Guest services and personnel have no clue what "Free at Sea" means!

Item: Norwegian Jade
Rating: 3.6
Author: mvalmonte

Norwegian Jade Cruise Review to Europe - Eastern Mediterranean

mvalmonte

Contributor Level: Purser

53 Days Till Next Cruise

Cruises: 1 cruise (first)

Reviews: 2

Helpful Votes: 14

Overall rating:

3.6 out of 5

7 Night Greek Isles Israel & Patmos (Athens Roundtrip)

Sail date: May 14, 2023

Ship: Norwegian Jade

Cabin type: Suite

Cabin number: 11002

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 1 year ago

Review summary

This would have been the perfect cruise if it wasn't for "free" perks that we still ended up getting charged for in full. Our first night at dinner, our waiter told us that because we had "PRTY" on our room key, that means we get all the free drinks we want. So we ordered a glass of wine. He proceeded to tell an elderly couple near our table the same thing after he also saw on the room key "PRTY". They were as pleasantly surprised as we were. We were told by both RCI and NCL that we were allowed up to $15 per person, per day on drinks. To our shock at the end of our dinners - us and the couple nearby - the waiter came back insisting we sign a receipt that charges us IN FULL for our drinks! The elderly couple nearby went ahead and signed theirs. After what happened in the spa, I made a big stink about what the waiter did, leading us to believe that we could order any drink for free, then at the end of our dinner insisting we sign a receipt that we agree to pay for our drink in full. We refused to sign as we believed the waiter. The waiter finally reversed the charge. We never returned to that restaurant again! The cruise next desk, I only inquired on an Asia cruise and the matching $250 cruise next certificate NCL was offering while sailing. Next thing I know, I receive a message from my bank letting me know of a $1000.00 credit card charge. Then I find out the cruise next desk went ahead and booked me for the cruise, unbeknownst to me and unauthorized to charge my credit card. I had to wait in line the next day to reverse the charge and cancel the Asia cruise since my husband and I hadn't really decided on it yet. The cruise next rep told me I could gift any of the certificates if I can't use them. I. WAS. LIVID! I had the guy cancel everything out and told him I just want ONE cruise next certificate. I took our cruise week for that $1000.00 charge to clear out.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Smooth

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

We were allowed 2 dinners at a specialty dining restaurant. We went to one of them and they insisted we would be charged for our dinners in full. In one of the complimentary restaurants, we were seated in a darker corner for dinner - I sat on food. YUK! The staff cleaned my seat with a REALLY wet towel and told me to be seated. I would not sit on the soggy bench wearing a skirt! GROSS!

Onboard Activities

1 out of 5

Spa. We were "gifted" this one certificate for $100 and one coupon for $40 off at the spa. We surrendered both for spa services after being told they would honor them for the services we had reserved. After the services, we were still charged FULL PRICE for spa services!

Entertainment

We went on this cruise for peace of mind. To relax.

Children's Programs

Couple cruise.

Service and Staff

2 out of 5

Two stars ONLY BECAUSE our room steward and only a few others were fabulous. The other personnel we encountered, especially in the spa, at guest services desk, at next cruise desk, and waiters were the worst!

Ship Quality

3 out of 5

Relaxation lounge was a mess - orange peels left on the floor at times. People allowed to be noisy and even watch videos with volume full blast on their cell phones and other people talking at the top of their lungs as if they were in the jacuzzi outside. All this in a space that was supposed to be a "Quiet Zone". NCL needs to be strict about this. My husband and I paid around $400 for unlimited access to this Quiet Zone and we didn't get what we expected or promised to us - a QUIET ZONE!

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5

Excellent

Ship tip

Get everything NCL promised you IN WRITING! At the end of the day, that's what Guest Services will ask you for - "Prove it. Show it to us in writing."

