NCL Deposit Non-Refundable?

[BlueCat1105]

I'm just beginning to look for a new cruise line to try out, after having sailed on Princess, and went to the NCL website to look around. Am I reading correctly that the deposits are not fully refundable if you need to cancel? I intend to book so far out in order to get the cabin I'd like that I certainly could imagine a need to cancel a reservation.

 

Thanks!

[Bennett'sCruise]

I'm just beginning to look for a new cruise line to try out, after having sailed on Princess, and went to the NCL website to look around. Am I reading correctly that the deposits are not fully refundable if you need to cancel? I intend to book so far out in order to get the cabin I'd like that I certainly could imagine a need to cancel a reservation.

 

Thanks!

 

Your NCL rezzie is fully refundable if you need to cancel before final payment. Not sure where you read otherwise ...

[bakerintn]

bookings for suites are not fully refundable. Here is the link to the refund / cancellation policy

 

http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/cruiser/cmsPages.html?pageId=IndivTermsConditions#cancellation

[Bennett'sCruise]

bookings for suites are not fully refundable. Here is the link to the refund / cancellation policy

 

http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/cruiser/cmsPages.html?pageId=IndivTermsConditions#cancellation

 

Yeppers ... sorry, didn't realize they were talking about a suite.

[BlueCat1105]

I guess I didn't know how to read that link, but that is what I was looking at. I read these lines to say that they would charge a fee for cancelling - period:

 

"Effective January 9, 2008, categories AA and A1 through A4 will have a 24 hour option for deposit or final payment depending on the payment schedule. Additionally, cancellation fees will begin immediately once money has been applied to the reservation." (I'm assuming that the A's are suites of one sort or another)

 

But this doesn't state any category:

 

"Reservations that are not paid in full by the final payment due date are subject to cancellation and in the event a reservation is canceled, a cancellation fee will apply"

 

What am I not reading correctly?

 

Thanks,

BC

[njhorseman]

 

"Reservations that are not paid in full by the final payment due date are subject to cancellation and in the event a reservation is canceled, a cancellation fee will apply"

 

What am I not reading correctly?

 

Thanks,

BC

 

 

"A cancellation fee will apply" does not mean in and of itself that the cancellation fee is the entire deposit, although it can be.

 

If you read that sentence in conjunction with the cancellation penalty table below it (which admittedly isn't the easiest thing in the world to read), for the non-suite categories, you lose your deposit if you get to the final payment due date (typically 60 or 75 or 90 days before the cruise) and cancel. If you cancel outside that date there is no penalty.

 

Example: If your cruise has a final payment due date of 75 days prior to the cruise, and you cancel up until that date...let's say 100 days before or 88 days before or 76 days before, your deposit is refundable. However once you hit that 75 day mark when the final payment would be due, you would be out your deposit if you cancel. So, all you have to do is make sure you cancel at least one day before the final payment due date. (Again, there are different rules for the higher level suite categories.)

[retiredonthesea]

It looks like it only pertains to Garden & Courtyard Villas, but not to AE--- A2 suites. That is if I'am reading it correctly.

[njhorseman]

It looks like it only pertains to Garden & Courtyard Villas, but not to AE--- A2 suites. That is if I'am reading it correctly.

 

 

The penalty table also says Owners Suites.

[retiredonthesea]

The penalty table also says Owners Suites.

 

Is it just the Owners suites in the Villa or the ones on decks 9 & 10? Sometimes it's hard to tell exactly what they are taliking about. I'll have to read AGAIN!:rolleyes:

[njhorseman]

Is it just the Owners suites in the Villa or the ones on decks 9 & 10? Sometimes it's hard to tell exactly what they are taliking about. I'll have to read AGAIN!:rolleyes:

 

 

I can't read NCL's mind for what they meant...all I know is it says "Owners Suites".

[retiredonthesea]

I can't read NCL's mind for what they meant...all I know is it says "Owners Suites".

 

YA!:rolleyes: I know what you mean---I re-read the policy and your right it does look like it means All O/S's. Sometimes it seems different catagories are not always the same on each ship either. I guess the best thing to do when one books is to make sure and ask what the cancellation policy is for the cat. one is booking. We haven't bk'd anything higher than a AB, but have had luck at upsells to higher.

[kamala]

AAs (Owners' Suites/OS/the ones on Decks 9/10) are included in the no-refund policy from day of booking. Deposit required for our next cruise was $3K and that all goes bye bye if we cancel up to 91 days before the cruise. Then final payment is due and refunds proceed according to the schedule that someone above linked.

[fin]

Do you suppose it is a deliberate corporate decision to write their material in such a way that everybody reading the same page comes to different conclusions?

