NCL Sky 12/4-12/7 - Ups and downs

[valarson5]

...and they should have kicked a few more off the boat in Nassau. Inappropriate behavior by soooo many guests. We wanted off the boat in GSC to have some space due to the shenanigans going on poolside. This was no place for families and children. I understand for safety we couldn't dock -- but did we have to stay anchored there all day? Okay - medical emergency, had it been me I would have wanted to get back. They had no Plan B for the remaining passengers. I felt like NCL didn't really care about customer service. Lots wrong with this trip -- gave Freestyle Cruising a new definition.

[CanadianTwosome]

Wow, sounds like an even bigger issue was what was going on poolside... hazmat suits, sterilization, rumours of inappropriate video and passengers put off the ship... :eek:

 

On my drive to work this morning, the radio announcer confirmed that it was -32 C (-27 F), which with the windchill felt more like -42 (C & F come together at -40). Getting off a ship 12 hours early but still being in Florida really doesn't sound that bad to me. Of course, I'm not a gambler, so I wouldn't have missed the casino.

 

After reading the various reviews of the Sky lately, the only thing that concerns me is having my daughter on a three night cruise over a weekend... sounds like a party. Good thing there's Kid's Crew and plenty of port time! :)

 

Back on topic - OP, I see nothing wrong with contacting NCL and voicing your disappointment. The doctor has ultimate power in these situations, so NCL as a whole really didn't have any choice, and the decision to head back to Miami early was not negotiable; it bears no reflection on how they feel about their customers (other than the one with the medical emergency). That being said, you did have a contract for a certain amount of on board time and part of that was the expectation of an open casino. As has been noted, they may simply say 'no', but you'll never know if you don't ask. I know everyone here will be interested to find out how they respond if you choose to contact them. :)

[CruisinMaterial]

...and they should have kicked a few more off the boat in Nassau. Inappropriate behavior by soooo many guests. We wanted off the boat in GSC to have some space due to the shenanigans going on poolside. This was no place for families and children. I understand for safety we couldn't dock -- but did we have to stay anchored there all day?

 

Ok, I'll bite (figuratively :rolleyes:).... what was going on onboard this sailing poolside? Was the poolside events connected to the medical emergency or was this cruise THAT interesting? :D

 

It stinks that the cruise ended early but I'm sure they didn't boot you off the ship when it got back to Port of Miami so you still got to enjoy what was going on onboard, right? Drinks I'm sure were still flowing and the activities were still going (less casino and shopping).

[RambleRocket]

What were the other issues? I think that would help everyone understand the situation a little better.

 

If the only issues were the missed port and the medical emergency, I do not feel any compensation is due.

[spider3455]

Wow SeaShark! As I stated, the way they handled, with little apology, if at all, could have been handled better. I am not "blaming" NCL for missing the tender port, nothing they can do about that. But I can be disappointed. I can't blame NCL for returning to port 12 hours early because of medical issues, but I can certainly be disappointed. I have missed ports on Princess (Princess Cays), and of course I was disappointed. Your missing the point, I wasn't expecting NCL to put passenger health at risk, but a at least a little apology for all the unfortunately events of the cruise would have been nice. Other things lacking in my first NCL cruise:

-My room steward was subpar, at best. The only time I saw him was when he was slamming on my door asking my wife if he could make up the room when she was busy getting ready for dinner. Very rude. Bathroom towels were not changed, even when left on the floor. Trash was not emptied. Worst service by far of any cruise.

-No late night food options. Unless you want to wait 2 hours for a hamburger, as my brother did. No thanks, Ill take Princess' 24 hour buffet.

-Main dining room service was disappointing. Asking for coffee before my meal seemed like a major inconvienence. And when I did, 3 nights in a row, took about 20 minutes to get it. 2 times, I received my entre right after my apps. Food was fine, but service was clearly lacking.

I took a 3 day cruise to try out NCL, and I was underwhelmed. If your a NCL fan, wonderful, but in my opinion, their service isn't up to par.

[ddakrt]

...and they should have kicked a few more off the boat in Nassau. Inappropriate behavior by soooo many guests. We wanted off the boat in GSC to have some space due to the shenanigans going on poolside. This was no place for families and children. I understand for safety we couldn't dock -- but did we have to stay anchored there all day? Okay - medical emergency, had it been me I would have wanted to get back. They had no Plan B for the remaining passengers. I felt like NCL didn't really care about customer service. Lots wrong with this trip -- gave Freestyle Cruising a new definition.

 

Where else should the ship have gone? Just sail around randomly?

 

As for a "Plan B" for other passengers after the medical emergency, I don't know what it can be really. I promise you NCL did not want to go back early if they had a choice, they used more fuel as the ship was probably operating at high speeds, lost casino and shop revenues, and had to pay a much higher port fee at Miami since the Sky was docked for a much longer period of time than it would otherwise.

