New Cancellation Rules

[SuiteCruiser]

New cancellation dates and fees as of January 1, 2016, for our convenience...

 

http://www.ncl.com/about/cancellation-fee-schedule

[LrgPizza]

Thanks for the info. I see it goes by booking date, as it should. Grateful for that for once. Haha

[Leavethekidswithmom]

I can't open it, what does it say? Please

[SuiteCruiser]

Thanks for the info. I see it goes by booking date, as it should. Grateful for that for once. Haha

 

LOL, I hear you!

[SuiteCruiser]

Well I tried, but failed miserably at copying it :) I think right now you need to log in from a laptop or desktop, mobile devices are not supported.

 

The final payment date is shortened for some cruises, and the cancellation fee has risen.

Edited December 16, 2015 by SuiteCruiser

[AtlantaCruiser72]

Looking at that I would assume final pay for 7+ nt cruises will now be at 90 days starting 1/1/16. It also appears that final pay for short cruises moves up to 76 days.

Edited December 16, 2015 by AtlantaCruiser72

[GUEST080219]

NCL social media seems to agree :D

 

[triptolemus]

I can't open it, what does it say? Please

 

A PDF of it:

 

http://mrose.org/cc/Cancellation_Fee_Schedule.pdf

[casofilia]

Do I read it right.

 

If my wife or I were to die after final payment then the remaining one couldn't substitute a daughter for the dead person?

 

Mike

[Leavethekidswithmom]

A PDF of it:

 

 

 

http://mrose.org/cc/Cancellation_Fee_Schedule.pdf

 

 

Thanks tript.

[roquejo]

Well, this is consistent of the direction of NCL policies becoming less and less guest friendly.

 

For once can they come up of something that can make customers happy?

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Well, this is consistent of the direction of NCL policies becoming less and less guest friendly.

 

For once can they come up of something that can make customers happy?

 

I have to agree with you. I'll be glad when my February cruise is over. Luckily this doesn't affect the February cruise.

 

We need Abe to post and tell us this is a good thing for everybody.

 

Bill

[StolidCruiser]

Well, this is consistent of the direction of NCL policies becoming less and less guest friendly.

 

For once can they come up of something that can make customers happy?

 

Nope. They are hellbent on making every passenger miserable. And by the forum here, they are doing an excellent job.

[abe3]

I have to agree with you. I'll be glad when my February cruise is over. Luckily this doesn't affect the February cruise.

 

 

 

We need Abe to post and tell us this is a good thing for everybody.

 

 

 

Bill

 

 

Glad you are waiting for my input.

 

It really doesn't impact me on the change. A couple weeks earlier to pay won't change if I am going on the cruise or not. I can see it might have in the impact on people looking to upgrade before final payment and they will have a few weeks less to work the system but if you have good insurance with a great cancellation policy it should have no effect except on promotional stuff that might come up before final payment

 

Do I agree with the policy to move up the dates? No but all in all it doesn't impact on my final decision on who I spend my money with.

[hawkeyetlse]

If my wife or I were to die after final payment then the remaining one couldn't substitute a daughter for the dead person?

If you are referring to the statements about "name changes" and "name substitutions", those were already in the previous policy (I don't know why they feel the need to say the same thing twice, as usual NCL's legal team seems to place a very low priority on proof-reading ;)). It is not a change in policy.

 

In the past, people have always reported being able to make name changes of the kind you described for free, despite what the policy says.

Looking at that I would assume final pay for 7+ nt cruises will now be at 90 days starting 1/1/16. It also appears that final pay for short cruises moves up to 76 days.

Yes, the Payment Schedule will also change on January 1, 2016. Final payment will be at 75 days for short cruises, 90 days for longer cruises, and 120 for holiday sailings.

 

I don't see any changes to the payment/cancellation policies for Haven/suite bookings. The biggest change seems to be for holiday sailings, which now apply the stricter Haven/suite rules to all stateroom categories. :(

Edited December 16, 2015 by hawkeyetlse

[Leavethekidswithmom]

The only way I see this as effecting me is the cancelation must be in writing.

[bigb252]

So if I change the second guest in the cabin, that now counts as a cancellation for both passengers?

[hawkeyetlse]

So if I change the second guest in the cabin, that now counts as a cancellation for both passengers?

As I said above, the policy has said for years that name changes are cancellations, but they don't apply the policy as strictly as that suggests. If this changes after January 1, I'm sure we will hear about it here.

The only way I see this as effecting me is the cancelation must be in writing.

That rule was also already in the old policy, but not strictly applied.

 

All of the text preceding the tables has stayed the same for at least the past 3 years (you can see a snapshot of the page from April 20, 2012, here). They have only changed the tables.

