Gaston123

When we're in concierge or aqua we ask for a cheese plate fruit plate or shrimp instead.

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Forums mobile app

Makes sense, thank you for this tip!!!

We were Concierge class on the Silhouette in early September and in reading this thread, i have to pick up on the canape discussion. Agreed that you don't have to be in the room (we never were), and I have to say they were very strange and disappointing.

Several times there was crudo fish which is odd for something that may sit in the room for any amount of time. There was also a small piece of pate one day but nothing to spread it on. There was a knife and fork, but I would have expected the canape to be finger food, and it was odd to consider chomping down on pate with a fork...

every day we found the selection strange and unappetizing for one reason or another and eventually asked for the suspension of their delivery!

It doesn't make a difference if the "currency on board is USD". Although prices show and are valued in USD, charges are sent direct to on board accounts which are settled using credit cards and not cash. Why someone would even consider buying USD if they aren't from the US or aren't cruising to the US makes no sense to me unless they have a preference to do so in which case, fill your boots.

There is no general rule for tipping in USD and there is no suggestion to do so either. Tip in the currency you have in your pocket and let me know the next time someone expresses disappointment in your choice to recognize their efforts in cash that isn't American.

I'm not sure that there any that wear a true evening suit so you may indeed be the only one.

From my recent first hand experience on the Silhouette in Norway, there were indeed a very small number of men on chic night in an evening suit and bow tie. You won’t be alone but you will stand out among the crowd.

I was on the Norwegian Fjords Silhouette cruise that just finished on September 9th and can tell you that there were a very small sampling of men in tuxedos on chic nights. The most common attire on chic night was a suit jacket, and maybe a tie, along with many men in shirts/dress pants without ties.

On the first chic night we were seated next to a 6 top table that had 2 people seated just after we arrived and then two more were seated there in about 10 minutes. The gentleman from the first couple was indeed wearing a tuxedo and the gentleman from the second couple was wearing a polo shirt. None of which seemed to have any impact on their enjoyment of their time together!

If it's the case that i was required to and should have gone through my travel agent for customer service issues, NCL had plenty of opportunity to advise me of this - and they did not...

Thanks for all of the discussion, suggestions and expectation setting. I'm glad to know i'm not alone in my experience with NCL customer service.

I have an update to report -- yesterday, in my frustration and desire to resolve this matter, i did two things. I came here and posted to ask your strategies with customer service, and I emailed my travel agent to ask if she has any connections or way to escalate. I had an email from her this morning saying that she spoke to customer service, that the case manager had heard back from the ship yesterday and that i should expect an email today. Lo and behold, my digital photos arrived today from the "Assistant Photo Manager" on the Norwegian Escape.

I don't believe for a second that the ship responded coincidentally yesterday, at the same time my TA contacted NCL to escalate, but I'm grateful that she was able to get some traction for my issue. It's disappointing that customer service doesn't really care to do the right thing for customers who are genuinely looking for NCL to make something right. Why should it take a TA inquiry to get real support! I learned my lesson to ask for help from my TA for post-cruise issues instead of expecting the process to work. I'm at a loss to answer why I didn't try that sooner, but better late than never!

I'm also noting your experience, BirdTravels that this probably would have taken around the 3 month mark to work itself out through the normal process.

Thanks again, everyone!

We had a similar situation when buying photos on an excursion. We were told that we would receive an email in a day (while still on the cruise). It never happened. When we got home we contacted the tour operator and they re-sent the photos. Only guessing but I think the email system on the ship is not all that reliable.

Glad you got your photos and agreed that the ship to shore and inter-department communications don't seem to be too be very effective!!

I feel your pain...here is what i do when i want to escalate a call and am told there are no managers there or he/ she is the manager.

I say the following in the most pleasant voice I can muster..."okay...i understand you are telling me there are no managers/ supervisors available at this time...let me ask you...if you were to physically stand up on your desk right now and start screaming and waving your arms around...who would come over and tell you to get down?? let me talk to THAT person.

its worked every time!!

I'm taking note of this strategy -- i love it, takeadip!!!

Does anyone have experience with post-cruise customer service cases being successfully handled and what are your strategies in dealing with NCL customer service? The details of the concern are that I purchased photos at Teppanyaki restaurant and was informed that if i bought 2 they would email me the digital copies. On 3 separate visits to the photo shop before leaving the cruise i was told they would be sent before the end of the cruise or on the disembarkation day. The photos never arrived. The photos aren't a part of the regular packages and they don't show up in the NCL Photos web site either. The photos at Teppanyaki are treated separately.

