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50% capacity ...again. When ? Who’s in ? Who’s out?


tallnthensome
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My wife and I are sitting here discussing our Encore cruise booked for the family for April 2021. We are already upset enough about NCL not lowering the final payment date deadlines for 2021 cruises which is already making hope for this cruise fade along with the virus itself. We would be more comfortable sailing at half capacity when cruises do sail again. All of the lines are certain they will sail at 50% or less. When is the heck are they going to implement this rule for us to see in regard to our 2021 bookings? Why can’t they be more transparent? For cruises already booked by all of us for 2021 when are they going to fine tune these sailings? Beyond the obvious of them being completely cancelled who is in and who is out if our cruise for spring break is booked at 80% already let’s say? Those who booked first are in? We have a balcony so are they going to only fill more expensive cabins for revenue purposes which makes sense or only with open air options, no insides? Not allowing older guests or guests from high outbreak states like Florida, Texas, New York, California on board? NCL wants to keep selling cruises for next year but they don’t seem to be implementing any of their plans nor are we receiving any info on booked cruises. At this point you would think if you booked a new NCL cruise for, let’s say, August of next year online they would already have rooms X’ed out not for sale to align with 50% capacity. If you have an NCL cruise set to sail in Feb 2021 your final payment date is October ...coming quick. Where is the info on your cruise and capacity? Nowhere to be found? Thoughts? 

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Nobody/cruise line  can set anything in concrete at this time.  The future of all this is totally uncertain and changes almost daily.  We could be virus free by then of even worse than we are now.   No way to firmly state what a cruise scheduled well into the future will look like.  

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20 minutes ago, roger001 said:

Nobody/cruise line  can set anything in concrete at this time.  The future of all this is totally uncertain and changes almost daily.  We could be virus free by then of even worse than we are now.   No way to firmly state what a cruise scheduled well into the future will look like.  

True, then why would NCL expect final payment for some Guests in less than 60 days for some 2021 cruises? Don’t these particular cruisers have a right to know what they are making final payment on? Are they in or out? Is their January cruise set at 50% now? Seems slimy once again ..... 

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Keep in mind the avid cruisers here who are ready to jump on a ship ASAP aren't representative of the average cruise customer.  Many will choose not to go in the coming months for various reasons:

 

1.  Fear of the virus.  On ships, planes, etc etc.

2.  Fear of a positive test cancelling mid-cruise, and/or being locked up on a quarantined prison ship

3.  Personal covid related financial difficulties preventing travel

4.  Choosing not to cruise with masks and a myriad of other onboard restrictions

 

Factors such as this may well reduce occupancy 50% (or whatever the goal is) without the cruise line having to cancel anyone.

 

 

Edited by bouhunter
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They could be planning the usual cash grab.  Take deposits then wait until after people have made final payment (and bought airfare!) to let them know they are being booted.  Then take 90 days to refund.  You know what they say:  Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice shame on me.

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19 minutes ago, bouhunter said:

 

 

Keep in mind the avid cruisers here who are ready to jump on a ship ASAP aren't representative of the average cruise customer.  Many will choose not to go in the coming months for various reasons:

 

1.  Fear of the virus.  On ships, planes, etc etc.

2.  Fear of a positive test cancelling mid-cruise, and/or being locked up on a quarantined prison ship

3.  Personal covid related financial difficulties preventing travel

4.  Choosing not to cruise with masks and a myriad of other onboard restrictions

 

Factors such as this may well reduce occupancy 50% (or whatever the goal is) without the cruise line having to cancel anyone.

 

 

 

3 minutes ago, Travelling2Some said:

They could be planning the usual cash grab.  Take deposits then wait until after people have made final payment (and bought airfare!) to let them know they are being booted.  Then take 90 days to refund.  You know what they say:  Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice shame on me.

 

 

This all makes sense....

 

And I do agree with OP--as usual NCL is showing their total lack of communication with their guests.

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2 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

 If you have an NCL cruise set to sail in Feb 2021 your final payment date is October ...coming quick. Where is the info on your cruise and capacity? Nowhere to be found? Thoughts? 

I have a cruise in Feb. and the final payment is not until Nov. 22...

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3 minutes ago, bobsfamily said:

I have a cruise in Feb. and the final payment is not until Nov. 22...

Is that 120 days out? Sure about that? Mine is December 6th for April 6th so I’m not sure how that could be .... anyhow that really isn’t the point . The point is to know and understand what you are paying for and what you’re getting when that payment date comes and what percent your cruise will be. I do understand that more cancellations by guests will happen but what if your Feb cruise still has 80 percent capacity after final payment? Then what? 

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1 hour ago, bouhunter said:

 

 

Keep in mind the avid cruisers here who are ready to jump on a ship ASAP aren't representative of the average cruise customer.  Many will choose not to go in the coming months for various reasons:

 

1.  Fear of the virus.  On ships, planes, etc etc.

2.  Fear of a positive test cancelling mid-cruise, and/or being locked up on a quarantined prison ship

3.  Personal covid related financial difficulties preventing travel

4.  Choosing not to cruise with masks and a myriad of other onboard restrictions

 

Factors such as this may well reduce occupancy 50% (or whatever the goal is) without the cruise line having to cancel anyone.

