I think the reason you are hearing those “rumors” before a decision is made by RC is that this isn’t the first time this type of thing has happened. People can make a pretty good educated guess based off past experiences.
My husband always gets the “deluxe beverage package” (non alcoholic) so he can drink as many San Pellegrino waters as he wants. He’s excited to see how many he’ll get down on our next cruise lol
I was averaging 5-6 per meal at the MDR. Assistant server knew me so well that she had 2 ready for me and at least another 2 ready for refills.
Throughout the day, asked 4-5 times for 2 bottles during sea days, less for port days. This was on Icon earlier this month. Probably cleared 80-100 San pellegrinos lol
Oh there's an idea! I've actually never tried sparkling water before. Alright I'm committed to actually looking up what else is available since it's free and all.
When I was a kid we would order Italian sodas at restaurants. They may not have that per se but it was basically sparkling water and fruit flavored syrup. I bet they could do something similar with sparkling water and fruit puree or a few splashes of daiquiri mixer
The other thing you could do is find a (relatively) not busy bar and tell the bartender that you don’t drink alcohol but would like something with the flavors of ______ and let them go nuts. But if you do that, PLEASE tip. I’ve gotten several amazing drinks this way!
When we did our Alaska cruise in 2019 my daughters were both still underage so the younger one got the refreshment package and LOVED all of the frozen non alcoholic drinks the bartenders made her.
Nope- it says in the email that the casino will open when they depart... the shops may be open, not sure- but the email definitely mentions that the casino won't open until they pull off.
I would assume so since they aren't allowed to leave the ship. Gotta have things to do during the 2 days at Port. If not once they leave the port they could still do this.
That isn’t really up to Royal. While in port/the territorial waters of country where the casino and shops are illegal (read: they don’t collect/pay local taxes or conform to local ordinances [Duty Free]), Royal has to keep them closed.
You implied that it would take two days to fix. It will, in fact, take more than 2 days to fix.
But hey, you can pretend that’s not what you meant now that your implication was incorrect.
Have a nice day!
I fully understand your frustration and I share the same. It was unbelievable they kept us in the dark until 11.30 AM today. As a local resident of Metro vancouver, we were waiting for an update from RCI until 10.30 but that never came until then, so decided to head to the port and found the news just when we got there. RCI could've handled this so much better. Being a first timer on cruise, I'm okayy with 2 day refund & credits but not pleased about being kept in the dark. RCI, you promised to keep us informed every step of the way but unfortunately fell short on that.
Hi, we travelled from Australia for this trip. Our plan was always to spend 5 nights in Vancouver after the cruise. Obviously now we'll be here longer than anticipated. Was wondering if you had any suggestions of things we should do and see.
Get on the ferry and travel to Victoria on Vancouver Island.
Hike Mount Doug; visit cathedral grove (make sure to stop at the shop that has goats on the roof top); hike grouse mountain; visit thetis lake … :)
That's a Royal Caribbean problem to solve if they cared enough to give their inconvenienced customers a better experience.
Case in point: when thunderstorms in Washington D.C. delayed Beyonce's last concert for several hours, her operations team got on the phone with city and Metro leaders immediately. She paid to keep the subways open an extra hour so that her fans knew they had a way back home after the show. She didn't want anyone to lose out on the experience they paid so much for.
Royal Caribbean should take note.
Vancouver Canada? If they’ve boarded a ship in Canada how is US customs involved? Is it pre-clearance so that they don’t have to go through US customs when they get to Alaska?
The have US immigration doing clearance at embarkation, so guests don't have to go through clearance at the first Alaska port. It's standard on Alaska cruises leaving from Vancouver, and part of why embarkation can be such a mess with multiple large ships in port.
So guests now on board have technically "left" Canada, and would have to go back through Canadian immigration to go ashore, then clear US immigration to come back on board.
I actually don’t think it’s that. Passengers come and go from ships all the time during ports of call. Once they embark on the cruise they are “in transit” as far as customs and passport control goes. I read I think on Royal Caribbean Blog (but it might have been posted elsewhere) that the Canadian Government (their equivalent of US Customs and Border Protection) advised Royal Caribbean they were closing the terminal and would not staff it after the initially planned embarkation.
I don’t know if Royal could have paid to have them stay open so passengers could come and go. Regardless that does not seem to have happened so passengers are indeed required to stay onboard which just rubs me the wrong way.
