA tried to grab some more space he was told the ship was sold out, which totally doesn't make sense to him this far before a sailing, unless in fact someone chartered it. Luckily we still have 20 cabins left of our 50 cabin alottment, he just wanted cabins in other categories. Oh well. In speaking to RCCL a number of times over the weekend, he was told the cruiseline was trying to figure out how many cabins they had left on the sailing, but we still think it seems like a glitch. What he did hear is that they may remove theshorter cruises in September & October and instead go with 7 nights through September and OCtober which may be why those sailings are no longer showing available. That was not however confirmed by someone he feels is in the know enough to say the info is reliable. He has a call into his DSM to try and get more information.

 

 

I wonder when we will find out? Will they contact us if cruise is cancelled and/or changed? Will they run the 7 days out of San Diego on the Radiance? Different ports than Mariner? I know I would like to have first dibs to re-book if they are changing it..

[wrp96]

I could live with them putting Radiance on the Hawaii run if they'd bring a Vision class back to do the 3/4 nighters out of LA....

 

The website shows that the fall is N/A except for OV on a single cruise. We're booked on a B2B for our anniversary in October and a girls' cruise in November, so if there's nothing but Mariner on the Left Coast I'm going to be sulking for awhile!

 

Jean, I'd be more than sulking if they pulled Radiance from that route!!

[funforsun]

One of the TA's we had working this issue has told us that the Radiance is undergoing maintenance and will open up for booking in a couple of weeks. This is clearly stupid.

 

This is the 10th story we have heard about this from professional cruise people, including RCCL.

 

Nothing more for me to do. I have all the TA's working the problem and I'll wait and see what they will do.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

OK - this is wierd. The RCI Website now shows one catgory of staterooms available on October 19, 2009 & One category available on Oct. 29, 2009. Inside on one and OV on the other. Wierd. Maybe they really are all sold out and these just opened up?:confused: My sailing on Sept 30 still shows N/A on all categories.

[kerrydee]

oct 29th has a murder mystery on it.

[mringenoldus]

I have four cabins on the Radiance (10-9). I waas planning to upgrade one cabin and by the time my TA called - all the cabins were gone.

 

I called Crown and Anchor and the agent verified that there was a $500 deposit on the cabin I wanted to move to.

 

I asked if the cruise had been chartered. I was concerned about this since I am aware of some large groups that charter this type of itinerary - and I wouldn't find them conducive to the children we'll have with us.

 

The Crown and Anchor agent said she didn't see the ship as chartered - just sold out. There were so many cabins open on that ship the day before - I find that amazing....but I guess it's possible.

[beatriz22]

is it because the ones from L.A..are going to be cancelled?still doesnt make sense for that amount of time to be sold out tho,...weird

[wrp96]

The Crown and Anchor agent said she didn't see the ship as chartered - just sold out. There were so many cabins open on that ship the day before - I find that amazing....but I guess it's possible.

 

I agree that it's amazing that almost every single Radiance sailing went from having multiple cabins available to being sold out at exactly the same time.

[kerrydee]

is that of all the people trying to find out what is going on, everyone has come up empty.

the rez agents at royal caribbean are not aware of the situation and more importantly, revenue just says they are all closed for inventory control.:confused:

[emilygrace]

Uh-oh, the dreaded "inventory control" excuse! I have found, from personal experience, that this usually means the cruise is being cancelled. They will keep you in suspense for weeks before officially notifying you. Good luck with this.....we were interested in booking a 4th Annual Chick Cruise on one of these but we are now looking at alternatives.

[wrp96]

Even more interesting is that when I talked to my TA a little while ago, a few of the sailings that are showing as N/A on the RCCL website do have availability at least in her system. Yet my cruise shows sold out with no waitlists allowed.

[MomtoCCC]

I don't think there is any way that ALL these sailing sold out in 1 day. I've been checking mine (10-9-09) periodically and all these sailings had plenty of availability. Something is going on..

 

What I find interesting is that the sailings from San Diego up to Alaska are still showing plus the other to get the ship to San Diego so it seems like they are still planning on having the ship in San Diego at this time or they would have to change those itineraries as well...

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Inventory Control seems very wierd......Another thing, in our area there was quite a bit of advertising for RCI having TWO ships doing Mexican Riviera Cruises - with the Mariner for 7 nights and the Radiance for 4 & 5 nights to Cabo. And why does the website show two cabin categories still available in October as of this morning on two sailings?:confused:

[wrp96]

Things get even weirder. On the Carnival board, there is a thread because Carnival is switching Elation (doing similiar itineraries to Radiance) from 4 & 5 night cruises to 3 & 4 night cruises out of San Diego.