NCL is no longer offering refunds for cancelled cruises

[Trimone]

The cruise companies that have showed respect to customers will survive, the dictatorship will not, utter contempt from NCL saying they will ban anyone who does a credit card charge back to get their own money? 
The Law is 14 days full refund for customers from the EU.

Section 75 CC act

[8420PR]

That whole post is almost 100% incorrect.  Gotta love the internet 🙂

[JimS4210]

I think you learned 3 valuable lessons... Never be gullible enough to pay $450 annually for a credit card, no matter what fancy name they call it! 

[beerman2]

With all the Credit Cards out there why spend $450.00 a year?  No fee  I will look at it, yearly fee No Thanks!

 

CC companies probably don't like me anyway, as very rarely don't I pay them off monthly.

[chengkp75]

Most of this is moot, anyway.  The Federal Maritime Commission requires that cruise lines booking cruises in the US post a bond equal to advance bookings, just in case the company goes belly up.  That money would be distributed to the passengers first in any bankruptcy.

[adam_s_allen]

On 5/1/2020 at 7:03 AM, Freckles_51 said:

 

Working through our Travel Agent - We booked another cruise using each of our 25% bonus FCC as deposit, (we had to use this bonus FCC in order to get the extra 20% discount that they offered), leaving the 100% FCC in our accounts.

 

Interesting. I was able to book a cruise online and get the 20% off without having to use any FCC

[Dar & Bob]

16 minutes ago, adam_s_allen said:

Interesting. I was able to book a cruise online and get the 20% off without having to use any FCC

It's an extra 20% on top of any current sale. 

[cruiser4801]

Right you are.

 

I'll never trust NCL again with my money and I am sure there are thousands that feel the same way.

 

NCL has no right to delay the refund of our monies for 90 days.  In the end, NCL will go bankrupt before the 90 days pass and we will never see our refunds.

 

That is why everyone should dispute the charge with their credit card companies.

[Freckles_51]

2 hours ago, Dar & Bob said:

It's an extra 20% on top of any current sale. 

Yes that is correct
 

We also received an additional 30% discount due to sale when we booked

[Freckles_51]

NCL is not the only cruise line delaying refund.

We expect the same wait time for a refund from Celebrity, and we cancelled that cruise prior to final payment date.

[dexddd]

58 minutes ago, Freckles_51 said:

NCL is not the only cruise line delaying refund.

We expect the same wait time for a refund from Celebrity, and we cancelled that cruise prior to final payment date.

Hello Freckles.  Hope all is going well up your way.

 

Good luck with your refunds.

[chipmaster]

On 4/30/2020 at 4:42 PM, BenDover said:

I will try to keep this short and as factual as possible without editorial:

I booked a cruise for me and my two grandsons ages 13 and 11. The cruise was scheduled for May 22.

I paid the entire amount on my credit card. NCL cancelled the cruise and sent me a notification that I could receive FCCs or a refund.

Took about a week for FCC to post. Was expecting a credit of $2,024.56 ($1,619.65, the amount I paid, and $323.9, 25% offer). The credit that showed up on my page was $767.06.

Called NCL with intent to book an Alaska cruise for myself (no grandsons) for next May using the $2,024.56. But first we needed to figure out the difference in the FCC. I was told that I am only entitled to my portion of the cruise fare. The rest of the credits belong to my grandsons and I can't use them.

What?! "Can those credit be transferred to me since I'm the one who paid for the Cruise" Nope!!

"So you gave the credits I paid for to two minor children who did not pay a penny" Yep!

"They can't go because they will be in school. What are my options" Nothing at this time!

"Are you telling me that my only option is to create a log-in for each of them and to request a refund" WE ARE NOT OFFERING REFUNDS AT THIS TIME!!

"I need to speak to a supervisor".

Supervisor comes on. Is totally unconcerned, unsympathetic, detached and cold.

I keep calm. Tell her how much I love NCL Cruises. Explain I am trying to support them by booking a future cruise.

No doing. No full FCC. No refund.

Tell her I am disappointed in how she is handling the situation and she starts YELLING AT ME!

By the way the letter that they emailed about the cancellation has a hyperlink to request a refund. That link no longer works.

Also the website no longer has a link to the refund request it had a few days ago.

I had no choice but to dispute the charges with my credit card company.

I really loved the NCL cruises I have been on and I want to support them. But the future does not look good.

 

They need to preserve every $$$$ they can, they got huge debt and no cash flow, even holding your money for future liabilities helps their ledger and those people you called employement.

 

Just hope they don't go bankrupt and your credit evaporates, terrible times, people dying, tens of million with no job, looking for rent money, so the world got bigger problems, sadly 

[julig22]

17 hours ago, Petoonya said:

There is something I'm not understanding although it's probably crystal clear. If NCL returned all your money to you on 4/1, then took back 25% on 4/23, how could they ever access your credit card account without your permission to withdraw funds? Maybe I'm wrong but that doesn't even seem legal....

Good explanation on another post.  Cancelled before final payment due (90 days at that time) but after 120 days, so it looks like the 25% penalty would apply, since the 90 days apparently only applied to payment and did not change the cancellation policy.  Money was credited to OP's account because they disputed the charge, not because NCL had returned it.  So after investigating, NCL was able to justify to the bank that the OP was not due a full refund.

[Freckles_51]

22 hours ago, dexddd said:

Hello Freckles.  Hope all is going well up your way.

 

Good luck with your refunds.

Hi dex, yes all is well thanks, as I hope it is for you and family.   Just patiently waiting for a few refunds and some kind of normalcy. 

[misstamster]

On 4/30/2020 at 8:39 PM, BenDover said:

Neither person told me that refunds would be available beginning May 15. In fact both of them stated no refunds until “at least July”. I’ll wait and see if they start on the 15th, but don’t be surprised if there’s another delay.

