Norwegian Cruise Satisfaction Guarantee? HELP

I am booked on the 12/7 sailing of the Epic.

My only experience with Norwegian was 16 years ago on the now retired Norway. We thought it would be fun to try something new and were attracted to the apparent kid friendliness and waterpark of the Epic for my 7 yr old.

Reading the reviews from the 11/13 sailing, the most recent on CC, they are one bad review after another. I am REALLY concerned.

I know that Carnival has a satisfaction guarantee that if you for any reason are not happy with the cruise you can disembark at the first port and they will fly you back to your port of embarkation and refund the prorated portion of the unsailed days.

Does anyone know if Norwegian has a similar guarantee?

Does anyone know of a way to cancel and not face a full fare penalty?

Really wishing I had booked on Celebrity Reflection sailing the same day.

Thanks for your answers

I am booked on the 12/7 sailing of the Epic.

 

My only experience with Norwegian was 16 years ago on the now retired Norway. We thought it would be fun to try something new and were attracted to the apparent kid friendliness and waterpark of the Epic for my 7 yr old.

 

Reading the reviews from the 11/13 sailing, the most recent on CC, they are one bad review after another. I am REALLY concerned.

 

I know that Carnival has a satisfaction guarantee that if you for any reason are not happy with the cruise you can disembark at the first port and they will fly you back to your port of embarkation and refund the prorated portion of the unsailed days.

 

Does anyone know if Norwegian has a similar guarantee?

 

Does anyone know of a way to cancel and not face a full fare penalty?

 

Really wishing I had booked on Celebrity Reflection sailing the same day.

 

Thanks for your answers

I've been on the EPIC twice and had an amazing time both times. Reviews are sometimes misleading. I don't know about any guarantees but if theres a problem sort it out through guest services on ship, the EPIC guest service people were amazing whenever I needed them.

Are there any particular aspects from these reviews which is concerning you?

I am booked on the 12/7 sailing of the Epic.

 

My only experience with Norwegian was 16 years ago on the now retired Norway. We thought it would be fun to try something new and were attracted to the apparent kid friendliness and waterpark of the Epic for my 7 yr old.

 

Reading the reviews from the 11/13 sailing, the most recent on CC, they are one bad review after another. I am REALLY concerned.

 

I know that Carnival has a satisfaction guarantee that if you for any reason are not happy with the cruise you can disembark at the first port and they will fly you back to your port of embarkation and refund the prorated portion of the unsailed days.

 

Does anyone know if Norwegian has a similar guarantee?

 

Does anyone know of a way to cancel and not face a full fare penalty?

 

Really wishing I had booked on Celebrity Reflection sailing the same day.

 

Thanks for your answers

I haven't seen the reviews from the 11/13 sailing that you mention. Since you have seen them, can you report just how many of the 4000+ passengers onboard for that sailing filed a negative report? It must be a pretty substantial number for you to be so concerned.

Are there any particular aspects from these reviews which is concerning you?

I know to take reviews with a grain of salt, but the detail and frequency of the issues experienced by the reviewers is what has me worried.

Many say the ship hull design and height make her prone to seasickness....which has never been a problem for me on other ships.

Overall bad reviews on the food (except the pay extra restaurants of course)and coldness of the staff.

Huge lines for the waterslides, which was a main reason we booked this ship....and expecially bad reviews on the childrens facilities.

I am really concerned.

I haven't seen the reviews from the 11/13 sailing that you mention. Since you have seen them, can you report just how many of the 4000+ passengers onboard for that sailing filed a negative report? It must be a pretty substantial number for you to be so concerned.

Obviously only a very small number of guests take the time to write a review, but of those who did almost 100% are BAD.

Thanks for replying with your 2 cents, but NOT answering my question about a satisfaction guarantee?

Nope. At this point you are locked in. Don't fret though, chances are you will have a good time and your family will enjoy themselves. Take the reviews with a grain of salt. Many people also report in reviews that they have had a great time and like myself return for another cruise on the same ship.

I doubt if there was ever a ship that didn't have some bad reviews.

Obviously only a very small number of guests take the time to write a review, but of those who did almost 100% are BAD.

 

Thanks for replying with your 2 cents, but NOT answering my question about a satisfaction guarantee?

Why the indirect reply? 100% of 2 is still a very small amount.

What percentage of the 4000+ people onboard complained? 25%? 50%? The number MUST be significant for you to want to cancel.

