Dumb black eye for NCL Breakaway 10/18

[chill6x6]

Yeah it DOES sound as if NCL handled this poorly, on the ship, which SUPPOSEDLY is where they want to "take care" of everything. How many times I have I heard "don't complain once off the ship. The BEST chance to resolve a problem is to handle it while on the ship." That's for both the CRUIER and the CRUISE LINE.

 

We had an overflowing toilet while in a SF aboard the Star. Now i mean OVERFLOWING. The problem was handled BEAUTIFULLY(And tended to while I wasn't in cabin). Sent champagne and a letter of apology. At no point was I bent out of shape either. NCL gets a 10 on this.

 

So...same ship different cruise a few years later. Food/bar service beyond the MDR was a JOKE. This after I had bragged about how valued one feels aboard NCL, in particular the Star. Staff all over the ship was generally nonchalant. Officers obviously uninterested at M&G(Different STAFF BTW). In my opinion this was a MUCH bigger problem than the overflowing toilet. And certainly no way for a quick FIX. Isolated incidence? I don't know. But re-seeing how a valued cruiser DOES feel after this last HAL cruise, probably not isolated. Yeah I sent them a letter of my concerns with no response. Wasn't looking for a handout as I pay for what I do. Just a little sincere concern.

 

So an easy way to have fixed the OPs issue: 1. Have someone show up in a timely manner. 2. IF no-one in cabin, try to hear the noise for YOURSELF. Not trying to find the noise when no one in cabin shows they didn't want to tend to it in the first place. 3. NUMEROUS staff told OP the noise was typical WITHOUT EVER HEARING THE DANG NOISE. Complete disregard and disrespect. 4. Send a bottle of champagne or some petifores to the OP cabin with a letter from guest services and/or a night at a specialty restaurant. Results would probably be a happy and re-booking cruiser. Much, MUCH more valued than the $20-$50 cost to NCL.

 

My experience aboard my last Star cruise cost NCL about $4500 because I cancelled my Dawn cruise in an SF that I had booked for the following November. Changed to a Neptune Suite aboard the Eurodam. See how customer service works?

Edited November 19, 2015 by chill6x6
Added info

[op1]

He can tell us if he only wants responses from people who are completely sympathetic and will not question or challenge his account.

 

 

If I wanted someone to challenge my account, I'd just call my ex wife!

 

People may or may not understand the power of this board. My thoughts on it is that it is a good place to post both the positives and the negatives of any cruise line.

The idea is also to provide support for those with an issue and bring issue to light that the cruise line management may not be aware about. They do read these posts.

Personally I would never challenge someone's experience if the took the time to come post it here. I may support it, and help them get resolution if possible. But that's just me.

[macandlucy]

If I wanted someone to challenge my account, I'd just call my ex wife!

 

People may or may not understand the power of this board. My thoughts on it is that it is a good place to post both the positives and the negatives of any cruise line.

The idea is also to provide support for those with an issue and bring issue to light that the cruise line management may not be aware about. They do read these posts.

Personally I would never challenge someone's experience if the took the time to come post it here. I may support it, and help them get resolution if possible. But that's just me.

 

I agree with you, and I think for every one person who actually posts about an experience, there are many more who don't. If a company doesn't know its customers aren't happy, you can't fault the company for not doing anything to change the problem. That's why it's a good idea to post individual experiences, good an bad, in my view.

 

Also, I'll add that while it can be frustrating for some to read a negative experience, it may be, based on human psychology, not the best idea to argue with the poster if your goal is to keep people feeling positive. Why? Because as time goes on, memories can become jumbled, and the negative experience of being insulted or flamed by a poster about their experiences with a cruise line can end, strangely and unfairly, translating to the cruise line itself. (pretty sure some of my CCL board experiences have had that effect on me towards Carnival)

[RRIDER]

When I fired up the letter I posted positive experiences of our cruise and mentioned the negative after, so it was a good balance and they appreciated instead of jumping straight into negative like most humans do in Trip Advisor and other forums.

[macandlucy]

When I fired up the letter I posted positive experiences of our cruise and mentioned the negative after, so it was a good balance and they appreciated instead of jumping straight into negative like most humans do in Trip Advisor and other forums.

