New limits to cruise repricing?

[jumbojem96]

So, having watched many youtube videos on the topic, I was made to believe that I could call in to NCL and reprice my cruise if I noticed a price drop anytime up until embarkation day. I don't know if this has to do with COVID, or having booked through a TA (United), but is my experience new or typical?

 

I noticed the price drop by a few hundred dollars on my 1/9 Joy sailing. I called a few weeks ago for an earlier price drop and I was told the money would be refunded back onto my card (this happened after the final payment due date). This week, I noticed the bigger price drop, and I called in. Now, they're saying that they cannot refund it to my card nor give it to me as OBC. They can only give it as a FCC, and even that is uncertain they said. I was told they will have to submit a request, and if it's accepted, I'll get it in around 30 days. They can't do anything else.

 

My issue is that I'm a PhD student. I don't have a lot of time or money to cruise often, so a FCC will probably not do me any good at the moment. I'm hoping that if they do give me the FCC, I get it before my upgrade bid is accepted or denied so I can apply it towards that (praying for a Haven upgrade lol). Otherwise it'll probably just be wasted money. 

Just disappointed!

[nhtravels]

In the past I think that if a price drop occurs after final payment, NCL has been know to give a one-time offering of OBC (OR FCC) for the difference in a price drop.  (Before final payment you can get a refund, as many times as price drops occur).  

 

 

[julig22]

In the past, you could usually get a one-time adjustment, in the form of an upgrade or obc (25% of the fare difference).  Not a refund after final payment.  That was pre-covid.  If you pushed the issue, you might be able to pay the difference for a 2nd upgrade.

In August they did tighten their after-final-payment courtesy policy.  Yes, it is a courtesy, not something they are required to do.  From what I've been told, you can get an upgrade to a more expensive cabin by paying the difference (no free upgrades) or get 25% obc if the price change is over $200.  And no adjustments if the current promo offers aren't the same, so no upgrades if you took the airfare promo, since it falls off at 90 days under normal circumstances.

[ChiefMateJRK]

5 minutes ago, julig22 said:

If you pushed the issue, you might be able to pay the difference for a 2nd upgrade.

I upgraded twice within a few weeks of our October Encore cruise and I didn't have to push at all.  They just happily did it for me.

5 minutes ago, julig22 said:

And no adjustments if the current promo offers aren't the same, so no upgrades if you took the airfare promo, since it falls off at 90 days under normal circumstances.

When I upgraded our October cruise as indicated above, all original promos were retained (including the triple point promo).  Did others have problems doing this?

[julig22]

2 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I upgraded twice within a few weeks of our October Encore cruise and I didn't have to push at all.  They just happily did it for me.

When I upgraded our October cruise as indicated above, all original promos were retained (including the triple point promo).  Did others have problems doing this?

As I said, in the past you only got one bite of the apple.  It wouldn't surprise me that at the moment they let you upgrade, just no refunds. Anything to maximize profit (although I wasn't able to directly upgrade my last cruise, had to bid)

 

From my understanding, it's the airfare promo that precludes getting an upgrade after final payment. Probably because one of the reasons cruise fare goes down is because they aren't subsidizing airfare.

 

So yes, I had a problem getting an upgrade.

[The Traveling Man]

There is another option which may not apply in the case of the OP.  Even after final payment date, even after receiving a "one-time" price adjustment, you still can choose to upgrade your stateroom to a higher category if the cruise fares have gone down.  This could be from an Inside to a Balcony, for example, or from a Balcony to a Suite.  As long as the newly reduced price of the higher category stateroom is more than what you already have paid for your current cabin at the older but higher rate, and assuming there are cabins still available in the higher category, you can transfer your booking, pay a bit more overall, but get the advantage of a much nicer stateroom.  It doesn't save you any money, but it gets you a better room at the lowest possible price for that category of cabin.

[BermudaBound2014]

After final payment the game is over in terms of cash back. They have been known to give some OBC or an upgrade. I read recently that their post covid policy was 25% in OBC (but that was a person reporting here, I didn't read that as official policy).  I have never read of FCC after final payment.

 

In terms of the upgrade, the odds of an upgrade are inversely proportional to the number of people who have booked. They have been very generous with upgrades recently because the ships are sailing with very few people onboard. 

 

When I was a PhD student (decades ago) I barely had  money (or time) to cruise in a balcony, let alone Haven, so best of luck to you :).

