NCL moves to electronic documentation process
NCL will convert to an electronic documentation process for cruise bookings departing after December 11.
The cruise company says this means agents will receive travel documents earlier and more conveniently.
From October 12, the eDocs will be available to download up to 60 days prior to sailing for all NCL reservations paid in full.
NCL will issue an email notification once they are ready to view and download which travel partners can choose to have emailed to their agency or sent direct to customers.
NCL’s eDocs include a welcome aboard letter, cruise ticket, printable electronic luggage tags and, where applicable, airline e-ticket, post-cruise hotel vouchers and pre- or post-cruise transfer vouchers.
“eDocs offer increased flexibility and choice for our travel partners and guests, in addition to significantly enhancing reliability and earlier delivery of cruise documents,†said Sally-Anne Beasley, director of passenger services.
“We’ve built this system as part of our ongoing Partnership 2.0 programme, which is all about looking at how we can work smarter with the trade.â€
The subject line of all email notifications will contain the guest name, reservation number and ship and sail date, allowing agents to easily organise incoming email messages.
Travel documents can also be accessed from any computer with internet access by going to a designated section of NCL’s website tabbed ‘Already Booked’.
In advance of the eDocs launch, travel partners with fully paid reservations will receive a new pre-documentation Freestyle Cruising Kit in the mail around 55 to 21 days prior to the scheduled sailing.
The kit includes NCL’s welcome aboard booklet which answers questions guests may have prior to their cruise and their peel and stick luggage tags.
Agents are advised to go to https://www.ncl.co.uk/agencyupdate before October 7 to update their agency profile.
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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