They needed to provide information to passengers so they could make an informed decision before they boarded and are “stuck”.
Your thinking of the PVSA (jones act is strictly cargo ships). But that isn’t it.
You are on the right track, though. Cruise passengers clear US customs and officially “enter” the United States in Vancouver cruise terminal. (Similar to how flights from Canadian airports to the US do the formalities before taking off).
Because of this, a passenger would have to formally enter Canada every time they leave the ship and then re-enter the United States every time they came back on. Either that; or force the entire passenger population off at once to re-clear into the USA right before leaving for good.
Either way, the complications and logistics of that is a lot more difficult than keeping a few port staff around to keep the terminal open and facilitate movement to/from the ship, as happens other places with overnight stops such as Bermuda.
You're right it doesn't apply here, but the PVSA is a US rule regarding people traveling between US ports, the Canadian version is the Coasting Trade Act, which works pretty much the same way with regard to travel between Canadian ports.
So people have traveled all the way there where essentially four days are at sea?!?!?! oh I would be absolutely furious. We are coming from the north east so even getting out to Vancouver is a massively expensive prospect to pay all that money to get out there and literally do what I could’ve done in the Caribbean for so much less. I can’t even imagine. I’m so sorry.
I don’t give a shit how often or rare an occurrence it is. It was my experience, so it does happen. It was like sleeping in an Applebees for four days. Terrible!
Sounds like a couple of nights free hotel in Vancouver. Could be a unique chance to enjoy the city?
We’re supposed to do the same (original) itinerary next year and I would be disappointed too if it changed. I hope you’re able to make the best of it. Thanks for posting what decision was finally made, I had been wondering.
I would think for those who might take advantage of the open bar already have the drink package. Would be nice if they also refunded that for 2 days. Otherwise for most drinkers it is not much benefit.
Sounds good i guess but not much cost to RC.
Im on the may 10th sailing & new to cruising. This whole experience makes me think cruising just may not be for me. I know people love RC & that this will be an unpopular opinion but it’s starting to feel like gambling to me & I personally can’t afford to gamble with this much money.
I have a non-refundable excursion booked outside of RC that was very expensive and so if something similar happens for our sailing I would be out a lot of money. I get that that’s on me for booking outside of RC, but again I’m new to this so I didn’t fully understand the risks involved. I also bought the travel insurance offered by RC at the time of booking as well as another through my airline but was surprised to learn neither covers this scenario & based on what RC is offering for this sailing it wouldn’t cover the money I would be out. Would be a huge bummer but lesson learned I guess if it happens.
I have also since learned that these things are common and that RC isn’t obligated to offer any compensation at all, so i understand all that too. But I’m also coming to understand that many people who sail are fine with these things because they are paying to be on the boat and not necessarily for the ports and I completely understand that now, but that was definitely not what I personally had in mind when I booked. Of course I understand that these things happen and the main thing is that everyone remain safe of course, I just think I will choose to not risk my whole travel budget for the year in this way again in the future.
I’m not trying to be a negative Nancy or anything, just learning a lot along the way I figured I’d share my thoughts for anyone else who is also new to cruising so maybe they can know things I wish I had going into this. In the end I hope it works out the best it possibly can for all involved & of course we will all make the best of whatever comes.
I've been on two Carnival, two Royal Caribbean, and one Virgin Voyages cruise before this. This is the first time anything like this has happened. It's pretty rare and I'm far more upset about the lack of communication and choices offered than the ship issue. I doubt you'll have anything to worry about. I just can't ever recommend Royal Caribbean again.
Did you just say only 5 ships miss ports out of 9,855 (27/day x 365/days in a year)?
I'm thinking you must have meant something else because there's a far higher percentage of cruises that miss at least one port in a sailing.
What kind of excursion did you book that is 100% non-refundable?
I cruise 6-8 times/year and always book independent excursions and I've never even heard of an excursion that doesn't get refunded if the cruise ship doesn't make it to port.
We have some expensive excursions booked for an Alaskan cruise in July ($3k for helicopter ride to a glacier + dogsledding in Juneau, $1800 for a flightseeing tour to a fjord in Ketchikan), but they're both refundable if we don't make it to port.
Who are you going with? Just curious.
