Price drop just before cruise. More NCL customer service woes.

[logcabin]

OK, now for my NCL customer service experience. After reading recent posts about the prices going down on our cruise (Dawn june 13th), I contacted my TA. I knew I wouldn't get a refund, however I thought maybe an up-grade. I am even willing to pay a bit extra for it if it was a good up-grade. Well, I got an email from my TA today telling me how much he dislikes NCL, their customer service and policies. He said that when he contact them yesterday about my request they told him the only way I could up-grade was to CXL my reservation (with a PENALTY) and rebook a higher catagory cabin. This is ridiculas. I booked a Balcony BE Gty months ago. They are always pushing you to book early to get the best price, so I did. There are only 4 BE cabins on the ship. Chances are I'm going to get a higher catagory anyway. Why can't they just bump me up now, I'll pay the differance, etc. My TA agreed that this was just stupid. He said they did make a note on my reservation that I am interested in an up-grade. He said he is also going to call again and ask for a certian reservationist that he is very friendly with. He said if anyone there can do something it is her. We'll see what happens.

 

He was telling me that if this was RCCL or Celebrity, if they lower the price just before a cruise they refund the difference to those already booked and who request it. Now THAT'S customer service and a way to do business to get those repeat cruisers.

 

So, what is the experience of those out there who booked BE Gty's on the Dawn. Will they offer me an up-grade at the pier or before?

[ladymanor1]

It has been my experience with NCL that they wil either call your TA about 2 weeks or so from the cruise date, and give him notice of any up grades which are available, and he can tell them whether you are interested or not.

In my case, I called NCL about 2/3 days before the cruise date and asked them myself if they had any up-grades available. My orginal booking was for a gat cat N cabin, NCL moved me to an inside cabin on Deck 8 on their own, and I was able to up grade to a balcony cabin on Deck 10 for $100.00 pp. So all in all the balcony cabin cost me $599pp (not included gov't fees and tax). I upgraded directily through NCL and about 10 minutes after that my TA called and told me what a great deal HE had gotten for me (with the same upgrade the NCL rep had offered me). I really feel that if I had not called NCL...my TA would not have bothered to find out about any upgrades in my behalf. Ummmmmm....makes me wonder what I am paying him for LOL Too bad he is such a nice guy!

 

Debbie

 

[Host CMLA]

I don't see how these are customer service woes. NCL has a system and they've told you their rules. Just because they don't do what you want doesn't mean they're treating you badly. And if the second poster is correct, you may still get the upgrade but they don't do it until the cruise is closer. I'd wait and see what happens before jumping to conclusions.

 

Cecilia

*****@aol.com

 

My Wedding!

 

[Hobbsey]

I do appreciate a cruiseline that will honor the lowest available cruise line direct price once you are booked, regardless of whether or not you are inside the final payment period.

 

NCL used to do that but it appears not anymore (based on what the original poster is saying).

 

Cecilia, are you saying that if a company has something as a policy (what ever that policy might be)then it is defacto good and can not still be considered in "poor customer service" to have and enforce such a policy?

 

Certainly the act of enforcing on the part of the CS rep was acceptable (they are doing tehir job) but the policy itself seems pretty restrictive and greedy and not really in the interst of good guest relations.

 

1968 Lurline (Matson)

1969 Mariposa (Matson)

1998 Seabreeze (Premier)

1998 Century (Celebrity)

1999 Seabreeze (Premier)

1999 Norwegian Crown (NCL)

1999 Voyager of the Seas (RCL)

2000 Westerdam (HAL)

2000 Carnival Victory (CCL)

2000 Sensation (CCL)

2001 Mercury (Celebrity)

2001 Norwegian Majesty (NCL)

2001 Vision of the Seas (RCL)

2002 Norwegian Wind (NCL)

2004 Maasdam (HAL)

[zimmerjulie]

I accept that I may pay extra for the advantages of booking in advance. I have the choice of whether to book in advance, or to wait till the last minute (inside final payment dates) to get a better deal.

 

I realize that if I book in advance, I may be paying a premium to be able to select a cabin of my choice from among a large variety available early on. I also have the luxury of being able to shop for sale airline fares and not have to purchase the "last minute" schedules or fares that are left over. I have the luxury of planning ahead with work schedules, which are first-come-first-serve for vacation scheduling.

 

If I had waited to qualify for a cheaper fare on my next cruise, I woudn't be going, as the ship was sold out 4 months prior to sailing.

 

That being said, I do think it's a good idea to ask for an upgrade or other consideration as logcabin did. I think it would be good business to try to take extra care of the advance-bookers as much as possible .

 

I do not know why many things are so difficult in the system, except that it is very difficult to write a policy that applies appropriately in every situation. There is definitely room for improvement, in my opinion.

