Irritated with NCL personal cruise consultant

[gkrnjlr]

We started with 3 cabins booked on our Epic cruise in 2015. We've since decided to combine and travel in 2 cabins. No big deal, right?

 

We contacted the PCC on Thursday (10 days ago) and asked him to make this change. He said he would work on it. It wasn't taken care of and slipped my mind. I talked to him this past Tuesday and mentioned it again. He said "I'll call you on Saturday and we'll get that taken care of." SO....yesterday we sent him an email asking him to please make the change. THEN he tells me that he's still waiting to hear back about getting me some onboard credit from a previous booking we had that was changed (over 2 weeks ago). I'm not buying this.

 

I wrote back and asked him to go ahead and make the changes and not worry about the onboard credit. He DID make the changes for who is staying in what cabin - but now he's telling us that he has to let the other cabin (that needs to be canceled) sit and will move the funds over sometime next week.

 

I've sailed with NCL SEVERAL times and have never had any issues with changing things and none of this makes any sense.

 

Another little "quirk" I am finding is that insurance was added on to all the reservations despite my asking for it not to be included. I was told "just pay the total minus the insurance and things will be fine." WHAT???? Why won't he just take the insurance off?

 

Do PCC's get credit for insurance sales on cruises?

Do PCC's have quotas that they have to meet each month and that's why he won't cancel our reservation?

 

If he needs to meet his quota - then TELL ME you want to leave it sitting until the end of the month. But I feel like my PCC is being deceitful about things.

 

Does anyone have any insight or explanation why this would be happening?

[garycarla]

Maybe call and ask ANYONE that answers to cancel the entire thing. Get your money back and start over?

 

Or ask for supervisor.

[gkrnjlr]

Maybe call and ask ANYONE that answers to cancel the entire thing. Get your money back and start over?

 

Or ask for supervisor.

 

My husband is on the phone now getting all of it straightened out.

I just find all of this extremely "fishy".

[SissasMomE]

Agreed. The answers you were given, especially with the insurance issue, are not correct at all!

[Demonyte]

I wouldn't waste my time with PCC like that - if they are now like this, things won't probably be any easier later on. Get a new PCC or just handle things with anybody who happens to pick up the call in the main customer service number.

Edited February 23, 2014 by Demonyte

[dam64]

We had a PCC and whenever I wanted to book a cruise and I contacted him he sounded like he was always too busy to take my booking and a few times he put me on hold to answer his cell phone and thats when I decided to cancel everything with him and start fresh and dealt with someone else! After he seen I no longed wanted him he starting sending me emails and calling and leaving messages. I would cancel with your PCC and start fresh with someone who cares about your bookings ;-)

[mpk218]

Dump that PCC right now . Not only is it fishy , this clown is going to screw up your reservation.. Call and get a new PCC and let that person make the changes. ;)

 

Good luck

[gkrnjlr]

My husband WAS able to get everything straightened out with whoever it was that answered the phone when he called. I'm curious if the PCC will find out it was done without his doing.

 

I do think that it's time for a new PCC. Sad thing is - this guy came recommended from my Carnival rep (who is excellent).

 

I really do wonder though....do they have quotas to meet? And do they get extra incentives for booking reservations with insurance?

 

Thanks for everyone's input. At least I'm not off in "la la land" thinking it was me that was losing it.

[kcwingwalker]

Dump that PCC right now . Not only is it fishy , this clown is going to screw up your reservation.. Call and get a new PCC and let that person make the changes. ;)

 

Good luck

 

Yep!

[david_sobe]

Time for a new PCC

For real!

These changes could have been made immediately after your request. I once had the insurance added without my consent but I was going to buy it anyway so I did not make a big deal. I think they get a bonus for selling the insurance.

[gkrnjlr]

Time for a new PCC

For real!

These changes could have been made immediately after your request. I once had the insurance added without my consent but I was going to buy it anyway so I did not make a big deal. I think they get a bonus for selling the insurance.

 

That's my thought, exactly!

 

Okay so this is a dumb question - but - how do I get a new PCC? Simply call to book and a new one is assigned to me? If for some reason we end up canceling this cruise (or book an additional) I'm getting a new one.

