raschwinger

OK so thanks everyone for your time in responding to the issues I raised. I think along the way some things were lost in translation. I DID ask all of the questions everyone has mentioned. I specifically asked if the room had a separate master bedroom, living room, etc. like the suite we stayed in on the prior cruise. On both occasions (onboard and on the phone later), I was assured yes. At no time did anyone mention an ADA compliant room...that for me is the real issue here. Had someone advised me of that fact, and we still chose to accept, then I would not ever have brought this up...on me at that point. But any competent NCL Agent should know an ADA room is going to be configured differently...it has to be to accommodate those who need it. I would certainly then have asked questions about the configuration and done additional research. Had we known it was an ADA room, we would not have accepted it from the beginning. Again, could I have looked at a deck plan...sure, but I asked enough specific questions that I never thought about it. Lesson learned here for sure. So an update as well. After involving the BBB, a higher level Guest Services manager got involved at NCL, and we were offered 25% off of our cruise booked next summer on the NCL Aqua as compensation. To me this is now a reasonable result and we accepted. All of this nonsense could have been avoided had NCL simply been willing to engage from the beginning. We were not asking for the moon...just a reasonable solution to make it right. Thanks everyone again. Happy Cruising!!

Yes agree onboard would have been better. The crew did all they could, but really our options were live with it or get off the ship....we had flown to Seattle and were now on the ship, so our options were limited. They did offer us a $200 credit on our account, which didn't even pay for my wife's Spa treatment..so there's that. I don't fault the guest services staff on the ship...there was only so much they could do. They made us as comfortable as they could but repeated several times they knew we were struggling in that room and did not understand how we ended up there. This is a Customer Service issue with corporate and should be resolved there. Thanks for your time.

Yes agree re the onboard product. We have been cruising them for years and this was the first bad experience...but it was really bad for us. I expected more competence from their Agents, but also understand humans make mistakes. For me, the part that may drive us off here is that there is no real effort on their part to work with customers post cruise to hear them out and try to reach an amicable solution. We aren't asking for much....its just amazing to me that they won't even engage us to discuss, given the dollars we have put into this line. Its pretty clear that no one has even read our letter as the responses we are getting back mostly don't address our issues. Lesson learned about how poor a customer service company they really are...will likely drive us elsewhere when this could be easily resolved. Thanks again for your time.

So thanks for the feedback. Obviously we will agree to disagree. I was clear with the Agents what I wanted twice...the same configuration we stayed in on Breakaway. I asked this to confirm it was the same on Encore. Both times I was told yes...and more importantly not told it was an ADA room laid out differently. Could I have looked at a deck plan...I guess...but that doesn't really give you much information. My point is I relied on a professional and was specific with what I thought I was getting. I do not think I have to go back and find and decipher a deck plan after asking all of these questions multiple times and being assured I was where I wanted to be. Also disagree phone Agents are just "call center personnel" who have no knowledge of the ships. In the past, they have been able to guide me to rooms that will be less noisy, no obstructions, more convenient to child care, etc. etc. They should at least have been able to tell me this was an ADA room and making sure that is ok. Nothing... And I did not get the room I paid for...that's the point. I would not have paid for this room....it did not have any of the features that were important to us. It had space but was not functional for a family of four. Your response is simplistic and easy for you to say when you have not had such an experience on what was really a bucket list trip for my family. Finally to just say I should expect nothing tells me you have obviously never worked in the service industry or run a business where customers are your lifeblood. The number one rule is to try to keep your customers happy and coming back to spend more money, within reason. At the very least, good customer service companies provide their customers opportunities to be heard. This was a math equation for NCL...making our bad experience right for pennies for them in exchange for years of future cruise fares from us. If you disagree with this, then you have never been in the business world. Thanks again for your feedback.

Thanks for the reply and the thoughts. It is unfortunate that this may be the case. Service companies like cruise lines should value their customers and make sure mistakes are made right. We have always been exclusive to NCL since our first cruise with them, and would continue to be cheerleaders for the company and frequent cruisers with them for years to come. For me, however, loyalty has to go both ways...we are not first timers with a small complaint. This is our first time we feel we needed Customer Care, and unfortunately it has revealed that once NCL has your money, they do not care about maintaining relationships with the customers. Unfortunately this may drive our cruising dollars elsewhere.

