Reservation Deposit Terms Change

[madams77]

Yesterday I saw a great price for an aft penthouse on the Pearl for 2018 :D. I called my PCC, and the cabin I wanted was available. Then came the time to discuss the deposit. I have two future cruise rewards and wanted to use one of them. He said great....how do you want to pay for the remainder of the deposit? He told me that as of March 30, 2017, NCL changed their deposit terms. My deposit would be $1500, and the balance after the future cruise reward was $1250. I didn't want to shell out that kind of money for a cruise in so far in the future, so I decided to book an aft mini suite. I am hoping that in the coming months there will come an offer to upgrade to the penthouse but if not, I will be happy with the mini suite. The reason I initially bought the cruise rewards was to use them for suite deposits. Oh well....it was a great deal while it lasted!

 

My PCC mentioned that an email went out on March 30, 2017 to NCL customers, but I didn't get one! Did any of you get that "wicked" email? Wished I had booked last weekend!:loudcry:

[DMH15]

I received none.

 

Another reason to look around.

 

 

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[craig-n-carol]

We have been sailing with NCL since 2011, and this has been the case since then. This is not a new development.

[NCLfamily]

https://www.ncl.com/uk/en/popup/cruisenext_terms

 

Full deposit except for Haven and 'specialty suites'

 

 

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[madams77]

We have been sailing with NCL since 2011, and this has been the case since then. This is not a new development.

 

Not for us! In 2016 we booked a Dawn penthouse for June 2017 and only used our cruise reward as the deposit!

[triptolemus]

https://www.ncl.com/uk/en/popup/cruisenext_terms

 

Full deposit except for Haven and 'specialty suites'

 

The point isn't the CN terms. The point is the increased deposit requirement, from $500 to $1,500 for suites. Even the current $50 deposit promo doesn't apply to suites.

 

Considering that suite prices are astronomical compared to what they were just 2 years ago (approx three times higher), it's no wonder that the deposit requirement was raised as well. My typical aft PH suite in Alaska for September is over $2,000 p/p higher than 2015 -- $1.749 at the time as I recall, with all the perks.

 

DMH15 said it well -- all reasons to look elsewhere.

[triptolemus]

We have been sailing with NCL since 2011, and this has been the case since then. This is not a new development.

 

It is a new development.

 

Suite deposits were raised -- substantially.

[madams77]

My PCC sent me this link:

 

https://www.ncl.com/about/payment-schedule

[khaide612]

The terms have been that the cruise certificate can be used as full deposit on mini-suite & below and towards the deposit on suites for quite awhile. Sometimes they run reduced deposit offers where you can reserve a suite with just a cruise reward but if you look at the deposit schedule, the deposit amounts per person did not change.

 

I even checked an invoice from 2013 and I had to make an additional deposit payment back then.

 

https://www.ncl.com/about/payment-schedule

[craig-n-carol]

Not for us! In 2016 we booked a Dawn penthouse for June 2017 and only used our cruise reward as the deposit!

There is no Haven on the Dawn. Ships with the Haven usually require $1500 for suite deposit (even if the suite is not a Haven Suite) this has changed recently. Ships without a Haven are $500 to reserve, until this notice. If it required $500 deposit for your suite on the Dawn, then I could see it happening there. You can still use the Certificate for $250 toward the deposit, it just will not cover the full deposit if $1500 was required to reserve.

[Kaptivate]

I reserved our next cruise on the pearl in the haven with nothing more than our cruise next certificate. Reservation was made in October of 2016 for a sailing in December of 2017. If they have changed they way this works I have not been informed.

 

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[Até]

Well it's not like they haven't already put a damper on suite sales with the price increases, but this sure will do it. The GV deposit schedule is even funnier. NCL must be having a right before final payment cancellation problem.

 

ETA: I guess since most people are now upselling to the suites last minute it affects few enough people NCL doesn't think it will matter.

[Até]

Sometimes they run reduced deposit offers where you can reserve a suite with just a cruise reward but if you look at the deposit schedule, the deposit amounts per person did not change.

 

I even checked an invoice from 2013 and I had to make an additional deposit payment back then.

 

The last time I have put a Haven/suite deposit pre final payment was Dec, 2015. It is now $500 more (for the same four people) than what I paid then. I was under no reduced deposit promotion.

[yummysbakery]

You can purchase the haven cruise next certificates which are 500 and you get 100 obc for the cruise you are on. These also apply to suites. I don't think that has changed as I just used one a few days ago.

 

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[BellsRUs]

Are the Haven $1500/cabin deposits fully refundable up until final payment is due?

