Less than a month before sailing, below capacity, but still sticky prices?

[roquejo]

I'm more familiar with RCCL or especially Princess infamous pricing policy of sudden price drops close to sailing date, especially if there are a lot of empty cabins to adjust current stateroom capacity to make the ship sail as full as possible.

 

But not familiar yet with NCL's pricing style. My sailing date is just 3 weeks away, way past the penalty period, and when I checked, only the most expensive suite are sold out... there is still a lot of cabins available in all Categories from mini suite all the way down to inside.

 

If this is Princess or RCCL, price drops will happen.... but for this. The price remains STICKY.. whatever the price offered when they launched this sailing way back Feb 2013, and up to now... the prices remain the same!!!

 

I don't get it... so will this mean the ship will sail with lot of empty cabins? As they are doing anything to entice people to book.

 

Is this a common practice of NCL? Lots of cabins will be wasted in my sailing date.

[Casino Comp Chick]

If you leave on 6/23 the prices did indeed drop at the beginning of March and climbed up again. (You missed that price drop window, perhaps it's worth investing in a little "fishing credits" so it doesn't happen to you again). What category are you looking at? Prices still may drop some as there is availability in all areas except suites.

Edited May 30, 2014 by iimmie

[roquejo]

If you leave on 6/23 the prices did indeed drop at the beginning of March and climbed up again. (You missed that price drop window, perhaps it's worth investing in a little "fishing credits" so it doesn't happen to you again). What category are you looking at? Prices still may drop some as there is availability in all areas except suites.

 

I'm already fully paid at a very low price that cannot be matched by any price drop for this sailing due to the fact that this is not my original date, NCL cancelled my original booking so was compensated for change of date complications like rebooking my flight, adjusting my work schedules etc.

 

I am more curious on how NCL handles this for my future bookings with them as they are not as aggressive as RCCL or Princess where the prices change frequently..

 

Yup, there are availability in all areas this close to sailing date so there is a big chance we will sail only half full...

 

What I am more after is what NCL will do on those empty cabins of higher Category during the day in sailing... do they upsell you at discounted price? Or do free upgrades of higher tier latitudes members?

 

If they do upsell then how much discount?

 

Or they don't do anything and just sail with those higher category staterooms empty???

Edited May 30, 2014 by roquejo

[Casino Comp Chick]

They offer upsells (or you can call yourself if you see another category you like), They never want to sail empty so they move all the GTY cabins up and open the lower category's for sale. NCL is good for honoring price drops (until final payment) as well as upgrading rooms after final payment it just depends on what you spent and how much is the new category. I called and was moved from a minisuite to an owners suite due to price drops (& "fishing")

I suggest you call them and see what they can do.

Edited May 30, 2014 by iimmie

[roquejo]

They offer upsells (or you can call yourself if you see another category you like), They never want to sail empty so they move all the GTY cabins up and open the lower category's for sale. NCL is good for honoring price drops (until final payment) as well as upgrading rooms after final payment it just depends on what you spent and how much is the new category. I called and was moved from a minisuite to an owners suite due to price drops (& "fishing")

I suggest you call them and see what they can do.

 

 

Thanks for the info.

 

I don't think I'm eligible for upgrade given the low off peak price I paid being but moved to a peak season sailing.. but in fairness, I booked B2B so I actually bought 2 sailings..

 

but we'll see come sailing date and I will ask them for options, by that time they already know how many vacant rooms are avail.

[Love my butler]

NCL will drop prices dramatically last minute to try and sell cabins. Every ship, date and itinerary is unique.

[knitlady037]

you can count on the ship sailing full. They will go to bulk discount travel agents, usually in China town and sell the remaining cabins

[cruiser 1613]

Last year, when we were on the Jewel, I was talking to man that said he

uses an agent that has a standby list of people for last minute cruise..

 

He said he lives in the Seattle area, and gets called a couple times a year...

This was for the Alaska cruises.. I would bet that they have the same type

of list for folks living in/near other cruise ports..

 

He did say that they called him a couple days before the cruise, and booked it... Said he has been on a dozen cruises up to Alaska.. His wife said that

they love cruising up there and I agree, as we have been 5 times and looking

forward to going again...

[mrobstad]

Interesting thread....I've found NCL is great about upgrading you with price drops, but I've never had that experience on RCCL! And I travel as a solo....

 

 

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[Sauer-kraut]

Thanks for the info.

 

I don't think I'm eligible for upgrade given the low off peak price I paid being but moved to a peak season sailing.. but in fairness, I booked B2B so I actually bought 2 sailings..