BTW...Did you really want an answer about whether Carnival policies apply to NCL? I didn't think you could possibly be serious. I thought that question was a joke.

I know to take reviews with a grain of salt, but the detail and frequency of the issues experienced by the reviewers is what has me worried.

 

Many say the ship hull design and height make her prone to seasickness....which has never been a problem for me on other ships.

 

Overall bad reviews on the food (except the pay extra restaurants of course)and coldness of the staff.

 

Huge lines for the waterslides, which was a main reason we booked this ship....and expecially bad reviews on the childrens facilities.

 

I am really concerned.

If seasickness hasn't been an issue for you, I doubt it will on EPIC. I got seasick on the star, but was able to manage the EPIC through a 48 hour atlantic storm, I found her quite stable. (there is always the free anti sickness meds from guest services if not)

Loved the food, and staff friendly. The buffet on EPIC is exceptionally good. Food is something which is subjective though, but I never had a bad meal on any of my EPIC cruises but on the star it was a different story (even though it was the same menus!)

Staff always said hello in passing, so unless staff have changed dramatically I don't see how they could have gone from very positive, helpful, willing to do anything, to cold in the past year, but someone who has sailed more recently may be able to report.

There will always be long lines if you book in school holidays, if in term time when other kids are at school that shouldn't be an issue. Cruisers I've met have always spoken highly of the kids club, I think the main problem has been the age range thing, where sometimes different siblings are in different clubs. Not all kids want to go to kids club anyway.

BTW...Did you really want an answer about whether Carnival policies apply to NCL? I didn't think you could possibly be serious. I thought that question was a joke.

I'm pretty sure he was just asking whether NCL has a similar satisfaction guarantee policy to Carnival's. I have to say, that Carnival policy is actually pretty impressive...I wasn't aware of it.

Why the indirect reply? 100% of 2 is still a very small amount.

 

What percentage of the 4000+ people onboard complained? 25%? 50%? The number MUST be significant for you to want to cancel.

 

BTW...Did you really want an answer about whether Carnival policies apply to NCL? I didn't think you could possibly be serious. I thought that question was a joke.

most times for a given sailing there are a few bad reviews, but mixed in with many good ones....this time there were NO good ones and since it is the first sailing after relocation this could become a trend with this crew.

Cruise line policies are usually pretty consistent between lines, so I was looking to see if Norwegian had a similar policy.....which would seem logical.

But thanks again SeaShark for responding and STILL not answering my question.

I'm pretty sure he was just asking whether NCL has a similar satisfaction guarantee policy to Carnival's. I have to say, that Carnival policy is actually pretty impressive...I wasn't aware of it.

thank you sbrocket....I didn't think the question was unclear at all.

I'm pretty sure he was just asking whether NCL has a similar satisfaction guarantee policy to Carnival's. I have to say, that Carnival policy is actually pretty impressive...I wasn't aware of it.

The carnival policy is pretty impressive but very limited on destinations, and you have to be a US/canadian resident - although since this is a winter EPIC cruise, it would be applicable.

The question I would ask, is there any reviews on how easy it was to get the guest services to apply the satisfaction policy? Sounds like the problems your anticipating may not come to light until a few days into your cruise. Obviously slides will be busy on the first day, kids clubs usually take the kids a few days to settle into, and you can't really assess a cruise on one meal. I also believe more people write bad reviews than good ones anyway - have you seen the recent picture review on the forum. That looks like a positive review.

If i were NCl....i wouldnt answer this unless there was an issue. Epic is one of their best ships and it is pretty close to impossible to have a bad time unless you try hard at it. Stop worrying about other whiny people with too much time on their hands and PACK!

Sounds like you are going into the cruise with the mindset that it is going to stink. With that attitude it will. Probably best to cancel.

However, I just looked at the reviews.

Out of over 1000 it has a 72% satisfaction, which is a bit lower than others, but hardly reason for panic.

There were about 15 made in the past month, with only about 3 being really positive.

I randomly selected 3 poor reviews to read.

First off: none of them were very long(i.e.: lacking any significant detail).

1 had terrible grammar and spelling leading me to consider who may have written it. Another complained that there were too many people on board?!!! The third also complained that it was crowded(what do you expect from one of the biggest ships in the world?) and that they couldn't record the evening shows.