[Gistfamily]

I made the final payment for my Jan 18th cruise in Aug. I noticed a price drop in early Oct.,contacted my TA and received a credit back on my Credit card. Saved $1500.. now it looks like it has dropped more. Dare I hope for another credit? Chris 

[ChiefMateJRK]

4 minutes ago, Gistfamily said:

I made the final payment for my Jan 18th cruise in Aug. I noticed a price drop in early Oct.,contacted my TA and received a credit back on my Credit card. Saved $1500.. now it looks like it has dropped more. Dare I hope for another credit? Chris 

When was your final payment due date?

[pbenjamin]

3 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

When was your final payment due date?

60 days prior to 1/18 would have been 11/19. 

[BermudaBound2014]

12 minutes ago, Gistfamily said:

I made the final payment for my Jan 18th cruise in Aug. I noticed a price drop in early Oct.,contacted my TA and received a credit back on my Credit card. Saved $1500.. now it looks like it has dropped more. Dare I hope for another credit? Chris 

 

You paid off your cruise several months early. The policy has nothing to do when when we (the consumer) pays off the cruise. The refund policy changes to be more restrictive once final payment is due (as determined by the cruise line).

[julig22]

4 hours ago, jumbojem96 said:

 I'm hoping that if they do give me the FCC, I get it before my upgrade bid is accepted or denied so I can apply it towards that (praying for a Haven upgrade lol). Otherwise it'll probably just be wasted money. 

Just disappointed!

Typically if you get fcc it cannot be applied to the same cruise.

[Gistfamily]

My final payment was due Aug. 26th. I used AAA travel. They may have an earlier final payment date but I still received a refund. Chris

[BermudaBound2014]

2 minutes ago, Gistfamily said:

My final payment was due Aug. 26th. I used AAA travel. They may have an earlier final payment date but I still received a refund. Chris

 

As you should. The policy is that a refund is given before NCL's final payment is due. That is why the deepest discounts typically come after final payment 🙂

 

PS: AAA required final payment 6 months in advance? That's bogus. 

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

As you should. The policy is that a refund is given before NCL's final payment is due. That is why the deepest discounts typically come after final payment 🙂

 

PS: AAA required final payment 6 months in advance? That's bogus. 

The TA we have been using (and remember you cannot name them) sets up a payment date 5 days prior to what the cruise line does. He wants his customers to have a cushion to get the final payment in case something goes wrong.

[julig22]

19 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

The TA we have been using (and remember you cannot name them) sets up a payment date 5 days prior to what the cruise line does. He wants his customers to have a cushion to get the final payment in case something goes wrong.

That's pretty typical for a TA.  But final payment for a mid-January cruise would be in mid-November, not August.  Currently it's 60 days, will return to 120 days for cruises after April 30, 2022.  Still not 6 months.

[jumbojem96]

Thanks everyone for the insights. My issue is that the rules seem to be so inconsistent across the board with some people being able to reprice close to sailing, some not, some getting OBC, some getting FCC... it just seems really unclear. I wonder if I went straight to NCL to ask about it if I would get a different answer from my TA.

[jumbojem96]

3 hours ago, julig22 said:

Typically if you get fcc it cannot be applied to the same cruise.

Good to know!!

[ontheweb]

25 minutes ago, jumbojem96 said:

Thanks everyone for the insights. My issue is that the rules seem to be so inconsistent across the board with some people being able to reprice close to sailing, some not, some getting OBC, some getting FCC... it just seems really unclear. I wonder if I went straight to NCL to ask about it if I would get a different answer from my TA.

Normally, the cruise line will not talk to you about any kind of repricing if you have booked with a TA. The reservation belongs to the TA, and the cruise line will only work through the TA.

[julig22]

18 minutes ago, jumbojem96 said:

Thanks everyone for the insights. My issue is that the rules seem to be so inconsistent across the board with some people being able to reprice close to sailing, some not, some getting OBC, some getting FCC... it just seems really unclear. I wonder if I went straight to NCL to ask about it if I would get a different answer from my TA.

To clarify a couple of things, FCC is typically given when NCL needs to make a correction for something they did - like cancel/ modify a cruise.

If you booked through a TA, NCL can't help you.  Your TA owns your reservation.

As to "rules" - keep in mind any correction done after final payment is a courtesy, not an obligation and is done on a case by case basis, taking into account any number of factors.

[flaminog]

9 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I upgraded twice within a few weeks of our October Encore cruise and I didn't have to push at all.  They just happily did it for me.

When I upgraded our October cruise as indicated above, all original promos were retained (including the triple point promo).  Did others have problems doing this?

This is why I’m nervous to ask. My price went down by over $1000 since I paid but I booked an 11 day sailing next month with the triple point promo I don’t want to lose. I would love to have this upgraded-did you use a TA or just call?

[BermudaBound2014]

4 hours ago, ontheweb said:

The TA we have been using (and remember you cannot name them) sets up a payment date 5 days prior to what the cruise line does. He wants his customers to have a cushion to get the final payment in case something goes wrong.