[zimmerjulie]

I also wanted to add that when buying a guarantee, you agree to give up the certainty and control over what cabin you receive and when. Apparently, it also makes it hard to negotiate an upgrade in the case of a price drop. These restrictions are why it is cheaper. I haven't purchased a GTY yet, because I like to choose my location and have things established fairly early on.

 

Good luck with your upgrade arrangements and your cruise!

[logcabin]

Cecilia: I agree with Hobbsey. Cruiselines, in general, want you to book as early as possible. They offer deals and incentives to make booking early more attractive. Which is what we did since we can't wait until the last minute to book a cruise due to setting our vacation schedule in advance. However, for a cruise line to turn around and drop their price even more to fill the cabins is fine. But, what kind of an incentive is that to get people to book early next time. RCCL and Celebrity have the right idea. If they lower their price to fill the ship, they refund you the difference if you request. Granted, most people probably don't realize this or ask. But those who do get a refund. This is just good business and a good incentive for people not to think twice about booking so far in advance. I just think that NCL's policy on this is not very good quest relations. What incentive do I have to book so far in advance next time?

 

Now, I admit that I knew this going into our booking. My TA warned me of this. So, I'm not asking for a refund but rather some sort of an incentive not to think twice next time about booking early. Such as an up-grade.

 

Now, by booking a BE Gty I realize I must wait until a few days before to find out my cabin. This is the first time I have done this since I am like zimmerjulie and prefer to pick out my own cabin. However, with their "no refunding the difference" policy I figured the price I got the BE gty for is a good thing. There are only 4 BE cabins so the fact is I will probably get a BA cabin. Which is fine. I would just appreciate the opportunity to up-grade since I booked so long ago.

 

I just think NCL needs to re-think their policies a bit if they want to remain competative in the industry. With RCCL doing it and having so many newer ships, they really should look at what there competitors are doing.

[johnql]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by logcabin:

What incentive do I have to book so far in advance next time?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The incentives are: you get the sailing that you want; you get the cabin or category that you want; and booking early usually means you'll be able to shop around longer for better airfares. Lastly, you would only book early if the price seems reasonable.

 

NCL is not the only line that has started to offer last-minute "New Bookings Only" discounts. I often see ads that offer lower prices within the final payment period that aren't available to early bookers (Princess comes to mind). I perfectly understand that everybody loves a bargain and would love either a rebate of the difference or an upgrade. If it happens, great! But I do NOT think it's something that should be expected. As with airfares, virtually everybody pays a different price. It will drive you crazy if you constantly chase the best price after having paid what you felt was a fair price, especially since booking earlier meant that you locked in what you wanted and avoided a possible sell-out.

[Hobbsey]

And yet there are those who will monitor the prices, and most major airlines will honor a reduction if the lower priced seat is available.

 

I figure that the cruiseline gets my deposit money early (if I book early) and gets to use my money in their accounts and port-folios, it's a benefit to them.

 

So, why shouldn't they give me the lower price if it comes available and is available when I call, rather than giving it to some new booking? It just stands to reason that a smart business would give some benefit or reward to those who best support them.

 

1968 Lurline (Matson)

1969 Mariposa (Matson)

1998 Seabreeze (Premier)

1998 Century (Celebrity)

1999 Seabreeze (Premier)

1999 Norwegian Crown (NCL)

1999 Voyager of the Seas (RCL)

2000 Westerdam (HAL)

2000 Carnival Victory (CCL)

2000 Sensation (CCL)

2001 Mercury (Celebrity)

2001 Norwegian Majesty (NCL)

2001 Vision of the Seas (RCL)

2002 Norwegian Wind (NCL)

2004 Maasdam (HAL)

[logcabin]

Thank you, Hobbsey. I couldn't agree more. This is exactly what I was trying to say. You just said it much better and shorter then I.

[Host CMLA]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by logcabin:

I just think NCL needs to re-think their policies a bit if they want to remain competative in the industry. With RCCL doing it and having so many newer ships, they really should look at what there competitors are doing.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I couldn't agree with you more. And I should have said that more clearly. My point is that in the situation, the CS person was doing what they're supposed to do. They're following the guidelines they've been given. So while I agree that the policies may stink, I don't consider what you experienced as bad customer service. NCL customer service gets a terrible rap for many things they do do wrong. In this case, they didn't do anything wrong. They didn't do what you want and you don't agree with it. That's what I was saying.

 

I agree that NCL and others should give more consideration to people that book early. I hope you get an upgrade or an onboard credit. That's the right thing to do.

