Cabins not ready until 4:30- is this a thing now?!

[LMaxwell]

6 hours ago, RB9643 said:

 

And your counter-actions to these supposed free passes are .....

 

 

Tell companies when I don't like how they run things

Spend money at competitors 

 

We all have choices. 

[hallux]

9 hours ago, All-ready2cruise said:

I had a great cruise thanks to the staff and crew.  I boarded the Escape on June 25th, I can't even image the trauma suffered by the crew, the staff, the officers and those passengers still on the ship. 

Image what the crew must have gone threw just trying to get settled enough to go forward with their work for those of us to board the ship after going through to tragedy of losing a port worker and the injury of another.

Was it published that those injured/deceased were port workers?  They were people in a pleasure craft that struck a ferry, causing the pleasure craft to sink and one on board to perish.  Other than involving a ferry and being in the channel, there really was no association to the cruise line or port workers from what I understand.  I don't see how the employees on the ship would be effected as you wrote...

Edited July 10, 2023 by hallux

[All-ready2cruise]

I only got texts from friends about the accident, so some of my info could wrong, my apologies. As far as the cruise line workers go, they were upset to hear about the death and at that time they didn't know who was affected.  

[njkate]

Ehhh who knows anymore 

Was on Dawn back in March it was late before cabins were ready, then every day my cabin wasn’t serviced until around 3, yes someone is first and someone is last it didn’t impact my cruise but it was noticeable that service was slipping.

Long lines and long waits for drinks at Bimini bar, they were slammed and one bartender got quite grumpy, but I would of been grumpy as well.

Have a cruise booked on Jewel for Alaska next month, will see how that goes, I may end up cancelling my trans Atlantic especially with the issues regarding tendering people currently on Dawn are reporting in the British Isles

[Barb Nahoumi]

5 hours ago, SpainAlien said:

I had a similar experience on Dawn in June and when posting on CC about it got a lot of negative posts saying that I was either not being truthful or over reacting. I am sorry that you are experiencing this, I was hoping that my experience was a one-off.  Go to guest services and make a complaint, it is only by people complaining on the ship that anything will change otherwise it will be assumed to be acceptable.

I was told that NCL reads the comments that we make on Cruise Critic.  Hopefully, they will take what we are saying into consideration, and make corrections.  Passengers don't want staff cuts, or service cuts, while paying increased DSC.

[LoungerOnBalcony55]

7 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

They have more people sailing than ever before, at higher per diem than ever before. 

They're still burning through TONS of future cruise credits from the shutdown. 

 

7 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

What we don't need is a forum full of quasi-employees

Amen - might even not be that "quasi"

 

[LMaxwell]

12 minutes ago, LoungerOnBalcony55 said:

They're still burning through TONS of future cruise credits from the shutdown. 

 

Are they? Most FCC's are going to run out of sail by date, some amount of people will *never* redeem them for any reason, and prices are up so high compared to pre-covid that the FCC's are more of a coupon than any sort of freebie from the cruise line. 

 

My entire point was that individuals are charged *more* per day for services, receive less services because the staff is overloaded, and fellow guests make pleas of understanding and acceptance. No one on this forum has blamed a single front line worker because their management overloaded them and did not provide the resources needed to meet the expectations set by the company. 

 

The mere suggestion to attempt to hold management accountable is met by a literal arm-locked army of future gold medal olympians who are able to contort and twist themselves with alacrity to defend the indefensible. 

 

I think it's perfectly reasonable to expect access to a clean room by 1-2pm on boarding day of a ship. For years we were told that cruise ship jobs were amazing opportunities for those who were there. Now that there are less, ships are bigger, and daily charges higher, shouldn't these employees be making significantly more money? Wouldn't that attract more talent? Who ultimately decides how much resources to hire, train, and deploy? Management 

 

 

Lol. Nope.

[wolft927]

2 minutes ago, LMaxwell said:

Are they? Most FCC's are going to run out of sail by date, some amount of people will *never* redeem them for any reason, and prices are up so high compared to pre-covid that the FCC's are more of a coupon than any sort of freebie from the cruise line. 

 

My entire point was that individuals are charged *more* per day for services, receive less services because the staff is overloaded, and fellow guests make pleas of understanding and acceptance. No one on this forum has blamed a single front line worker because their management overloaded them and did not provide the resources needed to meet the expectations set by the company. 

 

The mere suggestion to attempt to hold management accountable is met by a literal arm-locked army of future gold medal olympians who are able to contort and twist themselves with alacrity to defend the indefensible. 

 

I think it's perfectly reasonable to expect access to a clean room by 1-2pm on boarding day of a ship. For years we were told that cruise ship jobs were amazing opportunities for those who were there. Now that there are less, ships are bigger, and daily charges higher, shouldn't these employees be making significantly more money? Wouldn't that attract more talent? Who ultimately decides how much resources to hire, train, and deploy? Management 

 

 

Lol. Nope.

