SeaShark

So they don't have to listen to whiners cry about being "forced" to book a hotel room...

Just to educate everyone...walk us through it. Had these flights been booked directly, are you saying that the delays would not have happened and that the OP would have made the cruise? I'm not 100% clear on why it becomes an issue simply because the cruise line booked he flight instead of the guest. Surely, not everyone on the affected plane booked through the cruise line, so how is it that the booking method is to blame?

Same...its just a dismissive label that people use to attack the person rather than the position.

Remember, it is an auction and by definition your likelihood of being upgraded increases with the amount of your auction bid. More $$ = greater likelihood.

Not for anything, but the OP literally just joined CC and likely has no idea what a "cheerleader" is or how/why the insult is used on Cruise Critic. Not sure why you'd even throw the term out here. Perhaps you should have an open mind about what everyone has to say and try not to label them in such a dismissive fashion.

Correct...under the regular air program, you buy your seats through NCL and you pay 100% of the cost...under this program, you can pay the $50 fee to upgrade some options. This is completely different than the air you get as part of the Free at Sea promotion.

Not much different than learning the difference between refundable and non-refundable OBC, or the difference between a Service Charge and a Gratuity. A little knowledge can go a long way. The issue we have now is way to many people just "assume" and trust whatever they read online (as long as they find it favorable to their own situation of course).

Again...it is important to remember that flight assistance is available to those who purchase their air through NCL...which is NOT the same as getting air through the Free at Sea promotion. Conflating these very different programs caused a lot of unnecessary confusion.

Add to that the fact that when you do say something positive that you are attacked and mocked as a "cheerleader" it becomes even clearer as to why there are only complaints.

If you objected to his post you could have, following your own advice, "just sat it out", no? Some things are easier to say, then they are to do.

Correct. The air with the Free at Sea promotion obligates them to purchase your ticket(s) at their discounted rate. Once the tickets are purchased, you have full responsibility for your travel.

Sure, but there is a difference between purchasing your airfare through NCL (technically called "premium air" or NCL Air) and getting airfare through the Free at Sea promotion. Different programs with different terms. Best to try to NOT confuse the two.

I'm always fascinated with how easily people will take things at face value without the slightest bit of questioning of anything odd... This post reads like it is from a newbie...not a "excellent customer of Norwegian cruising with them once or twice per year". Experience should be a great teacher. The says that they "were Platinum (or maybe Diamond) members". Awesome, but "were"? Did they take your status away or "are" you Platinum (or maybe Diamond) members? What happened to Sapphire? Was it just skipped over? First time to book directly through NCL. Odd. An excellent customer who cruises so often that they are Platinum (or maybe Diamond) and for some unknow reason you just abandon the booking method that has been working so well all of this time? Why? Some might question the rather late joining of Cruise Critic, but I can understand that. Even Platinum (or maybe Diamond) members who are excellent customers might have never heard of Cruise Critic...although a lot of people do seem to be able to find it once they have a complaint to air. What I find odd is why an "excellent customer of Norwegian" would initially post this item on the Oceana Board. Gotta figure the first place you'd come is the NCL board and that same "Questions for FDR thread" is available here...not sure why an excellent customer of Norwegian would go there instead of here. We always only get one side of the story here which is why I approach everything with some degree of skepticism. What is not said is often more enlightening than what is said.

The "they have double the cabins to clean" was made up...so why can't this be made up as well? Fair is fair, no?

The OP, for one, has not...so exactly what is your point? Are you saying the OP had no business starting this thread because he hasn't been a fifteen year old girl within the last twenty years?

I know, right? People come here and find a discussion forum with a wide and varied amount of opinions when all they really wanted was a support group!

Think it through...when NCL makes a corporate level decision of course there is a "why" behind that decision. Do you really expect that, once a decision is made, that NCL has someone ensure that Cruise Critic knows the "why" behind their decision?

Now you get it, if you guess or just flat-out make it up, you can argue whatever you want.

As much sense as the (already disproven) premise that the number of assigned cabins doubled. So sure, why not, we can just make up our "facts" as we go. Question: Steward starts work at ##:##am and finishes at ##:##pm. Has their work day doubled, or are they still doing 1 day's worth of work?

Well, I would argue that "cruising way too much" IS a life! That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Actually, this was a staff idea...not Kevin's...and it was also chosen because it is a play on "Oceans"

The Epic would like a word... "Breakaway" was a term used by then CEO Kevin Sheehan's family to describe a vacation while he was growing up. This was the actual "source of the term".

Very true...couldn't agree more. One point to add would be: "how many kids"? In this case, there was one, but what if it were two, three, four...? How many minor children should be allowed to just "sit with their parents"? A line has to be drawn somewhere.

Which isn't a problem given that he only has to do half of the work per cabin...

Interesting that the stated reason for the unhappiness is the number of assigned cabins and not an increase in either the amount of work or in the length of the work day. Assign 8 cabins, 30 min service twice a day is 8 hours of work. Assign 16 cabins, 30 min service once a day is still 8 hours of work. (Numbers above are illustrative only, and are not intended to accurately reflect the exact work load of a room steward)