Worst cruise of my life.

[russianmom]

The main point is that I was very disappointed that cruising with NCL was like flying on an airplane these days.... rules, rules, rules with absolutely zero tolerance for judgement. All of my friends tell me other cruise lines don't behave this way.

 

Maybe your friends could point you to those "other cruise lines"......

[Sea Monster 2]

OP, I'm one of those who usually finds some way to support those who have valid complaints. These boards can be intolerant places. I don't consider myself an NCL cheerleader as I have only cruised with them once, but we did absolutely love our cruise and are cruising with them again next week. However, I found absolutely no merit in your complaints, and I have to agree with what others have written. I'm not old, I'm not yet a repeat NCL cruiser, but I do have extensive travel experience around the world and have enjoyed-- let me emphasize, enjoyed-- all classes of service. You don't need to be in a 4- or 5-star facility to have a great time-- having fun mostly depends on you, and those times when things aren't perfect are the best times for you to set a good example for your children about how to enjoy life to the fullest. It also helps not to expect everyone to make exceptions for you simply because it suits you.

 

It sounds, frankly, as though you spoiled your own cruise.

[che5904]

Well, the admin was kind enough to repost my thread, so let me repost the reply that I typed earlier(with some small edits).... I really LOVE this discussion. Here goes....

 

*******

 

Well I posted this negative review last night and when I woke I see that I have 6 pages of replies. This is exactly the reaction I wanted!!!

 

The point of my post was that NCL could have done things for me AT NO ADDITIONAL COST which would have saved them from comping me with free stuff AND made my family joyful for being on their boat AND inspired me to tell all my friends what a fantastic time we had on their ship. I pointed out that the problem was that line people and managers on the ship were not given the flexibility to solve problems on the spot. Read that last sentence, it may be a little more insightful than the usual complaints I've read here about the size of the TV or the plushness of the towels.

 

That is called "constructive criticism". I used some inflammatory words like "arrogant" and "ruined" to get your attention and it worked!

 

See, NCL could allow their people to use sound judgment and they would have lower expenses AND more positive reviews. Business 101.

 

Instead they spend $ on me and I'm still telling everyone I know and all of you and every cruise board I can find. That's not good. Business 101.

 

For the few of you that agree with me that attentive customer service is the difference between "it was a hotel" and "I'm telling all my friends it was the best week of my life, you should definitely book w/ NCL", KUDOS to you for being good consumers who vote with your hard earned money. KUDOS to you for realizing that we're not just paying for a place to sleep and 3 meals, we're paying for service that flexibly meets our needs.

 

For the most of you old people who apparently go on cruises because there are lots of rules and therefore no surprises, please continue with your happy lives. I bet you're the same people who put towels on the beach chairs at 7am so that I have to walk around for 30 mins looking for an open one just so that I can move it next to the other open one I found 5 mins earlier despite what you do being "against the rules". You wouldn't know the difference between the Holiday Inn and the Ritz Carlton.

 

And for those of you who knock my now 13 year old son as being unable to take care of his own needs or whatever, you obviously forget what its like to be a teenager trying to make friends but not allowed "in the club". BTW, we checked out the 9 - 12 year old group that they wanted him to join. When we looked in it was 9 girls who looked to be about 10 years old learning origami. They didn't want my son any more than he didn't want to be with them.

 

I'll admit, the mistake on my part was having the wrong expectations. From reading all the NCL collateral that arrived in my mailbox both physical and electronic, and their extensive website, I thought I was headed for a 4 star experience. Sort of Hyatt or Westin level. I was under no illusion that it would be the Ritz or Four Seasons. If I had my expectations in check for a Holiday Inn experience I would have been satisfied that I had a clean place to sleep and edible food. BTW, I have no grudge against Holiday Inn which I reference them - I frequently stay there on single night business trips because all I want is a clean room and a lock on the door. My point is that they deliver a much more narrow product AND set expectations perfectly. Happiness is a function of expectation setting and NCL over promises and under delivers.

