NCL Customer Service

[sowhynot]

I'm sure this has been beaten to death in other posts, but I can't find a thread along these lines:

 

How come the staff on the ships (for the most part) are so wonderful and the corporate Customer Service staff seems to be lacking?

 

I'll give you a couple of cases in point:

 

1. I called trying to find the number of "formal" nights for our 15 day Panama Canal cruise. Got varying answers but the bottom line was "we're free style cruising and don't have formal nights unless you want to." Now I know that is technically correct but generally they have a voluntary formal night or more than 1 and wanted to know what to pack. When pressed the agent said there is only 1. Other people on the same cruise (via roll call) have had differing answers.

 

2. The one that set me off today and prompted the post was the fact that it took 3 phone calls, a total of nearly an hour on hold (the last call I was on hold for 25 minutes until someone answered) to correctly purchase in advance a soda card and teen package. The first time (even when I told them I was on the 15 day cruise) the email confirmation was only for a 7 day cruise. Called back - they supposedly corrected it - and were to email a confirmation. No email.

 

So...the 3rd phone call, with the very long wait they had fabricated some email address (how, who knows, I got the first confirmation) which is why they said I didn't get the confirmation. I asked, politely, if they could stay on the phone with me until I got the email since I didn't particularly want to have a 4th call with a long wait time. Answer - no, they have other calls to answer and can't wait on hold with me. Excuse me, I've been waiting for 25 minutes and you can't wait for a minute to make sure I get it. They put me on hold - and cut me off.

 

I did receive the email and it does appear correct, but this certainly wouldn't make me want to take NCL had I not previously been on board.

 

From reading other posts I know that people have had similar experiences. Yes, I know there are really good people that do answer the phones but my luck in the last week has not been good. Sorry this is so long but...

 

How can we get corporate to address their PR problem with their US 800 number representatives.

[donna@donnaanderson.com]

There was a previous thread on this, so I will not belabor it. Maybe Cecilia can get on and put a link to it; I do not know how to do this.

I think that I was surprised with the lack of polish in the NCL corporate service too since the other cruise line people I have talked to in the past are much more polite etc. However, I did talk to one NCL Hawaii desk person (wish I had her name) (she lives in Phoenix, AZ) who was great and she should teach the others how to do this.

I think NCL needs to work on this too.

[Goldryder]

I also started a thread about this subject as I find it amazing the differences tween NCL UK and NCL US.

 

They have been absolutely faultless with my bookings, emailed documents, flights all done and dusted, even to the extent that Iberia called me to discuss seating on the planes and stayed on the phone while he emailed it all to me and made sure everything was correct.

[robsvacation]

A soda card! For NCL I can easily I can top that...

 

I got bumped off my NCL cruise, had to get a name of a supervisor here on the boards cause no one would talk to me, had to fight to be put on an alternate ship, was offered and upgrade, had the upgrade demoted, had to fight for the original upgrade promise, didn't get my tickets, tickets weren't at the peir, was initally denied boarding because of a misunderstanding about a work visa (the same visa RCCL and Carnival had no issues with), and was left standing without info without about 1 hour...

 

All before I stepped on my first (and last) NCL cruise. The $150 future cabin credit went unused, I'd never trust NCL with my vacation again. Shoreside service with NCL? Ha!

[sowhynot]

I agree that a soda card mess up isn't the end of the world, but I think it points out that there isn't any "service" in customer service, or "courtesy" in the Passenger Courtesy department. I like NCL. I'd just like the shoreside to equal the ship's service.

[johnql]

I think it's only fair to point out that if you read thru all of the boards of the mainstream lines, one complaint that's pretty much common to all of them is that Customer Service is sporadic at best. I myself have had limited dealings with NCL's CS and have had no problem with them. However, it's clear that others have gotten poor results.

[Water2Moon]

Same thing happened to us. We were waiitng on our E-tickets to arrive. We called and found out that they had been sent to Bosco something or other. Never heard of that person..I don't like the idea of someone else getting all of our information.After 3 phone calls we finally rec'd the e-tickets. I just hope and pray that embarkment goes smoothly..:(

[BellaOnline]

That's interesting, I in fact called today to order 3 soda stickers and 2 teen passports. First I asked about the soda stickers and was put on hold for 5 minutes. Then she came back and said "OK credit card number?" and I said "wait, I'm not done yet, I need 2 teen passports" so she went away for another 5 minutes and in essence came back and asked immediately for the credit card again. I gave that to her and she said it was all set. But I never got any email confirmation or anything. Still, I don't know that I expected an email confirmation, I just figured they'd be waiting when we got to the ship. I suppose that's a wild assumption :) :) But really, if they aren't, we just buy them again and then call the credit card company. That's probably the least of my worries as far as ship-disasters would go. As long as we all get ON the ship, then I will be happy!!

