The Alaskan Jewel! Welcome Aboard….You don’t Exist!

[jenseib]

This was the area I had walked to this morning. See how close you can get to the ship!

board34 by Jenseib, on Flickr

A quick look back, you can see that the designs on the doorway and side of the ship often coincided with what was located right inside.

board35 by Jenseib, on Flickr

board36 by Jenseib, on Flickr

Up next…..Let’s get sailing!!!!

[jvsnana]

Enjoying your review! Can you tell me how long it took you to walk from your hotel to the waterfront to see the Jewel?

[Husky1987]

Thanks so much for the review so far...I'm enjoying it.

 

My wife and I are on the Jewel in December out of LA so I'm now mentally preparing myself for what to do "just in case"!

 

Sorry Seattle was the site of so much stress for you, but hopefully you left with good feelings for my hometown :)

[TMC]

I have really been enjoying your review. Glad to hear that they finally offered some OBC. I know that I would have been really frustrated to wait in more lines just to fix their mess with dining, etc. Shouldn't Florentina have helped out with that? Sounds like it may not be worth having a concierge.

 

Do you have advice for anyone thinking about booking with NCL or who is already booked to help avoid this type of problem? Did you ever find out exactly what/how this happened?

 

Thanks!

TMC

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I have really been enjoying your review. Glad to hear that they finally offered some OBC. I know that I would have been really frustrated to wait in more lines just to fix their mess with dining, etc. Shouldn't Florentina have helped out with that? Sounds like it may not be worth having a concierge.

 

 

 

 

That is what I cannot figure out while I have not had Florentina as Concierge everyone has immediately confirmed any dining and if I did not have a day listed they wanted to reserve for me even if it was in the Main Dining Room. I have never dealt with anyone except our Concierge. Which is why Suites on NCL have always been a plus for me. Well that and my Lavazza Coffee maker [emoji6][emoji4][emoji477]️

 

 

 

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[boopsahoy]

That is what I cannot figure out while I have not had Florentina as Concierge everyone has immediately confirmed any dining and if I did not have a day listed they wanted to reserve for me even if it was in the Main Dining Room. I have never dealt with anyone except our Concierge. Which is why Suites on NCL have always been a plus for me. Well that and my Lavazza Coffee maker [emoji6][emoji4][emoji477]️

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Florentina was a horrible concierge the 3 times I had her. Debarkation was a nightmare and she barley spoke to us during the cruise. Unlike Carlos who got us off the ship quickly and stopped by our cabin every single day during the cruise to see if we needed anything!

[willowvacay]

We were on jewel this past Week And we had Florentina as well. It was interesting having her compared to other concierges we have had on NCL. I agree with an above poster that she should have handled all of your issues.

 

When we were on getaway a year ago we went to guest services desk for something and the person there apologized to us and told us we didn't need to come there as the concierge should be handling all of our issues (I can't even remember what the issue was). They handled it at the desk anyway. Then once we were back upstairs near the concierge desk the concierge apologized that we didn't know to come to her for everything. We couldn't believe that guest services had called her and she had taken the time out to let us know she could help us in the future. The time we were on Getaway we had excellent concierge service.

 

Contrast that to the debacle that happened to you and it's crazy. Although we did "exist" on our cruise it was like pulling teeth to get anything done. We waited to get UDP and soda package until onboard so we could use OBC for those. Getting both the beverage sticker and the dining package on the same room card was just too much work for the concierge desk on jewel! Then when we came for breakfast we were frequently treated like they didn't remember us! We also had problems like your pillow problem...we didn't get our latitudes pin for being a return guest and I asked our butler 3 times for it and he told me they didn't have them anymore. Well I asked at guest services to be sure and they most certainly do! All I had to do was ask. Then we sent out laundry on Tuesday and I called our butler to see if he knew why it wasn't back the next day by 6pm and he said he'd check on it. Still not there Thursday by 6pm so I called again. Friday morning I wanted to start packing (and it still wasn't there) so I ended up calling guest services to see if they could help me and lo and behold the laundry was outside the door in 5 minutes or less.

 

Not trying to hijack...just totally agreeing with what you've said so far about the suite service on this ship the past few weeks! Hope your service level improved after you started "existing".

