Using cruisenext in UK - value wrong?

[thedarklord]

I’ve just tried to book a back-to-back next October on ncl.co.uk. Got to the payment stage for the first cruise and as expected it shows a deposit due of £200.

i was planning to use my two cruisenext certificates for the bookings, but for some reason, they show a value of £198 rather than £200 and when I try to use one, I get the error this error message:

Balance Due Aug 08 2021 EDT :

£1,704.00

Double check the entered amounts below - it appears less than the minimum deposit. (Credits do not apply toward the minimum deposit)

 

I’m pretty sure (though not 100% !) that I’m not doing something really stupid, so does anyone know how I can actually use my cruisenext’s to pay the deposit? Don’t really want to phone the call centre unless I really have to, as I’m sure they’ve got better things to be dealing with right now!

 

Thanks

[casofilia]

@thedarklord

 

My guess is that you bought the CNC at the value on board of USD250.   NCL will have given you the credit in GBP at their exchange rate which, by the sounds of it amounted to GBP198.   That sum is insufficient to meet the need of GBP200 as a deposit.

You will have to pay the GBP200 as deposit and then get a PCC to credit your GBP198 as part payment.

 

By the way NCL does not use a daily exchange rate but has a set one for a period of time which is why you only got GBP198 not whatever you may find online or through your bank.   Today the midpoint would give you GBP202.

[ziggyuk]

Yes, it's exactly as @casofilia says, the value is short of the required deposit, the amount is determined by the exchange rate at the date of purchase, all my Cruise Next credits have different values.

However the value does not change as it is determined by the date you purchased it, it's not the exchange rate when you spend it.

 

[step78]

We got an similar issue (250$=232€). NCL (Germany) told me: it's always possible to change back the CN to $, they will get their initial value of $250. It's also possible to pay in $, so maybe you will have a better exchange rate and the "2 £" problem fixed.

[casofilia]

@step78

 

If you convert the CN back to USD and then apply it to the booking does that then change the whole booking to USD?

 

Be careful that if the exchange rate has changed that converting back to USD means you might get less than USD250.

[step78]

No, you bought the CN "$250", right? Or did you receive a receipt showing a value in GBP? We got an invoice for buying 4x"$250" with a total of $1000. Then they made the exchange and we paid 4x€232.

 

Like NCL on the phone said: We paid €232 for a Certificate which still has a value of $250. Thats also what the invoice says: 4x$250. If the rates go up or down, it stays $250.

 

You can chose to pay your booking in GBP/€ or $. If you want to use your CN in $ they will "book" you in USD. Otherwise CN and booking will happen in GBP.

Edited June 22, 2020 by step78

[thedarklord]

Many thanks for all of the replies, all makes sense now (in a weird NCL’ish version anyway!).

It’s a bit aggravating in some ways, these things are meant to be usable as a deposit, but because of that conversion, that’s not an option on their site. Even more aggravating is the current message on their site: “YOU HAVE UNUSED CRUISENEXT DEPOSIT(S)Book Any Stateroom on Any Sailing. Limited Time Only.”, when you can’t actually use them for that, at least not online! Oh well, will get in contact with our PCC.

[Stevio]

We usually have the opposite problem in that the Cruise Next certificate is too high so when trying to apply a £204 certificate to a £100 deposit the screen locks and the red banner shows we are trying to pay too much.

The bottom line is the way the UK NCL website is set up it is impossible to use a CN certificate to pay a deposit online. You are forced to call them and make your complete booking over the phone where they have no problem using the certificate.

On the phone in your case they will accept your £198 as a full deposit and add the £2 to your balance due.

[step78]

Ask for the "doubleUp", this month you're allowed to use 2 CN on every kind of cabin, the overpayment will reduce your final payment. (same happens if using online one CN), only on phone (did it just a few days ago)

[TrumpyNor]

12 hours ago, thedarklord said:

Many thanks for all of the replies, all makes sense now (in a weird NCL’ish version anyway!).

It’s a bit aggravating in some ways, these things are meant to be usable as a deposit, but because of that conversion, that’s not an option on their site. Even more aggravating is the current message on their site: “YOU HAVE UNUSED CRUISENEXT DEPOSIT(S)Book Any Stateroom on Any Sailing. Limited Time Only.”, when you can’t actually use them for that, at least not online! Oh well, will get in contact with our PCC.

Yes, you should be able to use those CruiseNext vouchers as deposit - because of the conversion "problem" you just have to book through your PCC instead of doing in yourself online. I had the same problem with a couple of CN certificates last year.

 

Edited June 22, 2020 by TrumpyNor

[thedarklord]

3 minutes ago, TrumpyNor said:

Yes, you should be able to use those CruiseNext vouchers as deposit - because of the conversion "problem" you just have to book through your PCC instead of doing in yourself online. I had the same problem with a couple of CN certificates last year.

 

Thanks, like you found, managed to book earlier today through our PCC with no problems. One day, NCL will get their website working correctly!

[ged1967]

20 hours ago, ziggyuk said:

Yes, it's exactly as @casofilia says, the value is short of the required deposit, the amount is determined by the exchange rate at the date of purchase, all my Cruise Next credits have different values.

However the value does not change as it is determined by the date you purchased it, it's not the exchange rate when you spend it.

 

 I believe that the exchange rate you get is the exchange rate at point of booking, not purchase. 

We booked a Caribbean cruise on Epic almost a year out and the exchange rate worked out well for us in converting onboard us$ to gbp 😄

 

the exchange rate was set at the rate when we booked. 

