What Really Happened. Adventure of the Seas Transatlantic NOV 2024

[@mbrown001]

My wife and I her also cruising on this voyage. This was our ninth cruise with Royal and the way this was handled was unlike any other itinerary change we have experienced in the past. We got delayed on a cruise just before the pandemic. We left 3 days late and instead of the Bahamas and cococay, we sailed to Bermuda and back. For that cruise they offered 50% back as an OBC and a 50% future cruise credit. Your comments on airfare and being locked in to our vacations is spot on. My wife and my work schedules only allow for us to vacation when we went. This was supposed to be our 25th anniversary cruise but we were left wanting. Those who throw shade using the events in spain are engaging in whataboutism. Somehow our concerns and disappointments in their eyes are a moral defect canceling our agency. Apparently expecting a product you paid for isn’t valid when others have suffered an unrelated calamity. It’s a tired and specious argument. Royal’s lack of compensation has left us looking at other cruise lines. This was our first cruise with diamond status and MSC offered a status match so perhaps we will try them next. Even Virgin Voyages is offering a status match till the end of December. I still haven’t seen compensation for my hotel. I will probably file a claim with my travel insurance if I keep getting the runaround from Royal.

[@PhilCatsea]

What a well constructed comment. The whole paragraph about “Whataboutism” is perfect. Those are the words I’m always looking for. That’s exactly what I was trying to say. We too have had issues with far less inconvenience and received better compensation but we are not in this for the money. At this point we just want the people that are disappointed to have there expectations made whole again. Don’t give up hope on getting your reimbursement. We got ours yesterday $500 for the 2 nights. Thank you so much

[@PhilCatsea]

Also … I’ve pinned your comment to the top of the comments. It’s just that good 👍🏻

[@brendamckay3782]

My husband and I were on this transatlantic journey as well. Despite being frequent travellers throughout our life this was only our second cruise. We were always of the premise that cruising was not for us, however on a whim we booked a last minute Caribbean cruise last year on the same ship and in our same panoramic room. We had such an amazing time last year that we decided to do it again this year. When we compare our experience from last year to this trip, it is night and day. Aside from the fact that we lost three of our four port days we decided to try and make the best of it. Last year I could not get over how meticulously clean the ship was, how absolutely amazing the staff was, and how much there was to do. We literally went home and could not stop talking about what an amazing experience we had. That being said we did not walk away from this cruise with that same mindset. While our cabin attendant was absolutely lovely I was taken back by the amount of staff that we had noticed ducking around corners and hallways on their cell phones. The ship itself was definitely not nearly as clean or maintained as it was last year. I am a coffee drinker coffee and frequently would go down to the promenade to Starbucks. I’m not sure if it was simply a lack of staff or lack of management, but several times the counter top was dirty, covered in sugar, and the coffee condiment waste bucket was overflowing. We are not pool people, however we were looking forward to using the hot tubs in the solarium that were closed for the duration of our cruise. We were told this was due to mechanical issues. There seemed to be crew doing various maintenance and repair tasks throughout the ship for the duration of this cruise. While we understand that things happen, it just left us with a feeling of being on a ship that was under repair as opposed to us being on vacation. There was one evening, where the fumes from where they were varnishing wafted into our room, which caused me to get a headache and feel off. I truly hope that even though Royal Caribbean doesn’t seem to be empathetic towards the impression that this cruise left with several of its customers, that they at least learn something going forward from it.

[@PhilCatsea]

Well said 👏🏻 couldn’t agree more. Thanks.

[@robynmartinez3846]

I too was on the 24 (26) Nov Transatlantic. I did not have the problems (toilet and varnish smells) that you and others had. My room was very nice. Bed and pillows too hard, but that can be subjective. I am with you on feeling that Royal used us to get the ship back with paying customers even though it was not cruise ready. This was a bucket list item for me and I highly doubt that I will do another one, escpecially one with Royal. I found the food horrible and again that also can be subjective. I only ate in the MDR 3 times. I cannot get upset about the refunds we received as that would only upset me. It is what it is and sometimes I feel grateful that I got anything. I know I should be more upset, but I cannot waste my energy fighting a big corporation. I do hope Royal sees this and takes note that they screwed up and need to do better.

