nsitt

19 hours ago, RD64 said:

You booked a cruise at a price that you thought was acceptable.

 

You made the final payment because you thought the price was acceptable.

 

Now - for whatever reason - after you made the final “acceptable” payment it is no longer acceptable to you. What would your response have been had the price increased instead of decreased?

Yes, and I said it several times that this does not bother me. What I don't like is the fact that sometimes NCL offers some compensation and sometimes not, and if you complain more, like in my case, they offer you a compensation. 

1 hour ago, DCGuy64 said:

I re-read your initial post for context. You say that you booked your cruise 4 weeks ago. I don't know any of the following, which might have an influence on the response you get:

 

1. You appear to be from London, so I take it you booked with NCL through its UK site?

2. How soon does the cruise leave?

3. When is your final payment date?

4. Did you book directly through the website or did you use a travel agency/agent?

...

I stated that the new price for the cruise I booked has gone down significantly and when both, my TA and me, asked NCL if they can offer a form of compensation, like I heard others were getting, they said "no!" We are not talking about an inside cabin but about their premium product: Haven suite.

I complained about the lack of consistency in handling these situations. To me it matters whether a company has policies in place they would follow and that a situation like this shouldn't end up like a price negotiation at an oriental bazaar. 

Whether it is before or after final payment is not important. Important is how NCL is treating a customer who is ready to pay for their most expensive product. Here, from my point of view, they failed. 

They did not want to compensate, and now, after days of back and forth, they are willing to issue a FCC. Btw, it is not the full amount of the reduction in price. 

My personal opinion, not that it matters to anyone else, is that if companies do something that has the potential of annoying valued customers they should have a good plan how to handle it. Some customers may not be coming back if they are gone.

1 hour ago, julig22 said:

Guess my reading comprehension isn't what it used to be - haven't seen a single answer here that confirms that NCL isn't consistent. Actually pretty much confirmed that, other than paying administrative fees in the UK, price drops and upgrades are handled the same as in the US. But that's your story and you're sticking to it....

Now to call my PCC for a price adjustment, since the prices just went down on my cruise that's still before final payment.

From this thread it should be obvious that they are not consistent. What do you mean it is my story? They told me there is nothing they would do. Others are saying they would compensate in different ways.  I escalated trough other channels at NCL and now they offered me a FCC. Yes, they are very consistent. 

I even learned from this discussion that the gratuities are not paid out to the crew, I am guessing this information is alternative facts as it is called in your country  

2 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

.. Personally, I would rather a company be fair, even if that means being able to bend the rules on occasion.

Fairness that's what I am suggesting, too.How can it be fair if people are getting different answers for the same question?

1 minute ago, ontheweb said:

Yeah, take it out on the crew. It was obviously your room steward who denied you getting a price drop. Oh wait, maybe it was one of the waiters.

 

Are you going to let them know the reason you took off their tips was because you are mad at management?

I think you are not getting it. People cancel gratuities for many reason: Mattress to stiff, noisy room, food poisoning, don't like the coffee, etc. It is a way to protest. Nothing to do with the crew. Where I live people get salaries and don't have to beg for tips. 

NCL are not consistent in how they are handling these situations and cutting the gratuities would make me feel a little bit better. What would you do in my situation? Have you been in this situation before? 

12 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

He's just either ranting or looking for an excuse to stiff the hard working crew. There---help provided.

That's what you think? You think I should be more empathetic for the crew? What about NCL being more empathetic towards me? You think I don't work hard for my money? I know they are not obliged to do something about the price drop, but they do it for some people and it makes me feel bad. I am going to book another cruise with them? Not sure about that. 

Thank you all, for the answers and tips. Like I pointed out, NCL is not consistent with the way they are handling these situations which is confirmed from reading the answers. Knowing that the prices can be way lower just before the cruise date, I would probably wait to have the best deal or avoid NCL

1 hour ago, julig22 said:

Playing silly games? First off, they owe you nothing, once you've accepted the final contract. And as far as I know, "similar" situations get similar results. UK bookings follow different rules than US, I'm only familiar with the policy for US bookings. 

 

Price drop means that there is an equal stateroom currently available, with the same perks, at a lower price. So if you booked with an airfare deal for example, they consider the CURRENT price of the airfare, as well as the price of the cabin.  In most cases, your deal with airfare was better.

That's what I said. I am ok about the drop in price, I accepted the T&Cs at booking time. I am annoyed because NCL is not firm in their handling of such situations. Either you go with "no, nothing we can do!" or give OBC, FCC...
There could be lots of reasons why people are removing gratuities. I have never done this but paid in advance.  

26 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

From reading these boards, I have learned that different countries have different laws. If you were in the US, you probably would have received something. OTOH, by being in the UK, you have consumer protection laws that provide compensation for missed ports that we in the US do not have.

 

And what exactly has the crew done for you to stiff them because you can "play silly games"?

Well, If their employer, the cruise line can cut the cruise fair by so much why can't they pay the staff enough that they do not need mandatory gratuities?   

25 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

From reading these boards, I have learned that different countries have different laws. If you were in the US, you probably would have received something. OTOH, by being in the UK, you have consumer protection laws that provide compensation for missed ports that we in the US do not have.

 

And what exactly has the crew done for you to stiff them because you can "play silly games"?

Of course, I understand this. But this is not what I am talking about. I am talking about bookings in the same country where NCL reacts differently. That's my point here. 

I am affected by a remarkable price drop in the price of my cruise booked 4 weeks ago.Talking about 1400 Euros in a Haven suite. The internet is full of reports from folks who, in similar situations, got an upgrade, OBC or FCC and from some who were told "Sorry, there is nothing we can do". Same was told to my TA and by NCL directly to me. I am not particular mad about the fact that I accepted a price and would pay for it but more of the way NCL handles these situations. Why is NCL making these exceptions? What can one do, other than ask to remove gratuities at the end of the cruise? This may sound unfair but hey, NCL is playing stupid games why can't I do the same?