NCL Mail Brochure Prices

[Liljo22]

1 hour ago, mlmurrah said:

Here ya go!

 

 

 

 

That is the same “sale” you will see if you go NCL.com right now.  They are just mailing out their current promo. Nothing deceptive because this is the same deal you got when you booked through your agent.  

[mlmurrah]

2 hours ago, Russiamomm said:

Looks like NCL’s standard language.  They alternate between “35% off all cruises” and 70% off second guest”. It’s a marketing ploy.  Same bottom line cost, which again can change daily.

 

I don’t see anything in this about a specific cruise.  What makes you think this is better than the fare you got?  Have you checked the website and compared what you paid to it?

 

59 minutes ago, Liljo22 said:

That is the same “sale” you will see if you go NCL.com right now.  They are just mailing out their current promo. Nothing deceptive because this is the same deal you got when you booked through your agent.  

 

[mlmurrah]

Think I fknally figured out what happened with the brochure. Looking very closely at the "DISCOUNTED Fare Per Guest" heading, there is a tiny, tiny blob at the end.  With a magnifying glass it appears to be an asterisk.  So I looked and looked for a asterisk with explanation throughout the brochure.  Finally I found some text on the back of the brochure in the lower right hand corner in a type so small and in a color so light that it is impossible to read with the naked eye.  I had to use a magnifying glass to read it, and it was even difficult that way.  It says fares apply to "select sailings" only, i.e., they are the lowest possible fare for all sailings.

 

So technically they provide the required information to understand the fares, but they make it extremely difficult to find and read. I find this very disappointing; and if not deceptive, at least very tricky.

 

LIve and learn, I guess.

 

Thanks for all the responses.  They have been very helpful in sorting this out.

[cruiser2015]

3 hours ago, mlmurrah said:

Think I fknally figured out what happened with the brochure. Looking very closely at the "DISCOUNTED Fare Per Guest" heading, there is a tiny, tiny blob at the end.  With a magnifying glass it appears to be an asterisk.  So I looked and looked for a asterisk with explanation throughout the brochure.  Finally I found some text on the back of the brochure in the lower right hand corner in a type so small and in a color so light that it is impossible to read with the naked eye.  I had to use a magnifying glass to read it, and it was even difficult that way.  It says fares apply to "select sailings" only, i.e., they are the lowest possible fare for all sailings.

 

So technically they provide the required information to understand the fares, but they make it extremely difficult to find and read. I find this very disappointing; and if not deceptive, at least very tricky.

 

LIve and learn, I guess.

 

Thanks for all the responses.  They have been very helpful in sorting this out.

Okay, fine print sucks.

But when it comes to anything travel (cruises, hotels, flights) advertised prices will rarely be applicable to any and all dates, classes, etc. Speaking specifically on cruises, one example is let's say you want a balcony cabin. There are several different prices for balconies (different decks or deck positions or sizes) each at a different price. Often language will be "from X $" . That language applies to other forms of travel as well.

[cruiser2015]

5 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I'm pretty sure there is an old Mae West joke here.  I'll let the peanut gallery weigh in.  🤣

Cute.

Not what I was going for.

I was referring to the size and weight and the big bulge (and before you bring it up, Chief, way over to the side).

[MaisonRose]

TRYING to book on line last night. This really got to me.

 

After going through the category & cabin choice sections…balcony & oceanview, the price came up on the upper right hand corner (2 persons, package inclusions, cabin number, taxes). Then clicked More Details which lead me to a “Price has Increased”  notice that instead of $2006 the new fare would be $500 more.

Please explain that to me.

 

Note: Prima out of Barcelona on Nov 20.

This pricing trick occurred two days in a row.
 

The same thing happened on the Gem TA out of Civitivecchia Dec 4.

 

Thanks for observations and yes, despite being 83, I used my iPad mini 5 🤓  Susan

[schmoopie17]

8 hours ago, cruiser2015 said:

Okay, fine print sucks.

Especially at my age. Try reading instructions on a medicine bottle...

 

Edited October 23, 2023 by schmoopie17

[DCGuy64]

6 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

Especially at my age. Try reading instructions on a medicine bottle...

 

+1. I can't even read THAT with my reading glasses ON. I just get my wife to read them for me, or I take a picture with my phone and zoom in. I agree with OP that it's a bit deceptive to advertise something boldly and then, in miniscule fine print, essentially say it's only for select sailings.

[RocketMan275]

32 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

Especially at my age. Try reading instructions on a medicine bottle...

 

What gets me is that legalize/warnings is easier to find than the actual instructions.

[complawyer]

my wife wanted to go on a cruise to ireland. we got a brochure last year with a great price for a suite for 10 days. i immediately looked it up on the web site, but it wasnt here. i called ncl to book, only to be told the cruise didnt even exist. obviously, i asked, if it didnt exist, why is it in the brochure? to which the reply was only, sorry, there's nothing we can do.

[DCGuy64]

On a much smaller scale, this is like when our local supermarket has free stuff on the app but it's gone before I get there. Drives me crazy!

[ontheweb]

21 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

On a much smaller scale, this is like when our local supermarket has free stuff on the app but it's gone before I get there. Drives me crazy!

Ha, the old "while supplies last".

[cruiser2015]

Following up on my previous comments:

 

Turns out I have the exact same brochure - it's been sitting next to my desk here for a couple of days.

As for the fine print - yes, it's pretty fine. Not nearly as bad as it show's in the OP's photo. I have to pull back my glasses and hold it close to my face - but when I do, it's not difficult to read.

 

Now as to the ads.

There are world wide offerings. Every one has ONE PRICE for each cabin class. There is an asterisk on the price column header. That header, highlighted in yellow, reads "Discounted fare per guest*".

