Back to back...never book as one cruise!

[lakelivin2]

I booked a transatlantic with western caribbean for this fall and the consultant at NCL booked it as one cruise. Not good. I am now unable to see any available excursions on my ncl. Check in registration is also messed up.

When I called NCL to see if they could help, they told me there were issues with bookings of b2b and that web people were working on fixing the problem, however they had no idea when it would be fixed. All purchases for excursions will have to be done over the phone.

If anyone is booking a b2b, make sure they enter it as 2 separate cruises! It was no benefit to me as I had 2 certificates I could have used for deposits.

[luvtheships]

Cancel and rebook if possible. Fwiw always book as 2 segments.

[jvsnana]

Since your cruise is in the fall, could you just cancel the original booking and rebook the cruise as 2 separate bookings? That way you could use both of your cruise rewards and get perks for both cruises.

[khaide612]

Agree with everyone else - cancel & rebook as separate & use both cruise deposits. Was it cheaper as 1 booking versus 2 separate? Or maybe the consultant was trying to save you by having you just put down 1 deposit?

[Demonyte]

I disagree with generalization of "book always as two cruises". Problems like this can arise for any reason and personally we haven't had any problems with our B2Bs booked as combined itineraries. If a problem with NCL's website (there are a lot!) isn't caused by combined itinerary, it can be something else.

 

Personally I wouldn't even call the inability to book excursions online a major problem - as mentioned, one can do that simply by calling (no matter where you are in the world, one can call NCL for free with Skype by calling NCL's 866/877 numbers) if they want to pay the inflated prices for their excursions through the cruise line.

 

IMO much better guideline would be to book the cheaper option, sometimes it's combined itinerary and sometimes two separate reservations. But even then it's a gamble - the changes in prices are not simultaneous and equal, but another option can become cheaper later (even when it's too late to make changes without losing money).

[lakelivin2]

It isn't worth it to cancel and rebook because prices have gone up slightly and I've been told that in the time it takes to cancel and rebook, I could lose my original cabin.

It isn't just that I can't book an excursion on line, but, that no excursions are even displayed on my NCL site.

Just a warning to others...could happen to you too.

[RuthlessBoss]

You booked it around December 5, 2015 according to a past post. Why didn't you question use of only one certificate at that time, but wait till now, 3 months later, to mention it:confused:

[lakelivin2]

IMO much better guideline would be to book the cheaper option, sometimes it's combined itinerary and sometimes two separate reservations. But even then it's a gamble - the changes in prices are not simultaneous and equal, but another option can become cheaper later (even when it's too late to make changes without losing money).

 

Is there a "cheaper option" when you book 2 cruises together? I've never heard of this...

[lakelivin2]

You booked it around December 5, 2015 according to a past post. Why didn't you question use of only one certificate at that time, but wait till now, 3 months later, to mention it:confused:

 

I was told that only one portion of the cruise would be displayed on my ncl, so I waited, waited, figured that perhaps it was too early for anything to show up...then I thought perhaps it was due to some complications with converting to canadian dollars... but no. I've been told by NCL that this is an issue with the website and they're working on it...don't know when it will be fixed...maybe not in time before my cruise in the fall.

 

Oh well. Just saying.

[OneWord]

Unfortunate.

[helen haywood]

I booked a B2B on the phone with NCL and at first the agent said she'd book it as one cruise. However, when talking about the dining package perk I'd picked I would receive fewer nights if I booked the two cruises as one than I would if I booked each as a separate cruise! So I booked each with a separate booking number.

[RuthlessBoss]

I was told that only one portion of the cruise would be displayed on my ncl, so I waited, waited, figured that perhaps it was too early for anything to show up...then I thought perhaps it was due to some complications with converting to canadian dollars... but no. I've been told by NCL that this is an issue with the website and they're working on it...don't know when it will be fixed...maybe not in time before my cruise in the fall.

 

Oh well. Just saying.

 

you said you had 2 certificates you could have used, so didn't you question why 2 certificates were not used?

[Computer Nerd]

I booked a transatlantic with western caribbean for this fall and the consultant at NCL booked it as one cruise. Not good. I am now unable to see any available excursions on my ncl. Check in registration is also messed up.

When I called NCL to see if they could help, they told me there were issues with bookings of b2b and that web people were working on fixing the problem, however they had no idea when it would be fixed. All purchases for excursions will have to be done over the phone.

If anyone is booking a b2b, make sure they enter it as 2 separate cruises! It was no benefit to me as I had 2 certificates I could have used for deposits.

 

i did a b2b this last summer on the sun in alaska. was booked as a single cruise and they accepted both of my certificates. had no problems at all and since we were in the same stateroom both ways didn't have to go to the second muster call either. woohoo.

[Cuizer2]

You booked it around December 5, 2015 according to a past post. Why didn't you question use of only one certificate at that time, but wait till now, 3 months later, to mention it:confused:

 

Has it occurred to you that the B2B shore excursion problem was not known at the time.

[Cuizer2]

you said you had 2 certificates you could have used, so didn't you question why 2 certificates were not used?

