Travel Agency Perks NOT Showing on Summary

[nikkosan]

I have three cruises lined up for next year, all three booked directly with NCL, and then one subsequently transferred to a Travel Agent we met on board our last repositioning cruise back in April.

 

The two we have booked directly with NCL have always been showing the "vacation add-ons" on the summary page on NCL.com, however, the one we transferred to the TA (and for which he promised substantial perks), do NOT show any.

 

The TA initially mentioned (6 weeks ago) that he had to get in touch with NCL, fill out some forms, and that the perks would show up in a couple of weeks (they didn't), whereas for the OBC, once on board the ship, we would have to go to the Finance Desk, ask them to send to the TA a Non-Sailing Credit Card Authorization Form to load the credit onto our onboard account because it could not be completed in advance. 

 

Now, a month after, with no perks showing up on my account, I sent him another email (which took an extra couple of weeks to get answered)  asking for clarification and received a reply that the perks would show up AFTER the cruise was paid in full (balance due on Dec. 20), through him.

 

Is this person telling the truth?

 

Any feedback from previous experiences would be greatly appreciated.

[Sauer-kraut]

Ask your travel agent to give you an amenities confirmation.

[gmbhardy]

All my OBC credits seldom show up in my pre cruise account. The amenity confirmation form usually shows everything but I’ve had cruises where my TA OBC didn’t show up until I was onboard the ship.

[shof515]

this is normal when booking with a travel agent. usually by day 2 on board the ship, all of the TA perks is added to your onboard account 

[DinaS]

7 hours ago, nikkosan said:

I have three cruises lined up for next year, all three booked directly with NCL, and then one subsequently transferred to a Travel Agent we met on board our last repositioning cruise back in April.

 

The two we have booked directly with NCL have always been showing the "vacation add-ons" on the summary page on NCL.com, however, the one we transferred to the TA (and for which he promised substantial perks), do NOT show any.

 

The TA initially mentioned (6 weeks ago) that he had to get in touch with NCL, fill out some forms, and that the perks would show up in a couple of weeks (they didn't), whereas for the OBC, once on board the ship, we would have to go to the Finance Desk, ask them to send to the TA a Non-Sailing Credit Card Authorization Form to load the credit onto our onboard account because it could not be completed in advance. 

 

Now, a month after, with no perks showing up on my account, I sent him another email (which took an extra couple of weeks to get answered)  asking for clarification and received a reply that the perks would show up AFTER the cruise was paid in full (balance due on Dec. 20), through him.

 

Is this person telling the truth?

 

Any feedback from previous experiences would be greatly appreciated.

 

The times we booked with a TA, our OBC (and other perks) did not show in our summary page on NCL.  The OBC always showed up in our account on the second day of the cruise (or so).  

 

If your TA is telling you that YOU have to deal with getting the OBC once you board, I would not trust that TA AT ALL!  Do you really want to deal with this (standing in line and hoping it goes through) on your cruise?  The whole point of having a TA, and subsequently getting added perks, is that THEY handle this for you.

 

Get the amenities confirmation in writing from your travel agent, and tell your travel agent to make sure the OBC shows up in your onboard account.  They need to take care of it themselves BEFORE your cruise.

 

It sounds like this is a brand new TA who just decided to pick up a few extra bucks by doing this.

[smplybcause]

10 minutes ago, DinaS said:

 

The times we booked with a TA, our OBC (and other perks) did not show in our summary page on NCL.  The OBC always showed up in our account on the second day of the cruise (or so).  

 

If your TA is telling you that YOU have to deal with getting the OBC once you board, I would not trust that TA AT ALL!  Do you really want to deal with this (standing in line and hoping it goes through) on your cruise?  The whole point of having a TA, and subsequently getting added perks, is that THEY handle this for you.

 

Get the amenities confirmation in writing from your travel agent, and tell your travel agent to make sure the OBC shows up in your onboard account.  They need to take care of it themselves BEFORE your cruise.

 

It sounds like this is a brand new TA who just decided to pick up a few extra bucks by doing this.

 

This. 

 

When I've booked through a TA most doesn't show up on myNCL. I KNOW none of it shows up if you are in a group with a TA. I'm pretty sure my free at sea perk didn't show up on myNCL when I booked through a TA (but after my first go of it I've stopped worry about it as long as what the TA gives me shows the bev svc charge). I also know that any OBC from the TA will not show up on myNCL and usually doesn't show up until Day 2 as DinaS said. 

