RCI Downgrades

We have all read about upgrades but after years of cruising my cruise on the
Radiance on 4/18/04 to the canal was a first for voluntary and involuntary
downgrading.

About 1 month before the cruise I got a call from the travel agent offering
small shipboard credits if I gave up my balcony E# cabin and cruised on
another date. My answer was in the negative. Two days before we left another
call offering $1500 credit to my MasterCard to give up the balcony cabin for
an ocean view. It was difficult to say no but we did.

On the ship we heard various stories similar to ours. We kept our original
cabin but others who said NO to the same offers found that on embarking they
had been downgraded to ocean view cabins. Some were told that the cruise
would free but no one got it in writing. When we spoke with the Crown &
Anchor rep on the ship her answer was, " I was told that it was the result
of the computer double booking". This answer I cannot accept. It is
interesting that myself and other Platinum members of Crown & Anchor were
not changed but others even those who booked this cruise while on the ship
on another cruise lost there cabin.

I would hesitate to trust RCI in the future.

We saw this happen on our Radiance cruise thru the Canal in April 2002. A
number of people got free cruise by downgrading to an ocean view. We were
never asked (Platinum C & A), but would have jumped at the offer.
I do not see how they can force you take a downgrade. It is a breach of
contract.

"Norm" wrote in message
news
We have all read about upgrades but after years of cruising my cruise on
the
Radiance on 4/18/04 to the canal was a first for voluntary and involuntary
downgrading.

About 1 month before the cruise I got a call from the travel agent
offering
small shipboard credits if I gave up my balcony E# cabin and cruised on
another date. My answer was in the negative. Two days before we left
another
call offering $1500 credit to my MasterCard to give up the balcony cabin
for
an ocean view. It was difficult to say no but we did.

On the ship we heard various stories similar to ours. We kept our original
cabin but others who said NO to the same offers found that on embarking
they
had been downgraded to ocean view cabins. Some were told that the cruise
would free but no one got it in writing. When we spoke with the Crown &
Anchor rep on the ship her answer was, " I was told that it was the result
of the computer double booking". This answer I cannot accept. It is
interesting that myself and other Platinum members of Crown & Anchor were
not changed but others even those who booked this cruise while on the ship
on another cruise lost there cabin.

I would hesitate to trust RCI in the future.

I do not see how they can force you take a downgrade. It is a breach of
contract.

Read all the paper work on and with your ticket. As I recall, the only
guarantee (if you get on the ship) is some type of stateroom.
"Anything that doesn't kill you,,,,,,,just hurts a hell of a lot" JLP20

I don't have a recent ticket handy, but I looked at my ticket from the Feb
2001 Voyager. There was nothing I saw about an entitlement only to a room
without regard to what was sold. In any case, I stand by initial view. A
company cannot so totaly disclaim itys obligations that the contract has no
consideration and there is no agreement on even the most fundamental terms.
I would be willing to litigate that one anywhere.

"Norm" wrote in message
news
We have all read about upgrades but after years of cruising my cruise on
the
Radiance on 4/18/04 to the canal was a first for voluntary and involuntary
downgrading.

About 1 month before the cruise I got a call from the travel agent
offering
small shipboard credits if I gave up my balcony E# cabin and cruised on
another date. My answer was in the negative. Two days before we left
another
call offering $1500 credit to my MasterCard to give up the balcony cabin
for
an ocean view. It was difficult to say no but we did.

On the ship we heard various stories similar to ours. We kept our original
cabin but others who said NO to the same offers found that on embarking
they
had been downgraded to ocean view cabins. Some were told that the cruise
would free but no one got it in writing. When we spoke with the Crown &
Anchor rep on the ship her answer was, " I was told that it was the result
of the computer double booking". This answer I cannot accept. It is
interesting that myself and other Platinum members of Crown & Anchor were
not changed but others even those who booked this cruise while on the ship
on another cruise lost there cabin.

I would hesitate to trust RCI in the future.

JF wrote:
We saw this happen on our Radiance cruise thru the Canal in April 2002. A
number of people got free cruise by downgrading to an ocean view. We were
never asked (Platinum C & A), but would have jumped at the offer.
I do not see how they can force you take a downgrade. It is a breach of
contract.

"Norm" wrote in message
news
We have all read about upgrades but after years of cruising my cruise on

the

Radiance on 4/18/04 to the canal was a first for voluntary and involuntary
downgrading.

About 1 month before the cruise I got a call from the travel agent

offering

small shipboard credits if I gave up my balcony E# cabin and cruised on
another date. My answer was in the negative. Two days before we left

another

call offering $1500 credit to my MasterCard to give up the balcony cabin

for

an ocean view. It was difficult to say no but we did.

