Let's Be Real - Expectations for a "Perfect" Cruise

[marelind]

We were on the Star in Feb/Mar. Three days before we embarked they cut Mazatlan and scheduled two days for Cabo. Then the first night of the cruise we had a medical emergency that sent us back to Ensenada and eliminated the first day in Cabo. We also had fairly cool and windy weather throughout the cruise.

 

We just got off the Pearl on Sunday. Embarkation was a mess due to Customs and not helped by the NCL ground staff. What should have been a 1 hour process took 3 hours. In SF our departure was delayed for about 2 hours by a crew member who jumped ship. One afternoon we lost all potable water (no tap water, showers, hand washing, toilets flushed!) because of a leak on deck 5. We had some rocky seas for a day or two.

 

Now here's my point, things don't go perfectly on a cruise. Just because I paid for a certain itinerary, doesn't mean I will get exactly what I want or expect. There are a variety of reasons things change. I don't expect the cruise line to make it up to me or give me a bunch of freebies because of conditions beyond their control. A situation like the Carnival Splendor is vastly different than a few inconveniences like a delayed shower or missed port. If you want a more predictable vacation try a land based hotel.

 

Whew! Thanks for letting me get that off my chest! :o

[Wildcatllamas]

Now here's my point, things don't go perfectly on a cruise. Just because I paid for a certain itinerary, doesn't mean I will get exactly what I want or expect. There are a variety of reasons things change. I don't expect the cruise line to make it up to me or give me a bunch of freebies because of conditions beyond their control. A situation like the Carnival Splendor is vastly different than a few inconveniences like a delayed shower or missed port. If you want a more predictable vacation try a land based hotel.

 

Whew! Thanks for letting me get that off my chest! :o

 

 

That is so refreshing to hear someone say that.

 

At the casino/hotel I work at we are starting the season that can best be referred to as the scam artist season. Folks wanting to see how much of their vacation they can get for free by complaining. It is not just in this industry but at hotels across the country as well as the cruise industry. It is a real shame.

[Hikini]

Well said - thank you!

 

On our last cruise we had several things that didn't go right but it was the best cruise we ever had. (They are all good!)

 

First thing - the gangway in Seattle wasn't working (no fault of NCL). It wouldn't "unfold" to attach the building to the ship, so they had to use alternate methods. That made for a slow disembarkation for the returning cruise and a slow (and late) embarkation for the departing cruise. NCL did everything they could to make it as smooth as possible. And we departed Seattle on time.

 

Next thing - on the first night there were some vibrations felt that would come and go. My Dad, who is 85 and has been a fix-it farmer all is life said there was something wrong with the propellor. Sure enough, the next morning the captain made an announcement that there was a propellor problem and as a result we had slowed down the previous night. As a result we would be late getting into Ketchikan, our first stop.

 

The slow speed meant that we would not make it to Juneau in time to be in the usual docking spot, so instead of going to Juneau in the morning and Tracy Arm/Sawyer Glacier in the afternoon, we would go to Dawes Glacier in the morning and Juneau in the afternoon.

 

It was also announced that because of the time needed to get back to Seattle at a slower speed, the Prince Rupert Canada port stop would be canceled. OK, you can only imagine the groans, moans, anger, disbelief, etc that we heard from many passengers.

 

The good news is that when we made it into Ketchikan there were divers that went down to inspect any damage and they found that there had been something caught in the prop, but that it had worked its way loose and there was nothing wrong - we would be back up to speed again, and as a result we would still go to Prince Rupert. But our Juneau/Glacier day was still going to be the alternate plan. (I won't go into why that was an excellent alternate plan, anyway.) We also had to tender in Juneau, which we wouldn't have if we hadn't had to change plans.

 

The NCL staff did everything they could to make people happy. I can only imagine how swamped they were with people who needed to make changes to their excursions and so on. And some people just don't know how to roll with the punches - and they take it out on whoever they can.

 

Upon our return to Seattle, the gangway that was supposed to have been fixed while we were gone, wasn't. Therefore we were the slow ones getting off the ship with the jury-rigged system, and the next cruise departing had the same problem we did the week before.

