Accurate Canadian Intel

[Kingmaker_inc]

I've read a lot of threads here about the changes to Canadian passengers in terms of exchange rates, OBC restrictions and a 10% discount on fares in lieu of the favourable exchange rate previously offered to Canadians.

 

I spoke to my PCC yesterday to check in on these changes, because I wanted to make some decisions about future cruises. My PCC has told me that none of the above is correct.

• NCL hasn't cancelled the special exchange rate. It sets it every quarter as their regular policy, but adjust it if the market is volatile. The current rate is .75.

• There is no restriction of a maximum of $1000 OBC for Canadian passengers.

• There is no 10% fee in place of the advantageous exchange rate.

 

My guy was prepared to sell me a 2017 cruise with a set special Canadian exchange rate and also arranged more than $1000 for an OBC for my already booked 2016 cruise.

 

So, the above is what I have personally experienced as a Canadian NCL customer. if you have any different information - what is it and where are you getting it from?

[heathrj]

And yet, when I log into myNCL and bought OBC yesterday, it clearly stated that there is a maximum of $1000 per stateroom available. Not really a problem for me, as I wasn't going to buy more than that, but I do think you PCC is not up to date with the current restrictions.

[trish4bruce]

I cruise next week and there are three adults in our cabin with each having purchased $1000OBC. Today we got an email and phone call indicating we can only have a maximum $1000 cumulative obc and that any additional obc will be reimbursed back to our credit card. They could not tell me how the $1000 would be distributed between the three of us so I cancelled all OBC and then each of us will book $375 each. We will now not eat at any pay restaurants, purchase anything from the stores, or visit the casino as we did not plan on these extra expenses thinking we would have obc to cover it all.

[Jane Don]

A PCC has never given inaccurate information either to make sale or out of ignorance, ever.

[casofilia]

A PCC has never given inaccurate information either to make sale or out of ignorance, ever.

 

People are lucky to be able to get to talk to a PCC even if the information isn't totally accurate. I can't get mine to answer an email. I think I will go to a TA that I can communicate with.

[cjcruises]

I've read a lot of threads here about the changes to Canadian passengers in terms of exchange rates, OBC restrictions and a 10% discount on fares in lieu of the favourable exchange rate previously offered to Canadians.

 

I spoke to my PCC yesterday to check in on these changes, because I wanted to make some decisions about future cruises. My PCC has told me that none of the above is correct.

• NCL hasn't cancelled the special exchange rate. It sets it every quarter as their regular policy, but adjust it if the market is volatile. The current rate is .75.

• There is no restriction of a maximum of $1000 OBC for Canadian passengers.

• There is no 10% fee in place of the advantageous exchange rate.

 

My guy was prepared to sell me a 2017 cruise with a set special Canadian exchange rate and also arranged more than $1000 for an OBC for my already booked 2016 cruise.

 

So, the above is what I have personally experienced as a Canadian NCL customer. if you have any different information - what is it and where are you getting it from?

 

I am quite literally shaking my head. Not at you, OP, but at NCL. I can assure you that I was given the exact same info as you by several PCCs, including supervisors and even the help desk. I was able to purchase several thousand OBC. We happened to notice on myNCL they there was a notation stating a max $1000 per reservation. We asked about that and were told that there is a new policy and anything over $1000 will be refunded. We began to go higher up the chain at NCL. The information has been confirmed several times, including from the executive offices. Interestingly, though, even as we were reaching out to people higher yo within NCL, we called the 1-866 to see if we could purchase even more OBC, largely just to test the system. Sure enough, we bought another thousand, no problem, even though we asked about the limit and told the rep what we had read here. He checked with the help desk and was told "no limit".

My husband was speaking with "problem resolution" today (a misnomer if ever there was one). The limit is set at $1000 regardless if length of cruise or size of your party. The fact that NCL STILL has neither informed PCCs of the policy change nor updated their systems has me thinking that the "oversight" is very much deliberate on their part. Brutal!

[cjcruises]

People are lucky to be able to get to talk to a PCC even if the information isn't totally accurate. I can't get mine to answer an email. I think I will go to a TA that I can communicate with.

 

I was about to type "I can't believe you still haven't heard from your PCC", but I can totally believe it. Is there a way for someone in North America to call on your behalf? I wonder if I have a PCC email you could reach out to. Even if it isn't your PCC, you might have better luck hearing back. It couldn't be any worse.

 

Edited to add: just checked my email. I only spoke to this PCC at NCL once, but he sends me loads of emails, lol. GESIERRA@NCL.COM

Edited February 6, 2016 by cjcruises

[casofilia]

I was about to type "I can't believe you still haven't heard from your PCC", but I can totally believe it. Is there a way for someone in North America to call on your behalf? I wonder if I have a PCC email you could reach out to. Even if it isn't your PCC, you might have better luck hearing back. It couldn't be any worse.

 

Edited to add: just checked my email. I only spoke to this PCC at NCL once, but he sends me loads of emails, lol. GESIERRA@NCL.COM

 

Thank you.

