NCL Jaded: First(/LAST?) time as a Norwegian

Schawnio, you have me scared to go on NCL. I am booked on B2B out of Venice in May. I have printed my e-docs and I have same room on both trips. although its a B2B; NCL books it as two 7 day cruises; or one 14 day cruise; but your post has me concerned about what to expect. Since this is my first time on NCL; have only been on RCCL; I am planning on a great time; but you have made me worry; not much; but am concerned.

Unlucky, but I don't know about unbelievable. I used to have to make Customer Service decisions, and every time it boiled down to the business decision of "How badly do we want to keep this customer happy, and how much damage do we take if we don't?"

 

My wife and I tend to book promotions. We do not gamble in the casino, use the spa or photographers, play bingo, use NCL shore excursions/transfers, nor book the UBP. Modestly in our favour, our entire party did book the UDP, we bought a Viva Vino package along with the occasional mixed drink, paid $100 for Internet, and 6 bag-specials of laundry.

 

Even though I'm in my early 40s, how much am I worth to NCL if we cruise 3-4 weeks/year on that usage pattern for 30-40 years? Somebody looked at the $500 OBC already given and decided that was (more than?) enough as enticement to stay.

 

Further, they probably read my notes and decided that, if they cut me loose, I'm not going to make it my personal mission in life to get people to not cruise NCL. They're right. I've posted my experience here and that's the end of my initiating stuff. If people ask me "Have you ever cruised NCL?", of course I'll tell them what happened, but I won't be stalking the Internet trying to bash NCL.

 

I will move on to other lines. There are plenty! Perhaps NCL views my moving on as a win for them too.

 

L6: Still hoping you'll e-mail me that first draft of your cruise review!

I am sorry to hear about your bad experience with NCL. We have cruised with NCL on numerous occasions and did not have any problems. We recently booked a Fall cruise and could not reserve an accessible cabin because the five on the ship were booked already. I sent an e-mail to the access section and explained I needed extra room to store my mobility scooter but did not need the other special features of an accessible cabin. Then I read on cruise critic about a very large inside cabin but it cost $600 more per person. I sent an e-mail to the access section at NCL and they have given me the large cabin for no extra charge. I know it does not help your situation but felt it only fair to post this.

Wendy

Schawnio, you have me scared to go on NCL. I am booked on B2B out of Venice in May. I have printed my e-docs and I have same room on both trips. although its a B2B; NCL books it as two 7 day cruises; or one 14 day cruise; but your post has me concerned about what to expect. Since this is my first time on NCL; have only been on RCCL; I am planning on a great time; but you have made me worry; not much; but am concerned.

I wouldn't worry too much. They say 22+ million people cruise each year. This is probably the second time in the past 7-8 years I've heard someone mention having a booking problem with a b2b. You've done all you can and will be fine. If you have any doubts, do a search on here for folks getting bounced due to lost reservations or no reservations and see how many you find. Go enjoy your cruise.

Schawnio, you have me scared to go on NCL. I am booked on B2B out of Venice in May. I have printed my e-docs and I have same room on both trips. although its a B2B; NCL books it as two 7 day cruises; or one 14 day cruise; but your post has me concerned about what to expect. Since this is my first time on NCL; have only been on RCCL; I am planning on a great time; but you have made me worry; not much; but am concerned.

It may help that you are not switching cabins.

I am sorry to hear about your bad experience with NCL. We have cruised with NCL on numerous occasions and did not have any problems. We recently booked a Fall cruise and could not reserve an accessible cabin because the five on the ship were booked already. I sent an e-mail to the access section and explained I needed extra room to store my mobility scooter but did not need the other special features of an accessible cabin. Then I read on cruise critic about a very large inside cabin but it cost $600 more per person. I sent an e-mail to the access section at NCL and they have given me the large cabin for no extra charge. I know it does not help your situation but felt it only fair to post this.

 

Wendy

That is really great!

I'm really glad you were accommodated.

Happy sailing!

Flame away, but as the caregiver for a wheelchair user. A big mistake was made booking a guarantee cabin. The accessible rooms are in extremely short supply. I'll speculate that there is nothing in writing either, that a guarantee will "guarantee" you an accessible room, no matter what is said to you. Was this in writing?

 

The second issue would be, if you need a wheelchair- it is clearly listed what the fees are and that the cruise line is not in the wheelchair business. It's their prerogative to not make exceptions, even though you think you are entitled to one.

 

Some of these issues maybe were for the priority of the cheapest option- guarantee cabins usually are, and not having a wheelchair for the entire cruise?

