NCL What a rip off

[heckofagator]

 

I usually fly United - never occurred to me to call them if the cost of my particular flight has gone down.

 

You should try Southwest. They will. They used to refund the difference but now will give you credit for the amount of the difference in the fares.

 

And as far as I know, Princess will also (lower the price if it goes lower after you book). At least that's what several of their reps told us about our past Christmas cruise.

Edited March 12, 2014 by heckofagator

[hpecorari]

Whenever anyone purchases something they must be happy with what they purchased for the price they purchased it at. Otherwise, it shouldn't be purchased.

 

I purchased a cocktail dress 8 months ago for a wedding in May. Today, I see the same dress has been reduced. Can I get a refund? Nope

 

I purchased a new car last week but today the dealer is having a sale on that car or a promotion if one buys the same car I have. Can I take it back and ask for an upgraded car? Can I ask for a partial refund? Can I ask for the free promotion item they are giving away now? Nope

 

I purchased airfare to Rome 3 months ago for a trip. Today I see the price has gone down on the same airfare I purchased. Will the airline bump me up to first class? Nope

 

NCL has, at times, and depending on the circumstances, gone out of their way to offer an upgraded cabin or an OBC. if the buyer chooses not to accept what was offered, even though it didn't need to be offered.....oh well.

 

Sorry, but that's just the way it is. No, that's just the way life is.

 

Take your cruise and enjoy and have a great time!. It's what you originally planned. Don't cry over spilt milk.

 

Harriet

[hpecorari]

If you wanted to deal with NCL you should have booked through NCL. '

 

You booked through a TA and there is nothing wrong with that, however, now you must deal with the TA.

 

You want to talk to NCL.....have your TA do a conference call so:

 

1: You actually can hear what your TA is 'really' doing for you

and

2. You can speak if needed

 

Harriet

[TNGALOHA]

Then why was the title RIPOFF and not RUDENESS as you claim?

 

Actually, I am betting the NCL read the notes attached to your ticket that referenced SEVERAL calls with your TA, as you claim that he worked on it for 2 days. Then YOU call.

 

Didn't your TA tell you that any and sll contact should be with him? Why would YOU call NCL?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Because my TA sent me an email today and told me to call them and even gave me the number. That is why.

Sorry for mis writing you are right it should have said Rudeness but by the time I posted this I was upset and anything would have been ok. Yes I was very very guilty of not taking my own advice that I always give my grandchildren, Stop, Breathe, Count to ten then say what you want. You will usually be calmed down and it won't be so bad. 9 times out of 10 you will actually not be mad anymore and will see what was being said to you better.

Gerry

[hpecorari]

Because my TA sent me an email today and told me to call them and even gave me the number. That is why.

 

Gerry

 

I hate when I read this. I always see it as a ::shrug of the shoulders:: by the TA and 'giving up' and passing the buck back to the customer. TA's know the rules. They know they're making the commission for the booking and that they are the ones to book, communicate.....do all the work - for NCL as well as for you the customer. They got paid for the booking and all the work involved, not NCL and they should do it themselves instead of ::shrugging their shoulders:: and sending the customer to NCL.

 

Harriet

[graphicguy]

The way this works, is you're paying for the expanded choices of cabins, which the people who are booking later don't have.

[mpk218]

I hate when I read this. I always see it as a ::shrug of the shoulders:: by the TA and 'giving up' and passing the buck back to the customer. TA's know the rules. They know they're making the commission for the booking and that they are the ones to book, communicate.....do all the work - for NCL as well as for you the customer. They got paid for the booking and all the work involved, not NCL and they should do it themselves instead of ::shrugging their shoulders:: and sending the customer to NCL.

 

Harriet

 

Yep , bad TA ... Op , if this is a TA you use on a regular basis consider finding a new one..

[fishin' musician]

No I am sorry I didn't know how the system worked because I have never had a price on a cruise go down that far or at least I never knew it did. So I really had no idea how any of this works. I thought that they would at least upgrade you, really hadn't expected any OBC just mainly to be upgraded with that big of a difference. Sorry, I may have been on all these cruises but like I said originally I am an easy going person and just go with the flow! A lot of times we are the ones that book at the last minute when the prices go down. The only one that we book early is our Christmas cruise.

We did this one early because we had FCC to use up, the way it turned out I wish we had waited until now to have booked it. Oh well, we live and learn as one person said here today. I will definetly learn from this experience and go on living my life!

Everyone have a great day,

Gerry

 

Gerry, you deserve high praise for this upstanding response! A little humility goes a long way in this world and unfortunately it is typically a lost art in cyberworld. Kudos to you and have a great vacation!

