Beyond livid with Latitudes

[Melbourne84]

I can't seem to find the thread about the Latitudes issue that I was just reading yesterday, so I'm starting a new one.

 

I just got off the phone with an NCL rep. Here is the problem: I cruised 4x with NCL (1999, 2001, 2002, and 2003). For some reason I've only been credited with 2001 and 2003. I'm sailing the Breakaway in one week and I've emailed Latitudes 3x in the last 4 weeks, and received no response. I emailed some photos to prove I was on the other two cruises. Here are the lame excuses I received today:

 

 

Points are only given if you are 18. (I pointed out I was 17 in 2002 yet still given points.)

 

You've BEEN credited your 14 points. (I should have 28 points, she didn't seem to understand.)

 

You are purged from the system in 4-5 years (I guess if you don't cruise in that time?). (I pointed out my mother and grandmother, both of whom I sailed with, have been properly credited, and my mom has not sailed NCL since 2003 as well...why wasn't she purged?)

 

They changed latitudes a few years ago. (Again, why are my mom and grandmother in the system, properly credited with their points?)

 

It takes 4-6 weeks (she said up to 90 days!!!! Are you freaking kidding? Hire more people!) to process Latitudes issues. (So what, I'm supposed to cruise at bronze level and miss out on benefits I deserve, and hear a week or month after that OK! Everything's updated! ???).

 

 

I should be silver level, which gives benefits I'd ACTUALLY LIKE TO USE. I'm was unsure about trying NCL again after what I've heard (I'm loyal to Royal, husband wanted 'something new'), and now this.

 

Has anyone had an experience like this? What did you do? The rep I spoke to says Latitudes actually doesn't even have a phone number (number on site links you to reservations). I feel like calling corporate, but will that solve anything? What if I just take it up with Latitudes onboard the ship?

 

:mad::mad::mad:

[Laszlo]

Unless your a gold on up it really does't matter

[kba1988]

Unless your a gold on up it really does't matter

 

@Laszlo - i'm not sure I understand your reply to OP. Are you saying that because this person is not GOLD latitudes member, then they shouldn't try to recitify missing points for past travels? I'm sure I'm misunderstanding your comment. Can you elaborate?? :confused::confused:

[mizLORInj]

It can't hurt to contact Corporate.

[mypleasure]

Unless your a gold on up it really does't matter

 

If I read it right she is saying they have credited 14 oints but are refusing a further 14 that she feels she should have. While you are correct in as much that benefits only start getting good at Gold and become really good at Platinum, the OP could get to those levels quicker with those additional 14 points.

[EvilBanker]

I'm new to this whole thing, and I'm sure there are nuances I don't "get," so please forgive my confusion.

 

I can absolutely understand being miffed about not getting points you deserve, but - if the last time you sailed with NCL was 11 years ago, doesn't that toss the whole purpose of a loyalty program out the window (or porthole, as the case may be)?

[Budget Queen]

I can't seem to find the thread about the Latitudes issue that I was just reading yesterday, so I'm starting a new one.

 

I just got off the phone with an NCL rep. Here is the problem: I cruised 4x with NCL (1999, 2001, 2002, and 2003). For some reason I've only been credited with 2001 and 2003. I'm sailing the Breakaway in one week and I've emailed Latitudes 3x in the last 4 weeks, and received no response. I emailed some photos to prove I was on the other two cruises. Here are the lame excuses I received today:

 

 

Points are only given if you are 18. (I pointed out I was 17 in 2002 yet still given points.)

 

You've BEEN credited your 14 points. (I should have 28 points, she didn't seem to understand.)

 

You are purged from the system in 4-5 years (I guess if you don't cruise in that time?). (I pointed out my mother and grandmother, both of whom I sailed with, have been properly credited, and my mom has not sailed NCL since 2003 as well...why wasn't she purged?)

 

They changed latitudes a few years ago. (Again, why are my mom and grandmother in the system, properly credited with their points?)

 

It takes 4-6 weeks (she said up to 90 days!!!! Are you freaking kidding? Hire more people!) to process Latitudes issues. (So what, I'm supposed to cruise at bronze level and miss out on benefits I deserve, and hear a week or month after that OK! Everything's updated! ???).

