NCL let down

[daredaigo]

Wondering if we could get some feedback and suggestions on where to go from here.

 

We had traveled the Pearl before and loved it so we finally found a good itinerary we were interested in and booked through *************. After we booked we told others about it and got three other couples to join us. Since we all booked a couple of days apart, we all made sure that our travel agent knew we all wanted to be together, but this didn't happen when they assigned the rooms. ************* said they couldn't do anything unless we wanted to pay more. (Which doesn't make sense because the rates have actually gone down since we paid in full) VTG said that NCL will assign the rooms and told us since we travel NCL frequently they would take care of us. Well that didn't happen.

 

I will be a gold member after this trip and thought they would pay some consideration to this. I really do enjoy NCL even though I have traveled on RCL and Celebrity too

 

I'm really upset due to the fact that I planned this trip for all of us, we got stuck in the very front of the ship by ourselves and not next to any of the others.

 

Can anybody offer some advise as to rectify this. We already booked a trip with Celebrity for next nov 2015 because of the disillusionment with this.

[ColinIllinois]

That sounds more like an issue with the travel agent. They had no way to know that "NCL would take care of you because you have sailed with them previously".

 

Sounds like you had "guarantee" rooms, right? If so, it's the luck of the draw. I wouldn't give up on NCL because of the TA. Your choice of course. Did you not enjoy the cruise?

[Love my butler]

If you purchase a guarantee category room you will be assigned randomly. Barring extraordinary circumstances, they will not be reassigned. Part of the reason you pay a cheaper price for a guarantee.

[hpecorari]

Wondering if we could get some feedback and suggestions on where to go from here.

 

We had traveled the Pearl before and loved it so we finally found a good itinerary we were interested in and booked through *************. After we booked we told others about it and got three other couples to join us. Since we all booked a couple of days apart, we all made sure that our travel agent knew we all wanted to be together, but this didn't happen when they assigned the rooms. ************* said they couldn't do anything unless we wanted to pay more. (Which doesn't make sense because the rates have actually gone down since we paid in full) VTG said that NCL will assign the rooms and told us since we travel NCL frequently they would take care of us. Well that didn't happen.

 

I will be a gold member after this trip and thought they would pay some consideration to this. I really do enjoy NCL even though I have traveled on RCL and Celebrity too

 

I'm really upset due to the fact that I planned this trip for all of us, we got stuck in the very front of the ship by ourselves and not next to any of the others.

 

Can anybody offer some advise as to rectify this. We already booked a trip with Celebrity for next nov 2015 because of the disillusionment with this.

 

It sounds like you all booked a 'guarantee' room. When you book 'guarantee' rooms the rates are much lower and NCL chooses your rooms for you and there is no guarantee that you will be near anyone else in your party. If you didn't book 'guarantee' rooms than your TA should have had you all pick your rooms at the time of booking.

 

Guarantee rooms saves money but you're stuck with where NCL puts you. If, in fact, your room rate has really gone up your TA can call NCL and ask for an 'upgrade' or some OBC but truth be told.....once past final payment NCL is not required or obligated to give you anything. Are you actually past final payment or did you pay in full early?

 

Didn't your travel agent tell you when you booked these rooms that they were 'guarantee' rooms and that NCL will put you wherever they have a room and you don't have a choice in the matter? If your TA actual did tell you that NCL would take into consideration your status, your friends, etc. and place you near each other I wouldn't use that TA ever again as he"s dead wrong and either was plan out lying to you to get your money or just uninformed......either reason, I wouldn't use that TA again!

 

Enjoy your cruise. You'll be in your rooms so little and can always meet up somewhere and go from there together. But remember.....this is NOT NCL's fault. It's the fault of your TA for not informing you correctly when you booked the type of rooms you did.

 

Harriet

[garycarla]

The OP either book a GTY, or the TA is an idiot. Sorry to be so blunt, but that is what it is.

 

As to being near each other or not - that just is not a big deal.

[Shawnino]

Mostly, but...

 

If, in fact, your room rate has really gone up your TA can call NCL and ask for an 'upgrade' or some OBC but truth be told.....once past final payment NCL is not required or obligated to give you anything.

 

Harriet

 

Why would NCL accommodate them if rate has gone UP since they booked? Aren't they more likely t get a concession if the rate has gone down?

[daredaigo]

thanks for the feedback..I think they misrepresented that even though it was a guarantee we would still be put together..We haven't sailed yet but we wanted to be closer together because we are all from different parts of the country and we don't get to see each other often...

[CasinoCruzGirl]

Wondering if we could get some feedback and suggestions on where to go from here.

 

We had traveled the Pearl before and loved it so we finally found a good itinerary we were interested in and booked through *************. After we booked we told others about it and got three other couples to join us. Since we all booked a couple of days apart, we all made sure that our travel agent knew we all wanted to be together, but this didn't happen when they assigned the rooms. ************* said they couldn't do anything unless we wanted to pay more. (Which doesn't make sense because the rates have actually gone down since we paid in full) VTG said that NCL will assign the rooms and told us since we travel NCL frequently they would take care of us. Well that didn't happen.

 

I will be a gold member after this trip and thought they would pay some consideration to this. I really do enjoy NCL even though I have traveled on RCL and Celebrity too

 

I'm really upset due to the fact that I planned this trip for all of us, we got stuck in the very front of the ship by ourselves and not next to any of the others.

 

Can anybody offer some advise as to rectify this. We already booked a trip with Celebrity for next nov 2015 because of the disillusionment with this.

 

You should NEVER have booked GTY cabins if being near each other was that important. Live and learn.

