May 28th POA Reservation - CANCELED

[Cape Hernlopen]

We are on the May 28 POA and as of 7:42 p.m. (east coast time) we have not received a cancellation notice.  We also signed up and paid for the pre- cruise tour.  It would not prove economical for NCL to cancel people who are on the pre-cruise tour and still have to run the tour with two less paying guests.

Simple micro economics, hopefully, NCL staffers passed the course.  We are very sad and uncomfortable with how you have been treated.  We are first time Norwegian cruisers but have long (and happy) experiences with HAL ,Oceania and Viking.

Joel Barry

[ShakeDaddy]

1 hour ago, SeaShark said:

 

Why not? Platinum is just a mid-range status (like getting a "C" on a test). If anything, they would protect their upper tier members.

 

I would suspect that there are formulations, likely based on profitability projections and past onboard spend patterns, that are used to select which reservations stay and which ones go. 

 

Yes Platinum and above for sure.  

 

And on the profitability projections would add in known gamblers to that list as well.    

[Traveller20074]

51 minutes ago, CruiseDealSweeper said:

It has been paid in full for over three months. Had already paid NCL ~$10k in the booking and airfare 

 

OMG I would be livid!!!    I am so sorry.   

 

I understand this idea:   

"this is the one time it worked for my family prior to the next steps in life...."

 

I booked Alaska with grandkids (that will age out of Splash Academy if I don't do it NOW, and it's cancelled because of Covid.   

[da1425]

31 minutes ago, ShakeDaddy said:

And on the profitability projections would add in known gamblers to that list as well.    

 

No casino on the POA, so that won't be a consideration.

 

I'm booked in October and can't imagine having the cruise cancelled 10 days out.  Crazy.

[ChiefMateJRK]

13 minutes ago, da1425 said:

No casino on the POA, so that won't be a consideration.

Sure it could.  Just because the person won't be gambling on POA, they sure don't want to alienate them so that they stop sailing NCL ships that do have casinos.

[CruiseDealSweeper]

4 hours ago, HBCcruiser said:

I wonder how they selected people to cancel (if entire cruise not cancelled), random? 

That is our biggest question. Why us?

[SeaShark]

19 minutes ago, CruiseDealSweeper said:

That is our biggest question. Why us?

 

Sorry that this happened to you...it sucks, for sure. However, I really think the biggest question is why would you think people on an internet forum could tell you "why"? These are really questions for NCL, no?

[CruiseDealSweeper]

39 minutes ago, SeaShark said:

 

Sorry that this happened to you...it sucks, for sure. However, I really think the biggest question is why would you think people on an internet forum could tell you "why"? These are really questions for NCL, no?

I'm not asking the forum "why". I'm asking myself "why" did NCL choose me?

 

I have asked NCL in multiple conversations today and no one has been able to answer the question. Most people with NCL seemed shocked this even happened - "Never heard of this happening in my years of working here".. "nothing we can do"..

 

I would love to book a different cruise elsewhere this same week but plane tickets around the world have gone up so much I'll end up paying nearly $5k more vs. the B1G1 air deal I originally booked POA with. 

[da1425]

1 hour ago, CruiseDealSweeper said:

I'm not asking the forum "why". I'm asking myself "why" did NCL choose me?

 

Do you mind providing some info?  Mainly - when did you originally book the cruise?  Secondly, what room did you reserve?  Third, have you cruised with NCL before?

 

 

What a crappy situation.

 

Edited May 19, 2022 by da1425

[hallux]

5 hours ago, da1425 said:

What a crappy situation.

But, sadly, one which is being experienced on several lines.  Some lines are cancelling bookings to lower guest count to compensate for lower crew counts while others are keeping the bookings but reducing services or reducing the quality of service.

[KeithJenner]

12 hours ago, SeaShark said:

 

Why not? Platinum is just a mid-range status (like getting a "C" on a test). If anything, they would protect their upper tier members.

 

I would suspect that there are formulations, likely based on profitability projections and past onboard spend patterns, that are used to select which reservations stay and which ones go. 

The POA generally has fewer high latitudes level people onboard than other itineraries. It attracts a lot of people who don’t usually cruise, and there are always lots of first timers onboard.

 

When we did the cruise there were only a handful of platinums onboard. As we were the only platinum plus onboard we got suite perks. They used to offer that quite frequently as they get so few.

[ggTexasGal]

@CruiseDealSweeper  How sad for your family that this has happened!

 

Unfortunately, companies are having to make cost-cutting decisions during these very trying times.

A huge chunk of the issue lies with Hawaii's terms that most employees "HAVE TO BE" US Citizens!

That alone has presented problems for staffing the NCL ship(s) from/to Hawaii. That has been the case for many years!!!

 

Because NCL was forced to make some decisions, in all likelihood, passengers booked in suites (and/or higher-fare balcony rooms) would be the last groups to be cancelled, as they tend to be less thrifty while onboard the ships.

