A Letter To the NCL Executive Team from We Loyal NCL Guests (NCL Please READ)

[don't-use-real-name]

Need help assistance comments kudos complaints onion orchid letters regarding - NCL

 

Here is a starter list starting at the top working down the organization ladder:

 

LINK:   Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) - Elliott Advocacy

 

 

Have a serious issue problem with NCL - respectfully keep us here at CC in the loop to

avoid the Pit Falls that you encountered - - -

Keep doing the same thing expecting a different result - ya you betcha !  LOL !

[Capitan Obvious]

Not sure, but I figure if you cruise once on NCL and then you wait 39 years for your second NCL cruise and you cruise Holland America and Celebrity in between, I'm thinking that NCL might not view your history as representing the "definition of loyalty".

[don't-use-real-name]

NCL given your personal information can determine the level of your loyalty -

Reference your Latitudes status Bronze or Silver a token nod -

Gold - now maybe some attention will be devoted -

Platinum is tilting the scale NCL better offer some consolation recognition -

P + this could get to be serious -

And Ambassador it is getting all too obvious we have offended a valued important client !

 

Just one person complaining - maybe NCL can ignore it and it will go away -

A petition with signatures - better alert the PR department for a rebuttal -

A ship load in mutiny - oops - better fix this right away before NCL runs aground in a court !

 

Covid issues aside - NCL screws up - own it - Loyalty is a perishable fleeting service ! 

[ChiefMateJRK]

9 hours ago, casofilia said:

@Old & Retired

 

NCL is trying to survive financially.

 

The best way for NCL to "Survive Financially" is to make old passengers keep cruising as they did in the past.

The way they are treating those of us repeat passengers does not endear them to us.   Penny pinching is not the way to go.

LOL.  I'm a repeat passenger and they've treated me great!  They've rewarded me for things beyond their control (10% discount on my 2022 POA) and adopted a great 100% vaccinated requirement for my fall 2021 AK cruise.  NCL is great!!!!!

[Sthrngary]

Thank you to everyone who read this op-ed and commented on it.  Each of you have made valid points that tie directly to your personal situations.  We used CruiseCritic.com for a lively debate on a sensitive topic.  Rather then respond to every post, I thought one response could clear things up here.

 

My approach which is not the first time I have used it, is designed to highlight an issue with how a company is handling guest engagement situation. We can utilize a company and their products without in this case cruising with them exclusively for decades. Our obligation is to not only point out the issue from a consumers standpoint, it is to provide a potential solution with a certain amount of empathy. 

 

When our emphasis as a consumer is to be more worried about the company we purchase from rather then the treatment they provide us, the notion of a Win-Win relationships is lost.  It becomes one sided. That gets nothing done.  We need to hear each other and understand how each other feels to create a mutual resolutions.

 

The proposed resolutions I outlined have be utilized by other brands so they were not unreasonable. I never was threatening and I thought my tone was professional and businesslike. I also felt since my situation was so similar to so many folks that it would be read as somewhat of a general message to NCL. 

 

Finally, the post was written not because my cruise personally was cancelled yesterday.  If you read my signature, it shows my cruise is still being sold and on the books.  Also, what is missing from my signature are the many cruises taken prior some decades ago with what was then called just Norwegian including my Honeymoon cruise 41 years ago. Finally, anyone whom has read my op-eds, reviews and comments know I am a huge fan of NCL especially the Haven area.

 

We have a obligation to help brands become iconic brands.  To assist them with a Voice-Of-The-Customer.  Not just complain about a situation that does not suit us.  To offer up potential solutions that might lead or at least open up some dialog towards resolution. To be proactive whenever possible.  All we went is to be heard and if we make a point, action taken because our concern was valid.  Or else we can do nothing, harbor resentment and be critical of anyone that does speak out.  

 

Cruise well everyone.  That is the real reason I wrote this op-ed.  So we all, once again can cruise well. 

[mpdog42]

20 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Gary  - that's a nice letter, but it may be a bit presumptuous to claim that you are speaking for "all" the loyal NCL guests.  I'm not sure how folks choose to define "loyal" in this context, but I have only sailed NCL and have multiple NCL bookings through spring 2024.  I have insisted on cash refunds for every single cancellation (now up to four) and kept a healthy set of future bookings to protect myself from rising prices and vanishing promos.  The fact that many put on the rose colored glasses and bought into NCL's calculated FCC risk doesn't mean that it's all NCL's fault.  I want them to survive as a financially sound company.  I don't want them to risk the business (further) because Covid and the CDC didn't follow the best scenario possible.  It's business and they (and the rest of the cruise lines) are simply struggling to survive.  Maybe I need to write my own letter to NCL encouraging them to do whatever it takes to survive and continue to provide me with enjoyable cruises in the future.  Just another man's (different) perspective.  None of the cancellations have cost me a dime and I actually saved 10% on a 2022 POA booking.  Also, due to Covid, they have offered the best promos I've seen to get my $250 refundable deposits on (many) future cruises.

