NCL STAFF REMAINS SUPERB!

I have always maintained that NCL had the best trained, friendliest and most attentive crew members at sea.... this voyage was no exception!
Mike decided to bring a few loose golf clubs with him (no bag) to use for practice in the ship's golf nets.  These were confiscated at port security where they told us we could pick them up at Guest Services once we were onboard.  Unfortunately, a visit to the Guest Services desk later that day found me arguing with the crew member who told me that the "golf sticks" weren't there yet, but that I could have them at the end of my cruise! Round and round we went with me getting more and more heated.  Finally he said that he would discuss it with security once the "sticks" found their way to the front desk, and then he'd call me with the outcome.  Having a lot of past experience with people who say they'll call, but never do, I wasn't holding out much hope.... however, early the next morning I got a phone call from Guest Services saying I could come pick up my "sticks"!  Turns out, he really did take the time to have a meeting with the security officers and plead my case to have them returned to me for my usage on board.  Even if I hadn't "won", the fact that he went that extra mile for me is a perfect example of what great customer service is all about.
NCL has a program where it rewards its crew members who make an extra effort to help a passenger, or to make a passenger's day.  Cruisers can acknowledge such crew members by filling out a HERO card and detailing what he/she did.  I filled out many hero cards on my trip and I encourage you to do so as well.
Aside from Guest Services, other staff who really stood out were Walfredo and Jorge, casino cocktail waiters, who not only served us promptly and checked on us often, but also kept up a friendly interaction and rooted us on to win. By the end of the cruise, it felt like we had known them forever.
Strangely enough I encountered someone on the pool deck who was bucking for HERO cards.  He actually had little slips of paper pre-written with his name and job title on them so you theoretically wouldn't make a mistake when filling out a HERO card for him.  No, I didn't fill out a card.