Is NCL's compensation to displaced Dawn passengers fair?

[Guienevere_Arianette]

It is sad. Whenever the topic has been about marketing or advertising (the cruise lines marketing of the recent ads on CC) I comment because my undergraduate degree and my master's degree are both in Advertising. Some of the members here then make fun of it. I guess it's intimidating to other people when you outshine them. :D For me it's been the best thing I ever did. Good luck to you on finishing your schooling. What career calls for so much education?

 

I'm currently an English prof (rhetoric, composition, and literature), but I'd like to be able to teach history, as well, so I went for the second M.A. Since I'm not willing to relocate right now for a Ph.D., I figured two M.A.s would give me an edge :D

[Ralph413]

My last comment on this subject. I called NCL on Saturday was put on hold for almost 1/2 hr for a supervisor, rep comes back and said "I don't want you to wait any longer but they probably can't do anything for you anyway call back Monday for a supervisor if you want". I called yesterday (Monday) rep can't help me puts me on hold for 1/2hr never returned to the line. I got the supervisor's voice mail, left my cellphone number and never heard from them. I hope the service on their ship is better than their customer service lines.Good luck Everyone.:)

[nyyleeroy]

My last comment on this subject. I called NCL on Saturday was put on hold for almost 1/2 hr for a supervisor, rep comes back and said "I don't want you to wait any longer but they probably can't do anything for you anyway call back Monday for a supervisor if you want". I called yesterday (Monday) rep can't help me puts me on hold for 1/2hr never returned to the line. I got the supervisor's voice mail, left my cellphone number and never heard from them. I hope the service on their ship is better than their customer service lines.Good luck Everyone.:)

 

Can't speak for everyone, but this pretty much sums up the basis for my frustration with the situation...it's not the 25%, but the fact that NCL has been of almost NO help when it comes to us re-booking our vacations. I was lucky enough to have a TA that was able to put a hold on a cabin for us Friday night through the weekend. I spoke to her yesterday morning around 9:30 and was told we were good to go as far as re-booking (Spirit - 5/19). She re-confirmed my credit card info and contact details from the Dawn booking and put me on hold to confirm the reservation with NCL. After about 10 minutes on hold, she came back and apologized, said it was taking a while due to problems with the Norwegian system. Offered to call me back but I didn't mind waiting if it meant confirmation. 10 more minutes and she came back, again apologized and said she'd call me back. I offered to wait, but she felt bad as they told her it might take "5 - 10 more minutes" to confirm the booking. I heard back from her 3 hours later saying it still wasn't done, mainly because of the computer issues. She knew I was stressing about this though, and wanted to let me know that everything was ok, and she was hoping to have confirmation by around 2pm. Another 2.5 hours later, she called me again to reassure me that everything was alright, and my wife and I would be getting our cruise. HOWEVER, the hold up now was because they couldn't figure out how to bill us!!!!!!! NCL wasn't sure whether to deduct the cost of this cruise from the money we had paid for the now-canceled Dawn sailing and refund us the difference (new cruise is less) or bill us in full and refund us the original purchase price "when they get around to it"

 

TA was hoping to have an answer by close of business yesterday, but assured me we had the reservation...now, at noon on day 2, I'm STILL waiting for my confirm.

[vowsatsea]

Can't speak for everyone, but this pretty much sums up the basis for my frustration with the situation...it's not the 25%, but the fact that NCL has been of almost NO help when it comes to us re-booking our vacations. I was lucky enough to have a TA that was able to put a hold on a cabin for us Friday night through the weekend. I spoke to her yesterday morning around 9:30 and was told we were good to go as far as re-booking (Spirit - 5/19). She re-confirmed my credit card info and contact details from the Dawn booking and put me on hold to confirm the reservation with NCL. After about 10 minutes on hold, she came back and apologized, said it was taking a while due to problems with the Norwegian system. Offered to call me back but I didn't mind waiting if it meant confirmation. 10 more minutes and she came back, again apologized and said she'd call me back. I offered to wait, but she felt bad as they told her it might take "5 - 10 more minutes" to confirm the booking. I heard back from her 3 hours later saying it still wasn't done, mainly because of the computer issues. She knew I was stressing about this though, and wanted to let me know that everything was ok, and she was hoping to have confirmation by around 2pm. Another 2.5 hours later, she called me again to reassure me that everything was alright, and my wife and I would be getting our cruise. HOWEVER, the hold up now was because they couldn't figure out how to bill us!!!!!!! NCL wasn't sure whether to deduct the cost of this cruise from the money we had paid for the now-canceled Dawn sailing and refund us the difference (new cruise is less) or bill us in full and refund us the original purchase price "when they get around to it"

