NCL customer service

[Lowie]

i don't understand why i read so many complaints.

so far :::knocking wood::: i have had nothing but good service from this line.

 

i'm booked on 2 cruises, the november sailing i actually just booked and paid for last night. i had a hold on the room and soon after placing the hold got a call from NCL to confirm my info. I had such an easy time making my reservation and paying. then i emailed the ship coordinator to discuss accomodations for my dh and was emailed back within just a few hours with answers... and they were GOOD answers too! and to top it off, I just got my DOCS!!

 

for my april cruise i've alredy been emailed and called on my cell phone regarding the itinerary change, have had no issues with payments or a cabin change.

 

TWO big thumbs up for NCL. if my cruise is as good as the service i've already gotten, i doubt i'll ever need to cruise another line again.

 

p.s. i've also gotten GREAT deals! darn, i love a bargain:)

[CanadianTwosome]

That's fantastic Lowie, I'm glad you posted. It's too bad most people aren't as inclined to post about a good experience as they are a bad one.

 

Enjoy your cruises!

[scperk]

How do you book a cruise and get your docs the next night....this sounds rediculous.............D

[CC Help Michell]

How do you book a cruise and get your docs the next night....this sounds rediculous.............D

 

We got ours in 48 hours. It's called Edocs and if you book inside of the "final payment" date, so that full payment is due at booking, you will receive them forthwith, except maybe with air arrangements or a guarantee cabin.

[lvtotrvl1]

As a TA I can say that within final payment you do recieve your edocs immediately. I enjoy cruising NCL, bit I will say, they are more difficult than other cruiselines to work with... I love when I hear good things! I book alot of NCL and will continue to do so. There are so many negative NCL comments on the boards..I love to see good ones such as this post!

[Lowie]

How do you book a cruise and get your docs the next night....this sounds rediculous.............D

i'm sorry, did you mean ridiculous?? well, go ahead and believe that. i have nothing to prove to you. :rolleyes:

[Toyz711]

we just called (tonite) and booked for dec 2nd on the spirit. the agent started to tell DH about the online registration...but hubby told her we knew all about that. i went into our accounts on NCL's website and the cruise is showing up. less the 2 hrs after we hung up. i know i could go in and print up the docs..but don't feel a real need to do that just now. they didn't even ask my name for the reservation or our address...everything showed up on the latiutue account, hubby just verified that all the information was current.

after he hung up, i realized that he didn't spell out my name...she already had it. i like this system...works good for me!!! the only thing i don't have is the actual email...expecting it tomorrow.

the only thing is: i was hoping to play the gty game..waiting to see if you get upgraded. or hoping the new promo would work in our favor. but the prices are starting to go up...the price for the balcony level below us is more then ours, all the other balconies have raised in price. our level of balcony was over $100 ea less then the others...no gtys available and no promo deals!! oh, well $200 less then any other balconies..we are happy.

would still be fun to get upgrade, we won't pay for an upsell...with the spirit, i don't think there is a chance for that anyway...no mini-suites and too few owner's suites. real nice lady at NCL, did a good job...

[boeckli]

I agree it's nice to hear some good feedback - our booking experience has also been very positive (and that's from the other side of the world) :)

[Toyz711]

booked at 7:30 tonite, just got the email with the reservations numbers and recept for payment...is that quick enough? email came at 10:15pm

[jannandjohn]

Originally Posted by scperk

How do you book a cruise and get your docs the next night....this sounds rediculous.............D

 

i'm sorry, did you mean ridiculous?? well, go ahead and believe that. i have nothing to prove to you. :rolleyes:

 

naughty, Lowie, read below.....copied from the CC guidelines...

 

Spelling and Grammar Errors It is important to remember that everyone makes mistakes at one time or another, and that there are many users who use English as a second language, especially on our Cruise Boards. There are also a number of people who suffer from learning disabilities and who have difficulty noticing their spelling mistakes. Do not make comments on the spelling and grammar of other users. It is simply not a productive expenditure of energies.

[newmexicoNita]

As a TA I can say that within final payment you do recieve your edocs immediately. I enjoy cruising NCL, bit I will say, they are more difficult than other cruiselines to work with... I love when I hear good things! I book alot of NCL and will continue to do so. There are so many negative NCL comments on the boards..I love to see good ones such as this post!

Like you, I am a TA with absolutely no serious complaints about NCL, the ships or the Miami office. sure, I have had a few situations I wish would have ended a little differently, but sometimes it hasn't been the fault of NCL. I am often referred to on this board of the number 1 NCL cheerleader or accussed of working for them. I just can't complain, plain and simple. Most negatives come from people that want a price redcution: they simply don't understand, how things work.

