Buyer Beware - Awful Customer Care Post Cruise on NCL

[Two Wheels Only]

9 hours ago, TheBeardedCruiser said:

I disagree with everyone that has said that you should have done your due diligence and checked the room yourself. Not your job! That is the job of the professionals that told you that your room would be the same. NCL is fabulous for lumping dissimilar rooms into one category.

 

Out of the 10 staterooms in that category, only 1 (13106) on Encore is that interior configuration. All of the rest are what the OP had previously experienced. The partially enclosed balconies are only on deck 13 for Encore. 

 

9 hours ago, TheBeardedCruiser said:

So far, I've loyalty matched with MSC Cruises and been extremely happy. They aren't perfect either, but I found them to be much more customer friendly!

 

I have found that MSC is less accurate than NCL as far as stateroom discrepancies and inaccuracies. When new ships go into service, it's common for people on MSC to get something different than what they had expected. 

 

[BirdTravels]

10 hours ago, TheBeardedCruiser said:

I disagree with everyone that has said that you should have done your due diligence and checked the room yourself. Not your job! That is the job of the professionals that told you that your room would be the same. NCL is fabulous for lumping dissimilar rooms into one category.

 

I unfortunately had a very similar experience with NCL giving me a room that was completely different than I expected. In my situation there were pictures on NCL's website of what I thought my room was supposed to look like. The pictures showed a large room with a couch and two closets. When I got to my room it was much smaller, no couch, and one small closet. I received zero compensation after fighting it for months. I gave up and have since not sailed on an NCL ship. I possibly will never go back, who knows? So far, I've loyalty matched with MSC Cruises and been extremely happy. They aren't perfect either, but I found them to be much more customer friendly!

The OP got a room in the cabin class they booked. So did you. 
 

Specifically for forward facing and aft facing rooms, the configurations will be slightly different deck by deck because of the shape of the ship. You see a new question here on CC every week asking which room is better. 
 

The answer “You booked a H7 last time and have booked a H7 on your next cruise is 100% accurate”. 
 

Rooms will never be exactly the same unless you book the same room on the same ship. 
 

And no, no one wants disclaimers on every photo on the web site saying “pictures are national and your actual room may be different”. 

[julig22]

42 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Rooms will never be exactly the same unless you book the same room on the same ship.

Good point. Are non-handicapped cabins the same configuration on both ships?

[BirdTravels]

24 minutes ago, julig22 said:

Good point. Are non-handicapped cabins the same configuration on both ships?

Nope  We always book the forward facing penthouse suite (because they are cheaper and offer more space than more expensive rooms in the Haven proper). And they are all slightly different if you look closely. 
 

We have been assigned ADA rooms in the Haven proper and, other than the automatic doors, we love the rooms with super space. 
 

The ship is not a rectangular block. It tapers as it goes up. So the rooms are different on every deck. Some just shape. Some have an extra structural element (room around a post/beam - gotta support the cantilever bridge). 

Edited August 31 by BirdTravels

[Two Wheels Only]

17 minutes ago, julig22 said:

Good point. Are non-handicapped cabins the same configuration on both ships?

 

They are similar (separate living room) but even then, there are slight differences with balcony shape/size, furniture, etc. depending on deck. 

[MoCruiseFan]

I see no 'error;.  You said the cabin WAS indeed the class you reqyested.  ADA cabins are NOT reserved for anyony, however if you book one w/o need and another passenger needs ine after they are all booked, NCL wil start calling those who booked them and as for volunteers to move.  If no one does so, they will move someone randomly.  But since you did get the class you requested, no error.  Cabin floor plans vary from ship to ship even within the same cabin type.

[tony s]

There is a reason why NCL stands for Nobody Cares Less

[BirdTravels]

12 hours ago, TheBeardedCruiser said:

I've loyalty matched with MSC Cruises and been extremely happy. They aren't perfect either, but I found them to be much more customer friendly!

We have found MSC customer service to be totally incompetent. We’re Diamond on NCL, Royal, and MSC and Platinum on Cunard. I have two future cruises booked with MSC and both reservations are hosed and I can’t get anyone to fix them. At least with NCL, I am able to get to a Tech Support group who can do things. With MSC customer service, you get passed around between departments who flat out say “not my job” and after a month or two, you come full circle to main customer service who says “I don’t know how to fix anything”. 