[newmexicoNita]

Just a couple of things here: I don't know about RCL, but CCl does not adjust after final payment. This happened to us in November and they pretty much said "tough luck". We weren't particularly upset as we were the ones who jumped at what we thought was a good price months in advance. Right not we are trying to decide if we want to book our Nov cruise now and have the best pick of cabins, if we want to book now and go Guarentee hoping for an upgrade or if we are going to hold out til Sept or Oct and take what is left but get a better price we hope. Yes, if all the lines are allowing adjustments NCL should as well, but I am not sure they all do. NMnita

 

Commodore 1984, Costa 1985, RCL 1987, Chandris 1989, NCL 1989, Commodore, 1991, NCL 1997, Carnival 1997, Carnival 1998,NCL 1998, NCL 1999, RCL 2000, RCL 2000, NCL 2002,NCL 2003, Celebrity 2003, NCL 2004

[johnql]

Obviously, we're not going to agree on this. By booking early, you ALREADY reaped the benefits and rewards, as pointed out in my earlier post. You avoided a sell-out; you got the sailing you wanted; you got the cabin or category that you wanted; all at a price that you were willing to pay.

 

Everybody needs to weigh the above benefits against the benefit of saving some money by waiting until the final payment period has begun. Those who are in a position to wait deserve a discount because they are helping the cruise line fill the ship. In essence, they are taking advantage of a clearance sale. They do not get to pick from the widest selection of cabins; they may not get the exact date that they would have preferred; but they're willing to forego those benefits in favor of a possible savings. They're willing to accept whatever's left over.

 

I understand that you want the best of both worlds. And I also agree that it would be nice if every cruise line instituted such a policy. But cruise lines are no different from other companies that rely on consumers. Some stores have price protection guarantees, which is great. You buy something and if you find a better price within a certain period (e.g., 30 days), you can get a rebate. Not every store has such a policy. Does that mean we should boycott the stores that don't? Not necessarily. It depends on what else they have to offer. The same goes for cruise lines. If I want to sail NCL's Dawn because of its itinerary and convenience sailing out of NYC, then I may be willing to accept their booking policies. Others have the perfect right to not sail with them.

[gardencat]

When I book a cruise well in advance, I agree to pay a certain price. I give my money in deposit. After that if the cruise line offers me money back or an upgrade that is nice but I certainly don't expect it.

What I do expect is that by booking early I have guarenteed myself a vacation at a certain time in a certain level of accomodation at a price I am willing to pay. This is important to me since I need to plan my vacations well in advance.

 

I have a family, a job, and many airmiles (from business related travel) which I like to use to buy my air tickets to departure ports.

 

What I do not expect is to be told one month before my scheduled departure date, " Sorry your cruise is cancelled. We will refund your money (which we have been holding for several months without interest) but that is it. As far as we are concerned your vacation problems are not our concern. Your air ticket problems are not our concern since you didn't book through us and you are just basically up the proverbial creek without a paddle and we couldn't care less.

I book early, I pay the going rate and I give a deposit because I know my schedule is not flexible. I also arrange to arrive at the departure port a day or 2 before departure so that airline foul ups will not cause me to miss the ship since I know the cruise line will not accept responsibility for any problems I may have getting there.

What I want to know is why am I expected to bear the brunt of any problems the cruise line has?

[gardencat]

JohnQl,

I noticed you said that the other poster 'wanted the best of both worlds', but in my opinion it is the cruise lines that want that. They want you to pay in advance, they want you to be responsible for any problems you have that might preclude you reaching the departure point on time, but at the same time they want to have the freedom to change the itinery or completely cancel the cruise at any time with absolutely no penalty to themselves.

[Host CMLA]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by gardencat:

I noticed you said that the other poster 'wanted the best of both worlds', but in my opinion it is the cruise lines that want that. They want you to pay in advance, they want you to be responsible for any problems you have that might preclude you reaching the departure point on time, but at the same time they want to have the freedom to change the itinery or completely cancel the cruise at any time with absolutely no penalty to themselves.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I think this sums it up. Unfortunately, they put all that in the cruise contract that you agree to when you book, not expecting to have any of the bad things happen. Then when they do, you're stuck holding the bag.

[misguy]

It is interesting the difference in perspective between cruise fares and airline fares. Once we buy an a non-refundable airline ticket, we don't expect a refund from the airline if the fare then goes on sale. Why do we expect the cruiseline to refund us money if the cruise fare goes on sale. Once we are inside the penalty phase, the fare is a non-refundable fare.

 

Till we sail on the Norwegian Spirit \Leo

[Hobbsey]

Misguy,

 

Two things.

 

1. Non-refundable fares can be changed to a lower fare if one, is offered, on many airlines.

 

2. Comparing an air flight from one destination to another to a cruise vacation seems to be apples to oranges.

 

That said, we do agree to a contract when we book and like it or not we have to live by that contract. I think that those of us who are voicing our opinions not liking that do have a right to express our displeasure with those policies and hope for a change.

