You Can't Always Get What You Want

[smillerholmes]

5 hours ago, UKstages said:

yes, of course. typically, the CAS offers have more narrow booking windows and don't allow booking a year in advance. six months, perhaps, but rarely a year. and these were the last NZ and australian cruises of the season. i might try again next month for the same dates... it's possible there may have been some cancellations.

I typically book 12-18 months in advance with no issues.  Also, depending upon your status level you may be eligible to have up to 5 CAS bookings.  With you being so close to elite I would imagine the world could/would be your oyster!  🤞

[vacation44]

5 hours ago, UKstages said:

 

yes, indeed, as noted in post #6.

 

 

in brief, yes. 

 

but it was a bit of a comedy of errors. or a tragedy of errors, more accurately.

 

as a sapphire, i boarded in new york at about 11:20 am. i got a big kick out of the clueless contract employee at the MCT who told those waiting in the diamond and sapphire area to be patient... that we'd be next, right after he lets the platinum folks on. needless to say there was practically an uprising; the sapphires were ready to storm the bastille. one of his colleagues schooled him and let him know it was the other way around.

 

once onboard, i went straight to teppanyaki and headliners, as one does when one wants to purchase vibe passes. there was no vibe table set up. i asked a couple of people where they were selling vibe passes. neither of them knew what the vibe was. i went to guest services, where i asked a woman holding a directional sign sending people to "restaurant reservations." she also said she didn't know what the vibe was, but she put her sign down and said she would find out. she came back and said, yes, it's at guest services. "wait in this line and you can purchase one." so, i wait fifteen minutes or so to get to the head of the line and the rep says, "oh, sorry, sir, the vibe is all sold out for this cruise."  to which i say, "are you sure? because up until a couple of days ago, when the cruise was closed for online sales, there were still passes available. and the NCL internal knowledge base says that you hold a small number of passes for sale on embarkation day. i was here at 11:20... how could the vibe be sold out?"

 

he said he would check. he goes in the back, to that mysterious place where a team of supervisors and managers hold court and issue approvals and denials for all manner of customer requests. he comes back and says, "yes, i am so sorry, sir, the vibe is completely sold out for this sailing." and then he leans in and says sotto voce, "sir, trust me, you don't really want the vibe. you will be much happier in spice H2O. it is the same as the vibe and it is complimentary."

 

my first thought about this was: damn! there is no barrier to the bird's influence ... the bird has corrupted and trained NCL employees to see no value in the vibe! i explained it wasn't the same and that i wanted the vibe because there were no kids, no crowds, no noise and no smoking.

 

i wrote a quick note to the GM and dropped it in the "dear mario" box. maybe he can help me get a vibe pass!

 

that first night in the casino, an executive host recognized me from having sailed with her on the prima last may. she asked if i needed anything or if she could do anything for me. i said, "well, actually, yes, i'm being told the vibe is sold out. can you get me in?" she said she would try. now, typically, the hosts in the casino have no real power beyond getting restaurant reservations or comping a meal or sending a cheese plate or whatnot to your cabin. so, i had no realistic expectation that she would be successful. but she was! about an hour later she came back with the name of a guest services supervisor i was to talk to the next morning. he would sell me a vibe pass and a comment had been made on my account so anybody at guest services would be able to help me.
 

the next morning i headed to guest services and a different rep told me that the vibe was sold out. i asked her to look at the note on my account and call the GS supervisor. she did and she did. he arrived and also tried to talk me out of the vibe! "sir, the weather is so bad, i don't really think you will enjoy it. I hate to see you waste your money. have you considered that spice H2O has everything the vibe has at no charge?"

 

the bird!

 

he reluctantly sells me the pass, when i explain i'm using OBC and he says something about wishing he was living my life. this is day 2 of the cruise and there is just one problem... the vibe is closed because of the weather. heavy rains and winds, which caused the cancellation of the port call to bermuda (as predicted). and it's closed the next day, as well. on day 4, a sea day, it's finally open. and my key card worked and all was good.  except the weather wasn't very good... low 60s, a heavy mist and wind, followed by a torrential rain that effectively closed the vibe again around 3 or 4 PM. today, day 5, was lovely. i spent most of the day in the vibe, as we were in port in saint maarten.

