NCL drops a Port, not refund of Port fees and Taxes

[cruiseny4life]

3 hours ago, Liljo22 said:

You know that is not going to happen.  We have seen this story before.  They are already upset with NCL so everything is going to be nitpicked on the actual cruise and they will come back on here and tell everyone how terrible NCL is now.   While they say they are done with NCL, they will spend the next 2 years on this board telling everyone how NCL wronged them. 

 

This isn't exclusive to the NCL board but is guaranteed how it will play out.  

Uh oh! Well hopefully I don't become that two year whiner after my March cruise. Those people do annoy me more than NCL!

[RNPJN]

On 2/10/2023 at 6:22 AM, shof515 said:

This is normal. I sailing on the Escape to Bermuda in October. Norfolk was dropped a few weeks ago and port taxes stayed the same

They always used to credit it back to the account . They DO OWE a refund but now you have to go to the service desk and request it then it is put into your account as a non refundable  OBC  meaning you have to spend it or lose it  just another way NCL is shadily keeping your money.

[G-DawgMN]

5 hours ago, RNPJN said:

They always used to credit it back to the account . They DO OWE a refund but now you have to go to the service desk and request it then it is put into your account as a non refundable  OBC  meaning you have to spend it or lose it  just another way NCL is shadily keeping your money.

Last week on the Epic the port fee refund was automatic and was refundable obc. 

[vacation44]

1 hour ago, KSSS2013 said:

Last week on the Epic the port fee refund was automatic and was refundable obc. 

What port was missed last week on the Epic and how much was your OBC that you received?

[G-DawgMN]

1 hour ago, vacation44 said:

What port was missed last week on the Epic and how much was your OBC that you received?

 

 NCL overcharged the port fees, we didn't miss any ports. It was about $13 total.

 

 

[Beer Belly]

On 2/10/2023 at 3:39 PM, Liljo22 said:

   While they say they are done with NCL, they will spend the next 2 years on this board telling everyone how NCL wronged them. 

 

This isn't exclusive to the NCL board but is guaranteed how it will play out.  

To me, it's just the principal. You will not hear me bash NCL for the next two years, we will try RCCL next time around to have something to compare. This sailing will be only my third ever, all on NCL, and although the first was on the Escape in 2018, Getaway in 2022, I will say the experience has declined since the first. 2018, both the Wife and I got some viral infection, still managed to have a great time, ran out of steam by 10pm......Getaway in 2022, I got food poisoning on day two.....real bad, won't go into detail, lost almost 3 days of over that, all of this could happen on any line, I am hoping Prima will go without issue. We will have a blast either way.

[Beer Belly]

On 2/10/2023 at 3:39 PM, Liljo22 said:

   While they say they are done with NCL, they will spend the next 2 years on this board telling everyone how NCL wronged them. 

 

This isn't exclusive to the NCL board but is guaranteed how it will play out.  

To me, it's just the principal. You will not hear me bash NCL for the next two years, we will try RCCL next time around to have something to compare. This sailing will be only my third ever, all on NCL, and although the first was on the Escape in 2018, Getaway in 2022, I will say the experience has declined since the first. 2018, both the Wife and I got some viral infection, still managed to have a great time, ran out of steam by 10pm......Getaway in 2022, I got food poisoning on day two.....real bad, won't go into detail, lost almost 3 days of over that, all of this could happen on any line, I am hoping Prima will go without issue. We will have a blast either way.

[Homosassa]

8 minutes ago, Beer Belly said:

This sailing will be only my third ever, 

That explains your lack of knowledge on how port fees and taxes are assessed, charged and handled when a port is cancelled or changed.

 

What a shock it will be when the same issue occurs on other cruise lines.

[Beer Belly]

6 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

That explains your lack of knowledge on how port fees and taxes are assessed, charged and handled when a port is cancelled or changed.

 

What a shock it will be when the same issue occurs on other cruise lines.

If I feel I've been baited, as I do now, I'll still be bothered and except it as common practice, until that time........

[sailorusvi]

1 minute ago, Beer Belly said:

If I feel I've been baited, as I do now, I'll still be bothered and except it as common practice, until that time........