 

Keep booking and so will I.

 

Nita

[tommy]

Like you, I am a TA with absolutely no serious complaints about NCL, the ships or the Miami office. sure, I have had a few situations I wish would have ended a little differently, but sometimes it hasn't been the fault of NCL. I am often referred to on this board of the number 1 NCL cheerleader or accussed of working for them. I just can't complain, plain and simple. Most negatives come from people that want a price redcution: they simply don't understand, how things work.

 

Keep booking and so will I.

 

Nita

No I think they do understand how things work and thats what bothers them.NCL is the only major cruise line using promos as a way not to honor price reductions.

[TPEINC1958]

Why is everyone so hell bent on getting a price reduction when they were apparently happy with the price when they originally booked???????:confused:

 

 

I feel another price reduction thread coming. SSDD

 

 

John

[newmexicoNita]

No I think they do understand how things work and thats what bothers them.NCL is the only major cruise line using promos as a way not to honor price reductions.

This is absolutely not true. Read what I have said about a situation I had with Princess just last week: exactly the same thing, price dropped with new promo, for new bookings only: no adjustments.......T

 

Nita

[CC Help Michell]

This is absolutely not true. Read what I have said about a situation I had with Princess just last week: exactly the same thing, price dropped with new promo, for new bookings only: no adjustments.......T

 

Nita

 

I agree. TONS of great offers are out there -- but when you read the "mice-type" there are little gotchas like "capacity controlled," "new bookings only," etc. Back when I first started cruising, most lines offered "price matching," and booking early really did garner great discounts off "brochure prices." That's gone the way of hoop skirts and buggy whips. The industry has changed -- it's all about sailing as full as possible on every sailing, and the incentives offered as the sailing time draws nearer frequently aren't offered to those who are already booked on the ship. The corporate goal is to have a full ship, not to reduce revenues from those already booked.

 

Given the terms of the contract we all enter into when we book (read it sometime, folks -- the refund provisions, if ANY, are spelled out quite explicitly, along with other provisions on stuff like port changes and alcohol policies, which some people persist in treating as "yada yada" background noise instead of the contract they are), pretty much every cruiseline reserves the right to say "once you book, we gotcha unless WE decide to make a concession." I think it's nice that frequently they DO offer concessions they don't "have" to under the contract terms.

[Lowie]

Originally Posted by scperk

How do you book a cruise and get your docs the next night....this sounds rediculous.............D

 

 

 

naughty, Lowie, read below.....copied from the CC guidelines...

 

Spelling and Grammar Errors It is important to remember that everyone makes mistakes at one time or another, and that there are many users who use English as a second language, especially on our Cruise Boards. There are also a number of people who suffer from learning disabilities and who have difficulty noticing their spelling mistakes. Do not make comments on the spelling and grammar of other users. It is simply not a productive expenditure of energies.

sorry, but i just didn't understand what the PP was trying to say to me..

 

please don't call me naughty, gives me anxiety due to childhood trauma.

 

hey, let's get back on topic.. well, cause this is the NCL Board right??

 

I'm glad to hear that more posters are having positive relations with customer service. being that i have 2 cruises booked and paid for without ever sailing with them before this makes me more at ease.

[Lowie]

 

Given the terms of the contract we all enter into when we book (read it sometime, folks -- the refund provisions, if ANY, are spelled out quite explicitly, along with other provisions on stuff like port changes and alcohol policies, which some people persist in treating as "yada yada" background noise instead of the contract they are), pretty much every cruiseline reserves the right to say "once you book, we gotcha unless WE decide to make a concession." I think it's nice that frequently they DO offer concessions they don't "have" to under the contract terms.

but really, in the age of internet reservations, can you get a copy of the contract prior to booking? I'm sure people with multiple cruises under their belts may think to ask up front, but i had NO clue when I've booked any of my cruises. they've all been on the phone or online.

 

either way, just like many businesses that like to make money, they have rules in place to make maximize their earnings. i book when it's convenient AND i like the price/can afford it. up til now my cruises have either gone up in price or stayed the same. but i don't see NCL coming to me with an open palm seeking to add money to my fare.

[newmexicoNita]

We can all say "I remember when" things change, some for the better, some not so, but we have to adjust to rules, policies etc.

 

Nita

[CC Help Michell]

sorry, but i just didn't understand what the PP was trying to say to me..

 

please don't call me naughty, gives me anxiety due to childhood trauma.

 

hey, let's get back on topic.. well, cause this is the NCL Board right??

