NCL Prima refuses to pay back missed port of call taxes.

[Bruges]

On 20 september we missed Belfast due to bad weather. 
Now, 9 days later, NCL told us they do not refund any port and pilot fees.

On other cruise companies, we were paid back the next day without asking anything.

Even only 15 $ with 3000 pax makes 45000$….

 

[ready2cruzagain]

MSC doesn't pay back port fees at least not on the cruises we have sailed with them (12).

[hallux]

Something else to consider is that maybe fees for other ports increased or were higher than estimated (remember that the cruise line ESTIMATES the port fees and taxes based on previous cruises and planned occupancy of the ship) and the fees from the missed port then covered those increases.

 

I've been on an NCL cruise where I was refunded fees from a missed port and also on another cruise where I got a random OBC because they over-estimated port fees and taxes per person.  I didn't expect the latter - I certainly wouldn't expect a random charge against my account if they UNDER estimated those fees...

[KeithJenner]

This comes up fairly regularly.

 

As stated above, these things depend on the circumstances. I have had port fees refunded in these situations and on other cruises not got the refund. We have also received refunds when all ports were costed, I assume because they had overestimated the fees.

 

I agree, the driver seems to be whether they have got the fees covered. If they haven’t then NCL seems not to refund, but to make up the fees that had been under collected with the ones from the cancelled port.

[dexddd]

Who knows.  We missed a port on Prima and nothing.....Recent Escape, two storms on two trips, reports first got stuff, second, no.

[ontheweb]

31 minutes ago, dexddd said:

Who knows.  We missed a port on Prima and nothing.....Recent Escape, two storms on two trips, reports first got stuff, second, no.

We missed 2 ports on the Prima, Brugge for low tide and Isafjordur which everyone missed. At some point an OBC of $14 and change showed up.

[dbrown84]

I agree.  Sometimes you get refunded, sometimes not.  Most likely for the reasons given above.  The thing I don't like about the answer given to the OP was that it was said that NCL doesn't refund port fees, as in never.  Of course, I'm assuming it was said as reported 

[Bruges]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

We missed 2 ports on the Prima, Brugge for low tide and Isafjordur which everyone missed. At some point an OBC of $14 and change showed up.

Prima did not missed Brugge for low tide, Zeebrugge is a deep sea port. Prima has a draught of 9 meter, Zeebrugge takes ships up to 15 meter draught. It is just that the way Prima is built they can not more in certain circumstances: from the bridge they can not see the quay, docking is done with cameras! But on NCL they tell you whatever suits them best.

 

[laudergayle]

3 hours ago, ready2cruzagain said:

MSC doesn't pay back port fees at least not on the cruises we have sailed with them (12).

That’s interesting. We just sailed MSC at the end of August. We had to overnight in Nassau and missed Ocean Cay and both me and DH got $19.10 OBC each.  We were shocked since we’re used to NCL’s general stance.  Just goes to show there is no consistency regardless of cruise line.

[mking8288]

3 hours ago, dexddd said:

... We missed a port on Prima and nothing.....Recent Escape, two storms on two trips, reports first got stuff, second, no.

It is what it is, for our (in)convenience.  We're on that first Escape run, cancelled/skipped 2 ports due to Hurricane Lee, captain's written letter to all pax, 10% FCC per cabin ($50 x first 2 pax) on a future cruise thru 12/2024, $30 refundable OBC for port taxes & fees, and $100 refundable OBC.  Escape sailing the following week skipped 1 port (Halifax, last on the itinerary) and also returned to NY early by 1 day instead of 2, floating hotel inside the harbor until berth is available to dock & disembark on its regular schedule.  Can't possibly get +90% happy campers.  We've missed private islands & given OBC (under $30 for 2 pax) and also not given - ditto, true on TA when weather/maritime conditions prevented ship from safely docked, harbor channel in sight & turned around to head out to open sea again.  Tours booked thru NCL were automatically refunded and/or adjusted in rare instances of change in arrival & departure time for a given ports.  Also, had changes from tender port to cruise pier at a substituted port of call, resulting in pax booked on independent shorex scrambling to reach their private tours to change or cancel (with NCL's satellite WiFi that quickly crashed)

 

With NCL, consistency inconsistent - take it for it's worth (not much) on whether NCL is "treating" us with a 6 pack of sparkling water or Starbucks equivalent.  Of course, they got it covered under fine prints & disclosures buried in the cruise contract terms & conditions, exclusions and disclaimers.  

