Open letter to NCL

[moejoe4]

Dearest NCL,

 

This year my parents, myself, my two kids and my nephew were suite guests on your wonderful NCL Star ship. We had a fabulous time. The staff was fantastic. The ship was fantastic. The food was great and lots of it. Such a fantastic time was had that we turned right around and booked her again for Spring Break 2012. We also talked more of our family into going with us. We quickly booked three suites! We have been eagerly counting down the days since then (since May).

 

A couple of weeks ago, thanks to cruisecritic.com, I found out that our 2012 sailing had been chartered and we were kicked off. My first thought was, "ok, NCL will make this right and move us to another ship." Should not be a problem.

 

I started by contacting my travel agent who had not even been informed of the charter yet (thanks cruisecritic!!). He said he would check into it and get back with me. He called me back and confirmed it had been chartered and that my only options were to switch our sailing date or cancel our cruise.

 

WHAT?!? We cannot move our sailing date. Did you not see that I have three school-age kids with me?? I can't just move their Spring Break. Schools frown on that type of thing.

 

I told my TA that we wanted moved to the Spirit. It was doing the same itinerary we were scheduled on but it cost more. Surely since NCL kicked us off our beloved Star they could move us to another ship without costing us more money. He said he would check. We are not asking for the Epic, just a different ship doing the same itinerary.

 

Well, after many, many, MANY phone calls and emails, from both the TA and myself, NCL has left us hanging. They refuse to move us to the Spirit and guarantee the rate we had for the Star. They INSIST we move our date and stay on the Star. No matter how many times I explain I have school-aged kids that are on Spring Break, they don't care. Move your date or cancel. Your choice. NCL has not been willing to work with us at all.

 

I have read other stories from other cruise lines bumping people off because of a charter, but they usually have happy endings for both sides. Usually the cruise line will bend over backwards to make the customer happy. Obviously NCL no longer cares about its returning customers.

 

Since you, NCL, refuse to work with us to make this right, I will be moving to a different cruise line. I will also be telling everyone I know, in person and online, about your less than stellar customer service.

 

I'm sad to say goodbye to NCL. I was looking forward to a lifelong relationship with you. You obviously don't care to have returning customers. That will be your loss.

 

Sincerely,

 

Dana Beck

former suite patron of the Star. Kicked off March 18, 2012 sailing by NCL.

[HokiePoq]

I am sorry about your ruined cruise. As a retired teacher, I totally understand the necessity of going a specific week. NCL obviously does not get that or at least the people you have spoken with. Did they tell you the Spirit suites were already booked? (I'd check online. If they are available, you should get them at the same rate, IMHO.)

You have to wonder just how much $$$$$ is involved with a charter. How much of a markup is in place to justify making repeat customers like you unhappy? It's my thinking that charters should be chartered before the cruise is ever offered to the public. There must be a big financial incentive for cruise lines to frequently do otherwise. Sell every cabin at a higher rate???

[fergusonvt]

There was an entire thread of this a few weeks ago. I don't think the original OP ever posted what their outcome was.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1461069

[moejoe4]

I am sorry about your ruined cruise. As a retired teacher, I totally understand the necessity of going a specific week. NCL obviously does not get that or at least the people you have spoken with. Did they tell you the Spirit suites were already booked? (I'd check online. If they are available, you should get them at the same rate, IMHO.)

You have to wonder just how much $$$$$ is involved with a charter. How much of a markup is in place to justify making repeat customers like you unhappy? It's my thinking that charters should be chartered before the cruise is ever offered to the public. There must be a big financial incentive for cruise lines to frequently do otherwise. Sell every cabin at a higher rate???

 

 

I have checked online and they do have available suites on the Spirit. I forget exactly the price difference but it's over $1500 per cabin (we had three booked).

 

Thanks,

Dana

[TPEINC1958]

Did you try sending this letter to NCL directly or are you just trying to guilt them into doing something by posting this on a public forum?

[moejoe4]

Did you try sending this letter to NCL directly or are you just trying to guilt them into doing something by posting this on a public forum?

 

 

I have sent a similar email to NCL last week. I sent it to several different email addresses.

 

I did receive a return call from one of my emails that ended with them telling me, yet again, to change my date.

[monicajay]

Wow!

 

This sucks. I would likely change cruise lines too in your situation. Not everyone can change dates.

