Unreasonable Expectation?

[SeaShark]

[quote name='Oakman58']I still consider it to be false and misleading to book a cabin online and everything shows a BA mid-ship balcony on decks 9, 10, or 11 and I end up with a forward cabin on deck 8. In reality if I were really upset, instead of being just unhappy, I would have already contacted the Office of the Attorney General in my state.


I’ll enjoy the cruise and have a great time, I just don’t like being conned by a major corporation.


[IMG]http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w340/Oakman58/shipRoom_zps3f8b3b72.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]

Now you're showing me the picture from booking a BA cabin ... NOT a guarantee cabin.

Where did NCL ever tell you you were getting a "mid-ship balcony guarantee"?



FWIW...Maybe you SHOULD contact the attorney general's office. They will tell you the same thing we are.

[sparks1093]

Op, by all means contact your state's AG. They will investigate and at the end of the day they will conclude that NCL's language regarding guarantee's, specifically that it only refers to cabin category and not cabin location, is binding and that is all that matters. You were not conned.

[luddite]

I don't want to be indelicate but if a cabin location is important you should choose the one you want or need.

[Oakman58]

I understand that I was assigned a higher category and supposedly don't have a leg to stand on. I also understand deceptive business practices.

[GeezerCouple]

[quote name='ColinIllinois']From NCL.com questions and answers:

A GTY or guarentee cabin means that you are not choosing your cabin number at the time of booking. We would assign the cabin number for you, [B]By booking a GTY cabin guarentees the guests the ship, the voyage, the fare, and a cabin in the category they paid for or possibly higher. [COLOR="Red"][U][SIZE="4"]A guarentee cabin does NOT guarentee the guests: deck or location,[/SIZE][/U][/COLOR] [/B] specific bedding, specific cabin number, upgrade or unobstructed view/ enclosed balcony. [COLOR="Red"]Once the cabin has been assigned there would be no changes.[/COLOR]
[IMG]http://ncl.ugc.bazaarvoice.com/answers/4066/static/staff_icon-new.png[/IMG]

answered 7 months ago by
NCLSTAFF85
- MIAMI[/QUOTE]
[emphasis added]

What is not clear from the above quote from the NCL website?

We learned on our very first cruise (in the 1970's) NOT to allow the cruise line to assign a cabin, but to make a reservation for a SPECIFIC CABIN THAT WE SELECTED.
(We had ended up with adjacent cabins under an area where there was a live band, and it was like living inside a drum, until the wee hours. :eek: )

[I][B]It IS that simple.[/B][/I]

For some people, if they aren't "fussy", then NCL's "GTY" offers them the long-shot of a very nice upgrade at no cost. (But yes, it could be to a suite with NO balcony, even a HUGE suite with no balcony - and one NOT in the "mid-ship" section. But for those selecting a GTY, that's the trade-off.)

What one knows with a GTY is that with a GUARANTEE, you won't, for example, book a "Balcony GTY" and end up with an inside cabin, regardless of "location".
But you *might* hit the jackpot and get a suite.
Or, most likely, get something similar to the category you booked.

Read the rules.
Read the fine print.
That's the responsibility of the "buyer".

GeezerCouple

[Cruzinnana47]

As many people here are trying to explain: [B]Don't[/B] book a guarantee if you want a SPECIFIC category, deck, and location on that deck. You have to be able to "gamble" a little if you choose a guarantee cabin.

Don't know how you think you would [B]definitely[/B] be assigned a mid-ship BA, the higher priced balcony category if you only booked guarantee, which is lower-priced. :confused: NCL did not "con" you.

[SeaShark]

[quote name='Oakman58']I understand that I was assigned a higher category and supposedly don't have a leg to stand on. I also understand deceptive business practices.[/QUOTE]

The deception here is simply because of YOUR misunderstanding. You haven't shown where NCL ever said you were getting a "mid-ship balcony guarantee". They did nothing to deceive you.

As a matter of fact, if you call up the screen from your last photo and press "SELECT" the following screen confirms what EVERYONE here has been telling you.

[Oakman58]

[quote name='luddite']I don't want to be indelicate but if a cabin location is important you should choose the one you want or need.[/quote]


You are correct and will do so in the future.

