lgdesign

I agree... you didn't pay twice.  I booked a cruise last Sept and that code did not show up on my NCL invoice until AFTER I prepaid the DSC in late Dec 2023 and got my revised NCL confirmation.  I have a clear before and after "snapshot".

I'm a little anal about the details and always ask for the NCL confirmation in addition to my TA's confirmation paperwork.  I like to compare them for accuracy and also check the actual NCL codes as they do not show up on my TA's confirmations.

Not all the codes are "promo" codes.

On 4/7/2023 at 11:27 AM, Sthrngary said:

My Travel Agent is extremely successful and has been doing her job for over a decade. 

 

In each situation, she went up the ladder and got nowhere.  I then did what I always do.  I wrote a very well thought out letter, used all the information I had to verify my position.  I never threatened, ever.  That is the trick.  I felt that I was done wrong, but I knew if I threatened, it would not help my position.  Instead, I asked for a fair resolution as a customer courtesy.  I sent those letters out once a week to the top five executives of the cruise brand registered mail.

 

Each and every time in a week or two, the issue was resolved.  My Travel Agent always asks me how I did it because it frustrated her that she could not do the same thing for me.  The reason my friends is I was passionate about the situation and never gave up. Be nice, be fair and be professional with your approach.  Never give up if you really believe you are right.

I adopt the same technique with polite, concise, respectful and reasonable letters to resolve my issues when NCL has done wrong or fell short... and have always prevailed after my TA was denied (she's been doing it for 25 years)...  she too asks how I do it, haha.   I had a good laugh and massive deja vu reading Southern Gary account of his experiences. 

I also feel like things were simpler to get fixed 5 years and more ago when the first person you called at NCL seemed to have more authority to fix problems.  These days, it seems whoever answers the phone to help you is ruled by NCL's myriad (and confusing) promo codes and if it's not "in the computer", their hands are tied and you're forced to elevate it to a higher power where getting an override often proves impossible.  Hence the need for tenacity (my middle name when blatant unfairness and injustice is involved) and those passionate letters requesting satisfaction when you are clearly in the right!

Southern Gary hit the nail on the head with all his posts (as usual).  🙂

Was this one ever confirmed?

Will be following... and as a fellow caregiver (short term for me), I wish you a wonderful and very well-deserved respite!

57 minutes ago, Htomlin41203 said:

Imagine booking a celebration  dinner at a small restaurant.  When you get there, half the restaurant is booked for a party that also includes music.  It changes the experience, right?

 

BINGO!  This is exactly what happened to us a month ago.  What was supposed to be a quiet evening catching up with another couple turned into a deafening hour and half when the shindig started halfway through the meal.  We all had raging headaches by the end of the meal and couldn't hear each other speak.

48 minutes ago, Greenpea2 said:

It’s a little wrinkled and blurry but I think you can read it ok. DH had the pita pocket and the hotdog. I had the chicken Caesar wrap and we shared the tempura veggies. There were also fries and chips that came. Way too much food but really really good. 

Thank you... that's perfect!

11 minutes ago, Greenpea2 said:

We had lunch on the sun deck via the Sundeck snack menu”. Don’t let them fool you. They are not snacks! Big portions. And so good that we scarfed down as much as we could before even thinking of taking photos. Bad me. 

Is there a sundeck snack menu you could share with us?

On 2/24/2023 at 2:52 PM, ChiefMateJRK said:

I've checked three accounts (myself, DW and DD).  Nadda.  What do we have in common?  Similar recent cruise history.  Similar future bookings.  Live in the same place.  We all have a lot of future bookings, including three (DW and I) and one (DD) to AK this year.  All we have is that crappy April 16 Escape coupon that is largely worthless due to the already dirt cheap price of the cruise.

Same here...  BOO, HISS!

28 minutes ago, vacation44 said:

Great deal and good for you!

 

I want a coupon.  I am going to be obsessing about it all day now.

Me too!  😉

2 hours ago, sid_9169 said:

Well, I'm back from my adventure in GC, and I accomplished pretty much everything I wanted to do, albeit with a few minor hiccups... Roti at Sing's, check. Swimming in the ocean, check. Cuban cigars, check... I'm about to get in the shower again, and then I'll try and get caught up... See ya soon...

My husband loves Old Havana... what cigars did you wind up getting?  We're living vicariously through your adventures.  😉

Just saw your later post that the pickings were slim.

39 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

We have actually split a single credit (4 items) between three people at lunch.  That works great when you just had breakfast a few hours ago and have an early dinner reservation.

Do they allow that at dinner?

27 minutes ago, PistolPete13 said:

Get yourself a "dry-bag" like the one I've linked below that is large enough to take your camera and one lens already mounted.  Use a towel from the ship to act as padding since these bags are not padded.  This is the setup I use if I'm going on any excursion that will require me to be on a smaller moving boat (snorkeling, lot's of photo opportunities to/from the snorkle site ), hiking (waterfalls), or canoeing (don't flip the boat!).

