NCL price match guarantee is a LIE!

[AttilaTheFun]

clearly the difference upset you, and I can understand that. May I offer analogy?

Imagine I have an art gallery. I spot a young artist and love her work, so I buy multiple pieces (maybe even some future pieces) for a song. within a year or so, her popularity soars and gets a manager who jacks up her prices (supply and demand at work). So now, if you come to my gallery I can still make a profit even though I offer you a better price than the artist's own manager will give you. it would seem odd. You might not like shopping around to get my price. But are you mad at me for making a wise business decision and buying up supply at a good price? Are you mad at the artist for offering her art at the price in commands on the open market? Are you mad at the artist for selling work cheaply when she was an undiscovered starving artist? Or are you just glad to get a piece of art you love?

 

back to the cruiseline. they price the cruise and it does not sell well. So they put cabins on sale. a smart travel agent thinks it is a good price so they contract for a block of cabins at a great price. Before long a lot of cabins are sold...maybe a group like a corporation buys a bunch of cabins for a motivational reward. So now the supply of cabins is low...Econ 101 says with low supply and decent demand, the price rises. enter putercents. the price via the cruiseline is high. the price of one of those rooms blocked out by the TA is lower. putercents is frustrated....but should he be angry at the TA for making a smart buy? Or angry at the cruiseline for responding to supply and demand?

 

Please note...I am not a gallery owner nor a travel agent....so neither story is likely to be true to life. TA's here are welcome to inform me of each and every flaw in my cruiseline hypothesis. Gallery owners will undoubtedly tell me to sell art for more market rate to maximize my profit.

 

If I bought art through the "manager" because he was offering a BEST PRICE GUARANTEE, yes, I would be angry with him/her :rolleyes:

 

The issue here isn't NCL's pricing. The issue is that they offer a guarantee that is misleading. Yes, it's all spelled out in their disclosure (in vague terms), but if other companies did marketing in a similar fashion, there would be hell to pay.

[time2cruise1]

If I bought art through the "manager" because he was offering a BEST PRICE GUARANTEE, yes, I would be angry with him/her :rolleyes:

 

The issue here isn't NCL's pricing. The issue is that they offer a guarantee that is misleading. Yes, it's all spelled out in their disclosure (in vague terms), but if other companies did marketing in a similar fashion, there would be hell to pay.

 

Please tell me what is vague in these terms :confused:

 

 

"Our price is the best price

If you find a lower published price for the same cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line, either on ncl.com or on a piece of communication directly from Norwegian, we will either:

Re-price your cruise at the lower price

Or, you'll receive 110% of the difference in the form of an Onboard Credit"

"I saw a lower price at a travel agency, why can't I get it?

From time to time an agency will negotiate a special price for a group or for a special promotion. The terms of this offer require that the price be a lower publicly advertised Norwegian Cruise Line price on ncl.com or on a piece of communication directly from Norwegian."

[Starry Eyes]

If I bought art through the "manager" because he was offering a BEST PRICE GUARANTEE, yes, I would be angry with him/her :rolleyes:

The issue here isn't NCL's pricing. The issue is that they offer a guarantee that is misleading. Yes, it's all spelled out in their disclosure (in vague terms), but if other companies did marketing in a similar fashion, there would be hell to pay.

Well, if the artist's manager guaranteed that the artist's management themselves would not advertise it for less within 48 hours, it would be a weak guarantee. So is NCL's. Of course, my hypothetical little gallery will treat you better, so buy all your imaginary artwork from me, not the imaginary artist;).

