New Price Drop Policy?

[Chasing Summer]

Our cruise for next spring has dropped $100, so I called to have it repaired, as I've done many times before. I was told that the new policy is no refares before final payment. What?! Has anyone else been told this?

[Middleager]

14 minutes ago, Chasing Summer said:

Our cruise for next spring has dropped $100, so I called to have it repaired, as I've done many times before. I was told that the new policy is no refares before final payment. What?! Has anyone else been told this?

TA or NCL?

If no adjustment, just cancel and rebook.

[Markanddonna]

I just refared AFTER final payment for an NCL cruise in November. They gave me credit on my account.

[cruiseny4life]

Could be different as it's a coupon vs. a fare drop, but we did save money on a cruise by doing this. I found a 10% off coupon in my account last weekend. My husband called our PCC and she applied it to our March cruise. We saved $800'ish.

[ChiefMateJRK]

1 hour ago, Middleager said:

If no adjustment, just cancel and rebook.

Exactly.  I repriced one a few weeks ago and the person on the phone tried to tell me that I couldn't do it.  I pointed out that I could just cancel and rebook and then she adjusted it.

[RosieRoo]

I don’t think there’s any consistency in the policy. I had a price drop after final payment. They wouldn’t tell me how much they would give me in FCC for the price drop and they wouldn’t issue it til after the cruise was completed. Made no sense whatsoever. 

[Chasing Summer]

It must have been an early morning one off call. I just called back and talked to someone else. I got the $100 price drop and without me even asking, she said I could do it any time before final payment. That's what I expected, so thrown off on my earlier call.

Edited July 28, 2022 by Chasing Summer

[MagnoliaBlossom]

I am cruising in 18 days or so and there has been a significant price drop in our cruise.  I wrote my PCC of 14 years and asked for an adjustment of some kind based on what others on CC have reported,   She has done these adjustments for me many times in the past, but she said they had recently clamped down on them and she was not able to do anything at all.  😳.  I was stunned, not that it is policy and I acknowledge that I am owed nothing, but that NCL is apparently doing it for there’s.  We are Diamond and not like we haven’t stuck by NCL for a long time.  Truly disappointing.

[cruiseny4life]

47 minutes ago, MagnoliaBlossom said:

I am cruising in 18 days or so and there has been a significant price drop in our cruise.  I wrote my PCC of 14 years and asked for an adjustment of some kind based on what others on CC have reported,   She has done these adjustments for me many times in the past, but she said they had recently clamped down on them and she was not able to do anything at all.  😳.  I was stunned, not that it is policy and I acknowledge that I am owed nothing, but that NCL is apparently doing it for there’s.  We are Diamond and not like we haven’t stuck by NCL for a long time.  Truly disappointing.

Sorry to hear that! I'm new to NCL - first cruise was in April. Next in August, and third in March...I heard NCL was not providing these price matches so two of the three cruises we purchased within the final payment date. What I have learned after just one cruise - NCL is an evil corporation that doesn't give a flying you know what about the consumer.

 

Frankie boy's at the helm and will take every penny he can siphon from us. Good luck resetting your expectations of NCL. 

[vacation44]

48 minutes ago, MagnoliaBlossom said:

I am cruising in 18 days or so and there has been a significant price drop in our cruise.  I wrote my PCC of 14 years and asked for an adjustment of some kind based on what others on CC have reported,   She has done these adjustments for me many times in the past, but she said they had recently clamped down on them and she was not able to do anything at all.  😳.  I was stunned, not that it is policy and I acknowledge that I am owed nothing, but that NCL is apparently doing it for there’s.  We are Diamond and not like we haven’t stuck by NCL for a long time.  Truly disappointing.

I would call NCL directly and inquire.   NCL has been giving FCC for price drops if the promotions are the same with original booking.  This FCC needs to be used within one year of sail day.   We received almost $1000 FCC from our last cruise with a price drop a few weeks before sailing.  

[julig22]

1 hour ago, MagnoliaBlossom said:

I am cruising in 18 days or so and there has been a significant price drop in our cruise.  I wrote my PCC of 14 years and asked for an adjustment of some kind based on what others on CC have reported,   She has done these adjustments for me many times in the past, but she said they had recently clamped down on them and she was not able to do anything at all.  😳.  I was stunned, not that it is policy and I acknowledge that I am owed nothing, but that NCL is apparently doing it for there’s.  We are Diamond and not like we haven’t stuck by NCL for a long time.  Truly disappointing.

