NCL blew the surprise!!

[ZoneHPH]

Sorry to go off topic, but based on your name, you must have gone to PSU. MY daughter is a sophomore there and absolutely loves it!

 

Class of 1994, ma'am! If I could re-live my college experience...I sure as heck would!

 

Hope you all plan on getting tickets to the PSU vs Rutgers this coming fall. It's a close drive. You're invited to our tailgate!

[GSLMOM]

Class of 1994, ma'am! If I could re-live my college experience...I sure as heck would!

 

Hope you all plan on getting tickets to the PSU vs Rutgers this coming fall. It's a close drive. You're invited to our tailgate!

 

We probably will! I should probably know this, but where is it? Rutgers? We went to the Syracuse game in September at MetLife Stadium.

[ZoneHPH]

We probably will! I should probably know this, but where is it? Rutgers? We went to the Syracuse game in September at MetLife Stadium.

 

You should, but I don't blame you if you don't. Rutgers is in Piscataway, NJ. (That's the campus where their football team plays.) Missed that Syracuse game even if it's only 20min from me. However, I did go up for the Nebraska game...THAT WAS COLD!!!

 

Back to the OP...how about having the BIL find the Group Services Manager on the ship...and ask if maybe they can organize something special for their party?

[Cruzn Bills Fan]

Something similar happened to me. For our next cruise I booked a forward facing suite on Getaway. My wife knew I booked the cruise but didn't know about the suite until NCL sent us a postcard thanking us and welcoming us to the Haven. At that point the cat was outta the bag.

[MRBOOKEND]

My wife knew I booked the cruise but didn't know about the suite until NCL sent us a postcard thanking us and welcoming us to the Haven.

 

Same thing just happened to me. We booked a balcony about a month ago but without her knowing I upgraded to the Haven. Told them I wanted to surprise her at the port for her birthday, so please change all the numbers and emails. I knew about them sending the keys for the Haven so I was going to make sure I got to mailbox first when it came. Nobody told me about that Welcome to the Haven card which of course she opened. I thought the surprise was blown after she handed it to me opened, but I think she thought it was just a general thank you for booking any cabin.

 

For future reference they can code your account to not send any correspondence whether electronic or snail, but you will need to remember what to do without any reminder emails, etc.

 

Enjoy your cruise as I am sure we will.....

[triptolemus]

For future reference they can code your account to not send any correspondence whether electronic or snail, but you will need to remember what to do without any reminder emails, etc.

 

I think its been well established that either:

 

a) this is just not possible; or

b) absolutely no one at NCL knows how to do this.

[MRBOOKEND]

I think its been well established that either:

 

a) this is just not possible; or

b) absolutely no one at NCL knows how to do this.

 

Sure wish they would actually establish a procedure for when someone wants to surprise another.

 

I told them I didn't want her to know about the upgrade to Haven and I asked that the telephone and email be changed to mine. And the only mailing I was told about was the luggage tags that should come somewhere around the 45 day mark that I could easily intercept at the mailbox (or you could send them to a friend/relative address). What I didn't know about was that gold Haven Welcome card. And very possibly the PCC didn't know either.

 

So I wish they had a standard procedure or a simple data entry on their screen that would make this happen.

 

I may go ahead and propose something to them later on once I find out if there are any more surprises coming. Of course when she see's the luggage tags the secret may finally be over.

 

Of course I could make up a story that we need to pick the tags up at the port.

Edited March 1, 2014 by MRBOOKEND

[bobg529]

He should have gone on the cruise by himself and just left her a note: "Happy Birthday Honey, I will see you in a week!" Now THAT would have been a surprise! :rolleyes:

[HokiePoq]

I hate to say it but it is just the way it is. If the NCL rep did not look up the Latitudes number then they would not get the points and it makes booking everything easier.

 

I too had my surprise for my mother ruined with an email sent by NCL. No biggie... why sweat the small stuff in life. I too had hoped to wrap up a special card and give it to her at Christmas. Her dream has been to go to Alaska, so we booked it. She got the email the next morning and we just laughed.

 

I hope he calms down and starts to enjoy the planning of it all. His wife should be smiling ear to ear knowing that her husband had tried. I know I would be. Sounds like an awesome husband.

 

 

Yes, he does sound like an awesome husband! OP, tell him the ladies on the board would appreciate him and not mind losing the surprise part. More time to look forward to it and plan excursions! Our bookings are preceded by a period of begging on my part....sometimes for a week, like our last one, and sometimes years like one still in my dreams, lol. Our first cruise was to Alaska and DH still tells people I conned him into that one!