So I will speak to experience as a former Cruise Line Employee as well as a NCL Cruiser also. Turn around day is always insane. I have boarded the ship as early as say 10:30 to 11:am and the cabins were ready between 1 and 2pm. But also this past Joy Cruise embarkation started around 12:30 due to USCG inspection and cabins were not available till around 3:30. NCL does not have a set time when they release cabin just like they can not predict a set time when disembarkation will be completed. 

In my previous years working on ships, once the debark PAX number hits 0, meaning all guest from previous cruise has left, embarkation typically starts within 15 minutes. 

[WMQueenie]

When we went on our first cruise in 2005, I was amazed at the cabins being serviced 2 times a day.  The turn down at night with a chocolate on my pillow, the towel animal (yes, I love them!) and the room lighting was perfect...ice bucket filled up twice a day.  These things made us fall in love with cruising, being pampered like no hotel on land ever did.  We always got into our cabin by 1:30-2:00 which was welcomed because of the long travel day to get there, I just wanted to flop on the bed and take in a deep breath saying, ahhhhh...we're finally onboard!  Slowly these things have been dwindling and although it won't stop us from cruising, it is disappointing. 

[LMaxwell]

10 minutes ago, wolft927 said:

But also this past Joy Cruise embarkation started around 12:30 due to USCG inspection and cabins were not available till around 3:30.

What other job tasks are hotel staff doing during the USCG inspection? 

[tony s]

8 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

Do you work for the company, or are you a paying guest? 

 

They have more people sailing than ever before, at higher per diem than ever before. 

 

What we don't need is a forum full of quasi-employees or apologists who will be happy for 6pm room entry and $30 a day service charges.  Keep giving them free passes to give you less and charge you more and it will happen

 

I’m paying for service not to be understanding. To wait until after 4 for a semi clean room, no! If enough folks have conversations with management and pull the first day DSC, then will come with a solution fast including hiring more or make “ management “ assist.

[LMaxwell]

7 minutes ago, tony s said:

I’m paying for service not to be understanding. 

Agreed

[DCGuy64]

58 minutes ago, Barb Nahoumi said:

I was told that NCL reads the comments that we make on Cruise Critic.  Hopefully, they will take what we are saying into consideration, and make corrections.  Passengers don't want staff cuts, or service cuts, while paying increased DSC.

I hope they read mine: Dear NCL, you're doing a great job, we've never had a problem with a cabin being dirty, take the negatives with a grain of salt because most passengers are happy. Our rooms have never taken until 4:30 to be ready which means the OP is an outlier. Carry on!

[vacation44]

7 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

I hope they read mine: Dear NCL, you're doing a great job, we've never had a problem with a cabin being dirty, take the negatives with a grain of salt because most passengers are happy. Our rooms have never taken until 4:30 to be ready which means the OP is an outlier. Carry on!

However, you have not cruised (according to your cruise list) since the recent changes.  

 

 

[njkate]

32 minutes ago, WMQueenie said:

When we went on our first cruise in 2005, I was amazed at the cabins being serviced 2 times a day.  The turn down at night with a chocolate on my pillow, the towel animal (yes, I love them!) and the room lighting was perfect...ice bucket filled up twice a day.  These things made us fall in love with cruising, being pampered like no hotel on land ever did.  We always got into our cabin by 1:30-2:00 which was welcomed because of the long travel day to get there, I just wanted to flop on the bed and take in a deep breath saying, ahhhhh...we're finally onboard!  Slowly these things have been dwindling and although it won't stop us from cruising, it is disappointing. 

Sadly unless one has the money to pony up to a luxury liner, those days are over never to return

[DCGuy64]

15 minutes ago, vacation44 said:

However, you have not cruised (according to your cruise list) since the recent changes.  

 

 

Which were when?

[bkrickles1]

I'm sailing Joy in 13 days, so I guess I'll be finding out myself.

We always get to the pier very early to hopefully be on board before 11:30AM, so that could mean almost 5 hours until our cabin is ready.

There may be some in my group of 13 that might not be happy with such a long wait and it'll probably be the ones with small children, but we'll persevere and thoroughly enjoy our time eating, drinking, exploring and getting our reservations and whatever else squared away!

And while I understand the complaints, be careful what you wish for.

NCL could be looking at the negative feedback and decide on a solution that would make me and many others very unhappy.

They could decide to delay boarding from around 11am until 3pm. That way even the first to board would have a very short wait and many would be able to go directly to their cabins.

I, for one, would not like this. I love the first few hours on board! It's so exciting and there's plenty to do.