 

TA was hoping to have an answer by close of business yesterday, but assured me we had the reservation...now, at noon on day 2, I'm STILL waiting for my confirm.

 

 

Yeah, I totally agree with you. When I called on Friday, I just wanted to ask some basic questions. The first woman argued with me that my cruise wasn't cancelled. When I finally recommended that she at least take my booking # and look it up, she'll see that it was indeed, cancelled. She finally agreed to do that, and she acknowledged that it was cancelled. Before I even got to ask my first question, she put me on hold and never came back. Someone else eventually picked up and I told her the name of the girl I was just talking to and that she never came back. She asked me for her name, put me on hold, came back 15 minutes later and said, "Oh, I can't find her." I told her that was fine and that I just had a couple of questions. She couldn't answer any single question of mine, and when I expressed my frustration about not being able to figure out what to do next, I was told, "Well, you'll have to figure something out." Or something along those lines.

 

You would think that because they cancelled, they would at least be more than willing (and at least pleasant) on the phone.

[Jana]

Good customer service is defined by how happy you are with the outcome.

If you don't get what you want, it's bad customer service in your eyes and you'll remember that in the future. A company's customer service rating with a consumer can change at any time no matter how good it was in the past.

 

I disagree. Things go wrong all the time, in every facet of one's life. The issue isn't so much "what went wrong," but how the issue is resolved. Even if not everyone is 100% satisfied, good customer service which shows a caring and compassionate attitude towards the customer goes way beyond the "100% satisfaction" ratio.

 

You're young enough so that Nordstrom's customer service protocols would have been included in your Advertising syllabus. If it wasn't, search for it, because it's taught in B-schools from Wharton to Stanford.

 

The next problem wouldn't erase the good will of the previous problem if the customer were aware that the problem would be resolved with caring and compassion, even if it weren't 100% satisfactory.

 

Jana

[Host CMLA]

I disagree.

That's fine. I do market research in my job. I speak from real world data collected by unbiased scientific method. But you can feel differently.

[songanddance]

Smells like a dead horse here.

[justjan2]

Are the 25% discounts transferrable? If yes, I would think peolple could sell them if they don't want to use them. I know I would interested in buying one.

[Jana]

That's fine. I do market research in my job. I speak from real world data collected by unbiased scientific method. But you can feel differently.

 

So are you saying that good customer service is meaningless? That's what I am getting from your comments.

 

(By the way, I was not in any way questioning or commenting on your credentials.)

[electricron]

It appears from recent posts from several threads:

 

(1) Those willing to book on the Spiritor to another NCL ship, either the weeks of the Dawn's cancelled cruises, earlier, and later, are fairing well, with upgrades in cabins and the 25% credit easily covering the fares.

(2) Those willing to only book the Dawn but choosing earlier rather than later, are faring well, with the 25% credit covering the fares.

(3) Those willing to only book the Dawn later than the cancelled cruises, are generally not fairing well, with a few exceptions willing to forego their 25% credit.

 

Just observing what I've read the last two days.

Has anyone been able to rebook the Dawn after the cancelled cruises within the NCL's compensation offer?

[jentroubles]

I disagree--- I have been hitting nothing but a brick wall! I am trying to rebook Spirit instead of Dawn for the June 2nd date. Moved from an II on the Dawn down to K guaranteed as it was all they had left :mad:

 

Right now even with the 25% it is still averaging $150 MORE per person than I would have paid on the Dawn. Now yes, I am getting an extra day, but at a greatly inferior cabin.