Edited March 1, 2014 by HokiePoq

[MarylandCruiseCouple]

Great reply and great attitude!!

[MRBOOKEND]

Yes, he does sound like an awesome husband! OP, tell him the ladies on the board would appreciate him and not mind losing the surprise part. More time to look forward to it and plan excursions! Our bookings are preceded by a period of begging on my part....sometimes for a week, like our last one, and sometimes years like one still in my dreams, lol. Our first cruise was to Alaska and DH still tells people I conned him into that one!

 

 

Of course one person on my other thread said if you really want to surprise her: Get an inside. Of course on my first two and only cruises ever, I was in a large inside and a room with a porthole; and thought both were great at the time.

Edited March 1, 2014 by MRBOOKEND

[rbrugler]

It is blatantly obvious that you are the one who is upset, not your BIL. YOU need to get over it and help the celebration to be a great experience rather than filled with all of these negative feelings toward NCL. It is also important to note that such complaints are listed on every other cruise line board.

Edited March 1, 2014 by rbrugler

[sjbdtz]

Oh my goodness!!! What a ridiculous thing to be upset about. I would venture a guess that your sister was VERY surprised and thrilled. He should let it go.

 

Thank you, LGPIZZA. You get it. It's a big deal to him to have gone to that degree of planning for a BIG birthday by inviting a bunch of friends and family to surprise her onboard; go through the hassle of dealing with her employer and arranging vacation time; AND plunking down thousands of dollars, only to have NCL blow the surprise. It's disappointing, for sure. Of course he'll "get over it" and of course they'll still have a fun time - minus the element of surprise. That said, in this day and age, I feel that NCL has a lame computer system if they're unable to block her e-mail from receiving notifications, at least up to the day of sailing. Personally, under the circumstances, I feel that $25 in OBC for their "oopsie" is lame. How about throwing in a dinner at Cagney's, in addition to the OBC. Perhaps a slight cabin upgrade? This mistake is NCL's to own. How they handle it DOES influence newbie cruisers on where they'll throw their cruise dollars next time around.

 

There are two things I don't understand.

 

1) All she knows now is that SHE is going on a cruise. She knows nothing about the BIG surprise of friends & family joining them. She doesn't realize her vacation is pre-approved at work, etc.

 

2) She WAS surprised. By an email. I expect she was overjoyed. Wasn't THAT the aim of the enterprise? The time/place/method he planned were based on his wish to observe the reaction. This is not for her benefit, but for the BIL's. So the BIL isn't unhappy that his wife's birthday was ruined, but only that he didn't get to see the look on her face when she found out about it. Maybe he should re-focus on why he did it in the first place. For HER. Not for himself.

 

 

 

Or did I mis-read something?

 

 

Stephen

 

 

.

[hpecorari]

I have only one thing to say in regard to this thread.....

 

My husband, children, aunts, uncles, the neighbors or the stranger walking down the street.......

 

If they book me a cruise as a surprise and pays for it.....NCL can ruin my surprise anytime!

 

Harriet

[Clem Kadiddlehopper]

Wow did this thread get side tracked or what. Once again I hope the entire cruise group has an amazing time celebrating this birthday. Very kind of all involved to make this happen.

[RareBird]

When you book and give an agent a name - first thing they do is look in their system for latitudes members and numbers... that's how they found her.

 

Short story:

I recently booked a cruise for my parents - my mom is a platinum member has has been on more than 10 cruises with NCL - my father on many others, but none on NCL and agent was dumbfounded not to find him in system. When reservation first came, his name was just there without any latitudes number - because honestly I wanted to confirm his full name and b-day off his passport.

 

Tip:

as tip for those booking as surprise - just say to agent you do need to confirm name/b-day. they cannot enter latitudes if they do not have those 2 parameters set and will send reservation with dummy name.

[SuiteTraveler]

It is unfortunate this happened, but I'm thinking part of the surprise is still intact - the email didn't mention all the friends and family members who were also going to be on the cruise did it? THAT will be the surprise now! And, for me, that would be the BEST part of the entire trip!

Edited March 1, 2014 by SuiteTraveler

[MRBOOKEND]

Knowing that I was trying to surprise my other half with a 2BR Haven rather that the balcony we booked, we were just sitting here talking about what we would like to do on the ship. When she logged into NCL and of course then asked: Why do we still owe so much money? And more than the original cost of the balcony? And why are we on the 16th deck room?

 

Well the surprise came a little earlier than I hoped, so now the pressure is off, she really liked what I did and can now look forward to a great trip together....