Email from NCL...

[erdoran]

Well, I guess the cruise lines could only publish itineraries less than 6 months from the sailing date in order to give the marketing folks ample time to find any potential charters.

 

Yes, the contract has a loop-hole and we all know it. Hard to cry "unfair" under those circumstances. Prudence demands that one take that loop-hole into account when making plans related to the sailing (buying good travel insurance is a good first step).

 

Is this type of thing covered by travel insurance?

[Barb Nahoumi]

I have a question-----. If your vacation time is limited and you cannot rebook, would it be possible to book with the company who chartered your ship?

[sparks1093]

Is this type of thing covered by travel insurance?

 

I would think most basic policies would cover this but I'm far from an expert.

 

I have a question-----. If your vacation time is limited and you cannot rebook, would it be possible to book with the company who chartered your ship?

 

If they make the charter available to the general public then you could, if you didn't mind the theme the company was presenting.

[BarbRN]

Well, I think NCL could have done better with the OBC!!! don't you think??

 

Yes, absolutely stinks and I'd be livid.

[erdoran]

Seems to me pax should have the option to keep their cabins and just sail along with the charter, if they want to, with NO additional cost.

[che5904]

Seems to me pax should have the option to keep their cabins and just sail along with the charter, if they want to, with NO additional cost.

 

Then it would no longer be a charter but a large group joining the cruise, very similar to when they have the scrapbooking cruises etc. Lets say the charter was the police association of blaw blaw. And you were not a member of the police association it wouldn't make much sense. Besides when they ship is chartered it does not have a regular itinerary, or activities onboard as your cruise would.

[che5904]

Is this type of thing covered by travel insurance?

 

No one so far on any thread I've read really knows for sure. But is always touting to buy "good travel insurance" anyway and then all will apparently work out.

[che5904]

Well, I guess the cruise lines could only publish itineraries less than 6 months from the sailing date in order to give the marketing folks ample time to find any potential charters.

 

Yes, the contract has a loop-hole and we all know it. Hard to cry "unfair" under those circumstances. Prudence demands that one take that loop-hole into account when making plans related to the sailing (buying good travel insurance is a good first step).

 

Well if they may sell a cruise out from under me I would just as soon they didn't sell to pax till 6 months before sail date.

 

Secondly no up until 2 weeks ago "we all know it" did not apply to me. Yes I read the contract and yes I seen it in there but figured they were just covering their butt in case this ever happened. The only charter of a ship I have ever heard of was our local radio station that had a chartered cruise once a year and figured they probably just had a standing contract with the cruise line yearly at the same time.

 

I agree with some people that the cruise line turning down a charter for a ship they hoped to sell the cabins one by one on would be stupid, but the way they do it now is also stupid. If you book a holiday, pay a deposit, book everything else to do with that holiday, air, hotel, car rental whatever you really expect to take it, unless the unforseen happens and I don't mean the cruise ship selling your cabin out from under you. But weather, natural disaster etc.

[peg013]

It's not about emotional well being. It is about your rights as a consumer. You entered a contract, but the contract has a loop-hole. Yes, the loop-hole is rarely used. My point is that the loop-hole should be closed. I do admit that if someone treats me unfairly, I get upset, and I have every right to be upset. I believe it is unfair to null someone's reservation because a better offer comes along.

 

Don't forget that "loop-hole" also allows you to hold your cabin until right before final payment and then lets you cancel with a full refund (except suites). So I guess you want a contract that doesn't allow either party an out once it it made????? I don't! Thank You. I have never had to cancel a cruise yet, but if I know before final payment that I cannot take the cruise, I don't want to lose the money I already spent. From reading this board, sure seems like cruisers cancel much more often than the cruislines book a charter. Also I have never seen a charter appear after final payment.

[che5904]

Don't forget that "loop-hole" also allows you to hold your cabin until right before final payment and then lets you cancel with a full refund (except suites). So I guess you want a contract that doesn't allow either party an out once it it made????? I don't! Thank You. I have never had to cancel a cruise yet, but if I know before final payment that I cannot take the cruise, I don't want to lose the money I already spent. From reading this board, sure seems like cruisers cancel much more often than the cruislines book a charter. Also I have never seen a charter appear after final payment.

