NCL Refuses to Honor Loyalty Reward?

[david_sobe]

Cruise lines are like a casino.  The house ALWAYS wins.  Advertisements, fares, offers, and deals are all sketchy and not really honest.  None of this is new.  How about **free stuff that you know its not free yet they continue to say it or advertise that way.  I had to laugh at the NCL executive who once misspoke and told the truth...."bookings are strong because with these offers our guests "think" they are getting something for free.  Once she said it as a spontaneous utterance, she tried to backtrack.  But my point is this shady promise of discounts on future cruises is smoke and mirrors just like any of their other "offers."

[madgran]

Ok, I may be confused but no one has asked the op if he took a refund instead of FCC.  If he took the refund the 25 percent is out of the picture.  He may have read the e-mail wrong and thought if he took  the  refund he would still receive the 25 percent.  I was under the impression that you only got 25% if you took FCC.  If I am wrong please forgive me.

[Wendy&Grumpy]

34 minutes ago, madgran said:

Ok, I may be confused but no one has asked the op if he took a refund instead of FCC.  If he took the refund the 25 percent is out of the picture.  He may have read the e-mail wrong and thought if he took  the  refund he would still receive the 25 percent.  I was under the impression that you only got 25% if you took FCC.  If I am wrong please forgive me.

 

While I don't expect we'll ever know the truth of the matter, your suggestion seems quite plausible.

 

In the end, OP is just another of the many who are disgruntled because they didn't take the time to understand the choices they were making, and now want to blame someone else for their mistake.

 

 

 

[AstoriaPreppy]

3 hours ago, DCGuy64 said:

However, head over to the MSC board and read the posts from people who say "MSC screwed up, they're the worst, NCL would never do this to me." Yeah they would.

There's so such thing as a perfect cruise line.

The really fascinating thing is that MSC sails with a much higher EU passenger load, and EU passengers get amazing governmental protection from travel corporations doing the wrong thing. Delays, itinerary changes, etc... the things cruise lines do to US passengers all the time and just shrug off is often highly illegal for EU guests. 

When our Feb 2020 Jade departure port was changed from Hong Kong to Singapore 11 days before the cruise, all of the US passengers in our roll call were like "oh crap, how much is this going to cost to change our flights?" All of the Brits were like "oh, they can't do that we can just cancel and get a refund, or they'll pay for everything." 

 

4 hours ago, graphicguy said:

I think it took them a few days to get mine sorted out, but they did.  They took care of my flight changes and issued the FCC as they said they would.

This is awesome, but also nicely highlights the biggest issue with how this has been handled. The resolutions offered have been random and arbitrary, and don't seem to align entirely. 

 

Some guests get all of their issues resolved, discounts show up in accounts, and everything is kosher. In my case, it took weeks of arguing with guest services to get our flight change & flight fare differences refunded. When we tried to book a cruise using the 25% "we're sorry" discount, we were told it wasn't an option because they weren't sailing and there was no way they would extend the discount. 

1 hour ago, madgran said:

I was under the impression that you only got 25% if you took FCC. If I am wrong please forgive me.

For my canceled Jade sailing in Feb 2020, we all got refunds along with a 25% discount to use on a future cruise within one year. We were unable to use that discount (for obvious reasons), they refused an extension and it has expired. 

[DCGuy64]

There's a saying in economics that "there's no such thing as a free lunch."

While it's true that European passengers benefit from certain consumer protection laws, that comes at a cost. For instance, many UK cruisers must make non-refundable deposits. In the USA, you can still do refundable deposits. Furthermore, EU and UK citizens pay a LOT of money in taxes. I'll never forget my first trip to the UK, in 1984. What's this 18% VAT? What the he**? When we hired a car in the UK back in 2014, petrol/gas was extremely expensive, about 4x what it costs in the USA. I also had a good friend from Italy who spent a year at my university. He spent the first half of the year saying how much better people were treated in Europe regarding vacation, maternity leave, and job security. He spent the 2nd half boasting of all the purchases he'd made in the USA because "everything's so cheap here!"

Yeah, how about that? 😉 Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love Europe and I plan to retire in Italy. But nothing is free, ever.