 

After about 3 emails asking for something to get done (Amenity request; AARP added and OBC refund) it is done but no email communication. He finally does his job but it would be nice for him to communicate.

[c-ditty]

Spoke to NCL tonight. Derek told me that there was no limit to the OBC. Fine, I quoted the NEW blurb on my vacation summary. He speaks to his supervisor who tell him (and me) that there is no limit. I push him some more and he goes up the chain again and speaks to Angela who is essentially a supervisors-supervisor. She confirms that the $1000 limit is in place and NCL is in the process of going through reservations and refunding the excess OBC.

 

I was about to lay into her but she quickly gave me the number for Corporate and says if you want to yell at someone yell at them, since they are the ones that instituted this new policy.

 

Phone number for corporate is 1-800-456-7298. I STRONGLY encourage everyone to call and let them know how well received their new policy is. They are open Monday to Friday, 9-5:30 EST.

 

Ranting on a forum is therapeutic but pleading our case to the company itself is more likely to get results. If nothing else, let them know how much money you AREN'T going to spend on board when you go on your cruise.

[Demonyte]

Phone number for corporate is 1-800-456-7298. I STRONGLY encourage everyone to call and let them know how well received their new policy is. They are open Monday to Friday, 9-5:30 EST.

 

 

Will do. It was about time for them to limit subsidizing trips of Canadiens with other people's money, I will gladly commend them for that.

[casofilia]

Will do. It was about time for them to limit subsidizing trips of Canadiens with other people's money, I will gladly commend them for that.

 

How do you know that Montreal Canadiens hockey players have been subsidized?

[Moby0215]

Your post's title should be inaccurate Intel as there have been many instances confirming that there is indeed a maximum of $1000 OBC purchase being enforced.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Demonyte]

How do you know that Montreal Canadiens hockey players have been subsidized?

 

 

You probably should ask Apple why their autocorrect believes so. :D

[nbsjcruiser]

I've read a lot of threads here about the changes to Canadian passengers in terms of exchange rates, OBC restrictions and a 10% discount on fares in lieu of the favourable exchange rate previously offered to Canadians.

 

I spoke to my PCC yesterday to check in on these changes, because I wanted to make some decisions about future cruises. My PCC has told me that none of the above is correct.

 

• There is no restriction of a maximum of $1000 OBC for Canadian passengers.

 

I believe they may be mis-informed on this. When I go to purchase OBC on our upcoming Getaway cruise it clearly states that OBC is a maximum of $1000 per stateroom.

Edited February 6, 2016 by nbsjcruiser

[c-ditty]

Will do. It was about time for them to limit subsidizing trips of Canadiens with other people's money, I will gladly commend them for that.

 

Please do explain how everyone else is subsidizing there trips of Canadians? I'm very interested in a well thought out explanation to back up your trollish comments.

[Lady Arwen]

Will do. It was about time for them to limit subsidizing trips of Canadiens with other people's money, I will gladly commend them for that.

 

This makes no sense at all. Please re-think your comment.

[titangas]

I cruise next week and there are three adults in our cabin with each having purchased $1000OBC. Today we got an email and phone call indicating we can only have a maximum $1000 cumulative obc and that any additional obc will be reimbursed back to our credit card. They could not tell me how the $1000 would be distributed between the three of us so I cancelled all OBC and then each of us will book $375 each. We will now not eat at any pay restaurants, purchase anything from the stores, or visit the casino as we did not plan on these extra expenses thinking we would have obc to cover it all.

 

Your post makes no sense as does most peoples (canadians) thought process in this.

 

If they are refunding your OBC to your CC, than the money you thought you had on your on board account will be sitting there on your CC as a credit. Use the CC to pay for your on board spending and it will off set on your CC when you get the bill and balance out to nothing.

 

Unless the intent s some ridiculous exchange rate that you were exploiting.

 

I am sure there are banks that issue world cards in Canada that do not have international fees, and convert purchases at a fair current rate.

[rhblake]

This makes no sense at all. Please re-think your comment.

 

Based on today’s (2/6) exchange rate the Canadian $ is worth a little less than $0.72 US cents. If you are getting an exchange rate $0.75 US cents from NCL you are saving about 60 Canadian dollars when you buy $1000 OBC.

[sjbdtz]

Phone number for corporate is 1-800-456-7298. I STRONGLY encourage everyone to call and let them know how well received their new policy is. They are open Monday to Friday, 9-5:30 EST.

 

Ranting on a forum is therapeutic but pleading our case to the company itself is more likely to get results. If nothing else, let them know how much money you AREN'T going to spend on board when you go on your cruise.

 

I'll call. I'm pissed off that they've been allowing people to buy massive amounts of OBC at a favorable rate, while telling me I can't buy massive amounts even in USD, forcing me to go to the bank instead & either buy traveler's cheques or travel with more cash than I prefer.

 

I will advocate for them treating everybody the same.

 

You may not like the outcome.

 

 

Please do explain how everyone else is subsidizing there trips of Canadians? I'm very interested in a well thought out explanation to back up your trollish comments.

 

Here goes:

 

NCL has to pay the bank $0.77 per Canadian dollar. NCL charges $0.75.