 

A few days ago, I booked a pre cruise hotel getting the cheapest available room at the lowest rate on their site (save govt rate...I do not qualify), so an AARP rate via the hotel website (lq.com). The website had a banner about a low price guarantee. Yesterday, I saw the hotel on a third party site for $7 less. So, I went back to lq and read the "guarantee"...I had 24 hours to find a lower rate on the exact same room category, and send an alert to lq, and wait for them to try to verify on web. Whoa, the competitor called their cheapest "standard" room, and "standard" room is not an available category on lq.com. So, no chance I could ever use that lq guarantee, because they gave the discounter a different room category! And less time than NCL. it is only $7, so no big deal. I tell the story because other companies do make price guarantees...when you read the fine print, many are weak. Or worthless. yet I see no sign there is "he!! to pay". Instead I see "buyer beware"... One must read the fine print.

[Starry Eyes]

Starry Eyes I am not meaning to turn this into an ongoing rant so please do not percieve my retorts to be a blanket "I hate" post. lol Your analogy I think is spot on. NCLS' advertised price guarentee is smoke and mirrors(must read the small print). I contacted RCI and this type of pricing difference can not happen (you can still get perks, but no discount on the advertised price of the base fare) I really hate companies that hide behind the small print. It is obvious that the market is discounting the Epic vrs the larger class ships or I would be on the larger ships as I was loyal to RCI. This is NCL's chance to win my once/twice a year cruise dollars away. Like I said we are not off to a good start, and they also had a brochure promotion for 100 obc that went unanswred, I never did recieve the brochure, even after calling and confirming it would be sent. Other Canadians I have talked to also did not recieve this brochure promised by NCL. Bottom line is it pays to shop around, and NCL's web page is useful only for itineries. For a NCL cruise it pays to shop around and use a TA

I did not think yours were "hate" posts at all. You did sound frustrated. If so, I've been there, felt that. I know RCI has a no discount policy...so TA give OBC, prepaid gratuities, bottles of wine, spa treatments, and so on to induce passengers to choose their agency....been there, got those. Same goal, just arranging the funds differently. RCI also has group booking rates, so some discounting happens that way, too, I believe on RCI as agents form people into groups. I am not in the business, but I would not be surprised if RCI will also let agent hold a bock of rooms at a fixed rate, which is how I postulate you found such a massive price difference on NCL vs TA...I think perhaps it could happen on RCI, too. I have found it pays to shop around with them as well.

 

sorry if they dropped the ball on a brochure, but honestly many of those things have so many strings attached that one has trouble using them or gets no net advantage by using them....not just NCl, but other companies, too.

 

maybe I am horribly jaded, but if you hate companies that hide behind fine print, I suspect you hate a whole lot of companies, or you will when you have cause to read their fine print.

[coka]

Similar discussion going on at the HAL boards. I am with the poster who wrote it pays to shop around. I think TA' are finding the loopholes and I am seeking out those TA's...online or not. The key is how much handholding one needs along the way and how much one trusts who they book with. Once you have decided that, then you can decide whether you want to book with cruise line or with other. For me, it varies depending on the sailing, the difference in price I found, and my needs at the time.

 

Coka

Edited December 11, 2012 by coka

[putercents]

maybe I am horribly jaded, but if you hate companies that hide behind fine print, I suspect you hate a whole lot of companies, or you will when you have cause to read their fine print. Not really Starry Eyes, I am always rolling my eyes when I drive by any car dealer and see a SALE going on lol The real problem here was when I first was looking to book a cruise on 3 specific ships, i found an advertisment from a company I have never heard from (it was an iphone app). The price was clearly quoted, sounded too good to be true, so i called NCL figuring they would match. After a recall to confirm they would not match the price i figured oh well, I can always charge back if it is a fraud. Turns out the TA is well regarded and is very reputable. I will use them for any future cruises. Take the 42% figure as gospel, I have the communication from NCL to prove.

In any case, im going to the art show, and getting the free glass of champagne lol

[putercents]

I booked the cruise in june/12 for a jan/13 sailing so perhaps it was a last min sale lol

[DevCruise]

I booked our PoA cruise through a TA two years ago for our cruise last January for $1370pp when NCL's website rates were something like $1800pp (not including taxes, etc). The TA was using a group booking to do this. So was it cheaper? Yes. Was it apples to apples? No.