 

Thanks!

[biker@sea]

I'm on my 4th or 5th PCC already try em and dump em till you find a good one .

[Godiva830]

I think the insurance gets put on automatically when booking through NCL. All my cruises have had it added on and I would just tell the PCC to take it off. Sometimes I don't remember to tell them not to include it when I book a new cruise.

[ColinIllinois]

That's my thought, exactly!

 

Okay so this is a dumb question - but - how do I get a new PCC? Simply call to book and a new one is assigned to me? If for some reason we end up canceling this cruise (or book an additional) I'm getting a new one.

 

Thanks!

 

 

Call and ask for a supervisor. Tell them that you would like a new PCC but more importantly tell them WHY. If they don't know about the bad practices of their employees they can't make things better and someone else will just get the same runaround that you got.

[garycarla]

Quota's? Incentives?

 

I have no exact knowledge, but it would make perfect sense that they would be measured on what they book. Anything the do to earn money for the cruiseline will result in anything such as:

 

commission

bonus

contest

job measurement

job security

[negc]

Instead of playing Russian Roulette with NCL's PCCs, perhaps you should find a good, independent travel agent who will deal with NCL on your behalf and who will be working for you and not the cruise line. Check with friends whom you trust to see who they recommend using. In the best situation it should be someone local, whose office you can actually visit, and who you can deal with face to face if problems arise.

If a problem arises with your booking and you have a disagreement with the cruiseline, do you really think the PCC will advocate on your behalf? And do you think that the cruiseline might pay more attention to your problem if someone who gives them a steady stream of business is arguing on your behalf, than they might if it is just you making your case?

[cpj]

Quota's? Incentives?

 

I have no exact knowledge, but it would make perfect sense that they would be measured on what they book. Anything the do to earn money for the cruiseline will result in anything such as:

 

commission

bonus

contest

job measurement

job security

 

It's a minimum wage job. That why they have the turnover they do. And most of them are part time so they don't have to pay benefits. How would you have to have a job like that. The supervisors spend most of there time babysitting these people and putting out the fires they cause by misinformation.

[DrNora]

I no longer use a PCC / consultant with any cruise line except when absolutely necessary. On our last RCCL cruise the rep called me weekly to "chat'...I had booked our cruise, paid my deposit. I don't want to chat. Perhaps others enjoy having a new friend whom they will never meet, but he went WAY over the top- how much can change from week to week regarding my booking that was made 10 months in advance?

 

We decide what cruise we want and book online when possible. CAn't do this with all cruise lines, but am happy that NCL will allow a booking for 5 people in suite to be done without human interaction! I get so many different answers when I call the "consultants" at NCL that I try not to deal with them.

 

Our latest cruise I received more OBC and extras than I received ever before and I booked it online.

 

I have had to call a few times to change suites, find out why some amenities that I paid for were not showing up..The last "expert' that I spoke to this past Thursday told me that

 

1) You cannot book dinner/show reservations on-line , that I would have to call in...

 

and, during the same call ( after I corrected her)

 

2) that suite guests could not book 55 days out, it was 30 days. I tried to dispel her of this notion and she got flustered and stammering and WEIRD..she wanted me to talk to a supervisor because she had NEVER heard of ANYONE booking ANYTHING more than 30 days out....even though she had told me earlier that nothing could be booked on line.

 

I do love my cruises, but NCL has such appallingly misinformed reps that dealing with them is painful.

 

I always hope that I am the phone calls that "may be recorded'. I do not know how these reps retain their employment!

 

It is a shame because I think that NCL has a really good product. The people hired to represent them should be more on the ball.

[SeaShark]

I get so many different answers when I call the "consultants" at NCL that I try not to deal with them.

 

 

 

That is a very interesting comment. Personally, I haven't run into a similar situation (knock on wood).

 

 

Just for clarification, are you asking one person the same question on multiple occasions and getting different answers, or are you calling multiple people one time who give you different answers to the same question??