5 days is a standard policy for most TAs. Many times you are part of a TA group (and will Never know it)., so coordination is important, not to mention wiggle room.  The poster I quoted above said AAA wanted final payment 6 months in advance. I would never agree to those terms.

 

I haven’t mentioned this in awhile, so here is a gentle reminder for those new to cruising. It’s important to make sure the charge to your credit card comes directly from the cruise line itself and not the travel agent (or tour operator). Check your statement to make sure NCl shows on the statement. Ncl pays the travel agent. No travel agent or tour operator on the up and up will charge your credit card. 
 

19 minutes ago, flaminog said:

This is why I’m nervous to ask. My price went down by over $1000 since I paid but I booked an 11 day sailing next month with the triple point promo I don’t want to lose. I would love to have this upgraded-did you use a TA or just call?

 

It is highly unlikely that triple points would  ever equate to $1,000 cash, even if it moves you to the highest level. IMO Go for the cash. Regardless, you don’t have to make the change. Call and find out the new terms before approving the switch.  

3 hours ago, jumbojem96 said:

Thanks everyone for the insights. My issue is that the rules seem to be so inconsistent across the board with some people being able to reprice close to sailing, some not, some getting OBC, some getting FCC... it just seems really unclear. I wonder if I went straight to NCL to ask about it if I would get a different answer from my TA.

I don’t think the policies have changed, nor have I found them inconsistent. Confusing, sure- but not necessarily inconsistent.
 

As others have pointed out there are two entirely different policies pre and post final payment. For FcC think of it as a change out of your control. For pre-final payment price adjustments you can get cash back. Post final payment is when things can be more inconsistent based on occupancy. Typically you are looking at a complimentary upgrade or obc.
 

I do believe the obc policy was reduced to 25% of the price difference post covid. Example, if the price goes down $1,000 after final payment you may get $250 non refundable obc (with limited ways that can be spent).

 

it can also get confusing that Obc is classified as refundable (gifted from a travel agent) or non-refundable (from ncl). How you can spend them is different.
 

Just ask specific questions about the inconsistencies you think you have noticed and someone here will be more than happy to help. Since you are post final payment, non-refundable OBC is probably your best path unless you booked inside or ocean view, in which case I’d ask for a balcony upgrade.  On the bright side, if you were from the EU there would be no price adjustments at all- so if after final payment it’s kinda best to be grateful for whatever they offer. 

 

hope this helps - happy sailing

[jumbojem96]

19 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

Just ask specific questions about the inconsistencies you think you have noticed and someone here will be more than happy to help. Since you are post final payment, non-refundable OBC is probably your best path unless you booked inside or ocean view, in which case I’d ask for a balcony upgrade.  On the bright side, if you were from the EU there would be no price adjustments at all- so if after final payment it’s kinda best to be grateful for whatever they offer. 

 

hope this helps - happy sailing

Thank you! 
Where I was confused was that I was offered a refund for the difference in the price drop a few weeks ago, after the final payment. I didn’t know it was a one time opportunity though. I thought I could keep going back to get more refunds, as OBC, even after final payment since I had done it before. Thing is, they didn’t offer me any OBC, which I would’ve been happy with. They said i *might* get a FCC, which isn’t even guaranteed. They said they’ll submit a request for it.
I’m wondering if it would be easier to just book direct next time? to have more certainty about things I’m able to do.

[julig22]

6 minutes ago, jumbojem96 said:

Thank you! 
Where I was confused was that I was offered a refund for the difference in the price drop a few weeks ago, after the final payment. I didn’t know it was a one time opportunity though. I thought I could keep going back to get more refunds, as OBC, even after final payment since I had done it before. Thing is, they didn’t offer me any OBC, which I would’ve been happy with. They said i *might* get a FCC, which isn’t even guaranteed. They said they’ll submit a request for it.
I’m wondering if it would be easier to just book direct next time? to have more certainty about things I’m able to do.

NCL final payment date or TA final payment date? For a 1/6 cruise, I think that date was 11/7 which could be considered a few weeks ago which would explain a lot.

[BermudaBound2014]

What JuliG said. I have a feeling you were not past the NCL final payment date (even though you were past your TA due date)., hence the cash refund. TAs typically have their final payment  due date a week before the ncl final payment due date.  I’m other words, 60 days before a 1/8 cruise would be somewheee around 11/10. Your TA might have stayed your final payment was due as early as 11/1. The policy doesn’t change Until NCLs final payment date. I hope I’m explaining that well.
 

if you were past the NCL final payment date and received a cash refund of the difference in price you would be the first person I have ever read about to receive this bonus.