Need advice, cancelled flight by airline NCL not helping!

[carohs]

49 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

I disagree. It's a pretty well established fact in the business world that the majority of satisfied customers don't respond to surveys or write reviews. They're almost universally outnumbered by the dissatisfied. Think of it this way: 4,000 passengers on one sailing, if even 1% of them do a review at all, that's 40 people. If only 10 of them used a buy one, get one air deal and are unhappy, someone could say the entire ship had a bad experience with it. And even then, there are plenty of people who book their own flights (sometimes at a higher cost) and are still in danger of being delayed or missing their connections (that almost happened to us on RC and we booked independently). You're right that there are a lot of horror stories on here, but there are also a lot of cruisers who've never even HEARD of Cruise Critic in the first place. In short, those reviews are unrepresentative and shouldn't be relied on as though they were.

I'm not disagreeing with you but you seem to missing my point.

 

1) Flexibility in arrival date. There have been reports of flights issued to arrive morning of, and also the day prior, without asking for deviation. Are you the person who is cranky if you don't have a chance to rest by arriving the night before, or the person who isn't okay with an extra night unexpected hotel cost?

 

2) Flexibility in arrival times. Uh oh, you might be left with hours before you can board with nothing to do! Or conversely arrive without enough time to explore the embarkation city.

 

3) Flexibility if flights go wrong. Yes, this can happen booking on your own but I have read enough (even just 1 is enough) reports that NCL won't talk to the airline, and the airline won't talk to you in these situations. While there are reports of NCL helping, even just once when they don't is enough for me to call that a gamble.

 

I'm not saying it's likely to happen, I'm saying it's not 100% guaranteed that it won't.

[happy cruzer]

It's true that booking air through NCL does take the initial routing control away from you.   So yes we only use them when the savings are significant.

 

Once things start changing, then you still have to deal with.  From flight changes early on through changes on the day of travel.  Can't relay on anyone else to take care of it.  Getting refunds and insurance claims are frustrating.  Booking the air yourself is no guarantee that the outcome will be perfect.

 

Risk/reward is subjective.  Each person has different.  Many have gotten to where they refuse to fly because it is too risky and uncomfortable.

[UKstages]

6 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

A sales pitch is exactly what you're suggeting when you say the agent should put their product in the best possible light.  In fact, that approach is misleading and inaccurate.

 

not at all... have you considered that there is a marked difference between selling somebody something and creating an opportunity for people to buy? when you have a customer-focused sales organization, your reps create opportunities for people to buy stuff... you don't have to "sell" them anything and there is nothing remotely resembling what you have described as a sales pitch.

 

it only becomes a sales pitch after you've told the agent no and the agent insists on attempting to sell you the thing you've just said you didn't want. based on your numerous accounts of your "being upfront" methodology detailed above, it doesn't sound like that's what happened at all.

 

in many of your posts, you appear to be conflating your personal and appropriate distaste for NCL air with agent behavior.

[RocketMan275]

10 hours ago, UKstages said:

 

not at all... have you considered that there is a marked difference between selling somebody something and creating an opportunity for people to buy? when you have a customer-focused sales organization, your reps create opportunities for people to buy stuff... you don't have to "sell" them anything and there is nothing remotely resembling what you have described as a sales pitch.

 

it only becomes a sales pitch after you've told the agent no and the agent insists on attempting to sell you the thing you've just said you didn't want. based on your numerous accounts of your "being upfront" methodology detailed above, it doesn't sound like that's what happened at all.

 

in many of your posts, you appear to be conflating your personal and appropriate distaste for NCL air with agent behavior.

When you're presenting the product in the best light,  you are conducting a sales pitch.

I have nothing against the agent.  I'm merely presenting a conversation where the NCL agent agreed that their product isn't for those who prefer travel that is convenient and comfortable over the lowest possible price.

[BirdTravels]

On 5/4/2023 at 5:57 PM, ontheweb said:

You said the magic word----LAWYER!

Do you really think that the minimum wage call center agent really cares?

 

NCL will say "go for it", "you signed a contract and we [NCL] has no obligation to do squat". "You are in breach of contract, not us [NCL]". "And when you lose (and you will), you will be responsible for our [NCL's] legal costs". 

