I haven't even left yet.......

[Groupichik66]

and already I am swearing never to travel on Norweigan again.......

 

I don't leave till Sunday on the Dawn but this has been the worst ever in terms of booking a cruise, finding information and dealing with my TA(travelocity, whom i will never use again,also)...

 

It's not like I am a new cruiser- I have been on 20+ cruises in my life- although this is my first with a baby, but the customer service I have received has been horrendous...I have been reading all the other posts about NCL lately and frankly I am very nervous if I am going to have an enjoyable time......

 

Please can somebody reassure me that it won't be that bad........

 

I have traveled on NCL- 2 other times The Sun & The Norway...and neither was that bad although I don't remember them as being my favorite.....

[Hobbsey]

Groupichik,

 

De-stress a little if you can.

 

If you read through the boards of other lines you'll see simliar complaints as in here about the customer "service" depts.

 

Traveling with a baby definitely adds a twist to the way you plan. It's unfortunate that you decided to do the booking yourself rather then use a TA who could smooth the communications for you.

 

I'm betting that once on-board you are going to have a better then "not so bad" time.

 

1968 Lurline (Matson)

1969 Mariposa (Matson)

1998 Seabreeze (Premier)

1998 Century (Celebrity)

1999 Seabreeze (Premier)

1999 Norwegian Crown (NCL)

1999 Voyager of the Seas (RCL)

2000 Westerdam (HAL)

2000 Carnival Victory (CCL)

2000 Sensation (CCL)

2001 Mercury (Celebrity)

2001 Norwegian Majesty (NCL)

2001 Vision of the Seas (RCL)

2002 Norwegian Wind (NCL)

2004 Maasdam (HAL)

[Host CMLA]

Since you haven't told us what went wrong, all I can see from your original post is problems with Travelocity. What happened?

 

Cecilia

*****@aol.com

 

My Wedding!

 

[Groupichik66]

Well for starters- when I booked I told them I had a baby..they quoted a price we booked a AF mini-suite....3 days later I got a latitutes brocure in the mail quoting a cheaper price...I called back they would not honor it -saying it was for new bookings only- It was the exact cruise and cabin I had just put a deposit on- 3 days ago......Okay I was upset but let it go.........My brother then decided he wanted to join us in our room since it holds 4 and originally it was just my mom,me & the baby. added him paid his deposit.Numerous phone calls with hours long wait to correct spelling of names etc.... Flash ahead to 3 weeks prior....made final payment, get documents notice that they say 2 adults and 2 children...call NCL since I was totally annoyed with dealing with Travelocity....only to find out they will not even look at a booking thru a TA....so call Trav...Find out that somehow my booking changed from initial deposit to final pay and I had to pay additional money for my brother since they only charged him as a baby...although on my originally quote he was an adult....neither person knows what happened...and I do not have my original price quote so I just paid the extra money......and am incredibly wary that the info is correct...now I did get new documents after complaining alot(they kept trying to tell me to use the wrong ones. So tomorrow I leave and am waiting to see if I have a pier fiasco.....

[emcemt]

As a first timer to NCL I am starting to have some of the same fears as you. Thankfully I have not had to deal with NCL customer service yet. I did get a great deal on the cruise though booking through costco. I saved about$900 off travelocity's price. Ya gotta look around when your gonna book. By the way....when you got that coupon from lattitudes I woulda just cancelled my booking (you stated you got the coupon 3 days after making the booking and before final payment) and just rebooked again.

But my fears of NCL is all these surcharges. I know all lines are nickel and diming people but it sounds like NCL has it down to a science. Guess I just gotta wait and see.

 

 Untill the honeymoon cruise!!!!

 

Thanksgiving on the Dawn!!!!

 

Celebrity Horizon 9/93

Grandeur Of the Seas 9/96

Soverign Of The Seas 10/00

Disney WOnder 9/01

Sensation 2/02

Carnival Legend 5/03

Serenade of the Seas 9/03

Adventure of the Seas 8/04

NCL Dawn 11/04

[Host CMLA]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Groupichik66: So tomorrow I leave and am waiting to see if I have a pier fiasco.....<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I can understand why you're so upset with Travelocity. But why would you say in your original post:<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>and already I am swearing never to travel on Norweigan again...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> What did NCL do? Seems like Travelocity messed this one up. It's not fair to blame NCL for this. In my opinion, if you go to the pier thinking you hate NCL because of something they didn't do...you'll probably hate your cruise. When in reality, I'd hate Travelocity. This is just my opinion. I hope you don't have any problems at the pier.

