Very poor customer service-ncl home of the upcharge and the nickel and diming of pass

[fshagan]

Appears the CC community perceives me to be wrong. Also others have insinuated I am cheap. To set the record straight my gratuities are prepaid along w specialty dining for 6 for 4 nights Further I will be purchasing spa treatments. My excursions are prepaid and booked. Yes they are not through NCL. I have purchased the Beverage package on the majority of cruises I have been on. So cost is not the issue. IMHO it appears NCL charges for everything. Had I received a better value for my CC points I would have chosen a different cruise line Nevertheless NCL is comvenient to our schedule. That is why I chose NCL If you read other CC posts of the Breakaway there are questions about cleanliness food quality and service. These concerns I will experience for myself. However, I am taking this cruise with open eyes. Hopefully all of you are correct and my anxiety and concerns are overstated Nevertheless my first experience with Customer Service was less than satisfying.

 

NCL is irritating in the way they handle these things. Our last three cruises had some change after final payment that affected us one way or the other, so we're using NCL only when the itinerary and price are excellent. At least until the baboons who are creating policy move on to another company.

 

We drink bottled water as a strong preference ("you can pry it out of my cold dead fingers"). So we purchased the six pack of 1 liter bottles for about $18 (including the stupid 18% gratuity) for our cruise last week. My local supermarket charges $1.99 per bottle of Aquafina in the 1 liter size. Our six bottles in Von's would cost us about $12 vs. the $18 we paid on NCL. So NCL is really just 50% higher on this particular bottle of water, compared to what it sells for at "regular price" in our local Vons supermarket.

 

We don't drink Aquafina because it is so much more expensive than the Costco brand water we usually drink. So the price difference is shocking to us too .... but it isn't 400 - 500% more than the same item. Our water is like a Fiat 500 to the Von's Aquafina's Mercedes.

 

What irked me was we had to empty half a liter out coming back on board because even if you bought the bottle on board, they don't let you back on with it.

[fshagan]

See? Now I don't expect you to understand or for NCL to make an exception for me but this is precisely why I need tons of bottled water onboard and I am talking 6-7 bottles a day. Tap water onboard causes me to retain an absurd amount of fluid. If I don't drink a lot of the bottled stuff to flush the sodium from the other items onboard (food, ice etc), I can literally gain 10-15lbs of fluid in a week. I super promise it is that and not food. ;p

 

They run what is essentially distilled sea water (no sodium in distilled water) through calcium carbonite to adjust the pH, then add chlorine to it to sanitize it (sodium hypochlorite). I suspect you're reacting to the chlorine level. If you drink tap water at home without a problem check with your local agency ... they are probably using a different sanitation chemical like chloramines (the chemical my city uses). We don't drink our tap water normally because of the taste and we have it softened, which adds sodium, and softening it is necessary due to the high hardness level.

 

Bottled water is free from all sodium, whereas filtered water is not ... but the filtration will take out the chlorine.

[purpletequila]

They run what is essentially distilled sea water (no sodium in distilled water) through calcium carbonite to adjust the pH, then add chlorine to it to sanitize it (sodium hypochlorite). I suspect you're reacting to the chlorine level. If you drink tap water at home without a problem check with your local agency ... they are probably using a different sanitation chemical like chloramines (the chemical my city uses). We don't drink our tap water normally because of the taste and we have it softened, which adds sodium, and softening it is necessary due to the high hardness level.

 

Bottled water is free from all sodium, whereas filtered water is not ... but the filtration will take out the chlorine.

 

Thanks!

[NLH Arizona]

OK well I acknowledged that I don't expect NCL to make an exception for me so no need to point out the ultra obvious about what they sell onboard. My wallet knows.

 

But when this first happened last year, did they not say they would consider medical exceptions? I definitely could be wrong and I am mentioning it more for the OP cause no one gives even one damn about me and my water retention, I'm aware :'), but I could have sworn NCL said they would consider special circumstances which, despite the overall feeling around here, do sometimes exist.

You are correct, they will make exceptions for medical reasons, but that is for liquids brought on board that they don't sell. Just because you don't want to pay their prices for water, doesn't really qualify for a medical reason waiver, which would allow you to bring water on board the ship. Now if you need mango juice for a medical reason deemed by your doctor and they didn't carry and is not planning on carrying it for you, they will let you bring your own on the ship.

