Second Guest Flies Free Promo

[9tee2Sea]

when booking a cruise thru NCL, there is a box at the bottom of the information that states what airport you are leaving from.  If checked, that will calculate the Promo Airfare.  Uncheck it, and you will see the price of the cruise without airfare.  Go to your airline website, do a search for airfare on the days needed.  Compare the two amounts, then you will know if its a good deal or not.

[realaud]

On 10/11/2023 at 9:47 AM, hallux said:

A solo cruiser gets a 50% airfare break since there is no second guest.  The first guest on a 2-guest room is paying full-fare for the flight.  On a per-person value it's the same price, there's just no second person to split the value with when you book only one.

 

This is actually noted in the T&C's of the promo if you looked...

https://www.ncl.com/about/terms-and-conditions/promotions

Solo traveling guests will receive 50% off Norwegian Cruise Line's promotional airfare pricing each way

 

Edit: And then you have the person below that seems to have an axe to grind with NCL and takes every opportunity to bash them even though there's a full explanation for what is being seen...

I just want to also note that NCL estimates and charges you at booking for the highest current listed airfare for the dates of your flights.  If the airfare goes down, they do not refund the price difference, if it goes up, they do not charge you more.  It's the gamble they take to cover airfare increases and to give the "2nd person free" pricing. So, it might be prudent to look up the airfares for the dates you are flying in advance and decide whether it makes more sense to book through NCL or on your own.  On your own, you get to pick the flights/airports/times you want.  NCL only uses "guidelines" to try to get you to the ship on time and washes their hands of you within 72 hours of your flight.  Unlike Celebrity, which gives you some control over flight selection, guarantees to get you to the ship on time (or refund your cruise fare if you don't make it, and then get you home.) They also keep tabs on flight delays and proactively assist if there's a problem right up until you fly.

[julig22]

2 hours ago, realaud said:

I just want to also note that NCL estimates and charges you at booking for the highest current listed airfare for the dates of your flights.  If the airfare goes down, they do not refund the price difference, if it goes up, they do not charge you more.  It's the gamble they take to cover airfare increases and to give the "2nd person free" pricing. So, it might be prudent to look up the airfares for the dates you are flying in advance and decide whether it makes more sense to book through NCL or on your own.  On your own, you get to pick the flights/airports/times you want.  NCL only uses "guidelines" to try to get you to the ship on time and washes their hands of you within 72 hours of your flight.  Unlike Celebrity, which gives you some control over flight selection, guarantees to get you to the ship on time (or refund your cruise fare if you don't make it, and then get you home.) They also keep tabs on flight delays and proactively assist if there's a problem right up until you fly.

Close but no cigar, not exactly how it works. They estimate costs years in advance and will hold to those prices if they can. And if they do have to increase prices, you are still grandfathered in, only new reservations pay an increase.

 

As to highest current, well I just booked a cruise for June, the cheapest flights I can find that fit the NCL parameters total about $1,300 yet I'm paying NCL under $800. Current pricing for my next cruise in December (booked in September when pricing was known) is over $3K, $2K over what I paid to NCL.

 

However, like Celebrity - and other cruiselines, you can contact the NCL premium air department and they will be more than happy to work with you and get you the flights you request - but without the BOGO discounted rate. Some will also offer options with respect to cancellations/changes - usually with an additional fee, no different than if you were booking directly with the airline.  Or you can buy travel insurance that would provide assistance for missed cruises, etc.

 

But I'm also quite flexible when it comes to flights and I've learned how to roll with the punches and navigate the system, so the savings are often worth it to me. Do I always use NCL flights - no. Booked my own on my last domestic trip, using the voucher I got from United when my NCL-booked flight home on another cruise was delayed. Note, I would have booked the same flight.