 

All of these issues ruined nothing for us. You have to know that sometimes things happen. Not that there is someone you have to blame or someone who has to pay you for your inconveniences. I appreciated the staff who bent over backwards to try to make it pleasant and fun for everyone. We still had a great time and it truly was our best cruise ever, in spite of these issues.

 

One other cruise, when we returned to Seattle we were informed that there was a surprise immigration check and NO ONE could get off the ship until ALL of the crew, including the captain, had gotten off the ship and been checked by immigration and was back on board. It took about 90-120 minutes for that process to be completed and then the passengers could disembark. There were people who missed flights, trains, connections, etc. But what could NCL have done differently? Nothing!

[che5904]

Good post Mary but I had to correct one thing. "we had fairly cool and windy weather"??? 53degF on Sunday brrrrrr, I thought I went to get away from the cold. And I think that one day the wind blew a sealion up on the promenade deck. :D

 

Gee I wonder if NCL shouldn't give me some freebies for frostbite ;) Just joking. Hey we made the best of it and I ended up with a new cruise hoody out of the deal (DH was so kind and didn't want me to be cold).

[che5904]

Next thing - on the first night there were some vibrations felt that would come and go. My Dad, who is 85 and has been a fix-it farmer all is life said there was something wrong with the propellor. Sure enough, the next morning the captain made an announcement that there was a propellor problem and as a result we had slowed down the previous night.

quote]

 

Gotta love the wisdom that comes with age.:)

[willysgrandma]

Well said.

 

I have never been on a perfect vacation - ever. If I wanted to nit pick, I could find something minor on any vacation.

 

And my life is sure not perfect either. How you deal with problems that come up in real life will be a reflection of how you deal with problems that come up on a vacation.

 

I've had so much illness in my life that every day is a blessing - and every day I can go on a vacation is too. Many people can't afford to vacation at all - so who am I to whine about small things?

 

I may point out imperfections if I post a review - but I'll also mention things I loved.

[slotaddict]

Well I don;t think any cruise is perfect, and yet I enjoyed them all. Our latest cruise on the Epic, had several problems at the end neither of which I could blame on NCL.. I say suck it up and go with the flow, life is to short to stress over the small stuff...

 

Sometimes however I think it is necessary to mention a specific problem upon returning from the cruise, sometimes its taken as a complaint but perhaps it should just be a warning...

[marelind]

Sometimes however I think it is necessary to mention a specific problem upon returning from the cruise, sometimes its taken as a complaint but perhaps it should just be a warning...

 

I agree! Share your experience and your opinions; that's what CC is all about, but condemning the entire cruise line or entire 7, 10 or 14 day cruise... puhleeze!

[marelind]

Good post Mary but I had to correct one thing. "we had fairly cool and windy weather"??? 53degF on Sunday brrrrrr, I thought I went to get away from the cold. And I think that one day the wind blew a sealion up on the promenade deck. :Dquote]

 

LOL! Is that what I heard barking?? Yeah, it was pretty darn cold, I must admit, but, oh well, we were on a cruise!! ~~

[johnql]

Well said. Unrealistic expectations are definitely the primary cause of disappointment, which often leads to complaints.

 

One popular misconception that I still run into with friends and family is that a cruise is all-inclusive. In my cruising experience, this has never been the case - not now, not 10 years ago, not 20 years ago - although I will concede that more was included years ago. Unfortunately, word of mouth or misleading marketing by cruise lines has led many newbie cruisers to believe this myth. Once onboard, they are surprised, perhaps shocked, and certainly dismayed that many items carry a surcharge. This often puts them in a bad frame of mind, predisposed to not enjoy their cruise.

 

So...to all prospective cruisers - research your cruises and cruise lines. Forewarned is forearmed.

[che5904]

Good post Mary but I had to correct one thing. "we had fairly cool and windy weather"??? 53degF on Sunday brrrrrr, I thought I went to get away from the cold. And I think that one day the wind blew a sealion up on the promenade deck. :Dquote]

 

LOL! Is that what I heard barking?? Yeah, it was pretty darn cold, I must admit, but, oh well, we were on a cruise!! ~~

 

You are so right and I am so sad not to be on one now :( But you did warn us before we left that CA was having a cold front go through. But it was absolutely gorgeous when we got back to LA and Mexico was lovely weather.

