No overnight in Barcelona?! - help please!!

[Esk]

My friend has recently returned from Independence on the Med Treasures cruise, my husband and I are going on exactly the same cruise in June (20th)

We both booked this cruise as in the itinerary you have an overnight in Barcelona, arriving 10am Sunday morning and not leaving until 1am Tuesday morning. My friend was therefore extremely upset when she found that Royal Caribbean had no intention to overnight in Barcelona, and was leaving the dock late Sunday/early Monday with an extra day at sea. When she asked about this, Royal Caribbean said that was last years itinerary (it isn't) and it clearly states in the itinerary of the changes (it doesn't) Alot of people my friend talked to were also very upset and unaware especially a honeymoon couple that had booked a trip outside of RC for the second day and would now lose their money.

I would like to know if anyone is aware of this, will it happen on my cruise as I have arranged to stay over with my parents that live very close to Barcelona and is there anything I can do about it?

Thanks

[sidekick98]

My friend has recently returned from Independence on the Med Treasures cruise, my husband and I are going on exactly the same cruise in June (20th)

We both booked this cruise as in the itinerary you have an overnight in Barcelona, arriving 10am Sunday morning and not leaving until 1am Tuesday morning. My friend was therefore extremely upset when she found that Royal Caribbean had no intention to overnight in Barcelona, and was leaving the dock late Sunday/early Monday with an extra day at sea. When she asked about this, Royal Caribbean said that was last years itinerary (it isn't) and it clearly states in the itinerary of the changes (it doesn't) Alot of people my friend talked to were also very upset and unaware especially a honeymoon couple that had booked a trip outside of RC for the second day and would now lose their money.

I would like to know if anyone is aware of this, will it happen on my cruise as I have arranged to stay over with my parents that live very close to Barcelona and is there anything I can do about it?

Thanks

 

Have replied on our own thread but here it is again for you,

 

================================

Sorry but our trip in three weeks just has stop in Barcelona from 10:00am on Sunday 28th June leaving early morning on Monday 29th June at 0100am. The distance from Barcelona to Malaga is about 470 nautical miles (543 statue miles) at a rough average speed of about 15kts will take us 31 hours sailing time, we dock in Malaga 07:00am on tuesday so it will take us that long to get there ( I just drew lines on Google Earth its a great free programe). These are just rough but as you can see we need to leave Barcelona by 01:00am on Monday to get there on time. Sorry but not trying to be technical but hope this helps, I too though we were getting longer but thats just because did not notice the time was am on the Monday my brain locked on pm ...... but then I just scan things and make them look like I want them to be. Once again sorry about the news see you soon we still will have a fun cruise.

 

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see you soon

[beardedladies]

I was on the 9th May sailing and can confirm that the ship leaves Barcelona at 1am (i.e. an hour after midnight) on the Monday.

 

The fault here lies with Royal Caribbean's brochure for this itinerary.... in it the text for the Monday clearly states "spend a second day in Barcelona", rather than stating it's a sea day as it really should. The timetable, though, also states that the ship leaves Barcelona at 0100 hours on the Monday...

 

So it details the correct times of departure, but that is easily missed by the customer or mistaken for 1pm (which would be 1300 hours). The text is obviously written by someone that assumes the ship is docked in Barcelona for two days.

 

So yes, RCI screwed up here.... very confusing and misleading.

[marci22]

They should put the team who monitor Goldstein's blog/Q&A sessions in charge of editing the cruise brochures.

[temple1]

Sorry about what it has done to your plans. I'm just surprised anyone actually reads the cruise brochures and use that to base their decsions. Not trying to be nasty, but I just look at brochures as advertising that is not necessarily current.

 

Years ago I would look at a cruise brochure and then try to find the corresponding cruise on the websites and it would never be there. That is just my observations - perhaps some of our resident TA's will have more insight.

[Sue L]

Sorry about what it has done to your plans. I'm just surprised anyone actually reads the cruise brochures and use that to base their decsions. Not trying to be nasty, but I just look at brochures as advertising that is not necessarily current.

 

Years ago I would look at a cruise brochure and then try to find the corresponding cruise on the websites and it would never be there. That is just my observations - perhaps some of our resident TA's will have more insight.

 

You are wise to consider the brochures advertising and in my mind a great source for info and deck plans and that is about it. The brochures from ALL the cruise lines are practically obsolete before the inks dries. They tweak itineraries and the prices too, no one pays brochure rate. You have to go by what is on the website and your confirmation.

[tomko2]

Sorry about what it has done to your plans. I'm just surprised anyone actually reads the cruise brochures and use that to base their decsions. Not trying to be nasty, but I just look at brochures as advertising that is not necessarily current.

