You NCL cruisers out there…stop planning cruises

[BermudaBound2014]

1 minute ago, BirdTravels said:

Thanks for the advise. 

 

We're happily booked on the Bliss in August. The unknown, the triumphs, the disappointments,,. is all part of the total adventure.  We sail the Caribbean during hurricane seas, and cross the North Atlantic during winter storms (not on NCL). Wouldn't have it any other way. 

 

I think the OP's was trying to address all the people who were emotionally invested in the Joy or Gem sailings. There are some very disappointed and some won't ever sail with NCL again.   It seems to me you are in a better position to roll with the flow. 

[ShakeDaddy]

"So make sure your ”peeps” (as the young ones say) go and get those shots, because the daily US per capita vaccination rates are dismal right now (back down to February levels) despite being awash in this white gold".

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Mark your right on the money with that statement and being an American I personally quite embarrassed with our nations attitude towards vaccination. 

 

What I do like is NCL requiring no exceptions 100% crew and passenger vaccination and just last week booked 3 NCL cruises, including the now eye opening and somewhat risky August 7 Bliss Alaska.

 

"No Risk it, No Biscuit"       

[saltsandknit]

53 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

I believe the OP has made some valid points. For NCL, the US market was the lions share of their business. I don't remember the exact figure, but it was greater than 80%. Nothing has sailed from the USA yet :(.

 

The cash NCL has borrowed will run out eventually. It's only a matter of when.  I'm not sure when that date is, but NCL announced they secured high interest bearing notes to stay afloat until this fall. They are literally bleeding money in lay up. Profusely. 

 

I believe getting crew onboard is a sizable obstacle, but the biggest challenge for the industry is getting people to book the ships.  Sure, this site is full of enthusiasts, but based on inventory of cabins available for Joy and Gem, the outlook is dismal. Bliss isn't selling well yet either. Pent up demand only goes so far. 

 

 

@saltsandknit @DCGuy64 @mianmike  In my opinion, the only reason to wait is if you can not get cash back from the organization. If you are booking with their money (money you can not recoup), I agree, there is no reason to wait. If you have money to loose, there is no reason to wait. However; if you are booking with new cash, there is plenty of reason to hold that money tight until cruise ships are actually sailing (and preferably turning profit). 

 

I don't believe the OP was posting with malice intentions and I'm ok with being called Susie Negative 🙂

I can afford a deposit 

[Roger88]

3 hours ago, AdoraBelle said:

Interesting. Other people describe having to try to re-use the same 10% off coupon over and over. 

I never understood the point of all those coupons, I mean what would that 10% coupon do in terms of a total price of a cruise? It sounds more like a tip 

[CptBoatface]

Without planning cruises, there is no joy in mudville

[BermudaBound2014]

11 minutes ago, saltsandknit said:

I can afford a deposit 

Of course. I suspect most of us on CC can afford to lose a deposit. However; some of us prefer not to gamble given the current cards  on the table. Others don't understand the cards on the table and simply believe the company line. I didn't mean to begrudge you the pleasure of gambling with a deposit. If that makes you happy, by all means continue! The world needs more joy.

 

It appears you understand and accept the risk. As someone on here says (I forget their screen name)....... "no risk it, no biscuit"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 28, 2021 by BermudaBound2014

[saltsandknit]

Just now, BermudaBound2014 said:

Of course. I suspect most of us on CC can afford to lose a deposit. However; some of us prefer not to gamble given the current cards are on the table. Others don't understand the cards on the table and simply believe the company line. 

 

As someone on here says (I forget their screen name)....... "no risk it, no biscuit"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I fully understand the risk. I am willing to take the gamble. If it keeps a company I enjoy going I’m okay with the risk of loosing 250$  I don’t have the same attitude of a lot of people

[marktwothousand]

What is the current policy on canceled cruises after final payment date?

[BermudaBound2014]

Just now, saltsandknit said:

I fully understand the risk. I am willing to take the gamble. If it keeps a company I enjoy going I’m okay with the risk of loosing 250$  I don’t have the same attitude of a lot of people

 

Yes, I edited my post while you were responding to include these exact sentiments. 🙂 

[Langham1865]

And as far as getting crew... I know from crew that the Jade has crew onboard already and crew was on the Joy before those sailings were cancelled... I am guessing,  the Joy's crew will be moved to Bliss...or at least to other ships.

