We Made Enough Noise, RCCL WILL ALLOW US TO COMBINE OBCS

[dirtgirl]

Can you please put together a letter for my employer stating something to the effect that I deserve a raise?! All joking aside, great letter! Job well done, and THANK YOU!

 

 

So, I guess you are still going on the 4/26 Mariner?:p

[jcross2]

Excellent news! Had been planning to NOT purchase nextcruise during my upcoming transatlantic, even though I usually do book onboard.

 

Now, I will! Thanks, OP and RCL!

[klfhngr]

So, I guess you are still going on the 4/26 Mariner?:p

 

It looks like it for now, BUT, we might have to move it up a week or down a week. I'm trying to move it up to 'your' week, however we're wating to get the dates for testing (schools)...... You guys have a LARGE group!! Sounds like a Motley Crue, lol!

[vbayly]

This may sound silly - but what is this next cruise credit that you purchased on the ship? I have never heard of this before.

Thanks

Vicki

[dirtgirl]

It looks like it for now, BUT, we might have to move it up a week or down a week. I'm trying to move it up to 'your' week, however we're wating to get the dates for testing (schools)...... You guys have a LARGE group!! Sounds like a Motley Crue, lol!

 

 

I've cruised with a lot of them before, and they are a really nice, fun group. It will be party-central on that cruise - I am really looking forward to it! :D I have my flight and hotel booked, and I have been down there so many times I already know what I'll probably do in port.

[booze brothers]

Wow, this is great news. I decided never to purchase another future cruise but now I'll have to rethink that. I still have a few floating around, better get them used first.

[Cruise Gopher]

I'm skeptical, that letter seems like a generic "We're sorry" letter. I'd bring a copy of the letter on your cruise with you in case you run into a situation where the OBC didn't show up on your account.

[cruisenfever]

This may sound silly - but what is this next cruise credit that you purchased on the ship? I have never heard of this before.

Thanks

Vicki

Hi Vicki...............it's not a next cruise credit but an OBC from purchasing a NextCruise booking while on a ship.

 

NextCruise bookings have a $100pp non-refundable deposit and are good forever, but have no itinerary/ship/sailing date attached to it. When you change the NC booking into a specific cruise that has an itinerary/ship/sailing date then you will be given the OBC for that cruise that is determined by the number of nights sailing.

[Linda/Ohio]

That is excellent news. I was hoping that RCCL would do the right thing. I bought an NC on October 8th. I was not informed of the issue with shareholders--so it did leave me with a bad taste in my mouth. I even went over to look at being a Carnival/Princess/HAL shareholder...

 

Thank you RCCL.

[GaryfmCol]

Great news. I'm sitting here with 2 Next Cruise certificates that I just purchased on the Mariner at the beginning of October. I'm a stockholder as well and everytime I saw those two envelopes on my desk, I was very unhappy.

 

GREAT news!

 

Yes, we will just have to "tip one" to R.C.C.L

on the cruise back next month to Galveston,

on the VOYAGER of the SEAS ;)

[TexCruise371]

We will celebrate by purchasing 2 Next Cruise certificates on Mariner next week. :D

[KeywestK]

This is GREAT news! Made my day!!:D We are shareholders, and we are currently holding a next cruise booking that was frustrating the heck out of me! I sent a letter to RCI last week expressing my unhappiness over their new policy, and along with all the others they received, clearly they heard our message loud and clear. Like so many of you, we have been "loyal to Royal" and it looks like that will continue.

 

Thank you Royal Caribbean for remembering who your loyal base of customers are!

 

Karen.....who, for now, will still remain loyal to Royal!

[dirtgirl]

I, too, will more than likely buy a Next Cruise next month.;)

[skandls]

Thanks for contacting RCI about your concerns. We also book - usually on board for another cruise. We have stock so if they disallowed combining 2 OBCs we would not be as motivated to book another cruise.

 

And to the Bean Counters (aka accountants) we have become RCI cheer leaders because of your great past passenger benefits. And yes many of us take advantage of all the perks we can - but we are onboard spending money and telling all our friends about how great RCI treats its loyal passengers.