[@PhilCatsea]

@@robynmartinez3846 You make some good points. Thanks for sharing. Thanks for watching 🛳️👍🏻

[@davidlyon4226]

Well done Phil. One big reason I support you is you are real. You tell the truth without being mean spirited about it. I would not have handled it as well as you and your lovely wife. Merry Christmas!!

[@PhilCatsea]

Thanks so much David. That means a lot. There’s been a few mean comments but the majority are very supportive. I just want people to do the right thing. Thanks again and Merry Christmas!!🎄

[@marisolmarin6261]

Thanks for sharing your experience, good to know we were not alone. Very disappointed at the way RC handled the situation. Well done!

[@PhilCatsea]

Thanks and I’m sorry you also felt disappointed. Thanks for commenting.

[@geekmom2three]

We were on this cruise too. Agree 100%. Shoreside/corporate dropped the ball on this. Video is spot on.

[@PhilCatsea]

Agree 100% Thanks for watching. Cheers 😎

[@BWH-w6i]

Wow Never could imagine how stressful that would have been. Glad you had a good time and made the best of it! Thanks for sharing your experience

[@PhilCatsea]

Always try to make the best of it 👍🏻

[@karenocansey3014]

I was on the NCL Escape that left Barcelona the same day, but we had 6 planned stops. They were wonderful. 5 days at sea was hard so i can't imagine 7!!!

[@PhilCatsea]

We almost switched ships. Glad you enjoyed it. We actually had 10 sea days and only one stop. Thanks for watching🛳️👍🏻

[@tyingEight00]

I was on this cruise, it honestly wasn’t that bad. Service was brilliant. The work going on wasn’t that bad. I know people have spent a lot of money but royal have done their best and been fair. People are just so negative. We had a really good time and thought there was loads to do on all the sea days

[@PhilCatsea]

Glad you enjoyed the cruise. We did also, as we stated, but it wasn’t up to snuff and it wasn’t what we paid for. That’s the point. People aren’t trying to be negative… they are disappointed and are entitled to be. Just as you are entitled not to feel disappointed. Anyone can make lemonade out of lemons but that’s not really the point is it. Check out the pinned comment from one of the viewers here in the comment section. It really says it all. Thanks for sharing. Cheers 🛳️👍🏻

[@Itsjustme0071rocker]

Sorry to hear about your cruise experience on this trip. My wife and I did an Alaskan cruise Sept 2024 on RC Radiance ship. The second day they served salmonella, and 8% of the cruisers were documented while many others had it but didn't go to medical. My wife was so sick that they wanted to medivac her from icy straights to Juneau. I wouldn't say it ruined our cruise because she's a trooper and just dealt with it, but she was quarantined to our cabin and spent 4 days lying on the shower floor. The event was documented and stated by CDC that it was, in fact, salmonella. RC offered my wife $247 in cruise credit, which she fought very hard to get a better reimbursement, they would not give. She eventually accepted the credit and said she'd like to apply it to fine dining on a Christmas cruise we already paid for. RC said we can't use it on a cruise we've already paid for and must purchase a new cruise in order to use the credit. We will never again cruise with them. I'm at a loss to how our situation was handled, as RC was clearly responsible for getting people sick, with several having to seek further medical attention after the cruise.

[@PhilCatsea]

What a horrible experience for you and your wife. What a trooper. Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful holiday season.

[@windsofchangeareblowing]

You forgot that the App was never working properly. Scheduled events either didn't happen or were moved to different venues. The Hot Tubs only had one Hot other working ones were cold. We were on deck 3 next to Ice Rink. We had noises going on toll late at night and then from 4 in the morning every day. We did the cruise on Adventure both ways. It was like chalk and Cheese. To Europe was great. 🇺🇸 bound was bad after dry dock. We noticed new carpet and Chairs in Windjammer but they broke the hot tubs. We also never got the notification email. My wife accidentally came across a youtube video by cruise News otherwise we would have checked out of our hotel and wasted Uber trips. We met someone on the train who forwarded us the email. It's very frustrating. Poor communication like you say.

