Will NCL pull a "ROYAL" with the Gem and Joy??

[Red-Sol]

6 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Seriously, how can we even trust NCL on ANY cruise they're begging us to book?  I know I don't.  

 

2 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

With NCL I'm in the "fool me once, shame on you...fool me twice, shame on me".  I've given them multiple opportunities to fool me, and they've done so each and every time.  I'm done with NCL, now, next year, next decade.  We'll see how I feel 15 years from now.

 

 

Totally understandable the way you feel. I am not 100% convinced that NCL has screwed over those on the Joy sailings (and now Gem among others) for nefarious reasons. but at the very least I am 100% certain that these same people still have been screwed over by the incompetence of leadership at NCL in scheduling any sailings at all. I still have a sinking feeling that bankruptcy is a distinct possibility. Trust me I am not giving NCL a pass in all of this...they are very very wrong in what has and is happening.....but I am still going to wait this out before I swear off sailing with them again until I see if they actually can start up again. My stance is still not to book anything with NCL or any other cruise line until this finally plays itself out.

[sid_9169]

After being cancelled on for the Joy cruise out of Jamaica, I placed a courtesy hold on a Gem cruise from the Dominican Republic. My PCC called me just yesterday, urging me to go ahead and pull the trigger on the Hem, because this time it was "definitely, definitely happening"... Fast forward less than 24 hours, and now this... When I booked the Joy, they talked me into one of the Cruise First certificates, as it was basically "free money"... Now, there's not even a way to get a refund for the amount I paid for the Cruise First. The only way that I'll ever be able to get my value out of it, is to book ANOTHER Norwegian cruise. I think that I may be leaning towards just losing the money...

[JamieLogical]

6 minutes ago, sid_9169 said:

After being cancelled on for the Joy cruise out of Jamaica, I placed a courtesy hold on a Gem cruise from the Dominican Republic. My PCC called me just yesterday, urging me to go ahead and pull the trigger on the Hem, because this time it was "definitely, definitely happening"... Fast forward less than 24 hours, and now this... When I booked the Joy, they talked me into one of the Cruise First certificates, as it was basically "free money"... Now, there's not even a way to get a refund for the amount I paid for the Cruise First. The only way that I'll ever be able to get my value out of it, is to book ANOTHER Norwegian cruise. I think that I may be leaning towards just losing the money...

 

They are transferrable, so you could always sell it to some other unwitting sucker who still wants to sink money into NCL.

[Seany527]

NCL keeps boasting how bookings are up. 
 

A great way to inflate numbers is to schedule a series of sailings, get bookings and canceling the sailing. Then everyone with FCC books another sailing. The cycle repeats itself. 
 

I’m shocked by their actions. Maybe the Joy was a bad idea. I was mildly annoyed. But then to do it a few days later to the Gem? It’s a lousy move on their part. 

[oteixeira]

Does anyone know the capacity they are allowed to sail Bliss at?  The way this makes sense to me is they needed the 50% crew from both ships, so about 750 crew, to staff the Bliss which normally would have over 1000 crew....

Honestly I am just spit balling here.  I wonder if they will be able to sail at 60-75% and just figured it would make more money (Alaska normally does) so they shifted both crews to make it work??

Still not a great PR move, I grant you that.

[shof515]

[quote]

May 28, 2021 - UPDATE
As we continue our journey to restarting our 17-ship Norwegian Cruise Line fleet, it is with immense excitement that we share with you today the news of the next chapter in our great cruise comeback. We could not be more pleased to return to doing what we love the most - providing you unforgettable vacation experiences and welcoming you aboard our amazing ships, sailing to more than 300 destinations worldwide!
We have been working diligently towards our resumption of operations , focusing on providing you with the very best experience while keeping your health and safety at the forefront. As announced earlier this week, our highly anticipated U.S. return to service will begin with cruises at reduced capacity from Seattle to Alaska starting on August 7, 2021 with Norwegian Bliss. This means however, that we must unfortunately cancel voyages aboard Norwegian Gem with embarkation dates from August 15, 2021 through October 10, 2021.
As you may know, we have for many months said that launching and crewing our vessels require approximately 90 days. At this time, we are doing our best to maximize our operational fleet and active crew to deliver on cruise vacations in destinations our guests value the most. We are so sorry your cruise has been impacted but we hope to welcome you aboard another sailing.
REFUNDS
A full refund will be automatically returned to the form of payment you provided at the time of your most current reservation . No further action is required on your part; your refund will be automatically processed within 30 business days and will be returned within 7-10 business days from the processed date. The visibility of the funds is dependent on your financial institution’s internal policies.
If your most current reservation was paid via a Future Cruise Credit (FCC), 100% of the FCC used will be re-applied to your
Latitudes account. No further action is required; the FCC will be automatically added within 7 days. For additional information pertaining to refunds, please visit ncl.com/suspended-sailings.
OUR THANKS TO YOU
We sincerely appreciate your loyalty and we cannot wait to provide you with the cruise vacation you were hoping for and likely
need now more than ever! Therefore, in addition to the 100% refund or full return of your FCC, the following offers may also be available when you chose to rebook your Norwegian vacation through your Travel Advisor :
· 10% OFF* discount on your next cruise with us, combinable with all available promotions at the time of booking. The 10% OFF discount will be added (or returned**) to your Latitudes account and will be available as of May 29, 2021. This discount can be used to make a booking from today through May 29, 2022 and can be applied towards any sailings through December 31, 2022.