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Piraeus (Athens), Greece

5 out of 5

Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey

5 out of 5

5 out of 5

5 out of 5

5 out of 5

5 out of 5

Santorini, Greece

5 out of 5

Disembarkation

5 out of 5

Smooth

14 Comments

mvalmonte 1 year ago

DO NOT TRUST YOUR NCL EXCURSION SUMMARY PRINTOUT. READ THE MEETING TIME THATS ON YOUR EXCURSION TICKET! The Patmos, Greece excursion - good thing we paid extra for priority embark and disembark (“PRTY” on our room card key). The excursion boats left 1 hour early! We were following our NCL summary schedule print out. We arrived 20 minutes early to the theater only to find the doors locked and no one there. I immediately went to the service desk - waited again in a very long line - to complain. While in line I called NCL main office in Miami and they confirmed the time they had for the excursion was the same as in my NCL app and my booking summary printout. The main office was never informed of the time change either! The desk refunded my excursion. I was told my husband and I can still go on shore due to our PRTY status, we could get on and off the ship any time we wanted. So we did that! We caught a cab and had our cab driver bring us to the two sites we were supposed to visit. We had to rush before the 2nd site closed but we made it. Barely. Had we not purchased the priority embark/disembark, we would not have been able to get off the ship at this port!

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mvalmonte 1 year ago

The spa gave us a certificate for $40 off any specialty service. I called to reserve a facial massage and told them about my $40 off ahead of time. I was told they would honor the certificate for my appointment and for my service. Upon completion of the spa service, I find on my NCL account that I once again was charged in full. The spa took my $40 off certificate but not until after I took a photo of it. . I called the spa the next morning and complained. I was told by the manager that the certificate was only good on the 4th day at sea. There was NOTHING on the certificate that says that! And after I was told they would honor it for my appointment. I showed Mandara Spa the photos I took of both sides of the certificate they left in my balcony stateroom as part of our welcome package. The manager said she couldn’t reverse the charge but gave us these free facial products which I really didn’t care for. We brought the stuff home and they’re sitting underneath our bathroom sink. The stuff is in 3 jars with no ingredient labels! I’m allergic to certain ingredients found in shampoos and conditioners. I have specific facial cleansing products I have to use. We don’t know what’s in these facial products. The jars aren’t even sealed.

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byhisgrace 1 year ago

Appreciate your feedback

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Itspeace4me 1 year ago

Thanks for your review.

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cdavid46 1 year ago

Well, at least it looks like you enjoyed the ports! Sorry about your on board experience.

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MonicaFonck 1 year ago

Oh forgot to add PRTY is either priority embarkation or disembarkation

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AuntPinkie 1 year ago

Appreciate your detailed feedback. Sorry for all your misunderstandings.

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MonicaFonck 1 year ago

Rather strange.... we have never had any problems with our drinks package clearly states any drink Ober the max allowed will be billed. Sorry for YOUR misunderstanding your package

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Gwbigdog 1 year ago

Oops sorry 😞 thanks

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cruising2004 1 year ago

Sorry to hear about your situation. Thanks for sharing.

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Dumfy75 1 year ago

Regardless of what the waiter said, YOU know if you bought the free at sea with the drinks package and what that includes. If you didn’t have free at sea why take the free drinks as you would have known it was clearly a mistake. If you did have free at sea then he didn’t lie to you, the wine was free, in which case go and get it sorted with the proof from your booking and your details on the app, why spend 2 cruises putting up with it and complaining afterwards. Always check your booking details and always have them handy in case of dispute. None of what you’ve said in this review and your other review makes sense.

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PaulzyJC 1 year ago

Hmm, my Free@Sea was honored on my last cruise with NCL Bliss. Though if you use the 50$ excursion credit, and the excursion is cancelled, NCL with charge you back the 50$ (thus taking back in cash the credit).

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lboston 1 year ago

That's interesting. I've never had that happen on NCL. Sorry hear about your mixups.

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javawoody 1 year ago

Interesting?????

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