Norwegian Cruise Satisfaction Guarantee? HELP

[valleyvillage]

Hi OP!

 

I think a kind of blindness sets in when you panic about some bad reviews. You mentioned NO positive reviews for that sailing, but I found at least 3. Overall 72% positive reviews for the ship in general is the same as for the Star, and she's our favorite ship!

The Carnival Satisfaction Guarantee is not available on NCL. It is an interesting marketing idea, especially for first time cruisers concerned about all the cruise ship horror stories.

Go with a good attitude and I am sure you will have a great time. Please come back and tell us about your cruise!

Bon Voyage!

 

Richard

[DMH15]

I am surprised no one has mentioned that the"coldness" of the staff, mainly Filipino, might be due to the recent devastation back home. Liken it to New Yorkers working abroad after 911 or Sandy.

 

OP, two points:

 

1. I am guessing Carnival's refund is a direct result of low sales after they had two media blitzing ship problems. Adrift at sea was one. On the Triumph. NCL has not had such.

 

2. A personal tale. I went on a group Carnival cruise years ago and swore never again. Well, circumstances led me back for a weekend cruise and I had low expectations. I was pleasantly surprised. Great Chef's table, fun crew and a relaxing getaway. Did I love it, no? Like it? Yes. Very much so.

 

I don't always agree with movie and restaurant reviews. Likewise, you might enjoy the cruise and wonder what you worried about. I truly hope you go and have a great time.

 

 

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[NMLady]

Obviously only a very small number of guests take the time to write a review, but of those who did almost 100% are BAD.

 

Thanks for replying with your 2 cents, but NOT answering my question about a satisfaction guarantee?

 

No, NCL does not have that kind of guarantee. That is why some people purchase 'cancel for any reason' insurance even though it is more expensive.

 

I have seen many positive comments about the Epic so am not sure why you haven't seen more positive ones.

[Zeta3]

Should I be worried about the people who are already planning to have a bad time on my cruise? ;)

 

This is our third time sailing her this time of year. As far as excess movement, it is not that you feel it more on the Epic it is more that this particular route this time of year is rough. We have sailed this route on many different ships in early December and the first couple of days have all been rough. Did not have the same issues during warmer months.

 

As far as service goes any number of things could have caused the issues from changes in staff, typhoon concerns, unpleasant passengers, unrealistic expectations, actual bad attitudes of the staff, who knows, it happens. We loved our first time on the Epic and another woman on our roll call hated it. Different experiences same sailing.

 

I plan to have a great time, hope you do the same.

[NMLady]

Try to make the best of it. You are locked in with no chance of a refund. Unfortunately the bad reviews are accurate and you will probably be very disappointed. The Epic was built with only one purpose, squeeze as many people on board and then squeeze every single dime out of them.

 

Sure it has some good points, but many, many bad points.

 

Lower your expectations to rock bottom and you might have a good time.

 

Do you ever say anything positive about any NCL ship? Every NCL post I see from you is negative. Have you even cruised on the Epic?

[mugtech]

Some ships are so big, they have bad neighborhoods, according to Phil Tag. I feared the size of the Breakaway, but found that 4,000 passengers sailed as well as 2,400 on the Gem. Preconceived negative ideas are the manufacturers of a bad time, as I found out and hopefully so will you all.

[sunbird21]

IMO,if your expectations/experiences are of liking Carnival,you won't be disappointed with Epic. If they are from RC or Princess,its 50/50 you wont like it as much(this is based on reviews I've read and heard on the ship). This isn't saying that you WON'T like Epic,just that you may not like it AS MUCH as people seem to like Allure/Oasis.

 

However,that being said,I did 5 Carnival cruises prior to the Epic in May(granted,it was a Med cruise) and while I had a good time on each of the Carnival cruises,and I really liked them,it's going to be hard for me to go back.I absolutely LOVED Epic(and am doing a return on her in January). So breaking down some comparisons btwn the two,this might give you a better frame of mind.

 

Dining-The MDR quality is similar to the quality of food you would get at any basic chain restaurant.Before anyone jumps on me,this isn't an insult-there's nothing wrong with chain restaurant food-we've all eaten at them and had meals we've liked. Is the food at the specialty restaurants better? Probably,but this doesnt mean the food at the MDR's is bad.It's like if I gave you $100,and then someone else offered you $150-the $150 is BETTER,but that doesnt mean the $100 wasn't good by itself. In any case,I would equate the service in MDR to that of a chain restaurant as well.

 

Now,compared to Carnival,they dont chat you up,flirt with you,remember your drink of choice,etc. They also don't do the conga line during the meal or any of that(unless I've missed it somewhere). I agree,those were aspects that made the meal fun and interesting on Carnival.But,they take your order,serve your food,and are polite just like any other server in any other restaurant,and that's perfectly fine. One doesnt go into Chili's or Applebee's and expect the staff to fall all over you.But neither do those places offer you free drinks if you have to wait long,and the MDR's do.