[CaptainWoody]

5 hours ago, mscdivina2016 said:

Even in the coming months passengers will be waving at Canada as they cruise by en route to Alaska and Canada does not get a cent of our tourism dollars.

 

Yep.  I'll be waving, but I might not be using "all" of my fingers..  🤣

[spanishguy1970]

Why tell others what to do? don't get it. We have received 3 cancellations on our booking and we will continue to try until we get to go :-)....

[CaptainWoody]

1 hour ago, saltsandknit said:

I fully understand the risk. I am willing to take the gamble. If it keeps a company I enjoy going I’m okay with the risk of loosing 250$  I don’t have the same attitude of a lot of people

Why would anybody lose their deposit?  They are fully refundable.  Even if the company goes belly up, the credit card company has to refund it.

[SeaShark]

6 hours ago, CroozFanatic said:

 

I can read

 

Good for you! Not that it was your ability to read that was being questioned...

 

Just trying to understand why, given that one person is of the opinion that people should not book cruises, and another is of the opinion that people should book cruises, that you see one as "hate" but not the other?

 

Why do you go right to "hate"?

[CaptainWoody]

1 hour ago, Roger88 said:

I never understood the point of all those coupons, I mean what would that 10% coupon do in terms of a total price of a cruise? It sounds more like a tip 

Really??  Wow.  Let's see, I was never very good at math but if my base cruise price is $5000, that coupon would save me somewhere between $400 and $600.  I've never given a tip that big in my life!  Come to think of it, that's more than an order of magnitude larger than any tip I've ever given.

 

ETA: it now occurs to me that your post was likely sarcasm and I just haven't had enough coffee yet.

Edited May 28, 2021 by CaptainWoody

[julig22]

1 hour ago, marktwothousand said:

What is the current policy on canceled cruises after final payment date?

Has anything even reached final payment yet?

[CaptainWoody]

10 minutes ago, julig22 said:

Has anything even reached final payment yet?

For anybody in the US who pays with a credit card, they are 100% guaranteed to get all funds returned for any cancelled cruise, regardless of payment dates.  Sure, if they take the bait and trade their refund rights for FCC magic beans, than they've given up those rights.

[MichiganBound]

5 hours ago, AdoraBelle said:

 

I mean, I don't know if you've noticed, but the forums here aren't exactly overrun with posters anymore. I think OP would need a solid social media platform elsewhere to make a dent. 🙂

 

It also sounds like the bookings on the solid-seeming Alaska cruises have been pretty soft so far anyway. 

 

I do think that people who optimistically kept making cruise reservations while there were still 1000 people dying a day in the US from COVID19 were ... unreasonably optimistic, and probably should have realized they were just loaning cash to the cruise lines. 

 

I think cruise lines ARE going to have staffing issues. Where are those crew members going to come from? Will they still want to work in this industry after the way they were treated during the pandemic? Who is handling the logistics and vaccinations?  How about supply chain and provisioning issues?

 

Can't disagree with OP that anti-vax sentiments in the US are truly depressing. 

I agree with you.  I don't get all the people booking cruises only to then have them cancelled....and then do it again...over and over again.  What is the point?  Oh...and the shock and complaints when yet another cruise gets cancelled.  Seriously, that couldn't be predicted?  Then the rush to book cruises originating in Caribbean islands....only to then see many of them cancelled.  I predicted those ex-Jamaica/DR cruises would be a disaster and....surprise surprise.  Cancelled!!!  Honestly, I think half the people here on this board must have attended school with DeSantis.  LOL.

[CaptainWoody]

14 minutes ago, MichiganBound said:

What is the point?

Locking in all the promos and lower prices for the cruises that don't get cancelled?

 

Sure, if somebody is the nervous emotional type and their head explodes when a cruise gets cancelled, than they should probably take up camping.  I'm retired and have all the time in the world.  I can book an NCL cruise in five minutes.  I use a credit card for the deposit so am 100% guaranteed by US consumer protection laws to get my money back if the cruise is cancelled.  I have ten NCL cruises booked through 2024.  I'm sure that most of them, possibly all, will happen at this point.  Alaska Bliss in October and nothing more until next May.  It really is a nice feeling to have those all locked in.  I'm guessing sometime next year the 💩will hit the fan when people figure out that a 100% vaccinated cruise is now likely the safest (and most enjoyable) place a person can vacation.  Prices will skyrocket and those here telling us we are stupid to have booked ahead will be served a bit plate of crow.  It's okay, crow don't taste so bad.....

