NCL Policy when prices drop after final payment?

Is there any policy that NCL has if prices drop after final payment to compensate those that paid more for their cabin.

Or is it up to the individual TA to "satisfy" a loyal cruise customer?

 

Are upgrades or OBC made available by NCL?

Or must a TA's do this on their own?

It seems that some people on my roll call are getting both.

 

My TA insists that it is NCL's policy not to provide OBC but it is possible to provide upgrades to cabins depending on what is available.

 

Anyone out there have an answer?

Seems as though it is like the "Wild West" out there with no set rules.

 

Thanks.

Don

NCL does not owe you anything after final payment~ they, for the most part, will give you an upgrade but you will not get OBC~

Edited November 28, 2013 by Alliezona09

That I completely understand.

What I am trying to find out is if there is a SPECIFIC policy.

Because some people on my roll Call are getting perks....like upgrades or OBC.

 

My question is:

Does this come from NCL or the TA?

 

Don

You had it right in your OP above. It's the wild west with no set rules. Folks continually report experiences which run the gamut when looking for the after- final-payment-price-drop extravaganza! From "I got upgraded to a suite" to "the NCL rep hung up on me" and everything in between.

 

Your TA smells though. Not just a TA, but in any job... don't outright tell a customer NO like grumpy cat. You say "let me see what I can do for you" - your TA is lazy, incompetent or both.

 

Just curious, what are passengers policies when prices increase after final payment? Don't bother; it's a rhetorical question...

 

What I am trying to find out is if there is a SPECIFIC policy.

Not one that you can rely on with any degree of certainty. You can try to piece together some tendencies by reading the hundreds/thousands of anecdotes in this forum, but you'll notice that people are generally very forthcoming about what they got upgraded to, or how much OBC they scored, but we don't often learn how much they paid in the first place. Maybe because they feel a little foolish about having paid $1500 for a cabin that is now marked down to $500… :rolleyes:

 

You could start by asking people in your roll call what their final payment fare was, and exactly what adjustments NCL has agreed to since then. I guess most of them will tell you to get lost, but that's the best way to figure out your chances of getting something for nothing.

That I completely understand.

What I am trying to find out is if there is a SPECIFIC policy.

Because some people on my roll Call are getting perks....like upgrades or OBC.

 

My question is:

Does this come from NCL or the TA?

 

Don

 

First, your TA has to negotiate on your behalf but I'm sure anything you get at this point would be coming from NCL. If a TA gives OBC it comes out of their commission so you probably won't get more at this late date.

 

I've read reports on CC of people getting OBC to compensate for a portion of the difference in fare and others getting upgrades to a higher category if the price was equal to or lower than what they paid. I got an upgrade once from an outside to a balcony because of a fare drop. I had booked direct though and made the call myself. Get after your TA to go to bat for you. That's what they're getting paid for.

First, your TA has to negotiate on your behalf but I'm sure anything you get at this point would be coming from NCL. If a TA gives OBC it comes out of their commission so you probably won't get more at this late date.

 

I've read reports on CC of people getting OBC to compensate for a portion of the difference in fare and others getting upgrades to a higher category if the price was equal to or lower than what they paid. I got an upgrade once from an outside to a balcony because of a fare drop. I had booked direct though and made the call myself. Get after your TA to go to bat for you. That's what they're getting paid for.

 

Thank you everyone for your replies.

My Aft-Facing Balcony dropped $350 (for 3 people) for our cabin from when we booked.

I am a Platinum member (not sure if that makes a difference).

So far, my TA was able to get an upgrade to a mini-suite midship, which is not where I want to be, nor do I think it is a significant difference in cabin size. I book the Aft Facing cabin on the Breakaway because of the view and the size of the balcony....both that would be missing if I opted for that upgrade.

At this point, I believe it would be "nice" as a loyal NCL cruiser for them to agree to even a $200 OBC. Others are getting it on my Roll Call (e.g. $350 OBC) and that would be fair.

 

I have been sending my TA e-mails with the other discounts my fellow Roll Call members are receiving for compensation. Hopefully, she will be able to get some compensation from NCL when she shows them what others are getting.

 

I will let you know if I have any success.

