After final payment options

[Hunding]

After final payment has been made, does one have any recourse to anything when prices drop? I fear asking this because I think I already know the answer. Only six days after we made final payment, our stateroom is now listed for almost $1400 less than what we paid. Can one call one's PCC and beg...plead...anything for at least a token OBC? Or is this - as I fear it is - one of those "Life Lessons"? You know, never-book-a-cruise-too-soon-because-the-price-will-almost-always-go-down-the-later-you-wait.... I realize, of course, that I am inviting mockery and sneers with this post, but I had to give it a try.

[deepnite10]

good question:confused: when i called to make our final payment..we were

informed that we would be getting a price adjustment and a

OBC..

 

6 day s befor you sail is a tough one to call..

 

did you go thru a TA or NCL directly..would nt hurt at all at

this point to make a phone call..

[flashdog_1]

But you see, they don't always go down. For my last Alaska sailing the prices only went up, then the ship was sold out! So you never know.

 

If you picked a cabin you really wanted, and you got it at a price you were willing to pay, then voila! You are a happy cruiser. I know, it hurts to think someone else might get a similar cabin to yours for $1400 less than you paid. Just call them lucky. Next time it might be you, but it might not, either. It's a gamble to wait. And if you are having to fly to your port of embarkation, then you got better air rates, or could use frequent flyer miles. You didn't necessarily lose $1400 because airfare could have gone up that much!

 

But it would not hurt to give your personal cruise consultant a call to see if you could be upgraded because of the difference in price!

[bornstni]

I had my TA call when this happened to me and they told me that there was nothing that I would do since my cruise was sailing in less than 30 days away.

 

I kindly told them if that was true then this would be the last time I ever cruise with NCL. 5 Hours later I got a call back and they told me they would upgrade me to a romance suite for free.

 

It never hurts to ask.

[Hunding]

Thanks for your replies.

 

Actually, we don't sail for nine weeks. The price went down only six days after we made final payment last weekend! But I will call my PCC and ask - or beg or threaten suicide or...or.... :)

[Arwenmark]

The normal thing would be to offer you an upgrade assuming the higher grade went down to below or what you paid or very close.

They do not offer money back or OBC after final payment date.

[starkarlis]

I got upgraded to a cabin that was in the approximate price I had originally. That was just last week and about a week after my final payment date. OBC or refunds are dollar for dollar to NCL but upgrades are not really, if that makes sense.

[*Wink*]

Up to final payment, you can have your fare adjusted to any change. You can also ask for OBC promotions as long as they're not for new bookings only.

 

As others have said, an offer of an upgrade is the usual coarse of action after final payment has been made.

 

As far as "the lesson" you learned, your choices are to either book early for a great fare and be able to choose your cabin, or book within final payment and HOPE there are desirable cabins left.. and just like Phyllis said, sometimes prices increase.

 

We always book at least a year out to get the cabin we want.. after final payment has been made, we don't expect any reductions, but can always hope for an upgrade.

 

Definitely call and see what you can get. Have a great cruise. :)

[CC Help Michell]

Contact your PCC or TA and ask -- it can't hurt. But please don't take any "life lessons" from this. In August of '07 we booked our April '09 cruise (the one we just finished). From the day we booked it until a week prior to sailing the price SKYROCKETED. There was never a decrease. So, no, there is no "life lesson" that "if you book early you will miss out on the best price."

 

PS Not sure why you would expect mockery or sneers? You asked a sincere question about what might be possible -- it's those who imply that they "deserve" an adjustment who tend to generate somewhat heated replies. :)

[dtracker]

But you see, they don't always go down. For my last Alaska sailing the prices only went up, then the ship was sold out! So you never know.

 

If you picked a cabin you really wanted, and you got it at a price you were willing to pay, then voila! You are a happy cruiser. I know, it hurts to think someone else might get a similar cabin to yours for $1400 less than you paid. Just call them lucky. Next time it might be you, but it might not, either. It's a gamble to wait. And if you are having to fly to your port of embarkation, then you got better air rates, or could use frequent flyer miles. You didn't necessarily lose $1400 because airfare could have gone up that much!

 

But it would not hurt to give your personal cruise consultant a call to see if you could be upgraded because of the difference in price!

 

Just look at it from NCL's point of view...They are in business to make a profit. It they don't, they won't stay in business long. If you were happy with your original deal, and only have buyer's remorse because you saw a better deal, what does NCL really owe you?

