NCL Spirit 2024 Alaska cancelled

[ChiefMateJRK]

1 hour ago, BunnyHutt said:

Why not? If an airline changes/cancels your flight, they don’t charge you the extra between what tickets are selling for on date of change versus what you initially paid. 

I don't find air travel and cruise vacations to be a valid comparison.  If you do, that's fine.  If the OP feels cheated, that's fine too.  I simply don't agree that NCL has greatly wronged the OP.  Nature of the beast.  It's likely they originally booked the Spirit because it was the cheapest option.  NCL found a way to increase profits so they made the move.  That's business for you.  There's a good possibility that if the OP simply books the new itinerary that between now and next Summer the prices will drop.  It didn't sound like a lot of money.

[mpk]

19 hours ago, Doug_S said:

We have Cruise Next certificates. And ironically they can’t refund the cancelled certificates for thirty days . Fortunately we had two unused certificates to book the replacement while awaiting the refund. This may irk fans of NCL but the seem not to care one iota of the impact their decisions make on their customers.

 

I'm an NCL fan, but caught up in today's canceling of all Epic sailings from Dec 2023 thru Apr 2023 for "fleet redployment".

 

Yes, quite irked...   😕

[di T]

8 hours ago, insidecabin said:

UK bookings,  law gives them 14 days to refund.

 

Late booking Spirit rates are really low this year worth considering a bring forward.

I didn’t know this. So if booked in the UK refund is 14 days.

[di T]

3 hours ago, mpk said:

 

I'm an NCL fan, but caught up in today's canceling of all Epic sailings from Dec 2023 thru Apr 2023 for "fleet redployment".

 

Yes, quite irked...   😕

Very irked😂I  Would say of myself.Celebrity once did something similar to us and offered something to off set the flights we lost and if we booked a different itinerary we had the same price and perks plus onboard credit. Not impressed with NCL there customer service seems to be worse than most.

[luv2kroooz]

2 minutes ago, di T said:

Not impressed with NCL there customer service seems to be worse than most.

It is. Over and again their responses are underwhelming for your convenience.

[insidecabin]

9 hours ago, di T said:

I didn’t know this. So if booked in the UK refund is 14 days.

NCL is a member of ABTA so should follow their code of conduct.

(https://www.abta.com/about-us/code-of-conduct)

Worth a read of both the code and the guidance(pg. 24/25 cover cancellation).

 

Cruise lines breach this code regularly and is handy to have an idea of what they should be doing.

The two common ones,

major changes are not offering refunds or delaying refunds more than 14 days

never notifying in advance changes that materially impact their cruise..

 

 

The key law(along with consumer regs) is package travel regulations(even if  booked cruise only).

a key element of this legislation is the cruise line cannot override certain parts with contractual term. 

 

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/634/contents

 

section 11 which is quite long and deals with changes and alternative offers by operator.

section 12 cancelation by customer.

section 13 covers cancelation for specific reasons(no additional compensation)

section 14 applies when they cancel (13)

 

Also note section 16  as that covers damages as a result of not providing the package

(claim for any non refundable expences)

[Doug_S]

5 hours ago, insidecabin said:

NCL is a member of ABTA so should follow their code of conduct.

(https://www.abta.com/about-us/code-of-conduct)

Worth a read of both the code and the guidance(pg. 24/25 cover cancellation).

 

Cruise lines breach this code regularly and is handy to have an idea of what they should be doing.

The two common ones,

major changes are not offering refunds or delaying refunds more than 14 days

never notifying in advance changes that materially impact their cruise..

 

 

The key law(along with consumer regs) is package travel regulations(even if  booked cruise only).

a key element of this legislation is the cruise line cannot override certain parts with contractual term. 

 

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/634/contents

 

section 11 which is quite long and deals with changes and alternative offers by operator.

section 12 cancelation by customer.

section 13 covers cancelation for specific reasons(no additional compensation)

section 14 applies when they cancel (13)

 

Also note section 16  as that covers damages as a result of not providing the package

(claim for any non refundable expences)

The key question is: Does this code of Conduct apply to US citizens and passengers?

[insidecabin]

15 minutes ago, Doug_S said:

The key question is: Does this code of Conduct apply to US citizens and passengers?

Probably not, 

 

Plenty of UK cruises that don't realise that a cruise is  package holiday covered by the regulations.

 

Similar rules apply through the EU(UK is derived from the EU law)   so plenty of NCL cruisers have option they can use when NCL or any other cruise line try it on.  

[Doug_S]

Well, after having my travel agent call NCL about the price increase, and getting no where, the NCL representative provided an address of the Reservations team to which a letter was written. Lo and behold, the same Customer Relations person who gave me a run around about having my agent call responded. And the response was that they could not discuss my pricing with me the agent had to call. Well guess what Linda, the agent did call and told me to write in.     

