NCL Pricing Strategy vs Competitors

[dolfan1980]

Anyone else noticing that NCL seems to be taking a different approach to pricing at the moment?  RCCL/Carnival seem to be discounting sailings in the coming months far more than NCL.  I don't know if this is because NCL isn't sure what's happening for the next few weeks and waiting to see if they get ships back on track or not, but I can't seem to find any deals for February/March like I was able to for this past December when I scored a solo balcony for around $500.  

 

Perhaps NCL have far fewer ships to fill and maybe bookings are ok, but wondering if anyone else is noticing the same.

[shof515]

it could be the recent cancelations of some ships earlier this month causing a cash shortfall unfortunately  causing pricing on other sailings to increase 

[phillygwm]

It all boils down to supply versus demand.  Right now, NCL has so many ships offline, the supply is reduced enough that they can fill cabins at the increased pricing.  It's also important to recognize that a lot of those inflated cost rooms are paid with FCC, where people aren't quite as cost conscious because they have credits they'll use or lose.

 

In a normalized environment where there isn't a ton of FCC waiting to be used and there are tens of thousands of rooms to fill, their pricing will revert to the norm because people have choices.

[dolfan1980]

14 minutes ago, phillygwm said:

It all boils down to supply versus demand.  Right now, NCL has so many ships offline, the supply is reduced enough that they can fill cabins at the increased pricing.  It's also important to recognize that a lot of those inflated cost rooms are paid with FCC, where people aren't quite as cost conscious because they have credits they'll use or lose.

 

In a normalized environment where there isn't a ton of FCC waiting to be used and there are tens of thousands of rooms to fill, their pricing will revert to the norm because people have choices.

I agree with you to an extent, but is this a sign that the ships that are offline won't be back on the schedule that was announced?  The other lines are in a similar situation other than having far bigger fleets.

 

Edited to add:  Perhaps NCL taking more ships offline for the short period allows them to keep their prices up a little whereas RCCL/Carnival likely had some pretty empty sailings these past two weeks and next week or two.

Edited January 25, 2022 by dolfan1980

[RaftingJeremy]

demand is high and they are keeping. capacity lower.  Also, a lot of people are sitting on FCC’s still and are willing to “spend” a little more right now.  NCL’s model is more like an all inclusive and their pricing is more in line with other lines that have this.  

[dolfan1980]

11 minutes ago, RaftingJeremy said:

demand is high and they are keeping. capacity lower.  Also, a lot of people are sitting on FCC’s still and are willing to “spend” a little more right now.  NCL’s model is more like an all inclusive and their pricing is more in line with other lines that have this.  

That doesn't explain that their model was different in the fall.  They were offering steep discounts in December and up until the January pull-pack in operations.

[RaftingJeremy]

57 minutes ago, dolfan1980 said:

That doesn't explain that their model was different in the fall.  They were offering steep discounts in December and up until the January pull-pack in operations.

I’m not sure where you were seeing deep discounts cuz I was not.  I have 4 cruises booked in 2022 and none of them were at that much of a discount.  

[dolfan1980]

17 minutes ago, RaftingJeremy said:

I’m not sure where you were seeing deep discounts cuz I was not.  I have 4 cruises booked in 2022 and none of them were at that much of a discount.  

I sailed the NCL Joy for a week in a balcony for $500 US as a single in December.  I see Jewel of the Seas on RCCL for $400 for a balcony in Feb/March, Carnival selling off everything for the next month or two, MSC even cheaper than normal, etc.  

 

I agree that everything several months out is not cheap, but there are deals to be had on everyone except NCL (e.g. look at a summer Baltic cruise on the Voyager of the Seas, I've never seen cheaper).

[pghflyer]

I haven't seen any good prices on NCL for probably 15-months, and as a result I have largely moved to booking on MSC and Carnival until NCL prices come back to reality. I don't really get it but the theory that they are hoping people with FCC and expiring Cruise Next Certs will have forgotten how much things used to cost seems feasible.............

[tallnthensome]

NCL has the worst pricing by far right now. Horrible ...... They are basically just raping those with FCC to use. Anyone without a FCC would be a fool to book with NCL right now. 

[Karaboudjan]

2 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

NCL has the worst pricing by far right now. Horrible ...... They are basically just raping those with FCC to use. Anyone without a FCC would be a fool to book with NCL right now. 

 

I had an Alaska cruise cancelled in 2020.  I could book the same itinerary in 2022 for around $400 less than my original cruise.  How is that 'raping those with FCC to use'?  And the same cruise in 2023 is just about the same price as in 2020.  