 

With regard to your water retention, have you thought about asking your doctor for some pills to take while you are on the cruise. I'm sure with the amount of water weight you have mentioned, that probably wouldn't be a problem.

Edited May 11, 2017 by NLH Arizona

[chengkp75]

They run what is essentially distilled sea water (no sodium in distilled water) through calcium carbonite to adjust the pH, then add chlorine to it to sanitize it (sodium hypochlorite). I suspect you're reacting to the chlorine level. If you drink tap water at home without a problem check with your local agency ... they are probably using a different sanitation chemical like chloramines (the chemical my city uses). We don't drink our tap water normally because of the taste and we have it softened, which adds sodium, and softening it is necessary due to the high hardness level.

 

Bottled water is free from all sodium, whereas filtered water is not ... but the filtration will take out the chlorine.

 

I know you are one who follows my posts about water thoroughly, and understands what I've posted. But, just for the record, Desani bottled water (and I know this is not what NCL offers) admits to adding sodium to their water "for taste", along with a couple of other chemicals.

 

For the previous poster, I don't know where you live, but the water loaded in ports for the ships is straight municipal water, and NYC's and Miami/Dade's water quality reports show that they have around 50-60ppm of sodium in their water. The water made onboard has a sodium content of 0-1ppm (distilled water from the evaporators) or 0-20ppm (from the RO watermakers). So, even mixing the water made onboard with the water loaded in port, will result in less sodium than straight municipal water.

 

There are several things that cause water retention, and chlorine is one of them. Try drinking ship's water from the water dispensers instead of the cabin (chlorine filtered out). Also, when you carry around a bottle of water, people tend to drink more than when they have to go get a glass. The only real way to determine if ship's water affects your water retention, is to do several days onboard, drinking exactly the same quantities of ship's water and bottled water.

[fabnfortysomething]

Good heavens, what do you think they give patients in the hospital when they need hydrating? If it's unsterilized water, perhaps it would kill them but perhaps you misunderstood what I was implying. It can be Ringer's Lactate, or 5%, 10% glucose, 5% saline solution... they're all used intravenously.

 

Intravenous (IV) liquids are given many times to hydrate patients, I've done it myself.

 

 

intravenous solutions you mentioned above are just that-solutions of which water is a component

water for injection needs to be mixed with a solute such as glucose or saline

 

 

injecting water into a vein will cause haemolysis

[Maddona]

A 24 pack of 1L bottles is $45.

If the comparable stateroom on Celebrity, Princess, or RCCL is more expensive by $50 or more, wouldn't NCL be the "better value"?

 

You also have the option of bringing your own empty water container and using the complimentary water (and ice) to fill your own container (being conscious of being sanitary, of course). It isn't "nickel and diming" if there is a free option that is just as good or possibly better (Aquafina is filtered tap water).

Thanks for this advice. we are doing first ever cruise with NCL in ten days! Popping out to buy water container .do think it's poor if a medical condition that require water in room though

[fshagan]

You do realize that most bottled water is merely tap water put into a plastic bottle don't you? Additionally "filtered" does not mean anything specific. Anyone can use that term in any way they please, for example if I pour water into a cup through a paper towel I can call it filtered. The whole bottled water thing is more marketing hype than anything else and one of the best ever pulled over the collective eyes of consumers. I am waiting for someone to start selling "bagged air" and hyping it as healthier than city air. You just know a lot of chicken littels will buy that up in a heart beat! :p

 

You are wrong about the extent of the filtration. You might want to read up on the issue instead of taking what some consumer reporter says during Sweeps Week. They are also the ones that go "undercover" and report that cruise lines exploit their workers (who are earning the same as engineers at home) and perform taste tests of beer that shows no one can tell the difference between the cheapest and most expensive brands.