[NCLCSR]

Yes, my user name is correct--I actually work in the NCL customer service department. My official title is Vacation Planner, and I spend my days chatting with folks just like you. I had spoken with Cecilia a while back and asked her if it would be all right if I posted under a new user name to try to answer some of your questions regarding NCL customer service. She approved, so please don't blast me for the low post count! :) I'm actually one of you--someone who started reading and posting on the Cruise Critic board a few years back while planning my first cruise. I can't reveal much personal info, as I know NCL does read this board, and they don't want their ViPs (their abbreviation for Vacation Planners) "advertising" online (we do earn bonuses based on bookings, and it wouldn't be fair to try to steer calls our own way). I have no interest in advertising, and I know I probably won't receive too many cyber hugs on this board, either! :o I simply wanted to let you know that there are many NCL corporate employees who do their best each and every day to serve our guests. Yes, there are many areas for improvement. For those who are not aware, CSR jobs do not pay much, and the resulting rate of turnover increases your odds of getting someone relatively new (and therefore, less knowledgeable) on any given call. This is true of most of the CSR industry, but it doesn't mean NCL customer service is full of idiots. Quite the contrary--many of us are retired travel agents, college students, work-at-home moms and dads (a certain percentage of ViPs are home-based agents), and others with previous experience in the travel or hospitality industry. I am college educated, with previous experience in the hotel industry. I'm also a small business owner. As a consumer, I appreciate excellent customer service, and I strive to provide the same with each call I answer for NCL. Because I'm like most of you--with a full-time job and a life outside of work--I don't have unlimited time to answer every question. I will, however, do my best to provide some information that will hopefully prove useful.

[CruisinMatt]

NCLCSR, does NCL allow you to be posting here?

[Wendy P]

I would also like to say that I've found NCL's customer service problematic. I get a different answer from every person I speak to. They tell me that my flights have been arranged, but I have to speak to my TA to get any information. When I call the TA, they call NCL and are told they haven't been assigned yet. Why can't the cruise lines assign flights more than 3 weeks in advance! This is crazy! People have jobs and families and have to plan for transport to the airport, etc. It just doesn't give us much time. Can you explain any of this to us?

[NCLCSR]

Matt: If I were to post my extension and invite everyone to call me, I'm sure NCL would have a problem with it. I'm obviously not doing that, nor will I. I'm just willing to try to provide a little information and insight to other posters on CC. I'm not aware of any rules or regulations against that. I won't, however, post any "juicy gossip" or discuss particular bookings with anyone here. Why do you ask?

[tinkerbelldee]

We called twice, once for a bar set up and once for a romance package. Both times we had great service and recieved our e-mails within 24 hours.

 

I managed a call center for 2 years and it is hard to find good help at such a low rate of pay. I am sure that some of you have had really terrible service, but not all reps are bad.

 

I have gone to a fast food restaurant and gotten great service one week and horrible service the next. It is the nature of the business. NCL is no different.

 

Not defending NCL completely, just saying that some people seem to be on the ball.

[NCLCSR]

First of all, I empathize with each of you. I think we've all received poor customer service at some point in time from most companies, and it's very, very frustrating. I know the few insights I offer here won't solve your specific problems, but it might be helpful for you to know what the ViP who answers your call does and does not do. *We do not, for example, assign your air and/or air deviations (different department, and I have no firsthand knowledge as to how or why they do things the way they do). *We also cannot release any specific information, air, stateroom or otherwise, to anyone except the person/agency "holding" the booking: you, if you made it directly with NCL, or your travel agency (and yes, that includes the online agencies that you can never reach when you need them...the complaint I most often hear). I try to reassure guests when they call with a concern, but I still can't release that info--you have to call your travel agent. We didn't make that rule, and we're not trying to be snotty. We're just not allowed to do it! :) *We do not have all the answers regarding when certain events will be held on a particular ship, because great latitude (no pun intended) is given to each ship to make those decisions on a sailing-to-sailing basis. In general, the first optional formal night is the second day of the cruise, but cruises lasting 8 days or longer may or may not have an additional formal night, entirely at their discretion. That information is always contained in the Freestyle Daily, as is other "variable" info including clergy services, Chocoholic Buffet times and dates, whether ships will dock or tender, etc. *Regarding recent hold times--yes, it's been extremely busy. There is no downtime between calls right now, and we may have up to 100 calls waiting to be answered at any given time. Nonetheless, I would have been willing to wait for the poster who wanted to see if the email was received, but perhaps that ViP had been given other directions... I have no way of knowing. *I'm sorry for the guests who feel like they're always being given different answers. We do strive for consistency, but I guess that's always a work in progress for a large corporation. Please take names and notes for all conversations, as this will assist us both when trying to confirm "who said what." *We do not make the rules regarding cancellation penalties, itinerary changes, etc. We're happy to try to help you reach resolution when you feel a matter needs to be escalated, but yelling at us really won't make the rules change, honestly! :) *Finally (for now), we DO want to help you/your client have a wonderful vacation, and our job is to assist you. Let us know what you need, what you expect, what you wonder, what you wish. I LOVE to cruise, and I enjoy helping others plan their trips. Many of us have a lot of knowledge we'd like to share--just ask!

