NCL Corp Office Nightmare

[gwydiana]

I tried to prepay for my shore excursions for my Xmas cruise and was told I had to put $$ from my credit card on to my onboard account prior to cruise. I asked the main office to take $500 from my credit card and place it on my onboard account prior to sailing.

 

The sheer incompetence of these NCL Reps is mind blowing. They attributed my $500 to another passenger's onboard account and now they are NOT crediting back my credit card the misappropriated funds!!!

 

Of course, I'm disputing the charge but the unbelievable lack of regard and the terrible customer service boggles the mind here!

[tiyana4]

I would never prepay for cruise-sponsored shore excursions in advance. Even though it should be a relatively painless process to have it taken off your S&S acct. Too much can go wrong.

 

Even when we book private tours, we never prepay. What happens if you skip that port?

[lilypi314]

although i'm still incredibly excited about our upcoming NCL cruise, i've found that the customer service is an absolute nightmare in general. i was given a flat out "no" when i tried yesterday to pre-pay for our excursions. the rep said that it is impossible, they have no way to accept payment. given your situation, i'm kind of glad!!

 

last week, i tried to book a "bon voyage" package for my boyfriend's birthday. this was a 45 minute process! when the VERY competent rep finally found the BIRTHDAY PACKAGE she said "oh, it's your fault, you asked for a bon voyage gift, there's no such thing". in actuality i had stated that i was looking at the bon voyage section of the website and wanted to combine the romance and birthday package. despite the fact that "bon voyage" is the title of the entire section on the website... apparently the reps are unfamiliar with the term.

 

i'm not going to allow the terrible state of the customer service department to put a damper on my cruise...but it sure would be nice to have someone reliable to call!

 

 

 

I tried to prepay for my shore excursions for my Xmas cruise and was told I had to put $$ from my credit card on to my onboard account prior to cruise. I asked the main office to take $500 from my credit card and place it on my onboard account prior to sailing.

 

The sheer incompetence of these NCL Reps is mind blowing. They attributed my $500 to another passenger's onboard account and now they are NOT crediting back my credit card the misappropriated funds!!!

 

Of course, I'm disputing the charge but the unbelievable lack of regard and the terrible customer service boggles the mind here!

[webecruzin2]

OH Girl, I feel for you! But keep calling and ask to escalate this matter to a higher authority each time. I was having a problem with my OBC and each rep gave me a different answer and just tried to brush me off until finally a supervisor who took things into his own hands fixed the problem. It's a shame that you have to dispute this with the cc company. That's not easy either! It's time consuming and you shouldn't have to do all this work because of their mistake. I don't know if I can give you the full name of the supervisor I spoke with here in this forum, but if you want, I can email it to you. He was wonderful. Very knowledgable and really took charge of the situation and made sure everything was right.

You know, I've been in customer service my entire professional life and sometimes I can not believe how incompitent (sp?) and lazy some of these reps can be. Of course I'm not just saying NCL reps, because I've worked along side these types myself. But there are good ones out there, too. You just have to keep calling until you get someone who knows what they're doing. Good luck!

[smeyer418]

I almost always find there is more to the story than what is posted. But the best thing to do is WRITE by snail mail the accounting department at NCL. Give them the info and your phone number and wait a short while hopefully for a response that will explain what happened and correct it. The accounting department is at the corporate address

 

NCL Corporation Ltd.

7665 Corporate Center Drive

Miami, Florida 33126

 

305.436.4000

 

I suggest writing not calling.

 

I also suggest if you call you do it between 9 and 5(ET) on a weekday.

[mailbroad]

It will work out!

I think the problem is a lack of training and the fact that some people are not cut out for that kind of job.

 

Why does NCL lack in this area?

I have always had luck, but I feel bad for the others that do not.

[CC Help Michell]

It will work out!

I think the problem is a lack of training and the fact that some people are not cut out for that kind of job.

 

Why does NCL lack in this area?

I have always had luck, but I feel bad for the others that do not.

 

NCL is hardly alone in this area! Pretty much every message board I read regularly (CCL, RCI, HAL) have versions of the "call three times for three different answers" posts, and similar stories of administrative incompetence. The same is true for the perennial complaints about NCL's website (though I truly think NCL's is the least user friendly) -- the other lines also receive complaints about how their sites are working, or not working, etc.

 

To go one further, this isn't just a cruise industry phenomenon, either. Talking to my cable company reps is an exercise in frustration from beginning to end, and some other businesses are about that bad.