You must be related to Blerk one on the Carnival page🙄

[Sam Ting]

Who actually cares if they go belly up?  I hope they do, with the way they treat their customers.  Someone will take over the ships, perhaps a better company. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

1 hour ago, Sam Ting said:

Who actually cares if they go belly up?  I hope they do, with the way they treat their customers.  Someone will take over the ships, perhaps a better company. 

I care.  I like NCL and want them to survive in order to provide me with the same great experiences.  Considering the business environment they've been in for the past year plus, I don't expect them to throw money (which they don't have) at me.  Nobody was forced to take a FCC in lieu of a cash refund, and NCL (and their competitors) didn't have any idea where COVID, FLA and the CDC were headed.  They worked with the regulators/legislators and were able to get my fall AK cruise back on the books (at 100% vaccinated to boot).  The price/promos is great and I've never lost a dime (unlike the cruise companies).

[PTC DAWG]

So I take it during this entire ordeal, NCL has not offered a "lift and shift" option?

 

That really helped me out with a cruise on Celebrity..

 

Well written letter, BTW.  

[HBCcruiser]

1 minute ago, PTC DAWG said:

So I take it during this entire ordeal, NCL has not offered a "lift and shift" option?

 

That really helped me out with a cruise on Celebrity..

 

Well written letter, BTW.  

 

Princess and RCI are doing it as well. 

[don't-use-real-name]

1 hour ago, HBCcruiser said:

I know that in the past NCL reps read cruise critic. Sometimes they would even comment on threads. Most posters here on CC are avid cruisers. From my experience, the cruise companies know that. 

NCL knows that - why would NCL offer a hoot and nanny about hosting the Meet & Greet from

Cruise Critic otherwise.

We maybe small in numbers but we do have NCL's attention !

[WarfRatWA]

On 6/23/2021 at 8:24 PM, Sthrngary said:

June 23, 2021

 

Dear Corporate Leadership Team for NCL:

 

I am writing you this correspondence not only from myself.  It is from all the loyal NCL guests that showed you our commitment to your brand over the last 16 months.  All we want in return is for you to hear us and help us stay loyal in the future.

 

As the Covid-19 pandemic winds down, cruising will return safely.  During the last 16 months, when you offered your loyal clients the choice of a full cash refund or Future Cruise Credits (FCC); those most loyal to you took the FCC. You enticed us with a value of 125% as well as 10% off our next cruise. Please know we all appreciated that.  However, the much safer move for us would have been to take the full cash refund.  We also knew that NCL keeping our cash in your accounts would assist our favorite cruise brand’s ability to survive. That is the definition of Loyalty.

 

Since that first cancellation, many of us, myself included, have been cancelled three or four times.  Each time, we are more disappointed, rebook, handle our airfare, arrange for changes with our employer, wait for FCC to hit our accounts, and go through the process of selection all over again.  We do not blame NCL or any other cruise brand.  We fully understand the blame lays clearly on a global pandemic called Covid-19.  I as well as other, have written positive op-eds on our knowledge, experiences and enjoyment of cruising with NCL. That is the definition of Loyalty.

 

Today, June 23, 2021, you announced additional cancelations.  These were due to the difficulty of restarting NCL after so many months.  You have the ships, you now need to staff, education, train and Vaccinate prior to cruising.  No easy task.  We again understand however, now we need your support, assistance, and help. 

The elephant in the room. When and if our cruise today or in the future are cancelled, we simply cannot afford to rebook at the current market higher fares.  Yes, it is helpful to have the 125% FCC; the 10% off on a future sailing.  However, it does not cover our future booking or as in my case allow us to stay in the stateroom category we were booked.  That is simply not fair, and it does not reflect the loyalty we have shown you.  I have a reasonable and fair solution for all of us to consider. I broke them down to three (3) options. Each option was extremely well thought out to be fair to all parties.  They are:

 

From today’s cancellation forward:

1.      Provide us with 35% off our future booking while utilize our FCC, OR

2.      Allow us to move forward to the same itinerary, cabin class and perks OR

3.      Provide us with a full refund of what we have paid you.

 

Allow us this “one-time opportunity”, so as not to punished us financially for our loyalty and commitment during your time of need. 

