POA - First Timer on NCL

[Beagleluv6107]

Hi Everyone,

I am ready to book my anniversary cruise on the POA. The only problem is that I have never cruised on NCL. I was going to just book online without talking to a "human". That worried me. I wanted to ask you all for advice. Should I get a TA? Do you think I would get a better deal or is it all just the same? I don't have any problems booking flights and hotels on my own, but when it comes to the cruise itself, should I ask the experts?

 

Oh, one more question since I am not familiar... If I book in advance and pay in full, will I get a discount if the price of the cruise drops. I plan to cruise 4/2018.

 

Thanks so much,

Beagle

[Florida 1]

You are usually able to get extra perks on top of the cruise line's pricing, so there is a definite advantage there. I'll be using ours when we book on the POA as well. When we cruise RCI, we get discounts through the casino program so book directly with them. I would not pay in full in advance regardless, but I'm not sure how/if it affects your ability to get credit for a price drop. I know you cannot after the ship's required final payment date. I would call NCL and ask them directly or the travel agent you're considering using for the extra perks.

[JustDandy]

We use NCL personal cruise consultant Victor Brenes @ 1-877-416-9722 ext. 44219. Very helpful guy, at the corporate Miami location. NCL has great deals right now!! I just booked another after disembarking a week ago.

 

 

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[easyboy]

You can call a TA what deal they can give you, then compare it with the online deals. Just pay the deposit. If the price drops before final payment date, you can have it adjusted. If you used a TA, the TA will deal with the cruise line.

 

 

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[BirdTravels]

We avoid TAs. Just a layer of complexity.

 

Regardless of whether you put down a deposit (they had $50 deposits last week) or pay in full, you can cancel and rebook in accordance with the cancellation policy if you find a better deal. For people booking through US NCL offices, you can get 100% refund. For people booking through Non-US NCL offices or through TAs, there may be additional cancellation penalties (even if you are before the final payment date).

[Linda the Book Lover]

I agree with the other posters in never pay a cruise in full until the due date. I also agree you should check out prices online as some offer "extras". Many prefer to use NCL and have a good relationship with their NCL agent. Keep in mind that should you use another agency other than booking direct with NCL that TA is the one who will call NCL with any changes etc to your booking. We have used both with no issues.

[pizzalady1]

We have been using a TA for all our cruises. Yes, it does add a layer, but a TA will deal with NCL if need be, and they hold much more influence than you do if you were to deal with NCL on your own. A TA will give you all the promotions that NCL will give you, but in addition, some TAs will give you OBC.

 

You will need to ask a few questions in selecting a TA: is there a cancellation fee? Do they give you OBC?

 

We are sailing on the POA this December, and our TA gave us 5% of the cost back as OBC. Some people report that they get 10% OBC.

[kayjay76]

When booking our future cruise, I called for a quote from a few local TAs. And it was the same price with same perks that ncl offers. I went with calling NCL directly and booking thru an agent there. That agent will give you their personal extention # so you can always deal with them directly if you have questions.

 

Whats nice about doing it thru them is you can pick your room instead of just being given a few choice online to choose from. (I would suggest pulling up the deck plan of the ship before you call the agent and have a few choices to ask if room is open). Also if you have specific requests... beds being separated, need dietary concerns, etc. they will ask you while you book.

 

I agree with the others... why pay ahead of time. And by having a specific NCL agent you're working with... if a special offer comes up or the price lowers, you can call them directly to see if they can adjust price.

 

I'm not sure if this was because we booked a group cruise but our NCL agent also gave us each the option to add on the 189.00 gratuities fee to our price. So it went directly into our total so we didn't have to pay the separate fee later on, just was added to our balance. They also will offer you insurance.

[zerooveride]

My first 3 cruises I booked myself with the cruise line and got no perks or anything. I switched to a TA and it was much better. For example for my POA cruise, I booked a GTY Balcony and while I didn't get the free at sea promotion I got $300 on board credit, plus $50 OBC for being a loyalty member and booking again with the TA and I got another $50 OBC for referring someone to the TA. Worked out much better than booking directly with the cruise line.

[Linda the Book Lover]

I'm not sure if this was because we booked a group cruise but our NCL agent also gave us each the option to add on the 189.00 gratuities fee to our price. So it went directly into our total so we didn't have to pay the separate fee later on, just was added to our balance. They also will offer you insurance.

 

Anyone may pay DSC or add onto the cost of your final payment. All TAs offer insurance or you can hunt around for a good price or items you wish to have included on your insurance. We wait for the DSC perk which happens every now and then to book. My upcoming and future cruise are all paid DSC perks.

 

zerooverdrive got a great deal.

[pizzalady1]

When booking our future cruise, I called for a quote from a few local TAs. And it was the same price with same perks that ncl offers. I went with calling NCL directly and booking thru an agent there. That agent will give you their personal extention # so you can always deal with them directly if you have questions. NCL does not allow TAs to lower the price of a cruise. So that is why many TAs will share the commission they make with you in the form of OBC.

 

Whats nice about doing it thru them is you can pick your room instead of just being given a few choice online to choose from. (I would suggest pulling up the deck plan of the ship before you call the agent and have a few choices to ask if room is open). Also if you have specific requests... beds being separated, need dietary concerns, etc. they will ask you while you book. You can always pick your own cabin, unless you choose to go with a guarantee cabin. Just look on NCLs website and see what cabins are available or check the availability of a cabin if you want a specific one. Then just tell the TA the cabin number.

 

I agree with the others... why pay ahead of time. And by having a specific NCL agent you're working with... if a special offer comes up or the price lowers, you can call them directly to see if they can adjust price. You can also get price adjustments with a TA.

 

I'm not sure if this was because we booked a group cruise but our NCL agent also gave us each the option to add on the 189.00 gratuities fee to our price. So it went directly into our total so we didn't have to pay the separate fee later on, just was added to our balance. They also will offer you insurance. You have the same options if you use a TA

 

Please see above comments in red.