[cruise-addict]

I hate when I read this. I always see it as a ::shrug of the shoulders:: by the TA and 'giving up' and passing the buck back to the customer. TA's know the rules. They know they're making the commission for the booking and that they are the ones to book, communicate.....do all the work - for NCL as well as for you the customer. They got paid for the booking and all the work involved, not NCL and they should do it themselves instead of ::shrugging their shoulders:: and sending the customer to NCL.

 

Harriet

 

I used to be a general TA, and I would have probably suggested the client to call when after 2 days of me working with NCL and finally succeeding in getting the $80 (which is above and beyond normal) the client was still screaming "FOUL!" at me. What else can you do at that point but let them hear it straight from the horses mouth.

 

It does not sound like a "bad TA" after dealing with a somewhat impossible situation considering final payment had passed!

[tarheelmjfan]

Gerry' date=' you deserve high praise for this upstanding response! A little humility goes a long way in this world and unfortunately it is typically a lost art in cyberworld. Kudos to you and have a great vacation![/quote']

 

I agree. OTOH, all the people who keep piling on after that reply are the ones that appear to have the bad attitude. Posting on these boards is a dangerous sport & it's a shame. This would be a much nicer place, if people didn't feel the need to be so harsh. OP, I hope you have a great cruise. You've been admirable in dealing with the nastiness & condescension on this thread.

[sdmike]

No I am sorry I didn't know how the system worked because I have never had a price on a cruise go down that far or at least I never knew it did. So I really had no idea how any of this works. I thought that they would at least upgrade you, really hadn't expected any OBC just mainly to be upgraded with that big of a difference. Sorry, I may have been on all these cruises but like I said originally I am an easy going person and just go with the flow! A lot of times we are the ones that book at the last minute when the prices go down. The only one that we book early is our Christmas cruise.

We did this one early because we had FCC to use up, the way it turned out I wish we had waited until now to have booked it. Oh well, we live and learn as one person said here today. I will definetly learn from this experience and go on living my life!

Everyone have a great day,

Gerry

 

Glad the light bulb went on with this one. It's rare that someone who complains actually admits that maybe the problem was more with their expectations and not the company. I hope you have a great cruise (and use the $80 for a nice meal)! I agree..a nice room on the ocean with someone cooking, cleaning and washing dishes for me is about as good as it gets. :)

Edited March 12, 2014 by sdmike

[cod]

Understood. What I don't understand is your TA (having been one, it's a no-no) telling you to call NCL directly. Either he didn't do his job (which is pleading your case) or, ummm, you were 'very' upset! As someone said, perhaps there were no upgrade options open and, as for the $80, it's better than nothing and more than some cruiselines would ante-up.

 

Also, I always book with an online agency and, believe me, it saves me more than an obc and a bottle of wine. The next cruise I'm looking at is cheaper by $110pp for the category I'm interested in. And yes, I would get an OBC in addition. I've uses this particular agency for my last 5 NCL cruises and have never had a hitch. Plus I deal with one agent in particular which is nice.

 

If you feel better dealing directly with NCL, so be it. But there are better deals out there to be found! JMHO

[thistimeplease]

So tired of these threads. I really can't believe people think they are owed anything 2 - 3 weeks before their cruise!!

 

Then don't read them.

[thistimeplease]

That is what my TA is checking on now. I understand not giving the money back, that really wasn't what upset me so bad it was the rudeness of the customer service supervisor. After that it just went downhill and I am sorry I posted anything on here, I was just venting. If they do up grade me that will be great if not oh well, I am still going to be on a beautiful ship, in the ocean, and having someone else clean my cabin and cook my meals for a week. You can't beat that!

As far as not knowing about the other posts on money back, I don't normally read this part of CC, I read our roll call and a few other places. The same boards that I post on. Sorry for being so nieve or as my DH would say "Dumb".

 

Any way, I have gotten over it and have moved on and I wish that ya'll would too. It is over and said and done. I have been educated today and I thank each and everyone of you for being my teacher and I appreciate it.

So to that I say Thank You and have a great day!

Gerry

 

Have a great cruise OP. Sorry some posters felt the need to beat you up, guess they never did something in the heat of the moment. I would have been upset also. I'm sure your cruise will be wonderful.

[RetiredArmyCruiser]

Have a great trip. Our rule of thumb is once the cruise (or airfare) is booked and paid for, don't look back. If the price was good enough to get my to pry open my wallet, then so be it.

 

Don't sweat the small stuff and just go have fun! I'm quite jealous as we don't currently have a cruise planned.

[8675309Jenny]

TNGALOHA we both hope you have a fantastic cruise and great weather your entire vacation. hope your meals are tasty, drinks are strong, and casino wins are huge! take lots of pictures and post them when you get back.

