SeaShark

To be expected in a public discussion forum...this isn't a support group.

IMHO, that is the wrong way to look at it. It isn't "added work", this is the job and function of the access desk...it is what they are there for. Let them do their jobs. The staff would rather you be happy and safe while enjoying your vacation.

Wouldn't be hard at all. In fact, they could tell every single employee in every single department onboard that the menus exist. However, given the procedure in place...which the guest would be fully aware of if they properly contact the access desk...one has to ask how hard would it be to just ask the correct person?

That makes sense. When you talk with the access desk, they will tell you that you have to get the menu from the hostess or the maitre'd, who will then take your order to the following evening, and enter it into their system. The only server involvement is telling them the following evening that you've already pre-ordered your meal.

You aren't taking anything from anyone because you need or want a vegetarian or vegan diet. No different than someone who needs/wants a kosher diet. The access desk exists to assist anyone with an accommodation...it isn't a disability only zone.

Actually, NCL has done this. There is a vegan menu in the MDR, however most know nothing about it as they fail to contact the access desk prior to their cruise to discuss their dining accommodation(s).

Factually, no, nothing wrong with your post. However, the OP asked a simple, straight-forward question, which was answered by post #5 in the thread. Asked. Answered. Simple. In typical CC fashion, the thread then veers off into point/counter-point discussion that is nothing but a distraction. We are already 16 posts into a thread just to answer a simple yes/no question.

Are you certain that you are remembering NCL? They haven't had formal nights in over 20 years.

Sure...Mom and Dad always think that way, but has the child ever been tested?

And we must not forget: My differently aged kids (who are usually apart as they are in different grades in school) can't go to the kid's club unless they are put in the same group

I don't disagree with either of you, but consider the fallacy of the OP's "1 point" argument. At 74 points, the OP is Gold, and with their next cruise being 14 nights, they will become Platinum after the cruise. However, a cruiser who is at 61 points (also Gold) going on the same cruise will also become Platinum at the conclusion of the cruise. If you're going to grant special status bumps to one, then you have to grant them to the other as both are going to become Platinum simply by going on the exact same cruise. Note that this example only considers regular point levels. If someone had booked into the Haven on a Latitudes promo, then they could also make Platinum on the same cruise even if they started with as little as 33 points. As noted elsewhere in the thread, if you grant someone a bump for being 1 point away, that only makes the person with 73 points say "Hey, what about me? I'm only 1 point away from the guy you bumped!!"

But, you forgot to just ask others while you were on the ship? Instead of dealing with live data right in front of you, you waited, created an account, and decided to ask strangers instead? Some scientist. Given that Bronze starts at 1 point, your premise is demonstrably false. Besides, why would 1 point matter? As long as your next cruise will be sufficient to grant you a new level, then you are just as close regardless of points. Why are you? Sure, I have other things to do, but I wasn't responding to you, I was responding to someone else...YOU are the one addressing me here. Data point for you: it says SHIP pins, not status pins. Please learn the difference before you try to be clever. I can get that you personally have 0% interest in the NCL pins, but that doesn't mean that I, or other people, feel the same. But since you are genuinely curious, NCL released ship pins for 14 of their ships. I have a total of 139 pins in my collection. Rather than spend money to buy them (take a look at what they sell for on eBay), I'd rather offer them for trade with my fellow Cruise Critic members. That way, I can get some pins I'd like to add, and others can fill in their collection as well...without anybody having to pay some eBayer for something we were all given for free.

