Penalty for paying to upgrade?

[dshuns]

I booked a BX sailaway rate last week through a TA for the NCL Breakaway March 3 cruise.  The BD rate, which includes the free offers, is now only several hundred dollars more than BX sailaway rate.  I called my TA to pay to upgrade from BX to BD and was told that NCL would charge a $300 penalty in addition to the increase in fare.  Is this normal? 

[Port Power]

14 minutes ago, dshuns said:

I booked a BX sailaway rate last week through a TA for the NCL Breakaway March 3 cruise.  The BD rate, which includes the free offers, is now only several hundred dollars more than BX sailaway rate.  I called my TA to pay to upgrade from BX to BD and was told that NCL would charge a $300 penalty in addition to the increase in fare.  Is this normal? 

 

Yes, as the offer is for new bookings made after final payment and to entice extra passengers.  I know it sucks and you wish you had waited a week, but that is what happens.

Edited February 21, 2019 by Port Power

[dcipjr]

I've never heard of a penalty being charged -- but I've never tried to upgrade from a Sailaway category or a Guarantee.

 

You're well within the 30-day period where the cancellation penalty is 100% of the cruise fare, so I doubt it's being treated as a cancellation. Might be your TA?

[graphicguy]

Not certain about this, but it sounds like a charge your TA levies.  Have you worked with them before?  Or, is it NCL’s site that’s charging to upgrade?

[dshuns]

This is the first time I've worked with this TA.  The TA said that NCL is charging the $300 penalty.  From searching previous threads, it appears that others have been able to pay to upgrade after final payment date as long as the new pricing is more than the original pricing.  

[reveur15]

24 minutes ago, dshuns said:

This is the first time I've worked with this TA.  The TA said that NCL is charging the $300 penalty.  From searching previous threads, it appears that others have been able to pay to upgrade after final payment date as long as the new pricing is more than the original pricing.  

I have upgraded many times after final payment, never paid a penny for penalty. Maybe this is a service charge for promotion that you now get since you didn't get any with your sailaway rate ?

[tomservo]

Maybe call NCL and ask about this "penalty".

[JohnIreland]

Never been charged a penalty to upgrade.

 

I have done it at late as the week of the cruise.

[PTC DAWG]

52 minutes ago, reveur15 said:

I have upgraded many times after final payment, never paid a penny for penalty. Maybe this is a service charge for promotion that you now get since you didn't get any with your sailaway rate ?

My thinking too...added gratuities on the included packages..but TA seems to call it a penalty...seems strange to me. 

[casofilia]

I bet it is what the TA "lost", in their payment from NCL, from your not booking the higher grade cabin through them in the first place.

[Nola26]

2 hours ago, dshuns said:

I booked a BX sailaway rate last week through a TA for the NCL Breakaway March 3 cruise.  The BD rate, which includes the free offers, is now only several hundred dollars more than BX sailaway rate.  I called my TA to pay to upgrade from BX to BD and was told that NCL would charge a $300 penalty in addition to the increase in fare.  Is this normal? 

Check T&Cs on Perks offer. I think you had to book 14 days in advance, thus the penalty. Honestly, you are probably fine to hold steady and save that budget to just pay for what you use from the perks.

[happy cruzer]

I discussed the same thing and it was explained to be the service charge on the perks.  It was $308 for a 7 night cruise as quoted to you as a "penalty".   Some problem in communication here probably.

[I need a vaca]

3 hours ago, dshuns said:

I booked a BX sailaway rate last week through a TA for the NCL Breakaway March 3 cruise.  The BD rate, which includes the free offers, is now only several hundred dollars more than BX sailaway rate.  I called my TA to pay to upgrade from BX to BD and was told that NCL would charge a $300 penalty in addition to the increase in fare.  Is this normal? 

 

Last year I tried to upgrade my room through NCL (No TA used for my trip) close to cruise date and they wanted to charge me a large penalty to do so (75%).  It is because when you upgrade they have to cancel your old reservation and then create a new one.  The closer to your cruise date the higher the % penalty.