[Oakman58]

[quote name='SeaShark']The deception here is simply because of YOUR misunderstanding. You haven't shown where NCL ever said you were getting a "mid-ship balcony guarantee". They did nothing to deceive you.

As a matter of fact, if you call up the screen from your last photo and press "SELECT" the following screen confirms what EVERYONE here has been telling you.[/quote]


And that's where this screen shot came from that I posted earlier. Mid-ship balcony guarantee.

[IMG]http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w340/Oakman58/ShipGuar_zps652d438c.jpg[/IMG]

[SeaShark]

[quote name='Oakman58']I understand that I was assigned a higher category and supposedly don't have a leg to stand on. I also understand deceptive business practices.[/QUOTE]

Maybe another example will help. :confused:


You could book a Category OK Cabin as a Guarantee. Category OK is described as an "Obstructed Oceanview".

Does that mean NCL conned me if I get a room with a picture window since the view won't be "Obstructed" as advertised?

Does that mean NCL conned me if I get a balcony room...and NONE of those are "Obstructed"?


If I book an Inside Guarantee, is it a con job if I recieve an oceanview room as my upgrade??

[kdzkatz]

I know you are asking for opinions to your situation and not possible solutions but if you are not able to have them move you to a cabin closer to midship in the balcony categories if it is not too much $$ maybe look into moving up to a MA Mini Suites located mid ship. As you are getting closer to embarkation hopefully there are some available at a reasonable price. I hope this possible option helps. They will definitely move you to that category as it would be an upsell.

I can certainly see how you were confused by the the wording. But in the rankings of good and better the B3 is ranked higher than BA even though it is not mid ship but I see how you figured that whatever balcony you would receive it would be located midship. I am sorry to hear you are having to go through this and I hope you and NCL are able to find a mutually acceptable resolution.

I do appreciate how you posed your dilemma to all of us for our opinions. You are unhappy but not bashing anyone. I hope you do not listen to the trolls on here with there awful advice about trying to get justice when NCL is on 100% solid ground on the situation. You will attract more bees with honey than vinegar. Think of how you would respond to someone being hostile about something where technically and legally you had done nothing wrong. You would be resistant to wanting to work with them I am guessing. In a diplomatic approach see if you can get them to understand why mid ship is so important to you. I believe NCL will do their best to keep you a loyal customer. If you get a wall of resistance from a supervisor I would thank them for their time and then call back later. Try a few and see if you get anywhere with any of them.

Also, as I said earlier maybe also look into a MA mid ship mini suite upsell. I wish you the best of luck in resolving your situation.

[SeaShark]

[quote name='Oakman58']And that's where this screen shot came from that I posted earlier. Mid-ship balcony guarantee.

[IMG]http://i521.photobucket.com/albums/w340/Oakman58/ShipGuar_zps652d438c.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]

#1 - That is not the screen that comes up when you press SELECT.

#2 - Please circle the term "mid-ship balcony guarantee".

[titangas]

[quote name='Oakman58']I’m looking for opinions from you good folks.

So what is your opinion? Am I being unreasonable expecting to be moved to a mid-ship balcony?[/QUOTE]

Original poster -- poses it as a question.

They have gotten the "opinions" asked for -- but don't like it.

They have been told they are being "unreasonable" because they have gotten what was booked -- but also don't like it.

Then they continue to persist.

In the future -- I would suggest that you don't pose a question or ask opinions if you really don't want to hear the truth and only want people to agree with you. Edited January 18, 2015 by titangas

[rhblake]

I have to ask OP what was the reason for choosing a guaranty BA instead of selecting a specific BA cabin when the reservation was made? If it was because all the BA's were taken, then the odds are a higher category will need to be assigned if no one with a BA cancels. If location is important you need to book the cabin you want and also indicate to NCL that you will not accept upgrades.

[NMLady]

[quote name='Oakman58']I’m looking for opinions from you good folks. I booked a mid-ship guarantee balcony (BA) for our cruise on the Dawn on February 8th. I paid slightly more for this category than the BX guarantee balcony. I’m 69 years old so the convenience of a mid-ship location was important to me.
Yesterday NCL assigned us cabin 8032 (B3 category) in the front of the ship. When we called NCL to complain about not being assigned mid-ship they said the cabin they gave us was an upgrade. I’m sure my knees would dispute that claim, we are now a lot farther away from the main dining room and also the Aqua dining room. The customer service rep told us that once they assign a cabin to a guarantee category they can’t change it. I guess the word guarantee doesn’t have the same meaning that it used to have. At this point I’m not a happy cruiser.

