Refund for extras pre final payment

[grouchomarx]

I put a deposit on a Christmas week cruise.  I assume it will be quite busy and want to book some extras to make sure I secure them before they sell out.  Yes I know it’s early. I want to know if I decide not to take the cruise before the cancellation penalty phase begins, is it relatively easy to get a refund on the extras I prepaid for?  I don’t want a hassle about it, I could just wait to book those things but I do enjoy planning way ahead.  For example FAS+, thermal suite, dining package.

[ChiefMateJRK]

Does FAS+ or dining package really sell out?

[DorothyB]

20 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Does FAS+ or dining package really sell out?

No, but how hard is it to get that refunded if he cancels the cruise.

 

I purchased my internet package already for my Oct, Jan and Feb cruises - but I am going to cancel them and repurchase maybe after I board because I am in process of buying NCLH stock.  I am not sure if they will refund what I have paid yet since it isn't final payment date, but I feel sure that if I canceled the cruise before final payment date, it would not be difficult to get refunded for all purchased excursions, etc.

[ChiefMateJRK]

37 minutes ago, DorothyB said:

No, but how hard is it to get that refunded if he cancels the cruise.

I don't know.  But he said:

1 hour ago, grouchomarx said:

want to book some extras to make sure I secure them before they sell out.

I asked a question.  You seem to be trying to ask or answer a different question.

 

I guess it's great for the rest of us when some of you want to loan money interest free to NCL.  Helps the debt situation.  Helps keep my fares low.  Not exactly sure what you're getting out of it.

Edited June 10 by ChiefMateJRK

[debenson0723]

3 hours ago, grouchomarx said:

I put a deposit on a Christmas week cruise.  I assume it will be quite busy and want to book some extras to make sure I secure them before they sell out.  Yes I know it’s early. I want to know if I decide not to take the cruise before the cancellation penalty phase begins, is it relatively easy to get a refund on the extras I prepaid for?  I don’t want a hassle about it, I could just wait to book those things but I do enjoy planning way ahead.  For example FAS+, thermal suite, dining package.

You can get a refund on extras even after final payment. I just canceled my FAS drink package today and I cruise next Sunday. Refund for the gratuities is being credited back to the card I paid with. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

Why do you people give NCL money before you have to?  Do you make your house payments two months in advance?

[justhappy]

6 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Why do you people give NCL money before you have to?  Do you make your house payments two months in advance?

Some people like to prepay items that are vacation related so when they travel they don’t have a big bill afterwards. I was taught growing up that wants should never be financed. But that’s just me.

I also don’t worry about how other people spend their money.

 

 

[debenson0723]

8 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Why do you people give NCL money before you have to?  Do you make your house payments two months in advance?

I didn't give money to NCL before I had to.  Mine was the FAS gratuities that was paid at 120 days (and I don't pay that before it is due either). Due to circumstances beyond my control, I can no longer enjoy the drink package so no need to pay gratuities on something I can't use. 

[Tallulah20]

Sometimes (even in recent memory) NCL raises the prices on some of these extras. If you pay it way ahead of time you lock in the current prices. If you decide you don't want it they will refund to your credit card ahead of boarding. 

If you wait and they raise the price, then you pay the higher price. 

Last year NCL warned me they were raising the DSC and if I prepaid, I got the price at the time of booking. If I waited to pay onboard, I got the new higher fee. 

 

A possible reason why someone might want to pay ahead of time....

[The Traveling Man]

14 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I don't know.  But he said:

I asked a question.  You seem to be trying to ask or answer a different question.

 

I guess it's great for the rest of us when some of you want to loan money interest free to NCL.  Helps the debt situation.  Helps keep my fares low.  Not exactly sure what you're getting out of it.

Part of the OP's original post was "is it relatively easy to get a refund on the extras I prepaid for?"  I think that must have been the OP's question that @DorothyB was trying to answer.

[cruiseny4life]

11 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Why do you people give NCL money before you have to?  Do you make your house payments two months in advance?

Why do you care?

