Why is NCL so generous with their new 48hr cancelation policy?

[ray98]

9 hours ago, babydaryl24 said:

My theory is that the government is going to make them cancel all bookings for like 3 months to high risk areas..

 

And they all want people to reschedule before that is announced...............................................

 

 

Man.....you are playing both sides of the coin aren't you?

 

-One thread complaining that NCL won't begin to process cancellation requests until next week and you want answers NOW!

 

-This thread you are insinuating sailings will be cancelled due to the meeting at the White House this weekend and they are luring people into cancelling on their terms before that, knowing they were not processing cancellations.

Edited March 7, 2020 by ray98

[hamrag]

10 hours ago, ColeThornton said:

So people wanted the policy to change, it got changed and now people are questioning them?

 

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

 

9 hours ago, bonniboo1 said:

Exactly 

 

4 hours ago, tutuwahineLV said:

exactly what I thought.... 

 

 

Me too, although I do feel heart sorry for those caught in between.....there has to be a pragmatic cut-off point, for the logistics of sorting it all out (who would be a NCL agent right now?!) unfortunately some will feel really hard done by....I get that!

[proll267]

I get the issue and not complaining but this is where I’m jammed as a CAS booker. 
 

My Encore this fall was $1k for my family of four. If I take the FCC, my play credit will probably expire and I’m assuming I will only get $1k off a full price/non CAS booking. 

[tallnthensome]

NCL is just going to raise prices on future cruises. They’ll force those with cancellation credits to pay WAY more for the same cruise they had booked. You’ll be stuck and NCL will get back all the money they had lost from all this and stab people in the back ....If you don’t use your credit, you’ll lose it.  Profits ....long term ....always the NCL plan. That’s what they will do.....

[coolhandjiohnson]

My guess is to wait it out  and see if the cruise line will be forced to offer real time refunds in cash to people who want to opt to cancel.  I do not want all of my money sitting on a future cruise credit, in my case about 3k.  

 

If I were on a ship and I purchased a future cruise credit it would only cost about $100 per person and final payments would be at my discretion.  I like to be in control of my own destiny.

 

Remember this, If the cruise lines cancels the cruise you should get all your money back in cash.  If you (the traveler) cancels the cruise you will lose money.  This Future Cruise Credit is BS.  They could have offered it earlier.  They want to stay in control of YOUR MONEY.  They act like they are doing you a favor (or are they?)

 

NOW THAT  THE GOVERNMENT IS INQUIRING AND GETTING INVOLVED AND NOW THAT THE CORONA VIRUS CONTINUES T0 ESCALATE WE MAY SEE SOME ACTION.  I SUGGEST WAITING IT OUT....what do you think?

[Liljo22]

Regguy hit the nail on the head. With all the new ships being built, I would be surprised if any of the cruise companies are flush with cash.  There is probably a lot of debt on their books.  They are already seeing a drop in bookings and cancellation.  If they had to refund millions of dollars in cruise fares, the cash crunch might be enough to cripple the companies.  A prolonged outbreak may force a few into reorganization to make debt payments.  I would not be surprised if bailouts are talked about at the White House meeting today.  

[GettotheSun]

1 hour ago, hamrag said:

 

Me too, although I do feel heart sorry for those caught in between.....there has to be a pragmatic cut-off point, for the logistics of sorting it all out (who would be a NCL agent right now?!) unfortunately some will feel really hard done by....I get that!

 

I do have to say (1) I think the new policy is fantastic.  (2) Very glad they made the 'cutover' date ahead of CDN March Break, as a ton will be travelling during that time.  Still no plans for us to cancel, but certainly now have "peace of mind".  

[Laszlo]

Generous? Hardly......if they were really generous they would be giving you the money back. Instead its good for a future cruise

[sanger727]

11 hours ago, Regguy said:

Probably cash is at a premium.  This gives them the hope that people will keep booking and they can get the cash in the short term.  

