Why is this allowed to happen?

[sparks1093]

Well, let’s say I find out I need to cancel a week out, but don’t have insurance. It’s in my best interest to show up at the dock without documentation, and plead my case (only a 20 minute drive).

 

There is that. As always everything comes down to a case by case basis and the facts of each case, as it always does in customer service. It's unlikely that you would be told to wait in the terminal and there is plenty of time to find your luggage, which is what I see as the critical turning point from a customer service standpoint. If the couple had just left their documents at home we wouldn't be having this conversation at all and I doubt that NCL would have budged at all, even with the bad press.

[bigwally]

They didn't do much right either. The bags are very quickly sorted into those going to each deck at which point the couple's bags would have been much easier to find.

 

That's what I would have thought too. Not only that, I personally would have put literally everyone on getting the bags for that deck sorted out and delivered first, ensuring that the couple had the best chance of the bags containing their passports being located quickly.

 

My guess is that a communication breakdown led to the on-board staff not understanding the urgency. And like other posters in both threads, I think that once somebody has been told that there is "plenty of time to find your bags", the responsibility for making good on that lies with the cruise line.

[bigwally]

However, my big beef, with that article..is the photo of the elderly couple....boy talk about pathetic. what a way to get sympathy

 

Every been photographed for the local paper? If it's a happy story you're told to look really, really happy. If it's a sad story, you're told to look really, really sad. It is the way of these things.

[Toofarfromthesea]

There is that. As always everything comes down to a case by case basis and the facts of each case, as it always does in customer service. It's unlikely that you would be told to wait in the terminal and there is plenty of time to find your luggage, which is what I see as the critical turning point from a customer service standpoint. If the couple had just left their documents at home we wouldn't be having this conversation at all and I doubt that NCL would have budged at all, even with the bad press.

 

Not sure why THAT should be the turning point. If they said wait here we'll do the best we can but no guarantees, would it have helped the luggage from being found? Would the disappointment have been less?

[sparks1093]

Not sure why THAT should be the turning point. If they said wait here we'll do the best we can but no guarantees, would it have helped the luggage from being found? Would the disappointment have been less?

 

As I said in the post you quoted because it's at that point NCL became obligated from a customer service standpoint to get the passengers onboard. The NCL rep could have also told the couple that they should try to get copies of their birth certificates faxed or emailed, just in case.

[Herfnerd]

Does anyone think this is the first time this has happened on any cruislines? I guarantee it is not. Is it sad? Yes, and as others have said we feel more sorry in this case because their age. Is that fair? No, not really, I deserve the same treatment as someone in their 80's.

 

Just because a cruiseline makes a mistake do we need to boycott them? If we boycott every company that makes a customer service mistake, oversite, or accident, there won't be any companies to deal with. Airlines, cruises, hotels, hospitals, stores, restaurants, etc., etc., etc.

 

Being members here on CC we all know these same kinds of things happen on every cruiseline.

 

JMHO, but in this case, NCL did not make a mistake - the customer did. However, in the midst of trying to help correct their mistake, everything came crashing down around them.

[RandallFlagg]

Well, let’s say I find out I need to cancel a week out, but don’t have insurance. It’s in my best interest to show up at the dock without documentation, and plead my case (only a 20 minute drive).

 

You're comparing apples to oranges unfortunately. This elderly couple HAD their documentation with them - just in the wrong bag. In all fairness, they were told to "have a seat" and their luggage would be found. It was not and they were left at the pier - after sitting patiently for three hours.

 

The scenario you are putting forth is to go to the cruise and purposely leaving your documents behind. Like dear old Dad used to say to me, when I offered some lame assed excuse for being out at 3AM - "Sonny, that dog won't hunt". ;p

[tip]

Unfortunately it took a muck raking news story to get NCL to do the right thing. NCL is now in the damage control phase.

 

We have been on twenty-eight cruises and understand the process. These senior citizens were first timers. Folks should look back to their first cruise and try to remember how confusing and intimidating the whole check-in process can be for first time cruisers.

 

Quite frankly I am sadly disappointed with the lack of compassion shown by some posters on this issue.

[navybankerteacher]

You're comparing apples to oranges unfortunately. This elderly couple HAD their documentation with them - just in the wrong bag. In all fairness, they were told to "have a seat" and their luggage would be found. It was not and they were left at the pier - after sitting patiently for three hours.

 

The scenario you are putting forth is to go to the cruise and purposely leaving your documents behind. Like dear old Dad used to say to me, when I offered some lame assed excuse for being out at 3AM - "Sonny, that dog won't hunt". ;p

 

Actually it is not that sure a thing. Did anyone see their documentation? Suppose they realized that they had left everything at home - and then came up with the story that their documents were in their luggage; realizing that it probably would not be possible for their bags to be located and brought back. If their gamble paid off they figured they would get a sympathy payoff. If their bags were recovered and were found to not contain the documents, then they could plead old age - and be no worse off than if they had come clean at the outset.

 

Octogenarians have been playing that age game for years. So, it might be apples to apples after all.

[mjkacmom]

You're comparing apples to oranges unfortunately. This elderly couple HAD their documentation with them - just in the wrong bag. In all fairness, they were told to "have a seat" and their luggage would be found. It was not and they were left at the pier - after sitting patiently for three hours.

 

The scenario you are putting forth is to go to the cruise and purposely leaving your documents behind. Like dear old Dad used to say to me, when I offered some lame assed excuse for being out at 3AM - "Sonny, that dog won't hunt". ;p

I’m showing how one could cheat the system.

[jlp20]

OK folks, let's take a step back. I've been to the Los Angeles cruise center more than a few times. The Boston reporter described the terminal as "cavernous" which means he has never been there. Further comments about luggage delivery shows he has never been on a cruise ship. While the entire episode is unfortunate, ship personnel are not care givers.