# Cruise reservation cancelled - need advice



## cory30

We have had an Alaska cruise booked via travel agent on Explorer of the Seas for the June 28th sailing for more than a year. We are a party of four and were  fortunate to be able to reserve one of the large panoramic ocean view rooms. Our travel agent contacted us last week to remind us that final payment was due in two weeks so we made arrangements at that time to pay in full (date on the initial travel agent invoice shows a final payment date of April 15). At this point I assume all is well. Today I receive a call from the agent indicating that the final payment date was actually 3/31 (the 4/15 date was an error) so Royal Caribbean automatically cancelled the reservation. The agent indicated they have spoken with RC numerous times and the room is gone and the only option/availability at this point is to book two inside rooms (and pay more) as no ocean view rooms are available or to try and find another date. We have already booked plane fare so changing the dates at this point will have significant costs on that end.

Obviously, we are very disappointed and I mostly needed to vent. I am not sure what recourse, if any, I should seek at this point but wanted to get others thoughts/advice if possible.


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## starvenger

Well, this appears to be the fault of your travel agent so I guess you have to see what they can do for you.


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## Mpadovani2

That is a tough one.  I would be livid.  The TA made a horrible mistake.   I would think long and hard about what you would be satisfied with before asking what the TA is going to do for you.  I for one, would not want to spend any additional money on what is probably already an expensive trip.  If you are able to find another date, ask the TA to cover airfare change fees and any additional cruise cost. If you stick with current date, ask them to cover difference in cost for the second room.  I will say, although, it is not OV, it is quite nice to have 2 bathrooms and 2 closets.  We sail this way all the time.  Good luck!


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## Dug720

Definitely sounds like the fault 100% of the TA. I'd be asking the TA to cover the difference in cabin rate OR if you move it to another date to get the cabin you want to cover the airfare changes plus any difference in cruise fare.

And honestly I'd use it as a lesson to try to pay off the cruise at least a month in advance of final payment so that there is some wiggle room in there in case there is an issue with payment OR a mistake by a TA as to when final payment is due.


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## a1tinkfans

sorry to hear this OP, what a debacle. 
Hope it works out for you.


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## NS8VN

Is this an independent agent or are they with an agency?  If the agent is with an agency and is unwilling to do anything extra to fix their major failure then you need to talk with a manager.  If the agent is independent and unwilling to do anything extra then it is a good time to remind them how you intended to tell _everyone_ how happy you were using their services and still intend to do that (hint hint).

100% personal opinion, so take it as that and only that, but I would accept nothing less than 2 inside rooms at the same price as the oceanview room.  Some extra OBC on top of that would make me a happy client, but understanding mistakes happen I would at least be satisfied if I were still on the cruise at the same price.  Whatever you choose, I am sorry this happened to you and hope for a positive outcome.  Good luck!


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## kerry1379

Oh wow-my heart dropped when I read your post OP.  This must be very disappointing.  I am sorry you are going through this.  My advice to you would be to talk with the TA and see if they can help.  But I am in the minority here in thinking that they aren't really under obligation to make up costs in this situation.  I truly don't mean this to sound harsh but you had to have agreed to the conditions and terms of the cruise and final payment due date is clearly spelled out.  So while I think payment responsibility was ultimately on you, the TA did give you a false date (not initially but as a follow up reminder)-which is still a major, major screw up.  So hopefully, they may be willing to pay for some of the costs in changing.  And you may need to work your way up the chain to talk to someone who has the authority to grant such payment.  Good luck to you OP.  I really hope things work out and you have an amazing vacation!


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## Dug720

kerry1379 said:


> Oh wow-my heart dropped when I read your post OP.  This must be very disappointing.  I am sorry you are going through this.  My advice to you would be to talk with the TA and see if they can help.  But I am in the minority here in thinking that they aren't really under obligation to make up costs in this situation.  I truly don't mean this to sound harsh but you had to have agreed to the conditions and terms of the cruise and final payment due date is clearly spelled out.  So while I think payment responsibility was ultimately on you, the TA did give you a false date (not initially but as a follow up reminder)-which is still a major, major screw up.  So hopefully, they may be willing to pay for some of the costs in changing.  And you may need to work your way up the chain to talk to someone who has the authority to grant such payment.  Good luck to you OP.  I really hope things work out and you have an amazing vacation!



