If you actually enjoy reading people’s NCL complaints

[josephmz]

The only thing funnier than this is the ones about stupid questions cruisers ask.

[david_sobe]

This is a horrific complaint as explained by Don.  It almost reminds me of the complaints after hurricane Dorian killed so many people and lost their homes people complaining about missing ports and wanting more OBC.  This volcanic eruption complaint takes the cake.  Also, please stop asking the crew about deaths.  Its not their job to do so especially when next of kin may not have been notified.  Also reminds me when someone falls or jumps overboard and the ship turns around to try and save them people complain and want compensation because their vacation was "ruined" by arriving at port late.

 

Edited December 16, 2019 by david_sobe

[tallnthensome]

I like Don’s videos and what he is saying shouldn’t surprise anyone at this point anymore ..... It’s like “Sorry you died but let’s talk the about the bigger issue here. You getting melted really spoiled my vacation so someone better pay up” .  

[tallnthensome]

Deshinee of Windsor, ON  Verified Reviewer

Original review: Nov. 19, 2019

 

When my I couldn't locate my husband on royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas, I went to guest services to ask them to announce his name. He came to the desk within 10min of the announcement but then royal Caribbean interrogated us and said that he 'was lost at sea' and at risk for suicide. They interrogated us on this and even though he denied being suicidal and the ship dr and psychiatrist both said he was not at risk, they still detained him overnight. They were very aggressive with myself and my 2 young kids, conducting random searches of us, our cabin when we questioned why my husband was being detained.

[ellenw]

On the Getaway Transatlantic in October, the Noodle Bar was open for lunch on sea days, but you needed to make a reservation. My sister and I didn't have a reservation, but thought we would stop by to see if they had an opening. There was one couple ahead of us in line. They also did not have a reservation. The crew member explained that they didn't have a seat right then even though you could see empty seats. She explained that people with reservations had 15 minutes after their reserved time, then the seats would be released. She asked if they would like to wait. These cruisers went on a rant about "how can they call it freestyle cruising when you can't do what you want whenever you want?". The crew member asked if they would like to make a reservation for the next day. Response "why would we want to come back here tomorrow?"  So they went off in a huff.

 

When we got to the podium, I told the crew member that we didn't have a reservation, and that we were fine with waiting a bit to see if something opened up. She gave us a pager, and we went to the nearest bar. Before we were able to get a drink, the pager went off. 

 

So, if this couple weren't so worked up about waiting, they would have been seated in about 5 or 10 minutes. I'm sure their cruise was ruined. Some people create their own issues.

[Phaedrus78]

On any of the cruises I’ve ever taken, the worst part has always been the other passengers. I’ve worked in service and support positions for so long that I have a low tolerance for rudeness. The level of completely unreasonable complaints and the absolute entitlement of some people just blows me away. 

[AL3XCruise]

On 12/16/2019 at 11:54 AM, GA Dave said:

I was so mad when the restaurant would not refund the entire cost of our meal and the St. Maarten Tourism Council would not refund the rest of our trip costs!!!

 

This reminds me of a recent cruise.  Our itinerary was changed before departure due to a hurricane, so anytime I saw the captain I went up to him and told him he was a sissy for not even trying to stick to the original plan.  After three days of this he had the nerve to say “please stop bothering me.”  Doesn’t he know the customer is always right?

 

And I almost forgot; they don’t serve Nutella in Cagneys so my steak was ruined!  When I complained they had the audacity to offer me $200 in OBC, not a full refund of my trip!

 

🙂

 

On 12/16/2019 at 12:09 PM, Robert Peel said:

Now legitimate complaints are fair game, but writing because it was too sunny, or the water was too wet, someone needs to a grip on reality and what real problems are.

 

The really interesting ones are small but legitimate complaints where the reviewer describes them as "disgusting", the "worst ever", or the like.  They often end with something along of the lines of "unless I get a full refund I'll never cruise this line again, and I'll tell or my friends"  I have to imagine a employee reading that review is probably thinking 'I might have done something for you, but we don't need someone as crazy as you on our ships, and frankly, we're probably better off without anyone that would listen to you as well.'

