CAS bait and switch. Ticked OFF!

[VideoTech]

Let me preface this by saying that we are loyal NCL cruisers, and CAS members. While we're not "whales" in the casino, we're definitely players, and CAS has always rewarded that play quite well.

 

Last week we booked a Christmas week Caribbean cruise on the Escape through CAS. We took their comp offer, which was a good one, paid the taxes and fees, and booked our airline tickets.

 

TODAY, a woman from CAS called, and left a message informing us that we have been "downgraded" from the cabin level they previously offered, and for which we have a confirmed reservation in hand. Her message simply said that we had been "over-comp'd" when they made the original offer - an offer we accepted and acted on.

 

To put it mildly, we are p*&(34 Off! Is this how NCL & CAS treat their loyal customers? What kind of business model says you should take a longtime, loyal customer, make them an offer, book it, and then suddenly pull the rug out from under them and say "ooops. Sorry."

 

I guess we're headed over to another cruise line from now on.

[conandrob240]

If you are booked and have a confirmation, they can't change their mind. Call back and ask to be escalated to a supervisor. That's absolutely ridiculous.

[Nola26]

Hold onto the downgrade, call to politely complain and negotiate some other perk. Enjoy the cruise then make a long term decision about NCL.

[bbryan5]

I agree 100%. I book with CAS for all my cruises. My next cruise will be a free mini suite (promised to me by my CAS PCC) and if they change that on me there will be problems :D:D:D

[triptolemus]

I read posts like this and wonder if folks -- not the OP specifically -- actually know that they're not entitled to the comp or promotion when its offered or when they accept it.

 

That one poster last week who was upset that CAS offered her a free stateroom via a snail mail offer.... when they called up to claim it, they were denied with the explanation that the communication was a mistake. C'mon... they knew they weren't entitled to that...

 

It seems to me folks who play enough to rate with CAS... they KNOW exactly where they're at.

[conandrob240]

Those are completely different scenarios. If you get a mail offer and you call, even if it's soon after received, there's no guarantee the offer will still be available when you call. In the situation of the OP, it was offered and booked, paid for and invoiced. They can't take it back after that agreement was made. I'd call until I get the original room re- instated and a hefty OBC or other perks. I'd ask for same room reinstated, a dining credit and a spa credit.

[triptolemus]

Yeah, I can see how they're different.

 

It was just a passing thought...

[swedish weave]

I read posts like this and wonder if folks -- not the OP specifically -- actually know that they're not entitled to the comp or promotion when its offered or when they accept it.

 

That one poster last week who was upset that CAS offered her a free stateroom via a snail mail offer.... when they called up to claim it, they were denied with the explanation that the communication was a mistake. C'mon... they knew they weren't entitled to that...

 

It seems to me folks who play enough to rate with CAS... they KNOW exactly where they're at.

 

Are you serious ????????? How would you know what they are entitled to and how would they know the offer was an error.??

[HMANSION LOVER]

Let me preface this by saying that we are loyal NCL cruisers, and CAS members. While we're not "whales" in the casino, we're definitely players, and CAS has always rewarded that play quite well.

 

Last week we booked a Christmas week Caribbean cruise on the Escape through CAS. We took their comp offer, which was a good one, paid the taxes and fees, and booked our airline tickets.

 

TODAY, a woman from CAS called, and left a message informing us that we have been "downgraded" from the cabin level they previously offered, and for which we have a confirmed reservation in hand. Her message simply said that we had been "over-comp'd" when they made the original offer - an offer we accepted and acted on.

 

To put it mildly, we are p*&(34 Off! Is this how NCL & CAS treat their loyal customers? What kind of business model says you should take a longtime, loyal customer, make them an offer, book it, and then suddenly pull the rug out from under them and say "ooops. Sorry."

 

I guess we're headed over to another cruise line from now on.