 

That being said, Happy Thanksgiving to all! :)

And Happy Chanukah for those celebrating that holiday also! :)

 

Don

We have gotten upgraded to a higher category but we haven't had a price drop very often. Our TA called NCL and took care of it for us.

We booked 18 months prior to sailing and found that our fare (for 3 in an inside cabin) dropped by almost $400 about one month after final payment. We were able to get an upgrade to a family oceanview (much better for a party of 3 than a regular inside!) but were told any sort of onboard credit was not possible because the NCL policy (below) states that you have to claim it within 48 hrs. of the booking:

 

From: http://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/best-price-guarantee

 

"If you find a lower published price for the same cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line, either on ncl.com or on a piece of communication directly from Norwegian, we will either:

 

Re-price your cruise at the lower price

Or, you'll receive 110% of the difference in the form of an Onboard Credit

How To Claim Your Guarantee

 

Just complete the "Best Price. Guaranteed." claim form and submit it online within 48 hours of making your booking. If it meets the Guarantee criteria and you choose to receive an Onboard Credit, we will automatically attach that credit to your account. Once you are on board the ship, you can use the credit however you please."

My Aft-Facing Balcony dropped $350 (for 3 people) for our cabin from when we booked.

I am a Platinum member (not sure if that makes a difference).

So far, my TA was able to get an upgrade to a mini-suite midship, which is not where I want to be, nor do I think it is a significant difference in cabin size.

....

At this point, I believe it would be "nice" as a loyal NCL cruiser for them to agree to even a $200 OBC. Others are getting it on my Roll Call (e.g. $350 OBC) and that would be fair.

 

Your status doesn't mean anything in this case. NCL's policy is stated in the passenger contract that you've agreed to and everything extra on top of that is just that, extra.

 

Personally I think that playing the "I'm a loyal customer" card here isn't that nice behaviour, they are already offering you more than you're entitled to by the contract and still you keep making a fuzz about it. Your TA already got you an offer that is an upgrade in NCL's standards (mini-suite regardless of it's location is higher category than aft balcony) even though you (and many others) probably feel that the value of said upgrade isn't worth taking it - you got offered a compensation nevertheless.

 

Comparing what others are getting doesn't work with travel industry in general, you can pretty much always find another passenger that got a better deal than you did - it's all about timing, chance and individual circumstances starting from the moment of booking until the trip is over.

 

Since you declined the upgrade they were offering you, I doubt that they'd give you OBC - at least not the whole amount like you suggested would be "fair". You wouldn't offer to pay them more if the price went up, just because it too would be "fair", would you?

 

In the cases where people are getting OBC for price drop, it's normally 25% to 50% of the price drop at most - and that is when there are no upgrades to be offered, which is NCL's first option if they are kind enough to offer anything.

This only happened to me once. I called my PCC (i always book using my pcc and ncl.com) and he gave me on board credit. They don't have to do anything, be my PCC has been great for all 4 of my cruises and happily helped me out when the price dropped.

Once, when booking a "package" with a tour company, I asked about an upgrade. Rep told me they had no ability to get it as they receive a certain amount of cabins in their inventory to book to people with their package. Surprised me that no one would contact NCL.

 

With the cruise booking agent that I now use, they are always willing to contact any cruise line and try to see what they can do for me.

 

After final payment, no money back but often can get an upgrade either for no additional money or small amount. One they "found" for me wasn't a cabin we wanted so declined. Then prices went down, and were able to get better one.

 

As others said, can't count on it. Cruise status (i.e Platinum) doesn't matter. They are already giving extra perks for that status.

 

 

Last week when MA mini suites dropped below what we paid for a BA cabin on the Jewel, our TA got 5 of us in our group free upgrades to the MA mini suites. We were offered $100 in lieu of the upgrade but we all opted for the upgrades. 2 in our group got free upgrades from OV deck 5 cabins to B2 balcony cabins and one inside cabin got up graded to a balcony for an upsell of $125pp. One person who had booked a MA mini suite got a free upgrade to a Penthouse AFT suite too.

 

Good luck, but it seems the closer we got to departure the better the deals and upgrades we could get.

Edited November 28, 2013 by terrydtx

Don,

 

 

FWIW, this is my personal take on the whole "price drop after final payment" issue.