 

If my post served as a warning the dissuades one single group from booking with NCL, than I have succeeded.

 

Some of you love exactly what you've been getting from NCL for years, and I applaud you that you've found a place that meets your expectations. We are clearly different people each with our own wants and expectations.

 

PS There seemed to be disbelief that my vacation was nearly $10K. The two balcony mid ship rooms during xmas week were $6700 + the mandatory gratuity and we used the specialty restaurants, bars and spas extensively.

 

 

 

I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

 

Considering how rude and full of name calling this original post was before your "small edits". I'm happy to see the revision isn't as nasty.

[SuiteCruiser]

Well, the admin was kind enough to repost my thread, so let me repost the reply that I typed earlier(with some small edits).... I really LOVE this discussion. Here goes....

 

*******

 

Well I posted this negative review last night and when I woke I see that I have 6 pages of replies. This is exactly the reaction I wanted!!!

 

The point of my post was that NCL could have done things for me AT NO ADDITIONAL COST which would have saved them from comping me with free stuff AND made my family joyful for being on their boat AND inspired me to tell all my friends what a fantastic time we had on their ship. I pointed out that the problem was that line people and managers on the ship were not given the flexibility to solve problems on the spot. Read that last sentence, it may be a little more insightful than the usual complaints I've read here about the size of the TV or the plushness of the towels.

 

That is called "constructive criticism". I used some inflammatory words like "arrogant" and "ruined" to get your attention and it worked!

 

See, NCL could allow their people to use sound judgment and they would have lower expenses AND more positive reviews. Business 101.

 

Instead they spend $ on me and I'm still telling everyone I know and all of you and every cruise board I can find. That's not good. Business 101.

 

For the few of you that agree with me that attentive customer service is the difference between "it was a hotel" and "I'm telling all my friends it was the best week of my life, you should definitely book w/ NCL", KUDOS to you for being good consumers who vote with your hard earned money. KUDOS to you for realizing that we're not just paying for a place to sleep and 3 meals, we're paying for service that flexibly meets our needs.

 

For the most of you old people who apparently go on cruises because there are lots of rules and therefore no surprises, please continue with your happy lives. I bet you're the same people who put towels on the beach chairs at 7am so that I have to walk around for 30 mins looking for an open one just so that I can move it next to the other open one I found 5 mins earlier despite what you do being "against the rules". You wouldn't know the difference between the Holiday Inn and the Ritz Carlton.

 

And for those of you who knock my now 13 year old son as being unable to take care of his own needs or whatever, you obviously forget what its like to be a teenager trying to make friends but not allowed "in the club". BTW, we checked out the 9 - 12 year old group that they wanted him to join. When we looked in it was 9 girls who looked to be about 10 years old learning origami. They didn't want my son any more than he didn't want to be with them.

 

I'll admit, the mistake on my part was having the wrong expectations. From reading all the NCL collateral that arrived in my mailbox both physical and electronic, and their extensive website, I thought I was headed for a 4 star experience. Sort of Hyatt or Westin level. I was under no illusion that it would be the Ritz or Four Seasons. If I had my expectations in check for a Holiday Inn experience I would have been satisfied that I had a clean place to sleep and edible food. BTW, I have no grudge against Holiday Inn which I reference them - I frequently stay there on single night business trips because all I want is a clean room and a lock on the door. My point is that they deliver a much more narrow product AND set expectations perfectly. Happiness is a function of expectation setting and NCL over promises and under delivers.

 

If my post served as a warning the dissuades one single group from booking with NCL, than I have succeeded.

 

Some of you love exactly what you've been getting from NCL for years, and I applaud you that you've found a place that meets your expectations. We are clearly different people each with our own wants and expectations.

 

PS There seemed to be disbelief that my vacation was nearly $10K. The two balcony mid ship rooms during xmas week were $6700 + the mandatory gratuity and we used the specialty restaurants, bars and spas extensively.

 

 

 

I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

 

Small edits? You took out the part where you called us all nasty names.

 

Again, I stand by my earlier comments, that NCL did way more than they needed to and way more than they should've.