[ziggyuk]

16 minutes ago, ged1967 said:

 I believe that the exchange rate you get is the exchange rate at point of booking, not purchase. 

We booked a Caribbean cruise on Epic almost a year out and the exchange rate worked out well for us in converting onboard us$ to gbp 😄

 

the exchange rate was set at the rate when we booked. 

 

No, they sit in your account with a fixed price from the day it's purchased until the day it's spent and that price does not change.

 

Even my spent ones were returned to my account after a cancelled cruise with the same original value (one £199 and one £195), these were then applied to a new booking at those original values.

 

EDIT: Are you talking about Cruise Next vouchers? I re-read your post and it sounds like you are talking about pre bought on board credit as you don't spend Cruise Next on board.

Edited June 22, 2020 by ziggyuk

[ged1967]

3 minutes ago, ziggyuk said:

 

No, they sit in your account with a fixed price from the day it's purchased until the day it's spent and that price does not change.

 

Even my spent ones were returned to my account after a cancelled cruise with the same original value (one £199 and one £195), these were then applied to a new booking at those original values.

 

I suggest you re-read my post.

 

The exchange rate is set when Cruise is booked, NOT when any purchases are made either on board or in advance of sailing. We bought 4x $250 cnv cost us £408. The exchange rate used to convert $250 to £204 was used onboard to settle our onboard account & when we prepaid any excursions etc.  

[ziggyuk]

15 minutes ago, ged1967 said:

 

I suggest you re-read my post.

 

The exchange rate is set when Cruise is booked, NOT when any purchases are made either on board or in advance of sailing. We bought 4x $250 cnv cost us £408. The exchange rate used to convert $250 to £204 was used onboard to settle our onboard account & when we prepaid any excursions etc.  

 

NOPE not the case.

Cruise Next Certificate has a fixed value from the day it is purchased and that value is clearly shown in your NCL account and NEVER changes, it will not change when you book a cruise.

 

You need to read my post as you are clearly NOT talking about Cruise Next Certificate as they can NOT be used to settle an account on board, Cruise Next vouchers can only be used as part payment on a booking and never spent on board ship.

 

You are clearly not talking about the same product (CN) as the OP or anyone else in this thread.

Edited June 22, 2020 by ziggyuk

[ged1967]

2 hours ago, ziggyuk said:

 

hip.

 

You are clearly not talking about the same product (CN) as the OP or anyone else in this thread.

You are misunderstanding my posts. 
 

I’ll try & write in small words so you understand. 
 

I bought 4x $250 CNV for $500. This was put on my onboard account.

 

Everything (sorry I couldn’t think of a smaller word) was charged to my UK based credit card at the exchange rate applicable WHEN THE CRUISE WAS BOOKED. 
 

Each $250 CNV had a value of £204. So for £408 I got £816 worth of CNV. 

 

I agree the value of the CNV doesn’t change once purchased but the UK price is dependant (Sorry another big one) on the exchange rate applicable at time of booking. 

So a low £ to $ exchange rate is good for converting dollar to pound. But not so good when converting pounds to the dollar. 

if you still don’t understand then perhaps someone else can chip in as I’m done! 

 

[ziggyuk]

25 minutes ago, ged1967 said:

You are misunderstanding my posts. 
 

I’ll try & write in small words so you understand. 
 

I bought 4x $250 CNV for $500. This was put on my onboard account.

 

Everything (sorry I couldn’t think of a smaller word) was charged to my UK based credit card at the exchange rate applicable WHEN THE CRUISE WAS BOOKED. 
 

Each $250 CNV had a value of £204. So for £408 I got £816 worth of CNV. 

 

I agree the value of the CNV doesn’t change once purchased but the UK price is dependant (Sorry another big one) on the exchange rate applicable at time of booking. 

So a low £ to $ exchange rate is good for converting dollar to pound. But not so good when converting pounds to the dollar. 

if you still don’t understand then perhaps someone else can chip in as I’m done! 

 

Your rudeness and inability to communicate like an adult does not change the fact you are wrong.

The value of the CNV is set for life at the point of purchase.

 

I even bought one on Facebook from someone in Canada and it was converted back to $250 then to GBP at the exchange rate of original purchase date, it then stayed at £195 until a booking was made. Fact..

 

Sorry if you need it spelling out in very simple terms but you are wrong and that's a fact.

 

If what I highlighted above was true... How come one of my vouchers from two years ago was applied at £199 and the other from one year ago was applied at £195 (both applied to same cruise) which was also the same values they had in my account since date of purchase? 

 

Edited June 23, 2020 by ziggyuk

[ziggyuk]

38 minutes ago, ged1967 said:

I’ll try & write in small words so you understand. 

 

Rather than being rude and obnoxious, why not calm down and read this thread, you might want to skip right to the last two posts that conclude the matter nicely.

 

 

[Stevio]

Do not know if this sheds any light on the above discussion. But I know that NCL definitely fixes the UK £-$ exchange rate at the time of booking for each cruise for the purposes of a later purchase of refundable onboard credit which has been very good for our last Panama cruise receiving $1.35 vs £1.25 just prior to cruising.

This credit was used for purchasing CN certificates onboard which would exactly mirror ged1967's experience of Cruise Next purchased at exchange rate of cruise booking.

This would also apply to the value any issued non refundable credit issued at time of cruise booking.

 

Edited June 23, 2020 by Stevio
Addition