[OceanDreaming2]

This is a great example of why having your own PCC at NCL is wonderful. He/she will take care of everything from start to finish.

[nycruiser80]

I must say as a TA that NCL has a reservation staff that is not well trained. I know book clients cruises via their agent web site. However there are times I book by calling them. Usually that is when I have clients that want to use their credit card upgrade certificates. Last summer I went on the Spirit and booked my family using an upgrade certificate. The agent at NCL messed up by booking. It was a long story and in the end after speaking with supervisors they cleared it up but basically the reservation agent had no clue what to do and just ended up downgrading my cabin instead of upgrading and then the room I originally had vanished! THANK GOD this did not happen with a client because then they would think its my fault! I once had a client booked on the Pride of Hawaii and I called NCL and asked what their penalties were to cancel the cruise IF they clients needed to. I hang up the phone and I get a confirmation on the fax showing that the reservation agent cancelled the cruise!!!! I called back and went through supervisors and they gave me the room back.

 

Nevertheless I have many stories from them. The thing is they are also very nice people working at NCL. They are very polite and cordial but they make many mistakes...maybe its training? Not sure.

[negc]

This is a great example of why having your own PCC at NCL is wonderful. He/she will take care of everything from start to finish.

Sure he will, but if you have a dispute with NCL who do you really think he will side with - you or his employer?:rolleyes: Honestly it is good that you have found an excellent customer service rep, but as others have mentioned they seem to be few and far between and not only with NCL. Let's hope your wonderful PCC stays with the company and you don't have to deal with a less satisfactory replacement.:)

[DAGVBSB]

 

Nevertheless I have many stories from them. The thing is they are also very nice people working at NCL. They are very polite and cordial but they make many mistakes...maybe its training? Not sure.

 

 

I think you have hit the nail on the head. The people would be ok if they were taught properly what to do and NCL had set procedures in place.

 

I think the common training method at NCL is to tell people whatever they want to hear to either get them to book OR to get them off the phone as quickly and cheaply as possible as well as doing everything possible to avoid NCL having to give away anything for free.

 

I have always believed that the lack of abilty or customer service by those lower on the totem pole stems from a lack of leadership or ability at the top of the totem pole.... in this case, inept Andy Stuart.

[OceanDreaming2]

Sure he will, but if you have a dispute with NCL who do you really think he will side with - you or his employer?:rolleyes: Honestly it is good that you have found an excellent customer service rep, but as others have mentioned they seem to be few and far between and not only with NCL. Let's hope your wonderful PCC stays with the company and you don't have to deal with a less satisfactory replacement.:)

 

Sad to say, we did have one PCC who was less than stellar (so to speak). But, we straightened out the mess he made and have moved on.

 

We have to face reality and admit no one is perfect. :rolleyes:

[chrisbd1]

although i'm still incredibly excited about our upcoming NCL cruise, i've found that the customer service is an absolute nightmare in general. i was given a flat out "no" when i tried yesterday to pre-pay for our excursions. the rep said that it is impossible, they have no way to accept payment. given your situation, i'm kind of glad!!

 

last week, i tried to book a "bon voyage" package for my boyfriend's birthday. this was a 45 minute process! when the VERY competent rep finally found the BIRTHDAY PACKAGE she said "oh, it's your fault, you asked for a bon voyage gift, there's no such thing". in actuality i had stated that i was looking at the bon voyage section of the website and wanted to combine the romance and birthday package. despite the fact that "bon voyage" is the title of the entire section on the website... apparently the reps are unfamiliar with the term.

 

i'm not going to allow the terrible state of the customer service department to put a damper on my cruise...but it sure would be nice to have someone reliable to call!

 

Disclaimer: I've worked with the public for more than a decade.

 

I don't see why everyone wants to pre-pay for their excursions. What are the chances that if someone did pre-pay then the port was canceled, someone would call the CSR incompetent for taking too long to refund their money.

 

I think the agent and you were both at fault on this one. Looking at the NCL website, there's no such thing as the Birthday package. Should the agent have asked you for the order number of the Party package you wanted (551 by the way), yes they should. I suspect you didn't know it and the agent had to scroll through all the offered codes to find the one you wanted. It seems unlikely that they can just punch in Birthday and have it magically pop up on the screen. I understand that all the agents should memorize every code, complete knowledge of every ship and port and never-ever make a mistake :rolleyes:.