 

I don't have as much of a problem losing my $500 or in the case of a cruise reward $250 as oppose to my airfare and hotels which come to over $1000. If I put a deposit on anything I purchase, car, house etc. I realize that is a promise to purchase if all conditions are met, therefore I was very surprised that a depost for the cruise was not just that. So I'm just the opposite to you and would prefer that once deposit is there unless unforseen circumstances such as weather that neither side could cancel, the only reason I would cancel my one week in every 3 years was due to sickness or death which I know my insurance will cover.

 

You stated that you "didn't want to lose money that you already spent" but thats exactly what this charter option does for some people. When I booked my cruise I had also booked unrefundable airfare and unrefundable hotel accommodations. Therefore if my cruise would have turn out chartered I would have had exactly that: lost "money that I already spent"

[mommy2tati]

Update: I spoke to NCL this morning and they made the correct adjustments AND informed me that I had been overcharged! So thanks to NCl for helping me out!

[mommy2tati]

Double post

[peg013]

I don't have as much of a problem losing my $500 or in the case of a cruise reward $250 as oppose to my airfare and hotels which come to over $1000. If I put a deposit on anything I purchase, car, house etc. I realize that is a promise to purchase if all conditions are met, therefore I was very surprised that a depost for the cruise was not just that. So I'm just the opposite to you and would prefer that once deposit is there unless unforseen circumstances such as weather that neither side could cancel, the only reason I would cancel my one week in every 3 years was due to sickness or death which I know my insurance will cover.

 

You stated that you "didn't want to lose money that you already spent" but thats exactly what this charter option does for some people. When I booked my cruise I had also booked unrefundable airfare and unrefundable hotel accommodations. Therefore if my cruise would have turn out chartered I would have had exactly that: lost "money that I already spent"

 

Now that you are aware that this "may" happen, maybe you will make sure the airline you use doesn't charge more than $150 pp to change flights and try booking refundable rooms. Then you wouldn't be out anything either. I don't book a nonrefundable room 2 weeks in advance and I surely wouldn't months or years in advance. I like the contract the way it is, since NCL is trying to cover the cost of the changes. I guess we just have to agree to disagree.

[peg013]

Update: I spoke to NCL this morning and they made the correct adjustments AND informed me that I had been overcharged! So thanks to NCl for helping me out!

 

I'm glad things are finally straightened out for your adjusted vacation.:)

[kcwiak]

Personally, I think it is crap. I do not know what they could do to make up for doing this to me. There are people who are loyal customers or potential loyal customers and they would lose my business forever. If you want to charter the boat leave open weeks or weekends open up to a set time and if they do not charter have a "sale" or announce a new sailing date added.

[che5904]

Personally, I think it is crap. I do not know what they could do to make up for doing this to me. There are people who are loyal customers or potential loyal customers and they would lose my business forever. If you want to charter the boat leave open weeks or weekends open up to a set time and if they do not charter have a "sale" or announce a new sailing date added.

 

Well really loyalty doesn't have much to do with it because apparently all cruise lines do it. As they would lose mine as well. Unfortunately the couple of us that believe this is just poor business practices appear to be in the minority.

 

As one poster wrote above they like things the way they are now and would rather spend 150pp extra for their airline ticket to be able to be changed ($300) + pay approx. $30 more per night per room for a refundable room ($60 - night before and night after) = $360 instead of possibly losing $250 deposit (reward credit). This somehow makes sense to some that they spend an extra $110 up front instead of not letting you cancel at a whim and losing your $250 deposit. Even if I could make logic out that scenerio it would not work for me since I only get 1 week holiday in 2 - 3 years so a changeable airline ticket would be of no benefit to me. Therefore I would be very very upset if a company decided to cancel because they got a better offer to charter the ship.

[peg013]

Well really loyalty doesn't have much to do with it because apparently all cruise lines do it. As they would lose mine as well. Unfortunately the couple of us that believe this is just poor business practices appear to be in the minority.

 

As one poster wrote above they like things the way they are now and would rather spend 150pp extra for their airline ticket to be able to be changed ($300) + pay approx. $30 more per night per room for a refundable room ($60 - night before and night after) = $360 instead of possibly losing $250 deposit (reward credit). This somehow makes sense to some that they spend an extra $110 up front instead of not letting you cancel at a whim and losing your $250 deposit. Even if I could make logic out that scenerio it would not work for me since I only get 1 week holiday in 2 - 3 years so a changeable airline ticket would be of no benefit to me. Therefore I would be very very upset if a company decided to cancel because they got a better offer to charter the ship.

