Talked to NCL about my concerns about the Aloha

[elephant98]

Don't get me wrong, Gardencat. I'm definitely on your side here. I was really just trying to point out that, as with defensive driving, there are some small steps that we consumers can take to protect ourselves when dealing with bad customer service.

 

In fact, its particularly in those instances that I receive horrendous service that I take the time to speak to a manager or write a letter to let the higher ups know what it going on. Sometimes those in charge don't know what is going on and truly appreciate the heads-ups. When I have done so in the past (i.e., with Disney and Saturn), I have received many thanks from the company for pointing out a problem and received some sort of compensation for my trouble. For example, in response to a large problem that I incurred with my wedding on Disney property, Disney not only apologized, but gave me a free vacation valued at over $1200. Though, from what I've read on these boards, I doubt that one would receive any such response from NCL.

[Jeconk]

Thank you Cecilla. So let me ask you this, if NCL prints things in their brochures and then you find they are not true, what is the recourse?

 

Here are two examples:

First, from the NCL website, a description of one of the post stay hotels:

Aston Waikīkī Beach Hotel

Directly overlooking Waikīkī Beach, the Aston Waikīkī Beach Hotel is the ultimate in hip, Hawaiiana design. Check out the surfboard showers, hula skirt lamps and tattooed front desk. Continental beach breakfast is included!

 

Here is the link: http://www.ncl.com/destinations/hawaii/hotel_1.htm#3

 

Now, when we go and check in and ask about the breakfast, we are told by the front desk clerk that the Continental beach breakfast is not included in NCL's package. We pulled out our brochure and showed her the above statement and she laughed. "NCL has never included the breakfast in their package here because they don't want to pay for it." She said that others had found out the same thing and had gone to the NCL desk at the Mariott next door to complain. But she added: "it has never done any good." She also said she wished NCL would quit publishing misleading statements like that in their literature.

 

My second example is from our cruise two years ago. My parents were forced from their cabin early and had to wait in a private lounge until our time to disembark. (I too refused and they had sent for security, but our color was called before security could arrive.) After the cruise I wrote to NCL about the problem and I even quoted from their brochure about being allowed to stay in your cabin until you disembark. Here is the response I got:

 

"not everything in our brochures is always accurate. Sometimes we have to deviate from what we have printed." This was signed by a manager from the customer service department.

 

Is that grounds for false advertising?

[cnmiranda]

I didn't think you were being terse Gardencat!

 

PS, here is a picture of "Sputnick" that looks like your cat. I miss that kitty so much! I used to travel with pictures of all 5 them in my luggage ;)

 

I give up! Grrrr... I can't figure out how to make the photo bigger....

Sav5.bmp

[txin1]

We were informed about the "fee" by a memo as we checked in. I believe that insures that the staff gets tipped regardless of the job they do. This is my second post regarding this ship. I'm still very disappointed with the whole cruise experience with NCL. It's a good thing the excursions were exceptional. Think twice about this one. It's not cheap.

[cnmiranda]

Please give us a review Txin1! :)

[emcemt]

I'm going on my first NCL cruise in a few months and I have to say that I am quite nervous about what i'm gonna find out once i'm on the ship. All the other cruise line boards I read have some people that have legitamate complaints. In my opinion no other board has as many complaints as the NCL board does. For all the die hard NCL supporters...i'm sure you may have some good experiences but how can so many other people be wrong. I would venture to say that most post regarding NCL are negative ( at least the ones I have read as late.) I'm really wondering what to do with this upcoming cruise. I'll probably go (instead of cancelling) so I can experience NCL for myself and make my own decisions but boy am I getting nervous!!

[Host CMLA]

Thank you Cecilla. So let me ask you this, if NCL prints things in their brochures and then you find they are not true, what is the recourse?

Advertising is regulated by the FTC. They're the group that goes after companies that use deceptive or false advertising. If enough complaints were made against one company, they would investigate. That's what happened when several thousand senior citizens filed complaints against one of those mail in you-won-a-million-dollars sweepstakes. They were forced to chagne the wording to "you may" have won a million dollars.

