Will NCL honor lower prices after final payment?

[Northern wanderlust]

I was in the same boat as you.

 

We sailed on the Escape Oct 21 to Nov 1, 2022 and the price dropped $950 pp after final payment.  My TA called and they offered a FCC for $1900 which was awesome.  I never saw the FCC on my latitudes account but my TA said they had it there.  After researching it here I was under the impression I had to have something booked by Nov 1st which is what the issue date should have been as that was when the cruise I got the FCC for disembarked.

 

I called NCL today to try to use it and was told it expired in January.  The agent I spoke with instructed me to fill out an online form to the customer expierience team and request an extension and said he had never seen one of those not go through.  I just got an email back saying my request was denied.

 

So apparently they can issue FCC that expire in 3 months?  What good does that do anyone?

 

I have called my TA to have him look into and am waiting for a call back from him.  

 

I did note in the email from the customer experience team denying my request that they were happy I wanted to cruise with NCL again.  Guess what?  If I am denied this I am pretty sure I won't be sailing with NCL ever again.

[cruiseny4life]

1 hour ago, Northern wanderlust said:

I was in the same boat as you.

 

We sailed on the Escape Oct 21 to Nov 1, 2022 and the price dropped $950 pp after final payment.  My TA called and they offered a FCC for $1900 which was awesome.  I never saw the FCC on my latitudes account but my TA said they had it there.  After researching it here I was under the impression I had to have something booked by Nov 1st which is what the issue date should have been as that was when the cruise I got the FCC for disembarked.

 

I called NCL today to try to use it and was told it expired in January.  The agent I spoke with instructed me to fill out an online form to the customer expierience team and request an extension and said he had never seen one of those not go through.  I just got an email back saying my request was denied.

 

So apparently they can issue FCC that expire in 3 months?  What good does that do anyone?

 

I have called my TA to have him look into and am waiting for a call back from him.  

 

I did note in the email from the customer experience team denying my request that they were happy I wanted to cruise with NCL again.  Guess what?  If I am denied this I am pretty sure I won't be sailing with NCL ever again.

I have FCC to use, with a 2024 expiration date. I'm unable to see it on my NCL account, as the NCL agent told me. I can, however see it when I look up my account in NCL's TA system. I don't know why NCL doesn't show FCC to passengers, requiring them to call/chat with NCL or ask their TA. I suppose NCL wants the customer to get screwed like you did by not knowing the expiration date or forgetting it's available to them. Well, I won't be forgetting my $1,300.

 

@hallux, I'm curious...have you seen FCC on your NCL account in the Coupon section? It's not supposed to show there, so your comments have made me inquisitive. 

[vacation44]

11 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

I have FCC to use, with a 2024 expiration date. I'm unable to see it on my NCL account, as the NCL agent told me. I can, however see it when I look up my account in NCL's TA system. I don't know why NCL doesn't show FCC to passengers, requiring them to call/chat with NCL or ask their TA. I suppose NCL wants the customer to get screwed like you did by not knowing the expiration date or forgetting it's available to them. Well, I won't be forgetting my $1,300.

 

@hallux, I'm curious...have you seen FCC on your NCL account in the Coupon section? It's not supposed to show there, so your comments have made me inquisitive. 

@cruiseny4life.  The two times we were issued FCC for price drops, we were not able to see them on our end.   But since I had the email stating the FCCs were approved, I knew about them and there was no chance of me forgetting about them.

[anjuan]

This is my first time sailing NCL. I also had a price drop but I'm not sure if we will want to cruise NCL again so instead of the FCC I was able to get a room upgrade from a basic balcony to one of the Spa balcony rooms. We're on an Iceland cruise and I had thought about getting a pass to the thermal spa so I was happy with this upgrade.

[hallux]

2 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

@hallux, I'm curious...have you seen FCC on your NCL account in the Coupon section? It's not supposed to show there, so your comments have made me inquisitive. 

I haven't gotten FCC in the past (nothing cancelled, no price drops I was eligible for) so I couldn't say, I just figured it should..

[LauraAnneC]

On 4/26/2023 at 2:36 PM, ziggyuk said:

I was turned down despite my pcc thinking I would get it, apparently not available with a guarantee category.

Having seen this thread I contacted my travel consultant about my upcoming cruise on the Breakaway which sails in 28 days. Couldn’t get any cruise credit but I was upgraded from a studio cabin to a balcony. Happy days! 

[llgator]

What if your category is no longer available? My PCC said even though the prices have dropped dramatically on every other category,  he can't offer me anything because our category is sold out. Anyone have this happen?

[YVRteacher]

The future cruise credits become available in your account on debarkation day of the cruise for which the FCC is granted.

[YVRteacher]

The FCC need to be applied and the sailing needs to happen within one year of the debarkation date. The FCC are only valid on cruises of 6 days or longer.

[julig22]

56 minutes ago, llgator said:

What if your category is no longer available? My PCC said even though the prices have dropped dramatically on every other category,  he can't offer me anything because our category is sold out. Anyone have this happen?

That is correct.  FCC, when given,  is for a price drop on what you booked.  If it's no longer available then there is nothing to compare for pricing.

You can ask for an upgrade.

[RocketMan275]

9 hours ago, llgator said:

What if your category is no longer available? My PCC said even though the prices have dropped dramatically on every other category,  he can't offer me anything because our category is sold out. Anyone have this happen?

In order to secure compensation for a price drop, your category has to be available.  

How can one show a price drop unless the category is currently being advertised for sale at a specific price.