 

The FDA sets standards for bottled water, and the major companies produce reports such as this one with the results of their testing (link is to a PDF file). Dasani, in this case, has no detected volatile or semi-volatile organic compounds or disinfection byproducts. Here's a screenshot of the second page of that PDF: http://screenshot.ontrapedia.com/public/fhagan/1494509547.png "ND" stands for "Not Detected". Organic compounds and disinfection byproducts are important contaminants in water, and some people are told to avoid them because of compromised immune systems or specific diseases. To achieve these levels, which exceed the level of every single municipal water report I have ever seen, the water is typically filtered through multiple filters, including membrane style (RO) filters, and sanitized in a different way (often using either ultraviolet or ozone treatment, both of which leave no residue).

 

I drink bottled water because of the taste. It simply tastes better than the water from my city, which while safe, tastes bad.

 

Following your logic that all water is simply H20, you could say that all beer is simply fermented organic compounds in water. All wine is simply fermented grape or other fruit juice. All soda is made the same way. You have no reason to buy any beer other than the absolute cheapest, or any wine with one of those fancy corks, or any soda other than the store brand.

 

In the OPs case, with a need for large amounts of water for a specific medical condition, trusting municipal sources or other unknown sources (like the ship's water) could be risky. The OP saw the exception for medical reasons and asked a doctor for a letter about his wife's condition. All of this is a reasonable course of events, but people jumped on him for "getting a prescription" and saying the doctor is irresponsible. NCL didn't accept the medical reason because they do supply water, at about $3.50 per liter, that will meet her needs.

 

He is angry at NCL because unlike other cruise lines, buying the water at about $3.50 per bottle is the only way to get their preferred water. On Carnival, they can get cases of water for $5. On Celebrity, Disney, Princess, RCL, and some smaller lines they can carry it on. On all of these lines, bottled water is included in the drink plans. NCL is the odd one out, and he calls them on it. His anger makes it over the top, much like your criticism of people who drink "filtered" water because there are no standards (even though there are). But he has a point, and for people who like bottled water, it is something to consider when choosing a line to cruise on.

[mjkacmom]

You are wrong about the extent of the filtration. You might want to read up on the issue instead of taking what some consumer reporter says during Sweeps Week. They are also the ones that go "undercover" and report that cruise lines exploit their workers (who are earning the same as engineers at home) and perform taste tests of beer that shows no one can tell the difference between the cheapest and most expensive brands.

 

The FDA sets standards for bottled water, and the major companies produce reports such as this one with the results of their testing (link is to a PDF file). Dasani, in this case, has no detected volatile or semi-volatile organic compounds or disinfection byproducts. Here's a screenshot of the second page of that PDF: http://screenshot.ontrapedia.com/public/fhagan/1494509547.png "ND" stands for "Not Detected". Organic compounds and disinfection byproducts are important contaminants in water, and some people are told to avoid them because of compromised immune systems or specific diseases. To achieve these levels, which exceed the level of every single municipal water report I have ever seen, the water is typically filtered through multiple filters, including membrane style (RO) filters, and sanitized in a different way (often using either ultraviolet or ozone treatment, both of which leave no residue).

 

I drink bottled water because of the taste. It simply tastes better than the water from my city, which while safe, tastes bad.

 

Following your logic that all water is simply H20, you could say that all beer is simply fermented organic compounds in water. All wine is simply fermented grape or other fruit juice. All soda is made the same way. You have no reason to buy any beer other than the absolute cheapest, or any wine with one of those fancy corks, or any soda other than the store brand.

 

In the OPs case, with a need for large amounts of water for a specific medical condition, trusting municipal sources or other unknown sources (like the ship's water) could be risky. The OP saw the exception for medical reasons and asked a doctor for a letter about his wife's condition. All of this is a reasonable course of events, but people jumped on him for "getting a prescription" and saying the doctor is irresponsible. NCL didn't accept the medical reason because they do supply water, at about $3.50 per liter, that will meet her needs.

 

He is angry at NCL because unlike other cruise lines, buying the water at about $3.50 per bottle is the only way to get their preferred water. On Carnival, they can get cases of water for $5. On Celebrity, Disney, Princess, RCL, and some smaller lines they can carry it on. On all of these lines, bottled water is included in the drink plans. NCL is the odd one out, and he calls them on it. His anger makes it over the top, much like your criticism of people who drink "filtered" water because there are no standards (even though there are). But he has a point, and for people who like bottled water, it is something to consider when choosing a line to cruise on.