 

I work with the public and am amazed when someone tries to get me to do something that I simply can't do, then call me incompetent and lacking in the ability to get something done. People love to blame us when they order the wrong thing or can't change their shipping address after a package has been sent out. Have we ever messed up? Sure we have but it isn't because we are incompetent. It's because we're human and sometimes make mistakes. Since there seems to be an equal number of people who haven't had issues, I suspect that the training isn't the problem. Sometimes things just happen. If you choose to believe NCL agents are out to get you or are all idiots by virtue of the fact that they are CSR's, that might have more of an effect on your outcome that you would believe.

 

I've called NCL for many things and never had a problem with any of them- be it excursion availably, price drop, ordering the Romance package, booking a cruise, correcting my Latitudes number, you name it. Maybe I'm just lucky ;)

[NevadaHiRoller]

I tried to prepay for my shore excursions for my Xmas cruise and was told I had to put $$ from my credit card on to my onboard account prior to cruise. I asked the main office to take $500 from my credit card and place it on my onboard account prior to sailing.

 

The sheer incompetence of these NCL Reps is mind blowing. They attributed my $500 to another passenger's onboard account and now they are NOT crediting back my credit card the misappropriated funds!!!

 

Of course, I'm disputing the charge but the unbelievable lack of regard and the terrible customer service boggles the mind here!

 

This is unnacceptable to me. Sorry they did this to you.

[gwydiana]

There are many reasons as to why I wanted to prepay for the excursions. However, giving MY $500 to another passenger is beyond incompetent.

 

I called many times and did get many different answers, most of them telling me to write a letter. One rep absolutely REFUSED to give me to a supervisor.

 

flabbergasted!

[fin]

There are many reasons as to why I wanted to prepay for the excursions. However, giving MY $500 to another passenger is beyond incompetent.

 

I called many times and did get many different answers, most of them telling me to write a letter. One rep absolutely REFUSED to give me to a supervisor.

 

flabbergasted!

 

I would be interested in ANY reason for giving up money before you actually need to.

 

I can see a half dozen reasons NOT to, but the benefits of so doing escape me.

[negc]

I guess the operative words might be "before you have to", but one reason that I can come up with is to insure that you are able to get a particularly popular shore excursion that has limited capacity and might not still be available if you waited until you got onboard the ship. In such an instance, advance payment would make sense and, if you use a credit card to book it, you have some protection if they don't deliver what was promised.:)

[Planer's Edge]

I guess the operative words might be "before you have to", but one reason that I can come up with is to insure that you are able to get a particularly popular shore excursion that has limited capacity and might not still be available if you waited until you got onboard the ship. In such an instance, advance payment would make sense and, if you use a credit card to book it, you have some protection if they don't deliver what was promised.:)

 

Pre-booking gives you a reservation and the charges are added to your onboard account after you board the ship. The only reason there would be to pre-pay would be if she needed to get the money used in calendar year 2008. Maybe it has to do with earning points on her Latitudes CC.

 

PE

[garycarla]

To the person that things prepayment insures they will get a tour that will sell out! WRONG. You only need to make reservation. Since they do not actually bill you until you board, you can actually prepay for a specific tour anyways. Any advance money just goes on your account.

 

Though NCL needs to fix this problem, one needs to understand these things can happen. I surely would not consider a misplaced $500 a nightmare.

 

There is ZERO reason that I can see to prepay anything before you need to. Why do people insist on doing this?

 

Not to defend NCL, but customer service is a rough business. It is not as simple as some people think it is. Imcompentent? Maybe, maybe just a simple mistake. I wish everyone was perfect, but they are not.

 

S

[smeyer418]

I really don't think the point of this thread is whether someone should pre pay or not. Some people want to pre-pay that is really their business(as foolish as I might think it is). Its just like whether you want to take a ship's tour and pay twice as much, some people are happy to pay the extra for their peace of mind. That's what the OP said and that is really up to them. You might think otherwise and that is ok too but that is just your opinion(for what it is worth). The point is they said they had lost $500 as it was applied to someone else and that NCL wouldn't refund it. I don't think that is the full story, in fact I doubt that story but the way to correct it is through the accounting department of NCL and telling them they shouldn't pre pay doesn't help what ever the problem is....

[lilypi314]

Disclaimer: I've worked with the public for more than a decade.

 

I don't see why everyone wants to pre-pay for their excursions. What are the chances that if someone did pre-pay then the port was canceled, someone would call the CSR incompetent for taking too long to refund their money.

