NCL False advertising - $100 Hotel Credit

[jaydiane]

Has anyone booked a cruise with NCL that includes a $100 hotel credit (Distinctive Voyages)? I just found out that for the past several years there have been no hotels available from Southampton England. My gripe is that if they knew that, there should have been a disclaimer in their advertising. When I called them they said the promo doesn't apply to Southampton. Their explanation was it has been that way for several years.

[StolidCruiser]

Is there somewhere it says it does apply?

 

And that there is applicability in every other city except Southampton?

 

$100 USD Hotel Credit

Hotel credit is per stateroom.

Hotel credit will automatically be applied when hotel is booked through Norwegian Cruise Line.

Hotel credit is not applicable to bundles or cruisetours.

Credit can only be used on Pre or Post hotel, but not both. Maximum credit of $100 USD per stateroom. Hotel subject to availability.

[jaydiane]

Iit doesn't say anything or anywhere about Southampton. "Hotel subject to availability" is a cop out because they knew there were no hotels.

[9876]

The hotels have to be booked through NCL and they tend to be more expensive the couple of times I have checked. Not worth redeeming.

[cheaperts]

if true, thats slimey....

[9876]

if true, thats slimey....

 

It just depends on what their block of rooms is priced at. Sometimes with special rates you can do better. Also, flexibility of hotel choice allows you to have the opportunity to find a better deal. I think I should have explained that part more. Sorry.

[jaydiane]

the problem is there are no hotels in Southampton that NCL deals with. Therefore there is no $100 room credit.

[herdingdogmom]

the problem is there are no hotels in Southampton that NCL deals with. Therefore there is no $100 room credit.

 

 

Does NCL have a London hotel they use with a transfer to Southampton?

 

As noted above, the NCL hotel price is usually much higher than booking directly with the hotel. NCL’s prices are per person not per room/night.

 

 

 

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Edited February 10, 2018 by herdingdogmom

[www3traveler]

Does NCL have a London hotel they use with a transfer to Southampton?

 

As noted above, the NCL hotel price is usually much higher than booking directly with the hotel. NCL’s prices are per person not per room/night.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

They did in 2014 for The Getaways' Transatlantic Crossing. It was the Holiday Inn Kensington Forum. Came with a transfer (via minibus to Southampton the morning of the cruise.

[casofilia]

You have to read very carefully the terms and conditions with hotel bookings. What seems to be a "deal" may be not quite that. Just check prices are per room not per person.

[tef43]

the problem is there are no hotels in Southampton that NCL deals with. Therefore there is no $100 room credit.

So no availability ... so exactly HOW is this FALSE advertising?

[jaydiane]

False advertising if you know that there are no hotels from Southampton for two years and you continue to advertise the $100 hotel promo today.

[azalea4va]

Yes, same experience for a cruise out of Tampa FL. Multiple NCL agents confirmed there were no hotel rooms available for ANYONE on that cruise. As to how that is false advertising, here in the USA, there is a law that if one advertising a product for sale, the store must have at least one of those products available at the sale price. otherwise it is false advertising. Clearly this is essentially the same thing.

 

 

I have filed complaints with NCL and various agencies but so far that has yielded no positive reaction.

 

This is only half the fraud, IMHO. NCL as included in my package a $200 per person credit toward airfare, but the tickets had to be bought thrugh NCL. Three airlines flew the route with prices ranging from $300-$325. These were not tickets through a discounter but through the airlines. Tickets could be bought not just by me but also by NCL. When I called to book the tickets through NCL, they quoted a price of over $600 per person, discounted by $200 down to over $400 per person. Again, fraud.

[Love my butler]

Just more deception on NCL's part. They specialize in it.

 

P.S. Never, EVER let NCL book your hotel or air.

[jaydiane]

I sent an email to Meg Lee who is the senior VP in charge of Marketing. She never responded... Her email is meglee@ncl.com... I guess they always ignore complaints.

[sverigecruiser]

False advertising if you know that there are no hotels from Southampton for two years and you continue to advertise the $100 hotel promo today.

 

I agree with you that it's false advertising if they say that you get a $100 hotel credit when cruising from Southampton and you don't.

 

If they only advertise the promo without mention Southampton I can't see that it's false advertising.

[Travelling2Some]

I think we all know that the hotel and airfare credits are baloney. Kind of like Royal's half price "sales" that depend on some pretty interesting math! The bottom line for me is the right itinerary at the right price. I'll book any line that delivers on that. Actually my pet peeve with NCL is their shortened port times, which has made me book a competitor at a slightly higher price instead in the last couple of years.

[newmexicoNita]

The hotels have to be booked through NCL and they tend to be more expensive the couple of times I have checked. Not worth redeeming.

totally agree but it isn't false advertising. It is like the ads when a retailer is having a sale: "up to 70% off" but we all know almost nothing is going to really be 70% off and not everything in the store will be on sale. We did get a room with the discount via NCL, we had very little choice on what hotels we could use. I agree it,normally isn't worth it.

[newmexicoNita]

Just more deception on NCL's part. They specialize in it.

 

P.S. Never, EVER let NCL book your hotel or air.

hotel you are probably right, air, not so. We do not book either through NCL but I have seen situations, when I was still an TA where booking air via the cruise line is the best way to go. I don't like to ever use the word "NEVER"

[littlelulu01]

The hotel room can be a savings with the distinctive voyage credit. Example- for Rome the rack rates are typically $150-190/night. The Ncl hotel rate is $145 pp and includes breakfast and a transfer to ship from Rome. With the dv $100 credit it’s a great deal for two people- costs about the same as rack rate but includes the expensive transfer from Rome to Civitavecchia.

 

I don’t know if I’d want to trust my airfare to a third party site. Too many things can go wrong with air travel and the last thing I’d want if something goes wrong with flight delays is for me not to even be the one who owns the tickets = potential major hassle.

 

The best thing I can find about cruise airfare is that if Ncl canceled the sailing or changed Embarkation port, I wouldn’t be out a non refundable ticket. Can’t see any other benefit.

[jaydiane]

the problem with Southampton is there never is a hotel available but NCL advertising lets you think there is....

[rbt001]

Would the simple verbiage "not available in all ports," pacify everyone so the class action lawsuit for fraud can be dropped?

[jaydiane]

that works

[casofilia]

If you are even considering using that promo surely you would ask NCL if it applied to ports you are using? Also ask if the cost is per person or per room. Most of us know that NCL hotel cost is per person and they only use the top hotels and so their offer is usually NOT worth considering.

 

I agree that their wording could be improved as it could with most material put out by Miami. However, in this case, Southampton is not specifically mentioned so there is no fraud. It is just another case of Caveat Emptor when buying from NCL.

[newmexicoNita]

Would the simple verbiage "not available in all ports," pacify everyone so the class action lawsuit for fraud can be dropped?

That makes good sense.