Am I being unreasonable?

[ontheweb]

10 minutes ago, cassie55 said:

Thanks to those who were sympathetic.

 

My agent has escalated it to the European Helpdesk team who have extended the date by 1 week so all is fine.   

Glad it all worked out.

[MoCruiseFan]

4 hours ago, cassie55 said:

I don't disagree but it's TWO days.  and for prioritising work and family - well yes, I need to work and  can't leave certain family members.  But for a 2 day extension we will re-consider our relationship with NCL.  We usually do two cruises a year, usually in a suite but they obviously don't care about our loyalty.       You think asking for a 2 day extension is unreasonable? 

 

Two hours, two days, two weeks, two months...  Past the deadline is past the deadline.  You asked they gave you their answer.  Time to move on.  The fta that you are any given latitude is not relevant.

[MoCruiseFan]

3 hours ago, Oakman58 said:

I don't think you're being unreasonable at all.  Personally I think FCC should be good for 5 years.  Not everyone has a job that allows them to take off willy nilly to go on a cruise every year.

 

Taking off once a year is willy nilly?  I'm glad I do not have your job!

[MoCruiseFan]

3 hours ago, hallux said:

I wonder how often companies bidding on multi-million $ projects get extensions for TWO DAYs because they decided there were other priorities.

 

OK, we're talking a little less money here, sure.  How often does your boss give you extensions on projects because you decided something else was more important than that work?

 

 

They have deadlines for milestones during the contract and yes they do have penalties for every day a milestone is missed.

[MoCruiseFan]

47 minutes ago, cassie55 said:

Thanks to those who were sympathetic.

I did not see a single post that said they were not sympathetic.  You asked if you were being unreasonable and many replied, some yes, some no.  You got honest answers to your question.  If you only wanted to hear from people who think you are not being unreasonable you should have stated that in your original post, otherwise be thankful to everyone who took time to answer yoru question!

[BebeZed]

8 hours ago, cassie55 said:

I'll start by saying we are Sapphire latitudes around 1 cruise off Diamond level and are loyal (up to now) NCL cruisers.  

 

We were given FCCs of £600 each that we had to use by a year from our previous cruise.  Due to work and family commitments we were struggling to find something but there is a cruise that leaves 2 days after that deadline. Our travel agent didn't think that a big deal but has contacted several depts in NCL and escalated it but NCL says no.

 

I could understand if I was asking for months or even weeks extension but this is TWO days. What difference does it really make?

 

I work for an airline, we are far more flexible bending the rules for our higher levels frequent flyers as we recognise loyalty but that doesn't seems to apply to NCL sadly.

 

We love the service and experience we get onboard but very disappointed that NCL won't accommodate (what we think is) a very small adjustment. 

No, you are NOT being unreasonable! I am surprised that NCL said no because I was in a very similar situation and my travel agent went to bat for me and NCL went for it. I'm rather disappointed to hear that a fellow Sapphire member (I'm also just shy of Diamond level) got turned down in this situation. I don't have any sage advice for you, unfortunately... but no, you're not being unreasonable!

[BebeZed]

1 hour ago, lgdesign said:

 

I had a similar situation with a 10% FCC that I was able to get extended for a month. 

 

Do not bother going through your TA.  I've tried that many times for assorted requests and each time my TA was denied.  I then go directly to NCL and usually have gotten my reasonable request granted (to my TA's surprise).  The key is that the request be fair and reasonable which I feel this is.  

 

I also always e-mail as I feel a request made in writing is better than explaining myself over and over to different people at NCL on the phone... many of whom do not have the authority to make the decision any way.

 

A brief, extremely polite request to Katty Bird outlining the issues and requesting the reasonable accommodation usually works for me.  I had an answer agreeing to the FCC request I outlined above within a day.

 

It never hurts to ask... Good luck!

The trouble with going over your TA's head is that many cruise lines will NOT talk to the actual passenger if the cruise is booked through a travel agent. I'm not sure if this is the case for NCL, as when I was a TA, I never had a situation that I couldn't resolve for a client, but I know for other cruise lines, they just won't work with the client. HOWEVER, as you say, it NEVER hurts to ask! I certainly would do so... and then if I got a favorable resolution, find a better travel agent 😄

[BebeZed]

1 hour ago, cassie55 said:

Thanks to those who were sympathetic.

 

My agent has escalated it to the European Helpdesk team who have extended the date by 1 week so all is fine.   

Kudos to your TA! Some of them just won't fight on behalf of their clients... glad yours did! That's a keeper!

[cassie55]

Just now, BebeZed said:

Kudos to your TA! Some of them just won't fight on behalf of their clients... glad yours did! That's a keeper!

She's actually a close friend.  I'm in the travel industry (I work for an airline) so have loads of agency contacts but she's the only person I will use.  She's very good.  A good travel agent is worth their weight in gold. 

[Oakman58]

1 hour ago, MoCruiseFan said:

 

Taking off once a year is willy nilly?  I'm glad I do not have your job!