 

 

I should be silver level, which gives benefits I'd ACTUALLY LIKE TO USE. I'm was unsure about trying NCL again after what I've heard (I'm loyal to Royal, husband wanted 'something new'), and now this.

 

Has anyone had an experience like this? What did you do? The rep I spoke to says Latitudes actually doesn't even have a phone number (number on site links you to reservations). I feel like calling corporate, but will that solve anything? What if I just take it up with Latitudes onboard the ship?

 

:mad::mad::mad:

 

My husband missed a platinum cruise in Sept. We were back to back to back and he got it the third week, instead of second. We were told, it does take months to get uncredited cruises applied, which proved true in our case. (still not credited)

[SeaShark]

So I guess the lesson in this tale is to ensure that your loyalty points are credited within a reasonable amount of time after the conclusion of the cruise. It appears that waiting 10+ years could result in some difficulty in research.

 

Of course, I guess the lesson could also be to not to wait until 5 weeks prior to a cruise to make sure that the benefits you want to use are available to you when you need them.

 

 

It has been said before, but NCL certainly does need to improve their recordkeeping...there are way too many people who don't cruise for years/decades who should be rewarded for their loyalty.

[triptolemus]

Funny, I don't hear you crying about being given points you actually were not entitled to... :confused:

 

Points are only given if you are 18. (I pointed out I was 17 in 2002 yet still given points.)

 

I would recommend you return to RCL for your next trip. This Latitudes business is causing you way to much stress.

 

It takes 4-6 weeks (she said up to 90 days!!!! Are you freaking kidding? Hire more people!) to process Latitudes issues.

 

I don't believe NCL will, anytime soon, hire more personnel to manage issues with Latitudes members who have not cruised with them in 11 years.

[pieshops]

Funny, I don't hear you crying about being given points you actually were not entitled to... :confused:

 

 

like

 

 

 

 

I would recommend you return to RCL for your next trip. This Latitudes business is causing you way to much stress.

 

 

 

I don't believe NCL will, anytime soon, hire more personnel to manage issues with Latitudes members who have not cruised with them in 11 years.

 

like

[Budget Queen]

 

 

It has been said before, but NCL certainly does need to improve their recordkeeping...there are way too many people who don't cruise for years/decades who should be rewarded for their loyalty.

 

rewarded for "what" loyalty????

[ma_t_gus]

I was able to get '07, '08, '09 cruises for my son who just turned 18 this year. I emailed Latitudes with the reservation number and ship names. That seemed to be enough because he was given Silver status.

[LuvBNatC]

I just got off the phone with an NCL rep. Here is the problem: I cruised 4x with NCL (1999, 2001, 2002, and 2003). For some reason I've only been credited with 2001 and 2003. I'm sailing the Breakaway in one week and I've emailed Latitudes 3x in the last 4 weeks, and received no response. I emailed some photos to prove I was on the other two cruises. Here are the lame excuses I received today:

 

You've BEEN credited your 14 points. (I should have 28 points, she didn't seem to understand.)

 

You are purged from the system in 4-5 years

 

They changed latitudes a few years ago.

 

It takes 4-6 weeks (she said up to 90 days!!!! Are you freaking kidding? Hire more people!) to process Latitudes issues.

 

The rep I spoke to says Latitudes actually doesn't even have a phone number (number on site links you to reservations). I feel like calling corporate, but will that solve anything? What if I just take it up with Latitudes onboard the ship?

 

:mad::mad::mad:

 

I've just been through this myself, and DID get all my points all the way back to 1988, and I haven't sailed with NCL in 8 years. So, yes, correction can happen -- if you persist like a pit bull.

 

I was told by some clerk at Corporate that Latitudes only operates by email -- NO phone calls. It's the department dedicated to loyal customers, yet refuses to speak to them. Classic.

 

The website says an emailed correction request takes 6-8 weeks. I waited 10 weeks, then got on the phone. Don't waste your time calling. It's useless. I got a total runaround, transferred to several people who couldn't do a freaking thing.

 

Yes, the system was changed a few years ago, and yes, data was lost. NCL seems to have no interest in accuracy now except on a case-by-case basis.

 

No, you are NOT purged after 4-5 years. For me, it had been 8 years, and they still had a spotty record on me back to 1988.