 

I've found locally that contacting my consumer reporters for TV and newspaper can sometimes get results. Unfortunately, what may seem like blatant misleading information is probably worded in just a way that makes it legal for them to use it.

[gardencat]

elephant98

I don't think your plan of asking a 'sample ' question to check out a rep, is silly at all. I just think it is sad that we have to go to those lengths to get decent service from the companies who have our money.

I wonder if a company has any legal responsibility for the information theor reps give . If we could prove that we had been given certain information from a representative of the company would it be in anyway binding?

 

 

cnmiranda

I got it, but it is small. I could make it bigger but then it was sort of blurry little squares. I can see her coloring but not really the details!

[Catmomma]

Jeconk,

 

In regards your post about the Aston Waikiki Beach, I booked my 4 day stay there (post cruise) with a online travel site. I saved money, got a rental car, AND the daily breakfast. Plus I got the choice to upgrade to a room with a view.

 

My parents, on the other hand, decided to book their days there through NCL and paid about $60 more per night, no breakfast and a garden view. We are going to share the rental car.

[dhknhall]

I was on the June 13 POA cruise from LA to SF. I've posted a couple of my thoughts on cruise on another thread and I have posted my review of our cruise & the POA on this website.

 

First the Resort charge, not sure if they did this for everyone on the POA but the night before we disembarked we received a letter from the Captain stating that they knew the service wasn't up to par therefore instead of charging us $10.00 a day per person, we were only charged $5.00 per day. That saved my family about $85.00. Not sure if this makes up for everything that happened or should I say didn't happen. But this is another indication that NCL is aware of the problems they have had and are having with their service. It also means that if NCL wants to they can lower the resort charge.

 

I completed two comment cards while on baord the POA and I wrote a letter about three weeks ago to NCL (I haven't received a reply to the letter and I don't expect too in the near future. It will probably be a while).

 

I can understand how a Customer Service Rep might not be fully aware of what is transpiriing on all the ships. However, an NCLA Customer Service Manager surely must know or NCLA management above them is not doing their job. With all the postings on this website and several other cruise websites, the number of peoplethat have stated they have spoken to Mr. Deering, it seems highly unlikely that anyone in NCL management can not be aware of what is happening and what is being said about NCL.

 

I have stated this before, NCL should not discount anyone's feelings or opinion's. But take everything that is being said and try to improve the POA in every area they can. One person's perception is another person's reality. NCL would do well to take everything said and written to them seriously.

 

Okay I've rambled on enough. That's my two cents. Or maybe like half a dollar.

[Guest alexMD]

Hi,

 

Okay... as of today I have sailed on neither, but am booked on both. I'm very uneasy about NCL's creative interpretation (or confabulation). I haven't talked directly with NCL customer service. I have merely followed several months of secondhand information that I have read on CruiseCritic (much of it long since purged by the editors). This months-long history is consistent with the experience of the original poster.

 

I have talked with HAL (Holland America) directly though.

 

I have a New Year's cruise booked on HAL's Zuiderdam. I have called them a couple of times with booking questions, nitpicky questions, and requests. Each time the agent involved seemed informed, friendly, and helpful. For example: When booking my upcoming cruise, I told the agent that I found a certain price on Travelocity. The agent then said, "Please hold on a moment, Sir....I have found you a much better price for a much better cabin." That's not something I have heard very often.

 

My cruise with NCL is coming up on 8/29. I have read the initially bad (okay, maybe very bad) and now improving reviews. I am still looking forward to the cruise and am going to approach it in a completely unprejudiced manner -- as if I never read anything about NCL, NCLA, or Pride of Aloha. This will be NCL's chance to make a repeat customer out of me, or to lose me completely.

 

I've said before that I really want NCL to be successful in this endeavor, but it seems to me that if they are going to do it, they really need to spruce up their dedication to customer satisfaction. I can't imagine they are impressing the heck out of many TA's out there.

 

-------

 

CNmiranda: you paid HOW MUCH for a balcony? Yikes!! (I bet that's what you paid when you thought you were going to be on Pride of America, right?)