 

I have 2 boys aged 13 and they know they don't always get their way. You made a mountain out of a mole hill, and you didn't even know what he was missing out on. It appears there's some notion about what goes on in the teen club is a magical experience when often it's just an empty room.

[mbisson]

All of my friends tell me other cruise lines don't behave this way.

 

I hope you take their advice and cruise on other lines :)

[SuiteCruiser]

Considering how rude and full of name calling this original post was before your "small edits". I'm happy to see the revision isn't as nasty.

 

Great minds think alike :)

[Gngrasso]

Yup, I'm here now in part because I do "marketing and sales" for a living and I appreciate it when customers tell me the open unabridged truth because then it is easier to make things right both for them and the others who didn't want to make the effort but were thinking the same thing. If I care about their future business I listen carefully and figure out how to make the negatives never reappear. I'm hoping NCL is listening...

 

Have you wondered yet why not one single poster has agreed that you had a valid complaint? One could argue that on the NCL board you're going to get a pro-NCL slant, however in the past month here I have seen plenty of posters who are not pro-NCL.

 

Have you even considered that maybe what you were asking for was just not possible? What is the thinking here on why rules should be bent or broken in the name of simply making you happy? Suppose in the past (hypothetically speaking) an underage child was hurt in the club and the employee was fired for "bending the rules". Would you still feel the same way?

[genegri]

NCL personnel did use judgement. They used their good judgement, and made the decision to operate according to rules.

 

Very admirable.

[che5904]

Yup, I'm here now in part because I do "marketing and sales" for a living and I appreciate it when customers tell me the open unabridged truth because then it is easier to make things right both for them and the others who didn't want to make the effort but were thinking the same thing. If I care about their future business I listen carefully and figure out how to make the negatives never reappear. I'm hoping NCL is listening...

 

And you'd be absolutely correct to point out that sometimes I'd rather not have a certain person's business and I won't react to them. We all have choices. That's what makes America great.

 

The main point is that I was very disappointed that cruising with NCL was like flying on an airplane these days.... rules, rules, rules with absolutely zero tolerance for judgement. All of my friends tell me other cruise lines don't behave this way.

 

The really comical part to this is, NCL is fighting a 2 edged sword. One of the biggest complaints on this board is NCL isn't consistent enough with enforcing their policies and if they are going to make a policy they should stick to it.

 

I really think more research on your part prior to your cruise would have saved you a lot of stress. IMO NCL did not have any wrong doing in your original post, the staff followed policy and I commend them for that.

[mbisson]

I am sure NCL is listening and hoping you keep your word not to return. 35 years in sales and marketing and the one thing I learned there are some customers that are not worth the problems. Focus on the customers that are making or can make you successful.

 

We agree--but my experience was severely limited, only 26 yrs sales and marketing

[canuckgal]

it seems like the only thing the OP did on her cruise was fight to get her way. and the first thing she did when she got on Cruise Critic- start a fight with her outrageous post. then she fights with other posters, and then fight fight fight with admin to get the pulled thread reposted. people are consistent.

[dasmonkey]

 

Also the waitress in the Japanese restaurant handled that situation wrong. If this had been at my facility and I would have seen this take place, I would have corrected the waitress in front of the customers, and comped their meal.

 

The waitress handled the situation as she has been instructed.

 

If I were the manager of the facility of where you would have embarrassed a waitress that was following the policy as she was instructed I would take great delight in watching you pack up and head off in search of a new job.

 

Clearly you are a treat to be stuck working for. Nothing like “management” sticking a knife in your back when you are following the directions they were given.

[PeleNipsy]

Weren't your previous posts in the last two days on the same topic deleted? Maybe that's a hint to drop it...

[garbasaurus]

Yes, because the only place teens hang out is the lounge. You won't find them anywhere else on the ship to make friends. It's quite possible that your kid might not have made any friends at all even if he had been allowed into the lounge thus breaking the rules that are in place. What keeps other people from then saying "oh my son isn't 13 until the end of the month, isn't that close enough??" or "but his little sister is 12 1/2... she'll be lonely without him."? I wonder if your kid adjusted socially anyway with all the helicopter parenting you're doing for him.