 

I am not a gambler, I am not CAS member so I do not talk from experience or direct knowledge but, it sounds to me that after you booked your cruise a huge whale (meaning he will lose much much more money than you) contacted NCL and demanded a deal. They had already run out of comps so they took yours away. It's bull---- but corporations want money NOT friends. And in the whole scheme of things they THINK they WILL make more money off of him than you. Truly a shame. I agree with the other poster, call ask for a supervisor and make a stink. That's most likely how someone else got your reservation.:mad:

[bmwman]

I am not a gambler, I am not CAS member so I do not talk from experience or direct knowledge but, it sounds to me that after you booked your cruise a huge whale (meaning he will lose much much more money than you) contacted NCL and demanded a deal. They had already run out of comps so they took yours away. It's bull---- but corporations want money NOT friends. And in the whole scheme of things they THINK they WILL make more money off of him than you. Truly a shame. I agree with the other poster, call ask for a supervisor and make a stink. That's most likely how someone else got your reservation.:mad:

 

Good answer - But in the UK a contract once made can not be rescinded without the loss being made good (there is of course E&OE)

 

But the funny thing here and it always make me chuckle - there is no such thing as a comp from CAS do you not think they know how much you will play and and how much they will win overall thats why Casinos are such big business, Whilst you think you have a comp NCL have an unsold cabin used by someone who is likely to lose money so where's the comp? You may even make them more money than a non gambler at a regular price.

 

The CAS cards give CAS all the info they need.

 

Its great marketing by NCL. Bit like the free cruise on playing Bingo! Free??? I met someone who won one it was anything but free.

 

They area public company remember share price is driven by profits.

[sparks1093]

Good answer - But in the UK a contract once made can not be rescinded without the loss being made good (there is of course E&OE)

 

But the funny thing here and it always make me chuckle - there is no such thing as a comp from CAS do you not think they know how much you will play and and how much they will win overall thats why Casinos are such big business, Whilst you think you have a comp NCL have an unsold cabin used by someone who is likely to lose money so where's the comp? You may even make them more money than a non gambler at a regular price.

 

The CAS cards give CAS all the info they need.

 

Its great marketing by NCL. Bit like the free cruise on playing Bingo! Free??? I met someone who won one it was anything but free.

 

They area public company remember share price is driven by profits.

 

It's the same in the US, once a contract has been entered into it cannot be unilaterally rescinded. Now, there are provisions regarding mistakes but since I am not a lawyer I do not know if they would apply in the OP's situation but if they were to as I understand it the party making the mistake must approach the other party with the new terms and the other party has to accept them or the contract is no longer valid (or something like that).

[CruisinHarvey]

Let me preface this by saying that we are loyal NCL cruisers, and CAS members. While we're not "whales" in the casino, we're definitely players, and CAS has always rewarded that play quite well.

 

Last week we booked a Christmas week Caribbean cruise on the Escape through CAS. We took their comp offer, which was a good one, paid the taxes and fees, and booked our airline tickets.

 

TODAY, a woman from CAS called, and left a message informing us that we have been "downgraded" from the cabin level they previously offered, and for which we have a confirmed reservation in hand. Her message simply said that we had been "over-comp'd" when they made the original offer - an offer we accepted and acted on.

 

To put it mildly, we are p*&(34 Off! Is this how NCL & CAS treat their loyal customers? What kind of business model says you should take a longtime, loyal customer, make them an offer, book it, and then suddenly pull the rug out from under them and say "ooops. Sorry."

 

I guess we're headed over to another cruise line from now on.

 

I'm guessing this a big difference? They'll move us around a bit, but it's usually just oceanview vs balcony, that kind of comp change, and we pay the difference. We're not whales. I'd be really surprised if they said have a haven suite for free.

 

The OP is wrong though. We went on a HAL cruise earlier this year in Aft corner Neptune suite on Club 21. We had only sailed HAL once before 4 years ago. From others we talked to in the casino, they too had great unexpected deals. You don't look a give horse.... You never know what casino marketing folks have up their sleeves. I learned that a long time ago on land based casino's. We're been Caesars diamond members a long time.