 

So the fact some of us have explained port fees are estimates and even if a port is dropped doesn't mean they didn't underestimate other ports so in the end you might not have been overcharged doesn't matter?   

[PTC DAWG]

Crazy to me that folks get worked up over $10 or so.  Y’all have fun in line. 

[ngrund]

9 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

Crazy to me that folks get worked up over $10 or so.  Y’all have fun in line. 

Its not the $10, its the principle/ethics on the part of NCL , and if there is refund due it should be automatic.

 

10 bucks each for 3 or 4 thousand passengers adds up

[samklh808]

Although NCL may not know the total taxes/fees per port because of occupancy, I find it hard to believe NCL does not know the cost per person. Is it being suggested the the cost per person is being changed by a port based on what???. If NCL keeps just $10.00 it amounts to on a larger ship $$40,000.00 times how many ships? If the money is NCL's then just include it in the fare upfront as opposed to listing it as a separate fee. That money is not for NCL but to pay for fees and taxes. If it is not used for that purpose it should be refunded, not added to NCL's bottom line

[sailorusvi]

13 minutes ago, samklh808 said:

Although NCL may not know the total taxes/fees per port because of occupancy, I find it hard to believe NCL does not know the cost per person. Is it being suggested the the cost per person is being changed by a port based on what???. If NCL keeps just $10.00 it amounts to on a larger ship $$40,000.00 times how many ships? If the money is NCL's then just include it in the fare upfront as opposed to listing it as a separate fee. That money is not for NCL but to pay for fees and taxes. If it is not used for that purpose it should be refunded, not added to NCL's bottom line

 

So my experience working on boats (not ships) and port fees is often they have a combination of fixed fees (typically tonnage and length) and  per passenger taxes (often arrival/departure taxes).

 

If the fixed fee is $1000 and the per passenger costs is $10.  If you have 100 passengers, your per person fee is $20.  If you have 200 passengers it's  $15.    That is a $5 difference. At just one port.  Multiple ports would change the end costs.  Especially coming off covid, they wouldn't have known 6-24 months out how many passengers they would have sailing. In addition to that, some ports have additional costs for arriving on a Sunday or holiday.  Or if you leave before 5 pm or after 5 pm.  

 

Not that I think NCL should keep the excess.  Nor should passengers need to go through hoops to get their own money back.  I'm just saying it's not a straightforward as you would want and they are not going to know until the last day if they under or over estimated fees.

Edited February 12, 2023 by sailorusvi

[mjkacmom]

2 hours ago, Beer Belly said:

To me, it's just the principal. You will not hear me bash NCL for the next two years, we will try RCCL next time around to have something to compare. This sailing will be only my third ever, all on NCL, and although the first was on the Escape in 2018, Getaway in 2022, I will say the experience has declined since the first. 2018, both the Wife and I got some viral infection, still managed to have a great time, ran out of steam by 10pm......Getaway in 2022, I got food poisoning on day two.....real bad, won't go into detail, lost almost 3 days of over that, all of this could happen on any line, I am hoping Prima will go without issue. We will have a blast either way.

How do you know it was food poisoning? I’d expect hundreds would’ve been affected. Are they able to test stool samples onboards?

[Lionkingrichard]

12 minutes ago, mjkacmom said:

How do you know it was food poisoning? I’d expect hundreds would’ve been affected. Are they able to test stool samples onboards?

Not the poster, but you ever see how many people DO NOT WASHY WASHY!

[mjkacmom]

53 minutes ago, Lionkingrichard said:

Not the poster, but you ever see how many people DO NOT WASHY WASHY!

Yes, that’s why norovirus is such a problem on cruises (and daycare, and schools…).

[samklh808]

3 hours ago, sailorusvi said:

 

So my experience working on boats (not ships) and port fees is often they have a combination of fixed fees (typically tonnage and length) and  per passenger taxes (often arrival/departure taxes).

 

If the fixed fee is $1000 and the per passenger costs is $10.  If you have 100 passengers, your per person fee is $20.  If you have 200 passengers it's  $15.    That is a $5 difference. At just one port.  Multiple ports would change the end costs.  Especially coming off covid, they wouldn't have known 6-24 months out how many passengers they would have sailing. In addition to that, some ports have additional costs for arriving on a Sunday or holiday.  Or if you leave before 5 pm or after 5 pm.  