 

You booked early to get a good price. At least, they should offer you the price that was available on the Spirit on the same day you booked your trip not at today's rate which is obviously much higher.

 

I'm a teacher and my Spring Break is not flexible. I totally get where you are coming from.

 

Best wishes and thank-you for sharing this information.

[weltek]

A well written letter and a reasonable response. They gave you two options, one being to cancel, and they must have known there would be a good chance you'd leave NCL given those options. It's unfortunately they see these as "acceptable losses."

[hawaiideb]

Like Monicajay, I too am a teacher, and I SO UNDERSTAND the frustration of being tied into a school schedule. It was a big, fat hairy deal here in our district last year when our superintendent extended our school year because of snow, and some people already had summer plans. We are specifically told to schedule within the posted calendar our district gives us a year in advance.

 

School days before and after Spring Break are also extremely important days. Many districts are administering state achievement test, or preparing for them as soon as students return from break. Parents are highly encouraged to stick the the published schedule, and lately students and families are reported if students miss a lot of "unexcused absences", which include vacation outside of the district's calendar.

 

I'm sad that NCL isn't offering discounted rates on sailings/ships available the same week. Seems like they just don't get it :(

[rvsullivan]

You need to remember the Star has lots of suites, you are in a suite? Spirit has very few. If some/most of the Star passengers wanted to change to the Spirit there would be no room and you would then start "bumping" Spirit passengers.

If you scan through some of the posts on the other lines, the same thing is happening on some of them with the same result. It sucks to be in the middle of one of these, but it does happen. If you can't move your dates then another line is the answer. Hope you can find one that offers the same/equal accommodations for the price. Good luck. I don't think there is much more NCL can do for you.

[vols_159]

Hey try looking at the march 17 ncl sun sailing out of Orlando.. Im sorry about your bad luck :( im sure NCL will make it right prolly fielding alot of phone calls right now..

[oceanseagle12]

I totally empathize with the OP. While this hasn't happened to me, I'd be in a tight spot if it did. I am booked for literally the ONLY week I can possibly go this year. Even though I don't have kids, there are other things that interfere with my travel options. I don't get why NCL can't comprehend that some people pick a date because it is the only date that works for them, and they didn't just pick a random date or the cheapest option, etc.

Unfortunately, life doesn't revolve around cruising. :rolleyes:

[spacepotatoes]

If you scan through some of the posts on the other lines, the same thing is happening on some of them with the same result. It sucks to be in the middle of one of these, but it does happen.

 

I absolutely feel for you, OP, as I am a teacher and understand the timing constraints. But rvsullivan is right that this is not uncommon. It sucks, totally, but the cruise lines get away with it.

 

Last year, when the Carnival Splendor had the engine fire and cruises for the following couple of months had to be cancelled, people ran into the same issue. They were refunded for cancelling and got a discount on a future cruise. But, if they wanted to rebook a different ship during that same time frame, they were charged the going rate of that cruise, not the rate they paid for the Splendor. Of course, with the increase in demand, the price of those other sailings went up. Lots of people were unhappy but Carnival did not accomodate. Not fair, but it happens on other lines too, not just NCL.

[che5904]

Sorry OP sounds like your vacation plans really took a dive.

 

I pulled my children every few years for vacations but it was with the school and teachers blessing and always had school work for the commute to whereever. But I do know travel time restraints as well because ours came from employment. So we couldn't have change dates either if something happened.

 

It's too bad NCL could not meet your requests. I think possibly the TA involved could be part of the issue. Since it is very known on CC that NCL will not usually deal with you for a comprimise if you are using a TA.

 

I truly think this could happen on any line, but it's NCL you are very disappointed in because NCL is the line it happened on. So I think if this means you have to find another line to meet your needs then you should go for it.

[FuninWB]

As retired teachers, we thank the OP for not taking his kids out of school to take a cruise. Not only does this mean that the children will miss out on work, it also sends them the message that school can be skipped. Our compliments on being responsible parents. Let's hope NCL will relent and work with you on a solution to this problem. You deserve it.

[che5904]

As retired teachers, we thank the OP for not taking his kids out of school to take a cruise. Not only does this mean that the children will miss out on work, it also sends them the message that school can be skipped. Our compliments on being responsible parents. Let's hope NCL will relent and work with you on a solution to this problem. You deserve it.

 

I commend the OP for making whatever choice they felt best for their children!! I also feel that they have their own personal valid reasons for not wanting to change dates.

