A little annoyed with NCL Service.....

I know this may be trivial but: About a month ago, we booked a trip with NCL Epic for Oct 2014 with a balcony cabin on the 10th deck if I remember correctly. However, a week later I called back and upgraded to a 2 BR in the Haven and told them it was her birthday and wanted to surprise her when we got to the dock in Oct. I made it very clear to the NCL person that I didn't want her to find out until we arrived. So we made sure the email was mine for any notices.

Today, a Thank You letter came addressed to us for choosing the Haven and welcoming us to the Haven and all the great service it involves.

Well guess who opened the letter. So much for the surprise at the dock.

I'm not really upset but feel that it is a poor start for as they said it in the letter: "Dedicated to making your cruise experience truly first class".

This is my third cruise with last one in 1985. But I am sure it will still be memorable especially after reading the many comments here on CC.

I know this may be trivial but: About a month ago, we booked a trip with NCL Epic for Oct 2014 with a balcony cabin on the 10th deck if I remember correctly. However, a week later I called back and upgraded to a 2 BR in the Haven and told them it was her birthday and wanted to surprise her when we got to the dock in Oct. I made it very clear to the NCL person that I didn't want her to find out until we arrived. So we made sure the email was mine for any notices.

 

Today, a Thank You letter came addressed to us for choosing the Haven and welcoming us to the Haven and all the great service it involves.

 

Well guess who opened the letter. So much for the surprise at the dock.

 

I'm not really upset but feel that it is a poor start for as they said it in the letter: "Dedicated to making your cruise experience truly first class".

 

This is my third cruise with last one in 1985. But I am sure it will still be memorable especially after reading the many comments here on CC.

Yeah, that's not cool at all. There have been a few stories on this board about NCL ruining a surprise exactly how you described. It's sad. It really only takes someone doing their job correctly and coding it so that letter doesn't go out.

I know this may be trivial but: About a month ago, we booked a trip with NCL Epic for Oct 2014 with a balcony cabin on the 10th deck if I remember correctly. However, a week later I called back and upgraded to a 2 BR in the Haven and told them it was her birthday and wanted to surprise her when we got to the dock in Oct. I made it very clear to the NCL person that I didn't want her to find out until we arrived. So we made sure the email was mine for any notices.

 

Today, a Thank You letter came addressed to us for choosing the Haven and welcoming us to the Haven and all the great service it involves.

 

Well guess who opened the letter. So much for the surprise at the dock.

 

I'm not really upset but feel that it is a poor start for as they said it in the letter: "Dedicated to making your cruise experience truly first class".

 

This is my third cruise with last one in 1985. But I am sure it will still be memorable especially after reading the many comments here on CC.

Deny, deny, deny!!! I would have played it off! ??? Why are they sending us this, must be a mistake!!

Im sorry it ruined your surprise. Im sure youll have an awesome cruise!

That stinks that it was supposed to be a surprise, but how is NCL supposed to keep track of who opens your mail?

Other than just venting, I wanted to let the next person who might be trying to do same thing that they need to intercept the letter which came about 3 weeks after I booked the Haven. I'll assume that the rep didn't have a way to stop the letter and probably didn't know one would be sent.

We are still very much looking forward to this trip...

Mine actually came in the mail today. They are mass generated and pretty much not under anyone's control. The computer spits them out.

Dont feel bad, we too had our surprise for my mother ruined but it was really my fault and not theirs

We decided to take my mother and our grown children on a 10 day Alaskan Cruise and we booked a 2 bdrm suite. We had told the kids and ask them not to say anything to their grandmother as we wanted to tell her at Christmas.

So everything got booked and we were thrilled it all went so smoothly. My mother had sailed NCL before and therefore had a Latitudes number and it was easy for them to put her in the systems.

Went to bed feeling like I was going to give my mother her dream on Christmas day. (She is 74 now and has always wanted to go to Alaska). I wake up the next morning and read my email and there it was....All the confirmation emails. It took me about 30 seconds to realize that my mother probably got the same emails.

About 9 am, my phone beeps. Its a text message from my mother say. I opened up my email this morning an WOW, WHAT A SURPRISE. Im so excited.

Game over. Oh well. It happens. This will be the trip of a lifetime for all of us so it just didnt matter.

Go and have a great cruise as I know you will. But good advice about letting others know that it may not be possible to keep a secret like that

I know this may be trivial but: About a month ago, we booked a trip with NCL Epic for Oct 2014 with a balcony cabin on the 10th deck if I remember correctly. However, a week later I called back and upgraded to a 2 BR in the Haven and told them it was her birthday and wanted to surprise her when we got to the dock in Oct. I made it very clear to the NCL person that I didn't want her to find out until we arrived. So we made sure the email was mine for any notices.

 

Today, a Thank You letter came addressed to us for choosing the Haven and welcoming us to the Haven and all the great service it involves.

 

Well guess who opened the letter. So much for the surprise at the dock.

 

I'm not really upset but feel that it is a poor start for as they said it in the letter: "Dedicated to making your cruise experience truly first class".

 

This is my third cruise with last one in 1985. But I am sure it will still be memorable especially after reading the many comments here on CC.

So sorry your surprise didn't work out. But I'm sure the fun of planning such a great cruise will take out some of the sting.

I would definitely contact customer service and tell them what has happened. If they say sorry but nothing can be done and you wish to pursue it then this is what I would say "Now how are you going to make me happy" Surely NCL can throw in some little tidbit.

At least you got a letter. That more than I got.

With NCL often the left hand has no idea what the right hand is doing.

Awww, I'm sorry that the surprise was ruined:( I have read of a few other incidences on these boards with the same complaint. Not cool.