 

WRT insurance, like most policies, the Aon trip interruption coverage only covers a few hundred dollars

Edited May 6, 2023 by BirdTravels

[RocketMan275]

3 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Do you really think that the minimum wage call center agent really cares?

 

NCL will say "go for it", "you signed a contract and we [NCL] has no obligation to do squat". "You are in breach of contract, not us [NCL]". "And when you lose (and you will), you will be responsible for our [NCL's] legal costs". 

 

WRT insurance, like most policies, the Aon trip interruption coverage only covers a few hundred dollars

Not only that, unless  you're going the small claims route, the passengers are obligated to use arbitration.  

[UKstages]

NCL call center agents, a.k.a "personal cruise consultants" are not minimum wage employees.

[DCGuy64]

On 5/5/2023 at 5:21 PM, carohs said:

I'm not disagreeing with you but you seem to missing my point.

 

1) Flexibility in arrival date. There have been reports of flights issued to arrive morning of, and also the day prior, without asking for deviation. Are you the person who is cranky if you don't have a chance to rest by arriving the night before, or the person who isn't okay with an extra night unexpected hotel cost?

 

2) Flexibility in arrival times. Uh oh, you might be left with hours before you can board with nothing to do! Or conversely arrive without enough time to explore the embarkation city.

 

3) Flexibility if flights go wrong. Yes, this can happen booking on your own but I have read enough (even just 1 is enough) reports that NCL won't talk to the airline, and the airline won't talk to you in these situations. While there are reports of NCL helping, even just once when they don't is enough for me to call that a gamble.

 

I'm not saying it's likely to happen, I'm saying it's not 100% guaranteed that it won't.

With regard to flexibility, it completely depends on the person and the situation. When we went to Portugal last December for our transatlantic cruise, we decided to go 5 days early so as to do some traveling beforehand. Conversely, this November we're booked on another cruise which leaves from Rome, but due to the fact we both work, we don't have enough vacation time to do a pre-cruise landbased vacation. So it all depends on the circumstances. Some people, especially those who've had bad experiences or close calls, will often say it's not worth it to save a few bucks due to the chance of something going wrong. But at the end of the day, they can only speak for themselves. They can't assume that everyone else will/should feel the same. Human beings are just too different for us to make blanket statements about something always being right or always being wrong. I think different people have different risk tolerances. You say in your last paragraph that just one instance of NCL not being helpful is enough for you not to take the gamble. That's YOU, but it doesn't mean everyone else is the same. One could easily say "my favorite port got skipped" or "the other passengers were rude and obnoxious" and then swear off cruising altogether. After all, if only one cruise goes bad, that's enough to stop cruising altogether. Yeah, I don't think so.

[9tee2Sea]

Before I decided to use NCL BOGO, I went on website search to look at all the flights/times to and from my destination.  NCL states that they will use direct flights if possible, or max 2 stops.  I looked at all the layover times and then made a decision based on what I could live with with the worst flight possible

( longest layover, earliest home departure, arrival time to final destination). I have only used NCL air once ( LAX-Dubai), and could not be happier.  I was on the only non-stop flight from LAX ( took 15 hours, but it was nice not to change planes).  Just have to do some research before you agree to BOGO.  Using NCL on airfare saved me over $2000.00 on my flights.  I would not use them for Continental flights, but  it's perfect for overseas air. Of course having 2 day deviations on both ends takes the stress off just in case anything happens.

[Liz.m.m]

Finally after almost a month the airline fees were refunded. Still fighting for the transfer fees.

Promise you we won't be getting air through the cruise line again!

[Sue Do-Over]

On 5/2/2023 at 4:43 PM, Liz.m.m said:

When United didn't find another seat to the ship, the entire air itinerary was cancelled.

Airlines will often cancel the return half of the booking if the departure half was not used - they simply assume you didn't go on the trip.  Ugh.

[ChiefMateJRK]

Has anybody suggested the obvious (contest the airfare portion of the credit card charge with your credit card company)?  Merchant sold a future service and charged a credit card.  Service was not delivered.  Charge is reversed pending merchant providing proof that the service was delivered.  No need for a lawyer, NCL case, insurance claim or anything else.

[RB9643]

1 hour ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

 Merchant sold a future service and charged a credit card.  Service was not delivered.  Charge is reversed pending merchant providing proof that the service was delivered.

 

Exactly. "Charge is reversed" is the most important part.