[TheBeardedCruiser]

1 hour ago, BirdTravels said:

The OP got a room in the cabin class they booked. So did you. 

 

Rooms will never be exactly the same unless you book the same room on the same ship.  

Actually, you have no idea what you're talking about! We've never spoken about my circumstances, so how would you know?

 

I booked an oceanview cabin. I went on NCL's website to look at my room and it showed a large room with a couch and two closets. When I completed my check-in on their website, same picture. 

 

Fast forward, I get a smaller room with no couch and one closet. I complain, nothing gets done. I begin my own research. NCL used the wrong pictures for that room category. They were using pictures for the family oceanview, which is a different category.

 

Zero rooms in my category have a couch, two closets, and are larger. Zero rooms in the category that I booked look like the pictures on NCL's website. I called and complained and they told me that I was right! They also said that although I was right, they couldn't reimburse me.

 

So, yes, technically I got a room in the category that I paid for. But, it wasn't what I was expecting because NCL uploaded the wrong pictures onto their website. Months later those pictures are still on their website. NCL doesn't care that they are intentionally decieving customers!

 

How is that my fault?

[complawyer]

you are 100% correct, and certainly have an absolute right to be p'o'd.

 

that being said, however, while it doesnt fix the problem, after booking 30 cruises with ncl, and staying in various cabins, from mid ship mini suites (the old days) , club balcony, and assorted haven and "suites" , unfortunately, oftentimes, the pictures are completely different than the actual cabin.

 

while hindsight is amazing, next time you want to book, google the ship, cabin number and check you tube video, not the end all and be all of answers, but it may help somewhat.

 

otherfwise good luck, and i hope this doesnt sour you from using ncl again

[TheBeardedCruiser]

2 minutes ago, complawyer said:

you are 100% correct, and certainly have an absolute right to be p'o'd.

 

that being said, however, while it doesnt fix the problem, after booking 30 cruises with ncl, and staying in various cabins, from mid ship mini suites (the old days) , club balcony, and assorted haven and "suites" , unfortunately, oftentimes, the pictures are completely different than the actual cabin.

 

while hindsight is amazing, next time you want to book, google the ship, cabin number and check you tube video, not the end all and be all of answers, but it may help somewhat.

 

otherfwise good luck, and i hope this doesnt sour you from using ncl again

Thanks! I've learned a lot about the intricacies of booking a room on a cruise ship over the past few months. Until that cruise, I always loved my room, so I had no reason to suspect it wouldn't always be that way. Now I know better; next time I'll be more prepared!

[SeaShark]

1 hour ago, tony s said:

There is a reason why NCL stands for Nobody Cares Less

 

If you actually believed that you wouldn't have anything to do with them. You wouldn't sail on their ships, and you certainly wouldn't waste your time on internet forums to discuss their ships.

[tony s]

1 minute ago, SeaShark said:

 

If you actually believed that you wouldn't have anything to do with them. You wouldn't sail on their ships, and you certainly wouldn't waste your time on internet forums to discuss their ships.

🙄

[SeaShark]

54 minutes ago, TheBeardedCruiser said:

How is that my fault?

 

Well. you did your own research instead of working through a competent PCC or TA. That is, of course, your choice, but then you have a degree of responsibility.

 

When I go to NCL's website and look at cabins on a ship, the page clearly states: "Stateroom images, square footage, and configurations are representative only. Actual accommodations may vary."

 

The presence of that statement should be cause to verify and not assume. 

[SomewhereGirl]

44 minutes ago, SeaShark said:

 

Well. you did your own research instead of working through a competent PCC or TA. That is, of course, your choice, but then you have a degree of responsibility.

 

 

Which means the OP on this thread was dealing with an incompetent NCL employee and NCL has a degree of responsibility?

[TheBeardedCruiser]

37 minutes ago, SeaShark said:

 

Well. you did your own research instead of working through a competent PCC or TA. That is, of course, your choice, but then you have a degree of responsibility.

