No more NCL free OBC offers?

[erdoran]

When I booked my Jade TA there were assorted OBC offers from NCL - I ended up getting $300 in OBC plus perks.  For months now I'm seeing various perk combinations but no more OBC offers.  I'd think maybe it's just my cruise isn't offering it, but I don't see it on the banner on the main NCL page either.  Do you think it's dead, or is it just taking a back seat to the neverending perks?

[shof515]

Might be another form of cutback and back to seat to perks no longer offered

 

I noticed the same thing for my Dawn cruise to Bermuda. In all of my past NCL bookings, i was always able to get at least 50 dollar per person onboard except for my Dawn cruise...hmmmm!!

[100th Meridian]

It seems like when they added the free airfare promo/free internet perks, that was in lieu of the onboard credit. Maybe at it will come back whenever they revise their promo.

[ray98]

You have to remember it is just marketing.  If they can give you $300 back to spend elsewhere then you are probably overpaying on the fare by nearly that much.  Just look at the total price and stay away from marketing gimmicks.  Nothing is free.

[Georgie562]

Distinctive voyage cruises/perks are also no more.

 

 

[newmexicoNita]

$300 OBC what type of a cabin are you going to have? I have seen OBC but that is a good amount. As for no more,  all these perks are marketing tools. What one gets today will not be available a month from now maybe but then something will be there to replace it. I have seen this for years 

[sfaaa]

Some TAs offer OBC. You just need to shop around. 

[shof515]

29 minutes ago, sfaaa said:

Some TAs offer OBC. You just need to shop around. 

 

that is true but then you lose control over your booking. this might be a negative for most people 

[erdoran]

1 hour ago, sfaaa said:

Some TAs offer OBC. You just need to shop around. 

yep, I wasn't asking about TAs though; I was asking about NCL - I figure starting off with OBC BEFORE going to a TA is even better!

[aceparty]

6 hours ago, Georgie562 said:

Distinctive voyage cruises/perks are also no more.

 

 

I've noticed this also. We booked 2 cruises with Distinctive voyage's. 14 night Escape, in 10 days and a 12 night European cruise from Venice in November. 

[tartantiara]

We’ve just booked the Joy for 2021 and have got $400 onboard credit from NCL UK booking

[EllieinNJ]

You can still get some OBC if you book a latitudes insider offer.

[Georgie562]

5 hours ago, newmexicoNita said:

$300 OBC what type of a cabin are you going to have? I have seen OBC but that is a good amount. As for no more,  all these perks are marketing tools. What one gets today will not be available a month from now maybe but then something will be there to replace it. I have seen this for years 

 

On my recent NCL EPIC cruise we had $300 OBC for our balcony stateroom. It was when NCL was running their flash sale sometime last year in the summer if I'm not mistaken.

[erdoran]

Mine was booked mid September 2018

[newmexicoNita]

15 hours ago, shof515 said:

 

that is true but then you lose control over your booking. this might be a negative for most people 

It might be for some including you I am guessing, but there are a lot of positives about using a TA. As for losing control, need to adjust something, you just let your TA know. A good TA will always be there to help you and some of the perks are great. 

[jpcdds6]

Booked an SF suite on the Jade for a Feb. 1st sailing in September. Received $300 OBC from NCL, $300 for booking with my Amex platinum card and an additional $100 from my TA. And the fare when booked was less than it is now. The credit is out there if you look for it.

[erdoran]

2 hours ago, jpcdds6 said:

Booked an SF suite on the Jade for a Feb. 1st sailing in September. Received $300 OBC from NCL, $300 for booking with my Amex platinum card and an additional $100 from my TA. And the fare when booked was less than it is now. The credit is out there if you look for it.

And that's when I booked as well, in September, in Jade Haven.   A few weeks after I booked I think OBC went down to $100 or disappeared and free unlimited wifi appeared, and I don't remember seeing free OBC since.

 

Any bookings since, say October 2018 with OBC?

[jpcdds6]

Haven't seen any OBC from NCL, but they change their promos at the drop of a hat.

[Hotspring]

13 hours ago, jpcdds6 said:

Haven't seen any OBC from NCL, but they change their promos at the drop of a hat.

Yes, we have been watching for OBC like a hawks, but the last major one ended on September 30.  We had reserve a suite with a $500 OBC but could not connect up soon enough with our timeshare point based TA to complete it.

 

The best we have seen restored, is $100 OBC for Latitude members if they book in December and January for most any cruise other than Sail Away.

 

When they offered free extra guests again, we swallowed our thriftiness and booked for fear they will take that miniscule $100 OBC promotion away.

 

However, it left a craw in our stomachs that NCL switched from OBC that could go to anyone anywhere to offering Free Airfare that is only available to some folks, or not needed by some folks, or  in actuality is likely  another profit center for them.  In many of cases, as we have found with mock bookings,  the additional guests end up paying almost first class air fare rates for the same cruddy economy seats that does not even guarantee the party sits together or must fly a red eye both coming and going.  Hardly the way to start and end a badly needed vacation.

 

Since their Marketing VP thinks they are offering $50 shore excursion credits per person rather than that they really offer as just per cabin, we have to assume that their marketing folks are become totally out of touch as to the impact of their promotions and how fair we see them.

 

Since the snail mail advertising we just received from them continues to promote only this worthless Free Airfare, it appears NCL just wants to continue misdirection to generate air fare revenue on it's books under the guise of free air fare for some.    

 

It continues to amaze me that they keep stating they are offering the free at sea promotions for a short time but keep extending them over and over since September.  The Feds would be all over any other business that persisted so much false advertising with their promotion extensions and charging for their free air fare.

 

Edited January 13, 2019 by Hotspring

[Barb Nahoumi]

A while back, they offered paid DSC.  Haven't seen that for a long time.