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Hmmm this is really not good. Anyone know when Florentina is leaving? Hoping she has vacation coming up in the next 9 weeks [emoji6]

 

 

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[willowvacay]

Hmmm this is really not good. Anyone know when Florentina is leaving? Hoping she has vacation coming up in the next 9 weeks [emoji6]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

Good news for you! She told me as we were waiting to disembark in Seattle that she was leaving on her vacation. That helped me feel more positive about the experience as maybe she was just missing her family.

[wilmingtech]

I hope that NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE public relations

is following along.

 

We too have booked a suite for our cruise in January on the Jewel. This will be our first time in a suite and primarily we booked it because the sale they were having only made it a few dollars more to get a suite than having to book two rooms (we have 4 kids and the sale was all guests 2-8 sail for free and suites get all the bonus freebies which made it worth it)

 

Ive worked in Customer Service for the first half of my life and when you get up to a 4 star or 5 star establishment there is a certain level of service that is expected to go along with the product your are purchasing. Especially from people who have worked hard and can afford to pay for that level of service. Lets face it, you are not going to pay 100$ for an alacarte steak that comes on a paper plate from a food truck just because it tastes good.

 

As first time suite guests we would expect that NCL would be putting its best foot forward. So when its just my wife and I who book in the future and we are in a place where we don't blink an eye at paying full price that we would remember what an incredible experience it was to book a suite. Knowing that the extra dollars we would spend on future cruises are not just about the nice room (the steak) but the service and attention that would be paid to you as a guest.

 

It takes a certain type of personality (service oriented problem solver, go getter) to work with suite guests. And you would think the employ on the ship that demonstrates the highest level of service that NCL could provide would be the one working as a concierge with high end clientele that are willing to pay the extra dollars.

 

I realize that the prices we are paying for suites is not what you would pay for exquisite 5 star service and we are certainly not filthy rich and expect the butler to open the door with white gloves and a hand towel everytime we come back to the room but what you experienced service wise is certainly not worth the extra dollars for the basic concierge and butler service that should come with a suite. (or for any booked room regardless)

 

If a concierge or butler is constantly delivering that type of nonchalant service to you (assuming that same experience to all suite guests), please speak up and say something (and thank you Jen for following up). Its easy to type out something here on CC about poor service but if you are not relating this back to a manager on the ship, the poor service will only continue. And I am sure the managers appreciate the feedback.

 

It doesn't have to be anything more than, "We expected a certain type of service when we booked a suite with NCL, and are less than satisfied with the service we received, thank you"

 

So if you are in a suite on the Jewel before January 31st, 2016 and experience poor service from a butler or concierge or any employee ...please speak up for the cruisers who are coming in behind you :D

 

Also - If you receive great service, often overlooked, it certainly should receive praise as well.

 

-Sean

 

PS - Loving the review!

[USNUZULOOSE]

This was the area I had walked to this morning. See how close you can get to the ship!

board34 by Jenseib, on Flickr

A quick look back, you can see that the designs on the doorway and side of the ship often coincided with what was located right inside.

board35 by Jenseib, on Flickr

board36 by Jenseib, on Flickr

Up next…..Let’s get sailing!!!!

 

I thought I recognized you from another forum. I love the review and the pictures. You take as long as you want on your TR.

[tel2]

]]As we headed out with the crowds I heard an older gentleman talking to his friend….it was so cute and he was obviously a new cruiser. He was remarking how he couldn’t believe a restaurant like this was included in free dining. He kept saying how he couldn’t wrap his head around all that was included. I do know a lot of first time cruisers often think they can only eat in the buffet or pay extra for the main dining room. So many are surprised that they actually do get sit down meals as well.

 

So, this reminded me of a very funny story involving my husband when he was just 22 (40 years ago...). He was in the service and the parents of a buddy had booked a 4 night cruise with their son, and at the last minute, they couldnt go, and they told the buddy that he could go and bring a friend. My husband was the friend. I guess it was in the old days when substitutions just days before a trip were allowed. But my DH and his friend were both servicemen, and although they were able to get leave, both were pretty much broke. So they went on this cruise, and had NO IDEA that all the food was free. They had each deposited a small amount of cash, and used what little money they had for beer, and spent the first 2 1/2 days eating peanuts and other bar snacks as their total sustenance. They then met a couple of girls near their age at the pool, who took them up to the buffet because the girls wanted a snack, and they finally realized they could eat at the buffet for free. They never figured out they could go to the dining room.....