It does depend on the paperwork she got from the TA. When I book, what I agree to is from the TA and that is what's has the dates on it. If the TA put the wrong date on the paperwork, that does fall on the TA because unlike DCL where you can still go online and see your final payment date, RCCL does not show any of that if you use a TA, so you are totally dependent on them telling you the correct information.

Either way, this IS the big problem with waiting until the last minute to pay off the trip. If there is an error on anyone's part (TA for incorrect date, problem with line's website, bank issues, etc.) you're up that famous tributary without means of locomotion.


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## kerry1379

Interesting info Dug720.  Thanks you!  I have not used a TA with RCCL so I didn't know that you cannot see final payment date on the RCCL website if booked through a TA.  That seems like a bad idea with no benefit that I can see.


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## Dug720

kerry1379 said:


> Interesting info Dug720.  Thanks you!  I have not used a TA with RCCL so I didn't know that you cannot see final payment date on the RCCL website if booked through a TA.  That seems like a bad idea with no benefit that I can see.



It just requires a lot of trust in a TA that they are giving you the right information.

And again, i personally prefer to pay off ASAP to avoid any issues. My cruises are not so expensive and my interest rate on my savings account do not equal more than a few cents of interest, so that whole "but the interest you are losing" argument it lost on me.


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## kerry1379

I also just realized that I misread OP's post and that the TA did give the wrong date initially not just on the follow up.  So with that info and with what Dug720 taught me, then it does sound like the fault lies with the TA.  OP double check all of your paperwork and then hash it out with the TA.  They need to make it right if the situation is as has been described.  Wishing you the best of luck.


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## nkereina

I'm so sorry OP! Did you have travel insurance? I have no idea whether it would cover something like this and it may even vary by policy, but I would at least reach out to my travel insurance company to see whether there's a clause for an error with a booking agent.

Similarly, a licensed travel agent - whether with an agency or an independent - should have their own professional insurance, possibly with an errors & omissions clause. Especially if its a reputable or corporate travel agency like AAA or Liberty. It might take some work, but that policy would exist to cover what you're out due to their error.

If all else failes, maybe reach out to IATA or CLIA- these are industry accreditations that most agencies need to have to operate on commission with companies like Royal and Disney. I have no idea whether you can file a complaint or they can intervene for you, but at the very least, the agent may be responsive if their IATA or CLIA credential is on the line.

Good luck to you - I hope you can find some resolution! If it were me, I would keep the cruise and take the two inside cabins, demanding the TA picks up any extra incremental cost from that. Plus an onboard credit for the hassle!


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## starvenger

Dug720 said:


> It does depend on the paperwork she got from the TA. When I book, what I agree to is from the TA and that is what's has the dates on it. If the TA put the wrong date on the paperwork, that does fall on the TA because unlike DCL where you can still go online and see your final payment date, RCCL does not show any of that if you use a TA, so you are totally dependent on them telling you the correct information.


I thought the old site did have something about the payment deadline, but that's obviously a moo point with the new website, which DEFINITELY doesn't have that.

(Yeah, that's right - a moo point. It might be a moot point as well though)



Dug720 said:


> Either way, this IS the big problem with waiting until the last minute to pay off the trip. If there is an error on anyone's part (TA for incorrect date, problem with line's website, bank issues, etc.) you're up that famous tributary without means of locomotion.


Agreed here. I think we usually pay off around the 100 days-to-go mark, as the due date is generally 90 days out (or basically when the check in process becomes active).


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## DLgal

This is why TA's have insurance.

Your TA is responsible for fixing this or refunding you for any money you are out as a result of missing this trip.


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## trvlgirlmq

You booked a room with a fantastic view. I would expect the TA to make sure you have a view and pay for any difference to book a balcony. An inside is an insult. 

I never use a TA.  I want to be in total control of my vacation and the money I am spending.


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## msjprincess

Out of curiosity I just checked Explorer 6/29/18 and it's showing availability for 4 people for a Spacious Panoramic OV.

