Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines

We are writing to you today as loyal Royal Caribbean "cruisers" in the interest of improving Royal Caribbean's customer care when unusual situations occur. All we are asking from you with this letter is your attention and your consideration of the issues which still disturb us regarding the customer care we received, and your commitment to a higher level of training for the crew members who interact with customers after a traumatic event.

We recently found ourselves in a very unusual situation on our May 28, 2011 cruise on the Independence of the Seas. As we were returning to the ship at all aboard time in the Port of Gibraltar on the 31st of May 2011, a terrifying explosion rocked the port, causing injury to a number of passengers and workers. While we were very fortunate to escape physical injury from this terrible event, we were completely traumatized while we watched in shock as our ship quickly pulled out of port away from the fire caused by the explosion, leaving us behind. We were left alone to find our way to Cannes, the next scheduled port on our cruise. The port agent did take things in hand and arrange for us to fly to Nice the next day. We made our own arrangements to stay overnight with family nearby. We spent nearly 14 miserable hours in airports and in transit the next day. Once we arrived in Nice, we made our way by taxi to Cannes. We received a rather unkind email from Royal Caribbean (our only contact from RCI), forwarded by our travel agent, informing us that RCI would not reimburse our expenses for the travel to Cannes to meet the ship.

We also discovered that no arrangement for a hotel in Cannes had been made, and we had to make several phone calls in order to eventually get this problem solved by the port agent in Gibraltar. When we finally arrived back to our ship on the 2nd of June 2011, we expected to meet with Royal Caribbean representatives to help us cope with the event which had ruined our cruise vacation. We were kept waiting for six hours before that meeting occurred. When we finally were able to meet with the guest services manager, we were surprised to encounter a somewhat hostile attitude, which seemed to imply that we were somehow at fault for the event which interrupted our vacation. It took four days of meetings to achieve a resolution which was to the satisfaction of RCI more than us. During this time, we were made to feel as though we were at fault. We were already stressed and traumatized by the explosion and the fact that the ship left us behind and the two days we had to spend (in the clothing we were wearing with no access to our medicines) trying to rejoin the ship on our own were terrible. We felt completely abandoned and disregarded by Royal Caribbean.

In the interest of improving customer care, we would like to offer the following after-the-fact suggestions. Had this protocol been followed in our situation, it would have made all the difference in the world and we would not have felt nearly as stressed, traumatized, and abandoned as we did. We would have felt that RCI cared about us.

1. The trauma and uncertainty of our situation could have been instantly remedied if arrangements had been made to tender us immediately back to the ship. We completely understand why the ship had to make an immediate move (prior to the published departure time) out of its berth in the port for safety after the explosion. We do not understand why our safety was disregarded. Had we been tendered back to the ship while it waited a safe distance from the port, the further trauma of our traveling on our own to Cannes while we were still suffering from shock could have been avoided.

2. An immediate call should have been made to us by a customer care representative aboard the Independence. This representative should have inquired about our well-being, inquired whether or not we had our passports with us, and asked if we had adequate cash to travel to Cannes to meet the ship. No contact was made and no concern for us was expressed by anyone aboard the Independence.

3. The customer care representative should have made certain that arrangements were made for our flights, taxi and hotel, and informed us of these. Periodic phone contacts to check on us should have been made at least once per day during the time we were away from the ship. No phone calls were ever made to us by RCI or any member of the crew of the Independence. We should also have been given a phone number by RCI that we could call so that we could access the representative in case of problems.

4. When we finally met the ship in Cannes and reboarded, the customer care representative should have immediately met with us. We were kept waiting for six hours. We lost our opportunity for a day in Cannes. There should have been some semblance of care communicated to us - care for our well-being, for the trauma we had endured, for the stress of our being left behind, and for the rigors of our travel to meet the ship. A simple note in our cabin upon our return, and perhaps some small amenity like a vase of flowers with a "welcome back" message would have been a nice gesture. A small gesture like that would have made all the difference in the world to us. It would have made us feel like we mattered, like we had some value to RCI as a customer.