 

Btw, way to try to cash in on the dinner comp by trying to add on an alcoholic drink to the tab. Isn't that a little entitled of you to think they'll just pick up the tab on an optional drink too?

 

How is the view from your high horse? You know they don't allow horses on Carnival, Royal Caribbean or any other cruise line, right? Though I'm sure if you complain enough, they will bend the rules for you unlike NCL.

[AceDoc]

"If my post served as a warning the dissuades one single group from booking with NCL, than I have succeeded."

 

In what? Hurting the cruise line? Why?

 

You insinuate that the "old" individuals posting on this site reflect the inflexibility of NCL. I would suggest that before you cruise again, that you take this to a more neutral site: Please do go post this on the CC board sections of whichever cruise lines your friends say are willing to bend "mindless" rules to your liking, and see if they agree with your analysis. Find the cruise line that agrees with your analysis and book on that particular line. Better luck next time, mate.

[Redcab]

You guys probably won't believe this ...

 

The hotel director told me that he had a 12 year old son of his own and that he thought the NCL policy about the teen club was plain wrong. That is why he was willing to take it up with the HQ people in Miami.

 

1. That is why I didn't dump on the HD. He is a nice guy who WANTED to do the right thing. He made it clear that he was explicitly not allowed to bend that policy on his own. I believe him.

 

2. The HD is a very senior guy who has the capacity for applying his experience in making sound judgments. The whole point of my post is that NCL is underutilizing this wonderful asset - experienced Hotel Directors who know that they are in the hospitality business and genuinely want to give every one of their customers a positive experience. They've tied the hands of the very people they should be empowering.

 

3. The HQ people DID allow my son to enter the teen club 2 days before his birthday. So it really wasn't impossible. Again, why did it have to rise to that level? Why couldn't the discussion and action take place on the ship?

 

So keep calling me names if you like... those of you who do are not understanding what my feedback is about. One last time: It is about their botched company culture for providing hospitality, not the specific rule that wasn't bent.

 

And for those of you who discredit me because this is my first cruise and the first time I've spoken up on the forum... that in itself is a reflection of your own intolerance. I have no problem if you'd simply ignore what I have to say, but don't put me on a cross.

[cruizecrazygramma]

I can understand your frustration.

 

I can also tell you that I have cruised NCL many, many times and the other major cruise lines as well. The other lines are not nearly as inflexible with the ages for the kids programs. I've had similar situations as you with my children and meeting cousins on cruises. My kids of course want to spend their time with their cousins they don't get to see but once a year. So asking for them to be in the same kids club groups should be understandable. On NCL it is absolutely forbidden. On Carnival they were flexible, on Princess they were flexible on Royal, again flexible. I completely agree with you about their inflexibility. I wouldn't call it arrogance but not customer focused when they need to be.

 

I can tell you, I have lied to NCL before to get my kids together in the kids club. It's been years but this is how you do it........When you call to make your initial reservation you give a different birthday for your child. So go one year older. This is how they track your child's age. When you check in at the port, the agents are so busy checking people in they don't check the exact birthdate of your kids. If they did check and notice then you act surprised as if you had made a mistake......Just as if there was a mis-spelling, you act surprised and then let them correct it. You won't get kicked off it it's in error,....like a misspelling.

 

So I did that a couple times and it worked. When your kids don't see their cousins but once a year on vacation it's sort of important to them to spend time with their cousins. If NCL can't be flexible like their competitors....That surely they must benchmark against, then you work around their silly rules.

 

I'm sorry for you. Try Royal, the product is so very similar and they are more flexible and customer focused about this.

 

 

Not sure how you can lie about your kids ages since it's on their passport or whatever ID is used.

[palmyrafan]

Ok, it was the first cruise of my life, but I remain VERY disappointed in NCL. I don't intend to ever give them another chance.

