Cruise4Twos

14 minutes ago, Budget Queen said:

No-  there is NO predictability.   60 days is no magic number-  and cruises-  just as often go up.  

Sure the cruises that go up are the newer ships/hotter itineraries/top holidays. I spoke to that in my post above. I've seen this quite a bit. The ones I call the hidden gems go down. No, I'm not a magician.  If there was absolute predictability, I would have gotten the absolute best deal and I would be available recommend it to everyone.  

15 minutes ago, tomk3212 said:

@Cruise4Twos One gimmick I learned from my prior PCC was a "courtesy hold".  If you can't contact your regular PCC then call the  866 reservations number & ask the customer service rep or whomever you get for this.  Unfortunately it's only good for 6-24 hours, depending on when you call (I think it expires at midnight).  This will "hold" your reservation at that price & cabin category.  I did that for our last TA cruise while I booked last minute airfare from London back to NY (successfully).  I then called her back before the hold expired & completed the booking.

 

If you don't like your particular PCC just call the regular 866 customer service number, ask for a supervisor & request a new one.  I've not had to do this but others who have done it can perhaps speak to this better than me.

Good to know that you can switch PCCs. I may try a PCC again.

I'm not sure that I understand the purpose of a courtesy hold for me. I think that I've done this b4. If so, it's to hold a cabin b4 a deposit which wasn't my scenario. I had an inside cabin because everything else but an owner's suite was sold out. Someone recommended that I keep calling back to see if an outside cabin opens up. It did (several did since it was close to final payment), but my PCC said that it wasn't available when it was. He tried to place me in a higher priced oceanview.  Eventually I proved it to him so he had to book me in that cabin.

On 6/20/2019 at 10:30 AM, teeredi2cruise said:

DAVLIB007, I have seen most major airlines in the CC users that have reported back on their airlines, some of them have been direct and some with connections. We are in an American Air Hub as well, but one of our group "currently" (meaning could change since we have not traveled yet and are still ~70 days out) are booked on Delta with one connection through Atlanta and one through JFK. One other has Departure through Delta and returning on American. I have to admit I was a bit surprised that they were not on American with hub departure city. I assume it is whichever airline has seat inventory that they have contracted with. All of the times are very good and are actually better than what I was able to book for myself. Having said that, they have also been told that their itineraries can change even though they were able to go in and select their seating so we all are keeping an eye on the arrangements. We are flying in 2 days before when we booked, it was $25/per person to deviate with no hotel requirement. One of our group booked earlier and had the hotel arrangement that was required to deviate. 

 

Safe travels!

We're booked on direct flights from JFK to London via AA and Venice to JFK via Delta 2 days early with no hotel requirement . We were able to pick adequate seats. It seems like if you do a generic flight search, if there are several cheap nonstop flights for the major carriers, there's a good chance to get nonstop flights. If you notice the cheapest from the major carriers have connections then there's a good chance to there will be connections. The times are good.  It's a better deal overall than I can book myself.

2 hours ago, tomk3212 said:

We had this happen several years ago; price dropped like a rock a week after we booked & paid through our NCL PCC (cruise was about 60 days out).  Our PCC got us bumped up to a balcony from our GTY/SA Inside cabin category with no additional $$ plus a $25 OBC for the cabin!  Woo for us!

 

Lessons learned: 1) Use a PCC whenever possible instead of the NCL website.  This way if the price drops you have an actual human being with a "real" phone# to interact with instead of the generic 866 customer service phone line and whomever picks up at the other end.  Our PCC also warned us then that this would be the ONLY compensation we'd get, even if the price dropped further. 2) TA's can be hit and miss; we used my dad-in-law until he passed and then had good and bad experiences with other non-family TA's.  We've been using NCL's PCCs with good results the past 3-4 years.  Unfortunately they turn over quickly (our current PCC is the 4th we've had) so keep that in mind.

 

As previous posters have stated if you placed your original reservation through a TA then you have to deal with the TA; NCL will NOT talk to you.  For that & other reasons we use NCL's PCCs.

 

Good luck & hope you have a great cruise!

 

Unfortunately the PCC did not work out for us. One day I happened to call while my PCC was out of the office. I spoke to another PCC who directed me to a room that suited our needs (most rooms were sold out) but our PCC needed to make the change. When he called me back, he said that the room category was not available. Unfortunately my computer was not acting properly at the time. He tried to talk me into a higher priced room. The call ended. Once my computer was fine I called him again. I read to him what was available through the website so he had to place me into the room I requested. There were two other minor issues that I had to force him to do.

This was our 2nd PCC. The 1st was neutral. When we booked this time, they didn't assign me one and I was happy. I've called several times for price reductions b4 final payment and OBC after final payment. I would rather have some good some bad customer service than get stuck with a bad PCC.

