kirtihk

On 1/12/2024 at 11:06 PM, Bongomauka said:

Thank you for your response and we appreciate your sympathy. I will attempt to answer your questions:

My partner was medivaced off the Marina in April by Portuguese Air Force helicopter to Ponta Delgada in the Portugese Azores to a hospital there.

We received a copy of the invoice from NCL for which we are ultimately responsible financially

We were told by the third party insurance processors for NCL (The Claims Center) and the third party insurance processor for Kaiser (our primary health insurance carrier) (Relation Insurance Company) that we were not to pay until they because in the event that we did, NCL would not provide documentation that we did pay.

You are correct. NCL was billed directly and they have not produced any documentation that the bill was paid to the Portuguese Air Force, which is exactly what our health insurance (Kaiser's third party processor) has requested. We have not been directly billed but the fear is the billing will come after our one year window in which to file a claim for both our primary health insurance AND our trip insurance company AND our credit card company (which also has insurance for such situations).

Totally agree that if NCL was billed, and if NCL paid, they must provide copies of both the bill and the proof of payment. The issue is by the time they send us a bill for reimbursement, we will have passed our one year window to make a claim to our various insurance carriers and therefore will not be reimbursed.

We have indeed talked to all parties and our primary health care provider's third party representative has told us that all we need is NCL to document payment or declare that it was not paid. NCL has not been forthcoming on documentation on either of these.

We have in our possession a bill from Portuguese Air Force identifying us as the recipients of the service and ultimately responsible for the bill.

We have contacted all the insurance companies involved as referenced in the original post and finally have come to the point that NCL can resolve this issue. They have been consistently misleading and not forthcoming regarding how they have handled this process. They have demonstrated a total lack of cooperation and initiative and our previously positive experience with Oceania has been poisoned.

 

Time-wise, this whole event doesn’t make sense, because if an insured person did not pay for an emergency service yet, an insurance company cannot compensate for what is not paid (because potentially it might never be paid).  So, it appears, you stuck in limbo.

3 hours ago, C-Dragons said:

I was  fortunate to visit St. Petersburg in the ‘60's when it was known as Leningrad. I loved the city's architecture and the Hermitage which was my first visit to a major museum.

Wishing you a very Happy Birthday!  🎂

 

Thank you!  I was born in 1960 see my previous post); so, I might see you…

4 hours ago, TeeRick said:

Have you been back to St. Petersburg?  We went a few years ago before the war when it was open to us on cruises.  We thought it was beautiful and loved the historical buildings and churches and of course The Hermitage.  Good luck with your Bills!

We did not go back to Russia since we left USSR in February 1991 (from Jews prosecutions) thanks to Reagan helping to lift the Iron Shield.

Yes, it’s nice for foreigners to visit to see architecture and museums.  I was born in the heart of the Leningrad (behind  the Saint Isaac’s square).

On 1/10/2024 at 8:35 AM, TeeRick said:

Here is a current important example beyond cruising where this all actually matters.  

Ukraine - a country in eastern Europe.

The Ukraine - a territory of the former Soviet Union.  Many Russians still use 'the' to imply ownership by Russia.

 

https://time.com/12597/the-ukraine-or-ukraine/

My farther was born in a little village in Ukraine; I was born in Saint Petersburg.  Am I from Ukraine, the Ukraine (never heard of such until this reading), or some other place?  Or I am simply from Buffalo?

Happy Birthday to me, and Go Bills (in 3 days)!!!

On 1/8/2024 at 8:26 AM, lovesthebeach2 said:

We’ve gone up a few times just before 9 to get water or a cookie and there’s hardly anyone in there and so much food is wasted. They have to throw out everything that’s leftover. Over time it probably costs them more than it’s worth, plus they would need extra staff there.  Theres usually always a place to get water, and pizza or other snacks. We sometimes bring cookies or breadsticks to our cabin for late night snacks, so for us, we don’t need it open late.

It’s already leftover by 9pm, anyhow.  So, there is no guilt for “Save the Earth” at that point of no return…

2 hours ago, crusin7 said:

Cheering crowds at the end of Miraflores.

 

I have an identical (well, cheerers are different, perhaps) picture I made from the infinity-edge plunge pool on Splendor during our cruise 54 weeks and 2 days ago.

On 1/6/2024 at 3:32 PM, UKstages said:

nearly everything the OP talks about here has happened to me at sometime or another on an NCL ship... but not all of these things on the same cruise. on balance, i think NCL offers a pretty good and  reliable mainstream product.

 

with regard to awful food and inedible meat... if you're talking about the steak in the main dining room, you're spot on. it is awful and inedible. most here would agree. but most here don't order it any longer. NCL generally gets pretty high marks for food. and as you yourself pointed out, the specialty restaurants are pretty darn good.

 

respectfully, some of your concerns here could have been addressed by better researching NCL's ships, restaurants, policies and procedures before sailing with them.