[nikkosan]

Thank you all for chiming in, I appreciate it.

 

I replied individually:

 

2 hours ago, Sauer-kraut said:

Ask your travel agent to give you an amenities confirmation.

 

I have written confirmation on email, but it doesn't really make me any more confident/comfortable. 😫

 

2 hours ago, gmbhardy said:

All my OBC credits seldom show up in my pre cruise account. The amenity confirmation form usually shows everything but I’ve had cruises where my TA OBC didn’t show up until I was onboard the ship.

 

I'm fine with the OBC not showing, but his two replies RE the other amenities (first saying they would show up in a couple of weeks, and now saying NCL won't show them until after I paid the balance made me a bit suspicious).

 

2 hours ago, shof515 said:

this is normal when booking with a travel agent. usually by day 2 on board the ship, all of the TA perks is added to your onboard account 

 

Let's hope! 🤞

 

1 hour ago, DinaS said:

 

The times we booked with a TA, our OBC (and other perks) did not show in our summary page on NCL.  The OBC always showed up in our account on the second day of the cruise (or so).  

 

If your TA is telling you that YOU have to deal with getting the OBC once you board, I would not trust that TA AT ALL!  Do you really want to deal with this (standing in line and hoping it goes through) on your cruise?  The whole point of having a TA, and subsequently getting added perks, is that THEY handle this for you.

 

Get the amenities confirmation in writing from your travel agent, and tell your travel agent to make sure the OBC shows up in your onboard account.  They need to take care of it themselves BEFORE your cruise.

 

It sounds like this is a brand new TA who just decided to pick up a few extra bucks by doing this.

 

Thanks, it's comforting to read that the perks didn't show up on your summary either. I guess I would just have to "trust" the TA that they will be loaded!

 

As for the OBC procedure, I agree, and that's why I don't trust him, and yes, I don't want to have to stand in line and be aggravated (I already am!!!). 🤦‍♂️

 

I have a confirmation of all amenities included (included the OBC), but at this point I'm not sure what will happen. To tell you the truth, I would rather just revert the booking back to NCL and not have to deal with this level of idiocy.

 

1 hour ago, smplybcause said:

 

This. 

 

When I've booked through a TA most doesn't show up on myNCL. I KNOW none of it shows up if you are in a group with a TA. I'm pretty sure my free at sea perk didn't show up on myNCL when I booked through a TA (but after my first go of it I've stopped worry about it as long as what the TA gives me shows the bev svc charge). I also know that any OBC from the TA will not show up on myNCL and usually doesn't show up until Day 2 as DinaS said. 

 

It's good to hear.

 

By the way, when you pay through a TA, does the charge show up on your card as a charge from NCL (just like when you book directly), or does it go through the TA card? I'm asking because I get 3X points with Amex and I wouldn't want to lose on that perk either!

[shof515]

3 minutes ago, nikkosan said:

By the way, when you pay through a TA, does the charge show up on your card as a charge from NCL (just like when you book directly), or does it go through the TA card? I'm asking because I get 3X points with Amex and I wouldn't want to lose on that perk either!

 

the charge on your statement should say NCL. If it says the travel agent name, then they did something wrong and its bad

[nikkosan]

1 minute ago, shof515 said:

 

the charge on your statement should say NCL. If it says the travel agent name, then they did something wrong and its bad

 

Good to know. That's what I was hoping.

Balance is due on Dec. 20, so we'll see!

 

I just wish NCL would give us the option of simply paying online like the other cruises we have booked with them!

[shof515]

6 minutes ago, nikkosan said:

I just wish NCL would give us the option of simply paying online like the other cruises we have booked with them!

they do only if you book directly with them. that option is removed when booked with a TA

[nikkosan]

5 minutes ago, shof515 said:

they do only if you book directly with them. that option is removed when booked with a TA

 

Yup! Realized this after I transferred the booking to the TA.  😫

[electro]

I have always booked with a TA and my free at sea peaks always show up on my MyNCL summary page.

If I have OBC from my TA it is not listed on the NCL page but is on the invoice I get from the TA. I have never had to do anything on board to get my OBC from TA, it is always on my account by the end of the first day on board.

If Free at Sea peaks are not showing up, I'd be concerned.

