Concerned About Port Time Changes

[janpo]

Well, that undercuts the theory that it was something to do with Bermuda rather than NCL.

 

So, it is NCLs doing . Has to be a money saving / making tactic.

[Cauzneffct]

So, it is NCLs doing . Has to be a money saving / making tactic.

 

The more I deal with them, the more it comes off as if I'm dealing with a teenager: not being upfront, trying to get away with things and only "apologizing" if they get caught, etc. If they want the extra $5 a day, just add it to my fare when I'm looking to book so I, as an adult, can see if the product they're offering is worth the price theyre charging. But all of these piddily changes after I've booked, coupled with the simply horrendous way they've been handled, give the impression that NCL is struggling in leadership if not financially.

 

Its possible that our upcoming cruise will knock our socks off and we'll be willing to overlook NCL's juvenile business practices, but its never a good sign when I'm expecting something weird, if not bad, to be announced (publically, at least) for the first time once I board.

Edited July 24, 2015 by Cauzneffct

[Homosassa]

Sorry folks, but as am experienced cruiser, I take the published itinerary ad port times as just an estimate of what ports will be visited and the times in port.

 

It is common across the cruise industry that ports and port times will change due to many factors (weather and political situations for examples) and port times will often be different also due to a variety of factors.

 

In some cases, the exact port arrival and departure time will be changed on the day of the port arrival (including a longer time in port then originally scheduled).

 

It is just a fact of cruising life.

 

So, if there is a port that you must absolutely go to (for the more dramatic among us: "the only reason I booked the cruise") or something that you must absolutely do ("my $50,000 wedding is arranged on the beach), don't book a cruise. Arrange a land vacation to that area.

[ashley_and_jason]

If you booked through a TA any communication regarding that booking goes through the TA. Standard procedure.

 

Not true. I get emails from NCL when they upped the DSC. It seems they pick and choose which emails go to me directly.

 

When they want more money...email me. When they make some change about my cruise, email the TA. LOL.

[emcelh]

Not true. I get emails from NCL when they upped the DSC. It seems they pick and choose which emails go to me directly.

 

When they want more money...email me. When they make some change about my cruise, email the TA. LOL.

 

Maybe so, but that's not the way it's supposed to work. I'll agree, communication is not what it should be.

 

If I were as angry about these issues as some here seem to be and could cancel without penalty, I would. There are people up in arms about all the changes and their perception of the new management's incompetence, whose cruises aren't for several months. Going into something with that attitude is setting yourself up for disappointment. It's a self-fulfilled prophecy.

[motleyfan]

Sorry folks, but as am experienced cruiser, I take the published itinerary ad port times as just an estimate of what ports will be visited and the times in port.

 

It is common across the cruise industry that ports and port times will change due to many factors (weather and political situations for examples) and port times will often be different also due to a variety of factors.

 

In some cases, the exact port arrival and departure time will be changed on the day of the port arrival (including a longer time in port then originally scheduled).

 

It is just a fact of cruising life.

 

So, if there is a port that you must absolutely go to (for the more dramatic among us: "the only reason I booked the cruise") or something that you must absolutely do ("my $50,000 wedding is arranged on the beach), don't book a cruise. Arrange a land vacation to that area.

 

This is a very intelligent post and a great idea. I agree if you absolutely need to visit a certain port just book a regular vacation there

[HarpHarp]

Sorry folks, but as am experienced cruiser, I take the published itinerary ad port times as just an estimate of what ports will be visited and the times in port.

 

It is common across the cruise industry that ports and port times will change due to many factors (weather and political situations for examples) and port times will often be different also due to a variety of factors.

 

In some cases, the exact port arrival and departure time will be changed on the day of the port arrival (including a longer time in port then originally scheduled).

 

It is just a fact of cruising life.

 

So, if there is a port that you must absolutely go to (for the more dramatic among us: "the only reason I booked the cruise") or something that you must absolutely do ("my $50,000 wedding is arranged on the beach), don't book a cruise. Arrange a land vacation to that area.