[@PhilCatsea]

Wow more issues than I new about ( I did mention the app though) It’s good to know that the ship was good on the way over and that your experience changed drastically on the return. Sorry you had so many issues and thanks for sharing all of them. Hopefully someone at corporate hears the concerns. Cheers 🛳️👍🏻

[@myriamcarama7625]

I agree that Royal didn’t do anything to compensate us for the missed ports and cruise days al they gave us is our money back for services not rendered. To top it off, we never received an email from Royal informing us of the change of sail date and itinerary (yes I checked my spam folder). My TA didn't know about it either, she had to call them and ask that they send the email. I only found out because of the FB group. I didn't complain about problems we had in our cabin: The smell of grilled meat from Chops grill going up to our balcony and into our cabin when we opened the slider. The cabin was freezing cold, so we played with the thermostat for a few days, dialing up the temp to no avail until we called to have it fixed. Then, we had to move cabins on day 7 because water was seeping onto our cabin floor by the closet. Having to pack and unpack was no fun. I asked for some sort of compensation for our trouble and was offered a 15% FCC. Because we paid so little for the cruise, the FCC wouldn’t amount to much. I asked them to change that offer to a specialty dinner instead. I would have loved a dinner at Chops since we were smelling it for 7 days, but it was fully booked. We had a lovely dinner at Izumi instead. There were all kind of problems throughout the ship and the staff did their best to resolve them as best they could.

[@PhilCatsea]

Nice to see you made the best of a bad situation. There’s no excuse for the lack of transparency and good communication. Glad you enjoyed Izumi and YES most of the staff were wonderful. 👍🏻

[@lisakauai59]

Very nice description of what happened. Other things I noticed. They were out of stock on several things. My husband and I enjoy drinking wine on cruises... we ordered Amarone in Giovanni's. Italian wine in an Italian restaurant... on day one. They were out. We were surprised at how many choices were not onboard. The F&B Director stopped at our table in Chops to ask how our cruise was going... we said, "It's nice but you are out of all of our favorite wines" His response? "Good to hear". Figuring he misunderstood, I reworded and he said, "That's great" and walked away. It was a bit surprising 🤣 One of the head waiters admitted that there was debate over canceling or sailing unfinished. I believe it was the cruise director who wanted to cancel but corporate didn't want to pay FCC and insisted on sailing. That is upsetting to hear... One last issue for us... We made reservations for Chef's Table on Day One... we chose Day 5. Never received an invitation, like usual. I tracked down a manager to ask and they told us it would be that night, as reserved. We arrived at the meeting place at 8pm only to be told it was canceled. No notice. At 8, we had to figure out dinner (all dressed up). They rescheduled us and it was 4 people at the giant table... kind of awkward. Luckily, I had plenty of sea days to book 4 cruises on another cruise line 🙂

[@PhilCatsea]

Thanks There was so much more going on that we didn’t know about. It’s good to hear everyone’s different experiences and insights. 👍🏻 I had forgot about the wine… we too had issues with that. Told one night they they ran out and no longer had it onboard, then it wouldn’t miraculously appear the next day 🤔 a lot of miscommunication or stories being told just to appease the guests. Thanks for sharing. Cheers 😎

[@wizegrl94]

100 percent agree. We went on a Disney Cruise right after this cruise and the difference in the service, cleanliness, and entertainment was so noticeable! If RC would just apologize and offer a bit of compensation that would go a long long ways!

[@PhilCatsea]

100% agree with you! Should have been taken care of before we sailed but corporate greed seems to rule the waves and the staff were out in a difficult position. Glad you enjoyed your Disney cruise. 🛳️👍🏻

[@brodricj3023]

How did the Disney price (per night) compare to RC?

[@jertokki]

This was our honeymoon cruise and we had booked it for Valencia and the Oceanografic. We rented a car to drive to Valencia so I could still go but they won't reimburse that. It truly was a disappointing cruise. It needed more time in dry dock even without the delay. I appreciate you talking about the problems on this cruise. I felt so shafted for this cruise when it was supposed to be so special for my husband and I.

[@PhilCatsea]

So sorry it went sideways for you. Hopefully it wasn’t all bad and you get a 2nd honeymoon to create those moments you did not get this time. Thanks for commenting and watching. 🙂

[@m.r.4190]

So sorry to hear of your bad experience on this cruise. Hope your next one makes up for it!

