Over sold and unprofessional NCL Bliss sorry long report

[4774Papa]

I must admit that in 9 years of cruising and membership with cc, I have never read or heard of a cruise ship being overbooked so that anyone was turned away from boarding.

 

We did have a tour/river cruise for 21 days in China that was overbooked, but the company called us and admitted the overbooking, offering us a total of $1000 savings if we moved our booking forward by three weeks.  We grabbed it and everything worked out well.

 

I do think that the cruise line should have offered you more compensation that what they did, but I don't see why the cruise couldn't have turned out well.  You didn't mention how much you enjoyed the cruise.

[*Miss G*]

2 hours ago, esm54687 said:

clearly asked the OP what they were "warning" me about and how this would help me..... still waiting

 

Answered at the end of Post # 19.

 

@vacation1996, I am sorry to hear of your experience and appreciate the heads up.  Glad it all turned well in the end.

[esm54687]

5 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Answered at the end of Post # 19.

 

@vacation1996, I am sorry to hear of your experience and appreciate the heads up.  Glad it all turned well in the end.

@Miss G

Actually it isn't..... a warning consists of information to help avoid a future occurance. Other than the OP venting about their experience there was no valuable information given to new or seasoned cruisers to prevent what happened. They were told a stateroom would be assigned at the terminal after 12p (because NCL needed time to process all occupied rooms to find the OP a room) .... and it was. 

[*Miss G*]

Just now, esm54687 said:

@Miss G

Actually it isn't..... a warning consists of information to help avoid a future occurance. Other than the OP venting about their experience there was no valuable information given to new or seasoned cruisers to prevent what happened. They were told a stateroom would be assigned at the terminal after 12p (because NCL needed time to process all occupied rooms to find the OP a room) .... and it was. 

 

It wasn’t... to your satisfaction.  To others... we got the message.

[esm54687]

Just now, *Miss G* said:

 

It wasn’t... to your satisfaction.  To others... we got the message.

OK..... fair enough..... what's the message you got? 

[bkrickles1]

I feel bad for the OP for 2 reasons. For 4 hours she didn't know if she was getting on the ship and the support staff didn't really help the situation.

But she did get on at 3:30, received an inside cabin and was offered a small bit of compensation. Overall, not the worse result that could have happened.

Also, how long was her muster drill? I don't believe I've been on a cruise where the muster drill lasted more than 30 minutes. By 4pm there should have been more food and drink available than any human could ever consume in a lifetime. 

Anyway, I feel bad, but not that bad. It was a cruise vacation on a beautiful ship. How bad could it be?

[Two Wheels Only]

9 minutes ago, esm54687 said:

OK..... fair enough..... what's the message you got? 

 

I got "Don't book a guarantee stateroom" 

 

...but I already knew that. 

[esm54687]

9 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

I got "Don't book a guarantee stateroom" 

 

...but I already knew that. 

agreed..... which is why I asked what stateroom category they originally booked because the other complaint was they received an inside when there were solo rooms available.  😁 

[Newleno]

12 hours ago, vacation1996 said:

Won't stop me from cruising have a few in the works just wont be with NCL ...took me almost a month to post just want people and 1st timers that thinks do happen and but my love of cruising will prevail 🙂

I just wonder if they could not find you a room, then what?  Are they responsible for a hotel and a flight home?  I find all these cruiselines to be very similar I'll go with the cheapest overall value.  If another cheap cruise on ncl comes up, well jump right back in.

Edited February 28, 2019 by Newleno

[lakelivin2]

OP, just for my information, how 'last minute' did you book this cruise?  I will avoid booking last minute.  Too much of a risk for me.

Sorry you had this experience.

 

[vacation1996]

1 hour ago, 4774Papa said:

I must admit that in 9 years of cruising and membership with cc, I have never read or heard of a cruise ship being overbooked so that anyone was turned away from boarding.

 

We did have a tour/river cruise for 21 days in China that was overbooked, but the company called us and admitted the overbooking, offering us a total of $1000 savings if we moved our booking forward by three weeks.  We grabbed it and everything worked out well.

 

I do think that the cruise line should have offered you more compensation that what they did, but I don't see why the cruise couldn't have turned out well.  You didn't mention how much you enjoyed the cruise.

I also have only heard of move over date or they need your cabin and offer you something in place. I booked on NCL  online and they did admit after a few hours of sitting in frustration and discussion  they were over booked by 1.

Taking that this is may be a rare incident between port ,ship,computer at NCL.

I was at the receiving end of all and I am the paying customer with confirmation.

 

Communication is key and how it was handled  through the channels that is point I am trying to get  across Also the lack of follow up with NCL as company to try and retain their clients.

 

After I got on  the ship and wrapped my head  around everything...YES I did enjoy my cruise.

[Dr. Jack Daniels]

1 hour ago, esm54687 said:

OK..... fair enough..... what's the message you got? 

The message I get from your post is don't complain about NCL or you will be not be believed.

Edited February 28, 2019 by Dr. Jack Daniels

[Newleno]

5 minutes ago, lakelivin2 said:

OP, just for my information, how 'last minute' did you book this cruise?  I will avoid booking last minute.  Too much of a risk for me.

Sorry you had this experience.

 

dont know about OP but we have booked cruises less than 60 hours from departure as gty, once we paid for the lowest price gty inside room and got a balcony.

[vacation1996]

11 minutes ago, Newleno said:

I just wonder if they could not find you a room, then what?  Are they responsible for a hotel and a flight home?  I find all these cruiselines to be very similar I'll go with the cheapest overall value.  If another cheap cruise on ncl comes up, well jump right back in.

