Cb2534

2 hours ago, mpk said:

 

Not to mention the many CruiseNext certificates that many people have that will expire.  I guess they should be renamed  CruiseNyet

My husband and I have been calling the four we have our "CruiseNever" Certificates since about November.  Ready to just put them in the loss column.  Prices for the cruises we are interested in later in the year are up about 30-40%.  

I just threw my Cruise Next Certificates onto a December 2022 sailing about an hour ago just so I wouldn't lose them today.   I checked my account and the expiration date had not changed from the today's "use or lose" expiration date.     So now I have 4 CNC's on cruises I have no interest in taking just so I wouldn't lose them.    I currently reside in Florida so I may try and jump on a cruise in February as prices are still good but I want to see what happens with covid over the next few weeks before giving them any of my money.   There is a good possibility I will be eventually eating the $500 we spent on CNC back at the end of 2018 in light of the circumstances and huge increases in pricing for cruises later in 2022 and throughout 2023.    

Since my original post I have given up on my PCC altogether (continued issues with no response to my polite inquiries).     I just go directly to customer service via chat now.   They have been very helpful.  The one time they tried to direct me back to her I just indicated that I have been unsatisfied.   I recently backed out of a September 2021 cruise the day before final payment.  Now I have to book 2 cruises by the end of December or lose 4 cruise next certificates so back to the drawing board.   ( I miss my TA who retired).  Thanks for all of your input.  I won't be utilizing an NCL PCC moving forward unless the company implements better quality controls over these employees.    

We  just cancelled our cruise out of Rome on 9/29/21 on the Epic this past Friday (the day before final payment was due).   I didn't like what I was reading regarding covid numbers and increasing restrictions (curfews and shut downs) that were beginning to occur in parts of Europe.    Considering how contagious this new variant is, I also had to consider that our plan to fly into Rome a few days early and tour all of the sites would put us at a much higher risk for a positive covid test when we tried to board the ship.    I haven't cancelled airfare yet so I may re-evaluate and r-ebook this same cruise at the end of August/beginning of September if things look better.   Based on the numbers - I'm not very optimistic.        
If cruise prices for next year weren't so sky high I probably would have made the final payment and just taken the credit if things didn't work out, but 2022 sailings are very expensive.  I can't imagine them coming down with so many people needing to use up their FCC.   

For these reasons, I decided to back out.    So disappointed.   

I spoke too soon.   https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/6337/

Was really hoping to hear how things were progressing on the first official sailing.  

I am also worried about the entire ship being confined to quarters if a passenger or one of the staff tests positive.   That seems unnecessary if you are on a fully vaccinated sailing.     We are on a European sailing out of Rome at the end of September and I am most concerned about the potential closure of the major tourist sites and attractions.  I can't imaging spending all of that money to fly there and not being able to see the sites.  I have 2 more days until final payment.  Leaning towards canceling and then perhaps rebooking last minute dependent on circumstances.   Airfare already booked - I will just move to spring if needed.   

Great pricing on the Epic fall 2021 Rome and Barcelona sailings.  We are booked on the later September sailing on the Epic out of Rome (2021).  Price on our sail away balcony has dropped twice now - as of today $699.   I've added thermal spa passes for $139 each and will purchase the specialty dining (2 nights) closer to sailing.  We are in a large balcony but it is one of the dreaded "hull" cabins on deck 11.  Oh well - I knew I was taking a chance when I booked the sail away.   I'm keeping my fingers crossed this covid Delta variant doesn't blow everything up for us.  We have 10 additional days in Italy   Guides, excursions and hotels in Italy are cheaper right now when compared to prices in April 2020 when we had a transatlantic with extended stay booked that was all canceled.      I did have to shop around for airfare - that's pretty crazy these days.    NCL airfare wasn't an option - not enough flexibility on arrival and departure dates.   

On 7/17/2021 at 12:36 PM, ChiefMateJRK said:

Do you have a link to a new report of that?  That's the first I've heard of this in the US.

This was first hand experience - at that time we were in Florida.  There were 2 or 3 large East Coast storms that disrupted transport and distribution.   I'll try to find a link to an actual article.      

On 7/15/2021 at 1:09 AM, CptAleSpill said:

Really?  Many?  I've never heard of this.  Why would a medical person administer a second shot of a different vaccine?

