UKstages

i'm coming late to this thread, as i've just returned home from a B2B on the prima, followed by a short land-based vacation. i'm glad things worked out here, more or less, and some compensation was provided. i've already written extensively about my (mis)adventures on the first leg of my prima B2B, my contact with corporate and with the GM's office, and any resolution (or lack thereof) provided. there are a few things i'd like to comment on regarding this situation, which has some similarities to my own. on the may 25th prima sailing out of reykjavik, the second leg of my B2B, they closed the commodore room for a "private function" for almost the entire duration of the ten-day cruise. the commodore room is the smaller of the two MDRs on the prima. there was a group onboard of only 125 people, yet many of them required or preferred ethnic cuisine and the ship decided to make that dining room available as an option to the members of this group. as it happens, many in this group decided to eat elsewhere and the commodore room remained relatively empty for most meals. that, in my opinion, caused crowding and more demand on the already taxed MDR and buffet. (i'm currently writing a review of my 21 days onboard the prima and i'll have more to say about this group in that report.) i actually had pre-booked reservations for the commodore room for three nights and when i arrived the first night, i was told "sorry, sir. please try hudson's" (the other, larger MDR.) i didn't care much about the inconvenience, it was inconsequential, but i really did want to try the commodore room... just because it's a new ship and i wanted to experience all the venues; i had not tried it on the first cruise because i knew i'd have the chance on the second leg. ironically, and relevant to this discussion, the commodore room was the location for most of the park west auctions throughout the cruise. it can accommodate dozens of people in a reconfigured theatre-style setting. it's a smaller, less posh venue than the observation lounge, but based on reports of the the thin attendance at this VIP auction, it probably would have worked just as well. based on my experience on the prima, i'd say corporate (miami) has no idea what's going on in any individual venue, nor should they. those decisions are made by and negotiated by the operating teams onboard. was it the guest services manager? as i wrote recently on cruise critic when i experienced a series of customer service gaffes, there are a lot of people posing on the prima as authority figures that they are not. the guest services manager as of last week was a woman named raquel. (and when i spoke to her, she said she was the assistant to the GM or the assistant GM... it was never really clear.) perhaps there has been a staff change. but i was surprised to read the the guest services manager was a man. interestingly, in answer to an audience question in a senior officers presentation in the prima theatre on my B2B, the GM addressed why the prima has no meeting rooms and card rooms. he said everything had been rethought on the prima and that when they looked at the data from other ships, those spaces... meeting rooms, libraries, card rooms and such... were under utilized or not used at all. and they decided, with the prima class ships, that they could have their restaurants and clubs serve double duty... and that those traditional spaces were no longer needed. (i happen to disagree, but they never asked me.) i think this is an example of the pigheadedness that went into the design of the prima. the execs got together and decided stuff, but never really field tested it. and now that the prima has been sailing for the better part of a year, they have actual feedback on what does and doesn't work, but they're stickin' to their guns and not changing much... except for introducing rotating menus. they offered all passengers 25% comp in the form of FCC on the first leg of my B2B due to a couple of missed ports, and the wording was the same as on the letter included in this thread. earlier this week, a 25% FCC "coupon" was dropped into my account. and i still don't understand what it represents. FCC is usually expressed as a dollar value. this is a 25% coupon. 25% off a future cruise? then why is it a "credit?" 25% off what i paid for the cruise for which they are providing service recovery? i have no idea. also of note about that letter... the captain appears to be new to the ship. our captain (just last week) was kevin bellido.

you can certainly do that, but your PCC can also purchase it with you at the time of booking.

currently onboard the prima. largely, perhaps 65%, filipino staff in customer-facing positions, including cabin attendants, servers and bartenders.

breakfast is the only time at the indulge food hall where there is no wait. it’s a grab and go deal. you’re welcome to sit there and eat, but most people bring it back to their cabins. it’s a mix of prepared breakfast sandwiches and bowls featuring potatoes and eggs. also, fruit salad. and you can get a bagel and cream cheese and smoked salmon as an “on demand” item. (the bagel has to be toasted.) there is no iPad ordering… you walk up and take what you like.

by definition, if the cruise line has offered you a good will service recovery in the form of future cruise credit, they are stating that the cruise failed to meet guest expectations. the cruise line can not control weather and is not responsible for weather. immediately before offering the opinion that they make you consume more of the failed product, i stated that NCL was not required to give anything. The point, as @insidecabin mentioned, is that the service recovery is in the form of FCC and not a credit to your folio.

credit card OBC is refundable, however, it doesn’t technically exist until you’re onboard. you order it in advance and it appears in your folio once you board. so there is no OBC against which to charge an advance shorex reservation. now, if they were to allow you to book a shorex reservation without payment, to be consumed by OBC once onboard, that would work. but I don’t think they allow that.

typically, they are for things like gondola rides or trolleys around a central business district. the “skyride” to paradise point in st. thomas comes to mind.

