NCL to Cheap to provide Conditioner

[CanadianTwosome]

 

You reference "all other cruiselines" as being cheap ....I was curious as to how many cruise you have been on and with which "other cruiselines" :confused: I just need a point of reference here.

 

I think you missed my point... which is that if NCL can be called 'cheap' because they've decided not to supply conditioner, then all other lines (and businesses) have made business decisions that could be referred to as 'cheap' as well. As for lines I've cruised, I've been on Carnival, Costa, Star and NCL. I don't actually consider any of them 'cheap'. :)

[Sailor's Girl]

I am the one who got on her case about the spelling. But I pointed out when I said it that I was just pickin on her. I am the one that has been defending her statements, because I didn't like how she got attacked for expressing her opinion. I think since I was the only one on her side, that gives me a little room for picking on her in a fun way?

 

Actually, gszach, you aren't the one who made the comment about spell check, or at least not the one I was referring to. And I thanked her early on for the heads-up, too.

[CanadianTwosome]

I wasn't going to post again but I thought about it over the night and you are right...I should have worded the intro to my post differently even though that is exactly how I feel.

 

First of all, my review was not pulled or censored. I believe we had a internet glitch at the time I sent it and poof. If posted, it would not have been pulled. There were positives to balance negatives.

 

Secondly, I am not Sixsticks so you can do away with the conspiracy theories or a troll. Just a consumer who purchased a product that was disappointing.

 

Third, I am angry at NCL. I was responsible for planning this trip for a party of 7. I researched and researched and based my opinion to go with NCL to ALaska because I felt the "freestyle" concept would work well with this itinerary. I listened to 6 people complain the entire trip. Not with Alaska but with the cruise and my nerves were frazzled. One of the people was a first time cruiser so I guess I felt some responsibility for their first and last cruise experience.

 

As far as NCL being cheap, literally, it may be in Carribean destinations, but it wasn't cheap for Alaska. In fact, the itinerary priced out about the same as HAL, but I thought it would be fun to try something new. In total, the 7 spent about $13,000 for 1 week and we were in AF's. Obviously, that doesn't included air, excursions, specialty dining, etc.

 

The lack of conditioner was just the cherry on the top of the cake. When I inquired about getting a little bottle, thinking they may have it but just don't supply unless asked, I was directed to the spa to buy a $20 bottle. It was just another thing to buy, another sell.

 

Not all 2400 people that were on the ship come to Cruise Critic to share their stories, but a lot of them shared our same feelings. Whether they were peole we met in the pool, martini bar or sat next to at Teppenyaki, NCL wasn't for them but it shouldn't be for everyone. No business can serve all.

 

Unlike Sixsticks, I'm not on a mission to topple NCL but I can understand his anger when things topple for the consumer. I believe his group experienced all that he claimed. On the other hand, our room Stewards were great (I don't need a towel animal everynight), specialty restaurants were fabulous, bowling was a blast and the Park Ranger they brought aboard in Glacier Bay was wonderful as well.

 

Just pack your own conditioner.

 

Well stated, Coco. :) Based on this post, I believe I've had the wrong impression of you. I'm glad to see that you've 'counted to ten' and that you thought it worth the effort to post again. I'm very happy to hear that you enjoyed some things on your cruise.

 

I think it makes it very difficult when you feel responsible for your travelling companions. On our next cruise, I've gotten a group together. Aside from my mom, whom I've cruised NCL (and other lines) with in the past, I THINK everyone will have a wonderful time, but who knows? None of the people who are travelling with us are people that I've ever thought of as 'complainers', and I think we all share the same feeling about just being the hell away from Saskatchewan in the middle of January, but many of them are first time cruisers, and I completely understand your feeling of 'responsibility' for convincing them to join us.

 

I'm sorry that you had to endure the complaints of your six companions for the entirety of your cruise... it actually reminds me of when I used to work in a store here and people would complain to me about things that happened to them there... just like that, though, if my friends start coming to me with their issues aboard the ship, I'll be directing them to customer service. :) It's not that I don't care, it's just that I am powerless to do anything - other than taking them to someone who can. Hopefully that will not be the case!!

