Is this business as usual for NCL???????

[believer33323]

This is a false hope. The deposit made was not full payment. The contract you made with NCL only requires them to return your deposit.

 

If I understand the OP's posts, this is the offer NCL made for bumping them:

 

1) Honored current booked price on a range of 5 other sailings (including a Thanksgiving cruise -> $$$$)

2) NCL will try to keep the currently booked cabin if another cruise is chosen from the range.

3) NCL would, presumably, honor the timeframe the deposit was given at, which would mean increased points in their Latitudes program

4) If the currently booked cabin is not available, OP will be moved to a higher cabin grade without charge

 

OP, is that correct?

 

If that summation is correct, I would see if any of the offered cruises fit your schedule. If change fees for any booked airfare are needed, consult NCL to see if they would reimburse you. If you still are disgruntled, request an OBC for your trouble.

 

Decide what it is you want to be made whole that is within reason, but don't go overboard with your anger and frustration. If you go in too hot, NCL will recognize maybe they DON'T want you on their ship after all! Someone was going to be upset with this situation, and it might just be the person who is yelling at them.

 

The only thing I know as of now is that they will honor the original price for the days they stated. I am still waiting on an official letter from *********** for the confirmation so I can go ahead and make any changes I need to. As of yesterday morning they have not been officially told anything from NCL.

[che5904]

That said, I'd absolutely be frustrated and upset as well to have all of my travel plans disrupted and at the possibility of losing the money I've put into my trip.

 

Oh me too. And knowing all criselines do it, probably wouldn't do much to make me feel better, except realizing that anger at one particular cruiseline is unwarranted.

 

I'd probably first sit down and ball, then get angry (probably at the world) for a a very short time. Then because of my own personality pick up my boot straps and figure out my next option to salvage whatever vacation I could.

 

I would have probably had the bigger issue if I was one of the people on CC that knew of this mess weeks ago. The uncertainty definately would have drove me insane. At least now there appears to be a reason for the hold up, which no one knew why they were taking so long to make a decision.

[believer33323]

Here is an email that was sent to a friend of mine yesterday. Still waiting on mine.

 

NORWEGIAN JEWEL’S BAHAMAS SAILIING

 

 

 

 

Norwegian Cruise Line has important information for you regarding Norwegian Jewel’s sailing on 10/28/2012.

 

 

We need to advise you that this ship and saildate has been Chartered and your confirmation will be cancelled soon.

 

 

As we understand the importance of all of our passenger’s that choose to sail with Norwegian Cruise Line, we are offering the following options to choose from:

 

 

1. You may transfer to any Norwegian Pearl sailings excluding any holiday sailings from 11/4/2012 to 4/14/2013.

 

• If you choose to take advantage of this offer, they will protect your base rate to similar category. You would also receive an Onboard Credit of $50.00 per cabin for and Inside, Oceanview or Balcony Category.
  
• If you are is a Category S1 thru SF, you would receive $100.00 Onboard Credit per cabin.
  
• You will have until January 27, 2012 to make these changes, after this time your confirmation will be cancelled with a full refund.
  

2. If you choose to move to any other ship with Norwegian Cruise Line you would be able to so at the prevailing rate but would still receive the Onboard Credit Offers listed above for continuing to sail with us.

[che5904]

Here is an email that was sent to a friend of mine yesterday. Still waiting on mine.

 

 

NORWEGIAN JEWEL’S BAHAMAS SAILIING

 

 

 

 

Norwegian Cruise Line has important information for you regarding Norwegian Jewel’s sailing on 10/28/2012.

 

 

We need to advise you that this ship and saildate has been Chartered and your confirmation will be cancelled soon.

 

 

As we understand the importance of all of our passenger’s that choose to sail with Norwegian Cruise Line, we are offering the following options to choose from:

 

 

1. You may transfer to any Norwegian Pearl sailings excluding any holiday sailings from 11/4/2012 to 4/14/2013.

 

• If you choose to take advantage of this offer, they will protect your base rate to similar category. You would also receive an Onboard Credit of $50.00 per cabin for and Inside, Oceanview or Balcony Category.
  
