Cruise canceled by NCL

I just booked the dec 27th sailing today for 4 on the getaway in a guaranteed balcony. I was given the reservation # & my credit card charged in full. An hour ago I heard from the travel agent & NCL had canceled the booking stating they could not accommodate 4 on that sailing. They didn't even call to offer anything else or say oops sorry! Or if anyone canceled they would call me!

Has anyone ever heard of this happening before? It sounds like their web site was still taking bookings & they were already maxed out on lifeboat allocation maybe?

I know it was a last minute booking but it is frustrating.

Did your TA call and ask how this happened? If you had a reservation, how was it cancelled? Your TA should know something!

OP, that stinks. It does happen that lifeboat capacity and cabin availability are different. I've been trying to add a person to our sold out Hawaiian cruise for about a month now with no luck due to that very reason. The ship even still has cabins available, but thankfully, not online to book. Sorry that happened.

I guess I'm confused. If you didn't book directly with NCL, why would NCL speak directly with you to cancel it? You went through the TA, they went through the TA...I don't see any issue there. Obviously it sucks you cant go, though.

Just simply "CANCELLED" with no other alternative cruise date time available ?

Makes you wonder just what the heck is going on ?

Did the ship get a ding when was cruising last?

Fail inspection of one type or another?

Health care or wage issue with crew?

Or just simply they knew your were coming and they would not be able to

supply the ship with enough food (steak & lobster) and the casino was worried

about another high roller leaving them cashless.

Well better that they leave you high and dry rather than in a dingy at sea.

Damn I hate that when that happens !

Good Luck on the outcome !

Please come back and tell us more - CC is interested in all things CANCELLED !

From reading your post, I take it your TA called you. NCL called the TA. NCL must have gave the TA a reason. You think the TA took the reservation and money thinking they could book you? Later in the day to find they could not?

NCL has problems like any other cruise line with regards to reserving rooms. But they also abide by capacity guidlines. Your TA should give you an honest reason, whether it NCLs fault or theirs.

Sorry for your dissapointment. For a little while you were looking forward to a nice vacation.

I just booked the dec 27th sailing today for 4 on the getaway in a guaranteed balcony. I was given the reservation # & my credit card charged in full. An hour ago I heard from the travel agent & NCL had canceled the booking stating they could not accommodate 4 on that sailing. They didn't even call to offer anything else or say oops sorry! Or if anyone canceled they would call me!

 

Has anyone ever heard of this happening before? It sounds like their web site was still taking bookings & they were already maxed out on lifeboat allocation maybe?

 

I know it was a last minute booking but it is frustrating.

Booking late sometimes has advantages, but your situation is an example of a possible pitfall.

Your TA should be able to go over all alternate possibilities for you. I don't know that NCL could correctly offer any alternative since you are the client of a TA.

The website shows 1 other sailing for Miami ( on 12-29 ) which is the 4 day Sky. No comparison to the Getaway for sure, but it might beat staying home. There are many ships of other cruise lines which sail from Miami and Ft Lauderdale. You may have to jump ship from NCL to get your vacation this time.

At first glance this seems like a TA issue to me, not NCL.

I've had two bookings cancelled long after I booked them because the ship was later rebooked to use for charters. However, my TA, when NCL called to give the bad news, then asked, "ok, what are the options? What other sailings are available that will substitute for this cancelled booking?" Once, the option was a good one and I took it. The other time, not a good option for me, so I just let that cruise drop. I would think your TA would have done the same for you and provided more info than ,"Oooops, booking cancelled. Sorry." Again, booked through a TA, NCL will call the TA, not you regarding anything about the booking. But at least both booking and cancelling both occurred within hours. So not too much additional effort lost in the planning.

This happened to me once. I tried to add a third person to my cabin and was refused. They said due to lifeboat capacity they could only allow 2 pax per cabin for the remaining cabins and no one can be added to the cabins already booked.

At first glance this seems like a TA issue to me, not NCL.

Why a TA issue? They do not have any information other than what NCL supplies them and the public as well. Seems like an NCL issue to me.

This close to sailing date I can see this easily happening as bookings are applied through TAs, the NCL website and through NCL PCCs all at the same time. At some point on a given day, maximum capacity is reached, but bookings probably continued for a while. Maybe because of NCLs wonderful ace computer system which continues to take reservations as long as cabins are open. Once the bookings are sorted out at NCL, oops the lifeboats are full, even though some cabins are empty.

That ship and sailing are no longer listed as available for booking on that date.

I just booked the dec 27th sailing today for 4 on the getaway in a guaranteed balcony. I was given the reservation # & my credit card charged in full. An hour ago I heard from the travel agent & NCL had canceled the booking stating they could not accommodate 4 on that sailing. ....

1 - The TA took the reservation and credit card. Not even positive at this point if NCL ever accepted the reservation all the way through. They might have.

2 - Since the TA "owns" the reservation, there would not be any contact from NCL.

