Cindy

 

The changeover for the Jade was scheduled for cruises departing after November 20, 2020.  Looking now at some mock bookings, the info is still as confusing as it was back in 2019 when I posted this thread.  For example, looking right now at the Jade cruise embarking on Nov. 29, 2020, the NCL site says the following for the SN aft-facing penthouse suites: "Most include Butler and concierge service."   Most??  You'd certainly want to know what services YOUR specific SN was getting before you booked it!

 

So, a word of caution: anyone booking any of the suites the OP has mentioned should get clarification from NCL as to the specific suite perks being provided unless the web site is clear.   

 

 

Interesting...I just booked an SM category suite (Aft-Facing Penthouse with Large Balcony/Deck 10) on the Jade for October 2021. The description clearly states the perks include Butler and Concierge service.

 

The SN category is identical to SM, but with a smaller balcony. Those cabins are on Decks 8 & 9, and the description has the statement, “Most include Butler and Concierge Service.”

 

I’ll definitely keep an eye on it. I took screen shots of the cabin information just in case there’s a discrepancy.

 

 

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I was just faced with the same decision for a very port-intensive Europe cruise next year. I ended up choosing an aft Penthouse (non-Haven) suite. The price difference between the two was substantial, and since we only have one sea day out of 12 it didn’t seem worth the cost. If we were going to be spending a lot of days on the ship I might have chosen differently.


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We officially said good-bye to our Hawaii cruise today. It had been cancelled twice by NCL (once for dry dock and once for the virus), and then moved once by us after we rebooked. Admittedly, once celebrating our 60th birthdays in Kona was off the table a lot of the excitement was gone, but I’m also not comfortable with the rumblings about restricting visitors well into 2021. Maybe we’ll try again for our 65th birthdays!

On the bright side, we used our FCC for a 12-night to Spain, France, Portugal, and Italy in an aft suite with over 2200.00 left over![emoji3]

This will be the first year since (I think) 2002 that we won’t cruise.[emoji22]


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This is one time when I hope folks will prove me wrong on here! Living in Vancouver, I honestly can't see any cruises here this year. Our health minister has already warned that international or non-essential travel will not be possible until a vaccine or immunity is found. She said outright that cruise ships would not be permitted to disembark any passengers for the foreseeable future. Our border closures with the US have just been extended at least another month. 

We were booked on a HAL coastal leaving Vancouver on September 26. The cruise hasn’t been cancelled yet, but we cancelled last week because I just don’t see it happening, or happening in a form that we would want to be a part of. We’re (hopefully) going to Maine and New Hampshire in October instead...coast and mountains, staying at B&Bs and small inns, with lots of time out in nature. It will require plane travel, but we can’t hide forever! I really hope it happens, because it will end up being our only vacation this year.

Our next cruise is tentatively March 27 on NCL in Hawaii. That one was scheduled for April and got cancelled. I rescheduled for the end of October, but we decided to move that one out to March in the hopes of travel being less restricted. We’re also planning to go to Norway in August of 2021. Time will tell!


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July 2019 2 days before our NCL Pearl cruise  after travelling from Australia to Rome we had in cancelled.
 
We got given refunds and future cruise credits. Fast forward, we have booked and Alaska cruise in July 2021 (so no concern at present), and my sister in law booked NCL Gem cruise departing New York on 3 January 2021.
 
It is possible that Australia will have travel restrictions to the USA until next year, my SIL flights to NYC are mostly refundable, the question is, if we cancel before the 120 days, what happens with the FCC that was used to book the cruise ( expires 31 December 2020)?
 
Is NCL extending FCC?

I don’t know if you can cancel outright, but you can move it to another sailing. I did that yesterday — I had rebooked Pride of America for October, but we decided to reschedule for next year in the hopes of having a less restricted vacation.


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I have read elsewhere that while the final payment was changed to 90 days the option to cancel did not move and remained at 120 days. That may be your situation.

I have an upcoming final payment on HAL. Even though they have shortened the final payment due date, the cancellation penalties remain unchanged. I think this is probably what happened in the OP’s case.


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15 hours ago, jimdee3636 said:

If you read the fine print in what AlanF65 posted, above, it excludes summer and fall 2020 sailings.

 

That makes sense for a couple possible reasons...

1. Whether or not those sail is probably no better than 50/50. 

2. Final payment is too close for it to really benefit them as far as cash flow.

14 hours ago, iamtrustworthy said:

Hi Cindy,

 

Did Travel Insured recently tell you thay would refund you the premium you paid for your policy? They changed their procedures a month ago, though it's possible USAA is offering the refund.

 

Steve Dasseos

 

I did everything on the website. At one point I know I saw the refund option, but it's no longer there. They are still offering date changes and vouchers.

I am supposed to be sailing September 26. I did not receive an offer.


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I use Travel Insured through USAA for my travel insurance. I am able to get a refund, a voucher for future travel, or I can simply move the policy if I reschedule.


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We booked a cruise for next August. I wasn’t able to choose a cabin on the website, but when I called they took care of it with no problem. The agent I spoke with said it was because we booked a 14-night cruise that is also sold as two 7-night cruises.

Much to my surprise I got a casino discount on top of the Have It All promotion. My total price was about $900 less than the price when I wasn’t signed in.


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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_of_America
 

Thanks for clearing that up...I had it exactly backwards!