 

 

(and again, this is my second cancellation in a row-- I was left standing by the dock in Charleston over New Year's)

[Host CMLA]

So are you saying that good customer service is meaningless? That's what I am getting from your comments.

Not at all. In the age of instant everything, the research I've done and read says that loyalty lies with the company that can do what you want when you want it for the price you want to pay. Research says that money talks. Customer service means something to the consumer as long as everything is good. As in the cases of these canceled cruises, some have rebooked with other cruise lines because of the way they've been treated by NCL. Right now that other cruise line has great customer service and accommodated them quickly. But what if that cruise line then canceled their rescheduled cruise? Would they be loyal to that line and not go somewhere else even though initially they gave great service? No, they'd go with another line that could meet their needs. The bottom line is when people are spending "their hard earned money on a vacation they can only take once a year," they're going to go with the one that comes through for them. And then they'll come back next year...unless, of course, there's a problem that turns them off and suddenly the good customer service turns bad.

 

Having said all that...customer service is usually good enough for people. The situation right now with canceled cruises is not something that happens everyday that requires outstanding customer service. So most consumers never have a need to speak to a manager or escalate it to discussing it on a message board. So there is a lot of loyalty out there and it means something to the company. But in these rarer cases where something goes wrong, that's when consumers switch brands.

(By the way, I was not in any way questioning or commenting on your credentials.)

I didn't think you were. I was just saying that it's OK if you disagree with me. Lots of people do. :) I can only go by what I know through my work.

[Don Haynes]

Are the 25% discounts transferrable? If yes, I would think peolple could sell them if they don't want to use them. I know I would interested in buying one.

 

No. You don't get the credit unless you use them for the next cruise. Thus there is nothing to sell.

[Jana]

Customer service means something to the consumer as long as everything is good. ... I was just saying that it's OK if you disagree with me. Lots of people do. :) I can only go by what I know through my work.

 

Actually, I agree with you more than I don't. But most reasonable people (the operative word being "reasonable") recognize when an effort is being made and conversely, recognize when they are being "blown off." I am not basing my comments on just a cruise, which brings with it all sorts of baggage when it goes wrong, but on customer service in general.

 

I know that most people react to a sincere "I'm sorry" or "I can't do what you want me to do, but let's look at what I CAN do" with a positive attitude and are likely to keep using that provider of goods and services because of the impact of empathy... no matter what the outcome is. I don't have your scientific data to back that up, just years and years of experience as a customer service manager for a major airline, (talk about incendiary situations!) and as a consumer myself.

 

Jana

[stan1]

Jana's comment about "empathy" was apparently good enough for her and the airline that empoyed her, since the airlines have limited choices in responding to problems, and from what we continue to read from just-released FAA statistics,continue to have major problems. But cruise lines have MANY choices, including offering the same space at the same price on another available date on any itinerary of the same length: some cruise lines (Celebrity, for one)have done this, some have offered refund and a free analogous cruise. When Cunard had major problems last year on a cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to So America (many missed ports, severely truncated shore time in other ports- all due to the ship hitting something at FLL)and intitially offered inadequate passenger compensation, the passesngers on board rebelled appropriately until Cunard Corporate (owned by Carnival Corporation)changed to offer to a reasonable one. Unfortunately, the media has given NO publicity to this NCL problem, my TA did not know about it, since he had no passsengers on this cruise,and without Cruise Critic most of us would have be ignorant of this event. So, Carol may not get her proper compensation due to the crass, selfish, and unfair approach of NCL management. The sad response of the uninformed NCL reservationists (detailed above by another dispaced NCL passenger)is further proof of the attitude and poor management overall of NCL . I suspect NCL will not care about any of this, since so few of us are aware of NCL's attitude and our booking other cruise lines will matter little since the general public and TA's will continue to book NCL cruises. A nice "60 Minute" segment on cancelled cruises might help.