[Sweetnspicy]

1 hour ago, AL3XCruise said:

 

This reminds me of a recent cruise.  Our itinerary was changed before departure due to a hurricane, so anytime I saw the captain I went up to him and told him he was a sissy for not even trying to stick to the original plan.  After three days of this he had the nerve to say “please stop bothering me.”  Doesn’t he know the customer is always right?

 

And I almost forgot; they don’t serve Nutella in Cagneys so my steak was ruined!  When I complained they had the audacity to offer me $200 in OBC, not a full refund of my trip!

 

🙂

 

 

The really interesting ones are small but legitimate complaints where the reviewer describes them as "disgusting", the "worst ever", or the like.  They often end with something along of the lines of "unless I get a full refund I'll never cruise this line again, and I'll tell or my friends"  I have to imagine a employee reading that review is probably thinking 'I might have done something for you, but we don't need someone as crazy as you on our ships, and frankly, we're probably better off without anyone that would listen to you as well.'

At my job when a horrible customer says they won’t be back,  I always silently think “THANK GOD FOR THAT”!!

[david_sobe]

This is a new one that I got a kick out of.  This is a direct cut and paste from the distressful and disappointing cruise that they are demanding compensation for.  So are you ready to hear about the complaints that caused such stress to demand compensation?  Something terrible must have happened.

 

Here it is:

The glow night DJ had only played the same song over and over.

The ship was extremely rocky the first two days at sea. The rumor on the ship was that they neglected to utilize the stabilizers.

We were surprised to find out that our soda package that we both purchased did not include virgin daiquiris and bottled water so we asked to be refunded because we both don’t drink soda and the staff changed both our key cards but only did a refund for one of us until we went back to guest services to explain their mistake. We also purchased the water bottle package after that and ordered 12 bottles and only received 6 bottles so we went back to guest services to have them reimburse us for the difference in that price as well.

We were disappointed in our cruise that we had long awaited to experience together. We came away feeling we did not get the value and great experience we had hoped for. Obviously we are very disappointed in every aspect of our cruise vacation and how things were handled by the staff causing us enormous amounts of energy resolving issues instead of having fun. We hope that Norwegian takes our bad experiences seriously and compensates us for the lost opportunity to enjoy our cruising vacation.

 

***end**

Ok now, does anyone believe the DJ played the same song over and over?  Are you a ship captain to give advice how to sail the ship to know when stabilizers are to be used?  The ocean does get rocky FYI.  But the kicker is buying the soda package because you don't drink soda.  The word "soda" is in the name of the package.  Why would you buy a soda package if you don't drink soda only to demand a refund?  To think of all the things that can go wrong on a cruise.....the only complaints are 6 bottles of water were missing and the soda package did not cover daiquiris and a DJ playing a song.  This was rated a terrible cruise.

I would say compensation is in order for at least $1000 🤪

Edited December 20, 2019 by david_sobe

[tallnthensome]

^^*** Another fine example of people embellishing as well as not doing their homework and getting the info they needed. They simply assumed ..... As usual, since they failed it must surely be someone else’s fault .....  

[ColeThornton]

So many of these posts make me thankful that NCL is Freestyle Dining and I don't have to get stuck with them at dinner.

[hallux]

@ColeThornton don't bring up the whole "Freestyle" thing!  There are people on this very forum complaining that having to pre-book everything on the larger ships takes away from the whole "freestyle" thing...

[April42749]

I had (note the tense) a friend who complained about everything.  I mean everything. (For example, she got banned from a nail salon because she was so demanding.) She got angry with me because I canceled "my birthday lunch", last minute, when heavy rain turned into "almost hurricane force wind and rain".  Thirty minutes later I received a nasty e-mail about how I was so inconsiderate because I ruined her day. She ended it with "I should call her when I want to reschedule".  Three birthdays have passed and she never got my call.

 

My point....complainers cannot see past themselves.  They are toxic people.

 

And, oh yeah, her mantra was "the customer is always right".