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NCL's Pride of America began her life in a shipyard in either Mississippi or Alabama in the same way.  The ordering company lacked the funds to complete the build out.  NCL bought the partly built vessel, took it to an European shipyard (if I recall correctly), and finished her.  

 

 

 

I thought it was just the opposite — the ship was started overseas, but because it was finished in a US shipyard it meets the PVSA standard of a US build.

 

 

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We are booked on our first Viking cruise next July, but regrettably we are going to cancel. I just can’t see tying up that kind of money for so long with all the unknowns right now.

Sigh...someday!


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Good to get a new one!  My understanding is that the old OBC does not carry forward to the new booking.  
 

We didn’t have the $1,000 before, but we got it as one of the perks when we had to reschedule.


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Our cruise was already expensive because we were in a suite on POA. Even with upgrading to an Owner’s Suite, we still have money left on our FCC. I plan to use the money for a shore excursion and possibly to add a specialty dining package to go with the three meal one we already have.

I also have $1,000 in OBC that was part of the deal when we rebooked![emoji15] I should be able to get off the ship without a bill to pay.


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We were on the Ruby in late August last year, and our roll call never really got going. I posted a few times, but we never met anybody from the roll call and there weren’t any events organized.


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I am in the same situation. We cancelled on February 23 and were told 4-6 weeks (which in my opinion is excessive for a regular deposit refund). I called at the end of 6 weeks and was told it was overlooked and would be expedited to be received in 7 days. Of course, that didn’t happen, so I called yesterday and spoke with a supervisor. I was basically told too bad, I’ll need to get in line and wait 90 days.

 

I have a rescheduled cruise on the Pride of America that I’m hoping we get to go on, but that will probably be my “one and done” with any of the lines under the NCL corporate umbrella. I haven’t been impressed with their policies or customer service.

 

 

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I filled out the refund form yesterday for my  cancelled cruise. It says to allow 90
days to see the refund on my credit card. I know that people (and I agree) think that this
is way too long and it is NCL's way of holding on as long as possible to our money. (I am
assuming it is legal for them to do this but in my opinion given the circumstances of
some people's lives not particularly customer friendly). As people start to get their
refunds please keep us updated as to how long it took. I am hoping for a much shorter
time frame.

I would say yes. On Feb 22 I had scheduled an Oceania cruise for 2021, but when my husband and I really looked at it the next day we decided to go in a different direction and I cancelled the cruise on the 23rd. My cancellation confirmation states I would receive my refund in 4-6 weeks (which is ridiculous in and of itself).

When I didn’t have my refund at the end of the 6 week period I called and was told it hadn’t been put through and I would have it in 7 days. I waited 2 weeks and called again yesterday. I spoke with the rudest, most dismissive supervisor imaginable, and was told even though I cancelled back in February I still would still have to wait up to 90 days for my refund.🤬


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That was the thing that shocked me about NCL.  It's like buying someone a present and then charging them to wrap it. 

 

I’ve cruised a lot, but my rescheduled for dry dock, then rescheduled for Covid-19 POA cruise will be my first on NCL if we ever get to go. I was shocked when I learned I had to pay the gratuities on my “free” beverage package.

 

The price of the package was also stunning, but I suppose that’s so they can try to fool people with the “value” of a package that doesn’t even include water or specialty coffee and grab all those gratuities.

 

 

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I’m very frustrated by my experience with Oceania. I cancelled a summer 2021 cruise on Feb. 23 for reasons completely unrelated to Covid-19. I have a copy of my cancellation stating I would receive my refund in 4-6 weeks.

At the six week mark I contacted Oceania again, and I was told for some reason the refund hasn’t been processed, but it would be expedited and I should have my refund in 7 days. I waited another 2 weeks, and this morning I spoke with a very unhelpful agent and his dismissive, rude supervisor. I was basically told too bad, I need to wait 90 days from my cancellation date in February (long before any temporary policies were in place), and they had no intention of expediting my refund.

I do understand what a crazy time this is, but this has really soured me on Oceania. I really don’t understand how my refund can take 90 days, especially since I cancelled the 2021 cruise back in February. The dismissive attitude of the supervisor did nothing to make the situation any better.


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Our last Princess Cruise was in August to Alaska on the Ruby.


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Thanks to both of you! I’m going to try to stay optimistic for November, but I thought I should at least explore what my options are if we don’t have the cruise option available.


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I haven’t had good luck at all with NCL PCCs. I had one who ignored me until after he saw I had booked a cruise on-line, then called to offer his help. When I called him back and asked for something, he was totally disinterested and never got back to me.

 

Fast forward to last month, when my POA cruise got cancelled. I made all the new arrangements, THEN he called offering to help. When I told him I had already taken care of it he HUNG UP ON ME![emoji36]

 

A couple days later I got a call from a different person saying they had been assigned as my PCC. Unfortunately he’s no better, and I’m going to have to revert to just calling the main number to get copies of the documents I’ve asked him to send twice. He even argued with me about the side of the ship I want to be on, telling me there’s currently lava flowing in Hawaii.[emoji849]

 

The only times I’ve had good service were the two times my POA cruise was cancelled (once for dry dock and once for Covid-19). Maybe they put more competent, interested people on the redeployment line? I wish one of them was assigned as my PCC!

 

 

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I should be taking a plane ride over the Na’Pali Coast.


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