Of course the best solution is to have more stewards and get it all done by 1pm, like it used to be, but maybe that ship has sailed. Lmao!

I will add that regardless of how or when the cabins get done, they must be totally clean! This absolutely must be the case 100% of the time and, if it wasn't, that would lead me to express my displeasure to the proper people in charge.

Anyway, I'm not expecting any of this to happen. I believe my sailing in 13 days will be epic, like all the others I've been on!!

[LoungerOnBalcony55]

I 100% guarantee NCL will soon offer a priority embarkation day cabin prep option at a premium fee...for your convenience of course. 

[DCGuy64]

1 minute ago, LoungerOnBalcony55 said:

I 100% guarantee NCL will soon offer a priority embarkation day cabin prep option at a premium fee...for your convenience of course. 

What's the guarantee in case they don't? Do I get a free cruise from you, drinks package, etc? 😉

[JustAPilot]

Meanwhile on the Carnival ships you got people in scooters throwing haymakers and brawls starting in the night club, I guess pick your poison? 😂

[insidecabin]

57 minutes ago, njkate said:

Sadly unless one has the money to pony up to a luxury liner, those days are over never to return

MSC in Europe are doing ok maintaining service levels as long as you avoid the overcrowded school holidays.

(US it seems there are other issues with passenger demographic)

[Twolittleboys]

1 hour ago, DCGuy64 said:

I hope they read mine: Dear NCL, you're doing a great job, we've never had a problem with a cabin being dirty, take the negatives with a grain of salt because most passengers are happy. Our rooms have never taken until 4:30 to be ready which means the OP is an outlier. Carry on!

 

Outlier or not: On my transatlantic cruise on Norwegian Getaway cabins on my deck were not ready until a couple of minutes before 5pm. A senior employee let me through the closed (not locked) doors to my hallway around 4:20 pm, feeling sorry for me, camped out on the nearby stairs so I got in a little earlier.

 

[bkrickles1]

4 minutes ago, Twolittleboys said:

 

Outlier or not: On my transatlantic cruise on Norwegian Getaway cabins on my deck were not ready until a couple of minutes before 5pm. A senior employee let me through the closed (not locked) doors to my hallway around 4:20 pm, feeling sorry for me, camped out on the nearby stairs so I got in a little earlier.

 

This makes no sense to me.

Why camp out on the stairs?

There's an entire ship with beautiful areas inside and outside to relax and do pretty much anything you can do for the whole trip.

Drink, eat, explore, swim, hang out on the Waterfront. So much to do and see.

I always see people camped out by the closed doors or stairs and I'm always dumbfounded.

Cruise fun starts the minute we board and doesn't stop until we disembark!

[insidecabin]

53 minutes ago, bkrickles1 said:

I'm sailing Joy in 13 days, so I guess I'll be finding out myself.

We always get to the pier very early to hopefully be on board before 11:30AM, so that could mean almost 5 hours until our cabin is ready.

There may be some in my group of 13 that might not be happy with such a long wait and it'll probably be the ones with small children, but we'll persevere and thoroughly enjoy our time eating, drinking, exploring and getting our reservations and whatever else squared away!

And while I understand the complaints, be careful what you wish for.

NCL could be looking at the negative feedback and decide on a solution that would make me and many others very unhappy.

They could decide to delay boarding from around 11am until 3pm. That way even the first to board would have a very short wait and many would be able to go directly to their cabins.

I, for one, would not like this. I love the first few hours on board! It's so exciting and there's plenty to do.

Of course the best solution is to have more stewards and get it all done by 1pm, like it used to be, but maybe that ship has sailed. Lmao!

I will add that regardless of how or when the cabins get done, they must be totally clean! This absolutely must be the case 100% of the time and, if it wasn't, that would lead me to express my displeasure to the proper people in charge.

Anyway, I'm not expecting any of this to happen. I believe my sailing in 13 days will be epic, like all the others I've been on!!

Many cruises they can't delay the start of embarkation as they need to get everyone on the ship to meet the sailaway deadlines.

 

Current cruise that was 4pm, the previous one 5pm

 

Changes to those times has a knock-on effect

 

Outside the US they often start embarkation before the ship has been 0 counted as there are no restrictions most places.

 

We gave our steward the day off today. problem was this is the day they load the cabin with the next cruise linen to reduce the workload on changeover, had to visit anyway.

 

[chillyw]

19 minutes ago, insidecabin said:

MSC in Europe are doing ok maintaining service levels as long as you avoid the overcrowded school holidays.

(US it seems there are other issues with passenger demographic)

 

I might avoid the Seaside for the time being though: 

 

 

https://wwwn.cdc.gov/InspectionQueryTool/InspectionDetailReport.aspx?ColI=MjEyNjA0NTY%3d-a9ov%2by%2b%2f%2bqU%3d