Does this sound "off" to you (re: upsell)?

[Kdiamond55]

I am 4 days from sailing the Sky and am in a BA Aft balcony. I saw 2 AB suites become available yesterday so I emailed the agent I always work with (have booked 8 cruises now) and asked what the price difference would be if I upgrade. He gave me the full price, no discount, said he couldn't do one. Said he would check when a supervisor was there (this was a Sunday) and see. Ok, fine.

 

Didn't hear anything so today I see one of them is still available so I email to ask about it again. He tells me they were both sold. I check every couple of hours and see one is still there. I ask again, he says he checks again and still sold.

 

(By the way, I am being really friendly and nice, not trying to be annoying just basically trying to buy MORE from them LOL)

 

I actually went through the NCL site and picked it, and put it on hold. It let me. I have to believe it is still available, right? I mean, does that make any sense to you?

 

Do you think maybe he's just trying to get rid of me because he knows I am not going to pay the full price? LOL I don't know what to believe, but I almost feel like trying another agent at this point because I just want my question answered.

 

??? Happen to anyone else???

[fergusonvt]

I have seen it the other way around in that a cabin I wanted for my next cruise was not showing up for NCL PCC but I could see it on their site as free.

[Mooder]

What was the timing of your online "hold" and your communication? Is it possible your hold was the reason it was showing as unavailable?

 

I have not had this exact experience but I have had TAs tell me a cabin is unavailable and when I tell them it shows as avail online, they double check and then get it for me.

 

Keep us posted!

[JPinGA]

Somewhat typical of the cruise lines these days. They don't seem to like "change". I was booked on the Epic and wanted to change to the Dawn, and they wanted to charge me $250 for a "cancellation" fee. Talked to their customer relations dept and got the money back, but why the hassle? They seem to be "playing" you as they did me, and I wouldn't let them get a pass on it........

[wg6530]

Ido not know if the agent is playing a game with you or not. You know you will not pay full price. He knows you will not pay full price. So cabin availability doesn't really matter for you right now. If the price drops enough on NCL.com, call him to buy the upgrade. Otherwise, sit back and wait to see if NCL calls your agent with an upsell offer.

[terrymtex01]

OP.. I don't believe the TA is playing a game with you.. No matter what you are willing to pay for the AB, more money means more commission. What I do think is NCL does not usually give discounts on people who inquire about an upsell. They do, just not very often.. At least that is what I have read here on the boards. Any upsell we have gotten we were contacted by NCL not the other way around. I really do believe you are being told exactly what your TA is being told. I can't think of any reason your TA wouldn't want more commission.

[jdvmd]

I am 4 days from sailing the Sky and am in a BA Aft balcony. I saw 2 AB suites become available yesterday so I emailed the agent I always work with (have booked 8 cruises now) and asked what the price difference would be if I upgrade. He gave me the full price, no discount, said he couldn't do one. Said he would check when a supervisor was there (this was a Sunday) and see. Ok, fine.

 

Didn't hear anything so today I see one of them is still available so I email to ask about it again. He tells me they were both sold. I check every couple of hours and see one is still there. I ask again, he says he checks again and still sold.

 

(By the way, I am being really friendly and nice, not trying to be annoying just basically trying to buy MORE from them LOL)

 

I actually went through the NCL site and picked it, and put it on hold. It let me. I have to believe it is still available, right? I mean, does that make any sense to you?

 

Do you think maybe he's just trying to get rid of me because he knows I am not going to pay the full price? LOL I don't know what to believe, but I almost feel like trying another agent at this point because I just want my question answered.

 

??? Happen to anyone else???

 

 

Did you book directly with an NCL agent? Wasn't clear to me. I ask because I went through something similar with an online TA, with whom I had booked numerous cruises. He gave me the going rate from the NCL website when I inquired about upselling.

[Kdiamond55]

Yes, through NCL directly.

 

What I do think is NCL does not usually give discounts on people who inquire about an upsell.

 

I have thought that too, but that absolutely makes NO sense. I mean, wouldn't they rather make the people truly looking for an upgrade happy? You know, return customer and all that?

 

Update: He emailed me saying "If it is still available on Thursday I will ask a supervisor what they can do to discount it". (The day before sailing????)

 

WTH? :confused:

 

1) So he finally admitted it is still available (originally he argued this fact with me several times)

 

and 2) He can't offer any discount? Nothing, really? Even $100 or something? I'm not cheap, but the price difference to upgrade is as much as I paid for my BA. Seems a little steep 4 days out.

 

I guess sailing with a company 8 times in less than 3 years doesn't mean much anymore! LOL I'm not sweating it, I could care less, but it would have been cool. Guess it wasn't meant to be.

[goldmom]

I can tell that you're disappointed and I understand, but my impression is that only the "upsell" department can offer discounted upsells.

 

Also, if you or someone else was putting a "hold" on the cabin, it would not show up as available when your agent looked for it. It could have been a situation of you looking at it and then it disappeared on a "hold" when your agent looked.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[jdvmd]

I can tell that you're disappointed and I understand, but my impression is that only the "upsell" department can offer discounted upsells.

