PSA: don't trust the Norwegian Cruise agent's word

[curiouser123]

Don't make the mistake I made. I cancelled a Haven reservation 90 days out, which I know now has to be cancelled 120 days out. I had assumed it had the same policy as the other rooms. When I called to cancel the reservation agent assured me I would get all my deposit money back once I filed with the Norwegian sold travel insurance (I had signed up for the deluxe plan). She even provided me with the phone number to call the Norwegian travel insurance, and sent me on my merry way. I have an email from her following up and telling me that I should file the insurance claim to get my deposit back.

 

Travel-savvy people will know the rest of the story. The Norwegian travel insurance agency said that since final payment had not been made, I would get no money back. I lost about $1000 on the deposit. I should not have relied on the word of the Norwegian reservations agent. I would have been better off charging the rest of the cruise on my credit card THEN filing the claim with the Norwegian travel insurance agency.

 

I wouldn't want anyone else to have to go through this, so I'm sharing what happened in case it can help someone else. Try not to flame me too much!

[ColinIllinois]

Don't make the mistake I made. I cancelled a Haven reservation 90 days out, which I know now has to be cancelled 120 days out. I had assumed it had the same policy as the other rooms. When I called to cancel the reservation agent assured me I would get all my deposit money back once I filed with the Norwegian sold travel insurance (I had signed up for the deluxe plan). She even provided me with the phone number to call the Norwegian travel insurance, and sent me on my merry way. I have an email from her following up and telling me that I should file the insurance claim to get my deposit back.

 

Travel-savvy people will know the rest of the story. The Norwegian travel insurance agency said that since final payment had not been made, I would get no money back. I lost about $1000 on the deposit. I should not have relied on the word of the Norwegian reservations agent. I would have been better off charging the rest of the cruise on my credit card THEN filing the claim with the Norwegian travel insurance agency.

 

I wouldn't want anyone else to have to go through this, so I'm sharing what happened in case it can help someone else. Try not to flame me too much!

 

 

Not going to flame you. It's good that you posted this so others can learn. Always make yourself familiar with the Terms and Conditions and Cancellation policies.

 

Nice of you to post this.

[pieshops]

thanks for posting the warning. It is always best to read the policy and never ever trust the word of anyone ever, words can not lie or be mis informed

[pathubia]

Thank you for posting, I have never needed to cancel a cruise, I will be very careful if I do!!

[Greciangirl]

This policy changed in jan of this year. I believe before then the haven cat was 90 days for no penalty.

 

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[Sotermarler]

Sorry that happened to you. It's too bad NCL can't get their information right, it's bad service.

[curiouser123]

This policy changed in jan of this year. I believe before then the haven cat was 90 days for no penalty.

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

 

I cancelled January 19 so maybe that helps explain things. Thanks.

Edited October 10, 2015 by curiouser123

[bonvoyagie]

Yes there was a change in policy in Jan but it is not clear if the earlier contracts are still in place or not.

 

Also with NCL your insurance payment is made with the final payment so until that time you have no insurance - or any real need for it.

 

I am sorry that you are out 1000.00, that is a tough lesson to learn - and even worse when you had someone at NCL advising you :mad:

 

Since you have the e-mail from the agent, I would attempt to get NCL to cut loose of the full deposit since you were acting on one of their agent's advice. I think I would start with one of their customer relations people who run their Facebook page :)

 

Again this is a hard lesson to learn and I hope you saved others from making the same mistake.

[curiouser123]

Yes there was a change in policy in Jan but it is not clear if the earlier contracts are still in place or not.

 

Also with NCL your insurance payment is made with the final payment so until that time you have no insurance - or any real need for it.

 

I am sorry that you are out 1000.00, that is a tough lesson to learn - and even worse when you had someone at NCL advising you :mad:

 

Since you have the e-mail from the agent, I would attempt to get NCL to cut loose of the full deposit since you were acting on one of their agent's advice. I think I would start with one of their customer relations people who run their Facebook page :)

 

Again this is a hard lesson to learn and I hope you saved others from making the same mistake.

 

Oh, I understand well about how the insurance works now, and I can assure you I won't make that kind of mistake again. I feel so stupid for believing the agent. It just never occurred to me that she would be wrong. I have contacted NCL and they sent me a form letter that did not address the agent's phone and email advice. I even filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, and NCL just forwarded them the form letter that they had originally sent me without any further response.

 

Sadly I probably wouldn't take a cruise with NCL now given my experience with their customer service.

[sprint180]

Don't make the mistake I made. I cancelled a Haven reservation 90 days out, which I know now has to be cancelled 120 days out. I had assumed it had the same policy as the other rooms. When I called to cancel the reservation agent assured me I would get all my deposit money back once I filed with the Norwegian sold travel insurance (I had signed up for the deluxe plan). She even provided me with the phone number to call the Norwegian travel insurance, and sent me on my merry way. I have an email from her following up and telling me that I should file the insurance claim to get my deposit back.

