NCL's pricing is ridiculous

[Beaver1975]

We were supposed to setting sail today on the Jade for 14 days. We had a mini suite at a little less than $5.000.00 including beverage and dining packages.

 

I just priced out a similar cruise setting sail on February 1, 2021. It is a 13 day cruise with the same ports of call.  The price is $7,742.18 including beverage and dining packages.  Oh, and with the 30% off promotion going on we saved $2,909.00.  So without the promotion the price would have been $10651.18. That is just crazy for a non suite cabin.

 

NCL may be pricing themselves out of the market.

[tallnthensome]

Celebrity and others are doing the same thing. They know many many people have FCC's and surely NCL and others aren't going to let that FCC cover the cost of cruises going forward. They want and need profits and getting people to never use their FCC or get them to pay 40% more cash on top of their FCC value is their plan. They have many cruisers holding credits by the balls now. If you have a FCC (maybe not you personally) worth $5K surely you'll be willing to pay a measly $1K more now for the same cruise for 2021 now if you want to go ..... That's their plan. 

Edited November 29, 2020 by tallnthensome

[Beaver1975]

I just did a fake booking on MSC and they are not gouging.  Their pricing is very much the same as usual.  Oh, and they were very generous with FCC's when they canceled cruises.  I  know, because I had one canceled and they gave me 125% FCC and it more than covered a rebooking for next year and they put the balance as onboard credit.

 

My NCL cruise that was canceled (actuall suppose to start today) was given a refund and a 10% off coupon.  Cruises that were cancel for October were given 125% FCC's.

 

[drsel]

49 minutes ago, Beaver1975 said:

NCL may be pricing themselves out of the market.

Undoubtedly now it's really overpriced compared to its competitors.

But it's last minute price drops were tempting.

Jade in Feb 2020 from Singapore to Dubai was available last minute at an extremely low price.

I was tempted to book it, but I had other cruises in Feb.

I expect that history will repeat itself.

Because they need to fill the last few cabins and at these prices, it will be difficult without a huge price drop last minute.

[tallnthensome]

28 minutes ago, Beaver1975 said:

I just did a fake booking on MSC and they are not gouging.  Their pricing is very much the same as usual.  Oh, and they were very generous with FCC's when they canceled cruises.  I  know, because I had one canceled and they gave me 125% FCC and it more than covered a rebooking for next year and they put the balance as onboard credit.

.

 

I agree with MSC. I priced out the Mereviglia out of Miami for 2021 about a week ago. The pricing was excellent .... if you want a Caribbean sailing. Probably the best price around. I did the MSC Seaside two years ago and loved it. If I were looking for a Caribbean cruise that’s where the value is. 

[drsel]

28 minutes ago, Beaver1975 said:

I just did a fake booking on MSC and they are not gouging.  Their pricing is very much the same as usual.  Oh, and they were very generous with FCC's when they canceled cruises.  I  know, because I had one canceled and they gave me 125% FCC and it more than covered a rebooking for next year and they put the balance as onboard credit.

MSC recently cancelled our 4 night Magnifica Cruise in Nov 2021 and instead of offering a FCC, they automatically transferred our deposit to a 5 night (much more expensive) Cruise on another ship a month earlier.

So no benefit at all. Quite the contrary.

 

My agent called them, but they only offered a refund, not a 125% FCC

[david_sobe]

Yes. I posted a thread a few weeks ago that had a NCL Sky Caribbean cruise higher than a NCL Encore Caribbean cruise (Haven).  The Sky has no official Haven complex but you did get 2 extra nights.  You cant compare a ship built in 1995 to a brand new one with all the bells and whistles.  Yet NCL pricing treats them the same.  FDR thinks because he changed the carpet on Sky she is equal in comparison to the amazing Haven complex on the Encore.

Yeah ok

🤣

[tallnthensome]

Yea, the Sun (sister to sky) was $1500 more to Alaska than the Bliss for next August for my family of four. Bliss had kids sail free, sun didn’t. I’ve been on both. Not sure why Sun/Sky cruises are higher than Bliss/Encore cruises to the same place. I’d take the Bliss every time anyhow . 

[hallux]

Interesting - I seem to recall griping on the RCI board about cruise prices being higher than competitors.

 

The bottom line is that if the ships are sailing at less than full capacity the cost per passenger goes up.  Sure, they can get by with some staff cuts due to there being fewer passengers but there are other fixed costs that still need to be covered.  I'm not sure where you expected the cruise lines to come up with the cash to cover those costs but they certainly don't have a slush fund that will.  Fuel and entertainment are two of those costs, and the engineering crew (who would arguably be the highest paid and not part of the DSC distribution) can't be cut as the systems all need to be monitored and repaired.

 

IMO - until the ships can sail at full capacity I don't see a return to lower prices.  Does that price some people out of cruising (possibly including myself)?  Absolutely.  Will it upset some people?  Sure.  But they are a business that has investors expecting a profit and debtors expecting payment on debts and the money isn't growing on trees in the backyard for NCL just as it isn't in our yards either.

[sfaaa]

Some sail away rates still look ok but this may also change. 

[MsTabbyKats]

Yes...the pricing is ridiculous.

 

When they cancel my April 2021 cruise, I'm not rebooking until "the last minute". 

 

It's not that I'd be "priced out"....but I don't want to pay for a premium product when I may not be getting a premium product.