 

When the final payment date approaches, I do a quick review of my booking in order to satisfy myself that the cabin I've booked and the price I've paid give me value for my money. IOW...I make sure I am content with the status quo.

 

If the price subsequently drops, I will call and ask them what they can do for me. There are two possible answers: a) "Sorry, we can't do anything", and b) "We can offer you ______". I go in fully prepared for either response. If I get answer a), then "oh well, I tried". At least I'm still getting value for my money. And if the answer is b), then "winner" ANYTHING I'm offered is a bonus.

 

 

That said, I need to comment on this one particular paragraph:

I have been sending my TA e-mails with the other discounts my fellow Roll Call members are receiving for compensation. Hopefully, she will be able to get some compensation from NCL when she shows them what others are getting.

 

IMHO, I would advise caution in using this approach. It may be taken as an attempt at consumer blackmail.

 

If you don't already know the story, Google Brenda Moran and Royal Caribbean and see what happend to her and her husband. Long story short, they were banned for life from traveling on Royal Caribbean for doing something similar to what you mention in your post. They had received compensation from RCCL and we're talking about it online. Other people picked it up and started a whole, "Well you gave so-and-so ____, why can't I have the same thing" argument. RCCL took the position that the offered compensation was between them and the Morans and since they talked about it, they were banned. Now...I'm not saying that NCL would do the same (I have no idea WHAT NCL would do), but I can see the possibility that this technique could very easily backfire. (Besides...you only know that people have "claimed" to get this deal or that deal. I don't think that your RC contains any verifiable proof.)

 

 

In any case, I hope it works out for you in the end. Have a great cruise and a great Thanksgiving.

Your status doesn't mean anything in this case. NCL's policy is stated in the passenger contract that you've agreed to and everything extra on top of that is just that, extra.

 

Personally I think that playing the "I'm a loyal customer" card here isn't that nice behaviour, they are already offering you more than you're entitled to by the contract and still you keep making a fuzz about it. Your TA already got you an offer that is an upgrade in NCL's standards (mini-suite regardless of it's location is higher category than aft balcony) even though you (and many others) probably feel that the value of said upgrade isn't worth taking it - you got offered a compensation nevertheless.

 

Comparing what others are getting doesn't work with travel industry in general, you can pretty much always find another passenger that got a better deal than you did - it's all about timing, chance and individual circumstances starting from the moment of booking until the trip is over.

 

Since you declined the upgrade they were offering you, I doubt that they'd give you OBC - at least not the whole amount like you suggested would be "fair". You wouldn't offer to pay them more if the price went up, just because it too would be "fair", would you?

 

In the cases where people are getting OBC for price drop, it's normally 25% to 50% of the price drop at most - and that is when there are no upgrades to be offered, which is NCL's first option if they are kind enough to offer anything.

 

I would tend to agree with all you said in your post.

IMHO any OBC from either my TA or NCL would be nice.....I don't need the OBC to be the difference in the cruise fare.

 

I know in my business (sales), I always try and make my customers happy (even if I have to take a cut in my commission).

It is usually the key to repeat business and there is always competition out there whatever business you are in.

 

I know that there are many more important things in life than this. I am really looking forward to my cruise and partying with the great bunch of people on my roll call.

That being said, I never knew/or read the policies carefully, (my bad!) nor did I care until my roll call friends commented on their various compensation for the price drop on our cruise.

 

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone and enjoy the day with your family. :)

Don

Thank you everyone for your replies.

My Aft-Facing Balcony dropped $350 (for 3 people) for our cabin from when we booked.

I am a Platinum member (not sure if that makes a difference).

So far, my TA was able to get an upgrade to a mini-suite midship, which is not where I want to be, nor do I think it is a significant difference in cabin size. I book the Aft Facing cabin on the Breakaway because of the view and the size of the balcony....both that would be missing if I opted for that upgrade.

At this point, I believe it would be "nice" as a loyal NCL cruiser for them to agree to even a $200 OBC. Others are getting it on my Roll Call (e.g. $350 OBC) and that would be fair.

 

I have been sending my TA e-mails with the other discounts my fellow Roll Call members are receiving for compensation. Hopefully, she will be able to get some compensation from NCL when she shows them what others are getting.

 

I will let you know if I have any success.