 

Travel-savvy people will know the rest of the story. The Norwegian travel insurance agency said that since final payment had not been made, I would get no money back. I lost about $1000 on the deposit. I should not have relied on the word of the Norwegian reservations agent. I would have been better off charging the rest of the cruise on my credit card THEN filing the claim with the Norwegian travel insurance agency.

 

I wouldn't want anyone else to have to go through this, so I'm sharing what happened in case it can help someone else. Try not to flame me too much!

 

I am not flaming you just confused. You said the agent was wrong, and you shouldn't have believed her. (my words not yours) But if it was already past the 120 days when you called it wouldn't have mattered correct. The agent made a mistake on the date? But since it was already past the 120 days the agent couldn't have done anything anyway right?

Why would it have been better to charge the rest to a CC then file?

 

Just trying to get all this info in the memory bank as I may not get to go on my cruise.

[fshagan]

I am not flaming you just confused. You said the agent was wrong, and you shouldn't have believed her. (my words not yours) But if it was already past the 120 days when you called it wouldn't have mattered correct. The agent made a mistake on the date? But since it was already past the 120 days the agent couldn't have done anything anyway right?

Why would it have been better to charge the rest to a CC then file?

 

Just trying to get all this info in the memory bank as I may not get to go on my cruise.

 

The agent assured the OP that the NCL provided trip insurance would reimburse her for the deposit she would lose for cancelling inside the 120 day window.

 

The PCC was incorrect about that. Absolutely NOT the customer's fault.

 

Because both the cruise and the insurance is sold by NCL they should take responsibility for the communication by their agent. The OP should not even have to fight for it, it should be done upon request.

 

I would recommend conducting a "campaign". The campaign steps are:

 

1. Call the PCC and ask them to get you a refund based on the assurance that the product they sold you would cover you.

2. If the PCC says that can't be done, ask to speak to a supervisor.

3. If the supervisor says it can't be done ask to speak to someone higher than them, or if there's not someone higher, then ask how you can appeal it.

 

The first three steps may have already been done. If not, they can be done calmly, with respect for the workers and your blood pressure.

 

If you are far past that point, I would email NCL and point them to this thread on Cruise Critic. Then, open a twitter account if you don't have one, and tweet this thread URL to NCL President Andy Stuart at @nclandy

 

This really isn't even questionable; they gave you an assurance when you asked, verified it in writing (email), and should honor it. I suspect when you get to the level above the strict rules interpretation level, you will have satisfaction. NCL does care about their business, and wants you to return.

 

As far as the effort goes, consider your hourly wage at work, and how long it would take to earn $1,000 net. That always helps me when dealing with these issues ... a few phone calls, a few emails, etc. are certainly worth $1,000.

[mommyto2kids]

I'm really confused - it is 90 Days before your cruise. Your final payment was due a month ago, but you just cancelled now and say final payment was never made. Wouldn't the cruise have been cancelled when you failed to make the final payment? If you weren't going to be able to make the final payment why not cancel then and not have to deal with any hassles. I really don't understand at all how insurance even comes into this?

Edited October 10, 2015 by mommyto2kids

[Love my butler]

I am absolutely shocked and stunned you were given incorrect information from an NCL customer 'service' agent. I have never heard of such a thing....:D

[NLH Arizona]

OP, thanks for the heads up and the reminder to always read the terms and conditions and to get any information that does not fall in line with the terms and conditions in writing, instead of just taking the NCL rep's word for it..

Edited October 10, 2015 by NLH Arizona

[curiouser123]

The agent assured the OP that the NCL provided trip insurance would reimburse her for the deposit she would lose for cancelling inside the 120 day window.

 

The PCC was incorrect about that. Absolutely NOT the customer's fault.

 

Because both the cruise and the insurance is sold by NCL they should take responsibility for the communication by their agent. The OP should not even have to fight for it, it should be done upon request.

 

I would recommend conducting a "campaign". The campaign steps are:

 

1. Call the PCC and ask them to get you a refund based on the assurance that the product they sold you would cover you.

2. If the PCC says that can't be done, ask to speak to a supervisor.

3. If the supervisor says it can't be done ask to speak to someone higher than them, or if there's not someone higher, then ask how you can appeal it.

 

The first three steps may have already been done. If not, they can be done calmly, with respect for the workers and your blood pressure.

 

If you are far past that point, I would email NCL and point them to this thread on Cruise Critic. Then, open a twitter account if you don't have one, and tweet this thread URL to NCL President Andy Stuart at @nclandy

 

This really isn't even questionable; they gave you an assurance when you asked, verified it in writing (email), and should honor it. I suspect when you get to the level above the strict rules interpretation level, you will have satisfaction. NCL does care about their business, and wants you to return.

 

As far as the effort goes, consider your hourly wage at work, and how long it would take to earn $1,000 net. That always helps me when dealing with these issues ... a few phone calls, a few emails, etc. are certainly worth $1,000.

 

This is solid advice, thanks. I have completed steps 1, 2, & 3, and I will try the rest.

