So let's say you cancel NCL in the no-refund period...

[pokerpro5]

As most of you know, you can cancel a booked NCL trip more than 75 days in advance, and you will get a full and complete refund.

 

Once 75 days hits, your refund goes down as it gets closer. First 75%, then 50%, and it works its way to zero (14 days beforehand). That is, in the final two weeks leading to the cruise, you don't get a penny back for canceling the trip, according to NCL policy.

 

But what is the reality? And what are your rights in that situation?

 

When I say the "reality", I am referring to what you could possibly do as a regular NCL customer to talk them into something like transferring the stateroom to someone else (a friend/relative/whatever), or maybe getting them to still refund you somewhat if they can resell your stateroom.

 

I realize that they don't HAVE to do these things, but NCL does a lot of things that they don't HAVE to, for customer relations and repeat business purposes. For example, I would think a family who has taken 20 NCL cruises and suddenly has an emergency 12 days before their 21st cruise would be able to get some allowance from NCL on the matter.

 

I'm not looking for links to horror stories where people tried to get a refund for some family catastrophe and couldn't. I'm sure there are plenty of those.

 

I'm asking if it's POSSIBLE, and if it's been done before (I bet it has).

 

And I'm also asking if they allow transfers in such situations, even on a case-by-case basis. So if I get really sick tomorrow and can't take my cruise coming up in less than 2 weeks, is there a way I could possibly talk NCL into letting other family members board in my place?

 

I can totally understand NCL's "no refunds right before we sail" policy, because they were previously adjusting their fares to fill the ship, and it's not fair to them that you just pull out at the last minute and get your money back. But it's hard to believe that they would have much objection (at least on a one time basis for a good customer) to transferring the room to other family members, as this would not affect them one bit financially.

 

(On the other hand, I can see why they wouldn't allow people to easily transfer rooms to one another, or you could have people buying and reselling NCL rooms for a profit.)

 

So basically what I'm looking to find out here is, "What exceptions have been made, and what could you possibly hope for?", rather than anyone reiterating the official policy to me.

 

Finally, if you don't end up getting any concessions and lose 100% of your fare, what happens to your room? Do they have the right to resell it, or does it sit empty? I think at the very least it should sit empty, so you at least have the right to show up in the middle and use it if you want. After all, you paid for it.

[LrgPizza]

I find it interesting that this question is coming from the same person who just asked why people would ever buy travel insurance.

[pokerpro5]

I find it interesting that this question is coming from the same person who just asked why people would ever buy travel insurance.

 

 

Got an eagle eye right here!

 

Yes, you should find it interesting because the topics are related.

 

I am trying to determine if you are always as "screwed" when you can't make an NCL cruise as some are trying to imply. If there are ways out of a trip you can't make (that is, to transfer it or get a refund, through NCL exceptions), then the value of trip insurance goes down.

 

But it's also a good thing to know in general, for me and everyone else who cruises with NCL.

 

I truly don't know the answer to anything I asked in this thread, so I am looking for some honest responses regarding how NCL will handle these situations, especially for a good cruiser and/or high end customer.

[cliffd64]

 

Finally, if you don't end up getting any concessions and lose 100% of your fare, what happens to your room? Do they have the right to resell it, or does it sit empty? I think at the very least it should sit empty, so you at least have the right to show up in the middle and use it if you want. After all, you paid for it.

 

OK... I have no experience with the cancellation of cruises after the refund period, but your last premise is flawed... If you have already CANCELLED, how do you expect to just show up? There is no longer a reservation in your name... therefore you have no rights to "use the cabin" because you've removed yourself from the list of passengers. This is despite the fact that you have "paid for it".

[smeyer418]

As most of you know, you can cancel a booked NCL trip more than 75 days in advance, and you will get a full and complete refund.

 

Once 75 days hits, your refund goes down as it gets closer. First 75%, then 50%, and it works its way to zero (14 days beforehand). That is, in the final two weeks leading to the cruise, you don't get a penny back for canceling the trip, according to NCL policy.

 

But what is the reality? And what are your rights in that situation?

 

When I say the "reality", I am referring to what you could possibly do as a regular NCL customer to talk them into something like transferring the stateroom to someone else (a friend/relative/whatever), or maybe getting them to still refund you somewhat if they can resell your stateroom.