 

For what it's worth, I won't be booking through that TA again. All nice and helpful up front. Didn't fell like they wanted to really talk to me after I made the deposit until the final payment was due.

 

My next two are booked straight through NCL. Already managed to get one room upgrade and between the two bookings a lot of OBC.

[Alg63]

If I bought art through the "manager" because he was offering a BEST PRICE GUARANTEE, yes, I would be angry with him/her :rolleyes:

 

The issue here isn't NCL's pricing. The issue is that they offer a guarantee that is misleading. Yes, it's all spelled out in their disclosure (in vague terms), but if other companies did marketing in a similar fashion, there would be hell to pay.

 

"They" do not offer a guarantee that is misleading. "They" state their guarantee. The BUYER did not read or understand properly.

[blindrid]

Troll Alert!

 

OP has 10 posts total on this board.

 

Point well taken - I'm outta here.

[DMH15]

Troll Alert!

 

OP has 10 posts total on this board.

 

Nah, don't think OP is a troll. Just someone who made assumptions and didn't bother to read a contract. And then tried to show the big bad cruiseline a thing or two by coming on CC and spouting off as well as looking for validation and support. Now too embarrased to come back and admit they had made a mistake.

[time2cruise1]

Nah, don't think OP is a troll. Just someone who made assumptions and didn't bother to read a contract. And then tried to show the big bad cruiseline a thing or two by coming on CC and spouting off as well as looking for validation and support. Now too embarrased to come back and admit they had made a mistake.

 

Did the same thing on NCL's Facebook page. I think the purpose was to embarrass them across the Internet and get his way even if it clearly was not correct.

[DMH15]

Did the same thing on NCL's Facebook page. I think the purpose was to embarrass them across the Internet and get his way even if it clearly was not correct.

 

Even worse then. Everybody can and has made mistakes. But the poor soul who can't concede that he made a mistake is really missing the boat.

[JimeBeMe]

Just had a wonderful (sarcastic) NCL rep tell my TA that the Best Price Guarantee does not apply to any reservations once final payment is received. Might be technically correct, but NCL did not win points today.

 

This morning, my travel agent noticed that prices in the mini suite guarantee category had dropped. We agreed to re-book our reservation, paying about $100 more to move from our balcony to a mini-suite guarantee. Paid the difference on my credit card at about 12:15 PM today. Came back from lunch to find that mini-suite guarantee had dropped in price again, now lower than what we had paid for our original balcony according to NCL's own web site. Travel agent got NCL on the phone, and she offered to assign a mini-suite cabin, but could not refund/reprice/provide OBC.

 

Politely, we asked how that was any different than what we would get with a guarantee in the first place. She said she was doing us a favor and that if we did not accept the cabin assignment right away, we might be assigned the worst cabin possible. "Being assigned the worst cabin in the category is always possible when booking a guarantee, so why should we be charged $100 more on the same day?" we asked. NCL rep said this was a take it or leave it solution for us, and there was no way NCL would ever refund the difference we had paid earlier in the day.

 

Well, we took the cabin assignment (turned out that due to 'fire code restrictions' the cabin she tried to assign us to could not accommodate our party of 3 so she had to assign another one in a different category).

 

NCL management probably realizes we could easily have been granted an OBC and would have spent it on board with a smile on our face. The NCL rep, though, probably feels she won a victory today. I will promise all of you, though, that I will make an effort to recover that $100 by not spending on board the ship.

 

P.S. NCL has since contacted our TA to try to make things better by providing a bottle of wine. You would never think the "red or white?" question would be such an irritant, but after the last hour wasted and the bad taste in my mouth already, cheap wine is not going to help.

[sjbdtz]

Just had a wonderful (sarcastic) NCL rep tell my TA that the Best Price Guarantee does not apply to any reservations once final payment is received. Might be technically correct, but NCL did not win points today.