[Rob-Bob]

13 hours ago, ShakeDaddy said:

 

Agree, not good.

An additional 25% FCC plus a full cash refund was passed along by NCL to us on our recently cancelled Prima cruise.

They gave us 10% off a future cruise when they cancelled our Panama Jewel cruise in March.  They did cancel the whole cruise though not just us.  Boy that wasn't the most generous. They cancelled one day after final payment was due (59 days out).

 

We had one year to use it.  We did use the 10% on our upcoming July cruise on the Getaway.

[cruiseny4life]

I know I'm a commie socialist b****d, but I've just gotta throw out there that perhaps NCL should pay people enough to want to work, then these terrible customer service incidents wouldn't occur.

 

I know...I know...COVID nearly killed the cruise industry and people ought to be thankful the ships are still moving about the world....but I just can't get over that people just want to be paid a decent wage. 

 

From what I can tell with a simple Google search, the average pay for NCL crew seems to be between $35,000 - $40,000 per year. POA is likely a bit more since it's an American flagged ship, or at the very least the crew only work 8 hour days, instead of 12 - 14 hour days seven days a week. Regardless, where I'm from (NYS) $40k is chump change. 

 

NCL - pay your people more, then you won't have to cancel people's vacations. 

 

Bring on the cruise industry crusaders. 🙂

[hallux]

54 minutes ago, ggTexasGal said:

A huge chunk of the issue lies with Hawaii's terms that most employees "HAVE TO BE" US Citizens!

That's not Hawaii's terms, that's the regulations from the US government for a US-flagged ship...

[Cape Hernlopen]

We are on the May 28 POA and as of 7:42 p.m. (east coast time) we have not received a cancellation notice.  We also signed up and paid for the pre- cruise tour.  It would not prove economical for NCL to cancel people who are on the pre-cruise tour and still have to run the tour with two less paying guests.

Simple micro economics, hopefully, NCL staffers passed the course.  We are very sad and uncomfortable with how you have been treated.  We are first time Norwegian cruisers but have long (and happy) experiences with HAL ,Oceania and Viking.

Joel Barry

[zounds]

Horrific !  We're also booked for 28th, but have heard nothing from NCL.. (yet?)  

[ggTexasGal]

21 minutes ago, hallux said:

That's not Hawaii's terms, that's the regulations from the US government for a US-flagged ship...

You are correct, and I sure did word that poorly!

[Cape Hernlopen]

The effected cruiser posted on the POA May 28 Rollcall and the letter was as described.  Only reason provided was staff shortages and keeping the quality of the guest experience.  There was no explanation regarding the why or how of selecting the cruiser to be "debooked".  The terms included 100% refund for cruise within 2 days and a 100% of cruise fare in a FCC available until end of 2023  and up to $500 per person to cover (actual) airline rebooking fees.  It is still a ruined vacation 10 days out.  Very sad and disconcerting.

Joel Barry

[njkate]

Wow this is awful, so sorry for the O/P.

I as well wonder what algorithm they used in cancelling people

[Karaboudjan]

19 minutes ago, njkate said:

Wow this is awful, so sorry for the O/P.

I as well wonder what algorithm they used in cancelling people

 

Telling people why they were cancelled would be similar to an employer telling people why they did not get a job that they applied for.  It's generally not done for good reasons.

 

[firstimer2009]

I am so sorry.  I looked at that cruise for next year but thought it was still too expensive. I wanted to wait until prices came down. Are you still going to Honolulu?  I love Oahu and was just there in March.   Not certain how many was on this trip though.  Hope you can still make it and salvage some of your vacation.  There are lots of condos and reasonable places to stay in Waikiki.  

[MsTabbyKats]

1 hour ago, cruiseny4life said:

I know I'm a commie socialist b****d, but I've just gotta throw out there that perhaps NCL should pay people enough to want to work, then these terrible customer service incidents wouldn't occur.

 

I know...I know...COVID nearly killed the cruise industry and people ought to be thankful the ships are still moving about the world....but I just can't get over that people just want to be paid a decent wage. 

 

From what I can tell with a simple Google search, the average pay for NCL crew seems to be between $35,000 - $40,000 per year. POA is likely a bit more since it's an American flagged ship, or at the very least the crew only work 8 hour days, instead of 12 - 14 hour days seven days a week. Regardless, where I'm from (NYS) $40k is chump change. 

 

NCL - pay your people more, then you won't have to cancel people's vacations. 

 

Bring on the cruise industry crusaders. 🙂

Paying employees more means charging customers more.  

[milolii]

So sorry this happened to you.  @firsttimer2009is correct maybe try one of the vacation rental sites for a condo. You could even fly to a second island, depending on how much time you have in the islands.  Good luck 

[CrazyTrain2]

So Seinfeld,

 

Your good at MAKING the reservation.

 

You are just not good at KEEPING the reservation.

 

Yes, I will take the insurance 'cause I'm gonna beat the crap out of this car.