The price per liter ranges from $2.20 - $2.90, depending on the package. A liter of water at Atlantis cost me over $10 a few years ago.

[NCLfamily]

The price per liter ranges from $2.20 - $2.90, depending on the package. A liter of water at Atlantis cost me over $10 a few years ago.

 

 

A litre in our Miami Beach hotel room last year was around $7

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[newmexicoNita]

Ourcruise is slated for July 30th We are seasoned Cruiser's, having gone on15-16 cruises on Celebrity and RCCL. We found out pre-cruise that NCL does notinclude Bottled Water as part of the beverage package one can purchase. Pleasenote Celeb, RCCL, Princess all do. Instead NCL wants you to purchase bottledwater by the case at 300-500% above the market.My wife has an auto-immunedisease requiring her to be hydrated. We obtained a prescription and doctorsnote and sent an e-mail to the Access Desk requesting permission to bring up to3 cases of bottled water. Our request was denied. We then sent an e-mail to Mr.Del Rio explaining the situation along with the Doctors note and prescription.Again we were denied. NCL has completely lived up to it's reputation of nickeland diming along with Up Charging cruisers for every service. We knew ofthis reputation pre-booking but were stuck using NCL due to the points value ina conversion. I would recommend anyone reading this to take anothercruise line! NCL is focused only on it's profitability not thecruiser. This probably will be our first and last cruise on NCL all over a$50-100 potential charge. NCL you have made a smart business decisionPenny wise and Pound foolish Cruise Critic followers Be warned BookElsewhere- Better value on RCCL or Princess plus appears to be better quality

 

Thankyou

 

Pilot Fish

reading your past posts this isn't the first time and I doubt it will be you last where you want everyone to know you do not like a particular cruise line and writing to the CEO isn't going to solve any problems. I am surprised if it is true your wife needs the water she can't just drink tap water like many others do. I am guessing, if you approached the problem the way you have here, you certainly can not expect NCL to roll over for you. Have you checked the other cruise lines on their water policy? Of course you haven't. If you had you would realize all lines are changing their policy on water and soda. You haven't even cruised NCL, you have no idea if they nickel and dime and you think it is perfectly acceptable to tell others, because you didn't get your way not to cruise the line. Good luck next time you cruise; Enjoy Celebrity. ;p

Edited May 11, 2017 by newmexicoNita

[AKR2011]

I'm late to the game, but I must weigh in here. PLEASE, for the earth's sake, can we all quit drinking bottled water? As many have stated here, the water from the tap is clean, purified, and delicious. If you are really worried, then get a Brita water bottle that adds extra filtration. No one needs to buy bottled water EVER. It is a complete waste of plastic. They also get warm quickly and then you're stuck drinking that. My best recommendation is an insulated bottle. I have one that I fill up in the morning with ice and water, and I will still have ice in there 12 hours later!

 

I should note that I am a water snob, and I am also from Upstate NY, and our state is known for drinking out of the tap all the time, because we have great tap water. I will admit that I am shocked when I visit other places and the water quality is not so great from the tap. Again, the Brita Bottle comes in handy for that. But on the ship, the water lives up to NY tap water standards.

[purpletequila]

You are correct, they will make exceptions for medical reasons, but that is for liquids brought on board that they don't sell. Just because you don't want to pay their prices for water, doesn't really qualify for a medical reason waiver, which would allow you to bring water on board the ship. Now if you need mango juice for a medical reason deemed by your doctor and they didn't carry and is not planning on carrying it for you, they will let you bring your own on the ship.

 

With regard to your water retention, have you thought about asking your doctor for some pills to take while you are on the cruise. I'm sure with the amount of water weight you have mentioned, that probably wouldn't be a problem.

 

Yeah. My Dr is not big on prescription diuretics for people without any other health issues that would cause it like kidney or heart problems which, thankfully I do not have. She has always said it works itself out in healthy people, and eventually, it does...when I hit land it's all good after a couple of days which is why I know I'm not a medical situation. I've never even tried to get it through NCL just wanted to make sure I wasn't crazy and that I did hear correctly so thanks. Your mango comparison makes perfect sense.