While we realize that our situation was an unusual one, we would like to suggest that some training be conducted so that Royal Caribbean customer care staff are better equipped to deal with passengers who have experienced a traumatic event. An emphasis should be placed on care for the passengers who have endured such a horrific experience. We offer this input with the hope that RCI will take steps to insure that any future passengers in a situation such as ours are treated in a more appropriate, sensitive, and caring manner than we were. We, like the majority of Royal Caribbean passengers, had saved our money for many months to pay for what should have been a wonderful vacation aboard the Independence of the Seas. Instead, our vacation was ruined, not by the explosion itself, but by the complete lack of customer care we experienced at the hands of representatives of RCI after the explosion.

This lack of care for us is the lingering after effect of our experience and completely destroys the memory of the good days of our vacation. To put it simply, we feel disappointed and betrayed by the way we were treated. We have continued to choose Royal Caribbean for years as our cruise line because we enjoy the beautiful ships and the level of service we've experienced aboard our Royal Caribbean cruises in the past. And please know that we received excellent service from our waiters, cabin attendant, and other crew on this cruise - it was only the customer care staff who were uncaring. In this situation, our loyalty to you was repaid by your disregard for us. Thus, we can't help but wonder if loyal Royal Caribbean customers (we have achieved the Diamond-plus level in the Royal Caribbean Crown and Anchor loyalty program) are treated with such blatant disregard as that which we experienced. What would a first time customer have experienced? We also can't help but wonder if it is time for us to investigate other cruise lines which might place a higher priority on customer care and be better prepared to deal with an emergency situation such as ours.

We sincerely hope that our experience offers a learning opportunity for RCI that will result in a higher level of staff training and sensitivity, which hopefully will result in a much higher level of care for any future customers who might find themselves in a similar traumatic situation. As for us, it will take us awhile to determine whether RCI still meets our needs as a cruise provider. A continuing relationship of any kind requires a level of commitment from both sides. We have to decide whether we can risk the potential for betrayal before we cruise RCI again.

I booked my cruise, paid in full and RCI dropped my cabin category by $1,700 because obviously, the ship is not full. No refund, upgrades or extra pecks were offered to this loyal customer. I'm not happy with RCI. They are only thinking of their profit margin and not their loyal customers. I will never use Royal Caribbean again due to this unfair treatment.

I have cruised on other cruise lines and never had to pay for food. It was always included in the price. We sailed with 5 people and we were all shocked when we heard that we had to pay extra for food in the dining room and Johnny Rockets, ice cream and coffee. We sailed on the Explorer of the Seas by Royal Caribbean. We also experienced the smell of septic the entire cruise, it was the most unpleasant. I will tell all my friends and anyone that I hear is going to travel on your ship about this experience in hopes that they reconsider. It cost me $8,000.00 to travel with your crew, plus all the extras and all your mandatory tips which were relentless! I'm so upset that I will never use your cruise line again! Next time, I will use Celebrity or Carnival. I will forward this in 10 days to as many people as I can!

January 30, 2012, my husband surprised me for my 30th birthday. Our first ever cruise. Let's just say I knew I was going to have the time of my life. The first day in Nassau was okay, very pricey but not too bad. My anger and frustration with Royal Caribbean comes from our visit to Coco Cay. Our group (another couple) decided we want to jet ski that day since the weather finally allowed some sunshine. My husband went to get all the info we needed to ride the jet skis and he called me over to fill out my waiver since he had filed his. An employee by the name of Nicole looked at me very rudely and asked my husband if I was his passenger, which he replied yes. She then stopped and informed us that there is a weight limit.

Knowing that I am not 120 pounds and my husband only weighs 180 himself, we asked "well, what is the weight max?". Nicole then gave me that strange look again and said "it doesn't matter because you don't meet the requirement!". At that point, I was completely hurt and embarrassed as there were other patrons around. The manager even had the nerve to defend Nicole by saying she was just doing her job. I thought this was absolutely ridiculous. Yes, do your job and inform patrons but the way she looked at me and wouldn't even answer our question was plain rude. We took this up with the excursion manager on the ship. Needless to say, we never heard back.