[blueslily]

3 hours ago, dolfan1980 said:

I sailed the NCL Joy for a week in a balcony for $500 US as a single in December.  I see Jewel of the Seas on RCCL for $400 for a balcony in Feb/March, Carnival selling off everything for the next month or two, MSC even cheaper than normal, etc.  

 

I agree that everything several months out is not cheap, but there are deals to be had on everyone except NCL (e.g. look at a summer Baltic cruise on the Voyager of the Seas, I've never seen cheaper).

 

Was the sailing on Joy 5 days or 7 days? 

[tallnthensome]

8 hours ago, Karaboudjan said:

 

I had an Alaska cruise cancelled in 2020.  I could book the same itinerary in 2022 for around $400 less than my original cruise.  How is that 'raping those with FCC to use'?  And the same cruise in 2023 is just about the same price as in 2020.  

I too have two Alaska cruises booked right now for 2022 and had my 2020 cancelled on NCL. I have a 7 day on Holland America and a 10 day on carnival. If you would have shopped all lines for Alaska and what’s included you and others would surely know that NCL is gouging you. If you want to pay the highest prices to Alaska of all the cruise lines go ahead. You overpaid on your original booking if it’s only $400 less based on current NCL pricing. I booked in 2018 for 2020 Alaska and that cruise is about $3000 more today on NCL for 2 less days..  NCL is a ripoff right now.  I took the Bliss for 15 days for a family of four through the Panama Canal last. That cruise is double on the NCL site today. You’re not looking . 

Edited January 26, 2022 by tallnthensome

[Karaboudjan]

3 hours ago, tallnthensome said:

I too have two Alaska cruises booked right now for 2022 and had my 2020 cancelled on NCL. I have a 7 day on Holland America and a 10 day on carnival. If you would have shopped all lines for Alaska and what’s included you and others would surely know that NCL is gouging you. If you want to pay the highest prices to Alaska of all the cruise lines go ahead. You overpaid on your original booking if it’s only $400 less based on current NCL pricing. I booked in 2018 for 2020 Alaska and that cruise is about $3000 more today on NCL for 2 less days..  NCL is a ripoff right now.  I took the Bliss for 15 days for a family of four through the Panama Canal last. That cruise is double on the NCL site today. You’re not looking . 

 

I looked at the comparable Alaska cruise on Carnival and it is virtually the same price as NCL, so should we conclude that they are a ripoff and gouging also?  I think the truth is more along the lines of the parable of the blind men and the elephant.

 

[SeaShark]

When FDR took over at NCLH, he made it very clear that NCL was going to move from a "discount to fill" to a "market to fill" strategy. This change in pricing and marketing wasn't a secret by any means...they were really upfront about the whole thing. I'm still surprised that here were are 7 years later and people still start these threads trying to understand NCL's approach by comparing it to what others are doing...especially given that the fact that they're not using the same strategies makes this a true "apples to oranges" comparison.

 

 

[Selion]

21 minutes ago, SeaShark said:

given that the fact that they're not using the same strategies makes this a true "apples to oranges" comparison.

We are not comparing marketing strategies.  As consumers, we are comparing prices on similar cabin categories on similar itineraries.  How's that apples & oranges?

[dolfan1980]

13 hours ago, blueslily said:

 

Was the sailing on Joy 5 days or 7 days? 

7 Days Dec 4th before all this mess happened with Omicron.

[SeaShark]

1 hour ago, Selion said:

We are not comparing marketing strategies.  As consumers, we are comparing prices on similar cabin categories on similar itineraries.  How's that apples & oranges?

 

Go back to post #1 and read the OPs very first sentence. We are, in fact, discussing strategies or "different approach"-es.

 

As consumers, comparing prices on similar cabin categories on similar itineraries is never going to make sense without an understanding of the marketing strategies in play that set and drive those prices. If the lines don't use the same basis for pricing, then expecting identical pricing is a fool's errand. It is truely apples & oranges as you have no basis to presume that similar cabin categories on similar itineraries will have similar pricing.

[Selion]

12 minutes ago, SeaShark said:

 

Go back to post #1 and read the OPs very first sentence. We are, in fact, discussing strategies or "different approach"-es.

 

As consumers, comparing prices on similar cabin categories on similar itineraries is never going to make sense without an understanding of the marketing strategies in play that set and drive those prices. If the lines don't use the same basis for pricing, then expecting identical pricing is a fool's errand. It is truely apples & oranges as you have no basis to presume that similar cabin categories on similar itineraries will have similar pricing.