At one point in the US there was a late winter storm that delayed delivery of vaccines creating a temporary shortage.    For a few weeks people due for their second shot were given what was available resulting in 2 different vaccines being administered in some cases.   

I am wondering what kind of experiences you have been having if you utilize a NCL cruise consultant.  I engaged with one for the first time last fall when Norwegian was cold calling people and encouraging them to book cruises so that their cruise next certificates would not expire (that was before the latest extension).  I decided to stay with this person with a recent booking because my long term travel agent had retired.   I have become very frustrated with the lack of response to my emails and phone calls.   There was a price drop on our cruise and I immediately emailed my consultant with no subsequent response and now seem to have missed out on this opportunity.   Is there a way to call and request a different representative?  At this point I don't know if it's even worth it or allowed.    Final payment is coming up and there are a few things I need clarification on.    General NCL customer service just tries to refer me back to this person.    Very frustrating. 

Lots of pressure on the first sailing in July.  I hope there is someone on this forum booked on that first cruise that is willing to give a fairly detailed and timely review on how things are working.    (We are on the 9/29 Epic sailing out of Rome.)   I'm keeping expectations in check recognizing the new crew, new procedures, and the length of this hiatus.  As long as I have decent food, some "ok" entertainment and our current itinerary stays intact and runs fairly smoothly, I will call the cruise a win.    We did score thermal spa passes at an amazing price.  I'm hoping most of those amenities are open and available.         

I confirmed with an NCL agent that the $139 for the spa pass on a late September sailing on the Epic was for the full week before purchasing.   It is also clearly indicated on my paid invoice.      

On 6/19/2021 at 12:13 AM, taylortime05 said:

 

I just booked the Epic on 9/29.  Did you add the airfare through NCL?  Someone told me if you are not flying on airlines that are designated as "Covid Tested" then you will need to quarantine in Europe for 10 days.  So I'm assuming NCL would ensure that the airline they select meets any requirements at the time.

 

I booked the H9 Spa Cabin for 5K.  I think it's a reasonable price for a Haven.  But I'm going to check out the other cabin prices because it is port intensive.  We've only been on one NCL cruise on the Escape. We won a bid for aft Haven.  We loved it so much.   I'll have to check out the price differences between balcony vs Haven. 

Congrats on booking the cruise and in the Haven no less.     We are also on the 9/29 cruising  in a large balcony cabin on deck 11 - I am sure we will see you in the spa.    I generally don't book the Haven unless I can score an amazing deal during the upgrade bidding.   

We did not take advantage of the airfare offer because of the "covid-tested" flight requirement from the US into Italy.  I did not want to take a chance on that.  We are also adding quite a few days to the trip before and after the cruise so another reason NCL air wouldn't work for us.     We fly out of JFK on the 25th.  

I was also looking for a roll call for this cruise.  There are a few older ones out there from 2020 that don't seem to hit the mark.     I guess for this itinerary there will be people getting on in Rome on Wed. (9/29)  to start their cruise and a whole new group getting on in Barcelona on Sunday for their 7day.   It's the first staggered type of cruise I've seen like this.    The only roll call I've found is for the Barcelona trip that begins on 10/3 but there has not been much activity.    I may start one myself.  I always loved the meet and mingle and the ability to join small group tours with other cruisers.  

If you decide against the Haven, I would consider booking a standard club balcony and then buying the add-on thermal spa pass.  So much cheaper than paying the current "spa" category  room rates when you book your cruise.     I am on the W. Med out of Rome on the Epic at the end of September and booked a balcony for a very good price.   I just picked up a full cruise thermal spa pass for $139 each for my husband and I.    Saved hundreds that way.   So much cheaper than booking a spa category room.  Make sure you call to reserve - attempting  to book the Epic thermal spa online makes it look like you are buying a day pass.   

One other thought - the cost for the 7 day spa pass was so low it makes me wonder if there will be limited services open or available for this sailing.      

I really can't wait for the reviews to start coming in after sailing starts!!

On 11/3/2020 at 1:54 PM, CruiseMH said:

Can you use as many certs per booking as you want? Or only one per booking(as it is with cruise next)

 

 

This is not widely publicized but you can use 2 Cruise Next Certificates on any sailing and on any category of cabin right now.   This includes sail away, inside cabins and cruises less than 7 days.  To clarify  - this is for the Cruise Next Certs.- not the new Cruise First promotion that kicked off this thread.

