Issues with NCL Customer Service getting back to them?

[SeaportMike]

Let me just start by saying I absolutely love NCL and sail on them exclusively. For the first time in many cruises, I had 2 issues on the Sun in August. (Didn't get my 2 premium dining meals, and housekeeper wasn't cleaning room & hiding dirty laundry under our bed from her bosses...) On board, all they did was provide me with a business card to the main office back on land. When I got home I reached out to Customer Service who would "get back to me", In September I reached out again with my case number and was told someone would be in touch. Now 2 months later, still nothing. Am I just wasting my time at this point?

[tallnthensome]

Yes, you’re wasting your time. At most, you’ll get a generic apology letter and nothing more. How did you settle for not getting your two platinum dinners that you were owed?

Edited October 9, 2019 by tallnthensome

[SeaportMike]

1 minute ago, tallnthensome said:

Yes, you’re wasting your time. At most, you’ll get a generic apology letter and nothing more.

Got it, appreciate the reply! 

[tallnthensome]

Just now, SeaportMike said:

Got it, appreciate the reply! 

Just curious why you didn’t get your two platinum dinners? 

[mbottoms66]

No, never give up!  It's a matter of principle.

 

[SeaportMike]

Just now, tallnthensome said:

Just curious why you didn’t get your two platinum dinners? 

We got them as a bonus with booking, when we tried to use them they wouldn't show up on the reservation computer for some reason. Despite having the booking paperwork with the promo on it, they insisted they couldn't help.

[hoopslover]

3 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

Just curious why you didn’t get your two platinum dinners? 

We were on the Spirit in June and are platinum and were traveling with 2 other couples who were platinum.  We tried to book specialty dining before sailing and were told just to go to the specialty dining desk.  We did that as soon as we boarded.  The only time that was available on this 12 day cruise was 5:30 at Cagneys.  We took it.  Since there isn't a Moderno or LaCucina on this ship we were told we could book LaTrattoria.  NO reservations available any of the 12 days.  We kept checking each day for cancellations but no.  Went to customer service but they referred us back to the specialty dining table.  We tried the food service manager, but never got any reservation.  What a waste of a platinum perk. We even tried getting tables of 2 instead of 6 but none were available.  I hope this isn't the wave of the future.

Headed on a 2b2 on the Jewel next August (only the 2 of us) and we have platinum dinners plus 3 SDP dinners.  Hopefully we will get to use them.

The OP may have had another problem, but ours was too many people for available spots.

[newmexicoNita]

13 hours ago, SeaportMike said:

Let me just start by saying I absolutely love NCL and sail on them exclusively. For the first time in many cruises, I had 2 issues on the Sun in August. (Didn't get my 2 premium dining meals, and housekeeper wasn't cleaning room & hiding dirty laundry under our bed from her bosses...) On board, all they did was provide me with a business card to the main office back on land. When I got home I reached out to Customer Service who would "get back to me", In September I reached out again with my case number and was told someone would be in touch. Now 2 months later, still nothing. Am I just wasting my time at this point?

That is so sad; yes, we also love NCL and yes we have had some trouble with them with no satisfaction. We have had very good response as well. What has worked for us is going directly to the Hotel manager for satisfaction. The two times we had no satisfactory response was after the fact. We have, in both cases contacted someone after we returned. I guess the answer is to get problems solved while still on the ship.  

[newmexicoNita]

9 hours ago, hoopslover said:

We were on the Spirit in June and are platinum and were traveling with 2 other couples who were platinum.  We tried to book specialty dining before sailing and were told just to go to the specialty dining desk.  We did that as soon as we boarded.  The only time that was available on this 12 day cruise was 5:30 at Cagneys.  We took it.  Since there isn't a Moderno or LaCucina on this ship we were told we could book LaTrattoria.  NO reservations available any of the 12 days.  We kept checking each day for cancellations but no.  Went to customer service but they referred us back to the specialty dining table.  We tried the food service manager, but never got any reservation.  What a waste of a platinum perk. We even tried getting tables of 2 instead of 6 but none were available.  I hope this isn't the wave of the future.

Headed on a 2b2 on the Jewel next August (only the 2 of us) and we have platinum dinners plus 3 SDP dinners.  Hopefully we will get to use them.

The OP may have had another problem, but ours was too many people for available spots.

Unfortunately this could be very true. As for trying for 2 only, that I do not have any idea about but I do know, if the ship is crowded quite often it is near to impossible to get a table of 6 or more if you are looking for decent hours. We have often booked after we have gotten on the ship and never had a problem getting a decent time. 

[dexddd]

I'd say let it go and don't waste your time.  I rarely (maybe once every four years) decide to write to a company about their product which had a repeated issue.  Yes, maybe I'm only out $7.50 but at some point it just gets aggravating and wish they'd fix it since it is a good product.  I spend more than $7.50 of my time writing the letter, taking pictures, providing lot numbers, etc., but I just want it improved going forward and to let them know of the issue.

