NCL Prima - Observation Lounge closed for the entire cruise

[ChiefMateJRK]

3 minutes ago, podgeandrodge said:

I wonder do NCL pay active attention to these boards at all or is that somewhat naive to think.

If they don't, they're stupid (not ruling that out).

[ontheweb]

50 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

If they don't, they're stupid (not ruling that out).

🤣at not ruling that out.

 

How would we know if one of us were really an NCL employee whose job is to monitor these boards?

[mugtech]

On 6/10/2023 at 6:08 PM, PATRLR said:

Thoughts after reading this thread:

The OL is a difference maker on a cold weather itinerary.  I'd choose an NCL ship with OL over other line's ships, primarily for the OL.  If the OL was then closed for the duration, I'd be very, very upset.

I was shocked to learn that there are people who buy so much of that "art" that they get invited back on free cruises.  Wow. 

Kudos to NCL for acknowledging that the other passengers were getting screwed and doing something to compensate. I suspect someone, somewhere went a bit rogue by allowing PW to use the OL.  

 

Would you be shocked to learn that people who gamble enough in the casino get invited back on free cruises?

[FlGoodShips]

7 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

Usually, one does not have to give a reason for changing the DSC, but you can.  The cruise line monitors those resons.  A number of changes citing the OL fiasco would send a message.  

No it would not.

NCL Corporate is not monitoring your reason for eliminating the dsc.

Crew works hard for the dsc.

Have you no compassion for the hard working crew???

I guess not!!!

[ChiefMateJRK]

1 hour ago, mugtech said:

Would you be shocked to learn that people who gamble enough in the casino get invited back on free cruises?

Yeah, but they pretty much hang in the Casino, which is still available to all.  They don't take over my OL.

[The Traveling Man]

13 hours ago, FlGoodShips said:

Shame on you.

The crew that receive this are NOT the ones that made this decision.

Why are you going to punish them?? 

Please rethink this choice. Thank you.

NCL hires crew members who provide the services which NCL promises to its customers.

NCL determines how it will compensate its crew member employees.

NCL sets the price at which it offers cruises to its customers.

Customers agree to accept NCL terms, both costs and promised services.

Customers make payment to NCL, not directly to crew members.

If NCL fails to provide promised services to customers, then customers are being shortchanged.

The most reasonable financial remedy available to customers is to reduce the amount they pay to NCL in proportion to the diminished services received from NCL.

It is up to NCL to meet its obligations, both in providing promised services to its customers as well as paying its employees a sufficient wage to entice them to work for NCL.

It is not the responsibility of any customer to ensure that any particular crew member is adequately compensated.  The customer's contract is with NCL, while NCL's obligation is to its employees.  The relationship between customers and crew members is an arm's length one, with NCL as the intermediary.

NCL continues to offer only a nebulous explanation of how it distributes the funds raised by means of the Daily Service Charge.  While many passengers assume that it is used to distribute tips to crew members, NCL refuses to confirm that it actually is used exclusively for that purpose.

If the only means available to customers to reduce their payment is to have the Daily Service Charge reduced, then that is the most appropriate action for them to take when their cruise experience is negatively impacted by NCL's decisions to reduce the services they provide.

[MacGuffin3]

6 hours ago, FlGoodShips said:

Have you no compassion for the hard working crew???

Cruise Lines International Association has stated there is over an 80% retention rate in the cruise business.  Seems to me they must be doing ok or they would quit wouldn't they?

[MacGuffin3]

14 hours ago, ontheweb said:

Yours would just be one more, not enough to notice.

 

You can't have it both ways, either the DSC matters or it doesn't.  If it doesn't as you claim, then why do you care if anybody pays it?

[Fanatico1981]

Looks like Isafjordur is canceled again.

Can anyone confirm?

[robinium]

17 minutes ago, Fanatico1981 said:

Looks like Isafjordur is canceled again.

Can anyone confirm?

Yes, I’m on board. It should have been today, but is cancelled. We were told it was impossible to dock which seems to have been a lie, as the kind posters here informed me that Celebrity Apex docked there over the weekend. Seems like they just didn’t want to tender, and they only told us this when onboard, even though they’ve had this info for weeks.