 

I'm glad to hear that more posters are having positive relations with customer service. being that i have 2 cruises booked and paid for without ever sailing with them before this makes me more at ease.

 

Well, NCL (since that's the board we are on) actually does put it out there for anyone, whether they have booked or not. It takes a tad of searching on the "Site Map" -- but here it is: http://www.ncl.com/csimages/75/492/Combined_Final_Land%20_Sea_TCs.pdf

[lvtotrvl1]

No I think they do understand how things work and thats what bothers them.NCL is the only major cruise line using promos as a way not to honor price reductions.

 

You are so off base here...obviously you don't cruise often. It happens on EVERY cruiseline (I've been in the business 12 years) and sell alll cruiselines. When Promos WHICH EVERY CRUISELINE OFFERS for new bookings only, it means exactly that. Not saying I totally agee with it...but those are the guidelines. What makes people think rules don't apply to them??

[brunolvr]

What about when your cruise is 8 months away and you see the fares for Penthouses and Suites come down in price and you decide that you would like to upgrade?

 

You can't cancel your current cabin and re-book the higher class cabin to take advantage of the current rates.

[roboref]

There is the maritime law requiring price matching, otherwise why do they ever offer a reduced rate.

 

2nd, it is important to remember that the contract is not written to protect cruisers but the cruiseline. The contract is not negotiated between the parties but offered by the cruiseline as a requirement of passage.

 

Again, if you don't get the reduction, if before cancellation penalties, people cancelled and went with another cruiseline this policy would soon change. Another option is to wait until last minute if schedules permit to book and wait for the cruiselines bes offer.

[roboref]

There is the maritime law requiring price matching, otherwise why do they ever offer a reduced rate.

 

2nd, it is important to remember that the contract is not written to protect cruisers but the cruiseline. The contract is not negotiated between the parties but offered by the cruiseline as a requirement of passage.

 

Again, if you don't get the reduction, if before cancellation penalties, people cancelled and went with another cruiseline this policy would soon change. Another option is to wait until last minute if schedules permit to book and wait for the cruiselines best offer.

[4evrwild]

I am just a little annoyed with NCL today! I booked my 3rd cruise with NCL as soon as I received a flyer in the mail advertising the new NCL GEM with a 12 day round trip out of Barcelona. I call NCL directly and also travel agent. NCL could not give me air out of our local airport so I could not book the entire trip through them. The TA gave me a lower price for the cruise but had a really hight air price so I decided to book directly with NCL and book air on my own.

 

NCL would not give me the cabin price for a balcony that was advertuse in the brochure that I just received because those cabins were "all sold out". The NCL agent gave me a quote $200 pp higher but would guarantee us a cabin of BA or better. She practically promised an upgrade! Got cabin assignment a few days ago to a deck 10 BA (okay that's what we paid for) but it is right by an elevator and I wonder if it is also view impared!!!!

 

Needless to say I think I got the sham. I tried to get the cabin changed but the agent told me that the only "upgrad" that I could buy is an owner's suite at nearly $4,000 more than the $4,000 we already paid. I am really frustrated because they also said that they cannot change rooms once a guarantee room is assigned. Does this make sense? I could buy a $4,000 more expensive room but they can't assign me a room at the same level???????

 

I have taken guarantee rooms on Carnival with nice upgrades and with Celebrity which went from an inside to a huge room with a window with our firends next door.

 

I know that I need to get over this and will not bother booking directly with NCL in the future. I usually get a much better rate from an online compete bid process but though that NCL would do good by me since I just took POH in Feb. and referred many customers to them including my sister and friends who paid for balcony rooms and were given SUITES without even asking. They only cruise Princess but are takig POH on my recommendation.

 

Hope this venting here helps and I intend to post on some other threads but I really feel as if NCL is not customer friendly at this point and may forgo future trips to the Baltics, Scandanavia, and the Greek isles to another line.

 

Thanks for listening.

 

4 ever wild (as in the Adirondack Mountains of NYState are designated for ever wild and are protected by law.) :mad:

[Lowie]

 

NCL would not give me the cabin price for a balcony that was advertuse in the brochure that I just received because those cabins were "all sold out". The NCL agent gave me a quote $200 pp higher but would guarantee us a cabin of BA or better. She practically promised an upgrade! Got cabin assignment a few days ago to a deck 10 BA (okay that's what we paid for) but it is right by an elevator and I wonder if it is also view impared!!!!

 

Needless to say I think I got the sham.

well, you said it. sounds to me like everything was explained to you. unfortunately the balcony cabins must be in high demand, so if they are sold out (which happens all the time) why would they still give you a price?