I do, however, hope that the two of you have a wonderful cruise. Enjoy the Haven.

PS. I'd give you brownie points just for the thought:D Nice job!

 

Went to bed feeling like I was going to give my mother her dream on Christmas day. (She is 74 now and has always wanted to go to Alaska).

 

About 9 am, my phone beeps. Its a text message from my mother say. I opened up my email this morning an WOW, WHAT A SURPRISE. Im so excited.

 

Your Mom sounds awesome! 74 y/o and the first thing she does in the morning is check her email and send texts? Love that!

For our Alaska cruise, we originally booked a balcony. Upgraded during a price drop to a mini-suite. Just before final payment, I bumped it to an aft penthouse. We never got the card in the mail like we did when I booked a penthouse from the start. Wonder if that would be the trick to pulling something like this off?

The good thing in my case is the wife never checks the mail and doesn't think to login to NCL's website. She knows we book the cruise, but beyond that doesn't care until she's on the ship.

At least you got a letter. That more than I got.

I can send you mine....

At least you got a letter. That more than I got.

So, are we saying that they should not communicate with you?

Who was the reservation under?

Who was the letter addressed to?

It's interesting.....we got the thank you card today for our cruise on the Getaway this coming May, however, we were on the Epic in the Haven in January and never got one prior to that cruise.

Anywho, so sorry the surprise was ruined. No worries though. The actual experience is so over the top wonderful, it will still be fantastic!

I am forever amazed that no matter how badly a cruise line does something, there are those that still put it back on the OP. The NCL rep agreed to do something and did not or was unable to follow through on the agreement. It does not matter if letters are auto generated or what address is on a reservation, NCL dropped the ball. You either tell the customer it cannot be done or you follow though with your agreement.

I am forever amazed that no matter how badly a cruise line does something, there are those that still put it back on the OP. The NCL rep agreed to do something and did not or was unable to follow through on the agreement. It does not matter if letters are auto generated or what address is on a reservation, NCL dropped the ball. You either tell the customer it cannot be done or you follow though with your agreement.

Often the cheerleaders don't see reality. They only see the glow of the beloved company.

Sorry that your surprise was spoilled but thanks for the heads up. I upgraded from a suite to the Haven as a surprise to a traveling companion for our March, 2015 cruise sort of a retirement present. I will have to contact NCL to insure that all corspondence comes to me and hopfully they do not let the cat out of the bag

Thanks for all the replies. As you can see I am fairly new to this cruising world. It was amazing the range of replies. I thinks Raleigh Travelers succinct reply hit the nail on the head and I do appreciate all the comiseration from the wonderfulpeople here on this site.

I guess my next question would be: Other than when they mail out the final packet which from reading in this site should arrive somewhere around the -45 day mark, what else might they send out they I need to intercept?

Often the cheerleaders don't see reality.

LOL. I love a good irony.

Thanks for all the replies. As you can see I am fairly new to this cruising world. It was amazing the range of replies. I thinks Raleigh Travelers succinct reply hit the nail on the head and I do appreciate all the comiseration from the wonderfulpeople here on this site.

 

I guess my next question would be: Other than when they mail out the final packet which from reading in this site should arrive somewhere around the -45 day mark, what else might they send out they I need to intercept?

Was the thank-you card the one which advises you about the Pre-Cruise concierge? That's important info which would cause you to miss a valuable aspect of your benefits.

I may have misread something, but I was under the impression that you confirmed with the NCL Rep. that no email would be sent other than to you. I didn't catch any mention of snail-mail.

Luggage tags 'sometimes' get sent, but I thought they were in the same package as the pre-cruise concierge.

.

It would be nice if cruiselines had a way to NOT notify or confirm certain things. But, in all reality... well....

Sorry the surprise was "busted" in this case. If you want to inform others, it would have been good to title this with something that would provide notice. Like "Warning, NCL Runined my Surprise Birthday" or something along those lines.

I know this may be trivial but: About a month ago, we booked a trip with NCL Epic for Oct 2014 with a balcony cabin on the 10th deck if I remember correctly. However, a week later I called back and upgraded to a 2 BR in the Haven and told them it was her birthday and wanted to surprise her when we got to the dock in Oct. I made it very clear to the NCL person that I didn't want her to find out until we arrived. So we made sure the email was mine for any notices.

 

Today, a Thank You letter came addressed to us for choosing the Haven and welcoming us to the Haven and all the great service it involves.

 

Well guess who opened the letter. So much for the surprise at the dock.

 

I'm not really upset but feel that it is a poor start for as they said it in the letter: "Dedicated to making your cruise experience truly first class".

 

This is my third cruise with last one in 1985. But I am sure it will still be memorable especially after reading the many comments here on CC.

Dude , Did you really think you could hide something from the MRS ??? They somehow know everything . :confused:

Dude , Did you really think you could hide something from the MRS ??? They somehow know everything . :confused:

Now THAT was funny (and true, I might add). As a previous poster said, look out for the pre-cruise concierge info. It can come in the form of email or snail mail.

Concerning the pre-cruise concierge, that could be a great resource to still surprise her without her finding out. Set up something really special. A balcony dinner for two is one idea (the butler can help with that), just some sort of surprise gift (flowers already come with a suite so I wouldn't suggest that). There are still a wealth of things that can be done to surprise so don't give up on that. If it can't be arranged pre-cruise, most anything can be done with the help of the onboard concierge team and the butler.

..If it can't be arranged pre-cruise, most anything can be done with the help of the onboard concierge team a...

That is the best way.

Removes all chance of someone confirming your requests.