 

I've bought thousands of items that have eventually lowered in price. Just look at the tech industry. Does that mean I got an unfair deal? No, because I paid what I thought was a fair amount. If I didn't think it was fair to begin with, shame on me when I agreed to pay that amount. I always have a fair price in mind everytime I book a cruise or anything else. Once a cruiseline matches that price, I book it. If not, then I'll look for a cruise that does. :)

 

As others have said, you can give your PCC a call and see what they will do, but I don't think it would be right to demand the new fare or threaten them if they don't give it to you. JMHO.

 

DT

[terrymtex01]

I just wanted to add that you don't have to threaten NCL, etc. It is very common practice that if the prices drop and what you paid for your stateroom is now the same price as a stateroom above yours, they will move you to that stateroom. You may have to threaten a TA to get them to actually do something for you, but if you booked and deal directly with NCL, it is very common for them to do that.

 

As far as it being a lifes lesson, I am going to respectfully disagree with others and say it should be a lesson with cruising. Almost always the prices will drop after final payment due. Not always, but almost always. You just have to decide which is more important to you. Being able to select the cabin you want or taking a chance it will be gone by the time the price drops, but you save money. And you also need to take into account how would you feel if the prices did go up after final payment and now you are paying more money and possibly not getting the stateroom you want. My advise has always been for people to stop looking once you pass final payment unless you are ok seeing the costs drop and possibly getting a higher catagory of stateroom.

[Hunding]

Thanks again to you all. Please do note, however, that I never said I would threaten NCL. For what? I jokingly - I thought - threatened suicide. Which I also have no intention of doing. Well, at least until after my cruise. :)

[Mooder]

Thanks again to you all. Please do note, however, that I never said I would threaten NCL. For what? I jokingly - I thought - threatened suicide. Which I also have no intention of doing. Well, at least until after my cruise. :)

 

LOL. I agree that it is worth asking for an upgrade. It has worked for me - first, I was turned down and then when I asked for a supervisor, I got it. Doesn't hurt to ask, nicely. ;) Let us know how you do!!

[macnife]

My cabin catagory dropped drastically after final payment, but the next catagory went up in price, so we could not upgrade without paying more. I ended up cancelling my cruise, and lost my deposit. Re-booked at the lower rate, and saved. This scenerio will not save everyone money, but it did for me. We were fortunate enough to get the same cabins. There is a risk in cancelling and re-booking, that you will loose the cabin you want.

[blackerbys17]

My cabin catagory dropped drastically after final payment, but the next catagory went up in price, so we could not upgrade without paying more. I ended up cancelling my cruise, and lost my deposit. Re-booked at the lower rate, and saved. This scenerio will not save everyone money, but it did for me. We were fortunate enough to get the same cabins. There is a risk in cancelling and re-booking, that you will loose the cabin you want.

 

Macnife, I have a quick question since you are on my cruise. When you cancelled and rebooked, was it with NCL directly? I was told I wouldn't be able to do that because the new price was for new bookings only. Just wondering how you were able to do it because maybe I could follow suit.

 

By the way, if you don't mind me asking, how much did you lose with your deposit? Thanks for your help!

[macnife]

Macnife, I have a quick question since you are on my cruise. When you cancelled and rebooked, was it with NCL directly? I was told I wouldn't be able to do that because the new price was for new bookings only. Just wondering how you were able to do it because maybe I could follow suit.

 

By the way, if you don't mind me asking, how much did you lose with your deposit? Thanks for your help!

 

I booked with a travel agent. She called NCL and we had a three way conversation. I had booked when the deposit was reduced to $125pp. On NCL website it states that you can cancel up to 30 prior to the cruise and just forfeit your deposit. We have 5 rooms booked, so maybe that is why they worked with me. Our original fare was around $1200pp and the reduced rate was $819pp. I lost, I think, around $1300 in deposits, but saved over $2000 with the reduced fare.

 

Good luck in your efforts to get the reduced fare. I keep watching the website and the rates jump back and forth on our cruise. See you aboard!

[Hunding]

One final "Thank You" to all who wrote.

 

Well, after days of back-and-forth, fretting, stewing - you know the routine - I tried the gambit of talking to someone "new" at NCL. Very lovely lady. For several hundred dollars more for the two of us, we are now booked in an AB for a few thousand less than what we would have paid two weeks ago. It's all still a mystery to me, but, no doubt, the whole situation certainly resolved happily for us.

 

Now come the interminable months of waiting....

 

Bon Voyage!