It is not correct to refer to it as a cabin discount… here’s why. it’s $50 per excursion for passenger one. if passengers one and two both take a $35 excursion (they do exist), it’s free for passenger one. you might think that the $15 remaining would apply as a discount to passenger two, who shares the same “cabin.” but it doesn’t. passenger two pays $35 for the excursion. and that’s why it’s not correct to refer to it as a discount applied to the cabin.

typically, no, on a classic embarkation day. anything is possible, but I have not seen this. If your cruise begins with an overnight in the embarkation port, then that is a different story. the answer would be yes.

“free at sea” is a marketing strategy and a misnomer wrapped inside an enigma. it should be called “for a small fee at sea.”

yes. that's why we have two different words... "imply" and "infer." they mean different things, but it largely has to do with one's vantage point. oh, gosh, no... an inference is based specifically on two things... "evidence" and reasoning. what somebody else has said and the manner in which they said it is indeed the "evidence." in the case of an online post, the words somebody has chosen become part of the data set upon which somebody else may base their inference, which is made by looking at the evidence as interpreted by reason and experience. that's not a guess... it's deductive reasoning. if i were to say that some of the malcontents here were 16 year old kids in heir bedrooms making mischief on cruise critic, that would be a guess, as i'd have no reason to infer that.

yes, indeed. the so-called "tax" is based on that, but neither NCL nor princess is receiving revenue equal to that amount, so the "tax" isn't really a tax, it's a fee. but that's beside the point, unless somebody wanted to sue and say you can't collect tax on a free item. if they waited till the end of the cruise and divided the cost of the gratuities by the number of drinks consumed, that would be the average price of the drink, and on NCL, assuming 7 drinks a day, the average cost of each drink would be less than $3.00. a case could be made that THAT would be the fair price per drink on which tax should be calculated. that's the "cost" of each drink and the "revenue" (even though it's being collected as a gratuity) that the cruise line collects for each drink.

there is a difference between a tax and a fee and people get this confused all the time... there is widespread (innocent or not so innocent) misapplication of the terms. in order for something to be taxed, it has to cost something. a fee can be applied to anything, even a good or a service that costs nothing. as noted upthread, there can never be a tax on a zero cost item... there is no tax basis, as the item is free. in the USA, if a tax applied to the drink package, you'd be paying an additional tax on the cost associated with the drink package at the time you book your cruise or at the time final payment is due, which you don't. the item is free and you are paying gratuities; you don't pay a tax on the gratuity. as for the "tax" collected in some USA ports, it corresponds with the "tax" associated with the alleged retail price of the drink, but it is not really a tax. the local laws are written sloppily and/or NCL implies it's a tax, but it's really a fee based on the retail cost of the drink and corresponding to the prevailing tax rate. i know that sounds a lot like a "tax," but technically, it isn't. and if were to officially be declared a "tax," then some smart lawyer should do a class action suit to refund all the money collected because, again, you can't "tax" a zero cost item.

please have another look. yes, in this thread. it's as common around here as "free" specialty dining. i have these folks on "ignore," but when people start quoting them, i can see their comments.

