Minor gripe about online check-in, but gripe nonetheless

[JGmf]

No, it's not the end of the world, but c'mon NCL:  I've sailed on you over 15 times, 3 times in the past year. 

 

Stop asking all the same questions at check-in about whether I sailed with you in the past, what my passport number is, how you need me to upload my photo, etc. 

 

I've pivoted to Princess of late; and they don't ask you any of that stuff after your first cruise.  It's quick and easy...in fact, all of their tech is way more advanced than you.

 

Do better NCL.

[complawyer]

while we've cruise with ncl 28 x"s. and i agree the check in process is a pain in the tushie, but come on, realistically, is it that much trouble, maybe 15 minutes at most. if  youre gonna gripe, try and make it a major gripe, check in process (imho) is a minor inconvenience

[9tee2Sea]

I would rather have to re-enter all that personal info, than have it stored on file, which can be easily hacked.  It's much worse to keep changing passwords and trying to remember which site uses what password.  

[JGmf]

@complawyer

I agree it's a minor gripe. That's why I called it to begin with.  It's nonetheless lame on their part.

 

@9tee2Sea

Sorry, but entering that stuff again is a waste of time.  They already have our credit card and passport information in their databases....ready to be hacked by anyone smart enough with enough time to do so.  Entering it again is perplexing.  It's not about data security.

[9tee2Sea]

3 minutes ago, JGmf said:

@complawyer

I agree it's a minor gripe. That's why I called it to begin with.  It's nonetheless lame on their part.

 

@9tee2Sea

Sorry, but entering that stuff again is a waste of time.  They already have our credit card and passport information in their databases....ready to be hacked by anyone smart enough with enough time to do so.  Entering it again is perplexing.  It's not about data security.

just my opinion.  I feel it is security related, and that's why we re-enter.  Although, when I do travel by air, the airlines have my trusted traveler information on file.  But like I say, I dont care if I have to re-enter

[UKstages]

23 minutes ago, 9tee2Sea said:

I would rather have to re-enter all that personal info, than have it stored on file, which can be easily hacked.

 

i hate to be the bearer of bad news, but all your info is stored on file, anyway, and can still be hacked. and that makes it even more of a mystery why NCL asks you to enter it all again each time you sail. doubly upsetting when you have to check in for a B2B and do it all over again just a week or so after you just did it. 

 

i'm on team @JGmf on this one. NCL information technology is state of the art... assuming you had a time machine and went back to 1997.

 

on my preferred airline website, i entered my passport number once nine years ago and will only have to enter it again next year when i get a new passport. hilton knows who i am, so does marriott and hyatt. but every time i sail with NCL, they treat me like... "i'm sorry...  UK who?" and that's with being logged in to the website!

 

and every time i visit that website, i'm asked if i want to sign up for their newsletters! every time! and every time i search within the same session for a new cruise i'm asked if i'm my party has more than two people. every time!

 

it's the online equivalent of asking if i have any allergies.

 

enough!

 

Edited May 13 by UKstages

[schmoopie17]

They should at least to be able to store your picture,,,which is the most aggravating part of the check-in process. If someone wants to steal/hack my picture, go for it. (They won't like it and will want to give it back...)

[KansasTexan]

Doesn't your passport number change when you renew it?

[ggTexasGal]

2 minutes ago, KansasTexan said:

Doesn't your passport number change when you renew it?

Yes, it does!

[JGmf]

1 minute ago, ggTexasGal said:

3 minutes ago, KansasTexan said:

Doesn't your passport number change when you renew it?

Yes, it does!

 

It sure does change, but pre-load the information, including your photo, and then ask to update whatever needs updating...should it need updating.  It would take grade school programming skills to make that happen...

[UKstages]

yes, your passport number changes when you renew. 

 

in post #6, i said "i entered my passport number once nine years ago and will only have to enter it again next year when i get a new passport."

[bluesea777]

8 minutes ago, KansasTexan said:

Doesn't your passport number change when you renew it?

Yes, and also did you go grey or change your hair colour/style since the last time you cruised?

 

I’m for re-inputting the details every time we do online check in. 
 

 

[shof515]

its not just norwegian with this issue. i did an online check in for another cruise line and they too never save all of my previous information

[ChiefMateJRK]

(removed)

Edited May 13 by ChiefMateJRK

[BirdTravels]

NCL is nowhere as painful as MSC. It wants a Live Photo and in March I went from a cell phone to iPad to laptop to laptop with external webcam before I got it to take. Then it wants a Live Photo of your passport. Same game. Arrggg. 