 

The truth of the matter is we all just want to go on the cruises we are booked and been waiting so long to do.  The options above simply give us the ability to move forward knowing you understood we stayed with the NCL brand loyally.  Consider this proposal and thank you for hearing our voices.  Cruise well.

 

Respectfully,

 

 

Your Loyal NCL Guests

Well written letter...on point.  Thank you for posting...it gives all of us all a voice, and I am appreciative.

 

Gary, you be you...in doing so, you bring a whole lot to the table...and its sorely needed.

 

Thank you.

[Cruise Gopher]

It’s a well written letter, but everyone needs to understand that loyalty really doesn’t mean much anymore especially when in the context of huge corporations.  
 

For every one loyal person, there are probably 2-3 new consumers ready to plug the gap if the loyal consumer decides to take their business elsewhere. 

 

NCL is ONLY focused on the bottom line and return to shareholders, especially after a disastrous past 16 months and counting. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

3 minutes ago, SkierRobUMN said:

NCL is ONLY focused on the bottom line and return to shareholders

This is always the case in business.  This is economics 101 stuff.

[Drews_Cruise]

4 hours ago, HBCcruiser said:

 

Princess and RCI are doing it as well. 

Really?  Princess never offered me anything.  We had to rebook at 20% higher cost and missing a couple of perks.  

[HBCcruiser]

6 minutes ago, gardening_guy said:

Really?  Princess never offered me anything.  We had to rebook at 20% higher cost and missing a couple of perks.  

 

Yes, they started it a few months ago. See Option #1

 

https://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/plan/impacted-and-cancelled-cruises/cancelled-cruises-2021-fall-nam-europe-caribbean.pdf

[Drews_Cruise]

We were told our March 2021 cruise did not qualify.  It seemed to us the rules were changing daily,  very frustrating and we were ready to cancel when our agent got us a casino credit that reduced it to near the same price we were originally booked for. 

[HBCcruiser]

3 minutes ago, gardening_guy said:

very frustrating

I agree! Glad you got some compensation. 

[rmandmm]

Thank you, @Sthrngary, for a well-written letter. I understand the frustration others have and I certainly am not a top (or even mid-) tier NCLer but I do love the brand and the industry. I am hoping to cruise in the Haven from SJU in December and will be sad and very frustrated at my third cancellation, especially if other lines are making it work. But I do agree with wanting to at least attempt to appeal to NCL before voting with my wallet. 
 

I guess it could be said we’ve all appealed over and over in community posts here, but a direct letter seems much more professional and has a much higher ‘but seriously’ effect. Anyway, thanks. 🙂

[ShelleyQT]

On 6/23/2021 at 12:53 PM, ChiefMateJRK said:

Gary  - that's a nice letter, but it may be a bit presumptuous to claim that you are speaking for "all" the loyal NCL guests.  I'm not sure how folks choose to define "loyal" in this context, but I have only sailed NCL and have multiple NCL bookings through spring 2024.  I have insisted on cash refunds for every single cancellation (now up to four) and kept a healthy set of future bookings to protect myself from rising prices and vanishing promos.  The fact that many put on the rose colored glasses and bought into NCL's calculated FCC risk doesn't mean that it's all NCL's fault.  I want them to survive as a financially sound company.  I don't want them to risk the business (further) because Covid and the CDC didn't follow the best scenario possible.  It's business and they (and the rest of the cruise lines) are simply struggling to survive.  Maybe I need to write my own letter to NCL encouraging them to do whatever it takes to survive and continue to provide me with enjoyable cruises in the future.  Just another man's (different) perspective.  None of the cancellations have cost me a dime and I actually saved 10% on a 2022 POA booking.  Also, due to Covid, they have offered the best promos I've seen to get my $250 refundable deposits on (many) future cruises.

 

Thanks, ChiefMate.  I prefer people not to speak for "all of us", even when I fall exactly into the same category of complaint.  I had my cruise canceled last year, too.  Cruises cost more now because it's going to cost more to provide more staff to keep everything Covid-safe, plus the cost of vaccinating them all...not to mention that EVERYTHING costs more right now (even bread and milk!).  NCL is a business and needs to do what they can to get back out to sea.

[Sthrngary]

2 minutes ago, MorganClark said:

 

HBCcruiser IS good people.

This issue was addressed and both parties handled it in the most professional way.  It was a misunderstanding of including a quote.  I remember this because I was so impressed on how what looked like a real issue was handled in a civil manner.  Just an FYI.

[MorganClark]

5 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

This issue was addressed and both parties handled it in the most professional way.  It was a misunderstanding of including a quote.  I remember this because I was so impressed on how what looked like a real issue was handled in a civil manner.  Just an FYI.

 

Thanks but the FYI is not needed.