standard practice - on all cruise lines - is not to inform ahead of time. in the first place, weather could change and we could get back on track. but there is also a lot that has to be done on a ship to turn things around and plan for an additional sea day or an overnight in another port. ... there is staff scheduling, increased activities and entertainment, additional food and beverages to be consumed, alterations to drills, cleaning and maintenance, excursions to be canceled or possibly rescheduled for the next day... all of that takes time to schedule and plan. but NCL really takes that to an extreme, to the point of deception and subterfuge. one example: i was in the casino at 8 pm or so the other night and one of the staff said, "ok, i'll see you tomorrow night." and i said, "gosh, i don't think so. we'll be in port... in reykjavik. are you open in port? i thought only in bermuda are you guys open while in port." and the staff member said, "oh, no, we'll be open." that conversation took place at 8 PM, the day before we were to dock in reykjavik at 6 AM. so, the decision had already been made, but we weren't told till mid-afternoon the next day. and when you asked for information around the ship, everybody lied. they all knew our arrival had been delayed to the next day, but they would not give you accurate information, so you could plan. those with excursions were told to meet at the scheduled time, in my case 7:30m am, even though we were making circles in the ocean, many hours away from reykjavik. we didn't dock until 3 am the next day. that day, as new guests were coming onboard, i spoke to a cruise next rep who was very coy and wouldn't say what she knew until i revealed i already knew that we were remaining in reykjavik for a day and that the next port had been canceled. no mention of comp on the current itinerary. bear in mind, NCL is not required to provide compensation for either situation; they do so as a measure of good will, although it's ironic that they make you consume more of the failed product in order to get any benefit. i think the differentiating factors were the weather and the excessive number of sea days and the fact that the ship was tossed about for three or four days straight, causing discomfort and the cancellation of key shows and events. again, NCL was not required to provide anything, but did so because - on balance - it wasn't much of a cruise... it wasn't what people signed up for.

the prima does have an indian station, branded as "tamara," in the indulge food hall. as for the haven... if you speak to the maitre d in the haven restaurant, he or she can arrange (with a day's notice) to have a full indian meal served in the haven restaurant. so, if you wanted a lobster tail with your curry or your chicken tikka, that can be done!

there are many lovely things about the prima. there are also nasty, atrociously ill-conceived and executed things. do a search here for "prima" and acquaint yourself with the good, the bad and the worse. nobody can predict whether you'll like the ship. try it and see for yourself. i personally would never sail it until they fix the known noise problems in an unspecified number of rooms. get one of those rooms and you may lose many days of sleep. avoid those rooms and you have a greater likelihood of having a great time... as long as you don't mind aimlessly roaming around the ship looking for seating or waiting to dine in restaurants or be served at bars.

the indian food onboard the prima is excellent. i assume some can be found in the buffet, but i haven't eaten there yet. the "tamara" station in the indulge food hall serves authentic indian cuisine, although not all dishes/condiments are at all meal services. all the indian food i have had in the buffet on other NCL ships has been top notch.

i've never had anything lost and no damage to my items when NCL does the laundry. those tags, however, when you pull them off... THEY can cause damage to more delicate items.

thanks. i was already scheduled to change rooms for the second half of the back to back. i'm in a mid-ship "family balcony" on this leg, which looks a lot like a regular balcony room to me. the rooms on the prima, and i have unfortunately seen several, tend to be larger and quite comfortable, with larger bathrooms and spacious showers. i have no way of knowing how quiet my new room is, however, despite it being the second day of the cruise. and that's because there have been several deviations to the itinerary caused by weather conditions. (the same conditions which presumably caused all that creaking and popping... sever wind and very high waves). on the prior cruise, we skipped the icelandic port of isafjörður and - as reported by others upthread - we called on reykjavik a day late. we were supposed to have overnighted in reykjavik at the end of the cruise and had a full port day, with the cruise ending the next morning. instead, we pulled into reykjavik at 3 AM, with the cruise ending a few hours later. communication of the changes was poorly handled. but they did offer 25% FCC on a future cruise and 50% should you choose a european holiday. on the current cruise, they once again have canceled the call into isafjörður, but also canceled akureyri, which we did manage to visit last week. so, this cruise began with an overnight in reykjavik and a departure time of 10 PM on the second day of the cruise. this did afford back to back cruisers (there are nearly 400) the opportunity to go on a tour or explore the city. communication of the itinerary change was good for those coming on board, but very poor for the back to back cruisers. anyway, the point here being that i have no way of knowing whether the room is good for sleeping, as we haven't started moving yet. given it's mid ship location on a higher deck, i'm going to say that it'll be just fine. i should mention that when i spoke to the assistant GM a few days ago, she indicated to me that she and the GM would make time for a drink or a meal with me on this second cruise. they are interested in hearing my perspective on all things prima. i would welcome the opportunity, but intend to do absolutely nothing to bring that about. she wants to talk to me... she certainly knows how to find me.