We came back home and I called the corporate office to complain. They offered me $200.00 in on-board credits! For my pain, embarrassment and complete humiliation, they think I would pay almost another $4,000-$6,000 to fly and book another cruise with them? The only compensation is $200.00 of a credit? No way! Yes, I am overweight but to be treated in such a manner was disgusting and Royal Caribbean is doing nothing about it.

I made 4 reservations on March 26, 2012 and called to cancel 1 of the reservations on March 27, 2012. We had 3 additional rooms booked. After several failed attempts, I still haven't received a refund. Several other things also occurred on this cruise which made an unpleasant experience. I was offered a bottle of wine per room and 9:30 PM dining for all our staterooms; we had booked a total of 7 rooms. After several attempts and different excuses, it will soon be a month and I have yet to receive a refund.

I spoke to someone today, who states she will resolve this matter. Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines is quick to charge and put holds on credit cards, but why is my refund so difficult to obtain? It has really demonstrated a lack of professionalism and a disregard for customer satisfaction. I was also told a week ago that I would receive a phone call from Johnny **, and to this date, I have not received a call either. I have been patiently trying to resolve this but there is a general lack of empathy from this company. There is a disregard for any complaints post cruise. I truly believed Royal exceeded customer satisfaction, but this has proved otherwise.

As far as our family, we had booked a total of 7 rooms for this cruise and after this experience, will take our business elsewhere. To somewhere, where customers are appreciated. We have cruised many times before, yearly to be exact and this by far has been the worst customer service.

My wife and I had cruised with Royal Caribbean for seven years. This year, we thought we would make our trip easy and get our entire trip from Royal; air, cruise, shuttle and insurance. Air was good and then we were picked up by the shuttle. We arrived at the boat, the bus driver got in to an argument with the boat employees. After we got off, the driver jumped back in to the bus mad and drove off, with 20+ people's luggage.

We found out the next day. Finally, after going down a dozen times, they let us get some clean marked up cheap clothes. It was a long week. My wife had no makeup or hair goods. I had to wear boots with my short and I had back meds in my suit case. I can't do much wearing the same clothes for five days. The bus drive back to the airport was just as bad. Lots of yelling and after being on the road for 30 minutes, the bus had to turn around and go back.

I was sure after seven years Royal Caribbean would make it up to us. I didn't think we were owed the whole trip back, but at least credit for next year. I was told by Royal Caribbean we were even. The marked up things they gave us were equal. It was not even close to the things we bought and packed for our anniversary. It was a long dirty nasty week. Sorry to say I think this is our last Royal Caribbean trip.

Reduction in cabin price - 65 days out from my cruise 75 days I was forced to pay in full for my trip. 10 days later, I received an email from travelzoo.com that my cabin price is $1,700 cheaper. RCCL will not bend with the price nor give us an upgrade. This is a rip-off and I am no longer a loyal member of RCCL. I am a silver crown and anchor member and will no longer use RCCL unless they bend with my complaint.

I purchased three cruises for my family with Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Sea. Both of my kids became very ill with the Norovirus that affected a large percentage of the persons on board, therefore, causing my kids to be quarantined for two days and affecting their overall health for at least five days. It canceled two days of island visits. We were forced to stay on the ship as a family, as I could not leave my kids unattended due to the extent of the symptoms with this illness. Our whole trip was ruined.

I lost a lot of money on this trip, as I had to purchase airline tickets for three persons, transportation to and from airports and ships, and purchased cruise tickets for three persons, meals, and hotel stay in New Orleans due to the time ship was leaving which did not coordinate with flights. I spent a great deal of money for this trip of seven days on this cruise.

We booked this cruise to deal with a great sadness that had just occurred in our family. My husband and children's father passed away just prior to cruise trip. We were dealing with a huge sadness, and then my kids became ill, therefore, causing me great fear of losing them also. It was a horrible experience. I cannot ever go on a cruise again for fear of becoming ill. The symptoms of the illness could cause death to one who is fragile.