 

the generalization of the staff as "rude" and "awful" is just that... a generalization. any time you get 1000 or more people together on a team in the hospitality industry, there are bound to be some who could benefit from coaching. sounds like you had some bad experiences in the buffet and at the internet cafe. i have, as well.

 

as for smoking in the casino... i spend an inordinate amount of time in the casino and i agree... it's 2024. nobody smokes anymore. get with the program, NCL! (and they have. all of NCL's casinos on its new ships in the past seven or eight years or so are nonsmoking, with purpose built smaller smoking areas contained within a glass enclosure.) to be fair, it's probably more like 14 or 15% of their guests that smoke (not 5%), but the trend is definitely toward nonsmoking gaming. and NCL has addressed that on their newest ships.

 

 

THIS.

 

a thousand times this.

 

invariably, whenever i see staff behavior that's way out of line, it's in direct response to a particularly challenging customer. that doesn't make it right, but it does make it understandable. 

 

 

 

Why to offer a food choice that no one (according to claims) can eat?

On 12/29/2023 at 9:35 PM, LuvCruzn4Evr said:

Adding the person on Facebook whom I read this from also commented that most drinks that had been $17 now incur a $2 upcharge plus the 20%. Seems like if you want the 'premium' liquors that they are an upcharge. 😔 Guess I'll find out on our next sailing what is and what isn't.  

 

Thank y'all for your comments and insights.

20% of $2 or on a full price of an item that is over $17?

59 minutes ago, sanger727 said:

 

If you aren't there when they call, they leave a message. I've never felt like I had to "wait" in my room for anything. And that's with no Butler.

You are correct besides times when a call back is related to something urgent that I need to know right away (if possible).  My whole statement was not related to a butler service (when we had a butler, we didn't use anything from him/her - it was always awkward feeling: a person is breathing in your neck waiting for a "command", but there is no the command).

29 minutes ago, sanger727 said:

 

Complaining that they will be chained the inside of their cabin and/or toilet because they don't get a butler is a silly argument. It deserves a silly response. 

Silly or not, my cruise mantra is "On the cruise every minute counts"; so, typically on cruises I sleep between 1 am and 6:30 am and don't spend any other time in the cabin besides changing my clothes (I take shower in the spa area after going to sauna every day).  So, I don't want to seat in my cabin waiting for anything (a few times I had such "painful" experience, when I was told to wait for calling me back in a few minutes, but in reality, it was close to half an hour).

1 hour ago, riredsox said:

The point is people didn’t get what they paid for.  They might not need it but they did pay for it and should receive it.  

However, certain individuals will still "fight" with you about it.

On 12/18/2023 at 10:49 PM, RichYak said:

Wow. Imagine spending $2k per night for a suite then being upcharged $3 for a glass of pedestrian wine in the Retreat Lounge. 

 

Relaxed Luxury™

#ThanksLaura

The same sarcasm might be used in the opposite direction (toward a cruise line) - "Imagine charging $2k per night for a suite then applying an additional upcharged $3 for a glass of pedestrian wine in the Retreat Lounge".

5 minutes ago, FlaviaOfTheMonth said:

You're not seriously asking why boorish behavior in public has become normalized I hope.

My question was complex in a way.  You are correct, it was not actually serious: I know in this case, it sounds like provoking, but it's my writing style so to speak (English is not my native language) - slightly ironical all the time similar to Charles Dickens (my favorite writer; I read all his 30 and a half books before I was 16).

Normalized? - Hardly.  Acceptable? - No.  Spreadable like a virus? - Precisely!

20 hours ago, ProgRockCruiser said:

I think there are several factors at play, IMHO: 

 

The biological impact of the virus itself may have changed certain subjects' behavior (for the worse).

 

The stress of lockdowns and restrictions (whether you agreed with them or not) can have a long term effect, whether or not you caught the virus.

 

A segment of the population learned throughout this period there are no real consequences for many of your actions, regardless of how callous or detrimental they might be.  Across the board, from "everyday people" to top-level politicians of all stripes, to so-called media/pundits, for almost any action imaginable.  And ignorance has once again become something to be proud of in much of the population: they don't know, and they don't care - about practically everything.

 

And that's why we can't have nice things like made-to-order omelets with bacon, jalapenos, and swiss cheese.

While reading your statement, my face was so serious until the last paragraph.  I will try to remember it (so comical !!!).

52 minutes ago, prmssk said:

Maybe I'm unique.  But I just don't find it all that difficult nor do I feel like a reasonable shore excursion cancellation policy is really all that related to the menus in the MDR (as just one example).

Again, I agree.  My point (not my point of view but my observation of others' point) was any change is related in a sense of (as I previously wrote) accumulative annoyance, especially when people feel "offended" by thinking "I'm loyal to a cruise line for 20-25 years.  So, why is it so unfair to me with ALL these changes?".

18 minutes ago, prmssk said:

It's unfortunate when people can't judge a change just based on that change instead of lumping it all together with everything they already don't like about what is happening.  I would imagine that just sets them up for greater disappointment when they cruise.