[mousecrazy]

Hey OP. I get why you are bummed about losing $1000. It stinks. However, your confirmation plainly states the cancellation policy. Even if you didn't read it, NCL has done what they could to provide you with the information, right? Regardless of what the agent told you, you had the information prior to that conversation...you just didn't know it because you didn't read it. Right?

 

At this point, you are feeling the natural consequence of your action (or in this case inaction - not reading the confirmation). And it stinks. And you want to blame someone. Natural reaction. But, come one. It's time to man-up and admit your mistake, learn from it and move on.

 

So, unless NCL did not give you a written confirmation listing the cancellation policy, then I say NCL has done nothing wrong and owes you nothing except an apology for the rep. giving you incorrect information - which is really just a training issue and has no affect on your situation.

 

Hope you can find closure.

Edited October 10, 2015 by mousecrazy

[sprint180]

Why would it have been better to wait then charge to your CC?

[mommyto2kids]

I also don't understand how you miss knowing when final Payment is - I was getting warning emails the week before mine was due.

Edited October 10, 2015 by mommyto2kids

[canadianeh934]

I can not believe how many people can not read and grasp the concept the OP is discussing. There are two issues:

 

First issue is NCL gave the OP wrong information that was acted upon by the OP. NCL is responsible for what their employees advise.

 

Second Issue: now that the OP acted upon the advise of the NCL agent, they are out $1000

 

 

 

I would demand a credit of $1000 as a bear minimum from NCL!

[SuiteCruiser]

Why would it have been better to wait then charge to your CC?

 

Because the OP purchased travel insurance through NCL and because of this if they had made final payment and then cancelled even a week before the cruise they would be covered 100%.

 

OP was not just trying to cancel late and get their refund back, they had insurance that would cover this.

 

The error made was due to the NCL rep telling them to cancel and get their money back, rep should have said pay the balance and then file. NCL's insurance payments are made with final payment, so technically the insurance though booked, wasn't paid for.

[SuiteCruiser]

OP, thanks for the heads up and the reminder to always read the terms and conditions and to get any information that does not fall in line with the terms and conditions in writing, instead of just taking the NCL rep's word for it..

 

As we know, those change all of the time.

 

Everyone should now be in the habit of printing the T&Cs the day you book the cruise. Since NCL changed from 90 to 120 days, who knows what the T&Cs actually said.

 

OP, you should check your date of booking and use the waybackmachine at archive.org/web to look at what the deal was that day.

Edited October 10, 2015 by SuiteCruiser

[curiouser123]

Because the OP purchased travel insurance through NCL and because of this if they had made final payment and then cancelled even a week before the cruise they would be covered 100%.

 

OP was not just trying to cancel late and get their refund back, they had insurance that would cover this.

 

The error made was due to the NCL rep telling them to cancel and get their money back, rep should have said pay the balance and then file. NCL's insurance payments are made with final payment, so technically the insurance though booked, wasn't paid for.

 

Thanks for understanding and explaining.

[merleebird]

The Cruise Agent should have errors and omissions insurance. I'd go the route of asking for a refund with the documentation. They won't even be out of pocket to reimburse you they'll just file a claim.

 

 

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[abe3]

The agent assured the OP that the NCL provided trip insurance would reimburse her for the deposit she would lose for cancelling inside the 120 day window.

 

The PCC was incorrect about that. Absolutely NOT the customer's fault.

 

Because both the cruise and the insurance is sold by NCL they should take responsibility for the communication by their agent. The OP should not even have to fight for it, it should be done upon request.

 

I would recommend conducting a "campaign". The campaign steps are:

 

1. Call the PCC and ask them to get you a refund based on the assurance that the product they sold you would cover you.

2. If the PCC says that can't be done, ask to speak to a supervisor.

3. If the supervisor says it can't be done ask to speak to someone higher than them, or if there's not someone higher, then ask how you can appeal it.

 

The first three steps may have already been done. If not, they can be done calmly, with respect for the workers and your blood pressure.

 

If you are far past that point, I would email NCL and point them to this thread on Cruise Critic. Then, open a twitter account if you don't have one, and tweet this thread URL to NCL President Andy Stuart at @nclandy

 

This really isn't even questionable; they gave you an assurance when you asked, verified it in writing (email), and should honor it. I suspect when you get to the level above the strict rules interpretation level, you will have satisfaction. NCL does care about their business, and wants you to return.

 

As far as the effort goes, consider your hourly wage at work, and how long it would take to earn $1,000 net. That always helps me when dealing with these issues ... a few phone calls, a few emails, etc. are certainly worth $1,000.

Are we talking about the OP booked with an NCL PCC or did they book with a third party agent? Way it sounds they booked with a third party agent. Need this clarified from the OP who booked the cruise with them. If it's a third party agent then its the responsibility of the agent booking giving the wrong information.

[curiouser123]

Are we talking about the OP booked with an NCL PCC or did they book with a third party agent? Way it sounds they booked with a third party agent. Need this clarified from the OP who booked the cruise with them. If it's a third party agent then its the responsibility of the agent booking giving the wrong information.

 

 

Booked on Norwegian's website.