[@PhilCatsea]

It wasn’t all bad but as Royal would say “ did not me or beat our expectations “ 6/10 Cheers.

[@bonniesteinke6624]

We were on the NCL Pearl 15 day transatlantic cruise from Barcelona to Miami from November 30 -December 14. We were saddened to see the decline in cruising since we last took this cruise in November 2019 to celebrate my retirement. We also encountered some issues (like a wet floor due to a burst pipe ) and were disappointed with the management’s response and seeming lack of concern. As always, the service staff makes the cruise enjoyable, but we were not happy to see how they were mistreated and blamed by the higher level staff . Our complaints also stemmed from a desire to see cruise lines succeed and improve their business but the bottom line is what is dictating their direction .😕

[@PhilCatsea]

@@bonniesteinke6624 it seems to becoming the norm. 😔

[@ShariThomas-eu7ig]

You got it correct. It was a disappointing cruise. Ship issues, food issues, and zero care from Royal.

[@PhilCatsea]

@@ShariThomas-eu7ig Disappointing is a good synopsis. Thanks for watching 🛳️👍🏻

[@mbrown001]

Worst food in the nine cruises I’ve sailed with them. Allure and Odyssey had the best in my experiences.

[@PhilCatsea]

I think a lot of it is ship dependent. Thanks👍🏻

[@wandasimon6523]

I was optimistic despite the 2 days that were cancelled and the 3 missed ports - first world problems in my opinion. Unfortunately, now after having completed the crossing, I can say without hesitation that this was my least favourite cruise. The ship needs a complete refurbishment. If not for the wonderful people I met onboard I would have seen this voyage as a total waste of my hard earned money. I even had. Royal Up which wasn’t worth a nickel - I won’t make that mistake again. I agree with Phil, these issues belong to Rotal but they were at the expense of the passengers. The crew on the ship was absolutely wonderful!

[@PhilCatsea]

@@wandasimon6523 A good attitude goes a long way. But it can only go so far. Thanks for sharing Wanda. 👍🏻

[@abn1sgt]

Kudos for sharing your thoughts. We had a similar experience and are disappointed in how Royal Caribbean handled things. We definitely feel cheated and unappreciated by Royal. We'll definitely exploring other cruise lines in the future. We're not going to spend our hard earned money and keep getting ripped off by Royal.

[@PhilCatsea]

Thanks We all have a choice where we spend our money. It’s one of the only ways we can control the outcome. Cheers 😎

[@re3ver-q2i]

I agree so much about poor communications from RCCL corporate and also onboard with problems, I had to go to guest services several times about 2 different problems. I paid less than $250 a night in Barcelona and they do not want to pay the amount the hotel charged, I think they are deducting the taxes on the bill. That stinks. I was so disappointed in this cruise that I returned the crystal block I earned for sailing 140 nights to customer service, I do not want to remember this cruise. This was my bucket list trip, I was a senior traveling solo, saved for a year and will be paying off the credit card for another year. Thank you for posting, I don't feel all alone in being disappointed.

[@PhilCatsea]

Thank you for sharing. I so sorry for the disappointment this has caused for you. You are definitely not alone. Hopefully you can reflect on some of the more positive moments and your next trip will exceed your expectations. Have a wonderful holiday season.

[@jayne3161]

😮

[@PhilCatsea]

@@jayne3161 yep

[@brodricj3023]

That sounds like a fair compensation deal to me. The passengers who were disrupted by Spectrum breaking down in Japan got no compensation for additional hotel accommodation.

[@PhilCatsea]

That definitely doesn’t sound fair. Lowering the bar doesn’t justify what people think is fair. It’s just allowing the company to lower expectations and say “ you should be grateful for what we gave you “ Just my opinion. Thanks for the comment.

[@brodricj3023]

@@PhilCatsea The cruise contract only guarantees arrival at destination, there is no guarantee for any port en-route as per the itinerary. If they miss a port, so be it. They are not obliged to take you anywhere except the final port. My Japan cruise next week on Spectrum Ishigawa port was cancelled. The following week my Vietnam cruise Nha Trang port was cancelled. It happens. It doesn't bother me because the only agreement you have as per the contract is the final destination. A shortened cruise, a pro-rata refund or 125% FCC in lieu of missed days is fair compensation.