 

I realize that they don't HAVE to do these things, but NCL does a lot of things that they don't HAVE to, for customer relations and repeat business purposes. For example, I would think a family who has taken 20 NCL cruises and suddenly has an emergency 12 days before their 21st cruise would be able to get some allowance from NCL on the matter.

 

I'm not looking for links to horror stories where people tried to get a refund for some family catastrophe and couldn't. I'm sure there are plenty of those.

 

I'm asking if it's POSSIBLE, and if it's been done before (I bet it has).

 

And I'm also asking if they allow transfers in such situations, even on a case-by-case basis. So if I get really sick tomorrow and can't take my cruise coming up in less than 2 weeks, is there a way I could possibly talk NCL into letting other family members board in my place?

 

I can totally understand NCL's "no refunds right before we sail" policy, because they were previously adjusting their fares to fill the ship, and it's not fair to them that you just pull out at the last minute and get your money back. But it's hard to believe that they would have much objection (at least on a one time basis for a good customer) to transferring the room to other family members, as this would not affect them one bit financially.

 

(On the other hand, I can see why they wouldn't allow people to easily transfer rooms to one another, or you could have people buying and reselling NCL rooms for a profit.)

 

So basically what I'm looking to find out here is, "What exceptions have been made, and what could you possibly hope for?", rather than anyone reiterating the official policy to me.

 

Finally, if you don't end up getting any concessions and lose 100% of your fare, what happens to your room? Do they have the right to resell it, or does it sit empty? I think at the very least it should sit empty, so you at least have the right to show up in the middle and use it if you want. After all, you paid for it.

 

the official policy is you lose the amount stated. Do they make exceptions? they make RARE exceptions but for the most part they follow the policy. What are exceptions made for? something truly beyond your control that gets the heartstrings of the person who makes the exception. What happens if you cancel? they resell the cabin! if you are a no show they may sometimes upgrade someone or sell an upgrade on the ship. You don't have to actually cancel, you can lose the penalty and not show then they don't resell the cabin until the ship sails.

 

one more point. You buy a seat on an airplane. Non refundable tickets. You get run over by a pie truck on the way to the airport. because the airline oversells the seats the plane still travels full. does delta refund your ticket?

 

also remember how it works in Europe there is a non refundable amount from day one! Where does that money go? mostly to the TA I think....

Edited July 23, 2014 by smeyer418

[Casino Comp Chick]

I find it interesting that people can't just answer a question or ignore the post if they cannot. I am having visions of an envelope.

 

Pokerpro the worst they can say is no but I think you should speak to NCL directly and point out your long history with them. If that does not work send an email or post the question to Facebook, chances are they will ask you to email them at socialmedia@ncl.com.

Good luck

[johnql]

Not sure if my example is what the OP is looking for, but here goes:

 

Back in March 2006, I booked a cruise on the Dawn with a May sailing. Since I was already within the final payment period, I was required to make full payment, which I did. Within days, a personal matter came up and I had to change my sailing date to July. I immediately called my travel agent and switched the dates. Since I was past final payment, I was penalized $500 for cancelling the May sailing.

 

Now, I understood the policy and was perfectly willing to accept the consequences. But I also felt it wouldn't hurt to ask NCL to waive the penalty. After all, I'm a loyal NCL cruiser (this was my 7th NCL cruise) and I felt that cancelling within days of booking along with immediately rebooking might help my cause. My TA contacted NCL and was told no, they would not waive the penalty. OK, fine. Then, my TA suggested that I write a letter to NCL, cc'ing my TA. I did so. Again, my TA was told no.

 

I then asked my TA to ask NCL whether an onboard credit was a possibility in lieu of waiving the penalty. Again, no. About two weeks before sailing, my TA suggested one last plea. She suggested writing a second letter, politely stating the facts of the matter and requesting either a waiver or OBC. About a week later, my TA received what we figured was the final word: again, no.

 

So, I went on the cruise with no further thought concerning the penalty. When I got back from the cruise (which was very nice), there was a voicemail from my TA saying she had good news for me. I immediately called her and found out that NCL had decided to refund my $500 and that it would show up within the next 2 billing cycles on my credit card. As it turned out, the credit showed up within a week or so. I was thrilled.

