Complain about a product or service

Norwegian Sea/Four Seasons Travel

St. Petersburg FL

Jerry of Lincoln IL (4/19/04):
I left on a cruise in March. Paid for a cabin upgrade. On boarding, there was a lifeboat drill. I noticed a loud-mouthed teenager a couple of cabins down, and that was the start of my cruise to hell. I did not sleep a single night of the cruise. The party started every night after midnight, til 3 and 4 in the morning. Screaming and drunken yelling, cursing, etc.

There were three cabins of 21+ teenagers. CAlls to the desk did no good. On the fifth night, Cindy made me a great offer: We could pack up and go to the fourth deck. I asked why the party animals couldn't go to the fourth deck. "Oh sir, we couldn't do that," Cindy replied. I asked why they sold them booze and she said: "Oh sir, we have to."

I spent money on bingo, pictures and one side trip. I'm certain when NCL compared this against the three cabins of party animals and their booze bill, it was easy to decide who the preferred customers were.

Patricia of South Pasadena FL writes (1/25/02):
This is a written account of problems and issues concerning a cruise taken on November 12, 2001 from Miami, Florida on the Norwegian Sea. Passenger names, Rev. Patricia N and her associate, Mrs. Diane S. The cruise was booked and paid for by Rev. N as a Rest & Relaxation Ministry Corporation Tour. The Following is an exact account of the insults to Rev. N from the onset of booking a cruise.

Travel Agent, Michael, presented me with a “Special Package Price”. We expressed our desire to have an elegant R&R cruise and if we could arrange others to join us, I would present the idea to them.

In light of the fact of September 11, 2001 terrorist attack, our other members strictly declined. Travel Agent Michael, was accusing and rude to me stating that he “booked 8 cabins for me and now I messed him up”. I reminded him that the tentative other people were exactly that, tentative. He continued to argue with me. I responded that perhaps we would go elsewhere considering the attitude he was displaying.

Michael then stated, after he contained himself, that our 2 tickets would be booked. The following is a list of amenities that Michael stated were included in this “package deal”:

• The Norwegian Sea is a brand new ship and this is why this special is being offered
• This ship is a non-smoking ship
• Bus transportation to and from Miami, included in this package.
• Our cabin was on Deck 6, in the middle of the ship. Michael and Krishna even circled the cabin on a ship plan sheet, which is currently in my possession.

Upon reviewing this information, I asked Michael several questions. I asked if this ship, was indeed a “New Ship” or the “Norwegian Seaward” that was built in 1988. Michael’s response was “this ship is so new, it isn’t even in the cruise books yet”. I also then inquired about the smoke-free ship and expressed my delight in knowing this. For I only knew that Carnival’s Paradise was the World’s only Smoke-free ship. I was re-assured by Michael that this package deal was in fact what he claimed it to be.

Once I actually booked this cruise, I secured it with a down payment, with intent of the balance due within the allotted time. Neither Michael nor anyone was able to issue a proper receipt, detaining me for at least an hour while trying to obtain access to office documents. The entire deal was handled very rudely and very unprofessionally. My associate and I, cooperated with the utmost patience, because I also do Business in this same neighborhood and would extend professional courtesy.

Four Seasons Travel called me via telephone to advise me that our tickets were received and to come pick them up. Upon picking up the tickets, we noticed that both tickets had Rev. Patricia N printed on them, with the same sailing date. I was told this would be corrected and given a call when the new and corrected tickets came in. As of yet, I still did not have a proper receipt in my possession for tickets paid in cash.

I became increasingly concerned when time was approaching the sail date, because we had not heard from Michael the Travel Agent regarding our corrected tickets. I called Four Seasons Travel and spoke to the elderly gentlemen that worked there. He, himself, informed me that he didn’t believe that Michael handled the booking and me appropriately. He stated, “I had a feeling there is something wrong going on. By Monday, if you do not have the tickets, I will let you talk to the owner.” I later found out, I was dealing with the owner, Krishna, from the beginning. This all seems very puzzling to me now.

The Cruise

My associate and I arrive at “Parkside Mall” located in Pinellas Park, Florida for the 6:00 AM Bus to Miami. The driver of the bus told us we were not on the list of passengers. We thoroughly convinced the bus driver of our situation and how we are supposed to be on this bus. We held up the bus and other passengers, until the driver found seats and extended courtesy to us by allowing us to board.

Upon arriving at the Cruise Terminal in Miami, we were detained for 3 hours, due to the fact the ship was facing the wrong direction. There was complete chaos and the lack of security was frightening.

Once we started boarding, we saw that the name of the ship was indeed the Seaward, built in 1988. The ship was possibly re-furbished and re-named, however, this was definitely not a new ship.

As we continued to find our cabin, we noticed smokers everywhere, even in the elevators. The ship reeked of smoke.

When we found our cabin, it was in the very back of the ship, the last cabin at the back, overlooking the Basketball Court. In fact, the hoop was directly over our porthole. The Basketball Court was being used around the clock, which of course made for very little sleep and comfort. We were woken up at 4:00 AM to the crew playing basketball. At times, the basketball would bounce right off our porthole.