I also had to assist a man that was in the infirmary who was suffering neurological problems from the Norovirus illness, as no one in the medical area would help as he was becoming delirious and trembling, shaking, and having mini seizures. It was very scary for me to have to do this, seeing the extent of what can happen as a result of this illness that was on board and forced upon us due to unsanitary conditions from this cruise. Not to mention, the fact I was trying to get over my husband passing away from the result of illness from a neurological condition that also involved seizures. It was horrible for me to see this, when I was trying to deal with the death of my husband. I was so depressed from all of this, and this happening to my children also! Thank you.

I have just returned from a Royal Caribbean Cruise from Dubai around the UAE and was really upset that every port we stayed in was a working dock. In one port, the docks worked all through the night. We had paid for a balcony was never able to sit out because the noise was so bad. There is nowhere in your travel book to say anything about this because l am sure no one book this holiday. I feel I was sold a holiday that is a rip off. I know nothing will be done about this. You will just fob me off but it is completely wrong. You took my money and l did not get what l expected.

We sailed on the Monarch of the Seas with Royal Caribbean on 3/9/12. We were supposed to have been given a full day on 3/11/12 on the private island owned by Royal Caribbean. The ship was to have been docked and we were to be unloading at 8am. It was announced to the ship at 8:30am that we would not be stopping and it was stated that it was due to high winds. Upon my walk out on the deck, there were no winds whatsoever. We faced high winds on Friday night as well as that Sunday night. However, the ocean was so smooth that morning.

I did not appreciate being lied to at all. I have reached out to Royal Caribbean to voice my complaint at which time I was told by the operator that it would go no further than her and there was absolutely nothing that would be done about it. She stated the concern was the safety of the passengers. However, by keeping us all on the ship all day, there was no concern for the alcohol that was constantly consumed by other passengers which made me feel completely uncomfortable ruining my first and only cruise. The situation that was caused due to the captain stating the weather was an issue when it was not an issue, ended up causing me health issues. I have done research to find out the Monarch of Seas often does not stop at this port actually causing a false advertisement of this cruise all the time.

I have taken many cruises, a few with Royal Caribbean and have always been very happy. My sister and I were on the Monarch of the Seas on March 5th for a 4 night cruise. We were not told until we boarded, 1,600 spring breakers were on the ship. We wondered how this was going to be but we already boarded. From the minute we got on, it was a total disaster. The noise and out of control young people made our trip unbearable. They took over most places on the ship. We were unable to use the pool and the area around it.

Dinner was also very noisy. No relaxation anywhere which was the whole purpose of this trip. When we thought it couldn't get any worse after 11pm, the now drunken young people were screaming, swearing and running up and down the halls. At midnight, we called security and they did respond and took alcohol they had in their room away and asked them to be quiet. This worked for about 30 minutes and they were back at it. Every night after was the same noise until 2 to 3 in the morning. We called security on these other nights and we had no response. It was obvious there were many underage drinkers which is illegal.

Our trip was a total loss to us as we had no relief from this. We did register a complaint at customer service and they said there was nothing they could do. We feel we are entitled to fair compensation and will seek legal remedies if none is offered. There were many complaints from passengers we talked to, that were also discouraged and that cruises that have that many spring breakers on the ship should be advertised as so! I would appreciate a response ASAP. Thank you.

Four of us took a cruise for a first time on the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. Very dissatisfied. The cruise director geared all events towards the college kids on spring break. We had been looking forward to CocoCay Island and because of weather, that part of our destination didn't happen. So instead of spending the day at a private island, we stayed another half day in the Bahamas and sailed during the day which was a waste of time. If I wanted to be out to sea all day, I would have chosen that cruise for our party of four. Our bathroom had mold in the shower area. My luggage did not arrive until late evening. The floor above us flooded and the food was only fair. Our trip cost us nearly $6000 and we got a trip to the Bahamas and to the Keys. How unjust is that? Not nearly what any of us expected. We would never recommend vacationing on the Royal Caribbean Majesty of the Sea. We are requesting a refund for part of the trip that didn't occur.

