FCC/OBC dispute question

[trivimp]

You may have better luck with getting the expiration date of the FCC extended, as a courtesy, because you misunderstood the terms & didn't use them on your last cruise.  It's not likely that NCL will convert the FCC to cash, for reasons that have already been explained clearly above.  But if you can get the expiration date pushed out, you could possibly use it next year without worrying about how many vacation days are left before the end of the year, &c.  

[SeaShark]

27 minutes ago, caterpa said:

I don’t think I’m trying to sell anything.  I’m simply showing you what was on my account and why I made the decisions I did.  This idea of trying to ‘sell something’ seems to imply that I am trying to game the system. Far from it.   It’s been explained. I had a certain amount of dollars available to me to spend on this cruise.   It is all about how I decided to spend it based on the information I had.  This isn’t about getting I’m not owed. 
 

i simply don’t agree with your assessment. Obviously.   Thanks for replying nonetheless.  

 

But you are trying to sell something...you're trying to sell them on your view. You stated it was "confusing" and you "misunderstood" and now you think they should alter their policy because of your interpretation. You can tell anyone and everyone about why you made the decisions you did, but it isn't justified if your decisions were based on incorrect assumptions on your part. You could have asked them in advance to confirm your interpretation, but you did not. All of your funds are still there and available for your use...you didn't lose anything. I don't see a good reason why they should change policy simply because someone was confused.

[PATRLR]

3 hours ago, SeaShark said:

It actually makes perfect sense to anyone who is honestly trying to understand it in context.

So you think it makes sense to display $1149.89, and within the context of that $1149.89 mention Furutre Cruise Credit and Onboard Credit with no details as to how much each one is in relation to the 1149.89?  People are just supposed to guess?  Or, I guess you've stated it elsewhere, they are supposed to know NCL's intent ("Through this whole pandemic, any and all cancellations have been either refunded to the method of payment or to FCC....NEVER to OBC").  Well, believe it or not, it should never be incumbent on the customer to know the business's intent.

 

3 hours ago, SeaShark said:

 

"It should have indicated" is nothing more than a guess, right?

No, it is not a guess at all.  It is a direct response to your claim.  You are the one that is guessing -  remember when you wrote this: "Had there been an OBC, there would have been information below both headings." That is what I was responding to as indicated by the quote of your words above mine.  (I assume you are guessing.  Have you actually seen what you described?  Can you show us the screen shot?  Or perhaps you've seen the specification for the user interface?)

 

3 hours ago, SeaShark said:

You assume a screwup by IT, but IT just programs it to show what they are told. UAT would have marked the error for correction. It isn't IT's job to decide what to display and how to display it...that falls to the department that oversees the application.

Really?  You found it important to explain the distinction between "IT" and the application developers?  Thanks, that's really helpful to the conversation.  The error was somewhere in the chain of application requirements specification through to program execution and display to the end user.  Is that better?  Technically, it's all "IT".

Edited July 22, 2022 by PATRLR

[Two Wheels Only]

8 hours ago, caterpa said:

Because I wanted to be able to have options with what I spent it on I guess. Easier to figure out what you need/want while on the cruise than anticipating it before hand.. At least for me. 

 

I guess my question is....

 

Did you think that you had to wait until you were onboard to use it since you thought that it was OBC?

 

If I thought that I had OBC, I (like you) would have waited.

If I thought that I could use it before or during the cruise, I would have used it before.  

 

On 7/20/2022 at 10:49 PM, caterpa said:

The issue is, if I had known this prior, I would have used it to prebook excursions, upgrade my room, bought a better drink package etc. 

 

If you we informed earlier (before you were on the ship) that it had to be used before you were on the ship, you would have used it for those things. Did you end up spending your own money for those things? 

 

I just don't see how NCL owes you anything other than the FCC that you still have. If that FCC *poof* disappeared as soon as you left the ship, I would agree with you. The fact that the FCC is still there and that you can use it towards another cruise means that you can use what NCL owes you. 

 

 

9 hours ago, caterpa said:

I’m not sure I’ll be able to vacation again before the end of the year.

 

As suggested earlier, perhaps requesting an extension is the best option. 

 

[SeaShark]

 Well, believe it or not, it should never be incumbent on the customer to know the business's intent.

--Nor is it incumbent on the business to change operations due to the customer's assumptions, guesses, and misunderstandings.