Good Luck

Lois

[nikkosan]

2 minutes ago, electro said:

I have always booked with a TA and my free at sea peaks always show up on my MyNCL summary page.

If I have OBC from my TA it is not listed on the NCL page but is on the invoice I get from the TA. I have never had to do anything on board to get my OBC from TA, it is always on my account by the end of the first day on board.

If Free at Sea peaks are not showing up, I'd be concerned.

Good Luck

Lois

 

Thanks for chiming in, Lois, I appreciate it.

 

I am indeed concerned and aggravated (and fed up with the excuses). We were introduced to him on the repositioning cruise by some friends whom we thought had booked with him in the past, and that's why we transferred our reservation to him! Turned out that they had just met! Duh!

 

We'll see! And I'll report back once the "mistery" is solved!

[luckyinpa]

i hope you have luck getting it squared away. for my current trip i shopped around to 3 or 4 TAs. the guy who responded quickest to all my requests for quotes got the job. one key feature i loved from him is no OBC. its just a cheaper cruise. i dont know if thats really allowed from what i read but hey, im not an expert in the rules. the pricing was virtually the same as the other guys so why would i want to pay then get OBC i may not use, with potential rules attached. 

 

also when i finally called to book he wasnt in but his coworker happily put the  hold on for me. no muss no fuss. in haven the discounts are significant so i really prefer this pricing structure for any future cruises. 

 

there was one online TA that had an interesting setup...1500 OBC or something like 2000 in credits when you get home, you give them all the receipts and you get your money back. 

[MrsKC08]

10 hours ago, nikkosan said:

I have three cruises lined up for next year, all three booked directly with NCL, and then one subsequently transferred to a Travel Agent we met on board our last repositioning cruise back in April.

 

The two we have booked directly with NCL have always been showing the "vacation add-ons" on the summary page on NCL.com, however, the one we transferred to the TA (and for which he promised substantial perks), do NOT show any.

 

The TA initially mentioned (6 weeks ago) that he had to get in touch with NCL, fill out some forms, and that the perks would show up in a couple of weeks (they didn't), whereas for the OBC, once on board the ship, we would have to go to the Finance Desk, ask them to send to the TA a Non-Sailing Credit Card Authorization Form to load the credit onto our onboard account because it could not be completed in advance. 

 

Now, a month after, with no perks showing up on my account, I sent him another email (which took an extra couple of weeks to get answered)  asking for clarification and received a reply that the perks would show up AFTER the cruise was paid in full (balance due on Dec. 20), through him.

 

Is this person telling the truth?

 

Any feedback from previous experiences would be greatly appreciated.

We have a cruise booked for March on Getaway that we booked with a TA. Our perks are showing up in our travel summary and vacation add on's. I can't speak for the OBC because that is not a perk we got with this sailing. However, I know in past that the OBC's offered by our TA didn't show up until day 2 of our cruise on our onboard account. We didn't have to do anything like go to guest services or anything they just showed up automatically.

 

4 hours ago, Sauer-kraut said:

Ask your travel agent to give you an amenities confirmation.

Agree with this. Whenever I've booked with a TA, I always print out my invoice/email that shows the things I get with each sailing. HOWEVER, I will say that those emails don't really help when onboard because the onboard staff is different from shoreside staff. We just went through this on our Royal Harmony cruise a couple weeks ago. We were missing an OBC for one of our cabins from our TA. I had to contact my TA and they contacted the shoreside office for RCCL and then they contacted the ship.

[nikkosan]

5 minutes ago, luckyinpa said:

i hope you have luck getting it squared away. for my current trip i shopped around to 3 or 4 TAs. the guy who responded quickest to all my requests for quotes got the job. one key feature i loved from him is no OBC. its just a cheaper cruise. i dont know if thats really allowed from what i read but hey, im not an expert in the rules. the pricing was virtually the same as the other guys so why would i want to pay then get OBC i may not use, with potential rules attached. 

 

also when i finally called to book he wasnt in but his coworker happily put the  hold on for me. no muss no fuss. in haven the discounts are significant so i really prefer this pricing structure for any future cruises. 

 

there was one online TA that had an interesting setup...1500 OBC or something like 2000 in credits when you get home, you give them all the receipts and you get your money back. 

 

Thanks, LuckyinPA, how's the weather holding up? We have family in Bucks County who's going back for a gathering and they are NOT happy to go back to the cold (from South FL!).