ETA
Hopefully this means the TA has already fixed the problem.


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## cory30

msjprincess said:


> Out of curiosity I just checked Explorer 6/29/18 and it's showing availability for 4 people for a Spacious Panoramic OV.
> 
> ETA
> Hopefully this means the TA has already fixed the problem.


Thanks for the good feedback. 
The only documentation I had was from the TA which showed a final pay date of 4/15.

I just saw that room available although it won't let me reserve it so it must be held in some fashion. It is about $1,500 more than what I paid but would love to get it back.

Lesson learned is I will pay well in advance as no benefit to waiting. I have always just relied on the TA to prompt for payment which was my mistake. 

Update - it looks like the room is gone now.


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## msjprincess

cory30 said:


> Thanks for the good feedback.
> The only documentation I had was from the TA which showed a final pay date of 4/15.
> 
> I just saw that room available although it won't let me reserve it so it must be held in some fashion. It is about $1,500 more than what I paid but would love to get it back.
> 
> Lesson learned is I will pay well in advance as no benefit to waiting. I have always just relied on the TA to prompt for payment which was my mistake.
> 
> *Update - it looks like the room is gone now*.



It's still coming up for me. I would contact the TA immediately.


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## starvenger

trvlgirlmq said:


> You booked a room with a fantastic view. I would expect the TA to make sure you have a view and pay for any difference to book a balcony. An inside is an insult.
> 
> I never use a TA.  I want to be in total control of my vacation and the money I am spending.


I’m with you EXCEPT when it comes to cruises, like here. My TA has not done me wrong thus far over 5 cruises with them and has thrown in things that we wouldn’t have gotten on our own.


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## cory30

msjprincess said:


> It's still coming up for me. I would contact the TA immediately.


I have left a message. It randomly comes up for me but won't let me actually select as it says it is no longer available.


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## msjprincess

cory30 said:


> I have left a message. It randomly comes up for me but won't let me actually select as it says it is no longer available.


It may be because I was looking at the same time.


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## cory30

msjprincess said:


> It may be because I was looking at the same time.


Still no luck but I really appreciate you taking the time to make me aware of this.


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## DnA2010

Following- I really hope your TA gets this sorted for you!


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## momto2js

Alaska is the one place I would not take 2 insides, period.  You need at least a window.  If your TA can not get you that, I would be inclined to insist she refund your airfare, or at least cover the change fee, and book it again for the next summer.  The views are stunning and you don't want to miss  them when you need to be in the cabin.


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## Marchand63

Dug720 said:


> It just requires a lot of trust in a TA that they are giving you the right information.
> 
> And again, i personally prefer to pay off ASAP to avoid any issues. My cruises are not so expensive and my interest rate on my savings account do not equal more than a few cents of interest, so that whole "but the interest you are losing" argument it lost on me.



The only problem with that is you get a price drop before final payment is due you can't take advantage of it. Once paid in full you can't price drop.  We saved about $500 on our Owners Suite with a price drop.


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## Dug720

Marchand63 said:


> The only problem with that is you get a price drop before final payment is due you can't take advantage of it. Once paid in full you can't price drop.  We saved about $500 on our Owners Suite with a price drop.



I am not OCD enough to check rates. I book at a rate I am satisfied with and leave it alone.


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## msjprincess

Marchand63 said:


> The only problem with that is you get a price drop before final payment is due you can't take advantage of it. Once paid in full you can't price drop.  We saved about $500 on our Owners Suite with a price drop.


That's not true. It's final payment date, not when you make the final payment. Unless that's changed very recently.


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## Marchand63

Dug720 said:


> I am not OCD enough to check rates. I book at a rate I am satisfied with and leave it alone.



I am in no way OCD.  But 2 minutes of my time a week to save hundreds, not a bad investment 



msjprincess said:


> That's not true. It's final payment date, not when you make the final payment. Unless that's changed very recently.



Well if it isn't true RC needs to train their agents better. We were told that on our last 2 cruises in the Next Cruise onboard.