[Planer's Edge]

I took a 3 day cruise to try out NCL, and I was underwhelmed. If your a NCL fan, wonderful, but in my opinion, their service isn't up to par.

I personally would not base my opinions of a cruise line on a 3 day cruise. If I did that I would have never taken a second Royal Caribbean cruise. In my mind 3 and 4 day cruises are strictly for a getaway/party and probably do not reflect what each cruise line is about.

 

PE

[SeaShark]

Wow SeaShark! As I stated, the way they handled, with little apology, if at all, could have been handled better. I am not "blaming" NCL for missing the tender port, nothing they can do about that. But I can be disappointed. I can't blame NCL for returning to port 12 hours early because of medical issues, but I can certainly be disappointed. I have missed ports on Princess (Princess Cays), and of course I was disappointed. Your missing the point, I wasn't expecting NCL to put passenger health at risk, but a at least a little apology for all the unfortunately events of the cruise would have been nice. Other things lacking in my first NCL cruise:

-My room steward was subpar, at best. The only time I saw him was when he was slamming on my door asking my wife if he could make up the room when she was busy getting ready for dinner. Very rude. Bathroom towels were not changed, even when left on the floor. Trash was not emptied. Worst service by far of any cruise.

-No late night food options. Unless you want to wait 2 hours for a hamburger, as my brother did. No thanks, Ill take Princess' 24 hour buffet.

-Main dining room service was disappointing. Asking for coffee before my meal seemed like a major inconvienence. And when I did, 3 nights in a row, took about 20 minutes to get it. 2 times, I received my entre right after my apps. Food was fine, but service was clearly lacking.

I took a 3 day cruise to try out NCL, and I was underwhelmed. If your a NCL fan, wonderful, but in my opinion, their service isn't up to par.

 

Lets try this again without the excess drama, ok?

 

I understood that you were disappointed. Never questioned that. You stated that Princess would have handled the situations better. Instead of judging this very general and vague statement, I just asked you to clarify and explain exactly what it is that Princess would have done in each of these situations.

 

Is that really so difficult? :rolleyes:

 

Now you come back with even more complaints and, as you pointed out in an earlier thread, there were only small issues...no major ones.

 

As has been said over and over and over and over on these boards...issues should be taken care of immediately while onboard the ship. It is really unfair to NCL for you to say nothing at the time and then come here to whine. It is also unfair to us since we can do absolutely nothing to help you. I think if you had brought your issues to the attention of the Head of Housekeeping, the F&B Director, and/or the Hotel Director, your opinion would be vastly different.

 

I believe the saying is "Don't sweat the small stuff".

[valarson5]

I am in violent agreement with you Spider3455 - subpar in every area. And maybe it was just this week -- who knows. I have been on 9 cruises -- every line. I absolutely expect to have the same service level on a 4 day as I would on a 7 or 14 day. This is their business; their industry. Why would you expect mediocre in anything?

 

My eyeglasses fell out of my purse during a show and I went back to the lounge to look for them the next morning. A very nice employee told me he found them and turned them in at reception. I went there and stood in line for 15 minutes and asked - I was told there was no lost and found and he had no glasses. I waited a few minutes and got back in line and asked another young lady at the desk the same question. She went into the the back room and came out with a box of lost and found -- and there were my glasses. The only reason I asked the second person was because I had been told they were there. It was my fault that I dropped my glasses but I felt fortunate when I met up with a friendly caring staff person. The whole trip was this way --- hit or miss.

 

NCL is in the people and entertainment business - they move 10s of thousands every week. They must have weekly events that require a change of plan. I am sure those unexpected events are in their budgets, too. Yes -- sail around - other cruise lines have done that. It is more comfortable than bobbing around for 10 hours. When we had to go back to Miami -- I don't know throw an impromptu show together. Suggest SOMETHING as an alternative to do. They are the professionals.

[tiyana4]

I was there, too...and they should have kicked a few more off the boat in Nassau. Inappropriate behavior by soooo many guests. We wanted off the boat in GSC to have some space due to the shenanigans going on poolside. This was no place for families and children. I understand for safety we couldn't dock -- but did we have to stay anchored there all day? Okay - medical emergency, had it been me I would have wanted to get back. They had no Plan B for the remaining passengers. I felt like NCL didn't really care about customer service. Lots wrong with this trip -- gave Freestyle Cruising a new definition.

 

We were on this sailing, too and know exactly what you mean. I had to cover my 14 year-olds eyes on several occasions.

 

Ok, I'll bite (figuratively :rolleyes:).... what was going on onboard this sailing poolside? Was the poolside events connected to the medical emergency or was this cruise THAT interesting? :D

 

It stinks that the cruise ended early but I'm sure they didn't boot you off the ship when it got back to Port of Miami so you still got to enjoy what was going on onboard, right? Drinks I'm sure were still flowing and the activities were still going (less casino and shopping).

 

Based on the percentages, I would say it was a themed cruise (unbeknownst to families). I'm sure someone else can elaborate further.

