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Anyone Choosing A FCC Over A Cash Refund?


Love my butler
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I love to cruise and like NCL, however, I am very concerned about the future value of a Future Cruise Credit issued by NCL for a canceled cruise.  These credits are in the thousands of dollars, sometimes 10's of thousand.  Do people have faith that they will be able to redeem them in the future?  I am having my doubts and will take a cash refund if/when my cruises are canceled by NCL.  The risk seems to be too great right now and growing by the day that the FCC's will be worthless in the future.

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3 minutes ago, Love my butler said:

I love to cruise and like NCL, however, I am very concerned about the future value of a Future Cruise Credit issued by NCL for a canceled cruise.  These credits are in the thousands of dollars, sometimes 10's of thousand.  Do people have faith that they will be able to redeem them in the future?  I am having my doubts and will take a cash refund if/when my cruises are canceled by NCL.  The risk seems to be too great right now and growing by the day that the FCC's will be worthless in the future.

 

 I'd rather have a full refund for our May cruise.....but would consider FCC if they continue to do the 125%. I don't feel they'll be going out of business, and I do have a cruise booked for late 2021.

 

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TA's are telling folks (posted on roll call boards) that if you take the 125% FCC it will not include any prepayments for drinks' package tips, pre-paid excursions,  specialty dining, etc. Only way to get those funds back is to take the cash refund.

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46 minutes ago, lambs2 said:

TA's are telling folks (posted on roll call boards) that if you take the 125% FCC it will not include any prepayments for drinks' package tips, pre-paid excursions,  specialty dining, etc. Only way to get those funds back is to take the cash refund.

 

Yes I'm confused on how they will do this.  It says 125% on amount paid.  We had a previous FCC (from not being able to go to Cuba).  We actually lost part of that credit because guest 3 fare was less than the credit amount.

 

So on the Peace of Mind FAQ - https://www.ncl.com/why-cruise-norwegian/book-with-confidence

What costs are included in the FCC?

The following will be applied to the FCC:

  • Cruise fare and taxes
    • Including any winning Upgrade Advantage payments.
  • Flight arrangements booked through Norwegian Cruise Line.
  • Hotel and CruiseTour packages purchased through Norwegian Cruise Line.
  • Shore Excursions booked and pre-paid through Norwegian Cruise Line
  • Prepaid service charges
  • Beverage or Dining gratuities (if part of FAS Promotion selection)
  • Essentials Travel Protection

What costs are not included in the FCC?

The following will not be applied to the FCC or refund:

  • Booksafe Platinum or Standard Travel Protection
  • Special Promotional Onboard Credits (OBC)

What happens if the cancelled booking has a previous FCC applied?

The original FCC will be added back to the guests' profile and then they will also receive a new FCC for the outstanding amount.

 

I just don't know if the automatic credit from the cruises they cancelled will have the same Peace of Mind rules...

I don't know if it will be 125% of all of those charges or only of the guest fare paid.  Or guest fare before the FCC was applied? Or 125% of the amount paid and add back the FCC from before the booking? It is confusing and I'm sure it will be confusing for them too!

 

Something I've learned from this - try to not prepay for anything - pay as last minute as possible.

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I plan to take a 125% FCC if they cancel my May 31st Bliss Sailing (which appears likely due to Canadian port closures).  The reason being is that I have a Breakaway 13 day cruise that has a final payment date of July.  The cruise is November so we should be well past the current crisis by that time.  If not then a cancelled cruise will be the least of my worries.

 

NCL could go out of business and not honor FCC but I doubt it.  This is certainly crippling to NCL and the industry as a whole but the fundamentals of the economy have not changed.  It will be business as usual as soon as possible.

 

Also - whether I go on the cruise and get the value for my $ or don't go on the cruise and they keep the money; either way the money is gone.

 

Yes if I could recover the money it would be great to reassign it to another vacation or some other use but the money was written off as disposable when I paid for the cruise.

 

 

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I’m taking the fcc 125%.  Hope we have a certain time in which to book.  Don’t see anything within $ range of what we had but I’m sure something will come along if we have time to decide which sailing.
 

My main concern is the travel agent I booked with.  They have been a terrible choice and I will probably just take the $ if I have to deal with this ta for rebooking. I want to deal directly with ncl next time.  
 

I’m thankful ncl decided to cancel, and I want them to make it through this crisis.  They’re my favorite cruise line. 

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20 minutes ago, littlelulu01 said:

I’m taking the fcc 125%.  Hope we have a certain time in which to book.  Don’t see anything within $ range of what we had but I’m sure something will come along if we have time to decide which sailing.
 

