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Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines

Royal Caribbean • Cancellations, changes • Crime • Illness, injury • Lost luggage --- News • Cruise Lines Agree To Refund $21 Million In Fuel Surcharges • New Jersey Sues Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean Cruises is the second-largest cruise operator in the world. Its fleet includes the three largest passenger ships ever built, the 137,300 gt Voyager of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas.

But as in so many other things, size isn't all that matters. While many cruise fans return time and time again to Royal Caribbean, others don't have a good experience. And as the complaints in this section show, the line is not always eager to make set things right.

Stuart of Desert Edge, CA March 3, 2009

Avoid Royal Caribbean if you expect any service recovery after a bad cruise. RCCL is not a bad cruise line, at least in our first 14 cruises with them. But our 15th cruise was a disaster: On arrival, our bathroom was flooded and our cabin attendant had no clue as to his responsibilities (soiled robes, no ameninies for our diamond? status, no pool towels, no ice, and finally he hid the appraisal form at the end of the cruise, thinking that if we found it he would not get good marks!). The casino charges 3% even before you make your first bet. Any experienced player recognizes that the casino has a huge % advantage in normal play.... adding 3% to that is absured (NCL, for instance, has no such charge).

For four prior cruises, we were seated at a table for four in the dining room, despite our requests for a 6 or 8 person table. We did not complain... but on this cruise, we did ask for a larger table and the head waiter was not helpful.. in fact borderline annoying. The clincher was that the other two guests scheduled for our table never arrived. so we ate alone for seven nights. When I returned home, I sent a careful letter of dissatisfaction to the executive section of customer service at RCCL.

I received three phone calls from a very slick and sophisticated customer service rep... one of their best I am sure. She told me that, after 14 cruises with them (no complaints), compensation to us was two restrictive certificates in the amount of 52.00 each.. 104.00 total! I could not believe after spending tens of thousans of dollars with RCCL their response as service recovery for one really bad cruise was 104.00!

I challenged that as not being a proportional response, common in the industry, and the customer service rep blew me off. well, what she really said was that she would buy me a bottle of wine on my next rccl cruise. Goodbye, RCCL. every bit of good that you did on our many cruises with you has been destroyed by a lack of service recovery. NCL is going to benefit from your decision...just booked two cruises with them.

Charles of Lincoln, NE January 29, 2009

My wife and I just returned from a seven day cruise on the Voyager of the Seas. Our experience was wonderful!!!! Everyone was so nice! All the staff really did their best to make us happy. I would heartily recommend that every American book a cruise with Royal Carribbean. You will not be disappointed. The experience of a lifetime a week long parrrrtttyyy!!!!!

Sandi of Atlanta, GA January 22, 2009

We've cruised on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines 10 tens, meaning we're frequent cruisers. This last cruise, jewelry was stolen from my suitcase in my suite on board a RCCL ship. I noticed it when I was at the airport waiting for a plane home. I wanted to go back to the ship, but was discouraged from doing this by the RCCL personnel waiting for incoming cruisers at the aiport. When I returned home, I immediately called the ship on a ship-to-shore call, which cost me 150. The man on board the ship promised me the matter would be looked into and they would send me the report via e-mail.

Well, I never heard from the man again and never received the report. When I called the customer service number, I talked to another man, who told me that the matter had never been investigated, that's why a report hadn't been sent to me! Later, I returned home to a message on my recorder telling me that the matter had been investigated, but no jewelry had been found. The woman's tone was curt and dismissive, as if it was my tough luck. I then called back and spoke to Piper, who promised to send me a letter for insurance purposes.

This is now almost 3 months on, and we only had 3 months from the incident to file a claim on our credit card. The letter never arrived, when we checked further, it had been sent to the wrong address! A second letter promised by another rep. never arrived either. A fourth call to another rep. elicited the response that they would FAX us a copy of the letter. We don't have a FAX, so we requested they send it to the nearest Kinko's and we would pick it up. Kinko's never received a FAX from RCCL even though RCCL assured us they sent it twice! We're now awaiting an e-mail copy of the report, which RCCL assures us will be sent via e-mail. We have about a week to fill out all the appropriate paperwork in order to receive a partial refund on our credit card, which guarantees all purchases up to 1000.