[Laszlo]

I can't open it, what does it say? Please

 

Cancellation Fees on Cruise Fares, Air Add-Ons, Land Packages and Other Add-On Charges

 

Cancellation fees for cruise, air, land and other charges will follow the schedule below and apply to all guests on the reservation. Cancellation fees for air, land and other add-on charges will apply even if the reservation is not canceled in full. Gateway changes for air and name changes for cruise, air, land and other add-ons are considered cancellations. Cancellations must be telephoned to our Reservations Department by your travel agent. Depending on when the cruise is canceled, cancellation charges will be assessed as stated on the Cancellation Fee Schedule.

 

No refunds will be made in the event of interruption or cancellation by any passenger after commencement of the cruise. Requests for refunds must be in writing to Norwegian Cruise Line. Cruise tickets, air tickets, transfer coupons and/or vacation package vouchers must be returned before a refund can be made. Refund processing time is about 3-4 weeks. Air tickets issued by our Air/Sea Department for passengers on our Air/Sea programs are refundable only to Norwegian Cruise Line. Group passenger policies may differ. Norwegian Cruise Line's Payment and Cancellation Policy is subject to change without notice.

 

Reservations that are not paid in full by the final payment due date are subject to cancellation and in the event a reservation is canceled, a cancellation fee will apply

No refunds will be given on any cruise for no-shows

No refunds will be made in the event of interruption or cancellation by any passenger after commencement of the cruise.

Name changes and departure date changes are considered reservation cancellations and are subject to the above cancellation fees.

Requests for refunds must be in writing to Norwegian Cruise Line. Cruise tickets, air tickets, transfer coupons and/or vacation package vouchers must be returned before a refund can be made. Refund processing time is about 3 to 4 weeks. Air tickets issued by our Air/Sea Department for passengers on our Air/Sea programs are refundable only to Norwegian Cruise Line. Group passenger policies may differ. Norwegian Cruise Line's Payment and Cancellation Policy is subject to change without notice.

No refunds will be given for any missed days of a Land Package.

Cancellation fees for air, land and other add-on charges will apply even if the reservation is not cancelled in full.

Gateway changes, flight date changes and name substitutions are considered cancellations, and air cancellation fees will apply. Additionally, spelling corrections may be considered cancellations.

Name substitutions and departure date changes for cruise, land and other add-ons are considered cancellations and are subject to cancellation fees.

Cancellation fees will begin immediately once money has been applied to the reservation.

Once payment is applied, the reservation is subject to cancellation fees according to the below schedule.

Cancellation Schedule For Bookings Made

BEFORE JANUARY 1, 2016

Days Prior to Departure Date Cruise/Cruisetour Cancellation Fee Air Cancellation Fee Land Cancellation Fee Add-On Cancellation Fee

The Haven Garden Villas and Suites 5 Days or Less**

Greater than 120 days prior to sailing $0 $0 0% 0%

119 - 90 days 25%* $0 0% 0%

89 - 56 days 50%* $100 $0 10%

55 days or less 100% 100% 100% 100%

The Haven Garden Villas and Suites 6 or more Days**

Greater than 120 days prior to sailing $0 $0 0% 0%

119 - 90 days 25%* $0 0% 0%

89 - 56 days 50%* $100 $0 10%

55 days or less 100% 100% 100% 100%

1-5 Days

60-45 days Deposit $100 $0 $0

44-30 days 50%* 50% 50% 50%

29-15 days 75%* 75% 75% 75%

14 days or less 100% 100% 100% 100%

1-5 days - Holidays

Holiday sailings are sailings that run through Christmas and/or New Years

90-76 days Deposit $100 $0 $0

75-63 days 25%* 25% 25% 25%

62-42 days 50%* 50% 50% 50%

41-15 days 75%* 75% 75% 75%

14 days or less 100% 100% 100% 100%

6 days or more

75-56 days Deposit $100 $0 $0

55-29 days 50%* 50% 50% 50%

28-15 days 75%* 75% 75% 75%

14 days or less 100% 100% 100% 100%

6 days or more - Holiday

Holiday sailings are sailings that run through Christmas and/or New Years

90-76 days Deposit $100 $0 $0

75-63 days 25%* 25% 25% 25%

62-42 days 50%* 50% 50% 50%

41-21 days 75%* 75% 75% 75%

20 days or less 100% 100% 100% 100%

Hawaii

90-76 days Deposit $100 $0 $0

75-63 days 25%* 25% 25% 25%

62-42 days 50%* 50% 50% 50%

41-21 days 75%* 75% 75% 75%

20 days or less 100% 100% 100% 100%

*or deposit, whichever is higher

 

Cancellation Schedule For Bookings Made

ON OR AFTER JANUARY 1, 2016

Days Prior to Departure Date Cruise/Cruisetour Cancellation Fee Air Cancellation Fee Land Cancellation Fee Add-On Cancellation Fee

The Haven Suites, Suites, Garden Villas and Holiday Sailings**

Greater than 120 days prior to sailing $0 $0 0% 0%

119 - 90 days 25%* $0 0% 0%

89 - 56 days 50%* $100 $0 10%

55 days or less 100% 100% 100% 100%

1-6 Days

75-57 days Deposit $100 $0 $0

56-30 days 50%* 50% 50% 50%

29-16 days 75%* 75% 75% 75%

15 days or less 100% 100% 100% 100%

7 days or more

89-76 days 25% $100 $0 $0

75-61 days 50% 50% 50% 50%

60-31 days 75% 75% 75% 75%

30 days or less 100% 100% 100% 100%

* Or deposit, Whichever is higher

** Excluding Norwegian Sky

 

Cancellation Fee For

3-8 GUESTS

There is no Cancellation fee for guest 3-8 if cancelled outside of the 100% cancellation period. If the reservation is cancelled within the 100% cancellation period then the applicable cancellation fee will apply for guest 3-8.

