susanf31

Having been to Bora Bora on a land-based vacation, I can unequivocally say that there is NO WAY Bora Bora could accomodate a ship with more than a few hundred passengers, max.

Bora Bora never has more than about 1,000 people on it at any given time. That is it's max infrastructure and that INCLUDES ALL of the resorts there combined. They only get about 56,000 visitors in a YEAR.  With a 2,500 passenger cruise ship, they would get that every 22 days.  

There is nothing to do there that doesn't require getting on a smaller boat and Bora Bora does not have enough smaller boats to accomodate so many people. The boats they do have are used to take resort guests on their excursions and there's no way a $1500 a night resort is going to give their boats up to cruise ship folks. 

There is no way a ship could show up with 2,500 (or more) passengers on any given day and be able to offer them anything.  

I just got off the phone with NCL to clarify COVID testing requirements for sailings before 1/17/2022.

#1 - They will be testing you for COVID at the port before allowing you to get on the ship.

BUT....if you test positive, you will not only NOT be getting on the ship, you will also NOT be getting a refund or cruise credit...

UNLESS you have gotten your own COVID test 4 days or less prior to your sailing date.

So - in a nutshell - if you get a COVID test done on your own  no more than 4 days prior to sailing and you test negative but then test positive at the port as you are getting on the ship, you WILL get either a refund or FCC. But if you don't get your own test done independently no more than 4 days prior to boarding the ship and you test positive at the port, you will NOT receive a refund or FCC.

Mrs. Santos - I don't think you can get a refund since you cancelled the cruise and not NCL.  In my case, and others like me, we didn't cancel. We were paid and full and days away from sailing when NCL cancelled the cruise. We had no choice.

I already did dispute with my CC company.  They declined the dispute because NCL provided them with documentation saying they had issued me a cruise credit and that is all they were obligated to do per the contract.  I disputed THAT dispute with documentation that showed they were offering refunds and that I filled out the refund, my CC company STILL declined my dispute and sided with NCL.  Capital One Venture.

I'm going to try to keep this simple:

I was supposed to sail on the March 22nd sailing of Encore. NCL cancelled the cruise on about March 17th.

On March 23rd, I went onto NCL website and filled out the online form for a refund.  I got the pop up window that said I would get the refund in 90 days.  I also received an email.

About May 13th, I called my NCL group cruise consultant and asked about the progress of the refund. He said they had no record of my refund request and I should fill out the form again. He stayed on the phone with me and walked me through the process of filling out the form again.

Once I filled out the form and hit "send" I got a pop up saying I had cancelled my refund request and been moved back to future cruise credits (!!!!!!) I did NOT want this!!!!

I've been working with a NCL executive ever since trying to get this mistake corrected.  Especially since THEIR NCL consultant is the one who told me to fill out the form again.

On August 17th, she emailed me and told me that the "powers that be" have agreed that I should receive a refund. (I've been fighting this since June!) She told me I could take up to 30 days to receive the refund.

It is now Sept. 21st.  34 days since she told me it could take UP TO 30 days to get the refund. Still no refund. I have emailed her 3 times and she is not responding.

What can I do???  

We were to sail on March 22nd. I filled out the refund online form on 3/23 and have not received anything.

Is there anyone out there who has not even gotten the email yet except for me?

We were part of a group booking. When I try to call the group booking number, they aren't even answering the phone anymore - not even able to be put on hold.

My quesiton is specific to how many have NOT received even the email about the refund let alone the refund.  I've received neither. My cruise was supposed to be 3/22 and I filled out the refund form online on 3/23.  I'm seeing people who applied for the refund in April and hae already gotten it.

I have tried calling NCL and they aren't answering the Group Bookings phone at all today.  I left a message for a call back yesterday and have not gotten that either.

Today is the 90 day mark from when I requested a refund. We had a group reservation. Everyone else in my group received an email about a week ago saying their refund would be coming soon. They all received their refunds about 2 days ago. I have not received an email nor a refund.  I can't get anyone in NCL's group reservation department to answer or call me back. Anyone having a similar experience?

Sigh. Looks like that's $5000 I won't be getting back. 😞

Yes, the person I was speaking with was our NCL group reservation agent. We had been working directly with him since last June.  He said he had the most current list of those who requested a refund and neither of my reservations were on it.  He then told me to fill out the form again, and walked me through it.  So yes, it appears that my refund request had gone through and he, mistakenly, walked me through a process that undid my refund request - and then he had no idea how to reinstate it.  So I don't know where I stand now. I am waiting on a call-back from him.  In the meantime, I filed a dispute with my CC company.

I'm the OP, so here is the response.

I knew the NCL rep I was speaking to.  He was our group rep since we had a group reservations for my daugther's wedding. I had his name, email and direct phone number.

