Alatraveler1

50 minutes ago, chriscec2012 said:

There is no type of # or anything with it, below photo is the only air info it shows. It’s for two people is the reason it shows everything double. I’m looking in vacation summary on NcL website. 

Similar to what I see except it does have 3 character airport codes in parentheses.  

However, without flight numbers or times it's useless and of course subject to change.

I'll reply if they ever actually let us know what airline, airport, flight, flight times, etc. 

Ability to dine in one of the included restaurants whenever i choose.  During dining hours of course.

Good for you.  Our cruise is more than a month earlier and we've received on flight information whatsoever.

31 minutes ago, Sauer-kraut said:

I wouldn't book with any of them, and go for the discounted cabin price.

Exactly.

1) You've already paid for meals with the cruise fare.  $15 bucks off something you don't have to pay for and is an extra charge is no deal.

2) The ship offered shore excursions will most likely be more than $50 more expensive than your party could do the same excursions on you own.

3) WiFi costs them nothing to offer it to you.  Therefore it's no "deal".

Run the numbers, and might I also suggest you compare similar cruises on other lines to be sure you're getting the best deal.

18 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

Your expectations probably aren't realistic because NCL is likely going to book flights with the cheapest fares they can get. They have to try to get you to the ship on time, but they're under no obligation to get you home by any particular time so the choice of return flights will be based on economics. 

Yes, you are right, $$$ not customer is all that matters.  I completely understand that, and one of the main issues is that the airfare I could have booked on my own three weeks ago without consolidator/bulk purchase discount is most likely less expensive and on a far better schedule than what they will pay when they finally get around to ticketing.  How do I know?  Discussions with airline personnel.  I paid in full six weeks ago including a "reduced airfare" amount per passenger, they were not understaffed to the point they couldn't take my reservation and $$$. Why not ticket me at that time? 

Their decision will be based on economics and so will my future decisions.  Mainly to not consider NCL "free perks" when determining the comparative value of cruises between cruise lines.  I've enjoyed most aspects of my NCL cruises, but the nickel and diming and "creative pricing" is getting old.  Unfortunately, my other preferred lines are busy adopting similar practices.  Sigh.

So good news and bad news for us this morning.  Good news - Only on hold for 20 minutes.  Bad news - Cruise now <70 days out and no information on flights.  I know of others on same cruise given flights and being able to pick seats two weeks ago.  Ours hasn't been ticketed, no airport information, nothing.  Party line from NCL is 45 days out. 

Funny, I seem to remember having to satisfy my part of the cruise contract, you know paying them the $$$, 120 days out.   Hotel rates for flying in the day before continue to climb, so their delay is costing me more money.  I chose this cruise, and another sailing on this line, because the reduced air made it slightly a better deal on a slightly better schedule than something very similar with Celebrity and buying flights separately on my own.  

Now, the refusal to ticket, even though I've paid in full including the reduced air portion, may cost me more especially if I now have to add a hotel night on the end as we are three hours from the airport.  In addition, some flight times being assigned to others are ridiculous.  Leaving on a flight to the departure city at 5:00 a.m., a flight home after the cruise leaving 7-10 hours or more after debarkation, returning home at midnight or later,  different flights for supposedly linked reservations.  It's as though you've selected the beverage package as a "free" perk but have to wait until the cruise to begins to find out if beer, wine or spirits are included and if they are reputable brands or bathtub gin.

This was my first time trying "free or reduced air" with a cruiseline.  Stupid me for not asking exactly when flights would be assigned when booking/paying.   I will not consider "free or reduced air" as a perk or cost savings when comparing cruises and cruise lines in the future.  

If NCL feels 4 hours is enough to get from LGA to port, I'm expecting that my free air FROM port TO LGA should also be doable in around 4 hours.  So, I'm going to expect a flight time around early afternoon.  Not the 8-10 p.m. departures others are reporting that get them home at midnight or later.

Don't worry, I wasn't on hold for over two hours yesterday or today, just for 15 minutes or so until they hung up on me!  I'm about where you are timewise and will continue to call.  I need hotel for the day before, and rates will continue to go up.