 

When we transferred our reservation to him, I did it more as a favor, and was just happy with him getting the commission; the perks were an added bonus. Professionally speaking, one thing I despise is lack of customer service skills in the service industry, so having to deal with the aggravation is most certainly NOT making me happy. I hope I'll be proven wrong! Either way, we're going to be enjoying those 45 days at sea (15 through him, and the other 30 through NCL! Should you wish to share details of the TA you used (if that's allowed), please do. We're going to be doing a significant amount of cruising over the next few years! LOL And yes, I would rather save the money at booking than getting "strings-attached" OBC.

 

5 minutes ago, MrsKC08 said:

We have a cruise booked for March on Getaway that we booked with a TA. Our perks are showing up in our travel summary and vacation add on's. I can't speak for the OBC because that is not a perk we got with this sailing. However, I know in past that the OBC's offered by our TA didn't show up until day 2 of our cruise on our onboard account. We didn't have to do anything like go to guest services or anything they just showed up automatically.

 

Agree with this. Whenever I've booked with a TA, I always print out my invoice/email that shows the things I get with each sailing. HOWEVER, I will say that those emails don't really help when onboard because the onboard staff is different from shoreside staff. We just went through this on our Royal Harmony cruise a couple weeks ago. We were missing an OBC for one of our cabins from our TA. I had to contact my TA and they contacted the shoreside office for RCCL and then they contacted the ship.

 

Thanks, MrsKC08!

 

This makes me suspicious (that you do see the add-ons whenever traveling, and I'm currently not seeing them). Do they show right from the beginning or after you have paid the balance? That's what he's claiming.

 

As for the benefits "promised", I do have an email invoice recap with the full list, but yes, I don't think there's much I can do other than complain directly to him. 

 

We shall see!

[david_sobe]

Don't feel too bad because I book directly with NCL and sometimes purchased perks don't show in the vacation summary.  Last month I purchased 2 meal plans directly on the NCL site yet they were not included in the vacation summary.  I emailed them and they said they were on the account but not visible.  The NCL site does some wonky stuff.

[nikkosan]

1 minute ago, david_sobe said:

Don't feel too bad because I book directly with NCL and sometimes purchased perks don't show in the vacation summary.  Last month I purchased 2 meal plans directly on the NCL site yet they were not included in the vacation summary.  I emailed them and they said they were on the account but not visible.  The NCL site does some wonky stuff.

 

Thanks, David! 

Yeah, the NCL website is not exactly cutting edge, is it? LOL 🤦‍♂️

 

You have all been very kind and responsive/supportive, I appreciate it.

[LinnieRed]

I haven’t read each and every response, but if you’re unhappy and worried and final payment isn’t due yet, just rebook thru NCL and cancel with this TA. Hopefully the price is still offered. 

[njcruiser27]

On our cruise this past September the on board credit did not show up in our NCL booking until about a week before the actual cruise. When we boarded the ship in our cabin there was a card that showed the on boats credit.  

[nikkosan]

1 hour ago, LinnieRed said:

I haven’t read each and every response, but if you’re unhappy and worried and final payment isn’t due yet, just rebook thru NCL and cancel with this TA. Hopefully the price is still offered. 

 

Thanks, LinnieRed... I thought about it and checked: price went up. 

 

1 hour ago, njcruiser27 said:

On our cruise this past September the on board credit did not show up in our NCL booking until about a week before the actual cruise. When we boarded the ship in our cabin there was a card that showed the on boats credit.  

 

Thanks for the info, NJcruiser27. Fingers crossed!

 

Right now I'll just be happy with having the actual final payment correctly processed! 🤞

[erdoran]

I found my TA through the site where TAs compete for your cruise business.  She gives me a discount on the cruise price that’s about equal to the OBC I see others offer.  I much much prefer the discount up front, that way there is absolutely no question about whether or not I got what was agreed to.  My invoice from the TA shows the promised discount immediately and I pay the TA the discounted price.

[bonvoyagie]

My TA has given us OBC once and it did not appear until we were onboard. Now he is giving his customers a bottle of wine - I have not checked MY NCL since then - but I bet it won't be there.

 

In order to get a cheaper fare, a TA must buy a block of cabins and then they pass the discount they get to the customer.

[EllieinNJ]

The cruise I booked for 2021 doesn't have the free air or double points listed in MYNCL (booked through a TA and noted on his confirmation) but when I called NCL they said they could see it was there.