[jkbec101]

I still don't understand the waiting until 21 days prior.  Let me enter most of the information when I book the cruise or at least when I make the final payment.

[UKstages]

4 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

NCL is nowhere as painful as MSC. It wants a Live Photo...

 

in practice, NCL checkin agents often insist on retaking the photo... nothing wrong with the photo submitted online... good lighting, framed properly, looking straight at the camera, no hat...  they either do not understand the rules or think that they are required to snap a photo for everybody or they are on some sort of power trip. 

[BirdTravels]

1 minute ago, UKstages said:

 

in practice, NCL checkin agents often insist on retaking the photo... nothing wrong with the photo submitted online... good lighting, framed properly, looking straight at the camera, no hat...  they either do not understand the rules or think that they are required to snap a photo for everybody or they are on some sort of power trip. 

I was told by one agent that if someone complains about the photo along the way, they get in trouble for “letting it pass” so she just retakes them so that there is no way of challenging that the photo is “good”. 

[shof515]

6 minutes ago, jkbec101 said:

I still don't understand the waiting until 21 days prior.  Let me enter most of the information when I book the cruise or at least when I make the final payment.

somewhat seems like industry standard now. Royal is about 45 days prior, carnival is 14-16 days prior

[UKstages]

5 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

I was told by one agent that if someone complains about the photo along the way, they get in trouble for “letting it pass” so she just retakes them so that there is no way of challenging that the photo is “good”. 

 

yes, that is an instance of NCL contract employees just making up their own policies for their convenience. who is the "someone?" does that mean a guest? a guest doesn't like the photo? or does that mean some security person at a port down the road says the photo is not acceptable and somehow sends word back through guest services to scold the contract check-in agent?

 

in any case, i use professional headshots.

 

it may be a uniquely new york thing, but i find that most of the check-in agents at the MCT have a problem with submitted photos and insist on retaking them.

[RocketMan275]

1 hour ago, JGmf said:

 

It sure does change, but pre-load the information, including your photo, and then ask to update whatever needs updating...should it need updating.  It would take grade school programming skills to make that happen...

Too many will ignore the instructions to update changed information.

Requiring you to re-enter is the best way to ensure the information is current.

[RocketMan275]

7 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

I was told by one agent that if someone complains about the photo along the way, they get in trouble for “letting it pass” so she just retakes them so that there is no way of challenging that the photo is “good”. 

Retaking the photo is one way to ensure there is no challenge.  A challenge at a later point may not be in your best interest.  

[UKstages]

it's not up to the guest to remember to proactively change the information.

 

proper programming will ensure that the data gets changed... you will be requested to provide new data when the old data has expired or is invalid. just like if you enter an incorrect zip code or fail to select an appropriate country for your telephone number. 

 

if the site is designed properly, they wouldn't let you proceed until the data is updated. in the case of your passport, they know the expiration date. you'd get an error message and would not be able to check in if you don't update the data.

 

ever try to check out at an online merchant if you have a saved but expired credit card on file? they will ask you to update.

[jules181]

Some of us have multiple passports and depending on the destination and ports we might want to use one over another. 

 

I also had a situation where my passport was damaged and needed to be replaced 3 years into 10. 

 

Having me enter it every time is the best way to verify.  I'd rather take the extra few seconds than have customs/immigration flag my file for something outdated.  

 

Sometimes I cruise with my emergency contact. 

 

I don't think it's ever taken me more than 5 minutes to check in. Is this really a problem?

[UKstages]

yes. it is a problem. it shows a remarkably inept web design team and a general cluelessness when it comes to customer relationship marketing. their team lacks the insight and perspective and skills to bring the check-in experience to the 21st century.

 

i can assure you that they weren't thinking of people with multiple passports when they designed their check-in experience. in any case, that's an outlier. most of their guests do not have multiple passports. (many of their guests don't even have one passport!) and nothing would stop those guests from entering the data for the passport which they wish to use. nor would anything stop those guests from updating a damaged passport, which, again, is an outlier experience. 

 

if people with multiple passports or ever-changing data is really a pain point, they can design the user interface with a check box to select if you want the system to retain your data... or not. that's a user interface that works for you and works for me and provides a custom experience that recognizes us both as returning customers.

 

Edited May 14 by UKstages