[electricron]

Jana's comment about "empathy" was apparently good enough for her and the airline that empoyed her, since the airlines have limited choices in responding to problems, and from what we continue to read from just-released FAA statistics,continue to have major problems. But cruise lines have MANY choices, including offering the same space at the same price on another available date on any itinerary of the same length: some cruise lines (Celebrity, for one)have done this, some have offered refund and a free analogous cruise. When Cunard had major problems last year on a cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to So America (many missed ports, severely truncated shore time in other ports- all due to the ship hitting something at FLL)and intitially offered inadequate passenger compensation, the passesngers on board rebelled appropriately until Cunard Corporate (owned by Carnival Corporation)changed to offer to a reasonable one. Unfortunately, the media has given NO publicity to this NCL problem, my TA did not know about it, since he had no passsengers on this cruise,and without Cruise Critic most of us would have be ignorant of this event. So, Carol may not get her proper compensation due to the crass, selfish, and unfair approach of NCL management. The sad response of the uninformed NCL reservationists (detailed above by another dispaced NCL passenger)is further proof of the attitude and poor management overall of NCL . I suspect NCL will not care about any of this, since so few of us are aware of NCL's attitude and our booking other cruise lines will matter little since the general public and TA's will continue to book NCL cruises. A nice "60 Minute" segment on cancelled cruises might help.

 

Why would the media be interested in a cancelled cruise, so the ship could be repaired at a drydock? When's the last time the national news media reporting a cruise ship getting regular maintenace, chipping, painting, recarpeting, etc. There's just isn't enough controversy arising out of routine maintenance.

 

The reason the QM2 problems got world wide news coverage is because the passengers were on the ship, and it was missing many ports. When Cunard drydocked the QM2 twice last year for repairs, not one peep was heard from the news media. They also had to cancel cruises.

 

The reason the news media hasn't picked up this story is because NCL has already offered more than a 100% refund for the cancelled cruises. For missed ports the last few weeks, NCL has been using their standard compensation formula, on board credit offers not exceeding $100 per cabin.

 

Since when has a 100% money back guarantee not been enough? That's all the cruise lines are legally and morally required to do.

 

The 25%, 35%, or free cruise later offers is an attempt by the cruise lines to get you to try them again, hoping you enjoy that cruise when everything is working perfectly and you experience their best. Their motive isn't about making their customers happy, or making the compensation large enough so you can take a more expensive cruise at a later time without extra costs.

 

I read about cruise lines nickeling and diming passengers all the time, but it's really the other way around!

[Ralph413]

Latest update:

 

Still waiting for supervisor to call back (it's been 4 days!!!) can't hold my breath much longer.

on a good note my credit card has been fully refunded already.

[vowsatsea]

I would like to give NCL a big wet kiss. They cancelled on Friday, I booked with Carnival on Friday for an inside guarantee. Exactly 5 days later, I find out I've been upgraded to a balcony stateroom.

 

Thanks for cancelling, NCL! :D

[NCL_Cruiser]

Latest update:

 

Still waiting for supervisor to call back (it's been 4 days!!!) can't hold my breath much longer.

on a good note my credit card has been fully refunded already.

 

 

So what are you waiting for a supervisor for? To apologize that they cancelled your cruise? You got your money back, and there is a coupon on your client profile with NCL.

[NCL_Cruiser]

I would like to give NCL a big wet kiss. They cancelled on Friday, I booked with Carnival on Friday for an inside guarantee. Exactly 5 days later, I find out I've been upgraded to a balcony stateroom.

 

Thanks for cancelling, NCL! :D

 

Glad it all worked out for both you, and Carol (the OP)! You'll get a good cruise at the only time you'll be able to sail for at least a year, and she got her GV at the same rate as it would have been on her cancelled cruise.

[jentroubles]

Latest update:

 

Still waiting for supervisor to call back (it's been 4 days!!!) can't hold my breath much longer.

on a good note my credit card has been fully refunded already.

 

Ralph-- I feel your pain really---I do. Be persistent--it took me almost 20 phone calls but things have finally been resolved for me.

