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Need some Cruise Critic Honest Advice


carol54

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Okay. I was booked with my family for the May 26th cancelled cruise on the Dawn. We had a garden villa book and were so very excited about the cruise. But...everything happens for a reason. Here's my question for all of you.

 

I spoke with my NCL cruise consultant and we can rebook for the July 21 cruise in the garden villa. Same itinerary and passengers. Unfortunately, the rates have gone up - significantly since I booked and now the same cruise is $8K higher. Even with the 25% cruise credit it's still going to cost me more money.

 

I believe I should be allowed to just rebook the July 21 cruise at my original booking fare for my now cancelled cruise plus get the 25% credit they are offering for the cancelled cruisers. Doesn't look like that is likely to happen though. Am I being unreasonable. Should I fight for this? What has your experience been?

 

I really do appreciate your help.

 

Carol

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Okay. I was booked with my family for the May 26th cancelled cruise on the Dawn. We had a garden villa booked and were so very excited about the cruise. But...everything happens for a reason. Here's my question for all of you.

 

I spoke with my NCL cruise consultant and we can rebook for the July 21 cruise in the garden villa. Same itinerary and passengers. Unfortunately, the rates have gone up - significantly since I booked and now the same cruise is $8K higher. Even with the 25% cruise credit it's still going to cost me more money.

 

I believe I should be allowed to just rebook the July 21 cruise at my original booking fare for my now cancelled cruise plus get the 25% credit they are offering for the cancelled cruisers. Doesn't look like that is likely to happen though. Otherwise, I basically receive no compensation for my troubles. Am I being unreasonable? Should I fight for this? What has your experience been?

 

I really do appreciate your help.

 

Carol

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I'd fight for it, but it doesn't sound like NCL is being very accommodating in terms of those of us now left vacation-less.

 

The fact that they canceled only 2 months before we were to leave, I was hoping they'd be a little more cooperative than they're being (at least in the early stages of this mess).

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It seems to me that my argument could be that I could take my refund and use that money to book a cruise elsewhere (which is a pretty good sum of money) and then use my cruise credit (around $5K) to book a 2 person cruise for my husband and me. It seems like this is the only way I could come out ahead in the deal. But it doesn't seem to be logical for Norwegian to take that position does it? Maybe I'm missing something.

 

In any event, I certainly don't plan on going psycho. If they hear me fine. If not, then I have to make a decision.

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We are in the same situation we are now booked on the Spirit but the 25% credit does not cover the price increase.I have talked to my PCC at NCL and told her the price of the Spirit should be what it was when I booked the Dawn.She has no control of prices she will get back to me on Tuesday with final cost.The 6/2 Spirit is now getting booked fast.

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It seems to me that my argument could be that I could take my refund and use that money to book a cruise elsewhere (which is a pretty good sum of money) and then use my cruise credit (around $5K) to book a 2 person cruise for my husband and me. It seems like this is the only way I could come out ahead in the deal. But it doesn't seem to be logical for Norwegian to take that position does it? Maybe I'm missing something.
I understand what you want and it doesn't seem unreasonable but I don't believe you'll get any lower price. If they can sell a space for more, why would they give it to you for a lower rate even taking into account that you were canceled. Again, I think NCL should rebook you at the same rate but I don't think they will.

 

Four days before Christmas we had a huge blizzard that closed the Denver airport for days. My flight leaving on 12/23 for vacation was canceled and United offered to give a full refund or let us rebook with no change fees but we'd have to pay the difference for the new fare. That's not fair. I had a super cheap ticket for the time I wanted to travel but I was canceled and had to go three weeks later. The fare was twice as much and I missed Christmas with family. Unfortunately for me and now for you, we were victims of pricing that adjusts all the time and we got the short end of the stick. I'm sure NCL believes that they're fulfilling their obligation to you by offering the full refund and they don't owe you anything other than that.

 

It doesn't hurt to ask for the same fare but I'd be really surprised if you got it. I also don't think telling them you'll cruise with someone else will make a difference. Whatever happens, I hope you have a good vacation.

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It seems to me that my argument could be that I could take my refund and use that money to book a cruise elsewhere (which is a pretty good sum of money) and then use my cruise credit (around $5K) to book a 2 person cruise for my husband and me. It seems like this is the only way I could come out ahead in the deal. But it doesn't seem to be logical for Norwegian to take that position does it? Maybe I'm missing something.

 

In any event, I certainly don't plan on going psycho. If they hear me fine. If not, then I have to make a decision.

