Okay, this has been a totally odd experience. It started with a 5 star review by me when we were…read morein the process of getting our large group cruise put together. Consider it excited optimism as a first time group coordinator who was full of hope and promise.
Then we do the sailing. I followed up with the one star review that follows:
"Okay, our cruise is done and I'm not all too pleased. The Royal Caribbean Majesty of the Seas and it's staff were great, but Regency sucked, IMHO. First off, the communication gaffs were horrible. We had 133 people on a 2700 passenger ship, or 5% of the total passengers. Sure, we're not the biggest group ever, but every customer is important.
The problems:
1. Couldn't reach my agent, Linda, for final info, large package loading & contact on board for our room the Friday before we sailed.
2. That would have been no biggie except that on Monday, the day we sailed, she was unreachable after the morning when I had some issues with the situations on board.
3. The scheduled bus pick up time was booked 1 hour later than she told me she'd book it for us, causing 50 some-odd people to wait an extra 30 minutes in the sun for the first bus and another 30 people to wait 90 minutes in the sun for the second bus.
4. We had used some GAP points to give our passengers a bottle of Champagne in their stateroom, which was there, but with her & Regency taking credit for it.
5. Even though she stated there was a chance I wouldn't get an upgrade as a large group leader (and was assured not to book a higher grade), my wife and two children were shoehorned into a standard room when the cruise line sold the super high cost huge rooms that had been available for cents on the dollar to help fill the boat. If I had known they'd do that, I would have paid for one of them, she should have known that they do this.
6. After speaking with experienced cruisers, they stated that she should have booked herself on this cruise with a group our size, to make sure everything went perfectly.
7. She was paying for one of the buses, yet I got charged for both, and only a review of my CC statement caught that, after which the charge for the other bus was removed from me and put on them.
I thought we were really getting top of the line help and assistance, but, in review of my notes of situations and some communication gaps, I think I was wrong about my first review. I guess I was just happily anxious and new to being the leader of a big group sailing. What really cheesed me was that on Monday when we sailed, I called her at noon from the boat and was told she'd left the office for the day (on a Monday) and called her cell phone. Yet, I received no calls back, nor did I get one today to see how everything went as a wrap. She was pushing to get another trip booked for later in the year. We'll have another big cruise (I'll let all my yelp friends know too, could be a fun event!!), but it won't be through Regency. Saddest thing is that Linda is one of the owners and her son & daughter play in my league and we should have received even more superior care. I know I'm not their only customer and I'm no more important than any of the others, but this just doesn't sit well with me. Oh well, live and learn and move on."
Now fast forward to us awaiting our check from Regency for some money due back from RCCL that was being processed by Regency. I had been made aware that the check had been cut on January 26th but still hadn't received anything by late February. I then called them, specifically Linda, to find out what was going on. I was told Linda was on vacation until March 23rd and would have to wait until she got back, and then there was some seemingly subtle hint of her not liking the review I'd left on Yelp, which might have led to the delay. This was the gist of what was quickly stated by the person on the phone and then not followed up with by them, as I had to leave a message for the co-owner, Cindy.
I spoke to Cindy, who's the co-owner of the agency with Linda, a little later, both via phone & email. She was unaware of the situation and none too pleased with what I had to tell her. She wasn't upset with me, but with how we were handled. I wasn't sure what direction this was going to go, so I removed all my reviews of them, as I wanted to make sure I received the money due us. Not that everything's clear, I've decided to post my whole ordeal.
I have to give big props to Cindy, as she handled the situation professionally and quickly, while being apologetic about it. The reason they're getting two stars is her follow up. Having not dealt with the remainder of the agency, I can't speak for how good of a job they'd do, but I stand by my results from the dealings with Linda at cruise time, which were very disappointing.
Like I said in my original deleted review, move on and up and go from there.