I was told that after they close  embarkation I would need to leave the terminal and I was on my own for a flight back to Canada or hotel til I figure out how I was going spend my vacation.

This was mention to me by 2 supervisors and 1 ship staff around 1pm.

 

silver lining yes...they found a cabin but not til the very last minute. I was preparing to fly back to Canada that evening.

 

 

 

[thetaro]

I would understand the frustration and how things were handled by the terminal staffs. It's a little overdramatic like you are going to die without food for a few hours. The staff can't take food from the ship and they probably didn't even think it being a huge deal anyway.

 

To be fair, they probably should have compensated you more for the 3,4 hours that you wasted. 

[Newleno]

8 minutes ago, vacation1996 said:

I was told that after they close  embarkation I would need to leave the terminal and I was on my own for a flight back to Canada or hotel til I figure out how I was going spend my vacation.

This was mention to me by 2 supervisors and 1 ship staff around 1pm.

 

silver lining yes...they found a cabin but not til the very last minute. I was preparing to fly back to Canada that evening.

 

 

 

that does not make sense to me, i dont see how any cruiseline could legally due that?, i dunno

[bkrickles1]

2 minutes ago, vacation1996 said:

I was told that after they close  embarkation I would need to leave the terminal and I was on my own for a flight back to Canada or hotel til I figure out how I was going spend my vacation.

This was mention to me by 2 supervisors and 1 ship staff around 1pm.

 

silver lining yes...they found a cabin but not til the very last minute. I was preparing to fly back to Canada that evening.

 

 

 

I'm not sure if you're referring to the coordination of a hotel or flight home, but NCL would have been totally responsible for any of your travel expenses to and from your home. There's zero chance they wouldn't have reimbursed you.

[thetaro]

1 minute ago, Newleno said:

that does not make sense to me, i dont see how any cruiseline could legally due that?, i dunno

 

They are low-level employees. They can't promise you anything. I don't see how the corporation would even try not reimbursing any cost + compensation if that actually happens. 

[Trimone]

We had an incident at booking in at San Juan recently, after travelling from the U.K. entering and clearing US customs at Miami then flying on to San Juan, at booking in the lady insisted that our estas should be in our passports? Now obviously we wouldn’t be in US territory without them, the check in agent insisted that we needed them stamped in our passports, in the U.K. we get approved online so luckily I had photoshot the approvals. But why do NCL use brain dead staff in terminal, this is the start of your holidays, I told the supervisor he was an idiot, but NCL should have a presents in that area to ensure guests are treated in suitable manners  

[Mike_DeA]

26 minutes ago, vacation1996 said:

I was told that after they close  embarkation I would need to leave the terminal and I was on my own for a flight back to Canada or hotel til I figure out how I was going spend my vacation.

This was mention to me by 2 supervisors and 1 ship staff around 1pm.

 

silver lining yes...they found a cabin but not til the very last minute. I was preparing to fly back to Canada that evening.

 

 

 

Did you consider staying in Florida for at least a few days if you couldn't board?  You would have rather flown back to the Canadian winter than enjoy a bit of warm weather?  And there are dozens of cruises out of Miami and Ft. Lauderdale every week , some of which you could have looked into booking last minute, even if they were shortish cruises. 

 

I'm sorry for the stressful few hours you endured, and glad that things turned out well in the end. 

[4774Papa]

52 minutes ago, vacation1996 said:

I also have only heard of move over date or they need your cabin and offer you something in place. I booked on NCL  online and they did admit after a few hours of sitting in frustration and discussion  they were over booked by 1.

Taking that this is may be a rare incident between port ,ship,computer at NCL.

I was at the receiving end of all and I am the paying customer with confirmation.

 

Communication is key and how it was handled  through the channels that is point I am trying to get  across Also the lack of follow up with NCL as company to try and retain their clients.

 

After I got on  the ship and wrapped my head  around everything...YES I did enjoy my cruise.

I did stay in a hotel in St. Moritz, Switzerland back in the Winter of 1984.  Got to the hotel and they were full.  All the hotels and B&Bs were full, since it was ski season.  I only needed to stay one night.  Also, it was too dangerous to drive over the mountains at night with it snowing, so this really nice five star hotel put us up in a maid's quarters for a very reasonable price (basically the cost of the wonderful breakfasts we had.  I learned from then on to book ahead and this was before the internet when guidebooks were about all you had.

[Mike_DeA]

There is nothing wrong with booking last minute, I do it all the time.  Stuff happens sometimes.

[PinoyCruiser]

There is almost always a food cart in the parking area, and just across from the terminal and down a bit there is a restaurant.  Just mentioning, because of how often you said food was not available to buy.

 

[Peachypooh]

Traveling can have all sorts of unpleasant things crop up. We had a bad experience with a hotel

in New Orleans before we got on the Pearl. At the Manhattan Cruise terminal we were treated to

some of the rudest employees ever. I went to ask a question of one of them and I was basically

told to in so many words to sit down and shut up. This was not an NCL employee. At a resort in Hawaii one of the

employees wanted to sell me a timeshare and she  basically stalked me. Stuff happens.

While upsetting, I try to brush off things when they happen and try to enjoy the rest of the cruise.

Knowing that things happen especially with airlines I always hope it happens on the way home instead

of at the beginning of the trip so I don't try to shake off the bad feelings at the beginning of vacation.

[z4oslo]

1 hour ago, Dr. Jack Daniels said:

The message I get from your post is don't complain about NCL or you will be not be believed.

 

 To be fair, there is always three sides to a story, we have only heard one side.