 

NCL loses $0.02 per dollar.

 

Abuser customer buys $15,000 of OBC, and NCL loses $300.

 

 

NCL needs the $300 to operate.

 

NCL raises everybody else's fare, to compensate.

 

 

There you go.

 

 

Stephen

 

 

.

[bookbabe]

To clarify, since some posters seem to be slamming a whole country's worth of people for the comments and actions of a couple...

 

Most Canadians I know, myself included, just buy their cruises via the website, in US dollars, and I don't know anyone personally who buys OBC in advance of the cruise, in any currency.

 

It's just too big of a pain to call and deal with the PCC chaos and customer un-service. It's easier if you absolutely have to book in Cdn $ then just call or go to a local TA. And, until recently, there wasn't enough of a difference in the exchange rates to make it worth the extra annoyance.

 

This whole issue is something isolated to a few posters here, at least in my experience. Please don't tar and feather a whole country over it.

[Shawnino]

Nothing accurate about OP's post.

[c-ditty]

I'll call. I'm pissed off that they've been allowing people to buy massive amounts of OBC at a favorable rate, while telling me I can't buy massive amounts even in USD, forcing me to go to the bank instead & either buy traveler's cheques or travel with more cash than I prefer.

 

I will advocate for them treating everybody the same.

 

You may not like the outcome.

 

 

 

 

Here goes:

 

NCL has to pay the bank $0.77 per Canadian dollar. NCL charges $0.75.

 

NCL loses $0.02 per dollar.

 

Abuser customer buys $15,000 of OBC, and NCL loses $300.

 

 

NCL needs the $300 to operate.

 

NCL raises everybody else's fare, to compensate.

 

 

There you go.

 

 

Stephen

 

 

.

 

NCL needs the $300 to operate? You mean that loss of $300 will shut the doors of NCL if it is not recouped elsewhere??

 

NCL's PROFITS for 2014 was $338 MILLION. That's not revenue, that is PROFITS. Meaning that is how much money they had in hand after expenses. You are telling me NCL is working with such thin margins that the $300 loss on your fictitious scenario will put the company in financial ruins that it needs to raise your cruise price to cover it? Oh wait, no..your cruise price is the same as it always was. So you are not covering the difference with your fare, NCL is reducing is overall profit (by a minuscule amount).

 

You show me an instance where someone booked a cruise and then NCL called and said we need to raise your fare because a small handful of people are using an OBC program that WE offered, obviously didn't think through and didn't limit until the last minute.

 

To be clear, I purchased my OBC in October! That means NCL had my money for 4 months. In that 4 months they didn't seem bothered by the fact that I was buying those credits at an exchange rate that was preferable to the banks and a rate to which NCL agreed to and posted. Four months later, the exchange rate has tanked and now it's a problem. What about the interest my money could have made in the 4 months that NCL had it in their coffers?

 

People like to spout the "loophole" tagline. If it was a loophole then it wouldn't have lasted for, in my case, over 4 months. They would have noticed immediately and fixed it right away. And after fixing it they would have notified the frontline staff so when someone calls in they are getting correct info. And they are not springing it upon passengers as they are walking aboard the ship.

 

You are also assuming that NCL will go to the bank to purchase my OBC at the going exchange rate and then deposit that cash in an account that I will access while I am on the cruise. You obviously know this isn't true.

 

Call all you want and praise or complain. It doesn't matter to me and ultimately, it won't make a lick of difference anyway. Its not going to change NCL's policy and in a few months all of this will have blown past us and there will be another issue to have internet arguments about. Me, this will be my first and last NCL cruise. Will that affect NCL's bottom line - not in the slightest. But at least my hard-earned money will not be going to support a company that, if nothing else, has A LOT of customer service issues to deal with.

[Smurfette27]

Wow, what really gets me with this is the amount of Americans slamming Canadians (by the way, iOS devices will not auto-correct it to Canadiens if you in fact spell it correctly) and Canada in general as whiners. A number of people, mostly Canadians have tried to explain that it's HOW NCL went about it, the lack of communication and the lack of awareness from their front and second line workers that's upsetting.

 

I even saw some Americans saying stuff like "if you're stupid enough to live in Canada...".

 

It's all pretty sad really.

 

A proud Canadian here!

Edited February 6, 2016 by Smurfette27

[macandlucy]

Wow, what really gets me with this is the amount of Americans slamming Canadians (by the way, iOS devices will not auto-correct it to Canadiens if you in fact spell it correctly) and Canada in general as whiners. A number of people, mostly Canadians have tried to explain that it's HOW NCL went about it, the lack of communication and the lack of awareness from their front and second line workers that's upsetting.

 

I even saw some Americans saying stuff like "if you're stupid enough to live in Canada...".

 

It's all pretty sad really.

 

A proud Canadian here!

 

And another one here -- high five, Smurfette.

 

I am also taken aback by some of the comments. SMH. Gotta love the internet.

[NLH Arizona]

And another one here -- high five, Smurfette.

 

I am also taken aback by some of the comments. SMH. Gotta love the internet.

I'm taken aback by comments on both sides.