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A Royal Caribbean Rant

themetfairy Aug 03 2011 09:16 AM

OK, this is a rant. Read it or don't, but it feels good to vent (plus it may save you some money if you ever cruise on Royal Caribbean). Before our recent cruise, I arranged to have a massage on the return portion on our trip. I only wanted a massage, but the only way to arrange for one in advance was to purchase the massage/facial combo. I wasn't thrilled about that, but figured if that's what I had to do to get a massage on the cruise that I would do it. I had to pre-pay for this package, including gratuity, and it was not inexpensive. I had a massage on my previous cruise on the same ship three years ago. I thought the massage was fine, although I found the spa to be a little snooty. It was inconsistent with the treatment I otherwise received on the ship, which is why it stuck out in my mind. Anyway, two weeks ago I arrived at the ship's spa for my massage. The masseuse wasn't ready, so I was directed to the relaxation room. This is standard - it's the procedure in almost every spa. But this relaxation room was being used for a presentation about Botox, so it was impossible to actually relax in the relaxation room. I asked the receptionist whether there was another location where I could wait, but I was told no. I'm not sure exactly how long I waited for my masseuse in the crowded, noisy room, but I estimate it was a solid 15-20 minutes. Once the masseuse arrived, she asked me a lot of pointed questions about my health - more than is standard for a massage. I'm in very good health and recently ran a marathon, so all I wanted was to get down to business with the massage. I did point out to her that I needed treatment on my hamstring/glute area that I had injured last year. There is no such thing as a bad massage, but this one was nothing special. Normally I wouldn't care about that so much, but for the money that I pre-paid for this particular one, it irked me. To add to my irritation, my hamstring/glute area did not get any particular attention, and was as achy after the massage as it was before. After the massage, when I just wanted to leave, the masseuse sat down with me and gave me a whole song and dance about how my back has spasms (it doesn't) and that I should purchase all sorts of expensive bath bombs and oils before I leave. At that point, all I wanted to do was go back to my family for our planned activities. I politely declined her sales pitch and finally was able to leave. I was not happy with the massage experience, so the day after the cruise I sent an e-mail to Royal Caribbean about what happened. After a week and a half, I received this message Monday - Dear Ms. C: Thank you for contacting us about your cruise on the Explorer of the Seas. As a Gold member of our Crown & Anchor Society, you are very important to us. I look forward to assisting you with your concerns. We work with many service partners to provide the best possible vacation for all of our guests. Our spa and salon services are provided by Steiner Management Services. We want our guests to receive quality products and service in all aspects of their time with us. I am sorry to learn of your disappointment with the onboard spa. So that Steiner Management Services may properly address these concerns, please visit their website www.timetospa.com, or call them at: 800-423-5293 for assistance with your concerns. Ms. C, we are so happy you chose to sail with us. We sincerely value your continued patronage and look forward to welcoming you on one of our ships again in the near future. Sincerely, Corporate Guest Relations Honestly, I find this to be an unsatisfactory response. Royal Caribbean was the conduit for this service and I had this massage on one of their ships - to wait a week and a half to then tell the customer to talk to another entity is a very poor way to treat a customer. So since I had to re-invent the wheel and retell the story anyway, I decided to do it publicly. My advice to anyone going on a Royal Caribbean cruise is to wait until after you get home to get a massage - it'll be much less expensive and frustrating than having one on the ship. This is a public service announcement.

HahnSolo Aug 03 2011 09:46 AM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

Totally unsatisfactory response. Call 'em (Royal Caribbean) and tell them that. You shouldn't have to wait so long for a response, only for them to telly you to call somebody else. I'd also contact the other folks and complain to them.

Ceetar Aug 03 2011 10:01 AM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

You can complain to the other folk if you want, but it's seems irrelevant to me. You didn't purchase anything from them, you purchased it from Royal Caribbean. If you go to a movie theater and have a horrible experience there watching a movie, do you complain to Universal? no, you complain to AMC/the theater. They purchased a product to resell to you, and what is in play is the relationship between you and Royal Carribbean. It's obviously beneficially for them to have quality services on their ship, and it's their responsibility to control the experience you have. _they_ are the ones that should be contacting Steiner. They signed it "Corporate Guest Relations" Did the email come from a generic address too, or do you have an actual name of someone that handled your request?

themetfairy Aug 03 2011 10:07 AM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