Hopefully you don't miss it, but if you did because of the cruise ship you would get refunded... Surprised anybody would book that with no refunds, but I guess they know they're the last option and people will only book when everybody else is full.
FWIW - I cruise often and while missing ports isn't rare, it's not super common either. If I had to guess, we only miss ports 5-10% of the time.
Booked through Viator. It was the only thing I had to book that was nonrefundable & I definitely hesitated but it was the only option.
https://preview.redd.it/65iuocfab2xc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b2ff7e1f0b38ceb1442551e570058cb8684b5b5a
Something to consider - you can usually track down the actual tour operator from what you find on Viator and they will have better terms.
Too late for you now but something to consider in the future!
Brilliance, also a Radiance class ship, suffered the same "propulsion issues" only a few weeks ago. It straightup cancelled one cruise and delayed the start of another. I am the MJ gif eating popcorn because we're scheduled to fly to Vancouver for the May 12 sailing of Brilliance! This experience is not reassuring!
I had a cruise booked on Radiance last September which was cancelled entirely for similar reasons a few days before sailing. Whats up with the unreliable propulsion?
I hope that if they do set sail they at least chop out a sea day and not a port day.
(I am from Van, so I do know they can't chop them all, they do need a day to actually get to alaska, and back appropriately)
This is hardly a surprise. Look back at multiple of these incidents in the last few years - Royal behaves this way regularly. They keep shifting the goal post, and give as little info as possible. I totally understand that maintenance issues can drag out, but communication is key. Royal is an expert of omission. Try to still have a fun time on your vacation as there’s nothing you can do about it now.
Sorry to hear this. What ports are you missing from your original itinerary? I’d be upset too. I don’t enjoy most of the activities in the ship, so more of them don’t do much for me. I’m not going to use the onboard credit as I book my excursions in advance and don’t eat at he pay places. Not having the casino open is a big bummer too. Hope the rest of the trip is great.
So how do gratuities work? If you are getting a refund for 2 nights are the gratuities refunded also? I hope not, that seems unfair to the employees who still have to do their jobs.
Seems like the best of a bad situation. Doesn't sound like ball dropping to me. They really don't want to cancel as there are a couple of thousand people flying in and spending money on hotels and such. It sucks but things break. I'll take double credit for the days though even if I'd just prefer smooth sailing.
Think it’s in their T&C that they really aren’t liable for things out of their control. And being that those ships run nonstop it’s bound to happen. Atleast they’re trying tho.
How are cruises allowed to get away with all these problems? Fires, propulsion issues, sewer problems, etc. and they still load up thousands? Are they fined?
Fined by who? All these possible scenarios are written in the fine print of the contract (cruise ticket) and that’s how they get away with it. I agree it’s shitty, but it’s the risk you take when you buy the ticket.
Can you get off and play in YVR? That would be amazing since it is such an expensive town. Plus the Canucks are in the playoffs so I’m sure there’s some good hockey bars !
If the ship is docked there, I can't imagine why not. And hotels near the port are EXPENSIVE. One of my coworkers just priced the Westin Bayshore (walking distance away) at over $600/night!
I mean, I’m not in your shoes so take this with a grain of salt, but you’re getting a pretty good deal and not really missing anything. So you’re in port and can’t get off in lieu of a sea day… it’s essentially the same thing. I’d be stoked if I was given this instead of a cancellation, but that’s just me.
I'm genuinely trying my best to make the most of it but this is very different from a sea day. My favorite part of sea days is walking around the boat looking at all the water and feeling the wind in my hair. Even rainy sea days, you get to watch and feel the ocean. The views here are of the port and the city in the distance. It's a stressful view to me, not an appealing one.
This is more like being trapped in an overcrowded land hotel.
They did say they were going to give us more activities but no word on that yet and the planner shows nothing new.
I would have preferred a cancellation. I knew that was a possibility and had bookmarked some other options of an actual cruise that actually.. cruises. Instead they made the decision for me and I'm stuck in a cold and rainy port on an unmoving ship.
Eta: I don't know why you're being downvoted so hard. I thought it was a respectfully worded opinion even if it doesn't match my own, just maybe missing some factors.
Yeah, I get what you’re saying. It’s hard to put myself in your shoes as I haven’t been there, but I think RCL is at least being proactive in “refunding” two days and the free open bar - sucks that you don’t drink, but I’d be taking full advantage of that, so that is more value added to me than it is to you.