[/quote]

 

looks like all of the Gem cruises is now canceled too

[JamieLogical]

Definitely sounds from that email that they are having to steal some crew from the Gem to staff-up the Bliss just like they did with the Joy.

[PTC DAWG]

13 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

Celebrity is too $ for us. 😞 

Honestly, I don't notice much of a price difference...maybe I'm doing something wrong.  Every week long cruise I take in the Caribbean comes out in the mid 3,000 for 2 in a balcony cabin with drink package etc...I've been on NCL, Celebrity and MSC....Celebrity my favorite.....MSC far behind in 3rd.  

Edited May 28, 2021 by PTC DAWG

[kodos]

I totally get the feeling of betrayal and the lack of trust going forward. I do question if the grass will truly be greener elsewhere. I don't spend time in any of the other cruise line groups but I assume they all sound pretty much like we do in this group for better or worse.

 

Accurate and honest communication hasn't been Norwegian's strong suit in decades. 5 year's ago for my 25th anniversary I was on the crippled Star. We had a 2 week from Hong Kong to Singapore over Christmas. The previous sailing one of the generator engines went down and ship could only run one motor and hence half speed. For me these were really expensive airfare tickets and I had fancy pre and post hotels booked. I was getting real time updates on CC from passengers but NCL was denying the ship had any problems. Ultimately when faced with overwhelming evidence they fessed up and with days before sailing offered to allow people to cancel. What good would that possibly do that late? We ended up sailing on the cruise because they said they could fix it in port but we ended missing half the ports since they couldn't fix the ship for months. They did make it right to my satisfaction by giving us half the money back  and half in credit toward a future cruise but that ultimately took a large congregation of people refusing to leave the atrium until the captain came out.  

 

I've had my fare share of NCL cancellations in all this though no where near as many as some on here. Lost my first Haven cruise on the Joy last year. Lost a Japan cruise. Lost my 30th anniversary India cruise this year. Also like many of us I lost my sure thing guaranteed to cruise second attempt at the Haven on the Joy. I still have Japan 2022, and Prima 2023 on the books. 

 

I'm pretty sure I'm done making any further attempts in 2021. Thankfully I have a land trip planned to St. Lucia. Even though I get not wanting to reward bad behavior I'm not going to dump NCL and certainly not lose money to do it. I have been sailing with them for over 20 years and I like their innovations with the exception of the absurd bathroom design of the Epic cabins. They seem to fit my demographic well and the price to product/service level is right for me. I get the other side too. I texted my wife after the Joy cancellation that I have never seen so many loyal NCL people so mad and willing to quit NCL for good on CC in the entire time I have been on here. Crazy times. Some of your user names I have been seeing on here forever and though I don't post much I can't imagine not seeing your posts in the future. I'm probably being a fool but I'm going to hope that NCL manages to somehow redeem themselves.

[graphicguy]

Just now, PTC DAWG said:

Honestly, I don't notice much of a price difference...maybe I'm doing something wrong.  Every week long cruise I take in the Caribbean comes out in the mid 3,000 for 2 in a balcony cabin with drink package etc...

Yeah...finding the same thing.  Obviously, looked at NCL, but also Celebrity and MSC....all around the same price.  Alaska is WAY high on Celebrity and NCL.  So, now we know why NCL has cancelled 2 cruises in North America.  They make more money on the Alaska itinerary.  Of course, the fact that they left two ships passengers "high and dry" is inconsequential to them.

 

@sid_9169...dang dude!  I'm feeling for you.  That's harsh!

[AdoraBelle]

2 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Alaska is WAY high on Celebrity and NCL.

 

But those prices aren't necessarily being snapped up. It's been a few days since I looked at one of the 'forbidden' travel sites, but it was showing massive availability on my Alaska sailing. 

[PTC DAWG]

3 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Yeah...finding the same thing.  Obviously, looked at NCL, but also Celebrity and MSC....all around the same price.  Alaska is WAY high on Celebrity and NCL.  So, now we know why NCL has cancelled 2 cruises in North America.  They make more money on the Alaska itinerary.  Of course, the fact that they left two ships passengers "high and dry" is inconsequential to them.

 

@sid_9169...dang dude!  I'm feeling for you.  That's harsh!

I did glance at the NCL Alaska cruise they say is going this fall, it is HIGH for sure.  AK is not for me, I'm not a cold weather guy unless I'm on snow skis or a snow mobile in CO.  

[JamieLogical]

NCL still has the same "Travel Alert" posted on their site from Wednesday. It still says the Gem will be homeporting in the DR. They might want to updated that...

[graphicguy]

Just now, AdoraBelle said:

 

But those prices aren't necessarily being snapped up. It's been a few days since I looked at one of the 'forbidden' travel sites, but it was showing massive availability on my Alaska sailing. 