I did respond to both Royal Caribbean and to Steiner, with no reply from either. Which is why I decided to blog about it. If they are going to pass the buck back and forth and take no responsibility for a poor customer experience, then I have no qualms about warning everyone not to waste their money in one of their spas. Ceeter - the Customer Service rep did sign his name, but I didn't feel right about stating it publicly. He's just a cog anyway, doing what the protocol says he should do. You shouldn't have to wait so long for a response, only for them to tell you to call somebody else. This is the part that pissed me off the most - waiting a week and a half to be blown off like that. Anyway, lesson learned - the massage on the ship isn't worth it. I can get a much better massage at home for a lot less money.

themetfairy Aug 03 2011 10:11 AM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

Well lookie here - now that I've blogged and posted on Facebook, what do I find in my inbox? Dear Ms. C: I am sorry to learn that I disappointed you with my previous response. I assure you I will do my best to resolve this matter for you. I apologize for the delay in responding to your inquiry and appreciate and understand your frustration. I sincerely regret any inconvenience this may have caused. Additionally, I have also received your most recent e-mails and understand that you have already forwarded your concerns to Steiner Management. Although Royal Caribbean International is always happy to act as an intermediary with our guests and vendors, it can sometimes delay a resolution due to the increased number of contacts being made. In order to assist our guests as efficiently as possible, we direct them to contact our vendor partners in the event of a failure of a vendor service. It has been our experience that our vendors are able to work directly with the guests in a more expedient manner. I am very sorry that this process has caused any frustration. Ms. C, thank you for the time you have taken to write to me. It would mean a tremendous amount to welcome you back again and demonstrate our commitment to service on a future sailing. Sincerely, It's still unsatisfactory, but I'm laughing over the fact that they're suddenly responsive.

metirish Aug 03 2011 10:35 AM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

I think you need a hobby :)

cooby Aug 03 2011 07:06 PM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

I hate massages. I'm too ticklish. My husband goes for one every month, from a gal named Desiree.

metirish Aug 03 2011 07:15 PM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

cooby wrote: I hate massages. I'm too ticklish. My husband goes for one every month, from a gal named Desiree. Oh I bet hubby has no complaints with Desiree.

cooby Aug 04 2011 07:38 AM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

No complaints so far! I think he said she is Swedish or something. All I know is when he gets home, he can hardly walk.

metirish Aug 04 2011 08:00 AM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

cooby wrote: No complaints so far! I think he said she is Swedish or something. All I know is when he gets home, he can hardly walk. And who pray tell contracts out Desiree?

MFS62 Aug 04 2011 09:10 AM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

I enjoyed my cruise on Royal Caribbean. Only had one minor quibble. Every day they would have a "snack" at a food bar off the pool. That same thing could be had later at dinner. One day we got back to the ship from a day trip and the snack was ribs. We were too late, they were just closing, but the aroma of the ribs still lingered. That night when we went to dinner, I asked for the ribs and was told they were not available. Bummer! Those ribs had really smelled great. Other than that, we had a very enjoyable experience on that cruise line. Later

Willets Point Aug 04 2011 10:06 AM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

I think a cruise ship journey would be my own personal hell. Luckily I'll never be able to afford one.

themetfairy Aug 04 2011 10:18 AM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

Willets Point wrote: I think a cruise ship journey would be my own personal hell. It's mine, but D-Dad enjoys them (and the kids had a good time). No complaints about the cruise per se, and the Royal Caribbean staff (as opposed to the subcontracted spa staff).

soupcan Aug 04 2011 10:33 AM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

Went on one cruise a few years ago and have vowed to never do it again. Horrible, horrible, horrible and waaay too expensive for what it is.

Fman99 Aug 04 2011 10:49 AM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

Honeymooned on a Royal Caribbean cruise from New York to Bermuda. Had a nice time, though we felt like the ride home was mostly wasted time. We'd have preferred more time in Bermuda, next time we'll fly there.

themetfairy Aug 04 2011 11:10 AM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

Fman99 wrote: Honeymooned on a Royal Caribbean cruise from New York to Bermuda. Had a nice time, though we felt like the ride home was mostly wasted time. We'd have preferred more time in Bermuda, next time we'll fly there. I totally recommend that - it's only a 2 hour flight, and spending time there is much better than time on the ship. If you ever want to plan a trip, talk to me about where to stay on the island, etc.

Edgy DC Aug 04 2011 11:13 AM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

After seeing Speed 2, my cruising days were done.

Ceetar Aug 04 2011 11:48 AM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

I have yet to be on a cruise. (although I have a voucher for a dinner cruise in Manhattan in August, not the same thing..) We always end up opting for something that's a little more exploratory than it is hanging out on a boat.

cooby Aug 04 2011 11:55 AM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

On my way to work today I passed a little hand lettered sign that said “Massages Exit 173”. That exit has 3 or 4 truckstops so I bet that massage lady is busy! Truckers prolly get sore backs all the time.