[IrieBajan54]

4 minutes ago, I need a vaca said:

 

Last year I tried to upgrade my room through NCL (No TA used for my trip) close to cruise date and they wanted to charge me a large penalty to do so (75%).  It is because when you upgrade they have to cancel your old reservation and then create a new one.  The closer to your cruise date the higher the % penalty.

 

That is odd. Last year I upgraded 3 times from a Sail Away inside cabin to Sail Away balcony. Each time I only paid the difference in cabin cost. The most recent was the BA transatlantic which I upgraded 48 hours before departure.

[graphicguy]

9 minutes ago, I need a vaca said:

 

Last year I tried to upgrade my room through NCL (No TA used for my trip) close to cruise date and they wanted to charge me a large penalty to do so (75%).  It is because when you upgrade they have to cancel your old reservation and then create a new one.  The closer to your cruise date the higher the % penalty.

Never heard of any penalties to upgrade.  They probably were charging you to upgrade to a higher category.

[dshuns]

As an update, I called a different person at the TA and they contacted NCL.  I was originally quoted the price difference between the original booking and the new pricing that includes the "free" options.  However, after being placed on hold for awhile, I was told that the quoted price didn't include $304.51 (in addition to the several hundred dollar price difference I expected to pay) to cover the third person in the room.  My original booking included $299 + port fees/taxes for the third person.  The new quote (without the $304.51 add-on) already covered the service charges for drink and specialty dining gratuities and the free third person + port fees/taxes.  

 

After getting off the phone, I played around with some numbers - the $304.51 is within a penny of the price for gratuities for 3 passengers ($14.50 X 7 nights X 3 people).  Coincidence?

 

In the end, I paid a small amount to upgrade from a BX sailaway to a MX sailaway.  Would have preferred the free options but wasn't willing to pay $304.51 more than the expected pricing.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

5 hours ago, dshuns said:

is now only several hundred dollars more than BX sailaway rate.

ONLY?

[adam_s_allen]

1 hour ago, dshuns said:

As an update, I called a different person at the TA and they contacted NCL.  I was originally quoted the price difference between the original booking and the new pricing that includes the "free" options.  However, after being placed on hold for awhile, I was told that the quoted price didn't include $304.51 (in addition to the several hundred dollar price difference I expected to pay) to cover the third person in the room.  My original booking included $299 + port fees/taxes for the third person.  The new quote (without the $304.51 add-on) already covered the service charges for drink and specialty dining gratuities and the free third person + port fees/taxes.  

 

After getting off the phone, I played around with some numbers - the $304.51 is within a penny of the price for gratuities for 3 passengers ($14.50 X 7 nights X 3 people).  Coincidence?

 

In the end, I paid a small amount to upgrade from a BX sailaway to a MX sailaway.  Would have preferred the free options but wasn't willing to pay $304.51 more than the expected pricing.

If you haven’t paid the Daily Service Charge yet, you’ll still have to pay that 304.51 with your current booking as well. 

[I need a vaca]

17 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Never heard of any penalties to upgrade.  They probably were charging you to upgrade to a higher category.

 

No.  Was trying to update to a suite from my Balcony which was $900 difference week before my cruise.

 

They told me they would also need to charge me the $900 plus a penalty of an additional $1800 (100% of what I had paid so far) if I wanted to make this change.  They claimed it was due to having to cancel my reservation and make a new one so it fell within the cancelation policy rules which show 100% penalty that close to the cruise date.  I had them transfer me to their supervisor and was repeated the same thing.

[I need a vaca]

17 hours ago, IrieBajan54 said:

 

That is odd. Last year I upgraded 3 times from a Sail Away inside cabin to Sail Away balcony. Each time I only paid the difference in cabin cost. The most recent was the BA transatlantic which I upgraded 48 hours before departure.

I have also done that before on two other cruises with them.  Needless to say I was not happy this last time I tried.

[graphicguy]

1 hour ago, I need a vaca said:

 

No.  Was trying to update to a suite from my Balcony which was $900 difference week before my cruise.

 

They told me they would also need to charge me the $900 plus a penalty of an additional $1800 (100% of what I had paid so far) if I wanted to make this change.  They claimed it was due to having to cancel my reservation and make a new one so it fell within the cancelation policy rules which show 100% penalty that close to the cruise date.  I had them transfer me to their supervisor and was repeated the same thing.