• If you are is a Category S1 thru SF, you would receive $100.00 Onboard Credit per cabin.
  
• You will have until January 27, 2012 to make these changes, after this time your confirmation will be cancelled with a full refund.
  

2. If you choose to move to any other ship with Norwegian Cruise Line you would be able to so at the prevailing rate but would still receive the Onboard Credit Offers listed above for continuing to sail with us.

 

A couple of things, is the group you were booked with doing anything to rebook as a charter on another ship/cruiseline?

 

If not and you wish to just rebook your vacation individually, are you not better to take the refund and rebook where and when you wish. Usually group/charters are more expensive than paying personally for a cruise.

 

Setting all the disappointments/anger/frustration etc aside, this actually looks like a fair enough offer to me. But everyone, I'm sure, pacifies differently and what is fair to one may not be fair to another. Since my travel plans would included airfare and since I could not change weeks, I think if another cruise was going from the same location but at a higher rate than what I paid + OBC offered, I would probably at least ask if they couldn't throw in another $50 OBC to help offset my higher cost. The worst they could say is No. JMO

[GirlWriter]

We were booked on the Jewel 10/21 sailing and got the same email that was included above.

 

I was perturbed initially but now am not. I was able to switch to the Pearl's 6-day -- it's one less day than we had booked, and so we're skipping Cozumel (which wasn't a highlight for me anyway) -- and we got the $100 OBC without losing the OBC we already had for the Jewel.

 

One thing I am waiting to find out is whether the 6-day we are now on costs less than the 7-day we were on. My assumption is that it should, and if it doesn't, I think I will go back to being perturbed for a bit. The NCL customer service person I spoke with yesterday could not access any pricing information for the switched ships, so she couldn't tell me for sure one way or the other.

 

In any event, I am grateful that all of this happened as far out as it did, and I'm very fortunate that we were driving to Miami anyway. If we had flights to juggle around, I'm sure I would be perturbed still.

 

Best wishes to everyone affected by these changes. Hopefully, you can all still find a way to have a wonderful cruise.

[believer33323]

A couple of things, is the group you were booked with doing anything to rebook as a charter on another ship/cruiseline?

 

If not and you wish to just rebook your vacation individually, are you not better to take the refund and rebook where and when you wish. Usually group/charters are more expensive than paying personally for a cruise.

 

Setting all the disappointments/anger/frustration etc aside, this actually looks like a fair enough offer to me. But everyone, I'm sure, pacifies differently and what is fair to one may not be fair to another. Since my travel plans would included airfare and since I could not change weeks, I think if another cruise was going from the same location but at a higher rate than what I paid + OBC offered, I would probably at least ask if they couldn't throw in another $50 OBC to help offset my higher cost. The worst they could say is No. JMO

 

We are going on with a group, but we did not book with the group. You are correct, it was more expensive with the group. We saved $184.00 per couple plus our online TA arranged a 100.00 OBC with NCL. That now brings me to my next issue I will have to ask my TA/NCL. We originally with the booking was given the 100.00 OBC from NCL. Now that this has all happened and they are offering a 50.00 credit because of the cancellation, I am hoping that the origonal 100.00 is still in addition to total 150.00 OBC.

[Meekofigaro]

You will keep your current obc from what I have been told.

 

Kerry

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[che5904]

We are going on with a group, but we did not book with the group. You are correct, it was more expensive with the group. We saved $184.00 per couple plus our online TA arranged a 100.00 OBC with NCL. That now brings me to my next issue I will have to ask my TA/NCL. We originally with the booking was given the 100.00 OBC from NCL. Now that this has all happened and they are offering a 50.00 credit because of the cancellation, I am hoping that the origonal 100.00 is still in addition to total 150.00 OBC.

 

Sorry this happened to you. Good luck and hope you have a great vacation, however it turns out.

[Ms belp]

We have quit cruising. Sadly, it's the airline travel of the future. No planes, no trains, no automobiles. We will just stay home and feather our nest. :)

[fairytrails]

Does anyone know how far b4 a cruise they can cancel(charter) a trip. When can you feel farely safe your cruise will take place?

[groo]

We were booked on the Jewel 10/21 sailing and got the same email that was included above.