 

 Can you show us the screen shot?  Or perhaps you've seen the specification for the user interface?)

--When NCL issues me an FCC with an OBC, I'll be happy to provide you a screenshot. Until then, I obviously cannot.

 

Really?  You found it important to explain the distinction between "IT" and the application developers?  Thanks, that's really helpful to the conversation.  The error was somewhere in the chain of application requirements specification through to program execution and display to the end user.  Is that better?  Technically, it's all "IT".

--Actually the distinction was between IT an the business department making the work request of IT. In the case of the website, it is likely that any design is driven by NCL's Marketing and/or Sales Departments. They design and specify, the only thing IT would do is implement. As noted, the design specs come from the business...not from IT, so it is not all IT by any stretch.

 

But we can go round and round on this to your heart's content...however, this is nothing more than FCC and no amount of "CC logic" is going to turn it into OBC.

[StarAFire]

I actually don't know why expectation is for something to show under the Onboard Credit heading.  All the other values on the screen shot shown here are showing to the right of their labels.  So it shows nothing.  I think it could have been more obvious to show $0. But my guess is that its reading from a database or something and the value on your record for OBC field is probably like null, instead of a 0, so it had nothing to display on the UI.

 

But I actually have 5 fields like this on an app that I have. So maybe I am used to something like this in the page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 23, 2022 by StarAFire

[caterpa]

11 hours ago, Two Wheels Only said:

 

I guess my question is....

 

Did you think that you had to wait until you were onboard to use it since you thought that it was OBC?

 

If I thought that I had OBC, I (like you) would have waited.

If I thought that I could use it before or during the cruise, I would have used it before.  

 

 

If you we informed earlier (before you were on the ship) that it had to be used before you were on the ship, you would have used it for those things. Did you end up spending your own money for those things? 

 

I just don't see how NCL owes you anything other than the FCC that you still have. If that FCC *poof* disappeared as soon as you left the ship, I would agree with you. The fact that the FCC is still there and that you can use it towards another cruise means that you can use what NCL owes you. 

 

 

 

As suggested earlier, perhaps requesting an extension is the best option. 

 

No I did t think I had to wait to use it. I choose to since I has that option. Thinking I could use it like OBC usually can be. Excursions, extras etc.  I didn’t want to book my excursions before hand as I didn’t know initially what I might be interested in doing.  Sometimes, they’re not on this cruise, they have seminars in the theater that talk about each of the excursions and what you do and what you see etc. that sort of information is not available prior to departure. 
 

Yes I did end up spending my own money on those things. Which was money I had an exactly planned on spending since I thought I had OBC. 

 

The leftover FCC Normally would be valuable as you say however I’m not sure I want to use NCL again if this is how they’re going to handle this issue.  If that’s the case that would render that money of No value.  And if they can’t resolve this issue to my satisfaction, I’m not certain I want to be forced, once again coming back onto NCL to use the money I have owed me. 

[caterpa]

2 hours ago, StarAFire said:

I actually don't know why expectation is for something to show under the Onboard Credit heading.  All the other values on the screen shot shown here are showing to the right of their labels.  So it shows nothing.  I think it could have been more obvious to show $0. But my guess is that its reading from a database or something and the value on your record for OBC field is probably like null, instead of a 0, so it had nothing to display on the UI.

 

But I actually have 5 fields like this on an app that I have. So maybe I am used to something like this in the page

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah well again. If this wasn’t all to the right of the large bold 1149.89 I’d agree with you.   I have called to verify however as I’ve suggested, one of the reps I talked to prior to the cruise told me this was OBC. Obviously that conversation Is of no value now as there is no record of it.  

[seeyakids]

I am currently experiencing a somewhat similar FCC issue with NCL. While doing my research on whether to receive a refund for the April Escape cancellation and take a 50% FCC or rebook that weekend and receive a 100% FCC, I decided to call NCL to get more info. I spoke to a NCL rep (I documented her name, the date and even time of day). She basically repeated the same info I received about the cancellation/refund/FCC options. I then asked her (actually asked her several times) what can I use my FCC for: cruise fare, taxes, port charges, other service charges, prepaids, etc. She told me and, repeated it several times upon my inquiries, that yes, all of these fares , charges, taxes, prepaids can be paid for with my 100% FCC. She said she does this "all the time". So based on her statements I decided it was worth going the 100% route.