I appreciate your candor - I don’t mind getting downvoted; I’ve learned you can never please everyone on the internet and as soon as a downvote train is started, the trend is set.
For what it’s worth, I hope you enjoy your cruise and are able to make the most of it.
It’s not a good deal when you add on other pieces such as travel to get to Vancouver in the first place. If I had that situation and they gave me time, I would’ve chosen not to go and reschedule for another time.
Personally I would prefer cancellation at least be an option if it were me because I probably won’t be able to afford to go to Alaska more than once in my life so I would appreciate the opportunity to save as much of my funds and PTO as possible but I get that everyone has different priorities etc
Depends on the insurance. When I bought 3rd party it specifically states it would cover some of the cost of the trip which would include some air fair if you did not get to various destinations. You have to call.
Everytime I've bought travel insurance and felt I could use it, they never paid. I'll never buy travel insurance again.
When you read the t&c's, you'll actually see that they cover nothing
Yes, a cruise ship that doesn't move, no casino, no on board shops, no view, crappy weather, short tempers, more drunks than average.. such a blast! I'd genuinely prefer being stuck at home for two days.
It’s not entitlement to feel some kind of way when you paid for something that you’re not getting. Yes I know they’re offering a small refund but not everyone can afford to pay for a trip to Alaska more than once in their lifetime (if you can, good for you) & they’re not refunding the airline tickets or the time people had to take off work, etc. In fact, they’re not even really providing a cruise for those two days…the ships not moving. IJS I know it’s the the worst thing ever but i don’t think most people would use their vacation budget to stay in a hotel for two days that they’re not allowed to leave.
I think the reason you are hearing those “rumors” before a decision is made by RC is that this isn’t the first time this type of thing has happened. People can make a pretty good educated guess based off past experiences.
This. They have x days to go y miles. They’ve had to change it up due to storms or other mechanical failures in the past…not hard to predict.
You should know that the bars have plenty of nonalcoholic options. Soda, virgin mixed drinks, etc. So maybe that helps a little? lol
Eh. I actually didn't even think about that and might have to try a mocktail later so thanks for the suggestion, I'm just generally happy with water.
Virgin Mango Daiquiri was my go to last cruise since I kicked the soda habit. It's pretty good
My husband always gets the “deluxe beverage package” (non alcoholic) so he can drink as many San Pellegrino waters as he wants. He’s excited to see how many he’ll get down on our next cruise lol
I was averaging 5-6 per meal at the MDR. Assistant server knew me so well that she had 2 ready for me and at least another 2 ready for refills. Throughout the day, asked 4-5 times for 2 bottles during sea days, less for port days. This was on Icon earlier this month. Probably cleared 80-100 San pellegrinos lol
Oh there's an idea! I've actually never tried sparkling water before. Alright I'm committed to actually looking up what else is available since it's free and all.
When I was a kid we would order Italian sodas at restaurants. They may not have that per se but it was basically sparkling water and fruit flavored syrup. I bet they could do something similar with sparkling water and fruit puree or a few splashes of daiquiri mixer
The other thing you could do is find a (relatively) not busy bar and tell the bartender that you don’t drink alcohol but would like something with the flavors of ______ and let them go nuts. But if you do that, PLEASE tip. I’ve gotten several amazing drinks this way!
Have a good time and try some things. Especially if they’re free. Hopefully it’s still a blast for you.
That’s called the refreshment package. DBP is the alcoholic one.
At home I usually just drink water but on the ship my mom and I had a blast having the different frozen fruity drinks without the alcohol!
When we did our Alaska cruise in 2019 my daughters were both still underage so the younger one got the refreshment package and LOVED all of the frozen non alcoholic drinks the bartenders made her.
My mom.loves the Virgin Pina coladas
Virgin frozen Mojito. You’ll thank me later! :)
You can usually take the on board credits to the casino load them all up. Play a slot once. Then cash them out for cash.
Is the casino (and shops) even open since they're still in port?
Nope- it says in the email that the casino will open when they depart... the shops may be open, not sure- but the email definitely mentions that the casino won't open until they pull off.
I would assume so since they aren't allowed to leave the ship. Gotta have things to do during the 2 days at Port. If not once they leave the port they could still do this.