I was on my very first cruise and had spent a lot of money to do so. I was looking forward to this vacation for a long time. I was told that shopping was so nice on board the ship, so I didn't spend money at port. I bought from the ship's shopping deck. I spent $129.00 on a ring that I wore for 3 days and it looks like I got it out of a bubble gum machine. Garbage. Brand name, Sea of Ice. It's cheap and I feel the cruise line ripped me off by selling me this. The person selling me this piece of jewelry was saying what great quality it was and that I would be able to get it re-sized at home, etc. This was a dishonest statement from the jewelry salesman for RCCL. I am so upset.

RCCL Monarch of the Seas the ship never stops at Coco Cay, only 50% of the time due to weather. We did not get to go. They're knocking at our door for mini bar at 8 am and we say we are in the room, they still enter. Food was cold and gross, poor quality, dirty ship, dirty glasses, etc. I will never go again on RCCL.

Six of us travelled on the Independence of the Sea from Southampton to the Canary islands via Portugal and Spain on the 2nd of February 2012. The ship was enormous; in fact, for us, it became obvious it was too large, carrying too many people, and there's not enough elevators to cater for the guests trying to get to their respective decks.

We had a balcony cabin, and it's almost halfway between the two sets of elevators, leaving us with a route march from either end of the ship to get to our cabin. The outside temperature never got above 15 degrees; in fact, most days, it was well below that figure. And although we had the balcony, we could not use it. And with no inside or covered swimming pool, the guests were very limited in the activities available. We had four sea days, and we could not use the deck facilities. It was too cold. Therefore, all of us were fighting for too few inside seats; it was like musical chairs.

The Ice rink was closed for the first 4 days, as apparently they were rehearsing for the ice show. Therefore, another advertised customer facility was not available for use. The entertainment was mediocre in the main theatre, and the parades through the Royal Parade can only be put down to try hard and failed miserably, as it was quite obvious that some of those taking part had no interest in being there. Also, the cost of the drinks on board were outrageous, especially the spirits. A normal brand brandy was $9-75, the equivalent of 7-00 for a 35ml tot or at home nearly the cost of a half bottle in a supermarket.

All in all, we have completed a total of eleven cruises, Our first cruise was with Royal Caribbean, and we have always held it as our finest holiday. But this cruise has crushed this myth out of extinction, and we have had to re-evaluate our assessments.

Lastly, the shops in the mall were so outrageously expensive, with items in the thousands of dollars and not many of what we would call holiday items at a reasonable price. Although the ship was very clean, the food good, the services excellent, it did leave a lot to ponder on; and we came to the conclusion that this ship, which was obviously built for the very warm climes, was used just for a money-making exercise.

It was the wrong ship doing the wrong cruise at the wrong time of the year. Therefore, it was not so much a holiday but a very expensive travel experience.

I was on the Crown Princess (Ft. Everglades) ship that had 400 passengers come down with the norovirus, including myself and sister. The scariest part was how egregiously unprepared they were to handle an outbreak, of less than 10% of it's passengers. In the tiny cabin, two of us had non stop vomiting and diarrhea. I'm outraged by the following:

6. Since there were four people in a cabin, and the sick ones had slept in upper bunks, we asked that they change the bedding, so the two healthy cabin mates could sleep in clean beds. We were sorely disappointed. At 2:00 AM, a steward brought a sheet.

9. We were enraged further, when it was determined that they could not find our luggage, any of it. We were made to wait another 2 hours, before it was found.

I understand the risks of illness when traveling on a cruise, however I am most enraged by the supreme lack of preparedness in handling the crisis. It wasn't until I returned, that I discovered the pattern of outbreaks with Princess cruises. One would think they have had opportunities to improve emergency preparedness and response. I trusted that sick passengers would be treated with compassion and care. This could not be further from the truth.

