No more NCL Vacation Hero cards for filling-out?

[JGmf]

It appears that from my December 2021 Gem cruise, NCL has done away with the Hero Cards. 

 

(For those who don't know, the Hero Cards were/are pre-printed cards, available at the service desk, where you can provide written praise to one or more of the staff to show appreciation that [hopefully] provides them some sort of useful recognition or reward from management).

 

As I always do, I tried to get some to fill-out at the end of the cruise, but the service desk staff said they don't have them any more, suggesting we provide comments on-line (um, exactly where? ) or maybe write it out on a blank card...she then proceeded to give me a white blank card and envelope to put it in the "mail slot" on the ship. 

 

I suppose you can write whatever in the post-cruse email survey, but frankly, I forget most of the names of the staff by the time I'm home.

 

Anyway, it looks like they're gone.  Too bad.

 

[ECCruise]

They are definitely gone, at least on the Getaway last month.

When we asked, they told us they have been eliminated "in an effort to conserve paper resources" and we could give special mention to any crew member in our "post cruise survey."

Which we did not get on either of our B2B sailings in November and December.  Even after notifying them that they weren't received, none came.  Obviously not too interested in feedback either onboard via Vacation Hero, nor, at least in our case, 2 cruise surveys. 

[Bonobochick]

My December 2021 Escape cruise had a ton of them for passengers to fill out while my November 2021 Gem cruise did not have any.

 

I am annoyed by the "use the post-cruise survey" response though cause both of the cruises I listed above, I did not receive a survey to fill out afterward. Unusual for me cause I'd gotten survey links for all my other NCL cruises in the last decade.

[CruisingNCLHokie]

@JGmfI was on the Gem in December as well, the sailing on the 14th.  I also asked for the Hero Cards and was told the same exact thing.  I ended up using one of those blank cards and used another to make notes so I can remember for the online survey.  Wish they would bring them back, or maybe even add it to the app so you can submit as you go.

[phillygwm]

I was on the December 12 Bliss sailing.  Not only were CruiseHero cards available, we were more overtly "encouraged" than usual to fill them out (our room steward helpfully pre-filled his name on one as did 2 people in Le Bistro.)  I was happy to oblige them as all were excellent.  

 

I remember from the old "Behind the Scenes" tours that they have a wall along I-95 where they're on display and a number of crew have told me that they're rewarded based on the feedback, so it's not your typical BS.

Edited January 10, 2022 by phillygwm

[Old & Retired]

More cost saving for NCL.  The amount of time and effort it takes to process these cards must be enormous.  I have often seen the 'mailbox' the cards are dropped on the last day or two.  It is completely full.  Meaning hundreds and hundreds that have to be read, processed etc.

I do enjoy giving crew props via the hero cards but it must take a lot of resources to sustain the program.  Glad it is gone.

[SplashOfWater]

1 hour ago, phillygwm said:

I was on the December 12 Bliss sailing.  Not only were CruiseHero cards available, we were more overtly "encouraged" than usual to fill them out (our room steward helpfully pre-filled his name on one as did 2 people in Le Bistro.)  I was happy to oblige them as all were excellent.  

 

I remember from the old "Behind the Scenes" tours that they have a wall along I-95 where they're on display and a number of crew have told me that they're rewarded based on the feedback, so it's not your typical BS.

On past cruises, we were told the same by crew. Filling out the cards really helps them. They are rewarded based on the feedback.

[nhtravels]

We just got off the Encore yesterday.  Almost everyone (Butler, room steward, casino, etc.) handed them out to us on Friday and Saturday.  It was almost comical how many we had collected by Saturday night!  I had a cramp in my hand just filling them out!

 

[Goldconnection]

We were on the Epic last month and the cards were available.

[david_sobe]

When I was on the Encore in Feb 2020, the cards were no longer left in the rooms.  I had to purposely ask for them. But they had them.

[Coastalbreezes]

Available on Escape last week.