 

 

 

-------

 

Host Cecilia: Don't you think that it would be more appropriate for NCL to acknowledge the initial problems they may have had with the Pride of Aloha? I always find that honesty is the best policy especially when it comes to dealing with the American consumer.

 

Couldn't they say something like "Yes, we had some real problems on the first cruise, and are still having some growing pains. But our crew is motivated and learning fast. And we are still the only ones who sail a 7-day itinerary with so much time on the islands. If there are still some problems on your upcoming cruise, we will be happy to make things right or compensate you appropriately (and then of course, stand behind it).

 

Their present approach of "deny everything" seems to be similar to the way those asian countries denied the presence of the first SARS outbreak. I wonder if this is a cultural thing? Maybe admitting mistakes or problems is a sign of a very weak or reprehensible person or organization in Asia?

[Traveler39]

We should never do business with any company that lies to its customers... If NCL continues to operate as they have with this ship the Pride of Aloha and the Hawaiian cruise then I for one will look elsewhere for a Honest crusie line.... Please recommend the cruise line that you believe treats it passengers as a valuable customer.....

[newmexicoNita]

Emcent, I can understand your concerns, but first you have to read what ship or ships are getting the most negative reports versus what ship you are thinking of cruising: next, many of the worst comments come from the same readers over and over. As for Jeconk's comment; as Cecelia said, enough complaints and the so called false adverstising will stop. Apparently not enough cruisers were bothered by not getting continental breakfast voice a complaint. As for booking stays on your own versus via any cruiseline, it's normally better to search for the best deals; all the cruiseline is doing is making a nice neat package, not necessarily the cheapest. This goes for the excursions as well. We have travelled enough now to know this. Time and experience is a great thing. Only problem with time comes age, not always a good thing. LOL NMnita

[emcemt]

Nmnita...I understand your point regarding specific ships....What i'm more concerned about is the way NCL as a whole operates. Something obviously isn't right if there are so many complaints. I agree that you will always have irational people who just love to complain....but do you read the other boards? There is the occasional thread regarding one persons experience or dissatisfaction...but i think there is a lot more negative comments on the NCL boards. That is what concerns me. I'm willing to give it a shot though....just hope i'm not let down (especially cause I suggested this cruise to my familly that will be going as well).

[Jeconk]

Cecilla: Thanks for your sharing. Like so many other things, if no complaints gets filed, then nothing happens. I do remember the story about winning prizes.

 

Catmomma: You will love the hotel! It is great. The location is wonderful. Tiki's Restaurant is great and the prices are reasonable (for Waikiki). The shuttle to the shopping mall and many of the tours stop right in front of the hotel. The bellstaff went out of their way to help us. There is an ice cream store call Cold Stone Creamery on the ground level....don't miss it!!

My only complaint about the hotel is that the elevators are slow and there are not enough of them! Because we didn't get the breakfast and we thought we were going to, the desk clerk took pity on us. (mind you we never argued or yelled, just stated and showed what we had been told...afterall, it wasn't the hotels fault that NCL lied.) She upgraded us to partial ocean view rooms from the "garden view" rooms that you mentioned. These rooms were on the 6th floor overlooking the pool and lounge. (which are one the 4th.) There was quite a bit of music coming from the lounge when we went to sleep (it goes until midnight) and the drapes don't filter it out. But the music was Hawaiian music and not hard music and it actually was nice to go to sleep too. The view was so fantastic, even from the sixth floor, that we didn't care about the music or lounge noise!

I will make one suggestion: try to get an upgrade for your parents when you get there. If Garden View is what I think it is, then you parents will be staring straight into another hotel on the Diamond Head side of the hotel and from what I hear you see nothing but someone else's room!

Finally: good luck driving in Honolulu. I am so glad I didn't get a car, the traffic is extremely heavy all over(especially in Waikiki) and the locals drive like they are crazy! (when they want to change lanes, they just GO, no turn signal, no looking, just GO and the cars in the other lane had better watch out!!)