So what is your opinion? Am I being unreasonable expecting to be moved to a mid-ship balcony?[/QUOTE]

Yes, you are being unreasonable. Guarantee means same category or better. It does not mean same location. You were upgraded to a better category. I am sorry you do not like the location but guarantee deals with category, not location. It has always had that meaning.
If you want a midship cabin you should not book a guarantee. My husband has walking problems so we always book a midship cabin near the elevators and have our booking marked Do Not Upgrade since we know an upgrade might not be midship.

[NMLady]

[quote name='Oakman58']So if they can put me in any higher category anywhere on the ship, isn’t that the same as the BX category? I paid extra for the BA category. I personally feel that an upgrade from the mid-ship guarantee would be an upgrade within the mid-ship category. Why call it a mid-ship guarantee ...
I do appreciate the opinions so please keep them coming.[/QUOTE]

It is not called a midship guarantee. It is a balcony guarantee. If you read NCL's definition of guarantee it explains that it is a cabin category guarantee and not dependent on location.

[Level six]

If it is not too late to cancel....no fees....I would cancel the reservation. I do agree with the OP, because I just did a booking of my own recently and it clearly stated MIDSHIP! I understand that the fine print can state something else, (like their horrible trip insurance, don't get me started!!!) but when you say midship on one screen and then you would have to read the whole 14 page contract to realize that it can be anywhere, I too think it is misleading.
I never book a GTY cabin anymore because of that. I did it once, got the worst cabin on the whole ship, never again. BUT, I do think that the NCL is misleading and should be more clear about that MIDSHIP description. On my cruise it was priced higher than aft or forward cabins, so it be delivered. IMO!

[NMLady]

[quote name='Oakman58']I still consider it to be false and misleading to book a cabin online and everything shows a BA mid-ship balcony on decks 9, 10, or 11 and I end up with a forward cabin on deck 8. In reality if I were really upset, instead of being just unhappy, I would have already contacted the Office of the Attorney General in my state.


I’ll enjoy the cruise and have a great time, I just don’t like being conned by a major corporation. [/QUOTE]

Did you read NCL's explanation of Guarantee where it specifically explains that location is not included? You were not conned. They are following what they explained. Edited January 18, 2015 by NMLady

[sparks1093]

[quote name='Level six']If it is not too late to cancel....no fees....I would cancel the reservation. I do agree with the OP, because I just did a booking of my own recently and it clearly stated MIDSHIP! I understand that the fine print can state something else, (like their horrible trip insurance, don't get me started!!!) but when you say midship on one screen and then you would have to read the whole 14 page contract to realize that it can be anywhere, I too think it is misleading.
I never book a GTY cabin anymore because of that. I did it once, got the worst cabin on the whole ship, never again. BUT, I do think that the NCL is misleading and should be more clear about that MIDSHIP description. On my cruise it was priced higher than aft or forward cabins, so it be delivered. IMO![/quote]

You don't need to read 14 pages of contract to find this out- when you hit select the pop-up that comes up immediately tells you that you are booking a guarantee and the only thing that is guaranteed is the category.

[herdingdogmom]

We too had a bad gty cabin assignment on another cruise line and do not book them now. Like your situation, it was considered an upgrade in the category, but the location was awful. We used a TA and told her that the assignment was unacceptable and we added some $ to get the cabin we wanted.

As others have suggested, let NCL know the forward cabin won't work for you and ask about the cost to upgrade to a mini on deck 11. If you go with mini, mid ship, be sure to check out what is above you that could be noisy.

[ColinIllinois]

Don't waste any more time guys. This is just one of those threads where the OP is venting and wanted everyone to agree with him despite solid proof to the contrary that NCL was neither deceptive nor wrong.