[4774Papa]

The one major change is the pushing back of the final payment date to 90 days. No big deal, but not sure why NCL is deviating from the industry standard.

 

We cruise on Celebrity as well and their pricing has really increased compared to NCL, so NCL is still a good option for us.

[sparks1093]

Glad you are waiting for my input.

 

It really doesn't impact me on the change. A couple weeks earlier to pay won't change if I am going on the cruise or not. I can see it might have in the impact on people looking to upgrade before final payment and they will have a few weeks less to work the system but if you have good insurance with a great cancellation policy it should have no effect except on promotional stuff that might come up before final payment

 

Do I agree with the policy to move up the dates? No but all in all it doesn't impact on my final decision on who I spend my money with.

 

It doesn't affect me that much either but it is a policy that is not friendly to the customer.

[hawkeyetlse]

The one major change is the pushing back of the final payment date to 90 days. No big deal, but not sure why NCL is deviating from the industry standard.

Looking at NCL's major competitors, the final payment date is at around 75 days. But there is a second "industry standard" that is seeing this change to the customer's disadvantage on mainstream cruise lines. NCL is definitely part of this trend but so far not the worst offender (that is DCL):

 

• Royal Caribbean: Still at 60/75 days, 90 for holidays. Their rules were last updated in 2010.
  
• Celebrity: very similar to Royal Caribbean
  
• Princess: 75 days for most cruises
  
• HAL: 75 days for most cruises
  
• Carnival: Also announced a policy change for next year, moving from 75 to 90 days for long cruises and Alaska cruises. Europe, PC, and TAs were already at 90 days.
  
• Disney: Also changed its policies a couple of times in the last year or so. 75 days only for short cruises (US departures). Most US cruises are 90 days, non-US sailings 120 days, and for suites/concierge this goes up to 150 days.
  

[Shawnino]

Do I read it right.

 

If my wife or I were to die after final payment then the remaining one couldn't substitute a daughter for the dead person?

 

Mike

 

Maybe you can go as a Zombie...

[Golfin55]

Someone explain why this is a bad idea? It's smart business. I for one always felt that cruise line cancel fees have been very lax for a while now. It will help to sell there insurance. And, should be a boost for 3rd party trip interruption/cancelation policies.

 

Get over yourselves. Freakin bunch of babies[emoji64]🏻

[GeezerCouple]

If you are referring to the statements about "name changes" and "name substitutions", those were already in the previous policy (I don't know why they feel the need to say the same thing twice, as usual NCL's legal team seems to place a very low priority on proof-reading ;)). It is not a change in policy.

 

In the past, people have always reported being able to make name changes of the kind you described for free, despite what the policy says.

Yes, the Payment Schedule will also change on January 1, 2016. Final payment will be at 75 days for short cruises, 90 days for longer cruises, and 120 for holiday sailings.

 

I don't see any changes to the payment/cancellation policies for Haven/suite bookings. The biggest change seems to be for holiday sailings, which now apply the stricter Haven/suite rules to all stateroom categories. :(

 

You aren't kidding.

 

Here are two lines that are right next to each other:

 

"Cancellation fees will begin immediately once money has been applied to the reservation.

Once payment is applied, the reservation is subject to cancellation fees according to the below schedule."

 

Other than the word "immediately", what is the point of the first line?

Why not just phrase the second line as:

 

"Once payment is applied, the reservation is immediately subject to cancellation fees according to the below schedule."

 

This nonsense just makes it more difficult for customers to read, as there are so many extra lines.

 

It is very unfortunate that NCL has been changing the terms of reservations (perks, especially) AFTER full payment.

All they had to do was to grandfather in anyone who was already past final payment, and thus couldn't cancel without penalty.

-->> Better yet, make the announcements for all "future announced cruises".

The slight difference in revenue (let's face it, compared with all of the basic cruise fares, reducing the value of some perks a bit later isn't a huge line item) would be more than offset by less customer dissatisfaction.

 

It's all just sloppy, and clearly shows little concern for the customer experience.

 

But yes, at least THIS time the change in rules is announced PRIOR to any new reservations being made.

That is the proper way to handle it.

(And in this case, they aren't making the change immediate, so someone could quickly make a new reservation within the next two weeks, and get grandfathered in, if it made a difference to them.)

 

GeezerCouple