"They Will Be Compensated" — Customers Lament Frustrations On Overbooked Genting Cruise
"Aside from being a trip for the kids, it was also to celebrate my birthday. And one call cancelled all of that?"
By Wayne Garreth — 09 Sep 2022, 11:21 AM
Resorts World Cruises recently landed in hot water after overbooking the number of customers for their luxury cruise on the Genting Dream liner
A few days back, it was reported that more than 100 holiday goers were not able to board the Genting Dream for a cruise that was expected to set sail from the Marina Bay Cruise Centre, Singapore on 4 September.
Left stranded at the bay with their tickets in hand, they had no choice but to go home when they were not allowed to check in due to the ship having been overbooked. The cruise was set to sail for four days and three nights, scheduled to pass through Klang, then continue to Penang, before returning to Singapore.
In a post by Shin Min Daily News, it was confirmed that Resorts World Cruises acknowledged the overbooking issue.
For the inconvenience, they thanked all customers who voluntarily changed their tour dates and stipulated that all affected passengers would received a full refund. These passengers were also offered a free cruise of the same class as their initial booking to use before 28 April 2023.
Shortly after this debacle, it seemed as though the ripples of this snafu made its way over to customers that were set to join the cruise at Port Klang
A Malaysian Facebook user, Coco Lim, published a post on 3 September expressing her frustration over the cancellation of her cruise on the Genting Dream.
"After being in lockdown for years and everyone making plans for their travels, I, too, started planning for the September school holidays months ago," she said in the opening of her post.
Continuing on, Lim wrote, "After making full payment, two days before our departure, with the kids having already started packing their bags, I got a call from my travel agent telling me that the cruise has been overbooked. They have cancelled my booking and refunded my money."
According to a receipt she shared in a comment under the post, Lim spent RM8,970 for the four-day, three-night cruise.
Lim also shared a letter from Resorts World Cruises about the overbooking, providing the option for customers to voluntarily change their dates
The letter, dated 3 September, echoed the statement made to customers in Singapore, offering the inconvenienced customers a full refund of the cruise and a complimentary cruise of the same class as their booking to be used before 28 April 2023.
Connecting the pieces, it was understood that the customers who were to set sail from Singapore had also received the same message, though over 100 of them had not viewed the letter before their arrival at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre on 4 September.
Nonetheless, Lim lamented her frustrations over the last-minute decision, saying that the sudden cancellation was not fair to her as a customer. "One phone call ended my holiday. Is that fair? Other than being a trip for my kids, it was also to celebrate my birthday. One phone call effectively cancelled all of that?"
As of today, 9 September, the post has garnered over 2,000 likes and 1,000 shares on Facebook.
Nevertheless, Resorts World Cruises have expressed their contrite relating to the entire circumstance of the cancelled cruise
In response to a query sought after by Singaporean digital news platform, Mothership, a spokesperson from Resorts World Cruises confirmed the overbooking issue.
Issuing an apology on behalf of the establishment, the spokesperson noted that the inconvenience caused "is highly regrettable".
They also continued to thank their valuable guests who had changed the dates for their kind understanding on the matter. There was also a reiteration of the refund and complimentary cruise.