I opened a case via email with NCL after returning from my cruise in May but have yet to hear back from anyone regarding an update. I’ve now called 3 times since the opening of the case and the interaction goes as follows each time:

1. I explain that I’m following up on a case and provide the number and the information that I’ve not yet received any updates
   
2. The agent expresses surprise because the service level agreement promises a response within 15 business days and that time was far exceeded each time I called
   
3. The agent puts me on hold indicating that they will contact the case worker
   
4. The agent comes back after several minutes and says that the notes indicate they are waiting to hear back from the ship regarding my photos and that they have instant messaged the case worker but they aren’t in today (exact same message each time which alone is surprising and frankly, suspicious)
   
5. The agent says they will note that I called on the case (without any promise that this will result in any action)
   

The last time I called I challenged the agent further and asked if they can follow up or escalate somehow given how long my case has been open to ask that the case worker contacts me. The agent seems to be in a position that they can do nothing to help me escalate, or obtain a call back or get any information. They tell me that they can’t send any other messages or help me in any other way and there is no way to speak to a supervisor.

Has anyone been through something similar. Is there something you've said that enabled an escalation to a supervisor or case worker? I appreciate any insight in how you've been successful at NCL Customer Service!

Outdoor space has its own unique characteristics and i think by its nature that you are setting yourself up for anxiety and disappointment if you expect silence while in the great outdoors whether you are on a ship's balcony, your balcony at home, your backyard or your shared rooftop terrace. Of course you expect voices and laughter (i haven't heard anyone answer yet the question over expectations that people are silent), sirens, traffic and street noise, crashing waves and neighbor activity whether it be lawn mowing, music, fighting or playing (all situation dependent). Socially, the norm tends to be that some of these sources of noise are unacceptable at night time, usually after 11pm.

How is a balcony on a ship with 4200 people any different? I was on the Escape in May and although i hadn't noticed it on the way to Bermuda, i found that during certain hours of the afternoon when docked, the music from 5 O'Clock Somewhere bar traveled easily from it's low deck position all the way up to my 15th floor balcony. The music was loud and the bar patrons singing along were even louder! To be honest it was a bit surprising but I didn't let it bother me because I was outdoors, so were they and that's life! I don't own or control the outdoor space.

I must say i would find it quite ironic and unwelcome if i were playing my own music at a reasonable level on my balcony at the same time when music is blaring from below for someone to consider asking me to turn mine down! I probably wouldn't hear them over the bar noise.

If you are vacationing among people in the great outdoors and have an expectation of silence, I would suggest perhaps a meditation retreat rather than a cruise!

Thank you so much, everyone, for all of this great context. It stands to reason that behaviours will be as observed on other lines but I appreaciate knowing that for the most part your experiences sound quite positive. Great point to avoid peak hours and I also am happy to hear about the different breakfast stations; I do love my poached eggs in the morning!

The food “islands” sound useful in managing flow and I will indeed cross my fingers that staff are not serving the food, given the implications.

phoenix_dream, you are of course right that our colds could be from any number of places from the airplanes to the cruise terminals to the taxis and anywhere in between! Observing the grazers in the buffet stick in my head and colours my view of the risk which may not be as visible but is present anywhere and everywhere!

Thanks all!

I"m new to Celebrity and am excited to be travelling in September on the Silhouette (to Norway). I have cruised most often with Oceania, and recently did the NYC-Bermuda cruise on the Norwegian Escape.

I'd love to hear your experience with the Buffet on Celebrity. I love trying out the buffets but am often frustrated over concerns related to hygiene and behavior. On Oceania, only the staff are permitted to touch the serving utensils. I think this is the safest approach and i'm wondering if there is any chance it is the same on Celebrity? On Oceania, people are generally respectful, but there's always someone who goes for what they perceive is an opening that they can squeeze in to to get their food where in reality there are 4 people patiently waiting in a queue for the same food.

My NCL experience last week was that it was common that people were walking around using their hands to graze off of their plate just before moving in to grab the serving utensil (with the hand that was just in their mouth), sometimes placing the hand side of the utensil back on the food itself. Rude behavior was all around with people not having any respect for those who are properly lining up in the direction of travel for the particular counter. Although i enjoyed all of the food options, it wasn't a very positive experience and i blame the fact that my partner and i were both sick with a cold the week after the cruise on the hygiene practices at the buffet.

