Agent999

What is happening in Hawai'i is an absolute shame. Many of those folks depend on tourism to make their living. Closing things to the tourists can also be devastating to the residents.

For those who haven't sailed the PoA, NCL makes their Maui port call in Kahului, not in Lahaina, which is visited by lines like Princess, Holland America, Celebrity, and Royal Caribbean. A lot of the tourism on the island is on the Eastern half (Road to Hana, Haleakala, etc.).

I hope they find some was to keep the ship visiting. Those folks will need the $$$ and support that the tourists bring.

4 minutes ago, arafol said:

We've been doing pre-cruise and post-cruise trips for years and had control of our flights as we 're the ones booking them as group.  We typically go right on the city tour that we pre-booked upon arrival at the airport.  Me and my friends are always excited to see new places so we have the energy after a long flight.  Seriously, most of us are now between 60 and 75 years old but started travelling together in our 50s by doing land tours first.  Then started cruising in 2008 and we got hooked on it.  Happy cruising everyone!

Your age, past history, and such has nothing to do with it and just further confirms that even if this had gone your way 100%, the underlying issues would still be there.

Even if everyone would arrive together at 6am Lisbon time, when you factor in the flight time and the time difference, that means that you would have to get on a plane in the early evening the day prior. Your internal clocks would still be on 1am Canada time. Doesn't seem like a very good idea for a bunch of seasoned citizens in that situation to plan on an all day tour.

You came here using emotionally charged words (heartless, agonizing) to create the NCL is a monster and we're innocent victim picture. In all honesty, had you had 100% control of your airfare, what time would you have all arrived? What time would you have had to leave Canada in order to do that? What would you have done better?

10 hours ago, arafol said:

Sorry folks if my point didn't come across. We wanted to book our pre-cruise tours in Lisbon & Fatima, Portugal in early June but the flight details aren't available until last week. So we took the risk of paying our deposit for a full-day tour for September 30 and October 1 prior to receiving our air confirmation.  Since we have different ETA's, we will not be able to have a full day tour on our arrival in Lisbon. It's our first time to take Norwegian's promotion of free airfare for second guest and it was too late to opt-out. Lessons learned for me and my group - no more free airfare.   

Sorry, but this information just makes the whole situation worse for you, IMHO.

First, you have to remember that a deviation (1 or 2 days) doesn't mean that they will get you there first thing. You could arrive at 6am, 11pm, or anytime in between. Just because you choose to arrive a day early, it does not mean you will have a full day available to you. Scheduling a "full day tour" on your day of arrival is, again IMHO, foolish at best.

Best case scenario would have your whole group arriving together at 6am on the 30th...giving you the whole day for your tour. However, 6am is the time in Lisbon. Your party will still be on 1am time in Canada. Not only that, but you'd be getting off of a 6+ hour flight. Given the length of the flight, plus the time zone difference, do you really think everyone will be up to the immediate launching of a full day tour?

You could have paid for your own airfare, been in complete control of the reservations, and you would still not have solved these issues.

18 minutes ago, dmms said:

I’m sure I’ve missed this somewhere- but when exactly is the first cruise?

Unless I missed a change in the schedule, the maiden voyage is tomorrow (August 10th).

2 minutes ago, luv2kroooz said:

I don't think so. My intention is to provide accurate information and education about economic risks of booking early to the general population. I don't get lost in the weeds with the situation at hand. As suggested, you can ask the OP directly. I'm moving on to the next topic again with the intention of education.

Providing accurate information and education is a worthy intention, no doubt. However, I don't see how you can do so when you, by your own admission, "have no idea".

FWIW...I really don't need to ask the OP as I was in the conversation with the OP earlier in the thread when the OP realized their error what they thought was a price drop. You, on the other hand, seem to be more interested in argument than in simply admitting (even to yourself) that you got it wrong.

1 hour ago, luv2kroooz said:

They paid more than they thought they should. End of story.