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## msjprincess

Marchand63 said:


> I am in no way OCD.  But 2 minutes of my time a week to save hundreds, not a bad investment
> 
> 
> 
> *Well if it isn't true RC needs to train their agents better.* We were told that on our last 2 cruises in the Next Cruise onboard.


Yes they do. They either gave you incorrect information or misunderstood.


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## Marchand63

msjprincess said:


> Yes they do. They either gave you incorrect information or misunderstood.



OH definitely not misunderstanding.   Was even told to hold back $100 until last minute in case of price drop  We leave on 29th, so gonna ask & get the real deal.

Thanks for heads up!!!


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## cory30

Update - after talking things over with the family we decided that an ocean view of some type was what we needed or we would need to look for a different sailing. We decided to make a clean break and have booked a balcony cabin on the Celebrity Solstice which sails on the same dates from the same port (which allows us to keep our existing flight and pre and post cruise arrangements). The room will be smaller than what we originally booked and will cost more but we will enjoy the balcony and the change in ship will help with our "what might have been" thoughts.

Now for the twist - as mentioned earlier in the thread, there was a Larger Panoramic Ocean view cabin showing available on our original sailing earlier. I made my TA aware but didn't hear back for several hours. Later that day we received an email indicating that our TA had found a standard Panoramic Ocean view on our original sailing and had gone ahead and made the reservation and charged our credit card. To the TA's credit they did secure the room at the same price as our original reservation (although it is a much smaller room). With that said, we have decided to move on and informed the TA that we are not interested in the smaller room as we really just need a clean break. At this point the TA is not wanting to cancel the reservation and has offered a $100 OBC for our troubles. 

While I appreciate the TA attempting to find an acceptable room/resolution, I don't appreciate him/her making the reservation and charging my credit card without checking with me/getting my authorization. While I did give authorization to pay in full the original reservation, once that was cancelled that authorization should have been void as well. I am hopeful that this doesn't turn into me fighting cancellation fees as we are inside the penalty window.

Sorry for the long winded post, but I appreciate the feedback and good thoughts from the board.


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## cmarsh31

cory30 said:


> Update - after talking things over with the family we decided that an ocean view of some type was what we needed or we would need to look for a different sailing. We decided to make a clean break and have booked a balcony cabin on the Celebrity Solstice which sails on the same dates from the same port (which allows us to keep our existing flight and pre and post cruise arrangements). The room will be smaller than what we originally booked and will cost more but we will enjoy the balcony and the change in ship will help with our "what might have been" thoughts.
> 
> Now for the twist - as mentioned earlier in the thread, there was a Larger Panoramic Ocean view cabin showing available on our original sailing earlier. I made my TA aware but didn't hear back for several hours. Later that day we received an email indicating that our TA had found a standard Panoramic Ocean view on our original sailing and had gone ahead and made the reservation and charged our credit card. To the TA's credit they did secure the room at the same price as our original reservation (although it is a much smaller room). With that said, we have decided to move on and informed the TA that we are not interested in the smaller room as we really just need a clean break. At this point the TA is not wanting to cancel the reservation and has offered a $100 OBC for our troubles.
> 
> While I appreciate the TA attempting to find an acceptable room/resolution, I don't appreciate him/her making the reservation and charging my credit card without checking with me/getting my authorization. While I did give authorization to pay in full the original reservation, once that was cancelled that authorization should have been void as well. I am hopeful that this doesn't turn into me fighting cancellation fees as we are inside the penalty window.
> 
> Sorry for the long winded post, but I appreciate the feedback and good thoughts from the board.



We're on that ship! I hope you can get ALL your $ back on the second one your TA booked.


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## NS8VN

Wow.  This just went from a total failure on the TA's part to a potential legal issue.  You are going to want to look at any agreements you made to see if you gave them permission to charge anything to your credit card other than the original reservation.  If not and you didn't give them verbal permission to do it then their actions could be considered fraudulent.  At this point you might consider getting advice from a legal expert if the TA isn't willing to refund every penny you gave them.