[sandgrand]

OK - this may sound like enough is never enough ~~ but, when I learned that you could not combine the "stock OBC" with a next cruise certificate - I went ahead and booked our 2010 cruise. Now I am sailing in 38 days on Freedom and my question is can I purchase "next cruise" and then go back and apply it to my 2010 cruise already booked?

 

I really dont want to cancel and re-book because we have "THE" AFT 1688 cabin and everything has already been processed on my RCCL visa!!:( Just curious if anyone else has experienced this? Thanks.

[Buccaneergirl]

I also had sent an e-mail voicing my displeasure with the "new rule".

I'm glad that RCI has reconsidered and I will also be getting a nextcruise certificate when we are on Navigator in December.

The OP's letter was excellent! Thanks for sharing it with us and the outcome.:D

[txcowboy10]

Fantastic news, and thanks to all the others who wrote RCCL about our concerns as stockholders and removal of OBC's along with NC credits. I too will book another next cruise on my sailing in January, and can think of several LA's that I know well that are probably sleeping better tonight knowing they'll have a little more job security now.

[aqhacruiser]

Very good news! :)

[cruiselover57]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChevyCruiser

I choose to stand up and be heard. Here's the text of a letter I sent to RCCL:

 

My wife and I are "Loyal Royals" having cruised exclusively with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. We are Diamond members of the Crown and Anchor Society, Royal Caribbean shareholders, and as young retirees looking forward to many, many more years of cruise vacations. We have introduced several friends and family members to cruising and we frequently book cruise vacations on RCI together.

 

We are distressed to learn from a cruising friend - we missed the official announcement from RCI - that we will no longer be able to combine Next Cruise on-board credits with shareholder benefits. Luckily, we learned of the change in time to utilize two open Next Cruise certificates that we purchased on the Radiance of the Seas in September and we hurriedly booked two cruises prior to the October 15th deadline. Had we known in September of the changes taking effect in October, we would not have booked two open Next Cruise certificates.

 

Because of this sudden change in benefits that even had the RCI phone reps scratching their heads in trying to explain the ramifications to the customers, our confidence in RCI has been seriously eroded. We do understand that RCI retains the right to adjust loyalty program benefits, but you must understand that we retain the right to adjust our cruise plans.

 

With the ill-timed, sneaky, and poorly communicated changes to the RCI loyalty program, we have begun to look elsewhere for cruise vacations and recently booked a two-week cruise with Princess Cruises this winter. Another couple with whom we have cruised with RCI in the past, will join us on the cruise. That represents approximately $10,000 in revenue that RCI has let slip away.

 

Any wet-behind-the-ears MBA understands that it is much more cost-effective to retain loyal customers than find new ones.

 

We hope that RCI will reconsider the recent changes to shareholder benefits.

 

 

And here's the answer I just recieved from RCCL - the bolding is mine.

 

 

Dear Mr. & Mrs. Clampett,

 

Thank you for your e-mail to Mr. Ian Bailey, VP of our Investor Relations Department. We appreciate this opportunity to respond to your concerns.

 

Please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience or disappointment this recent change has caused you. After some consideration, we will be allowing the combinability of the onboard credits until further notice. Please feel free to contact me at the number listed below if you wish to discuss this matter further.

 

Thank you,again, Mr. & Mrs. Clampett, for your feedback. I look forward to hearing from you.

 

 

 

Best Regards,

 

Janelle

Executive Guest Specialist

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

 

 

I was almost ready to buy RCI stock about 2 weeks ago when it was slightly under $13/share but learned from another fellow cruiser that the Next Cruise and stock were not combinable -- until I read your post which was great! We're booked on the Mariner of the Seas for 12/09 so I'm wondering if the stock goes down again, will I still be able to combine it? I've already used my Next Cruise deposit for this cruise and will be guaranteed an OBC of $100.

[Ladylouwho]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChevyCruiser

I choose to stand up and be heard. Here's the text of a letter I sent to RCCL:

 

My wife and I are "Loyal Royals" having cruised exclusively with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. We are Diamond members of the Crown and Anchor Society, Royal Caribbean shareholders, and as young retirees looking forward to many, many more years of cruise vacations. We have introduced several friends and family members to cruising and we frequently book cruise vacations on RCI together.