[purpletequila]

There are several things that cause water retention, and chlorine is one of them. Try drinking ship's water from the water dispensers instead of the cabin (chlorine filtered out). Also, when you carry around a bottle of water, people tend to drink more than when they have to go get a glass. The only real way to determine if ship's water affects your water retention, is to do several days onboard, drinking exactly the same quantities of ship's water and bottled water.

 

 

I'll try that. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Cuervosar]

You are wrong about the extent of the filtration. You might want to read up on the issue instead of taking what some consumer reporter says during Sweeps Week. They are also the ones that go "undercover" and report that cruise lines exploit their workers (who are earning the same as engineers at home) and perform taste tests of beer that shows no one can tell the difference between the cheapest and most expensive brands.

 

The FDA sets standards for bottled water, and the major companies produce reports such as this one with the results of their testing (link is to a PDF file). Dasani, in this case, has no detected volatile or semi-volatile organic compounds or disinfection byproducts. Here's a screenshot of the second page of that PDF: http://screenshot.ontrapedia.com/public/fhagan/1494509547.png "ND" stands for "Not Detected". Organic compounds and disinfection byproducts are important contaminants in water, and some people are told to avoid them because of compromised immune systems or specific diseases. To achieve these levels, which exceed the level of every single municipal water report I have ever seen, the water is typically filtered through multiple filters, including membrane style (RO) filters, and sanitized in a different way (often using either ultraviolet or ozone treatment, both of which leave no residue).

 

I drink bottled water because of the taste. It simply tastes better than the water from my city, which while safe, tastes bad.

 

Following your logic that all water is simply H20, you could say that all beer is simply fermented organic compounds in water. All wine is simply fermented grape or other fruit juice. All soda is made the same way. You have no reason to buy any beer other than the absolute cheapest, or any wine with one of those fancy corks, or any soda other than the store brand.

 

In the OPs case, with a need for large amounts of water for a specific medical condition, trusting municipal sources or other unknown sources (like the ship's water) could be risky. The OP saw the exception for medical reasons and asked a doctor for a letter about his wife's condition. All of this is a reasonable course of events, but people jumped on him for "getting a prescription" and saying the doctor is irresponsible. NCL didn't accept the medical reason because they do supply water, at about $3.50 per liter, that will meet her needs.

 

He is angry at NCL because unlike other cruise lines, buying the water at about $3.50 per bottle is the only way to get their preferred water. On Carnival, they can get cases of water for $5. On Celebrity, Disney, Princess, RCL, and some smaller lines they can carry it on. On all of these lines, bottled water is included in the drink plans. NCL is the odd one out, and he calls them on it. His anger makes it over the top, much like your criticism of people who drink "filtered" water because there are no standards (even though there are). But he has a point, and for people who like bottled water, it is something to consider when choosing a line to cruise on.

 

I don't drink bottled water because all those little bottles end up in the trash and the garbage patch island in the ocean and then the penguins die. I'd rather take the risk on the toxins from the free water.

 

I'm selfless like that.

[WeLuvVacation]

Bring at least 3 or 4 big empty bottles (2 liter) with you and fill them up as needed.

 

Problem solved.:)

[ColoradoGurl]

If you need bottled water to flush the sodium from your body, NCL sells water on the ships and that is why there is no medical reason why one would be allowed to bring water on themselves. Now, if you needed something that they don't sell for your medical reason, they would make arrangements to carry that item or let you bring your own.

 

 

This is a good point because what the OP is trying to do would be similar to walking into Target and saying "I have a doctor's note that I have a medical reason to need this Tylenol, but since you sell it for a higher price than Wal-Mart, I would like you to accept this doctors note as a reason to give me a cheaper price on it than what you sell it for."

 

If you need bottled water instead of tap, you can buy it. Just because you bring a doctors note or have a medical issue doesn't mean you get a pass to buy it for cheaper outside of the ship instead of paying the price they offer it for. If they didn't offer it, it would be a different story.

 

 

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[ColoradoGurl]

Does that remove the sodium? Serious question.

 

 

You should look on the website for REI, it's an outdoor retail store that sells lots of specialty gear for hikers, backpackers and campers, and they sell lots of portable water filtration systems and tablets for people who might need to drink from streams and ponds. I don't know if any of the stuff they have would filter salt, but if there is such a specific thing, they would have it. Salt is a fairly large molecule though so I would be surprised if general filters didn't catch it.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[phillyguy31]

Everyone is assuming that the excess salt come from their water, keep in mind we are all eating 3 meals a day on board as well. Does everyone know how all their meals are prepared?