Your PCC is telling you the truth.  NCL implemented fairly strict guidelines for updates after final payment almost a year ago.  Unless it has changed recently, you can't get any sort of adjustment unless ALL the perks on your sailing match.  So if you took airfare for example you can't get an adjustment because the fare you see now doesn't reflect what you got when you booked.

If you do happen to meet the criteria - which also means your cruise is longer than 5 days and it is more than 14 days out and the promos match - they will give you 100% fcc of the fare difference, to be used after your cruise.

But that has nothing to do with re-pricing before final payment.

[MagnoliaBlossom]

Tha no you for the explanation.  It is a 10 day cruise and all perks match except the fare reduction is now 40% each passenger and ours is 70% on second passenger.   It is a $400 pp difference in fare.  Oh well, no harm,no foul.

Edited July 28, 2022 by MagnoliaBlossom

[MagnoliaBlossom]

3 hours ago, vacation44 said:

I would call NCL directly and inquire.   NCL has been giving FCC for price drops if the promotions are the same with original booking.  This FCC needs to be used within one year of sail day.   We received almost $1000 FCC from our last cruise with a price drop a few weeks before sailing.  

My PCC IS NCL, their Sr. cruise Consultant.

[njkate]

3 hours ago, vacation44 said:

I would call NCL directly and inquire.   NCL has been giving FCC for price drops if the promotions are the same with original booking.  This FCC needs to be used within one year of sail day.   We received almost $1000 FCC from our last cruise with a price drop a few weeks before sailing.  

Yes but it is divided between the first two passengers regardless of who paid and non transferable. I have a $1600 credit split between myself and my son. I paid for the entire cruise, he hardly ever cruises, I cruise a lot but will lose $800 of the FCC bummer

[vacation44]

44 minutes ago, MagnoliaBlossom said:

My PCC IS NCL, their Sr. cruise Consultant.

I understood that; however,  I read your post as if your PCC did not even try to see if you qualify.   My theory is it never hurts to double check through another source, especially when it comes to possibly saving money.

[MagnoliaBlossom]

18 hours ago, vacation44 said:

I would call NCL directly and inquire.   NCL has been giving FCC for price drops if the promotions are the same with original booking.  This FCC needs to be used within one year of sail day.   We received almost $1000 FCC from our last cruise with a price drop a few weeks before sailing.  

Yes,  she gave it the good old college try, as she always does.  And I agree, that it is always good to verify when something doesn’t seem quite right.

[Chasing Summer]

Frankly, I'm shocked NCL would ever give anything past final payment. Most other cruiselines do not. Maybe a TA would do something on their own, but we usually book direct with the lines now and they don't budge. We sailed Princess to Alaska a few weeks ago. Just after final payment we could get a front facing, huge balcony cabin for the same price as our inside. I called probably 10 different times and they wouldn't go anything, not even OBC. We sailed RCCL in March. Similar outcome. For us, we always have to fly to a ship so waiting until after a final payment is due to book a cruise doesn't work because our increase in airfare would offset any savings, but if I lived where I would drive, I would be tempted to wait if I was flexible on line and exact destination.

[vacation44]

 

22 minutes ago, Chasing Summer said:

Frankly, I'm shocked NCL would ever give anything past final payment. Most other cruiselines do not. Maybe a TA would do something on their own, but we usually book direct with the lines now and they don't budge. We sailed Princess to Alaska a few weeks ago. Just after final payment we could get a front facing, huge balcony cabin for the same price as our inside. I called probably 10 different times and they wouldn't go anything, not even OBC. We sailed RCCL in March. Similar outcome. For us, we always have to fly to a ship so waiting until after a final payment is due to book a cruise doesn't work because our increase in airfare would offset any savings, but if I lived where I would drive, I would be tempted to wait if I was flexible on line and exact destination.

 

In my case it worked to their benefit.   We received almost $1000 in FCC for a price reduction within the final payment phase.   We had no plan whatsoever to cruise again within the 12 months as we have/had other travel commitments.     Then I realized after we got back from our cruise, that maybe we can use it for a cheap New York last minute sailing since we live out on Long Island and would not need airfare and hotel.   Now we are a few weeks away from sailing, I am spending an additional $4000 on a suite, Vibe tickets, etc--just to use the $1000 FCC.  

[Chasing Summer]

That's why they give you FCCs. It's not a bad idea to give FCC within the final payment window. People feel like they got something and they know for you to use them, you'll have to spend more. We had two from 2020 and 2021 cancelled cruises and spent much more than the cost of the "free" cruise.