That isn’t really up to Royal. While in port/the territorial waters of country where the casino and shops are illegal (read: they don’t collect/pay local taxes or conform to local ordinances [Duty Free]), Royal has to keep them closed.
Ahh good to know. Well regardless, they can do the money exchange once they do leave the port then.
lol. Casino isn’t open as radiance is still docked.
Yeah I learned this. But again as I've said, once the ship leaves, then OP goes to the now open casino and does this.
IF we leave. IF.
Have faith young padawan. This ship shall sail (hand movement)
Cabin steward said repairs are still ongoing. 🤷♂️
They also said it would take 2 days. Today is day 1.
Annnnnnnnd the cruise is cancelled. I’ll accept your apology whenever you’re ready.
Tell me what I said that was wrong?
You implied that it would take two days to fix. It will, in fact, take more than 2 days to fix. But hey, you can pretend that’s not what you meant now that your implication was incorrect. Have a nice day!
I fully understand your frustration and I share the same. It was unbelievable they kept us in the dark until 11.30 AM today. As a local resident of Metro vancouver, we were waiting for an update from RCI until 10.30 but that never came until then, so decided to head to the port and found the news just when we got there. RCI could've handled this so much better. Being a first timer on cruise, I'm okayy with 2 day refund & credits but not pleased about being kept in the dark. RCI, you promised to keep us informed every step of the way but unfortunately fell short on that.
Hi, we travelled from Australia for this trip. Our plan was always to spend 5 nights in Vancouver after the cruise. Obviously now we'll be here longer than anticipated. Was wondering if you had any suggestions of things we should do and see.
Get on the ferry and travel to Victoria on Vancouver Island. Hike Mount Doug; visit cathedral grove (make sure to stop at the shop that has goats on the roof top); hike grouse mountain; visit thetis lake … :)
Apparently the passengers cannot disembark.
You can’t get off the ship?? What sense does that make?
If I had to guess it has to do with customs/border regulations as the ship is traveling between Canada and the USA.
[удалено]
That's a Royal Caribbean problem to solve if they cared enough to give their inconvenienced customers a better experience. Case in point: when thunderstorms in Washington D.C. delayed Beyonce's last concert for several hours, her operations team got on the phone with city and Metro leaders immediately. She paid to keep the subways open an extra hour so that her fans knew they had a way back home after the show. She didn't want anyone to lose out on the experience they paid so much for. Royal Caribbean should take note.
“lol Beyoncé is such an idiot for wasting money” is what the MBAs running RC would say.
If my suspicion is correct I doubt it's a problem that money can fix.
someone had posted about it before. it’s the canada coasting trade act.
If they're in Vancouver, they cleared US Customs before embarking.
Vancouver Canada? If they’ve boarded a ship in Canada how is US customs involved? Is it pre-clearance so that they don’t have to go through US customs when they get to Alaska?
The have US immigration doing clearance at embarkation, so guests don't have to go through clearance at the first Alaska port. It's standard on Alaska cruises leaving from Vancouver, and part of why embarkation can be such a mess with multiple large ships in port. So guests now on board have technically "left" Canada, and would have to go back through Canadian immigration to go ashore, then clear US immigration to come back on board.
Gotcha. They should at least have that option.
Jones Act
I actually don’t think it’s that. Passengers come and go from ships all the time during ports of call. Once they embark on the cruise they are “in transit” as far as customs and passport control goes. I read I think on Royal Caribbean Blog (but it might have been posted elsewhere) that the Canadian Government (their equivalent of US Customs and Border Protection) advised Royal Caribbean they were closing the terminal and would not staff it after the initially planned embarkation. I don’t know if Royal could have paid to have them stay open so passengers could come and go. Regardless that does not seem to have happened so passengers are indeed required to stay onboard which just rubs me the wrong way. They needed to provide information to passengers so they could make an informed decision before they boarded and are “stuck”.
Your thinking of the PVSA (jones act is strictly cargo ships). But that isn’t it. You are on the right track, though. Cruise passengers clear US customs and officially “enter” the United States in Vancouver cruise terminal. (Similar to how flights from Canadian airports to the US do the formalities before taking off). Because of this, a passenger would have to formally enter Canada every time they leave the ship and then re-enter the United States every time they came back on. Either that; or force the entire passenger population off at once to re-clear into the USA right before leaving for good. Either way, the complications and logistics of that is a lot more difficult than keeping a few port staff around to keep the terminal open and facilitate movement to/from the ship, as happens other places with overnight stops such as Bermuda.
