Tricked on Great stirrup cay

Last week our family took a vacation on NCL breakaway cruise. This is first time our cruise trip. Most of the days are wonderful, until the last day I saw the bill. There is $15 for renting float at Great Stirrup Cay. Once we were on that island, my kids wanted some fun with the float, so I rented one. The person guarded the floats asked me for 15 USD cash and recorded my room number. I didn't have so much thinking, paid cash and gave her my room #. But the same amount money appeared on my bill again. I went to the customer service to ask for an explanation. The service person just told me it was my fault, I should give cash. If I left the room# I would be charged through it. No one told us this rule, and on that island, every gift store accepted cash, how I can know which one I shouldn't pay cash once the person there asked me for? Does first time customer deserve it? I don't think so. I trusted the NCL's crew no matter on the boat or on the island. The person guarded floats must be NCL's employee. The customer service person said I should ask receipt if I bought anything with cash. Are you serious? Especially once I was in my swimming suit? He said sorry, while I couldn't see any sorry from his face. I only saw a face that I was foolish. How can you treat your client like that? That destroyed my whole trip. $15 is very small amount of money, but no one will feel happy once being tricked and laughed as stupid. That is a very bad experience.

What happened to the original $15 you gave? The float guard stole it? That could be quite a scam if it happens a few times per ship visit. Sorry this happened to you. I agree it can be confusing since all the vendors selling T-shirts etc. accept cash. Esp. if you are new to the island and NCL / cruising. NCL should have refunded the money and proved good customer service.

I probably would have been tricked as well thinking that the float would be charged to my room if I didn't return it and that is why they needed the cabin number.

I think the guard got it. I accept some personal scam happening to big companies. But a good customer service shouldn't blame that to their client. That is bad.

I probably would have been tricked as well thinking that the float would be charged to my room if I didn't return it and that is why they needed the cabin number.

I did return the float to the float station. And I was there for a while waiting for the guard finished her chatting with someone else. The guard didn't tell me if she should return me the money, just let me leave the float there like the deal was done.

You are right. NCL or any large company can't monitor their employees 24 / 7 and things occur. However, when something like this happens they need to stand by their values and provide good customer service. Even though it was only $15 it still doesn't feel good to be tricked in a scam. With that being said I am sure NCL can afford to refund $15.

I probably would have been tricked as well thinking that the float would be charged to my room if I didn't return it and that is why they needed the cabin number.

 

 

 

Not return it? Where are you going to go with it? Roll it up and stick it in your beach bag and sneak it back on the ship?

 

 

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LOL Some people may think about just leaving it on the beach.

That destroyed my whole trip.

Sorry your trip was destroyed by this one experience, especially when there are so many great things on a cruise.

 

BTW, welcome to Cruise Critic.

I've mentioned this in other threads. I was on the Epic earlier this month. We had a spa room but to use the thermal suite, the front desk holds your room card. When we went to leave the spa, they had given my sister's card away to someone else. We immediately checked her account and there were gift shop charges on there. It took us three days of talking to security and guest services to get the charges taken off and it was completely their mistake. I'm not surprised that no one was willing to help you. Customer service for this sort of thing was really lacking, in our experience.

Sorry your trip was destroyed by this one experience, especially when there are so many great things on a cruise.

 

BTW, welcome to Cruise Critic.

It's like you had a very delicious dinner and very enjoy it. But at the last bite, you found there was a bug on your spoon. The bug might be non-poisonous at all, but can you ignore it?

At Harvest Caye, we rented a little electric boat. Could have booked it as an excursion for about 50 bucks. We asked to rent one from the guys at the dock.They took $40 cash. Yup, NCL has a problem.

Do you know what it is when we don't get what we wanted? It's experience, you can chalk it up to a thieving employee and move on or you can let it ruin your whole experience, I guess you choose the later. Imagine what would happen if 100 people tried to get a refund for something with no proof they actually spent the money. Get receipts it's nonsense that you have nowhere to put a receipt, you managed to keep cash handy. Sorry if this sounds harsh, but we all need to accept some personal responsibility, and ask questions before handing over our cash or information that could cost us money.

I was on a different cruiseline's private island and I asked the float rental guy the cost for a float and he said "just give me $10 and you can have it all day" He never asked me my room number and I never gave it. So he was obviously scamming that cruise line and just pocketing the money. Maybe I should have cared and done it the official way but I do know I saved money by giving it to him directly, renting through shore excursions the float would have been more.

 

I'm sorry you got scammed and that NCL was rude about it. They should have treated you better when you complained to guest services.

So sorry you had this problem. Customer Service definitely handled this situation incorrectly. They should have reversed the $15.00 charge and apologized..............

Maybe the attendant thought you were giving him a tip? I certainly wouldn't let $15 ruin anything.

At Harvest Caye, we rented a little electric boat. Could have booked it as an excursion for about 50 bucks. We asked to rent one from the guys at the dock.They took $40 cash. Yup, NCL has a problem.

Now, this is the way to pocket a bit of cash and have less risk to losing your job. The customer is happy, the employee still gets his money and there is very little chance of NCL figuring out what happened. The employee charging you twice sucked, and was stupid since if this keeps happening NCL will be much more likely to look into it if they get repeated customer complaints.

 

And yes, the cruise line should have refunded the $15.

Email customer service https://www.ncl.com/case-submission

My 1st cruise ... they were using cash back then ... I ordered one of those fancy drinks in the real glass tulip type glass. It cost $10 including the glass. I gave the guy a $20 and never got my change. I saw him serving people near me and I asked him for my change and he said .... "No change ... my TIP". I said NO, I NEVER said you could have 100% tip! He just turned and walked away ... no way to get cash money out of someone's hands once it's turned over.

 

It did not, in anyway, ruin my trip though. Live and learn.

So sorry you had this problem. Customer Service definitely handled this situation incorrectly. They should have reversed the $15.00 charge and apologized..............

I totally agree with this. The float guy was running a side business! I am sure the OP is not the first person he had done this to.

At Harvest Caye, we rented a little electric boat. Could have booked it as an excursion for about 50 bucks. We asked to rent one from the guys at the dock.They took $40 cash. Yup, NCL has a problem.

If you booked through NCL, excursions cost more. Harvest Cay isn’t like GSC where it’s the same as being on the ship. I believe you need cash or credit cards for purchases?

I feel like there was some misunderstanding or a mistake. If the float guy was trying to scam money from NCL why would he bother charging your room as well?

We were at Harvest Caye and bought $80 worth or food while we were in a pool cabana. I gave the server $100 thinking she would just keep the extra $20 as her tip. Well she came back and it was obvious that she was looking for a tip. Don't know exactly what happened but I think somewhere somehow someone didn't give her the tip and for some reason she thought we bought $100 worth of food. I just gave her another $20 and called it even. I was not going to ruin my day tracking down the lost tip.

All this bad 'press' over 15 bucks? NCL often can't see the forest for the trees.

 

 

What bad press? 1186 people who read the thread on cruise critic and 1185 of them who pretty much didn't care about what happened or the fifteen bucks?

 

 

I won't dismiss the OP's feelings about this but we definitely have different opinions of "disaster" on a cruise.

OP sounds like a first-time cruiser.

 

I can see how this type of thing could leave a sour taste in one's mouth.

 

I was a new cruiser once too...

 

It may be less about the $15, than the principle. And happening on an NCL private island...

 

I get the OP's feelings.

 

In the interest of customer service, I believe NCL could've handled this better.

 

NCL can't always control the behavior of employees... But they can make things right when something goes wrong.