Help! Should I cancel and re-book?

[evanskl4]

I have a 7 day cruise booked for this fall. I have only paid the deposit ($600) and extra for the FAS+ ($900 - there are 3 adults in my party).

 

The price of the cruise had dropped significantly, and I checked today and saw that if I book through my credit card company, I can get the total cost of the cruise for $1K less than what I still owe NCL.

I believe since I am more than 120 days out, I will only lose 25% of what I have paid according to this cancellation policy: https://www.ncl.com/about/cancellation-fee-schedule 

 

If so, then this seems like a no-brainer. Is there anything I am missing here? If I call NCL, any chance they will honor the lower price?

[PTC DAWG]

I’m not sure you would lose anything if more than 120 days out…others will chime in…calling before final payment is due may do the trick on a reprice..

Edited March 23, 2023 by PTC DAWG

[julig22]

You can get a full refund as long as you are more than 120 days out.

NCL will lower your price if their current advertised price is lower, all you have to do is ask. 

They will not honor any deals offered by a 3rd party.

[evanskl4]

Thank you both! I called NCL and they adjusted the price right away ($1200 less!). I didn't know that was an option so I am very happy!

[MeHeartCruising]

18 minutes ago, evanskl4 said:

Thank you both! I called NCL and they adjusted the price right away ($1200 less!). I didn't know that was an option so I am very happy!

With NCL, this can be done for any price changes before the final payment is due.  However, when it is done, the new price will be given with whatever the CURRENT promotions are.  It’s really the same as cancelling and booking it from scratch.  But NCL will do it so you don’t have to actually cancel and rebook.  So its always important to read the fine print of the current promotions.  They might be very different or maybe just a minor detail change to something you already have.  Factor any promo changes into your decision as to whether it makes sense to change it. 
 

By the way, you can do this multiple times. So stay on top of your cruise pricing!

Edited March 23, 2023 by MeHeartCruising

[The Traveling Man]

1 hour ago, evanskl4 said:

I have a 7 day cruise booked for this fall. I have only paid the deposit ($600) and extra for the FAS+ ($900 - there are 3 adults in my party).

 

The price of the cruise had dropped significantly, and I checked today and saw that if I book through my credit card company, I can get the total cost of the cruise for $1K less than what I still owe NCL.

I believe since I am more than 120 days out, I will only lose 25% of what I have paid according to this cancellation policy: https://www.ncl.com/about/cancellation-fee-schedule 

 

If so, then this seems like a no-brainer. Is there anything I am missing here? If I call NCL, any chance they will honor the lower price?

As @MeHeartCruising has indicated, you can reprice your cruise as often as you like prior to final payment.  If there is a price drop after final payment, you can still reprice, sort of.  Let's say you originally booked a Balcony for $3000 pp and had NCL reprice it to $2500 when the fares went down.  Now it's past final payment, but the fare has dropped again, let's say to just $1500 pp.  You may not be able to get any additional price reduction on your Balcony, but you may consider upgrading your stateroom to the Haven.  Suppose there is an available Haven Suite for $2750 pp which originally was out of your price range at around $6000 pp when you first booked your cruise.  It now looks like a real bargain at $2750.  So, call NCL and ask if you can upgrade.  They will apply the $2500 per person that you already have paid, so you only pay an extra $250 pp to splurge on the Haven.  We have done this a couple of times.  On one occasion, about a week before we were set to depart, we got into the Haven on a 14 day cruise for just $75 more per person than we already had paid.  Please note that this repricing works in the US, but not everywhere else.  Many UK passengers have said that they have been unable to reprice after making their original booking.  There are different consumer protection laws in play outside the US, so results may vary.

[RocketMan275]

22 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

 You may not be able to get any additional price reduction on your Balcony, but you may consider upgrading your stateroom to the Haven. 

I had my TA contact NCL about a price drop a week or so after final payment.  She wasn't able to affect the price of that cruise, but she was able to secure a FCC to use on another cruise, slightly over $1500.

 

At first NCL balked claiming that all the cabins in my class were booked.  She asked them why they were listing this class of cabin as being available.  She got the FCC.