Ok, 100% opinion time again: Your TA's solution is a complete slap to the face.  A smaller room for the same price is not acceptable.  If I'm reading right the pitiful OBC offer was only offered after you told them you didn't want the unauthorized rebooking, correct?  So they screwed up your reservation and to make it up to you they got you a smaller room at the same price and without your permission?  And when you told them to cancel it they try enticing you with an OBC so small you can't even cover gratuities with it?  In a less family friendly setting I would have some colorful comments and analogies to make regarding all of that.

Good luck and enjoy the Celebrity cruise.  I hope this all is corrected smoothly from here out.  It is in the TA's best interest to do so and hopefully they realize that.


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## bumbershoot

Enjoy Celebrity! 



Marchand63 said:


> OH definitely not misunderstanding.   Was even told to hold back $100 until last minute in case of price drop  We leave on 29th, so gonna ask & get the real deal.
> 
> Thanks for heads up!!!



FYI now on royal if you do a price drop the whole thing is rebooked, so you can easily lose obc or any other goodies you might have had. And it often becomes a nonrefundable deposit. So know what you’re doing and be careful. 



cory30 said:


> At this point the TA is not wanting to cancel the reservation and has offered a $100 OBC for our troubles.



Omg.


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## Marchand63

bumbershoot said:


> Enjoy Celebrity!
> 
> 
> 
> FYI now on royal if you do a price drop the whole thing is rebooked, so you can easily lose obc or any other goodies you might have had. And it often becomes a nonrefundable deposit. So know what you’re doing and be careful.
> 
> 
> 
> Omg.



We were lucky our drop came with a better OBC.  We actually took an upsell from GS to Owners Suite & got a few more perks too. Upsell wasn't bad $200 but I know they were able to resell the GS for a better price for them.  I know because the folks who took it, they are sailing with us.


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## nkereina

OP, was the TA aware that you were booking elsewhere and wanted a clean break from Royal but she went ahead and booked you anyway? Or did she not know you went elsewhere and thought you were expecting her to still work things out with Royal and then secured this bookingt? If the latter, I'd give the TA the benefit of the doubt that she thought she was doing right by you by getting you something at the same price and wanted to lock it down. But $100 OBC wouldn't cut it. She also should be understanding and willing to cancel without hassle now after all that has happened. 

Sorry it went this way, OP, but it sounds like you've worked things out on your end! Enjoy your trip!


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## Canadian Disney Mom

OP - if the TA refuses to cancel and refund, log a dispute with your credit card company ASAP.  Is most of your communication via email?


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## disneyeveryyear

I certainly hope the TA didn't pay RCI for the final payment for the new room with her credit card if it is past final payment date, and thus partially non-refundable.


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## cory30

nkereina said:


> OP, was the TA aware that you were booking elsewhere and wanted a clean break from Royal but she went ahead and booked you anyway? Or did she not know you went elsewhere and thought you were expecting her to still work things out with Royal and then secured this bookingt? If the latter, I'd give the TA the benefit of the doubt that she thought she was doing right by you by getting you something at the same price and wanted to lock it down. But $100 OBC wouldn't cut it. She also should be understanding and willing to cancel without hassle now after all that has happened.
> 
> Sorry it went this way, OP, but it sounds like you've worked things out on your end! Enjoy your trip!



The TA was not aware that I was booking/had booked elsewhere at that point so I think they probably truly went ahead and booked the other room thinking that I would be ok with it. I had not specifically told the TA to keep looking for me, I had told them that the two options presented (inside cabins) were not acceptable and we would need to consider other options.


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## cory30

Well, the situation continues to evolve. As I had not heard back from my TA as of yesterday afternoon I sent another email again formally requesting that the reservation with RCI be cancelled and that a full refund be issued to my credit card. Later that afternoon, I received a response from our TA indicating that after working with the RCI escalations department they were able to recover our original cabin. Additionally, the $100 additional OBC would remain due to all of the issues. At this point I explained to the TA that I appreciated their efforts but had an issue as I now had two reservations and was facing cancellation penalties. Given a number of factors (overall costs, room size, kids preferences, etc.) we would prefer to keep the RCI reservation now that our original room is intact so I have asked the TA to see if, given the circumstances, Celebrity would cancel the reservation and waive any required cancellation fees. The TA indicated they would do so and provide me with an update later today. So, we will see what happens and where we go from here.