[donna@donnaanderson.com]

Other cruise lines provide excellent service, and if they can do it, NCL can do it too!

[newmexicoNita]

Just wanted to mention what some have said in the past:for whatever reason this is the case with all the mass marketed lines: the luxury lines are totally different, but you pay for that service. This certainly isn't defending any of the lines, just giving you the facts. As for the formal nights, of course someone should have answered your question. You can also get the information on the website I think and it will be covered in your docs. Hope this explains a little. NMNita

[donna@donnaanderson.com]

If I were NCL, my goal would be to be rated as having "excellent customer service" and I would want to know how they do it!

[shoreguy]

Just wanted to mention what some have said in the past:for whatever reason this is the case with all the mass marketed lines: the luxury lines are totally different, but you pay for that service. This certainly isn't defending any of the lines, just giving you the facts. As for the formal nights, of course someone should have answered your question. You can also get the information on the website I think and it will be covered in your docs. Hope this explains a little. NMNita

 

NCL FAQ

 

http://www.ncl.com/more/fp_mi_w2n.htm#24

 

For those who do love to dress to the nines and get that annual formal portrait photography done, there is one optional formal evening in at least one of the main restaurants on every cruise; at least two formal evenings on longer cruises

[johnql]

If I were NCL, my goal would be to be rated as having "excellent customer service" and I would want to know how they do it!

I'm not defending NCL here, but don't you think that's their goal? It's obviously not always achieved, but do you have a reason to believe that they're aiming for mediocrity?

[donna@donnaanderson.com]

I cruise on the Pride of America on 8/6/05 and I will let you know!

Certainly Celebrity is catering to the masses and making a lot of money and my one time with them was not great; so sure, some cruise lines would cater to the those who are not too particular and want a low price, I guess.

I thought I booked with a 4.5 or 5 star ship; we will see if it proves to be the case; if not, I will chose another cruise line since this is the top for them and if they can not do better, I know other cruise lines that have excellent service and I will pay more! I want a 4 or 5 star experience; I would not go to 6 star because it costs so much; plus I have a child. Most 6 stars are for adults only.

Honest answer!

[johnql]

Donna, based on your last post, are you confusing the land-based customer service department with the service that you will receive onboard? This thread is focusing on the service that is provided to people via phone, email and the occasional letter from NCL's customer service department. It has nothing to do with the service personnel who cater to passengers on the ships.

[donna@donnaanderson.com]

I had my own experience with NCL but not on the cruise; that I will do on 8/6 and let you know. I am expecting good service and will let you know how it goes!

[johnql]

I had my own experience with NCL but not on the cruise; that I will do on 8/6 and let you know. I am expecting good service and will let you know how it goes!

OK. I hope you have a great cruise. I look forward to your post-cruise report.

[donna@donnaanderson.com]

There was a very long post about a week ago entitled "NCL Customer Service". Actually it may have been a few weeks ago, but no more. I was the original poster; you can review it there.

We have to give them a chance; they seem not to be staffed to take on all the calls etc of 2 new ships; they need to hire more people and train them better, I am thinking!

I will have an open mind; no one is perfect and if they try real hard, I have to give them high marks!

[professor]

Many of us have a lot of knowledge we'd like to share--just ask!

I've spoken with NCL's Customer Service many times with varying degrees of satisfaction and, a few months ago, I spoke with a CSR who was very well informed about the questions I had, and took the time to help me sort out a complicated set of interrelated problems. I was genuinely impressed with the agent's interest, knowledge, and thoroughness. So, I asked for her extension number (I had already made a note of her name). Subsequently, I always call her extension when I have a question or request, since I know she is an outstanding CSR. Since this agent gave me her extension, I presume it's okay to contact a specific CSR with whom I feel comfortable. Because this CSR is seldom 'between calls' when I phone NCL, I've learned that I can ask whoever answers NCL's 800-number to leave a message (my name and phone #) for the agent to return my call when she has the time to do so.