firegal2539

Harriet,

I sent an email and left a voicemail from Vivian Ewart. A woman from her office called me at 8 a.m. today. She explained quite a bit to me. First, no one can book any cruise, Panama Canal or any other until at least Wednesday, February 24, 2016 and she didn't even know if NCL would be ready by then. The reasons are many but the main one is there are several overlapping bookings they have to fix. Second, you were correct, the Panama is cruise fare protected. Since I bought and totally paid for the cruise, transfers, gratuities, beverage package, and insurance they will move over to the Panama cruises, but not on a brand new booking. There will be no price increase even though Panama is 3 days more of cruising, NCL will not charge me the difference. I asked about the OBC I have on the Mexican cruise and up to $50 off on four shore excursions, she didn't think that those would move, but NCL is offering $50 OBC, so that will help but not with excursions.

The air I have booked and paid for with American, I will have to cancel my round trip San Diego flight, lose $200 because I cancelled, get documentation from American, and NCL will pay me the $200 I lost. I have to show proof of my new air booking from Dallas to San Diego and Miami to Dallas in order to get that $200.

I told her that I appreciated her help and I understood that cruises and flights get cancelled but a little more information in the letter would have been helpful.

I hope this information is helpful.

Candie

My October 22, 2016 10 day Mexican Riviera cruise was cancelled. I have spent about three hours on the phone to NCL to try and book one of the Panama Canal cruises and because my cruise is a Casinos at Sea offer, they won't let me book until Wednesday of next week. Of the four reps I spoke to no one could tell me why I have to wait until next Wednesday. I was told four different things by all four reps, one said they had to get approval from the CAS supervisors to let me take a 14 day Panama cruise, another said that cruise fare is protected, but the insurance I bought, the beverage package I bought, the gratuities I already paid for and the transfers I have paid for will not move to the new cruise. I will have to get a refund on them and rebook at the new price, that is totally wrong. I have already booked my air and I asked about the up to $300 towards new air and was told by another rep that he didn't think a CAS offer would get the $300.

I have called Vivian Ewart and emailed her also, with my concerns and problems, especially that I can't book until next Wednesday, so rooms might be gone and I won't get the room I want. The airfare that I will lose if they don't reimburse up to $300.

I am hoping she will do the right thing and either call or email me so I can get a cabin on the September 30 Panama Canal cruise.

Candie

Thanks Harriet. I called and asked for a supervisor and CAS passengers won't be allowed to book the Panama Canal until Wednesday of next week. She wouldn't tell me if full paying passengers can book their Panama cruise now. She said the same thing, the only two cruises price protected are Panama. Since I have a beverage package, gratuities, transfers, and insurance all booked through NCL it would be best to go to Panama and since I have air booked, the $300 will be given to me after I change me old reservation to a new one. (bet that will take a long time to get in my mailbox). My question was "What if I don't want to go to Panama?" That doesn't seem to matter the passenger doesn't really have a choice in this.

Thanks for the help. I appreciate it.

Candie

I am booked on the 11 day Mexican Riviera from San Diego on October 22, 2016. I have purchased my air, beverage package and finished paying for the cruise with the exception of $100. I got the same email and my cruise was a Casinos at Sea offer. I called immediately the number on the letter and was told I have to talk to CAS, no one else. I got a rep, Colleen, who told me that all I have to do is find another cruise since I don't want to do the Panama Canal and they will transfer everything, including beverage package, transfers, and insurance to the new cruise. They will pay for up to $300 air back to me after I cancel and have proof of the old reservation, and proof of the new air reservation paid for by me. So I spent 2 hours looking for cruises, came up with two and called CAS and they told me that they are not changing any CAS offers until Wednesday of next week. This rep said that they have to notify a supervisor in the CAS department and get approval to take a longer cruise then I originally booked and to pay $300 towards air. This is crap!

I am more then angry, mad, whatever you want to call it. I am now going to call and ask for a supervisor, does anyone have a good number to reach someone that can help and bypass the reps that answer the phones. I have googled and all I see are the main numbers.

Any help will be appreciated.

Candie

Thanks so much for the link to the pictures. I am on the Getaway on August 8 and now I know what she looks like.

Candie

I am a solo cruiser and have been for about 10 years. I have done 25 cruises by myself and actually prefer not having anyone with me, that I have to try to entertain or keep up with or they keep up with me. I have sailed NCL, RCCL, Princess, Holland, Carnival and Celebrity, all solo.

I agree that NCL does the best treatment of solo cruisers. I sailed the NCL Dawn for 14 days Canada, New England and loved the cruise, hated the ship. I have 15 cruises booked right now and only one is with a roommate.

I don't like the solo cabins on NCL, they are way too small, I would rather have an interior and not see daylight then be cooped up in that tiny little room. I always book a Ocean View room anyways.

It is so easy to connect with almost anyone on the ship. I never have gone on a cruise by myself and not make a new friend, a cruising buddy and an email pal. I agree that it is the passengers that make the cruise.

Candie

I didn't post this to upset all of you, I was trying to help. There are many people upset with Celebrity, not just the Infiniti bookings. I told you this is what my TA found out but she told me to take it with a grain of salt.

Candie

Hi All,

My TA called Celebrity and for those 5 to 6 weeks the Infiniti is being chartered by a couple of large companies, and since they will completely fill the ship, more money for Celebrity. She asked what happens to the people already booked and Celebrity is working on that right now, possibly offers of new cruises or full refunds.

Candie

I know many people don't like a TA but I love mine. Only yesterday, she saved me another $400 on a Princess cruise in November down the Pacific Coast. I have had this cruise booked for over a year and started out with it costing around $1900, (I am a single cruiser so I pay a lot more than most people). My TA calls Princess about once a month to check on my reservation and see if there are any promotions that would apply. I made the final payment on this cruise two days ago and when she called them they had Princess Mom's Day promotion. I now have $300 onboard credit, started out with $50 from Princess and $50 from my TA. The total cost of the cruise went from over $1900 to $989. That is what a really good TA can do for you. She had to lose $100 of her commission from Princess to save me that much, but she did it for me. I keep asking my TA if she can do this on every cruise, please!

I was on the Royal Princess about a month ago and people I ate with in the MDR recommended Alfredo's. I ordered a Canadian Pizza and when it arrived it had an orange colored wet top. I told the waiter the pizza did not look done and could they cook it a little longer. He explained they would have to make another one and I asked to please do that. The second one arrived with this orange sauce running off of the pizza onto my plate. Again, I told him that it didn't look done and he explained this was the way all of their pizzas looked. I ate one slice, it tasted horrible. I got up and left. About 1 hour later I had to go to the ship's doctor because I had food poisoning, not Novo or Norovirus but food poisoning from the pizza. I spent the next 36 hours in my room, so sick, it ruined my cruise.