Does NCL allow a cruise to be switched?

[sportscruiser]

I've been going back and forth on booking a cruise in either January or March. Due to work and the possibility of some family members joining me I finally decided on Marc. BUT, if my work situation changes and/or my family members can't go, would I be able to switch the cruise to January if I did it before final payment was due? The pricing for the Jan cruise would be less, so would they just refund me the difference or returned as onboard credit? 

 

Also, can anyone that has sailed to the Caribbean in January tell me how crowded ships are during that time? Is the average age of the passengers older, even mix, etc.? Thanks for your any advice!

[shof515]

there is no switching. the process will be a full cancel and re book

[julig22]

You can cancel and rebook at the prevailing rate anytime before final payment. 

One thing you could consider would be to book both cruises with just a deposit and watch the rates - if they drop, you can reprice - again, anytime before final payment.

Absolutely no way to predict capacity at this point, too many changes in the world to know.

[sportscruiser]

Thanks @julig22! So if I have to cancel and re-book would I lose the deposit or could it be applied to the new booking?

 

Sorry, I understand there is no way to predict future capacity, I was asking about past cruises (pre-Covid) if the ships are usually full in January and what the average age of the passengers were.

[complawyer]

if you cancel anytime before final payment is due, you get  back whatever money you have paid ,

 

just make sure its before final payment

[casofilia]

@sportscruiser

 

If you have a good PCC then (s)he will do the cancel/rebook and just transfer the deposit over for you BUT it would have to be before the Final Payment Date.

[julig22]

24 minutes ago, sportscruiser said:

Thanks @julig22! So if I have to cancel and re-book would I lose the deposit or could it be applied to the new booking?

 

Sorry, I understand there is no way to predict future capacity, I was asking about past cruises (pre-Covid) if the ships are usually full in January and what the average age of the passengers were.

You get your deposit back if you cancel before final payment.  If your price goes down, the deposit stays, with the new pricing, although it is technically a rebooking so other things like perks might change.  If you change dates, they might just move the reservation or they might ask for a new deposit and give you a refund on what you paid - NCL has a very strange accounting system and how they process things seems to be up to the creativity of the person you are working with!

[mscloyd]

I cruised the last week of January in 2020 and found it to be a fabulous time! The temperature was perfect - not too hot nor too cool. I don't know what the capacity was but it didn't seem that crowded, just pleasant. There was a mix of ages. I thought it was a great time to cruise. Next cruise will be on my grandson's spring break and I am not looking forward to it being crowded!

[Fly2where]

Not sure why so many ppl said it requires cancel and rebook. I just switch a booking from Dec to Apr 2022, and then the same booking, I switch again, on a 5 nights in Apr 2022 to "7 nights in Apr 2022 on a different ship". Both times, were done before final payment date. And the booking number remain the same the whole time. No movement of deposit or whatsoever. Well, it could be due to COVID flexibility, but you should definitely talk to an agent, It's doable!

 

Just to be clear,  when I switch the bookings,  the new one is based on "current rate" (higher on first switch, then lower price on my second switch), but it doesn't bother me since it's all before final payment, all I paid was the same deposit, nothing more. 

Edited March 14, 2022 by Fly2where

[julig22]

10 minutes ago, Fly2where said:

Not sure why so many ppl said it requires cancel and rebook.

The cancel/rebook might be transparent, it just depends on who is doing the process.  If the perks for the update are the same, they are more apt to keep your old reservaton #.  If there are date and/or other changes, it's a toss-up on whether or not you get a new reservation number.  All subject to the skills of the person making the changes.

[Fly2where]

1 minute ago, julig22 said:

" All subject to the skills of the person making the changes."

This... 

Basically I am referencing this to people who worried about deposit. With that being said, agent could move your deposit from old booking to new booking anyway. 

I am new to NCL, but so far I am happy with NCL phone agents. I can feel they are very experienced. To OP,  don't hesitate to call them or your travel agent. 

[MsTabbyKats]

Just confirm that the deposit is refundable if you cancel before final payment.