So in the past month almost 20,000 people have been on the Epic. Of those 12 came to cc to write crummy reviews.

Enjoy your cruise. :cool:

Sailed on the Epic November 16th and didn't have any problems or issues. It does sound as though since you are already so worried it that you might not be able to relax and enjoy. Do people not think there would be some sort of wait if everyone shows up for dinner or go on water slides at the same time, do you not experience a wait in these situations at home? I heard people complaining about waiting in line to be seated and not having the same wait staff every night, well then why would you book a free style cruise. I guess everyone's expectations are different, but I'm on vacation to relax and spend time with my loved ones....no cooking, cleaning, driving, etc. for a week. It just seems as though sometimes people think that just because they paid to go on this cruise (or even just vacation in general) that they are now royality or something. Things can go wrong in just every day life so why would being on vacation be any different. I probably could go on and on regarding different complaints that I heard while on the ship or have read in reviews but the majority seem so obvious and dumb especially considering you are confined on a ship with that many people....hallways crowded, elevators crowded but show just let out so I for one would expect that. We never felt like we had to pay at a speciality restaurant just to have good food. We did pay for the cirque show/dinner and thought the show was awesome! Didn't care for the desserts offered but that is my opinion and taste, maybe others did. It certainly can be a lot of walking and many flights of stairs, but since I tend to eat and drink more then the way I look at it I definitely could use the exercise. Just go with an open mind and make your own judgement.

We were on the Epic in April and had a fabulous time! The food was good, service was great (almost perfect), and we would love to sail her again in the future. We found hardly any lines except the big bowl water slide. Also, surprisingly, we did not ever feel like it was crowded on the ship. I think if you board the ship expecting to have a great time, you will! :). Will there be some hiccups? Probably some, but if you don't sweat the small stuff, I can't imagine you not having a great time! We have only been on 3 cruises, but by far, Epic was our favorite ship. We didn't even have time to do hardly a tenth of the things to do on he hat ship, thus, the desire to sail her again,

Have fun and enjoy that very unique looking ship!

Oh- my husband is prone to seasickness, and he did not get seasick during the cruise. I didn't either, but I do not normally get seasick.

If you are going into this cruise, believing you are going to regret it, best to figure out how to get out of it. Because what you take into it, is what you are going to get out of it. We travel with no expectations, except to get to the pier on time lol. We love being away from home, and being cared for my ncl. We haven't had a bad cruise, and really, people like to complain. Truly. And the reviews of people disappointed as they went into it with expectations, are higher than those that are happy. Cause going away happy, is just a common thing.

Bonnie

Try to make the best of it. You are locked in with no chance of a refund. Unfortunately the bad reviews are accurate and you will probably be very disappointed. The Epic was built with only one purpose, squeeze as many people on board and then squeeze every single dime out of them.

Sure it has some good points, but many, many bad points.

Lower your expectations to rock bottom and you might have a good time.

To the OP. I found this quote you made about a Carnival cruise you were on back in March of this year: "I just got off the same sailing as the OP, and with a few MINOR exceptions, the week was perfect. You're not on a private yacht here folks! Try being a little more laid back and take things as they come....you will have a better time."

This is perfect advice for this cruise. You very clearly understood that folks have varying views of any given cruise and the few reviews you read that are negative are not what the majority experienced. Despite what one or two on here mention. Go with an open mind and enjoy your cruise. If you have ANY issue, take it up with management immediately. It will be addressed to your satisfaction.

And no, NCL does not have a refund policy similar to what you say Carnival has.

Obviously only a very small number of guests take the time to write a review, but of those who did almost 100% are BAD.

 

Thanks for replying with your 2 cents, but NOT answering my question about a satisfaction guarantee?

so you are going to base your worries on one sailing, is that right? As for food, remember food is subjective and most of us, who cruise often know a couple of things: 1-the food overall and yes, Carnival as well, has gone downhill somewhat in the past 5 to 10 years. This has to do with pricing in my opinion. Add to that, most of us, openly admit, if there is a place NCL could improve it would be the MDR. The buffets are just fine. I think they are better than most.

Now, to answer your question: To my knowledge they do not have the guarantee policy and I might ask how many people do you think have used this on Carnival and how hard to you think it would be to get them to stand by the policy? It is like the SC policy, yes, you can remove the gratuity, but it isn't just that easy. No one in their right mind would disembark and get themselves back to their home port unless the experience is awful. I could be wrong, but I think the guarantee might also be protected by insurance.