Thanks for the feedback. No I did not receive any of that from the Agents because I knew exactly what we wanted. When we booked on the Breakaway, we were staying in that class of suite and I said from the beginning this is the room we want. I respect that people value things differently. For us who don't get much travel time together, quite private time with my wife separate from our teen agers was important, as is storage space. The standard configuration has exponential times more storage than the ADA version, as a lot of the space has to be taken for wheelchair space, etc. We had stayed in this room before and were expecting enough drawer and hanging space for our belongings in the master, for my boys in the living room area, and for all of us in the bath. An while the space in the bath is bigger, usable space is much smaller....we have no drawer space there and one small sink, rather than a double vanity, larger tub, separate water closet, and numerous drawers in the regular configuration. So for both our clothes and our bath items, we had to stack them on the floors around the beds and on the tub in the bath. Another difference that was important to us...have the kitchenette space with a table. W enjoyed room service and snacking there in the original configuration and the ADA version did not have it. When they brought us a table, we had to move it around all week to get to drawers and make the space work. Just uncomfortable and for the price we paid, we should not have had to deal with the inconveniences. If I could put side by side photos together, it would make my point easier to see...this was not close to the room we thought we were booking, other than perhaps square footage...but functionality and luxury was not comparable. Again, I get these rooms work well for the right clients who need them, but we would not have taken this cruise had we known.

Obviously I was not clear in my initial post. I did ask both booking Agents if this room was identical to the suite we enjoyed on the Breakaway and was told yes....twice. Sorry at that point it should not be on me as the customer to have to spend time doing additional research to make sure what a professional NCL Agent told me is correct. As far as bad treatment, I just ask to have the opportunity to be heard in a direct conversation...not through boilerplate email. Good companies should be willing to talk to their customers and not continue to ignore simple requests. At the end of the day, I don't know how it will work out, but loyal customers at least deserve the opportunity to be heard. This was not a small "my room was dirty" type of complaint. This mistake fundamentally changed the enjoyment of our vacation.

The room was in the paperwork from the beginning, but ok so me verifying with the Agent during the booking on the ship, then again in the follow-up call, that this room is identical to the Suite we enjoyed on the Breakaway is not enough? I also have to dig into deck plans and look at the room? I think as the customer who did ask these questions that I should be able to rely on the NCL Agents who should know the ships better than me. Also I would hope when an Agent books someone into an ADA room, some kind of notice would come up in the system and they should ask to be sure the customer is aware this is a different configuration. This notice does come up when booking online. So yes...I think NCL is responsible here. I asked the questions and was clear what I thought I was booking...they did not provide that. I do not think this was intentional trying to fill the ship...it was likely a mistake...but there was clearly no meeting of the minds here over what I thought we were paying for. I just ask NCL to make it right.

Yes agree with this but my point all along has been if we had been informed we were being placed in an ADA room, I would have asked the differences and done more due diligence on what the room looked like. I would not have paid the full Haven cruise fare on this cruise for the room we received. It lacked too many things that were important to us. We would have done it another time or perhaps chosen a different category. The reverse was true, however...both NCL Agents we spoke too verified this was the same room configuration we had on the Breakaway. We were never asked if we needed or were ok with an ADA room, and I relied on the professional travel Agents who told me we had the separate bedroom, double sinks, etc. that we were expecting. This is where is breaks down for me. I mean I can't get online and book that room without a message coming up requiring me to verify I understand it is an ADA room and acknowledging I need it. My whole point here is the Agent made a mistake or if he/she did know, did not provide good service by letting me know it would be a different layout than we were expecting. Also I agree with the point that this room should have been held for someone who needed it. This was not a last minute booking. This was booked 13 months prior to the cruise.