[Diver2014]

This is the reason why I read CC other than every once in a while, I find some good tips or info that is useful.  So many folks take the 'cruise critic' title as the only reason to post. I often wonder if I have too much time on my hands to sit and read (or even search) for other folks gripes and complaints.  Rainy day reading and somewhat entertaining. I forgot to mention that it seems to me that NCL certainly has more than their fair share of complainers on Cruise Critic.  I've been on a half dozen NCL cruises and find it hard to believe that many folks had such a lousy cruise while I just loved being on the cruise. You make it what you want.

Edited December 20, 2019 by Diver2014

[Seafan22]

This site is called Cruise CRITIC after all, not Cruise COMPLIMENT.  So we should expect no less for our entertainment dollar.

 

[doverboy]

We did a river cruise on the Danube and had a terrific time.  A set of cruisers decided not to take the bike ride offered because it would be too hard.  When we bikers returned to the ship the group who declined wanted the hotel manager to let them ride the bikes at the next stop.  He declined. On the staff entertaining us night the women demanded that their husbands be allowed to partake in a skip using a young woman and a tight robe but then got offended when the skit turned into the woman and just the rope.  We ALL laughed at the skit but the complaining wives would not speak to their husbands for the rest of the evening. We disembarked in a terrific rainstorm and Scenic had buses and umbrellas lined up so of course the same group had to complain about the rain and the very short walk to the bus. Laughed about them for the next week of our vacation and their antics often come up in conversation

[Sweetnspicy]

7 hours ago, david_sobe said:

This is a new one that I got a kick out of.  This is a direct cut and paste from the distressful and disappointing cruise that they are demanding compensation for.  So are you ready to hear about the complaints that caused such stress to demand compensation?  Something terrible must have happened.

 

Here it is:

The glow night DJ had only played the same song over and over.

The ship was extremely rocky the first two days at sea. The rumor on the ship was that they neglected to utilize the stabilizers.

We were surprised to find out that our soda package that we both purchased did not include virgin daiquiris and bottled water so we asked to be refunded because we both don’t drink soda and the staff changed both our key cards but only did a refund for one of us until we went back to guest services to explain their mistake. We also purchased the water bottle package after that and ordered 12 bottles and only received 6 bottles so we went back to guest services to have them reimburse us for the difference in that price as well.

We were disappointed in our cruise that we had long awaited to experience together. We came away feeling we did not get the value and great experience we had hoped for. Obviously we are very disappointed in every aspect of our cruise vacation and how things were handled by the staff causing us enormous amounts of energy resolving issues instead of having fun. We hope that Norwegian takes our bad experiences seriously and compensates us for the lost opportunity to enjoy our cruising vacation.

 

***end**

Ok now, does anyone believe the DJ played the same song over and over?  Are you a ship captain to give advice how to sail the ship to know when stabilizers are to be used?  The ocean does get rocky FYI.  But the kicker is buying the soda package because you don't drink soda.  The word "soda" is in the name of the package.  Why would you buy a soda package if you don't drink soda only to demand a refund?  To think of all the things that can go wrong on a cruise.....the only complaints are 6 bottles of water were missing and the soda package did not cover daiquiris and a DJ playing a song.  This was rated a terrible cruise.

I would say compensation is in order for at least $1000 🤪

 

😂😂😂 Seriously I love these so much. Everyone that has commented on this post (except for the one downer) can join me on a cruise anytime. We can all sit back and marvel at how all the problems just seem to pass us by. 😆😆😆

 

How can people have so many gripes when they have a steady buzz all day?!?! 🍹 🍸 

[david_sobe]

3 hours ago, Seafan22 said:

This site is called Cruise CRITIC after all, not Cruise COMPLIMENT.  So we should expect no less for our entertainment dollar.

 

I agree 100%  Everyone free to post their critiques and we are also free to critique the critiques 🙂  Some of us find some of the criticism entertaining so I welcome so much more of it.  IMHO, I think people regret spending money on a vacation and had different expectations in their mind and have to find something to complain about.  Don't get me wrong, there are many good reasons to complain.  But some of the complaints are pretty silly.