 

but we'll see come sailing date and I will ask them for options, by that time they already know how many vacant rooms are avail.

 

If you wait til your sailing date you will most likely lose out! If you see something CALL and ask about the upgrade/upsell. You have to be proactive on NCL.

[aubreyc1988]

If you wait til your sailing date you will most likely lose out! If you see something CALL and ask about the upgrade/upsell. You have to be proactive on NCL.

 

really? I was hoping to upgrade for a lower price after final payment and closer to sailing. Ive never sailed with NCL, but with RCI you probably wouldnt be able to call and get anything...

 

alas, i have a TA and can't call myself anyhow boo

[Cubechick]

really? I was hoping to upgrade for a lower price after final payment and closer to sailing. Ive never sailed with NCL, but with RCI you probably wouldnt be able to call and get anything...

 

alas, i have a TA and can't call myself anyhow boo

 

That's what Sauer-Kraut was saying. If you notice a price drop, call NCL. The suggestion wasn't to call without a drop and hope to finagle something.

[aubreyc1988]

That's what Sauer-Kraut was saying. If you notice a price drop, call NCL. The suggestion wasn't to call without a drop and hope to finagle something.

 

ALTHOUGH, on RCI Allure, my husband called to upgrade to a junior suite from a balcony...and he knew the price was like...lets say 1,100...but they ended up giving him a lower price than advertised online...like 100 or so cheaper. He didnt say a word :D

[CruisinMaterial]

I booked one week prior to sailing on the Norwegian Breakaway. I booked because the price had dropped drastically for the solo cabins, coupled with the Buy One, Get One Free sale and then the Bermuda bonus days promotion with $100 OBC (even for a studio)!! The price was super low as it was and then with the OBC and the free Norwegian Sky cruise... it was worth spending the money on the bus ride to NYC and going last minute!

 

Long story short... you can get a good deal if you wait but factors involved must be considered:

 

1. Are kids still in school? (My sailing they were so harder to fill a ship with families.)

 

2. Did something happen with the ship recently making it newsworthy? (On Norwegian Breakaway two week's previous she had a propulsion issue in the Hudson River which was extensively covered on the NYC media market news stations. This could have potentially deterred last minute bookings from NYC.)

 

3. How many cabins are left in a particular category? (Before they started dropping the prices, there were 16 solo cabins still outstanding! When I booked they were down to 6 but the price still dropped anyway.)

 

4. Flexible last minute schedule? (I can go anytime before Memorial Day and anytime after Labor Day with as much as a day's notice so I can go whenever, if you're not as flexible then sometimes it pays more for peace of mind to know you're going.)

[roquejo]

Interesting thread....I've found NCL is great about upgrading you with price drops, but I've never had that experience on RCCL! And I travel as a solo....

 

 

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I have that experience with Allure of the Seas with RCCL. I initially paid for the cheapest smaller interior stateroom a year before sailing, then on the first price drop, I was able to slash $200 off my fare and got upgraded to a regular interior stateroom.

 

Then come another massive price drop after final payment, as RCCL cannot refund me anymore, I got upgraded to a Balcony stateroom.

 

That was my last sailing... but now on NCL, the price movement is not the same with my experience with RCCL.

[roquejo]

If you wait til your sailing date you will most likely lose out! If you see something CALL and ask about the upgrade/upsell. You have to be proactive on NCL.

 

Good point, but case to case basis.. the reasons why I won't bother calling NCL this time.

 

1. I got the cheapest interior stateroom category, the price I paid is very low and can't be matched by any price drop. Again the reason is this is not my original sailing date. My original Sept sailing date was cancelled by NCL and they moved me here with compensation of $50 OBC plus I get to sail on a very expensive peak season date at shoulder season rate of what I originally booked. For a 14 day peak season cruise I only paid around $800 base fare.. this is for all the troubles they gave me by cancelling my sailing date.

 

2. Checking the availability now, only the highest balcony room category is avail. If I call now for an upsell, there is a huge price difference from a lowest interior stateroom category off peak rate they gave me vs the peak season highest balcony category rate that is only avail at the moment.

 

So the only way I can get a good upgrade deal is if I get lucky enough during the sailing date that there is an excess balcony stateroom avail that they want to fill in the last minute..

 

As I don't want to pay the huge difference as of the moment if I call for an upsell given the very low price I originally paid.

 

I'm currently contented given the low price I paid... but if I get lucky come sailing date.. then why not

Edited May 31, 2014 by roquejo

[mrobstad]

I'm just learning about this negotiating thing, but glad to hear its possible on RCCL....always a little tricky for a solo traveler ...

