NCL's unkind answer to the customer

[Twice-a-year]

I booked this trip direct through NCL, 2 days later I found the same cruise, same cabin category (the cabin that is next to mine) with the better deal,$300.00 cheaper than I have paid NCL.

I contacted NCL customer care, they told me that nothing that they can do, not even give me a $100 ship board credit because I chose to buy directly from them, I should have checked the website and buy from another company with the better deal, this is the NCL Customer care supervisor's answer. I ws completely SHOCK with the elegant answer. :confused:

This is my 6th trip with NCL. I am now upset, I turned around cancelled the Pearl for August trip to Alaska.

[cathi007]

Good for you, I hope you got the brst price for your Alaska trip. Have a great time

[PaulfromPA]

I saw a price drop on my upcoming NCL cruise and asked them for a credit. Same response: No Way! In any event, I won't book a cruise directly with NCL. Not when I can get TA perks for the same price.

 

- Paul

[newmexicoNita]

Not knowing the situation all I can do is speculate; most likely the drop was a special for new bookings only. Of all the lines I deal with the 2 things NCL is great about or actually 3-1, getting docs out asap 2-paying commissions 3-honoring price reductions.

 

I will be anxious to see how many others have this problem. I hope you will re-consider your decision. If it was a Wednesday it most likely was the specials that are for new bookings only. The only thing you have to do is cancel the original reservation and re-book. You may or may not get your cabin back, you would be amazed at how fast they can sell, but you would save $300.00.

 

And for Paul, thanks for helping keep us agents in business; you are right about booking with a TA: it costs you nothing, we try to give service plus perks and often can get things accomplished that couldn't be done otherwise. NMnita

[ashleycrew]

They tried the same thing with me also and I was persistant, ask to speak with the supervisor.. after that ask to speak with the "Revenue Dept" they make the final decision. I did not get a price reduction but I did get an upgrade and an OBC, just don't accept no and it can happen. RCI far and away is the best for this no issues whatsoever with RCI if the price goes down.

[sas80]

You cant cancel your existing reservation and rebook to get the better price? Or book a new reservation under the new price and then call and cancel the old reservation...?

 

I have found that, if I "threaten" to do this, usually they relent....

 

Or is this beyond final payment date?

[lvtotrvl1]

I will have to agree with Nita...I work extensively with NCL and they have always worked to honor price drops etc. Sometimes it may take time to get it accomplished, but it gets done. As she states, we are not sure of the exact reason why the price difference was so much. I hope you don't hold this against NCL for long, they have a great product . The cruiselines are getting inundated by people booking direct, and they just do not have the trained staff to handle it. A travel Agent is working for thier customer and the cruiseline agent is working for the cruiseline. It can make a big difference.

[Frick_&_Frack]

On one of my trips, there was a price drop after final payment. The initial response was "nothing we can do".

 

I respectfully requested that I would like to speak with a supervisor. After a few minutes, they gave me an upgrade instead of return money.

 

Worked fine for me!

 

Sometimes it's best to just call the NCL number again. A different rep will sometimes do different things.

 

Best of luck!

[Brenda33]

I am cruising on the Dawn on Nov. 5th and the price for my category dropped only $30 per person, but I figured, hey why not ask. I called NCL and I was told that since my category was a guarantee category and the room I got cost more than the price I paid anyhow they would not do anything about the price difference. I guess this makes sense......

[ashleycrew]

I am cruising on the Dawn on Nov. 5th and the price for my category dropped only $30 per person, but I figured, hey why not ask. I called NCL and I was told that since my category was a guarantee category and the room I got cost more than the price I paid anyhow they would not do anything about the price difference. I guess this makes sense......

 

They tried the same thing with me and I ended up getting an OBC. I guess my theory is we should not have to pay more for booking early as that is what is best for the Cruise lines. They are the one that assigned your room and can not hold that against you.

[Mekamax]

I"m assuming it is after final payment. Sorry but none of the cruiselines are good about giving a refund after final payment even booking through a travel agent. NCL last year said no to me but then I called back a week later and she said they had already mailed a check to me. Which they had after they said no and I hung up they then cut me a check and mailed it to me even though it was after final payment. It went down again and when I called (I was very nice by the way) they offered an upgrade but I didn't take it as I was in an aft balcony. I also ended up with an upsell offer. So it is worth booking direct through them but after final RCL would only upgrade me and Carnival said they can only give me a price break once after final so am I sure I wanted to take this price break - which I did for that cruise as my category was about sold out and all cruiselines will only give you the category you bought and if you are upgraded on a guarantee then that is excluded.... This is any cruise line even with an agent... Upgrade is possible and maybe maybe an onboard credit (more rare) but refunds after final are rare. Like I said Carnival did have a policy that they would reduce it once (only for category booked) after final (if you could get your TA to call them - better to book direct) but that was years ago and that may have gone by the way side by now too... Debbie

[Brenda33]

Ashleycrew,

 

What is an OBC? Is that better than what you original had and paid for?

[newlywedcruisers]

Ashleycrew,

 

What is an OBC? Is that better than what you original had and paid for?

 

OBC is on board credit, basically money used to pay your "Service charge" specialty restuarants, ShorEx, etc.