 

I was perturbed initially but now am not. I was able to switch to the Pearl's 6-day -- it's one less day than we had booked, and so we're skipping Cozumel (which wasn't a highlight for me anyway) -- and we got the $100 OBC without losing the OBC we already had for the Jewel.

 

One thing I am waiting to find out is whether the 6-day we are now on costs less than the 7-day we were on. My assumption is that it should, and if it doesn't, I think I will go back to being perturbed for a bit.

 

We recently sailed a 10 day cruise. At one point we could have booked the 11 day that sailed the week before ours for $50 pp less than the 10 day. The 10 day fit our schedule better so we stayed put, so more days doesn't always equal a higher fare.

 

If that makes you feel any better.....

[SeaShark]

This has been a very interesting thread. It isn't often that you see one charter group having an issue because of another charter group. :eek:

[Relax@Sea]

I got caught in the same sinario and I worked with NCL and the airline and worked it out to my satisfaction. I got a different ship the same OBC and cancelled my flights and recieved a credit from the airlines and used those credits to rebook a different flight so my cost was minor. If I had waited until all the dust settled I would have saved a little but I over responded and it cost me a little extra. In my circumstance NCL did and excellent job to keep me satisfied.

 

My 2 cents

[willysgrandma]

But how long ago didvthis happen? Almost every airline now charges a change fee so there may be a penalty for changing tickets to a different date. IMO NCL should bevreimbursing any change fees.

 

 

c

I got caught in the same sinario and I worked with NCL and the airline and worked it out to my satisfaction. I got a different ship the same OBC and cancelled my flights and recieved a credit from the airlines and used those credits to rebook a different flight so my cost was minor. If I had waited until all the dust settled I would have saved a little but I over responded and it cost me a little extra. In my circumstance NCL did and excellent job to keep me satisfied.

 

My 2 cents

[believer33323]

Does anyone know how far b4 a cruise they can cancel(charter) a trip. When can you feel farely safe your cruise will take place?

 

I would guess that it is up to the cruise line. money talks. That said, I would think it would not happen to close to your boarding due to anyone wanting to charter an entire ship would also need to advertise the event to be able to fill the ship also. That would take many months.

[chrispb]

Oh dear, gazundering on properties and gazumping on cruises. Where's it all going to end? Why don't you all get together and lobby your congressmen to get things changed? It can't be that difficult to change laws so that once bookings have started to be accepted by cruiselines they then cannot say "Oh look, we can make more money here with this charter group" .

It all seems a bit one sided and unfair practise, especially for those who have to book flights.

[newmexicoNita]

WE JUST GOT SCREWED. This was the first time I was going o NCL. It may be the last. We booked along with 4 other couples along with a National group booking set for the October 28th Jewel leaving out of Miami. Many other couples from around the country have also been booking through a group program. We now find out of the blue that we ALL were bumped from the ship because they decided to Charter the ship out to a Blake Shelton and a KISS cruise.

So all of us were basically dumped off the ship. Forget those that may have already booked flights.

 

it happens all the time and NCL isn't as bad as a couple other lines, but I will leave it there. I am not here to blast another line...It is just the way it goes. We have been lucky, 25 plus cruises and never had this happen to us, but the further out one books the bigger chance there is for this to happen.

 

I know it is diasppointing and you every right to be upset. I don't know how the lines get away with this, but as long as you have 6 months or more notice I would think you could find something else that would work. Again, just don't get the idea this is just an NCL trick.

[newmexicoNita]

I'd be PO'd too. Will NCL help their bumped guests recover losses from unrefundable airfares? I guess that cancellability clause is in the fine print that we never read? What a crappy business model.

 

beleiver33323 - If you've got non-refundable air fares, I'd look into what the other cruise lines have going that week from Miami or Ft. Lauderdale. There's a lot of boats down there. And I'd feel the same way as you and probably would bring my business elsewhere (although from what I'm reading here, that's no guarantee some other "celebrity" won't do a special trip).

 

no and no one else will either. If they booked through the cruise line it would be different.

[Mrs. Squirrel]

Here is an email that was sent to a friend of mine yesterday. Still waiting on mine.