[SweetEmi]

I too get the impression that your problems have really stemmed from Travelocity and If I read it right, the only thing NCL is guilty of is working through your TA and not you (which I think is a very common practice and one of the reasons I was glad to see the same price at NCL's website then at any discount company - so I booked directly with NCL this time).

 

Emce: My experience was to "Just say No" if I didn't want something and it was just fine! Never a bother as far as I was concerned. There were sooooooo many things on the cruise that were "free" or included that I didn't have time to do all I wanted to. Oh...I did pay extra for a couple of the specialty restaurants and will be doing that again for sure because they were WONDERFUL! But in exchange I made use of the "free" parts of the Spa that most people don't realized are included - so I still felt pampered.

 

Got great deals on the cruise itself, so I don't really mind paying extra for the things that I WANT to do/experience rather than paying extra in the cruise price for things that don't interest me.

 

My 2 cents anyway,

Aloha,

Emi

 

NCL Star-08/31/03 in Hawaii!

NCL Star-11/13/04 to Mexico!

Alaska summer 2005!

[mmceachn]

It does sound like your issue is with Travelocity, not NCL

I booked at cruise thru Travelocity last year, but not on line. I called the 800 number and booked directly with an agent located in the call center in Virginia who verified spelling and went over all of the dates for final payment, etc. When I was considering an upsell on the cabin, I called them and they called over to NLC without a problem.

I heard that Travelocity had moved one of the main call centers, (and 250 jobs) to India so I suspect that my agent there has likely lost his job.

 

SammyM

[Hobbsey]

I'm sure it's been said on these boards before but it bears repeating. (for all those newbys reading this board, it's too late for the original poster)

 

If you need any kind of special services, complicated travel plans, might need to change or add to your booking, have a baby in tow, really anything other than a straight up double booking, you really should use a local TA that specializes in cruises. A cruise specialist will most likely be affiliated with an agancy that holds group space on amany sailing and can offer good pricing. They will have special relationships with the cruise lines "VIP" of "Presidents" service desk and can use some leverage to get you what you need (if it can be gotten).

 

1968 Lurline (Matson)

1969 Mariposa (Matson)

1998 Seabreeze (Premier)

1998 Century (Celebrity)

1999 Seabreeze (Premier)

1999 Norwegian Crown (NCL)

1999 Voyager of the Seas (RCL)

2000 Westerdam (HAL)

2000 Carnival Victory (CCL)

2000 Sensation (CCL)

2001 Mercury (Celebrity)

2001 Norwegian Majesty (NCL)

2001 Vision of the Seas (RCL)

2002 Norwegian Wind (NCL)

2004 Maasdam (HAL)

[newmexicoNita]

First of all, try to relax. If you let yourself get all worked up you will spoil your cruise before you even start. Booking on line, as was just said is really for those who have a basic simple reservation. As for latitude not honoring your request, well, it seems pretty stupid but we had the same situation on RCL and I ws still a TA at the time. A better price with a coupon came about, but was only for new bookings. I am about to book our first cruise using the net. I am an experienced cruiser, want to save the bucks, as a retired TA and was in the hotel reservation business for 13 years before becoming a TA. I am still a bit uncomfortabe knowing if something goes wrong I won't have a TA to go to bat for me. NMNita

 

Commodore 1984, Costa 1985, RCL 1987, Chandris 1989, NCL 1989, Commodore, 1991, NCL 1997, Carnival 1997, Carnival 1998,NCL 1998, NCL 1999, RCL 2000, RCL 2000, NCL 2002,NCL 2003, Celebrity 2003, NCL 2004

[Rumncoke]

Another reason I won't ever leave my wonderful, local TA.

 

NCL Norway: 10/89,10/93, 4/00, 4/01-- RCI Viking Serenade: 1/97 -- RCI Majesty O' Seas: 10/97 -- NCL Wind: 10/98, 10/99 -- NCL Sea:11/00 -- Celeb Summit: 11/01 -- Celeb Millennium: 3/02 -- NCL Sun: 11/02 -- Carnival Pride: 5/03 -- RCI Radiance O' Seas: 11/03 -- NCL Sky: 01/04

 

All aboard the NCL Sun, 11/06/04!!

 

 

[gardencat]

We recently had a fiasco on an NCL cruise booked through Travelocity but I DO blame NCL and not Travelocity.

Why? Well lets see: It wasn't Travelocity that cancelled my cruise a month out. It was NCL that did not inform my TA of the cancellation until I told NCL I heard the cruise had been cancelled. Then NCL told ME that I should have my TA call them so NCL could inform my TA the cruise had been cancelled.