 

This morning, my travel agent noticed that prices in the mini suite guarantee category had dropped. We agreed to re-book our reservation, paying about $100 more to move from our balcony to a mini-suite guarantee. Paid the difference on my credit card at about 12:15 PM today. Came back from lunch to find that mini-suite guarantee had dropped in price again, now lower than what we had paid for our original balcony according to NCL's own web site. Travel agent got NCL on the phone, and she offered to assign a mini-suite cabin, but could not refund/reprice/provide OBC.

 

Politely, we asked how that was any different than what we would get with a guarantee in the first place. She said she was doing us a favor and that if we did not accept the cabin assignment right away, we might be assigned the worst cabin possible. "Being assigned the worst cabin in the category is always possible when booking a guarantee, so why should we be charged $100 more on the same day?" we asked. NCL rep said this was a take it or leave it solution for us, and there was no way NCL would ever refund the difference we had paid earlier in the day.

 

Well, we took the cabin assignment (turned out that due to 'fire code restrictions' the cabin she tried to assign us to could not accommodate our party of 3 so she had to assign another one in a different category).

 

NCL management probably realizes we could easily have been granted an OBC and would have spent it on board with a smile on our face. The NCL rep, though, probably feels she won a victory today. I will promise all of you, though, that I will make an effort to recover that $100 by not spending on board the ship.

 

P.S. NCL has since contacted our TA to try to make things better by providing a bottle of wine. You would never think the "red or white?" question would be such an irritant, but after the last hour wasted and the bad taste in my mouth already, cheap wine is not going to help.

 

 

I don't get it? You're past final payment. Being allowed to upgrade for $100 wasn't a given. Being offered an upgrade from guarantee to specific cabin was also an upgrade. Free wine.

 

You've been on CC for a while, I'd gather you're aware that cruise lines adjust their pricing after final payment (after they know for sure 'who is in'), in order to fill the ships.

 

 

I'm also not clear on why I had to read a 2 year old thread to learn of this.

 

 

 

.

[chrisc71]

Agree. They think by posting in a public forum or two that the rules don't apply to them.

 

Recent events prove otherwise.

[JimeBeMe]

I don't get it? You're past final payment. Being allowed to upgrade for $100 wasn't a given. Being offered an upgrade from guarantee to specific cabin was also an upgrade. Free wine.

 

You've been on CC for a while, I'd gather you're aware that cruise lines adjust their pricing after final payment (after they know for sure 'who is in'), in order to fill the ships.

 

I'm also not clear on why I had to read a 2 year old thread to learn of this.

 

.

 

Past final payment yes, but the credit card payment I had made earlier in the day had not even been posted yet. Surely you would agree that they had some discretion to work with here, given the payment had not yet been processed? NCL is in business to make money - no doubt about it - and they actually did make more money off me today than they had this morning. We both got something we wanted - that's how business works. My point was they could have had my money and my goodwill.

 

To be clear (because I think I may have given the wrong impression), I did not get to select a cabin - we were assigned one. I'm not sure how they assign cabins for guarantees, but I would guess it is done in much the same way it was done today for us. From my point of view, being assigned a cabin now is the same as being assigned one later.

 

2 year old post - you got me there. I didn't even look. Just searched for an existing thread that matched what I was feeling. I apologize for that goof.

 

Jime

[Sizzlechest]

Unless you're booking a posh suite, DON"T BOOK UNTIL 2 WEEKS BEFORE SAILING. I learned my lesson. Or...go with Carnival. I hear they give you the price difference without a fight.