The next day we went to the purser’s desk to ask for a change in cabins and an upgrade. We were also told that the Basketball Court was only open from 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM and that the balls are put away. When we told them that we were woken up at 4:00 AM, all that we were told was to call security if it happened again. I informed them that I did not take this cruise to police their ship, it was for “rest & relaxation.”

Meanwhile, we were asked to wait 24 hours to be sure everyone was onboard and we would be notified in writing of a cabin change. The next day (24 hours later) we were informed that the ship was full and due to the price we paid, we could not be accommodated with a cabin change. We were once again told that the Basketball Court closes, with the balls taken away, at 6:00 PM.

The following night (day 3), just before midnight, my associate and I, ourselves, removed 2 of the basketballs and put them in our cabin. We called and informed the desk of what we had done, since they assured us that the balls were removed at 6:00 PM. These balls were found in the crews area of the court.

While dining and in other areas of the ship, we were informed that the ship was not full. In fact, the dining room captain himself told us personally that the ship was only 2/3 full. After learning this and noticing this ourselves, we again inquired about a cabin change to accommodate our “rest & relaxation” vacation. We were again told that nothing could be done. We found the staff at the Purser’s desk very aloof and completely unaccommodating.

After talking, listening and observing many passengers, we were informed that many paid only $99 for their cruise, through the internet because of the September 11, 2001 incident. Of course some paid $200. Regardless, we were treated like second-class citizens on board some low-budget ship. Which is exactly what we were not looking for.

Other Cabin Issues

By Wednesday evening, each time we entered our cabin, a foul odor was noticed. We discovered the toilet was not functioning properly and informed the Cabin Steward. Thursday the odor was still present and we were now using public ship restrooms. The restrooms closest to our end of the ship had “out of order” signs on them. This is when we found out that the back end of the ship had a problem with the plumbing. We now had to find other restrooms to use, which were located 2 desks below and to the front of the ship. The inconvenience was indescribable. Not only could we not sleep, now we could not even shower or use the toilet facilities in our cabin.

I would like Norwegian Cruise Lines to be aware that my Ministry Affiliates have in fact chartered the once named Seaward, now called the Norwegian Sea, as recently as March 2001 with Benny Hinn Ministries. We are also affiliated with Jerry Farwell, whose travel agents also charter for large Ministries as well. I have cruised, along with family and friends, with Norwegian Cruise Lines exclusively in the past. However, I feel that this entire cruise, from booking to the end, was a grave disaster. We are requesting a complete refund and or complimentary replacement cruise.

My family, friends and I have always enjoyed the Norwegian Cruise Lines on all their vessels, particularly the 7 day Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries. The cuisine, accommodations, service and ports of call have always been rated above the other cruise lines in my opinion. NCL has always been elegant and thoroughly restful, which is why we were persuaded to consider this “package special”, when presented as a “New Ship” special. We did not expect all these problems, nor did we expect just the “run of the ship” accommodations. We were definitely not aware that the “Special Price” would affect the quality of service, we are so used to by Norwegian Cruise Lines.

Additional data

On January 21, 2002 I went to Four Seasons Travel and I was told by the owner, Krishna, that she was not the owner, and that I was indeed on a log list with Norwegian Cruise Lines and that she was not going to do anything to help me or rectify the situation as she had promised earlier. She requested that I give her 30 days, then an additional week, then another week, then one more day. She also informed me that the agent who handled this reservation was no longer with her and that she would not honor her word to replace the cruise under the circumstances mentioned.

I phoned on Jan. 24th to Four Seasons, requesting once again to speak to the owner. I was in fact speaking to the very same agent that handled my reservation and this same agent that I was told was no longer with Four Seasons Travel. He basically mocked me and said they would do nothing to help me and then he laughed and hung up.

After speaking with Norwegian Cruise Lines on January 24th, I was informed that Four Seasons Travel had never inquired or represented my claim, that I was not on any such log claim which only takes two weeks to 30 days for a response. My name nor my associate’s name was not to be found on any claim list.

Report Your Experience
If you've had a bad experience -- or a good one -- with a consumer product or service, we'd like to hear about it. All complaints are reviewed by class action attorneys and are considered for publication on our site. Knowledge is power! Help spread the word. File your consumer report now.

Home | Rogues Gallery | Good Guys | Complaint Form | News | Recalls | Search
Consumer Resources | Find A Lawyer | Newsletters | Forums | Contact Us | Advertise

Consumer Affairs.Com is provided by ConsumerAffairs.com, Inc. in association with Joan E. Lisante LLC, licensed to practice in Virginia and the District of Columbia and the Law Offices of Horwitz, Horwitz & Associates, Ltd., licensed to practice in Illinois.  ConsumerAffairs.com is an independent service not affiliated with any government agency.  For more information see the FAQ and privacy policy. The information on this Web site is general in nature and is not intended as a substitute for competent legal advice.  ConsumerAffairs.com Inc. makes no representation as to the accuracy of the information herein provided and assumes no liability for any damages or loss arising from the use thereof. 

Copyright © 2002 ConsumerAffairs.com Inc.  All Rights Reserved.