 

I've been thinking about that $20 bottle of conditioner as well... I know people here who pay more than that for their conditioner regularly. They buy it from salons and pay a premium for the name on the bottle. I made a point of explaining how important my brand of conditioner is to me, but I still don't pay $20 for it!! Considering how much markup there is on a lot of products on ships I actually think that's a fairly reasonable price for 'salon conditioner'. I do understand the principle that upset you though, and I most definitely understand how something that appears to be so 'trivial' could become that proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back. :)

 

Now that you've gotten past your initial anger, I think it really would be very helpful if you told us what you did about the issues you encountered and how it was handled by the ship. Obviously their solution to the conditioner issue was unsatisfactory, but what about the other issues you encountered? Did any of your companions take their problems to someone that might have been able to help, and if so, do you know the result?

[CanadianTwosome]

I don't know exactly how I feel now. On one hand I understand the whole feeling of being annoyed with people being too picky. But on the other hand, if she thinks NCL sucked then she should be able to post that feeling without expecting personal attacks. If she thinks they are cheap she should be able to post that without a personal attack. I do not agree with her feelings, for the record.

 

Here's my big thought:

Please think about the other extreme. If someone came onto cruisecritic and posted "Norwegian Cruise Line is the greatest cruiseline and they are the opposite of cheap completely" it would be accepted finely. That person would not be told they are great, that they are brilliant, or that they are so easy to please. But when someone comes on and says the opposite of that, they get told they are bad, stupid, picky...etc. My point: Crazy, non-average, reviews happen in BOTH directions, good and bad. But only the bad get attacked as CocoKai did. In the interest of being fair (attention CanadianTwosome) from now on when someone goes overboard (no pun intended :) ) in the positive direction in a review we should start attacking them too!

 

Ha ha ha Who, me? :p

 

I think the main reason that there isn't the same response to people who are 'over the top' in the positive is that they're never nasty about it. People may not take them seriously, but they're not offended by the language or attitude of the post, if you see what I mean. It's not just about whether someone is posting negatives in their review, it's about how they're posting. Have you ever worked customer service? When someone comes up with a legitimate complaint and explains their problem without yelling or using profanity or derogatory language, it's an entirely different situation than if they do. When someone comes in and wants to leave a positive comment, it's also different than if someone comes in raving about how the world is a better place simply because of the existence of the business... but regardless of how happy - or excessively ecstatic - someone is, there is never a confrontation because it's positive. It's just the nature of the beast.

 

In my opinion, humans tend to react according to how they feel about what they're experiencing. If someone explains that they've been disappointed and why, humans tend to react with compassion and offer condolences or possible solutions; many will also offer their own experiences on a forum like this to illustrate that they were not disappointed and why. If someone talks about the positive experiences thay had outweighing any negatives, humans tend to feel good about it and express their happiness in having the good experiences shared. If someone goes way over the top with joy, I think people kind of get a kick out of it and might laugh privately about how giddy it sounds, but again, they're not offended and still come away with a positive feeling. The last case, though... if someone starts off angry, offensive, rude, nasty, aggressive, accusatory... basically compounding negativity with an 'attacking' approach, I think it tends to elicit negative response - ranging from simply defensive to reactively aggressive. When you combine that 'natural reaction' with the number of actual trolls on boards like this, who actually make an effort to cause problems, it's just inevitable that a lot of reactions will be as they were on this thread.

 

Just a note, though... I actually have seen people post glowing reviews and get replies that are negative. Another reason it's less likely to happen, though, is that I think most of the people on CC are generally cruise lovers - some have favourite lines and some don't, but most of us share a love of cruising in general, so when we see a particularly positive review, we tend to agree with it. :)

[hunyok]

Just off our first NCL Pearl cruise to Alaska. I spent an hour writing a review but then it vanished into thin air and never posted. Don't know if I'll have time to rewrite it but I thought I'd warn those traveling to bring conditioner.

 

It is not available in the staterooms, nor do they have it behind the scenes. You can buy it though in the spa for just $20 a bottle. The conditioner is a good analogy of the entire cruise....sell, sell, sell.