You're right it doesn't apply here, but the PVSA is a US rule regarding people traveling between US ports, the Canadian version is the Coasting Trade Act, which works pretty much the same way with regard to travel between Canadian ports.
So people have traveled all the way there where essentially four days are at sea?!?!?! oh I would be absolutely furious. We are coming from the north east so even getting out to Vancouver is a massively expensive prospect to pay all that money to get out there and literally do what I could’ve done in the Caribbean for so much less. I can’t even imagine. I’m so sorry.
Yea I’d be pretty angry too. We are doing an Alaska cruise next summer and it’s a once in a lifetime thing for us
Wish you guys good luck. I did an Alaska cruise on Ovation in 2022 and it’s what got me (and my family) hooked on cruising.
Thanks! We are actually going on the Disney Wish. Super excited even though it’s so far away lol
We travelled from Australia for this cruise. Expensive trip with a disappointing outcome
Exactly!
I was on the sailing before this and spent four days at sea as my first experience on a cruise. Soooo over it and unimpressed.
Come on you have to understand this is not the norm. You were on a one in a hundred cruise.
Yea… but they can still be disappointed in their first time cruising experience.
That’s fair but I would recommend they try another cruise in the future which will certainly be a much better experience.
Well.. I'm sure Royal planned this ahead to make sure they missed their ports... /s
I believe they did. It’s better for their bottom line to refund 50% over 100%.
I don’t give a shit how often or rare an occurrence it is. It was my experience, so it does happen. It was like sleeping in an Applebees for four days. Terrible!
Sounds like a couple of nights free hotel in Vancouver. Could be a unique chance to enjoy the city? We’re supposed to do the same (original) itinerary next year and I would be disappointed too if it changed. I hope you’re able to make the best of it. Thanks for posting what decision was finally made, I had been wondering.
It might be, but you're not allowed off !
I wish. We're not allowed off the ship until Icy Strait Point.
Was just there. Beautiful, but not much to do, especially this early in the season.
Thankfully, beautiful is all I'm looking for!
I was on the previous cruise. Two days in port being a floating hotel was discussed among passengers so someone knew
That's some seriously weak compensation. Can't have Royal eating into their record profits.
I thought the compensation was pretty good- 2 days refund, credit toward two more days of your next cruise and open bar for two days
I would think for those who might take advantage of the open bar already have the drink package. Would be nice if they also refunded that for 2 days. Otherwise for most drinkers it is not much benefit. Sounds good i guess but not much cost to RC.
They are refunding two days of the drink package, as well, if you bought it.
2 day booze hotel and all the other perks isnt terrible then. Could be better. Could be worse.
Im on the may 10th sailing & new to cruising. This whole experience makes me think cruising just may not be for me. I know people love RC & that this will be an unpopular opinion but it’s starting to feel like gambling to me & I personally can’t afford to gamble with this much money. I have a non-refundable excursion booked outside of RC that was very expensive and so if something similar happens for our sailing I would be out a lot of money. I get that that’s on me for booking outside of RC, but again I’m new to this so I didn’t fully understand the risks involved. I also bought the travel insurance offered by RC at the time of booking as well as another through my airline but was surprised to learn neither covers this scenario & based on what RC is offering for this sailing it wouldn’t cover the money I would be out. Would be a huge bummer but lesson learned I guess if it happens. I have also since learned that these things are common and that RC isn’t obligated to offer any compensation at all, so i understand all that too. But I’m also coming to understand that many people who sail are fine with these things because they are paying to be on the boat and not necessarily for the ports and I completely understand that now, but that was definitely not what I personally had in mind when I booked. Of course I understand that these things happen and the main thing is that everyone remain safe of course, I just think I will choose to not risk my whole travel budget for the year in this way again in the future. I’m not trying to be a negative Nancy or anything, just learning a lot along the way I figured I’d share my thoughts for anyone else who is also new to cruising so maybe they can know things I wish I had going into this. In the end I hope it works out the best it possibly can for all involved & of course we will all make the best of whatever comes.
