NCL lost our trust forever

[spanishguy1970]

8 hours ago, mianmike said:

 

I wish I shared your optimism.  One month later I'm still waiting for the refund of my pre-paid DSC that will take "7-10 days." 

still waiting? wow. We finally got our refund for the spa passes but it took 4 weeks to do so. We have been NCL customers since 2009, we are Platinum plus and we liked NCL mostly for comfort ( freestyle) ,  the itineraries we chose and ' Prices" however for a while now we were and still considering Celebrity, maybe RCL. When all of this is over, we think it could take at least 2 years, we will probably not use NCl. We have been very discontent with this cruise line  way before this pandemic.

[NLH Arizona]

19 minutes ago, Murph269 said:

I didn’t suggest that NCL would win. All I was saying is that typically if you file a dispute and have funds credited back to you the next day, it’s usually a temporary credit that is subject to being taken back upon investigation.  For the record, I agree with you in that NCL doesn’t have much footing to stand on to fight this. 

I think folks are getting confused when someone says they won or got a credit.  When you dispute a charge, the bank will pull the charge off the account so you will not have to pay at least the minimum payment for it or incur any interest on the amount.  The bank then sends communication to the company involved and the company then has x amount of days to respond and then the bank will make the decision.  After the company has responded to the bank and the decision is made, if you won, then you will get that amount and then can use those dollars.  If you lose, the bank will put the charge back on your account and you will have to wait for the refund.  When I have disputed items, it has taken thirty to sixty days to get a letter from my bank with their determination as to whether the charge is correct or not.  

Edited April 14, 2020 by NLH Arizona

[mjkacmom]

15 minutes ago, spanishguy1970 said:

still waiting? wow. We finally got our refund for the spa passes but it took 4 weeks to do so. We have been NCL customers since 2009, we are Platinum plus and we liked NCL mostly for comfort ( freestyle) ,  the itineraries we chose and ' Prices" however for a while now we were and still considering Celebrity, maybe RCL. When all of this is over, we think it could take at least 2 years, we will probably not use NCl. We have been very discontent with this cruise line  way before this pandemic.

So you are okay with the other lines taking 3+ months to issue refunds? They’re all in the same boat.

[spanishguy1970]

1 minute ago, mjkacmom said:

So you are okay with the other lines taking 3+ months to issue refunds? They’re all in the same boat.

so are you saying you will never cruise again?

[okpaddy]

5 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

LOL, I can picture Nathan sitting at that desk writing those checks! Great analogy! 

All I really need is my thermos...

[LaCal]

11 hours ago, cruiser4801 said:

NCL's 90 day delay to issue refunds is ridiculous.  The payments are all stored electronically and can be refunded swiftly with 10 days at most.  They are doing this for cash flow purposes and that makes us angry.  I for one will never cruise on NCL again if they survive, which I truly doubt they will.  The way NCL has handled the Covid-19 crises and processing of refunds for cruises they had to cancel and did as a result of the pandemic shows what little regard they have for their customers.  

 

I was Platinum level at NCL and am done with them.  Why would anyone ever subject themselves to having NCL hold your money for 3 months after a cruise they canceled.

Goodbye NCL-- you lost our trust..  

 

 

While I agree that the 90 days is ridiculous Almost all other cruise lines including Carnival, Royal, MSC etc are doing the same 

 

So are you saying you’ll be giving up cruising for good?

[PATRLR]

19 minutes ago, NLH Arizona said:

I think folks are getting confused when someone says they won or got a credit.  When you dispute a charge, the bank will pull the charge off the account so you will not have to pay at least the minimum payment for it or incur any interest on the amount.  The bank then sends communication to the company involved and the company then has x amount of days to respond and then the bank will make the decision.  After the company has responded to the bank and the decision is made, if you won, then you will get that amount and then can use those dollars.  If you lose, the bank will put the charge back on your account and you will have to wait for the refund.  When I have disputed items, it has taken thirty to sixty days to get a letter from my bank with their determination as to whether the charge is correct or not.  