 

Alex: You ideas for what NCL should be saying about the POA problems make too much sense! Ever think about getting a job at NCL, they could use you....lol

 

NewmexicoNita: You missed my point. I don't care about the breakfast. It would have been a nice perk, but I found a great restaurant just down the street where they served HUGE breakfasts for a good price. (Catmomma: it is called "Cheeseburgers in Paradise"....also good lunches) My point was, along with my story about the Disembarkation: NCL continues to print things in their brochures and on their website, that are flat out not true!! I was just trying to give examples with the proof to back up my claims.

 

As far as why I booked my airfare and post cruise through NCL...It was a matter of conveinence. It is nice to not worry about transfers from the airport to ship, ship to hotel and hotel to airport. (also, going to a hotel means you are one of the last people off the ship allowing for a non-rushed final morning!) I don't have to mess with hotel reservations or the like. I didn't pick the Aston because of the breakfast, I picked it because of its location. I personally like that end of Waikiki. It would just be nice if NCL didn't put things in their brochures that aren't true.

[Jeconk]

I knew there was something else I wanted to add:

Someone asked me if I still had the letter NCL had in our cabins at embarkation and I do. The question was asking what the letter said about the service charge going for tips. Here is exactly what the letter says:

"A service charge, akin to a fee found at shoreside hotels and resorts, of $10.00 per person per day will be added to your onboard account. For children ages 3-12, at $5.00 per person per day charge will be added to your onboard account; there is no charge for children under the age of 3. This is a fixed service charge and is not a gratuity and therefore is not adjustable. Of course if you have any concerns about the service you receive while on board your cruise, then please bring them to the immediate attention of our reception desk staff on board so that we can address any issues in a timely manner before the cruise is over."

The second paragraph talked about the 15% service charge addes for spa and bar services of which I have heard no complaints.

[Catmomma]

[quote name='Jeconk']Catmomma: You will love the hotel! It is great. The location is wonderful. Tiki's Restaurant is great and the prices are reasonable (for Waikiki).
Finally: good luck driving in Honolulu. I am so glad I didn't get a car, the traffic is extremely heavy all over(especially in Waikiki)[/QUOTE]

One of the reasons I picked this hotel is because of "Tiki's". I collect Tiki stuff and I have a 1960's tikibar in my house so I look forward to seeing this place. I found it online before I booked the hotel!

Also I have been to Cheeseburger in Paradise in Vegas. Awesome food there!

As for hte rental car I am leaving the driving to my Dad. They have been there 5-6 times and growing up in LA the driving is similair to us California crazies :) He wanted access to a car for roaming the North Shore mainly.

[cnmiranda]

Gardencat, I'm going to have to get hubby to show me how to make the pics larger from a jpg. I tried to enlarge it too and the photo just became blurry :)

AlexMD, yes, that's what we acutally paid for our cabin. And that was the cheapest price we could find after searching extensively! All of the balcony cabins are either sold out, or almost sold out until well into next year. I guess it's the overflow from the Pride of America? I just figured the higher price was food/american worker related. But it is by no means cheap ;)

Yes, I was referring to the reviews on the cr**** ma*** message boards. I also found one on the @ddicts website, their reviews section, I think it is by a person that previously posted their review here.

[Another ship trip]

"But this fee guarantees a tip no matter how bad the service is. I don't know, i'll just keep reading when people get back"

As others have said, it does not guarantee a tip at all because it is a service fee but not going to crew--at least not initially. Remember the posts of the former pride of aloha crew? They do not get this money right away, if at all, per contracts. They may get it in vacation pay IF what crew on board told me is correct, and that may depend on when they signed on. Who knows? Remember they are paid a "good salary" according to NCL statements and tips are not required per NCL. So no, it isn't a tip. Doesn't matter--the bottom line is we still pay it or go elsewhere.