Next time get a suite, we had wonderful conditioner.

[alwayssingin]

some shampoos have conditioners built in...has anyone hear of "pert"?

 

if you don't like the sales pitch, why do you listen?

been on the same route, on the NCL star, don't remember hearing one sale pitch... don't shop at those stores, don't pay attention to them, don't notice them, they don't ruin my trips.

 

Without conditioner I can barely get a comb through my hair. Therefore I always pack a small bottle or PERT. HOWEVER, I alway try the ship/hotel shampoo first, as 99% of the time it has conditioner in it and I don't have to bother finding a spot for my own stuff. :p

[prg2101]

Without conditioner I can barely get a comb through my hair. Therefore I always pack a small bottle or PERT. HOWEVER, I alway try the ship/hotel shampoo first, as 99% of the time it has conditioner in it and I don't have to bother finding a spot for my own stuff. :p

 

 

 

Just a quick question for ya....your siggy says you sailed the

NCL Wind in 07, now if my memory serves me correctly I dont

think there was a ship by that name in 07???:confused: :confused:

[mbisson]

Here's a thought (I'm feeling philosophical today):

 

There are several cruise lines and many different types of cruisers (all with different things they like & dislike). Not all cruisers are going to be happy with all lines, and some people will not be happy on any cruise line (some just flat prefer land vacations-so go for it folks). And all of the lines have things they do better than others.

 

Some people like their food prepared one way, some like it another way. Some people want pampering 24/7, some are happy to have maybe a bit more choice and a bit less pampering. Some like beer, some champagne. Some require a Villa to be happy, some actually enjoy an inside stateroom. It's not rocket science-there are no absolutes! (Ok actually I think there are some absolutes-Noro, food poisoning, accidents and such, probably are not enjoyed by anyone)

 

When someone goes on a cruise that may not be their cup of tea, they will sometimes come back & say things like "that cruise sucked, so now I'm going to warn everyone not to sail with them" when actually it may be better to admit..."maybe that line isn't right for me and here's what I didn't like----"

 

Of course, some (most) people do realize this is the case, but the ones who think they are the absolute judge for determining what is and what isn't a good cruise-and therefore think they know what everyone will (or at least should) like, seem to me to be at least a tad bit full of themselves. And those seem to be the ones who 'attract' at bit of attention in threads such as this. But then, I suspect that sometimes attention and argument is the actual goal anyway (and folks with that intent quickly figure out what words can push the buttons to achieve that goal-"cruise from hell" "worst ever" 'inedible' etc). Argument isn't always the goal in negative reviews, but sometimes I'm sure it is.

 

And are we sure that the shampoo NCL uses doesn't have conditioner in it? ;)

[LOWTYD]

http://www.ehow.com/how_2070898_make-hair-conditioner.html

 

Hey you can find pretty much all these ingredients on the ship either at the buffet, bar or in the ocean! Have some fun. Make your own! When life hands you lemons, make leomade. When life hands you mayo, beer or avacados...make conditioner!:D

[cantstopcruising]

Here's a thought (I'm feeling philosophical today):

 

There are several cruise lines and many different types of cruisers (all with different things they like & dislike). Not all cruisers are going to be happy with all lines, and some people will not be happy on any cruise line (some just flat prefer land vacations-so go for it folks). And all of the lines have things they do better than others.

 

Some people like their food prepared one way, some like it another way. Some people want pampering 24/7, some are happy to have maybe a bit more choice and a bit less pampering. Some like beer, some champagne. Some require a Villa to be happy, some actually enjoy an inside stateroom. It's not rocket science-there are no absolutes! (Ok actually I think there are some absolutes-Noro, food poisoning, accidents and such, probably are not enjoyed by anyone)

 

When someone goes on a cruise that may not be their cup of tea, they will sometimes come back & say things like "that cruise sucked, so now I'm going to warn everyone not to sail with them" when actually it may be better to admit..."maybe that line isn't right for me and here's what I didn't like----"

 

Of course, some (most) people do realize this is the case, but the ones who think they are the absolute judge for determining what is and what isn't a good cruise-and therefore think they know what everyone will (or at least should) like, seem to me to be at least a tad bit full of themselves. And those seem to be the ones who 'attract' at bit of attention in threads such as this. But then, I suspect that sometimes attention and argument is the actual goal anyway (and folks with that intent quickly figure out what words can push the buttons to achieve that goal-"cruise from hell" "worst ever" 'inedible' etc). Argument isn't always the goal in negative reviews, but sometimes I'm sure it is.

