Leaked Emails: Norwegian Pressures Sales Team to Lie About Coronavirus

[jeremyosborne81]

https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/coronavirus-norwegian-cruise-line-leaked-emails-show-booking-strategy-11590056

Not a good look for Norwegian, and they're threatening the whistle blower instead of punishing the sales managers, who are in the wrong. Yikes.

[Isabella Benjamin]

The stories they are telling people to keep those reservations flowing, and people are more than willing to believe them.  This is not going to end well. 

[denverj]

Damn.  My family and I are supposed to be going on the Breakaway (first time on NCL) on the 14th and have been going back and forth trying to decide to cancel.  I have until midnight tonight.   I was hoping that NCL would cave and offer full refunds instead of FCC, which would make the decision easier.   On the other hand we really want to go ...

[willsears94]

5 minutes ago, denverj said:

Damn.  My family and I are supposed to be going on the Breakaway (first time on NCL) on the 14th and have been going back and forth trying to decide to cancel.  I have until midnight tonight.   I was hoping that NCL would cave and offer full refunds instead of FCC, which would make the decision easier.   On the other hand we really want to go ...

 

If it makes your decision any easier, I found the Breakaway to be very clean last week and the staff were observant to cleaning areas fairly quickly. It's a risk either way, but I would say if you are over 60 years old, you may want to strongly consider canceling. 

[jeremyosborne81]

9 minutes ago, denverj said:

Damn.  My family and I are supposed to be going on the Breakaway (first time on NCL) on the 14th and have been going back and forth trying to decide to cancel.  I have until midnight tonight.   I was hoping that NCL would cave and offer full refunds instead of FCC, which would make the decision easier.   On the other hand we really want to go ...

In that situation, I would still go on the cruise.

[Lupush]

I take this kind of thing with a grain of salt.  While I do believe NCL is trying to salvage sales, it would be completely irresponsible of them to misinform the public of the virus.  That being said, the Miami New Times is barely toilet reading material for me.  A lot of the people that write for that "publication" are disgruntled former or current employees of other companies.

 

[Regguy]

I wonder if this was just a rogue team leader or if this is coming from higher up.

 

It is a really stupid email.  If I were in house counsel at NCL this would be sending shock waves through my office.  Having an email urging a sales associate to say that CV 19 can’t survive in the Caribbean?  That’s a really bad document if someone gets sick.

[graphicguy]

There’s a manager at NCL who already lost his/her job over this, or is about to.  Their legal dept will see to that.

[luv2kroooz]

Good thing I am an independent thinker and am wise enough to understand the current situation and take the necessary steps to protect my health, safety and well-being.

 High pressure sales tactics would do nothing to change my decision, though reading this report is very, very sad.

[EBRB]

Oh yeah, because I’m going to take medical advice from a cruise line call center rep 🙄

[ryanpatricksmom]

6 minutes ago, EBRB said:

Oh yeah, because I’m going to take medical advice from a cruise line call center rep 🙄

Exactly.  Now if they were instructed to give false information regarding cancellations, the situation on board, or anything else within NCL's purview, I would be appalled, but I can't imagine a situation where discussions involving medical advice would ever even come up. This seems like a stupid act from a stupid person, that likely impacted no one.

[Tutontow]

Even if the Email is for real it looks like it is just some rogue sale manager.  Sort of like when a restaurant refuses service to a policeman.  It is not the whole chain, it is just some clueless employee.  BTW we sail in May to Alaska.  Everyone in my party is over 60 but we are a young 60.  I know people in their 40's who are older than us.

 

We are watching and waiting, a lot can change in two months.

[Regguy]

Are we disbelieving that they asked NCL for comment and that NCL refused to comment?  

 

This is the kind of story where you deny if untrue and demand retraction since it's so obviously libel.  I'm going to go with "true" on whether this e-mail actually exists.  Whether it's really some company wide practice, who knows.

[Diver2014]

The writer of that story keeps quoting 'an NCL employee' that gave her the information on the story.  Really?  Personally, I don't think any NCL employee would risk their job for a story in a newspaper that is distributed for free (the paper relies on want ads for revenue).  Let's say the NCL employee told the writer everything that is quoted in the story.....to me, it sounds like a disgruntled employee that has an ax to grind with NCL   I'll retract everything I've said if I am proven incorrect.