 

Thank you for your report, good reminders for others to avoid.

I in no way needed a wheelchair for the entire cruise.

On the days we used Deck 4 to disembark, I usually used one to get off the gangway. On disembarkation from Deck 7, I didn't. (Or the other way around, one but not both. One was quite steep, the other not.)

I did not use a wheelchair to get about the ship to shows, to dinner, to go to Guest Services to ask if they had found my goddamn reservation.

You are, of course, correct in that NCL can elect to use whatever policy it likes. If it wants to gouge less mobile people in a freak snowstorm on the Mediterranean, they are, after all, a for-profit entity.

The bitter pill here in the letter I received yesterday was that it said that I would have received special treatment (a day's free wheelchair) had I spoken with a manager. I'm not sure which is worse:

1) That I got a letter saying "all you needed to have done was wave away our frontline staff" -- who operates like that?

2) That my wife did indeed raise the issue with a manager -- so 1) is not only dodgy practice, it's patently false. And of course it's false! If summoning a manager always got people exactly what they wanted, only managers could ever be hired and the cruiseline would indeed go bankrupt as requests became more and more unreasonable.

In re-reading yesterday's letter, I still can't decide it it's smarminess with a scoop of dog-doo, or dog-doo with a scoop of smarminess.

Shawnino, you are perhaps the most level headed/even keeled poster I've come across on these boards. I thank you for your exceptional commentary and also a new word, "smarminess"!

You are, of course, correct in that NCL can elect to use whatever policy it likes. If it wants to gouge less mobile people in a freak snowstorm on the Mediterranean, they are, after all, a for-profit entity.

Wheelchair rental is provided by a third party company, you most definitely should know it by now - it's clearly stated on NCL's Accessible Cruising page too.

While I too feel really bad for you about NCL losing your reservation for the second cruise (from what I've read on this thread, it didn't have anything to do with B2B), many remarks about special needs have been IMO based on just poor planning/researching and/or unrealistic expectations like expecting any entity involved to bend the rules for you.

Also, I wouldn't trust anything any single NCL rep tells me about anything (like the claimed ability to get a HC cabin as GTY, as others too have pointed out) without confirming from two others - this is an ongoing and unfortunate problem with NCL customer service.

Wheelchair rental is provided by a third party company, you most definitely should know it by now - it's clearly stated on NCL's Accessible Cruising page too.

 

While I too feel really bad for you about NCL losing your reservation for the second cruise (from what I've read on this thread, it didn't have anything to do with B2B), many remarks about special needs have been IMO based on just poor planning/researching and/or unrealistic expectations like expecting any entity involved to bend the rules for you.

 

Also, I wouldn't trust anything any single NCL rep tells me about anything (like the claimed ability to get a HC cabin as GTY, as others too have pointed out) without confirming from two others - this is an ongoing and unfortunate problem with NCL customer service.

You may be right. It is nevertheless annoying to be told after the fact words to the effect of "whatl you needed to do was speak to a manager--free wheelchair!"

You are certainly right to close with that "this is an ongoing and unfortunate problem with NCL Customer Service".

What I really want to know is that something's being done in re: lost reservations. I've learned a hard lesson re: GTY cabins and being misled by Reps.

To come back to the wheelchair, seeing them sit empty was frustrating, and perhaps I let my frustration get the better of me here. If so, that's my shortcoming. But at the end of the day NCL is supposed to be in the accommodation business. Let me give you an example from my time in Helsinki.

12 years ago I was booked into a hotel near Kaisaniemi metro station for a week. I booked a Superior Room at a Regular rate, and was somehow placed in the most spacious hotel accommodations I've ever stayed in. Six rooms proper in the suite, plus its own Sauna! I could not believe my luck.

On Day 5, there was a knock on the door, the manager. Would I possibly consider moving? A party with two wheelchair users arrived unannounced, they they could really use the space, Sir,.... I was a touch disappointed, but I said sure. It was Midsummer, so staff was a bit light, but they could send someone to help me pack they said. No, no, I'd do it myself thanks.

I didn't get back to Helsinki often--when I did, I stayed at the same place. Not because I "got kicked out of my room", of course not--but because they do everything they can to accommodate guests. First me, rather than leave the suite empty, then other people who truly needed it. I've never been offered the suite again, and that's fine. (Aside: I don't know why they get such middling reviews on Trip Advisor. I think they are a good operator in the perfect location. Maybe my standards are low.)

NCL had the chance to accommodate me and passed. Unlucky. Adding insult, I got a form letter saying they would have. Poor.

Perhaps I overreacted?