[Vacationdreamer<><]

]]As we headed out with the crowds I heard an older gentleman talking to his friend….it was so cute and he was obviously a new cruiser. He was remarking how he couldn’t believe a restaurant like this was included in free dining. He kept saying how he couldn’t wrap his head around all that was included. I do know a lot of first time cruisers often think they can only eat in the buffet or pay extra for the main dining room. So many are surprised that they actually do get sit down meals as well.

 

 

 

So, this reminded me of a very funny story involving my husband when he was just 22 (40 years ago...). He was in the service and the parents of a buddy had booked a 4 night cruise with their son, and at the last minute, they couldnt go, and they told the buddy that he could go and bring a friend. My husband was the friend. I guess it was in the old days when substitutions just days before a trip were allowed. But my DH and his friend were both servicemen, and although they were able to get leave, both were pretty much broke. So they went on this cruise, and had NO IDEA that all the food was free. They had each deposited a small amount of cash, and used what little money they had for beer, and spent the first 2 1/2 days eating peanuts and other bar snacks as their total sustenance. They then met a couple of girls near their age at the pool, who took them up to the buffet because the girls wanted a snack, and they finally realized they could eat at the buffet for free. They never figured out they could go to the dining room.....

 

 

Best story of the day!!

[soaringfalcon]

I really still can't get over their treatment of you. So disappointing. As others have said, you should have never had to confirm your dining or excursions they should have taken care of that for you.

 

We had one issue on the Gem last summer and I wrote a note to the Hotel Director - not expecting anything but just giving feedback for future cruisers. He called me and met with me and we were treated like royalty for the remainder of the cruise.

 

It sounds like all is well now and I'm glad they did give you some nice OBC for your next cruise.

[jenseib]

Enjoying your review! Can you tell me how long it took you to walk from your hotel to the waterfront to see the Jewel?

 

I didn't pay attention to the time. I'll look at my phone and see when I took the pictures but I am thinking 15-20 minutes each way.

 

Thanks so much for the review so far...I'm enjoying it.

 

My wife and I are on the Jewel in December out of LA so I'm now mentally preparing myself for what to do "just in case"!

 

Sorry Seattle was the site of so much stress for you, but hopefully you left with good feelings for my hometown :)

 

I would say what happened to us is not normal. Dop watch if you got the drink package. I have heard many people are still getting charged, so watch your account...and bring proof! ;)

 

We did like Seattle itself so no worries there.

[jenseib]

I have really been enjoying your review. Glad to hear that they finally offered some OBC. I know that I would have been really frustrated to wait in more lines just to fix their mess with dining, etc. Shouldn't Florentina have helped out with that? Sounds like it may not be worth having a concierge.

 

Do you have advice for anyone thinking about booking with NCL or who is already booked to help avoid this type of problem? Did you ever find out exactly what/how this happened?

 

Thanks!

TMC

 

According to NCL there was a technical glitch and from the sounds of it, this does not happen often at all. I will tell this in my report, but the 2nd day Flortentina apoligizes and tells me she has never seen this happen before and didn't know what to do. And I understand that, but the way it was handled needs to be addressed and changed.

 

That is what I cannot figure out while I have not had Florentina as Concierge everyone has immediately confirmed any dining and if I did not have a day listed they wanted to reserve for me even if it was in the Main Dining Room. I have never dealt with anyone except our Concierge. Which is why Suites on NCL have always been a plus for me. Well that and my Lavazza Coffee maker [emoji6][emoji4][emoji477]️

 

That's exactly what I ready about concierge but she was putting everything off. In my opinion she should've had someone working on it immediately. I know she was busy with all the passengers coming on, but you know she has to have some help somewhere.

 

 

 

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[jenseib]

Florentina was a horrible concierge the 3 times I had her. Debarkation was a nightmare and she barley spoke to us during the cruise. Unlike Carlos who got us off the ship quickly and stopped by our cabin every single day during the cruise to see if we needed anything!

