Refund of Port Charges for Skipped Port

[BirdTravels]

On 8/15/2024 at 9:36 AM, Asawi said:

Well, I have had a refund even without any port being skipped. During a cruise I saw $15-ish on my account that I didn't understand so I asked at guest services and the reply was that port fees were lower than estimated, like @hallux explained. And on cruises with ports skipped while underway there has been refunds as well. I don't remember any amounts, but probably around $10-20 per port.

We are currently on a cruise and the port charges went down since our booking and we cot a $11 pp refundable OBC. 

[Distinctive-Destinations]

2 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Before your panties waded up, you are talking about less than $10 per person. The world does not come to an end if not refunded. 

Witt the amount of blowback over no hash browns, I can’t imagine the uproar on here over ten whole bucks!

 

I think we got like $12 total back when our Grenada port was skipped in April.

[ontheweb]

4 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Before your panties waded up, you are talking about less than $10 per person. The world does not come to an end if not refunded. 

But it does add up when you consider there are thousands of passengers.

[vacation44]

6 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Before your panties waded up, you are talking about less than $10 per person. The world does not come to an end if not refunded. 

 

 

 

But in my recent case, since I paid for six people, the total refund of $120 was a decent amount which I gladly accepted.

[erisajd]

They charge $1100 on our cruise for taxes and port charges.  And don’t break any of it down so it’s a fairly opaque number. 
 

even if it’s $20 a person, they have 4400 people on board who paid $20 each whether it’s 2. 3 or 4 in a cabin. That’s $88000. That’s a sizable amount of retained money and if 10 cruises a year skip a port that’s $880,000.  It’s not chicken feed and definitely would interest class action lawyers given all the cruise lines and the hundreds of ships. 
 

now I need to find that case and see if it says what @chengkp75 said it does!

[mking8288]

Bingo ... exactly, the "tiny" amount can (possibly) be considered by others as "chump change" i.e. casino-invited players/guests at sea, LOL.  For a few of us, not something to sneeze at like turning that sum around to recognize crew members that've truly gone above & beyond in being our vacation heros, while doing their job.  

 

18 minutes ago, vacation44 said:

But ... total refund of $120 was a decent amount which I gladly accepted.

[dexddd]

19 hours ago, mking8288 said:

FWIW, we're on this Apri-May's Prima TA and due to weather, skip & cancel the port of call for Dockyard, Bermuda (as our last stop en route to NY) and ship was basically full with good # of solo cruisers but not anywhere near lifeboat maximum.  Passengers that went down to Guest Services and asked for, received a nominal refund of port charges/fees - those that did NOT got nothing, wasn't automatically issued.  It was not information given to all passengers, from what I know & heard, also checked with other CC'ers that're onboard.  

 

Those that booked & paid for NCL shorex were, however, given credits and/or refunds - posted the next day to onboard accounts accordingly - that was stated during the morning briefing by the CD/speaking for the bridge ...  

 

Nearly a month and a half or 6 weeks later ... fast forward to reviewing the monthly cc statement on our NCL credit card, we noticed a $38 refund x 2 - for a total of $76 to our NCL branded MC, no further details, info or explanation given as to what the credit or refund was for.  That's a fairly substantial amount and totally unexpected from NCL.  Could that be a refund in error for something else we've booked and/or a different reservations made, or, possibly from adjustments to deposits made/being transferred to a new & different booking ??  I just don't know and casual efforts to track down what & why, etc. proved fruitless.    Nothing changed with our applied and/or unused CN deposits in the accounts here, just baffled a little but since the refund or credit was / has not been reversed ... can I say, we are okay with this surprise "refund"

 

 

Odd & strange and didn't make this up - see screenshot (edited for privacy) for "details" - still puzzled

 

That's a long overdue refund for Prem only answering three questions on the BA at the CC m&g which we both attended.  Of course, I will get nothing.

[erisajd]

On 8/15/2024 at 9:36 AM, Asawi said:

Well, I have had a refund even without any port being skipped. During a cruise I saw $15-ish on my account that I didn't understand so I asked at guest services and the reply was that port fees were lower than estimated, like @hallux explained. And on cruises with ports skipped while underway there has been refunds as well. I don't remember any amounts, but probably around $10-20 per port.

$10pp, 4500 people. $45000 per cruise.  Figure 10-15 cruises annually have a skipped port.  $450,000 - $675,000 per year.  Perhaps per ship.  19 ships - could be $8,550,000 - $12,825,000 a year in extra revenue.  

 

You might not think its much per person, but in the aggregate it really adds up.  Port charges go up but it they go up significantly - you really think NCL is gonna eat it?  $1?  sure - they'll make a $1 off drinks and various surcharges but if that fee goes up the have the right to charge you for it - NCL isn't losing money on that. . . . 

[hallux]

5 minutes ago, erisajd said:

but if that fee goes up the have the right to charge you for it - NCL isn't losing money on that. . .

I don't think I've ever seen a post here about NCL contacting a passenger and asking for more money because the port fees went up on a particular cruise.

[julig22]

17 minutes ago, erisajd said:

$10pp, 4500 people. $45000 per cruise.  Figure 10-15 cruises annually have a skipped port.  $450,000 - $675,000 per year.  Perhaps per ship.  19 ships - could be $8,550,000 - $12,825,000 a year in extra revenue.  

 

You might not think its much per person, but in the aggregate it really adds up.  Port charges go up but it they go up significantly - you really think NCL is gonna eat it?  $1?  sure - they'll make a $1 off drinks and various surcharges but if that fee goes up the have the right to charge you for it - NCL isn't losing money on that. . . . 

Repeat. They DO NOT get to keep excess fees collected for port fees and taxes. And yes, if fees go up, they do eat it.

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, hallux said:

I don't think I've ever seen a post here about NCL contacting a passenger and asking for more money because the port fees went up on a particular cruise.

Has anyone seen any cruise line, not just NCL, ask for more money because port fees went up?