I kept getting phone calls on my unlisted number, stating that I won a cruise. When I spoke to an agent requesting to be put on their do-not-call list, they put me to an automated connection saying I will be put on the list but the calls keep coming in. This is supposed to be illegal!

My phone number is on a no call list. I keep getting calls from Royal Caribbean. I have asked not to receive calls. I still get calls. I finally gave up and pressed the number to speak to a reservation agent. When I told him my problem, he started humming into the phone. I asked for a supervisor, more humming. It is time to contact my State's Attorney General and my own attorney to file harassment charges.

My family and in-laws went to our first cruise Jan. 07, 2012, which was Royal Caribbean, Enchantment of the Sea, 9 nights to Bahamas. We left at Maryland. At third day, I found red rash on both my arm, then the back of my neck. I did not know what's going on. At 8th day, my daughter who was in the same cabin with me had the same thing all over her both arms and face. I thought of bed bugs, but I am not quite sure about. I found a bug in the cabin 2038. Later on, I knew it's a bed bug. I never saw bed bugs and never bitten by them. So we did not file a complaint. I am not sure.

As soon as we get home, we went to see a doctor. We were told we were bitten by bed bugs. So, I have to throw some of our cloth away, wash everything. I am hoping I did not bring the bed bugs into my house.

I called the Royal Caribbean and filed a complaint and waited for them to call me back. Three days later, I received a phone call and I was told since I did not file a complaint on the ship. There is nothing they can do.

I am speechless now; I spent $1,200 and went home with bed bugs bites all over my daughter's and my body. They are telling me it's my fault since I did not file a complaint in the ship. I have pictures taken and I am sending them to the senior management of RC. I will say what they are going to do. At end, Royal Caribbean has bed bugs. If you do not want bed bug bites and bed bugs in your houses, leave the cruise line alone.

My family & I have enjoyed RC over the years until the Dec 2011 cruise which we organized a group of 20. Sadly, it was 1 fiasco after another & we found it odd that the cruise line did not give us our customer satisfaction surveys at the end of the cruise. Although we linked our reservations for dinner & entertainment, once on board, we were not linked & they changed our entertainment days & times. Our excursion was cancelled on the day of it and only 1 person was at the excursion desk with long lines to re-schedule everyone. Our friends' excursion in Jamaica was a disaster; they were abandoned at several of the stops & they actually feared for their lives as a small uprising occurred, not to mention the bus driver pulled over to pee on the side of the road in front of minors. The seas were so rough that we felt fearful at times and became sea sick.

We felt as though the stabilizers on the boat were inoperable. One time, as my husband & I escorted our friends' grandparents to their room, we accidentally entered near the staff elevators and were threatened to a fight by the staff. Our room steward was lousy, our refrigerator did not work & the room steward told us that none of the refrigerators in any of the rooms worked. Although the promenade entertainment was at the same time as the shows, the entertainment on board was excellent.

Once we rectified our dining, the staff we ended up with was very good, but it took a lot of complaining on our group's part to get accommodations. I'm not sure I'll cruise again with RC. I think they are not hiring quality personnel and I felt uncomfortable with all the mishaps & no recourse. Also the teen club is a joke, no one was ever there to follow through with the organization of the activities listed. The organizers only showed up for the things that must have supervision like the flo rider, rock wall & basketball, otherwise they disappeared.

When packing to depart the ship in Boston, our cabin stewart appeared in our doorway holding our final bill. He said that our bill showed that we did not leave him a tip on our credit card. I held up an envelope filled with cash and told him I used cash for such things. He continued to berate us for not leaving him a large tip on our credit card, saying that reading our statement was the only way he could be assured we had tipped him adequately. I put the cash back in my pocket and regretted that I even considered tipping him. I contacted the cruise line but received only a standard email with generic statements saying they would look into it. Apparently they need a few more months to "look into it. " This rude jerk ruined a very expensive vacation. My only memories of that trip will always be the jerk in the doorway demanding money.

