Royal Caribbean damage deposit annoys Girl Scout troop's agent
The news coming from Royal Caribbean these days is, to say the least, disheartening, with the upping of thresholds for independents and consortia as well. But there also seems to be a new and not necessarily positive overtone emanating from company headquarters that all our agents have sensed in recent dealings with area sales managers: They just don't seem to be having fun anymore.
Where in the past, co-op requests under $1,000 usually were approved within 24 to 48 hours, if not on the spot, chances are the answer today will be no. We invited our rep to set up a booth at our upcoming black-tie, 15th anniversary and preferred-supplier showcase ($750). Sorry!
But the excrement simply hit the fan when our agency was informed (15 months after booking and full deposits, six weeks prior to departure) that our third-time repeating Girl Scout troop would require a $2,200 security deposit for this year's Merit cruise to the Mediterranean.
We are talking about senior Girl Scouts, ages 14 to 19, two of whom have already received the Girl Scout Gold Award, the equivalent of the Boy Scout's Eagle Scout designation (awarded and presented by no less than the president of the United States), and three others are merely weeks away from receiving theirs.
These 22 young women will be escorted by 15 parents and troop leaders, with only five girls having to attend without one of their own parents. In addition, one of the leaders is a full-time agent in our office.
We are not talking about a new "Girls Can Be Skinheads, Too!" movement. The biggest risk that these girls present is shocking bystanders as they help little old ladies across the pool deck. These girls should be congratulated for their dedication to a greater cause and higher standard of conduct. I can only imagine the number of hours they've had to dedicate over the last two years (they can only afford to do this once every other year) to raise the funds to participate in this educational voyage to the Mediterranean, where they will be exposed to some of the great customs, history and philosophies of the world.
A supervisor in Royal Caribbean's groups department explained to me that the issue was the ratio of "children" to adults, which cannot drop below 51%. Well, I'm glad my parents never planned to take us on a cruise, because with two of them and six of us, I guess we would have had to put up a security bond, as well. In fact, our agent has four of her own children on this trip.
In light of recent events, I would respectfully submit that weddings, bachelor parties and Russian mobsters be charged a "security deposit," as they have already demonstrated how messy things can get. But with this troop now being assessed, maybe these other troublemakers will decide to stay off the Girl Scouts' turf -- I mean, these girls are obviously dangerous!
Note: Our Girl Scout Gang will have to sell 4,400 boxes of cookies to come up with the protection money being demanded by Royal Caribbean. So if they make you an offer, you better not refuse!
Steve Overing
Classic Travel at Tackett's Mill
Lake Ridge, Va.
Royal Caribbean responds:
Royal Caribbean International welcomes students and youths aboard our ships. The issue with the Girl Scout group deals with our student policy, which encompasses a number of young students on a group departure.
We believe that it would be very difficult to determine which group should pay deposits and unfair to require some youth or student groups to pay a deposit and others not. To ensure fair treatment of all of our guests, we must require all student groups, regardless of their affiliation, to adhere to our student policy and pay a refundable deposit.
The part in the letter about co-op advertising is puzzling, however. Royal Caribbean International has co-op dollars to spend with travel agents to help them grow their business, which in turn helps us. Toward that end, we want to make sure that the return-on-investment is there for both our travel agent partner and Royal Caribbean.
Vicki Freed, senior vice president, sales
Royal Caribbean International
Miami
Personal encounters are a path to understanding
I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed Arnie Weissmann's recent "World citizens, unite" column [From the Window Seat, May 12].
On a personal level, I applaud him for retaining the openness and great interest in going off the beaten path and for choosing the less comfortable, but much more rewarding, route. On a professional level, I thank him for writing about his positive and very personal experience in a Muslim country and for opening our minds to the culture, everyday human lives and personal stories behind the glitz and comforts of a tourist destination. There is no better way to gain understanding than through personal relationships and encounters like his.
Kirsten Schmidt, public relations director
Berlin Tourism Marketing North America
Los Angeles
Please send letters for publication to Travel Weekly, attn: Letters Editor, 100 Lighting Way, Secaucus, N.J., 07094, or email them to [email protected]. Travel Weekly reserves the right to edit all letters for length and to conform to our style and standards.