While I am happy (and surprised) that we were able to secure our original room, I am frustrated that it took this long to get to this point and may still end up costing me more money than originally budgeted.


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## DnA2010

cory30 said:


> Well, the situation continues to evolve. As I had not heard back from my TA as of yesterday afternoon I sent another email again formally requesting that the reservation with RCI be cancelled and that a full refund be issued to my credit card. Later that afternoon, I received a response from our TA indicating that after working with the RCI escalations department they were able to recover our original cabin. Additionally, the $100 additional OBC would remain due to all of the issues. At this point I explained to the TA that I appreciated their efforts but had an issue as I now had two reservations and was facing cancellation penalties. Given a number of factors (overall costs, room size, kids preferences, etc.) we would prefer to keep the RCI reservation now that our original room is intact so I have asked the TA to see if, given the circumstances, Celebrity would cancel the reservation and waive any required cancellation fees. The TA indicated they would do so and provide me with an update later today. So, we will see what happens and where we go from here.
> 
> While I am happy (and surprised) that we were able to secure our original room, I am frustrated that it took this long to get to this point and may still end up costing me more money than originally budgeted.



I am crossing my fingers that you will get the Celebrity room cancelled with no issues and that if there are any additional costs, they will be covered, or your will receive additional OBC!


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## cory30

DnA2010 said:


> I am crossing my fingers that you will get the Celebrity room cancelled with no issues and that if there are any additional costs, they will be covered, or your will receive additional OBC!



Well, after speaking with a resolutions representative with Celebrity (who then spoke with RCI) they have indicated that they will not waive the cancellation penalty ($1,000) as the cruise reservation has been paid in full and there are no exceptions irrespective of the situation. I'm not sure what I am going to do now - I have communicated this information to my original TA and let them know that unless they had other options/recommendations I was again going to have to ask them to cancel the RCI reservation and issue a full refund. 

So, in the span of less than a week we have gone from thinking we had the perfect reservation, to no reservation, to now one too many reservations . I'm sure I will laugh about this one of these days but it won't be in the very near future.


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## nkereina

cory30 said:


> Well, the situation continues to evolve. As I had not heard back from my TA as of yesterday afternoon I sent another email again formally requesting that the reservation with RCI be cancelled and that a full refund be issued to my credit card. Later that afternoon, I received a response from our TA indicating that after working with the RCI escalations department they were able to recover our original cabin. Additionally, the $100 additional OBC would remain due to all of the issues. At this point I explained to the TA that I appreciated their efforts but had an issue as I now had two reservations and was facing cancellation penalties. Given a number of factors (overall costs, room size, kids preferences, etc.) we would prefer to keep the RCI reservation now that our original room is intact so I have asked the TA to see if, given the circumstances, Celebrity would cancel the reservation and waive any required cancellation fees. The TA indicated they would do so and provide me with an update later today. So, we will see what happens and where we go from here.
> 
> While I am happy (and surprised) that we were able to secure our original room, I am frustrated that it took this long to get to this point and may still end up costing me more money than originally budgeted.



Oh man! Why on earth wouldn't the TA take those measures and do that work BEFORE communicating the issue of the cancellation to you in the first place?! If I'm the TA, I'm exhausting all options before I have to tell my client the bad news. 



cory30 said:


> Well, after speaking with a resolutions representative with Celebrity (who then spoke with RCI) they have indicated that they will not waive the cancellation penalty ($1,000) as the cruise reservation has been paid in full and there are no exceptions irrespective of the situation. I'm not sure what I am going to do now - I have communicated this information to my original TA and let them know that unless they had other options/recommendations I was again going to have to ask them to cancel the RCI reservation and issue a full refund.
> 
> So, in the span of less than a week we have gone from thinking we had the perfect reservation, to no reservation, to now one too many reservations . I'm sure I will laugh about this one of these days but it won't be in the very near future.



So frustrating. Since the RCI booking is what you'd prefer anyway, have you asked whether your TA would just cover the $1000 cancellation penalty as a result of this mess? I mentioned up-thread that most TAs should have professional liability or E&O insurance that should cover any costs in a situation like this. Good luck!