 

NCL was under no obligation to honor my request since they were well within their rights to impose the $500 cancellation penalty. The moral of the story: be persistent and courteous, stick to the facts, and you stand a chance of being heard.

[GeezerCouple]

From what you posted just a few weeks ago, about your trip on the Sun:

 

Family of 3 here - two adults (early 40s), one child age 3.

 

How are you guys getting from Whittier to Anchorage at the end?

 

I am going crazy finding an affordable option.

[emphasis added]

 

For someone who is so quick to make disparaging remarks about how people "should" be able to cover their own costs for an entire cruise (not to mention potentially catastrophic MEDICAL costs), you are really remarkably concerned about what is really quite a trivial expense.

 

Really!?

Which is it?

 

GeezerCouple

[triptolemus]

Finally, if you don't end up getting any concessions and lose 100% of your fare, what happens to your room? Do they have the right to resell it, or does it sit empty? I think at the very least it should sit empty, so you at least have the right to show up in the middle and use it if you want. After all, you paid for it.

 

 

Of course they have the "right" to re-sell the cabin! Why wouldn't they? You remember this is all being done under the terms of a very clear contract, right?Why do you care if the cabin is empty or occupied? How, if you didn't get any concession during your cancellation and lost 100% of your fare (per contract), how in the hell do you figure you're going to show up in the middle of the cruise?

 

Personally, I'm finding all the recent talk on this forum about "rights" to be quite annoying. If someone is having a life event requiring them to cancel their trip and lose 100% of their cruse fare, I would think that they wouldn't be consumed with sticking it to the cruise line with an "I'll show them" attitude about the friggin' cabin being occupied,

 

I suppose if you really wanted to make sure "your" cabin doesn't sail with someone else in it, you could just not show up rather than canceling...

[DipBrat]

Not sure if my example is what the OP is looking for, but here goes:

 

Back in March 2006, I booked a cruise on the Dawn with a May sailing. Since I was already within the final payment period, I was required to make full payment, which I did. Within days, a personal matter came up and I had to change my sailing date to July. I immediately called my travel agent and switched the dates. Since I was past final payment, I was penalized $500 for cancelling the May sailing.

 

Now, I understood the policy and was perfectly willing to accept the consequences. But I also felt it wouldn't hurt to ask NCL to waive the penalty. After all, I'm a loyal NCL cruiser (this was my 7th NCL cruise) and I felt that cancelling within days of booking along with immediately rebooking might help my cause. My TA contacted NCL and was told no, they would not waive the penalty. OK, fine. Then, my TA suggested that I write a letter to NCL, cc'ing my TA. I did so. Again, my TA was told no.

 

I then asked my TA to ask NCL whether an onboard credit was a possibility in lieu of waiving the penalty. Again, no. About two weeks before sailing, my TA suggested one last plea. She suggested writing a second letter, politely stating the facts of the matter and requesting either a waiver or OBC. About a week later, my TA received what we figured was the final word: again, no.

 

So, I went on the cruise with no further thought concerning the penalty. When I got back from the cruise (which was very nice), there was a voicemail from my TA saying she had good news for me. I immediately called her and found out that NCL had decided to refund my $500 and that it would show up within the next 2 billing cycles on my credit card. As it turned out, the credit showed up within a week or so. I was thrilled.

 

NCL was under no obligation to honor my request since they were well within their rights to impose the $500 cancellation penalty. The moral of the story: be persistent and courteous, stick to the facts, and you stand a chance of being heard.

 

Interesting, especially the timing. Did you by chance spend a fair bit of money on the cruise? I would think if you for example lost a decent amount of money in the casino they would want to make sure they keep you as a client. The same might hold to a lesser degree if you spent a fair amount onboard in general.

[pokerpro5]

From what you posted just a few weeks ago, about your trip on the Sun:

 

Family of 3 here - two adults (early 40s), one child age 3.

 

How are you guys getting from Whittier to Anchorage at the end?

 

I am going crazy finding an affordable option.