Beach excursions, forget it unless you have a partner to keep an eye on things.
 

And don't forget to test the bag before the trip!

https://smile.amazon.com/Earth-Pak-Waterproof-Dry-Bag/dp/B06XCYF9F9/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=360LM60REZ26Q&keywords=waterproof%2Bbag&qid=1675201330&sprefix=waterproof%2Bba%2Caps%2C87&sr=8-1-spons&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUFDMzVHSkJDWEoxTEomZW5jcnlwdGVkSWQ9QTA2NTg2MjlaUUNaUkVEVUY5VzQmZW5jcnlwdGVkQWRJZD1BMDU5NTc3MTMxQllZT0YxQjFaMUkmd2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGYmYWN0aW9uPWNsaWNrUmVkaXJlY3QmZG9Ob3RMb2dDbGljaz10cnVl&th=1&psc=1

 

Which size bag do you use?

1 hour ago, mertziek said:

We returned from our cruise on the Jewel on Jan 26.  I checked my credit card and see the charges I expected  for that cruise on Jan 26 but I have two charges for NCL Sky dated on Jan 24 and Jan 25 which I did not generate.  We were never on the Sky.  Who do I contact at NCL to get this resolved?

Mind-boggling...  NCL seems to never fail to surprise when it comes to billing...  though this seems to be new tactic to increase sales.  Hope your issues resolve without too much effort on your part.... though that might be too much to hope for!   🙃😉   Best of luck!  Billing for ships you've never sailed on is a definitely a new one!

It's laughable... what can it all mean? 

Mine says "LATITUDES" and my husband's says "UNION+PRIVILEGE"... Huh?

Plus, we never gamble... the mystery continues.

We've done it at other ports... should be possible.

And, sadly, Sthrngary drops the mic...

Thank YOU so very much for all your insights and advice on Haven (and Haven-Lite) cruising always offered with gentlemanly courtesy, intelligence and humbleness. 

Will you be over on the Oceania forums giving the same level of detailed information and tips?  Would love to follow you over there as we consider our future cruising choices.

Cruise well, sir and adieux... or dare we hope au revoir?  😉

I totally agree about the Encore (post-COVID earlier this year).  The space was cramped, VERY noisy and echo-y and the ambiance severely lacking.  With the very small tables, it seemed like more like a cafeteria than a specialty restaurant.  Also, the staff seemed very inexperienced and nervous.  Tried it twice and gave up.

Different experience on the Spirit (just before COVID) where they had a very attentive maitre d' and a personable sommolier.  It was still a bit cramped but we had much better ambiance and top notch servers and staff.  Plus, the food was much better on the Spirit (at that time).  Happily ate there several times.

Don't expect them to still be attached when you get your bags back in baggage claim if you put them on before you check them for your flight.  I personally would recommend clear packing tape over a stapler if you're not going to use the tag holders recommended above.  We recently started using those and always attach our tags just before we leave for the port. 

As we usually fly in a day or two before, we do it at the hotel.  If flying in the day of departure, then attach them before you get in your port transfer... or even at the port itself. 

It looks like everyone currently booked, whether they choose to keep this cruise or cancel, will also get a 10% future cruise credit.   The following was further down the letter.

"We want to do the very best for you, so in addition to the above, all impacted guests will receive a 10% discount on a future cruise combinable with all available promotions at the time of booking, regardless of the option selected. The 10% discount will be added to your Latitudes account and will be available as of January 20, 2023. This discount can be applied towards sailings from January 20, 2023, through December 31, 2024."

38 minutes ago, bluesea777 said:

Sigh .... we'll wait a few days before we decide. Anyway, before we even received the email we were thinking about throwing the towel on the Viva TA due to disappointing reports about the Prima. We have a couple or so alternative cruises that we are more interested in. We have been to Ponta Delgada three times before already.

Just curious... what other options were you considering?

18 minutes ago, Sea Monster 2 said:

We got the email, too.  Kind of disappointed with the new itinerary— we’ve done the Caribbean ports numerous times, it was the Atlantic ones that drew us. I suppose this is an acknowledgement that this class of ships works best in warm climates, as we’ve read repeatedly in Prima posts.  Now we have to decide quickly if we want to go forward with this cruise….

Same here... underwhelmed.  The offer of 10% off if you keep the cruise helps, but it's not exactly blowing my socks off.  😉

Well, we have our answer... not sure how I feel about the changes.

Note: the paragraph above the itinerary chart says that the cruise now ends in Miami instead of New York... but the chart still says NYC. 

On 12/29/2022 at 10:52 PM, bluesea777 said:

Maybe it’s heading to Miami rather than NYC. Hopefully. 🤓

I'd take that... or San Juan, no problem... just don't shorten it and/or make it a port-less cruise.

On 1/1/2023 at 3:31 PM, J0Y0US said:

 

What is your favorite?

Too hard to choose... possibly Venice just because they don't allow it anymore.  That was unforgettable as we sailed out while the sun was going down.