 

[ontheweb]

5 hours ago, MacGuffin3 said:

 

You can't have it both ways, either the DSC matters or it doesn't.  If it doesn't as you claim, then why do you care if anybody pays it?

Sure I can. please read exactly what I wrote.

 

I said if he just did it, it would not even be noticed. And then I said it would be noticed if he could get a movement started and many passengers did the same/

[ontheweb]

4 hours ago, robinium said:

Yes, I’m on board. It should have been today, but is cancelled. We were told it was impossible to dock which seems to have been a lie, as the kind posters here informed me that Celebrity Apex docked there over the weekend. Seems like they just didn’t want to tender, and they only told us this when onboard, even though they’ve had this info for weeks.

 

This is really a bummer. We have a private tour booked in August in Isafjordur. I e-mailed the tour operator and asked what she knew either about the Prima not docking or when the improvements so that tendering might be finished. She e-mailed back almost immediately, and said all she knew wsa that tendering was still going on this month.

 

We are really looking forward to this tour, and frankly if this is really what is happening, it is really a reason to remove NCL from the cruise lines we will consider in the future.

[PATRLR]

14 hours ago, mugtech said:

Would you be shocked to learn that people who gamble enough in the casino get invited back on free cruises?

Not at all, very aware that happens.

Edited June 12, 2023 by PATRLR

[PATRLR]

13 hours ago, FlGoodShips said:

NCL Corporate is not monitoring your reason for eliminating the dsc.

And you know this to be true, how?

 

13 hours ago, FlGoodShips said:

Crew works hard for the dsc.

And they are compensated for their work based on their contract.  If the DSC collections fall short of the minimum, it has been reported in these forums (and elsewhere) by a well-respected former officer that the cruise line is contractually obligated to make up the difference. 

[robinium]

Unfortunately our tour operator got in touch about an Akureyri excursion we had planned; they’ve had to cancel and refund the hot springs / nature baths part of our tour because not only

did NCL cancel the Isafjordur stop today, they moved tomorrow’s departure from Akureyri one hour earlier, meaning the tour doesn’t have time to make the nature bath stop 😞 

 

Although I’ve had a good time on board, it does feel like I got the short end of the stick with the number of issues and changes that have come up, sadly. 
 

We had a nice tour booked in Isafjordur which was also cancelled. Thankfully the tour operator fully refunded us. 

Edited June 12, 2023 by robinium

[ontheweb]

23 minutes ago, robinium said:

Unfortunately our tour operator got in touch about an Akureyri excursion we had planned; they’ve had to cancel and refund the hot springs / nature baths part of our tour because not only

did NCL cancel the Isafjordur stop today, they moved tomorrow’s departure from Akureyri one hour earlier, meaning the tour doesn’t have time to make the nature bath stop 😞 

 

Although I’ve had a good time on board, it does feel like I got the short end of the stick with the number of issues and changes that have come up, sadly. 
 

We had a nice tour booked in Isafjordur which was also cancelled. Thankfully the tour operator fully refunded us. 

You also have to feel sorry for the local tour operators who are also losing income due to nothing they did, but because of the actions of NCL.

[robinium]

Below is the reply I received back from NCL. For context, I did not ask for additional compensation in my email to them, I asked:

 

1) Whether the cancellation of our Isafjordur port stop was due to an “impossibility to dock”, as claimed by the captain, despite other cruise lines docking in the same port; or, NCL’s reluctance to operate the port as a tender port. [unanswered]
 

2) Whether their admission of making a mistake regarding the Observation Lounge means that I can feel confident that an attempt to hire out a key, flagship venue of the ship for an entire or extended part of the cruise will be attempted again. [unanswered]

 

3) Given they “had to” cancel the Isafjordur port stop on prior Prima voyages to this one, why didn’t they inform passengers in advance of the known cancellation of the port stop? Why were passengers only informed at check in time? [unanswered] 

 

—————

 

Dear X, 

 

Thank you for writing in to Mr. Harry Sommer, President and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line. Your concerns were forwarded to the Guest Experience department for review and response, as our department handles customer related issues. We appreciate you choosing Norwegian Cruise Line for your vacation at sea.  