Not really. Their "thoughts" were based on "price = cruise + airfare" vs "price = cruise" without them realizing that the lower price left them stranded without airfare. You can't compare different things and justify expecting the same pricing. That IS the story.

56 minutes ago, luv2kroooz said:

I have no idea. That is a question for them.

Given what you said, isn't it better to ask them the question rather than to make posts when you admittedly "have no idea"?

1 hour ago, luv2kroooz said:

They post certainly were penalized. They incurred a monetary penalty by paying too much for their cruise. Never book early. Be flexible, be indifferent about cabin location. Get a better shot at sailing the published itinerary.  Sail 3x more often.

 

Then they can laugh all the way to the bank knowing they got the absolute rock bottom pricing. Cheers!!

But they were not penalized, and had you read the thread you would understand that. The OP saw what they thought was a price drop, however they were mistaken. While the price was lower, it had been lowered because they passed the airfare inclusion date. One price included BOGO airfare, the other did not. This was not a price drop, but a change in the offer. Apples to oranges.

23 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Pretty sure OP meant that his 'group' wasn't 'grouped' together for their flights.  OPs complaint is that the nine couples aren't on the same flight.  I suspect OP also would want them to be seated on the flight as a 'group' too. 

I also suspect that OP believes NCL  to be 'heartless' because NCL didn't book them together on the same flight.

For the sake of argument, let's assume that your guess is correct. Who is really at fault here, the "organized planner" who put all this together, or NCL (who did exactly what they advertised they would do)?

While we're here, let's take it a step further. If they (all 18 people) aren't put into the same cab for transport from the airport to the hotel and/or cruise ship, will that separation also be viewed as a heartless act? 

3 hours ago, arafol said:

I'm writing this review even though our 9-Day Mediterranean sailing with VIVA is scheduled on 1 Oct 2023. Just want to share my sad experience booking this Viva cruise with Norwegian. The original cruise aboard Jade for May 2020 was cancelled due to Covid-19. We waited awhile and when we're ready we booked GETAWAY for Nov 2022 using our FCC. However, NCL cancelled this cruise in July 2022 when everything was ready and shore excursions booked with NCL's Shore Excursions Group. To replace the cancelled cruise, we booked the Holiday Mediterranean Cruise for Dec2023/ Jan2024 aboard EPIC. Well, lo and behold, this was cancelled again in May 2023. How upsetting for getting cancellations, not ONCE but TWICE in a row. Some of my friends are working in a medical setting and have to request at least 6 months to 1 year prior. Yes they were so upset but can't do anything. I myself had to put in my vacation request in Feb 2023 ahead of my co-workers, only to cancel it and fought to have it re-scheduled in October. This didn't stop, as we're not travelling as a group. NCL arranged our flights with different ETAs in Lisbon on Sept 30. 4 couples will arrive at 6:00 am and will have to wait for 5 agonizing hours as our own (my hubby's and mine) flights and 4 other couples are arriving at 11:00 am. The promo of "one guest flies free" wasn't worth with the stress/anxiety I experienced while waiting for the flight information to be available between 30-60 days of the cruise. I'm an organized person and as a Group Leader, I'd like to have a well-planned trip. I took the risk of booking and paying our tours in Lisbon for Sept 30. NCL is heartless! Getting a refund is also a challenge! My group loves cruising! We've been doing this since 2008 and this is our 14th cruise. However, I will NEVER book any Norwegian cruise anymore NOR will I recommend the cruise line to anyone.

This post seemed to just fall completely off of the rails. Let me explain where you lost me.

The title of the thread indicates that the content will explain why the air promo has no value for a group. It wasn't until the second half of the paragraph that airfare was even mentioned. By that time, I'd lost interest. It helps to get to the point.

Second point is the contradictions in the post. Title says "group". Content says "we're not traveling as a group", but also says "group leader" and "my group". Pick a lane.

