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Several Royal Caribbean passengers denied entry onto cruise due to overbooking: report

By
Allie Griffin
Published Nov. 30, 2023, 9:19 p.m. ET

Several Royal Caribbean customers were denied entry onto a cruise they paid for after the company reportedly overbooked the ship.

The Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas boat left Brisbane, Australia Tuesday without about a dozen groups of travelers who had prepared for the eight-night South Pacific cruise, one of the unlucky customers told USA Today.

Jai Raynor, 23, said he was looking forward to setting sail on his first cruise alongside his wife Kaitlyn to celebrate her university graduation. But when they arrived at the port, they were told they couldn’t board the ship, according to the outlet.

The couple — who paid nearly $1,900 for the cruise — were handed a letter that stated Royal Caribbean was “unable to allocate a stateroom number to your reservation,” Raynor told the publication.

He said they had selected a “guarantee cabin” when booking the cruise. The option — often at a cheaper price — allows customers to select what type of room they want without selecting a specific room.

He and his wife decided to try their luck at waiting standby with another 13 “families or groups” to see if more cabins would become available, Raynor told USA Today. Eleven of them — along with the young couple — were ultimately turned away.

The Royal Carribean International cruise ship Quantum of the Seas (C) is docked at Marina Bay Cruise Centre in Singapore.
Raynor said 11 other groups were turned away from Royal Caribbean after they were informed there were no more rooms available aboard the ship. AFP via Getty Images

“It was absolutely crushing,” Raynor said.

Demand for the cruise was greater than the number of rooms available, a Royal Caribbean spokesperson told USA Today.

“Unfortunately, efforts to accommodate all those who wished to sail fell short for a group of our guests, and some were unable to sail as planned,” the spokesperson said.

All the affected customers were given a number of options by Royal Caribbean including taking a full refund and future cruise credit or rebooking a cruise on different dates, they added.

People sit and enjoy the facilites on the top deck onboard the cruise ship Quantum of the Seas.
Raynor was ultimately refunded but said being turned away at the port after planning to celebrate his wife’s graduation was “absolutely crushing.” Getty Images

Raynor was able to get a full refund on the cruise they missed as well as future cruise certificates worth their full fare and complimentary deluxe beverage packages after contacting the cruise line, according to the outlet.

Cruise industry expert Stewart Chiron, aka “The Cruise Guy,” said the Raynors’ predicament rarely happens.

“This is one of those very specialized itineraries,” he told USA Today in an email. “Passengers that booked a guarantee [and] not a specific cabin can be left without a chair when the music stops.”

Royal Caribbean didn’t immediately return a request for comment from The Post.