 

I suggest you escalate the matter to management. I went to the NCL website and found the SVP of "Consumer Research" and wrote him an email. (Tip: The email format is: first initial last name@ncl.com. For example, a Joe Smith would be jsmith@ncl.com. And this SVP goes by his shortened first name, just as it's on the site.)

 

I received a response within a day from this man, who delegated the matter, and it took several weeks of back and forth to salvage all 52 points I'd been shorted.

 

Warning: providing pictures of yourself on a cruise may not be proof enough without hard facts. I had reservation numbers and actual tickets and they proved not always convincing enough.

 

I feel pretty sure taking it up with Latitudes on the ship will get you nowhere.

 

Good luck!

Edited October 17, 2014 by LuvBNatC
typo

[Melbourne84]

Thank you to those of you who responded kindly and in ways that helped. Some of the other responses were uncalled for and rude.

 

I didn't expect to cruise so soon but my husband really wanted this, so we booked only about a month and a half in advance.

 

As for waiting 10+ years, my mistake for assuming NCL could keep their records straight. This is obviously their mistake, as they credited me for a cruise in 2002 but missed the ones before and after that??

 

There is a REASON I have not cruised NCL for years. I was a college student in 2003 and paid my entire way through school, never taking loans. Not many dollars left over for cruises...It was a matter of chance that my next cruise, in 2009, happened to be on Royal Caribbean.

 

As for the person who said I wasn't concerned about the points I was not entitled to...really? I was told I was a member and I received everything that other adult members received (the card, the pin, the newsletter, etc). There was NOTHING said about my not getting them because I was a child. As another poster commented, his under 18 son was credited for previous cruises. It's not my fault if NCL decides to change the rules. What made you feel the need to come across as a total jerk on that comment?

 

I'm hardly the first person to 'freak out' about something pre-cruise, and all those other posters received kind and helpful replies, for the most part.

[rajones007]

Funny, I don't hear you crying about being given points you actually were not entitled to... :confused:

 

I would recommend you return to RCL for your next trip. This Latitudes business is causing you way to much stress.

 

I don't believe NCL will, anytime soon, hire more personnel to manage issues with Latitudes members who have not cruised with them in 11 years.

Heh. Most apologists at least try not to be so obvious as you.

[LuvBNatC]

As for waiting 10+ years, my mistake for assuming NCL could keep their records straight. This is obviously their mistake, as they credited me for a cruise in 2002 but missed the ones before and after that??

 

:D:D:D I had the same reaction. I've been sailing mostly Royal Caribbean since my first Freestyle cruise back in 2006, and it never occurred to me to check my NCL cruise history until I recently booked Norwegian Getaway because it had always been right.

 

What a rude awakening! I've had 24 cruises with NCL, and the history was such a mess, it took me literally HOURS to sort out all the errors so I could even begin to address them.

 

It was like someone in IT threw all the data into the air, and whatever fell into a certain box got kept, even if it landed totally scrambled. The rest was discarded.

 

I prepared a spreadsheet showing all their info and my corrections (color-coded), so all someone had to do was check their records against mine. I did provide reservation numbers, dates, ship, cabin numbers, itineraries, etc.

 

As the fixes were made, they showed up instantly on the website so I could track progress and see which voyages hadn't been fixed so I could supply more proof.

 

In my case, I was already Platinum so it didn't change my status, but I should think if you can get this sorted out before you leave, you would sail at your correct status.

[SeaShark]

Thank you to those of you who responded kindly and in ways that helped. Some of the other responses were uncalled for and rude.

 

I didn't expect to cruise so soon but my husband really wanted this, so we booked only about a month and a half in advance.

 

As for waiting 10+ years, my mistake for assuming NCL could keep their records straight. This is obviously their mistake, as they credited me for a cruise in 2002 but missed the ones before and after that??

 

There is a REASON I have not cruised NCL for years. I was a college student in 2003 and paid my entire way through school, never taking loans. Not many dollars left over for cruises...It was a matter of chance that my next cruise, in 2009, happened to be on Royal Caribbean.

 

As for the person who said I wasn't concerned about the points I was not entitled to...really? I was told I was a member and I received everything that other adult members received (the card, the pin, the newsletter, etc). There was NOTHING said about my not getting them because I was a child. As another poster commented, his under 18 son was credited for previous cruises. It's not my fault if NCL decides to change the rules. What made you feel the need to come across as a total jerk on that comment?