 

here's where things get interesting:

 

i never heard from the GM.

 

and i asked one of the bartenders what the count was... how many people had vibe access on this sailing. he said they were at 127 out of a capacity of 267. so, the vibe wasn't sold out! even if you add me as the 128th person, the vibe was only at about 50% capacity. i think they stopped offering the vibe to anyone who hadn't pre-purchased simply because they knew the weather would be bad and they didn't want to deal with complaints and requests for refunds.

 

that's my story and i'm stickin' to it.

 

 

 

Thank you for the update.  Wow.   Very happy for you that persistently paid off.   Not happy that NCL kept telling you it was sold out when it was not sold out.     

 

Love the line "I hate to see you waste your money.  Have you considered that spice H2O has everything the vibe has at no charge?"   Very similar to the other famous poster that always makes the same claim but has yet to acknowledge ever having firsthand Vibe experience.    Again, there is not anywhere else on the ship that offers the same services including the Haven sundeck.   

 

Happy the weather got better, and you are enjoying yourself in and out of the Vibe. 

[detroitlions]

1 minute ago, vacation44 said:

 

Thank you for the update.  Wow.   Very happy for you that persistently paid off.   Not happy that NCL kept telling you it was sold out when it was not sold out.     

 

Love the line "I hate to see you waste your money.  Have you considered that spice H2O has everything the vibe has at no charge?"   Very similar to the other famous poster that always makes the same claim but has yet to acknowledge ever having firsthand Vibe experience.    Again, there is not anywhere else on the ship that offers the same services including the Haven sundeck.   

 

Happy the weather got better, and you are enjoying yourself in and out of the Vibe. 

I also believe they do a lot of things for our own good because they do not want the huge line of complaints. We all have seen the large lines on just about every cruise. 

[UKstages]

1 hour ago, smillerholmes said:

With you being so close to elite I would imagine the world could/would be your oyster!  🤞

 

one would think! thanks. i probably need to request more play-based offers and - for those - there are probably fewer restrictions. it'll be interesting to see if my offers improve with a higher status. one thing this cruise has proved to me is that i will try very hard never to sail on a ship without a nonsmoking casino. it is extraordinarily unpleasant in there. even the staff is complaining. as always, the problem is that people use the casino as a smoking lounge. groups of people will sit at machines, not playing, chatting for hours and just smoking. they also vape and smoke in the small nonsmoking section that they have, which is very discreet... just a minuscule sign on the wall and a small notice on the screen that has your player data. the ship, as many do, has a smoking problem. smoking on balconies, vaping throughout the ship, and smoking of marijuana in a surprising number of outdoor venues. i did go to check out spice H2O when i thought i wouldn't score a vibe pass and it hits you the moment you walk in... cigarettes and pot,. and the smell is throughout the entire vibe, even though smoking is only allowed near the bar.

 

the good news is the hosts say that when the getaway is next in dry dock, they are planning to retrofit the casino with a glass wall, and partition it into a smoking and nonsmoking casino. i mean, c'mon, it's 2024 and only 12% of their customers smoke! it's ridiculous that the entire place stinks... you can smell it quite far away. i pity the poor folks who get seated in the "patio" at le bistro and have to breathe that in while they eat. it's also in some of the shops on 8 surrounding the chandelier and the staircase.

 

thanks to @cygnets upthread for reminding me the spirit actually is nonsmoking now. it makes me want to reconsider that ship. i've also heard very good things about the spirit from a couple i met onboard on this cruise.
 

1 hour ago, detroitlions said:

I also believe they do a lot of things for our own good because they do not want the huge line of complaints. We all have seen the large lines on just about every cruise. 

 

yes, indeed.