 

Also, if you or someone else was putting a "hold" on the cabin, it would not show up as available when your agent looked for it. It could have been a situation of you looking at it and then it disappeared on a "hold" when your agent looked.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Yes, only the upsell department can give you a discounted upsell. That said, since you booked directly through NCL. Why don't you have him contact the upsell department on your behalf. If that doesn't work, I would call them myself. You could even provide him with the phone number.

[wg6530]

Yes, through NCL directly.

 

 

 

I have thought that too, but that absolutely makes NO sense. I mean, wouldn't they rather make the people truly looking for an upgrade happy? You know, return customer and all that?

 

Update: He emailed me saying "If it is still available on Thursday I will ask a supervisor what they can do to discount it". (The day before sailing????)

 

WTH? :confused:?........

 

I guess sailing with a company 8 times in less than 3 years doesn't mean much anymore! LOL I'm not sweating it, I could care less, but it would have been cool. Guess it wasn't meant to be.

If Everybody knew NCL would take upsell offers a few days before sailing, NCL would be flooded, yes flooded, with people hoping to score a great deal on an upsell. Most of those people would think they were valuable customers making reasonable offers, but as there are only a few upsells available, most would be disappointed. Or worse, people would book lower level cabins with a plan to bid their way up at the end; if they succeed, NCL makes less cabin revenue.

so instead, NCL's revenue dept makes the upsell calls, and that dept decides who gets the offer and the upsell price. I hope you get the call, but do not hold your breath.

eight sailings in less than 3 years certainly makes you a valued customer, but maybe they think you are hooked already? might think the same for me,

Might be correct;)

[garycarla]

You will not pay full price to upgrade.

 

The agent knows you will not pay full price to upgrade.

 

Therefore, it is NOT AVAILABLE to you.

 

Seems pretty simple to me.

 

 

Sort of like me calling the Lexus dealer and saying I will buy a new car, at 30% off list. He says no way. You tell him to ask the mgr. He says sorry, the car is not available. Just the way it is. No car is available.

[Dayenu]

If you pick a cabin and put it on hold, it will stay on hold for a while, looking sold to anybody, including your travel agent.

[bugtig]

I think what you want is a suite for free or for a little more than what you are paying for your current room. I think your agent wants to sell cruises not deal with someone who wants a freebie. You are wasting his time and should not expect any more from him. If ncl wants to offer you a discount they will call you, in the meantime leave your agent alone to do their job, or pay the price they quoted you. If I were your agent and you called someone else to ask them for the same thing I worked with you on, I would probably change your room accidentally the front of the ship and inside cabin on the lowest floor!

[DMH15]

from what I've read here lately, NCL is not taking incoming upsell calls. With one AB I'm sure a lot of pax would want an upsell, but only one will get it.

[terrymtex01]

You will not pay full price to upgrade.

 

The agent knows you will not pay full price to upgrade.

 

Therefore, it is NOT AVAILABLE to you.

 

Seems pretty simple to me.

 

 

Sort of like me calling the Lexus dealer and saying I will buy a new car, at 30% off list. He says no way. You tell him to ask the mgr. He says sorry, the car is not available. Just the way it is. No car is available.

 

GC I just really do not feel like this is the agent doing anything. The agent gets a commission on the amount spent.. so why would the agent care if the client is paying full price or a discounted price. It is still more commission than the agent is getting right now. I really do believe the TA is giving the customer the exact information the TA is getting from whoever they are speaking with at NCL.

[Alliea]

I recently upgraded my room from a BA to a Courtyard Balcony A3.. I paid 2,500 more to do this.. The orginal price of the A3 at the time I purchased it , was discounted by NCL from what it would have orginally cost... cause we are close to sailing. Is that the same situation the person that started this thread is in? Why would this not work out? It is more money for TA. I don't understand. I have done this with other cruises as well.. and always with some sort of online TA. Am I missing something here?

[Mooder]

I recently upgraded my room from a BA to a Courtyard Balcony A3.. I paid 2,500 more to do this.. The orginal price of the A3 at the time I purchased it , was discounted by NCL from what it would have orginally cost... cause we are close to sailing. Is that the same situation the person that started this thread is in? Why would this not work out? It is more money for TA. I don't understand. I have done this with other cruises as well.. and always with some sort of online TA. Am I missing something here?

 

What your experience shows is that it CAN happen, but there is no guarantee. Apparently, for the OP's cruise NCL is not yet prepared to give the discount. Some cruises fill up faster than others, and discounts are only offered if it makes business sense to do so.