[dexddd]

Never had cards left in room and never sent survey.

[Cruisingcrew5]

Bliss at Christmas had them both in the room to fill out and at the Guest Services desk. We were encouraged to complete them several times during the cruise by various mediums. 

[melodyesch]

16 hours ago, nhtravels said:

We just got off the Encore yesterday.  Almost everyone (Butler, room steward, casino, etc.) handed them out to us on Friday and Saturday.  It was almost comical how many we had collected by Saturday night!  I had a cramp in my hand just filling them out!

 

That was the case for our Encore Dec 12th cruise.  We were handed one by several people.  One waitress had conveniently filled out her name.  We were going to do one for her anyway because she was excellent, but I LOLed at her cheekiness.  

[JGmf]

Well, as the OP making the observation that it appeared the Hero cards were no more, I couldn't have been more wrong.  Thanks everyone for your recent experiences. 

 

For my mid-December cruise, maybe it was the NYC Gem management brass that made a unilateral decision, something like:  "We're tired of reading and compiling these damn Hero cards....no one will notice it if we leave them boxed and don't share them....."

[psac]

We didn’t get them in October on the Breakaway out of New York (maybe a New York thing?), but we didn’t ask for them either.  We did mention a number of staff by name in the post-cruise surveys we both received, so hopefully the staff does still get rewarded!  (Seems a little less likely, though….)

[chillyw]

Speaking of which, does anyone have the email address from the cards?

 

We got them on the 12/26 Encore, and I thought I took a picture from one of the cards to follow up with the email address on it, but it looks like I didn't.  Dang...

[beccaaz]

I filled out 6 of them on our Dawn cruise over Christmas.  Seems strange that some ships have them and some don't.

[Petro_n]

I filled a bunch out on escape august 2022.

[KateQ22003]

They were gone from the Pearl in June and August when we sailed.

[Pat]

Just prior to the pandemic we were on the Escape and had an exceptionally wonderful waiter in Haven.  He actually gave us, on request, an email address that allowed us to directly send our comments to his supervisor.  We did so while still on board and he mentioned that his supervisor had commented in one of their staff meetings that he had received it  and told the waiter in front of everyone.  It pleased him to no end.  Maybe that is a way to go for exceptionally wonderful service.

 

 

[MarkusToe]

Have seen them on Bliss actually

[New2cruise2022]

5 minutes ago, Pat said:

Just prior to the pandemic we were on the Escape and had an exceptionally wonderful waiter in Haven.  He actually gave us, on request, an email address that allowed us to directly send our comments to his supervisor.  We did so while still on board and he mentioned that his supervisor had commented in one of their staff meetings that he had received it  and told the waiter in front of everyone.  It pleased him to no end.  Maybe that is a way to go for exceptionally wonderful service.

 

 

I have routinely done this on land. Many restaurants that I regularly visit, I know the GM, managers and staff on a first name basis. I take time to get letters to the owners and corporate headquarters to provide detailed information about the service provided. Sincere words certainly can be effective for showing gratitude along with a tip. 

[johnlcruise]

I’m on the Pearl now. And ever night they give us a card to fill out in the dining rooms after the meal. 
We are finding that the crew on the Pearl to be outstanding and very friendly. 
They always say hello when you pass them. 
Great entertainment. Only complaint is some of the food is way over salted. 

[cruiseny4life]

Interesting this came up again...anyway, in September I grabbed several from the concierge. One bartender that really made my vacation feel great, insisted I fill out a hero card for him. 

 

I'm going on the Getaway in 24 days and will try to remember to report back, though based on what I'm reading above on recent experiences, it's a moot point. 

 

12 minutes ago, johnlcruise said:

Great entertainment. Only complaint is some of the food is way over salted. 

I love and adore salt!! Yet, even I couldn't finish one dish (shrimp scampi) as it was way over salted...I'm the kind of guy that makes my steak white with salt...so yep, sometimes there's too much. Then other times, nowhere near enough for me.