Rethink NCL...

Guys,

NCL is a pain to deal with, compared both to Royal and to Disney.

Bidding sucks...

When you have to tell your family "no upgrade" 48 hours before leaving, it starts the vacation off with disappointment. "Oh, but you'll have fun anyway," friends and family said with an "I'm sorry for your loss" voice.

Food...

I was simply unimpressed with the quality of the food until I ate at Teppanyaki. At that time, I couldn't eat 1 bite of either the Chicken or the Filet. Both tasted *bad,* *off,* could be rancid, but I can't conclude that exactly. Without eating, I left and went to MDR. Next morning, GI issues kept me on the toilet from that Teppanyaki. :o (graphic description avoided)

Deck chairs...

Yah, there are the hogs, but that's not what I'm talking about. The pool guys are taking down all chairs at 5pm. You can't even watch a sunset, seated, because they remove the deck chairs. Why?

Now, to the bill...

Each party in my family checked our separate and separated bills on night 6. We all agreed with the independent charges. Now, it's ALL charged to me (since I made the reservation). I contacted NCL... "We'll get back with you in 15 business days." That's total crap. NO other industry does this. Amazon? Nope. McDonalds? No, again. But, NCL thinks that they can skirt immediate responsibility? How about response within 24 -48 hours? That would be acceptable. Service-after-the-sail (pun intended) is why NCL will not likely be/remain a cruising superpower.

I LOVE to cruise! I love to spend time with my family! These things have not changed. IMHO, the value for the money I spent on NCL is not there... and not *just* for the seemingly small gripes, above. NCL lost a customer.

Best of luck to those who stick with NCL. I will be on another line.

Bidding sucks...

When you have to tell your family "no upgrade" 48 hours before leaving, it starts the vacation off with disappointment.

To avoid the disappointment, book what you want and don't bother with the bid process.

Happy cruising elsewhere.

Are people not allowed to book certain rooms without bidding for them anymore? It wasn’t like that last summer.

I know on Royal Caribbean, people are supposed to give a credit card when they check in, and each person does that. Is it possible that the people in your group chose not to give their own credit cards and signed an agreement to use the card on file (yours)? Or did you check in the whole group yourself? It doesn’t sound right that they would assign your credit card to people in other rooms, unless somehow you signed an agreement to that beforehand and didn’t realize it.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

It was charged to you because you signed a document at check in without reading it and then asking questions. You agreed that all charges would go on to the only credit card offered. You should have asked for each person's room key be charged to a different credit card.

Sorry you had a bad time. I know I wouldn't give NCL a second chance if I had that "meh" of a time on vacation!

About the food making you sick, at that particular restaurant you are "sharing" food with 6 to 8 other people. Unless others in your party were also sick it was probably not the food, and you probably picked up any one of the number of bugs that infect people on cruises. That could also affect how the food tasted for two or three days prior to actually getting sick. It's hard to pin down the exact cause, of course, but if no one else in your party was sick on the same time table (the morning after eating) then it probably was not the food.

Love the food I’ve had on NCL, love all the entertainment choices & am perfectly happy with the cabin I pick with no plan to upgrade because I choose to sail midship & low to avoid rocking & rolling. Guess I’m easily satisfied

Even if I choose to bid, I would not tell the family and make them think it's a done deal. You are bidding against others, no promises.

I agree about the food and your getting sick that someone else said. Especially since you said you couldn't even get one bite down. How could it make you sick?

To avoid the disappointment, book what you want and don't bother with the bid process.

Agree with this 100%

We book where we want to be and wouldn't bid for somewhere different. I doubt we would even take a free upgrade unless it was all the way to a suite.

Don't hate the player hate the game - in bidding that is for a better room. We never told our kids on our last cruise that we were bidding for a room. We booked an inside and showed them photos/videos we found online of the inside room we booked....no haven here for this family.

We book where we want to be and wouldn't bid for somewhere different. I doubt we would even take a free upgrade unless it was all the way to a suite.

We have a 5 person room. I don't think we could take any upgrade unless it was a big suite.

But yeah, I book exact rooms usually (can't remember when I've booked a guaranty; maybe my honeymoon). I'm kind of picky about where my cabin is. Far from the engines, close to elevators but not too close. Doesn't give me a lot of cabins to choose from on each deck.

I know that you can go to the front desk on the ship an sort out room charges. In January two of the friends I made on the ship spent about an hour sorting through who would pay what on their stateroom account. They highlighted what each person was going to pay and their credit cards were run then and there, with receipts printed immediately showing what each person was charged and the room accounts closed.

Sorry things are not working out for you.