Well, well...as is typical around these parts someone jumps in and plays their moral superiority card instead of actually addressing the topic. Sure, many people have been there before and wondered how it would be handled. Not really a valid observation here because: a) changing levels has happened to the OP three times (all recently), so they should have multiple personal experiences as to how it is handled b) the OP has clearly indicated that the topic of Latitude levels is one engaged in frequently in their cruising experience. Obviously, the OP has had the opportunity to ask this question directly, or perhaps via email to one of the many friends they made while cruising Might be the first time the OP is asking the question, but is the search feature not working? As you yourself pointed out, the question has been asked "dozens or hundreds of times". Shouldn't be to difficult to find then. Simple request for information about an NCL policy you say? NCL has this thing called a FAQ that plainly and clearly answers this request. A person is far more likely to find the NCL website than they are the Cruise Critic website, so NCL should be the go-to for policy information. Or...they could have simply asked the travel professional that does their bookings. And yes, wanting something is normal and not nefarious. However, actively seeking work-arounds and hacks is nefarious and not normal. Not to mention that actively seeking work-arounds and hacks, by definition, means that you already KNOW the policy you are questioning. And if the OP "heard that it might work differently", don't you think the OP should make the inquiry to that source? Why are we obligated to support what someone might have "heard" from a third-party?

Weird, but do you know he difference between: "I basically spoke those words" and "I spoke those words"?

Except, of course, when an OP already knows the answer to the posted question, but is really seeking the answer to the unasked question.

But why would they honor the Platinum that you haven't earned when they didn't honor Bronze, Silver, or Gold before you earned them? And no, not everyone is trying to scheme, but some people are seeking data points when they want rules broken in their favor.

Really? Then you must not have even read the post you quoted where I stated it plainly. No you didn't. Your unique experience only came out when you became combative. And it certainly wasn't "it" was it? In fact, your whole purpose wasn't to share your experience, it was..to use your own words:

Do you always assume. I certainly have sailed solo, so I know what conversations do, and do not, occur. And I've passed through more Latitude levels than you have, so I've got way more experience as to what happens when as you move up the chain. Truth be told, you likely already know the answer, but you're just another person who really wants to find a work-around to the rules. All you really care about is finding the one person who can tell you how to game the system.

Hostile? Is that the new term to use when someone has a different opinion than your own? You've done all of your sailing since July, my sailing experience goes back way further than that. Funny that I have never been "asked about my status"...not once, yet it has happened to you multiple times? Seems hard to believe.

And somehow YOU were not aware of this? For some reason, you just assumed that this was a regular CruiseNext that you purchased on a past sailing? Just goes to show how hard it is to give a good answer when the person posing the question doesn't provide ALL of the relevant information. That is odd...why would CNC need an email from a reservation agent to apply something that they actually control?

Yes, that is the whole point of the two offerings. CruiseNext is sold on the ship, CruiseFirst is sold off of the ship.

To sum up the entire thread (independent of the overblown drama built into the title as clickbait): What is familiarity breeds contempt syndrome? The ancient saying, "Familiarity breeds contempt," posits that as our familiarity with something or someone deepens, our initial warmth can wane, giving rise to negative sentiments and attitudes.

Well, that isn't a bug, it's a feature. The way they handle these things causes everything to be in writing. Thus there is no misunderstanding, no misquoting, no "he said, she said". This also helps to avoid the inevitable arguments from people who let their emotions/drama take control of the situation. Everything is documented. The folks you want to talk to aren't in New Orleans...they are in Miami and have nothing to do with the ship, the terminal, or the movement of luggage. They don't even investigate...they only take information and pass it on. They can't help you or answer questions during a conversation. You got to talk with people at the terminal, right? Why the need to talk to more people? If so, then you should have reported it to a) US Customs, b) Port Security Personnel, and c) the New Orleans Police Department. All of those will be far more helpful than Cruise Critic, which is NOT on the list of places to report stolen items. (FWIW...the nice folks that run this website will only communicate with you online in written form...no phone calls...just like NCL.)

No, of course not. When complaining on CC you never quote the per person cost. Instead you only mention the cost to the entire party because using the inflated number makes NCL look worse.

There you go...full value it is. I expect you to feel the same way if and when someone wants to sell two certificates. Since they are worth $500, you should pay $500 for them...regardless of what the seller of the CNs would have paid.