 

I think your position is reasonable - with a little pleasant persistence you should get the replacement cruise at the same price. At a minimum with the credit it should never cost you more. My view you should be able to do the July cruise and still have the 5K for a cruise for 2.

 

Keep in mind the reps on the phone will not be in a position to make this happen get to someone empowered as fast as possible.

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Four days before Christmas we had a huge blizzard that closed the Denver airport for days. My flight leaving on 12/23 for vacation was canceled and United offered to give a full refund or let us rebook with no change fees but we'd have to pay the difference for the new fare. That's not fair. I had a super cheap ticket for the time I wanted to travel but I was canceled and had to go three weeks later. The fare was twice as much and I missed Christmas with family. Unfortunately for me and now for you, we were victims of pricing that adjusts all the time and we got the short end of the stick. I'm sure NCL believes that they're fulfilling their obligation to you by offering the full refund and they don't owe you anything other than that. .

 

Here is the difference, the example above is a weather related delay, airlines do nothing for that, they don't control the weather. HOWEVER, if the United flight was cancelled due to a mechanical problem with a United plane you would have been re-booked at no cost to you.

 

NCL situation = mechanical problem with their boat

United situation = weather problem with earth's weather

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Here is the difference, the example above is a weather related delay, airlines do nothing for that, they don't control the weather. HOWEVER, if the United flight was cancelled due to a mechanical problem with a United plane you would have been re-booked at no cost to you.

 

NCL situation = mechanical problem with their boat

United situation = weather problem with earth's weather

Oh...well, I still felt stiffed by United :D and was miffed that I had to pay more after being canceled. ;)
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Carol, I agree with everyone else...your position is VERY reasonable, and you most definitely will have to escalate this several levels to get anyone at NCL who will even be willing to listen to you. Be polite but persistent.

 

Good luck to you...I hope NCL isn't short-sighted and realizes that keeping a garden villa customer happy makes GOOD business sense.

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I think that they should give you a totally free cruise any time you want it even if it means bumping someone else out of the space you had reserved. Afterall they are a great big nasty corporation and what right did they have fixing their ship when you had a cruise booked. They could just as easily have done it during the day time when you were at some port somewhere. It just isn't fair that you should be inconveneinced because their ship had an engine problem. They should have simply run it until it wouln't go any further and if that happened in the middle of the ocean in the middle of a bad storm then that would be a shame but they could send out a tug to tow it into port.

 

I would suggest that you happily accept the 25% discount.If you read the contract they owe you nothing beyond a refund of fare paid and move on. Life is rarely fair but I would rather they try to repair the ship than keep it limping week after week after week.

 

But that is just my opnion.

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It seems to me that my argument could be that I could take my refund and use that money to book a cruise elsewhere (which is a pretty good sum of money) and then use my cruise credit (around $5K) to book a 2 person cruise for my husband and me. It seems like this is the only way I could come out ahead in the deal. But it doesn't seem to be logical for Norwegian to take that position does it? Maybe I'm missing something.

 

In any event, I certainly don't plan on going psycho. If they hear me fine. If not, then I have to make a decision.

 

Are they giving you a 25% cruise credit (as in a discount of 25%) or are they giving you a voucher worth 25% of what you paid for the cancelled cruise (your $5,000 figure)? Did someone verify this to you? I'm just trying to understand what the deal is.

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Are they giving you a 25% cruise credit (as in a discount of 25%) or are they giving you a voucher worth 25% of what you paid for the cancelled cruise (your $5,000 figure)? Did someone verify this to you? I'm just trying to understand what the deal is.

 

It's a 25% off credit based on what I paid "for the voyage portion only" of the cancelled cruise.

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I think that they should give you a totally free cruise any time you want it even if it means bumping someone else out of the space you had reserved. Afterall they are a great big nasty corporation and what right did they have fixing their ship when you had a cruise booked. They could just as easily have done it during the day time when you were at some port somewhere. It just isn't fair that you should be inconveneinced because their ship had an engine problem. They should have simply run it until it wouln't go any further and if that happened in the middle of the ocean in the middle of a bad storm then that would be a shame but they could send out a tug to tow it into port.

 

I would suggest that you happily accept the 25% discount.If you read the contract they owe you nothing beyond a refund of fare paid and move on. Life is rarely fair but I would rather they try to repair the ship than keep it limping week after week after week.

 

I don't know where you came up with your reply. But it is totally uncalled for. I never suggested any such thing. I only suggested being treated failry. Not special or anything of the sort.