"NCL is heartless". Ok, but why? 

4 couples (8 people) arrive 5 hours before other 5 couples (10 people). Certainly the 8 people can spend time with each other, go to breakfast together, take a local tour, etc. Why would the temporary absence of the other 10 people be "agonizing"? And, fwiw, "agonizing"? Seriously? Do yourself a favor and dial down the drama. In my experience, when someone is being dramatic it is either because they are trying to compensate for not having the facts on their side, or because they are simply seeking attention.

I'm surprised that the issue that got the mod's attention was copyright based. I figured the thread got removed for being off-topic as this is the NCL board, not the NCLH board which I guess you find over at Corporate Critic.

It is, of course, one thing for people here to know "what" NCL is doing.

What I don't get is the reason behind the belief that people on an Internet forum could explain "why" NCL does something.

Is the expectation here based on the belief that NCL reaches out to CC members to inform them of the reasoning behind their corporate decisions?

5 hours ago, mpk said:

 

I think you're right.  The same reason why people wear cruise logoed merchandise.

 

Although....  on the other hand....  we recently "met" someone who cruises a lot.  This fellow sat one table over and barged in on our conversation.  He quickly turned it towards his frequent cruising exploits.  He even invited questions, in a braggy 'ask me if you must, you lowly peasant' tone of voice.  We played along, and let him "wear the taller hat" as the old saying goes.

 

Oh- I didn't notice any name tags  😃

It just goes to show that a braggart does not need a name tag, they only need an audience.

No different than the people here who go out of their way to point out that they will, are, or did cruise in the haven. Especially when the topic has nothing to do with the haven.

Not sure why you are yelling Haven with the all caps, but if you truly are looking to avoid children, the best thing you can do is a studio cabin and a Vibe pass.

On 7/27/2023 at 12:13 PM, Panhandle Couple said:

Yes, it is quite beneficial to read page 4 here, which seems to be all about Viking cruises...on an NCL thread.

Not the clever retort you intended.

I was only pointing out the benefit that comes from reading the topic before posting. Another benefit, even though I didn't mention it, is staying on topic. Unlike what you've done by bringing Viking cruises into the topic. 

Hopefully it made you feel better.

1 hour ago, Panhandle Couple said:

Without reading through 4 pages of responses....

 

There is a general purpose form to fill out and email on the NCL website to request just about anything.

 

We filled it out last year for a substantial decrease, and got the difference in future OBC.  You do have only 1 year to use that for a booking, however.  

 

Be polite in your wording, and to the point.  You should get an auto response right away with the claim number.  It took them about 5 days to fully respond.  

 

As I have said in previous threads about this, if I buy steak at the store for $12.99 on Sunday, and it goes on sale for $9.99 a pound on Tuesday, will I get any refund?  This goes for anything you purchase, you made a commitment when you made the purchase.  The cruise industry is one of the few places you will get any compensation for a price change. 

While that is well intentioned advice, it will not help in this case. The OP jumped the gun and assumed there was a price drop. In reality, the pre-cruise point came where the BOGO airfare was no longer offered. As a result, the price changed, but so did the offer. The OP can't take this as a price adjustment because the offer itself changed. The only way the OP could take the price would be to also give up the airfare (which they can't do as final payment has passed).

That is the benefit of reading the responses prior to responding I guess.

53 minutes ago, julig22 said:

Don't forget that the OP also just assumed a price drop - there was no comparable cabin available for price comparison.

I feel like I've missed something as I don't recall seeing where the OP stated that this was the case. If you don't mind, which post # in the thread contained this information?

4 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

My sympathies to the OP over this, but as others have opined, you took the risk of a price drop when you decided to book early.

The problem here is that there is no price drop. When the OP booked, the offer included the BOGO Airfare. Once the cruise passes 110 days before embarkation, the airfare option for Free at Sea goes away. Since the airfare is no longer part of the offer, the price changes. This is not what most people think of as a price drop since the before includes airfare and the after does not. This is very much an apples to oranges comparison.