 

Just to review---I was booked on the June 2 Dawn cruise. This was to be the 'makeup' cruise for my cancelled New Year's cruise on the Majesty. (I found out at the pier after driving from PA) As myself and a friend had bought into the Freestyle rewards, turning our backs on NCL was much too expensive of an option.

 

My TA called me last Friday saying "Of all people, I didn't want to have to make this call to you." Needless to say, I was beside myself. Friend and I had decided to book two rooms, so we could take our moms on a much needed vacation. Time off was scheduled, and dates could not be changed.

 

We reluctantly looked into the Spirit. Heard you couldn't book till Monday...so we wait. Then I check the boards and hear that we can "hold" rooms. I call to book both rooms. By Sunday night, all she has is a "K' guarantee that will cost us approximately $400 more per cabin than our Dawn. I say---put the hold down...we have no option.

 

Here is where it starts to hit the fan. I tell her to book both. 35 minutes into the phonecall she tells me she can only book one cabin as she didn't reserve the other one--next one left, $600 more. Yikes! I ask for a supervisor. 10 rounds with him he "finds" one more cabin one category for only $50 more. Yes, I know it is apples and oranges, but that is a ridiculous price difference. The 25% back was only going to cover a portion.

 

Monday rolls around, and it is a disaster trying to book the room. TA calls and now needs written permission to talk to NCL on our behalf. (They assured us that this would not be a problem when we initiated the hold as they changed their policy over the weekend.) Finally we talk them down to oral permission.

 

TA is getting ready to book and asks about our onboard credit from the Dawn and the upgrade that was part of the package. (We were in a higher category interior as one mother has mobility issues) She tries to discuss this with them-- explaining all we've gone through and notes the significant difference in price and cabin category. She notes the problems we had with booking. Gets us until today to make final deposit (i'd love to go back and see all the cell phone minutes burned within the last 6 days.)

 

TA suggests faxing them a letter detailing all this. I get on the phone with guest relations, and find a sympathetic agent who is willing to try and do something. I give her all the details..latitudes #, freestyle credit, booking # from majesty, blah, blah blah--- all this for both cabins. On Monday she says---not a problem, we will find out by tomorrow. Tuesday arrives, no call. Wednesday I call----gave it to my supervisor, will get back to you by the end of the day. Thursday noon---still no call. I call, and pleasant person I've been dealing with states---i am dealing with supervisor now--can I call you back in 5 minutes. I say sure---happy this will almost be over... Two hours pass- still no call. I call back-- woman is at lunch. Another hour passes....I call, she is not around.

 

By this point my TA is ready to go home. Phone finally rings from NCL. Supervisor and revenue are offering OBC to cover part of the difference and an upgraded cabin (interior to oceanview) I say great---this is for both of our cabins---right? She says yes---i did this for both of you, have your TA call to make the finally arrangements. Notes are in the reservation and adjustments have been made. I thank her for all her hard work and call my TA.

 

TA calls me back 15 minutes later. My reservation is fine--she is told friend will not get upgrade, only OBC. "There are no rooms left, so one will be upgraded and the other won't" (yet we both went thru all this) Woman I had been dealing with refused to talk to TA and TA was treated very rudely by two different reps.

 

I call back. Mind you calling back and getting connected in Guest Relations takes about 10 minutes each call. I ask for person helping me, I am told she is not there. I note that I need to talk to her because of this problem so I am given voicemail. 15 minutes later, no call. I call back. Get another Guest relations operator who when I ask for person says, she isn't at her desk. I ask for a supervisor and give my name. Operator says 'Oh' in a frustrated way and states they are both supervisor and operator are talking and she will give message. Operator gets back on and asks what the problem is. I state both cabins not covered and TA was not helped. Different operator is now playing go between. "What was the reservation number-- what is the name?" In the end finally--- they are able to "find" an oceanview guarantee one level lower for friend's cabin.