 

That being said, Happy Thanksgiving to all! :)

And Happy Chanukah for those celebrating that holiday also! :)

 

Don

 

Well, I think you answered your own question. Your TA went to bat for you and got an upgrade, which you refused. NCL almost always tries to accommodate guests by upgrades not OBC. In some cases if an upgrade is not available they will give a small OBC (25% or so). Since you were offered an upgrade chances are slim for anything else. Some TA's give amenities or OBC that comes out of their pocket, but not all do that. Lot's of folks on here report OBC's, but how they are received is not always clear. An upgrade to a mini suite is a pretty sweet deal, but if it doesn't work for you I'm not sure I would expect much more. Enjoy your cruise.:D

Don,

 

 

FWIW, this is my personal take on the whole "price drop after final payment" issue.

 

When the final payment date approaches, I do a quick review of my booking in order to satisfy myself that the cabin I've booked and the price I've paid give me value for my money. IOW...I make sure I am content with the status quo.

 

If the price subsequently drops, I will call and ask them what they can do for me. There are two possible answers: a) "Sorry, we can't do anything", and b) "We can offer you ______". I go in fully prepared for either response. If I get answer a), then "oh well, I tried". At least I'm still getting value for my money. And if the answer is b), then "winner" ANYTHING I'm offered is a bonus.

 

 

That said, I need to comment on this one particular paragraph:

 

IMHO, I would advise caution in using this approach. It may be taken as an attempt at consumer blackmail.

 

If you don't already know the story, Google Brenda Moran and Royal Caribbean and see what happend to her and her husband. Long story short, they were banned for life from traveling on Royal Caribbean for doing something similar to what you mention in your post. They had received compensation from RCCL and we're talking about it online. Other people picked it up and started a whole, "Well you gave so-and-so ____, why can't I have the same thing" argument. RCCL took the position that the offered compensation was between them and the Morans and since they talked about it, they were banned. Now...I'm not saying that NCL would do the same (I have no idea WHAT NCL would do), but I can see the possibility that this technique could very easily backfire. (Besides...you only know that people have "claimed" to get this deal or that deal. I don't think that your RC contains any verifiable proof.)

 

 

In any case, I hope it works out for you in the end. Have a great cruise and a great Thanksgiving.

 

My travel agent asked for it (information from the roll call).

This happens in sales everyday....people shop and compare prices.

It is not blackmail, it is called doing business. :D

I will enjoy my wonderful cruise whatever happens and thank you for your comments.

 

Happy Thanksgiving. :)

Don

Don,

 

 

FWIW, this is my personal take on the whole "price drop after final payment" issue.

 

When the final payment date approaches, I do a quick review of my booking in order to satisfy myself that the cabin I've booked and the price I've paid give me value for my money. IOW...I make sure I am content with the status quo.

 

If the price subsequently drops, I will call and ask them what they can do for me. There are two possible answers: a) "Sorry, we can't do anything", and b) "We can offer you ______". I go in fully prepared for either response. If I get answer a), then "oh well, I tried". At least I'm still getting value for my money. And if the answer is b), then "winner" ANYTHING I'm offered is a bonus.

 

 

That said, I need to comment on this one particular paragraph:

 

IMHO, I would advise caution in using this approach. It may be taken as an attempt at consumer blackmail.

 

If you don't already know the story, Google Brenda Moran and Royal Caribbean and see what happend to her and her husband. Long story short, they were banned for life from traveling on Royal Caribbean for doing something similar to what you mention in your post. They had received compensation from RCCL and we're talking about it online. Other people picked it up and started a whole, "Well you gave so-and-so ____, why can't I have the same thing" argument. RCCL took the position that the offered compensation was between them and the Morans and since they talked about it, they were banned. Now...I'm not saying that NCL would do the same (I have no idea WHAT NCL would do), but I can see the possibility that this technique could very easily backfire. (Besides...you only know that people have "claimed" to get this deal or that deal. I don't think that your RC contains any verifiable proof.)

 

 

In any case, I hope it works out for you in the end. Have a great cruise and a great Thanksgiving.

 

Another good reason to not reveal our real names on CC.

Another good reason to not reveal our real names on CC.

 

No need to use real names. Anyone with access to the cruiseline database and the details that people post here would be able to determine who the poster is. Many businesses have social media units that monitor sites and do this these days. And some businesses will even associate things people post with their records.