[4 cruisers]

[size=4]Okay, here we go...[/size]

[size=4]We are going on RCI for the first time...I KNOW from information on THESE boards that there are now 4 dining times on the Splendour in the
[size=4]Mediterranean[/size].....what do you think customer service told me when I called RCI to confirm that our "late" seating didn't start at 10:00 pm??!!! "We don't have 4 seatings!"[/size]

[size=4]Lack of communication! It's not just NCL. It's also NOT right. I think we must ALL be in agreement on that.[/size]

[size=4]I still had great experiences on NCL Star and Crown and hope for the same on Splendour. I don't think I'd book the first season of any ship....but if the circumstances were right, who's to say? Maybe I would.[/size]

[size=4]I hope our "American" project ends up being successful.:) [/size]

[cruisecrasy]

After reading some of the reviews on the Winds trips around the islands and to Fanning I think we should all consider this cruise over the POAs itinerary - everything is better and costs less in comparison (its a 10 day over the POAs 7)! Yah I know we wldn't get as much time in each place but enough and the difference in the cruise is like nite & day. My concern is that it won't improve on POA either and probably can't with the US labor laws (which will always result in service not being up to expectations) costing NCL more $ (among other things) so they have to make it up somewhere and that means poorer food quality, less amenities, etc. In short a worse experience for your $ on POA over the Wind...I am seriously thinking of 'jumping' ship so to speak 'cause the cruising experience is at least 1/2 the experience for me. Something to consider anyway..Happier cruisin' all!

[Zeno]

Speaking from personal experience with brochure deviations ( like a hotel not supplying continental breakfast as promised in the brochure). I ALWAYS bring the brochure with me and if a service specified in the brochure is not provided. I get the service provider to give me (in writing) an explanation. You would be amazed at how often this has resulted in the immediate provision of said service. My motto is - get EVERTHING in writing - no room for misunderstandings. Now I am not saying this would have worked in your case - who knows - but it has worked for me at caribbean resorts when dealing deviations from tour company brochures.

[newmexicoNita]

[quote name='emcemt']Nmnita...I understand your point regarding specific ships....What i'm more concerned about is the way NCL as a whole operates. Something obviously isn't right if there are so many complaints. I agree that you will always have irational people who just love to complain....but do you read the other boards? There is the occasional thread regarding one persons experience or dissatisfaction...but i think there is a lot more negative comments on the NCL boards. That is what concerns me. I'm willing to give it a shot though....just hope i'm not let down (especially cause I suggested this cruise to my familly that will be going as well).[/QUOTE]
What ship did you say, or did you? I still say, keep the mind open, know what to expect and I bet you will be surprised! There are a couple of NCL ships I think I would stay clear of, and as for the negative: I still say if yu pay close attention you will see the same people (there are about 4 or 5) that post the negatives all the time. Some of them use different names but are the same people. We all are aware POA is a problem right now: we know the Dream has had engine problems and the Majesty gets mixed reviews. The Spirit, Star, Sun and Dawn are coming back with mostly raving reviews. This does mean we won't see some negatives as we all have our own expectations. I know how you feel about recommending a cruise: we are cruising with 2 other couples in November and they the choice to me. I am very nervous about my decision, but know it will work out. NMNita

[Jeconk]

Good point Zeno! I did have the brochure with me at the hotel and showed it to the clerk. That is what precepitated her comment about NCL. It was NCL's brochure and therefore, the hotel had nothing to do with it. I don't fault the hotel and they did give us a free upgrade in room type. The very nice desk clerk told us we could take up our concerns with the NCL rep at their desk at the Mariott Hotel across the street. (the clerk also informed us that NCL "used to have a desk in this hotel too, but closed it because they didn't want to pay rent.") I knew it would be a waste of time, as usual, to go to the NCL desk and besides the breakfast wasn't that important.

I still think my point about the breakfast is being misunderstood. I am not upset about the fact that we didn't get the breakfast, the most upsetting thing is that NCL continues to print bold faced LIES in their brochures and on their website. This fact of continual lying doesn't upset the rest of you?

[gardencat]

Jeconk

It upsets me, but it doesn't seem to upset most people here, and they are getting tired of having those of us whom it does upset bringing it up.
I'm beginning to see why NCL thinks they can get away with all those lies.