Every time Travelocity tried to reach NCL to get information for me NCL left travelocity on hold endlessly I know, cause travelocity kept me on hold on another line and kept coming back to apologize for how long it was taking.

When Travelocity presented my request for compensation to NCL, NCL initially agreeed . I believe Travelocity on this because they came back with a phone number, a fax number and instructions about what NCL would require in order to meet my compensation request. I don't think that they made this all up just to trick me. When NCL went back on their promise, and refused to honor that original agreement they tried to imply that my TA had misinformed me but when Travelocity read to them from the detailed notes they had made from their conversations with NCL, NCL changed their story and said that they had just had a meeting and decided "that they weren't going to do that anymore".

Sorry but in my opinion the problems were with NCL all the way. When I spoke directly with NCL (since Travelocity had 'given them permission' to deal with me directly) their attitude of ' you are screwed and we don't care came through loud and clear.

Maybe there are some travel agents out there who do a bad job or who do not care about their clients but IMO this is not the case with Travelocity. They seemed to be as frustrated and upset with NCL as I was.

[gardencat]

Having said all the above, I will also say that the service we received Once we got on the Dawn last year was great. I will not cruise NCL again because of the way their guest relations handled my cancelled cruise. I refuse to reward that type of treatment with more of my business but, we did have a great time on our previous NCL cruise. If you are committed to this cruise I would say relax, cross your fingers that no other problems requiring any assistance from NCL's guest relations occur and prepare to enjoy your cruise.

[Host CMLA]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by gardencat:

Sorry but in my opinion the problems were with NCL all the way. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Yes, in your case that may be true. But in this case, it's not.

[Groupichik66]

According to Travelocity the problem was NCL....but at this point the finger pointing is of no use....I am am leaving today and hoping for the best....

[Jeconk]

While I agree that this situation seems to be more of a travelocity problem than NCL, I have to agree with GardenCat...NCL customer service has a really bad (and documented on these boards) history of lying and changing their story. The NCL supporters can deny this till they are blue in the face, but the fact is: NCL Customer Service will say what you want to hear and then blatantly lie to get out of it. Gardencat's story is obviously the most blatant and they got caught. In my opinion, NCL operates with the theory of protecting the bottom line at any cost including lying.

 

As far as your cruise, once you get on the ship, it should be wonderful. The ships and crews are generally very good.

[Host CMLA]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Jeconk:

While I agree that this situation seems to be more of a travelocity problem than NCL, I have to agree with GardenCat...NCL customer service has a really bad (and documented on these boards) history of lying and changing their story. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>This thread isn't about how terrible NCL is. It's about Travelocity. No one said gardencat's story wasn't true but thats' not the topic of this thread. Please stay on topic. If members would like to discuss something else, start a new topic.

 

Cecilia

*****@aol.com

 

My Wedding!

 

[gardencat]

Sorry Cecelia but I don't understand. The oiginal post starts:

" I haven't even left yet and already I'm swearing never to travel on Norwegian again."

How does that make the topic not about NCL's bad service?

[Host CMLA]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by gardencat:

" I haven't even left yet and already I'm swearing never to travel on Norwegian again."

How does that make the topic not about NCL's bad service?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Because the problems encountered are with Travelocity not NCL. The problems you had weren't because of Travelocity. There have been numerous threads covering yours and other people's issues with NCL customer Service. This isn't one of them. Please keep this thread on topic.

[gardencat]

Quote from Groupichik66

 

"According to Travelocity the problem was NCL"

 

who knows,it seems to me like there is still some dispute about who caused these problems.

 

I don't know , Cecelia, how you can be so sure about your statement:

"Because the problems encountered are with Travelocity not NCL."

[Host CMLA]

Once again, I'll ask that you keep this topic specific to the original poster and her problems with Travelocity during her booking of an NCL cruise. If it doesn't stay focused on the original discussion, I'll have to close this topic.

[newmexicoNita]

come on all of you, let's try to listen to Cecelia. This problem does seem to be Travelocity's and I hate to say that cause my daughter and son in law are closely involved with Travelocity, but facts are facts and there are times when blasting NCL may be in line. Not this time. Sorry!

 

NMNita

 

Commodore 1984, Costa 1985, RCL 1987, Chandris 1989, NCL 1989, Commodore, 1991, NCL 1997, Carnival 1997, Carnival 1998,NCL 1998, NCL 1999, RCL 2000, RCL 2000, NCL 2002,NCL 2003, Celebrity 2003, NCL 2004