[SeekingKillerWhales!]

A couple of thoughts. For those saying tap water is delicious, umm no. Our water is horrible. I left a black towel in my sink one night where it got dripped on all night and by morning there was a big brown spot where it had been bleached out by the chlorine (which you can smell) in the water. It is truly horrific and I drink a gallon a day on average. So I get Culligan delivered which is just OK. Favourite is Costco - there just isn't much of a taste to it. However, the best water I've ever had was out of the tap in Denver, so what your water tastes like really does depend on where you live.

 

I too was bummed by NCL prices , which are absurd in comparison to other cruise companies, but reading here reassured me and I'll do fine with the filter. I do feel for the OP however, because if you do have to drink massive amounts of water you want to control exactly what brand you put in your body. I hope the water package will work for you OP.

 

The group I really feel sorry so for on NCL are the Coke drinkers. I don't do soda anymore, but when I did I was a Diet Coke girl. 😀 I would have been bummed to have Pepsi all week. Nothing against Pepsi, the company has done some great things I my town, but it's not what my taste buds craved.

 

The cruise I'm just gonna switch Diet Coke for Bushwackers 😉

 

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[abisha]

Tap Water is free- and it's filtered, probably more so than the tap water in a Dasani bottle.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

The "tap" water is actually desallinated water. It has a lot of sodium in it, and it makes me (and others have reported the same) swell everywhere, so I cannot drink it. I always purchase the bottled water. NCL does charge way too much unfortunately for their bottled water.

[abisha]

Everyone is assuming that the excess salt come from their water, keep in mind we are all eating 3 meals a day on board as well. Does everyone know how all their meals are prepared?

 

I actually did a test with ship's water on my last cruise because I was tired of swelling every cruise. I had guessed it was ship's water. So first several days I only drank bottled water...no swelling. Then I drank ship's water for one full day...and poof! I swelled...my ankles were so swollen that I couldn't put my shoes on. I stopped drinking ship's water and my swelling went down and then back to normal.

[chengkp75]

The "tap" water is actually desallinated water. It has a lot of sodium in it, and it makes me (and others have reported the same) swell everywhere, so I cannot drink it. I always purchase the bottled water. NCL does charge way too much unfortunately for their bottled water.

 

I would love to know why "desalinated" water is assumed to have lots of sodium in it. Do you know how the water is made, or what control limits are in place for water quality? See my post #80 regarding the water quality limits for the various water sources onboard ships. While I admit that water retention varies between people, I will say that I have drunk nothing but ship's water for a minimum of 6 months a year, for 42 years, and never experienced water retention, nor had any problems caused by elevated sodium content.

 

Realize that the "filtering" process used to make commercial bottled water like Aquafina is Reverse Osmosis, one of the two processes used to make water onboard a ship, and actually the less precise one of the two.

[chengkp75]

I actually did a test with ship's water on my last cruise because I was tired of swelling every cruise. I had guessed it was ship's water. So first several days I only drank bottled water...no swelling. Then I drank ship's water for one full day...and poof! I swelled...my ankles were so swollen that I couldn't put my shoes on. I stopped drinking ship's water and my swelling went down and then back to normal.

 

And again, did you confirm that you drank exactly the same quantity of ship's water as bottled water? Also, as noted in many water threads here on CC, did you drink water from your cabin sink or from the water dispensers in the buffet/restaurants? Because those sources outside your cabin have filters to remove the chlorine, and chlorine is a common agent in water retention.

[khaide612]

This is a good point because what the OP is trying to do would be similar to walking into Target and saying "I have a doctor's note that I have a medical reason to need this Tylenol, but since you sell it for a higher price than Wal-Mart, I would like you to accept this doctors note as a reason to give me a cheaper price on it than what you sell it for."

 

If you need bottled water instead of tap, you can buy it. Just because you bring a doctors note or have a medical issue doesn't mean you get a pass to buy it for cheaper outside of the ship instead of paying the price they offer it for. If they didn't offer it, it would be a different story.

 

And we have a winner!!!!!