[ColinIllinois]

thanks for the feedback..I think they misrepresented that even though it was a guarantee we would still be put together..We haven't sailed yet but we wanted to be closer together because we are all from different parts of the country and we don't get to see each other often...

 

 

It's not a huge ship. It will be fine. Enjoy your cruise and your friends. :D

[cruisin07family]

Can you talk to a real person at VTG and try to get a three-way phone call with NCL and ask about upgrading to a specific balcony category and pick your cabins? There appears to be many cabins still available so maybe for a small fee you can upgrade?

[daredaigo]

I'll try that...thanks

[daredaigo]

It does seem like there is not much of an advantage to booking early...when the prices go down and there are better rooms left at a much cheaper rate

[hpecorari]

Mostly, but...

 

 

 

Why would NCL accommodate them if rate has gone UP since they booked? Aren't they more likely t get a concession if the rate has gone down?

 

Hmmm I thought I had edited that out of my post after rereading it however I guess it didn't actually go through. Of course you are correct.

 

Harriet

[hpecorari]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hpecorari

If, in fact, your room rate has really gone up your TA can call NCL and ask for an 'upgrade' or some OBC but truth be told.....once past final payment NCL is not required or obligated to give you anything.

 

Harriet

 

Oops I thought I had edited that out. Sometimes my fingers type quicker than my brain thinks. If the price goes down we can contact NCL and see what they say however if the price goes up we just got a good deal. To date they have not begun sending out invoices for the difference LOL

 

Harriet

[Trevor Fountain]

I don't really get why you think it's important to have cabins close to each other.

Surely you aren't going on a cruise to sit chatting in your cabins? There are far better places to meet on the ship.

[Siora7777]

Yeah our cabins were split up on deck 5, 8, and 12 (and our reservations were linked but guarantees). We don't really care. Just make plans to meet up at certain places at specific times.

Edited November 4, 2014 by Siora7777

[Reebster]

Do a mock booking on NCL.com and see if the rate you paid originally is more than what a higher category cabin would cost now. If what you paid is higher, send that info to your TA and see whether she can get you guys upgraded to a different category. I've had a TA tell me no before when I emailed my request only to get a yes whe I called the agency.

 

 

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[Demonyte]

Do a mock booking on NCL.com and see if the rate you paid originally is more than what a higher category cabin would cost now. If what you paid is higher, send that info to your TA and see whether she can get you guys upgraded to a different category. I've had a TA tell me no before when I emailed my request only to get a yes whe I called the agency.

 

That is the case with any average customer service nowadays, NCL included. The results and answers you'll get vary based on person that is handling the case because very many reps either do not know everything they need to know, are too lazy to do any changes since they already have the booking, etc etc.

[sparks1093]

It does seem like there is not much of an advantage to booking early...when the prices go down and there are better rooms left at a much cheaper rate

 

It depends a lot upon the sailing but the main advantage is that you get to pick the cabin(s) you want and if you are sailing during a school vacation sometimes if you don't book early you may not even get the category that you want. This whole thing is a TA issue and not an NCL issue.

[beerman2]

The only way I see 4 couples hanging out in a cabin if one has an aft cabin with large balcony.

 

Or if you are on an alternative lifestyle cruise. NO WAY saying you are , just stating a fact!

 

 

OP you will be just fine finding places meet up with your traveling companions.

 

 

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[TSUmom]

We have traveled with groups a few times and believe me when I tell you that having cabins all in the same area is not that great. Now when we travel with others we make sure we are on another deck or opposite ends of the ship. We never spent time in each others cabins. To us it is our "private space" and there was nothing more annoying than having them knock on our door to say," we are going....want to join us" everytime they went out. Now we just call each others room and we pre-plan our "together time"

 

I know I may sound like a bad group traveler but it is our vacation too. We love the people we travel with but also like our space...

[triptolemus]

^^ Sage advice.

[garycarla]

We have traveled with groups a few times and believe me when I tell you that having cabins all in the same area is not that great. Now when we travel with others we make sure we are on another deck or opposite ends of the ship. We never spent time in each others cabins. To us it is our "private space" and there was nothing more annoying than having them knock on our door to say," we are going....want to join us" everytime they went out. Now we just call each others room and we pre-plan our "together time"

 

I know I may sound like a bad group traveler but it is our vacation too. We love the people we travel with but also like our space...

 

Well said.

 

(by the way, GTY rooms can be changed by the cruise line right up until the time you board. You just never know)

[daredaigo]

Just got off the phone with NCL and they told us that there is no advantage to being a gold latitudes member which showed because of the 4 rooms we booked we are the only latitudes members and we got the worst of the rooms being in the very front away from all the others. We were also the first to book.

 

One of the reasons I liked to book with NCL is because I was moving up the chain of the latitudes heirarchy but now I will have to rethink this and check which cruise lines offer the best consideration as you go up levels. I've heard Princess is good with this.

 

I did not ask for an upgrade or any special consideration, just that our room is closer to the others in our party.

 

Also had NCL disconnect during our conversation (third time this has happened) and did not call back.

[OzCanuck]

Just got off the phone with NCL and they told us that there is no advantage to being a gold latitudes member which showed because of the 4 rooms we booked we are the only latitudes members and we got the worst of the rooms being in the very front away from all the others. We were also the first to book.

 

One of the reasons I liked to book with NCL is because I was moving up the chain of the latitudes heirarchy but now I will have to rethink this and check which cruise lines offer the best consideration as you go up levels. I've heard Princess is good with this.

 

I did not ask for an upgrade or any special consideration, just that our room is closer to the others in our party.

 

Also had NCL disconnect during our conversation (third time this has happened) and did not call back.

 

Your issue here is with your TA, not with NCL. Next time, don't book a guarantee room - book the room(s) you want, where you want.