Edited March 15, 2021 by DCGuy64
added missing word

[madgran]

33 minutes ago, AstoriaPreppy said:

The really fascinating thing is that MSC sails with a much higher EU passenger load, and EU passengers get amazing governmental protection from travel corporations doing the wrong thing. Delays, itinerary changes, etc... the things cruise lines do to US passengers all the time and just shrug off is often highly illegal for EU guests. 

When our Feb 2020 Jade departure port was changed from Hong Kong to Singapore 11 days before the cruise, all of the US passengers in our roll call were like "oh crap, how much is this going to cost to change our flights?" All of the Brits were like "oh, they can't do that we can just cancel and get a refund, or they'll pay for everything." 

 

This is awesome, but also nicely highlights the biggest issue with how this has been handled. The resolutions offered have been random and arbitrary, and don't seem to align entirely. 

 

Some guests get all of their issues resolved, discounts show up in accounts, and everything is kosher. In my case, it took weeks of arguing with guest services to get our flight change & flight fare differences refunded. When we tried to book a cruise using the 25% "we're sorry" discount, we were told it wasn't an option because they weren't sailing and there was no way they would extend the discount. 

For my canceled Jade sailing in Feb 2020, we all got refunds along with a 25% discount to use on a future cruise within one year. We were unable to use that discount (for obvious reasons), they refused an extension and it has expired. 

 

[madgran]

The OPs cruise was in oct 2020 and was canceled in june, so I think it was a different offer.  Like I said I could be wrong,  (have been before)

[Wendy&Grumpy]

39 minutes ago, AstoriaPreppy said:

We were unable to use that discount (for obvious reasons), they refused an extension and it has expired. 

 

My experience has been that discounts/FCC's/CN's were indeed extended for those who had applied them to bookings prior to their expiration dates.

 

Bookings were available for the entire year you were given to use your discount; you chose not to even attempt to use it within that year.

 

Why would any business extend a goodwill offer that a customer never attempted to use prior to expiration?

[AstoriaPreppy]

Just now, Wendy&Grumpy said:

Why would any business extend a goodwill offer that a customer never attempted to use prior to expiration?

It's a combination of miscommunication and misinformation from NCL. We never had a voucher or any details in our accounts, so we were unable to verify specifics. When we initially called NCL, the phone rep told us the one year expiration date was actually a "book by" date.

When we went to book, we discovered Feb 2021 was actually the sail by date, and the phone rep had been wrong. NCL encouraged us to book the cruise we wanted in the fall of 2021, then reach out to guest services and ask if they could extend the validity and apply it to that cruise as a good faith effort, which they have declined to do. 

Hypothetically, we could have booked a second cruise later in 2020 and hoped that NCL would extend the credit to a future sailing when it was canceled, but based on the entire guest service interactions leading up to this point, that gave them more credit than I was comfortable with. 

[AstoriaPreppy]

59 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

But nothing is free, ever.

In hospitality, I think the term is "complimentary" 😉

[DCGuy64]

2 minutes ago, AstoriaPreppy said:

In hospitality, I think the term is "complimentary" 😉

LOL. I prefer the word "included." Actually, it's probably more like "prepaid." 😂

[Back to school]

Example book Spirit December 22, 2022 - January 3, 2023.  NCL:  “Enjoy the flexibility to use your 100% Future Cruise Credit for sailings through December 2022.”   Customer assumed “sailing” December 22, 2022, Future Cruise Credit.   NCL assuming complete voyage, not Future Cruise Credit.  Too much miscommunication. 

[Topdog52]

This is a great idea by RCL and think it would save a lot of headaches. IMO It is called the Lift and Shift and it would make everything so much easier.

[DaCruiseBug]

On 3/15/2021 at 3:51 AM, MoCruiseFan said:

So now a customer making a personal decision as to how to settle a refund for a cruise and later regretting their own choice is equal to the company in question 'screwing' said customer.  I bet I can guess who you voted for in the last election!

 

 

Not quite the point.

 

Lets say you order a large pizza from Pizza Hut for $10. After you buy it Pizza Hut calls you and tells you they had to shut down the store for the night and can't get you your pizza. But they offer you $12.50 in future credit in lieu of a refund so you accept thinking you'll get a pizza and possibly a coke to go with it. You call the following day and place an order for that same large pizza and now it's $15.

