This was a cruise to celebrate my husband's 55th birthday on 5/5. This was our first cruise with RCCL. In an effort to go the extra mile, to celebrate him, I pre-purchased the birthday decorations package (chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate cake & room décor), to surprise him upon arrival. The decorations were nowhere to be found when we entered our suite. I expressed my displeasure to Elmer, our stateroom attendant, who was the one exceptional highlight of our RCCL cruise experience, and received a telephone call from guest services, informing me that I would be refunded the full amount for this purchase. While I appreciate the refund, I’d have much preferred the special service I purchased and anticipated. The chocolate covered strawberries & cake were received. We placed the strawberries in our mini refrigerator, along with some leftover sushi from Izumi. When we retrieved these food items on the 4th night (the night of his birthday) of the cruise, we discovered that both had gone bad, as our refrigerator was not in working order.

Additional items that I pre-purchased were the deluxe food package and the deluxe beverage package for our drinking and dining enjoyment, as well as The Key, for additional perks. The most convenient eating establishment, while attempting to enjoy the pool, was Fish and Ships. Despite having purchased the deluxe food package, eating here still incurred an additional charge to our onboard account. To add insult to injury, when dining in the main dining room on night #2, we were still charged an upcharge for filet mignon and lobster. How could this be when we had the deluxe food package. It was only later, when we attempted to express our immense displeasure with guest services (more on that to come), that we were informed that the deluxe food package didn’t apply to the main dining room select premium choices. Are you kidding me? Had we known this, we would have happily eaten at Chops, to enjoy the same food without the upcharge.

At this point, after dinner on day #2, my husband and I visited the guest services counter, in order to explain all that had happened, thus far. We did not receive an apology or any semblance of empathy from the young lady with whom we spoke. What we did receive was cold, curt replies, with an “eh, too bad” attitude. We further questioned why we had not received our pre-purchased Royal Caribbean beach towels. We were told they didn't have any. Why in the world are you selling an item that you don’t have in stock? And, if it is a matter of the current supply chain issue, affecting all industries these days, why were we not immediately credited the money I spent in advance, and provided with this simple, and understandable explanation? (Refund still not received.) Read more