 

And are we sure that the shampoo NCL uses doesn't have conditioner in it? ;)

Well said Monte:p

[Zeno]

Here's a thought (I'm feeling philosophical today):

 

There are several cruise lines and many different types of cruisers (all with different things they like & dislike). Not all cruisers are going to be happy with all lines, and some people will not be happy on any cruise line (some just flat prefer land vacations-so go for it folks). And all of the lines have things they do better than others.

 

Some people like their food prepared one way, some like it another way. Some people want pampering 24/7, some are happy to have maybe a bit more choice and a bit less pampering. Some like beer, some champagne. Some require a Villa to be happy, some actually enjoy an inside stateroom. It's not rocket science-there are no absolutes! (Ok actually I think there are some absolutes-Noro, food poisoning, accidents and such, probably are not enjoyed by anyone)

 

When someone goes on a cruise that may not be their cup of tea, they will sometimes come back & say things like "that cruise sucked, so now I'm going to warn everyone not to sail with them" when actually it may be better to admit..."maybe that line isn't right for me and here's what I didn't like----"

 

Of course, some (most) people do realize this is the case, but the ones who think they are the absolute judge for determining what is and what isn't a good cruise-and therefore think they know what everyone will (or at least should) like, seem to me to be at least a tad bit full of themselves. And those seem to be the ones who 'attract' at bit of attention in threads such as this. But then, I suspect that sometimes attention and argument is the actual goal anyway (and folks with that intent quickly figure out what words can push the buttons to achieve that goal-"cruise from hell" "worst ever" 'inedible' etc). Argument isn't always the goal in negative reviews, but sometimes I'm sure it is.

 

And are we sure that the shampoo NCL uses doesn't have conditioner in it? ;)

 

Geez Monte - there you go again bringing some common sense into things!

[GiantSox]

That's why you're going bald. LOL

[mbisson]

That's why you're going bald. LOL

 

AM NOT! I'm gonna hold my breath till you take it back!

[monicajay]

Got some good laughs reading this thread. Just thought I'd mention that I got stuck buying $20.00 conditioner on the Carnival Victory too (spelled right I hope). So this situation is not unique to NCL. I also got stuck in Barbados at the Almond Beach Resort (not a cheap hotel) going off-site to find some.

 

With my hair, I have learned my lesson and would never travel without it.

[gszach]

Well stated, Coco. .................Obviously their solution to the conditioner issue was unsatisfactory, but what about the other issues you encountered? Did any of your companions take their problems to someone that might have been able to help, and if so, do you know the result?

 

CanadianTwosome, you have impressed me even further by your understanding and fairness. I'm practically crying in joy! If you were here I'd give you a giant hug or give you a beer. I know, you'll take the beer. You have proven that you indeed are very interested in fairness.

 

Interesting. In premarital counseling they kept pointing out how important it was to acknowledge your partners points and feelings during an argument because then your partner will be so much less defensive and more willing to acknowledge your points. I find it to be true here. The second I read your post I instantly thought about all your points and how understandable they are.

[Ms belp]

I'm glad your premarital counseling was so important to you and that you learned so much. When you're my age you just say, shut up dear!:p

[gszach]

Ha ha ha Who, me? :p

 

I think the main reason that there isn't the same response to people who are 'over the top' in the positive is that they're never nasty about it. People may not take them seriously, but they're not offended by the language or attitude of the post, if you see what I mean.