7 hours ago, VPMJ said:

 

 

 

 Thank you all. We are 53 days out. Wondering if I should just go with this price drop or wait even longer?  At what point did you find the second set of further reductions? 

I was at 52 days out. The price fell again later that day. I wish I would have waited but I didn't want to take that chance. On NCL if it's not a newer ship or a hot itinerary, the price tends to go down at 60 days or less vs. up. What's more likely is that the room category sells out. If it sells out, there's nothing to negotiate.

5 hours ago, April42749 said:

I tried....my TA said something to the effect of "no".  It was only a $25 drop so I didn't really care, but I think he was just too lazy.

I think that you're right.

Yes NCL gave us 25% of the reduction in OBC. They said they will only do this once.  It was further reduced. Tried calling again but it didn't work. I agree that the timing is usually a gamble and it's nice that they provide anything after final payment.

I just received onboard credit from NCL since my room category dropped in price after I paid in full. Note that I booked directly thru NCL.

INSURANCE DEFINITELY A small price to pay for a major disaster that could cost much more in the end

NCL's medical/emergency coverage is too small for an outrageous price

I'm curious about the credit card insurance which I'll have to look into for the next trip

1 hour ago, bkbarrym said:

Can't directly compare as it would depend on particular cruise conditions but we found our sailing in deck 3 OV rather calm. Particularly liked the easier access to the main foyer, activities on deck 4 & 5 and gangways.

Agreed. I also like seeing the flying fish which seem easier to see from the lower decks.

13 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

Add Cunard, HAL, NCL, Royal Caribbean,  Azamara, Orient,  and Oceania  I suspect that he simply failed to look.

It's not in the documents that were sent to me. I reread before replying (it may be in the cruise contract which I will have sent to me) and I am not a "he".

57 minutes ago, mom says said:

Perhaps they won't be holding your passports on your upcoming cruise? Too bad you didn't learn of this practice before your previous cruises, but I'm curious as to why you didn't ask about this when it happened the first time. It is intended as a convenience to pax and a means of streamlining immigration procedures for both the ships staff and the immigration officials. But perhaps you would prefer to stand in a long line in the middle of the night every night before entering a new port?

 

We've seen this done on our last 2 cruises, but had ample warning before boarding. I really don't know why so many Americans are so paranoid about giving up their passports. Perhaps it's because comparatively few are used to frequent international travel. I remember one American couple get into a shouting match with a desk clerk in a hotel in Italy when told they had to give him their passports and they would get them back that night. This was, and still is, required so that the hotel can pass on the required information to the local police registry, as required by law. The couple all but accused the poor man if stealing their passports to sell on the black market! Another case of insufficient advance research. When in doubt blame everyone else.

 

I don't mind them taking custody of my passport. When we actually required them at a port, there was a procedure in place to pick them up, and then return them when reboarding the ship. And if we miss the ship- I'd much rather that they knew exactly where they were (in their documentation office) so they could quickly hand  them over to the port agent. I've actually been quite impressed by the care they take to inform pax of the documentation required when disembarking at each port. 

I asked the 1st time. The explanation I received was that we were instructed to take everyone's passport. The 2nd time they just said that it was required of one country. They did let us know that our passports would be given to the port agency if we did not make the ship. Unfortunately when you don't get an adequate explanation, you improperly figure out your own explanation "like defecting" which is why I thru in the US thing (not special, just no reason to defect). I'm human. Yes I feel more comfortable being in control. Yes its been drilled into my memory that I need to have that passport. I was not alone in my feeling on either cruise. Sure if you know it's better that the ship holds it , you would come to that conclusion. I didn't know. I'm learning. Unfortunately it's impossible to learn, if you don't know the reason why. This site has exposed me to a lot. As navybankerteacher said, "it's in the cruise contract" forget about perhaps. I'm reaching out to get the cruise contract. Anything that I think would help others will providebe given in feedback to the ship.

4 minutes ago, SantaFeFan said:

 

My experiences have been with Celebrity, Princess and Disney. They all provided that information in the cruise documents sent to me upon booking. Perhaps other cruise lines are not as helpful.

 

 

I looked there also. There was good information listed but nothing stating the possibility of your passport being taken. Nevertheless, I am going to ask for a copy of the cruise contract. 

16 minutes ago, SantaFeFan said:

 

I have always known if our passports were to be "confiscated". Probably because I actually read the cruise contract and the information about the cruise I was taking provided by the cruise line.

They could do a better job in making that information available. To get more informed, I logged into my upcoming cruise document area. Plenty of alerts on what to buy. The cruise contract is not there. I guess I'll have to jump thru hoops to retrieve it when technology could make that information easily available.

For some reason people are getting caught up on my use of the word "confiscate" which means taken or seized with authority. The 1st time was quite a shock to us. They could post why their doing what they're doing and what would happen if you were to get left, then people would understand and not think that the policy is insane as many people on the boat were grumbling about this.