 

Then you don't want to be a small business owner.

[CruiseMH]

6 hours ago, cassie55 said:

 You think asking for a 2 day extension is unreasonable? 

 

 

Well, you had one year of time to use it and you knew it from the beginning until when you have to use it. So in this case to me it is very clear. And also these rules should be valid for all customers.Why should higher status customers have the right to bend the rules wheres as lower status customers don`t ?

 

If i were the responsible person at NCL i would have made an exception(customer service) but at least i can understand NCL`s point of view.

 

 

[ziggyuk]

1 hour ago, Oakman58 said:

 

Then you don't want to be a small business owner.

 

I'm a small business owner and take 3 cruises a year, you just need to do it right 😂

[SeekingKillerWhales!]

11 hours ago, MoCruiseFan said:

I did not see a single post that said they were not sympathetic.  You asked if you were being unreasonable and many replied, some yes, some no.  You got honest answers to your question.  If you only wanted to hear from people who think you are not being unreasonable you should have stated that in your original post, otherwise be thankful to everyone who took time to answer yoru question!

It's been resolved. Fortunately the customer service at NCL ended up thinking it a reasonable request too. And you don't have to be thankful to everyone who answers a question here. There is a growing degree of jerkery that should not be responded to. 

[YVRteacher]

Interesting.

 

I sent NCL an inquiry email a few months ago to see if they would allow us to use our Diamond cabin upgrade during a Christmas cruise.  This was not a complaint but an inquiry. 
It is clearly stated in the terms and conditions that the Diamond upgrade can not be used on holiday cruises.  I was asking if they would make an exception. The reply was no, Diamond upgrades can not be used on a holiday cruise.

 

In the case of the OP, a request for an exception was granted. How do I feel now? I am Diamond.  My request for an exception was not granted.  Theirs was.

 

Rules are rules. Except when they aren’t.  The inconsistencies are what bother me most about NCL.

 

(note: I did not expect them to say yes to my request, there was no anger, no diatribe on Cruise Critic.  Do I really care that someone gets to cruise two days after their certificate expires? Of course not.)

[ChiefMateJRK]

1 hour ago, SeekingKillerWhales! said:

There is a growing degree of jerkery

🤣

[MoCruiseFan]

1 hour ago, SeekingKillerWhales! said:

It's been resolved. Fortunately the customer service at NCL ended up thinking it a reasonable request too. And you don't have to be thankful to everyone who answers a question here. There is a growing degree of jerkery that should not be responded to. 

 

Actually when you ask a question that bascially asks for opinions, you SHOULD be thankgul to everyone who took time to answer teh question and respond with their personal opinion.  After all, that IS what you asked for.  Someon not giving the answer and/or opinion that you jad japoed fopr is not being a jerk.  IMHO, not doing so, in and of itself qualifies as being a jerk.  All that being said, I am very happy that you have been abel to resolve the underlying issue and will be abel to enjoy your cruise.  Have a safe and happy trip.

Edited May 25, 2023 by MoCruiseFan

[insidecabin]

Glad its worked out.

 

I suspect there is a bit of caution on the inside at NCL.

 

If an individual asks for an exception say through a PCC then the PCC has some discretion.

eg. I have had a recently  expired discount(that I never saw) on my account applied to a cruise last year.

Even a frequent cruiser the number of requests will be limited unless they have a stack of FCC or discounts. 

 

 

With a TA then there is a bigger risk that a single request could turn into multiple(100s) requests and that opens the can of worms of  you did 2 days why not 4.

 

Makes sense to have a front like block but have process that allows exceptions where they can be contained and monitored by a smaller group within NCL.

 

There is a core issue behind this that often the time limits on certain item like FCC from cancellations have too a short life.

 

In the UK there is often a requirement to refund in full,  the covid situation started the introduction of a refund credit(which retained financial protection)  to ease the cashflow issues that TA and cruise lines would have had if they had to give all the money back.

 

Not all cruise lines offered this as they preferred people to go for the full FCC which has no financial protection.

 

The idea is you leave the credit on account but can still get the cash back if you end up not using it. These would be combined with incentives not to cash out like a 20% bonus.

 

For a UK passenger that was never offered the full refund option and only a FCC when a cruise was cancelled the cruise line would have been in breach of the regulations and there could still be an option to make a claim.

[Goldenknight]

22 hours ago, SeekingKillerWhales! said:

 . . . . And you don't have to be thankful to everyone who answers a question here. There is a growing degree of jerkery that should not be responded to. 

+1

 

There is a recent thread where a poster explains their current issue on board their cruise.  The level of derision directed at this poster is not surprising.  

 

What IS surprising is the apparent bewilderment at being treated "differently" than others in allegedly "similar" situations.  

 

The poster in that recent thread noted the ability of NCL to "track" your every movement, whingefest, attitude, and whim.  Having a "profile" shouldn't be surprising.

 

You catch more flies with honey.  

[RB9643]

23 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

🤣

 

I first read it as "jerky" and was pondering what a growing degree of jerky looks like.

