Transferred booking

[Umbarger]

I have been on many NCL cruises. For the past few years I would always book directly with NCL to get the cabin I need. I also book directly so my PVP will get credit for the booking. I then transfer the booking to a travel agent before final payment.

 

So I booked my Christmas cruise in January directly. I just tried to transfer my booking over to a TA. Apparently, a few months after I booked NCL changed their policy. Now if you book directly you have to transfer the booking over within 60 days.

 

My PVP thought for sure that NCL would make an exception in my case since I was not made aware of the policy change and the policy change was made after my booking.

 

NCL will not budge. They will not transfer the reservation. They are telling me to cancel and rebook. I don't want to do this for two reason. Firstly the price went up since I booked. Secondly I have a HC cabin booked since I have MD. I would lose this cabin if I cancel and there is no guarantee I can get it back.

 

I am not asking NCL for an on board credit of for any money I just want to transfer my booking. I don't think this is right. Anyone have any ideas? This has me so upset I am thinking of cancelling and booking an all inclusive. This is not the way you treat a loyal Latitudes cruiser.

[travel856]

Why do you want to transfer the reservation to a TA? What is the advantage of doing this?

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[Umbarger]

The TA will give me a $200 on board credit.

[SeaShark]

Why not just book it through the TA from the beginning? Seems like too much bother to have one person do the work just so you can transfer it to someone else in the end.

[Fishbait17]

Why not just book it through the TA from the beginning? Seems like too much bother to have one person do the work just so you can transfer it to someone else in the end.

 

I totally agree with you. Basically, by transferring the res to a TA, NCL loses the commission they now have to pay out after their own agent did all the legwork. I am curious as to why one wouldn't just use the TA from the beginning - is it just playing the system until the "best deal" comes along?

 

Robin

[Umbarger]

As I said I was doing a favor to my PVP who told me she got credit for the booking. I was trying to be nice.

 

I just don't think booking a cruise is a lot of work. I do my own air and pre hotel.

[Mrs. Squirrel]

OP, I was recently in the same boat. I had three cruises booked directly with NCL that were all booked prior to the change. NCL suddenly changed their policy from allowing transfers anytime before final payment to limiting transfers to within 60 days of booking. This change was done without any notice nor a grace period for those of us who booked under the old policy. I was told the same thing by NCL. . .no to the transfers.

 

The TA I use went to bat for both myself, and a cruise friend who had 4 cruises, herself, that needed transferred. The TA agency was able to get NCL to relent and allow the transfers on any cruises booked prior to the policy change.

 

All seven cruises were then transferred without a hitch. I would contact your TA and ask if they will go to bat for you.

[punkincc]

I totally agree with you. Basically, by transferring the res to a TA, NCL loses the commission they now have to pay out after their own agent did all the legwork. I am curious as to why one wouldn't just use the TA from the beginning - is it just playing the system until the "best deal" comes along?

 

Robin

 

My opinion is that NCL is just happy to have sold a cruise! Their PCC did his job in "selling" you on booking with them. You could have gone with another cruise line. I discussed this with my PCC once and he told me they have no resentment against transferring the booking. The PCC loses nothing. NCL would have paid the TA commission whether you booked it with the TA initially or transferred it later. As a consumer, I am looking for the best deal. In a perfect world, I would always book with NCL direct. But if I can save $300 to $400 by transferring, then that is what I have to do.

[candygirl27540]

This new policy went into effect Sept.1. I became aware of it through a thread on this site.I was able to transfer my booking to my TA after a small amount of hassle from NCL. I think if I were you I would have the TA apply a little more pressure for the transfer since the change was not well documented on the NCL site.

Good luck

[SeaShark]

Great thread! We're "looking for the best deal", "playing the system", and "going to bat" all in the name of a few dollars. (And I STILL don't understand why people who want to book with a TA just don't book with that TA in the first place.) As there are always two sides to each transaction, I'm just wondering what words we would use to describe it if it was the cruise line jumping through all these hoops in order to gain another nickel or a dime?:rolleyes:

[Mrs. Squirrel]

Great thread! We're "looking for the best deal", "playing the system", and "going to bat" all in the name of a few dollars. (And I STILL don't understand why people who want to book with a TA just don't book with that TA in the first place.) As there are always two sides to each transaction, I'm just wondering what words we would use to describe it if it was the cruise line jumping through all these hoops in order to gain another nickel or a dime?:rolleyes:

 

Maybe in your world a couple hundred dollars is nickel or dime, but in my world it's not. It's a lot of money.

 

I asked my PCC before I transferred our first NCL cruise to a TA if she was hurt financially or numbers wise by my doing so and she said no. I would not have done it if she had been. She knows when I book my cruises that I will be transferring the reservation to a TA later and she still gives me the same great service.

