Maybe Someone can help re: refund of beverage package upgrade

[klfrodo]

I am/was/will soon not be booked on the Epic.

As part of the package I got 1 wifi, and 2 drink packages and a couple of other things.

 

Cruise is NOT paid off. Did book thru a TA.

 

A couple of months after booking, I went on NCL and upgraded my wifi package and purchased 2 additional unlimited wifi packages. I also upgraded the drink packages to the Premium packages. I also purchased my granddaughter a beverage package.

 

Fast forward to just now. With everything going on, I anticipate that the Epic will not be sailing in Europe when our trip was scheduled. Disappointed, but oh well. Life is tough all over. I went on NCL to cancelled my special orders that I had made. Easy Peasy with the "Chat" feature. She told me that those packages are now cancelled.

I asked if those charges would be returned to original form of payment? NO,,, Wait! What? Where do those credits go? Oh, they go against the remaining amount due on the cruise as a partial payment. *****? Never heard of such a thing.

 

So? My question to you NCL experts. (My first and possibly last dealings with NCL) Is this really the way you understand things should have gone?

 

I did keep a copy of the Chat Transcript.

 

 

[Named-Tawny]

When you pay money towards your trip, AFAIK, you don't pay it towards individual things - just to the trip as a whole.  The system doesn't know, or care, if you're thinking about it as being for your pre-paid gratuities, your cruise fare, your taxes, or your add-ons.  It's just the trip.

But if you're planning on cancelling anyhow, and you're still before final payment, it's 100% refundable when you cancel, so you should get it all back.

[emm126]

I think you should have received a refund back to the original form of payment. I don't believe it is part of your cruise fare and I am sure you had to pay in full when booked. I would ask your travel agent to speak to NCL on your behalf. Good Luck! 

[All-ready2cruise]

@klfrodo When you purchase add-on packages for an upcoming cruise, those purchases are completely refundable.  They are not considered part of the original fare and you will receive the refund to your original form of payment within approx. 10 business days. 

 

Your chat buddy didn't understand.  They're not always familiar with the supplemental additions to packages.  

If you don't receive the payments back to your credit card within the 10 days, I'd be calling your PCC/TA, whoever helped you to cancel these additional packages. 

 

Good luck

[AstoriaPreppy]

On 1/22/2021 at 11:29 PM, Named-Tawny said:

When you pay money towards your trip, AFAIK, you don't pay it towards individual things - just to the trip as a whole.  The system doesn't know, or care, if you're thinking about it as being for your pre-paid gratuities, your cruise fare, your taxes, or your add-ons.  It's just the trip.

This is 100% incorrect. There are two distinct buckets that don’t mix. 
 

Voyage costs (port charges, cruise fare, etc) are processed completely separately from any add-one (dining packages, upgrades, prebooked shorex  etc). If you cancel these add-ons, they will be refunded to your original form of payment. 

[Named-Tawny]

23 minutes ago, AstoriaPreppy said:

This is 100% incorrect. There are two distinct buckets that don’t mix. 
 

Voyage costs (port charges, cruise fare, etc) are processed completely separately from any add-one (dining packages, upgrades, prebooked shorex  etc). If you cancel these add-ons, they will be refunded to your original form of payment. 

All I know is that whenever I've added add-ons, they've never asked me for more money upfront - it was always paid when final payment was due.  They never treated it separately for me before.

I guess I just got lucky?

[All-ready2cruise]

@Named-Tawny Question, do you have any cruises booked right now? I do and just went to add to the already existing WiFi package I have as FAS promo.  When I went to add this package to my reservation, it took me to "my cart" in order to pay for it.  

 

Paying for something extra like this means you'll receive this money back if you cancel your cruise even if it's after final payment.  These extras are not part of the regular cruise fare just like gratuities are not part, nor taxes and fees. 

 

As I've said before, these extras are not part of the regular free at sea promotions, these are extras and you pay for the extras when you order, the same as booking a shore excursion. 

 

So, I guess you've been lucky. 

 

 

[AstoriaPreppy]

10 hours ago, Named-Tawny said:

All I know is that whenever I've added add-ons, they've never asked me for more money upfront - it was always paid when final payment was due.  They never treated it separately for me before.

I guess I just got lucky?

@Named-Tawny I'm perplexed... maybe it's a Canadian thing? In the US, the NCL system doesn't pick certain people to be lucky!!

E.g., if I have a cruise booked, and buy a shore excursion, or a wi-fi package, or an anything via the NCL "explore and plan" tab on the "my vacation" portal, it's billed directly to my credit card after I check out.

 

The payment for an excursion, or wifi, or gratuities doesn't go to the balance on a cruise, as these are optional charges unrelated to the voyage cost. That's why when you cancel them, you should always get the refund to your original form of payment. 

 

[All-ready2cruise]

24 minutes ago, AstoriaPreppy said:

maybe it's a Canadian thing?

I too am a Canadian and consider myself to be very lucky too. So yea, maybe it is a Canadian thing. 

[AstoriaPreppy]

4 minutes ago, All-ready2cruise said:

I too am a Canadian and consider myself to be very lucky too. So yea, maybe it is a Canadian thing. 

Wait, I thought you said you would get your money back from extras and add-ons to your original form of payment?? So it's definitely not based on booking country.

[All-ready2cruise]

20 minutes ago, AstoriaPreppy said:

Wait, I thought you said you would get your money back from extras and add-ons to your original form of payment?? So it's definitely not based on booking country.

Don't do this. Calling out someone b/c of their country really isn't nice. 

Have a good day. 

[Named-Tawny]

12 hours ago, AstoriaPreppy said:

@Named-Tawny I'm perplexed... maybe it's a Canadian thing? In the US, the NCL system doesn't pick certain people to be lucky!!

E.g., if I have a cruise booked, and buy a shore excursion, or a wi-fi package, or an anything via the NCL "explore and plan" tab on the "my vacation" portal, it's billed directly to my credit card after I check out.

 

The payment for an excursion, or wifi, or gratuities doesn't go to the balance on a cruise, as these are optional charges unrelated to the voyage cost. That's why when you cancel them, you should always get the refund to your original form of payment. 

 

 

Maybe?  If folks from the US are being treated differently, then that seems like the best explanation?  I love how opaque everything seems to be.

Just to be sure, you were before final payment when you added things, and they insisted you pay right away?

I've added things on (including to my current booking) and they never demanded payment beyond the deposit that I had on file - I've done transfers, pre-paid grats, at least, I can't remember if I did my shorex beforehand or after final for my last one.

They do seem to do things differently for different countries (eg grats on bev packages for the UK crowd) so I guess this is one of those?

Weird.

Edited January 27, 2021 by Named-Tawny

[AstoriaPreppy]

11 minutes ago, Named-Tawny said:I've added things on (including to my current booking) and they never demanded payment beyond the deposit that I had on file - I've done transfers, pre-paid grats, at least, I can't remember if I did my shorex beforehand or after final for my last one.

They do seem to do things differently for different countries (eg grats on bev packages for the UK crowd) so I guess this is one of those?

That’s my source of confusion... and apologies to @All-ready2cruiseif that came off as denigrating Canada or Canadians!! Definitely not my intention. If NCL has different policies for each country, that isn’t a personal attack on a nation or people, it’s just perplexing and opaque. 

 

@Named-TawnyI’m thinking you’re right... as you mentioned the Brits get the beverage package for £99 and no gratuities, so NCL policies differ greatly on where a booking originates. I was booked on a last-minute canceled Southeast Asia NCL Jade cruise in February, and was exasperated by the EU protections the UK cruisers had in terms of refunds and legal recourse.