 

This is a very intelligent post and a great idea. I agree if you absolutely need to visit a certain port just book a regular vacation there

 

If you've cruised more than a couple times, it is likely that you run into a missed or delayed port. As I said in my previous post what these 2 posts ignore is that what we are discussing here is not a port change due to some urgent unintentional situation, like weather or political problems. This is a decision made by the company, weeks 7 months in advance, with no notification.

Some of the changes are still not corrected everywhere as evidenced by a new booking on our roll call that still had wrong port times. Private excursion vendors still have not been informed & as of yesterday several schedules are still wrong on the various port schedule web sites

This is the equivalent of getting to the airport, only to find out the airline changed its schedule 2 weeks ago & couldn't be bothered to notify you. Would you be so understanding of the airline, if you missed an important meeting or your cruise ship?

[mking8288]

If you've cruised more than a couple times, it is likely that you run into a missed or delayed port ... (shortened for easier reading) This is the equivalent of getting to the airport, only to find out the airline changed its schedule 2 weeks ago & couldn't be bothered to notify you. Would you be so understanding of the airline, if you missed an important meeting or your cruise ship?

 

<< LIKE >> +1 If part of the problem was truely an I.T. issue - heads would've been rolling and the CIO should've been out on the curb with his/her paper box a long time ago after these repeat "errors" - where is the accountability even if public trust & confidence are ignored. It's just a bad business model to stay on - but, WTH - where does the buck stop ??

 

The form letter replies that some of us received is a clear indication that they knew what they were doing - running a live & full scale drill to see how the sheepies respond, and seeing the negative, backpeddled & scapegoated their IT ... (that's purely my analytical theory) And, it's convincing enough with the claims that officials/local authorities in Bermuda had nothing to do with changing or cutting ship's hours in the port.

 

As the "captive audience" continued to sing with the perks - having the lurking "spin" teams waiting the "cruise contracts" are not even close to cheerleading ... but I will call it just short of deception in a broad sense.

 

Silence isn't gold, silence is cold - but, feel free to trust them, it's your money.

[HarpHarp]

Now all the shore excursions have disappeared :mad: If they come back with a 7 am start time for the Baths excursion on our Tortola stop or increase the price I'm going to be upset all over again.

 

My PCC was on the ball. When I first talked to him on Monday, He knew something was wrong with the port time showing for St Thomas & he was right. If it wasn't for him, I would be sailing on another ship already.

[Jane Don]

Now all the shore excursions have disappeared :mad: If they come back with a 7 am start time for the Baths excursion on our Tortola stop or increase the price I'm going to be upset all over again.

 

My PCC was on the ball. When I first talked to him on Monday, He knew something was wrong with the port time showing for St Thomas & he was right. If it wasn't for him, I would be sailing on another ship already.

 

I am booked on a western Caribbean cruise with no itinerary changes and today it shows no shore excursions.

[johnlatte]

I'm on a western, and there have been no changes, and I see all excursions...who should I complain to? :rolleyes:

[rhblake]

Private excursion vendors still have not been informed & as of yesterday

 

Do you really believe that NCL should have to notify private excursion vendors what their schedules are changing? NCL wants to sell you their excursions not help the competition.

[NLH Arizona]

Private excursion vendors still have not been informed & as of yesterday several schedules are still wrong on the various port schedule web sites

NCL is under no obligation to notify an outside vendor of the changes, that is on the shoulders of the person who booked the excursion.

[sjbdtz]

<< LIKE >> +1 If part of the problem was truely an I.T. issue - heads would've been rolling and the CIO should've been out on the curb with his/her paper box a long time ago after these repeat "errors" - where is the accountability even if public trust & confidence are ignored. It's just a bad business model to stay on - but, WTH - where does the buck stop ??

 

The form letter replies that some of us received is a clear indication that they knew what they were doing - running a live & full scale drill to see how the sheepies respond, and seeing the negative, backpeddled & scapegoated their IT ... (that's purely my analytical theory) And, it's convincing enough with the claims that officials/local authorities in Bermuda had nothing to do with changing or cutting ship's hours in the port.