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## Chuck S

I have no advice, but I sympathize and feel your frustration.  I haven't used a TA in years.


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## frank808

Marchand63 said:


> The only problem with that is you get a price drop before final payment is due you can't take advantage of it. Once paid in full you can't price drop.  We saved about $500 on our Owners Suite with a price drop.


You can get price drops even when paid in full as long as you are not past the final payment date that Royal sets.  Which is usually 90 days from cruise date.


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## Marchand63

frank808 said:


> You can get price drops even when paid in full as long as you are not past the final payment date that Royal sets.  Which is usually 90 days from cruise date.



If you actually bothered to read subsequent posts you would seen I acknowledge I may have been given erroneous info. But thank you for just needing to be full on knowledgable but not knowledgeable.


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## disneyeveryyear

OP - Do you have a final resolution?


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## frank808

Marchand63 said:


> If you actually bothered to read subsequent posts you would seen I acknowledge I may have been given erroneous info. But thank you for just needing to be full on knowledgable but not knowledgeable.


Didn't read where you actually acknowledged it.  You said that was the info you were told by rep.  Just trying  to help you out.  I wont make the mistake of trying to help you again.


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## Marchand63

frank808 said:


> Didn't read where you actually acknowledged it.  You said that was the info you were told by rep.  Just trying  to help you out.  I wont make the mistake of trying to help you again.



And I thank you for that from my Owners Suite 1058 Jewel of the Seas jacuzzi tub


Pretty sure I don't need help cruising. Off to the Concierge Lounge in a few minutes


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## lancermom

kerry1379 said:


> Interesting info Dug720.  Thanks you!  I have not used a TA with RCCL so I didn't know that you cannot see final payment date on the RCCL website if booked through a TA.  That seems like a bad idea with no benefit that I can see.



I'm a TA.  If a TA sends you the invoice directly from RCCL, you will see the correct final payment date.  That's what I always send people. However, many TAs like to generate their own invoices with their own logos from whatever CRM system they use, so they may manually input a final payment date which could ultimately lead to a typo.


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## cory30

disneyeveryyear said:


> OP - Do you have a final resolution?



Final Update - We will be sailing on the Celebrity Solstice. Ultimately Celebrity refused to cancel our booking without incurring a substantial penalty ($1,000). I did escalate this to their resolutions department but their take was that the TA who made the original mistake needed to fix the problem. So, we ended up canceling our RCCL Explorer of the Seas reservation and the TA provided us with a full refund. Although Celebrity did refuse to cancel the reservation, and the overall reservation is costing us more than our original booking, they were willing to "rebook" our reservation. By doing so, we were able to change our reservation from one standard balcony cabin to two concierge balcony cabins for an additional $400. While still disappointed (and poorer) due to this experience, we are happy to be going to Alaska and are excited to try Celebrity for the first time.


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## starvenger

Kind of sucks that you have to put more $$$ into the vacation, but I'm glad that the end result is that you didn't have to cancel everything or eat your plane tickets.


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## disneyeveryyear

cory30 said:


> Final Update - We will be sailing on the Celebrity Solstice. Ultimately Celebrity refused to cancel our booking without incurring a substantial penalty ($1,000). I did escalate this to their resolutions department but their take was that the TA who made the original mistake needed to fix the problem. So, we ended up canceling our RCCL Explorer of the Seas reservation and the TA provided us with a full refund. Although Celebrity did refuse to cancel the reservation, and the overall reservation is costing us more than our original booking, they were willing to "rebook" our reservation. By doing so, we were able to change our reservation from one standard balcony cabin to two concierge balcony cabins for an additional $400. While still disappointed (and poorer) due to this experience, we are happy to be going to Alaska and are excited to try Celebrity for the first time.



I am sorry it cost you more money, but I am glad your TA refunded your money.  I still think her E&O insurance should cover your out of pocket difference.

Thanks for letting us know.


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## Mackenzie Click-Mickelson

Yipes OP that's a lot of back and forth stuff. Probably not a TA I would use in the future. I can understand why they thought they could charge your CC for the 'second' room because you were really wanting it but of course that caused quite the hassle in the end. Ugh. I feel for you. Glad you got a resolution even if it's costing more money hopefully you have a good cruise!