 

1968 Lurline (Matson)

1969 Mariposa (Matson)

1998 Seabreeze (Premier)

1998 Century (Celebrity)

1999 Seabreeze (Premier)

1999 Norwegian Crown (NCL)

1999 Voyager of the Seas (RCL)

2000 Westerdam (HAL)

2000 Carnival Victory (CCL)

2000 Sensation (CCL)

2001 Mercury (Celebrity)

2001 Norwegian Majesty (NCL)

2001 Vision of the Seas (RCL)

2002 Norwegian Wind (NCL)

2004 Maasdam (HAL)

[ron46936]

I have seen the same lament on the HAL board. I don't know of any of the lines that offer reducing fares after the final payment date.

 

It's funny that my TA loves working with NCL. Maybe it makes a difference who their local "rep" is.

[LibertyBelle]

I can see both points here.

 

We sail RCCL and Disney a lot and both cruise lines DO refund the price difference (if you call and ask.. it is not automatic) if the price changes. They do this regardless of timeframe. If you are 150 days out and the rate drops and you call they will honor the lower rate... same applies 10 days out, 2 days out... the lower rate is honored if you make the effort to request it.

 

Our experience with Carnival on this issue was that they would not credit us the difference in the lower rate but they issued us an on board credit for the amount (they will only do this once within the 60 days prior to sailing though, so if you call say 40 days out because the price dropped and they give you an OBC and then the price drops again they will not issue another one).

 

Now to the NCL and how I see the other side. I knew when I booked NCL that they do not have the same policy. I am very aware of the RCCL, DCL and Carnival rules and checked on NCL before I booked. Knowing what the policy was I decided on what room I could afford and booked it with the knowledge that I would not get the difference if the price changed so I just never looked to see (guess that whole what you don't know won't hurt you theory). To say that NCL should follow the policies of RCCL and other cruise lines is crazy. That would be like saying that Universal Studios should follow the policies of Disney World, they are both theme parks right???

 

 NCL Sun...Alaska

 

 Halloween...Explorer of the Seas

 

 Disney Magic Repositioning...Ca-FL

 

 

RCCL Enchantment of the Seas 2003; Carnival Spirit 2003; RCCL Brilliance of the Seas 2002; RCCL Voyager of the Seas 2002; Disney Wonder May & Dec 2001; Disney Magic 2001; RCCL Sovereign of the Seas 2000; Disney Magic 1999; Disney Wonder 1999; Carnival Ecstasy 1999; NCL Norway 1998; Carnival Fantasy 1998; NCL Leeward 1997; Commodore Caribe I 1986

[Hobbsey]

Liberty,

 

It may be crazy to expect it but I don't think it's crazy to hope for nor want it. In fact RCCL has a policy that should be emulated. It's sensible and fair to those who best support the cruiseline with their business.

 

1968 Lurline (Matson)

1969 Mariposa (Matson)

1998 Seabreeze (Premier)

1998 Century (Celebrity)

1999 Seabreeze (Premier)

1999 Norwegian Crown (NCL)

1999 Voyager of the Seas (RCL)

2000 Westerdam (HAL)

2000 Carnival Victory (CCL)

2000 Sensation (CCL)

2001 Mercury (Celebrity)

2001 Norwegian Majesty (NCL)

2001 Vision of the Seas (RCL)

2002 Norwegian Wind (NCL)

2004 Maasdam (HAL)

[LibertyBelle]

O' I totally agree with you Hobbsey and I would love to see NCL take on the same policy that the other cruise lines have, what I am saying is that to say that they should because the other cruise lines do it silly. They are different companies with different policies. Obviously NCL has a fan following and they book their sailings so they don't need to change their policy people will still sail... What I am saying is this Universal, Sea World and Busch Gardens here in Central Florida all run a Buy one day get a second day free (sometimes it is even a whole week), they have Annual Passes that are the cost of 1 day at the park and then the upgrade charge for the annual is half a day fee, so CHEAP)... to

say that Disney should run the same promotions or policies is absurd...they don't have to. That is how I see this debate. It would be nice if they did, I would have saved a little money if they did, but they don't. I am not saying you shouldn't call and ask, After all it doesn't hurt to try, but to make a post with a title that reads "Price drop just before cruise. More NCL customer service woes." is silly... there are no Customer Service Woes... they are following their policy, unfortunatley it is not the policy of other cruise lines, but it is theirs and we have to accept that or sail with someone else.

 

 NCL Sun...Alaska

 

 Halloween...Explorer of the Seas

 

 Disney Magic Repositioning...Ca-FL

 

 

RCCL Enchantment of the Seas 2003; Carnival Spirit 2003; RCCL Brilliance of the Seas 2002; RCCL Voyager of the Seas 2002; Disney Wonder May & Dec 2001; Disney Magic 2001; RCCL Sovereign of the Seas 2000; Disney Magic 1999; Disney Wonder 1999; Carnival Ecstasy 1999; NCL Norway 1998; Carnival Fantasy 1998; NCL Leeward 1997; Commodore Caribe I 1986