 

As the "captive audience" continued to sing with the perks - having the lurking "spin" teams waiting the "cruise contracts" are not even close to cheerleading ... but I will call it just short of deception in a broad sense.

 

Silence isn't gold, silence is cold - but, feel free to trust them, it's your money.

 

Did you run out of tinfoil, when making your hat?

 

Seriously, IT snafus happen ALL the time. Companies aren't eager to promote them.

 

Maybe the IT guy DID get fired. Doesn't mean they're going to publicly admit to having an IT weakness (and let's hope they don't admit that....they have all of ALL of OUR passport numbers, birthdates, credit card info....everything needed for identity theft).

 

If they have an IT weakness, I hope they fix it, and keep it to themselves. Unlike Ashley Madison (whew! :) ) ....

 

 

Stephen

 

 

.

Edited July 24, 2015 by sjbdtz

[HarpHarp]

NCL is under no obligation to notify an outside vendor of the changes, that is on the shoulders of the person who booked the excursion.

 

I am not speaking about people who have booked a private excursion. I'm talking about the vendors who promise to get you back to the ship on time or pick you up at the port when your ship dock. Pretty hard to do when they have wrong information.

 

I still have no excursions listed for my cruise. What a fiasco this has been on the part of NCL. I hope that Stephen is right & they get their IT difficulties worked out without compromising any of our information..

[flag fan]

NCL is making so many changes against the interest of passengers--2 raises in the service charge, switching specialty restaurants to more expense a la carte pricing, reducing times in ports, charging for room service (at the higher of the 2 rates they used during a trial period), and limiting take-out food (which went into effect at the same time as charging for room service but not (supposedly) related to the new charges (the only one of these changes that has been reversed)).

 

If I was a regular, loyal customer of NCL I would feel betrayed. I am surprised some posters are defending NCL's reduction of times in post as something that should be expected because these things happen (all though on other cruise lines they happen because of bad weather, mechanical problems, port authority-mandated changes, or other special circumstances).

 

NCL no longer has a unique product with freestyle dining (which almost all cruise lines now have) and casual dress codes (which almost all cruise lines now have). It will be interesting to see if NCL sets a trend that others follow of if customers will vote with their feet by going to other cruise lines.

[sjbdtz]

.

 

NCL no longer has a unique product with freestyle dining (which almost all cruise lines now have) and casual dress codes (which almost all cruise lines now have). .

 

 

I'd beg to differ on these two points.

 

 

Anytime Dining is not the same thing as Freestyle Dining, in practice. There are many comparisons between the two, if you care to learn more - just search.

 

And Princess has a relaxed dress code...so long as you don't mind being relegated to the buffet. :rolleyes:

 

 

 

Stephen

 

 

.

[cv322]

Well I'm over the moon that my 12-day Breakaway, in January, is now a 14-day with 2 new ports...and my cruise price is protected ;)! Way to go NCL! This more than makes up for losing 2 hours in Bermuda in September & October! :D!

Edited July 25, 2015 by cv322

[emcelh]

Well I'm over the moon that my 12-day Breakaway, in January, is now a 14-day with 2 new ports...and my cruise price is protected ;)! Way to go NCL! This more than makes up for losing 2 hours in Bermuda in September & October! :D!

 

Good deal for you!!! Enjoy.

[Squirty27]

Well I'm over the moon that my 12-day Breakaway, in January, is now a 14-day with 2 new ports...and my cruise price is protected ;)! Way to go NCL! This more than makes up for losing 2 hours in Bermuda in September & October! :D!

 

What are your two new ports?

[ryanabbey]

If it's an IT problem' date=' it hasn't been fixed on my summary page. Mykonos is still showing 5:00departure instead of the original 6:00.[/quote']

 

Mykonos departure now 4pm on my summary page.

[Stillfloatin']

Mykonos departure now 4pm on my summary page.

 

Just checked again. Yup, lost ANOTHER hour. Thanks for the heads up.

[slotprincess]

2 hour cut in Mykonos. There goes our kayak trip! Not a happy camper right now.