 

This exactly. People are already speaking with their wallets by cancelling and failing to book future cruises. This isn't a charitable policy for good will. It's a hail mary to keep people booking and to keep from canceling. They are still holding the cards by only offering FCC that's good for 9 months rather than a cash refund.

Edited March 7, 2020 by sanger727

[fjg473]

2 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

NCL is just going to raise prices on future cruises. They’ll force those with cancellation credits to pay WAY more for the same cruise they had booked. You’ll be stuck and NCL will get back all the money they had lost from all this and stab people in the back ....If you don’t use your credit, you’ll lose it.  Profits ....long term ....always the NCL plan. That’s what they will do.....

Thats what Ive found when I price a rebooking of my same cruise. It will cost me $1000 more if I rebook. 

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, proll267 said:

I get the issue and not complaining but this is where I’m jammed as a CAS booker. 
 

My Encore this fall was $1k for my family of four. If I take the FCC, my play credit will probably expire and I’m assuming I will only get $1k off a full price/non CAS booking. 

Two points

 

First, you can use the FCC on a future CAS booking, no problem. You will get the promotions at the time of your next booking (including casino promotions). 
 

Second, in the past, CAS has been very flexible with changing cruise dates without penalty after final payment. I prefaced that by saying “in the past”. 

[GettotheSun]

2 hours ago, GettotheSun said:

 

I do have to say (1) I think the new policy is fantastic.  (2) Very glad they made the 'cutover' date ahead of CDN March Break, as a ton will be travelling during that time.  Still no plans for us to cancel, but certainly now have "peace of mind".  

 

I wonder if I spoke a bit too soon.  On the FAQ, it says :

The following will not be applied to the FCC:

• Travel Protection
• Special Promotional Onboard Credits (OBC)  

Am I reading this correctly?  If you purchased Cancel for Any Reason insurance, you lose that altogether? 

That does not make sense to me.  I paid over $800 for my NCL cancellation insurance, and I lose that altogether if I cancel under the new policy.  Seems punitive to those who actually paid for insurance...I guess those who purchased insurance are ostensibly subsidizing the new program for those who didn't buy insurance.  Womp womp.

[GettotheSun]

I tried looking on the NCL site, but I could not find any reference to cancellation or refund of the travel protection other than what I posted above.  If I've missed something can you let me know?  thx

[Aesop081]

16 hours ago, sanger727 said:

 

This exactly. People are already speaking with their wallets by cancelling and failing to book future cruises. This isn't a charitable policy for good will. It's a hail mary to keep people booking and to keep from canceling. They are still holding the cards by only offering FCC that's good for 9 months rather than a cash refund.

Actually it's good for 2 years and 9 months.   "Anyone choosing to cancel will receive a full refund in the form of a future cruise
credit to be used for sailings that embark through December 31, 2022."

 

So...

[Aesop081]

18 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

NCL is just going to raise prices on future cruises. They’ll force those with cancellation credits to pay WAY more for the same cruise they had booked. You’ll be stuck and NCL will get back all the money they had lost from all this and stab people in the back ....If you don’t use your credit, you’ll lose it.  Profits ....long term ....always the NCL plan. That’s what they will do.....

While I agree eventually they'll have to raise prices to offset the losses from the fire sale prices they're using to put anyone on ships at the moment if you know you want to cruise again in 6 -8 - 10 months, book right away.  Currently latitude pricing for cruises is great.  Example, December 14 Day Sydney Aus, around NZ and return is about 2000 per person Balcony with all perks.  That don't suck!  So book once you get your refund (should you wish to cancel) and get a higher cabin/longer cruise.

[chobo2]

First I don't understand why they went ahead with increasing the daily service fee in a time when all cruise lines are taking a hit that was a stupid move.

 

Now I am sailing April 30th, so I was planning on March 29th to pay my service fees to save from having to pay the increase, if I do this and decide to cancel my cruise (what from my understanding is that even though I booked in December after March 10th till basically April 28th) will I get those service fees back as cash or will that be rolled into FCC?

