NCL - do not do business with this cruise line, they renege on agreements

[peteukmcr]

I am absolutely disgusted with NCL.

 

Two customer service reps have confirmed over the phone (3rd & 15th August) that NCL will pay up to £97 per person for any changes I have to make to flights already booked, or up to that amount if I need to cancel them due to NCL cancelling my cruise.

 

I also have a request from a PCC via email (which I received on 15th August) to submit the receipts for refund of our flights by NCL as shown below.

 

"Any receipt’s you have for flight and hotels please forward them to me directly and I will get our finance and guest relations team to refund you accordingly."

 

I sent the details of our flights to her.

 

So after I cancel the cruise on 17th August, due to there being no suitable alternative, I received an email containing the following on Tuesday, 18th August:

 

"Please find the attached confirmation that your cruise on the Norwegian Jade has been cancelled. Please can you also provide a copy of the flight booking so I can arrange a payment to cover the cancellation fee, upto £97.00"

 

Today I received an email advising that NCL will now NOT refund the cost of our flights that need to be cancelled as they are no longer of any use to us as we will not be sailing on Jade.

 

The email contained this:

 

"After reviewing your booking, its with regret that I have to advise that the £97.00 is not on offer for the cancelled Norwegian Jade sailing."

 

Totally unacceptable and a shocking way to do business.

[Shawnino]

That's terrible.

If I were you I'd be furious.

 

This bait and switch has been bad for a long time.

[WildcatRock]

Did you book your airfare through NCL?

[rvsullivan]

Some of this doesn't make sense? What did they say about why? You have in writing from more than one source that the money was to be given to you. So how do they justify not paying. There is missing information here. Surely that one line is not the complete communication?

[emmak8]

The poor customer service is very worrisome. The cruise line is foolish to lose a passenger over 97 pounds!

[SeaShark]

Some of this doesn't make sense? What did they say about why? You have in writing from more than one source that the money was to be given to you. So how do they justify not paying. There is missing information here. Surely that one line is not the complete communication?

Agreed. Two reps reportedly confirmed this. Why does the OP not contact one or both of them for an explanation / resolution?

 

Part of this story is missing.

[peteukmcr]

There is nothing missing in this story, how dare you insinuate that!

 

Typical of cruise line cheerleaders. I hope this never happens to you.

 

Do you want the full details of the emails?

 

Well here you go.

 

Received 15th August:

 

Hi Peter,

 

Sorry for not returning your call.

 

I have been waiting for update as to when we will be able to change your sailing over to your required date.

 

Any receipt’s you have for flight and hotels please forward them to me directly and I will get our finance and guest relations team to refund you accordingly.

 

We are hoping that we can change reservations sometime next week but I’m not sure it will be definitely on Monday but please call and we can check.

 

Kind regards, Rebecca

 

 

Received 18th August:

 

Dear Mr. Horton:

RE: xxxxxxxxx, Norwegian Jade, 10/8/2016

 

I'm sorry I missed your call.

 

Please find the attached confirmation that your cruise on the Norwegian Jade has been cancelled.

 

Please can you also provide a copy of the flight booking so I can arrange a payment to cover the cancellation fee, upto £97.00.

 

Kind regards

 

Received today, 19th August:

 

Good afternoon Mr Horton,

 

My apologies for not getting back to you sooner.

 

After reviewing your booking, its with regret that I have to advise that the £97.00 is not on offer for the cancelled Norwegian Jade sailing.

 

You should however be able to claim via your insurance company for any expenses incured.

 

I'm very sorry for any confusion caused by myself and my colleague's.

 

I do confirm that your booking has now been cancelled and we will reimburse you as soon as possible.

 

Does that satisfy you?

[kcwingwalker]

Waiting for more info.....................

[peteukmcr]

Some of this doesn't make sense? What did they say about why? You have in writing from more than one source that the money was to be given to you. So how do they justify not paying. There is missing information here. Surely that one line is not the complete communication?

I have provided the complete communication above, does that satisfy you?

[peteukmcr]

Waiting for more info.....................

Please see above!

[peteukmcr]

Agreed. Two reps reportedly confirmed this. Why does the OP not contact one or both of them for an explanation / resolution?

 

Part of this story is missing.

There is nothing missing and do you not think I have tried to contact the reps? NCL UK do not answer the phone! I work 8:30 am - 5:30 pm. What time are NCL available 9 am - 5 pm!

 

I spent my lunch break trying to contact them by phone! Oh and when I did contact them on Monday, 17th I was told categorically that only one PCC would deal with this and all communication had to go via him in the UK.