 

Just a note, though... I actually have seen people post glowing reviews and get replies that are negative. Another reason it's less likely to happen, though, is that I think most of the people on CC are generally cruise lovers - some have favourite lines and some don't, but most of us share a love of cruising in general, so when we see a particularly positive review, we tend to agree with it. :)

 

Your points are very well taken. Totally right that the response is to the "nasty" attitude, and probably not the negative comment. Although I'm sure there are "Cheerleaders" who do jump on any negative comment as CocoKai said. But most people are not such strong Cheerleaders. I can't imagine anything being so bad (besides weather or sickness) that anyone could really think a cruise was less than great. But I'm sure there are rare occasions where all the bad things just happen to one person with really bad luck that week. When I look at reviews on CC or trip advisor, I usually read reviews that have the average rating for that hotel or cruise, cuz then I'm more assured the review will be more indicative of the average experience, mostly the 3 out of 5 stars reviews. The extreme reviews are generally not the norm. But if you're interested in the extreme possibilities and not the normal results, then read the 0 out of 5 and 5 out of 5 reviews. The average person should have a couple compaints on most any cruise, but not enough to make the cruise an overall negative experience at all.

[gszach]

I'm glad your premarital counseling was so important to you and that you learned so much. When you're my age you just say, shut up dear!:p

 

I'm interested in what my wife has to offer, if you know what I mean;) . If I say that, I may not receive whatever it is she offers! I hope you say please, at least. Granted, we've only been married a year and a half. How long have you been married? And when did you stop caring about....you know.

[alwayssingin]

Just a quick question for ya....your siggy says you sailed the

NCL Wind in 07, now if my memory serves me correctly I dont

think there was a ship by that name in 07???:confused: :confused:

 

Yes, we were on the NCL Wind in January '07, sailing the Hawaiian Islands and to Fanning. Sadly, it's gone now. :( There were only a few more sailings after our cruise. I might be mistaken (someone here will know), but I think it was originally the Windward and stretched.

 

Back to the conditioner thread! :p

[Ms belp]

I'm interested in what my wife has to offer, if you know what I mean;) . If I say that, I may not receive whatever it is she offers! I hope you say please, at least. Granted, we've only been married a year and a half. How long have you been married? And when did you stop caring about....you know.

 

15-1/2 years with this one. Wow, I thought you were a woman!! With a major in social/psych. I'm sorry.

[CanadianTwosome]

I'm interested in what my wife has to offer, if you know what I mean;) . If I say that, I may not receive whatever it is she offers! I hope you say please, at least. Granted, we've only been married a year and a half. How long have you been married? And when did you stop caring about....you know.

 

Just for the record, I'm celebrating 13 years of marriage with my husband this summer. :) This bit reminded me of a comedian I saw on the Improv almost 20 years ago. I actually recorded it because he was so funny. If you look up Kip Adotta you can find the routine I laughed at so hard - although it's slightly different - it's a story where everything has to do with the ocean and sea creatures. It's really clever. Anyway, after he finished it, they asked him to do more, so he continued and one of the bits went something like this:

 

"A man will say anything to get what he wants. Now... some men will deny that... if it will get them what they want." :p

 

My husband and I quote it often when our 'bs metre' goes off... heh

 

Thanks, by the way, for the nice things you said in reply to my other posts. I'll actually pass on the beer, but I'll take a crown and diet or a paloma... :) Is there some reason we can't have a drink AND a hug? heh I'm sure with your attitude, you'll be married as long as Ms Belp and I easily - and longer, of course. My advice to newlyweds is always the same - be open and honest with each other and if something makes you unhappy, uncomfortable, hurt or angry, tell your partner as soon as possible and talk about it. :)

[mbisson]

I'm glad your premarital counseling was so important to you and that you learned so much. When you're my age you just say, shut up dear!:p

 

26 years for us...I've finally figured out that shes right so I just stay quiet and pretend to listen. Now she doesn't need to tell me to shut up. ;)

[sliq3g]

some people ***** about everything

[goodml]

some people ***** about everything

 

:D :D Post of the day award!

[greywillow]

some people ***** about everything

Hard to believe someone would take the time to go to the internet to start a thread about something as trivial as conditioner. Takes all kinds.