Working with a rude CS at Norwegian

[uvasag]

How do you send a PM to a member on this board ? I clicked on the username but it didn't give me an option to send Private Message

[dwjoe]

How do you send a PM to a member on this board ? I clicked on the username but it didn't give me an option to send Private Message

You can't.

[dalgirl]

A good TA will beat the cruiseline every time. I usually get the NCL promotion (the same as those who deal directly with NCL) + a nice separate bonus from my TA. If there is a problem, THEY handle it and I don't have to do anything. If there is a price cut, THEY will get it for me. If the cruise changes in any way, they do the work and I wait for their email - no phone holding needed.

 

Why use the NCL website to book your cruise??

[jackson bernard]

I always wonder at these stories about alledged rude employees of Norwegian Cruise Line. The stories always seem to be aimed at the company but there are always two people in a conversation. I wonder how many times NCL think that the customer is rude? Just because you may not get your way in asking for something extra all the time, accepting a decision of NO, does not always mean that rudeness has been shown. Just recall what you have said to the NCL employee and ask yourself "who was actually rude"?, them or me?

 

Perception is everything. If a customer perceives a sales rep as being rude, then yes, they were rude in their eyes. In this case, she came here to voice her displeasure with the way she was spoken to.

 

Now look what happened. Some readers found out that a travel agent may indeed be cheaper when booking cruises on NCL. Someone alluded to at least 2 large agency's always have a cheaper base fare, and it is no problem if they go bankrupt, as the cruiseline is the one who is charging your credit card.

 

I know I will be looking for these large travel agency's next time I book rather than directly with the cruiseline.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Forums mobile app

[uvasag]

Perception is everything. If a customer perceives a sales rep as being rude, then yes, they were rude in their eyes. In this case, she came here to voice her displeasure with the way she was spoken to.

 

Now look what happened. Some readers found out that a travel agent may indeed be cheaper when booking cruises on NCL. Someone alluded to at least 2 large agency's always have a cheaper base fare, and it is no problem if they go bankrupt, as the cruiseline is the one who is charging your credit card.

 

I know I will be looking for these large travel agency's next time I book rather than directly with the cruiseline.

 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Forums mobile app

 

I don't even bother replying to such people. The CS rep hung up on me but Ewoodspark thinks because he told me NO I have made that up in my mind. Whatever !!! Yes I do agree that we got more info out of this thread than I had hoped for. Now to know the names of the 2 TA sites. Private Message doesn't work on this site either. RICS321 give us some clues.

[ColinIllinois]

Hanging up on customers seems to be a trend they seem to be following. This incident has upset me too. One more time the rep acts like a jerk and I'm canceling my booking. If I don't get the cabin I want at that point, then I'll just postpone my trip and boycott NCL for life.

 

 

No offense but that seems to be a really silly way for you to do business. Simply let an NCL supervisor know of your issues and concerns, have them change your PCC and bring your blood pressure down a few notches.

 

The only one who would be punished by cancelling a vacation and boycotting NCL is you.

 

Seems like way too much negative energy to me but to each their own. Hope it works out how you want it.

Edited July 22, 2014 by ColinIllinois

[brikee]

A good TA will beat the cruiseline every time. I usually get the NCL promotion (the same as those who deal directly with NCL) + a nice separate bonus from my TA. If there is a problem, THEY handle it and I don't have to do anything. If there is a price cut, THEY will get it for me. If the cruise changes in any way, they do the work and I wait for their email - no phone holding needed.

 

Why use the NCL website to book your cruise??

 

Agreed! Working in customer service means that regardless of whether you are having a bad day, you have to be pleasant.

 

I recently booked with a large TA and they were very pleasant. I also had the option to work with a NCL rep but didnt feel as comfortable. When the price dropped, I let my TA know and she gladly readjusted the invoice.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sjbdtz]

You are linking threads and other peoples opinion and stating them as facts and claiming I am giving bad info! There are clearly no risks even if TA goes out of business. Just so you know .... CC charge shows up as NCL as supplier of booking even if you go through a TA ... anyone who used a TA will vouch for that. So if TA goes out of business NCL needs to provide service on TA's behalf. Pls read Master, Visa and American Express merchant agreement for clarification ... both statements above are facts.