Edited December 20, 2019 by david_sobe

[RedwingHockeyFan]

Critics and critiques are not always negative.

[erdoran]

15 hours ago, david_sobe said:

This is a new one that I got a kick out of.  This is a direct cut and paste from the distressful and disappointing cruise that they are demanding compensation for.  So are you ready to hear about the complaints that caused such stress to demand compensation?  Something terrible must have happened.

 

Here it is:

The glow night DJ had only played the same song over and over.

The ship was extremely rocky the first two days at sea. The rumor on the ship was that they neglected to utilize the stabilizers.

We were surprised to find out that our soda package that we both purchased did not include virgin daiquiris and bottled water so we asked to be refunded because we both don’t drink soda and the staff changed both our key cards but only did a refund for one of us until we went back to guest services to explain their mistake. We also purchased the water bottle package after that and ordered 12 bottles and only received 6 bottles so we went back to guest services to have them reimburse us for the difference in that price as well.

We were disappointed in our cruise that we had long awaited to experience together. We came away feeling we did not get the value and great experience we had hoped for. Obviously we are very disappointed in every aspect of our cruise vacation and how things were handled by the staff causing us enormous amounts of energy resolving issues instead of having fun. We hope that Norwegian takes our bad experiences seriously and compensates us for the lost opportunity to enjoy our cruising vacation.

 

***end**

Ok now, does anyone believe the DJ played the same song over and over?  Are you a ship captain to give advice how to sail the ship to know when stabilizers are to be used?  The ocean does get rocky FYI.  But the kicker is buying the soda package because you don't drink soda.  The word "soda" is in the name of the package.  Why would you buy a soda package if you don't drink soda only to demand a refund?  To think of all the things that can go wrong on a cruise.....the only complaints are 6 bottles of water were missing and the soda package did not cover daiquiris and a DJ playing a song.  This was rated a terrible cruise.

I would say compensation is in order for at least $1000 🤪

OMG, let me see, what are the gripes?

Didn’t check to see what soda pkg includes and then got poor service on a refund?  I didn’t know it was even refundable.

Ordered 12 bottles of water but only got 6.

 

That’s IT????

 

Every aspect of the cruise experience???

 

Yes, that IS annoying, what they experienced, but geez...we get that type of thing in everyday life, this is nothing new or unusual.  Sure, a few moments of annoyance dealing with the water bottle snafu—no sympathy about the soda pkg, they should have asked/read what was included—but then go enjoy the cruise.  If that’s all that wasn’t to their liking, then how did it ruin their cruise?  OMG.

[owlgirl31]

Here's another  cruiser who had an awful time: 

Just off the ship, big disappointment. Staff left alot to be desired, zero customer service, and the worst food I've ever had. Not one hot meal in MDR or buffet.

[blueslily]

Its interesting that people seem to be able to locate this site online after a cruise that they think is horrible to  post a one star review, but they cant seem to find the boards on this website before their  cruise to do the research that might help them have a more pleasant and productive cruise experience. Interesting. 

[hallux]

@blueslily it's like this one YouTube channel - people park outside a business that has clearly marked 24-hour customer and employee only parking, their car gets towed and they seem to find the sign with the tow company's number immediately upon returning for their vehicle, as though the 10 signs mysteriously appeared there after they parked and left.

[SlipperyVic]

On 12/20/2019 at 9:56 AM, hallux said:

@ColeThornton don't bring up the whole "Freestyle" thing!  There are people on this very forum complaining that having to pre-book everything on the larger ships takes away from the whole "freestyle" thing...

Having to pre-book things is the antithesis of freestyle cruising. That's not a complaint it's a fact of life.

 

 

[AL3XCruise]

1 hour ago, SlipperyVic said:

Having to pre-book things is the antithesis of freestyle cruising. That's not a complaint it's a fact of life.

I'm sure many people share that opinion, but a small amount of research would show them what ships and lines would be the best fit for their preferences.  Someone who spends thousands of dollars with no research and then complains they didn't like the way reservations were handled is the antithesis of a smart consumer.

Edited December 22, 2019 by AL3XCruise