 

[SeekingKillerWhales!]

On 5/24/2023 at 10:41 PM, MoCruiseFan said:

 

Actually when you ask a question that bascially asks for opinions, you SHOULD be thankgul to everyone who took time to answer teh question and respond with their personal opinion.  After all, that IS what you asked for.  Someon not giving the answer and/or opinion that you jad japoed fopr is not being a jerk.  IMHO, not doing so, in and of itself qualifies as being a jerk.  All that being said, I am very happy that you have been abel to resolve the underlying issue and will be abel to enjoy your cruise.  Have a safe and happy trip.

We'll have to agree to disagree on this one. No one has to thank anyone who is rude or demeaning to them, the only people who feel that way are the bullies/abusers themselves. There is a small group of posters here who constantly demean or belittle people for their inexperience and expectations. And yes, occasionally those expectations are out of line, but that doesn't mean people have make posters who already are feeling bad, feel worse. I'm not talking about the people who are clearly out of their gourd with their expectations, I'm talking people who have an idea of what customer service is and it's not being met. And the gang comes out to tell them how stupid they are for having that expectation. 

 

Fortunately it's not a huge amount of posters, and over time you learn who they are and know just to roll your eyes at them. And hope they aren't driving away newbies who need help. (They probably are. People don't come back to places that demean them and they don't have the experience to spot the bullies.) But if someone is more interested in proclaiming their superiority is versus helping a newbie, yeah, no thank you is needed. 

[hallux]

6 minutes ago, SeekingKillerWhales! said:

We'll have to agree to disagree on this one. No one has to thank anyone who is rude or demeaning to them, the only people who feel that way are the bullies/abusers themselves.

Just because someone has an opinion contrary to what someone else thinks is the right thing to do does not make them a bully.  Yes, I thought it might be unreasonable to expect NCL to give leeway, the OP had a year to use the FCC.  We all face deadlines every day - credit card bills incur late fees if not paid in time, utilities incur late fess, rent or mortgage, even NCL will cancel your reservation if you miss the final payment deadline.

 

Am I happy for the OP that they got their way?  Sure.  But it's now set a precedent - the next person could be looking at 3 days, or 5 days, or a week beyond validity of the FCC, could see this thread and point back and say "but you did it for them".  At what point do you draw the line for giving some grace? Policies and deadlines are in place for a reason...

[ExpatBride]

24 minutes ago, SeekingKillerWhales! said:

We'll have to agree to disagree on this one. No one has to thank anyone who is rude or demeaning to them,

 

I didn't see anyone being rude or bullying. If the OP only wanted to hear from people who "were sympathetic," they should've stuck to discussing it with their family/friends.

In the end, it doesn't matter whether they were being unreasonable, NCL was going to make a call one way or the other and that's that. It's irrelevant what a bunch of people on the Internet think because none of us are the ones making the final call.

[SeekingKillerWhales!]

11 minutes ago, hallux said:

Just because someone has an opinion contrary to what someone else thinks is the right thing to do does not make them a bully.  Yes, I thought it might be unreasonable to expect NCL to give leeway, the OP had a year to use the FCC.  We all face deadlines every day - credit card bills incur late fees if not paid in time, utilities incur late fess, rent or mortgage, even NCL will cancel your reservation if you miss the final payment deadline.

 

Am I happy for the OP that they got their way?  Sure.  But it's now set a precedent - the next person could be looking at 3 days, or 5 days, or a week beyond validity of the FCC, could see this thread and point back and say "but you did it for them".  At what point do you draw the line for giving some grace? Policies and deadlines are in place for a reason...

I am not talking about people who disagree with a poster, or tell them their expectations are unreasonable. I'm talking about the ones who attack the poster personally, imply they are stupid or otherwise for having XYZ opinion, and basically go from post to post adding negativity everywhere they go. Again, this is just a handful of repliers, and over time you get to know them, but they go out of their way to belittle others, and it's tiresome. 

[SeekingKillerWhales!]

3 minutes ago, ExpatBride said:

 

I didn't see anyone being rude or bullying. If the OP only wanted to hear from people who "were sympathetic," they should've stuck to discussing it with their family/friends.

In the end, it doesn't matter whether they were being unreasonable, NCL was going to make a call one way or the other and that's that. It's irrelevant what a bunch of people on the Internet think because none of us are the ones making the final call.

It does matter if someone is new and they get some of the feedback I've seen. (I am not talking about this post, this went far more general.) I've seen some really mean things said to "educate others" and quite honestly it's hard to swallow. 

[MoCruiseFan]

1 hour ago, SeekingKillerWhales! said:

I am not talking about people who disagree with a poster, or tell them their expectations are unreasonable. I'm talking about the ones who attack the poster personally, imply they are stupid or otherwise for having XYZ opinion, and basically go from post to post adding negativity everywhere they go. Again, this is just a handful of repliers, and over time you get to know them, but they go out of their way to belittle others, and it's tiresome. 

 

Just because you infer something does not mean that the other persom is implying it.