On the ship we heard various stories similar to ours. We kept our original
cabin but others who said NO to the same offers found that on embarking

they

had been downgraded to ocean view cabins. Some were told that the cruise
would free but no one got it in writing. When we spoke with the Crown &
Anchor rep on the ship her answer was, " I was told that it was the result
of the computer double booking". This answer I cannot accept. It is
interesting that myself and other Platinum members of Crown & Anchor were
not changed but others even those who booked this cruise while on the ship
on another cruise lost there cabin.

I would hesitate to trust RCI in the future.





I had thought about trying RCI , not anymore.

Well, I guess they could bring in a rollaway and let you share
your cabin with
another couple.
What do you expect them to do beyond offering an incentive?
Even airlines have a thing called involuntary bumping. They won't
let you ride
in the john or lie down in the aisle.
Stuff happens. Life goes on.

I do not see how they can force you take a downgrade. It is a
breach of
contract.

DiggerDog wrote:
Well, I guess they could bring in a rollaway and let you share
your cabin with
another couple.
What do you expect them to do beyond offering an incentive?

I expect them to honor the contract. If they say I get
a certain cabin or type, that's what I get. Period. Let them
offer money to other people ... or me .... to compensate.

Everybody is a whore. You just have to pay the right price.
I'm sure that if some people would not downgrade "voluntarily"
for a free cruise, they would for a cash payout of $1000. If that
failed, up it to $5000, first come first serve. A reasonable price
for a true involuntary would be $20,000 cash for a $1000 cabin (per
person), but in any case no less than what was offered for a
voluntary downgrade.

There is zero excuse of overbooking to happen under any
circumstances whatsoever.

Doug McDonald

In article , Doug McDonald
wrote:

Everybody is a whore. You just have to pay the right price.
I'm sure that if some people would not downgrade "voluntarily"
for a free cruise, they would for a cash payout of $1000. If that
failed, up it to $5000, first come first serve. A reasonable price
for a true involuntary would be $20,000 cash for a $1000 cabin (per
person), but in any case no less than what was offered for a
voluntary downgrade.

This is sorta like what happens when airlines overbook. You get
bumped, you negotiate something in return. $20,000 is a little beyond the
pale, personally, but if you can get it, get it.


--------------------------------------------------------
"Writers even write the silences"
-J. Michael Straczynski

(Doug=A0McDonald) wrote:

I expect them to honor the contract. If they say
I get a certain cabin or type, that's what I get.
Period. Let them offer money to other people .
.. or me .... to compensate.

Everybody is a whore. You just have to pay
the right price. I'm sure that if some people
would not downgrade "voluntarily" for a free
cruise, they would for a cash payout of $1000.
if that failed, up it to $5000, first come first
serve. A reasonable price for a true
involuntary would be $20,000 cash for a
$1000 cabin (per person), but in any case no
less than what was offered for a voluntary
downgrade.

At least they offered compensation. My wife and I booked a river cruise
in the Netherlands and Belgium with Uniworld for the week between
Chritmas and New Year's Day. They took first our deposit and then our
final payment. Then they chartered the entire ship out from under us.

There was no compensation. In fact getting our money credited back to
our credit card was like pulling teeth. I finally got a customer service
representative who took pity on us when I told her that we needed the
available credit to book a new last minute vacation. (We ended up flying
to Amsterdam and staying in a hotel.) And even her "expedited" credit
was going to take several days.

And they still have the nerve to send me their spam despite being told
to take me off both their snail mail and e-mail lists. (They no longer
send the snail mail: I guess that unlike e-mail, that costs them money.
LOL)

There is zero excuse of overbooking to
happen under any circumstances whatsoever.

I agree.

I don't know how overbooking happens on ships ... but it does [perhaps
it has to do with groups/group space, wait-lists/options,
unavailable/damaged space, ???]!

I had an RCI experience with booked balcony space: Was offered about one
week before sailing -- if I wanted -- to go to regular outside on same
sailing [with half refund of my fare] or to balcony on another sailing
[with full refund of my fare]. I decided to sail in booked space ... and
that was no problem!

I have had this situation before with other lines (e.g., Cunard, United
States Lines, French Line ... yes, even in the "old days"). I never was
forced into taking either a downgrade or, for that matter, an upgrade.

I did have a situation on Norwegian America Line where I was advised one
day before sailing that my cabin had been severely water damaged and
would not be available. Again, I was offered several options, at my
choice.

I find it hard to believe RCI would downgrade a passenger from initially
paid-for/agreed-to category space without discussion with the passenger
or their Travel Agent .. and without offer of some sort of major
financial adjustment.

In the cases cited in RTC, perhaps the passenger's Travel Agent was
contacted and decided on the passenger's behalf? Or perhaps the
passenger had been upgraded initially and that upgrade was later revoked
[and they ended up getting what they paid for]?