 

I can for a fact show you 2 of the biggest online TA websites (PLS PLS Moderator .... Grant me permission to list the website here) where fares are $50 to $200 cheaper pp than NCL website on each and every cabin and each and every sailing .... not just rooms booked in bulk as alluded by some people here. NCL sales agents might be spreading myths because otherwise why would anyone buy from them ... and gulliable people write them up as facts but that doesn't mean its true! AGAIN: You are not entitled to your own set of facts!

 

 

You probably weren't here during the debacle of the Florida TA who went bust, but instead of the fees being collected by the cruise line, he was asking for payments through PayPal, and not remitting them to NCL.

 

The moderator won't permit naming TAs...

 

The link regarding No Discounting was a CruiseCritic news post - researched by someone, not just an opinion.

 

These were facts. You just may not be aware of them.

 

 

Question: If you are a high-roller at the casino, and have sailed NCL frequently, why wouldn't you be taking advantage of the comp cabins through Casinos at Sea, instead of using a TA? Surely free beats a $50 - $200 discount?

 

 

 

.

Edited July 22, 2014 by sjbdtz

[Ewoodspark]

I don't even bother replying to such people. The CS rep hung up on me but Ewoodspark thinks because he told me NO I have made that up in my mind. Whatever !!!

Originally Posted by uvasag

Hanging up on customers seems to be a trend they seem to be following. This incident has upset me too. One more time the rep acts like a jerk and I'm canceling my booking. If I don't get the cabin I want at that point, then I'll just postpone my trip and boycott NCL for life.

seems to me that you were ready for a confrontation with the NCL employee whatever the outcome of your conversation. Just chill a bit .

When seagulls follow the trawler it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.

[pokerpro5]

Booking with a TA isn't risky, as long as you know how to avoid shady behavior, such as paying them directly with Paypal (btw, Paypal will refund you for any scams perpetrated against you -- that's built into their fees.)

 

The only problem with TAs is that they tend to make mistakes, and they are also more difficult to work with when it comes to making changes. For that reason I don't bother with a TA for small trips, but for something big like a cruise, it's definitely worth using one for the cash-back or OBC. (I know they're not supposed to give cash back, but many do anyway.)

 

Also, OBC is as good as cash back if you are 100% sure you are going to spend that money anyway. For example, you can use OBC for the DSC, and that's $84/pp right there. You can use it for the specialties (unless you buy the UDP beforehand). You can use it for excursions or the spa. Bottom line is that if you know you are spending that money onboard anyway, it's just like cash.

[uvasag]

There are NO risks! Place a free 24 hr hold at the other TA. Cancel at NCL and immediately rebook. Prices wont go up the same day ... specially when you are this far out.

 

Currently, between NCL and 2 popular websites the prices I got at NCL are same. Would you still advice to go with the 3rd party website over NCL ? Do you think the prices at the website will eventually be lower than NCL ? The only reason I'm hesitating is that I got the port side cabin for a south bound cruise to Alaska and now only starboard side cabins are left. Should I just cancel with NCL and wait for a port side cabin to open up eventually ? We are a family of 4 so any savings will be helpful. Thanks.

[dwjoe]

Also, OBC is as good as cash back if you are 100% sure you are going to spend that money anyway. For example, you can use OBC for the DSC, and that's $84/pp right there. You can use it for the specialties (unless you buy the UDP beforehand). You can use it for excursions or the spa. Bottom line is that if you know you are spending that money onboard anyway, it's just like cash.

Most OBC is non-refundable and can't be used for gratuities.

 

The "I would have spent the money anyway" may be true for some but for others might be a slippery slope. e.g. "I have the OBC anyway, so I may as well spring for this spa treatment or buy this impulse item in the shops"

[pokerpro5]

Most OBC is non-refundable and can't be used for gratuities.

 

The "I would have spent the money anyway" may be true for some but for others might be a slippery slope. e.g. "I have the OBC anyway, so I may as well spring for this spa treatment or buy this impulse item in the shops"

 

Wrong.

 

I used it for the DSC on my last trip. It's one of those things that technically isn't supposed to be done, but they will typically let you anyway.

 

I wasn't referring to the slippery slope of splurging because you have extra OBC. I mean if you know for sure you are going to do something whether or not you have OBC, it's the same as cash.

[jenfromjersey]

I had no idea you couldn't use OBC for the daily tips. That is good to know because we were planning on using it for that.

[uvasag]

Wrong.

 

I used it for the DSC on my last trip. It's one of those things that technically isn't supposed to be done, but they will typically let you anyway.