 

I work as a business travel consultant for a global travel management company and you can be assured I will not be recommending NCL to anyone anytime soon.

Edited August 19, 2015 by peteukmcr

[Leavethekidswithmom]

How do you book airfare over a year out?

Edited August 19, 2015 by Leavethekidswithmom

[rvsullivan]

There was no insinuation at all!!! As I said, it appears there is something missing and now you have provided it.

Makes a little more sense now. Your final answer clears up the fact that they say you were given bad info as your cruise does not qualify for any refund. They further apologized for the mistake and quite correctly informed you that you should rightfully collect from your insurance company. I hope you will now pursue the insurance claim that you are entitled to.

Thanks for clearing it up. As you can see, this had nothing to do with being a cheerleader, just you leaving out a crucial bit of info.

[caitriona43]

Can I ask why was your cruise cancelled in the first place was it Ncl that cancelled your cruise

[ColinIllinois]

Well, Hopefully your travel insurance will cover the losses.

[rvsullivan]

There is nothing missing and do you not think I have tried to contact the reps? NCL UK do not answer the phone! I work 8:30 am - 5:30 pm. What time are NCL available 9 am - 5 pm!

 

I spent my lunch break trying to contact them by phone!

 

I work as a business travel consultant for a global travel management company and you can be assured I will not be recommending NCL to anyone anytime soon.

 

As a travel professional, I assume you had already initiated your insurance claim? I would have waited until I talked to NCL again before you published the fact you were not going to recommend your clients from cruising with them. They do read these boards at times. :D:D

[maywell]

Okay - then file a complaint to EU consumer protection board if you feel.that NCL did you wrongly. Personally, I think they told you justly and within good reasonable time why they couldn't completely refund the airfare fee. That's going beyond the call of duty here in the US for cancelled cruise trips a year out.

 

Sorry that happen to you - whatever cruise or trip you go, be a enjoyable one. Also, I hope you win your insurance claim for the airfare.

 

Sent from my SGH-T399 using Tapatalk

Edited August 19, 2015 by maywell

[WildcatRock]

Did you purchase trip insurance?

[mjkacmom]

What I get from these emails is that NCL will pay for the cost to cancel the flights if you choose to book a replacement cruise with them. However, since you cancelled and didn't rebook, they aren't paying the fees.

[Jane Don]

There was no insinuation at all!!! As I said, it appears there is something missing and now you have provided it.

Makes a little more sense now. Your final answer clears up the fact that they say you were given bad info as your cruise does not qualify for any refund. They further apologized for the mistake and quite correctly informed you that you should rightfully collect from your insurance company. I hope you will now pursue the insurance claim that you are entitled to.

Thanks for clearing it up. As you can see, this had nothing to do with being a cheerleader, just you leaving out a crucial bit of info.

 

NCL should make him whole! He made the decision to cancel based on information provided by them, then when he takes the plunge, NCL changes their story. He, nor the insurance company should have to pay for NCL's cancellation of a trip they didn't intend to sail in the first place.

 

To the OP: You should definitely escalate the situation. I believe in the UK the law is on your side to boot. Don't give up - keep fighting for what you are owed.

[Sonora5]

The language in the emails from NCL is unequivocal-NCL is going to refund you. It is not contingent on your rebooking with them.

 

Then once you don't rebook with them they change their tune.

 

NCL has breached its contract with you by cancelling your cruise, and it also made a promise to reimburse you that it later reneged on.

 

Very poor show from NCL.

[WildcatRock]

What I get from these emails is that NCL will pay for the cost to cancel the flights if you choose to book a replacement cruise with them. However, since you cancelled and didn't rebook, they aren't paying the fees.

 

If you purchased airfare through NCL and the cruise is cancelled and you don't rebook a cruise does NCL reimburse you for the airfare? What's their policy?

[Demonyte]

He made the decision to cancel based on information provided by them, then when he takes the plunge, NCL changes their story.

 

 

Nope. The cruise itself was cancelled so the flights were unusable anyway - the cancellation of reservation just means that he didn't transfer it price protected to another cruise, another time.

[rhblake]

OP how were you able to book airfare so far in advance (Sep/Oct 2016)? The furthest out I can book, here in the USA, is July 2016. Are things different in the UK?

[maywell]

If you purchased airfare through NCL and the cruise is cancelled and you don't rebook a cruise does NCL reimburse you for the airfare? What's their policy?

That's the thing - It doesn't seem like the airfare was booked through NCL, looks like it was booked by OP on their own. Because NCL shouldn't have to ask for copy of the receipt(s) since it would be in the confirmation anyway.

 

Sent from my SGH-T399 using Tapatalk