[BermudaBound2014]

47 minutes ago, CaptainWoody said:

For anybody in the US who pays with a credit card, they are 100% guaranteed to get all funds returned for any cancelled cruise, regardless of payment dates.  Sure, if they take the bait and trade their refund rights for FCC magic beans, than they've given up those rights.

 

Unless the law has changed recently, I don't believe your statement is accurate for anyone who has paid 60 days in advance.

 

The Fair Credit Billing Act provides an appeal mechanism for consumers who were charged for goods or services they never received. If you paid for a future cruise on a credit card and the cruise line then went bankrupt, you can file for a refund. There is one very big catch to this procedure: It is active for only 60 days after the charge was made.

Vacation, travel plans: Charge to credit card, easier to recoup losses - CreditCards.com

[BermudaBound2014]

32 minutes ago, CaptainWoody said:

.....  I use a credit card for the deposit so am 100% guaranteed by US consumer protection laws to get my money back if the cruise is cancelled.  I have ten NCL cruises booked through 2024.  

 

 I do not believe you are 100% guaranteed to get your money back. Here is another article where the credit card company (citibank) flat out refused to refund a Covid cancelled cruise deposit and there wasn't a thing that the advocacy firm could do for the consumer because the deposit was made more than 60 days prior.

 

“Citibank refused, citing the length of time from deposit to cancellation,” she says. “I then contacted the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which contacted Citibank. Citibank continues to deny assistance.”

Did we "blow off" a reader about a $12,802 refund claim against Crystal Cruises? - Elliott Advocacy

[CaptainWoody]

13 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Unless the law has changed recently, I don't believe your statement is accurate for anyone who has paid 60 days in advance.

 

The Fair Credit Billing Act provides an appeal mechanism for consumers who were charged for goods or services they never received. If you paid for a future cruise on a credit card and the cruise line then went bankrupt, you can file for a refund. There is one very big catch to this procedure: It is active for only 60 days after the charge was made.

Vacation, travel plans: Charge to credit card, easier to recoup losses - CreditCards.com

That is incorrect.  It's 60 days after the service was supposed to be delivered.  At least that's what my VISA card customer service told me.  If I put down a deposit and against a future service, which is not delivered, than I have 60 days after the service date to apply.  I actually did this with an entire NCL cruise that I had made final payment for in May 2021.  The deposit had been made a year earlier, with final payment in December (IIRC).  NCL told us we could elect a refund but it would take them months to pay it.  One call to my credit card and we had the funds returned within two weeks.  Ultimately, NCL did issue a refund, so the credit card clawed back what they had refunded.  They even gave us some interest on the money that NCL was sitting on.  Credit card consumer protection laws are great!

[mattie00]

We have booked far enough out that, hopefully, it won't be cancelled.  South America, January 15, 2023.🍸

[CaptainWoody]

6 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

 I do not believe you are 100% guaranteed to get your money back. Here is another article where the credit card company (citibank) flat out refused to refund a Covid cancelled cruise deposit and there wasn't a thing that the advocacy firm could do for the consumer because the deposit was made more than 60 days prior.

 

“Citibank refused, citing the length of time from deposit to cancellation,” she says. “I then contacted the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which contacted Citibank. Citibank continues to deny assistance.”

Did we "blow off" a reader about a $12,802 refund claim against Crystal Cruises? - Elliott Advocacy

Well, we can believe what we read on the internet or believe what our own credit card custodians have told us (and backed up with action).  Anybody can post anything they want on the internet.

[SSFun]

1 hour ago, CaptainWoody said:

For anybody in the US who pays with a credit card, they are 100% guaranteed to get all funds returned for any cancelled cruise, regardless of payment dates.  Sure, if they take the bait and trade their refund rights for FCC magic beans, than they've given up those rights.

You can also get private trip insurance that will pay you back the price of the cruise if the cruise line goes belly up.