 

You sound tactful and smart :)

 

(I was referring to forum posts in general (not the best way to approach a complaint with a company) in my other post -- not sure if I was clear about that).

Edited November 19, 2015 by macandlucy

[op1]

When I fired up the letter I posted positive experiences of our cruise and mentioned the negative after, so it was a good balance and they appreciated instead of jumping straight into negative like most humans do in Trip Advisor and other forums.

 

 

Thank you.

I think that I mentioned here as well in my complaint to NCL that otherwise it would have been a great vacation. For the most part it was a great cruise.

[RRIDER]

It was a great cruise that we booked again for next year but I agree guest relations take too long to resolve issues on board. If they offer to change rooms, giving guests downgraded room is not an option, they should give you similar or upgrade.

[spidybabe]

Why they delete my post?

If I didn't see part of my post quoted, I would of thought I never posted.

Safe sailing

[prg2101]

You sure can. You see last I checked this is site was called Cruise Critic. When I first started cruising I lurked here often to get an idea about the different lines.

I take the good posts and the negative posts and I weigh the things that mean the most to me. At this time we have no idea how many people are reading this. How many are thinking gee bad customer service? Maybe I should go elsewhere. And that is what this site and many other sites had done for all of us. For the most part I like NCL dollar for dollar you get a good value. But I hate to see bad customer service anywhere. So maybe of they are reading this, and they do. They will learn from it. Maybe the next time one of the other posters have an issue on the ship service will be just a little better.

So until they answer you can look forward to some more posts.

 

This whole uproar is over the fact that your sliding glass door was rattling?? On a ship of 4000 people on just one of the trips to Bermuda that the Breakaway does every week and you want an answer from Home Office in Miami about why someone didn't stop the rattling in your cabin on day 2?? You have got to be kidding me

[prg2101]

It was a great cruise that we booked again for next year but I agree guest relations take too long to resolve issues on board. If they offer to change rooms, giving guests downgraded room is not an option, they should give you similar or upgrade.

 

An upgrade for a noise????? Seriously???? I cruise in suites and pay a

pretty penny to do so, now people get upgrades for cabin noises ON A MOVING SHIP!!! Yea right.....

[op1]

You have got to be kidding me

 

 

I kid you not!

[op1]

An upgrade for a noise????? Seriously???? I cruise in suites and pay a

 

pretty penny to do so, now people get upgrades for cabin noises ON A MOVING SHIP!!! Yea right.....

 

 

I didn't ask for an upgrade, but I wasn't going from my mini-suite balcony to an inside cabin.

[SteelMagnolia9]

 

First and foremost I am expecting a reply and acknowledgement that the situation was handled poorly. Also given the number of sleepless nights as well as time wasted waiting around for people who didn't show up should warrant some kind of restitution.

With those two things I can than determine what value if any NCL places on loyal customers.

 

Op1

 

I hope this issue is resolved to your satisfaction. It obviously was a major source of disappointment for you based upon the time and energy you've expended on it.

 

When one travels, it's not always perfect all of the time. Many of us have 'war stories' of imperfect times, but that's all part of travel - a travel writer called it "the vicissitudes of international travel".

 

Regarding the noise issue: Me? I'd already be moving on to my next adventure once I left the ship.

 

All the best to you.

[Arzeena]

I was lucky?!?! They ignored the problem for several days and the fix came on the last night of the cruise! So several nights of poor sleep, countless calls and waisted time waiting around for people to show up.

Yep that's lucky.

 

Interesting thing is that as I did some digging. The old six degrees of separation applies. I will wait to see what their reply is and if not satisfied I will escalate this appropriately.

 

No I don't let up.

 

Good luck with that!

 

We had a mini suite on deck 9 in the same vicinity as yours. Same noise problem, same answers. Did not sleep well for the first 5 nights then got used to it. But all that did not put any patch to our cruise. We enjoyed it nevertheless. I did mention it in the post cruise survey, but never complained to corporate and never expected them to do anything about it.

 

What exactly are you expecting them to do? In my opinion, and strictly only in my opinion, I believe they will toss your complaint in the trash.