[janpo]

We get comped an inside cabin and then I upgrade to an OV. If CAS comped me a higher cabin and I booked and paid for it, I would expect them to honor it. It's not up to me to figure out their comp system. What I'm offered is what I would expect.

Edited August 28, 2015 by janpo

[VideoTech]

If you are booked and have a confirmation, they can't change their mind. Call back and ask to be escalated to a supervisor. That's absolutely ridiculous.

 

We are trying to resolve the issue through our CET marketing rep.

 

Sadly, though, the fine print in the contract basically gives NCL the right to do anything they want when an "error" has been made. That's what CAS is claiming, that the original booking was an "error." Of course, it's an error on THEIR part, but that doesn't seem to matter to them.

[VideoTech]

I am not a gambler, I am not CAS member so I do not talk from experience or direct knowledge but, it sounds to me that after you booked your cruise a huge whale (meaning he will lose much much more money than you) contacted NCL and demanded a deal. They had already run out of comps so they took yours away. It's bull---- but corporations want money NOT friends. And in the whole scheme of things they THINK they WILL make more money off of him than you. Truly a shame. I agree with the other poster, call ask for a supervisor and make a stink. That's most likely how someone else got your reservation.:mad:

 

We agree that's a possibility (loosing the room to a better gambler), but in this case, there are plenty of open rooms in the original category on the cruise.

[Casino Comp Chick]

OP...

Here is hoping for the best outcome, Curiosity though, what did they comp you and what is your tier?

[janpo]

We are trying to resolve the issue through our CET marketing rep.

 

Sadly, though, the fine print in the contract basically gives NCL the right to do anything they want when an "error" has been made. That's what CAS is claiming, that the original booking was an "error." Of course, it's an error on THEIR part, but that doesn't seem to matter to them.

 

 

Wait...CET and CAS are two different things. Yes CET works with CAS for free cabins but not sure if that makes a difference.

[Casino Comp Chick]

Wait...CET and CAS are two different things. Yes CET works with CAS for free cabins but not sure if that makes a difference.

 

Good catch, I didn't notice that, CET usually gives inside cabins, Depending on your tier with them you may want to look at the discounted prices i.e. 20% off if you are in a suite. That is the only way to guarantee all the promos. Here is the Total rewards link

 

https://www.totalrewards.com/content/cet-tr/en/earn-and-redeem/with-tr-alliances/norwegian-cruise-line.html

[VideoTech]

I'm guessing this a big difference? They'll move us around a bit, but it's usually just oceanview vs balcony, that kind of comp change, and we pay the difference. We're not whales. I'd be really surprised if they said have a haven suite for free.

 

The OP is wrong though. We went on a HAL cruise earlier this year in Aft corner Neptune suite on Club 21. We had only sailed HAL once before 4 years ago. From others we talked to in the casino, they too had great unexpected deals. You don't look a give horse.... You never know what casino marketing folks have up their sleeves. I learned that a long time ago on land based casino's. We're been Caesars diamond members a long time.

 

We are also longtime Caesar's diamond players. We understand how the casino comp system works, and we also understand how the CAS comp system works. We know not to look a "gift horse" in the mouth, although you would probably agree that any comp given to a gambler is really nothing to the casino (or cruise line) compared to the revenue they get from us in the casino.

 

But that's not really the issue here. The issue is the incredibly poor customer service - which is not what we have come to expect from NCL and CAS.

 

Let's put it another way: Say you received an offer for a free steak dinner, from a restaurant you've been going to for years and years, and in which you've spend a lot of money. You go to the restaurant, and when you sit down at the table, the server brings out a hamburger, and says "Oh, sorry, we made a mistake, you weren't eligible for the steak." How would you feel? Would you go back to that restaurant ever again? I doubt it.

 

Our position is: If someone at CAS made a mistake with the original offer, they should still honor the original offer in the interest of keeping us as loyal CAS customers. It was THEIR mistake, not ours. Instead, what they've done is insure that we will probably not sail with them again.