BTW, we secured FCC after final when there was a price drop.  NCL's first response to our request was that the category was sold out.  I pointed out that NCL was advertising that category for sale on their website and NCL said "Oppps' and granted the FCC.

[RocketMan275]

9 hours ago, YVRteacher said:

The future cruise credits become available in your account on debarkation day of the cruise for which the FCC is granted.

We received a FCC for a cruise on Breakaway this last March.

Our TA forwarded an email from NCL granting the FCC.

This FCC never, ever showed up in our NCL account on their website.

After a month, I called our TA and she applied the FCC to our next cruise.

[llgator]

1 minute ago, RocketMan275 said:

In order to secure compensation for a price drop, your category has to be available.  

How can one show a price drop unless the category is currently being advertised for sale at a specific price.

BTW, we secured FCC after final when there was a price drop.  NCL's first response to our request was that the category was sold out.  I pointed out that NCL was advertising that category for sale on their website and NCL said "Oppps' and granted the FCC.

There's nothing left to upgrade too😕

But the next category below us is half of what it was when we booked. I would've taken that. Oh well....I guess it couldn't hurt to ask again? Or maybe just forget about it?

[RocketMan275]

Just now, llgator said:

There's nothing left to upgrade too😕

But the next category below us is half of what it was when we booked. I would've taken that. Oh well....I guess it couldn't hurt to ask again? Or maybe just forget about it?

Ask for an upgrade.  You migh get it.

[tonit964]

I called a couple of days ago because the studio cabins dropped about 80 bucks, I was told there is only a one time price drip after final payment and it would be issued as a FCC after the cruise is completed. I decided to just let it go.

[vacation44]

Just now, tonit964 said:

I called a couple of days ago because the studio cabins dropped about 80 bucks, I was told there is only a one time price drip after final payment and it would be issued as a FCC after the cruise is completed. I decided to just let it go.

Correct, you are only allowed one price drop in FCC after final payment which means timing is important.     Are you weeks out or still a few months out and are waiting for a bigger price drop?

[tonit964]

39 minutes ago, vacation44 said:

Correct, you are only allowed one price drop in FCC after final payment which means timing is important.     Are you weeks out or still a few months out and are waiting for a bigger price drop?

I sail on 7/2 so I'm going to wait but it's really not a big deal, I'll keep watching.

[CRUIS4ME]

Thanks for the tips.  I checked our two cruises for June and price went down.   Called and will have FCC email in a few days.   Otherwise, would have kept thinking after final payment, nothing could be done.  

Edited April 30, 2023 by CRUIS4ME

[mskaufman]

I requested FCC last week, so we'll see what happens. Lots of things to be aware of on this thread. Thanks,

[julig22]

22 hours ago, mskaufman said:

I requested FCC last week, so we'll see what happens. Lots of things to be aware of on this thread. Thanks,

Got my "award" notice today - $250, not huge (not an overly expensive cruise to begin with) but nothing to sneeze at either!  It could have been more if I'd waited but this particular cruise keeps going in and out of sold-out status, so took the bird in hand approach, since sold out = no FCC.

Took a little over a week to get the response.

[ConnieTact]

2 minutes ago, julig22 said:

Got my "award" notice today - $250, not huge (not an overly expensive cruise to begin with) but nothing to sneeze at either!  It could have been more if I'd waited but this particular cruise keeps going in and out of sold-out status, so took the bird in hand approach, since sold out = no FCC.

Took a little over a week to get the response.

I think you did well to cash in now. Otherwise you risk not getting anything at all! Not worth the gamble. May response was in just 24 hrs so it must vary from region to region. 

 

[Married90]

Original poster here.  I received an FCC good for 1 year from debarkation date of the original cruise.  Now to find something to take before the end of next may...  

[ConnieTact]

4 hours ago, Married90 said:

Original poster here.  I received an FCC good for 1 year from debarkation date of the original cruise.  Now to find something to take before the end of next may...  

congratulations Married90. That’s great news! 
Thanks for starting this thread you have helped a lot of people by doing so! Me included! Like you, we now have to choose a cruise at least 5 days long to spend the FCC on! May just get this cruise out of the way before we look! 😀

 

[ChiefMateJRK]

On 4/26/2023 at 5:22 AM, vacation44 said:

I agree....there is no down side for NCL.  We ended up taking a second cruise last year just to use the FCC that we had no intention of taking.   

In most cases, you are likely correct.  In my case, it is a downside for NCL, as I will proceed with future sailings regardless of whether or not I have FCC to apply.  That said, I'll ask for it every opportunity I get.  I've gotten it once and asked for it two other times.  One of those times, they told me to submit a case (which I doubt ever works), but I was eventually able to upgrade from inside to aft balcony due to the significant price drops so it worked out okay.  The other time, the NCL website had flipped from picking a cabin to guarantee, so the issue was more fuzzy.  The agent told me that my cabin class had actually increased slightly, which I believe based upon the facts as I know them.

[vacation44]

1 hour ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

In most cases, you are likely correct.  In my case, it is a downside for NCL, as I will proceed with future sailings regardless of whether or not I have FCC to apply.  That said, I'll ask for it every opportunity I get.  I've gotten it once and asked for it two other times.  One of those times, they told me to submit a case (which I doubt ever works), but I was eventually able to upgrade from inside to aft balcony due to the significant price drops so it worked out okay.  The other time, the NCL website had flipped from picking a cabin to guarantee, so the issue was more fuzzy.  The agent told me that my cabin class had actually increased slightly, which I believe based upon the facts as I know them.

Yes, I see your point.  While we did use our first FCC to take a cruise we had no intention of taking,  our second FCC was used for an already booked cruise.