 

But I do not in any way agree with your post, nor do I think myself as an irresponsible parent. I did take my children every few years out of school for a week, they did not get any message that skipping school was OK, they both went onto higher education, they both have families and are upstanding citizen in their community. Most of my children's missed school days were due to teacher's strikes, teacher's sick or personal days where classes were taken over by supply teachers and weather, which far outnumbered the few days they missed with their family vacation, and still manage to make it through fine.

[Turtle_lover]

My sons school really frowns upon unexcused absences (which changing dates would be). They actually threaten to turn you into the prosecuting attorney's office after 7 unexcused absences (I know they lost several of my sons excused absences last year and threatened me).

 

So, yeah, changing dates is not an option. I won't even get into my limited vacation at work. I take the week of Spring Break off to be with my kids. After I take off anytime they are sick or anything then I don't have much time left for "vacation".

 

Thanks,

Dana

 

Dana-I have to agree! My daughters school also lost 2 excused absences and I had to fight to keep her out of trouble! I am also booked on a spring break cruise, with airfare, and transfers already paid for. If my cruise was cancelled I could not just re-book later, as the school would not only frown, but possibly suspend my daughter, and also 'sick' the DA on us as well. So for us as well...its either a spring break cruise, an over-priced summer cruise (with of course the cruise line paying for all airfare change fees and 'eating' the difference in cruise fares as well)...or no cruise at all.

[FuninWB]

Che, my post has nothing whatever to do with your decisions.I was posting while you were posting and had not read your comments when I wrote mine. The fact that I called the OP a responsible parent does not reflect on you in any way. There is no need to make derogatory remarks about teachers in this thread. The fact that the OP is not willing to take his children out of school is commendable. Complimenting the OP is positive; there is no need to be negative here. Hopefully NCL will help him out with this issue.

[richs52]

A well written letter and a reasonable response. They gave you two options, one being to cancel, and they must have known there would be a good chance you'd leave NCL given those options. It's unfortunately they see these as "acceptable losses."

 

Couldn't have said it better. Unfortunate, but true. Hope you are able to have some sort of great vacation.

[SilentHill]

NCL public relations does read this forum. I can only hope they at least attempt to make it right for you.

[rsinj]

At least it is sufficiently far in advance that it gives you lots of time to explore other options. If they didn't offer what you consider a reasonable resolution, I wouldn't get worked up over it, you didn't lose any money, and again, you are still a good six to seven months out. Surely you could plan an alternate vacation that will be really great...considering you had suites booked, I'm absolutely positive you can come up with something really great for the same or lesser price.

 

Also, it may be time to explore what other cruiselines have to offer. We've made sure that we spread ourselves among them.

 

Howard

[oceanseagle12]

NCL is the ones who are wrong here for keeping to insist that you take your kids out of school and change your weeks....

 

This! I'd like to see them explain to the national media why they would encourage the parents to take their kids out of school. Just saying.

[hawaiideb]

At least it is sufficiently far in advance that it gives you lots of time to explore other options. If they didn't offer what you consider a reasonable resolution, I wouldn't get worked up over it, you didn't lose any money, and again, you are still a good six to seven months out. Surely you could plan an alternate vacation that will be really great...considering you had suites booked, I'm absolutely positive you can come up with something really great for the same or lesser price.

 

Also, it may be time to explore what other cruiselines have to offer. We've made sure that we spread ourselves among them.

 

Howard

 

Yes and No. The OP had extended family joining them as well, so airfare for all those involved might not be able to be rebooked at the same rate if they have already cancelled that too. Plus, many sailings differ on date, so they might have to change, and change fees are ridiculous too. I would totally encourage them at this point to try other lines. I hope it can all work out for them. I think the fact that they had talked family into this trip with them is what has made this an even bigger nightmare. What ever the outcome, I hope they have excellent family time, whatever they choose to do.

[Starry Eyes]

there are so, so few suites on the Spirit, and they seem to have high price tags whenever I have looked. What about other ships sailing that week? Sun? Pearl?

[rvsullivan]

This! I'd like to see them explain to the national media why they would encourage the parents to take their kids out of school. Just saying.

 

How did this conversation change over to NCL telling them to take their kids out of school?? It appears that NCL gave them other options to cruise and the OP and some posters here started talking about taking the kids out of school.