I agree.  It's difficult, however, for an individual to focus on a particular item if it's related (like "cruise line's changes" entity) in a way to others.

5 minutes ago, prmssk said:

I doubt it is negligible to the cruise line.  If someone cancels 24 hours before the start of a shore excursion, that gives the cruise line very little time to fill that vacancy.  It likely creates a lot of last minute headaches and juggling for shore excursion staff and tour operators.  Some of those passengers they find to fill the vacancy likely had other excursions booked that they then cancel creating a domino effect.

 

Additionally, if that cancellation means the difference between hitting the required minimum or not, that could mean the entire excursion gets cancelled which leaves other passengers scrambling to find a replacement.  

 

I get people's complaints about some of the other changes the cruise lines (all of them) have been making over the past couple of years.  This is one where I don't understand the complaint.  I just don't think it affects that many people unless you are one of those people who just want to keep your options open until the last minute (which isn't fair to other cruisers).  And honestly, it might be a plus to passengers who plan ahead.

It's not just a complaint about an individual change.  It's accumulative disturbance.  This is how a person's mind work: if this change happened to be the first one within last 2 years, most likely, the majority of those who complain now would accept and validate it, and also be more patient in general.

2 hours ago, Eli_6 said:

Re the cruising numbers:  All forms of travel have been through the roof the past couple of years.  I think it is a result of people being cooped up during Covid.  I suspect it will to back to normal levels here in another year or two.

 

And rude people are everywhere. Not just on cruise ships. I swear, I think people forgot how to behave during the Covid shutdowns.

And why is that?  Seriously, did virus affect peoples' brain in such a manner to reflect behavioral aspects?

On 12/9/2023 at 2:38 PM, prmssk said:

How often have you made those switches between 48 and 24 hours of the port?  How often does Celebrity open up new excursions in that time frame that are not the result of others’ cancellations (which will now be pushed back 24 hours with the new policy)?

 

I’ve canceled and booked new excursions plenty of times but never that close to arriving in the port. 

In this case why did Celebrity make this change to begin with (since it's so minor)?  If it's negligible for both cruisers and the cruise line, why to bother with this change, just to annoy people for no reason whatsoever?

On 12/9/2023 at 10:27 AM, LB_NJ said:

That is what I thought the policy was.  It does have an affect on cruises other than overnight.

 

If the excursion is at 1PM but the ship arrives at 6AM then the cutoff is now 6AM (before the cruise desk usually opens) 2 days before instead of 1 PM 2 days before.

 

Not a very big deal but an annoyance.

 

This really isn't any different than many shore based tour companies.

That's the major issue right here: most cruisers are annoyed so much by this statement, because a difference between cruising and shore travel was a major factor for those who enjoy the former.

On 12/9/2023 at 9:30 AM, Cruise till you drop said:

People seem pretty passionate about this but in this really such a big change and such a big deal ?

 

Is this really an item being taken away from passengers ?

 

Not seeing this

In most mind it's not just this particular policy change but rather accumulative on-going negative (again, in most minds) changes by multiple cruise lines like removing gratuities from "All included" (Tips charged separately) package, one daily cabin cleaning, restaurant menu reduction/extra fees, removing butlers from certain cabin categories, increasing paid beverage package prices, increasing gratuities (NCL raised their gratuity fees effective January 2023. Sail on the cruise line, and you'll now pay $20.00 per person, per day if you are sailing in an interior, oceanview, balcony cabin or Club Balcony Suite. Other suites and The Haven see a charge of $25.00 per person, per day.), and so on.

Just now, Pcardad said:

Cute...but not an accurate comparison nor does it answer my question regarding your TA.

1 minute ago, Pcardad said:

Cute...but not an accurate comparison nor does it answer my question regarding your TA.

I forgot to finish my story.  Now, I modified it, so, here is my answer.

22 hours ago, mrstanley said:

I don’t want to be forced to make a new booking in order to use the credit. 
We also have a booked cruise in 2025.

 

 

Is it for December 1, 2024 on Voyager?  We'll be on it.

On 12/7/2023 at 10:59 AM, Pcardad said:

This is an issue for all cruise lines. I see it daily.

I cannot stand the idea of people booking a cruise without being informed by their TA that the ports are subject to change without warning. Why are people mad at the cruise line and not their TAs? 

Our friend recommended me to go to a fancy-shmency restaurant.  We pre-ordered and pre-paid (it was a very special restaurant!) Beluga caviar, filet mignon with truffles, and lamb chops with a cognac Dijon cream sauce.  Unfortunately, the restaurant couldn't proceed with our order and graciously substituted it with 2 hot dogs and a free glass of house wine per our table (their fine print stated that due to pre-ordering procedure they are not able to accommodate a refund).  I'm so mad at our friend!

25 minutes ago, hapytobehr said:

THIS!!!

The question that I've been asking and didn't get a proper answer yet: what's the difference in service between $20 versus $80 dishes or between $40 versus $300 wine bottle?  There is none.  However, there is a huge difference in an absolute value of 20% gratuities (or whatever one might call it). Why?