 

Second if the price goes lower (which is possible as they might be desperate to fill them....so kinda unfair to people who booked months in advance) and I am still wishing to travel could I not cancel my booking and book another on the same ship would that work? How long does it take to get a refund?

 

Right now a guaranteed inside cabin is $342 CAD cheaper than my inside cabin I chose though I would lose my free dining package (event this now people who book, are getting all 5 perks for free). 

 

Of course right now, hard to say what to do, Canadian Government is basically saying they would not recommend  cruise travel and I be the call centers are swamped right now so don't really want to call in and see what they can do better for me at this time.

[julig22]

1 hour ago, chobo2 said:

First I don't understand why they went ahead with increasing the daily service fee in a time when all cruise lines are taking a hit that was a stupid move.

 

Now I am sailing April 30th, so I was planning on March 29th to pay my service fees to save from having to pay the increase, if I do this and decide to cancel my cruise (what from my understanding is that even though I booked in December after March 10th till basically April 28th) will I get those service fees back as cash or will that be rolled into FCC?

 

Second if the price goes lower (which is possible as they might be desperate to fill them....so kinda unfair to people who booked months in advance) and I am still wishing to travel could I not cancel my booking and book another on the same ship would that work? How long does it take to get a refund?

 

Right now a guaranteed inside cabin is $342 CAD cheaper than my inside cabin I chose though I would lose my free dining package (event this now people who book, are getting all 5 perks for free). 

 

Of course right now, hard to say what to do, Canadian Government is basically saying they would not recommend  cruise travel and I be the call centers are swamped right now so don't really want to call in and see what they can do better for me at this time.

Pretty sure the DSC increase was in the works long before the current crisis - it has increased every year for some time now.  And why (assuming that it does go to the staff, not looking for a debate on that) would you penalize the crew who are at this time probably working much harder because of all the additional work they have to do?

 

If you read the terms of the increase, you pay the old rate as long as you book before March 31 and pay before you board (at least that's the US terms, I suppose Canada could be different).  If you pay them and then cancel, they would be returned as FCC, not cash.

 

I believe the faq says 7 days on the refund - but figure that they are swamped so that might be pretty optimistic.

No guarantee that the price of the new booking would be lower - and from what I've read, there is a good chance that it could be higher.  NCL isn't oblivious to the fact that people might try to do what you are thinking.  Call for an upgrade (you might get the new perks) - they will probably be more swamped after the 10th than they are now.  Or if you want to stay where you are, you might get OBC worth 25% of the price difference - and keep your perks.

[sanger727]

3 hours ago, Aesop081 said:

Actually it's good for 2 years and 9 months.   "Anyone choosing to cancel will receive a full refund in the form of a future cruise
credit to be used for sailings that embark through December 31, 2022."

 

So...

ok. I thought I had seen a post where that was correctly to dec 31 2020, but I don’t see that now do I might have mixed it up with a different line. Either way, the point remains this same that they are desperate to get and keep money in their pockets right now.

[joleary5]

OMG My cruise, my deposit, my future credit, my refund, my holiday. First world problems.
Let’s hope all who are sick get care and comfort and a speedy recovery.


Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[latebloomer56]

21 hours ago, GettotheSun said:

 

I do have to say (1) I think the new policy is fantastic.  (2) Very glad they made the 'cutover' date ahead of CDN March Break, as a ton will be travelling during that time.  Still no plans for us to cancel, but certainly now have "peace of mind".  

Have to agree we will plan to sail in June but if Bermuda becomes an issue or stops NCL from docking (don't want Cananda/New England exchange) we have "Peace of Mind" that we can change to next year. Much better than losing 8K + for tis family trip.

Hope all that are ill get better soon and others do the best they can for themselvies and families by following health experts guidelines.