No confusion here.  I got the response that said something along the lines of the decision was final.  

I don't know what bank you are using, but, I've never had a dispute go out 30 days.  Usually about 10 days, maybe 2 weeks.  I will admit I was surprised at how quickly this one was resolved, I just assumed they had already been down this path and had a pre-determined response.

 

 

[mjkacmom]

10 minutes ago, okpaddy said:

All I really need is my thermos...

I was born a poor black child...

[manorf]

1 hour ago, buckeyefrank said:

The staff they have is most likely very limited.  Yes NCL is a large corporation but their staff who processes refunds is probably less than 5 people total in the department on a 'normal' day.  For each cruise, they will need to match up the refund request from the client against their paid balance.  They will need to mark the account for a refund of the paid amounts.  The system will most likely generate a penalty for a portion or all of the cruise amount paid.  The NCL worker will then need to override that amount and get it into the batch for payment processing.  They then need to make sure that all cruisers on the specific sailing either have been given FCC or a refund.  

 

There is a LOT of human intervention that is needed to make sure refunds or FCC are correct.  FCC is much easier and faster because their system will certainly have the capability baked in to move payments to FCC.  Not so much for cash refunds within the penalty window.

What a load of rubbish.

1. They have plenty of staff from other support departments who could be transferred to the accounts / finance dept.

2. You ever sold on ebay? If an item you sold is out of stock / didn't arrive / broken / returned - you push 2 buttons and the buyer gets refunded to their original payment source.

Simples....

[poffles]

9 hours ago, mianmike said:

 

I wish I shared your optimism.  One month later I'm still waiting for the refund of my pre-paid DSC that will take "7-10 days." 

 

Me too ... actually into month two now.  Meanwhile, they have the nerve to be calling me about my FCC ... they are there to help me book my next cruise.  'Of course you are, and I suppose you would suggest June might be a good time to sail ????????? ... Why not, I'm just a fool on the other end of the phone.'

[julig22]

1 hour ago, PATRLR said:

No confusion here.  I got the response that said something along the lines of the decision was final.  

I don't know what bank you are using, but, I've never had a dispute go out 30 days.  Usually about 10 days, maybe 2 weeks.  I will admit I was surprised at how quickly this one was resolved, I just assumed they had already been down this path and had a pre-determined response.

Chase travel card?  They may have resolved it under the travel insurance portion.  I had a dispute with Sears a few years back (on Discover) and Sears waited the full time to deny the claim, so it took quite awhile.

[seaman11]

i agree 90 days is very long.  all of the cruislines are doing the same.   if you absolutely will never cruise again ,then sure get a refund, or else take the FCC and rebook.   

[spanishguy1970]

5 minutes ago, seaman11 said:

i agree 90 days is very long.  all of the cruislines are doing the same.   if you absolutely will never cruise again ,then sure get a refund, or else take the FCC and rebook.   

My experience has solely been with NCL. All cruise lines are doing the 90 day refund thing but i've also read that some are doing a better job refunding that money as quickly as possible compared to NCL, whether is true or not i have no idea.

[tray]

5 hours ago, brovol said:

This issue, and folks being so upset over the refund delay, is a bit curious to me.  You paid for a cruise in advance, which means that you budgeted that money accordingly, and since you spent it on a cruise I assume this was surplus, or play type vacation $, rather than the part of your budget that should be used to pay basic necessities; food, mortgage payment, shoes for the kids....  The cruise was cancelled, so you didn't get that vacation, but you also shouldn't be in a position where you "need" that money immediately, because until now it was already "spent" as far as you were concerned, right?.  Actually, if we assume you would have spent more of that "vacation" money while on the cruise, like most tend to do, you actually already should be in a better financial position than you would have been had the cruises never been cancelled. 

 

I get it, and don't disparage anyone for being upset over the situation.  I generally expect a merchant to provide me with an immediate refund when I return something, or when, for whatever reason, the merchant cant provide the product or service I paid for.  I am just surprised that so many folks, (1) don't understand that the cruise companies are in a desperate mode, and are working on passifying a lot of masters at the same time; creditors (including cruisers looking for their refunds), governments, shareholders, and more, and aren't in a position to simply refund everyone immediately; and (2) seem to be so cash strapped themselves that you cant wait 90-120 days to get money which you already budgeted to be gone anyway.