 

NORWEGIAN JEWEL’S BAHAMAS SAILIING

 

 

 

 

Norwegian Cruise Line has important information for you regarding Norwegian Jewel’s sailing on 10/28/2012.

 

 

We need to advise you that this ship and saildate has been Chartered and your confirmation will be cancelled soon.

 

 

As we understand the importance of all of our passenger’s that choose to sail with Norwegian Cruise Line, we are offering the following options to choose from:

 

 

1. You may transfer to any Norwegian Pearl sailings excluding any holiday sailings from 11/4/2012 to 4/14/2013.

 

• If you choose to take advantage of this offer, they will protect your base rate to similar category. You would also receive an Onboard Credit of $50.00 per cabin for and Inside, Oceanview or Balcony Category.
  
• If you are is a Category S1 thru SF, you would receive $100.00 Onboard Credit per cabin.
  
• You will have until January 27, 2012 to make these changes, after this time your confirmation will be cancelled with a full refund.
  

2. If you choose to move to any other ship with Norwegian Cruise Line you would be able to so at the prevailing rate but would still receive the Onboard Credit Offers listed above for continuing to sail with us.

 

Wow, you didn't get much time to take them up on the rebook offer if you just got the e-mail around 1/19! :eek: It would take my DH longer than that to get vacation approval let alone decide which ship we'd want to rebook and when. Almost like they hope you'd take the refund. :(

 

For what it's worth, charters happen on a lot of lines. There was a really popular thread on Carnival's board in 2010 about a large wedding party booted for a charter group.

[garbasaurus]

So not cool! You'd think they'd work this out with the cruise companies before the dates are even put up on their website so no one even knows there was an available cruise that date. I guess that would mean they'd need to PLAN in advance. Good luck with this :(

[palmyrafan]

From what I read here on Cruise Critics earlier today, they're putting you on the Pearl instead of the Jewel? Did I get that right or am I confusing another topic?

 

If so, the Pearl is a sister ship to the Jewel and if this is your first NCL cruise you won't know the difference. If it's your 10th NCL cruise, you probably still won't notice the difference.

 

If your flight was on a 767 jetliner and they decided to put you onto a 757 instead, I don't think you'd be too upset. Pearl to Jewel is pretty much the same thing, except for the color of the carpet. You'll still have a fantastic cruise, plus you know you won't have to listen to BS or Kiss :)

 

If you are being booted due to Blake Shelton, then you will be on the Pearl. The Pearl is the sister ship to the Jewel (slightly different color themes) but the exact same rooms, suites, many of the same restaurants, etc. The only difference is the name of the ship.

 

We have always had a great time while on the Pearl and we were disappointed to hear that we were being booted to the Jewel because the Pearl was chartered. No big deal. We got the same suite and everything else is the same.

[believer33323]

Oh dear, gazundering on properties and gazumping on cruises. Where's it all going to end? Why don't you all get together and lobby your congressmen to get things changed? It can't be that difficult to change laws so that once bookings have started to be accepted by cruiselines they then cannot say "Oh look, we can make more money here with this charter group" .

It all seems a bit one sided and unfair practise, especially for those who have to book flights.

 

Personally I want the government to stay out of the business of running companies with useless laws.

 

I would rather stick with Free Enterprise:

Business governed by the laws of supply and demand, not restrained by government interference, regulation or subsidy

[clean1owner]

Oh dear, gazundering on properties and gazumping on cruises. Where's it all going to end? Why don't you all get together and lobby your congressmen to get things changed? It can't be that difficult to change laws so that once bookings have started to be accepted by cruiselines they then cannot say "Oh look, we can make more money here with this charter group" .

It all seems a bit one sided and unfair practise, especially for those who have to book flights.

 

 

Best that I understand, this is still America and businesses can make their own decisions without the government telling them how to do it. If you don't like the business decisions they make, DON"T DO BUSINESS WITH THEM!

 

Pick another cruise line to sail with and let NCL, or whichever line you are leaving, know the reason you are switching. As Michael Douglas said in the movie 'Falling Down'.........."I'm just exercising my rights as a consumer"