 

In a word, "ARROGANCE" pervades the cruise line.

 

We sailed on the Christmas 2011 to New Year's 2012 western carribean cruise out of Miami on the NCL Pearl.

 

Yes, my focus here are the negatives. Sure there were some good times, but the negatives put such a shadow on the week that I will avoid NCL at all costs in the future.

 

So you don't think I'm a bad person, first the positives:

 

-We ate mainly in the specialty restaurants, and they were generally quite good. We enjoyed LeBistro (French). Quite surprisingly the food at the "massive" Summer Palace was very tasty, particularly the lamb shank.

 

-Our rooms were adjoining balcony rooms on Deck10. Well decorated & maintained. The steward was super nice and very attentive. He earned the extra gratuity I placed in his hand.

 

- In general, the (mainly Filipino) staff was extraordinarily hard working and very nice. They tried very hard within the limits of the rules that they were bound to execute to.

 

Ok now the negatives, highlighting the arrogance...

 

Let me summarize it by saying that the real problem here is that the NCL management is so hung up on providing a consistent product (ie, the staff must only follow the rules to the letter) that they miss every opportunity to "make things right" and really thrill a customer. This is not the fault of the hard working staff. It is the arrogant management that isn't even on the boat. Every excellent hotel chain earns their stars by "doing the extra little things". No such thing happens on NCL.

 

Case in point:

 

Teenagers meet in the Teen lounge. They don't hang there, but they make friends on the first 2 days. My son turned 13 during the cruise but was barred from entering the Teen Lounge (minimum age 13). They checked his name and birthdate against the ship manifest! Yes, we took it up with the Youth Director, and then the Cruise Director and finally the Hotel Director. Everyone of them could not change the rules. Finally the Cruise Director contacted Headquarters in Miami (though delayed by xmas holiday) and my son was granted permission to enter the Teen Lounge, though by that time (4 days into the cruise) all the Teens had made their friends and not returned. It was sad because the very nice Hotel Director (a man with probably 35 years in the trade) was not given the authority to make a judgement call on my son's admission. The simple solution would have been "We'll give him a provisional admittance - if he cause one bit of trouble he is gone". Instead I got a bunch of legal b.s. about NCL not being able to accept liability for his presence in that teen room. Huh? Whatever liability contract that existed between us during that vacation is what it is...I don't see how being in that room affected it one way or another. I can't believe I wasted my special vacation time on this nonsense. One night I spent almost 2 hours with the hotel director to get this wrong righted.

 

Now for those of you who might point out that rules are rules and he technically wasn't 13 on the day he attempted admittance, let me say that all the best hotels satisfy their guest by using GOOD JUDGEMENT, not mindless rules.

 

Next case: My daughter and I were sitting in a nearly empty Japanese restaurant at the sushi bar for a late lunch. My son comes in. The hostess say he has to leave because "she needs the seat" for a reservation. He leaves, pissed off. In the next 30 minutes, the restaurant remains 10% full. Why didn't she just give us a "heads up" that she may need the seat? Why didn't she offer an alternative, like moving to one of the twenty open tables? The hostess didn't know that this was a particularly sensitive situation because my son was already banned from the Teen Lounge, but she had no room to flexibly deal with situation. She kicked him out. How rude.

 

When I went to leave that same restaurant, I asked for a "to go" container for the extra food (since my son could not stay there was extra). I was told that food from the sushi bar could not leave the restaurant. That made sense to me, you know, raw food should be consumed promptly. Then I looked at my leftovers. All cooked food. I pointed this out. I got confused stares of recognition that the edict was being wrongly applied but "hey, I'm not going to risk my job over this" denial. Again, the NCL staff is not given any authority to use their brains and their judgement. Everyone is too scared of losing their jobs not to follow the letter of the rules set out before them. The management (off the boat) that sets these rules is arrogant and clearly has their heads in places the sun doesn't shine.