[punkincc]

Great thread! We're "looking for the best deal", "playing the system", and "going to bat" all in the name of a few dollars. (And I STILL don't understand why people who want to book with a TA just don't book with that TA in the first place.) As there are always two sides to each transaction, I'm just wondering what words we would use to describe it if it was the cruise line jumping through all these hoops in order to gain another nickel or a dime?:rolleyes:

 

The cruise lines will do what they do to extract my money from me, whether it be pricing, enticing for fee restaurants, an irresistible martini bar menu, a Cirque show and dinner, etc. And I do not consider it "nickel and dimeing".

 

I in turn will get the best possible price I can by booking where I can get the lowest price and extra OBC. If there is an offer that beats NCL's price initially, I book direct with the TA. If NCL has the best price/offer the day I am ready to book, then I book with NCL to secure my cabin and fare and watch and wait for a better one.

[SeaShark]

Maybe in your world a couple hundred dollars is nickel or dime, but in my world it's not. It's a lot of money.

 

I asked my PCC before I transferred our first NCL cruise to a TA if she was hurt financially or numbers wise by my doing so and she said no. I would not have done it if she had been. She knows when I book my cruises that I will be transferring the reservation to a TA later and she still gives me the same great service.

 

You should read my response again. When talking about us (the guests) I used the term "dollars"...the terms "nickel" and "dime" were only used when speaking of the cruise line's behavior. I don't know how that got turned around like that!

 

Its amazing to me just how quickly we become the victim.

[Alg63]

Policies change all the time, and what NCL and other cruise lines have come to realize is this: Why should they have to have THEIR res agents do all the initial work (which is the majority of it) only to have someone txfr their booking to a TA? So not only does NCL have to pay and agent for the work they did, they then have to deal with the txfr AND still pay a comm as well as some incentives (some OBC is paid by the cruise line back to the TA

I know it sucks but think how you would handle it if it was your own biz?

[punkincc]

Policies change all the time, and what NCL and other cruise lines have come to realize is this: Why should they have to have THEIR res agents do all the initial work (which is the majority of it) only to have someone txfr their booking to a TA? So not only does NCL have to pay and agent for the work they did, they then have to deal with the txfr AND still pay a comm as well as some incentives (some OBC is paid by the cruise line back to the TA

I know it sucks but think how you would handle it if it was your own biz?

 

If NCL chose, they could simply not allow anyone else to sell their cruises, thereby eliminating the cost of commissions, etc. But, TAs sell a lot of cruises for them, so they are not likely to do that. Any OBC which is paid by the cruise line back to the TA ( if this is in fact done? ) really goes back to NCL at the end of the cruise after I spend it ( and more ) for spa treatments and dinners, drinks. So they really did not lose it.

[Mrs. Squirrel]

You should read my response again. When talking about us (the guests) I used the term "dollars"...the terms "nickel" and "dime" were only used when speaking of the cruise line's behavior. I don't know how that got turned around like that!

 

Its amazing to me just how quickly we become the victim.

 

I read your response perfectly clearly. Do you like the below wording? Doesn't change the meaning of my response one iota, but if it makes you feel better, I have used your exact, original language.

 

Maybe in your world a couple hundred dollars is a few dollars, but in my world it is not. It's a lot of money.

 

As for the victim comment. I have no idea what that means.

[Fishbait17]

If NCL chose, they could simply not allow anyone else to sell their cruises, thereby eliminating the cost of commissions, etc. But, TAs sell a lot of cruises for them, so they are not likely to do that. Any OBC which is paid by the cruise line back to the TA ( if this is in fact done? ) really goes back to NCL at the end of the cruise after I spend it ( and more ) for spa treatments and dinners, drinks. So they really did not lose it.

 

Yes, TA's earn their commissions by SELLING an NCL cruise to their clients who otherwise may or may not book NCL. I'm all for TA's - I spent a lot of years working as one. But, by calling NCL directly to book a cruise, NCL pays THEIR agents and systems to do the work to book (it may not seem like they do much, but there is time and money on personnel and IT systems). Then, when you simply "transfer" to a TA, there is even MORE time and money involved on NCL's side (to do the transfer) and then, to top it off, they have to pay a hefty commission to the TA for basically doing nothing.

 

I can see your point, who doesn't want to save money? But this type of transfer is a Lose-Lose for NCl, so I can see their point in wanting to save money as well. Just using the TA from the start eliminates all these issues and keeps NCL's prices lower for all of us.

 

Robin

[brenjmull2]

I have to say that I understand the OPs interest in transferring the booking. I booked thur NCl and a TA told me that could get me a bottle of wine and obc of 100,, my NCL person told me he would do HIS best to get me the same deal.. Well it has been 2 months and he has not came thru with anything, so I called the TA back and she said she could still do the deal for me and now I am 4 days past the 60 day so I am not sure she will be able to do the transfer.. The NCL guy was all agreeable to help me out, but once he got my deposit he quit and kept giving excuses on why he could give me a bottle of wine or the OBC.. So I hope the TA can get the transfer. I too have to watch my money.. no money trees in my backyard.