[Doughboy139]

Instead of playing Russian Roulette with NCL's PCCs, perhaps you should find a good, independent travel agent who will deal with NCL on your behalf and who will be working for you and not the cruise line. Check with friends whom you trust to see who they recommend using. In the best situation it should be someone local, whose office you can actually visit, and who you can deal with face to face if problems arise.

If a problem arises with your booking and you have a disagreement with the cruiseline, do you really think the PCC will advocate on your behalf? And do you think that the cruiseline might pay more attention to your problem if someone who gives them a steady stream of business is arguing on your behalf, than they might if it is just you making your case?

 

you can have as many problems with a Travel Agent as you can with a PCC. Travel agents do work for commissions.

[gkrnjlr]

We used a TA on two if our cruises and didn't care for that experience. I contact the TA only for them to contact the cruiseline. I felt like I could've done exactly the same without going through the TA as a "middle man".

 

If there were perks (OBC or better prices) I'd consider it - but I've not seen

a good enough deal to use a TA again.

 

Just my personal experience and opinion.

[bingo3]

I booked last August with a PCC who was excellent, I just lucked up, anytime something better came along, she was on top of it before me. Well, apparently she is no longer with NCL and a better promo came along. I tried the PCC I had been "assigned" for a valentine promo that was to end over the weekend, never heard back so called the direct number, got a new PCC. But, he had to cancel the original booking and start all over, which seemed stupid to me. If the other PCC could just make changes, why couldn't he??? Had to give new credit card number, get refund on original one, etc. That has to be more expensive to the company than just making a change. A week later, another promo, and he was able to make that change without re-booking.

 

The other thing I have realized, when I originally booked, it was more than 9 months out, and I think you get more latitude points that way. Now that this guy cancelled and re-booked me, less than 9 months out, I will lose out on those loyalty points, even though it is the same cruise, same room, etc. so that stinks. This may be my first and last NCL cruise! Been on 5 other cruises and never this much trouble. The ship reviews have been scary enough and now all this. :(

 

And I've heard enough horror stories about TA's to not go that route either.

[DrNora]

That is a very interesting comment. Personally, I haven't run into a similar situation (knock on wood).

 

 

Just for clarification, are you asking one person the same question on multiple occasions and getting different answers, or are you calling multiple people one time who give you different answers to the same question??

 

Why is this interesting? LOL!! Glad that you haven't had the problem, but it has been both.

Even had a reservation cancelled by accident.

 

So easy to do things ourselves these days.

 

And SEASHARK- don't forget that review! HINT HINT!!! ( I know- unpacking, decompressing, laundry...blah!!)

Edited February 23, 2014 by DrNora

[gkrnjlr]

I booked last August with a PCC who was excellent, I just lucked up, anytime something better came along, she was on top of it before me. Well, apparently she is no longer with NCL and a better promo came along. I tried the PCC I had been "assigned" for a valentine promo that was to end over the weekend, never heard back so called the direct number, got a new PCC. But, he had to cancel the original booking and start all over, which seemed stupid to me. If the other PCC could just make changes, why couldn't he??? Had to give new credit card number, get refund on original one, etc. That has to be more expensive to the company than just making a change. A week later, another promo, and he was able to make that change without re-booking.

 

The other thing I have realized, when I originally booked, it was more than 9 months out, and I think you get more latitude points that way. Now that this guy cancelled and re-booked me, less than 9 months out, I will lose out on those loyalty points, even though it is the same cruise, same room, etc. so that stinks. This may be my first and last NCL cruise! Been on 5 other cruises and never this much trouble. The ship reviews have been scary enough and now all this. :(

 

And I've heard enough horror stories about TA's to not go that route either.

 

That stinks! Just wrong!!!

 

I may be wrong, but I would bet you were told to

do the new booking because this person wanted the credit for your booking. It's the rep that books it who gets the credit/commission for your sailing. And they don't get that credit/commission until you get on the ship.

 

Don't let this spoil your NCL experience. I do love NCL but lately I've been totally unimpressed with the PCC I've got now.

[DevCruise]

I used to have a really awesome PCC. Now she's no longer there... :eek:

 

Looking at booking our next cruise and hoping we get an awesome PCC....