 

BTW,I'm probably in the minority here,but I LOVED O'Sheehans-to me,they have great "comfort food" and basics-cheeseburgers,chicken pot pie,fish and chips,etc. I especially loved the breakfasts-you could get omelettes,and egg/bacon breakfast,and a few other choices,fairly quickly in a sit down environment. And I KNOW I'm in the minority on this one,but I loved the chicken wings there,too.

 

I can't comment too much on the buffet-never really went but one morning,but IMO, a buffet is a buffet. There's going to be lines,and there will be crowds. That being said,I have read and heard positive reviews on it,so it sounds like its a bit more organized than Carnivals.

 

Overall-if you look at dining at if you are going to a restaurant,you wont be disappointed.There may be a little wait,but the food will be fine and you will get served. Think of it as you're essentially getting anywhere from 7-21 free restaurant meals.

 

ENTERTAINMENT

 

I think,if coming from Carnival,this is where you will be impressed.Instead of the nightly variety shows,you have a Broadway calibur show of Blue Man Group(which your kids will probably enjoy,as it does have some "body" type humor to it),Cirque du Soleil, and Legends have also gotten positive reviews. The slides will probably have lines,but show me a cruise ship that doesnt on a sea day. They have the giant screen for Wii games,and the whole ropes course and rock climbing wall,plus 2-3 pools for the kids,not to mention a good sized arcade,bowling/air hockey in O'Sheehans and of course,whatever the kids club does. I dont have kids at this point,but on my last cruise,I witnessed the kids club having some sort of scavenger/monster hunt on the first night on the pool deck,and those children seemed very content.

 

Plus,for you guys,Howl at the Moon is HYSTERICAL at night,and the White Hot Party,NCL Night Out,and FABBA are a lot of fun. And,if you haven't been, the ice bar is a novelty that bears checking out. This is all in ADDITION to the cruise ship basics of laying out in the sun,shopping,casino,library,random shows throughout the day/evening,visiting islands,and attending your roll call activities if thats your cup of tea(which I highly recommend-the formal M&G gives you an opportunity to meet the ships officers-they do a nice presentation,explanation of how things work on the cruise,and at which point is a good time to discuss any concerns you may have).

 

So,I know I went on a lot-but I really wouldnt worry too much,as countless others have said,if you go into it expecting it to be a cruise,and to be fun,you will be FINE.

 

Soccersharon has posted her recent review on here with pictures,and its from last week,and her review is pretty good. There were also 1-2 more from the last week or so(sorry,cant remember the names) that were also pretty good/balanced reviews.

 

Personally,I think the people who write bad reviews are the ones expecting to go onto a ship and be "handled" i.e.,they want to walk onto the ship 1st,have their cabins ready immediately,have NO LINES at the buffet/MDR where they will be greeted immediately and served a 5 star restaurant meal within 30 minutes,allowing them time to get into an entertainment venue only steps away,where once again,theres no line,and they have the best seat in the house and are immediately served a drink before watching a top performance.Then,they retire to their perfectly located,spacious cabin with no noise,no motion,and awaken to a sea day where there are no crowds on the pool deck and children walk in double lines throughout the deck and step gingerly into the pool,keeping a healthy distance from the nearest adult. And of course,once again, a serve will magically appear within moments of claiming your lounge chair with a drink.

 

Yes,I'm being sarcastic in the above-but I think there are people who expect SOME of my above analogy,and are upset when that isnt how it works.

 

Like others have said,there isn't a money back guarantee,but I dont remember CCL having one before 5 of there ships had disasters at sea,so i think its a marketing thing.I'd be interested to hear how many actually filed claim on that.

 

I'm wrapping it up now,really(lack of sleep from BF shopping!) Please,go and enjoy the cruise,see it for what it is-7 days in warm weather visiting tropical islands(and Nassau ;-) ) and a chance to relax and enjoy yourself. I think you will come back and have a better time than you think. Please,even if its a brief paragraph,come back and post on here your experiences-I'm sure there are other people hesistant that would like to see how you far after being unsettled about it.

 

Bon voyage!

Stacey

[sanger727]

Really wishing I had booked on Celebrity Reflection sailing the same day.

 

Thanks for your answers

 

I don't know that that would be a better option. I sailed on the reflection in October. Was not super impressed, really looking forward to the Epic being a better option. Food was not great, entertainment was not great, and the specialities were way too expensive IMO.

 

So, I"m the opposite of you, really looking forward to the Epic being a better experience based on all the reviews I've read about it. :)

[newmexicoNita]

I am surprised no one has mentioned that the"coldness" of the staff, mainly Filipino, might be due to the recent devastation back home. Liken it to New Yorkers working abroad after 911 or Sandy.