[Minimama]

We are due to leave in 45 days and one person had to drop out. We took the airfare package and were charged over $800 just to remove the one person in the cabin and replace it with the new person. Now they want another $1500 for the plane ticket. They said that the airfare promo is no longer valid. After we paid the $800, which we assumed was the penalty to swap out one person for another, they told us that we now need to buy our own plane ticket for this person too. So, a total of $2300 and they can't confirm that new person will be traveling on the same flights. I wish I could understand what $800 penalty was for.

[cruisinmeme]

1 hour ago, Minimama said:

We are due to leave in 45 days and one person had to drop out. We took the airfare package and were charged over $800 just to remove the one person in the cabin and replace it with the new person. Now they want another $1500 for the plane ticket. They said that the airfare promo is no longer valid. After we paid the $800, which we assumed was the penalty to swap out one person for another, they told us that we now need to buy our own plane ticket for this person too. So, a total of $2300 and they can't confirm that new person will be traveling on the same flights. I wish I could understand what $800 penalty was for.

Now this is really odd.  We very recently went on a cruise. My granddaughter had broken up with boyfriend and my daughter went instead.  We were told a name change can be made up until 3 days before cruise. No cancel and rebook- just a name change. No fee involved. 

[julig22]

1 hour ago, Minimama said:

We are due to leave in 45 days and one person had to drop out. We took the airfare package and were charged over $800 just to remove the one person in the cabin and replace it with the new person. Now they want another $1500 for the plane ticket. They said that the airfare promo is no longer valid. After we paid the $800, which we assumed was the penalty to swap out one person for another, they told us that we now need to buy our own plane ticket for this person too. So, a total of $2300 and they can't confirm that new person will be traveling on the same flights. I wish I could understand what $800 penalty was for.

I can't speak to the $800  although it's probably a cancellation penalty, but timing is everything.  The airfare promo falls off at day 75.

[casofilia]

@Minimama

 

Was the original booking made when there was a special offer for the person who dropped out?   

 

3rd/4th person free?   2nd person 50% off?    Is that offer still available?   If not that would be why the extra $800.

 

A re-fare (cancellation/re-book) always involves the cancellation of the previous offers and replacement with those on offer at the change point.

[Minimama]

The booking included the airfare deal. The $800 was to remove the second person from the air ticket. If there was no airfare promo included in the reservation there would not have been any fee to change the name in the cabin. So we had to pay $800 just to remove the name on the air. Now we need to buy a full fare plane ticket to Europe for the new person. So basically it will cost roughly $2300 so we could have a new person in the cabin. We are 45 days out. I am beyond upset, but my hands are tied. Not much we can do except enjoy what we can salvage and select a different cruise line next time!  I used to work in the travel industry pre-covid. I am quite aware of what can and cannot be done.

[ashkay16]

I booked a cruise on 1/2/23 for 7/30/23. 
i have called my PCC 3 times and the price has dropped 2 out if the 3 ( total $900 cheaper )  Im in a Haven cabin . Pay in full is 4/1 .  I am calling again a few days before that to check again .  On a cruise last year i did the same thing and price was a total of $1,200 cheaper . Also called after pay in full last year to check and got $900 FCC .  Always check even after paid in full

Enjoy !!!!

[mjkacmom]

5 hours ago, Minimama said:

The booking included the airfare deal. The $800 was to remove the second person from the air ticket. If there was no airfare promo included in the reservation there would not have been any fee to change the name in the cabin. So we had to pay $800 just to remove the name on the air. Now we need to buy a full fare plane ticket to Europe for the new person. So basically it will cost roughly $2300 so we could have a new person in the cabin. We are 45 days out. I am beyond upset, but my hands are tied. Not much we can do except enjoy what we can salvage and select a different cruise line next time!  I used to work in the travel industry pre-covid. I am quite aware of what can and cannot be done.

Airline tickets can’t be transferred, if you booked a flight you couldn’t transfer that ticket to another person. We book basic economy so we can’t even get a future voucher, NCL books the cheapest flights.