 

Even without access to the NCL database, many people include enough details in their posts that someone determined enough may be able to figure who they are. With the search capabilities available on the internet, it only takes a couple of key pieces of information. Especially if people use social media and don't have that information locked down to just close friends and immediate family. And be very wary of using smartphone location services in combination with your social media sites.

Edited November 28, 2013 by jame_g

No need to use real names. Anyone with access to the cruiseline database and the details that people post here would be able to determine who the poster is. Many businesses have social media units that monitor sites and do this these days. And some businesses will even associate things people post with their records.

 

Even without access to the NCL database, many people include enough details in their posts that someone determined enough may be able to figure who they are. With the search capabilities available on the internet, it only takes a couple of key pieces of information. Especially if people use social media and don't have that information locked down to just close friends and immediate family. And be very wary of using smartphone location services in combination with your social media sites.

 

Important, too, to pay attention to the guidelines here on CC.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/faq.php?faq=guidelines

 

I never give out my phone number, address, or other private info. If I mention an email (for other CC members to contact me about M&G or something else), it's not the main one I normally use.

Another good reason to not reveal our real names on CC.

 

I'd have to agree with jame_g...it is VERY easy for the cruise line to figure out who we are. It's not surprising that they know which screen name goes to which guest. And it really isn't all that hard to figure out...Take yourself for example. Your posts show your hometown and your next cruise...I can't imagine that there are so many people booked for that cruise from your hometown that NCL couldn't make a good guess as to who you are (if they wanted to).

My experience is similar to others: No refunds or OBCs, but an upgrade is possible. And when I say "upgrade," I really mean "upBUY." That is, by spending a little bit more money, maybe you can buy up to a better cabin at the new, lower price. And I always approach this situation with the idea that I will end up spending more money, not that NCL will necessarily give me something just because I asked (maybe they will, but maybe they won't).

 

In fact, I often consider this possibility when booking. I'll initially book a cabin at the lower end of what I consider acceptable, thus leaving some room to buy up if the opportunity presents itself. Either that, or I book at the last minute when prices MIGHT be lowest.

You had it right in your OP above. It's the wild west with no set rules. Folks continually report experiences which run the gamut when looking for the after- final-payment-price-drop extravaganza! From "I got upgraded to a suite" to "the NCL rep hung up on me" and everything in between.

 

Your TA smells though. Not just a TA, but in any job... don't outright tell a customer NO like grumpy cat. You say "let me see what I can do for you" - your TA is lazy, incompetent or both.

 

Just curious, what are passengers policies when prices increase after final payment? Don't bother; it's a rhetorical question...

 

I think sometimes ( not always ) people tend to embellish what they got for compensation just to make fellow cruisers feel bad.....

Steve....

Do you really think that is so?

I can't believe people would do that.

If that is so, those people are nuts (and not the good type of "NUTZ!") :D

 

Don

Both upgrades/upsells and OBC are possible. I think a lot has to do with who you are talking to at NCL.

 

We booked our January cruise in October less than a week before final payment was due. We paid the deposit. We had just missed by a couple of days a big sale by NCL that included OBC and other discounts. When my husband called to make the final payment, he talked to the rep, he told her about missing the sale and got into a really long conversation with her (he is very good at this stuff). We ended up with $300 OBC, which was the amount being offered on the sale we missed.

 

This month, they ran a sale that included OBC and a bunch of other amenities. My husband called and he got the OBC that was going with that sale (I'm not sure if we got anything else or not). This OBC didn't show up on our account -- it's part of our amenities report.

 

I'm not certain if he was talking to our PCC or just a random rep. I think it was our PCC because she told him to call back in December to see if there is anything else that she could offer him. Prices have dropped on our cabin and I expect that when he does call, he will mention that.

 

A few things -- when we have called, we do not expect anything. But, we figure it can't hurt to try. We are also in a higher cabin category, so the availability of upgrades is minimal. Another item is that these have not been quick five-minute phone calls. Both calls took at least 20 minutes.

 

While NCL doesn't have a set policy, they will make offers (both times we got the OBC the prices hadn't dropped). Whether or not you will get an offer you want is partially luck. Hopefully your TA will step up to the plate and spend the time sweet-talking NCL for you.