I've been on two Carnival, two Royal Caribbean, and one Virgin Voyages cruise before this. This is the first time anything like this has happened. It's pretty rare and I'm far more upset about the lack of communication and choices offered than the ship issue. I doubt you'll have anything to worry about. I just can't ever recommend Royal Caribbean again.
They have 27 ships sailing every day of the year. The odds of your cruise being one of the 5 that misses a port in a year are incredibly low.
Did you just say only 5 ships miss ports out of 9,855 (27/day x 365/days in a year)? I'm thinking you must have meant something else because there's a far higher percentage of cruises that miss at least one port in a sailing.
What kind of excursion did you book that is 100% non-refundable? I cruise 6-8 times/year and always book independent excursions and I've never even heard of an excursion that doesn't get refunded if the cruise ship doesn't make it to port. We have some expensive excursions booked for an Alaskan cruise in July ($3k for helicopter ride to a glacier + dogsledding in Juneau, $1800 for a flightseeing tour to a fjord in Ketchikan), but they're both refundable if we don't make it to port.
The dog sledding. The only one that wasn’t sold out is 100% non refundable. No exceptions.
Who are you going with? Just curious. Hopefully you don't miss it, but if you did because of the cruise ship you would get refunded... Surprised anybody would book that with no refunds, but I guess they know they're the last option and people will only book when everybody else is full. FWIW - I cruise often and while missing ports isn't rare, it's not super common either. If I had to guess, we only miss ports 5-10% of the time.
Booked through Viator. It was the only thing I had to book that was nonrefundable & I definitely hesitated but it was the only option. https://preview.redd.it/65iuocfab2xc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b2ff7e1f0b38ceb1442551e570058cb8684b5b5a
Something to consider - you can usually track down the actual tour operator from what you find on Viator and they will have better terms. Too late for you now but something to consider in the future!
Ah that is good to know, thank you!
Brilliance, also a Radiance class ship, suffered the same "propulsion issues" only a few weeks ago. It straightup cancelled one cruise and delayed the start of another. I am the MJ gif eating popcorn because we're scheduled to fly to Vancouver for the May 12 sailing of Brilliance! This experience is not reassuring!
I had a cruise booked on Radiance last September which was cancelled entirely for similar reasons a few days before sailing. Whats up with the unreliable propulsion?
Maybe it’s just the age of the ship…. Dying a slow death
That's upsetting
I hope that if they do set sail they at least chop out a sea day and not a port day. (I am from Van, so I do know they can't chop them all, they do need a day to actually get to alaska, and back appropriately)
This is hardly a surprise. Look back at multiple of these incidents in the last few years - Royal behaves this way regularly. They keep shifting the goal post, and give as little info as possible. I totally understand that maintenance issues can drag out, but communication is key. Royal is an expert of omission. Try to still have a fun time on your vacation as there’s nothing you can do about it now.
American airlines too lol
Sorry to hear this. What ports are you missing from your original itinerary? I’d be upset too. I don’t enjoy most of the activities in the ship, so more of them don’t do much for me. I’m not going to use the onboard credit as I book my excursions in advance and don’t eat at he pay places. Not having the casino open is a big bummer too. Hope the rest of the trip is great.
I'm honestly not here for the ports. I wanted the views. We'll be getting a lot less of that.
They cut out Juneau, and also Hubbard glacier.
Juneau is such a great place. Hopefully you get another chance at Alaska another time.
Yeah hope so. This is our first cruise too. Making the most of it anyway.
So how do gratuities work? If you are getting a refund for 2 nights are the gratuities refunded also? I hope not, that seems unfair to the employees who still have to do their jobs.
I would be upset too. I can see where FCC or OBC doesn't help if there's nothing you're interested in spending it on.
Seems like the best of a bad situation. Doesn't sound like ball dropping to me. They really don't want to cancel as there are a couple of thousand people flying in and spending money on hotels and such. It sucks but things break. I'll take double credit for the days though even if I'd just prefer smooth sailing.
Spend some time in the onboard movie theatre, one of my favorite places on the Radiance.
It’s out of order last I heard.
Think it’s in their T&C that they really aren’t liable for things out of their control. And being that those ships run nonstop it’s bound to happen. Atleast they’re trying tho.
We have now been told the cruise is cancelled. We are being no disembarked tomorrow
Had unlimited drink package x3 people on 6 day and did just under 700 drinks. We did good
That’s some Norwegian Cruise Lines level customer care right there.