 

So--in the end we both have an upgrade and OBC. One cabin has been assigned, the other is a oceanview D guarantee. I am happy they tried to make things right, but still very frustrated about how many phonecalls and the level of begging it took. It takes us back to the Majesty cancellation--we finally received our travel reimbursement last week after three different letters and I don't know how many emails. I am still waiting for the information letter they promised to sail.

 

We both love the actual NCL cruises (if the majest had sailed we would have been on three in six months)--- but honestly, these last two events Majesty cancellation and Dawn cancellation have left us frustrated and jaded. Rude customer service, promises unkept, being told 'we lied about what rep said', and knowing NCL's policies better than they do are making us both wonder. In the end NCL does the right thing, but it takes persistent calling and begging. I am grateful for what NCL did to try to address our concerns but am worn out from dealing with customer service most of this afternoon....

[vowsatsea]

Ralph-- I feel your pain really---I do. Be persistent--it took me almost 20 phone calls but things have finally been resolved for me.

 

Just to review---I was booked on the June 2 Dawn cruise. This was to be the 'makeup' cruise for my cancelled New Year's cruise on the Majesty. (I found out at the pier after driving from PA) As myself and a friend had bought into the Freestyle rewards, turning our backs on NCL was much too expensive of an option.

 

My TA called me last Friday saying "Of all people, I didn't want to have to make this call to you." Needless to say, I was beside myself. Friend and I had decided to book two rooms, so we could take our moms on a much needed vacation. Time off was scheduled, and dates could not be changed.

 

We reluctantly looked into the Spirit. Heard you couldn't book till Monday...so we wait. Then I check the boards and hear that we can "hold" rooms. I call to book both rooms. By Sunday night, all she has is a "K' guarantee that will cost us approximately $400 more per cabin than our Dawn. I say---put the hold down...we have no option.

 

Here is where it starts to hit the fan. I tell her to book both. 35 minutes into the phonecall she tells me she can only book one cabin as she didn't reserve the other one--next one left, $600 more. Yikes! I ask for a supervisor. 10 rounds with him he "finds" one more cabin one category for only $50 more. Yes, I know it is apples and oranges, but that is a ridiculous price difference. The 25% back was only going to cover a portion.

 

Monday rolls around, and it is a disaster trying to book the room. TA calls and now needs written permission to talk to NCL on our behalf. (They assured us that this would not be a problem when we initiated the hold as they changed their policy over the weekend.) Finally we talk them down to oral permission.

 

TA is getting ready to book and asks about our onboard credit from the Dawn and the upgrade that was part of the package. (We were in a higher category interior as one mother has mobility issues) She tries to discuss this with them-- explaining all we've gone through and notes the significant difference in price and cabin category. She notes the problems we had with booking. Gets us until today to make final deposit (i'd love to go back and see all the cell phone minutes burned within the last 6 days.)

 

TA suggests faxing them a letter detailing all this. I get on the phone with guest relations, and find a sympathetic agent who is willing to try and do something. I give her all the details..latitudes #, freestyle credit, booking # from majesty, blah, blah blah--- all this for both cabins. On Monday she says---not a problem, we will find out by tomorrow. Tuesday arrives, no call. Wednesday I call----gave it to my supervisor, will get back to you by the end of the day. Thursday noon---still no call. I call, and pleasant person I've been dealing with states---i am dealing with supervisor now--can I call you back in 5 minutes. I say sure---happy this will almost be over... Two hours pass- still no call. I call back-- woman is at lunch. Another hour passes....I call, she is not around.

 

By this point my TA is ready to go home. Phone finally rings from NCL. Supervisor and revenue are offering OBC to cover part of the difference and an upgraded cabin (interior to oceanview) I say great---this is for both of our cabins---right? She says yes---i did this for both of you, have your TA call to make the finally arrangements. Notes are in the reservation and adjustments have been made. I thank her for all her hard work and call my TA.

 

TA calls me back 15 minutes later. My reservation is fine--she is told friend will not get upgrade, only OBC. "There are no rooms left, so one will be upgraded and the other won't" (yet we both went thru all this) Woman I had been dealing with refused to talk to TA and TA was treated very rudely by two different reps.