[tallnthensome]

22 minutes ago, MsTabbyKats said:

Yes...the pricing is ridiculous.

 

When they cancel my April 2021 cruise, I'm not rebooking until "the last minute". .

That’s probably the best bet .......

[MoCruiseFan]

9 hours ago, Beaver1975 said:

We were supposed to setting sail today on the Jade for 14 days. We had a mini suite at a little less than $5.000.00 including beverage and dining packages.

 

I just priced out a similar cruise setting sail on February 1, 2021. It is a 13 day cruise with the same ports of call.  The price is $7,742.18 including beverage and dining packages.  Oh, and with the 30% off promotion going on we saved $2,909.00.  So without the promotion the price would have been $10651.18. That is just crazy for a non suite cabin.

 

NCL may be pricing themselves out of the market.

The simple solution to anything that a consumer believes is overpriced is to not buy.  In a free market system, the buyer sets the final price.

 

[ray98]

Reduced capacity will increase actual demand meaning higher prices and that isn't even including the months of customers who cancelled since this began who are ready to book using FCC's.  Supply and demand.

[Georgie562]

NCL pricing has never been cheap even before pre-covid. Factor in the promos and the gratuities and added fees not so cheap anymore huh?

[MsTabbyKats]

13 hours ago, MoCruiseFan said:

The simple solution to anything that a consumer believes is overpriced is to not buy.  In a free market system, the buyer sets the final price.

 

When my friend was selling his house (at about 2/3 of what he asked) he had, what I consider, a great quote:  Something is worth as much as someone else is willing to pay.

[Capitan Obvious]

"NCL's pricing is ridiculous".

 

Calling Dr Aesop. 🙄

 

 

The Fox & the Grapes

 

A Fox one day spied a beautiful bunch of ripe grapes hanging from a vine trained along the branches of a tree. The grapes seemed ready to burst with juice, and the Fox's mouth watered as he gazed longingly at them.

 

The bunch hung from a high branch, and the Fox had to jump for it.

The first time he jumped he missed it by a long way. So he walked off a short distance and took a running leap at it, only to fall short once more. Again and again he tried, but in vain

.

Now he sat down and looked at the grapes in disgust.

 

"What a fool I am," he said. "Here I am wearing myself out to get a bunch of sour grapes that are not worth gaping for."

And off he walked very, very scornfully.

 

There are many who pretend to despise and belittle that which is beyond their reach.
 

[roger001]

I don't think the current advertised prices actually have any validity when the time of the sailing actually occurs.  When or if any of the advertised sailings do occur, they  are so many months...years...away, everything can drastically change, including customer demand (after the use or lose FCC is gone).  And, since you can rebook anytime until final payment, Sooo much can and probably will change.  We don't have a clue, based on the growth of the virus numbers at the moment and the uncertainty of when enough persons around the world get the vaccine, when the first cruises will actually happen.  March is just 90 days away and I don't see how in the world that could ever happen.  We could be looking at next fall.....or who knows.  Prices are going to jump all over before that happens.....my opinion.  Nothing is even close to being set in concrete right now.  I'm waiting until we are close to an actual sailing and then take a look at booking...or not.   

[drsel]

33 minutes ago, Capitan Obvious said:

"NCL's pricing is ridiculous".

There are many who pretend to despise and belittle that which is beyond their reach.

And there are some who seek value for hard earned money, regardless of cost!

[Capitan Obvious]

26 minutes ago, drsel said:

And there are some who seek value for hard earned money, regardless of cost!

 

Everyone seeks value. Not everyone has enough "hard earned money".

[drsel]

I love Norwegian cruises.

But I still don't think they are worth more than Royal Caribbean cruises.

[njkate]

On 11/29/2020 at 12:36 PM, tallnthensome said:

Celebrity and others are doing the same thing. They know many many people have FCC's and surely NCL and others aren't going to let that FCC cover the cost of cruises going forward. They want and need profits and getting people to never use their FCC or get them to pay 40% more cash on top of their FCC value is their plan. They have many cruisers holding credits by the balls now. If you have a FCC (maybe not you personally) worth $5K surely you'll be willing to pay a measly $1K more now for the same cruise for 2021 now if you want to go ..... That's their plan. 

Yes, those Fcc's with 25% extra seemed to good to pass up, now from what I've read many can not duplicate their canceled cruise even with the 25% without paying more. I took cash refund on canceled cruises and will wait for price drops at last minute

[P_Mcruisers]

We have 4 cruises booked after the Covid incident sailing on 2021 and 2023.

I compared book prices with the 30% sale. The bottom line is that all 4 cruises were slightly higher with the 30% sale price.  

Part of the cost rise would occur with the passage of time after initial booking. IMO

 

 Booking dates were July and August 2020.

 

[drsel]

1 hour ago, njkate said:

Yes, those Fcc's with 25% extra seemed to good to pass up, now from what I've read many can not duplicate their canceled cruise even with the 25% without paying more. I took cash refund on canceled cruises and will wait for price drops at last minute

Yes, that is the most sensible thing to do. Price drops are quite likely 45--60 days prior to sailing

[new salt]

On 11/30/2020 at 5:38 PM, MsTabbyKats said:

When my friend was selling his house (at about 2/3 of what he asked) he had, what I consider, a great quote:  Something is worth as much as someone else is willing to pay.

No truer truism exists!