The reason I bring this up is because for many of us that our stuck holding Cruise Next Certificates, being able to use 2 for any cruise and any cabin category is a huge departure from the long standing rules.

14 hours ago, caitlynambrai said:

What dates are you sailing on the Epic?

September 29th sailing out of Rome.  

Right now the only "covid tested" flights being offered by the approved airlines out of the US are non-stop to Rome.  I would assume a flight with a connection would not qualify and the 10 day quarantine would apply.

I would hope the rules change by fall but at the rate the airfares are climbing, I am going to book a covid tested flight to Rome now.  I don't think my wallet can wait or gamble that these rules will loosen by then.  

For those of you flying to Europe (I saw a few mention Rome) - are you concerned about NCL's ability to get you on a flight that complies with the current Italian requirements to avoid quarantine? Right now citizens of the US can only fly into Italy on approved "covid-tested" non-stop flights out of JFK, Boston and Atlanta.  I think they have added a few more airports since then but unsure which ones.   Failure to take one of these flights results in a mandatory 10 day quarantine when you arrive in Italy.  There are limited approved airlines and departures available.   I have a cruise at the end of September out of Rome.   I have been hesitant to take advantage of buy one get one 1/2 off airfare for this reason.  A call to NCL customer service was unfruitful - it appeared they were unaware of these requirements so that made me more uncomfortable.  

On 5/28/2021 at 4:39 PM, CaptainWoody said:

You are quoting what the credit card's trip interruption insurance covers.  That's totally different than what consumer protection laws cover.  If I pay for a service, and it's not delivered when agreed upon, than I get my money back as long as I report it within 60 days of when it was due.  I'm on a financial forum where this stuff was discussed ad nauseum last year.  When all the facts were found, the conclusion was clear.  I'm at zero risk.

I don't believe this is true.  I disputed a canceled flight on a Canadian airline with my credit card company immediately after they refused to refund my money and instead gave me a travel credit.   I lost and exhausted every option available at the time.   Recently this airline announced it is offering refunds but turns out I don't qualify because I supposedly waived my right to a refund when I took the matter to dispute shortly after cancellation.  A real kick in the pants - twice now. I continue to fight without much hope of success.   I did discover a fairly active and angry facebook group dedicated to the sole purpose of "make the Canadian airlines pay" and they've been a great anger management outlet for me.  

On 6/15/2021 at 6:44 PM, bigjcruiser said:

For my upcoming cruise on Epic (fingers crossed) it is showing a day rate I think as I can just select two specific dates and it then shows a time of 6.01pm or 7.01pm and is £97.80 each. Does that seem right? (Apologies if I’ve misunderstood - I thought they were for the whole cruise)

I am also on the Epic and had the same exact questions.  I just got off chat with the NCL rep and she booked a full 7 day thermal spa pass for my husband and i for $139 each. Wow - seems hard to believe but I have confirmation in writing that it is for the full cruise.  I wonder if there will be limited services?  

I called NCL earlier today with these types of questions.  The CSR indicated that the maximum number of stopovers allowed is 2 and the layovers cannot exceed 2 hours.   

I am also monitoring a few cruises in 2022 and they are running really high but I have plenty of time to see how things develop. I wouldn't consider booking at the current prices - they are just too high.   I also live close enough to NYC (5 hours) that a last minute deal is an option for us.  We shall see.   

I'm eyeing up a spring 2022 transatlantic cruise to replace the one that was canceled in April.  It's hard to know what to do as there are going to be so many people with FCC to use and if demand is high enough, little reason for NCL to offer good discounts.     I'm also set on a spa category balcony so that makes opportunity all the more limited.   The current cost is running significantly higher than what I paid for the cruise I canceled.     ($1400 more for the two of us)   

1 minute ago, LasseKjus said:

Let's not confuse bankruptcy with going out of business. American Airlines went "bankrupt" in 2011 and has been growing ever since.

Unfortunately bankruptcy- even if only a reorganization and not a full closure-  generally results in the inability of people to collect any funds or credits thay are owed from the company.