 

For someone who is so quick to make disparaging remarks about how people "should" be able to cover their own costs for an entire cruise (not to mention potentially catastrophic MEDICAL costs), you are really remarkably concerned about what is really quite a trivial expense.

 

Really!?

Which is it?

 

GeezerCouple

 

I made that post because I'm a cheapskate. I've never denied that. Not so much a cheapskate in that I don't spend my money, but in that I don't like overpaying and always look to get things cheaper without a loss in quality.

 

I was trying to find the cheapest way to get us from Whittier to Anchorage, and I wasn't liking the fact that every option I was finding was well over $50 per person. After dealing with a number of self-righteous locals in the thread who were insisting that $50 was the minimum a bus could charge and still be profitable, I found one for under $30.

 

Glad you had fun searching out my post history on Cruise Critic.

[johnql]

Interesting, especially the timing. Did you by chance spend a fair bit of money on the cruise? I would think if you for example lost a decent amount of money in the casino they would want to make sure they keep you as a client. The same might hold to a lesser degree if you spent a fair amount onboard in general.

Nothing unusual about my expenditures during the cruise. Middling - not high, not low.

[sjbdtz]

 

Got an eagle eye right here!

 

Yes, you should find it interesting because the topics are related.

 

I am trying to determine if you are always as "screwed" when you can't make an NCL cruise as some are trying to imply. If there are ways out of a trip you can't make (that is, to transfer it or get a refund, through NCL exceptions), then the value of trip insurance goes down.

 

But it's also a good thing to know in general, for me and everyone else who cruises with NCL.

 

I truly don't know the answer to anything I asked in this thread, so I am looking for some honest responses regarding how NCL will handle these situations, especially for a good cruiser and/or high end customer.

 

It's only "good to know", if the exceptions are frequent and won't likely change in the future.

 

It's sounding as though you find yourself in the unenviable position of deciding whether to cancel a trip during the penalty period....because you didn't buy insurance....

 

:eek:

 

 

the official policy is you lose the amount stated. Do they make exceptions? they make RARE exceptions but for the most part they follow the policy. What are exceptions made for? something truly beyond your control that gets the heartstrings of the person who makes the exception. What happens if you cancel? they resell the cabin! if you are a no show they may sometimes upgrade someone or sell an upgrade on the ship. You don't have to actually cancel, you can lose the penalty and not show then they don't resell the cabin until the ship sails.

 

one more point. You buy a seat on an airplane. Non refundable tickets. You get run over by a pie truck on the way to the airport. because the airline oversells the seats the plane still travels full. does delta refund your ticket?

 

also remember how it works in Europe there is a non refundable amount from day one! Where does that money go? mostly to the TA I think....

 

 

Mmmmm.....pie. http://www.weebls-stuff.com/wab/pie/

 

 

.

[rbrugler]

I made that post because I'm a cheapskate. I've never denied that. Not so much a cheapskate in that I don't spend my money, but in that I don't like overpaying and always look to get things cheaper without a loss in quality.

 

I was trying to find the cheapest way to get us from Whittier to Anchorage, and I wasn't liking the fact that every option I was finding was well over $50 per person. After dealing with a number of self-righteous locals in the thread who were insisting that $50 was the minimum a bus could charge and still be profitable, I found one for under $30.

 

Glad you had fun searching out my post history on Cruise Critic.

 

 

Enjoy pushing the bus!!!

[pokerpro5]

Sorry to disappoint some of you, but my cruise is scheduled for August 4, and all systems are go.

 

This was only asked for informational purposes.

[pokerpro5]

Not sure if my example is what the OP is looking for, but here goes:

 

Back in March 2006, I booked a cruise on the Dawn with a May sailing. Since I was already within the final payment period, I was required to make full payment, which I did. Within days, a personal matter came up and I had to change my sailing date to July. I immediately called my travel agent and switched the dates. Since I was past final payment, I was penalized $500 for cancelling the May sailing.

 

Now, I understood the policy and was perfectly willing to accept the consequences. But I also felt it wouldn't hurt to ask NCL to waive the penalty. After all, I'm a loyal NCL cruiser (this was my 7th NCL cruise) and I felt that cancelling within days of booking along with immediately rebooking might help my cause. My TA contacted NCL and was told no, they would not waive the penalty. OK, fine. Then, my TA suggested that I write a letter to NCL, cc'ing my TA. I did so. Again, my TA was told no.