No one ever said we are expecting the same pricing across different cruise lines.  So based on what you are saying, I cannot compare the pricing for a balcony cabin on NCL with a balcony cabin on RCI when both are sailing in the same area, on similar itineraries, around the same dates.  What kind of logic is that?  Of course the inclusions and exclusions need to be accounted for in the overall cost evaluation, but saying it's a fool's errand to cross-shop is a bit of a stretch.

 

Edit:  Let's leave the lower categories out.  Let's compare NCL Haven vs. MSC's Yacht Club.  Fair comparison?

Edited January 26, 2022 by Selion

[swmichigan cruiser]

Just my thoughts it doesn't hurt to check other lines also. We just got used to going with NCL we didn't check any others but when we canceled our 21 night Encore cruise for this April we just moved our FCC to our October 21 night cruise on the Encore. But we wanted do try for two Alaskan cruises in August so started at looking at NCL for those on the Encore or Bliss because we like both but they both do the same itinerary each week. We did get an ad for other cruise lines so we looked at it and Royal had B2B on the same ship and they changed some of the itinerary each week and is about half the price of NCL. Still really like NCL but Royal this time is better for us.

[Karaboudjan]

15 minutes ago, Selion said:

No one ever said we are expecting the same pricing across different cruise lines.  So based on what you are saying, I cannot compare the pricing for a balcony cabin on NCL with a balcony cabin on RCI when both are sailing in the same area, on similar itineraries, around the same dates.  What kind of logic is that?  Of course the inclusions and exclusions need to be accounted for in the overall cost evaluation, but saying it's a fool's errand to cross-shop is a bit of a stretch.

 

Edit:  Let's leave the lower categories out.  Let's compare NCL Haven vs. MSC's Yacht Club.  Fair comparison?

 

IMO it's fine to compare prices, but to say that someone is gouging because their strategy sometimes leads to higher prices is wrong.

 

I would also say that if you are hoping to get some sort of level comparison then using premium accommodations just makes things worse.  There is probably more differentiation than with standard categories, and there is also less supply which could lead to more price differences.  

[SeaShark]

20 minutes ago, Selion said:

No one ever said we are expecting the same pricing across different cruise lines.  So based on what you are saying, I cannot compare the pricing for a balcony cabin on NCL with a balcony cabin on RCI when both are sailing in the same area, on similar itineraries, around the same dates.  What kind of logic is that?  Of course the inclusions and exclusions need to be accounted for in the overall cost evaluation, but saying it's a fool's errand to cross-shop is a bit of a stretch.

 

Edit:  Let's leave the lower categories out.  Let's compare NCL Haven vs. MSC's Yacht Club.  Fair comparison?

 

No...what I am saying is that given to topic sentence of the thread ("Anyone else noticing that NCL seems to be taking a different approach to pricing at the moment?") is clearly questioning strategy ("different approach to pricing"), that it is foolish to expect similar pricing.

 

I never said you couldn't make comparisons, heck...you could compare anything you want to anything else...however, you keep using same and similar as though you're expecting equality or similarity. Which you'll never get when their are different strategies in place. Lower categories or upper categories doesn't change it. You want a fair comparison, then compare NCL pricing with another line that uses "market to fill".

[dolfan1980]

I compare what I want in a cruise across lines (balcony, lowest price, cost if I add drinks or not plus internet).  They're never exact apples and oranges, but I have sailed NCL/RCCL/Carnival so I have a half decent idea as to what to compare.  For NCL, sail away fares aren't too cheap these days is what I'm seeing.

[bigrednole]

My experience is cruise lines do different things for different times of the year. NCL has all my pricing up front when I book. RCL and CCL I have to figure all the addons after getting the price. Its not difficult because it is about a $1000 add when considering RCL and CCL for the drink package which is my biggest add. For my cruise in April, there is nothing available from RCL or CCL that comes close to the NCL deal I have. Conversely, there is nothing in the Summer or Thanksgiving on NCL that I want to afford versus what RCL and/or CCL offer. 

[swmichigan cruiser]

1 hour ago, bigrednole said:

My experience is cruise lines do different things for different times of the year. NCL has all my pricing up front when I book. RCL and CCL I have to figure all the addons after getting the price. Its not difficult because it is about a $1000 add when considering RCL and CCL for the drink package which is my biggest add. For my cruise in April, there is nothing available from RCL or CCL that comes close to the NCL deal I have. Conversely, there is nothing in the Summer or Thanksgiving on NCL that I want to afford versus what RCL and/or CCL offer. 

My wife said when I first told her we would be doing Royal for two Alaskan cruises but we won't have the drink package. But we have been lucky to cruise with them a lot also in the past so we are Diamond Plus with them so we each get 5 drinks a day so that calmed her down. And you are right you have to look at the total price of a cruise.