[mendi]

3 hours ago, dexddd said:

Who knows.  We missed a port on Prima and nothing.....Recent Escape, two storms on two trips, reports first got stuff, second, no.

I was on Escape trip # 2 of storms. 9/17-9/24 to New England/Canada. Trip 1 missed 2 ports, Bar Harbor and Halifax and received $100 non-refundable OBC per cabin and 10% off future cruise (not sure the time limit). We on trip # 2 missed Halifax and received $15 per person non refundable OBC. That's it. Just to set the record straight.

[mugtech]

On Sky 9/11 to 9/21 Quebec to Baltimore, missed two ports because of tropical storm Lee, got $100 OBC per cabin and a 10% FCC.  Then at Martha's Vineyard we could not tender, so NCL upped the FCC to 20%.  There were less than 1,400 passengers on a 2,004 double occupancy ship.  Two of the ports where we stopped it rained all day.  Such is cruising during hurricane season.

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, Bruges said:

Prima did not missed Brugge for low tide, Zeebrugge is a deep sea port. Prima has a draught of 9 meter, Zeebrugge takes ships up to 15 meter draught. It is just that the way Prima is built they can not more in certain circumstances: from the bridge they can not see the quay, docking is done with cameras! But on NCL they tell you whatever suits them best.

 

I just know what the e-mail from NCL said. It said they were cancelling due to a low tide, IIRC 1 meter, or maybe it was 1 foot.

[sjacobs11]

We recently missed Mykonos due to a pending strike. When we saw the shore excursion refunds, we also noticed a $7 refund pp, which we assumed were for the port fees.

[ontheweb]

8 hours ago, ontheweb said:

We missed 2 ports on the Prima, Brugge for low tide and Isafjordur which everyone missed. At some point an OBC of $14 and change showed up.

I should amend that to say it was $14 and change to each of us. And I am not sure which of the two missed ports it was for.

[IAcruising]

I think, for $15, you should never cruise on the Prima again.

 

More space for the rest of us.

 

[Bruges]

That is what we will do, and space is indeed what you need on the prima.
If you want to be lied to, you should stick with NCL.

Safe and happy sailings!

[tw0sugar5]

We missed Victoria due to a (drawn out) computer system malfunction.  Didn’t receive final billing until at least 5 days later.  Been getting security warnings on the email I used for NCL.  I compartmentalize so not all my emails are affected.

[BirdTravels]

On 9/29/2023 at 4:02 AM, Bruges said:

On 20 september we missed Belfast due to bad weather. 
Now, 9 days later, NCL told us they do not refund any port and pilot fees.

On other cruise companies, we were paid back the next day without asking anything.

Even only 15 $ with 3000 pax makes 45000$….

 

They don’t “owe” you anything to be “paid back”. Your paying a flat fee for the cruise, and it is not itemized to a point where you could attribute something to a specific port. 
 

At the end of the day, it is a few dollars (USD) and this is a big fuss over nothing. If we miss a port (and we do on almost half our cruises), and get a few dollars (USD) in OBD, we’re happy. If we don’t get anything, we don’t care. 

[schmoopie17]

On our TA last November, we had two scheduled stops in the Azores. We missed the first one due to high winds. Miraculously, a credit showed up in our onboard account (and we weren't even expecting anything). It helped make up for some of the VAT taxes on drinks in Spain.

 

(OOPS...did I really open that can of worms?)

[Capitan Obvious]

3 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

(OOPS...did I really open that can of worms?)

 

Woah. Lucky for you that they don't charge corkage for canned worms.

[ontheweb]

47 minutes ago, Capitan Obvious said:

 

Woah. Lucky for you that they don't charge corkage for canned worms.

But if you bought the can of worms, there would be a VAT tax depending on where you bought it.

[schmoopie17]

20 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

But if you bought the can of worms, there would be a VAT tax depending on where you bought it.

No worries...I can my own worms.

[ontheweb]

1 minute ago, schmoopie17 said:

No worries...I can my own worms.

Did you have to buy the can? 🤣

[schmoopie17]

Just now, ontheweb said:

Did you have to buy the can? 🤣

I'm a tinsmith...I make my own cans.