[Lovely_Star]

We were on the Star in Feb/Mar. Three days before we embarked they cut Mazatlan and scheduled two days for Cabo. Then the first night of the cruise we had a medical emergency that sent us back to Ensenada and eliminated the first day in Cabo. We also had fairly cool and windy weather throughout the cruise.

 

We just got off the Pearl on Sunday. Embarkation was a mess due to Customs and not helped by the NCL ground staff. What should have been a 1 hour process took 3 hours. In SF our departure was delayed for about 2 hours by a crew member who jumped ship. One afternoon we lost all potable water (no tap water, showers, hand washing, toilets flushed!) because of a leak on deck 5. We had some rocky seas for a day or two.

 

Now here's my point, things don't go perfectly on a cruise. Just because I paid for a certain itinerary, doesn't mean I will get exactly what I want or expect. There are a variety of reasons things change. I don't expect the cruise line to make it up to me or give me a bunch of freebies because of conditions beyond their control. A situation like the Carnival Splendor is vastly different than a few inconveniences like a delayed shower or missed port. If you want a more predictable vacation try a land based hotel.

 

Whew! Thanks for letting me get that off my chest! :o

 

Damn kudos, you really are an optimist....I don't think I'd be as optimistic if I experienced all of that on one cruise :eek:

[STARFISH*4]

a CRUISE is what YOU make of it...no matter what...just like vacations...have to go with the flow~~even when the SUN "broke" down on our B2B in December, we still had a GREAT time, because we looked past all that was going on and made the BEST of it!!

[DMH15]

I cruise with my mom whose motto is "life is an adventure". I recently heard this one: "the difference between an ordeal and an adventure... Is attitude!"

 

Sometimes the funny things that go wrong in life are the ones we remember and laugh about later. It is unrealistic to expect everything in life to go as planned and geez, a cruise is a whole other animal when we are talking vacations, there's just so many things that could happen, and sometimes they do.

 

In March my mom and I used my FF miles to fly to LA for her 60th high school reunion. We planned to stay at the home of her friend who has a large place in the hills. Well, first the reunion was cancelled and then her friend's daughter died from cancer and just didn't feel up to guests. I thought, why not a cruise? We booked Carnival Paradise late and just went with it and had a smashing time. What's really funny about this trip is that it was out of Long Beach. My mom has a friend who lives in San Pedro who said she was not up to a drive to see us, and we did not rent a car in LA. Well, when our cruise disembarked they announced they had to take us to San Pedro due to problems at the Long Beach pier with the gangplank. They announced they would shuttle pax to LB. Or pax could get a cab or be picked up if they wished. Mom called her friend and she lives 6 blocks from the SP pier! She picked us up and we spent a lovely day at her house. She made us a wonderful lunch and we had a car service take us to the LAX hotel that night. It's funny how sometimes life's mistakes become blessings. My mom and her friend have known each other for over 60 years and who knows when they will get to visit again.

 

I love cruising. It would take a lot to ruin any cruise for me!

[valleyvillage]

It is astounding how often unrealistic types look at misfortune as a payday or some kind of entitlement.

 

There is a Star review in the review section that gives the cruise one star, even though the writer talks about good food, good service, but overall calls the cruise mediocre.

 

Keep reading.

 

They got left behind in PV because they did not return to the ship in time! I am sure this is no fun, especially without passports and trying to get back to Los Angeles, etc. But the reviewer felt NCL should have either had the ship come back for them, or helicoptered their passports back to the pier.

 

I know this is human nature, we all have bouts of it when we make a mistake and then start looking for some kind of scapegoat. But why compound the situation and making the adventure into an injustice?

 

Cheers!

[mikewrit]

The sad thing is that negative people who whine and complain and refuse to be satisfied suck up vast quantities of good service while we damnfool optimists make the most of our adventures.

[NJGeorge]

the sad thing is that negative people who whine and complain and refuse to be satisfied suck up vast quantities of good service while we damnfool optimists make the most of our adventures.

 

x2:)

[purplestarlisa]

a CRUISE is what YOU make of it...no matter what...just like vacations...have to go with the flow~~even when the SUN "broke" down on our B2B in December, we still had a GREAT time, because we looked past all that was going on and made the BEST of it!!

 

LIFE is what you make of it!