[VideoTech]

Wait...CET and CAS are two different things. Yes CET works with CAS for free cabins but not sure if that makes a difference.

 

Correct. CET and CAS are two different companies, owned by the same ownership group. And yes, we understand that there is no direct relationship between your CET status and your CAS status...but there is a working relationship between the two.

 

Our CET Marketing rep has been booking our CAS cruise for years.

[VideoTech]

..........But the funny thing here and it always make me chuckle - there is no such thing as a comp from CAS do you not think they know how much you will play and and how much they will win overall thats why Casinos are such big business, Whilst you think you have a comp NCL have an unsold cabin used by someone who is likely to lose money so where's the comp? You may even make them more money than a non gambler at a regular price........

 

No need to chuckle. We are long time gamblers and understand completely that we're not really getting anything for "free." But that's how we choose to spend our entertainment dollars. And we DO feel that we make them more money than a non-gambler in the same cabin at the regular price. That's exactly why CAS comps good customers.

 

But again, the issue here is not the comp itself. The issue is the incredibly poor customer service on the part of NCL and CAS.

Edited August 28, 2015 by VideoTech

[VideoTech]

I read posts like this and wonder if folks -- not the OP specifically -- actually know that they're not entitled to the comp or promotion when its offered or when they accept it.

 

That one poster last week who was upset that CAS offered her a free stateroom via a snail mail offer.... when they called up to claim it, they were denied with the explanation that the communication was a mistake. C'mon... they knew they weren't entitled to that...

 

It seems to me folks who play enough to rate with CAS... they KNOW exactly where they're at.

 

That is exactly the point. The downgrade takes us way down from what CAS has routinely offered us in the past. We know more or less exactly our value to CAS, based the points we earn on each cruise, and on what they have always done for us in the past.

 

And we just came off an Alaskan cruise where they comp'd us the class of cabin they originally offered on the Escape. It's also the same class that we have usually received in the past - and our Alaskan cruise casino play was no different than it's been in the past.

 

Yes, we understand that the Escape is a new ship, sailing a popular itinerary at a popular time of year. We understand that affects the comps that CAS will offer.

[CruisinHarvey]

I agree with you. Once it's confirmed, they should stick to it. It really doesn't make good business sense. It's a shame they don't have real hosts to help you.

 

I am curious why you contacted CET though. Was it a CET offer you used? If so, I'd think your host would get it straightened right away. I know ours would probably get them to kick in something even more than original offer, due to the problem.

[rascaldog]

Again what tier level are you with CAS and what type of room were you booked in?

[CasinoCruzGirl]

I have gotten comped balconys and mini suites on NCL via CAS several times. My husband sailed with me once and when he did we had really upped our play he played like a crazy man. Anyway, I called several months ago to see what I could get on the december 2 nighter if he were to sail with me on it. I spoke with a CAS rep (who I will never speak to again) and was told if my husband is sailing with me we could be comped a spa suite and I was so excited. Said let me talk to him and will call back. I called and spoke to the same rep a couple days later and was told again oh yes you and your husband can have the spa suite comped. As I was working out plans with friends to see other options (maybe getting a 2 bedroom if they were to come with us) and she heard the rep tell me we could get the spa suite comped and we would pay to upgrade to either the aft penthouse or two bedroom. (We were on a 3 way call so I'm not just haulicinating what I heard). So after figuring it all out the next day I called to book the spa suite and the same rep said oh you can only have the spa mini suite comped. I said what are you talking about you not only once not twice but 3 times told me prices for either the comp spa suite or the other two suites I asked about to upgrade. He gave me exact pricing. Where did you get the pricing from???? Anyway needless to say i didnt have a leg to stand on. I asked for a supervisor and was given his phone number I left a message and NEVER heard from him.

 

Now I wouldn't have even batted an eye if he originally told me you and hubby are comped a balcony or mini suite. It's kind of what I was expecting. But this idiot insisted 3 times my comp was a suite. I will never ever talk to this rep again he can't be trusted and spoke out his hiney.