I did have a question for my own future information--do TAs have different final payment due dates compared to Royal Carribbean?

I see on RC's current website lists:


I don't know if that is new or not but I see 3/31/18 would have been 90 days from sailing date of 6/28/18. The TA's error was putting the final payment schedule for a sailing of 1-4 days which is 75 days (or 4/15/18), but I didn't know if TAs have a different schedule or if they follow RC's policy available on their website (assuming this information was on the website when the original cruise was booked--not sure on that part).


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## bumbershoot

I think final payment deadlines for rci somewhat recently changed.


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## msjprincess

bumbershoot said:


> I think final payment deadlines for rci somewhat recently changed.


Yes I think they changed towards the end of 2016. We sailed in February 2017 and I remember that we were grandfathered in. I think before the change it was 75 days for a 7 day cruise.


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## jenf22

Mackenzie Click-Mickelson said:


> I did have a question for my own future information--do TAs have different final payment due dates compared to Royal Carribbean?



The TA we use normally has the final payment listed as a couple of days earlier than the cruise line's.  I think that is so they can handle credit card denials or issues that may come up before final payment.  But I don't know how other TAs do it.


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## Mackenzie Click-Mickelson

jenf22 said:


> The TA we use normally has the final payment listed as a couple of days earlier than the cruise line's.  I think that is so they can handle credit card denials or issues that may come up before final payment.  But I don't know how other TAs do it.


That makes sense for sure.


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## Keels

I'm glad you got a resolution! We cruised the Solstice to Alaska last August and it was an amazing experience!

I don't know how old your kids are, and I didn't take notice of any kids activities, but it was incredibly relaxing and indulgent for our group of four adults. We were also in concierge balcony staterooms!


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## DisneyCowgirl

It sounds like you have ended up with a pretty good upgrade and it looks like it will be a wonderful trip! But what a frustrating experience.


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## cyclenut

Wow.  What a story.  Thanks for sharing.  We have never found a TA we are happy with but are now trying Costco as they offer so many financial benefits.  I'm surprised that you received such a headache from Celebrity as they are also a RCCL company but it sounds like you have an awesome outcome.  You will love having the balcony in Alaska.  The open deck can get quite crowded at times and there is so much to see in Alaska since you really are close to land a substantial part of the time.  I think in the end you will be very happy to have spent the extra money.  

Enjoy your Alaska vacation!!


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## ronandannette

cory30 said:


> Final Update - We will be sailing on the Celebrity Solstice. Ultimately Celebrity refused to cancel our booking without incurring a substantial penalty ($1,000). I did escalate this to their resolutions department but their take was that the TA who made the original mistake needed to fix the problem. So, we ended up canceling our RCCL Explorer of the Seas reservation and the TA provided us with a full refund. Although Celebrity did refuse to cancel the reservation, and the overall reservation is costing us more than our original booking, they were willing to "rebook" our reservation. By doing so, we were able to change our reservation from one standard balcony cabin to two concierge balcony cabins for an additional $400. While still disappointed (and poorer) due to this experience, we are happy to be going to Alaska and are excited to try Celebrity for the first time.


Cory, I must say you are an extremely forbearing person, and an absolute dream as a customer.  Most of us here would have *raised holy heck* with that TA for their colossal mistake and not stopped until a completely satisfactory resolution was offered.  I'm with others here who think you were owed much more than you got. 

That said, your patient and mild temperament likely allows you to enjoy life a lot more than people who are "tighter wound" and I predict you'll have a fantastic trip - you deserve it! All the best to you and your family.


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## nkereina

Mackenzie Click-Mickelson said:


> I did have a question for my own future information--do TAs have different final payment due dates compared to Royal Carribbean?



This will vary by TA. As PP mentioned, many will make your final payment date earlier than its due to the vendor to ensure both you and the TA make the payment on time and to allow time to deal with any issues. I know that AAA will also make your final payment date earlier than the vendor's final payment date and this is so that if you pay cash or check, they have time to cut their own check or use a corporate card to make your final payment.


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