Discounted cabins...how to time your purchase

[dishealth11]

Last week NCL lDawn owered rates on balcony cabins, then this week they shot up again.

 

What happens to those folks who bought those same categories prior to sale--can they get adjustments?

 

Why does NCL discount only certain cabin types? I mean the inside cabins were not discounted, so last week inside cabins cost more than some balcony cabins!

 

For experienced cruisers, how often and when do particular NCL cabin types go "on sales"?

[johnql]

Discounts vary from ship to ship and from sailing to sailing. Last-minute discounts occur when a cruise line (not just NCL) has to fill the ship. On more popular sailings, rates may go up when the line determines that demand is outstripping supply. This is an ongoing process for the line as it continuously tracks a particular sailing's bookings.

 

As for adjustments, a line will generally honor a lower fare for previously booked pax if the final payment date hasn't come and gone. If the final payment date is past, then very often any last-minute discounts are offered to "new bookings only". In that case, anyone who paid more is probably out of luck if they're looking for the lower rate to be applied to their booking. Of course, the flip side of the coin is that those who booked earlier were guaranteed the ship and sailing date that they wanted. People who have the flexibility to wait until the last minute MAY get a better rate but may get locked out of their preferred cabin category and/or sailing date.

[98Charlie]

IMHO there is no real way to time a cruise purchase. The cruise lines are in the business to sell their basic product which is the cabin. You can bet that they have staff and computer models to help decide if, when, what ship, how much to discount.

 

We have a number of cruises that we watch at any given time. When all of the parts (line, cost, ship, date,itinerary, etc.) fit, we book. Even though we are still working, we have a lot more flexability with our time than most. That really helps.

 

Charlie