 

I'm hardly the first person to 'freak out' about something pre-cruise, and all those other posters received kind and helpful replies, for the most part.

 

You didn't HAVE to bring your issue here to a public discussion board, but you CHOOSE to do so.

 

That being the case, you have to accept that EVERYONE is entitled to have, and express thier own opinion. Whether they agree or disagree with your own.

 

This is, after all, a discussion forum and not a support group...nobody here is owed 100% unquestioned acceptance of thier opinion.

 

That said...I do feel that people should be allowed to express their individual opinions on a public discussion board without other people becoming judgmental and demeaning their opinions by affixing labels such as: "uncalled for", "rude", or "jerk".

[Melbourne84]

Uh, a discussion board is where people come to discuss things, like questions regarding an upcoming cruise, which I did. If you had nothing helpful to say why did you bother to post?

[garycarla]

I'm new to this whole thing, and I'm sure there are nuances I don't "get," so please forgive my confusion.

 

I can absolutely understand being miffed about not getting points you deserve, but - if the last time you sailed with NCL was 11 years ago, doesn't that toss the whole purpose of a loyalty program out the window (or porthole, as the case may be)?

 

Very good point.

 

I agree - they should give you the points.

 

I also agree with someone that said there is almost ZERO perks at that level anyways. So, why go through the effort unless you are planning to become a regular cruiser.

[flyingaggie02]

I would try emailing again. I have heard several people on here complaining about the program, but I really think it depends on who gets your email.

 

I took an NCL cruise way back in 94-95, did not have ANY documents or anything, just the name of the ship, my name and my parents names whom I sailed with. I even have a different last name now!

 

I sent an email and about 6 weeks later, got a response and they credited me for the cruise.

 

My mother did the same thing, as she is joining on our cruise next month, and they "could not find her record".

 

Be persistent and they will credit you!

[Rhea98]

Uh, a discussion board is where people come to discuss things, like questions regarding an upcoming cruise, which I did. If you had nothing helpful to say why did you bother to post?

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2113254 See if post 25 helps.

[mabones]

I REMEMBER READING THIS THE OTHER DAY. MAY IT CAN HELP YOU!!!!!!!!

 

Hi Treavor, we saw your post and would like to assist you. Please email us your personal details to publicrelations@ncl.com. Please kindly send us the name used for your booking, your phone number, and Latitudes number if you know it.

__________________

Norwegian Cruise Line

http://www.ncl.com

 

IT LOOKS LIKE THEY WERE ABLE TO GET TREVOR ALL HIS LATITUDE POINTS BACK.

[Trevor Fountain]

I really despair at how cruel some people can be. Yes it is a public forum, and as such people are entitled to voice their opinions. However the sarcasm and vitriol against folks who for whatever reason haven't sailed with NCL for many years but ask for loyalty points, that they may be entitled to, is pitiful.

It may well be that some people cannot afford to cruise often. It may have something to do with illness or disability, but people seem very quick to shoot people down when in reality all they are doing is claiming what they are entitled to. NCL make the rules, and for the life of me I can't see where it says to get Loyalty points you have to cruise annually.

If the OP is entitled to the points, they should get them, if not so be it, but why people need to have a pop at them I don't know.

[Melbourne84]

Thank you for all the helpful posts! There are actually quite a few perks in Silver that appeal to me. Believe me, I would not be putting myself through this otherwise.

[maywell]

Maybe it me or someone can correct me if I'm wrong; but sitaution the OP is describing in this thread and one about the 18 year old being Platinum member are not the same thing due to the timeline. The 18 yo getting that status was due 1) his parent(s) vouching for him as soon turn legal age and 2) the family was cruising as since 2004 or 2008 (whenever was the year the new easy Latidudes program came out). The case laid in this thread is completely different due to it being over 10-12 years since the last cruise with NCL, it actually nice of NCL to even give full points for at least 2 of the trips due to length of time from the last cruise with them. If I'm not mistake, the eligible guideline of which cruise(s) are accounted or not, before the new rollout is in the Latitudes Rewards magazine or the pamphlet under MyNCL.

 

 

 

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