[Shawnino]

NCL's tactics may well be working.

I think it was George Carlin who suggested that we think about how stupid the average person is, and now realize that half of the people are stupider than that...

[MoniMommy]

Just saw this.  Things are getting desperate. 

 

https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-cruise-ship-company-norwegian-misleading-sales-talking-points-report-2020-3

 

Seems to me they may be able to encourage booking with lower prices. But I saw laughably and ridiculously high prices on some cruises today. 

[Bonobochick]

The story is definitely making the news rounds... 

 

 

[coaster]

FOX Business channel just reported about this also.

[erdoran]

 

From my TA less than a week ago.  No lies here, but here’s the spin they put on things.  Do NOT use this as justification NOT to cancel if you are planning to cancel otherwise—if anything, to me it’s further justification, just seeing how much worse things have gotten in the last week.

 

 

 

 

[Travelling2Some]

I'm actually solidly among those that think this thing is being hyped out of proportion and I won't cancel my June Baltic's cruise unless I absolutely have to.  However, this TA's argument is deeply flawed in that none of those things is contagious.  Totally agree though that a little perspective would be a good thing.  Corona is not exactly the Black Death. 

[Ms BumbleBee]

25 minutes ago, Travelling2Some said:

I'm actually solidly among those that think this thing is being hyped out of proportion and I won't cancel my June Baltic's cruise unless I absolutely have to.  However, this TA's argument is deeply flawed in that none of those things is contagious.  Totally agree though that a little perspective would be a good thing.  Corona is not exactly the Black Death. 

It actually could be worse than the Black Death.  Modern medicine is just better than what they had in the Middle Ages.  I think if people all just used common sense we would be better off.

 

I do feel we as people cruising also need to do our due diligence and follow recommendations of medical professionals too.  We seem to either see hysteria or stubborn disregard.  THere is a middle ground that can put safeguards in place that can minimize risk

[Greenpea2]

8 hours ago, jeremyosborne81 said:

In that situation, I would still go on the cruise.

Me too. 

[erdoran]

48 minutes ago, Ms BumbleBee said:

It actually could be worse than the Black Death.  Modern medicine is just better than what they had in the Middle Ages.  I think if people all just used common sense we would be better off.

 

I do feel we as people cruising also need to do our due diligence and follow recommendations of medical professionals too.  We seem to either see hysteria or stubborn disregard.  THere is a middle ground that can put safeguards in place that can minimize risk

 

Scientifically it is nowhere near as bad as the Black Death, which had I believe a 90% mortality rate, vs Covid-19 overall 1-4%—higher in old people, lower in young.  I understand Black Death is treatable if caught in time, and given modern sanitary conditions, the bubonic version isn’t as contagious now as it was then - no rat fleas all over.  The pneumonic version is highly contagious and lethal, but I’m pretty sure it responds to antibiotics.  So mortality-rate wise, let’s not compare.

 

The thing Covid-19 has is it is viral and there IS no antibiotic treatment.  Remesvidir is being used experimentally and anecdotally MAY help, but it’s not commercially available and I’ve only heard of a couple of cases where it was used.  I believe clinical trials may be beginning and Gilead is gearing up to manufacture it, so if it is helpful we have a head start-but meanwhile we need to be cautious, safe, wash our hands regularly, self-isolate if we have symptoms, listen to the CDC/WHO and be smart about our decisions. Even if we are young and think we’ll be fine, remember those around you that you could infect that are at higher risk than you.

[luv2kroooz]

..it's about to get real.

 

Investigating Claims Against Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings

 

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200311005827/en/Lost-Money-Norwegian-Cruise-Line-Holdings-Ltd.

 

 

[GranPaEd]

Fact is that it really doesn't matter where the cruise goes to. What matters most is where the current passengers and crew came from, have they been appropriately screened and are they healthy. Cruise Lines need to be promoting information about their abilities to keep guests healthy and safe right now.