 

 

 

===========================

my getaway to do:

watch the fireworks

go to the magic show

play for free in the casino

ride the waterslides

[BlueRiband]

Sorry this is unrelated to what OP is talking about but Nordstrom refunds money when items go on sale and Jetblue (and Southwest) refunds money if tickets go on sale :)

 

No flaming please.

 

The analogy is correct. Stores might refund the difference if the original purchase was made close to the sale. Not if it was weeks or months earlier. And they have no obligation to do so. The OP is one flaming - stating that NCL was a rip off.

[newmexicoNita]

Actually, Southwest will give you the lower price. Since they don't charge for changes, if the price goes down we make a "change" from and to the same flight on the same day and they give you a credit toward your next flight you book.

 

ok, southwest, but most do not and many of us live in areas where sw does not even fly. I think when you see us make statements about say, airlines we are generalizing. Nothing is totally black or white.

[8675309Jenny]

Nothing is totally black or white.

 

you haven't seen my cat have you! ;)

 

 

===========================

my getaway to do:

watch the fireworks

go to the magic show

play for free in the casino

ride the waterslides

[newmexicoNita]

No I am sorry I didn't know how the system worked because I have never had a price on a cruise go down that far or at least I never knew it did. So I really had no idea how any of this works. I thought that they would at least upgrade you, really hadn't expected any OBC just mainly to be upgraded with that big of a difference. Sorry, I may have been on all these cruises but like I said originally I am an easy going person and just go with the flow! A lot of times we are the ones that book at the last minute when the prices go down. The only one that we book early is our Christmas cruise.

We did this one early because we had FCC to use up, the way it turned out I wish we had waited until now to have booked it. Oh well, we live and learn as one person said here today. I will definetly learn from this experience and go on living my life!

Everyone have a great day,

Gerry

 

and had you waited the cabin may have been gone, the price very well may have gone up or the ship may have sold out. When we book, we agree to the price and we shouldn't expect to get anything different.

[newmexicoNita]

Yep , bad TA ... Op , if this is a TA you use on a regular basis consider finding a new one..

 

I see it maybe a little differently: we don't know what transpired between the TA and the OP. He might have had enough and simply said: I did my best, maybe you can do better??WE really don't know. Yes, he should have told her the situation and policy but we don't know he didn't. I am saying this as a retired TA..

[funat55]

Dear OP

What you experienced is standard practice for every cruise line.

I'm surprised after having posted nearly 2000 times, that you didn't

realize that the cruise line doesn't owe you anything. This isn't the

first time it has come up.

[DMH15]

Because my TA sent me an email today and told me to call them and even gave me the number. That is why.

Sorry for mis writing you are right it should have said Rudeness but by the time I posted this I was upset and anything would have been ok. Yes I was very very guilty of not taking my own advice that I always give my grandchildren, Stop, Breathe, Count to ten then say what you want. You will usually be calmed down and it won't be so bad. 9 times out of 10 you will actually not be mad anymore and will see what was being said to you better.

Gerry

 

Then I am sorry your TA sent you into a bad situation. They should have known better.

 

Just wondering if you told the NCL rep that your TA had instructed you to call? Perhaps their rudeness was a result of their frustration at your TA for doing that.

 

It sounds like you have calmed down some. That's good. You have a cruise yo look forward to.

 

Thanks for replying to my post and explaining.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[soccersharon]

I don't normally complain about a cruise line but this has me PO'D completely!!

I noticed that my cruise fare for April 6th, 2014 has dropped by $347. for the 2 of us.

When I called NCL (after waiting on the line for over an hour)they said that they will only give you 25% of the difference back. $80.00. No offer of an upgrade or anything else.

I asked to speak to a supervisor and was told by the supervisor that she couldn't talk to me at all because I had booked this thru a travel agent and that my TA needed to talk to them! HE HAS for 2 long days!!! He is the one that told me that they were only going to give me back $80.00.

REALLY? This is how NCL treats their customers? WOW!!!!

I will be writing a letter to Mr. Sheehan to voice my feelings and letting him know how nasty and rude his supervisors are.

If you are booked on NCL don't plan on getting any money back if your cabin price goes down a lot.

Not a happy person today,

Gerry

 

I get it, but those are NCL's policies. I think Carnival is the only cruise line which offers OBC after final payment, if booked "Early Saver" fare.

 

Sent from my mobile device. Typos are inevitable.

[trini_ras]

Carnival's Early saver Program is one of the reasons I would usually travel with Carnival (great value for money). I at times try other lines just to experience what other lines have to offer. But I have benefited in the pass from Carnival's Early Saver Program, and as a result they would get my business.