 

Why use up two certificates if only one is needed. Did you know that NCL admits this is a problem and that they are trying to fix it? The OP did nothing wrong.

[luvtheships]

Why use up two certificates if only one is needed. Did you know that NCL admits this is a problem and that they are trying to fix it? The OP did nothing wrong.

 

 

2 certs give you a $500 deposit thus giving you a $250 benefit on this particular vacation versus a $125 benefit onTHIS vacay if you only use 1 cert

 

You can always buy an additional cert while on this cruise for your next cruise

 

Bottom if they will let you use 2 certs....use them

Edited March 21, 2016 by luvtheships

[RuthlessBoss]

Why use up two certificates if only one is needed. Did you know that NCL admits this is a problem and that they are trying to fix it? The OP did nothing wrong.

 

Did I say the OP did anything wrong? If 2 certificates were used, it would pay $250 deposit on each cruise instead of $250 one time.

[EllieinNJ]

I booked my b2b Greek Islands/Croatia on Black Friday in November. I thought about booking them separately because I would get another two dinners and another 250 minutes of wifi, but the price came out to $300pp more if booked separately and I only had to use my one fcc of $150 on a cruise that required $800 deposit at that time.

 

Also, I can see all of the shore excursions on My NCL and book them when I'm ready.

[Cuizer2]

2 certs give you a $500 deposit thus giving you a $250 benefit on this particular vacation versus a $125 benefit onTHIS vacay if you only use 1 cert

 

You can always buy an additional cert while on this cruise for your next cruise

 

Bottom if they will let you use 2 certs....use them

 

Did I say the OP did anything wrong? If 2 certificates were used, it would pay $250 deposit on each cruise instead of $250 one time.

 

Okay, I see where you are going with this. However, I am not a big fan of reduced deposits, because then you owe more at the end. Nonetheless, I realize some people do like the reduced deposit, and if that is important to someone, then that is important to someone.

Edited March 21, 2016 by Cuizer2

[EllieinNJ]

We like the idea of reduced deposits. Why should they hold more of our money than required. The irony of this is that we wound up paying the balance in full now in order to get the Amex offer of $100 credit for every $500 paid. We had three different Amex cards, two names each, so a total of $500 credit from Amex. Sweet.

[luvtheships]

Okay, I see where you are going with this. However, I am not a big fan of reduced deposits, because then you owe more at the end. Nonetheless, I realize some people do like the reduced deposit, and if that is important to someone, then that is important to someone.

 

 

With a cruise cert you put zero down at booking

 

That's good thing regardless of what you owe at the end

 

You cruise...you save....you pay....

 

If it's a real hardship then dont cruise

[bonvoyagie]

OK glad to hear others with the same problem with MyNCL as I have.:D

 

I booked my upcoming cruise in Dec 14 - I have one reservation number - but the booking statement I got from my TA shows two embarkations and debarkations. I have the old UDP and UBP and 300.00 OBC for each leg.

 

My NCL shows me on a 7 day cruise leaving on sept 23 - with the itinerary showing our second leg - Quebec to Boston - in another section it shows the Bos to Quebec leg.

 

I did not have any cruise certs to use so having only one deposit was nice.

 

I have called both my TA and NCL - both say there is nothing to worry about as in the "official" system the cruise is "just fine". Neither party can do anything with MyNCL other than send them a message about it

 

My TA has been doing this for many years now and even he has never seen something like this - his opinion is that one cruise should have one reservation number and one embarkation and debarkation point - or if it is going to be a b2b there should be 2 reservation numbers and 2 embarkation / debarkation points.

 

I have also been told that I might have problems doing the on line check-in and may have to do it over the phone with NCL - unless the MyNCL programmers can get things worked out :D

[Cuizer2]

With a cruise cert you put zero down at booking

 

That's good thing regardless of what you owe at the end

 

You cruise...you save....you pay....

 

If it's a real hardship then dont cruise

 

What makes you think it is a hardship?

[luvtheships]

What makes you think it is a hardship?

 

 

Maybe it's not a hardship to you but regarding the comment....."it's more money to pay at the end"

 

Lends itself to the general idea that it's difficult to gather up the money. That's all

 

So if it's difficult I read that as a hardship...

 

Again....I.....not everyone....read that as a hardship....

 

It was my post .....so therefore my opinion....

 

Regardless....bottom line....if you use 1 cert you get less deposit benefit...$125 assuming you bought 2 on your last cruise

 

If you are allowed to use 2 it makes sense to use 2 because you get a deposit benefit of $250 as you paid $250 for a $500 cert

 

If someone asked me if I wanted $250 in deposit benefit versus $125 in deposit benefit I would say $250

 

 

If you are concerned about your inventory of certs....simple solution is that you buy more on the cruise you applied the 2 current certs too. Lol

Edited March 22, 2016 by luvtheships

[lakelivin2]

Thanks Bonvoyagie,

I was beginning to think it was just me and I'd have to try calling NCL again (you know the advice about calling, don't like the answer, call again).

I also feel better now. Terrible how misery likes company...teeheehee