 

Sure...the customer made the decision to get a future cruise credit since the company sweetened the pot for their troubles. And while the company may not be doing anything illegal by inflating the price of their product...it sure leaves a lot to be said about their business practices.

[DaCruiseBug]

19 hours ago, Topdog52 said:

This is a great idea by RCL and think it would save a lot of headaches. IMO It is called the Lift and Shift and it would make everything so much easier.

 

NCL is too money hungry to offer something similar to what Royal and Celebrity have offered. Why treat the customer right when you can just bend them over and take them for a ride instead?

[AstoriaPreppy]

 

21 hours ago, Topdog52 said:

This is a great idea by RCL and think it would save a lot of headaches. IMO It is called the Lift and Shift and it would make everything so much easier.

 

NCL's pricing structure probably couldn't support lift and shift.

 

One of our booked cruises is a Rome-NYC transatlantic in November 2021, in a Haven spa suite. It's incredibly likely to be canceled. Looking at the same category stateroom, and similar sail dates in 2022, the 2022 stateroom is currently $5,000 more than what we booked.

Lift and Shift is a huge show of appreciation from the lines to the guests... but as many will point out, NCL doesn't owe us anything (especially not lobster). 

[Two Wheels Only]

2 hours ago, DaCruiseBug said:

Lets say you order a large pizza from Pizza Hut for $10. After you buy it Pizza Hut calls you and tells you they had to shut down the store for the night and can't get you your pizza. But they offer you $12.50 in future credit in lieu of a refund so you accept thinking you'll get a pizza and possibly a coke to go with it.

 

To be consistent, Pizza Hut offered $10 cash refund or a $12.50 FPC (future pizza credit).

 

2 hours ago, DaCruiseBug said:

You call the following day and place an order for that same large pizza and now it's $15.

 

Which means that the customer can either pay the difference in order to get the large pizza (FPC + $2.50 or $10 refund + $5) or pay for a smaller/less expensive pizza with the FPC or refund.

 

2 hours ago, DaCruiseBug said:

Sure...the customer made the decision to get a future cruise credit since the company sweetened the pot for their troubles.

 

Without the extra 25%, nobody would take the FPC over cash. People had the choice and took what was better for them. 

 

2 hours ago, DaCruiseBug said:

And while the company may not be doing anything illegal by inflating the price of their product...it sure leaves a lot to be said about their business practices.

 

...and if the company is able to sell at full capacity (whatever that will be) even with the inflated prices, it says even more about their business practices. Remember what the main objective is for the business. 

[DaCruiseBug]

3 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

To be consistent, Pizza Hut offered $10 cash refund or a $12.50 FPC (future pizza credit).

 

 

Which means that the customer can either pay the difference in order to get the large pizza (FPC + $2.50 or $10 refund + $5) or pay for a smaller/less expensive pizza with the FPC or refund.

 

 

Without the extra 25%, nobody would take the FPC over cash. People had the choice and took what was better for them. 

 

 

...and if the company is able to sell at full capacity (whatever that will be) even with the inflated prices, it says even more about their business practices. Remember what the main objective is for the business. 

 

1. The 25% extra was in essence a bonus for giving NCL a free cash loan with their cruise fare so they could stay afloat. Had NCL told customers that they planned on raising fares by more than 25% in most cases you would have likely seen most people choose to get their money back. Again, it's not illegal what they did...but typical of a company that treats customers like dirt.

 

2. NCL isn't sailing at full capacity. The only indication they've given is "robust bookings". If you take out all the people that were essentially taken advantage of for choosing cruise credits over refunds...you'd see how weak their bookings really are considering people are just itching to get out of the house.

 

If NCL offered all the people that chose FCC back in the day the option to get their money back today I guarantee you that a majority would choose to have their money refunded as the value of the FCC (with the 25% extra) in most cases isn't enough to cover a similar sailing in the same category of cabin.

 

Meanwhile you can still get a balcony cabin on a 7 day sailing on MSC for under $500. Or book Yacht Club for the same price you can book a balcony cabin on MSC.

[Two Wheels Only]

40 minutes ago, DaCruiseBug said:

Meanwhile you can still get a balcony cabin on a 7 day sailing on MSC for under $500. Or book Yacht Club for the same price you can book a balcony cabin on MSC.