Fast forward to this week.....I called my TA to go ahead and use as much of the FCC towards my total bill for Escape in 1/23. She said no problem, will do. Well a day later she reports "problem". NCL will only include the cruise fare not the add ons. My unexpected bill for this 100% FCC cruise is now $725. So back to the TA to try to sort it out. I made sure to give my TA the documentation of my previous call with NCL. A day later she calls back and got confirmation that we are correct and the total will be paid off with the FCC. Great. Yesterday my TA calls me back to tell me NCL now will only pay cruise fare. But for my troubles they will give me a $100 non refundable OBC.  *****. 

We are seasoned cruisers (over 45 to date...RCI, Celebrity, NCL., Carnival, Viking). I can say this is the most frustrating experience we have been involved in. I think I did the right thing and researched the FCC to make my decision based on info "from the horses mouth".

Has anyone else have had similar experiences?

Frustrated in Florida.

[MsMidge]

Use it however you can.  I dont see them bending anytime soon.  They don’t have to.  The deck is stacked against the average cruiser, and there is really nothing you can do about it.  You could try to shame them on social media.

[seeyakids]

11 minutes ago, MsMidge said:

Use it however you can.  I dont see them bending anytime soon.  They don’t have to.  The deck is stacked against the average cruiser, and there is really nothing you can do about it.  You could try to shame them on social media.

I thought I just did.....I'm no lawyer, but shouldn't NCL abide by the principles of a verbal contract (or whatever they want to call their discussion with me that was documented.) and honor the full price FCC?

Just sayin.

[MsMidge]

Just now, seeyakids said:

I thought I just did.....I'm no lawyer, but shouldn't NCL abide by the principles of a verbal contract (or whatever they want to call their discussion with me that was documented.) and honor the full price FCC?

Just sayin.

You would think so, but they do whatever they want and its up to you to do anything about it.  You need to post your saga on facebook, and other social media sites trying to embarrass them and cause them to loose customers

[caterpa]

10 hours ago, seeyakids said:

I am currently experiencing a somewhat similar FCC issue with NCL. While doing my research on whether to receive a refund for the April Escape cancellation and take a 50% FCC or rebook that weekend and receive a 100% FCC, I decided to call NCL to get more info. I spoke to a NCL rep (I documented her name, the date and even time of day). She basically repeated the same info I received about the cancellation/refund/FCC options. I then asked her (actually asked her several times) what can I use my FCC for: cruise fare, taxes, port charges, other service charges, prepaids, etc. She told me and, repeated it several times upon my inquiries, that yes, all of these fares , charges, taxes, prepaids can be paid for with my 100% FCC. She said she does this "all the time". So based on her statements I decided it was worth going the 100% route.

Fast forward to this week.....I called my TA to go ahead and use as much of the FCC towards my total bill for Escape in 1/23. She said no problem, will do. Well a day later she reports "problem". NCL will only include the cruise fare not the add ons. My unexpected bill for this 100% FCC cruise is now $725. So back to the TA to try to sort it out. I made sure to give my TA the documentation of my previous call with NCL. A day later she calls back and got confirmation that we are correct and the total will be paid off with the FCC. Great. Yesterday my TA calls me back to tell me NCL now will only pay cruise fare. But for my troubles they will give me a $100 non refundable OBC.  *****. 

We are seasoned cruisers (over 45 to date...RCI, Celebrity, NCL., Carnival, Viking). I can say this is the most frustrating experience we have been involved in. I think I did the right thing and researched the FCC to make my decision based on info "from the horses mouth".

Has anyone else have had similar experiences?

Frustrated in Florida.

Yes this is very similar to me pre-cruise conversations.  I was told my ‘FCC’ could be used onboard for excursions,  photos, other add ons. I was told this by more than one rep.  
 

I had a NCL cruise consultant that I fired early on because he swore up and down that I owed another 3500 when I originally had over 10k in FCC.  And when I disputed that amount he said he was certain he was correct.  So since I fired him, I didn’t have anyone to go back to to help resolve the above. Though it seems based on your post it wouldn’t have mattered.   For anyone that cares, when I called a manager about my balance on final payment, the actual amount owed was 750. 🙂. 
 

Not super impressed with the way easch are of NCL integrates with the others. They don’t seem to know what other departments are saying or promising. 

Edited July 24, 2022 by caterpa