[MoCruiseFan]

10 hours ago, Fly2where said:

Not sure why so many ppl said it requires cancel and rebook. I just switch a booking from Dec to Apr 2022, and then the same booking, I switch again, on a 5 nights in Apr 2022 to "7 nights in Apr 2022 on a different ship". Both times, were done before final payment date. And the booking number remain the same the whole time. No movement of deposit or whatsoever. Well, it could be due to COVID flexibility, but you should definitely talk to an agent, It's doable!

 

Just to be clear,  when I switch the bookings,  the new one is based on "current rate" (higher on first switch, then lower price on my second switch), but it doesn't bother me since it's all before final payment, all I paid was the same deposit, nothing more. 

Because what you did was cancel and re-book.  The booking number is not relevant, it changes or not depending on how the rebook is handled internally.  So if the deposit did not move you must have gotten a refund of the deposit on each rebook OR you lost the money.

[Fly2where]

15 minutes ago, MoCruiseFan said:

Because what you did was cancel and re-book.  The booking number is not relevant, it changes or not depending on how the rebook is handled internally.  So if the deposit did not move you must have gotten a refund of the deposit on each rebook OR you lost the money.

 

I hate to say, it's not how it works. The booking number matters because if you actually cancel the booking, the booking number will not available anymore, the deposit left will either be removed (gone), refund or transferred. 

To answer OP's question, "can you switch booking?" the answer is YES, you can. 

You do NOT cancel the booking for switch sailing, but like MO said ,it will cancel automatically after you switch the sailing.

But again, it's NOT a cancel and rebook, it's a switch sailing. Pls do not tell people to cancel and rebook, which could create unnecessary risk and headache. It's pretty straight forward and easy to switch sailing. 

 

**For those have access to TA, who has access to NCL. here is how to do switch booking.**

 

XXX (2/12/2022, 3:14:45 PM): Hello YY. Thank you for chatting with Norwegian Cruise Line. My name is XXX. How may I help you today?

YYY (2/12/2022, 3:15:08 PM): hello XXX, thanks for answering. would like to switch a cruise for an exisiting booking

YYY (2/12/2022, 3:15:13 PM): 44xxxxxx

XXX (2/12/2022, 3:15:13 PM): I am happy to assist you and guide you on how to do this.

XXX (2/12/2022, 3:15:23 PM): You will need to go to edit mode.

XXX (2/12/2022, 3:15:40 PM): Then select the Vacation tab.

YYY (2/12/2022, 3:15:53 PM): ok, just pressed it.

XXX (2/12/2022, 3:16:43 PM): Choose the desired dates, and ship, then Start Search.

[MoCruiseFan]

10 minutes ago, Fly2where said:

 

I hate to say, it's not how it works. The booking number matters because if you actually cancel the booking, the booking number will not available anymore, the deposit left will either be removed (gone), refund or transferred. 

To answer OP's question, "can you switch booking?" the answer is YES, you can. 

You do NOT cancel the booking for switch sailing, but like MO said ,it will cancel automatically after you switch the sailing.

But again, it's NOT a cancel and rebook, it's a switch sailing. Pls do not tell people to cancel and rebook, which could create unnecessary risk and headache. It's pretty straight forward and easy to switch sailing. 

 

**For those have access to TA, who has access to NCL. here is how to do switch booking.**

 

XXX (2/12/2022, 3:14:45 PM): Hello YY. Thank you for chatting with Norwegian Cruise Line. My name is XXX. How may I help you today?

YYY (2/12/2022, 3:15:08 PM): hello XXX, thanks for answering. would like to switch a cruise for an exisiting booking

YYY (2/12/2022, 3:15:13 PM): 44xxxxxx

XXX (2/12/2022, 3:15:13 PM): I am happy to assist you and guide you on how to do this.

XXX (2/12/2022, 3:15:23 PM): You will need to go to edit mode.

XXX (2/12/2022, 3:15:40 PM): Then select the Vacation tab.

YYY (2/12/2022, 3:15:53 PM): ok, just pressed it.

XXX (2/12/2022, 3:16:43 PM): Choose the desired dates, and ship, then Start Search.

All depends on the changes made and who makes them (like many things at NCL).  We have had reservation numbers change and stay the  So you want to switch and NCL cancels and rebooks behind the scene telling you the "change" has been made OR you call in and cancel and rebook.  No freaking difference.  Same exact thing.  If a guy hits baseball far enough to automatically sore a run did he hit a home run or a four bagger? 