People are quicker to gripe than to praise when it comes to reviews. We all expect to have a good time so we take it for granted. It's if we have a bad time we want the world to know.

If I were you I would re-think your decision to cruise the Epic, if it isn't too late. Remember the ship is very different from many ships at sea and you are already starting to expect the worst it seems. If you decide to cruise on her, put the negatives out of your mind. Go back and read over all reviews, not reviews on one sailing.

Try to make the best of it. You are locked in with no chance of a refund. Unfortunately the bad reviews are accurate and you will probably be very disappointed. The Epic was built with only one purpose, squeeze as many people on board and then squeeze every single dime out of them.

 

Sure it has some good points, but many, many bad points.

 

Lower your expectations to rock bottom and you might have a good time.

Just like all mega ships; they are not for everyone. I am one of those, but there is a demographic that loves the ship or certainly thinks it has what they want: it seems to attract a young crown more than us oldsters. I am guessing the OP is middle aged or more, if they cruised the Norway 16 years ago. I could be wrong.

My 2 cents: People are more likely to post a bad review than those that were happy, people like to gripe, I've never had a "bad" cruise, and always mean to post a review after.......but usually don't. I have noticed of late a large number of bad reviews in the member review area, I read them for entertainment value-we laugh at how uptight and snooty most sound with their 1st world problems!

Also, what is with preachy people who flame the OP for their original question??!?? ...man must be awful living with us mortals who, according to you, ask "Stupid questions" :cool:

I was on the Epic a year ago, last thanksgiving. The ship was well above double occupancy, and something like 30% of guests were under 13.

The food was good, not fantastic. The staff was excellent, the slide lines were minimal, and despite being very prone to seasickness and having a room on a higher deck all the way forward, I did not become ill at all.

Hi Mholzy, I don't have an answer to your question but hopefully can help.

I was just on the Epic Nov 2nd. I had some issues myself, and honestly many onboard I talked to had issues as well, the same issue. Those issues were mainly about the lack of service and kindness from the staff. Of course, not all, but many just seemed to be in no hurry to help and almost as if you were a bothersome. In fact we talked with a couple who had sailed Epic in the past and had a wonderful experience and were truly disappointed this time around.

I had two kids onboard who LOVED the waterslides and pool area and the entertainment for us was fabulous. I would sail the Epic again despite the very slooooow service in the dining room and the lack of personable service I'm used to receiving. We also enjoyed the kids club and thought the employees over there were great - the kids had fun.

I was kind of joking that week that it seemed the workers were on a Freestyle cruise too - just kind of doing what they wanted, when they wanted. It sounds like half the ship were fresh back onboard and maybe they didn't have their groove yet. I also wonder how many good ones moved up to the Breakaway or are getting ready for the Getaway.

To be honest, if we had went alone without the kids I would have been more disappointed. However, this was for the kids and they truly had a great time with the slides, kids area and entertainment.

I am booked on the 12/7 sailing of the Epic.

 

My only experience with Norwegian was 16 years ago on the now retired Norway. We thought it would be fun to try something new and were attracted to the apparent kid friendliness and waterpark of the Epic for my 7 yr old.

 

Reading the reviews from the 11/13 sailing, the most recent on CC, they are one bad review after another. I am REALLY concerned.

 

I know that Carnival has a satisfaction guarantee that if you for any reason are not happy with the cruise you can disembark at the first port and they will fly you back to your port of embarkation and refund the prorated portion of the unsailed days.

 

Does anyone know if Norwegian has a similar guarantee?

 

Does anyone know of a way to cancel and not face a full fare penalty?

 

Really wishing I had booked on Celebrity Reflection sailing the same day.

 

Thanks for your answers

I don't think that NCL has a satisfaction guarantee like the one you mentioned for Carnival. I'm guessing that the only way you could get out of your 12/7 sailing is if you had purchased insurance that included a "cancel for any reason" provision.

It might not be feasible, but the only suggestion I can make is to try and upgrade to the Haven. I think that it would be a better choice than to cancel and lose your entire fare. We did a New Year's cruise on Epic and it really made the difference due to the crowds. In sailing on the Epic, the Haven really is a "ship within a ship". We later did a non-Haven cabin sailing on the Epic which was fine, but that experience in the Haven was like night and day. Sorry can't provide you with better alternatives.