 

I wasn't referring to the slippery slope of splurging because you have extra OBC. I mean if you know for sure you are going to do something whether or not you have OBC, it's the same as cash.

 

What does DSC mean ?

[$hip$hape]

I always wonder at these stories about alledged rude employees of Norwegian Cruise Line. The stories always seem to be aimed at the company but there are always two people in a conversation.

I wonder how many times NCL think that the customer is rude?

Just because you may not get your way in asking for something extra all the time, accepting a decision of NO, does not always mean that rudeness has been shown. Just recall what you have said to the NCL employee and ask yourself "who was actually rude"?, them or me?

My experience has been, that if you call the generic NCL number ("Call us if you have any questions!"),

and you are NOT calling to book a cruise,

customer service treats you as if YOU are rude for wasting their time.

[Mack704]

What does DSC mean ?[/quote

 

Daily Service Charge. I think. Means the same thing as daily tips or daily gratuities.

 

Harvey

Edited July 22, 2014 by Mack704

[pokerpro5]

I had no idea you couldn't use OBC for the daily tips. That is good to know because we were planning on using it for that.

 

Techincally they say you can't, but most ships let you do it anyway. Just don't fully count on it.

 

One way to see is get your folio during the trip and you will see what your running balance is (the tips charge every day). If the OBC is covering the tips as the cruise goes along, you'll know it's covered. You can also go to the customer service and tell them you didn't realize the OBC didn't cover it and were counting on that, and they will usually let you use it for that.

[$hip$hape]

What does DSC mean ?

 

DSC - Daily Service Charge

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1642440

[Sizzlechest]

What does DSC mean ?[/quote

 

Daily Service Charge. I think. Means the same thing as daily tips or daily gratuities.

 

Harvey

 

FYI, you CAN use non-refundable OBC to pay for any gratuities OTHER than the DSC.

[Ewoodspark]

My experience has been, that if you call the generic NCL number ("Call us if you have any questions!"),

and you are NOT calling to book a cruise,

customer service treats you as if YOU are rude for wasting their time.

 

Must be an American thing. The staff at NCL (UK) are great and extremely helpful

[sparks1093]

Must be an American thing. The staff at NCL (UK) are great and extremely helpful

 

Or it could be luck of the draw, every time I've called the issue has been handled professionally.

[ColinIllinois]

Not that it really matters but I thought DSC was "Discretionary Service Charge", not daily. :confused:

 

I may be wrong but it's not something to lose sleep over in any case.

[Fokis]

I don't know if I'm adding to the topic by saying this but...

 

I called NCL on three different occasions while researching my cruise and my experience was baffling. All three of the young women were extremely defensive. It was honestly confusing.

 

I was on the NCL website looking at cruises and she was looking them up for me at the same time. She quoted me a price and said, "we have a hot deal and it's a good price at $2,200 right now if you book" and I said in a polite way "Well on your website it's around $1,800" and she interrupts me (which they do a lot of) by saying "yeah well you are probably looking at a different date, we wouldn't compete against ourselves". ?? What kind of response is that? Did I suggest you were competing against yourself?

 

The normal response would be "Oh, you must be looking at a different date, which date are you looking at?' . Anyways, after a couple more sing songy responses like that, I told her I'll just look online and said thanks and hung up. I'll never call NCL again. 3/3 times were simply awful. Never had anyone like that at Comcast or any company!

[sjbdtz]

I don't know if I'm adding to the topic by saying this but...

 

I called NCL on three different occasions while researching my cruise and my experience was baffling. All three of the young women were extremely defensive. It was honestly confusing.

 

I was on the NCL website looking at cruises and she was looking them up for me at the same time. She quoted me a price and said, "we have a hot deal and it's a good price at $2,200 right now if you book" and I said in a polite way "Well on your website it's around $1,800" and she interrupts me (which they do a lot of) by saying "yeah well you are probably looking at a different date, we wouldn't compete against ourselves". ?? What kind of response is that? Did I suggest you were competing against yourself?

 

The normal response would be "Oh, you must be looking at a different date, which date are you looking at?' . Anyways, after a couple more sing songy responses like that, I told her I'll just look online and said thanks and hung up. I'll never call NCL again. 3/3 times were simply awful. Never had anyone like that at Comcast or any company!

 

What the response SHOULD have been was "you're looking at the amount pre-tax, and I'm looking at the amount including tax".

 

 

 

.