Keith

Guys,

 

NCL is a pain to deal with, compared both to Royal and to Disney.

 

Bidding sucks...

When you have to tell your family "no upgrade" 48 hours before leaving, it starts the vacation off with disappointment. "Oh, but you'll have fun anyway," friends and family said with an "I'm sorry for your loss" voice.

 

Food...

I was simply unimpressed with the quality of the food until I ate at Teppanyaki. At that time, I couldn't eat 1 bite of either the Chicken or the Filet. Both tasted *bad,* *off,* could be rancid, but I can't conclude that exactly. Without eating, I left and went to MDR. Next morning, GI issues kept me on the toilet from that Teppanyaki. :o (graphic description avoided)

 

Deck chairs...

Yah, there are the hogs, but that's not what I'm talking about. The pool guys are taking down all chairs at 5pm. You can't even watch a sunset, seated, because they remove the deck chairs. Why?

 

Now, to the bill...

Each party in my family checked our separate and separated bills on night 6. We all agreed with the independent charges. Now, it's ALL charged to me (since I made the reservation). I contacted NCL... "We'll get back with you in 15 business days." That's total crap. NO other industry does this. Amazon? Nope. McDonalds? No, again. But, NCL thinks that they can skirt immediate responsibility? How about response within 24 -48 hours? That would be acceptable. Service-after-the-sail (pun intended) is why NCL will not likely be/remain a cruising superpower.

 

I LOVE to cruise! I love to spend time with my family! These things have not changed. IMHO, the value for the money I spent on NCL is not there... and not *just* for the seemingly small gripes, above. NCL lost a customer.

 

Best of luck to those who stick with NCL. I will be on another line.

How do you get sick from teppanyaki without eating a bite?

Sorry about the bidding process, you do know it is not guaranteed you win right?

We book the rooms we want and will be satisfied with. One time we got an upgrade from an inside to a balcony, but did not tell our kids until it was confirmed. I would not hype them up about it only to have to tell them it is not going to happen.

I always found the food to be great! Teppanyaki is our favorite! We do not dine at 5 star restaurants, however, so maybe our expectations are lower. Sorry you have a bad food experience, but I agree with what others said....Teppanyaki feeds 6-8 people so if they were not all sick, it was probably something else.

As for the charges, the same room always goes on the same card. They will sort that out at the guest desk prior to disembarking. If you call, it does take a while. If they were separate rooms, then you must have given your card at check in. It would not have been because you booked the rooms. For two cruises, I booked everyone’s room (and had the deposits on my card) but at the pier everyone gave their own cards for their room charges.

Sorry you had a bad vacation, and if you did not enjoy it I would not go back either. We love NCL!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Even if I choose to bid, I would not tell the family and make them think it's a done deal. You are bidding against others, no promises.

 

I agree about the food and your getting sick that someone else said. Especially since you said you couldn't even get one bite down. How could it make you sick?

Correct.

Guys,

 

NCL is a pain to deal with, compared both to Royal and to Disney.

 

Bidding sucks...

When you have to tell your family "no upgrade" 48 hours before leaving, it starts the vacation off with disappointment. "Oh, but you'll have fun anyway," friends and family said with an "I'm sorry for your loss" voice.

 

Food...

I was simply unimpressed with the quality of the food until I ate at Teppanyaki. At that time, I couldn't eat 1 bite of either the Chicken or the Filet. Both tasted *bad,* *off,* could be rancid, but I can't conclude that exactly. Without eating, I left and went to MDR. Next morning, GI issues kept me on the toilet from that Teppanyaki. :o (graphic description avoided)

 

Deck chairs...

Yah, there are the hogs, but that's not what I'm talking about. The pool guys are taking down all chairs at 5pm. You can't even watch a sunset, seated, because they remove the deck chairs. Why?

 

Now, to the bill...

Each party in my family checked our separate and separated bills on night 6. We all agreed with the independent charges. Now, it's ALL charged to me (since I made the reservation). I contacted NCL... "We'll get back with you in 15 business days." That's total crap. NO other industry does this. Amazon? Nope. McDonalds? No, again. But, NCL thinks that they can skirt immediate responsibility? How about response within 24 -48 hours? That would be acceptable. Service-after-the-sail (pun intended) is why NCL will not likely be/remain a cruising superpower.

 

I LOVE to cruise! I love to spend time with my family! These things have not changed. IMHO, the value for the money I spent on NCL is not there... and not *just* for the seemingly small gripes, above. NCL lost a customer.

 

Best of luck to those who stick with NCL. I will be on another line.

this is why you have choices: now, except for the screw up on your bill and it makes no sence I can't agree with you on any of your points:

Disney can not be compared to any mass marketed line and the prices reflect this; did you really expect a similare experience at 1/2 the price?