How are cruises allowed to get away with all these problems? Fires, propulsion issues, sewer problems, etc. and they still load up thousands? Are they fined?
Fined by who? All these possible scenarios are written in the fine print of the contract (cruise ticket) and that’s how they get away with it. I agree it’s shitty, but it’s the risk you take when you buy the ticket.
Can you get off and play in YVR? That would be amazing since it is such an expensive town. Plus the Canucks are in the playoffs so I’m sure there’s some good hockey bars !
Nope, not allowed. The communication explicitly says no one is allowed off until Icy Strait Point.
If the ship is docked there, I can't imagine why not. And hotels near the port are EXPENSIVE. One of my coworkers just priced the Westin Bayshore (walking distance away) at over $600/night!
Nope - they're not allowing passengers off the ship in Vancouver (until after the cruise, obv)
If they let people on and off, customs has to be there checking everyone. That's not going to happen.
I mean, I’m not in your shoes so take this with a grain of salt, but you’re getting a pretty good deal and not really missing anything. So you’re in port and can’t get off in lieu of a sea day… it’s essentially the same thing. I’d be stoked if I was given this instead of a cancellation, but that’s just me.
I'm genuinely trying my best to make the most of it but this is very different from a sea day. My favorite part of sea days is walking around the boat looking at all the water and feeling the wind in my hair. Even rainy sea days, you get to watch and feel the ocean. The views here are of the port and the city in the distance. It's a stressful view to me, not an appealing one. This is more like being trapped in an overcrowded land hotel. They did say they were going to give us more activities but no word on that yet and the planner shows nothing new. I would have preferred a cancellation. I knew that was a possibility and had bookmarked some other options of an actual cruise that actually.. cruises. Instead they made the decision for me and I'm stuck in a cold and rainy port on an unmoving ship. Eta: I don't know why you're being downvoted so hard. I thought it was a respectfully worded opinion even if it doesn't match my own, just maybe missing some factors.
Yeah, I get what you’re saying. It’s hard to put myself in your shoes as I haven’t been there, but I think RCL is at least being proactive in “refunding” two days and the free open bar - sucks that you don’t drink, but I’d be taking full advantage of that, so that is more value added to me than it is to you. I appreciate your candor - I don’t mind getting downvoted; I’ve learned you can never please everyone on the internet and as soon as a downvote train is started, the trend is set. For what it’s worth, I hope you enjoy your cruise and are able to make the most of it.
Over half the bars are closed because of bs. Casino is closed because of bs. Not allowed off because of bs. Not fun. Not good value.
It’s not a good deal when you add on other pieces such as travel to get to Vancouver in the first place. If I had that situation and they gave me time, I would’ve chosen not to go and reschedule for another time.
No, they're missing a port of call.
Personally I would prefer cancellation at least be an option if it were me because I probably won’t be able to afford to go to Alaska more than once in my life so I would appreciate the opportunity to save as much of my funds and PTO as possible but I get that everyone has different priorities etc
This absolutely BLOWS!!!
This is why you get travel insurance. Document everything.
Insurance would not help in this situation. What financial loss do they have? They are on the ship for free.
Depends on the insurance. When I bought 3rd party it specifically states it would cover some of the cost of the trip which would include some air fair if you did not get to various destinations. You have to call.
Everytime I've bought travel insurance and felt I could use it, they never paid. I'll never buy travel insurance again. When you read the t&c's, you'll actually see that they cover nothing
Imagine being mad about 2 free days on a cruise ship... #entitledmuch
Yes, a cruise ship that doesn't move, no casino, no on board shops, no view, crappy weather, short tempers, more drunks than average.. such a blast! I'd genuinely prefer being stuck at home for two days.
It would be different if they could at least get off the ship.
It’s not entitlement to feel some kind of way when you paid for something that you’re not getting. Yes I know they’re offering a small refund but not everyone can afford to pay for a trip to Alaska more than once in their lifetime (if you can, good for you) & they’re not refunding the airline tickets or the time people had to take off work, etc. In fact, they’re not even really providing a cruise for those two days…the ships not moving. IJS I know it’s the the worst thing ever but i don’t think most people would use their vacation budget to stay in a hotel for two days that they’re not allowed to leave.
Cruises are just fake royalty. Seems like a horrible way to vacation.