Did NCl change the rules for upgrades due to price drops after final payment?

[roquejo]

Pardon for not being updated as my last cruise with NCL was almost 2 years ago.

 

I always have an impression on the industry practice that in case the price drops after final payment, there will no refunds but you can upgrade your room to the next higher category if its price has fallen below what you paid.

 

I just called NCL after I found out that the lowest category ocean view's price has fallen below the price I paid for an interior stateroom by $200.

 

From my knowledge as I've been doing this a lot with Royal Caribbean, I can upgrade to that lowest oceanview category stateroom free of charge with no questions asked.

 

But I was told that based on the rules, I can only upgrade to any category that is currently priced higher than the fare I paid by paying a little more. And I cannot upgrade to a higher cabin category for free if its price has fallen below the price I paid.

 

Is this the new rule being enforced now? I recall 2 years ago it was not like that and NCL's policy on price drops after final payment is similar to RCCL.

 

If so when was this rule changed?

Edited April 18, 2016 by roquejo

[mrsfuzzmo]

I don't know if it's new, but we had the same thing happen. I know on other lines we were able to get upgrades, or OBC if the price dropped, but when it happened to us on our April 3 cruise, it was not to be had. Our price dropped by $700 per cabin and we still could not upgrade out of our inside cabin without paying, even though the next category higher, even two categories higher were now lower priced than our original payment for an inside. I think balconies were going for par by the time we cruised, but we could not switch. :(

[CasinoCruzGirl]

Pardon for not being updated as my last cruise with NCL was almost 2 years ago.

 

I always have an impression on the industry practice that in case the price drops after final payment, there will no refunds but you can upgrade your room to the next higher category if its price has fallen below what you paid.

 

I just called NCL after I found out that the lowest category ocean view's price has fallen below the price I paid for an interior stateroom by $200.

 

From my knowledge as I've been doing this a lot with Royal Caribbean, I can upgrade to that lowest oceanview category stateroom free of charge with no questions asked.

 

But I was told that based on the rules, I can only upgrade to any category that is currently priced higher than the fare I paid by paying a little more. And I cannot upgrade to a higher cabin category for free if its price has fallen below the price I paid.

 

Is this the new rule being enforced now? I recall 2 years ago it was not like that and NCL's policy on price drops after final payment is similar to RCCL.

 

If so when was this rule changed?

 

 

Lots of changes at NCL since FDR took over. You will see how many changes since your last ncl cruise 2 years ago

[GORDONCHICK]

Short answer is that if it's before final payment, you should be able to upgrade but you may lose any perks you got when you booked. And sometimes the current promos are only for new bookings. After final payment, they can actually say no to any upgrade or OBC request. Sometimes you can pay a little more for an upgrade, but you could still lose perks, so be sure to ask about those. My understanding on the perks thing is that if you book within 30 days of sailing, there are no perks but I've seen reports of that going both ways.

 

Bottom line, book a cabin you're happy with at a price you're happy with (or at least okay with). If you are able to get an upsell, just consider that icing.

[Got Tequila?]

Pardon for not being updated as my last cruise with NCL was almost 2 years ago.

 

I always have an impression on the industry practice that in case the price drops after final payment, there will no refunds but you can upgrade your room to the next higher category if its price has fallen below what you paid.

 

I just called NCL after I found out that the lowest category ocean view's price has fallen below the price I paid for an interior stateroom by $200.

 

From my knowledge as I've been doing this a lot with Royal Caribbean, I can upgrade to that lowest oceanview category stateroom free of charge with no questions asked.

 

But I was told that based on the rules, I can only upgrade to any category that is currently priced higher than the fare I paid by paying a little more. And I cannot upgrade to a higher cabin category for free if its price has fallen below the price I paid.

 

Is this the new rule being enforced now? I recall 2 years ago it was not like that and NCL's policy on price drops after final payment is similar to RCCL.

 

If so when was this rule changed?

 

Was the new price you were looking at a promotional SAIL AWAY rate? That may make a difference, since you may have had a promotional option when you booked and the sail away promotional rate can't be combined with any promotions..........and they didn't offer SAIL AWAY rates back when you booked since they just started these the last couple of weeks. .