[RocketMan275]

3 hours ago, ashkay16 said:

I booked a cruise on 1/2/23 for 7/30/23. 
i have called my PCC 3 times and the price has dropped 2 out if the 3 ( total $900 cheaper )  Im in a Haven cabin . Pay in full is 4/1 .  I am calling again a few days before that to check again .  On a cruise last year i did the same thing and price was a total of $1,200 cheaper . Also called after pay in full last year to check and got $900 FCC .  Always check even after paid in full

Enjoy !!!!

Question:

Where does this FCC show up?

[Minimama]

2 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

Airline tickets can’t be transferred, if you booked a flight you couldn’t transfer that ticket to another person. We book basic economy so we can’t even get a future voucher, NCL books the cheapest flights.

Yes, airline tickets cannot be transferred. However, the "Free Airfare" is rolled into the promo price. I suppose we were basically wanting to drop the one person off the reservation and buy the new person a plane ticket. I'm not sure where the $800 comes in. I see it as a money grab....So, fool me once shame on you....there will not be a fool me twice; at least not with NCL.

[mjkacmom]

1 hour ago, Minimama said:

Yes, airline tickets cannot be transferred. However, the "Free Airfare" is rolled into the promo price. I suppose we were basically wanting to drop the one person off the reservation and buy the new person a plane ticket. I'm not sure where the $800 comes in. I see it as a money grab....So, fool me once shame on you....there will not be a fool me twice; at least not with NCL.

Although marketed at buy one get one, two airlines tickets were purchased, probably for very cheap. At this point a regular fares ticket would have to be purchased.

[Minimama]

The tickets were not yet issued, but yes the original quote was for two tickets. I am not complaining about having to purchase the extra ticket for the new passenger. It does not cost anything to have a plane reservation split and one person dropped, let alone an $800 fee. I worked for the airlines, all that is needed is a simple key stroke to drop the passenger, and have the remaining passenger fly. If they charged me $800 to change the name for the new passenger, I can see that as justification for the $800, and would feel like I got off easy, but to pay it and still have to buy a new ticket is insane.

[Homosassa]

1 hour ago, Minimama said:

The tickets were not yet issued, but yes the original quote was for two tickets. I am not complaining about having to purchase the extra ticket for the new passenger. It does not cost anything to have a plane reservation split and one person dropped, let alone an $800 fee. I worked for the airlines, all that is needed is a simple key stroke to drop the passenger, and have the remaining passenger fly. If they charged me $800 to change the name for the new passenger, I can see that as justification for the $800, and would feel like I got off easy, but to pay it and still have to buy a new ticket is insane.

You need to read the Cancellation section in the ticket contract and Terms and Conditions that you agreed to when booking the cruise and putting down the initial deposit.

 

Your air was part of the cruise/air package and you are paying the published cancellation fee for less than sixty days from the cruise.

 

The additional cost is for the new passenger at the current cruise rate.

 

The name change is also considered a cancellation and subject to applicable cancellation fees.

 

https://www.ncl.com/about/cancellation-fee-schedule

 

 

 

 

Edited March 24, 2023 by Homosassa

[Minimama]

10 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

You need to read the Cancellation section in the ticket contract and Terms and Conditions that you agreed to when booking the cruise and putting down the initial deposit.

 

Your air was part of the cruise/air package and you are paying the published cancellation fee for less than sixty days from the cruise.

 

The additional cost is for the new passenger at the current cruise rate.

 

The name change is also considered a cancellation and subject to applicable cancellation fees.

 

https://www.ncl.com/about/cancellation-fee-schedule

 

 

 

 

My TA specifically stated this was the fee for the airline NOT the cabin. Just curious, do you work for the cruise lines??

[Homosassa]

20 minutes ago, Minimama said:

My TA specifically stated this was the fee for the airline NOT the cabin. Just curious, do you work for the cruise lines??

No.

 

I am just a cruiser with over forty five years of cruising experience on a numerous cruise lines.

 

I read the ticket contract and other information before booking a cruise (especially with a line I have never cruised before).

 

I see and understand the restrictions and changes that cruise lines have implemented in reaction to passengers' behaviors and attempts to circumvent rules and restrictions.

[Minimama]

That is quite impressive!! I bet you would be the perfect fit for employment with the cruise lines!! Best of luck!!