Edgy DC Aug 04 2011 11:57 AM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

Cooby's on fire.

Vic Sage Aug 04 2011 01:11 PM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

never been on a cruise; wanted to, but wife vetoed. she gets motion sickness, and dreads the thought of spending an entire vacation seasick. Yes, we know there are pills, etc, but she doesn't want to take the chance, and i don't want to do it badly enough to try and convince her otherwise. i do like massages, though. especially when they end happily.

themetfairy Aug 04 2011 03:05 PM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

A friend of mine in the travel biz gave me the Royal Caribbean president's e-mail yesterday, so I forwarded my latest communication his way. This afternoon I received a phone call from someone in their executive offices, apologizing for my unsatisfactory experience and telling me that they will contact the vendor on my behalf. Whether anything comes of this or not, at least someone at Royal Caribbean has acknowledged that they handled the situation poorly. That's definite progress.

seawolf17 Aug 05 2011 10:27 AM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

I think you should demand free cruises for all your CPF friends.

themetfairy Aug 05 2011 11:06 AM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

seawolf17 wrote: I think you should demand free cruises for all your CPF friends. LOL - sure, why not? Honestly, I doubt I'm going to get anything out of this. Royal Caribbean is the one who should have an interest in my repeat business (as well they should - this was my second cruise in three years on the same ship), but they're consistent in saying that it's up to the vendor to rectify the situation. Which means I'll get bupkis.

Rockin' Doc Aug 05 2011 11:15 AM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

metfairy - "Honestly, I doubt I'm going to get anything out of this. Royal Caribbean is the one who should have an interest in my repeat business (as well they should - this was my second cruise in three years on the same ship), but they're consistent in saying that it's up to the vendor to rectify the situation. Which means I'll get bupkis." They could at least throw in a free massage during your next cruise. Oh wait, that is bupkis.

themetfairy Aug 05 2011 11:25 AM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

Rockin' Doc wrote: metfairy - "Honestly, I doubt I'm going to get anything out of this. Royal Caribbean is the one who should have an interest in my repeat business (as well they should - this was my second cruise in three years on the same ship), but they're consistent in saying that it's up to the vendor to rectify the situation. Which means I'll get bupkis." They could at least throw in a free massage during your next cruise. Oh wait, that is bupkis. Yes - exceptionally expensive bupkis.

Lefty Specialist Aug 06 2011 02:01 PM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

Fman99 wrote: Honeymooned on a Royal Caribbean cruise from New York to Bermuda. Had a nice time, though we felt like the ride home was mostly wasted time. We'd have preferred more time in Bermuda, next time we'll fly there. I second this. We did the cruise to Bermuda (on Royal Caribbean, no complaints) and were left wanting more, so next time we flew.

themetfairy Aug 10 2011 12:47 PM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

I'll believe it when I see it, but Steiner Management has agreed to refund me my costs from the massage. They told me that all I need to do is forward them my receipt. I bet they were counting on me not having it, but I do :)

MFS62 Aug 10 2011 09:23 PM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

themetfairy wrote: I'll believe it when I see it, but Steiner Management has agreed to refund me my costs from the massage. Steiner Management? No wonder. They're probably associated with Steiner Sports, and will try to sell you a Yankee jersey. Beware! Later

themetfairy Aug 16 2011 02:11 PM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

themetfairy wrote: I'll believe it when I see it, but Steiner Management has agreed to refund me my costs from the massage. They told me that all I need to do is forward them my receipt. I bet they were counting on me not having it, but I do :) This week's update - Steiner tells me that, since I prepaid Royal Caribbean for the massage, the refund has to come from them. As if they're surprised that I prepaid for the services.

themetfairy Aug 18 2011 03:02 PM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

After that last communication from Steiner Management my head exploded. Fortunately, I think that my contact at Royal Caribbean's executive offices had his head explode as well, and he agreed to personally supervise my refund. Today he informed me that my credit card has been issued a refund for my unsatisfactory spa services. I know that I wouldn't have received satisfaction if I did not have Royal Caribbean's president's e-mail address, but I am grateful that Royal Caribbean ultimately rectified the situation. Perhaps now they will pay a bit more attention to how their customers are treated by Steiner on their ships, and that would be a good thing.

Centerfield Aug 18 2011 03:34 PM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

Metfairy is [crossout:12txgrsw]King[/crossout:12txgrsw] Queen!

themetfairy Aug 18 2011 05:21 PM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

Centerfield wrote: Metfairy is [crossout]King[/crossout] Queen! I learned from the best :)

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Aug 18 2011 08:07 PM Re: A Royal Caribbean Rant

/Lowers head //Raises fist