[BirdTravels]

We have been sailing with NCL since 2011, and this has been the case since then. This is not a new development.

 

Nope. For a long time, the cruise next certificate was sufficient to hold the room until final payment. Which is why we always have a few on account.

[BirdTravels]

Are the Haven $1500/cabin deposits fully refundable up until final payment is due?

 

Depends where you book. If you book in the US directly with NCL, yes. If you book through non-US NCL offices, depends on the office (many deposits are non-refundable). If you book through a TA, you are subject to their terms and conditions.

[Cruiser Who Knows Nothing]

Well it's not like they haven't already put a damper on suite sales with the price increases, but this sure will do it. The GV deposit schedule is even funnier. NCL must be having a right before final payment cancellation problem.

 

ETA: I guess since most people are now upselling to the suites last minute it affects few enough people NCL doesn't think it will matter.

 

 

I think it's the cancellation before final payment too. So many people have several cabins booked and then decide at 90 days which if any they want to keep.

 

 

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[bonvoyagie]

My last two cruises in suites - Pearl 2012 and Dawn 2016 both required a 1500.00 deposit. The final payment was also moved up from a regular cabin. I have not used a cruise next cert so perhaps there is a change in how much of the 1500.00 it covers. I booked my latest cruise during a 50.00/person deposit special.

[BellsRUs]

Depends where you book. If you book in the US directly with NCL, yes. If you book through non-US NCL offices, depends on the office (many deposits are non-refundable). If you book through a TA, you are subject to their terms and conditions.

 

Thank you! We have been on over 30 cruises and have never seen such a high deposit. I even emailed our TA to ask if it was a typo!

[BellsRUs]

I think it's the cancellation before final payment too. So many people have several cabins booked and then decide at 90 days which if any they want to keep.

 

 

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I can't believe NCL allows multiple cabins to be booked by the same person. I've had issues in the past on other cruise lines with having two holds on the same ship while deciding between the cabins. I don't think most other cruise lines allow you to have multiple cabins reserved. Perhaps if NCL quit allowing that it would solve a lot of the cancellation issues.

 

I also recently read that some people were reserving seats at multiple show times on the Escape so they could decide on the night of the show which performance to go see. Why does NCL even allow that?

 

Sorry, I've only been on a couple of NCL cruises and never on one of their large ships. This all sounds foreign to me! 😀

[jmele999]

This is definitely something new. Until recently, you could use one cruise reward ($250) to book a non-Haven suite.

 

Glad that we are trying MSC as NCL pricing and policies are getting out of control.

[GirlWriter]

Regarding whether this is "new" or not -- I think it is not new in terms of stated policy; however, I can tell you from personal experience that the policy was not always enforced. I remember reading the policy before our 2016 cruise and, based on what I read, expecting to have to pay the balance of the full suite deposit amount after applying the certificate -- and then being pleasantly surprised when the booking website didn't require any additional payment.

 

Perhaps there are / were other factors in play that are not readily obvious? Maybe it takes into consideration your Latitudes status, etc? Not sure.

[Tiggertastic]

When I booked our escape trip using a voucher my PCC said please ignore the email that will tell you that you've not paid the full deposit, he said the system will sort itself in a couple of days once the voucher is applied. It did.

 

 

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[browniegirl]

Hi, I just had this happen in past couple weeks. We have 4 cruise rewards to use up in next 3.5 years.....so I did lots of research on which cruise etc and from past experience had never paid more than $500 to a suite deposit and $1500 for haven. I figured with a current promo allowing you to use 2 cruise rewards they would cover a suite deposit and that is what my pcc told me in march (although could only use 1 reward in March)......well in April this has changed, when I finally went to book it and had decided on a suite and was pricing out two different cruises, one a 5 day, was told that my additional deposit was huge!! It was a $1500 US deposit, over $2000 CAN for a 5 day repositioning cruise......yikes!!! I was very disappointed as in all of my NCL cruises, this has never been the case, I always paid $500 for suite and $1500 for haven.....now its apparently $1500 US across for the board for suites and haven.......which when I personally want to book 2 years in advance to secure a trip, certain cabin, is an awful lot of money to put out 2 years early.......no thanks. $500 I could see but not $1500 for a suite. If I want Haven, then fine.......but a suite was always different. Not anymore, NCL has priced suites and the haven right out of contention for many of us, starting with the deposit!!!

 

Might be shopping around for other cruise lines......... and not sure what I will do with the cruise rewards other than maybe last minute cruises.......