It was great on board with RCI Freedom of the Seas in Oct. 2011. It was also one of the worst experiences as well, but the main point of this is that Royal Caribbean is a liar. I would like some answer from the RCI president for the promise letter that was issued to all staterooms by Captain Robert ** dated Oct. 10, 2011. Due to a terrible storm/heavy-rain, which caused most entire passengers sick and vomited for about 5 hours straight, all food has to be cancelled. The letter to all passengers promised for $500 onboard credit but instead got $200, and 50% certificate of your current cruise for next cruise to be mailed but never got it. The answer from phone conversation with CSR was very simple, saying that letter is a mistake. Wow, a mistake letter!

I am curious what the president will say to this answer. And I would like the president to justify that there was no food for that evening and the bad decision that was about to become Titanic-2. And I repeat, Titanic-2. For reference of this incident/proof, I have an original letter and also captured videos on YouTube (take note on YouTube there was a waiter who couldn't stand on two feet in the restaurant).

My wife Jennifer and I booked a 3-day weekend cruise on RCCL Monarch of the Seas on 12/16/2011. We decided that the four of us would rent a car and drive 15 hours to Port Canaveral due to excessive air fare rates. On the evening that we were set to leave, we found that my wife's birth certificate was missing. After a diligent search turned up nothing, we were able to get someone to open our local Health Dept. to have another printed. The State system was down so they were unable to help. We contected RCCL and explained our situation and asked if we could have her birth certificate faxed the next day as that was when we planned to arrive.

We were told "absolutely not," that only original documents would be accepted. Our only option at that point was for me and the other couple to drive down and I booked my wife a $350.00 flight (cheapest available) for the next day allowing her time to get a birth certificate the following morning then fly to Florida and meet us. We arrived there early to find that others were burning the RCCL fax machine up getting birth certificates and other documents which were being accepted.

To add insult to injury, when my wife landed, there were no transits to the Port available so she had to pay a taxi $125.00 fare from the airport to the Port. We incurred an unnecessary expense of $475.00 due to poor communication on behalf of RCCL. Had the couple we were traveling with not had some extra cash to loan us, we would have been totally **. Shame on you, RCCL. Next time, we will choose a different cruise line.

Not being able to sail on 12/11/11. I live in IL and booked my trip through Travelocity. After speaking with Customer Service at RCCL, I was told I only needed my birth certificate and my drivers license along with my set sail pass. When arriving at the pier on Sunday 12/11, I was asked for my marriage cert which I did not have. I was told that I was not going to be able to sail without it. Aimlessly I tried for 3 hours to get online and after spending over 200.00 I was not able to get these records because they are not public record in IL. I do have my bank statement to prove these charges and on that day I spoke with 3 different attorneys that told me that I was not able to obtain those records online through any website. I was told from the manager of guest services I was not going to be able to board the ship. So, I left to spend the week in Orlando by myself while my friend who was a first time cruiser cruised herself and had a horrific time.

I spoke with Ed from corporate customer service who stated that he would issue me a 50% off certificate to be used within the next 12 months minus penalties. I explained how we booked this trip a year ago I'm a single divorced mom and will not be able to ever afford to do this again and was told that was the only thing they would offer which is not acceptable.

I started getting sick day 5 of the cruise. Two days after the cruise, I was given anti-biotic to fight infection. Nine days after the cruise, I was given another anti-biotic and was told that if this one did not work, I would need to be hospitalized on an anti-biotic for how ever long it took to beat it. "IT' could be MSRA.

It's been one month, and I am just feeling human again. My wife and two other women from our group stopped for coffee one evening. Both ladies could smell the spoiled milk and did not drink it. My wife suffered an anterior and posterior hematoma a few years ago and lost her sense of smell and taste. She drank the milk, vomited so violently, and she soiled the bed. She apologized to the cabin attendant for the messy sheets, but she was horribly embarrassed.