 

 

Bingo. Nothing is likely booked beyond 50% at this point, confirmed by mock bookings.

 

I'm going to defend NCL and the cruise lines on this one. There is nothing to communicate. They will continue to market sailings as if they intend to operate them, even though we know there is substantial doubt.

 

They've said the earliest they may begin operations is November 1. This is the most optimistic view and even then one or two ships. The earliest the full fleet will be sailing is 2q 2021.  

 

Given the past six months, now is not the optimal time to book a cruise or be booked on one. There are significant health and economic risks of doing so. If the uncertainty concerns booked guests, the best advice is to cancel now and get your refund thereby removing the uncertainty.

 

Otherwise, you are going to have to be prepared to roll the dice that your cruise may or may not sail. Roll the dice as to where you are going to sail. I am reading about mandatory health insurance requirements in Aruba, St Maarten, Caicos etc. Roll the dice as to possible Covid exposure and possible quarantine.

 

By the way, rolling the dice is ok. It's an individual choice and something I wouldn't do. But this is the environment in which they are operating. Of course, everyone wants guarantees, but guarantees aren't possible at this time. Good luck to anyone dealing with these decisions.

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All these replies make sense but NCL can only kick the can so long and far ahead without having to figure this out and implement it into current bookings. I would think that certain spring break cruises next year will hit above 50%. We know the lines have always made it hard or impossible to tell how many cabins are left or sold being secretive. Would it be so bad to have that percentage booked number available for guests to see on the NCL site? It may actually even encourage people to book if they saw a cruise was only booked at 25% which could be comforting to some and give them piece of mind  to book. 

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I think to book right now, for any cruise into the future, you must firmly decide how many restrictions and what types will you be willing to accept, but then hope that we will be back to cruising as normal by the time yours is scheduled.    Then as your cruise date approaches, just before final payment, take a look at what is in effect at that time.  If it meets your maximum  restrictions list, go.  If not, cancel.  Can't see any other way to do it......right now.  

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2 minutes ago, roger001 said:

I think to book right now, for any cruise into the future, you must firmly decide how many restrictions and what types will you be willing to accept, but then hope that we will be back to cruising as normal by the time yours is scheduled.    Then as your cruise date approaches, just before final payment, take a look at what is in effect at that time.  If it meets your maximum  restrictions list, go.  If not, cancel.  Can't see any other way to do it......right now.  

Yes, that is where we are at based on the information we have or don’t have up to now. We plan on going .....until we don’t. I think guests have a better plan for themselves in place then the lines themselves. Still doesn’t answer what NCL will do if they are above 50% booked capacity (let’s say 70%)  at the time of sailing and they aren’t allowed to sail above that 50%. What a mess .....

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1 minute ago, tallnthensome said:

Yes, that is where we are at based on the information we have or don’t have up to now. We plan on going .....until we don’t. I think guests have a better plan for themselves in place then the lines themselves. Still doesn’t answer what NCL will do if they are above 50% booked capacity (let’s say 70%)  at the time of sailing and they aren’t allowed to sail above that 50%. What a mess .....

A mess it is!

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16 minutes ago, KateQ22003 said:

I am looking at a cruise the end of January/into February and I was told final payment was in September. I passed.

Yea, I’m not sure how Bob has a lessened final payment date for a February cruise. 

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1 hour ago, tallnthensome said:

Is that 120 days out? Sure about that? Mine is December 6th for April 6th so I’m not sure how that could be ..

Yep, it's Nov 22.  Right at 90 days out.

A letter I got from NCL says a bit different... So now it looks like the final payment will be Dec. Straight from the letter:

 

Our new payment policy for all 2020 voyages postpones final payment until 60 days prior to your vacation start
date versus the standard payment policy for both new and existing reservations.

 

The entire letter:

July 29, 2020
Dear Valued Guests and Travel Partners,
Our Guests First philosophy puts you at the heart of every decision which is why during these extraordinary times
we are doing our part to provide you with peace of mind however and whenever we can.
Today, I am proud to announce the extension of our Peace of Mind policy into 2021 and a new final payment
schedule for all 2020 voyages. Our hope is that these accommodations reassure and inspire you to transform your
destination daydreams into vacation reality.
Our new payment policy for all 2020 voyages postpones final payment until 60 days prior to your vacation start
date versus the standard payment policy for both new and existing reservations.
Booking with confidence is now more important than ever, so under our extended Peace of Mind policy, for any
existing or new reservations made by August 31, 2020:
· Guests are free to cancel anytime up to 48 hours in advance of vacation start date (For any voyage
embarking through December 31, 2020)
· Guests are free to cancel anytime up to 15 days in advance of vacation start date (For any voyage
embarking January 1, 2021 through October 31, 2021)
This policy applies to individual and group bookings.
When guests choose to cancel via our Peace of Mind policy, they will receive a full refund in the form of a future
cruise credit to be used for sailings that embark through December 31, 2022. If guests opt to cancel a future
reservation without taking advantage of our Peace of Mind policy, they must contact us via phone. Our standard
cancelation policies will apply in that instance. To review our Future Cruise Credit terms and conditions, please
visit https://www.ncl.com/cruise-faq.
We are optimistic about the future and look forward to welcoming you onboard again very soon . In fact, we recently
opened for sale a year’s worth of extraordinary itineraries featuring sailings to the over 300 incredible destinations
that our guests have come to love. Our team is standing by to assist with your future travel arrangements for these
sailings which are available through April 2023. It goes without saying that our very first priority is always your
health, safety, security and well-being so I encourage you to read all about the good work we are doing at
https://www.ncl.com/why-cruise-norwegian/book-with-confidence.
I hope you will join me very soon in exploring the world in the safety and comfort of an amazing Norwegian Cruise
Line ship with your friends and family.
Until then,
Harry Sommer
President & CEO
Norwegian Cruise Line