 

I then asked my TA to ask NCL whether an onboard credit was a possibility in lieu of waiving the penalty. Again, no. About two weeks before sailing, my TA suggested one last plea. She suggested writing a second letter, politely stating the facts of the matter and requesting either a waiver or OBC. About a week later, my TA received what we figured was the final word: again, no.

 

So, I went on the cruise with no further thought concerning the penalty. When I got back from the cruise (which was very nice), there was a voicemail from my TA saying she had good news for me. I immediately called her and found out that NCL had decided to refund my $500 and that it would show up within the next 2 billing cycles on my credit card. As it turned out, the credit showed up within a week or so. I was thrilled.

 

NCL was under no obligation to honor my request since they were well within their rights to impose the $500 cancellation penalty. The moral of the story: be persistent and courteous, stick to the facts, and you stand a chance of being heard.

 

This is kind of what I was asking for, and I thank you for posting this story.

 

Just FYI, writing letter is always a terrible idea when asking for customer service exceptions to be made. This is true for NCL and every other company. When you write letters, there are two problems:

 

1) The person receiving the letter has a lot of other letters to read, and often isn't interested in reading all of the details.

 

2) It's MUCH easier to tell someone "no" in written format than it is over the phone. That is, it's easier from a human psychology standpoint, as you don't have to hear the person's disappointment, nor can they argue with your decision.

 

 

Letter-writing for customer service matters is an antiquated way of handling these matters, yet many (especially those who are older, and remember doing it successfully in the 1980s and beforehand) still attempt to resolve their issues this way.

 

You will have much more success in general by calling and attempting to find someone with the authority to make the exception, and then have your best story and buttkissing demeanor ready.

 

But I'm glad you triumphed in this case, and I'm happy to hear that the $500 is in your pocket instead of NCL's.

 

This story is a good example of NCL's willingness to make exceptions to their own policy, especially for a good (but by his own admission, not unusually good) customer.

 

I have to imagine that if a longtime NCL cruiser called 10 days before their planned cruise and gave them a convincing sob-story, there's a good chance they would let you transfer your stateroom to a family member or friend for no charge (or a minimum charge), simply for business good will reasons. I doubt you could talk them into a full (or even large partial) refund at that point, but maybe even a conditional refund if they are able to resell the cabin.

 

I would love to hear more of these "exception" stories so I can truly understand how NCL handles these matters, especially for customers with several NCL cruises under their belts.

[johnql]

This is kind of what I was asking for, and I thank you for posting this story.

 

Just FYI, writing letter is always a terrible idea when asking for customer service exceptions to be made. This is true for NCL and every other company. When you write letters, there are two problems:

 

1) The person receiving the letter has a lot of other letters to read, and often isn't interested in reading all of the details.

 

2) It's MUCH easier to tell someone "no" in written format than it is over the phone. That is, it's easier from a human psychology standpoint, as you don't have to hear the person's disappointment, nor can they argue with your decision.

 

 

Letter-writing for customer service matters is an antiquated way of handling these matters, yet many (especially those who are older, and remember doing it successfully in the 1980s and beforehand) still attempt to resolve their issues this way.

 

You will have much more success in general by calling and attempting to find someone with the authority to make the exception, and then have your best story and buttkissing demeanor ready.

You may be right but I prefer written communication because it establishes documentation for what transpired. This eliminates ambiguity, misunderstandings, and he said-she said disputes. For me, that outweighs the benefits that you point out.

[don't-use-real-name]

the official policy is you lose the amount stated. Do they make exceptions? they make RARE exceptions but for the most part they follow the policy. What are exceptions made for? something truly beyond your control that gets the heartstrings of the person who makes the exception. What happens if you cancel? they resell the cabin! if you are a no show they may sometimes upgrade someone or sell an upgrade on the ship. You don't have to actually cancel, you can lose the penalty and not show then they don't resell the cabin until the ship sails.

 

one more point. You buy a seat on an airplane. Non refundable tickets. You get run over by a pie truck on the way to the airport. because the airline oversells the seats the plane still travels full. does delta refund your ticket?