My main concern is the travel agent I booked with.  They have been a terrible choice and I will probably just take the $ if I have to deal with this ta for rebooking. I want to deal directly with ncl next time.  
 

I’m thankful ncl decided to cancel, and I want them to make it through this crisis.  They’re my favorite cruise line. 

On having a previous FCC, you do not need to go through the TA to rebook.  NCL does not show it on your account, so you have to keep track of it.  You need to call directly to find out about it and to use it.

When we booked (there were 3 of us, so we did a conference call), the rep was very helpful and it was very smooth. 

I did prefer that to the TA who seemed to struggle with requests (such as split the payment evenly between 3 credit cards) and not understanding how to read or track the NCL payment history (our case got pretty complicated - and it just got complicated again!)

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15 minutes ago, cdngirl4 said:

On having a previous FCC, you do not need to go through the TA to rebook.  NCL does not show it on your account, so you have to keep track of it.  You need to call directly to find out about it and to use it.

When we booked (there were 3 of us, so we did a conference call), the rep was very helpful and it was very smooth. 

I did prefer that to the TA who seemed to struggle with requests (such as split the payment evenly between 3 credit cards) and not understanding how to read or track the NCL payment history (our case got pretty complicated - and it just got complicated again!)

Thanks.  That is valuable information.  When I first booked my ta also struggled but would at least attempt.  The last couple months zero ability to reach.  It’s not worth the obc or dsc to give up ability to call ncl and speak with a knowledgeable pcc, which I’m lucky to have. I used two Haven cruise nexts on my booking.  The cost is $750 but 1k off fare. Interested in how those will be returned 

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3 hours ago, cdngirl4 said:

 

Yes I'm confused on how they will do this.  It says 125% on amount paid.  We had a previous FCC (from not being able to go to Cuba).  We actually lost part of that credit because guest 3 fare was less than the credit amount.

 

So on the Peace of Mind FAQ - https://www.ncl.com/why-cruise-norwegian/book-with-confidence

What costs are included in the FCC?

The following will be applied to the FCC:

  • Cruise fare and taxes
    • Including any winning Upgrade Advantage payments.
  • Flight arrangements booked through Norwegian Cruise Line.
  • Hotel and CruiseTour packages purchased through Norwegian Cruise Line.
  • Shore Excursions booked and pre-paid through Norwegian Cruise Line
  • Prepaid service charges
  • Beverage or Dining gratuities (if part of FAS Promotion selection)
  • Essentials Travel Protection

What costs are not included in the FCC?

The following will not be applied to the FCC or refund:

  • Booksafe Platinum or Standard Travel Protection
  • Special Promotional Onboard Credits (OBC)

What happens if the cancelled booking has a previous FCC applied?

The original FCC will be added back to the guests' profile and then they will also receive a new FCC for the outstanding amount.

 

I just don't know if the automatic credit from the cruises they cancelled will have the same Peace of Mind rules...

I don't know if it will be 125% of all of those charges or only of the guest fare paid.  Or guest fare before the FCC was applied? Or 125% of the amount paid and add back the FCC from before the booking? It is confusing and I'm sure it will be confusing for them too!

 

Something I've learned from this - try to not prepay for anything - pay as last minute as possible.

 

I also was wondering if NCL cancels a cruise would I received 100% cruise refund to include NCL Standard Travel Protection cost.  It doesn’t seem fair I should have to lose out on the cost of travel protection when no fault of my own NCL canceled my cruise.  Since my cancel cruise was 4/05/2020, NCL is requesting I wait until 3/23/2020 to request a refund. 

Ditto...lesson learned...hold on to your dollars as long as possible!

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Was due to sail on Spirit on 31st May.  As the government here in U.K. are advising people over 70 not to cruise decision really made for me.  Contacted travel agent who are arranging the cancellation for me - will get a full refund in light of government directive and do not have to accept NCL’s FCC.  Did not fancy latter as did not want to be committed to booking with NCL if there could be a better deal later on.  Suggest anyone thinking about cancelling should check first with travel agent to get the best deal

 

Suron(Bristol UK)

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I cancelled my cruise 2 weeks ago and opted for a refund. I am still waiting for the money. Apparently their system was down and the uk office is still waiting for permission from the Miami office to make payments. They cannot tell me when I might get the refund.

Its thousands of pounds . My feeling is that NCL are hoping that customers  will opt for the credit so they don't have to pay out enormous amounts of money.

At the moment I am not certain I will ever get my money back

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Will NCL even have the cash after the promised 90 days wait to make a refund?  Or will that money have been used by then to meet the ongoing daily fixed costs of the ships sitting idle, the crew and staff still requiring salary?  Then if there is a chapter 11 event, the refunds will be gone.  No good answer.  

