Prices cheaper on NCL Australia site than NCL USA site

[alert]

I been checking cruise prices on both NCL Australia site and NCL USA site. The current exchange rate is $1 US Dollar = $1.3 Australian Dollar.

 

For the cruise prices I have checked, it seems that the prices on the NCL Australia site cost about 1.15 times more than NCL USA site. So it seems that there is about a 15% savings by booking cruises on the NCL Australia site.

[Demonyte]

This is quite normal on localized sites with a different currency, happens often on NCL's European sites (UK and CE) too. And it's not just the currency either, sometimes they have quite different prices/promos to begin with.

[alert]

This is quite normal on localized sites with a different currency, happens often on NCL's European sites (UK and CE) too. And it's not just the currency either, sometimes they have quite different prices/promos to begin with.

 

So can someone living in the USA book cruises on these non USA sites to take advantage of better pricing? Thanks

[Demonyte]

So can someone living in the USA book cruises on these non USA sites to take advantage of better pricing? Thanks

 

 

To my understanding, yes.

 

But at least in Europe the Terms and Conditions (especially about deposits and cancellations) are different from the ones in US (I live in Europe and won't book through the local NCL office because of that, always through US office or US TA) so one needs to do their research properly when trying to get the best possible price/promo.

Edited May 31, 2015 by Demonyte

[Markwa]

Probably need to check your 1.3 conversion rate.

It is actually around 1.22 which will make a big difference on the final comparisons.

[TrumpyNor]

I do the same as Demonyte, I live in Europe and book all my NCL cruises through my PCC (personal cruise consultant) who is based in the USA. The prices are usually better, and more importantly - there are no cancellation fees if I need to cancel before the final payment date. I also have the possibility to cancel and re-book without any penalties, if there is a current promotion with perks that are better than the ones I got with my original reservation (as long as the change is done before the final payment date).

[alert]

Probably need to check your 1.3 conversion rate.

It is actually around 1.22 which will make a big difference on the final comparisons.

 

It is actually 1.307, see link below

 

http://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/?Amount=1&From=USD&To=AUD

Edited May 31, 2015 by alert

[mypleasure]

I do the same as Demonyte, I live in Europe and book all my NCL cruises through my PCC (personal cruise consultant) who is based in the USA. The prices are usually better, and more importantly - there are no cancellation fees if I need to cancel before the final payment date. I also have the possibility to cancel and re-book without any penalties, if there is a current promotion with perks that are better than the ones I got with my original reservation (as long as the change is done before the final payment date).

 

 

A big yes to all of this. We do exactly the same. We like the booking conditions of the US as they suit our purposes far better. I have a friend who is a UK travel agent and I know that she desperately wants to book all my cruises for me. I said fine, go ahead but I want to be able to change things before final payment date if I need or want to. I may want to change the dates of the cruise free of charge if we find we cannot go on the date we booked, I want the better price if the price should fall and I want to change things if a better promotion comes up and I want my deposit back if I have to cancel before final payment is made. She went a strange colour and said no you can't do any of that you have to have what you get at the time you book no changes unless you cancel and rebook losing your deposit each time you do this. I said Sorry No Deal.

 

Each of the sites has it's own merits of course and there are occasions when it is better to book through another part of the world I'm sure but I have not yet found this for any of the sailings I have been interested in during the last 8 years. YMMV.

[fshagan]

Do you folks 'down under' get hit with the same 3% "foreign transaction fee" many of the US credit cards add? There are some cards that waive it, but most impose some kind of fee for a transaction in a different currency or for a transaction based in a different country.

[OzCanuck]

Do you folks 'down under' get hit with the same 3% "foreign transaction fee" many of the US credit cards add? There are some cards that waive it, but most impose some kind of fee for a transaction in a different currency or for a transaction based in a different country.

 

For this scenario it doesn't really matter - the NCL Oz website prices out in AUD not USD so no exchange applied. But yes - currency FX fee is alive and well all over the world..

[fshagan]

For this scenario it doesn't really matter - the NCL Oz website prices out in AUD not USD so no exchange applied. But yes - currency FX fee is alive and well all over the world..

 

OK, I wasn't sure it worked the same way in your system as it does in ours. You have to take that 3% (or whatever) into consideration when looking at booking in the US or for Americans booking on the UK site, etc.