Our family of six adults booked a cruise on Grandeur of the Seas (a really, really old ship in need of much repair) for 7 days to Southern Caribbean. Upon our arrival on the ship, we were not informed that 99% of the passengers were Spanish, leaving just 100 of us to speak English. After 3 days of Latino music playing 24/7 and not being able to participate in any of the activities since they talked all in Spanish to their guest, we were left with playing cards each evening with our 6 adults that we were traveling with. The offshore excursions were also told that they would not be having any English speaking guests, so their tour guides could all be Spanish speaking.

Again, this left us totally out of touch with what was being said and what was expected of us. This cruise was my 14th and I must say it was probably the worst cruise and the most expensive I have ever paid. I would never recommend this ship to anyone nor would I recommend going on RCL to Latin American countries. We were in the Caribbean, but not once did we ever hear Caribbean music or eat Caribbean food. This entire cruise was totally dedicated to the Spanish guest. If you couldn't accommodate us in our language, why take our USA dollars and treat us as outcasts?

I cannot believe how bad RCCL has sunk. The food was cold and sparse. The service was awful. Every bar attendant seemed to have a chip on their shoulder. The noise in the cabin was terrible because they had emergency repairs to do. They lasted well until 11pm. They want gratuities for everything. Pretty soon they will be charged you for the toilet paper you use. The mattress on the bed was lumpy and we woke up with backaches every day. If RCCL doesn't shape up, we long time cruisers will take our business elsewhere!

At first, everything seemed normal. The room was nice. It was our honeymoon cruise to Mexico. The name of the ship was Mariner of the Seas. The 7-day cruise to the Mexican Riviera departed (10/10/10 to 10/17/10). I remember very clearly killing what seemed like tics on the white sheets of the bed. It was so surprised and very upset I was afraid I was gonna get bitten or something. Sure enough I got bitten on my right lower leg and it swelled up and the next day I went to the emergency room on board and they didn't help at all. Months later, I started to feel weird. I went to the clinic thinking I could be pregnant.

My blood work came in and I was told I had Lyme disease. I new it was from the cruise ship and their very poor cleaning habits. I was and still is completely devastated. I am going to be expecting a settlement to cover my hospital stay and emotional distress. I did not deserve this to happen to me. I'm only 22 and the treatment for my blood can be expensive and physically exhausting. I am expecting a response from the cruise line. I hope to receive what I deserve. This happened due to poor cleaning in the cruise ship. If this happened to me, think of all the people it could of happened to as well.

After years of constant complaints from many consumers of Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines regarding the unwelcoming of the passengers when they port in Ensanada, Mexico, I still can't believe that Royal Caribbean hasn't taken action to this serious matter concerning the welfare and security of their passengers. In several occasions, it's very clear the abuse towards consumers not to mention of the unwelcoming and letting people feel down. I for one by experience must warn the consumers of this Cruise Line the dangers in Ensanada, Mexico.

I went through a very scary experience not only with over charge that I bought for souvenirs, but with the Mexican Authorities as they arrested me for no reason and took me to their farthest jail out of town, somewhere nowhere near the so called safety zone. They held me against my will in a cell surrounded by very dangerous criminals and when I tried to explain to the guard that I am bi-polar schizo-effective and haven't had my medications that morning, and was afraid of having an attack from the confusion and hostile treatment as I asked of why they had arrested me for no reason.

The Mexican police guy simply told me that if I where to have an attack he would handcuff me. Now to my Understanding I was guessing it would've been having one of my severe crisis in a jail cell, handcuffed and surrounded by dangerous criminals in Mexico. I simply warn people who want to spend a comfortable and safe vacation to choose another vacation package away from The Mexican Riviera. To Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, shame on you for not considering the many complaints from your passengers when their safety is challenged and put at risk.

Royal Caribbean will steal your money without batting an eye lid. I called to cancel my trip two months before I was to go on a holiday cruise. I explained that I was going through a divorce and that by law, I had to cancel the trip and classify the deposit as an asset. When I called, not only was the customer service representative extremely rude, they refused to even entertain the refund. They steal from their customers and don't care what the circumstances are. Why anyone would do business with a company that steals is beyond me.