I wouldn't even be willing to book that Alaska-Bliss sailing.  I wouldn't give even odds that it sails, especially given the way NCL has viewed the JOY, GEM and transatlantic sailings.  "Not enough passengers?  That's OK!  We'll cancel it, too.  Blame it on COVID!"

[AdoraBelle]

Almost the entire 12th floor of the solo studio area is unbooked for my Alaska sailing. I'm probably going to end up regretting not waiting for price drops. Although we're still > 2 months out. 

[Cruising Lynne]

30 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

Definitely sounds from that email that they are having to steal some crew from the Gem to staff-up the Bliss just like they did with the Joy.

I agree. They may have had to pull crew from multiple ships to be able to get enough vaccinated staff.

 

Our cancellation email came this morning. No more Gem to DR for us. If any ship starts up from the US this summer, we may book Sky last minute. Otherwise, we will be doing a road trip or trying an all inclusive.

[GA Dave]

While NCL continues to screw people over, I will just sit and enjoy my alternate vacations.  🙂

 

 

[BoundForSea]

I’m dissapointed in them. Truly. I realize they are a publicly traded company and revenue drives alot of decisions, but at some point you have to draw the line as a company with good customer loyalty and service and take the hit and do right by your customers. You want to pull the rug out from under them, ok, then stand up a reputable and legit compensation package saying, thank you for understanding. Maybe get your ducks in a row for replacement sailings from the US and give those folks (myself and my clients) an alternate choice available. 
 

Sometimes the arrogance of FDR astounds me. Once in a while. Having been in the airline indistry since the late 90s its reminescent of the old days of Eastern and Frank Lorenzo. It really is. 

 

I (NCL Platinum) will be sailing with Celebrity in two weeks on the Millennium from St Maarten with the Retreat experience. I really wish it was the Edge, but we cant change our days off, however I really feel like I want them to really impress me. Between MSC and NCL this oast 14mo and all Ive been through with rebookings and cancellations, I just feel like I want a new favorite. 

 

I feel for the TA Reps and CS Agents who have to bear the brunt of these aggressive decisions that have been made. How do you stand behind that?

[Trimone]

Me thinks old Del Rey should be Breaking B4lls to keep NCL going! Instead he's putting make up on and making 4 part documentaries.....

IT WONT END WELL 

[BermudaBound2014]

1 hour ago, JamieLogical said:

Definitely sounds from that email that they are having to steal some crew from the Gem to staff-up the Bliss just like they did with the Joy.

 

I'm not buying moving crew from the Gem as the rational.  Perhaps moving crew plays a very small role, or perhaps it makes it easier to start up the Bliss, but I absolutely believe the reason the Gem was cancelled was too few customers. 

 

If the Gem could sail and break even or turn a small profit, I believe she would sail. But the number of cabins that were still available on both the Joy and the Gem was shocking. And the number of cabins still available on the Bliss is also still quite high. Johnny Public isn't ready to sail again.

 

My original question remains unanswered: Are there enough loyal cruise customers willing to add new cash into the system (not FCC/NC/etc..) to prevent bankruptcy, acquisition, or merger? 

 

[CroozFanatic]

2 hours ago, BamaCruiser39 said:

Just got the official cancellation email from NCL: all Gem sailings are cancelled until at least October 10, 2021.

 

Blindsided

[AtlantaCruiser72]

22 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

I'm not buying moving crew from the Gem as the rational.  Perhaps moving crew plays a very small role, or perhaps it makes it easier to start up the Bliss, but I absolutely believe the reason the Gem was cancelled was too few customers. 

 

If the Gem could sail and break even or turn a small profit, I believe she would sail. But the number of cabins that were still available on both the Joy and the Gem was shocking. And the number of cabins still available on the Bliss is also still quite high. Johnny Public isn't ready to sail again.

 

My original question remains unanswered: Are there enough loyal cruise customers willing to add new cash into the system (not FCC/NC/etc..) to prevent bankruptcy, acquisition, or merger? 

 

 

I work in cruise sales for a large online agency - Johnny Public IS ready to sail again, but NOT at the prices being asked.  People are expecting bargains, are not getting them, and are making alternate plans rather than cruise.  

[CroozFanatic]

Given the slew of re-positionings/cancellations Wednesday, I'm inclined to believe something happened in the last 48 hours and this has nothing to do with additional staff for the Bliss.

[graphicguy]

1 minute ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

 

I work in cruise sales for a large online agency - Johnny Public IS ready to sail again, but NOT at the prices being asked.  People are expecting bargains, are not getting them, and are making alternate plans rather than cruise.  

I understand that.  A good friend of mine along with his wife are doing an all inclusive in one of those Caribbean ports.  They got a good deal and I think they’re going next month.  But, as always, deals are out there for cruises if you look.  

[graphicguy]

3 minutes ago, CroozFanatic said:

Given the slew of re-positionings/cancellations Wednesday, I'm inclined to believe something happened in the last 48 hours and this has nothing to do with additional staff for the Bliss.

Boy, I’d love to know.  As it stands, it sure looks like shifting to the cruise that will net the most $$$$$ for NCL, instead of taking care of the passengers who have already booked, and have stuck with you through thick and thin!