NCL site showing booked room as available

[mchelle77]

I'm going to post this here because it's related to our vacation (which is through NCL). I will NOT post names of TAs, but I'll try to be as clear as possible.

 

(And admins - if this isn't where this should be, feel free to move to proper location! :D )

 

My husband, daughter and I booked through a local TA that's been around a while. Our aunt and cousin booked through the same. My SIL and her husband booked through an online site.

 

Recently on this board, I saw that you can go on to NCL.com to see how many cabins are available to see how "booked up" your cruise is. When I went on to see how ours was, it was showing our deck (10) pretty much sold out. But my SIL is on Deck 11, and according to NCL.com, HER room is available. She doesn't seem too worried ("I paid for it, I have my confirmation.") She booked back in mid-August. Has this happened to anyone?

 

I should also mention that her TA site has pretty bad reviews online (several sites have HUNDREDS of complaints). I know it's really not my business, but because we were the first to book (and asked everyone else to come with us), I feel sort of an obligation to make sure everyone has a good experience.

[SuiteTraveler]

Oh, my! If I were your SIL, I'd be doing some double checking - like calling NCL to find out if they had my name as booked on my cruise or not and if not, place a call to the TA to ask what is going on!

[beachchick]

Does she have a confirmation from NCL? Did her credit card charge for the cruise say "NCL" and not the TA's name? If so, then she should make sure things are fine (like did final payment passed and somehow her payment was not made/credited?). Although NCL won't make changes to her booking because she's got a TA, they should be able to confirm her booking, especially once she points out that the cabin she has a confirmation for is showing as available on her cruise.

 

But if she has only a TA confirmation and/or (and worse, IMO) her credit card statement lists the cruise fare charge made to the TA, then I think she had darn well better start being concerned. It's entirely possible that the TA didn't complete the reservation or make final payment to the cruise line or messed up the booking somehow. I'd be very worried and would be contacting NCL immediately considering the number of complaints and bad reviews you've read.

 

I hope all is well and that you all have a wonderful cruise. Please let us know what happens.

 

beachchick

[goldmom]

She will or should have already done her pre-registration on the ncl site. If she logs in, she should be able to see her booking including her cabin number. If she doesn't see her booking, or her cabin number is wrong, then she should definitely follow up on it immediately.

[che5904]

OK first of all NCL's site is not always accurate. Sometimes they will show a cabin available but if you took the booking to the next stage, instead of getting the next page you get a form that says "call NCL for availability".

 

2nd although very well meaning, you are right this is not your business. You have fulfilled your sisterly obligation by sending out the red flag that something may not be right. Other than that there is nothing else you can do.

 

Everyone worry's about different things and this is obviously not something you SIL feels to worry about.

 

Everyone has given great advice if this was your booking, but it isn't, so my advice would be concentrate on your own cruise and leave your SIL to concentrate on hers the way she wishes to.

[SuiteRose]

OK first of all NCL's site is not always accurate. Sometimes they will show a cabin available but if you took the booking to the next stage, instead of getting the next page you get a form that says "call NCL for availability".

 

2nd although very well meaning, you are right this is not your business. You have fulfilled your sisterly obligation by sending out the red flag that something may not be right. Other than that there is nothing else you can do.

 

Everyone worry's about different things and this is obviously not something you SIL feels to worry about.

 

Everyone has given great advice if this was your booking, but it isn't, so my advice would be concentrate on your own cruise and leave your SIL to concentrate on hers the way she wishes to.

 

Wow, I don't believe that you would say that it is none of her business... myabe her SIL is not a frequent traveler. I know that when I travel with family, they rely on my knowledge and research. If for some reason her SIL's reservation is not in place, that is going to ruin the cruise for her too! Yes, it is her business and I applaud her concern.

 

I would have her follow the other good advice given here. Did they all pre-register??? If her booking shows up on the NCL site the things are fine, if not, it's a problem...

[flashdog_1]

Michelle,

Let's hope NCL has given your SIL a free upgrade because of this screw up, if it IS a screw up. Were you in final payment time frame I'd guess that that's what happened, but you are almost 7 months out. Please come back and let us know what's going on with that cabin. Thanks

[marti2282]

BEWARE!!

 

We had a cabin booked for our Feb Star cruise, and I went online to see what cabins were available in our category and lo and behold our cabin was one of them. We had booked directly with NCL so I called. It seems that (depending on which part of the conversation is credible) 1--our booking was "inadvertently changed" or 2--it was all a "computer glitch." They had moved our booking to another date. Every thing was resolved, and we got our cabin back. But we would have been very disappointed if we had waited and trusted that everything would be fine just because we had the confirmation that was correct.

[rvsullivan]

Wow, I don't believe that you would say that it is none of her business... myabe her SIL is not a frequent traveler. I know that when I travel with family, they rely on my knowledge and research. If for some reason her SIL's reservation is not in place, that is going to ruin the cruise for her too! Yes, it is her business and I applaud her concern.

 

I would have her follow the other good advice given here. Did they all pre-register??? If her booking shows up on the NCL site the things are fine, if not, it's a problem...

 

Please read first! The OP is the one that said maybe it's none of my business. She also said her SIL knows about this and is not worried. Based on that che5904 is correct. None of her/his business.

[che5904]

Wow, I don't believe that you would say that it is none of her business... myabe her SIL is not a frequent traveler. I know that when I travel with family, they rely on my knowledge and research. If for some reason her SIL's reservation is not in place, that is going to ruin the cruise for her too! Yes, it is her business and I applaud her concern.

 

I would have her follow the other good advice given here. Did they all pre-register??? If her booking shows up on the NCL site the things are fine, if not, it's a problem...