 

I think the agent and you were both at fault on this one. Looking at the NCL website, there's no such thing as the Birthday package. Should the agent have asked you for the order number of the Party package you wanted (551 by the way), yes they should. I suspect you didn't know it and the agent had to scroll through all the offered codes to find the one you wanted. It seems unlikely that they can just punch in Birthday and have it magically pop up on the screen. I understand that all the agents should memorize every code, complete knowledge of every ship and port and never-ever make a mistake :rolleyes:.

 

I work with the public and am amazed when someone tries to get me to do something that I simply can't do, then call me incompetent and lacking in the ability to get something done. People love to blame us when they order the wrong thing or can't change their shipping address after a package has been sent out. Have we ever messed up? Sure we have but it isn't because we are incompetent. It's because we're human and sometimes make mistakes. Since there seems to be an equal number of people who haven't had issues, I suspect that the training isn't the problem. Sometimes things just happen. If you choose to believe NCL agents are out to get you or are all idiots by virtue of the fact that they are CSR's, that might have more of an effect on your outcome that you would believe.

 

I've called NCL for many things and never had a problem with any of them- be it excursion availably, price drop, ordering the Romance package, booking a cruise, correcting my Latitudes number, you name it. Maybe I'm just lucky ;)

 

 

perhaps if you were to jump off of that high horse of yours and actually read what i had typed, you would notice that the problem the i reported was that the rep was unfamiliar with the concept of the BON VOYAGE gifts, which is a verbatim section of the NCL offerings. you might also notice that the category which contains "birthday" is part of the "leave the decorating to us party packages". people with a grasp of the english language should not have too much trouble making the leap to birthday package. my complaint was that this rep claimed that my use of "bon voyage gifts" was a mistake and thus created her inability to find the birthday package. i also read her the package number and directed her to where it was located.

 

so thanks so much for your helpful contribution, and congratulations for working with the public. perhaps you are perfect, but this NCL rep was not, it was a difficult experience, and it had nothing to do with MY level of competence as a customer. in fact, my remaining totally pleasant and laughing it off while on the phone with this STELLAR representative is a step above those who would have gotten completely frustrated and yelled at the woman. my supervisor, who overheard the entire conversations, was astounded that i didn't "flip out", in her words.

[lilypi314]

I would be interested in ANY reason for giving up money before you actually need to.

 

I can see a half dozen reasons NOT to, but the benefits of so doing escape me.

 

i can give my reason for wanting to pre pay for shore excursions. my boyfriend and i wanted to pre-pay the excursions in order to pay OFF the credit card before we actually leave for vacation, thus freeing our entire available credit limit for spending. although we have no plans to max out the card while on vacation, as we all know anything can happen, and the 600+ dollars that will be tied up with excursions could potentially be needed in an emergency. we don't carry a lot of credit as we strive for debt free living, so we don't have an infinite number of cards to defer to if we need the funds.

[garycarla]

The original post specifically only mentioned pre paying excursions. I see that a later post talked about excursions and an oboard package.

 

As to needing to pay in advance because the credit card has such a low line of credit, two solutions. Three actually.

 

1 - Take some cash with you and apply it the day your board, or at anytime you want.

 

2 - Pay the extra money into your credit card account, which will give you more to charge against later.

 

3 - Call the credit card company and raise the limit.

[Luckyroot]

I tried to prepay for my shore excursions for my Xmas cruise and was told I had to put $$ from my credit card on to my onboard account prior to cruise. I asked the main office to take $500 from my credit card and place it on my onboard account prior to sailing.

 

The sheer incompetence of these NCL Reps is mind blowing. They attributed my $500 to another passenger's onboard account and now they are NOT crediting back my credit card the misappropriated funds!!!

 

Of course, I'm disputing the charge but the unbelievable lack of regard and the terrible customer service boggles the mind here!

 

Something doesn't sound right here. Did you wait until you got home to address this issue? If I had applied $500 to my OBC prior to sailing you can bet your booty I'd be making sure within the first 24 hours that it was on my account, and if it wasn't, at the pursers desk finding out why.

 

Sorry this happened to you, and hope you get positive resolution.

[Vyhanek]

Some of these previous posters actually see this issue as YOUR fault. Unbelievable! No wonder service has deteriorated so much. The customer base is so willing to accept it.

 

I completely agree with you. There is no reason another passenger should be credited for your $500.