I said I had TWO reservations. He could find no record that either had a refund request pending.   He told me to fill out the form again - which I did for ONE of those reservations.  That is the reservation that came back that I cancelled my REFUND request and changed it to ship board credit.

My reservation agent was on the phone with me when I did it. He walked me through it.  Of course, I got very upset when I found out what he led me to do.  He had no idea how to fix it or undo it. He was going to contact his superiors and get back to me.

On March 23, I filled out the form requesting a refund for two cabins on 3/22 Encore that NCL cancelled.

When I filled out those forms, I got a pop-up saying "Refund in 90 days."  I never received any type of confirmation email or anything other than that pop-up.

So, I called them today making sure they had record of my refund request.

GUESS WHAT!! They DID NOT!  My name was NOT on their refund requests for EITHER reservation.

So then the phone rep told me to go fill out the form again.  I followed his instructions and filled out the form. GUESS WHAT I GOT?

It was a form CANCELLING my refund request and asking for cruise credit instead!!!  AND no way to "undo" what I just did and go back to REFUND REQUEST.

The phone rep is checking with his superiors to figure out how to go back to my refund request and said he will get back to me.

So, I called my credit card company and initiated a dispute.  

If you are going to dispute your charge, you need to do it within 6 months (Capital One).  I made my final payment in November, so I am still within my 6 month window. Whew!

"No, because they already credited his account. He's got his money."  He doesn't REALLY have his money now. He won't know until 6/24 if the money he got is his to keep or if they will be taking it back.  So it's the same 90 day wait as the rest of us.

"If  you don't hear back from us by 6/24..."

6/24 is exactly 90 days from when most of us submitted the Refund Request Form back on 3/23. So it's still the same 90 day wait. 

No, absolutely not.  You could easily test negative because you are in the 2 week incubation period.  The tests also are not 100% accurate, so lots of false negatives and false positives are happening.  They aren't reliable and thinking that they are could lead to a ship-wide infectious catastrophe.

We had a large group going on the same cruise in March.  Many of our group cancelled just a day or two before NCL officially cancelled the cruise. They got the same message.  They are only eligible for FCC and not refunds because they cancelled. Those of us who waited until NCL cancelled the cruise and to fill out the form on 3/23 go the pop up message about it taking 90 days for a refund.

I have $5000 wrapped up in a cruise for two cabins in March that were obviously cancelled. I filled out the refund form and got the pop-up message of 90 days.  I called my credit card company to dispute the charge - Capital One Venture Card.

They told me that it takes AT LEAST 90 days to close a disputed charge and since NCL was promising a refund within those 90 days, they wanted me to be patient with NCL for the next 90 days. THEN if I didn't get my refund, to then proceed with the credit card dispute process.

They said they made a note of my phone call and what they suggested I do, so I will have a stronger case for the dispute if I have to file one in 90 days.

I have $5000 wrapped up in a cruise for two cabins in March that were obviously cancelled. I filled out the refund form and got the pop-up message of 90 days.  I called my credit card company to dispute the charge - Capital One Venture Card.

They told me that it takes AT LEAST 90 days to close a disputed charge and since NCL was promising a refund within those 90 days, they wanted me to be patient with NCL for the next 90 days. THEN if I didn't get my refund, to then proceed with the credit card dispute process.

They said they made a note of my phone call and what they suggested I do, so I will have a stronger case for the dispute if I have to file one in 90 days.

"Nobody has said it will take 90 days to get your refund. "

This is wrong.  NCL SAID it will take 90 days to get a refund.  That's the message that popped up from NCL when we all submitted our form to receive a refund!

90 days is ridiculous.  It took them 2 seconds to take my money.

They are putting off cancelling cruises until the last minute, hoping YOU will cancel first. If you cancel, they don't have to refund your money. If they cancel, they do.

Yes, I would totally enjoy that. I've stopped cruising because I don't enjoy loud groups, lots of people and kids running amok.  I'd totally enjoy a lazy, quiet cruise with few group activities. Just laying by an uncrowded pool, eating well, and seeing lovely ports of call.  It would almost be like an upscale vacation at the Ritz.  I'd love it!

No, for the following reasons.

They get to keep your money for the next year or so - it's like giving them an interst free loan.

You are locked in to booking with NCL in the future. What if another cruiseline has a better cruise/deal?  Your money is tied up with NCL so you have fewer options.

Lastly, God forbid, they declare bankrupcy due to all of this. Your cruise credit will be worthless.  Best to have your money in YOUR pocket, not theirs, while we move through all of this Coronavirus uncertainity.

I just called to get my refund on my 3/22 Encore sailing.  They said the announcement just went out and they have not been briefed yet on how to issue refunds and to call back in 24 hours.

March cruises are what appear to no longer be for sale on NCL's direct site.

Cabins are still selling on TA sites like Cruise411, but not on the NCL site. (Encore 3/22 is the one I'm watching).