TA unable to contact NCL to make changes. On hold for an interminable amount of time!

[MaChere]

Our TA has tried several times to contact the proper department at NCL to make changes to our POA cruise. What's up with the terrible amount of time on hold in order to speak to a rep?? 

[ChiefMateJRK]

I would bet you a dollar that it's because there are two days left for people to cancel the first May cruises and NCL hasn't (yet) budged on the 120 day final payment deadline.  I personally don't think that anybody in their right mind would make a final non-refundable payment for a May 1 cruise this week.  That means that they're all calling NCL to cancel (which is the only way to do it).  I can't see where NCL would feel motivated to staff up to meet the demand.

[bonvoyagie]

here on the west coast my TA calls early in our AM and does not even try after 1:00PM.  He also mentions that he can contact a different set of agents than the main 800# . But that was pre Covid so all bets are off now.

[www3traveler]

5 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I would bet you a dollar that it's because there are two days left for people to cancel the first May cruises and NCL hasn't (yet) budged on the 120 day final payment deadline.  I personally don't think that anybody in their right mind would make a final non-refundable payment for a May 1 cruise this week.  That means that they're all calling NCL to cancel (which is the only way to do it).  I can't see where NCL would feel motivated to staff up to meet the demand.

I have a cruise booked for late April and my finally payment is due in late February.

I would guess becuase of the holidays and a large number of staff laid off, there might not be as many Customer Service staff working in the Call Centers as there used to be.  

[glennmartin]

i called NCL this morning no issues at all rang 3 times if that, great services as always 

[SeaShark]

Well, honestly...this is exactly the kind of thing that you are paying the TA to do on your behalf. This is what the TA does for a living...I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

Just be happy it isn't you on hold waiting. 

 

 

[LGW59]

12 hours ago, MaChere said:

Our TA has tried several times to contact the proper department at NCL to make changes to our POA cruise. What's up with the terrible amount of time on hold in order to speak to a rep?? 

I guess because so many TA's and passengers are trying to do the same thing as you are.  I'd not worry a bit if it is the TA doing the dialing and holding.

[drumming cruisers]

I called to book a free cruise yesterday. i was on hold 1 hour 36 minutes. Put my phone on speaker and did some work around the house, while I waited for a rep to answer. Got trip booked for August. 

[ontheweb]

4 hours ago, SeaShark said:

Well, honestly...this is exactly the kind of thing that you are paying the TA to do on your behalf. This is what the TA does for a living...I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

Just be happy it isn't you on hold waiting. 

 

 

But do feel sorry for the beleaguered TAs. Much of this time on hold is for cancellations which they will not be paid for. And as cruises paused, there was no income coming in, but lots of work to do with cancellations and moving bookings (for which they will not be paid until their client finallys sails, if they do sail.)

 

Actually, you are not paying the TA. What you pay is passed on to the cruise line; the cruise line eventually after you sail is then the one who pays the TA.

[njkate]

11 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I would bet you a dollar that it's because there are two days left for people to cancel the first May cruises and NCL hasn't (yet) budged on the 120 day final payment deadline.  I personally don't think that anybody in their right mind would make a final non-refundable payment for a May 1 cruise this week.  That means that they're all calling NCL to cancel (which is the only way to do it).  I can't see where NCL would feel motivated to staff up to meet the demand.

I think you are 100% correct. My final for May is Jan 19th, if NCL doesn't extend that to the 60 day final I'll be calling as well

[MoCruiseFan]

6 hours ago, www3traveler said:

I have a cruise booked for late April and my finally payment is due in late February.

I would guess becuase of the holidays and a large number of staff laid off, there might not be as many Customer Service staff working in the Call Centers as there used to be.  

Yet another reason to NOT use a TA.  Simply have NCL call you directly...  https://www.ncl.com/help/leads

[ChiefMateJRK]

20 minutes ago, njkate said:

I think you are 100% correct. My final for May is Jan 19th, if NCL doesn't extend that to the 60 day final I'll be calling as well

I'm in a very similar situation and have similar plans.  Hopefully we'll have at least some clarity in the next three weeks with respect to where Covid is going and what the states and travel industry plan to do about it.  Unfortunately, in many situations it's not just about what the cruise lines are doing.  HW may close.  Canada may not reopen, which I believe would require additional actions in Washington to extend the waiver on Canadian stops.  The airlines are showing signs of stress and things could get worse before they get better.  I'm seriously considering just deferring until a July AK cruise at this point (which I already have booked as a fall back).