Unfortunately "just forget about it" is exactly what NCL (and any business that would do similar for that matter) would like you to do.  And also the same approach that tells them they can decide to screw you around on something else and also get away with it.    This is the same as increasing extra fees without warning and after final payment, extending for pay areas of the ship into formerly included in fare areas, vastly higher specialty restaurant prices, increased DSC, etc.  A little here a little there, and when most customers just accept it they move on to another area.  We have no one to blame but ourselves when we keep taking whatever they dish out next.

Thanks!  Only needed info on record locater since I've never noticed it (and I fly monthly) called that and always refer to it as the reservation or confirmation number.  However, your information on check-in and baggage is great for first time flyers and would be great in the Cruise Air or First Time Cruisers section of the boards as a sticky.  Maybe also add the wide variation in security wait times at different airports and need to investigate what it might be on you travel day and plan appropriately.

Where is the record locator on your edocs and what does it look like?  How do you know which airline from just the number?

I understand they want to give the cheapest flight available, it is just frustrating that final payment is due months ahead of time yet flight information is not available on the same schedule.  I've satisfied my part of the "contract" yet they get more time.  It's understandable from a business standpoint, but hard to make hotel arrangements and ground transportation with 45 or less days notice when prices are no longer at a lower point.

On 7/1/2019 at 9:26 AM, Beaver1975 said:

How many laps per "race"?

 

8 laps, if you don't spend most of your time trying to back up off the wall after the same !@%^&@s have knocked you into it multiple times like they did to my young son.

On 6/26/2019 at 8:45 AM, Alatraveler1 said:

 Now on hold for one hour and 7 minutes,  beginning to believe there isn't an actual department or NCL employee working air reservations.....

2 hours ago, newmexicoNita said:

you are right on two counts: 1-some people live in areas where they do not have Japanese Steak houses, plus this is one case where I think NCL does a little better job than the cheap ones I have been in. and 2-Modernos is very good, but overpriced. We do usually eat at both as we have the UDP and plat plus but neither is worth the price they are paying. Of course most of us do not expect to get the same quality of food on ships as we do on land. Or, at least those who know today's cruising do not. 

 

I think it is easy to figure out, the introduction of "free at sea" have influenced the increase in specialty dining restaurants. For those who say they have eaten at some of these restaurants and the place has been empty or almost: I am betting you have eaten very late. We have eaten at all of them, more than once: no, not always full by any means but far from just one other couple or group eating at the same time. 

Years ago when Disney began to introduce their free dining promos, the table service restaurants at Walt Disney World especially in EPCOT were of high quality and you thought nothing of making day of reservations.  This was true even for the most (at the time) popular locations.  In the years following the introduction of advanced dining reservations or whatever they are calling it this week, it turned dining into a sprint to make reservations months in advance. Those that plan vacations including this "free" promo (for which they must pay rack rates at WDW hotels) must decide where and when they will be eating sometimes before park hours or any other information is finalized.  The result is packed restaurants, greatly increased pricing for paying guests to "prove the value" of the promo, and a sharp decline in quality due to cost cuts.  So, they have created demand, increased profitability and also increased time consuming table service dining to spread out the guest load from the theme parks, helping to keep lines shorter without spending $$$$ on attractions to accomplish the same goal.  As many have stated, NCL does much the same with "sailaway" pricing and no perks being one amount and the same room with perks a higher amount.  In addition, the extra "free at sea" gratuities help compensate staff so they can contract with employees for competitive wages yet pay them less from regular revenues.  Make no mistake, while NCL may only have one person working to process your refund from a modified cruise, they have teams of accountants (Walt Disney called his the sharp pencil boys) that do nothing but brainstorm to create ways to increase profits.  The UBP, UDP and other promos are great at doing just that.    It hasn't stopped me from booking cruises or land vacations, but realizing this causes me to do more work comparing benefits, perks and discounts (and sometimes pricing without any of those things) to ensure I get the best value for me.

1 hour ago, hallux said:

I think the person you quoted intended the difference as a difference in the cost of the plan, or the gratuities on the included plan as a perk.  To answer THAT - I doubt that will be needed, once booked the price shouldn't go up unless there is a change in the booking that requires a "re-fare"...

I realize that dining is probably quite different, but on the Bliss this year when the go-karts went from $10-$15, there was no grandfathering for those embarking then or that had already paid for their cruise in full.

Celebrity

2 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

There's an old saying..."you get what you pay for". There's another saying, "Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it."

Seems like both sayings apply to NCL "Free/Reduced Air"...

