Question about Overbooked Cruises

[lambs2]

We had a similar situation on our very first NCL cruise on the Aloha (now the Sky) in 2006. We had booked an inside and the cruise was CANCELLED:eek: NCL offered us a free cabin on an alternate date plus all our money back and they even gave us the $50. change fee for our airfare!! (We took the offer IMMEDIATELY!) THEN a couple weeks out we were upgraded to a port side balcony cabin!!! We have been very happy with NCL over the years since and are now at Platinum level.

[sfaaa]

For $3k credit, NCL can bump me to an inside cabin at anytime.

[hpecorari]

We had a similar situation on our very first NCL cruise on the Aloha (now the Sky) in 2006. We had booked an inside and the cruise was CANCELLED:eek: NCL offered us a free cabin on an alternate date plus all our money back and they even gave us the $50. change fee for our airfare!! (We took the offer IMMEDIATELY!) THEN a couple weeks out we were upgraded to a port side balcony cabin!!! We have been very happy with NCL over the years since and are now at Platinum level.

 

LOL that was then.....this is now. For the last two years NCL has cancelled my Pearl 11 day cruise due to it being chartered out. All they offered me was $75.00 OBC and I was Platinum at the time and also a very good CAS player.

 

Harriet

[sfaaa]

All the more reason the $3k credit is like winning a mini lottery. To me, the negativity about inside cabin is mostly psychological. If you go with an attitude that you are going to have fun and enjoy yourself, it will be a good cruise regardless of where you stay on the ship.

[prplcat702]

Oakman58 - we may be on the same cruise. We are also doing the 14 day full Panama Canal transit. We had booked an aissigned Oceanview room. Got the call on Monday to downgrade to the inside for a $2000 future credit. We are a little worried about being claustrophobic in the room, but we took the deal. We'll just spend a little more time outdoors! We're also already in planning for our next almost free cruise! :D

[cigarboo]

I don't think $3000 cruise credit is necessarily good compensation for moving from balcony guarantee to essentially an inside guarantee. I don't believe OP was being offered anything else, such as a refund for the current cruise or additional obc.

 

Looked at my current cruise booking(11nts) and current pricing for inside gty vs balcony gty is $3600 difference. In my case, the 3k would not even make up for what the balcony cabin is worth. 3k towards a future cruise would only make me spend more money and only valid w/ ncl and possibly have some restriction. Cash or refund would be more appealing, if at all. I probably would have declined also. Every situation is different. Hope OP have a wonderful time and happy anniversary!

[CasinoCruzGirl]

I have to ask this question. If you purchase a guarantee balcony and the cruise line overbooks the cruise, can you be bumped off the cruise or into a lower category involuntarily? I know airlines can bump passengers from a flight so I’m wondering if cruise lines can do this too.

 

I ask because we still don’t have a cabin assignment for our 14 day Nov 3rd cruise. Yesterday Norwegian contacted us and offered us a $3000 credit toward a future cruise if we downgraded to an inside cabin. There is no way I can do an inside cabin on a 14 day cruise so we declined the offer. We will be celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary on this cruise. I don’t want our anniversary ruined by being bumped off the ship.

 

Oh imwouldmtakemitmin a heartbeat. Can you say suite on the next cruise?

[minn55441]

I completely understand your decision. You only have one 40th anniversary and the image of sailing through the canal with your own private railing is appealing. This is especially true when the alternative is to run up on deck and to find a place to stand with all of the other interior passengers.

 

All of us make decisions based on our own thoughts and feelings. Like many have said we can make suggestions and tell you what we would do if faced with that decision, but only you can make the correct choice for your situation.

 

Enjoy your cruise and more importantly enjoy your time together.

[pdmartyn65]

This is especially true when the alternative is to run up on deck and to find a place to stand with all of the other interior passengers.

 

Bet there will be an equal number of balcony passengers finding places to stand. :)

[garycarla]

to me, $3000 is basically a refund or free cruise.

 

Consider that cruise free, and then take another one.

 

Was it really $3,000 or $300?

 

Just seems crazy.

[havenfan]

OP, one question for you. Do you happen to remember what an inside cabin would have cost at the time you made your booking? As others have pointed out, there's a big difference in the prices of inside and balcony cabins on Panama Canal sailings.

 

The reason I ask is this: if the difference between a balcony and an inside at the time of your booking was near $3000 for the cabin, then you made the decision that it wasn't worth $3000 to you to forgo the balcony. Unless some circumstances have changed, there's probably no good reason for you to change your mind now.

 

I know this doesn't address your question. But neither did any of the other posts about whether you should or should not, or anyone else would or would not, have taken the offer:)

[janpo]

Our 40th anniversary is coming up in April.