 

...and that's the beauty of capitalism. Customers have choices. People could have chosen the cash and used it to book with MSC. People who later regret their decision shouldn't fault NCL because people assumed that prices wouldn't go up.

 

I currently have 3 (was 5) MSC YC bookings for '21 - '22. I am in no way a NCL cheerleader. I am in favor of people people making thoughtful decisions and living with the result as opposed to hoping or expecting the company to change the terms that the customer agreed to such as when taking FCC instead of cash when it clearly states that FCC cannot be returned as cash.

Edited March 16, 2021 by Two Wheels Only

[Named-Tawny]

On 3/16/2021 at 1:02 PM, DaCruiseBug said:

 

Not quite the point.

 

Lets say you order a large pizza from Pizza Hut for $10. After you buy it Pizza Hut calls you and tells you they had to shut down the store for the night and can't get you your pizza. But they offer you $12.50 in future credit in lieu of a refund so you accept thinking you'll get a pizza and possibly a coke to go with it. You call the following day and place an order for that same large pizza and now it's $15.

 

Sure...the customer made the decision to get a future cruise credit since the company sweetened the pot for their troubles. And while the company may not be doing anything illegal by inflating the price of their product...it sure leaves a lot to be said about their business practices.

Sure, but if they had taken the refund, they'd still need to spend $15 to get that pizza, and they'd not have that $2.50 in credit to help cover the price increase.

I generally assume that Pizza Hut prices aren't going to be forever static.  If I buy a gift-card, it doesn't lock today's prices in forever.

[DaCruiseBug]

45 minutes ago, Named-Tawny said:

Sure, but if they had taken the refund, they'd still need to spend $15 to get that pizza, and they'd not have that $2.50 in credit to help cover the price increase.

I generally assume that Pizza Hut prices aren't going to be forever static.  If I buy a gift-card, it doesn't lock today's prices in forever.

 

At that point they could have purchased a pizza from a competitor who hasn't raised prices at the same level as Pizza Hut (NCL).

[Named-Tawny]

1 hour ago, DaCruiseBug said:

 

At that point they could have purchased a pizza from a competitor who hasn't raised prices at the same level as Pizza Hut (NCL).

 Sure, but if I love the toppings that Pizza Hut is offering, maybe I want their pizza regardless.

People are still buying pizza from Pizza Hut, even if they don't have FPCs.  Those with the FPCs are better off than those without.

That's the whole thing about future credit - everybody knows that it ties you to buying from the people who issued the credit again.  That's literally why they offered free bonus credit - to tie people in.

That's not a surprise catch - that's literally the entire reason for it.

Edited March 18, 2021 by Named-Tawny

[HuliHuli]

On 3/15/2021 at 4:18 PM, AstoriaPreppy said:

In hospitality, I think the term is "complimentary" 😉

Actually, I think you mean "complementary."  Note the spelling; entirely different word and meaning. 😉

[AstoriaPreppy]

15 minutes ago, HuliHuli said:

Actually, I think you mean "complementary."  Note the spelling; entirely different word and meaning. 😉

 

Careful, you're going to turn this pizza-analogy thread into a Will Shortz segment on NPR!

Regarding Pizza Hut and FCC, here's a true story: I live in NY, and we randomly ordered Pizza Hut years ago (not sure why, but it happened). The pizza and wings took almost three hours to arrive, everything was cold, etc... just disastrous. I wrote to Pizza Hut, and they sent a great apology letter with coupons for free pizzas! We then discovered that the free pizza coupons were not usable to order online or via phone: you had to go into the store to pick the pizzas up. Living in NY and sans-car, it was a nice gesture, but ultimately a total bust in terms of value or usability.

In much the same way, it's probably time Pizza Hut customers went and tried other chains, instead of just falling for the Pizza Hut marketing and branding, while Pizza Hut cuts back on the quality of their product.

Pizza eaters may discover other pizzerias offer higher quality pizzas for less money, and with better customer service.

(Also, that Pizza Hut location definitely closed)

[Wendy&Grumpy]

2 hours ago, HuliHuli said:

Actually, I think you mean "complementary."  Note the spelling; entirely different word and meaning. 😉

 

No, complimentary is correct. Note the spelling; entirely different word and meaning. 😉