 

I discussed this (and other silly offenses that I won't mention here) constructively with the Hotel Director. He spiffed us 2 cheap bottles of wine and a plate of strawberries. I appreciated the thought and I'm sure he was doing what was allowed in the manual, but it rang pretty superficial. Another "gift" they gave us (to buy our love no doubt) was picking up our New Year's Eve dinner in the Italian restaurant. A nice touch worth $100 or so to our group. At the conclusion of the dinner I was presented with a bill for $6.95 for the single after dinner drink ordered. Now I don't mind paying $7, but it was the wrong punctuation on a meal that they comped for us. Don't they "get it"? Plain rude and arrogant in my mind.

 

See my point? The cruise line misses all the subtle cues that could have made it a "wow these guys really accommodated us!" but instead resulted in me posting this warning to all who will read it.

 

The final straw came after the cruise was over... I got a letter (not an email, but a letter in the snail mail several weeks after the cruise) from a customer service rep "Dustin" who gave another hollow apology and a $300 certificate to be used on a future NCL cruise. Well, no way am I going on another one of their cruise for a measly $300 discount! I spent about $10,000 on a week with them which the screwed up for my son and my wife & I who spent lots of time meeting with staff, trying to get things right and only ended up frustrated (ruining our vacation I might add because if you're kid isn't happy it sure is hard to enjoy yourself).

 

Dustin did not provide any email contact info, so I learned his email from our attentive "Cruise Consultant" Robert. I sent Dustin a reply by email a week ago and I have not heard even a peep of acknowledgement. Again, arrogance pervades this cruise line to its core.

 

To all those that have read this far, I recommend choosing an alternative to NCL....

 

I'm sorry that all you can do is focus on the negatives of NCL. My husband and I only sail with NCL so we have no experience on other ships, but we like NCL. We have had a few instances of "shaking our heads" too, but when met with a smile and calm voice, NCL went over and above to do anything to correct the situations for us. We always thanked them politely and profusely because we appreciated what they were able to do.

 

Perhaps you really should choose another cruise line and hopefully they will live up to your expectatons of how things should be done.

 

BTW? The staff only knows to follow the rules and regulations that have been set in front of them. If they make allowances for one on set regulations, they have to make allowances for all (sushi, etc.)

[cliffd64]

Clearly it was NCL that was displaying the "arrogance"...

[computerworks]

From ncl.com FAQ

 

Can my child move up an age group if celebrating a birthday during the cruise?

 

Children turning thirteen during the cruise are welcome to participate in the Teen's Program and Teen Center on their birthday. No exceptions can be made.

 

Access to ncl.com is free at the Internet Cafe while onboard.

[cliffd64]

From ncl.com FAQ

 

 

 

Access to ncl.com is free at the Internet Cafe while onboard.

 

Yes, but they have RULES you must adhere to whilst in the Internet Cafe :D

[computerworks]

Yes, but they have RULES you must adhere to whilst in the Internet Cafe :D

 

plus...it's v-e-r-y slow. :rolleyes:

[njhorseman]

 

I'm guessing your wife is a therapist?;)

 

.......or an attorney...........

 

Therapist (clinical psychologist).

[AceDoc]

"The whole point of my post is that NCL is underutilizing this wonderful asset"

 

Wonderful staff assisting you at your room, wonderful restaurant experiences, wonderful Hotel Directors...

 

Come on, admit it, you really want to love NCL, don't ya! ;)

[Nalagh]

It is so important to do your homework prior to booking a cruise. Read EVERYTHING, and take nothing for granted. The rules are most likely in place because of insurance companies.

 

That being said, as the mom of an almost 13 yo, I understand the frustration. I wish NCL would look at this policy and see if they could adjust it. If any child needs to change clubs during the cruise due to a birthday, they should have the choice to pick between the two clubs (imho).

 

I feel the response by NCL was outstanding. They did take the time to listen, and you were shown that you mattered to them. HQ also responded by letting your son attend the 13-15 club.

 

I do hope that you choose to cruise again! Next time take a villa, you will pay a bit less and be in the Haven. You will be so spoiled, and you will feel leaving the extra money spent was well worth it!:D