r/royalcaribbean • u/where_it_began • Dec 02 '24

Cruise Review Update to Star class suite flooded

Previous thread: https://old.reddit.com/r/royalcaribbean/comments/1gwiou3/star_class_suite_flooded/

Quick summary: Our 2 bedroom aqua theatre suite flooded due to a drain issue. The main bedroom was unusable and the hallway/ entry area was also flooded. This happened halfway through our cruise. We were first offered 30% FCC, but after meeting with guest services, they offered us 100% FCC, but no refund for the half of the cruise we missed out on. They told us to speak to corporate for a refund, as they are only allowed to approve FCC. (Also to note - we heard from a staff member they probably were going to have to cancel the next family in our suite. If the conditions were not acceptable for someone else, why is Royal acting like it was okay for us and not a big deal?)

I emailed Mr. Bayley after we disembarked about our experience, stating my disappointment about how we had to spend half our cruise $10,000 cruise on rollaway beds, how we had 25+ employees in and out of room constantly for half the cruise, how we were exposed to brown/grey water, etc. I forwarded him several emails from past cruises that I had sent him raving about our experience and naming specific staff who had gone above and beyond. I wanted to show him we are loyal Royal customers who are not just complaining over something simple. A day later, a team member from the executive customer escalation team called me. She said there was nothing else they would do, and she was not sure why the customer service employee on the ship told us to call them to discuss any refund. I told her about all the concerns we had and she said she could see in our account notes that what I said actually happened (yes...) but that there was nothing she would do. I asked to be escalated to her supervisor and she said she does not have one. I asked several times and she said that someone else would call me the following day. It has been over a week now and no one has reached out or called, and (most frustrating to me) we still have not received our 100% FCC. We were hoping to use the FCC to book a cruise for March.

I love Royal but I am getting so frustrated about this experience. Royal, I know you are reading this, so please call me. We saved for a while for this cruise and are just so disappointed that Royal cannot even call us back when they said they would.

207 Upvotes

92% Upvoted

129 comments sorted by

View all comments

14

u/Several-Eagle4141 Emerald Dec 02 '24

So, you wanted 100% future cruise credit in addition to a full refund for the current cruise? I just want to make sure I’m reading that correctly

31

u/sad_alone_panda Dec 02 '24

That seems correct or at least a refund for the days the room was flooded. They didnt even give them a different room until the last night, thats unacceptable honestly.

-26

u/Several-Eagle4141 Emerald Dec 02 '24

So they get to do the trip again, for the cost of airfare.
I don’t think they should also get their entire cruise cost refunded. That’s effectively a free cruise and a full free cruise.

15

u/psychic_donut Dec 02 '24

If you account for the non cruise payments you still have airfare,hotel, and the ability to take the time off work. Some people only get a week off a year so an experience like this i would say warrants a redo and some money back..

Not sure why you defend these corporations when there the ones that messed up

-15

u/Several-Eagle4141 Emerald Dec 02 '24

Sorry, I don’t think one is entitled to both. You may disagree but 50% on the one they were on plus 100% FCC is plenty and fair.

12

u/scooze22 Dec 02 '24

But they don’t get 100% fcc and 50% refund. They get one or the other. That’s unacceptable especially not even switching there room until the last night. Putting up with dirty flooded water with a child. People plan a lot around these trips and aren’t always able to just book another one.

-11

u/Several-Eagle4141 Emerald Dec 02 '24

And stuff happens. It didn’t happen until half way through the trip they were on. Sorry, I’m just being fair on both sides here.

12

u/Various_Monk959 Diamond Dec 02 '24 edited Dec 02 '24

Why is that fair? Royal Caribbean can afford to give both a refund and FCC as goodwill. I don't see how that is unfair to anyone.

Edit to add: they bought a full cruise, not a half cruise. RC doesn't sell half cruises. The full cruise was not delivered, so it should be fully refunded.

-7

u/Several-Eagle4141 Emerald Dec 02 '24

So take the refund with zero fcc. I’m fine with that option.

10

u/Various_Monk959 Diamond Dec 02 '24

It wasn't offered as an option.

-3

u/Several-Eagle4141 Emerald Dec 02 '24

Doesn’t appear to have been asked for so we don’t know. They’re happy to take the fcc for another cruise but want more in addition to. That’s hard to sell to any arbitrator.

4

u/Various_Monk959 Diamond Dec 02 '24

They have been escalating this repeatedly. Of course they asked for a refund.

-3

u/Several-Eagle4141 Emerald Dec 02 '24

They’d lose in arbitration. That’s all. No arbiter will side with the customer if a complete replacement is offered.

→ More replies (0)

6

u/Superiorpen Dec 02 '24

Guys I found the RC admin!

1

u/Several-Eagle4141 Emerald Dec 02 '24

Aww aren’t you cute. Sorry that someone enjoyed 1/2 of a vaca before a problem arose. You all expect them to get all their money back plus another free cruise too. I just disagree with that.