[BIG_Steve]

 

Back on topic - OP, I see nothing wrong with contacting NCL and voicing your disappointment. The doctor has ultimate power in these situations, so NCL as a whole really didn't have any choice, and the decision to head back to Miami early was not negotiable; it bears no reflection on how they feel about their customers (other than the one with the medical emergency). :)

 

Are you sure? I would assume the Dr. describes the situation to the bridge or captain, and they would make the call as to hurrying home or calling for rescue. But, I really don't know either.

[pianomanorlando]

We were on this sailing, too and know exactly what you mean. I had to cover my 14 year-olds eyes on several occasions.

 

Based on the percentages, I would say it was a themed cruise (unbeknownst to families). I'm sure someone else can elaborate further.

 

 

Hey now. Yes, there was a gay tour group on our boat (about 200 people), but I never saw anything other than normal people having a good time like everyone else. I never saw anything inappropriate nor did I hear from my wife or any of our travelmates that they did either.

 

Actually, some of the night life was quite a bit more lively than usual as a result if you ask me!

[tiyana4]

Hey now. Yes, there was a gay tour group on our boat (about 200 people), but I never saw anything other than normal people having a good time like everyone else. I never saw anything inappropriate nor did I hear from my wife or any of our travelmates that they did either.

 

Actually, some of the night life was quite a bit more lively than usual as a result if you ask me!

 

I never mentioned what "theme" it was but I can assure you it was more than 200 pp. FWIW, apparently you didn't see the same things that we did.

[alwalaska]

Where else should the ship have gone? Just sail around randomly?

 

As for a "Plan B" for other passengers after the medical emergency, I don't know what it can be really. I promise you NCL did not want to go back early if they had a choice, they used more fuel as the ship was probably operating at high speeds, lost casino and shop revenues, and had to pay a much higher port fee at Miami since the Sky was docked for a much longer period of time than it would otherwise.

 

Actually, on Bahamas cruises, everything is so close that a sea day is just that, sailing around randomly. It keeps the air moving and I enjoy watching the sea moving by.

 

As for the docking early, since it was a full 12 hours early, I'm surprised they didn't go back out to sea after they dropped off the passenger who needed help.

[alwalaska]

Just curious, if you miss GSC, does NCL release a new Daily with more activities since it is now basically a sea day instead of a port day?

[familyof4cruising]

Just curious, if you miss GSC, does NCL release a new Daily with more activities since it is now basically a sea day instead of a port day?

 

Yes. They usually send a changed daily to your cabin.

 

We actually had it once that we were on the island and a horn blew. The waters were getting rough and everyone already on GSC had to get back to the ship.

[alwalaska]

Yes. They usually send a changed daily to your cabin.

 

We actually had it once that we were on the island and a horn blew. The waters were getting rough and everyone already on GSC had to get back to the ship.

 

Thanks for the info. The weather there must be really unpredictable. We had a similar experience with CocoCay on our Sovereign of the Seas cruise. Luckily, we got back just before the seas got too bad. We had a little rough ride and a difficult time making the transition from the tender to the ship, but the others had to wait on the island for the storm to pass since the captain decided it was too dangerous to tender anyone else while the seas were so bad.

 

I heard rumors that passengers got stuck on RCCL's island once when a storm blew in all of a sudden and they didn't have time to get everyone off. It was bad enough that the ship had to pull up anchor and leave. Supposedly, when the captain realized what was happening, some brave crew loaded the tenders with blankets and food supplies and went to help out on the island. Most passengers said it was a little scary since the storm was so bad, but that it was kind of a fun adventure.

[sottovoce]

I heard rumors that passengers got stuck on RCCL's island once when a storm blew in all of a sudden and they didn't have time to get everyone off. It was bad enough that the ship had to pull up anchor and leave. Supposedly, when the captain realized what was happening, some brave crew loaded the tenders with blankets and food supplies and went to help out on the island. Most passengers said it was a little scary since the storm was so bad, but that it was kind of a fun adventure.

I can only imagine what they must have asked for in compensation.:cool:

[pianomanorlando]

Just curious, if you miss GSC, does NCL release a new Daily with more activities since it is now basically a sea day instead of a port day?

 

Yes. However the on board activities are generally not very good when they are thrown together at the last minute. The casino or the pool deck are generally the best options.

[CanadianTwosome]

Are you sure? I would assume the Dr. describes the situation to the bridge or captain, and they would make the call as to hurrying home or calling for rescue. But, I really don't know either.

 

You know, I can't back this up. :o I was absolutely certain that I had read this somewhere, but I can't seem to find any reference to it now, so no, I am no longer sure. Logically, however, I think it's reasonable to think that in the case of a medical emergency, as deemed by the medical officer aboard, the captain will make the doctor's recommendations a priority.

[BIG_Steve]

For the OP or the others on the cruise.... Wondering how long it took to get from GSC to Miami? The ship normally seems to be going about 5mph, and takes all night. Wondering how long it took at full speed?