 

Not that I think NCL should keep the excess.  Nor should passengers need to go through hoops to get their own money back.  I'm just saying it's not a straightforward as you would want and they are not going to know until the last day if they under or over estimated fees.

Fair enough, just be transparent and if a refund is due post it back to the cc.

 

[Beer Belly]

17 hours ago, mjkacmom said:

How do you know it was food poisoning? I’d expect hundreds would’ve been affected. Are they able to test stool samples onboards?

Not going detail of how I know it was food poisoning, I have no idea if anyone else was effected as I did not report it . I was the only one to eat a certain dish while dining with friends, and the only one who went down till everything came up, that was one day, the following two days I was leary on any food

[disneydave]

I'm sure it's in the contract that they keep the fees; sadly, other lines refund the fees if a port is missed  

[ngrund]

Hopefully someone that is on one of the Prima cruises before ours reports back on what happens.

 

 Beer Belly (OP)  and I are on the last Prima trip to Bermuda for this season 5/7-5/14

[mjkacmom]

25 minutes ago, disneydave said:

I'm sure it's in the contract that they keep the fees; sadly, other lines refund the fees if a port is missed  

Since folks sailing on some NCL cruises have reported getting fees refunded, it would lead me to believe the information that they don’t know the fees ahead of time and will refund for some missed ports.

[Laszlo]

On 2/10/2023 at 6:03 AM, Beer Belly said:

We are on the May 7th sailing to Bermuda that originally had stop at Norfolk Virginia, but NCL decided to remove Norfolk for whatever reason. I emailed our Travel Agent to ask if there were any Port Fees or Taxes refunded for the Port they removed, she responded " I called Norwegian and confirmed that there will be no compensation for the missed port in Virginia. I was informed that as part of your cruise contract, Norwegian has the right to change the itinerary.  Please let me know if you have any other questions.".......when I asked if there were Port Fees and Taxes for Virginia, they are not being refunded ?.....response   "Yes, that is what I was told by Norwegian.  It is unfortunate."  When I questioned the amount of Port Fees and Taxes for Virginia..."The total taxes and fees are 308.76 per person, they don't get broken down by port."  I can understand an itinerary change for safety reasons, it's hard enough to except the idea of a drop of a Port "because they can", but to not refund any Port Fees and Taxes for that Port, to me that is theft.

I would have paid an extra $50 NOT to stop in Norfolk 

[spanishguy1970]

On 2/10/2023 at 6:03 AM, Beer Belly said:

We are on the May 7th sailing to Bermuda that originally had stop at Norfolk Virginia, but NCL decided to remove Norfolk for whatever reason. I emailed our Travel Agent to ask if there were any Port Fees or Taxes refunded for the Port they removed, she responded " I called Norwegian and confirmed that there will be no compensation for the missed port in Virginia. I was informed that as part of your cruise contract, Norwegian has the right to change the itinerary.  Please let me know if you have any other questions.".......when I asked if there were Port Fees and Taxes for Virginia, they are not being refunded ?.....response   "Yes, that is what I was told by Norwegian.  It is unfortunate."  When I questioned the amount of Port Fees and Taxes for Virginia..."The total taxes and fees are 308.76 per person, they don't get broken down by port."  I can understand an itinerary change for safety reasons, it's hard enough to except the idea of a drop of a Port "because they can", but to not refund any Port Fees and Taxes for that Port, to me that is theft.

interesting, on our last cruise they dropped a port and we got a refund on the port taxes and fees as refundable on board credit.

[Homosassa]

On 2/13/2023 at 5:16 AM, Beer Belly said:

Not going detail of how I know it was food poisoning, I have no idea if anyone else was effected as I did not report it . I was the only one to eat a certain dish while dining with friends, and the only one who went down till everything came up, that was one day, the following two days I was leary on any food

Obviously based on knowledge about "food poisoning" that is as good as the knowledge about port fees and taxes. 

 

(Posted by a microbiologist/ US CDC trained first responder for suspected food born outbreaks/ numerous other professional duties that affected public health).