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9 minutes ago, bobsfamily said:

Yep, it's Nov 22.  Right at 90 days out.

A letter I got from NCL says a bit different... So now it looks like the final payment will be Dec. Straight from the letter:

 

Our new payment policy for all 2020 voyages postpones final payment until 60 days prior to your vacation start
date versus the standard payment policy for both new and existing reservations.

Yea, I got the notification too from NCL that they dropped it to 60 days for remaining 2020 cruises but no change to 2021 cruises .....   How does yours apply and are you reading it right? You don’t have a new or existing booking for 2020. The 60 days is for 2020 cruises only, Bob. 

 

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2 hours ago, jaja said:

And I do agree with OP--as usual NCL is showing their total lack of communication with their guests.


All of the cruise lines are dealing with the same issues. I have an early January 2021 Caribbean cruise on HAL, with final payment in early October. I can’t imagine the cruise will go, but HAL hasn’t said anything yet. We certainly won’t make final payment. 

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All of the OP's questions and concerns are totally valid.  Unfortunately no one knows what's going to happen.  Cruising still could be on hiatus in April 2021.  I have also wondered myself about the day it resumes what it would be like.  Cruising is all about crowded venues i.e. pool decks, restaurants, entertainment, clubs, etc.

Its possible that if cruising does resume mid next year that so many have cancelled that sailing at half capacity would be easy.  However what if many are still booked?  

When I returned after my Encore cruise on March 1, I had such a great time that even with Covid rising, I was ready to book again for February 2021.  NCL would not allow me to use my Cruise Next certificate because the cruise was only 5 days.

All I can do is THANK NCL so much for not allowing me to book that cruise.  I cant see me making huge monthly payments for another suite with the anticipation the cruise will be cancelled with unknown return date.

IMHO, even when a vaccine is developed, I think cruising is the LAST thing that will return to "normal."  Cruising highlighted the Covid nightmare in the beginning.  Cruising will not resume until the all clear is given.

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46 minutes ago, tallnthensome said:

Yea, I got the notification too from NCL that they dropped it to 60 days for remaining 2020 cruises but no change to 2021 cruises .....   How does yours apply and are you reading it right? You don’t have a new or existing booking for 2020. The 60 days is for 2020 cruises only, Bob. 

 

Well dang, I guess it is 2021, lol but I still have the 90 day which is showing up in my documents both online and what I have saved.  Maybe because it's a Haven suite?

 

Dang we are halfway though 2020 and I'm still thinking next year is 2020....

Edited by bobsfamily
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9 minutes ago, bobsfamily said:

Well dang, I guess it is 2021, lol but I still have the 90 day which is showing up in my documents both online and what I have saved.  Maybe because it's a Haven suite?

 

Dang we are halfway though 2020 and I'm still thinking next year is 2020....

Nah, you are just hoping for a do-over for 2020.  I'm up for that!  I had some really good deals on cruises - not only are the deals gone, so are some of the itineraries.

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7 minutes ago, bobsfamily said:

Well dang, I guess it is 2021, lol but I still have the 90 day which is showing up in my documents both online and what I have saved.  Maybe because it's a Haven suite?

 

Dang we are halfway though 2020 and I'm still thinking next year is 2020....

 

For some reason your particular cruise has a more reasonable final payment date .... doing a test booking on an inside stateroom shows Nov 22nd final payment date.

 

 

 

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6 minutes ago, julig22 said:

Nah, you are just hoping for a do-over for 2020.  I'm up for that!  I had some really good deals on cruises - not only are the deals gone, so are some of the itineraries.

You are correct, can we just have 2020 New Years all over but without all this C@*p!

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5 minutes ago, kjquilts said:

 

For some reason your particular cruise has a more reasonable final payment date .... doing a test booking on an inside stateroom shows Nov 22nd final payment date.

 

 

 

That’s interesting...... I would agree that Bob had a Haven room and that is why but you’re saying an inside too on a mock booking .......

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47 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:


All of the cruise lines are dealing with the same issues. I have an early January 2021 Caribbean cruise on HAL, with final payment in early October. I can’t imagine the cruise will go, but HAL hasn’t said anything yet. We certainly won’t make final payment. 

I hear ya !!!   😉  Since I have not sailed other lines in many years...I was only thinking about NCL (though I have always been  disappointed  in their communication on many things in the past).

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