18 hours ago, chipmaster said:

Why don’t you just plan to have passport ?  

 

Or or are you simply fishing for a good story ?

Twice the cruise ship confiscated our passports. Once on a European cruise and once on a South Pacific cruise. On the European cruise, we misjudged how far away we were from the port. We had an hour. We just missed the previous hop on hop off bus. The next one took 15 minutes, it took 15 minutes to get to our stop and 10 minutes to run back to the ship. You're supposed to be back on the ship a half hour before sailing but we arrived 20 minutes b4 sailing. Luckily they let us back on the ship with a stern warning. Of course now we plan better. Regardless it's not just about having a passport. It's insane that they confiscate US passports sometimes until the end of the cruise but they do.

Thanks TxCityKat for posting a link to "What to Do If Your Cruise Ship Leaves You Behind ... and How to Prepare So It Doesn't Happen to You." 

On 6/30/2019 at 3:44 PM, Cruise4Twos said:

The computer system is still screwed up. It's been almost a month. When is it going to be fixed?

It appears that issues are being resolved on a case by case basis.

16 minutes ago, 1025cruise said:

 

I wouldn't say traumatized, but when you walk by a table of 8 with only 2 sitting there, what comes to your mind?

 

Everyone keeps saying to select anytime (or whatever its called). I want the same waitstaff. Plus, in some cases, select dining will fill up as well. They don't have unlimited space. They still need to allocate as if everyone is going to show up. The end result being that people that want anytime will get stuck in traditional, and then no show because they don't want late (where they normally get stuck due to availability). In reality, the only solution, though not yet coming from the lines, is to allow a passenger to say they don't wish to use the MDR and just not worry about assigning seats. This way the anytime wanters get their seats, and don't get stuck where they don't want to be.

I've gotten the same waiter twice using anytime/freestyle dining. We typically eat at the same time every night. That makes it easy on the staff.  Once on Royal, once on Norwegian. Due to rude tablemates, we now just get a table for 2.

On 6/14/2019 at 2:55 PM, newmexicoNita said:

frustrating yes, but computer screw ups do happen plus or TA told us just a few days ago, just the Cuba thing has left cruise lines backed up for hours or days. I can imagine how busy the air dept is right now with people booked with air. This certainly is not a guest service issue as much as a possible computer glitch along with the Cuba issue and a few other issues. 

The computer system is still screwed up. It's been almost a month. When is it going to be fixed?

On 3/25/2019 at 12:25 PM, Always Cruising said:

With airline's change fee, it's $200 (or whatever any airline charges) plus any increase in fare at the time of the change.    NCL uses bulk fares, so they are lower than what a passenger can book on his/her own.  Some bulk fares have a no refund if cancelled  clause, too - so kinda risky to get NCL air and try to change after it's booked. 

There is flexibility to change the flight day up to 75 days before the cruise with NCL. If I would have booked the flight myself 3 months ago when the price was cheaper (similar to the NCL offer), I would be locked into a specific date or a $200 change fee plus any increase in fare at the time of the change. It took me 3 months, nevertheless I was able to talk my spouse into flying in 2 days early. NCL does not charge a change fee although there is a $25pp air deviation fee for flying in advance of the cruise day. That's a much better deal for me.

13 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

Why would they rant about you living on planet earth?😋

Any difference can cause unwanted comments. Unfortunately some people are not respectful of differences.

Yes. Twice. We are not of the majority so we sometimes get unwanted comments. Now we only do "freestyle dining" or the equivalent of it. I'm so glad that Norwegian popularized this (MSC please take note of this). I spent my money like everyone else in order to enjoy my trip like everyone else.

On 5/29/2019 at 12:37 PM, caffeine_demon said:

I understand that the "room"/"cabin" costs the company the same whether it's for one or 2 people - so I'm ok with that - but what annoys me is :

1 - Paying for the non existent person's food.

2 - The fact that the supposed "bargain" lower supplement cabins actually cost just about as much (or more) than the cheapest twin occupancy cabins,

 

Grr!

1 - They could discount the non existent person's food. But then they would be exposing how little they pay for food. They don't want that kind of information to get out.

2 - The "bargain" cabins are a marketing strategy.

On 4/17/2019 at 2:12 PM, Retired LEO said:

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/fl-ne-cuba-travel-restrictions-20190417-story.html

That's for letting us know about this. Please let us know if you hear anything further regarding this.

5 hours ago, MotownVoice said:

But then you're not doing the research someone who books their own cruises and flights does.  So you're just taking your travel agents word for it. 

Yes we do. Most of the flights from NY to London are direct which is why I'm willing to let NCL book my flight. A lot depends on where you're flying from/to.

I would love to have a travel agent that offers extra perks and gives you the price reductions that NCL offers but I don't know anyone who does that. No one's advertising that kind of thing. In addition there's so many frauds, I'd rather not take that chance. It's good for those that have a good travel agent.