First let me say this review is more about how poorly the NCL Guest Experience team and NCL Management handled a clear booking mistake by NCL and not as much about the NCL Encore. The ship itself and its crew were amazing and this is reflected in my ratings. However, NCL made a significant booking mistake which impacted the enjoyment of our cruise, and NCL's Customer Experience Team and corporate management has refused to engage me directly to discuss our concerns and try to reach an amicable resolution. As background, we are long-time NCL cruisers. We are platinum status with the line, and this was our 9th or 10th cruise and our second in the Haven. We chose NCL as our line of choice years ago, and my wife, two teen-age sons, and I take at least one NCL cruise each year. We have become cheerleaders for NCL among our friends and family and would continue to do so in the future. Our loyalty to NCL is why this latest experience has been so surprising and disappointing. In June 2023, we took a bucket-list Mediterranean cruise on the Breakaway for a milestone birthday for my wife. We splurged and stayed in a Haven Forward-Facing Penthouse Suite, which has separate bedroom space for my wife and I and our boys, a large double vanity bathroom, and enough storage that all four of us could get 11 nights worth of clothes into drawers and hanging closets. There was also a kitchen area with a table to eat, and plenty of room to spread out. We loved the Haven and the layout of this room in particular so much that I booked our July 2024 Alaskan cruise on the NCL Encore in the same Forward Facing Penthouse Suite while on the Breakaway through the CruiseNext program. We had to adjust our cruise date with NCL Agents after returning home, but were assured we were booked into the same stateroom category we had on the Breakaway. We arrived in Seattle in July and boarded the Encore excited for our cruise. When we were taken to our stateroom, however, it was completely different that the room we thought we had booked. It was one large room with no separate master bedroom and a low sofa bed, no kitchen area, a single vanity bath with no separate water closet, and very little bath storage. In short, it looked nothing like the room we thought we were booking and did not look like it should accommodate four people. The room steward advised this was an ADA room designed for cruisers with a wheelchair. While it was the same Haven stateroom category, it was understandably configured completely differently to allow for a wheelchair, and appeared to have the storage space for two people, not a family of four. The steward advised he had no idea why we would have been booked into that room, as they are reserved for families who need them. The Encore Guest Services Manager was apologetic, but advised the ship was completely booked and there were no other rooms to move us. For our family of four with two teenage sons, this room was uncomfortable for a number of reasons: 1. No separate master bedroom for my wife and I....our boys were sleeping feet from us all week. We are used to this in a standard balcony stateroom, but for the price we paid for the Haven room, we were expecting the separate space, which was important to us. Also, the forward facing window which is normally in the master bedroom and was great for the views, was in the bath in this room over the soaker tub, which made it virtually unusable. 2. Very little storage...we did not have nearly enough storage for a family of four, unlike the standard configuration, and were forced to stack clothes on the floor around the bed and our bath items were stacked on the tub around the single sink, as there was almost no bath storage. 3. No kitchen space and table...we needed room service breakfast on two mornings due to early morning excursions before the restaurant opened, but had no place to place to spread out a meal (the desk in this room was even smaller than in a standard balcony room). The staff tried to help as much as they could and brought in a standard size table; however, we then had to move the table around all week to get into drawers, not trip on it going across the room, etc. 4. Single room bath....no separate water closet and one small sink made it difficult for more than one person to use the bathroom at a time. No separate vanity prep area for my wife, no privacy. 5. The stateroom door...this may seem trivial, but the door was understandably an ADA door which opened automatically and stayed open for 15-20 seconds to allow wheelchair access. Throughout the week, my older son left the room in the morning to run on the track as he was training for his high school track team. When he left, the door stayed open, and given the room configuration, anyone in the hallway at the time could look in and see my wife and I in in bed. Again, just very uncomfortable. The other issue for us was that we had been tying up an ADA room for more than a year when there were likely cruisers who really needed that space. Our neighbors on the cruise had a wheelchair and even asked us how we were able to book that room. I have since tried to book our stateroom on a future Encore cruise and the website will not allow it unless I requested an ADA room and completed a certification that we needed the ADA accommodations. Clearly this was a major mistake made by the cruise line. I am aware that some of these complaints are "first world problems," but we paid a premium price expecting the space that we booked and did not receive it. We are used to all sharing one room on cruises; however, I would not have paid the fare, which was the same as the standard configuration, had I known we would be in this room. We would have found another date or a different stateroom. At no time during the year between booking and cruise were we asked if we needed an ADA room or advised that were were in an ADA room that was configured very differently. Obviously this mistake impacted the enjoyment of our vacation. The Haven itself, the staff, excursions, food, etc. were all fantastic; however, we had to return to our uncomfortable room every evening. The Encore crew provided me with a case number and contact address and website to file a complaint with corporate when we returned. I requested a name and telephone number to contact directly and was advised they did not have one for me. Here is where the concerning issues started for us as longtime customers. Mistakes are made, but I expected NCL would make this right, especially given the loyalty we have shown to NCL for years. After returning home, I tried to call customer service, and the automated system essentially funneled me to the Customer Experience website to file my complaint. There were no options to talk to someone unless I was booking a new cruise or had an issue for an upcoming booking. I decided to try to file my complaint through the website as instructed. I attached a letter to my online complaint detailing what happened and the issues we had. I made it clear we didn't believe we received value and wanted to discuss a simple solution, such as a Haven upgrade on an existing booking we have for 2025. I made it clear we are big fans of the cruise line, had never had issues before, and simply wanted NCL to "make it right." I received a mostly boilerplate response which made it clear that no one had actually read my letter or understood my situation. I replied with an email again requesting a contact to discuss directly and suggesting that the representative read my letter. The second reply again ignored my request for a direct conversation and offered us $150 credit on a future cruise we would have to purchase "as a courtesy." I sent a third communication again requesting a conversation with a management level employee to discuss a possible resolution. The third and final reply from NCL was from a "manager;" however, it again ignored my request to talk directly and advised there was nothing more they could do. I followed this up with a letter to Executive Management over Guest Services in Miami. My letter was clearly not read and simply returned to the Guest Experience team who I had been dealing with. Again, no ability to have a conversation...just another email from the same representative thaking me for my letter and again advising there was nothing they can do other than a nominal credit for a future cruise I had to purchase. I could not believe given the loyalty we have shown to NCL and the amount of money we have spent with the cruise line, that the Customer Experience team was essentially stonewalling us and trying to make us go away, rather than at least engaging me as a customer and hearing me out. Also, the fact that NCL continued to ignore my request to just talk to someone is unacceptable. The fact that NCL makes it virtually impossible to talk to anyone when such a mistake was made is directly contradictory to their claim that they lead the industry in customer service. This may have some validity on the ships at sea, but so far, NCL has failed in that goal after the cruise is over, which may be even more important. We are not asking for much....just admit the mistake and make it right. We have a cruise booked in 2025 with NCL and several more planned in the future. In addition, our boys have grown up on NCL vacations, and love them as well. They would certainly continue to cruise NCL in the future. Unfortunately, we may have to reconsider our loyalty to NCL and look elsewhere after this experience. Such a terrible short-sighted business decision for NCL. For them, a low-cost stateroom upgrade in exchange for keeping us as loyal customers and continuing to spend money on the line into the future. BUYER BEWARE WITH THIS COMPANY if they make a mistake. There is apparently no real interest in excellent customer service or in reciprocal loyalty to its "valued customers."