 

also remember how it works in Europe there is a non refundable amount from day one! Where does that money go? mostly to the TA I think....

 

Interesting enough that Delta and other carriers do offer a

compassion refund or voucher for a future trip less the change fee.

A simple matter of a death or medical emergency and inquiring frankly to the

airline representative should do it. That failing have a newspaper ombudsman

broker the case in a public newpaper forum. Not always a given but customer

service representatives are cautioned about 'Slamming the Door' in the face

of loyal frequent and potential frequent fliers ! Caution that you do not come

off strongly as a DYKWIA !

 

Count any and all your blessings that you get when presented with these situations !

The airlines like to keep these things out of the lime light so that

it does not appear as being soft on rules and regs. Normally an appeal to a

Supervisor Manager or Customer Relations official is all that is necessary -

Orchid Letters while few and far between are a great deal more welcomed than

ONION Letters - careful here remember to THANK the people that make this

possible to cruise or fly another day !

[smeyer418]

You may be right but I prefer written communication because it establishes documentation for what transpired. This eliminates ambiguity, misunderstandings, and he said-she said disputes. For me, that outweighs the benefits that you point out.

In general calling gets you some low level clerk or at best their supervisor(or the person who sits next to them)-with extremely limited authority. Call center people normally can't waive rules. I agree with you writing is best. It normally gets to the "right" person and I have run call centers.

Edited July 24, 2014 by smeyer418

[CI66774]

Simplest solution is to buy travel insurance. The time you spend on the phone, writing letters, etc. (at least for me) is time wasted - time I can't get back. It's worth the hundred or couple hundred dollars to buy the insurance.

[aubreyc1988]

Sorry to disappoint some of you, but my cruise is scheduled for August 4, and all systems are go.

 

This was only asked for informational purposes.

 

For just gathering info, this seems like an overly specific question.

 

My input, we buy insurance for our 'Big cruises" - once a year, we go all out and go on a nice cruise...maybe in a junior suite or above for a week. We do one cruise a year where its just a winter getaway - less than a week, usually in a cheap inside. We do not get insurance for the winter one! We self insure on that one since we spend so little.

 

If you do not get insurance and want to cancel a cruise in the penalty period, it is most likely you will NOT get any money or compensation back. Sure, it is worth a call, but chances are, no, NCL is not going to give you anything. But anything can happen once, right?

[pokerpro5]

In general calling gets you some low level clerk or at best their supervisor(or the person who sits next to them)-with extremely limited authority. Call center people normally can't waive rules. I agree with you writing is best. It normally gets to the "right" person and I have run call centers.

 

With only a few exceptions, you can usually reach someone in a position of authority with minimal effort. You just need to be persistent and keep escalating when denied. A few companies do not empower telephone-reachable employees to make any meaningful exceptions, at which point you need to do the letter-writing thing.

 

But my success rate in receiving granted exceptions or allowances via calling is extremely high (including with NCL), and my rate of success is quite low with letters (as it is with most people I know).

Edited July 24, 2014 by pokerpro5

[pokerpro5]

For just gathering info, this seems like an overly specific question.

 

I'm an overly specific guy.

 

Anyone who doesn't believe me, check the board sometime after August 12, and you will see my review of my August 4 cruise on the Sun.

[luddite]

You may be right but I prefer written communication because it establishes documentation for what transpired. This eliminates ambiguity, misunderstandings, and he said-she said disputes. For me, that outweighs the benefits that you point out.

 

Gentlemen conduct business via the mail.

[smeyer418]

With only a few exceptions, you can usually reach someone in a position of authority with minimal effort. You just need to be persistent and keep escalating when denied. A few companies do not empower telephone-reachable employees to make any meaningful exceptions, at which point you need to do the letter-writing thing.

 

But my success rate in receiving granted exceptions or allowances via calling is extremely high (including with NCL), and my rate of success is quite low with letters (as it is with most people I know).

in my opinion and experience you have been very lucky. Normally the call center is insulated from people with real power to make exceptions but to each their own. I rarely use snail mail my self but get the results through emails....

Edited July 24, 2014 by smeyer418