This makes sense, but you also have to realize many of us are living on less right now, just like the cruise lines. My husband is an internal medicine physician in private practice, and he has had to take 1/2 salary since the beginning of March to help retain employees to continue taking care of all of these patients. Unfortunately, this has affected individuals in many different areas, and that deposit $ could be used to pay bills. Yes, it was vacay money, but plans were made when we were making double the salary. And let’s not even talk about stock market loss 😣

[seaman11]

5 minutes ago, spanishguy1970 said:

My experience has solely been with NCL. All cruise lines are doing the 90 day refund thing but i've also read that some are doing a better job refunding that money as quickly as possible compared to NCL, whether is true or not i have no idea.

yeah i heard some ncl got theirs fast also ,so who knows.  i wish we had better ships out of the baltimore port btw.  i live 20 min from dc in nova. 

[PATRLR]

19 minutes ago, julig22 said:

Chase travel card?  They may have resolved it under the travel insurance portion.  I had a dispute with Sears a few years back (on Discover) and Sears waited the full time to deny the claim, so it took quite awhile.

That could be the case.  But I would think I would have somehow known that was how it was being resolved.  For example, I'd expect to have to file a claim.  

Same card I did take advantage of the extended warranty once.  That was a royal PITA, I am sure designed to discourage use.  I'd have expected something similar to make a travel insurance claim, but, who knows, maybe that is what happened. 

 

[spanishguy1970]

4 minutes ago, seaman11 said:

yeah i heard some ncl got theirs fast also ,so who knows.  i wish we had better ships out of the baltimore port btw.  i live 20 min from dc in nova. 

yes, i've would love that, Taking a Transatlantic ending in Baltimore :-), we live near Bethesda Maryland it would be so convenient :-)..but only cruise line that comes into Baltimore is Carnival and i am really not interested in Carnival.

[Zippeedee]

The 90 days to refund is not new. I have beaten this topic to death, but one more time... my last cruise was an NCL-created minor nightmare. SpanishGuy1970 lived this as well as a large group of others who still post here.

 

NCL offered a 25% refund and 25% FCC along with up to $300 reimbursement for airfare changes or hotel charges.  The refunds were doled out in dribs and drabs based on when you paid them. Port fees and taxes, drink plan grats etc all separate credit card credits. The $300 was mailed as a paper check.  We were told there was one person per ship assigned to issuing refunds. It took some on our roll call up to five months or so before they had all they were owed.  

 

Now multiply that times however many thousands of cancelled cruises and the backlog has to be insane. They are working from home and there was a delay in getting bank security set up on home internet connections.  When I called to get my NCL credit card points put back in my account, I was told to call "after they can go back to their offices" and it would be done then. 

 

For my Bliss cruise that was recently cancelled, I cancelled all of the extras (DSC, spa pass, shore ex, dinner package, internet) on March 9 and 12. I have received credit card refunds for everything except the DSC.  The first credits appeared at exactly 10 business days. The second round took longer because of the transition to working from home (I called and asked).   I have not seen anything about returning the FCC I used as partial payment. 

 

I am not a cheerleader by any stretch. I've been attacked for "badmouthing" NCL on this and other forums because I told the truth about my experience. No one wants to hear anything negative and then they act like they've been blindsided when they are the ones waiting for a refund/payment.

[ray98]

3 hours ago, KateQ22003 said:

Completely false.

 

Absolutely correct.

 

"The first wave of direct deposits was made on Saturday, April 11th. If you find yourself among the first batch of recipients, then you should receive your stimulus check shortly. Keep in mind some banks may take a few days to release the funds.

 

The IRS has previously stated they would prioritize direct deposits for those on the lower ranges of the income scale, ensuring those with lower incomes receive their stimulus checks first."