[Fly2where]

2 minutes ago, MoCruiseFan said:

All depends on the changes made and who makes them (like many things at NCL).  We have had reservation numbers change and stay the  So you want to switch and NCL cancels and rebooks behind the scene telling you the "change" has been made OR you call in and cancel and rebook.  No freaking difference.  Same exact thing.  If a guy hits baseball far enough to automatically sore a run did he hit a home run or a four bagger? 

 

As explained earlier, a booking cancellation is cancellation permeant, you are not able to reuse the booking number. If you kept your booking number in the past, it's because your agent switch your sailing, NOT "cancel and rebook".  While it may not make a difference in result, it does make big difference in the process. BTW, I am not the one being "tedious", just try to correctly answer OP's question.

 

Think of recent experience massive of cancellation due to COVID. DID they cancel all the booking? What cruise line did was cancel all the sailing, NOT the booking. That's why cruise line asked you to find a new sailing, so they can switch to a new sailing, in that sense, you are keeping your booking. For cruise line, it's much easier for them to apply FCC, although, eventually being a mess, and most issue FCC voucher instead due to lengthy of COVID.  

[milolii]

Just watch the penalty date closely. It’s often one day before final payment. 
https://www.ncl.com/about/cancellation-fee-schedule

[sportscruiser]

13 hours ago, mscloyd said:

I cruised the last week of January in 2020 and found it to be a fabulous time! The temperature was perfect - not too hot nor too cool. I don't know what the capacity was but it didn't seem that crowded, just pleasant. There was a mix of ages. I thought it was a great time to cruise. Next cruise will be on my grandson's spring break and I am not looking forward to it being crowded!

Thanks @mscloyd! I'd really prefer to go in January too for because of the Spring Break crowds. Sounds like I would be able to switch to January before final payment if work allows and if my family wouldn't be able to travel with me so glad to hear it's a great time to cruise!

 

Thanks to all that responded! It sounds like I should be able to switch would could come in handy. Loved the baseball reference @MoCruiseFan⚾😁. I'll be booking my first NCL cruise tonight!

[MoCruiseFan]

2 hours ago, Fly2where said:

 

As explained earlier, a booking cancellation is cancellation permeant, you are not able to reuse the booking number. If you kept your booking number in the past, it's because your agent switch your sailing, NOT "cancel and rebook".  While it may not make a difference in result, it does make big difference in the process. BTW, I am not the one being "tedious", just try to correctly answer OP's question.

 

Think of recent experience massive of cancellation due to COVID. DID they cancel all the booking? What cruise line did was cancel all the sailing, NOT the booking. That's why cruise line asked you to find a new sailing, so they can switch to a new sailing, in that sense, you are keeping your booking. For cruise line, it's much easier for them to apply FCC, although, eventually being a mess, and most issue FCC voucher instead due to lengthy of COVID.  

 

 

Whatever make you happy to believe is just fine.

[julig22]

2 hours ago, Fly2where said:

Think of recent experience massive of cancellation due to COVID. DID they cancel all the booking? What cruise line did was cancel all the sailing, NOT the booking. That's why cruise line asked you to find a new sailing, so they can switch to a new sailing, in that sense, you are keeping your booking. For cruise line, it's much easier for them to apply FCC, although, eventually being a mess, and most issue FCC voucher instead due to lengthy of COVID.  

You must be thinking of a different cruise line - that is NOT the way NCL does things. 

All of my NCL cruises affected by covid were cancelled and I had to rebook.  New reservation #s, to which I could apply my fcc from the cancelled cruises.  And I've had well over a dozen cruises cancelled in the last couple of years, lost count of the times I've done price adjustments.

The only time that NCL ever transferred my reservation number to a different cruise on a different date was when they redeployed the ship and gave options for the substitute.  Not covid related (although the substitute cruise was later cancelled because of covid)

Just had 2 cruises cancelled earlier this year - rebooked with a similar itinerary, same time next year.  Cruise was cancelled and I was given a refund, not the opportunity to reschedule for next year.  So new booking, new reservation.

[Fly2where]

2 minutes ago, MoCruiseFan said:

 

 

Whatever make you happy to believe is just fine.

