It's Been a While

[Bill]

It's been a while since we have had a good gripe session about service. So, let's start a good gripe session about service. The last time I started this up we went through waiters, MaitreD's, Cabin stewards, wine stewards and the like. Let's start with something a little different this time. How about hearing about gripes and such in dealing with either TA's and / or the cruise companies directly in the booking of the cruise.( Let's not name TA's by name.)
I'll start. My worst experience was for cruise number five. We were doing Hawaii on the Norwegian Wind and had made the initial arrangements through our usual local cruise specialty TA. As the time came up towards final payment and document time we found that they had been bought out by a prominent 800 number/dot com agency. "We"
now belonged to the account porfolio of a stranger on the telephone who had no commission incentive to give us any service. Days before the cruise we had no documents, airline tickets or hotel vouchers and the "new " travel agent staff could basically care less. I made literally dozens of phone calls to no avail. In addition,
the TA would not ask Norwegian for new doc's as they had been the ones to lose them
and Norwegian was telling them they would have to pay all over again. Norwegian would not initially deal directly with us as we had a TA.
Outcome was good , but through no help or assistance of the TA. I got a Norwegian supervisor who went out on a limb for us and reissued the doc's, tickets and hotel vouchers directly to us .By the way for those who don't think there are advantages to the repeat customer clubs , it was a Latitudes supervisor that got us our tickets. They arrived 24 hours before departure. We had booked 5 cruises in 2 years with the local agency and numerous friends and associates had booked with them as well. The new owners have never seen a penny of my business nor that of the family and friends who had been using the local agency. Even though they admitted losing my doc's internally, I never got even an "I'm sorry "letter from the new owners.They did nothing to keep our business(or even try).
My current agent is the "goddess" of travel and I've booked six cruises through her .Each experience with her gets better and easier.
OK that's my story ,let's hear yours.

[UConn1]

Here's my worst experience on a ship:

Let me begin by saying that I have never in my life had a skin rash or an allergic reaction to anything. Last May on the Triumph, our first stop was in San Juan. We had been there twice before, so I chose to get a pedicure while in port (because cheaper). i get pedicures on a regular basis and never had a problem, but whatever $50 lotion they used on my legs gave me a rash from h&*% only on the lower portion of my legs where they used it. After the pedicure, before the rash began and after dark we went to dinner in SJ. Came back to the boat and my legs began it itch. Overnight it got worse. The next morning the rash was so bad I was bleeding and scabbing. I went to the infirmary and they told me that there was absoulutly NO WAY that the pedicure caused it. That it had to have been a food allergy (I have none and the rash was not anywhere else on my body), or that my suntan lotion caused it (been using the same lotion for years, no problem before), or that my skin was too sensitive to the sun (again rash was only where they used the lotion, and I live in FL - my skin is not sun sensitive and I had not been in the sun for any amount of time after the pedicure.). They refused to help. I went to the beauty salon, and they refused to help. Needless to say I am 2 days into my 7 day cruise and can no longer lay out and looked horrible in shorts/skirts, and in rather severe pain. Went to the pursers desk, got not help. Went back again demanded a meeting with hotel manager and spa manager. Finally got them to see that the only logical explanation was whatever the scrub was they used on my legs cause the rash and the spa manager even said that it was a new product they had just started using. They said that they would remove the charge from my card and have the infirmary give me something for it. On the last day when I got my S&S charges, it was still on there and I had to go back to the pursers desk to have them remove it. I was very, very disappointed in the treatment by the staff, who were very rude and unapologetic. Never did get an apology until I told my TA (at the agency I used to work at) and she called the CCL rep who sent me an apology and a 10% discount for my next cruise. My beef is that she had to apologize for the rudeness of the staff and for a situation in which she had nothing to do with.

There is my cruise gripe - at least until I get back May 17th, and hopefully I won't have any then.

[John]

Ok here's my gripe. I haven't been on enough cruises to have a bad experience with the service I received either from my travel agent or the staff on the ship. I can only hope that I will cruise enough in the future to ensure that I have one of these experiences. So far only 3 cruises under my belt. I returned on 4/13 from the Century and I leave 8/31 on the Constellation.

By the way My Wife & I just opened a savings account this evening to specifically save for a cruise next spring.

Well this is only my 3rd cruise on May 20 (first one in 6 years).... The TA I onced used has since gone off to be a Mommy, so I have a new guy. Boy did his attitude change once he got my final payment. No longer, ( in this cheery voice) "It's nice to talk to you... What can I help you with?" Now its (in a deadpan voice that sounds very busy and bothered) "Yes?....."

Granted I have only spoken with him twice since final payment - but still! I called once about a month ago just to check in and see if there was anything I needed to "do" before oure docs came in. He seemed "put off" and less than friendly. I called again this week because I was going to be in the area (he is 45 min away) and I thought our docs might be in. (Also, we are waiting on a refund that he said should be there this week.) He said that yes our docs were here that they came in last Fri, but the other travel portion (tickets) were not there yet. I asked if I could pickup the docs and the tickets when they came in. He again seemed "put off" and said he guessed so... that he usually liked to give them all in one package so they would be together... (What--- like I am not an adult who could be responsible for my own docs and that I would not come back to pick up the tickets portion??) I sort of stammered feeling uncomfortable and explained that I guessed that I was just being silly wanting to get the docs in hand .... I asked if everything seemed in order... He barely uttered a response..... He did nothing to assure me that everything was in order....

Oh, I know that he can't hold everybody's hand all the time... But what happened to Mr Personality???????


Thanks for letting me vent!