 

Well that is interesting to know. This was our first experience so I didn't really know how good that good is supposed to be, but it wasn't like I read on the boards. However she remembered us...probably because I visited so often the first day and a half. She would say hi to us whenever she saw us. Skip wondered if she was just being extra nice because of the issues or if she does that for all. I would have assumed it was her job to get to know all the Concierge guests.

 

We were on jewel this past Week And we had Florentina as well. It was interesting having her compared to other concierges we have had on NCL. I agree with an above poster that she should have handled all of your issues.

 

When we were on getaway a year ago we went to guest services desk for something and the person there apologized to us and told us we didn't need to come there as the concierge should be handling all of our issues (I can't even remember what the issue was). They handled it at the desk anyway. Then once we were back upstairs near the concierge desk the concierge apologized that we didn't know to come to her for everything. We couldn't believe that guest services had called her and she had taken the time out to let us know she could help us in the future. The time we were on Getaway we had excellent concierge service.

 

Contrast that to the debacle that happened to you and it's crazy. Although we did "exist" on our cruise it was like pulling teeth to get anything done. We waited to get UDP and soda package until onboard so we could use OBC for those. Getting both the beverage sticker and the dining package on the same room card was just too much work for the concierge desk on jewel! Then when we came for breakfast we were frequently treated like they didn't remember us! We also had problems like your pillow problem...we didn't get our latitudes pin for being a return guest and I asked our butler 3 times for it and he told me they didn't have them anymore. Well I asked at guest services to be sure and they most certainly do! All I had to do was ask. Then we sent out laundry on Tuesday and I called our butler to see if he knew why it wasn't back the next day by 6pm and he said he'd check on it. Still not there Thursday by 6pm so I called again. Friday morning I wanted to start packing (and it still wasn't there) so I ended up calling guest services to see if they could help me and lo and behold the laundry was outside the door in 5 minutes or less.

 

Not trying to hijack...just totally agreeing with what you've said so far about the suite service on this ship the past few weeks! Hope your service level improved after you started "existing".

 

Thanks for your input! And we never got the pin either. I kind of forgot about it so I didn't even ask. But yeah, we should have. Honestly to me....a lot of the crew on the Jewel did not want to go out of their way for anything. I think of the crew, the bartenders were the best. Very different than our experience with DCL and even Princess. However we still had a good time, I just didn't feel like they were overly friendly or helpful. Now there were a few that were great and friendly.....and they all worked on DCL before. LOL. I carried my DCL backpack around and had a DCL lanyard on and many former DCL crew members would stop and ask which ships I had been on and they all seemed to have loved working for Disney. From what I gather, with NCL they work less hours. One even told me right off the bat that I was going to notice a lot of differences.

 

Even with all our issues, I will still sail NCL again. For the most part we had a good time and enjoyed many things.

[Pamster]

Good news for you! She told me as we were waiting to disembark in Seattle that she was leaving on her vacation. That helped me feel more positive about the experience as maybe she was just missing her family.

 

Thanks for that great news - we're sailing in 34 days and I was dreading this a little bit. We've always had excellent concierge service on NCL.

[jenseib]

Hmmm this is really not good. Anyone know when Florentina is leaving? Hoping she has vacation coming up in the next 9 weeks [emoji6]

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Good news for you! She told me as we were waiting to disembark in Seattle that she was leaving on her vacation. That helped me feel more positive about the experience as maybe she was just missing her family.

 

 

hahaha... :D I am totally cracking up...How long is her vacation?

[Vortech]

Whart a shame so many people are reporting negative experiences with this concierge. We took an NCL cruise to Alaska a few years ago on the Pearl and were impressed daily by our concierge, Anoop. He was such a big part of what made that trip great that I am now newly grateful that we lucked out.

Edited September 1, 2015 by Vortech

[Pamster]

According to NCL there was a technical glitch and from the sounds of it, this does not happen often at all. I will tell this in my report, but the 2nd day Flortentina apoligizes and tells me she has never seen this happen before and didn't know what to do. And I understand that, but the way it was handled needs to be addressed and changed.