OK....trying to understand exactly what happened.  I'm reading a few things.  

 

-One, you had a sailaway rate, which is NCL's cheapest. No perks.

 

-you wanted to cancel that a week before you cruised (well past the no charge cancellation period) and rebook in another category, which was much higher (suite.....Haven?).

 

-NCL wanted to charge you $2,700 to do all of that.

 

So, if it's an upgrade to the Haven, that sounds the upcharge between a GTY Balcony ($1,800) and the Haven (+$2,700).  That makes sense.  Not sure of the nomenclature you're using (Penalty?).  But, the 100% cancellation fee does make sense if you try to cancel that booking a week before sail date.  Actually, the total charge $1,800 + $2,700 = $4,500 sounds about right for a Full Suite/Haven.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 22, 2019 by graphicguy

[I need a vaca]

15 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

OK....trying to understand exactly what happened.  I'm reading a few things.  

 

-One, you had a sailaway rate, which is NCL's cheapest. No perks.

 

-you wanted to cancel that a week before you cruised (well past the no charge cancellation period) and rebook in another category, which was much higher (suite.....Haven?).

 

-NCL wanted to charge you $2,700 to do all of that.

 

So, if it's an upgrade to the Haven, that sounds the upcharge between a GTY Balcony ($1,800) and the Haven (+$2,700).  That makes sense.  Not sure of the nomenclature you're using (Penalty?).  But, the 100% cancellation fee does make sense if you try to cancel that booking a week before sail date.  Actually, the total charge $1,800 + $2,700 = $4,500 sounds about right for a Full Suite/Haven.

 

 

 

 

One did not have a sailaway rate - was a 9th flour Balcony mid ship that was booked through CAS and was only 1800 due to upgrade from oceanview which was free from Foxwoods.

 

Did not want to cancel - the PH Suite price (no Haven on Dawn) was only 450 pp higher than my room category so was looking to pay the 900 difference to upgrade like I have on prior cruises.

 

[graphicguy]

Yeah...not sure how they handle CAS, as I don't get those rates.  I'm imagining the restrictions and policies on those are pretty strict.  Just guessing, though.

 

I will say, I've been using my online TA for many years.  They always give me a healthy OBC, as well as all the discounts they can, which is a better deal than I can find anywhere.  Plus, they've always been accommodating whenever I make changes.

 

I'll shop them every once in a while, but recently I just go to their WEB site and make my own reservations.  Since I don't need an agent (I pick my own ships, dates, cabins).  They give me a chunk of their commission since they don't have to pay a regular agent to book.  I haven't shopped them the last few years given they've always been good to me.

 

Best of luck with whatever you book.

 

PS....BTW...just noticed in your sig you're sailing on the GEM on 5/17.  I sailed her.  Great ship.  I had an AFT SUITE......no Haven.  It was wonderful and I still had use of Concierge and Butler.

 

When are you booking the Dawn?

Edited February 22, 2019 by graphicguy

[I need a vaca]

3 hours ago, graphicguy said:

Yeah...not sure how they handle CAS, as I don't get those rates.  I'm imagining the restrictions and policies on those are pretty strict.  Just guessing, though.

 

I will say, I've been using my online TA for many years.  They always give me a healthy OBC, as well as all the discounts they can, which is a better deal than I can find anywhere.  Plus, they've always been accommodating whenever I make changes.

 

I'll shop them every once in a while, but recently I just go to their WEB site and make my own reservations.  Since I don't need an agent (I pick my own ships, dates, cabins).  They give me a chunk of their commission since they don't have to pay a regular agent to book.  I haven't shopped them the last few years given they've always been good to me.

 

Best of luck with whatever you book.

 

PS....BTW...just noticed in your sig you're sailing on the GEM on 5/17.  I sailed her.  Great ship.  I had an AFT SUITE......no Haven.  It was wonderful and I still had use of Concierge and Butler.

 

When are you booking the Dawn?

Was on the Dawn in August last year and that was the cruise I was looking to upgrade on (not cancel and book a different date)

 

Currently for the Gem in May I have booked an Aft balcony on the 10th floor as I heard it was deeper than normal due to the bump out.  Looking forward to it.