16 hours ago, PalmBeach4 said:

We are NCL PLATINUM & sail the larger vessels due to more activities etc. We recently sailed Celebrity Edge & like it very much except for the fact that drinks are not included & no water slides. But ship was nice, food was good, and room was great. The fact that entertainment was lame, lunch buffet was minimized, and drinks were not included definitely did not compare to the fabulous experience we always have on NCL. We have also tried a few Royal druises and food was not as good. So, this leads me to my real question..... 

***Now we are looking into MSC. The ships look beautiful, but we are interested in some tips from those who have sailed MSC recently. I am only interest in recent sailings (2019-2023 on the biggest boats (Seashore, Seaside, Seascape, Meraviglia, etc. We would like to know how MSC compares to our beloved NCL. 

We live in South Florida with 2 fashionable teenage athlete girls and we need activities and nice food, pools, water slides, fun sporty stuff, kids club, etc. Also, my husband and I like food, pools, cocktails, live pool music, comedy clubs, bars, dancing, etc. We are an active family who live to live it up to the fullest. We do larger ships always and cruise 2-3 times per year. 

We are looking for advice on those who have tried MSC and how it compares to NCL in a few different ways...Any info is greatly appreciated. Details, details, please

These A vs B compare/contrast requests are difficult to fairly address simply because what I like/dislike could very well differ from what you like/dislike. IOW, there is little value in me telling you to have the meatballs, they are the best meatballs anywhere, if you personally do not like meatballs.

You should do what makes you happy, not do what made someone else happy.

I see from your post that you've tried Celebrity, but it appears that you aren't overly impressed by them.

You also said you've tried Royal a few time, and again, not overly impressive results.

Now you are looking to try MSC.

Which leads to my question: Given that you stated "...the fabulous experience we always have on NCL", what are you looking for in another cruise line? If you always have a fabulous experience on NCL, what are you hoping that another cruise line can do to create a better than fabulous experience. Perhaps if we knew what it was you were looking for that NCL doesn't provide, we could tell you whether or not another line might provide what you are looking for.

24 minutes ago, Bandit2301 said:

Sadly I stopped using a TA as everything I could do myself as last time I used a TA the cruise lines wouldn't allow anyone but the TA to call and make changes. Has that changed by chance cause it seems like a good idea to use a TA! 

Well, that is not true. For example, you can't handle a price adjustment yourself, you either need the TA or the PCC's assistance. Another thing a TA can do for you is to explain that what you are seeing isn't a price drop since the offer has changed due to airfare no longer being offered for your cruise.

Given that the services of a TA/PCC come at no cost to you whatsoever, it seems strange that you would want to DIY instead of taking advantage of their knowledge and services.

24 minutes ago, Bandit2301 said:

I usually cruise with Viking and with them you do book early as they sell out fast.

That is odd given that in another thread you started (https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2934830-new-to-ncl-what-should-i-know) you clearly stated that you "always used Royal in the past".

24 minutes ago, Bandit2301 said:

I posted this to inform other cruisers of things that can happen and what they should be aware of. I have cruised many times and I understand policies. However other people might not know this.

Nice of you to think of other cruisers, but cruisers who get memberships, post to, and read forums like this one already now these things and really don't need to be educated on them.

24 minutes ago, Bandit2301 said:

I do apologize if you feel offended that I criticized NCL and you felt the need to reply back with this long post. 

Everybody has their opinion. That's why there is this forum.

Offended? Not sure where that came from, but "offended" is not a word that people use talking about Sthrngary. He just may be the least offended person on this entire forum.

That aside, have you really taken a look at your cruise? When you booked in AIRFARE was included in your purchase. At this point, the airfare is no longer offered. As a result, the amount charged goes down. You don't have a price drop, you have a change in cost driven by the fact that the offer has changed due to the airfare removal. So you're basically doing an apples to oranges comparison.