As a company we can assure you, that we do not take itinerary changes lightly and that we would only amend an itinerary when absolutely necessary as we understand the impact on our valuable guests and how much this could affect their plans. 

Such changes are often required in this industry and although we try as much as possible to deliver the initial itinerary, we never can guarantee that it will be 100% delivered.  The terms and conditions regarding itinerary changes are mentioned in our Ticket Contract and we are unable to extend further compensation than what has already been extended.  We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience and disappointment experienced due to this matter.  

We appreciate this opportunity to respond to your concerns and hope you enjoy the remainder of your cruise. As always, the onboard staff remains at your service. 

Sincerely,

X
Manager, Guest Experience
Norwegian Cruise Line

[mugtech]

4 minutes ago, robinium said:

Below is the reply I received back from NCL. For context, I did not ask for additional compensation in my email to them, I asked:

 

1) Whether the cancellation of our Isafjordur port stop was due to an “impossibility to dock”, as claimed by the captain, despite other cruise lines docking in the same port; or, NCL’s reluctance to operate the port as a tender port. [unanswered]
 

2) Whether their admission of making a mistake regarding the Observation Lounge means that I can feel confident that an attempt to hire out a key, flagship venue of the ship for an entire or extended part of the cruise will be attempted again. [unanswered]

 

3) Given they “had to” cancel the Isafjordur port stop on prior Prima voyages to this one, why didn’t they inform passengers in advance of the known cancellation of the port stop? Why were passengers only informed at check in time? [unanswered] 

 

—————

 

Dear X, 

 

Thank you for writing in to Mr. Harry Sommer, President and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line. Your concerns were forwarded to the Guest Experience department for review and response, as our department handles customer related issues. We appreciate you choosing Norwegian Cruise Line for your vacation at sea.  

As a company we can assure you, that we do not take itinerary changes lightly and that we would only amend an itinerary when absolutely necessary as we understand the impact on our valuable guests and how much this could affect their plans. 

Such changes are often required in this industry and although we try as much as possible to deliver the initial itinerary, we never can guarantee that it will be 100% delivered.  The terms and conditions regarding itinerary changes are mentioned in our Ticket Contract and we are unable to extend further compensation than what has already been extended.  We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience and disappointment experienced due to this matter.  

We appreciate this opportunity to respond to your concerns and hope you enjoy the remainder of your cruise. As always, the onboard staff remains at your service. 

Sincerely,

X
Manager, Guest Experience
Norwegian Cruise Line

Translation: the contract says we can do this, so shut up and take it.

[insidecabin]

16 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

You also have to feel sorry for the local tour operators who are also losing income due to nothing they did, but because of the actions of NCL.

This northern Europe season for NCL is getting littered with issues.

 

The late discounts are great.

 

10n on dawn Copenhagen to Southampton with £440pp can get flight under £100.

Cheap transfer between port airport.

 

 

[MacGuffin3]

4 hours ago, ontheweb said:

if he could get a movement started and many passengers did the same/

Cool, I'm number 2 then, do you want to join us?

[UKstages]

the problem with the prefab response that the OP received is not that no additional compensation was offered (it wasn't requested). it's that none of the key questions posed were answered!

 

companies use templates and prefab responses all the time when responding to customer inquiries. that's to be expected.  but they must be customized to address the concerns unique to each individual customer. that didn't happen here and it didn't happen in my case recently when i reached out to katty bird's office. they pigeonhole you into one of their prefabricated responses.

 

in this case, that meant taking a cursory glance at the OP's letter and quickly determining that he was another customer complaining about missed ports. and that wasn't really the thrust of his inquiry at all.

 

he was asking about whether corrective measures had been put in place to ensure that passengers would have full use of all all the advertised venues on NCL ships and whether or not any necessary closures would be communicated properly to passengers. he also asked whether the information given to passengers about port cancellations was accurate and asked about how those decisions were made and communicated and why those onboard pretended that they knew nothing about it, even though the same port had been canceled in at least two prior cruises.