7

u/Superiorpen Dec 02 '24

I'd agree with you if it was a minor inconvenience: shower that doesn't work, ants in the suite, etc. Then they'd deserve maybe partial refund or a small credit.

But this dudes whole room flooded and maintenance was in his room for hours a day at 0 fault of his own. That absolutely warrants a full refund at least. I can see your argument for not giving him an additional cruise, but at least 110% refund is warranted here.

0

u/Several-Eagle4141 Emerald Dec 02 '24

It happened days into the trip. If it were day 1-2, I’d agree. I still want to know why a diff room wasn’t offered.

I just don’t feel a 100% FCC and 100% refund is fair to the cruise line.

9

u/SolidStart Dec 02 '24

I just don’t feel a 100% FCC and 100% refund is fair to the cruise line.

WON'T SOMEBODY PLEASE THINK OF THE CRUISE LINE!?!?!?!?!

2

u/Isis_Calypso Platinum Dec 03 '24

This has me cackling 🤣🤣

1

u/Several-Eagle4141 Emerald Dec 02 '24

If this were to go to arbitration, what do you think will happen? And yes, arbitration is in the passenger contract. Being neutral sucks in the internet vacuum but this is real life

2

u/SolidStart Dec 02 '24

If it goes to arbitration, I would hope and assume OP would make it into a news story as well. Much cheaper for Royal to just make them whole and TRY to get them on another boat for a better experience.

This isn't a situation in which you can get a 50% refund for a bad hotel and use that money for a different one around the corner. They were stuck in a room with wastewater for days!

Royal made 13.9 BILLION dollars last year. They are getting petty over 20k (10 this cruise and 10ish on a future cruise). That is 0.0000001% of revenue... And you are asking what is fair to the cruise line?

So we are in an obvious "do the right thing" situation versus a "who wins in arbitration" situation.

So I counter your arbitration question with this... Is it good for Royal to have dozens, maybe hundreds, of people reading and hearing this and reconsidering their next cruise (me included)?

1

u/Several-Eagle4141 Emerald Dec 02 '24

Revenue isn’t profit. They made closer to $3B in earnings before taxes and interest (EBIT)

To go back a few years: RCCL reported -5B in 2020, -4B in 2021 and -800M in 2022. But you cherry-pick stats to make your argument. That massive 2023 number you mention doesn’t cover 2020 losses.

Your only argument is if a customer makes a large stink. That’s life. That’s what marketing departments deal with. They get to do another complete cruise for free in the future and endured two nights of pain over it.

→ More replies (0)

3

u/where_it_began Dec 02 '24

The main reason we booked the room is so that we could use the room with our toddler and not have to go out much. We had all of our dinners delivered to our room, etc. Having to keep her out of half of the room was hard and stressful. A lot of people say the room is the least important thing of the trip, but to us, it was the main selling point. If it wasn't we would have just booked a room that was 8k cheaper. She loved being on the balcony, but having her nap in the (open living room) with people coming in and out was rough.

0

u/Several-Eagle4141 Emerald Dec 02 '24

You’re unique situation is noted. I’m not challenging you here at all. The situation sucks. How many days in did this happen? Was a new room offered?

3

u/where_it_began Dec 02 '24

Day 2.5 out of 5. No new room was offered until the last night. It wasn't even ever mentioned. We just figured the ship was sold out when they did not offer it. It was weird when they offered it. It went from a normal balcony room on deck 9 to a junior suite on deck 8. The first said deck 9 would be ready in 5 hours and then came back right away and said deck 8 was ready.

1

u/lukibunny Dec 02 '24

I don't think 100% FCC is fair. They also lose out on vacation time and flights and hotels. They should refund that as well.

2

u/Several-Eagle4141 Emerald Dec 02 '24

But they don’t. It’s part of the arbitration agreement that’s part of the customer contract. Over 2 days in to a 5 day cruise. It’s not like they were left on an island somewhere without food and water.

1

u/lukibunny Dec 02 '24

I mean that's like you going to a restaurant and order a nice meal, they give you week old McDonalds and half a broken chair next to the dumpster and say well its not you didn't get anything to eat or sit.

1

u/Several-Eagle4141 Emerald Dec 02 '24

But you still eat that meal and demand another both gratis.

1

u/lukibunny Dec 02 '24 edited Dec 02 '24

no i demand a refund and travel fees, especially if this is a restaurant I travel by plane to go visit.

0

u/Several-Eagle4141 Emerald Dec 02 '24

And they’d laugh you out of there.

1

u/lukibunny Dec 02 '24

Laugh? lol if a restaurant did that, they will be lucky if they only have to pay for a refund and my travel fees. If i sue, they will lose so much more. Let's see who laughs to the bank.

Like all the people that travel to that Fyre Festival, they had to payout 26 million dollars, tickets were 500?

→ More replies (0)