 

Eschew obfuscation.

[Us2inFL]

We needed to cancel our reservation 35 days from departure (April 12th Pearl) and we lost our deposit of $250, which was one of those that we purchased on a prior cruise. In essence, we really only lost $150 because that is what we paid with the $100 discount.

 

It was an AD and we had taken out trip insurance, so the insurance company just sent us a check for the $250 short-fall on the refund.

 

I had heard that Garden Villa deposits were not refundable, and I suspect it was to discourage people from booking them on a lark, and then canceling them later on. They're not the easiest suites to re-sell, and NCL must have gotten burned on a large number of Garden Villa wanna-bees.

[BlueCat1105]

Haha! I guess I'm not alone here. I've only sailed Princess, and only twice, so I was just exploring different cruise lines. I guess I'll read from this that when and if the time comes to book a cruise with NCL, I'll have to call and have someone explain it to me - and then make them give it to me in writing! I wouldn't anticipate the need to cancel, but it's possible, and with deposits being fairly high, I'd want to know for sure. Thanks.

 

BC

[Us2inFL]

Again, if you take out trip insurance with the "cancel for any reason" clause, it doesn't matter how much is not refunded by the cruise line, your insurance should cover the difference.

[njhorseman]

Do you suppose it is a deliberate corporate decision to write their material in such a way that everybody reading the same page comes to different conclusions?

 

Eschew obfuscation.

 

No...I just think it's difficult to understand if you're not a lawyer or a travel professional.

 

It's no different than a lot of contractual language...not easy for a layman to understand.

[BlueCat1105]

No...I just think it's difficult to understand if you're not a lawyer or a travel professional.

 

It's no different than a lot of contractual language...not easy for a layman to understand.

 

I would say that too, except for the fact that this is the only cruise line I've seen that confused me.

[retiredonthesea]

I would say that too, except for the fact that this is the only cruise line I've seen that confused me.

 

It's probably that way because NCL has some of the biggest an most expensive suites and they don't want someone booking and then later down the line cancel out and then left with a very expensive suite to fill before sailing. They want to make sure your going to be in that suite. After I read it for the third time I think I finally got it figured out:rolleyes:! MAYBE HA

[njhorseman]

I would say that too, except for the fact that this is the only cruise line I've seen that confused me.

 

The problem is cancellation penalties that are in effect from the day of booking for the high end suites . Very unusual and confusing compared to the typical mass market cruise line penalties.

[terrymtex01]

I would say that too, except for the fact that this is the only cruise line I've seen that confused me.

 

What kind of suite are you looking to book?

[BlueCat1105]

I truly wasn't looking to book a suite in particular. I may, but I was just generally looking at their policies and got confused.

[G'ma]

I guess I didn't know how to read that link, but that is what I was looking at. I read these lines to say that they would charge a fee for cancelling - period:

 

"Effective January 9, 2008, categories AA and A1 through A4 will have a 24 hour option for deposit or final payment depending on the payment schedule. Additionally, cancellation fees will begin immediately once money has been applied to the reservation." (I'm assuming that the A's are suites of one sort or another)

 

But this doesn't state any category:

 

"Reservations that are not paid in full by the final payment due date are subject to cancellation and in the event a reservation is canceled, a cancellation fee will apply"

 

What am I not reading correctly?

 

Thanks,

BC

 

Your not.

 

If you book and deposit a suite....and then cancel - they will charge a fee and you won't get back your full deposit.

 

If you book ANY cabin and don't make final payment on time, they will cancel the reservation and take the normal cancellation fee as posted on their website.

[terrymtex01]

I truly wasn't looking to book a suite in particular. I may, but I was just generally looking at their policies and got confused.

 

Well..JMHO... the deal they have on their website that shows the cancellation fee is probably the most confusing information I have ever seen on any cruiselines website. I tried a half a dozen times to read it and figure out their policy and finally gave up. Really.. I think their policy boils down to something very simple. As long as you do not book the higher end suites, Owners suite, Courtyard Villa's and Garden Villas, you have nothing to worry about as long as you pay in full by final payment date. If you cancel before final payment date you don't lose anything or if you pay in full by final payment date you don't lose anything.

 

If you do book one of those high end suites, call NCL and just ask them. When we booked the Owners Suite on the Star for 2010, they told us right then if we were or were not in a time frame to cancel without penalty, which of course that far out we were. We were not concerned though because we bought "cancel for any reason" travel insurance which will cover any penalty we might pay if we have to cancel.

[Rockyhill]

US2inFL

Did you use a "Freestyle Cruise Reward" for the $250. I did also and they

withheld $ 400 on a 10 day cruise and said that is company policy. How

long was your cruise.

 

Tom