[Winnigirl]

I suppose I'm fickle.. I just don't get this "loyalty" to one cruise line. Cruise lines are in the business of making money - fortunately the majority of them offer a pretty good product. I choose the cruise and line I want depending on the circumstances. I read so many posts of people "shocked" that because they are "gold", "platinum" "extra special super cruiser" the company doesn't know you by name, send you Christmas cards and make sure you get a cheaper price than any one else in the world. We've cruised on most the major lines, and other than one, we have always found an enjoyable product at a price we feel is reasonable. If you're not happy with the service (personally we rarely ever deal directly with the cruise lines), then go to another, "loyalty" be darned - but threats of "finding a new cruise line" are just silly.

[GrabMyWrist]

Just had a wonderful (sarcastic) NCL rep tell my TA that the Best Price Guarantee does not apply to any reservations once final payment is received. Might be technically correct, but NCL did not win points today.

 

This morning, my travel agent noticed that prices in the mini suite guarantee category had dropped. We agreed to re-book our reservation, paying about $100 more to move from our balcony to a mini-suite guarantee. Paid the difference on my credit card at about 12:15 PM today. Came back from lunch to find that mini-suite guarantee had dropped in price again, now lower than what we had paid for our original balcony according to NCL's own web site. Travel agent got NCL on the phone, and she offered to assign a mini-suite cabin, but could not refund/reprice/provide OBC.

 

Politely, we asked how that was any different than what we would get with a guarantee in the first place. She said she was doing us a favor and that if we did not accept the cabin assignment right away, we might be assigned the worst cabin possible. "Being assigned the worst cabin in the category is always possible when booking a guarantee, so why should we be charged $100 more on the same day?" we asked. NCL rep said this was a take it or leave it solution for us, and there was no way NCL would ever refund the difference we had paid earlier in the day.

 

Well, we took the cabin assignment (turned out that due to 'fire code restrictions' the cabin she tried to assign us to could not accommodate our party of 3 so she had to assign another one in a different category).

 

NCL management probably realizes we could easily have been granted an OBC and would have spent it on board with a smile on our face. The NCL rep, though, probably feels she won a victory today. I will promise all of you, though, that I will make an effort to recover that $100 by not spending on board the ship.

 

P.S. NCL has since contacted our TA to try to make things better by providing a bottle of wine. You would never think the "red or white?" question would be such an irritant, but after the last hour wasted and the bad taste in my mouth already, cheap wine is not going to help.

 

NCL was correct.

 

http://www.ncl.com/freestyle-cruise/best-price-guarantee

 

What if my price went down after the 48 hours?

 

If it is prior to final payment you have the option to cancel and rebook but must accept the Terms and Conditions of the new promotion.

[EyeSeaEwe]

Agree. They think by posting in a public forum or two that the rules don't apply to them.

 

It worked for the Colucci family.

[sjbdtz]

Surely you would agree that they had some discretion to work with here,

Jime

 

 

Unfortunately, I don't agree. The computer doesn't distinguish between 'just a few hours ago', and 'some other time in the past'.

 

You were past final payment, which meant that all actions (each & every one) were also 'final'.

 

In the same way, you can't go in to a store & buy lamp marked "Final Sale - No Returns or Exchanges", and then come back a few hours later & say "oops... I didn't notice the scratch (or...opps, you revised the price again)".

 

Final means final. Their willingness to give you a little win (getting a cabin actually assigned), and a second little win ( a comp. bottle of wine) to me suggests they were stretching as much as they could to make you happy.

 

 

It's most unfortunate that it didn't work. I travel a LOAD for work, and am continually revising travel plans...but I know that non-refundable means non-refundable. I might (due to loyalty) be able to get an exception, but I never assume it. If something is non-refundable, I usually book the refundable version, and make a calendar notation to check-back for non-refundable lower fares, once my schedule gels.

 

 

You didn't. You opted to move to the Mini when the price was what you considered reasonable. You could have waited, to see whether it got 'more reasonable'.... you had your reasons. But the action you took was a 'final sale' action.

 

If you can just own that, within your own mind, you'll feel a lot better about the whole experience.

 

 

 

 

Stephen

 

 

.

Edited July 31, 2014 by sjbdtz