[lambs2]

We just ran into a similar situation as the OP describes. We booked a guarantee cabin about a year out from sailing at a fabulous price. Many months later our cabin was finally assigned and we were not particularly thrilled with the size or location so we asked our Travel Agent (we have used this agency for our last four or five cruises) to look into a couple category upgrade and how much that would cost. NCL had already nixed us using our one category upgrade certificate at booking time and had instead given us a small OBC. Our agent got back to us with a price which was ridiculously high in light of what we had paid initially for our cabin! We only wanted a category upgrade but NCL wanted us to pay almost the full rack price difference just to upgrade! We were disappointed. What is the point in booking almost a full year ahead of time and getting a great savings only to have it all taken away when we asked to upgrade? In the future we will just wait to book until last minute if at all possible, but that does not work out so well for European cruises where there needs to be lots of advance planning. Just acouple years ago we upgraded quite easily at a fraction of the cost NCL is now asking, so perhaps this is a newer trend because too many folks have been doing this very thing?

[Alliea]

What your experience shows is that it CAN happen, but there is no guarantee. Apparently, for the OP's cruise NCL is not yet prepared to give the discount. Some cruises fill up faster than others, and discounts are only offered if it makes business sense to do so.

 

Wow ,I never knew they would tell you no.. I have always thought I can just upgrade later to a better room if the price was right. And on this cruise, I was able to not only get a better OBC-450 from online TA, but a 500.00 OBC from NCL! THanks for the information.. I will be more careful with the cabin I orginally want to begin with from now on. This must have been a hard to fill up ship.

[Alliea]

We just ran into a similar situation as the OP describes. We booked a guarantee cabin about a year out from sailing at a fabulous price. Many months later our cabin was finally assigned and we were not particularly thrilled with the size or location so we asked our Travel Agent (we have used this agency for our last four or five cruises) to look into a couple category upgrade and how much that would cost. NCL had already nixed us using our one category upgrade certificate at booking time and had instead given us a small OBC. Our agent got back to us with a price which was ridiculously high in light of what we had paid initially for our cabin! We only wanted a category upgrade but NCL wanted us to pay almost the full rack price difference just to upgrade! We were disappointed. What is the point in booking almost a full year ahead of time and getting a great savings only to have it all taken away when we asked to upgrade? In the future we will just wait to book until last minute if at all possible, but that does not work out so well for European cruises where there needs to be lots of advance planning. Just acouple years ago we upgraded quite easily at a fraction of the cost NCL is now asking, so perhaps this is a newer trend because too many folks have been doing this very thing?

I don't think it is a new trend.. I just did this a couple weeks ago. But I may be in a hard to fill ship..Jewel/Feb,13th out of NYC.

[sloweddie24]

we were on the EPIC on 1/8/2011. we were in cabin 10324... 3days before we sailed, i saw the cabin online was now 260 per person less, 520 dollars than we paid. I called NCL, not emailed, and spoke to an agent. He upgraded us to cabin 11261 without hesitation. I feel a person to person conversation is easier than email.. it goes along way

[lambs2]

I don't think it is a new trend.. I just did this a couple weeks ago. But I may be in a hard to fill ship..Jewel/Feb,13th out of NYC.

 

Our ship is not full yet, but they have no more of our cabin category so we MAY try again in the next couple months since our sailing is not until April and see if we can do a little better than the very high upgrade price we were quoted back a month or so.

[newmexicoNita]

Yes, through NCL directly.

 

 

 

I have thought that too, but that absolutely makes NO sense. I mean, wouldn't they rather make the people truly looking for an upgrade happy? You know, return customer and all that?

 

Update: He emailed me saying "If it is still available on Thursday I will ask a supervisor what they can do to discount it". (The day before sailing????)

 

WTH? :confused:

 

1) So he finally admitted it is still available (originally he argued this fact with me several times)

 

and 2) He can't offer any discount? Nothing, really? Even $100 or something? I'm not cheap, but the price difference to upgrade is as much as I paid for my BA. Seems a little steep 4 days out.

 

I guess sailing with a company 8 times in less than 3 years doesn't mean much anymore! LOL I'm not sweating it, I could care less, but it would have been cool. Guess it wasn't meant to be.

 

no, to a couple of your questions. We have sailed NCL for years, I have sold it more than any other line and we have never been offered an upsell or upgrade. Don't ask me how they do it, they just do. As for wouldn't you think thus and so, yes, you would but it also doesn't seem to have much to do with anything. Cruiselines all seem to work a little differently than many companies. As mentioned, upsells are controlled by the upsell dept.

 

Nita

[Alliea]

no, to a couple of your questions. We have sailed NCL for years, I have sold it more than any other line and we have never been offered an upsell or upgrade. Don't ask me how they do it, they just do. As for wouldn't you think thus and so, yes, you would but it also doesn't seem to have much to do with anything. Cruiselines all seem to work a little differently than many companies. As mentioned, upsells are controlled by the upsell dept.

 

Nita

 

I am sooo confused. Are you all talking about calling to upgrade your room, at the price advertised at NCL at the time you call? Or are you all trying to get a better than advertised price? I should make it clear I upgraded at the price that NCL was advertising at the time.. but much lower than the price would be orginally at the start of the cruise. I think I may have messed up in my advice to others. I'm sorrry!