 

When I go to NCL's website and look at cabins on a ship, the page clearly states: "Stateroom images, square footage, and configurations are representative only. Actual accommodations may vary."

 

The presence of that statement should be cause to verify and not assume. 

Again with the assumptions! I did work through a travel agent. They apologized, but weren't willing to do anything for me. I've since found a new, much more competent TA!

 

OP, I've learned a few things since I joined Cruise Critic. I'll help you by listing them here, for your benefit:

 

1) Check your room on every website imaginable before final payment, if possible.

2) Travel agents are perfect. NCL isn't responsible for anything they do wrong. (Replace NCL with XYZ Cruise Line, depending on the thread) 

3) Don't complain on Cruise Critic unless you are prepared to have random strangers make assumptions and belittle you about anything and everything. 

4) The website and customer service personnel are also perfect, and you should never expect the company to care about you as a person. You are easily replaceable!

 

Pick and choose which are based on sarcasm. If you've read enough of my posts, you'll know! Hint, I'm 100% pro-customer in situations like yours!

 

Happy Cruising OP 😀

[SeaShark]

14 minutes ago, SomewhereGirl said:

 

Which means the OP on this thread was dealing with an incompetent NCL employee and NCL has a degree of responsibility?

 

That depends. Did the OP do the research and pick the room, or did the NCL employee pick the room?

[SeaShark]

8 minutes ago, TheBeardedCruiser said:

Again with the assumptions! I did work through a travel agent. They apologized, but weren't willing to do anything for me. I've since found a new, much more competent TA!

 

The only time assumptions are needed is when YOU don't provide 100% of the information. We're not mind readers. The truth is that your reading, much like your research, is superficial. I said COMPETENT PCC or TA. You we're, by your own admission, working with one whose competency was lacking. You picked your old, and your new, TA...and you are responsible for the pros and cons of that decision.

 

8 minutes ago, TheBeardedCruiser said:

OP, I've learned a few things since I joined Cruise Critic. I'll help you by listing them here, for your benefit:

 

Learning is for your benefit, not mine. Listing what you've learned doesn't help me at all, but let's look anyway...

 

9 minutes ago, TheBeardedCruiser said:

1) Check your room on every website imaginable before final payment, if possible.

2) Travel agents are perfect. NCL isn't responsible for anything they do wrong. (Replace NCL with XYZ Cruise Line, depending on the thread) 

3) Don't complain on Cruise Critic unless you are prepared to have random strangers make assumptions and belittle you about anything and everything. 

4) The website and customer service personnel are also perfect, and you should never expect the company to care about you as a person. You are easily replaceable!

 

1) Overkill. If you had competent assistance, you wouldn't need to be checking at all. However, you do you. Heck, if you would have checked your room on only NCL's website, the "Stateroom images, square footage, and configurations are representative only. Actual accommodations may vary." would have told you something.

2) Says who? Not me, as I've repeatedly said "competent TA"...clearly not "all". Fail.

3) How about don't complain on Cruise Critic because this isn't the complaint department..this is only an internet forum for people to share their cruise experiences...good, bad, and indifferent. People are free to hold and express opinions different from yours. This is a discussion forum, not a support group.

4) One of the first things that you learn with regard to cruising is that when you book with a TA you are the TA's customer...not the cruise line's customer. ALL of your interactions should go through and be handled by your TA. If you're using the website and customer service personnel, you haven't even learned the basics.

[julig22]

54 minutes ago, SomewhereGirl said:

 

Which means the OP on this thread was dealing with an incompetent NCL employee and NCL has a degree of responsibility?

Since none of us are privy to the actual conversations that took place - or the actual request made by the OP, no way to say. We haven't been told if the replacement cabin and the original cabin are the same cabin or just the same category - and if that cabin was, in fact, the same as what they had on another ship. We haven't been told what the OP would have said if, when requesting the rebooking, they were told that the only cabin available is the one they were given because the cabin they wanted wasn't available, only the cabin they were assigned. 

Lots of possible scenarios, from a basic misunderstanding of what the OP was asking for, up to and including incompetent employees anywhere along the way.

Edited August 31 by julig22

[Ellis1138]

One of the takeaways, for those still reading is: Unless you find an actual video of the actual cabin or someone posts about the cabin in the pinned thread, there's no way to know what the cabin will actually be like or what problems it has.