 

Personally, I would have taken the $3,000. It works out to another cruise!!

 

Two cruises are always better than one.

[Budget Queen]

The OP's concerned about being bumped, doesn't matter what cabin they have chosen. They know their preferences. I will say, being bumped is extremely rare and as mentioned already, NCL usually will keep upping the deals to get the volunteers they need. As seen, there would be plenty of takers, so I will say, they will get their balcony. :)

[Oakman58]

OP, one question for you. Do you happen to remember what an inside cabin would have cost at the time you made your booking? As others have pointed out, there's a big difference in the prices of inside and balcony cabins on Panama Canal sailings.

 

The reason I ask is this: if the difference between a balcony and an inside at the time of your booking was near $3000 for the cabin, then you made the decision that it wasn't worth $3000 to you to forgo the balcony. Unless some circumstances have changed, there's probably no good reason for you to change your mind now.

 

I know this doesn't address your question. But neither did any of the other posts about whether you should or should not, or anyone else would or would not, have taken the offer:)

 

I don't remember what an inside cabin would have cost at the time of booking. The guaranteed balconies were selling for $1895 per person when I booked.

 

Thanks for the responses everyone.

[roger001]

I just couldn't do it. To each his/her own. But we enjoy our balconies so much that we could not sail without one. As much as I like $3000, we would turn it down. But each person enjoys cruises for different reasons. We're just not out and hanging around on other areas of the ship that much.

[SaveFarris]

I know how I would be spending my 41st anniversary!!!

[Kenlorz]

To the OP,

As you can see by the vast majority of the responses, a large percentage of people being offered that deal would take it. So what does that mean for you?

 

1) If they offered you an inside, they still have open cabins on the ship

2) Once you said "no", they moved on to the next person in a guarantee cabin who probably said "yes".

3) By the responses here, most of the people they asked would say "yes", which means they probably greatly lowered the number of people needing a guaranteed balcony and you should be fine

 

FWIW, I would have declined also. It would have been tempting... really, really tempting :cool:... but when you are dreaming about celebrating a momentous event (congrats on your 40 years:)!) by sitting out on a balcony together, the idea of being confined to a windowless inside just doesn't compare.

[darkprayer]

To the OP,

As you can see by the vast majority of the responses, a large percentage of people being offered that deal would take it. So what does that mean for you?

 

1) If they offered you an inside, they still have open cabins on the ship

2) Once you said "no", they moved on to the next person in a guarantee cabin who probably said "yes".

3) By the responses here, most of the people they asked would say "yes", which means they probably greatly lowered the number of people needing a guaranteed balcony and you should be fine

 

FWIW, I would have declined also. It would have been tempting... really, really tempting :cool:... but when you are dreaming about celebrating a momentous event (congrats on your 40 years:)!) by sitting out on a balcony together, the idea of being confined to a windowless inside just doesn't compare.

 

Very nice comment!

 

 

Being such a long cruise through the Canal, it would of been tempting but I think I would of passed also.

[mydreamvacation]

Don't worry they won't bump you you're guaranteed to get a balcony cabin or higher. I'm sure they've gotten a lot of people to move or though keep upping their offer for what it's worth they could've offered me five grand and I wouldn't have moved I'd rather stay home to be an inside cabin but it's personal preference happy anniversary 40 years is very impressive

[Oakman58]

YES!! OP here. Nine days out and we have been assigned cabin 9612. I feel so relieved.

[KweezyCruiser]

Thanks for reporting back. Have a great trip!

[quillwercruisers]

YES!! OP here. Nine days out and we have been assigned cabin 9612. I feel so relieved.

 

WOOOOHOOOO!!! Have a great cruise, and HAPPY 40TH ANNIVERSARY!!! :D

[DirtyDawg]

I don't remember what an inside cabin would have cost at the time of booking. The guaranteed balconies were selling for $1895 per person when I booked.

 

Thanks for the responses everyone.

 

I think NCL has an overbooking problem here. So their opening offer was something they thought was enough so people would accept and it would cost them too much money. NOW it's time to negotiate.;) See if they will do $3000 and a ocean-view or an inside and $4000, or whatever you want. I personally hate, detest, abhor, inside cabins but an inside with $3000 in the bank plus a dinner package and a drink package might do the trick.;) Someone's over the proverbial barrel here - use it!

 

Of course, I'm not a NCL shareholder - just a customer. If I were a shareholder I would recommend just the opposite.;)

[DirtyDawg]

YES!! OP here. Nine days out and we have been assigned cabin 9612. I feel so relieved.

 

Darn you!:mad:

 

All my wonderful advice gone totally to waist.:(

 

;) Have a GREAT, GREAT cruise.