 

 

Then I guess you had best re-read the OP's post. She has already tried to warn her SIL and her SIL was not interested in pursuing this. The OP did not state she was the family trip expert, she claimed she started the ball rolling and ask others if they wanted to come.

 

If the OP's SIL was reliant on her for her expertise, she would have jumped at her warning. She didn't.

 

If the OP is aware that her SIL won't mind that she gives her unsolicited advice, then run with the good advice she has gotten. Otherwise it may cause family issues, sticking your nose in without being asked. The OP is the only one that knows her SIL well enough to make that call.

[mchelle77]

Thanks, everyone, for your feedback.

 

When I was checking NCL.com, it was allowing me to go all the way to the point where I put in a credit card number.

 

She got her conf from the TA, and hasn't pre-registered yet through NCL. So any issue would be through the TA and not NCL. NCL told me (when I asked them about the difference between booking direct and through this online TA site) that THEY own her reservation and NCL can't do anything about any issues, she'll have to go through them.

 

** Here's why I'm not sure if I should mind my own business - when booking, I also mentioned our TA. She went through the online place and and said she saved $100 from the quote I got (while that would have been great, it was for a different category and a different deck, under the aerobics room and NOT mid-ship like she wanted). I told her that I'd be wary of booking with them (a friend had a bad experience years ago with them) and she seemed to have been a little annoyed that I burst her bubble on the savings.

 

After this I found the numerous sites with complaints but I never said anything to her because I was hoping to avoid her worrying about that. I did tell my husband and he said there was no sense in freaking them out if everything's fine. I still haven't told her about it, but now I'm thinking I should so she knows that this COULD be something to worry about. (A few complaints I saw from them were people stating they booked, only to be told their res didn't go through for some reason, and they had to rebook, sometimes at a higher/more expensive category, at the person's expense, or pay the hundreds of dollars they require to cancel.)

 

And yes - she does ask for my opinion on vacations, because she knows I go overboard with details and research, etc.

 

She's away this weekend and I'll be sure to fill her in on the rest of what I found out. Hopefully it's no big deal and everything's fine.

[Seanote]

Michelle,

Let's hope NCL has given your SIL a free upgrade because of this screw up

 

Really?

 

According to the OP, this appears to be a TA issue. Why would NCL give a free upgrade because an unrelated third party is causing an issue?

[cruiser1955a]

I told her that I'd be wary of booking with them (a friend had a bad experience years ago with them) and she seemed to have been a little annoyed that I burst her bubble on the savings.

 

I would re-read this sentence you typed, and reconsider any more involvement. You've given her proper notice. Any more involvement can only lead to potential bad feelings. It's a small step from "a little annoyed", to "thoroughly annoyed". Listen to your husband (just this time).:D

[garycarla]

I would encourage her strongly to go online and complete her registration. This is very important to do for all travelors. Once she has done that, ask her what cabin number she wound up with.

[che5904]

I told her that I'd be wary of booking with them (a friend had a bad experience years ago with them) and she seemed to have been a little annoyed that I burst her bubble on the savings.

 

And yes - she does ask for my opinion on vacations, because she knows I go overboard with details and research, etc.

 

Just keep in mind that solicited "does ask for my opinion" and unsolicited (I've heard all kinds of negative stuff about the company you chose to book through). Treads on a very fine line.

 

As stated before only you and/or your DH, knows your SIL well enough to make that call but do be careful when making that decision.

[che5904]

I would encourage her strongly to go online and complete her registration. This is very important to do for all travelors. Once she has done that, ask her what cabin number she wound up with.

 

This might be able to be easily done, by stating something like "I'm so excited, I just completed my online registration and it seems so real, have you done it yet? It makes things so exciting etc etc." Without pushing the fact that there may be an issue with the company that the SIL chose.

[LadyShiva]

OP, are you sure you have the right room number for your SIL? Mention you're watching prices to see if you can snag an upgrade or a price decrease (or you're still dreaming about affording that Garden Villa), and you thought they were in room X, which is still showing as open...?

[TOP DECK]

I'm going to recheck our reservation again!

[SuiteRose]

Please read first! The OP is the one that said maybe it's none of my business. She also said her SIL knows about this and is not worried. Based on that che5904 is correct. None of her/his business.

 

I did read, and I know that she said "maybe it's none of my business" but she came back to say that they do rely on her for advice. I am not sure what kind of relations other people have with their inlaws but all of mine (and I have a lot) are like my own siblings... they would never get upset if I brought something to their attention out of concern. I guess not all people have that kind of relationship. It will all be solved once they pre-register...

[crusinmama06]

If you can see her cabin available online I would be VERY worried. See if you can get her to do the My NCL registration - tell her this...

 

"I just checked in online and now my luggage tags and Welcome Aboard Kit are on the way! Want me to help you do the same?" :D

 

Try that....;)

[mchelle77]

I know that was her cabin because she forwarded me her conf when she booked (to show the $100 savings).

 

I ended up calling NCL just to ask if maybe it hasn't been updated. That cabin is available for booking. However .. they ARE booked on that cruise, just not that cabin. For privacy reasons, she couldn't tell me which cabin.

 

So I guess their TA moved them to a new cabin? I did just talk to her, told her to go through her papers and give them a call, see what's going on. "Maybe you got an upgrade?" I said. Hopefully that's it and not the other way around. I just want her to be aware. She's going to do that and call me back.

 

che5904 - That's exactly what I was trying to avoid. I don't want to come across the wrong way (although we've been friends since before I even started dating her brother, we go way back :) ) I just want us all to have a good experience prepping for the trip, and a great trip.