Good morning all. We are currently booked for Alaska in the Encore Haven in July 2024. I have been reading many rough reviews of the Encore from this summer's cruises. Wondering if anyone has opinions for the Haven on the Encore vs the Bliss. We have cruised the Bliss and Escape in the Caribbean in the past and decided to try the Encore. My kids want to try the virtual arcade and some of the other features. Most of the reviews that are concerning my wife are regarding crowding and lines. We just cruised the Breakaway in June in the Haven for the first time and obviously did not have to deal with crowds, so I am assuming it will be a similar experience on the Encore? Anyone have experience with this ship or thoughts? Thanks so much. Cruise well all.

Hi everyone! This is such a great resource!! We are booked in a forward facing suite deck 13 on the Breakaway in June. Was considering trying to bid for an upgrade to a 2 bedroom family penthouse on deck 15 or 16. We are traveling with our two boys. Both would have two rooms...just wondering if anyone has thoughts on if it would be worth it and based on experience what an upgrade like that within the Haven category would cost? Thanks in advance.

Thanks for the replies. Really helpful. Our June trip is an 11 nighter in the Mediterranean, so seems like its probably worth it. I appreciate the input.

Thanks for all the great info. I may have missed it and if so, I apologize, but we are trying to figure out in the free at sea plus package is worth it if we are in the Haven (11 night Greek Island cruise in June on the Breakaway). Any thoughts on that. I know many do it anyway, but has anyone not upgraded figuring the perks in the Haven will upgrade the experience anyway? Thanks all.

Hi everyone. Thanks for the info. We will be first time Haven guests in June and I am trying to calculate the value of the Plus package. For those of you who have been in Haven staterooms, I have heard the bar can use higher end liquor for their drinks and the food is specialty restaurant level. We are not big Internet users on cruises, but do drink and will likely take a few excursions off the ship. I know there have been a few posts in this but I am still trying to put this together. Thanks so much everyone.