[Summerstravel]

I have to wait hours for a Delta airline agent to answer but NCL agents have always answered in a timely manner. 

[BennyBrun]

I called this morning at 9AM got through in 10 minutes.  I called back again at 10:30AM because there was an error and waited 50 minutes for someone to pick up.

[Middleager]

4 hours ago, SeaShark said:

Well, honestly...this is exactly the kind of thing that you are paying the TA to do on your behalf. This is what the TA does for a living...I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

Just be happy it isn't you on hold waiting.

TAs don't get extra pay for being on hold for a long time.  They've had a difficult 2 years with travel halted, then slow/interrupted starts.  When cruises are changed/cancelled, they don't get paid until someone sails.  I feel for them.

 

Sounds like NCL is answering direct calls by guests promptly, but poorly staffed to answer TAs.

Edited December 30, 2021 by Middleager

[SeaShark]

1 hour ago, Middleager said:

TAs don't get extra pay for being on hold for a long time.  They've had a difficult 2 years with travel halted, then slow/interrupted starts.  When cruises are changed/cancelled, they don't get paid until someone sails.  I feel for them.

 

Sounds like NCL is answering direct calls by guests promptly, but poorly staffed to answer TAs.

 

Sorry, but I don't recall making a statement about "extra pay".

 

My 2 years (as I'm sure, yours) has been difficult as well. Still doesn't change the fact that I feel that people should do the job they are paid to do. If not, there is no reason to hire them in the first place.

 

 

[SeaShark]

2 hours ago, ontheweb said:

But do feel sorry for the beleaguered TAs. Much of this time on hold is for cancellations which they will not be paid for. And as cruises paused, there was no income coming in, but lots of work to do with cancellations and moving bookings (for which they will not be paid until their client finallys sails, if they do sail.)

 

Actually, you are not paying the TA. What you pay is passed on to the cruise line; the cruise line eventually after you sail is then the one who pays the TA.

 

Pays them with whose money exactly?

 

If NCL charge me the DSC and I pay it to them, and they turn around and give those tips to their employees, who is paying the tip, me or NCL?

 

Do you pay taxes on your booking, or does NCL actually pay them because you give them the money that they then turn around and give to the taxing authority?

[notladjr]

Speaking of final payments I have a question. My final payment for a late April cruise is sometime in February. I have paid for all of the cruise except for $200. Before I pay that final amount I wanted to find out if there are any advantages or disadvantages to paying it now or waiting until just before the deadline? For example if Omicron causes  cruises to be cancelled would what NCL offers me be affected by whether or not the cruise was fully paid at the time of cancellation?

[julig22]

3 minutes ago, notladjr said:

Speaking of final payments I have a question. My final payment for a late April cruise is sometime in February. I have paid for all of the cruise except for $200. Before I pay that final amount I wanted to find out if there are any advantages or disadvantages to paying it now or waiting until just before the deadline? For example if Omicron causes  cruises to be cancelled would what NCL offers me be affected by whether or not the cruise was fully paid at the time of cancellation?

Absolutely no advantage to paying prior to final due date.  Disadvantage is that if cruise is cancelled, you wait for your refund. If you are thinking you'll get fcc, probably not since you've only paid a deposit.  Sometimes they will give you a discount coupon good on a future cruise but it would be the same fully paid or not.

[BennyBrun]

I hold onto any payment to NCL until it is absolutely necessary to part with it.  The only exception is that I buy the cruise next certificate to use that as a “hold” so if money is not tied up and easier to cancel and reuse the cruise next.

[LGW59]

3 hours ago, Summerstravel said:

I have to wait hours for a Delta airline agent to answer but NCL agents have always answered in a timely manner. 

Delta deals with more passengers in one day than a cruise line does in a month

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, SeaShark said:

 

Pays them with whose money exactly?

 

If NCL charge me the DSC and I pay it to them, and they turn around and give those tips to their employees, who is paying the tip, me or NCL?

 

Do you pay taxes on your booking, or does NCL actually pay them because you give them the money that they then turn around and give to the taxing authority?

You are not only not charged extra when using a TA, you often pay less than if you book direct.