Food: it is subjective but I can add we have cruised over 40 times, on various lines and find the food as good on NCL as any other ship, especially the specailty dining. I personally am not a fan or Teppenyali;s but I have never had anything that tasted spoiled or bad. Did you complain?

Deck chairs: if you really wanted to watch the sunset there are many places, other than the deck to watch it. I am sure NCL had a reason for bringing in most of the chairs or lounges, Again, did you ask anyone?

Hpe you enjoy your next cruise, whatever line you chose.

Sorry Kittykitty, I am not sure what you expected NCL to do?

I think you started this vacation on the wrong foot by assuming you would get your upgrade accepted. You were the one who led your family to disappointment by making them believe they would be upgraded.

The food - again, that doesn't make sense. if you couldn't eat a bite, then it wasn't "that" that made you sick. if there was something wrong with that particular food, everyone would have been ill?

Deckchairs - I don't know what ship you were on, but isn't there usually bars on outside decks with seating. There has been on all the ships I have been on?

Credit Card - you would have been asked at check in whether it was okay to use the one card for everyone? Had you said no at this point, they would have looked for other cards from your party. So, you must have agreed.

Generally when people complain I can see "a bit" where they are coming from - but not this time.

Guys,

 

NCL is a pain to deal with, compared both to Royal and to Disney.

 

Bidding sucks...

When you have to tell your family "no upgrade" 48 hours before leaving, it starts the vacation off with disappointment. "Oh, but you'll have fun anyway," friends and family said with an "I'm sorry for your loss" voice.

 

Food...

I was simply unimpressed with the quality of the food until I ate at Teppanyaki. At that time, I couldn't eat 1 bite of either the Chicken or the Filet. Both tasted *bad,* *off,* could be rancid, but I can't conclude that exactly. Without eating, I left and went to MDR. Next morning, GI issues kept me on the toilet from that Teppanyaki. :o (graphic description avoided)

 

Deck chairs...

Yah, there are the hogs, but that's not what I'm talking about. The pool guys are taking down all chairs at 5pm. You can't even watch a sunset, seated, because they remove the deck chairs. Why?

 

Now, to the bill...

Each party in my family checked our separate and separated bills on night 6. We all agreed with the independent charges. Now, it's ALL charged to me (since I made the reservation). I contacted NCL... "We'll get back with you in 15 business days." That's total crap. NO other industry does this. Amazon? Nope. McDonalds? No, again. But, NCL thinks that they can skirt immediate responsibility? How about response within 24 -48 hours? That would be acceptable. Service-after-the-sail (pun intended) is why NCL will not likely be/remain a cruising superpower.

 

I LOVE to cruise! I love to spend time with my family! These things have not changed. IMHO, the value for the money I spent on NCL is not there... and not *just* for the seemingly small gripes, above. NCL lost a customer.

 

Best of luck to those who stick with NCL. I will be on another line.

After reading all this I find it hard to believe you actually cruised with NCL.

Point 1 as has been stated by many, you should have booked the cabin you wanted and not expected to win the bid for an upgrade.

Point 2 again as has been stated why was it only you that was ill especially when you couldn't actually eat anything.

Point 3 For Deck Chairs you mean Sun Loungers I suppose, they are different. I can't say that it's something I've ever noticed and therefore completely unimportant to my enjoyment of a cruise.

Point 4 My favourite. I cruised with my wife, my daughter and my daughter in law. Separate bookings, separate reservations etc. When we got to the terminal and checked in I said we would charge both cabins to my CC as they didn't have one at the time. On board we noticed, thanks to iConcierge that they could not see their bill or OBC so we checked at the desk. Everything including the OBC was on my account because it was my credit card that was used. If everything was charged to you then that was the reason, furthermore if that was the reason then you would not have been able to check separate bills or even separated bills because there wouldn't have been any.

The whole point of your post just seems to be to criticise NCL for what reason I don't know but I would say that if you don't like NCL just cruise with somebody else.

One should NEVER assume an upgrade is guaranteed, as it is certainly not. As others have stated, book the cabin you want.

If you click to accept terms and conditions without reading them, that's on you, not NCL.

So ... bye.

What's the big deal about others in your party being charged to your account for dinner? Just be nice and pay it for them, tell them it was your treat. How much can it be for a few people at a table? If you can't afford it, tell them to pay you back instead of wasting time on the phone with NCL.

To avoid the disappointment, book what you want and don't bother with the bid process.

EXACTLY. Seems like some folks don't really understand the 'upgrade' concept.