 

OP, two points:

 

1. I am guessing Carnival's refund is a direct result of low sales after they had two media blitzing ship problems. Adrift at sea was one. On the Triumph. NCL has not had such.

 

2. A personal tale. I went on a group Carnival cruise years ago and swore never again. Well, circumstances led me back for a weekend cruise and I had low expectations. I was pleasantly surprised. Great Chef's table, fun crew and a relaxing getaway. Did I love it, no? Like it? Yes. Very much so.

 

I don't always agree with movie and restaurant reviews. Likewise, you might enjoy the cruise and wonder what you worried about. I truly hope you go and have a great time.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

 

Actually I did mention it, but I think it was to another poster on the same subject pretty much. The other poster had a little nicer way of asking about the overall satisfaction on the ship.

[newmexicoNita]

Do you ever say anything positive about any NCL ship? Every NCL post I see from you is negative. Have you even cruised on the Epic?

 

I was thinking the same thing. Do ya get the feeling, nothing NCL does would please her? Constantly negative posts are obviously used by people who have an agenda and usually do not change anyone's mind. Without being objective, people have trouble taking these kinds of posts seriously.

[KweezyCruiser]

should i be worried about the people who are already planning to have a bad time on my cruise? ;)

 

* * *

 

i plan to have a great time, hope you do the same.

 

 

winner!

[Love my butler]

Do you ever say anything positive about any NCL ship? Every NCL post I see from you is negative. Have you even cruised on the Epic?

 

I call them as I see them. Take a few hours and review all my posts. I have said many great things about many NCL ships. Love the Star, Sun and Pearl.

 

I don't cheerlead for NCL. Lots of you on the squad already have that covered.

[nascargalinfla]

Sailed on the EPIC back in 2010, had just spent 2 days on the Allure of the Seas a couple weeks prior. I was so happy to get off the Allure, and didn't want to leave the the EPIC. For that sailing I took my 70+ yo MIL, and it was her first sailing. We had such a wonderful time. Between snacks at O'Sheehans, dessert at O'Sheehans, and meals at either the buffet or MDR. We did not do "specialty" dining, why bother when all other meals are included?

 

Go, have a wonderful time... don't like it, don't go back.

 

Can't wait to be on the Getaway in January, and looking forward to the EPIC again in the spring before she heads to Europe.

[vols_159]

Op had made up there mind they are going to hate the EPIC... Id just cancel now and take my loss... Mind is made up

[antsnanny]

Who does this???? I plan my cruise and dream of everyday and the amazing time Im going to have, never once considering getting off the ship at the first stop. I say, stay home and make the amazing crew of these ships happy because it sounds like nothing will please you!

[Overdue4cruise]

Sailed on the Epic November 16th and didn't have any problems or issues. It does sound as though since you are already so worried it that you might not be able to relax and enjoy. Do people not think there would be some sort of wait if everyone shows up for dinner or go on water slides at the same time, do you not experience a wait in these situations at home? I heard people complaining about waiting in line to be seated and not having the same wait staff every night, well then why would you book a free style cruise. I guess everyone's expectations are different, but I'm on vacation to relax and spend time with my loved ones....no cooking, cleaning, driving, etc. for a week. It just seems as though sometimes people think that just because they paid to go on this cruise (or even just vacation in general) that they are now royality or something. Things can go wrong in just every day life so why would being on vacation be any different. I probably could go on and on regarding different complaints that I heard while on the ship or have read in reviews but the majority seem so obvious and dumb especially considering you are confined on a ship with that many people....hallways crowded, elevators crowded but show just let out so I for one would expect that. We never felt like we had to pay at a speciality restaurant just to have good food. We did pay for the cirque show/dinner and thought the show was awesome! Didn't care for the desserts offered but that is my opinion and taste, maybe others did. It certainly can be a lot of walking and many flights of stairs, but since I tend to eat and drink more then the way I look at it I definitely could use the exercise. Just go with an open mind and make your own judgement.

 

LIKE! Couldn't have said it better myself :)

[tiffygirl]

I'm on your sailing so you CLEARLY don't want to near me because I will be too busy having a great time....as with ALL my other sailings I have had on NCL. I do not allow anyone to mess with positive vacation vibes (before,during and after) with their negative energy whilst im on vacation as I am enjoy sipping my martini's (dry with 4 olives)...you should do the same.

 

is a dayum smile going to make and break your vacation. you smile at the staff and they don't smile back e'ffem and keep a moving with a smile on your face all the way to the next bar!

 

why da hayle are you worried about having a bad time on YOUR vacation based on someone else's expectations on THEIR vacation !!!:eek: this is YOUR money you spent on this vacation, that you are about to throw away!!

 

*rant over*

 

 

 

but to answer your question is NO, NCL does not have no such policy. you cancel and take a loss of 100 % is your only option unless you have the cancel for any reason policy.