 

 

But that is just my opnion.

 

I don't know where your reply is coming from but you are obviously missing the point. I'm not asking to be treated special just fairly. But in the grand scheme of things - this really is not that important.

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In my opinion, Song and Dance's reply was very rude and completely uncalled for. I did not get the impression that you were asking for anything besides 'just' treatment. You never asked for a free cruise as Song and Dance suggested. Yes it's true....... life isn't always fair, but in my opinion we should all work together to try to make it fair when possible. That type of attitude is why we are turning into an angry society.

 

Having said that, it is true the ship needed to be worked on in light of it's recurrent mechanical problems. I do understand NCL's position regarding having to react to a persistent problem that was not going to 'go away'. I do firmly believe, though that NCL also has a responsiblity to try to respect their customers. NCL is in the business of providing a vacations for their clients, so when that is interrupted/canceled I feel it is in their best interest to try and make things right. I understand they have plenty of legal terms written to protect themselves (as everyone must these days due to the lawsuit happy society we now live in), but I DO NOT believe that should release them from REASONABLE solutions to their customers disappointments. I also do not believe NCL should have to subject themselves to unreasonable requests from clients that are never happy.

 

But in this instance, Carol was booked at a specific rate for a specific cabin. At no fault of her own, her vacation was canceled. NCL's solution is for her to book another cabin on another cruise (fair), but the cruise is now much more expensive (unfair......the mechanical problems were not Carol's fault and the price is completely controlled by NCL so this appears to be MUCH MORE beneficial to NCL than Carol) Then NCL offers her a 25% discount (nice, but she is already spending a lot more so that 25% is going to have to be used to help pay for the increased cabin price instead of being able to spend it on extras on the ship for her being inconvenienced).

 

So, even after Carol rebooks her new cabin AND applies that 'generous' 25% credit, she's still going to owe NCL MORE MONEY???? Who's benefitting from this whole picture? NCL.................not their customer.

 

Sorry.....I know there are a lot of people on these boards who will defend NCL (and other cruise lines on other boards) NO MATTER WHAT THE SITUATION, but I do think the cruise lines have responsiblities just as we cruisers do to continue to make cruising a wonderful experience.

 

I am a very laid back person and have NEVER complained on a ship to anyone about anything. There may have been little things that some people would have complained about, but I never noticed them. I LOVE cruising............I am completely addicted.............and am not sure I'll ever go back to land vacations. But in Carol's situation, I know I would feel jilted (sp?) and would be very, very frustrated.

 

I do feel NCL should do something to make this an equatable situation. Carol, I also agree that staying calm but persistent is the best way to go. But don't give up............that's what too many people do. Keep us posted and GOOD LUCK!

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I don't know where your reply is coming from but you are obviously missing the point. I'm not asking to be treated special just fairly. But in the grand scheme of things - this really is not that important.

 

Just add him to your ignore list - I have - Just drops in from time to time to stir the pot. No reason to feed him.

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I also was cancelled for May 26th Dawn. I was able to rebook June 9th same cat however, I also have 6 adults involved in this cruise with 3 cabins(1-I/S 1-Balcony 1-Mini Suite) we all had to change our plans at work and rearrange our life for this. The mini suite was getting a $930 credit yet now that I'm booking June 9th so late I'm also paying a higher price for the cabin. So 25% dosen't look so good after all. Plus since I booked back in Janurary when they were running their "Sale of Sails" I also lost my $100 cabin credit. I didn't cancel, NCL DID! I too feel they should have given me an equal value cabin since it was available at no extra charge and then given me my $930 credit,and my $100 on board credit. I had a cancelation on Celebrity out of NY to Bermuda and they got me on the Zenith in Ft Lauderdale and paid for my Airfare at no cost to me. When I called to complain they put me on hold for 20 minutes and then told me a supervisor wasn't available and probably couldn't do anything for me anyway, call back on Monday.I've been on appox 25 cruises and this is my 2nd and last on NCL!!:mad:

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Please explain to me why people who look for the least expensive cruise possible, then look to smuggle booze and soft beverages on board, complain about the price of everything, complain about the food and the service then when something goes wrong IE a canceled cruise, expect 100% first class white glove service?

 

There is something wrong with this picture. Basically you get what you pay for. Yes Celebrity will find you a new cruise and most likely so will HAL and Cunard but when you sail with the most mass of mass market lines do not expect first class problem solving. This part of the package is just like to rest of the package low cost designed for the mass market customer.

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