 

that was not the last time somebody tried to talk me out of something on this ship. they are constantly trying to do that... seems to be a management style onboard the getaway: "you don't know what you want... we do." you go to taste or savor and they tell you there is a 45 minute wait and suggest you go to the buffet. i don't want to go to the buffet. i've been to the buffet, i know the buffet, the buffet is a friend of mine, and this buffet, senator, is no buffet. (with apologies to lloyd bentsen).

 

also, most of us are on to the trick... the "under promise, over deliver" strategy of surprise and delight. when they say 45 minutes, it really is usually only fifteen or twenty.

 

at the casino bar: "oh, sir, we don't have pellegrino. we offer instead a carton of water. same same."

 

well, actually, no, it's not the same. i wanted sparkling water.

 

i'm enjoying the cruise very much, but things are a bit off on this ship... nothing major, but cumulatively, they all add up to a rather lackluster experience. not NCL's best ship or at least not the best ship i've been on... for me, that's been the joy.

 

and even worse is the behavior of some of the passengers. 

 

i will probably come back to update the thread when the cruise is over with more getaway observations.

[spanishguy1970]

On 1/26/2024 at 6:40 PM, UKstages said:

this tale may be of more interest to those who regularly book through casinos at sea, NCL’s casino loyalty program which rewards players with discount or “free” cruises. but the struggle to find a suitable room onboard your chosen vessel is universal. so, who knows? others may enjoy this. then again, for those who don’t travel on comped cruises, you might walk away from this not quite understanding what the problem was… in fact, you’ll probably think I passed up a heckuva deal.

 

last december, i had an offer for a “free” 12-night casinos at sea cruise, so i decided to branch out from my usual caribbean and european itineraries and book something a little more exotic. the offer was to have expired on december 15, 2023, with a sail by date of november 3, 2024. that’s unusual… normally CAS booking windows are much shorter.

 

i chose a 12-day new zealand/australia itinerary in march of 2024. i am only a few points away from qualifying for the “elite” casino tier that carries substantial additional benefits, including 1K OBC on each cruise and free unlimited wifi. the annual earning period ends on march 31st, so i was trying to squeeze in another cruise before then.

 

this cruise is on the spirit, which i believe may be NCL’s oldest and smallest ship. i do prefer a larger ship, but i’m not much for water slides and rock climbing and such and the smaller ships can be refreshing. i had a great time in the haven on the gem a year or two ago and figured the spirit would provide a similar experience, even though i would be in a balcony. still, the spirit was a bit of a compromise for me, since i had promised myself that i would only sail the newer, larger ships because they all have nonsmoking casinos. (but the only ship they are running on this itinerary at the moment is the spirit. so, this was to be the eternal classic battle of the itinerary versus the ship.)

The Spirit is a great ship, we were on it last year from Vancouver, Alaska to Hawaii, yes is a small ship but our stateroom was large ( balcony) and the service was outstanding. It was refreshing to be back on a smaller ship.

[PartyPlannerLady]

On 1/26/2024 at 6:40 PM, UKstages said:

this tale may be of more interest to those who regularly book through casinos at sea, NCL’s casino loyalty program which rewards players with discount or “free” cruises. but the struggle to find a suitable room onboard your chosen vessel is universal. so, who knows? others may enjoy this. then again, for those who don’t travel on comped cruises, you might walk away from this not quite understanding what the problem was… in fact, you’ll probably think I passed up a heckuva deal.

 

last december, i had an offer for a “free” 12-night casinos at sea cruise, so i decided to branch out from my usual caribbean and european itineraries and book something a little more exotic. the offer was to have expired on december 15, 2023, with a sail by date of november 3, 2024. that’s unusual… normally CAS booking windows are much shorter.

 

i chose a 12-day new zealand/australia itinerary in march of 2024. i am only a few points away from qualifying for the “elite” casino tier that carries substantial additional benefits, including 1K OBC on each cruise and free unlimited wifi. the annual earning period ends on march 31st, so i was trying to squeeze in another cruise before then.

 

this cruise is on the spirit, which i believe may be NCL’s oldest and smallest ship. i do prefer a larger ship, but i’m not much for water slides and rock climbing and such and the smaller ships can be refreshing. i had a great time in the haven on the gem a year or two ago and figured the spirit would provide a similar experience, even though i would be in a balcony. still, the spirit was a bit of a compromise for me, since i had promised myself that i would only sail the newer, larger ships because they all have nonsmoking casinos. (but the only ship they are running on this itinerary at the moment is the spirit. so, this was to be the eternal classic battle of the itinerary versus the ship.)

Tried tread your post byt after three paragraphs and never getting to the point I gace up.  Sorry.

[detroitlions]

2 hours ago, UKstages said:

 

one would think! thanks. i probably need to request more play-based offers and - for those - there are probably fewer restrictions. it'll be interesting to see if my offers improve with a higher status. one thing this cruise has proved to me is that i will try very hard never to sail on a ship without a nonsmoking casino. it is extraordinarily unpleasant in there. even the staff is complaining. as always, the problem is that people use the casino as a smoking lounge. groups of people will sit at machines, not playing, chatting for hours and just smoking. they also vape and smoke in the small nonsmoking section that they have, which is very discreet... just a minuscule sign on the wall and a small notice on the screen that has your player data. the ship, as many do, has a smoking problem. smoking on balconies, vaping throughout the ship, and smoking of marijuana in a surprising number of outdoor venues. i did go to check out spice H2O when i thought i wouldn't score a vibe pass and it hits you the moment you walk in... cigarettes and pot,. and the smell is throughout the entire vibe, even though smoking is only allowed near the bar.

 

the good news is the hosts say that when the getaway is next in dry dock, they are planning to retrofit the casino with a glass wall, and partition it into a smoking and nonsmoking casino. i mean, c'mon, it's 2024 and only 12% of their customers smoke! it's ridiculous that the entire place stinks... you can smell it quite far away. i pity the poor folks who get seated in the "patio" at le bistro and have to breathe that in while they eat. it's also in some of the shops on 8 surrounding the chandelier and the staircase.

 

thanks to @cygnets upthread for reminding me the spirit actually is nonsmoking now. it makes me want to reconsider that ship. i've also heard very good things about the spirit from a couple i met onboard on this cruise.
 

 

yes, indeed.

 

that was not the last time somebody tried to talk me out of something on this ship. they are constantly trying to do that... seems to be a management style onboard the getaway: "you don't know what you want... we do." you go to taste or savor and they tell you there is a 45 minute wait and suggest you go to the buffet. i don't want to go to the buffet. i've been to the buffet, i know the buffet, the buffet is a friend of mine, and this buffet, senator, is no buffet. (with apologies to lloyd bentsen).

 

also, most of us are on to the trick... the "under promise, over deliver" strategy of surprise and delight. when they say 45 minutes, it really is usually only fifteen or twenty.

 

at the casino bar: "oh, sir, we don't have pellegrino. we offer instead a carton of water. same same."

 

well, actually, no, it's not the same. i wanted sparkling water.

 

i'm enjoying the cruise very much, but things are a bit off on this ship... nothing major, but cumulatively, they all add up to a rather lackluster experience. not NCL's best ship or at least not the best ship i've been on... for me, that's been the joy.

 

and even worse is the behavior of some of the passengers. 

 

i will probably come back to update the thread when the cruise is over with more getaway observations.

Yea my last cruise on the Escape out of Orlando about a year ago they kept running out of things and when I first got on the ship the district brew house was out of 75% of the draft beers. They kept telling me when something was out that I would like some random thing better. One word I hate when I am told is "Package". Sir that is not part of the package cant stand it. I can read what is on or not in the package. 

[Birdnutty]

UKStages, may I ask a total newbie question here?  I can tell you are a much higher stakes gambler than me, but I usually drop a few hundred in the casino with each cruise, and my upcoming cruise will be my 27th NCL cruise (over the course of 40 years) 

I never think to call CAS when considering making a booking.  Do you think my low level of gambling would get me anything significant?  Is one's gambling record cumulative, or only based on your last cruise? Are the offers very time-limited (like, you need to decide in three days), or can you have a chance to do more research?   

May I assume that since CAS would be doing the booking, there would be no going through a TA to get the perks?  Probably a really dumb question, actually. 
These questions have been on my mind for years.  I hope you don't mind answering them for me.  TIA!

[UKstages]

1 hour ago, Birdnutty said:

I never think to call CAS when considering making a booking.  Do you think my low level of gambling would get me anything significant?

 

it's difficult to say. personally, i think you should call. reports in this forum and elsewhere have indicated that people often get a discounted fare for relatively moderate play. if you consistently drop a few hundred dollars in the casino on every trip, i imagine they'd like to see you again. i'd guesstimate that is good for maybe a 10% or 15% discount. and that would be on topm of whatever "sale" they have going on... such as 50% off.

 

my suggestion would be to talk to a host while onboard. explain exactly what you just told us... 40 years, 27 cruises, consistent low level play, loyal to NCL. the host will tell you they have no insight to or influence over offers. and that is true. but they can write notes in your account that CAS folks in miami and phoenix can read that may help them to determine offer eligibility.

 

offers generally have a "book by" and a "sail by" date. the book by date might be april 30th, for instance, and the sail by date may be november 30th. there is never a "must book in three days" offer, unless you happen to call when a longstanding offer is about to expire.

 

as for doing research... that would usually be done before you call. most offers are not for specific cruises. you tell them which cruise you want to take. the offers stipulate the length of cruise, the level of accommodation (inside, balcony, haven, etc.) and any restrictions. the most common restrictions exclude the pride of america and the newest ships such as the viva and prima. occasionally, there are offers for specific cruises, but those are less common offers.

 

1 hour ago, Birdnutty said:

Is one's gambling record cumulative, or only based on your last cruise?

 

nobody know for sure. if it's anything like a land-based casino, the algorithms that are used to track and analyze play are a closely guarded secret. but it's probably both. they look at your lifetime value as a customer,  but they are very interested in your recent play. most casinos average your play from the last three or four visits and some "forgive" the lowest numbers. in other words, they take your three "best" play periods out of the most recent four. 

 

as for travel agents... i have no direct experience with this. but it's my understanding that NCL severed commissions for TAs a few years ago on casino rates and comped cruises. you can probably still get a TA to book it for you, especially if they charge an upfront fee for their services, m but i really don't know.

 

[cruiseny4life]

I'm just here to tell you that my throat hurts from silently laughing as I read your post. Thank you! It's been a very long Friday in HR lala land and I needed something to help. Your thread is the elixir I needed in this moment. 

 

If you're still onboard (sounds like you are) - have an amazing time and keep letting NCL staff know you want it your way, not their way. NCL could use some BK vibes. 

 

Congrats on scoring a Vibe pass even if the weather is a wee bit lackluster!

Edited February 2 by cruiseny4life

[Birdnutty]

8 hours ago, UKstages said:

 

as for doing research... that would usually be done before you call. most offers are not for specific cruises. you tell them which cruise you want to take. the offers stipulate the length of cruise, the level of accommodation (inside, balcony, haven, etc.) and any restrictions. the most common restrictions exclude the pride of america and the newest ships such as the viva and prima. occasionally, there are offers for specific cruises, but those are less common offers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow - so much useful info - thank you!  One more question - is the CAS program the same umbrella organisation for all cruise lines?  They all seem to call their gambling arm CAS, and each seem to offer discounts.  I have a friend who is a substantial gambler and has told me some of her offers, but even she doesn't understand any of the background.  Is it the same CAS for all lines, and they pool the info on all your gambling, or is it individually tallied by cruise line?  I hope this is understandable - let me know if clarification is needed.

[IAcruising]

On 2/1/2024 at 10:33 AM, PartyPlannerLady said:

Tried tread your post byt after three paragraphs and never getting to the point I gace up.  Sorry.

 

Try harder. And put down the bottle at 11:30 am.