Most of the itineraries note that they are running for a month, a season, or more (POA is there, year-round). 

You have to be a very inexperienced traveler to think that the price quoted runs for entire seasons or even the whole year at only one price. 

 

Now, I will quibble a bit on the FREE AIR* part of the ad.

It's the BOGO. Free? Yes, for one person.

But is it really free? Not to me. You can't get the free one without buying one at the regular price.

Bottom line is that it's a 50% off (of 2 fares). Half off is not = to free. But not all bad, of course.

Advertising at it's finest.   🙄

[PhillyTravelBug]

23 hours ago, D_And_K_gocruising said:

I'm shocked they still waste their money on mailings like that.. 

amen! I still get them almost weekly and it really annoys me. I’m a loyal customer, I have cruise next certificates, give me time and I will book another cruise! All that wasted paper. 

[IAcruising]

17 minutes ago, PhillyTravelBug said:

amen! I still get them almost weekly and it really annoys me. I’m a loyal customer, I have cruise next certificates, give me time and I will book another cruise! All that wasted paper. 

 

And the fact I log in to the website nearly every day. You'd think they'd have an algorithm for that. I see your "deals" NCL, every.single.day.

 

 

[ontheweb]

4 hours ago, cruiser2015 said:

Following up on my previous comments:

 

Turns out I have the exact same brochure - it's been sitting next to my desk here for a couple of days.

As for the fine print - yes, it's pretty fine. Not nearly as bad as it show's in the OP's photo. I have to pull back my glasses and hold it close to my face - but when I do, it's not difficult to read.

 

Now as to the ads.

There are world wide offerings. Every one has ONE PRICE for each cabin class. There is an asterisk on the price column header. That header, highlighted in yellow, reads "Discounted fare per guest*".

Most of the itineraries note that they are running for a month, a season, or more (POA is there, year-round). 

You have to be a very inexperienced traveler to think that the price quoted runs for entire seasons or even the whole year at only one price. 

 

Now, I will quibble a bit on the FREE AIR* part of the ad.

It's the BOGO. Free? Yes, for one person.

But is it really free? Not to me. You can't get the free one without buying one at the regular price.

Bottom line is that it's a 50% off (of 2 fares). Half off is not = to free. But not all bad, of course.

Advertising at it's finest.   🙄

And they advertise free excursions, which is really $50 off for the first customer. On our Prima cruise this past August there were no excursions $50 or less, so no excursion you could buy even for the first listed passenger were free.

[ChiefMateJRK]

16 hours ago, cruiser2015 said:

Cute.

Not what I was going for.

I was referring to the size and weight and the big bulge (and before you bring it up, Chief, way over to the side).

Aw, c'mon!!  It was a little bit funny.  So that really was just a flip phone in your pocket? 🤣🤡

[ChiefMateJRK]

You folks are all here on the internet.  Why on God's green earth to you even look at those brochures?  For my convenience, there is a garbage can exactly three paces from my mailbox.  It is used on a very regular basis.😎

[cruiser2015]

1 minute ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Aw, c'mon!!  It was a little bit funny.  So that really was just a flip phone in your pocket? 🤣🤡

Yup. Just a fliipin' phone.

 

Hey, I did say cute, didn'y I?

[cruiser2015]

2 hours ago, ontheweb said:

And they advertise free excursions, which is really $50 off for the first customer. On our Prima cruise this past August there were no excursions $50 or less, so no excursion you could buy even for the first listed passenger were free.

Sometimes it works, LOL

I have one booked @ $49 full price; and my DW declined to go along. So, completely free excursion!

[ontheweb]

59 minutes ago, cruiser2015 said:

Sometimes it works, LOL

I have one booked @ $49 full price; and my DW declined to go along. So, completely free excursion!

I don't doubt that in some ports, that is possible, but there was nothing close to that on the itinerary between London (Southampton) and Reykjavik. 

[cruiser2015]

4 hours ago, ontheweb said:

I don't doubt that in some ports, that is possible, but there was nothing close to that on the itinerary between London (Southampton) and Reykjavik. 

While not an outright lie, "free excursions" is a rather exaggerated phrase for their ad.

Still, it's a $50 bonus if you use it.

[mlmurrah]

One other thing I noticed while straining to read the extremely small, washed out print in the asterisk definition on the last page of the brochure is this:

 

"Free at sea choices must be selected at least 24 hours prior to sailing and cannot be changed on board."

 

Does this mean you have to select specialty dining (restaurant, day, time), for example, 24 hours in advance or lose it? How does this statement affect free wifi, open bar, and excursions?  Whom do you notify about this?

[ggTexasGal]

5 hours ago, mlmurrah said:

Does this mean you have to select specialty dining (restaurant, day, time), for example, 24 hours in advance or lose it? How does this statement affect free wifi, open bar, and excursions?  Whom do you notify about this?

You do not have to choose which restaurant(s), or when, you will utilize those FAS credits pre-cruise (can be done onboard).

When you select the Free at Sea promotion, your booking has service charges applied to your invoice.  If you decide that you don't want the Specialty Dining, &/OR, the Beverage Package to be included, you can cancel either of those items pre-cruise.

 

HOWEVER, if you decide you don't want something, it is best to cancel those items 3+ days prior to your cruise date.

[ontheweb]

6 hours ago, cruiser2015 said:

While not an outright lie, "free excursions" is a rather exaggerated phrase for their ad.

Still, it's a $50 bonus if you use it.

I think it is an outright lie. I can see how they can justify saying free specialty dining since the charge is for tips, but how you can say free excursions for $50 off when excursions are basically (and on our cruise ALL) over $50? 

 

But I do agree that the $50 (or in some cases a little less because of a Latitudes discount applied after the $50 off) is nice, but they could just advertise it as $50 off.