since when is asking for a room to sleep "a high level of compensation?" kindly go back and read this again. i think you may have missed some key points, namely that what i initially and repeatedly asked for was a room to sleep in, which is exactly what they gave me... after being subjected to this for three and a half days. and this was not a garden variety case of "lost sleep." this was NCL-endorsed, authorized and approved sleep deprivation for three and a half days... more similar to POW torture techniques than simply missing a few hours of sleep. this was not the common creaking we've all experienced in rough seas... this was not a little tossing and turning by a sleepless malcontent... this was incessant, persistent unwelcome loud noise that prevented anything from being done in the cabin. thanks for your kind words. just to be clear, these were not noises to which one would become "accustomed." some in this thread have posited that this was just a little noise, like the type routinely heard in cruise cabins. it was not! it was all-consuming and deleterious to one's health. and several others have come along to corroborate this, with one saying he "almost went mad" and that it affected his "enjoyment, mood and attitude." it is - apparently - a serious design flaw with the prima and affects a considerable number of rooms. the challenge here is that nothing is being done to rectify the issues. I think i said upthread that NCL's strategy - with everything - is to apply a quick fix... they almost never address the underlying issue, so the problem happens over and over again. these kinks won't magically work themselves out. NCL would have to decommission the rooms, break open the walls and fix whatever structural defects are in there. so, assuming they even want to do that, they would probably have to wait for the first dry dock opportunity. you know the way they say your mileage may vary? you mileage does indeed vary considerably from mine. i don't have the depth of your cruise experience, but i have quite a few under my belt. i have never experienced anything like this ever before. no creaking, popping or other noises have ever kept me from sleeping for three days and inspired me to sleep on the bathroom floor of my cabin. and while i can acknowledge that different people have different tolerance levels for unwelcome noise and inconvenience, i'm pretty darn sure that anybody who endured this would be kept awake. this was not common creaking and rattling. and, again, the problem and the degree of severity was verified by NCL. that's a vital part of this story that many seem to forget. also: i had on noise canceling headphones and could still hear the noise! they are now. it didn't start out that way. talk about customer service nightmares! all the early adopters (including me) complained and complained and complained about generation one of this product. the batteries did not last through the night. bose denied the problem existed, but kept sending out replacement products when people complained. i went through six pairs before bose did a complete product recall, discontinued the product and refunded everybody's money in full. and then they reengineered the product and came out with gen two about a year later. thanks. i plan to write something up a few days after returning home... not a trip report per se, but a bunch of miscellaneous observations, some to do with the prima, some to do with generic NCL stuff. it's not all bad! there are some wonderful stories and anecdotes about great service, great food, great comedians and many people going the extra mile to make my vacation memorable. and then there was the cruise next fellow who began his conversation with me by saying "look, sir, i don't want to get into an argument with you." THIS.

not being unreasonable, no. however, you should have no realistic expectation that they will bend the rules for you. keep at it, escalate the concern, and reach out to corporate executive offices, in miami. i personally think for things like this, you’re better off contacting NCL directly, rather than through a TA.

yes. but the right hand essentially denied there had ever been a left hand.

thanks so much for your observation. but you’re using fuzzy math, at best. platinum is the middle level, for sure, but this isn’t about levels, it’s about points. the points and where you fall in the range tell a different story. i myself have repeatedly posted about the large number of new platinum members due to double and triple points promos. but please understand, i'm not saying platinum is an elite level... NCL is. they position it as an elite level with enhanced benefits. also, if you’re going to quote me, it may be fairer to quote the entire sentence, in which i also refer to my ruby CAS status. ruby status is achieved by running $175,000 through slot machines or $350,000 through video poker machines, which is what i most often play. CAS ruby is an elite level that trumps latitudes platinum any day of the week. or at least it should, if NCL recognized the value of its casino guests outside the casino and they synched latitudes status with the casino rewards program, which they don't. (in fact, one of the latitudes levels shares a name with one of the CAS levels, but they have no shared benefits or coordination. how dumb is that?) speaking of which, i’ll be latitudes sapphire in a few days at the conclusion of this first leg of my B2B. i do very much look forward to your recalculating the math and somehow minimizing my sapphire status. `thanks in advance!

for privacy reasons (my own), i won't reveal that until the end of the cruise. but it's a club balcony room, which narrows the field considerably.