It's quite obvious NCL doesn't really care about their customers. They talk a good game, but when push comes to shove, the bottom line prevails. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

2 hours ago, Doug_S said:

the bottom line prevails. 

This is true for all proper for-profit corporations.  Shareholders' interests above all others.

[Doug_S]

6 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

This is true for all proper for-profit corporations.  Shareholders' interests above all others.

This approach may be fine in a monopoly, but in a competitive market it generates the rule of diminishing return. Alienate enough customers and you will adversely impact the bottom line. Ask Anheiser Busch and Target.

[ChiefMateJRK]

6 minutes ago, Doug_S said:

This approach may be fine in a monopoly, but in a competitive market it generates the rule of diminishing return. Alienate enough customers and you will adversely impact the bottom line. Ask Anheiser Busch and Target.

Yes and the bottom line still prevails.  Those who killed it get replaced.  The fact that Bud and Target had leaders who made really stupid decisions doesn't change the fact that they exist for the stockholders, not the customers.  To your point, it's a delicate balancing act, and every risky decision may wind up revenue positive, revenue neutral or revenue negative at the end of the day.  NCL?  Well, the jury is still out on some things.  Will the money saved by reduced staff outweigh the bookings lost (or sold at lower margins)?  We'll never know.  I personally don't care if NCL ever makes another dime for the shareholders, as long as the ships keep sailing.  The same of course cannot be said of the corporate officers.  Generate returns to the investors or be replaced.

[Doug_S]

11 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Yes and the bottom line still prevails.  Those who killed it get replaced.  The fact that Bud and Target had leaders who made really stupid decisions doesn't change the fact that they exist for the stockholders, not the customers.  To your point, it's a delicate balancing act, and every risky decision may wind up revenue positive, revenue neutral or revenue negative at the end of the day.  NCL?  Well, the jury is still out on some things.  Will the money saved by reduced staff outweigh the bookings lost (or sold at lower margins)?  We'll never know.  I personally don't care if NCL ever makes another dime for the shareholders, as long as the ships keep sailing.  The same of course cannot be said of the corporate officers.  Generate returns to the investors or be replaced.

You failed to note that once a company alienates a customer, they lose that customer, and likely their family, and their friends etc. possibly for life. This lack of goodwill has a snowball impact. Add to the fact that another pandemic, or a significant economic down turn and that company may not survive. All because they failed to see the forest for the trees. 

Based on my travel agent, who deals with all the cruise lines, NCL's reputation for lack of goodwill is well known in her firm. And she works with a major airline's cruise travel affiliate. That reputation has to influence what cruises are promoted by that team, because they will not want to push a company that will make their customers unhappy. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

33 minutes ago, Doug_S said:

You failed to note that once a company alienates a customer, they lose that customer, and likely their family, and their friends etc. possibly for life. This lack of goodwill has a snowball impact.

Sure, but what does it take to alienate a customer?  Pull a stunt like that OL thing on Prima?  Sure.  Cancel a cruise a year out and provide FCC?  Maybe, maybe not.  Take away my towel animal and bed turn down?  Not this cruiser, but there's always the fragile fringe.

[Doug_S]

1 hour ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Sure, but what does it take to alienate a customer?  Pull a stunt like that OL thing on Prima?  Sure.  Cancel a cruise a year out and provide FCC?  Maybe, maybe not.  Take away my towel animal and bed turn down?  Not this cruiser, but there's always the fragile fringe.

Cancel a cruise booked in January and upcharge for the identical same cruise despite a supposed 10% discount for the inconvenience and not even making an effort to work with the travel agent or customer.  And this is on top of a less that stellar response to issues from three cruises this past October. I gave them the benefit of the doubt, and they have failed miserably.

[ChiefMateJRK]

2 hours ago, Doug_S said:

 And this is on top of a less that stellar response to issues from three cruises this past October. I gave them the benefit of the doubt, and they have failed miserably.

It sounds like you have a LOT of issues.  You should probably find a better way to spend your holidays.

[Doug_S]

7 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

It sounds like you have a LOT of issues.  You should probably find a better way to spend your holidays.

It sounds like you’re an apologist for NCL. Are you on commission?

[MississippiMom]

On 5/23/2023 at 8:14 PM, RD64 said:

These cruises have been cancelled a year in advance - lots of time to find alternatives. NCL is not the first - nor will it be the last - cruise line to cancel due to charters. If you follow these boards it is a common situation, and usually passengers will receive a lot less advance notice.

Yep, it happens.

 

A canceled sailing due to a charter happened to us back in the early 1990s.  Then in the early 2000s, my husband’s employer was the cause of having two regular sailings canceled due to booking charters.