[DragonflyCruiser]

We booked on board and upon returning I checked the NCL web price. It too was lower but NCF (port charges) were not added into the web price and had been all lumped into mine. After I worked out the numbers I found my price to be $50 less + I have an on board ship credit. So, not bad. I also noticed that the air price was a tiny bit lower on our bill.

[kmacht]

Are the prices really better on the online travel agent sites? On the few NCL cruises that I have taken the price was always exactly the same or even a few dollars better when booking an inside guarantee through NCL. Is it just the higher prices rooms that have better prices through a TA? I find that most of the time the prices that the online agencies initially show you are for either a different date or don't include all the port charges / taxes / booking fee etc. When you do get to the final price it has always been the same or extremely close as the one NCL quotes you (without insurance). I prefer to book through NCL so if I have a problem I am not trying to get it resloved through a third person (I.E a TA). I believe that NCL won't even talk to you if you about problems if you booked through a TA. Of course if you book with a good TA and you have a problem it should get resolved before it even becomes an issue. What has everyone elses experience been?

 

Keith

[CTBob]

If you have a good TA they are worth a few dollars extra. Last year we had a 15 day trans-atlantic cruise booked when one of our party of 6 was diagnosed with cancer (He's cancer free now, cruised to Bermuda on the NCL Crown recently) and our agent was fantastic at getting the situation resolved. I always look at the online sites first and then call my TA. It usually is the same price or maybe $50 pp more.

 

Bob

[ashleycrew]

I prefer booking directly with the cruise lines and not using a TA. On my recent NCL cruise I attempted to book directly with them but gave up after 2 attempts to call at 45 min. hold time each- whole different story and not trying to open that discussion up- I then book with an online TA and when I had the lower price issue the TA did put me on hold when I called and called NCL (they must have a secret number) and then the TA went back and forth between myself and NCL to negotiate out a resolution. It worked out fine.

[KnMCruisers]

I went through another company to book my cruise and have twice now found better deals and had them credit my CC, both times with the difference, no hassles.

 

Sorry to hear about your predicament. Did you buy the insurance? I would suggest calling and threatening to cancel if they can not make amends.

[L0204]

We had bought the platinum bonus rewards package and used it for an April 2007 Spirit cruise. I first called NCL directly and got a price, then called my TA and got a lower price by $100 pp from the TA. I called NCL back to see if they could match the TA and they COULDN'T.....hard for me to believe...but true. So the TA got the $.:D

[newmexicoNita]

I just had a call from a cliant that had noticed the BA rate on his cruise (already) had docs had gone down to below the price he is paying for a BB. He wanted to upgrade. I called NCL, the gal was exceptionally nice (no I wasn't on hold forever) did they allow him to upgrade? No, why, because he is on a promotion which gives him a $75.00 OBC. this is just one more example of reasons behind some of these situations. Often, I am not certain we get the entire story. NMnita

[mbisson]

I just had a call from a cliant that had noticed the BA rate on his cruise (already) had docs had gone down to below the price he is paying for a BB. He wanted to upgrade. I called NCL, the gal was exceptionally nice (no I wasn't on hold forever) did they allow him to upgrade? No, why, because he is on a promotion which gives him a $75.00 OBC. this is just one more example of reasons behind some of these situations. Often, I am not certain we get the entire story. NMnita

 

In a case such as this Nita, I think it would've been nice (but certainly not required of them) if they had offered him the chance to take the BA if he were willing to give up the OBC.

 

BTW-personally, I would pass on the upgrade if they made that offer to me ;)

I'm not one who cares a lot about what deck I'm on, and that's probably what the difference in the cabins would end up being.

 

jmo

-Monte

[newmexicoNita]

We had bought the platinum bonus rewards package and used it for an April 2007 Spirit cruise. I first called NCL directly and got a price, then called my TA and got a lower price by $100 pp from the TA. I called NCL back to see if they could match the TA and they COULDN'T.....hard for me to believe...but true. So the TA got the $.:D

that would be almost funny if weren't so sad. They would rather have you use a TA and pay a commission than honor the TAs rate. Makes no sense does it?

[newmexicoNita]

We had bought the platinum bonus rewards package and used it for an April 2007 Spirit cruise. I

 

sorry dup, as usual.

[newmexicoNita]

In a case such as this Nita, I think it would've been nice if they had offered him the chance to take the BA if he were willing to give up the OBC.

 

BTW-personally, I would pass on the upgrade if they made that offer to me ;)

I'm not one who cares a lot about what deck I'm on, and that's probably what the difference in the cabins would end up being.

 

jmo

-Monte

I'm sorry Monte, I should have made myself clear; they did, but my cliant preferred the lower rate. What he really wanted was to keep what he has and get another OBC for the difference in price. I guess I should have worded it differently.

 

Nita

[mbisson]

I'm sorry Monte, I should have made myself clear; they did, but my cliant preferred the lower rate. What he really wanted was to keep what he has and get another OBC for the difference in price. I guess I should have worded it differently.

 

Nita

 

No problem Nita-& he did just as I would've. Hope your client has a good cruise and no reason to yell at you when he gets back ;)

 

-Monte