It really doesn't matter to me. you call it cancel and rebook or switch, doesn't matter to me a bit, so it won't make me happy or not.

I am relatively new to this board, and I merely try to answer OP's question. You can still call it "cancel and rebook" or whatever you like, as long as it's acceptable terms in general, but certainly not "full cancel". Air tickets would be another example, they don't cancel your booking, while they might cancel the flight (cancel the ticket #), so that they can use the remaining credit in the same booking. It's much easier for them to switch the booking than actually "cancel and rebook". For switching there is no cancellation involved (means agent no need to cancel the original cruise), because it's automatic, once new sailing comes out, your old room will be gone. Try to understand it as switching a room in same ship. You don't cancel your old room and book a new room, you just move to new room. 

 

I hope nobody get offended, and I will end this topic here as I think it serves the purpose already. 

Pls forgive me if I speak too much on this topic. I plan to use your expertise to help me in the future. TIA

 

 

[Fly2where]

5 minutes ago, julig22 said:

You must be thinking of a different cruise line - that is NOT the way NCL does things. 

All of my NCL cruises affected by covid were cancelled and I had to rebook.  New reservation #s, to which I could apply my fcc from the cancelled cruises.  And I've had well over a dozen cruises cancelled in the last couple of years, lost count of the times I've done price adjustments.

The only time that NCL ever transferred my reservation number to a different cruise on a different date was when they redeployed the ship and gave options for the substitute.  Not covid related (although the substitute cruise was later cancelled because of covid)

Just had 2 cruises cancelled earlier this year - rebooked with a similar itinerary, same time next year.  Cruise was cancelled and I was given a refund, not the opportunity to reschedule for next year.  So new booking, new reservation.

 

Hi, I agreed, due to COVID things are much different now.

For now, you are able to switch booking without penalty (that's our topic).

Cancelled cruise is totally different story (as mentioned in prior response, cruise line wanted to use FCC by using same booking, but not successful, they eventually have to give out FCC vouchers instead) I just try to stick to what OP asked.  

[Fly2where]

33 minutes ago, julig22 said:

You must be thinking of a different cruise line - that is NOT the way NCL does things. 

All of my NCL cruises affected by covid were cancelled and I had to rebook.  New reservation #s, to which I could apply my fcc from the cancelled cruises.  And I've had well over a dozen cruises cancelled in the last couple of years, lost count of the times I've done price adjustments.

The only time that NCL ever transferred my reservation number to a different cruise on a different date was when they redeployed the ship and gave options for the substitute.  Not covid related (although the substitute cruise was later cancelled because of covid)

Just had 2 cruises cancelled earlier this year - rebooked with a similar itinerary, same time next year.  Cruise was cancelled and I was given a refund, not the opportunity to reschedule for next year.  So new booking, new reservation.

 

oh, i totally forgot. to be fair. Not all TA has access to book direct with NCL.. so it's also depends on your TA skill as well as accessibility like you mentioned in the past. It might be easier for some TA to cancel and rebook (if they don't have access and the hold time to NCL is long, or over the weekend etc).

[julig22]

11 minutes ago, Fly2where said:

 

Hi, I agreed, due to COVID things are much different now.

For now, you are able to switch booking without penalty (that's our topic).

Cancelled cruise is totally different story (as mentioned in prior response, cruise line wanted to use FCC by using same booking, but not successful, they eventually have to give out FCC vouchers instead) I just try to stick to what OP asked.  

Nobody said you couldn't "switch" booking without penalty.  Covid didn't change the process.

If you want to believe that it's not a cancel/rebook behind the scenes, then go with it.

Chances are high that if the OP wants to change to a different cruise/different date they will cancel the existing cruise (no penalty) and book the new cruise under a new cruise #. 

[Fly2where]

19 minutes ago, julig22 said:

Nobody said you couldn't "switch" booking without penalty.  Covid didn't change the process.

If you want to believe that it's not a cancel/rebook behind the scenes, then go with it.

Chances are high that if the OP wants to change to a different cruise/different date they will cancel the existing cruise (no penalty) and book the new cruise under a new cruise #. 

cancel and rebook is always a good option. Switching the booking is easier in my opinion due to no deposit movement hassle.