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11 hours ago, lambs2 said:

TA's are telling folks (posted on roll call boards) that if you take the 125% FCC it will not include any prepayments for drinks' package tips, pre-paid excursions,  specialty dining, etc. Only way to get those funds back is to take the cash refund.

Well, if you're still thinking of keeping the FCC, maybe using the extra 25% could be used to get a better cabin?

That might be nice.

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10 hours ago, littlelulu01 said:

I’m taking the fcc 125%.  Hope we have a certain time in which to book.  Don’t see anything within $ range of what we had but I’m sure something will come along if we have time to decide which sailing.
 

My main concern is the travel agent I booked with.  They have been a terrible choice and I will probably just take the $ if I have to deal with this ta for rebooking. I want to deal directly with ncl next time.  
 

I’m thankful ncl decided to cancel, and I want them to make it through this crisis.  They’re my favorite cruise line. 

I would get a referral from someone for a good travel agent. I would never book with the cruise line. It doesn't save you money and they work for the cruise line, unlike a travel agent who works for you.

I never have to deal with NCL for anything. My travel agent does it all.

Remember, the guy on the phone who you book through may not be working there when you have a problem and your new rep says that anything the old guy may have told you is incorrect and you would be out of luck.

Don't be discouraged, get a referral.

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11 hours ago, cdngirl4 said:

 

Yes I'm confused on how they will do this.  It says 125% on amount paid.  We had a previous FCC (from not being able to go to Cuba).  We actually lost part of that credit because guest 3 fare was less than the credit amount.

 

So on the Peace of Mind FAQ - https://www.ncl.com/why-cruise-norwegian/book-with-confidence

What costs are included in the FCC?

The following will be applied to the FCC:

  • Cruise fare and taxes
    • Including any winning Upgrade Advantage payments.
  • Flight arrangements booked through Norwegian Cruise Line.
  • Hotel and CruiseTour packages purchased through Norwegian Cruise Line.
  • Shore Excursions booked and pre-paid through Norwegian Cruise Line
  • Prepaid service charges
  • Beverage or Dining gratuities (if part of FAS Promotion selection)
  • Essentials Travel Protection

What costs are not included in the FCC?

The following will not be applied to the FCC or refund:

  • Booksafe Platinum or Standard Travel Protection
  • Special Promotional Onboard Credits (OBC)

 

Something I've learned from this - try to not prepay for anything - pay as last minute as possible.

 

I have read almost every post regarding cancelations and NCL's recent policies, but I am still not clear on port charges if I take the FCC, outside of the question about how the 125% is calculated.  Port charges are not in either the included or the not-included lists above.  Can I interpret that as meaning they will be refunded, as I believe is the case in normal circumstances regardless of when the cruise was canceled?   Of course, these are far from normal times.   Did I miss some information about port charges?

 

In response to the original question, I am considering the FCC rather than a refund.  My cruise is outside the current period of when a refund is even an option, but if I ultimately get that choice, I am seriously considering taking the FCC, especially if it is more than 100%.   I believe the cruise industry will recover, and I think NCL will ultimately offer some good prices to encourage people to sail again.   I am an optimist - though I am not particularly optimistic about the timeliness of refunds being issued.  

 

I heartily agree with the last point from the above poster - I never pay for anything before I have to.  I  am so glad I had the excursion credit perk and could reserve excursions without paying up front, and I am glad I decided paying up front for the DSC was not worth saving a few bucks to get the old rate.   And I thank whoever it was on this board who explained why it was better to wait until being on board before upgrading the free internet time.   All that is $$$ I am not out at this time.  

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11 hours ago, Barcode78 said:

I plan to take a 125% FCC if they cancel my May 31st Bliss Sailing (which appears likely due to Canadian port closures).  The reason being is that I have a Breakaway 13 day cruise that has a final payment date of July.  The cruise is November so we should be well past the current crisis by that time.  If not then a cancelled cruise will be the least of my worries.

 

NCL could go out of business and not honor FCC but I doubt it.  This is certainly crippling to NCL and the industry as a whole but the fundamentals of the economy have not changed.  It will be business as usual as soon as possible.

 

Also - whether I go on the cruise and get the value for my $ or don't go on the cruise and they keep the money; either way the money is gone.

 

Yes if I could recover the money it would be great to reassign it to another vacation or some other use but the money was written off as disposable when I paid for the cruise.

 

 

I'm in your boat (no pun intended), i also have an AK cruise in June, and also on the Encore for a Panama Canal cruise in November.  I pane on taking the 125% and applying it to that one.

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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.

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