[Pamster]

Damn kudos, you really are an optimist....I don't think I'd be as optimistic if I experienced all of that on one cruise :eek:

 

On the same cruise - in addition, the rough waters kept me in bed for the sea day between SF and Astoria (cutting into my casino time - as did the crew member jumping ship in SF). But it was still a great cruise.

[marelind]

Damn kudos, you really are an optimist....I don't think I'd be as optimistic if I experienced all of that on one cruise :eek:

 

Fortunately, that was two cruises, one on the Star and one on the Pearl. ;)

[melody-s]

It amazes me that some people manage to be grumpy while they are on a cruise. As you say sometimes things go wrong, but often those incidences make for the best stories later.

 

My daughter, quite the intrepid traveler, has great stories about misadventures wandering through Central America. These include interesting hostels, stumbling through the language barrier, and taking a Chicken Bus from Guatemala to Costa Rica while very hungover. It was a grand time for her, and it gives me perspective in my own travels.

[retiredonthesea]

Negativism----an attitude or system of thought characterized by doubt and question, rather than approval and acceptance----- who needs it:confused: Life is much more fun with a positive attitude!:D

[DeWSkog]

willysgrandma - I've had so much illness in my life that every day is a blessing - and every day I can go on a vacation is too. Many people can't afford to vacation at all - so who am I to whine about small things?

 

I will add, spend most of a year thinking that you could be gone at any time. Then what would you do afterwards. Sit at home staring at TV or try to create new memories. The thought of being worried about a propeller is better than being up to date on the soaps! I feel glad for every day that I am given good or bad.

[deadhead30]

I am a newbie here, and I do not disagree with anything anyone as posted! My 2 cents, though, is that businesses of all kinds just don't seem to provide good customer service anymore. I realize that some things are beyond the cruise's control, like bad weather, changing itineraries due to political unrest, etc... But if there's a mechanical problem, like something wrong with the propellor which causes them to miss out on 2 ports, would it kill them to give people something in return, even if it's just $10 OBC or something? Just as a courtesy?

 

I have never asked for anything free in my life, so that is not what I am saying. I am just thinking of a time when, at the cinema, the pojector broke 45 minutes into the movie. They gave everyone their money back PLUS gift certificate for another movie. Stuff like that is just being nice to your customers, isn't it?

 

Have the greedy complainers who want everything for nothing ruined customer service?

[che5904]

I am a newbie here, and I do not disagree with anything anyone as posted! My 2 cents, though, is that businesses of all kinds just don't seem to provide good customer service anymore. I realize that some things are beyond the cruise's control, like bad weather, changing itineraries due to political unrest, etc... But if there's a mechanical problem, like something wrong with the propellor which causes them to miss out on 2 ports, would it kill them to give people something in return, even if it's just $10 OBC or something? Just as a courtesy?

 

I have never asked for anything free in my life, so that is not what I am saying. I am just thinking of a time when, at the cinema, the pojector broke 45 minutes into the movie. They gave everyone their money back PLUS gift certificate for another movie. Stuff like that is just being nice to your customers, isn't it?

 

Have the greedy complainers who want everything for nothing ruined customer service?

 

OK deadhead30 you are talking out of both sides of your mouth here :confused:. On one side you say some things are beyond the cruise’s control, like bad weather etc. Then you talk about mechanical problems and getting something for it. Mechanical problems 99% of the time are not within the cruise companies control either. I’m sure all cruise companies keep their cruises as mechanically fit as they can, considering I really don’t think their goal is to have 1800-4000 unhappy cruisers broke down in the middle of the ocean. When my car breaks down it doesn’t mean I haven’t had it serviced regularly, crap happens!

Your example of the theatre is not equivalent, I don’t think you went to the theatre to just sit in a seat, so they refund you your cost. You are paying for a cruise on the ocean, you are getting that propeller working or not. Ports are not guaranteed with weather, mechincal, failure, country unrest, whatever. So if crap like that happens, lay back in your lounge, and order another margarita, Don't write off the whole cruise/cruiseline or want compensation. (I think is what the OP is getting at)

I won’t even get into your “ruined customer service” and what all I think with the customer service in todays world. They won’t let me write a book about it on CC :). Thank goodness so far I have only ran into good customer service with NCL.