NCL Mail Brochure Prices

[cruiser2015]

6 hours ago, mlmurrah said:

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?

Put simply, they are only saying you have to decide which FAS options you are choosing to use during the cruise; not specific reservations for dining or excursions.

[skittl1321]

Typically when they say "Cruises from $$$", that means there is a low deck, forward inside cabin that is available at that rate, and everything else on the ship is going to cost substantially more.

[cruiserbear55]

18 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

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.😎

 

 Would that be the round file? We still get brochures for a girl my son sailed with approx. 20 years ago, and for some reason used our address. Not to mention the almost weekly ads we get for our children, all of whom left the roost years ago. And all our attempts to stop the mailings fall on deaf ears. So they just go into the recycling bin. What a waste of resources!

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, skittl1321 said:

Typically when they say "Cruises from $$$", that means there is a low deck, forward inside cabin that is available at that rate, and everything else on the ship is going to cost substantially more.

Not only that, but also on a select date.

[cruiser2015]

3 hours ago, skittl1321 said:

Typically when they say "Cruises from $$$", that means there is a low deck, forward inside cabin that is available at that rate, and everything else on the ship is going to cost substantially more.

True.

Bur the brochure under discussion didn't bother to use such a phrase, as I quoted it previously.

 What it does have, under the (fine print) asterisk is "available on select sailings and subject to change".

[skittl1321]

Just now, cruiser2015 said:

True.

Bur the brochure under discussion didn't bother to use such a phrase, as I quoted it previously.

 What it does have, under the (fine print) asterisk is "available on select sailings and subject to change".

It's the same anywhere that sells something. You go to the department stores, or even grocery store, and the rack says "From $9.99" and half the stuff costs double that. it just means SOMETHING is priced from that.  

It doesn't say every cruise is available from that rate; it just means they sell cruises starting from that rate.

It is a standard tactic for pricing. NCL isn't doing anything more shady here than every retailer ever.

[skittl1321]

35 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

Not only that, but also on a select date.

Well on such a generic flyer as that, it's also only on a rare ship.

 

I get ads from Carnival all the time that are like "prices from $50 a day".  Which I know means on their oldest ship, on a 3-day sailing, in an inside, out of a crappy homeport.     
 

[cruiser2015]

5 minutes ago, skittl1321 said:

It's the same anywhere that sells something. You go to the department stores, or even grocery store, and the rack says "From $9.99" and half the stuff costs double that. it just means SOMETHING is priced from that.  

It doesn't say every cruise is available from that rate; it just means they sell cruises starting from that rate.

It is a standard tactic for pricing. NCL isn't doing anything more shady here than every retailer ever.

I agree with your statements.

One difference from your examples is that this brochure, for each cruise option, simply says "discounted fare per guest*". A simple "from" or "starting at" would be quite appropriate.

The reader must follow the asterisk (fine print info on the back cover of the mailer) to find the qualifier.

 

Any traveler with even minimal experience would likely know that the prices were not covering all possibilities, even without treading the back page. However, some folks may be mislead. 

[DCGuy64]

16 minutes ago, skittl1321 said:

It's the same anywhere that sells something. You go to the department stores, or even grocery store, and the rack says "From $9.99" and half the stuff costs double that. it just means SOMETHING is priced from that.  

It doesn't say every cruise is available from that rate; it just means they sell cruises starting from that rate.

It is a standard tactic for pricing. NCL isn't doing anything more shady here than every retailer ever.

Exactly. I see that with some of the buses that go from DC to NYC. They'll say "seats as cheap as $1." I think we all know that's just a teaser, and to attempt to accuse the company of deceit when you assume ALL seats cost $1, is a bit rich. Come on, folks, don't be naive.

[mlmurrah]

1 hour ago, cruiser2015 said:

I agree with your statements.

One difference from your examples is that this brochure, for each cruise option, simply says "discounted fare per guest*". A simple "from" or "starting at" would be quite appropriate.

The reader must follow the asterisk (fine print info on the back cover of the mailer) to find the qualifier.

 

Any traveler with even minimal experience would likely know that the prices were not covering all possibilities, even without treading the back page. However, some folks may be mislead. 

Indeed.  The examples given for other types of businesses add clear qualifiers such as "starting at" and "from."  NCL merely says "DISCOUNTED FARE PER GUEST" with a questionable asterisk (tiny and looks like a "+" under magnification).  Unless you are steeped in the ways of the cruise industry, that sounds like an offer to sell cruises for that price.  The asterisk information is on the back page of the brochure in type so small and in such a low color density that most people over 40 cannot read it without a magnifying glass.  With my 76 year old eyes, it was even difficult with a magnifying glass. 

 

Those seasoned cruisers in this thread (NOT YOU -- see other responses) need to cut us newbies some slack.  Using terms like "naive" to describe those of us new to cruising and trying to understand this complicated and confusing industry is borderline nasty. 

[mlmurrah]

2 hours ago, skittl1321 said:

It's the same anywhere that sells something. You go to the department stores, or even grocery store, and the rack says "From $9.99" and half the stuff costs double that. it just means SOMETHING is priced from that.  

It doesn't say every cruise is available from that rate; it just means they sell cruises starting from that rate.

It is a standard tactic for pricing. NCL isn't doing anything more shady here than every retailer ever.

Where in the brochure does it say "from" or equivalent other that in the semi-hidden asterisk.  You are clearly a knowledgable cruiser who understands this complex and confusing industry.  You need to cut us confused newbies some slack.

[cruiser2015]

33 minutes ago, mlmurrah said:

Indeed.  The examples given for other types of businesses add clear qualifiers such as "starting at" and "from."  NCL merely says "DISCOUNTED FARE PER GUEST" with a questionable asterisk (tiny and looks like a "+" under magnification).  Unless you are steeped in the ways of the cruise industry, that sounds like an offer to sell cruises for that price.  The asterisk information is on the back page of the brochure in type so small and in such a low color density that most people over 40 cannot read it without a magnifying glass.  With my 76 year old eyes, it was even difficult with a magnifying glass. 

 

Those seasoned cruisers in this thread (NOT YOU -- see other responses) need to cut us newbies some slack.  Using terms like "naive" to describe those of us new to cruising and trying to understand this complicated and confusing industry is borderline nasty. 

While I have not nearly as many cruises under my belt as many pf the posters on these boards, I have travelled a lot over the years, to many parts of the world (NA, SA, Europe, Asia, North Africa) and a number of cruises, starting in 1975).

Thanks, for the not you - given I suppose because I have a sympathetic ear on the poor advertising shtick.

But I do think of myself as seasoned (and very close to your year count), LOL.

[carohs]

Life experience has taught me to always look for the asterisk in any offered pricing, cruises or otherwise. 

[mlmurrah]

1 minute ago, carohs said:

Life experience has taught me to always look for the asterisk in any offered pricing, cruises or otherwise. 

Guess I am gaining life experience vis-avis cruises.  🙂