Royal Caribbean Cruises review: Royal Caribbean changed the vacation we purchased and refuses to refund our money

I have been on many cruises over the years with several different cruise lines, and I have never experienced customer service like this.

We specifically booked a Caribbean cruise aboard Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas because we wanted to vacation in the Caribbean. Royal Caribbean has now substantially changed the itinerary and replaced the vacation we selected with an itinerary going to Mexico.

If I wanted to take a Mexican cruise, I would have booked a Mexican cruise.

I completely understand that cruise itineraries sometimes have to change because of weather, emergencies, safety concerns, or unforeseen circumstances. I am not suggesting that a cruise line should never be allowed to change a port.

My issue is what happens when the change is so substantial that the vacation being provided is no longer the vacation the customer chose to purchase.

I contacted Royal Caribbean and explained that because of the significant itinerary change, we no longer wanted to take this cruise and requested a refund.

Their response? No refund. No compensation.

They told us we could change to another ship and sailing date, but apparently we are expected to rearrange our schedule and potentially our other travel arrangements because THEY changed the vacation we purchased.

Imagine purchasing an airline ticket to New York. The airline later contacts you and says, "We've changed your destination. We're taking you to Los Angeles instead."

You tell them, "I don't want to go to Los Angeles. I purchased a ticket to New York, so I'd like my money back."

And their response is essentially, "No. We're still taking you somewhere, so we're keeping your money."

Would anyone consider that reasonable?

That is exactly how this situation feels.

What has been most frustrating isn't simply the itinerary change. It is the dismissive way Royal Caribbean has handled it. Their response essentially amounts to: We understand you're disappointed, but we're not refunding you or compensating you.

In other words, they can substantially change what you purchased, and if you no longer want what they substituted, that's apparently your problem.

After numerous cruises with different companies, this experience has completely changed my opinion of Royal Caribbean.

We aren't asking for something unreasonable. We aren't asking for a free cruise. We aren't trying to take the cruise and then demand our money back afterward.

We simply do not want the significantly different vacation Royal Caribbean substituted for the one we purchased, and we are asking them to return our money.

Unless Royal Caribbean changes its position and provides a reasonable resolution, this will be my first and last cruise booked with them.

I would strongly encourage anyone considering Royal Caribbean to understand exactly how the company may handle your reservation if your itinerary is substantially changed after you've paid.

Buyer beware: apparently the itinerary you choose when booking may not be the vacation you ultimately receive—and if you don't want the replacement, Royal Caribbean may still keep your money.