We feel we were violated by the theft, then by RCCL five more times when they promised to help us take care of the matter. Won't cruise with RCCL ever again, if they treat very frequent cruisers like this, when we've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on their cruises, how do they treat people cruising once or twice in the cheapest cabins?

People don't realize that the employees of the cruise line on board the ship don't actually work for the cruise line, they work for a sub-contractor of the line, that's why the line can disavow any responsibility for the employees' actions. You basically have to cruse at your own risk, and we're not willing to take that risk on RCCL anymore, no matter how well-priced the vacations are.

Irene of Forked River, NJ January 12, 2009

Explorer of the Seas was apparently being reconditioned while we were on a cruise to Carribeans. Exposed to construction, paint fumes, chemical fumes, glue, fine dust particles on cruise for approxiamatley 7 days. No ventilation, fans, etc. Some of the maintenance workers wore respirators.

It was like we were trapped in a home under construction and breathing in all these toxic fumes. Dull headaches, flu-like symptoms, areas closed off, had to constantly go up and down elevators, went to front desk 3 times to complain, complained to maintenance workers, and one man in charge of maintenance workers, dining room head waiter.

Richard of Circleville, OH December 21, 2008

I spent more then i should have one my cruise, when they assumed i could not pay the bill. They locked me up in the isolation unit of the medical area. i was kept in a room with 24 hour security. this room contained all kinds of medical supplies, medicines, syringes, medical files and equipment. They tried to have me commited once we came to port. the sherriff came on board and laughed. they held me against my will for over 20 hours locked in a room. they also gave me some pill which they wont disclose. The morning of debarkation they gave a bill also for 730.00. this cruise line has several other matters like this pending according to an Attorney i spoke with.

blood pressure rised. loss of freedom. fear of safety. mislead by cruise staff. punished for gambling too much.

B of Germantwn, MD December 20, 2008

I cruised 2x and thought they were more than incrediable. Great food & hapy smiling service. Everything a vacation should be. -AND MORE. Now I'm not saying at times things are not perfect, but each Royal Caribbean Cruise ships serves up to 3,000 passengers PLUS Crew (another 2,500 ) per day and that alone is a feat! Kudos to you Royal Caribbean for doing a superior and way above average job.

Linda of Georgetown, ON December 16, 2008

One room received was near the disco even though they had a 4 year old child. When they asked them to turn the volume down (at 1am) they were ignored. This went on all week. Our room was not cleaned properly, the food was average at best compared to other cruise lines we have been on. There are alot of complaints and someone should review these complaints and rate cruise lines for those of us who have not travelled on them before.

We had 3 cabins and because my brother-in-law, his wife and child were deprived of sleep it ruined our vacation. They had to nap during the day which meant they did not go off the ship with us.

John of Edgewater, CO December 11, 2008

Order Romance package on cruise line. Had to complain 3 times to get it to room. Got Sick on the food and was charged 1932.00 for using their doctor on board. We could not get my wifes card fixed until Wed of a 7 day cruise and missed the wine testing. They would not do anything for us.

Cost of doctor. Did not receive what we paid for and were promised.

Matt of Dublin, OH December 10, 2008

Keep it short. Wondering if anyone else on a cruise bought the weight loss drugs pkg. I started taking the first two bottles as directed and started having immediate reaction of pain in joints (knees and elbows) so I stopped taking - to see if this was the cause - got a little better but still hurt. Then took another two days worth and pain came back immediately and much worse. I've stopped taking the pills all together but pain resides. I remember the trainer was going to having a knee replacement that next weekend and was having some obvious pain from back issues - I too have noticed more back cracking now...What to do>?

Carlos M Lobo of Miami, FL December 3, 2008

We went in a cruise last November 15, 2008 reservation # 2838163, Every thing was great, but at the end we forgot my wife's wallet in the safe, (this was open) 1 hour after we got off the ship we call at the lost and found department, they said not to worried they will call back with 24 hours , they never did call back, we try several times to call and get information they keep telling us no to worried 90% of the cases they fine the lost articles, any way we wait for for 6 day never receive a call, on the day 6th I call one more time , and all they said was lost , I think is no reason to get lost if we call 3 hours before the new people got on board that means the employee who talk with me had time to call the ship and get my wife wallet, I feel the case was not handle properly, so to bad I feel like I got robber by the employees of the ship!!!!!

We lost 200** cahs and all creditcards and identification ID ,what become to be abig hussel

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