 

Not sure if you are referring to me as liking things the way they are or not (since that is what I posted) but if you are, your figures are rather amusing. I book with the military or AARP discounts which are almost always less than the non-refundable rates. Serve your country or get older than 50 and you can too!:rolleyes:

 

And unless you are beyond your 4 year limit on the FCC or after final payment, you don't lose it if you cancel anyway. It returns to your Latitude account!

[che5904]

Not sure if you are referring to me as liking things the way they are or not (since that is what I posted) but if you are, your figures are rather amusing. I book with the military or AARP discounts which are almost always less than the non-refundable rates. Serve your country or get older than 50 and you can too!:rolleyes:

 

And unless you are beyond your 4 year limit on the FCC or after final payment, you don't lose it if you cancel anyway. It returns to your Latitude account!

 

I was speaking at first of all who like things the way they are now. As for my figures, I wasn't referring to your rates but the ones you advised me to use (150pp and refundable hotel room). Which technically if things were to changed and NCL did not allow you cancel after booking would lose me $110. No logic sense to me. As for joining the military (check my location) I am not American. My father was Canadian Military and my son is now active Canadian Military (unfortunately even if I was Canadian Military myself I would not qualify). I have no idea what AARP is but I am over 50 and if you are referring to seniors rates they range anywhere from 55 - 65 depending on what state you book in and which hotel you use.

 

As for the FCC yes I would lose it as explained unlike some I do not have the vacation time others do. So if NCL were to change their policy to a normal one with your deposit being lost if you cancel on a whim, and I booked in say 2-3 years time, by the time I could book my lost holidays (thanks to a charter) I would have to wait another 2-3 years for a holiday hence making my FCC null and void.

 

When I stated about losing the FCC that was if NCL changed and actually did not allow the loop hole that was mentioned earlier on either side of the fence. NCL (charters) or Pax.

[sparks1093]

Well really loyalty doesn't have much to do with it because apparently all cruise lines do it. As they would lose mine as well. Unfortunately the couple of us that believe this is just poor business practices appear to be in the minority.

 

 

Cruise lines dislike unhappy customers as much as any other business so I'm pretty certain that if they could figure out a different way to do it they would (and you can bet that if one line could figure it out the rest would follow suit). You have to remember that the vast majority of sailings aren't full ship charters, so the odds are in your favor.

[Got2Cruise]

Where are you people booking other- than- cruise vacations that don't allow you to cancel? I always book a hotel that you are allowed to cancel up to 24 hours. Cruiselines don't allow you to cancel at whim after you make your final payment. Even if you have a medical emergency. You need insurance for that.

[peg013]

Where are you people booking other- than- cruise vacations that don't allow you to cancel? I always book a hotel that you are allowed to cancel up to 24 hours. Cruiselines don't allow you to cancel at whim after you make your final payment. Even if you have a medical emergency. You need insurance for that.

 

Most hotels has special online "Best Rate" non-refundable rates. I don't use them, but there are many that do. As I said the Military and AARP (American Association of Retired Persons - 50 and older for membership) rates beat the "Best Rates" so I don't need to use them. But even is the rates are slightly cheaper....it's not worth having it be un-refundable if I would need to cancel. Plus most "Best Rates" stipulate that you pay in full when booked.

 

@Che5904, sorry didn't realize you are Canadian. Neither of the rates I use will work for you.

[hladygirl]

how much were the three day cruise tickets? maybe you should just go for long cruise. usually the longer the cruise the less per night it equals to. more vacation for flight fare. we are on the ncl dawn 11/2/11 for eleven nights in bb balcony for 2490.00 total. that equals out to around 110 per night per person for balcony. might want to look into this.

[che5904]

how much were the three day cruise tickets? maybe you should just go for long cruise. usually the longer the cruise the less per night it equals to. more vacation for flight fare. we are on the ncl dawn 11/2/11 for eleven nights in bb balcony for 2490.00 total. that equals out to around 110 per night per person for balcony. might want to look into this.

 

The OP said they didn't have any vacation days and could only go on a long weekend cruise. But I guess has gotten it straightened out now to go on another long weekend.

[che5904]

@Che5904, sorry didn't realize you are Canadian. Neither of the rates I use will work for you.

 

No prob Peg013