[Sissaaaaaa]

There was never, ever a rule that you could upgrade for free after final payment due to a price drop, or obtain an OBC after final payment due to a price drop. I understand NCL has done this in the past, but it was never a rule or requirement.

[periatza34]

I booked and made final payment and about 3 weeks later the prices dropped. I had booked an oceanview. Noticed that a guaranteed mini-suite dropped to the same price that I had booked for the oceanview. I called the agent I was working with and they got me upgraded to the mini-suite in a matter of 5 minutes no problem. I also didn't like one of the free offers I had chosen when first booking so last week I called and was able to get that changed also. I have had no issues, but maybe that's just my luck?

[daffodiliaz]

This past September on the Star we were able to pay to upgrade within a week of departure and keep our original booking perks but on are sailing in a couple weeks I'm running into NCL being less flexible. On my most recent call to NCL earlier today I was told that I couldn't keep the perks because they're not offered within 30 days of sailing on the Pearl. I didn't press the issue because I didn't want to give up the original booking perks just to change balcony categories. I kind of got the feeling that they might have allowed the upgrade if I gave up the perks but I didn't go that far. I know they never had to allow it in the past but they did and it kept me coming back but now I'm not so sure for the future.

[SeaShark]

I booked and made final payment and about 3 weeks later the prices dropped. I had booked an oceanview. Noticed that a guaranteed mini-suite dropped to the same price that I had booked for the oceanview. I called the agent I was working with and they got me upgraded to the mini-suite in a matter of 5 minutes no problem. I also didn't like one of the free offers I had chosen when first booking so last week I called and was able to get that changed also. I have had no issues, but maybe that's just my luck?

 

Just to be clear...Did you book and make final payment, or did you book and the final payment due date had actually passed? It doesn't matter when you make final payment...it only matters when the final payment is due.

[emmak8]

It doesn't seem fair that after final payment you are totally out of luck if there is a big price drop. This encourages last minute booking.

[roquejo]

Thanks, I am already gold with NCL's latitudes 2 years ago and was just starting with RCCL but stopped sailing NCL when their new CEO took and initiated many changes and cutbacks in such a short time.

 

So for two years I took all these cruises with RCCL exclusively to reach Diamond and now nearing Diamond plus... so I kinda lost track of the this final payment rule changes since I stopped sailing NCL.

 

The only reason I will sail NCL now is my original plan is to sail RCCL for 1 week in Europe, but turns out that NCL has a sailing that ends a day before my RCCL sailing. So to maximize my airfare to Europe, I decided to take NCL so I can do 2 cruises in one go.

 

It's really sad because having sailed RCCL many times in the past 2 years, they already upgrade me with no questions ask if after final payment, the next category cabin price dropped lower than what I booked. Price drops after final payment of RCCL doesn't happen as often and as deep as NCL, but considering I took many RCCL cruises in the last 2 years, it did happen.

 

I do aware that you will lose your perks a month before sailing and there is a sail away rate now. But I did call just in case as the drop in price is even lower even if you include the perk.

 

So it is true that many NCL changes in the past 2 years are not customer friendly. But I guess they still provide the basics of cruising so I'll forget about what happened, enjoy my cruise but will continue to relegate NCL as only my 3rd choice next to RCCL and Celebrity due to these many recent changes.

Edited April 19, 2016 by roquejo

[cherylroslyn]

Pardon for not being updated as my last cruise with NCL was almost 2 years ago.

 

I always have an impression on the industry practice that in case the price drops after final payment, there will no refunds but you can upgrade your room to the next higher category if its price has fallen below what you paid.

 

I just called NCL after I found out that the lowest category ocean view's price has fallen below the price I paid for an interior stateroom by $200.

 

From my knowledge as I've been doing this a lot with Royal Caribbean, I can upgrade to that lowest oceanview category stateroom free of charge with no questions asked.

 

But I was told that based on the rules, I can only upgrade to any category that is currently priced higher than the fare I paid by paying a little more. And I cannot upgrade to a higher cabin category for free if its price has fallen below the price I paid.

 

Is this the new rule being enforced now? I recall 2 years ago it was not like that and NCL's policy on price drops after final payment is similar to RCCL.

 

If so when was this rule changed?

That is the policy with Celebrity as well, which is owned by Royal Caribbean International. They won't let you switch up without there being at least some difference in the price for you to pay them.