 

As much as it would be great to trust the TAs, PCCs, CruiseNext Salespeople... you can't totally trust them.

[TheBeardedCruiser]

3 hours ago, SeaShark said:

 

The only time assumptions are needed is when YOU don't provide 100% of the information. We're not mind readers. The truth is that your reading, much like your research, is superficial. I said COMPETENT PCC or TA. You we're, by your own admission, working with one whose competency was lacking. You picked your old, and your new, TA...and you are responsible for the pros and cons of that decision.

 

 

Learning is for your benefit, not mine. Listing what you've learned doesn't help me at all, but let's look anyway...

 

 

1) Overkill. If you had competent assistance, you wouldn't need to be checking at all. However, you do you. Heck, if you would have checked your room on only NCL's website, the "Stateroom images, square footage, and configurations are representative only. Actual accommodations may vary." would have told you something.

2) Says who? Not me, as I've repeatedly said "competent TA"...clearly not "all". Fail.

3) How about don't complain on Cruise Critic because this isn't the complaint department..this is only an internet forum for people to share their cruise experiences...good, bad, and indifferent. People are free to hold and express opinions different from yours. This is a discussion forum, not a support group.

4) One of the first things that you learn with regard to cruising is that when you book with a TA you are the TA's customer...not the cruise line's customer. ALL of your interactions should go through and be handled by your TA. If you're using the website and customer service personnel, you haven't even learned the basics.

Thanks for your helpful advice and comments! I am so much more prepared to cruise now that I read your post. Wow, this is great. Thank you again!

[SeaShark]

5 hours ago, Ellis1138 said:

One of the takeaways, for those still reading is: Unless you find an actual video of the actual cabin or someone posts about the cabin in the pinned thread, there's no way to know what the cabin will actually be like or what problems it has.

 

As much as it would be great to trust the TAs, PCCs, CruiseNext Salespeople... you can't totally trust them.

 

Would you trust the video? Would you trust what some stranger posts in the pinned thread? Trust as in 100% iron clad guarantee?

 

4 hours ago, TheBeardedCruiser said:

Thanks for your helpful advice and comments! I am so much more prepared to cruise now that I read your post. Wow, this is great. Thank you again!

 

I only wish I could say the same.

[sanger727]

On 8/29/2024 at 2:25 PM, kapper said:

You hit the nail on the head @SeaShark. OP's original post states "We had to adjust our cruise date with NCL Agents after returning home, but were assured we were booked into the same stateroom category we had on the Breakaway."

 

So they way I'm reading it is while they may have booked the preferred cabin originally, they had to make a date change for what ever reason, and received the same stateroom CATEGORY, not the same stateroom. Big difference, IMO.

 

Yep. this is the critical part.  The room that they booked on the ship may have been exactly right.  But clearly something got lost in translation when they changed the booking.  They asked for this particular room - and the agent heard room category.  Probably, that category was sold out - except, wait a minute, we can release this ADA cabin and get the cruise in the same room.  Everyone's happy. 

 

I think its really hard to place blame here.  The agent gave you what they said they gave you.  So, that is probably why it's so hard to get any resolution.  From their standpoint, they gave you what you asked for.  Other than a good will gesture, there's nothing else to offer. 

[CruiseMH]

IN this specific case think it is hard to fully blame NCL and it is also hard to fully blame OP. I think this is just a case of "sh*t happens". One was trusting the other and the result was as described in OP`s initial post.

But there is something i just want to point out and that is the calm and matter-of-fact way in which the OP tells his story. We all know that there were many many highly emotional "WARNING" posts in the last months/years here on CC.

I really wish every complaint would be written in that way here on CC.

 

[Ellis1138]

8 hours ago, SeaShark said:

 

Would you trust the video? Would you trust what some stranger posts in the pinned thread? Trust as in 100% iron clad guarantee?

 

Not 100% no. Videos are better, and I like them more amateur, where they show the cabin number outside and do a one-take as they go through the cabin. I generally choose my cabin and don't change it. I also self-book, so there's no one but me to blame if the cabin is not good. 🙂

Edited September 1 by Ellis1138