My issue was that the other two passengers are minors. I don’t see how you can issue a credit to a minor and not the adult responsible for them. Anyhow their rules-fine. But I was willing to use those credits to book a cruise. Now I will get a refund one way or another. Not exactly a win-win.

Still no excuse for being yelled at by a supervisor. I was trying to support them and give them business. Not really interested in sailing with them now.

The only real time I have been upset with NCL was in the FCC of our cancelled cruise. I did the booking, paid with my credit card, and only got 1/3 of the FCC, my sailing partner, whom did not even have an account, got 2/3. they know I am going again, guess they hope my partner doesn't, lol

[BenDover]

14 minutes ago, misstamster said:

The only real time I have been upset with NCL was in the FCC of our cancelled cruise. I did the booking, paid with my credit card, and only got 1/3 of the FCC, my sailing partner, whom did not even have an account, got 2/3. they know I am going again, guess they hope my partner doesn't, lol

In my case I paid for all and only received 1/3. The rest went to 2 minors. How can you give minors a FCC? That's a headscratcher.

[misstamster]

1 hour ago, BenDover said:

In my case I paid for all and only received 1/3. The rest went to 2 minors. How can you give minors a FCC? That's a headscratcher.

because they don't want you to use it!!!!

[BenDover]

6 minutes ago, misstamster said:

because they don't want you to use it!!!!

Which resulted in me asking is my only option to request a refund and which time the supervisor yelled at me stating "we are NOT offering refunds at this time".

My only option was to dispute with credit card company. Sad.

[hallux]

44 minutes ago, BenDover said:

My only option was to dispute with credit card company

No it wasn't.   You could have followed the published time frame for submitting for the refund.

[JT1962]

Most of this is moot, anyway.  The Federal Maritime Commission requires that cruise lines booking cruises in the US post a bond equal to advance bookings, just in case the company goes belly up.  That money would be distributed to the passengers first in any bankruptcy.

Unless I’m reading the information wrong on the FMC website, I believe there is currently a cap of $32 million on the bond that is required for the cruise lines to cover customer deposits. If that is for the entire cruise line, it would cover less than 30 cancelled cruises if the average refund due was $ 750 per person and the average sailing had 1,500 passengers booked.


https://www.fmc.gov/resources-services/passenger-vessel-operators/

Passenger Vessel Operators

Passenger Vessel Operators (PVOs) subject to FMC regulations are cruise lines that operate vessels having berth or stateroom accommodations for 50 or more passengers that embark passengers at U.S. ports.

PVO PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATES

A PVO must apply for and obtain a FMC-issued Performance Certificate before advertising or booking passengers on a cruise embarking passengers at U.S. ports. The actual coverage amount is determined by the Commission (currently capped at $32 million).


(j) The amount of: the insurance as specified in §540.5(a), the escrow account as specified in §540.5(b), the guaranty as specified in §540.5©, or the surety bond as specified in §540.6 shall not be required to exceed $15 million for one year after April 2, 2013. Twelve (12) months after April 2, 2013, the amount shall not exceed $22 million, and twenty four (24) months after April 2, 2013, the amount shall not exceed $30 million. Every two years, on the anniversary after the cap on required financial responsibility reaches $30 million, the cap shall automatically adjust to the nearest $1 million based on changes as reflected in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index. The Bureau of Certification and Licensing will determine the amount of each adjustment and transmit that information to the Secretary of the Federal Maritime Commission for publication on the Commission's Web site (www.fmc.gov) and in the Federal Register with an effective date that is no less than sixty (60) days after Federal Register publication.

[Newleno]

6 minutes ago, JT1962 said:

 

Unless I’m reading the information wrong on the FMC website, I believe there is currently a cap of $32 million on the bond that is required for the cruise lines to cover customer deposits. If that is for the entire cruise line, it would cover less than 30 cancelled cruises if the average refund due was $ 750 per person and the average sailing had 1,500 passengers booked.

 

Thank you for providing accurate information, sometimes you got to wonder if it is deliberate that some post wrong or misleading data.

[BenDover]

1 hour ago, hallux said:

No it wasn't.   You could have followed the published time frame for submitting for the refund.

When a NCL supervisor says to me “we are not offering refunds at this time, maybe in July” I am going to believe them. She did NOT say that they will start accepting requests on May 5th or 7th or whatever it is and it will take 90 days to process. She never said any of that. 

By the way you do know that they changed that information on the website several times. She could have told me the most up to date info but chose not to. I also received a letter that day informing me about the cancellation and that letter said NOTHING about a refund at all. 
I had called with the intent to book 2 new cruises. Instead I got yelled out by a supervisor.

I did have only one option 

[mscdivina2016]

On 5/3/2020 at 5:59 AM, JimS4210 said:

I think you learned 3 valuable lessons... Never be gullible enough to pay $450 annually for a credit card, no matter what fancy name they call it! 

I pay $550 a year in fee's but the perks are worth thousands. Amex Reserve. Free companion flight, my last use of it was for a $890 flight, free lounge access for myself and 2 guest's, that's worth $117 every time.  Use the lounge a dozen times a year and the free companion ticket is worth $2000+.

 

Steve

[Doubledime]

Well it looks like it is official.  https://www.ibtimes.com/norwegian-cruises-warns-bankruptcy-filing-will-cruise-line-survive-2970731

 

I have a bad feeling that for the cruise we never made it to and the cruise we barely made it off the ship from that we will never see the refunds promised.   Does anyone have any news on if we will be getting our monies back as it does look like Norwegian is going down and out.

 

Thanks

[cruiser man 60]

Yes looks like the end for NCL unless the Donald bails them out, the FCC will be worth zero but some cheap ships available but of course no one will want them!