[KateQ22003]

1 hour ago, okpaddy said:

All I really need is my thermos...

And this chair 🙂

[spanishguy1970]

2 minutes ago, Zippeedee said:

The 90 days to refund is not new. I have beaten this topic to death, but one more time... my last cruise was an NCL-created minor nightmare. SpanishGuy1970 lived this as well as a large group of others who still post here.

 

 

 

Now multiply that times however many thousands of cancelled cruises and the backlog has to be insane. They are working from home and there was a delay in getting bank security set up on home internet connections.  When I called to get my NCL credit card points put back in my account, I was told to call "after they can go back to their offices" and it would be done then. 

 

For my Bliss cruise that was recently cancelled, I cancelled all of the extras (DSC, spa pass, shore ex, dinner package, internet) on March 9 and 12. I have received credit card refunds for everything except the DSC.  The first credits appeared at exactly 10 business days. The second round took longer because of the transition to working from home (I called and asked).   I have not seen anything about returning the FCC I used as partial payment. 

 

I am not a cheerleader by any stretch. I've been attacked for "badmouthing" NCL on this and other forums because I told the truth about my experience. No one wants to hear anything negative and then they act like they've been blindsided when they are the ones waiting for a refund/payment.

'NCL offered a 25% refund and 25% FCC along with up to $300 reimbursement for airfare changes or hotel charges.  The refunds were doled out in dribs and drabs based on when you paid them. Port fees and taxes, drink plan grats etc all separate credit card credits. The $300 was mailed as a paper check.  We were told there was one person per ship assigned to issuing refunds. It took some on our roll call up to five months or so before they had all they were owed. "

 

was the above offered to you from the Getaway? or are you talking about now? because if it was from the Getaway we were not offered anything.

[KateQ22003]

Just now, ray98 said:

 

Absolutely correct.

 

"The first wave of direct deposits was made on Saturday, April 11th. If you find yourself among the first batch of recipients, then you should receive your stimulus check shortly. Keep in mind some banks may take a few days to release the funds.

 

The IRS has previously stated they would prioritize direct deposits for those on the lower ranges of the income scale, ensuring those with lower incomes receive their stimulus checks first."

Well, I got mine and I am not on the lower income scale.

[Zippeedee]

1 minute ago, spanishguy1970 said:

'NCL offered a 25% refund and 25% FCC along with up to $300 reimbursement for airfare changes or hotel charges.  The refunds were doled out in dribs and drabs based on when you paid them. Port fees and taxes, drink plan grats etc all separate credit card credits. The $300 was mailed as a paper check.  We were told there was one person per ship assigned to issuing refunds. It took some on our roll call up to five months or so before they had all they were owed. "

 

was the above offered to you from the Getaway? or are you talking about now? because if it was from the Getaway we were not offered anything.

That was from the Getaway when they took away two days and dumped us in Southhampton early. I had to submit my hotel bill to get the $300 (even though I paid double for my cabin) but the rest was automatic (after months of delay). You should have received refunds of partial port fees, taxes, grats on two days of drink plan, etc plus the FCC and a  25% refund. I got my refund in June as I recall.

[spanishguy1970]

1 minute ago, Zippeedee said:

That was from the Getaway when they took away two days and dumped us in Southhampton early. I had to submit my hotel bill to get the $300 (even though I paid double for my cabin) but the rest was automatic (after months of delay). You should have received refunds of partial port fees, taxes, grats on two days of drink plan, etc plus the FCC and a  25% refund. I got my refund in June as I recall.

Ah ok, your trip was different than ours. Our last Trip was back on the Getaway,  horrible cruise, the worst we ever had but we ended in New Orleans. Copenhagen to New orleans back in October 2019 and we did not get a thing back.

[Zippeedee]

2 minutes ago, spanishguy1970 said:

Ah ok, your trip was different than ours. Our last Trip was back on the Getaway,  horrible cruise, the worst we ever had but we ended in New Orleans. Copenhagen to New orleans back in October 2019 and we did not get a thing back.

Sorry! I thought you were on the TA from NYC to Southampton in April.