38 minutes ago, LobsterStalker said:

I think there is definitely a place for this depending on the situation . On my first cruise I once watched an employee finish at the urinal and turn around and walk without washing his hands . He subsewuently turned the corner and walked into the specialty restauraunt and continued setting tables for the evening...

Should this be my place to report ?

FWIW...... I talked myself out of reporting due to the fact I didn't want to get someone fired , but after thinking more about it determined I should have and if he got fired that would not be my fault but his

 

Cheers

You could probably come up with any scenario needed to justify a position, but that is just argumentative.

Is reporting on bathroom behavior your responsibility?

If you saw a guest do the same, would you report that guest? If not, why not?

The whole "not reporting because of the potential consequences" angle is interesting. Taking it further, since you failed to report it, should you then be punished for your failure? (For example, you could be disembarked from the cruise) Is it a problem for the employee to have a failure, but OK if you or I do the same? We certainly don't want to treat people differently, right?

1 hour ago, Bright1 said:

After returning home and realizing that you accidentally left something in your cabin, has anyone been reunited with said item through NCL Lost and Found?

I’ve been getting the run around since 6/4. Wondering if I should call it quits. 

I guess it depends on what you mean by "the run around".

All you can do is to report the lost item. Have you done that? Have they taken your report?

Once they have the report, then they can proceed to return the item to you, but only IF someone found it and turned it in. Have they reported that your item was indeed found?

4 hours ago, Seminole1975 said:

The entertainers wear street clothes and will be fired for behaving badly so to speak. 

At one point or another, everyone wears street clothes. The point was that they wouldn't be wearing them while working, but might when they are off and nobody should be harassing them when they are off work.

4 hours ago, minabruuke said:

The answer to that is pretty obvious; both.

First, if it were obvious, it wouldn't need to be answered. Second, I disagree. Only the employer can decide what is or is not appropriate for their employees. A guest may not agree, but the guest can only have their opinion, not quantify appropriateness.

4 hours ago, minabruuke said:

I didn't see any reports here of anyone actually doing this. Did I miss those reports? I think there has been speculation.

Read post 29. That poster was clear about their reasoning. Besides, just because YOU didn't see a report of something does not mean that that activity did not occur. There is no way that you, or anyone else, can be aware of everything that happens.

29 minutes ago, minabruuke said:

Even a non-working employee should be behaving in an appropriate manner in front of guests.  According to the OP: "guests were complaining about one name tag wearing guest because they thought he was an employee acting badly." This is where I see a problem. Had I not read this thread, I would have thought someone wearing what appeared to be an NCL name tag was an NCL employee. Civilian clothing would lead me to believe they were off duty, so I would not bother them. The name tag itself is something I may notice from a bit of a distance, especially on someone behaving in a poor manner, but due to poor vision I could not read a name tag unless that person were right in front of me and facing me. 

 

Someone with what appears to be an NCL name tag, misbehaving, is potentially not good for NCL's reputation. Personally, if I saw something once or twice from one or two people, it wouldn't much affect my opinion of NCL or their crew standards. If I saw issues again and again, that may have an impact on my opinion of NCL.

 

Since the can is open, lets examine the worms.

Who gets to decide what is "behaving in an appropriate manner", NCL or other guests?

Why would people think it is their job to monitor employee behavior and report them for "acting badly"?

Can assuming someone is an NCL employee cause an issue? Could that issue be avoided by making sure instead of assuming?

Why would anyone harass someone in civilian clothes while they are clearly not at work simply because they are wearing a name tag?

Could it be that guests who have been recognized by NCL and gifted with a name tag might not want to wear it because other guests simply don't know how to properly behave in public?

12 hours ago, tony s said:

Why would I wear a name tag on vacation and get hassled?

I think the real question is why would someone hassle someone else simply because they are wearing a name tag? Especially when they are obviously not a crew member.