Cruise passengers left in the lurch on Good Friday
About 50 cruise passengers on March 29 did not get the leisurely weekend escape that they had booked and paid for.
Despite completing mandatory online check-in and receiving confirmation emails two days prior, passengers who had booked a weekend voyage on Resorts World Cruises’ Genting Dream found themselves on a waitlist to embark.
A netizen told Mothership that her family and at least 45 other passengers were left in limbo when they were abruptly relocated to a waiting room after an hour of queuing, apparently due to the ship’s full capacity.
They had been at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre since 5pm and were supposed to check in by 7pm, with an expected departure time of 8pm.
“We were told to wait until 7pm before to know if we could get on the ship,” she said.
According to the netizen, the waiting room was “overflowing” with people, with some forced to stand around or wait outside. As the check-in deadline neared, the crowd started to become increasingly frustrated. Passports had already been collected by staff, who were trying to manually allocate the passengers to available rooms.
“People chased for answers, with more and more people questioning the staff,” she recounted. “Some raised their voices and started crowding around.”
Despite the chaos, ground staff maintained composure, though delays persisted.
Relief came for some around 7.45pm as boarding commenced for a portion of the waiting passengers. However, W and her family were among the approximately 50 left behind, who had no choice but to return home.
"We missed out on a family holiday. We were sad that some groups managed to board and we didn't. And we're also angry at the wasted time," the netizen said, adding that the ordeal could have been avoided had Resorts World Cruises communicated the overbooking prior to the day of the cruise.
When asked for comment, a Resorts World Cruises spokesperson told Mothership that the standard operating procedure, in the event of an overbooking situation, is to “identify and inform the affected guest in advance prior to arriving at the terminal”.
“Affected guests who are contactable will be updated on the latest procedures to minimise any inconvenience. The matter was resolved at the terminal with the affected guest accepting the alternative options."
According to the netizen, affected passengers were compensated with a free upgrade to either a balcony room or palace suite for their next cruise trip. However, she and other passengers were less than impressed.
“The compensation is not bad but half-a-day wasted and plans foiled for this?”
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