Totally agree, and those are two of my favorite sayings along with "Treat your customers right or they'll soon be someone else's."  The air is technically "free" but the tipping point in booking at all was the "free" airfare and other perks offered by someone recruiting me as a customer.  Actually the only way this was chosen as a vacation option is because the offer put it within the allowed budget.  We could have chosen another option without the worry and hassle of midnight flights and potential extra wasted vacation days.  As it is, it's like we agreed to eat at a buffet for a set price and paid upfront in good faith, only to find out when showing up for dinner that it didn't open until midnight and the offerings were subpar.  And in addition, we weren't allowed to know this information until we had paid up front and then it was non-refundable.

22 minutes ago, Alatraveler1 said:

 

NOW ON HOLD FOR OVER 90 MINUTES.   We made it past an hour and a half and no answer, still on hold.  I have a meeting in about 20 minutes and if no NCL staff picks up  I'll have to quit listening for an answer.  

ON HOLD FOR OVER TWO HOURS until I had to hang up and go to a meeting.  During the two hours, I received emails notifying me of shore excursions I could book, reminder to come back and book another booking I was looking at, and an email about the promotion I'm currently using (free airfare) being extended.  How about JUST HAVE SOMEONE ANSWER THE PHONE?  Longest I've ever been on hold for anything with any entity, public or private.  Inexcusable from a customer service standpoint.  I beg of those reading this, think twice about using the free or reduced air promotion, save the gambling for the casino when you get on board.

Unless the flights change, my wife and I will be going to work after 4 hours sleep.  Ok, not the end of the world, the kids however going to school after the all night "free" flight ordeal will not be as easy.

22 minutes ago, Alatraveler1 said:

 Now on hold for one hour and 7 minutes,  beginning to believe there isn't an actual department or NCL employee working air reservations.....

NOW ON HOLD FOR OVER 90 MINUTES.   We made it past an hour and a half and no answer, still on hold.  I have a meeting in about 20 minutes and if no NCL staff picks up  I'll have to quit listening for an answer.  

19 minutes ago, Alatraveler1 said:

Currently on hold now with NCL air department, time spent?, 47 minutes and counting still no answer.  Listening to  NCL ads on a recorded loop and the messages about "we'll be back soon", "we are sorry to delay your call ', "your call is very important to us" and a thank you message from the CEO that for a second makes you think someone is about to take your call.  I'm working while phone is on speaker,  so i'll just keep listening while i'm working.  What a joke NCL Air is!  

 

For those that want to play along, I'll post again when someone answers phone.  Let's see just how long it takes, but i do have a meeting in an hour!

 Now on hold for one hour and 7 minutes,  beginning to believe there isn't an actual department or NCL employee working air reservations.....

Currently on hold now with NCL air department, time spent?, 47 minutes and counting still no answer.  Listening to  NCL ads on a recorded loop and the messages about "we'll be back soon", "we are sorry to delay your call ', "your call is very important to us" and a thank you message from the CEO that for a second makes you think someone is about to take your call.  I'm working while phone is on speaker,  so i'll just keep listening while i'm working.  What a joke NCL Air is!  

For those that want to play along, I'll post again when someone answers phone.  Let's see just how long it takes, but i do have a meeting in an hour!

Trying to book today and they have our free air getting us back to home airport after midnight, then we would have a two hour drive home......so 2 a.m. Monday morning.  So, the wife and i go to work at 8 and the kids to elementary school at 7......  Hope they can change to earlier flights or no booking for us. 

Surely the AJ Dock is cheaper for cruiselines to use than those closer to town.  Perhaps the cruise line using that dock should pick up the cost?  I agree though, paying for the shuttle with everything else they are charging for these days will not sit well with me.

36 minutes ago, GINNY L said:

We used port Valet and our plane did not leave until 5:45 pm.  We stayed on the ship until 9am

Thank you so much Ginny L, we plan to disembark around 8:30-8:45 but will of course have vacated the cabin most likely by 7:15 at the latest. 

We like to arrive and get access to our cabin as early as possible when we start the cruise and it's not fair to expect a quick turnaround from the last group and then stay in the cabin much later ourselves at the end of our trip. 

But having to finish breakfast and be off by 8 was a little much.  Glad to know we can disembark a little later to fit our plan of touring Seattle before heading to airport.  That is what the Valet program is all about after all.