 

those questions remain unanswered by NCL

 

look, companies screw up all the time. it's to be expected and it is by and large accepted by their customers. what separates a progressive customer-focused company from the also-rans is how they respond when something goes awry.  have they learned anything from it? did they fix the underlying problem? are they making good with some sort of service recovery or apology?

 

NCL continues to deny and obfuscate at every customer touchpoint.

 

 

[robinium]

5 minutes ago, UKstages said:

the problem with the prefab response that the OP received is not that no additional compensation was offered (it wasn't requested). it's that none of the key questions posed were answered!

 

companies use templates and prefab responses all the time when responding to customer inquiries. that's to be expected.  but they must be customized to address the concerns unique to each individual customer. that didn't happen here and it didn't happen in my case recently when i reached out to katty bird's office. they pigeonhole you into one of their prefabricated responses.

 

in this case, that meant taking a cursory glance at the OP's letter and quickly determining that he was another customer complaining about missed ports. and that wasn't really the thrust of his inquiry at all.

 

he was asking about whether corrective measures had been put in place to ensure that passengers would have full use of all all the advertised venues on NCL ships and whether or not any necessary closures would be communicated properly to passengers. he also asked whether the information given to passengers about port cancellations was accurate and asked about how those decisions were made and communicated and why those onboard pretended that they knew nothing about it, even though the same port had been canceled in at least two prior cruises.

 

those questions remain unanswered by NCL

 

look, companies screw up all the time. it's to be expected and it is by and large accepted by their customers. what separates a progressive customer-focused company from the also-rans is how they respond when something goes awry.  have they learned anything from it? did they fix the underlying problem? are they making good with some sort of service recovery or apology?

 

NCL continues to deny and obfuscate at every customer touchpoint.

 

 

Absolutely spot on my friend, very well said. I have gone back via reply to the guest relations manager trying to focus back on these points and extract more information about what has happened. 
 

I also thought it very important to highlight in my

follow up email; none of my grievances have related to the crew on the ground on the ship, who have been excellent, and have made the cruise highly enjoyable despite all of the issues (stemming from senior management decisions). The entertainment, wait, bar and steward staff have been faultless and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed spending our nine days thus far with them. They’re a credit to NCL and the Prima. 

[UKstages]

11 minutes ago, robinium said:

The entertainment, wait, bar and steward staff have been faultless and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed spending our nine days thus far with them. They’re a credit to NCL and the Prima. 

 

ah, well, my recent experience on the prima was a little different, but, yes, with some notable and disruptive exceptions, the people are wonderful. i'll be posting a lengthy review of the prima soon. you might not agree with everything in it, but i think you'll enjoy reading it.

 

you seem to suggest that you've enjoyed the entertainment. is that just "donna" and "price is right?" or other entertainment options? i thought the entertainment on the prima was lacking.

Edited June 12, 2023 by UKstages

[insidecabin]

1 hour ago, mugtech said:

Translation: the contract says we can do this, so shut up and take it.

In Europe and the UK those(we can do what we like) clauses are overriden by statutory legislation.

[robinium]

17 minutes ago, UKstages said:

 

ah, well, my recent experience on the prima was a little different, but, yes, with some notable and disruptive exceptions, the people are wonderful. i'll be posting a lengthy review of the prima soon. you might not agree with everything in it, but i think you'll enjoy reading it.

 

you seem to suggest that you've enjoyed the entertainment. is that just "donna" and "price is right?" or other entertainment options? i thought the entertainment on the prima was lacking.

We liked Donna, but we particularly loved everything in Syd Norman’s. Those guys are absolute rockstars.

 

They also did a Donna/SydN crossover cabaret show today which was fun. There was also a band on board called Blaze Band, four guys from South Africa. Those guys have been rocking the ship down most nights, really getting everyone into it. 
 

Looking forward to your review!

Edited June 12, 2023 by robinium