 

With all the ships we have been on, the BA was the most rickety clicketly one:D;) but I still enjoyed my cruise and will I go on it again? Hell yessss!

[RRIDER]

Not asking for upgrade but they should move you to equivalent room you paid based on availability but not downgrade from mini suite to inside. At least they could upgrade at this point when equivalent room is not available, just like resorts do, why should I listen to staff made noises every morning at 5 am that are so loud that ear plugs won't help, I don't think you want to be up that early on vacation?

[op1]

I hope this issue is resolved to your satisfaction.

 

 

 

Regarding the noise issue: Me? I'd already be moving on to my next adventure once I left the ship.

 

 

I think between all the posts the issue at hand has been missed. It's not so much about the noise as in the poor way everything was handled. Especially the person on the phone telling me there was no problem, ships make noise while they are at sea.

Then when I file a case with home office they do not reply in the time frame they commit to. Meanwhile they have a new CEO who is claiming he will make them top notch! Well let's start with commitment!

So a while back it stop being about the noise. Maybe now it's about the noise I can make.

[G.M.T.]

Give my buddy a NCL hat Norwegian, he/she heard some noises in their cabin while the ship was moving and you didn't do anything about it!!!:rolleyes:

 

On Carnival you don't get any noise from the cabin's ceiling, but look what you get hanging from the ceiling:

CC.pdf

[op1]

On Carnival you don't get any noise from the cabin's ceiling, but look what you get hanging from the ceiling:

 

 

I think I know her!

I liked Carnival and would definitely consider them for my next cruise. One thing we always liked about NCL was the kids club. That's irrelevant these days as my kids are grown up.

[G.M.T.]

I think I know her!

I liked Carnival and would definitely consider them for my next cruise. One thing we always liked about NCL was the kids club. That's irrelevant these days as my kids are grown up.

What my dear MIL.:eek:

[prg2101]

I think between all the posts the issue at hand has been missed. It's not so much about the noise as in the poor way everything was handled. Especially the person on the phone telling me there was no problem, ships make noise while they are at sea.

Then when I file a case with home office they do not reply in the time frame they commit to. Meanwhile they have a new CEO who is claiming he will make them top notch! Well let's start with commitment!

So a while back it stop being about the noise. Maybe now it's about the noise I can make.

 

 

"File a case"?? about a noise? Im sorry but I don't think cruising is for you...As far as commitment, how was your cabin kept clean, how was your meals, the ports of call? Come on! Lets be real here:(

[op1]

What my dear MIL.:eek:

 

 

Lol !!![emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

[Pugzila1022]

The case was never about the noise.

 

Seriously? Then why even call customer service to begin with. Noise was either the problem or it wasn't. They responded to each and every call you made, and from your posts here I can only imagine how wonderful you must have been to deal with. You didn't like their responses and even when the noise was finally fixed you expected more.

 

They offered another cabin. I was on that cruise and they had filled all the suites and mini-suites already with last minute upgrades. I'm sure they would have offered you a similar cabin if one was available. They apologized, just apparently not often enough.

 

Your posts here have escalated to the implication that you will make enough noise to embarrass NCL and their new CEO.

 

I read the other day where an airline took the unusual step of banning a frequent flyer who complained too much. Seems the person complained after almost every trip just because they knew they would get some kind of freebie from the airline with every complaint.

 

This reeks of the same thing.

 

Too many people want something for nothing.

[Pugzila1022]

Ok so I had a bad experience with NCL a couple of years ago with a trip to Bermuda. But in the long run they did the righ thing. They also issued a credit on future trip so we went ahead and gave the a another chance..

 

The above quote isn't from this thread - it's something you posted back in 2009. Was the problem noise on that cruise too?

[op1]

The above quote isn't from this thread - it's something you posted back in 2009. Was the problem noise on that cruise too?

 

 

Yes the propeller fell off the ship! But they did the right thing back then.

 

Wow your good. Btw if you'd like you can go back even further to the original incident. And yes I came back and noted that in the end NCL did the right thing.

Edited November 19, 2015 by op1

[prg2101]

They apoligized,,,what else is needed??