 

Our last NCL cruise was during one of the UDP promotions. As soon as we checked in our concierge gave us a form to fill out for our dinner reservations. He said that reservations were hard to get because so many cruisers had the UDP, and he wanted confirm we got the reservations that we wanted. So we wrote down what we wanted (some of them I had already booked online, and some not) and he confirmed and left us information in our cabin when all were confirmed.

[Pamster]

hahaha... :D I am totally cracking up...How long is her vacation?

 

Aren't they usually 4-6 weeks, and then when they come back they're sometimes assigned to a different ship (I'm hoping!!)

[bonvoyagie]

I also was on the Pearl in 12 with Anoop - although we did not use him all that much - he was always present (it seemed he was everywhere on the ship :D) and willing to help.

 

We were remembered every day in Cagney's - and even in the MDR when one of our waiters from Cagney's was helping out because it was a slow night in Cagney's. We were not at his table - but he saw us and made a special effort to see that we were being served OK - and to say HI.

 

I am looking forward to the suite life on our next cruise. Maybe we will luck out an get Anoop again :)

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Good news for you! She told me as we were waiting to disembark in Seattle that she was leaving on her vacation. That helped me feel more positive about the experience as maybe she was just missing her family.

Good for her, sounds like she was in need of a vacation. The Crew do work very long hours 7 days a week and get pretty burnt out by the end of their contract.

[jenseib]

I hope that NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE public relations

is following along.

 

We too have booked a suite for our cruise in January on the Jewel. This will be our first time in a suite and primarily we booked it because the sale they were having only made it a few dollars more to get a suite than having to book two rooms (we have 4 kids and the sale was all guests 2-8 sail for free and suites get all the bonus freebies which made it worth it)

 

Ive worked in Customer Service for the first half of my life and when you get up to a 4 star or 5 star establishment there is a certain level of service that is expected to go along with the product your are purchasing. Especially from people who have worked hard and can afford to pay for that level of service. Lets face it, you are not going to pay 100$ for an alacarte steak that comes on a paper plate from a food truck just because it tastes good.

 

As first time suite guests we would expect that NCL would be putting its best foot forward. So when its just my wife and I who book in the future and we are in a place where we don't blink an eye at paying full price that we would remember what an incredible experience it was to book a suite. Knowing that the extra dollars we would spend on future cruises are not just about the nice room (the steak) but the service and attention that would be paid to you as a guest.

 

It takes a certain type of personality (service oriented problem solver, go getter) to work with suite guests. And you would think the employ on the ship that demonstrates the highest level of service that NCL could provide would be the one working as a concierge with high end clientele that are willing to pay the extra dollars.

 

I realize that the prices we are paying for suites is not what you would pay for exquisite 5 star service and we are certainly not filthy rich and expect the butler to open the door with white gloves and a hand towel everytime we come back to the room but what you experienced service wise is certainly not worth the extra dollars for the basic concierge and butler service that should come with a suite. (or for any booked room regardless)

 

If a concierge or butler is constantly delivering that type of nonchalant service to you (assuming that same experience to all suite guests), please speak up and say something (and thank you Jen for following up). Its easy to type out something here on CC about poor service but if you are not relating this back to a manager on the ship, the poor service will only continue. And I am sure the managers appreciate the feedback.

 

It doesn't have to be anything more than, "We expected a certain type of service when we booked a suite with NCL, and are less than satisfied with the service we received, thank you"

 

So if you are in a suite on the Jewel before January 31st, 2016 and experience poor service from a butler or concierge or any employee ...please speak up for the cruisers who are coming in behind you :D

 

Also - If you receive great service, often overlooked, it certainly should receive praise as well.

 

-Sean

 

PS - Loving the review!

 

 

So well said. I knew from the first issue an email would be sent to various people and as it got worse I just kept noting it. Even if things had been handled perfectly I would have sent an email as the "technical issue" is not normal and NCL needed to be aware of it. Looking back now I do wish I handled things a bit differently on the ship....but I just kept thinking it would be taken care of and was putting too much faith in it.....and also I didn't want to ruin my or my families vacation by getting too upset over it in the moment.

 

I thought I recognized you from another forum. I love the review and the pictures. You take as long as you want on your TR.

 

I do post on a few boards! ;)