[@PhilCatsea]

I’m not going to argue with you. It’s about doing the right thing for those who feel let down by all the changes and the condition of services on the ship. Everyone is entitled to express their opinion. Including you and I thank you for it. Please read the many other comments here. You’ll find how these people felt. Or just read the pinned comment at the top of the comments. I can read and know what the contract say. It says “ buyer beware” I’m not asking for anything and They’re not offering anything. I feel bad for others. Goodwill and brand loyalty goes both ways. That’s their (RC) choice. Merry Christmas & Happy holidays.

[@brodricj3023]

@@PhilCatsea Royal were despicable about the lack of compensation offered to guests on the Japan cruise who were disrupted when Spectrum broke down last month. My daughter was supposed to be on that cruise. She had to find a hotel in Shanghai and pay for it herself whilst she waited for the ship to be repaired. Royal provided no assistance at all. If the ship breaks down disrupted guests need to be taken care of, and at the very least compensated for their additional expenses. She has a legitimate complaint in those circumstances. But as for late departures and missed ports as per the example in this video, my read on that is Royal played it by the book. My next two cruises have cancelled ports. Royal should have offered a full refund for those guests but they didn't. If you cancel your cruise on account of a change of itinerary you are not relieved of the cancellation policy. Royal will keep your deposit.

[@PhilCatsea]

That is despicable. The cruise lines don’t need our money or loyalty anymore. Demand is high and so are the profits. Enough said.

[@kurtgrabow]

Phil I see you got my bald head while I was at guest services getting lip service. I spoke to a few TA there no longer recommending Royal there's now a total of 250 travel agents suggesting other brain cruises. It's amazing on how we got screwed. I was in the same boat as you nonrefundable Air, but Royal will only give me back my money and then I'll be stuck with the airfare.we have been loyal to Royal for 20 years so we are looking at other cruise lines. #Royal caribbean.

[@PhilCatsea]

I have the same bald head 🤣 It wasn’t my first time ( or probably yours) in that line. 😣 The whole situation could have been avoided and handled better. 🛳️👍🏻

[@viviennedocherty3587]

Worst cruise we’ve ever done

[@PhilCatsea]

😞

[@Boffin55]

No weather issues? Did you miss the floods in southern spain that killed hundreds, and was why Voyager was late...

[@PhilCatsea]

Of course. That was horrible. But one has nothing to do with the other. This was a scheduling issue brought on by Voyagers late departure. November 11th instead of the 10th. Voyager being late has no bearing on Royals inability to communicate in a timely fashion and compensate their guests accordingly. This was reported on November 7th. Delays happen all the time. It’s how you treat those delays and the people affected that shows the true character of the company.

[@Luv2cruz]

So true

[@PhilCatsea]

Thanks

[@TheUnapologeticAdventurer]

The ship needs to TOTALLY refurbished. They focus so much on the larger, newer ships that the smaller vessels go without proper maintenance. Horrible business.

[@PhilCatsea]

@@TheUnapologeticAdventurer 👍🏻

[@sweetcaroline1125]

So negative....why do you bother sailing ⛵️ Royal Caribbean...life is too short. You must not have enough real problems and too many imaginary ones...life is too short. I would have loved being in Barcelona two more days. What about the people who died in the horrible rain 🌧. I don't think anyone could make you happy.

[@PhilCatsea]

🤦🏻 refer to the pinned comment from another viewer at the top of the comment section. I think they say it best. Thx.

[@frankhartmann3824]

I found this video to be helpful when it comes to the dangers of repositioning cruises. Caveat Emptor. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jJPTfX6wecZ1qqssi=KbjCCbSmE6CzRjo2

[@PhilCatsea]

@frankhartmann3824 Yep. Gary has good videos. 👍🏻 I don’t think “buyer beware” is part of Royals promotional material or in their cruise contract. Perhaps they should add it? 🤔

[@brodricj3023]

Repositioning cruises can be as cheap as $100/night. I'm ahead just with my Diamond benefits. Subtract the value of the free drinks and other Diamond benefits and you're basically getting a free cruise.