 

Those companies typically give you a form email reply within 24 hours and a follow-up response in one week, typically with a coupon for some of their product to cover what was wasted.  I'm NOT contacting them to get the free coupons, I just want the product fixed.  The coupons are  a nice gesture though that recognizes it took me some time to let them know of the problem.

 

I had to contact NCL a couple years back about an issue and the department never responded.  I contacted them again and no response.  So I wrote a letter to the Executive Office where I got a letter back clearly not understanding what I was asking about and referring my issue back to the department that would not respond to me.  Guess what, couple years later, still no response from that department.

 

So, as Plat Plus who spend thousands on the NCL product, you'd think they'd take following up with customers a bit more important.  Obviously the companies that I buy a few hundred dollars of their product think it is important from my experience contacting them.

[SeaportMike]

12 minutes ago, dexddd said:

I'd say let it go and don't waste your time.  I rarely (maybe once every four years) decide to write to a company about their product which had a repeated issue.  Yes, maybe I'm only out $7.50 but at some point it just gets aggravating and wish they'd fix it since it is a good product.  I spend more than $7.50 of my time writing the letter, taking pictures, providing lot numbers, etc., but I just want it improved going forward and to let them know of the issue.

 

Those companies typically give you a form email reply within 24 hours and a follow-up response in one week, typically with a coupon for some of their product to cover what was wasted.  I'm NOT contacting them to get the free coupons, I just want the product fixed.  The coupons are  a nice gesture though that recognizes it took me some time to let them know of the problem.

 

I had to contact NCL a couple years back about an issue and the department never responded.  I contacted them again and no response.  So I wrote a letter to the Executive Office where I got a letter back clearly not understanding what I was asking about and referring my issue back to the department that would not respond to me.  Guess what, couple years later, still no response from that department.

 

So, as Plat Plus who spend thousands on the NCL product, you'd think they'd take following up with customers a bit more important.  Obviously the companies that I buy a few hundred dollars of their product think it is important from my experience contacting them.

Absolutely agree, I've had better customer service at Applebees. We are Platinum level and apparently that means nothing to them!

[Alatraveler1]

If platinum and platinum plus cruisers keep sending their money to NCL why should they spend theirs to get back to you?  They are still getting your money so they don't care.  It's that simple.  There hasn't been enough loss in new or repeat cruisers to affect their bottom line so they will continue to ignore you until that happens, or until there is enough change at the top leadership levels to change it.

 

[don't-use-real-name]

Did you at any time confront the General Manager (old title Hotel Director) with these problems ?

Make note of any incomplete resolution for letter forwarding to the Miami headquarters -

Withhold the DSC -

The cabin steward - NO TIP

Only tip those who actually give a damn

 

Writing about your service and benefits complaints reaches a limited audience here at CC -

Talk it up with TAs and other travel professionals about the shoddy attention to service complaints.

 

If it was something real serious requiring attention that resulted in this level of communication

Consider this LINK:

 

https://www.elliott.org/about-elliott-consumer-advocacy/

 

Specifically this one:

 

https://www.elliott.org/company-contacts/norwegian-cruise-line-ncl/

 

As noted save any emails letters documentation brief notes about phone calls.

 

 

[Bluewake]

“That is company policy”  and “there is nothing that I can do” seems, at least in my recent experience, to have become the standard response from NCL staff. Any assumption that status and repeat patronage merits any additional consideration appears to be misguided.  As others have noted, until customers express their frustration by not booking NCL, Del Rio will not lose any sleep. Customer service does not seem to be his priority.

[dexddd]

19 hours ago, Alatraveler1 said:

If platinum and platinum plus cruisers keep sending their money to NCL why should they spend theirs to get back to you?  They are still getting your money so they don't care.  It's that simple.  There hasn't been enough loss in new or repeat cruisers to affect their bottom line so they will continue to ignore you until that happens, or until there is enough change at the top leadership levels to change it.

 

We aren't.  Last three cruises taken with one more booked were/are on MSC in YC.

[dexddd]

16 hours ago, Bluewake said:

“That is company policy”  and “there is nothing that I can do” seems, at least in my recent experience, to have become the standard response from NCL staff. Any assumption that status and repeat patronage merits any additional consideration appears to be misguided.  As others have noted, until customers express their frustration by not booking NCL, Del Rio will not lose any sleep. Customer service does not seem to be his priority.

Right.  We haven't had any onboard issues with being redirected to Miami, but having been here for years and seeing the stories, anytime you can't get something resolved on the ship and have to deal with Miami afterwards, you are toast.

 

When people would come here with issues not resolved onboard and complain about no resolution afterwards many people would say they should have gotten it resolved onboard.  While the replies came over as rude, they were right.