~ shrug ~

Bottom line lesson: Unless you are willing to accept whatever you are given don't try to save a couple of measly bucks with a GTY. Simple. Edited January 18, 2015 by ColinIllinois

[hillbilly73]

Oakman sorry for your frustration but as others have stated it is what it is and really that it the chance you take. I wondered why they had two balcony guarantees when I checked it a few weeks ago seemed strange enough that if we were booking I would have asked questions. Looking at your screenshot you got the UDP? Most of us that have a midship BA on this cruise have our own frustration the UDP special came out a week or two after final payment date so we are paying for drinks. Be happy to meet up and we can grip together. Heck first round is on me since I only have to buy my own. It is small ship and you are close to the elevators hopefully something happens with NCL and you get moved but if not lets go and make the best of it and have a good time.

[Oakman58]

This has been lesson learned for me. Mistake 1. When I booked the cruise all mid-ship balconies were sold out so I took the guarantee stupidly thinking the BA still meant mid-ship.
Mistake 2. I paid for a BA. Instead I should have dropped down to BX category and paid less. My cabin assignment wouldn’t have been any worse.

I would love to know what makes a B3 category cabin a higher category than a BA, or a BB, BC, or BD for that matter. The only difference I can see between a B3 and a BB, BC, and BD category is the fact that the B3 has a connection to another cabin. Whoop dee do!

Next time I book a cruise and I have no other choice than a guarantee, I’ll be sure to pay for a BX. Had I done a BX guarantee on this cruise I would have an extra $60.00 in my pocket and I don’t believe any cabin assigned would be worse than what I have. As far as I’m concerned I paid more to get less. I hate paying more than I have to. Car salesmen hate me.



I do appreciate everyone giving me their opinion.

[SeaShark]

[quote name='Oakman58']This has been lesson learned for me. Mistake 1. When I booked the cruise all mid-ship balconies were sold out so I took the guarantee stupidly thinking the BA still meant mid-ship.
Mistake 2. I paid for a BA. Instead I should have dropped down to BX category and paid less. My cabin assignment wouldn’t have been any worse.

I would love to know what makes a B3 category cabin a higher category than a BA, or a BB, BC, or BD for that matter. The only difference I can see between a B3 and a BB, BC, and BD category is the fact that the B3 has a connection to another cabin. Whoop dee do!

Next time I book a cruise and I have no other choice than a guarantee, I’ll be sure to pay for a BX. Had I done a BX guarantee on this cruise I would have an extra $60.00 in my pocket and I don’t believe any cabin assigned would be worse than what I have. As far as I’m concerned I paid more to get less. I hate paying more than I have to. Car salesmen hate me.



I do appreciate everyone giving me their opinion.[/QUOTE]

For your Mistake #2, you actually did not pay for a BA...you paid for a balcony guarantee at the BA or better level. There is a HUGE difference (which is why the whole situation is upsetting to you in the first place).

Had you paid for the balcony guarantee at the BX or better level, you could have EASILY gotten a worse cabin than you currently have. You could have received any of FOUR lesser cabin categories...INCLUDING a Hull Balcony...and there have been people who have actually cried tears over getting stuck in one of these cabins.

You can read all about that in this thread: [URL="http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1520582"]http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1520582[/URL]


My suggestion: Unlike Barbie Sunshine, don't let it stress you...you may even like it more. Relax. Be flexible. Enjoy your cruise...this may be much ado about nothing.

[Oakman58]

[quote name='SeaShark']For your Mistake #2, you actually did not pay for a BA...you paid for a balcony guarantee at the BA or better level. There is a HUGE difference (which is why the whole situation is upsetting to you in the first place).

Had you paid for the balcony guarantee at the BX or better level, you could have EASILY gotten a worse cabin than you currently have. You could have received any of FOUR lesser cabin categories...INCLUDING a Hull Balcony...and there have been people who have actually cried tears over getting stuck in one of these cabins.

You can read all about that in this thread: [URL]http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1520582[/URL]


My suggestion: Unlike Barbie Sunshine, don't let it stress you...you may even like it more. Relax. Be flexible. Enjoy your cruise...this may be much ado about nothing.[/quote]

Hmmmm, I believe our assigned cabin 8032 is a hull balcony. BTW, all balconies on deck 8 are hull balconies on both the Dawn and the Star. Edited January 18, 2015 by Oakman58