 

We are distressed to learn from a cruising friend - we missed the official announcement from RCI - that we will no longer be able to combine Next Cruise on-board credits with shareholder benefits. Luckily, we learned of the change in time to utilize two open Next Cruise certificates that we purchased on the Radiance of the Seas in September and we hurriedly booked two cruises prior to the October 15th deadline. Had we known in September of the changes taking effect in October, we would not have booked two open Next Cruise certificates.

 

Because of this sudden change in benefits that even had the RCI phone reps scratching their heads in trying to explain the ramifications to the customers, our confidence in RCI has been seriously eroded. We do understand that RCI retains the right to adjust loyalty program benefits, but you must understand that we retain the right to adjust our cruise plans.

 

With the ill-timed, sneaky, and poorly communicated changes to the RCI loyalty program, we have begun to look elsewhere for cruise vacations and recently booked a two-week cruise with Princess Cruises this winter. Another couple with whom we have cruised with RCI in the past, will join us on the cruise. That represents approximately $10,000 in revenue that RCI has let slip away.

 

Any wet-behind-the-ears MBA understands that it is much more cost-effective to retain loyal customers than find new ones.

 

We hope that RCI will reconsider the recent changes to shareholder benefits.

 

 

And here's the answer I just recieved from RCCL - the bolding is mine.

 

 

Dear Mr. & Mrs. Clampett,

 

Thank you for your e-mail to Mr. Ian Bailey, VP of our Investor Relations Department. We appreciate this opportunity to respond to your concerns.

 

Please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience or disappointment this recent change has caused you. After some consideration, we will be allowing the combinability of the onboard credits until further notice. Please feel free to contact me at the number listed below if you wish to discuss this matter further.

 

Thank you,again, Mr. & Mrs. Clampett, for your feedback. I look forward to hearing from you.

 

 

 

Best Regards,

 

Janelle

Executive Guest Specialist

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

 

Thanks for sharing Chevy! Great job on your part with the letter and keeping the thread about "Making Noise" about this matter going on CC. Thanks to everyone who complained directly to RCL about this and contributed their thoughts on CC. RCL did the right thing and the smart thing.

[molly361]

Thanks- We also expressed our displeasure. Now it would be NICE if RCI would (or have they already?) post this information somewhere for others that are not on CC to read and if there is an end date for combining that they post that also on their website.

[KelJ]

OK - this may sound like enough is never enough ~~ but, when I learned that you could not combine the "stock OBC" with a next cruise certificate - I went ahead and booked our 2010 cruise. Now I am sailing in 38 days on Freedom and my question is can I purchase "next cruise" and then go back and apply it to my 2010 cruise already booked?

 

I really dont want to cancel and re-book because we have "THE" AFT 1688 cabin and everything has already been processed on my RCCL visa!!:( Just curious if anyone else has experienced this? Thanks.

 

A "next cruise" has a booking number attached to it. You would have to cancel and rebook and risk not getting your aft cabin.

[fancycroozer]

That's great news - they have proved that companies do listen - not many these days do.

 

KUDOS to RCI. We will do our next bookings on our upcoming November cruise.

 

Thanks again RCI - you are STILL the best.

[Robb]

Thank you Royal Caribbean ! ! !:D

[molly361]

OK - this may sound like enough is never enough ~~ but, when I learned that you could not combine the "stock OBC" with a next cruise certificate - I went ahead and booked our 2010 cruise. Now I am sailing in 38 days on Freedom and my question is can I purchase "next cruise" and then go back and apply it to my 2010 cruise already booked?

 

I really dont want to cancel and re-book because we have "THE" AFT 1688 cabin and everything has already been processed on my RCCL visa!!:( Just curious if anyone else has experienced this? Thanks.

 

We have a similiar situation. Can't you just get your Next Cruise and then when you come home cancel your existing booking (assuming price has not gone up) and then at the same time with C and A switch that room to the Next Cruise reservation? That is how we were planning on handling that?? Is that doable??