NCL AMERICA STATEMENT

NCL America is committed to delivering a high-quality and unique cruise vacation experience in Hawai`i. As with many new ventures, the company has faced a number of start-up challenges that have affected some of Pride of Aloha’s guests experience and the company would like to apologize for that.

Although the company has received many positive comments on the initiative it has taken to make this product possible and indeed on the friendliness and quality of the crew onboard, it recognizes that for a variety of reasons the service on the initial cruises was generally not up to the standard for which NCL is known.

Pride of Aloha’s U.S. crewmembers and officers are working together for the first time and they are establishing routines and procedures that when perfected will make Pride of Aloha one of the finest cruise products at sea.

The company is taking aggressive actions to address specific issues on Pride of Aloha. Senior management is onboard the vessel to ensure quality levels quickly reach the high levels the company is known for.

In recognition of the shortcomings of Pride of Aloha’s past cruises, the company is refunding all guests who have sailed on Pride of Aloha, 50 percent of their service charge as well as issuing cruise credit certificates for future cruises, both which they will receive in the next few weeks. The cruise credit certificates will be 20 percent of the value of the cruise only portion of their recent Pride of Aloha fare.

The cruise industry in general is experiencing an upsurge in demand and prices are rising. The popularity of the brand’s Hawai`i cruise program has also meant that today’s prices are higher than they were when it first announced Pride of America’s Hawai`i program a year and a half ago. If past Pride of Aloha guests would like to sail aboard either Pride of America or Pride of Aloha in Hawai`i next year, the brand will extend to them its initial publicly available rates that were applicable when the product was put on sale in 2003. This offer, which is good on bookings made through the end of this year, is additional to the cruise credit (which is good on any cruise booked and sailed before the end of 2005) and may be combined with it. Travel agents will receive a $50 rebooking fee in addition to their commission.

Like this is something new. United States Lines & Matson Line seemed to have no problem delivering excellent service.

They recognize that there was a problem, and that, to quote the security folks, the "chatter on the street," was growing, with possibly significantly unfavorable implications for them.

Accordingly they launched a pre-emptive strike, admitting that they did not handle things well; and offering both apologies and compensation. They did not wait until they were sanctioned or indited. They had enough business sense to face the truth without excuses......well more or less so.

Would that our Government Officials would do the same!

And linerguy: US Lines, and particularly Matson, had decades of experience in operating ships with US service crews. They had the ability to promote those with experience to responsible position. They had trained and, I assume had done appropriate "weeding out," of the misfits.

NCL is starting with more or less a clean slate. They are not going to find American citizen "old hands" with appropriate experience except in the shorebased hospitality industry. The analogue is far from perfect. They still have much to learn, it appears. At least they acknowledge the problem.

[ 08-20-2004: Message edited by: Cambodge ]

There has been a lot of "chatter on the streets" for some time now. As I understand it, NCLA finally put a member of senior management on board in mid-August to see how bad things were, and this statement has therefore followed. Interestingly, it has also followed an official visit by Senator Inouye to see how his political "investment" was doing.

Also, I have also read that some particularly vociferous complainers have received much more than this from NCLA - some have even had the entire price of the cruise refunded to them in acknowledgement of the poor product.

I always regard the crew as the 'software' and the ship as the 'hardware'. If you have the hardware wrong you are in deep trouble, but the software can be upgraded! After all, crews come and go. Crews can always be re-motivated and given more training.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Dmitriy:
Wow, this is some major damage control, IMHO...

---

This is not a publicity stunt. It is a poor effort at trying to save refunds. We just got off of the Pride of Aloha Sunday, August 22nd. It was our 4th cruise and the WORST cruise we have ever been on. The ship was understaffed and poorly managed. Trying to get to dinner was a 2-3 hour fiasco. On the last night we left after waiting 1 1/2 hours for our food to come. It never did. First thing in the morning on deck, tables were dirty, glasses and bottles left from the night before. Could not find a clean table to have breakfast outside. Outside buffets, food was cold, 3 days. Ran out of plates, napkins, utensils. The Captain was arrogant, insisted there were no problems. When I invited him to come into the restaurant, which was 50% empty (I have pics) yet required a 1 1/2 wait, he refused.

[ 08-26-2004: Message edited by: joe at travelpage ]

quote:

---

Originally posted by BillK:
We just got off of the Pride of Aloha Sunday, August 22nd. It was our 4th cruise and the WORST cruise we have ever been on.

---