 

15 hours ago, grouchomarx said:

I put a deposit on a Christmas week cruise.  I assume it will be quite busy and want to book some extras to make sure I secure them before they sell out.  Yes I know it’s early. I want to know if I decide not to take the cruise before the cancellation penalty phase begins, is it relatively easy to get a refund on the extras I prepaid for?  I don’t want a hassle about it, I could just wait to book those things but I do enjoy planning way ahead.  For example FAS+, thermal suite, dining package.

It's very easy to get these items refunded, though it will require a call (or chat) with NCL. We use a Personal Cruise Consultant (PCC) and let her know what to adjust. She does it and within ten'ish days (usually quicker) we receive the refund. 

 

Even when we cancelled a cruise back in August, 2022 about three weeks before the sail date, we were provided the refund for what NCL would refund within three or four business days of the cancellation. 

[grouchomarx]

12 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Why do you people give NCL money before you have to?  Do you make your house payments two months in advance?

For me Vibe access is very important. I don't want to sail without it so I booked it immediately after booking the cruise.  It often sells out and on a Christmas cruise with a million kids it will be essential for me to have.  Other stuff I would book much later on, except a Thermal pass is always good to book earlier too.

[grouchomarx]

Well today I cancelled the whole cruise and got all my payments back so that was pretty painless.  (I got cold feet about sailing from Galveston, between the fog stories I've read and the issues getting from Houston to Galveston it was making me uneasy so I switched to Miami.)  Thanks everyone for your replies.  

[ChiefMateJRK]

5 hours ago, justhappy said:

I also don’t worry about how other people spend their mone

Good for you!  I don't either.  But, if they ask how they should spend their money, I'll generally toss my two cents in. 

5 hours ago, justhappy said:

Some people like to prepay items that are vacation related so when they travel they don’t have a big bill afterwards. I was taught growing up that wants should never be financed.

So accruing charges while on board and paying them at the end is "financing them?"  How so. I don't pay any interest.  If I can't afford the bill at the end (I can), I won't cruise.

[ChiefMateJRK]

54 minutes ago, Tallulah20 said:

Last year NCL warned me they were raising the DSC and if I prepaid, I got the price at the time of booking. If I waited to pay onboard, I got the new higher fee. 

 

A possible reason why someone might want to pay ahead of time....

Yep.  I've done that.

[ChiefMateJRK]

44 minutes ago, cruiseny4life said:

Why do you care?

 

I was just curious.  Why do you care about my question?

[ChiefMateJRK]

41 minutes ago, grouchomarx said:

For me Vibe access is very important. I don't want to sail without it so I booked it immediately after booking the cruise.

Yes.  I know.  That is why I asked:

16 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Does FAS+ or dining package really sell out?

 

[justhappy]

19 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Good for you!  I don't either.  But, if they ask how they should spend their money, I'll generally toss my two cents in. 

So accruing charges while on board and paying them at the end is "financing them?"  How so. I don't pay any interest.  If I can't afford the bill at the end (I can), I won't cruise.

Same for me re if we can’t afford it we don’t go.
But some people do end up with a bill at the end of a trip and they don’t pay off their credit card balance monthly. So in essence they are financing it. Paying for everything in advance helps some people budget. Myself included. We now have a 4K monthly vacation budget but I still try to save money in every way we can, but we don’t feel guilty when we do splurge. Not paying cc interest is one way that saves us money.

  After 49 years of marriage and living on a budget, some habits don’t die😉

Since we are splurging big time next year for our 50th wedding anniversary, I’m already prepaying for some items for those trips.

[schmoopie17]

21 hours ago, Tallulah20 said:

 

Last year NCL warned me they were raising the DSC and if I prepaid, I got the price at the time of booking.

And don't be surprised if they do it again this year.

For our convenience...

[cruiseny4life]

19 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

And don't be surprised if they do it again this year.

For our convenience...

This is why we already prepaid (loaned) gratuities for our February cruise. Don't have to worry about any increases. Pay it and forget it.