I'd love to hear what it is really like to get your food and how it is served and how the passengers behave at the buffet on Celebrity (in particular the S-Class or Silhouette (assuming they are the same). Is it really crowded? How is the food!?

Thanks in advance!!

As a follow up piece of advice. Don't believe a word any crew tell you onboard. Once you disembark they know they will probably never see you again and your problem won't be their problem.

Sadly this was the assumption I was operating on already while on the ship which brought me to the gallery in 3 separate occasions after my purchase which also brought 3 different answers as to when I should expect my email.

Setup an account at http://www.nclphotos.com/. you might be able to view the pictures on that page

 

 

usually, you will get an email in the next few days about that website.

Thanks for pointing this out, much appreciated!

I’m wondering if anyone here may have experience purchasing photos at the Teppanyaki restaurant on Escape where they aren’t a part of the gallery package, you have to purchase them separately and they also offer to email you the digital copies?

I purchased 2 last Wednesday and was told that I would receive the digital copies and was asked for my email address. When I visited the gallery the next day I was told I’d receive the email before the end of the cruise. When I visited the last day of the cruise I was told I would receive it on the morning of disembarkation and another staff mentioned it might be the afternoon of disembarkation day.

It’s now the day after disembarkation and there has been no email. I’ve sent an inquiry on NCL.COM and I will call customer service as well but I’m wondering first if anyone else has experience with this and what the timing of the email was?

If I’m honest, I am feeling like I will never see these promised digital copies which were the main selling feature of these photos for me.

Thanks!

Congrats and enjoy!!

Sorry to see that this was not so smooth and you nailed it as problematic from the start. Fingers are crossed that it works out for you - good luck!

I understood the other scenario you are referring to last week was not that they had received an email but that the status of their bid online showed "Processing". It had been stated a few times earlier that the normal flow was for a bid to go from "pending" to "processing" and after that, the bid was successfully awarded. Others pointed out that their status went from "pending" to "processing" and back to "pending" or deleted.

If you got an email stating you won the bid, it would be a serious error on their part to not process you for the room which i expect they are doing now!

When I “purchase” wi-fi and a specialty dining package prior to departure, is a payment taken immediately or are these items added to my ship account that I pay later?

I ordered these items two days ago online and I clicked into the “shopping cart” to enter my credit card payment details. I understood that I was making a payment and these items show as “purchases” in my online account, however - no transactions are showing up as authorized or posted to my credit card and also I realize I didn’t receive a receipt of any kind. Also, these items show up on my vacation summary with the amounts showing under “guest total” but don’t it doesnt mention anywhere that these amounts are paid.

Thanks for your help if you can clarify what a pre-cruise purchase really means!?

Thanks so much for your feedback, everyone! I feel great about this room after hearing your perspective!

Thanks dogboy and wdsted - I appreciate your perspectives, these are both very helpful!

Well I’m taking it as a good sign that there don’t seem to be a lot of (any?) strong negative opinions on deck 15 rooms on Escape related to noise from pool deck 16 directly above.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts you might have if you’ve stayed in this area!

Is it surprising to be assigned a BA category room immediately upon booking a guarantee BX room? I was surprised because I understand this is the top (most desirable) category in this group.

On Thursday this week I booked the May 13th sailing of the Escape to Bermuda. I booked GTY BX and was quickly assigned 15796 which is BA. At first I was thrilled to be up high and mid ship but then I realized I’m directly below a sun deck next to the pool deck bar and not far from the family slide.

I have a feeling this was quickly assigned because it is an undesirable room due to noise and I’m interested in hearing if you have experience in this room or others on deck 15. I haven’t seen a lot of posts here on the topic - just one or two that mentioned movement of deck chairs in the early morning.

We are early risers so this shouldn’t be a big problem but I’m also wondering if there is music and voices all day long from the pool/family area.

I’m very excited about the trip and I’m sure it will be great. If I can go in prepared with any information you have about these rooms I’d be very appreciative - thanks in advance!

Good to see the additional picture, Iamthesea! Looks like it won't be as open as I'd prefer, but I won't complain as we will enjoy it regardless!

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk