NCL to Cheap to provide Conditioner

[CocoKai]

I don't recall it saying the lack of conditioner ruined my cruise. Just wanted to let people know to pack it. Interesting how people jump to conclusions or want to jump to conclusions. Oh, it is supplied on HAL. Same brand too.

[DMH15]

Well I think NCL owes you a free cruise for that oversight.:rolleyes:

 

Here's a tip: A travel size conditioner (or likewise bottle) fits snugly in a shoe in the suitcase.

 

Don't ever assume and you won't be diappointed.

[prg2101]

I don't recall it saying the lack of conditioner ruined my cruise. Just wanted to let people know to pack it. Interesting how people jump to conclusions or want to jump to conclusions. Oh, it is supplied on HAL. Same brand too.

 

 

You will be happy to sail on HAL again from what I heard they

took the slimy **** salesmen off of their ships:rolleyes:

[2Cruise4Ever]

I don't recall it saying the lack of conditioner ruined my cruise. Just wanted to let people know to pack it. Interesting how people jump to conclusions or want to jump to conclusions. Oh, it is supplied on HAL. Same brand too.

 

Oh, goodness, it does sound like I jumped to conclusions, doesn't it?? Yikes. That's not what I meant. I was poking fun at other posters. Sorry about that. At any rate, what happened to make it horrible? We've never been to Alaska, but may in the future.

[AuntieBarb]

Just off our first NCL Pearl cruise to Alaska. I spent an hour writing a review but then it vanished into thin air and never posted. Don't know if I'll have time to rewrite it but I thought I'd warn those traveling to bring conditioner.

 

It is not available in the staterooms, nor do they have it behind the scenes. You can buy it though in the spa for just $20 a bottle. The conditioner is a good analogy of the entire cruise....sell, sell, sell.

 

What a shame. :rolleyes: Although I find it odd you couldn't find it in the shop(s) on board. We always bring Pert (shampoo/conditioner) combined. However, one time I had a bit too much fun having the sea breeze blowing through my hair on a boat. So I had to buy some full strength conditioner, which was readily available amongst the other toiletries they stocked and reasonably priced too. Imagine that!

[dolfan95831]

COCO SERIUOSLY. You had to expect people to respond to you this way by calling the thred what you did. You weren't just as you put it "warning" people that NCL doesn't supply conditioner. You were indeed informing us they were as you put it too "cheap".

 

I personal can't imagine using anything but my brand of conditioner anyway.

[mbisson]

No not at all....You look like one of those PIMPS!!!!!!:D :p

 

 

I know nothing about Diamonds or Diamonds International!

[Urban trekker]

Too bad we didn't get to read the OP's review of her Pearl nightmare cruise - we won't be able to see her comments on the quality of the hot dogs and whether the TP was single or double ply.

 

As for conditioner I will make a note to check on my next cruise to see if it is provided - does it really weigh that much that it can't be packed easily in a toiletry case.

 

Glad that the OP enjoyed the beauty of Alaska and the inside passage.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[gszach]

...anyone that would base a cruise or even mention something like this has to be overly picky or some such thing

Nita

 

Why is everyone attacking CocoKai so strongly? She did something very nice to point out to newer cruisers that conditioner is not provided. Additionally, so many have claimed she must be "picky" or hard to please. But it's just the opposite. Every person I know who has a fair amount of hair uses conditioner. As several of you have pointed out, many people are picky about their conditioners. CocoKai is completely NOT picky, she just wanted any conditioner. That's way less picky than the average girl I know! She expected standard hotel ammenities and didn't get them and was disappointed. Why are so many of you acting like that's not understandable to be disappointed at? Sometimes it is the little things that we look forward to. For me, it's chocolate on my pillow on Royal Caribbeean. I love those chocolates. If they weren't there it wouldn't ruin my cruise. But I'd be disappointed. My wife loves the towel animals on Carnival. If they weren't there she'd be disappointed, but it wouldn't ruin her vacation. CocoKai expected complimentary bathroom ammenities. Can't we all be a little sympathetic? Who among us wouldn't think it sucked to pay $20 for a bottle of conditioner? Additionally, she never claimed it "ruined" her trip. She said Alaska was still amazing and the specialty food was outstanding. It's interesting that people seem bothered that she didn't like a few things. She isn't lieing when she says she had the feeling of being on QVC, she indeed had that feeling as certainly some other people have too. But it's not a major putdown for NCL. Let's face it, all cruise lines constantly try to sell you everything...drinks, excursions, Jewelry, Art. I remember carnival and royal caribbean both had art auctions and constantly talked about them and invited you. She experienced it more on NCL on this one particular cruise. That doesn't make her picky or bad. Isn't she correct also that it is a question of being cheap that they don't supply conditioner? It's a financial decision. Yes, they are too cheap to provide conditioner. The reward of a few customers being happier isn't worth the added cost for them. Face it, there are cruise lines that this added cost is worth it. Norwegian is "cheap" compared to those cruise lines when it comes to conditioner. NCL is certainly better in other areas though. Everyone knows that on every cruise something happens not perfect for someone...lost luggage, beer spilled on them, bad meal, ...etc. This was just that cruise for her. That's the whole purpose of Cruise Critic to give people a fair understanding of other people's experiences...because often two people experience the same thing differently. What really confuses me is why some people seem to get so upset that she pointed out some bad things along with the good things? Even NCL admits everything isn't perfect. That's why they have customer suggestion/compaint systems in operation.

[CanadianTwosome]

I have long hair. I don't mean shoulder length, I mean looooong. It used to be longer but I cut a foot off to give to charity... it's steadily growing back and is now almost down to my waist again (it was down to my butt before I cut it). I pride myself on the health of my hair. It takes a lot of time and effort to keep it healthy, including using conditioner - good conditioner that I have been loyal to for years.

 

I have stayed at hotels that offer conditioner. One of those small bottles is barely enough for one shampoo, but even if there were more, I wouldn't use it on my hair. As has been noted, some people do care about the products they put on their hair, and I'm one of them. My husband will wash his with hand soap and not use conditioner, and that's fine for him - his roots are never more than a half inch from his scalp, where they can get conditioning nourishment. Mine, though... mine need a conditioner I trust.

 

Not everyone does care about what conditioner they use - and honestly, when my hair was shorter, I would have been happy with anything as well. It's all about what you need (or what you think you need), and for me, my needs are met by a conditioner I choose, and I would never travel without it. I pack big bottles, too, not travel size.

 

So... here's what I'm saying so far... I have hair with 'special needs'. Many people, whether because of the length of their hair, type of hair, colour, or any other reason, have a preference for their shampoo and conditioner and will not use 'supplied' product. Lastly, not everyone cares about what conditioner they use. (and I want to be clear that I don't think that's a bad thing - it's all about YOUR hair and what YOU think it needs or doesn't)

 

Now, to my response to the OP... I'm surprised that someone that appears to be so picky about other things (based on the negative comments and allusion to a particularly negative review) would be someone that would use supplied conditioner. I mean... I'm about as easy going as they come, but I wouldn't use it... but this person who seems to complain about so many other things wants me to believe that she would be fine with whatever the ship supplied. I guess I have different priorities!!:p

 

I also have to add that I am SO TIRED of all these people complaining about the 'hard sell' on NCL. I have NEVER had a Diamonds International salesperson even speak to me - because I don't go to the seminars, nor do I shop for jewelry on board. If I DID, I would EXPECT to have a salesperson try to sell me some. :eek: I have also NEVER felt pressured to buy anything I didn't want aboard an NCL ship, nor have I ever even NOTICED people trying to sell me anything I didn't want, because nobody has ever gotten in my face or imposed themselves in a way that even drew my attention; hardly what I would call 'hard sell'. I really don't know where these people are that they are constantly hounded to buy something, but I can guarantee that there are plenty of places on the ship where there are no salespeople whatsoever. :)

[BarbCT605]

Why is everyone attacking CocoKai so strongly?

I believe that it is not the lack of conditioner, which is a nice heads-up for newbies -- but it is the thread title: "NCL too cheap to Provide Conditioner"

 

I truly believe if the title was something like: "Heads-up for new cruisers, NCL does not provide xxx" there would not be so much repartee going on.:p

[MrLee]

I also have to add that I am SO TIRED of all these people complaining about the 'hard sell' on NCL. I have NEVER had a Diamonds International salesperson even speak to me - because I don't go to the seminars, nor do I shop for jewelry on board. If I DID, I would EXPECT to have a salesperson try to sell me some. :eek: I have also NEVER felt pressured to buy anything I didn't want aboard an NCL ship, nor have I ever even NOTICED people trying to sell me anything I didn't want, because nobody has ever gotten in my face or imposed themselves in a way that even drew my attention; hardly what I would call 'hard sell'. I really don't know where these people are that they are constantly hounded to buy something, but I can guarantee that there are plenty of places on the ship where there are no salespeople whatsoever. :)

 

Sheesh! Here I am having to agree with you again! ;)

[MrLee]

I truly believe if the title was something like: "Heads-up for new cruisers, NCL does not provide xxx" there would not be so much repartee going on.:p

 

And you too!!!

:D

[mbisson]

I truly believe if the title was something like: "Heads-up for new cruisers, NCL does not provide xxx" there would not be so much repartee going on.:p

 

Barb---would you really name a thread about hair conditioner "Heads-Up"? ;)

[CanadianTwosome]

Why is everyone attacking CocoKai so strongly? She did something very nice to point out to newer cruisers that conditioner is not provided. Additionally, so many have claimed she must be "picky" or hard to please. But it's just the opposite. Every person I know who has a fair amount of hair uses conditioner. As several of you have pointed out, many people are picky about their conditioners. CocoKai is completely NOT picky, she just wanted any conditioner. That's way less picky than the average girl I know! She expected standard hotel ammenities and didn't get them and was disappointed. Why are so many of you acting like that's not understandable to be disappointed at? Sometimes it is the little things that we look forward to. For me, it's chocolate on my pillow on Royal Caribbeean. I love those chocolates. If they weren't there it wouldn't ruin my cruise. But I'd be disappointed. My wife loves the towel animals on Carnival. If they weren't there she'd be disappointed. CocoKai looked forward to complimentary bathroom ammenities. Can't we all be a little sympathetic? Who among us wouldn't think it sucked to pay $20 for a bottle of conditioner? Additionally, she never claimed it "ruined" her trip. She said Alaska was still amazing and the specialty food was outstanding. It's odd that people are taking it personally that she didn't like a few things. She isn't lieing when she says she had the feeling of being on QVC. But it's not a major putdown for NCL. Let's face it, all cruise lines constantly try to sell you everything...drinks, excursions, Jewelry, Art. I remember carnival and royal caribbean both had art auctions. She experienced it more on NCL on this one particular cruise. That doesn't make her picky or bad. Everyone knows that on every cruise something happens not perfect for someone...lost luggage, beer spilled on them, bad meal, ...etc. This was just that cruise for her. That's the whole purpose of Cruise Critic to get people a fair understanding of other people's experiences...because often two people experience the same thing differently.

 

Why? Because she was a @itch about it. I've seen numerous threads over the past few years from people TRULY just letting people know that there is no conditioner - yes, anyone who has visited the NCL board prior to their cruise would have known this - but the OP was NASTY about it, so we're responding. Sorry, but that's how humans work. You say something nicely and people thank you for the information; you say something in a nasty insulting 'tone' and people will respond in kind. If you think all Coco was doing was providing a 'friendly warning', I urge you to reread the TITLE of the thread for starters. As for pickiness, I guess we're just making assumptions based on the REST of what she's said. Considering most of us find it difficult to find much wrong with ANY cruise (not just NCL), seeing someone with such a bad attitude tends to leave us with a bad impression.

 

PLEASE check out the thread entitled 'Princess Cheerleader Sails the Gem':

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=809097

 

This is a perfect example of someone with an open mind who made a balanced and well written comparison of two lines. She didn't like everything about NCL, but she explained herself well and without being rude or nasty or accusing NCL of being 'cheap' or anything else.

 

Also, please give the rest of us the benefit of the doubt that you're giving the OP. We're only expressing our 'friendly opinions' with the same 'tone' that she used... isn't that 'fair understanding'?

[DMH15]

Ok, I have thought about this and I do recall the time my mom got sick on the Jewel and wanted Vick's Vapor Rub. (Yuk!) The gift store did not sell it, but another passenger offered her some she had packed.

 

I always pack lots of stuff I might need. I would definately share if someone mentioned to me that they needed something I had. I make friends all over the ship and I recall sharing gum, sewing kits, etc.

 

I would not want to spend $20 either for something like this. I hate it when I forget something. I once forgot toothpaste. I think I had to buy a huge tube at overinflated prices. That was a drag.

[salty dingo]

I think that referring to the sales pitches as "slimy" and "pimping" makes the OP fair game to whatever we care to shovel back on.

 

Yes, of course the cruise lines hawk wares like a circus. Name one competitor in the same league that does not. And if you don't like the sales pitch, leave the lounge or theater where it is happening and go up on deck or somewhere. It's not like the salespeople follow you around! Sheesh!

[mbisson]

For me, it's chocolate on my pillow on Royal Caribbeean. I love those chocolates. If they weren't there it wouldn't ruin my cruise. But I'd be disappointed. My wife loves the towel animals on Carnival. If they weren't there she'd be disappointed, but it wouldn't ruin her vacation. CocoKai expected complimentary bathroom ammenities. Can't we all be a little sympathetic? Who among us wouldn't think it sucked to pay $20 for a bottle of conditioner? Additionally, she never claimed it "ruined" her trip.

 

Often when I see comments like the OP made I like to go back to look at their previous posts just to see where they're coming from. In this case I found:

 

"I would never sail with them again. The entire cruise was all about selling you something. There were crowds like I have never seen on a cruise ship before. Mostly due to NCL's inability to flow people, whether it be at (de)embarkation or their buffet that was set up without any logic.

 

Alaska was beautiful and that was the reason of the trip. I would just pick another method to get there. Cargo ship would have been a vast improvement."

 

Now really--Cargo ship? ROTFL But that is better than a few months ago when some said that all NCL ships were Garbage Skows

 

 

DMH15---We once forgot our toothpaste as well (b4 an NCL cruise). I mentioned it to our cabin Steward and he brought us several of those small travelsize tubes and some new brushes as well.

 

cynbar--I just saw your post that you put up moments ago (below)...thank you! Well thought out and quite possibly you've hit the nail on the head!!! :D

[cynbar]

Well, I'm the OP from "Princess Cheerleader Sails the Gem," so I thought I'd jump in here. It seems to me that a lot of the complaints on all the boards are from cruisers who didn't do enough research in advance, and didn't know what they were getting. If someone loves the formality and set dining of a Celebrity cruise, they are probably not going to be too thrilled with Freestyle on NCL. Sometimes someone is loyal to a particular line but is coaxed onto another for some reason like a lower price or a special itinerary or to sail with friends, and they spend the whole cruise comparing it unfavorably to their favorite line. We actually had that happen to us a couple years back. We coaxed my sister and her husband (loyal Carnival cruisers) to join us on a Celebrity cruise because we honestly thought they'd love it. Well, surprise, they HATED it and spent the whole week telling us how much better Carnival was in every area. It was a long week! It's just a guess, but I think some of that is going on in this thread.

[XtremeCruzer]

there s probably not much need for conditioner..

 

kinda waste of money providing something only a

small percentege of passenger s would even use.

 

something as petty as lack of conditioner should nt

ruin a cruise..more like it was really nit picking

to find something lacking to complain about..

 

besides, i have nt sailed on any line that did nt try

to sell you one thing or another.

 

I always expect and use the shampoo and conditioner on cruises BUT when NCL is typically half the price of other cruise lines you must expect to NOT get everything you get on other cruise lines..just basic economics...:D

[mbisson]

Please see my post directly above yours cynbar (I probably shouldn't have made those comments on an edit and should have done a new post then-sorry)

 

BTW-I just looked at your comparison between the Gem and your Princess cruises...Good job and great to see someone who realizes that personal preferences are not absolutes!!! :D

[CocoKai]

Cruise Critic has been a wealth of information for me in planning all our cruises. It loses a share of its validity when anyone posts anything slightly negative about a certain line. Not just NCL, but any line. I don't know why the cheerleaders come out and beat the poster with their boat oars for sharing their experience. To this extent, you don't see both sides of different experiences because I'm sure some newbies reading this now 2 page thread on conditioner will not come back and share the good and bad of their cruise.

 

In retrospect, I'm glad my review vanished into the computer black hole as it would have contained about 23 pages of criticism, name calling and other behavior I expect people would not do in "real life" to ones face.

 

You are absolutely right. I could have bought a bottle of conditioner in their spa or gift shop...more $$$ for NCL...hence the cheap comment. Oh, I know...I'm now going to be called cheap. I just expect salt and pepper, oil and vinegar, gin and tonic, shampoo and conditioner....two things that go together.

 

So, based upon MY experience with NCL, I would never sail with them. End of review. Alaska was fabulous though and lived up to all expectations.

[mbisson]

In retrospect, I'm glad my review vanished into the computer black hole as it would have contained about 23 pages of criticism, name calling and other behavior I expect people would not do in "real life" to ones face.

 

.

 

If you posted to the 'reviews' section of CC, there is normally a delay before they are available for viewing (sometimes the delay can even be days)

[watchdiva]

Coco: As requested in my previous post, can you supply specifics (and no, not about the conditioner). I must agree with some of my fellow cc'ers though, using words like "slimy" etc. do make me question the validity of some of your comments.

 

If you care to share specifics, I for one would be interested in hearing them.

[gszach]

I think that referring to the sales pitches as "slimy" and "pimping" makes the OP fair game to whatever we care to shovel back on.

quote]

 

I see what you mean. The terms she used certainly have negative conotations. slimy, cheap, pimping. I kind of just understood what she meant, but didn't think about the word she used. It's better to concentrate on her point than on her poor phrasing. Definitely a bad choice of words on her part. But I understant her point....that the salesmen try to convince you to buy something you don't neccesarily completely want or maybe can't easily afford...etc. It's the nature of their job to sell things. Calling them slimy isn't too nice. I do hope that she didn't mean that they themselves are bad people!

 

Canadian Twosome, I don't think it's true that people are simply "expressing our 'friendly opinions' with the same 'tone' that she used. isn't that 'fair understanding'?". I don't see it as fair because she was talking about the business company but people responded by attacking her personally and making fun of her personally. I don't agree with her assessment of NCL at all. She never said anything bad about anyone on this message board though, but everyone turned around and attacked her personally saying she is too picky, frivilous ...etc. I just thought it would have been more effective if people instead stated "She may have felt that way, but under the same situation on the ship I don't remember any feeling of QVC." Instead of "She's too this, she's too that...etc." I think you're right about Princess Cheerleader's review. It is done in better taste.

 

As for the part about being too cheap to provide conditioner, they are. They are too cheap. It's a business decision as I stated in my original post. But many other cruiselines are also too cheap to do this. Some cruiselines have decided that it is too expensive to provide conditioner based on the low benefits. That makes them too cheap to provide conditioner. I understand, of course, that the word "Cheap" has a bad conotation associated with it But in a strictly logical sense, it was a financial decision not to provide it, and thus it made their operations cheaper.