 

SMDH

[meltingmoments]

Try to make the best of it. You are locked in with no chance of a refund. Unfortunately the bad reviews are accurate and you will probably be very disappointed. The Epic was built with only one purpose, squeeze as many people on board and then squeeze every single dime out of them.

 

Sure it has some good points, but many, many bad points.

 

Lower your expectations to rock bottom and you might have a good time.

 

Not really very helpful to the OP when they are already concerned enough to be thinking of cancelling!! But then again, any post of yours that I have ever read is TOTALLY against NCL. I am never sure why you come on these boards, other than to slate NCL, I find it quite sad, but I guess we are all entitled to our opinions.

 

To the OP, don't " lower your expectations"....you won't need to! Go with an open mind. The Epic is a great ship. We thought she was a little too big for our liking, but the staff were super, the entertainment was amazing and we had a blast.....after all.....we were on holiday!! Enjoy, and please come back and let us know how you got on. :)

[elhenry]

I'm on your sailing so you CLEARLY don't want to near me because I will be too busy having a great time....as with ALL my other sailings I have had on NCL. I do not allow anyone to mess with positive vacation vibes (before,during and after) with their negative energy whilst im on vacation as I am enjoy sipping my martini's (dry with 4 olives)...you should do the same.

 

is a dayum smile going to make and break your vacation. you smile at the staff and they don't smile back e'ffem and keep a moving with a smile on your face all the way to the next bar!

 

why da hayle are you worried about having a bad time on YOUR vacation based on someone else's expectations on THEIR vacation !!!:eek: this is YOUR money you spent on this vacation, that you are about to throw away!!

 

*rant over*

 

 

 

but to answer your question is NO, NCL does not have no such policy. you cancel and take a loss of 100 % is your only option unless you have the cancel for any reason policy.

 

SMDH

 

Double like.

 

I read reviews to see what facts I can glean, not what vibes are thrown off. Otherwise, I never would have booked the POA and would have missed a wonderful cruise, in part because the staff was so helpful and friendly!

 

el henry

[soccersharon]

I posted what I believe to be a balanced review :)

 

OP: I think you'll really enjoy the Epic. Like any vacation, be prepared to roll with things; nothing in life is perfect! The Epic has so much to offer that you will surely find activities which interest you.

 

Now, go get ready for your cruise and have fun!

 

Sent from my GT-S5830D using Forums mobile app

[lowroller]

Question for you (I'm too lazy to look it up) Since you now wanted to book a Celebrity cruise, what is their guarantee? As for Carnival's guarantee I would guess that is a way for them to win market share back, after their series of "mishaps"

I hope you do write a trip report of some sort when you return, but do keep an open mind if you do go (I'll bet you go too). I have been on the Epic a few times and cannot recall a problem, so if I did, it was minor. I'm not a fan of any one cruise line, but for the life of me I cannot understand why you would consider canceling a cruise in a week based upon someone(s) review of a ship that you have never been on. If you don't like it, then stick with Carnival, Celebrity, RCCL, or whoever you want to cruise with.

Glenn

BTW, the answer is no on your question.

thank you sbrocket....I didn't think the question was unclear at all.

[norieann]

We were on the 11/2/13 sailing and it was the worst - food, staff and rocking. Did you get insurance that you can cancel for any reason? I am not sure what NCL's policy is. First, I wish I had known this ship had just returned from Europe. My suggestion is to try to go with an open mind even though my mind is in the negative about this ship. I hope you can get some kind of answer. Sorry couldn't be of more help.

[cazzi]

I posted what I believe to be a balanced review :)

 

OP: I think you'll really enjoy the Epic. Like any vacation, be prepared to roll with things; nothing in life is perfect! The Epic has so much to offer that you will surely find activities which interest you.

 

Now, go get ready for your cruise and have fun!

 

Sent from my GT-S5830D using Forums mobile app

 

I agree with you . We are on the 12/7 sailing and have never been on NCL but have cruised on other lines . We enjoyed your review and thought it was great . Yes we have read the reviews and wondered if we made the right choice, but we are going with an open mind and while our family and friends are freezing their bum's off we will be in the Caribbean. What is not to love about about that !

 

 

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[sjbdtz]

First, I wish I had known this ship had just returned from Europe.

 

 

Just curious, but why do you wish you had known this? Is there something different about ships which have returned from Europe?

 

 

 

Stephen

 

 

.

[DrNora]

TO OP:

 

WHat did NCL say when you contacted them to see if they have a policy like the one Carnival has?

Seems like perhaps your post was a way to receive assurance that your cruise is not gonna stink rather than to find out the answer to a question that would be resolved with one phone call.

 

But as many have said- you have your mind made up and seem to be panicking .

 

No platitudes from me....Your cruise has already disappointed you!!!

 

N.

 

 

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