 

Years ago I would look at a cruise brochure and then try to find the corresponding cruise on the websites and it would never be there. That is just my observations - perhaps some of our resident TA's will have more insight.

 

 

We were were newbies we studied the cruise brochure like it was the gospel. We studied every picture to ascertain what people wore on the ship and we studied every deck plan.

 

I can well understand that it would be a nasty shock (for some people) to have the ship leave 12 hours early than anticipated. Hopefully RCL yanks those brochures quickly and sends an update notice to all TAs so they can advise their clients.

Kathy

[CruisinManiac]

GOSH! I have not seen a written brochure in years. Do they still print them! LOL

 

Here is the itinerary of your cruise, as taken from my online TA's site. It clearly states that you leave Barcelona at 1:00am on Monday morning. You'd better have your parents come meet you closer to the ship. ;)

 

Day Ports of Call Arrival Departure

Saturday, June 20, 2009 Southampton, England -- 05:00 PM

Sunday, June 21, 2009 Cruising -- --

Monday, June 22, 2009 Cruising -- --

Tuesday, June 23, 2009 Gibraltar, United Kingdom 09:00 AM 04:00 PM

Wednesday, June 24, 2009 Cruising -- --

Thursday, June 25, 2009 Cagliari,sardinia,italy 07:00 AM 04:00 PM

Friday, June 26, 2009 Florence/pisa(livorno),italy 07:00 AM 07:00 PM

Saturday, June 27, 2009 Cannes, France 07:00 AM 07:00 PM

Sunday, June 28, 2009 Barcelona, Spain 10:00 AM --

Monday, June 29, 2009 Barcelona, Spain -- 01:00 AM

Tuesday, June 30, 2009 Malaga, Spain 07:00 AM 03:00 PM

Wednesday, July 1, 2009 Lisbon, Portugal 10:00 AM 06:00 PM

Thursday, July 2, 2009 Vigo, Spain 09:00 AM 04:00 PM

Friday, July 3, 2009 Cruising -- --

Saturday, July 4, 2009 Southampton, England 05:15 AM --

[Esk]

Have replied on our own thread but here it is again for you,

 

================================

Sorry but our trip in three weeks just has stop in Barcelona from 10:00am on Sunday 28th June leaving early morning on Monday 29th June at 0100am. The distance from Barcelona to Malaga is about 470 nautical miles (543 statue miles) at a rough average speed of about 15kts will take us 31 hours sailing time, we dock in Malaga 07:00am on tuesday so it will take us that long to get there ( I just drew lines on Google Earth its a great free programe). These are just rough but as you can see we need to leave Barcelona by 01:00am on Monday to get there on time. Sorry but not trying to be technical but hope this helps, I too though we were getting longer but thats just because did not notice the time was am on the Monday my brain locked on pm ...... but then I just scan things and make them look like I want them to be. Once again sorry about the news see you soon we still will have a fun cruise.

 

===============================

 

see you soon

 

OK, after reading yours and the other replies, I can see that the itinerary, which I checked on the Internet (god forbid that I'd use something as old fashioned as the brochure!) and it is massively misleading, that and our TA did promote this cruise as an overnight in Barcelona which must be an oversight on their part, and alot of other TA's online.

I'm sure I'll find the extra sea day very relaxing, maybe I can try Bingo or something......:rolleyes:

[leoandhugh]

I am really surprised that your TA represented it to you that there was an overnight and day in BCN; she should have known better because since she is an online TA, the internet is where she would normally get her info - not from a brochure. one of the reasons I will not use an online TA - so many are clueless:)

[temple1]

I have to agree with beardedladies, someone in their advertising department really screwed up the verbage. I wonder if the same person wrote the descriptions for the other ports they leave after midnight?

[russy1]

I am also travelling on Independence Med Treasures 20th June and I was also under the impression that it was an overnight in Barcelona, I book online and sometimes get a brochure to choose my cabin as it's easier to look at. I think the itinerary is misleading on both counts and will now have to rethink our plans. At least I am now aware! Thanks

[Albert Ross]

The brochure says you arrive Sunday 10am and leave Monday 1am - that is just around 15 hrs in port

Pretty clear to me.

 

I do agree that the 'blurb' on the opposite page is totally wrong!

[Iron-Maiden's-No1-Fan]

May I just say in esk's defence the cruise I have booked for 2010 also states 'another day in barcelona' which in theory is totally wrong as the ship leaves 02.00hrs so RCI have made a error...

 

Even the TA thought it was 2 days!:(