 

 

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[roquejo]

I'm just learning about this negotiating thing, but glad to hear its possible on RCCL....always a little tricky for a solo traveler ...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Yes, very tricky for solo... as every price movement is multiplied by 2 as we pay double, unless it is a studio room...

[TravelJoe]

Basic supply and demand.... NCL has no need to lower the price if the demand continues until sailing (and as a stockholder, that's good for profit).

 

When we sailed in 2012, we booked a 2-bedroom family suite on the Star at close to half price a month before cruising, so clearly more supply than demand. I'm not seeing that on the Breakaway, and as a new ship, I'm not surprised.

[aubreyc1988]

I'm just learning about this negotiating thing, but glad to hear its possible on RCCL....always a little tricky for a solo traveler ...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

 

Be sure to always check crown and anchor deals on RCI for solo supplements. I remember the cruise a week or two before our sept 2013 allure cruise the solo supplement price was like 110 percent or something, so only 30.00 more than double occupancy. I remember thread craze going on about it on cruise critic, and I know a lot of people who weren't even traveling solo were getting two rooms for the extra space.

 

Doubt something like that would happen on NCL tho, because of their awesome solo plan anyhow.

 

 

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[philip_eunice1]

If you leave on 6/23 the prices did indeed drop at the beginning of March and climbed up again. (You missed that price drop window, perhaps it's worth investing in a little "fishing credits" so it doesn't happen to you again). What category are you looking at? Prices still may drop some as there is availability in all areas except suites.

 

 

May I ask what is a "fishing credit"

 

 

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[BlueRiband]

Many cruise lines use an algorithm to automatically adjust prices. It's hard to figure out the logic as it is driven not only by booking demand but the sale timing and pricing.

 

Most people obsess about price drops when they are hoping to book a last minute fire sale deal. Since you're already booked at the then-cheapest inside cabin fare, and received some compensation for a previously cancelled cruise, what exactly is it that you are looking for? Are you hoping to get upgraded? Or just curious on how to book the next trip? In the later case the best approach might be to look at the same ship, time of year, and itinerary this year as a predictor for what is likely to happen next year.

[Casino Comp Chick]

May I ask what is a "fishing credit"

 

 

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Google fishing for a cruise.......it is about a dollar a cruise

Edited May 31, 2014 by iimmie

[punkincc]

Good point, but case to case basis.. the reasons why I won't bother calling NCL this time.

 

1. I got the cheapest interior stateroom category, the price I paid is very low and can't be matched by any price drop. Again the reason is this is not my original sailing date. My original Sept sailing date was cancelled by NCL and they moved me here with compensation of $50 OBC plus I get to sail on a very expensive peak season date at shoulder season rate of what I originally booked. For a 14 day peak season cruise I only paid around $800 base fare.. this is for all the troubles they gave me by cancelling my sailing date.

 

2. Checking the availability now, only the highest balcony room category is avail. If I call now for an upsell, there is a huge price difference from a lowest interior stateroom category off peak rate they gave me vs the peak season highest balcony category rate that is only avail at the moment.

 

So the only way I can get a good upgrade deal is if I get lucky enough during the sailing date that there is an excess balcony stateroom avail that they want to fill in the last minute..

 

As I don't want to pay the huge difference as of the moment if I call for an upsell given the very low price I originally paid.

 

I'm currently contented given the low price I paid... but if I get lucky come sailing date.. then why not

 

 

I know you have convinced yourself that you have nothing to gain by checking with NCL, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. You have nothing to lose. The worst thing that can happen is that they will say "no". If they do, you still have the cabin you are content with.

 

In my experience on the Sun, same trip and only a little earlier in the season, many people on our sailing benefited from free upgrades and low cost upsells, including myself, in the last few weeks before sailing. I do not remember the exact timing, but I believe it took place LESS than 4 weeks before sailing.

 

I had booked well in advance and secured a good price for our cabin, which was a balcony. As prices dropped, I called NCL and was able to up sell, first to a minisuite, and later on to an aft facing penthouse. The final up sell cost me less than $200 total for the both of us. Prices fell further after I did the final upsell, and they gave me some extra on board credit as there was nothing else available to upsell to.

 

If you wait until you are onboard, you are almost guaranteed to get nothing. I have heard only one person relate that they were ever able to secure a different cabin once on board. They are going to fill those cabins one way or another BEFORE sail date.

 

My advice is to watch prices daily. If the cabin you have your eye on is dropping, call and inquire about a possible upgrade. They will let you know what it will cost you. If the price for the upsell is not right for you, you can call again if prices fall further, and you might get a different answer.