 

I call back. Mind you calling back and getting connected in Guest Relations takes about 10 minutes each call. I ask for person helping me, I am told she is not there. I note that I need to talk to her because of this problem so I am given voicemail. 15 minutes later, no call. I call back. Get another Guest relations operator who when I ask for person says, she isn't at her desk. I ask for a supervisor and give my name. Operator says 'Oh' in a frustrated way and states they are both supervisor and operator are talking and she will give message. Operator gets back on and asks what the problem is. I state both cabins not covered and TA was not helped. Different operator is now playing go between. "What was the reservation number-- what is the name?" In the end finally--- they are able to "find" an oceanview guarantee one level lower for friend's cabin.

 

So--in the end we both have an upgrade and OBC. One cabin has been assigned, the other is a oceanview D guarantee. I am happy they tried to make things right, but still very frustrated about how many phonecalls and the level of begging it took. It takes us back to the Majesty cancellation--we finally received our travel reimbursement last week after three different letters and I don't know how many emails. I am still waiting for the information letter they promised to sail.

 

We both love the actual NCL cruises (if the majest had sailed we would have been on three in six months)--- but honestly, these last two events Majesty cancellation and Dawn cancellation have left us frustrated and jaded. Rude customer service, promises unkept, being told 'we lied about what rep said', and knowing NCL's policies better than they do are making us both wonder. In the end NCL does the right thing, but it takes persistent calling and begging. I am grateful for what NCL did to try to address our concerns but am worn out from dealing with customer service most of this afternoon....

 

I'm glad everything worked out for you, but WOW you deserve a medal for dealing with all that!

[Jana]

Jana's comment about "empathy" was apparently good enough for her and the airline that empoyed her, since the airlines have limited choices in responding to problems, and from what we continue to read from just-released FAA statistics,continue to have major problems.

 

I wasn't alking about airline problems. I was talking about customer service in general, and I was mostly talking about attitude. Empathy instead of being blown off. The honest attempt to help instead of deciding that helping is too much trouble. Being considerate. Caring. It goes a long way, whether it's the phone company, a grocery store manager, a hotel front desk person or even my stupid [[bleep]] cable company (Cox Cable, UGH). I agree that this was handled badly, but partly because the people contacted couldn;t be bothered to own the problems, see the resolution through from start to finish without the OP or any of the other posters having to jump through hoops and do handstands to get a proper resolution.

 

Glad it all worked out for both you, and Carol (the OP)! You'll get a good cruise at the only time you'll be able to sail for at least a year, and she got her GV at the same rate as it would have been on her cancelled cruise.

 

Did Carol get her GV at the same price? I missed that! Great!

 

Jana

[Cuizer2]

Just to give you an idea of the difference ...

 

I figured it out and for me to rebook the same cruise for July, figuring in the 25% credit, will still cost an additional $3,000. Why should NCL be making even more money off their displaced passengers?

 

Also, I think the poll question may be confusing to some. The thread is "do you think NCL's compensation is fair? But then the actual poll question is:

 

"NCL is offering passengers who are booked on those voyages a full refund and 25 percent credit toward another cruise. Carol54 says that amount doesn't cover the rate increase since she booked.

 

Is this fair?"

 

Why don't you take the 100% refund and book a cruise with a different cruise line?

 

What kind of a cabin are you booking? A balcony cabin usually goes for about $2000 per week. To make this cost an additional $3000 over a 25% discount the cost would have to go to $6600. $6600 less 25% = $4950 (a $2950 increase over $2000). No one is charging $6600 for a balcony cabin.

[BeachBumMama]

Why don't you take the 100% refund and book a cruise with a different cruise line?

 

What kind of a cabin are you booking? A balcony cabin usually goes for about $2000 per week. To make this cost an additional $3000 over a 25% discount the cost would have to go to $6600. $6600 less 25% = $4950 (a $2950 increase over $2000). No one is charging $6600 for a balcony cabin.

We could all only wish the Garden Villa would go for $6600. Carol had the GV booked.