No flames intended here. There is a lesson for all of us here who need a handicap Cabin for what ever reason we feel we need it. Most sailings are available for booking at least a year in advance. Therefore, if you NEED a handicap cabin, book EARLY and hang onto your booking. The cabin screw up was not pleasant I am sure, but you were poorly served right from the start by your TA and then by the line itself. The painful lesson is this. There is NO SUCH thing as a Guarantee Handicap cabin. Does not exist, never has and never will. I book every year for my wifes needs well in advance and if we can not book a Handicap cabin right from the start, we ALWAYS look elsewhere. I would fire the TA and book directly with the cruise line. Somebody got their wires crossed on this deal and you paid the price.

Personally, I would never book guarantee if I need accessible.

I missed that. If one needs something, they need to book it and not try to save a few bucks. Now, I may be on NCL's side.

 

Also, I wouldn't trust anything any single NCL rep tells me about anything without confirming from two others - this is an ongoing and unfortunate problem with NCL customer service.

Well that sure is encouraging! :( I've never sailed NCL but the warm fuzzy I initially had is fading quickly. The more I read on the NCL forum, the more I just want to pack it in and cancel.

Well that sure is encouraging! :( I've never sailed NCL but the warm fuzzy I initially had is fading quickly. The more I read on the NCL forum, the more I just want to pack it in and cancel.

Unfortunately that is the current state of many, many companies' customer service desks nowadays - the employee turnover is high and most reps have not stepped foot on most ships they should be able to help people with.

The service onboard is completely different (in a good way) but even they have limitations on what they can do onboard (for example problems with OBC, other booking related problems, etc) and again, when they need to contact HQ, that's where the possible problems arise.

If you can't find the info you are looking for from NCL's website, you will probably get more reliable and consistent answers here on board (search first, please :)) than from NCL reps.

No flames intended here. There is a lesson for all of us here who need a handicap Cabin for what ever reason we feel we need it. Most sailings are available for booking at least a year in advance. Therefore, if you NEED a handicap cabin, book EARLY and hang onto your booking. The cabin screw up was not pleasant I am sure, but you were poorly served right from the start by your TA and then by the line itself. The painful lesson is this. There is NO SUCH thing as a Guarantee Handicap cabin. Does not exist, never has and never will. I book every year for my wifes needs well in advance and if we can not book a Handicap cabin right from the start, we ALWAYS look elsewhere. I would fire the TA and book directly with the cruise line. Somebody got their wires crossed on this deal and you paid the price.

I did. It wasn't "somebody" who got his wires crossed, it was repeated inaccurate assurances to both me and my TA.

But the larger drama was the second reservation that was out-and-out lost.

At no point during or after-the-fact did anybody at NCL tie that to an accessibility issue... it was just gone.

I can only assume it could happen to anyone.

It doesn't happen often enough that we read about it often here--but it does happen often enough that the desk staff didn't bat an eye.

Unfortunately that is the current state of many, many companies' customer service desks nowadays - the employee turnover is high and most reps have not stepped foot on most ships they should be able to help people with.

 

The service onboard is completely different (in a good way) but even they have limitations on what they can do onboard (for example problems with OBC, other booking related problems, etc) and again, when they need to contact HQ, that's where the possible problems arise.

 

If you can't find the info you are looking for from NCL's website, you will probably get more reliable and consistent answers here on board (search first, please :)) than from NCL reps.

I agree, well worded. I have actually been flat out lied to by a rep from NCL call center. I was told one thing, after I asked several times (at least 3 times during the conversation) and then, come to find out........it was a total, and could have been a very expensive, lie. It did sour me on NCL somewhat because we are calling them, the NCL toll free number, to help us with a very expensive vacation (21 day cruise, plus airfare from USA to Europe) and they either don't know, or have too much pressure to make a "sale" that they give misinformation.

I even felt like the consultant I spoke to was at her home???? Not sure, but she did seem distracted. So much so that I didn't reserve at that time and hung up.

So, your post is correct, check, recheck, recheck, recheck.

As for Shawnino, he did get an ADA cabin the first leg of the trip, so, he did get the cabin he needed with a GTY. That to me means that he had done everything right and had asked the right questions. Plus he knew his cabin number for the next leg of the cruise because it was on his printed, NCL, documents and it was also a ADA cabin.

The bigger and most important issue is the LOST reservation with that cabin.

LOST RESERVATION!!

L6: Was that the insurance issue? Did you ever get that sorted?

Interactions with different people makes me think think PCCs work from home, especially the ones who say they work seven days a week. I have no problem with that--that's my schtick too!