[sbjm53090]

Throwing this idea out there. If you cancel under the new policy, take the FCC and rebook but this time purchase CFAR insurance would you be able to file under the CFAR and recoop your money as cash minus the cost of the travel protection? For me it would still be more than the 50% penalty I would have previously had. 

[jancl57]

On 3/7/2020 at 7:07 AM, tallnthensome said:

NCL is just going to raise prices on future cruises. They’ll force those with cancellation credits to pay WAY more for the same cruise they had booked. You’ll be stuck and NCL will get back all the money they had lost from all this and stab people in the back ....If you don’t use your credit, you’ll lose it.  Profits ....long term ....always the NCL plan. That’s what they will do.....

This....I checked the price of my same cruise for May 2021 and the price has gone up exponentially.  Waiting a bit longer to make my decision.  I probably would not cancel if we were taking a Caribbean cruise.  We are on the May 28 out of Rome.  A $2k increase is huge.  Mind you, I am not complaining.  I'm very happy we have been given an option by NCL.  Just disappointed we probably won't be applying our FCC to the same cruise.

Edited March 8, 2020 by jancl57

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, sbjm53090 said:

Throwing this idea out there. If you cancel under the new policy, take the FCC and rebook but this time purchase CFAR insurance would you be able to file under the CFAR and recoop your money as cash minus the cost of the travel protection? For me it would still be more than the 50% penalty I would have previously had. 

Nope. 
 

Since NCL is reimbursing you 100% as a FCC (I.e., you don’t have a cancellation receipt showing that you have lost money), the insurance company will reimburse your loss,,, $0. To file a claim, you need to provide a receipt documenting how much money you’re lost. With the new policy, you’re not out any money.  
 

That is why the insurance companies are doing the happy dance, they have the premium payment from current customers, and the new policy means that they won’t have any claims to pay. 

Edited March 8, 2020 by BirdTravels

[NLH Arizona]

21 hours ago, GettotheSun said:

 

I wonder if I spoke a bit too soon.  On the FAQ, it says :

The following will not be applied to the FCC:

• Travel Protection
• Special Promotional Onboard Credits (OBC)  

Am I reading this correctly?  If you purchased Cancel for Any Reason insurance, you lose that altogether? 

That does not make sense to me.  I paid over $800 for my NCL cancellation insurance, and I lose that altogether if I cancel under the new policy.  Seems punitive to those who actually paid for insurance...I guess those who purchased insurance are ostensibly subsidizing the new program for those who didn't buy insurance.  Womp womp.

I thought the insurance was from a 3rd party and NCL was just the middleman, but I could be incorrect.  If I am, I'm sure someone will pipe in.

 

You need to look at the terms of the insurance policy.  I purchased insurance from a separate company for a trip one time and their policy said that if you wanted my money back, I had to cancel the policy within two weeks of purchasing the policy.

[BirdTravels]

6 hours ago, chobo2 said:

First I don't understand why they went ahead with increasing the daily service fee in a time when all cruise lines are taking a hit that was a stupid move.

 

Now I am sailing April 30th, so I was planning on March 29th to pay my service fees to save from having to pay the increase, if I do this and decide to cancel my cruise (what from my understanding is that even though I booked in December after March 10th till basically April 28th) will I get those service fees back as cash or will that be rolled into FCC?

 

Second if the price goes lower (which is possible as they might be desperate to fill them....so kinda unfair to people who booked months in advance) and I am still wishing to travel could I not cancel my booking and book another on the same ship would that work? How long does it take to get a refund?

First, the DSC increase is a regular update planned long before anyone could spell COVID-19. 
 

Second, there is no refund. It is a credit out on your latitudes account as a Future Cruise Credit (FCC). 
 

No one knows exactly how this FCC will work. IN THE PAST,,, FCC associated with cancellations were valid on one future cruise. So, if you cancelled a $1000 cruise, you had to use all $1000 on one future cruise. If the future cruise only cost $750, you would forfeit the $250 difference. Some people posted that they had confirmed this yesterday. I would not be 100% confident on how the FCC works until Tuesday.