3 - Small thing, but the cruise was not cancelled. Your particular reservation was cancelled (or possibly never accepted).

By the way, sorry about not getting the cruise. Wondering if GTY was the ONLY thing left when it was booked - meaning they were just about full and about to be sold out?

Can't be too much of a concern because the poster hasn't replied.

at first glance this seems like a ta issue to me, not ncl.

agree!!!!!

check to see who the money on the CC was sent to. If it is the TA you might be in for problems!

At first glance this seems like a TA issue to me, not NCL.

agree!!!!!

I'm curious, what in the post leads you to think this?

I'm curious, what in the post leads you to think this?

It's a TA "issue" by the fact that OP booked through a TA.

The OP leaves me, once again, mystified as to why people book through a TA then come here seeking answers. Shouldn't the TA have those answers? The OP doesn't have them, so clearly, a TA issue, Q.E.D.

It's a TA "issue" by the fact that OP booked through a TA.

 

The OP leaves me, once again, mystified as to why people book through a TA then come here seeking answers. Shouldn't the TA have those answers? The OP doesn't have them, so clearly, a TA issue, Q.E.D.

Exactamundo!

Feel for the OP and don't meant to sound harsh but it clearly is a TA issue. We see this way too often with people booking with a TA, things fall apart for whatever reason then turn directly to NCL for explanation, blame, compensation, etc. If the TA lost the booking, it is the TA that needs to explain this. I know many book through TA's but I stick with booking directly with the cruise line. If I ever need to change or amend, its usually not a problem and I know exactly what is going on.

If you booked directly through NCL would you turn to a TA to blame or question if the booking got screwed up? No. Then why would you turn to NCL for the booking the TA did? After all, is this not the TA's job especially when they get a commission for the booking? If you want direct contact with the cruise line for all purposes of the booking then book with the cruise line. If for some reason you get a better deal with at TA or some special, you must work with the TA for all aspects of the booking.

I hope this was just a glitch and the OP gets back on the ship and has a wonderful cruise!

OP, you should ask your TA for an explanation, asd ask for other options out of your chosen port and chosen date.

Maybe 4 could not be booked into one cabin, but could be accomodated in two separate ones. Sorry about your situation.

If you get a refund from the TA, call NCL and try to rebook everything the way you want it. They might be better equipt to help you at this late date.

Please reply to us and let us know how things worked out.

I'm curious how they can use a "lifeboat capacity" excuse.

Unless a boat is out of service the ship has capacity for about 120% of maximum capacity (all berths).

So it's more likely that either A) they have run out of 4-berth cabins. Not all can accommodate and some might have been selected by a 2 person booking for a specific location/cabin. B) if children involved they'll gave a maximum no. Of allowed children per cruise.

OP, I'm sorry your cruise was canceled.

Let us know it you've gotten your money back. That would be my concern at this point.....who has the money and if my card had been immediately credited.

All cruise lines overbook if they can. Then as the time comes near, it may be necessary to buy out some bookings. I had to cancel a cruise one year after we were hit by a semi. Our cruise consultant (on another line) advised us to wait relatively late to cancel as we had the cruise line's no fault insurance. Had the cruise been overbooked, he would have gotten us the perks that came with being one to give up a booking. Unfortunately for us, it wasn't, but the insurance did pay us back most of the cost.

Overbookings are based (my PCC said) on the number of people who typically cancel a cruise within time frameworks. If only guarantees were available, there never was a cabin open. TA should have informed OP of the risk here.

I'm curious how they can use a "lifeboat capacity" excuse.

 

Unless a boat is out of service the ship has capacity for about 120% of maximum capacity (all berths).

 

So it's more likely that either A) they have run out of 4-berth cabins. Not all can accommodate and some might have been selected by a 2 person booking for a specific location/cabin. B) if children involved they'll gave a maximum no. Of allowed children per cruise.

It's not the ship's total lifeboat capacity that's the issue, it's the number of passengers booked in the cabins that are assigned to your particular lifeboat.

If your lifeboat has a capacity of 100 and 100 passengers are already booked into the cabins assigned to that lifeboat, no additional passengers can be booked into a cabin assigned to that lifeboat, even if there are available empty cabins or additional berths available in already booked cabins. If there are 98 passengers already assigned to the lifeboat and there's an empty available cabin in that lifeboat's section at most two passengers can be booked into that empty cabin, even if the cabin has three or four berths.

Can't be too much of a concern because the poster hasn't replied.

So very true.

So often somebody will post something, or a question, or complaint and then never return to EXPLAIN the details.

The rest of of us trip all over ourselves trying to help and guessing what really happened.

I spoke with the TA & they have no answers from NCL. It is the NCL revenue department that canceled the booking. They are not in until Monday!

I will let you know on Monday what they say. I am sure it is over booked, over capacity but one would expect in this technology era that their computer system should not be able to take bookings & process cc & issue a reservation after capacity has been reached!