Question about NCL Pricing

[Keith1951]

I have been looking at a certain NCL cruise for 3 months.  Every day I go to the NCL website and check the price.  Price has been the same, on the same date and same itinerary.  Now they have a 70% off the second guest promo, but yet, the price is still exactly the same.  How is this possible???   Where is the 70% off for the second guest???   I wish someone would explain.  Thank you.

[MeHeartCruising]

7 minutes ago, Keith1951 said:

I have been looking at a certain NCL cruise for 3 months.  Every day I go to the NCL website and check the price.  Price has been the same, on the same date and same itinerary.  Now they have a 70% off the second guest promo, but yet, the price is still exactly the same.  How is this possible???   Where is the 70% off for the second guest???   I wish someone would explain.  Thank you.

The price you were watching for 3 months was the result of a different promotion that had different math, but the same end result.  It’s been this way for years with NCL.  And to be fair, most cruise lines do this.  
 

That’s not to say the price will never change.  They may reduce the base price if the cabins are selling slowly.  Or they may raise base prices if demand is high.  But the promos layered on top of base price will fundamentally not change their terms. 

[julig22]

Probably because the previous 35% off promo is mathematically the same as 70% off the 2nd guest. It's marketing. 

[Russiamomm]

It’s a game.  50% off all passengers.  Then 70% off second guest.  There are variations on the theme.  Pay no attention to the marketing.  At the end of the day the prices will be what NCL thinks they can sell the cabin for and adjust the “base” fare accordingly.  If cabins are selling well, the price will stay the same or go up.  If they’re not selling, the price will go down.  If it’s close to sail date and there’s tons of cabins left, the price will drop.  Alternatively, if the sailing is sold out except for a few cabins, the price will go up.

 

Long way of saying its supply and demand and the “sales” are largely marketing gimmicks.  What matters is the bottom line.  If it hits a point you’re comfortable with, book it.  If the price goes down, you can rebook before final payment at the new price (although in certain circumstances, like if you bought NCL air, you might be limited.). If it’s after final payment date you can ask for a one time Future Cruise Credit for the difference.

Edited May 13 by Russiamomm

[Keith1951]

Thank you julig22.  This is like a store I was doing business with said an item I wanted is 50% off.  I asked 50% off of what?  But they couldn't tell me the original price.  I don't like it.  Thanks again.

[mjkacmom]

1 minute ago, Keith1951 said:

Thank you julig22.  This is like a store I was doing business with said an item I wanted is 50% off.  I asked 50% off of what?  But they couldn't tell me the original price.  I don't like it.  Thanks again.

I put an item in my online kohls shopping cart, 15% off, 20% off, 30% off, price never changed.

[RocketMan275]

15 minutes ago, Keith1951 said:

I have been looking at a certain NCL cruise for 3 months.  Every day I go to the NCL website and check the price.  Price has been the same, on the same date and same itinerary.  Now they have a 70% off the second guest promo, but yet, the price is still exactly the same.  How is this possible???   Where is the 70% off for the second guest???   I wish someone would explain.  Thank you.

Standard pricing.  Lot's of cruise lines do this.  First the cruise line determines the total price for the cruise.  Let's say it's $5000.  They advertise 70% off the second guest which would make the second guest pay $750 (30% of $2500) but they charge the first guest $4250, total charge is still $5000.  

All their discounts are a variation of this.  Second guest free?  The first guest pays $5000.  Same for BOGO.

Completely disregard the sales promotions.  

Find a cruise at a price you like and book it.  If the price goes down ask for a price reduction or a FCC.  If it goes up, you're golden.  I've got a cruise booked for Jan 2025 that has doubled in price since I booked it.

[complawyer]

keith, congratulations on realizing that ncl's method of doing math is completely different than the rest  of the world. this has been going on for a few years, they change the offer, but the prices remain more or less the same

[pghflyer]

This is why I find the cruise I am interested in and then set a price alert on a monitoring site like cruiseplum

[RocketMan275]

2 hours ago, complawyer said:

keith, congratulations on realizing that ncl's method of doing math is completely different than the rest  of the world. this has been going on for a few years, they change the offer, but the prices remain more or less the same

NCL's method of doing math is common across multiple cruise lines.  Royal uses the same method on their BOGO or BOGOHO sales.

[Sundiego]

2 hours ago, pghflyer said:

This is why I find the cruise I am interested in and then set a price alert on a monitoring site like cruiseplum

Same.

[Liljo22]

2 hours ago, Keith1951 said:

Thank you julig22.  This is like a store I was doing business with said an item I wanted is 50% off.  I asked 50% off of what?  But they couldn't tell me the original price.  I don't like it.  Thanks again.

If you don’t like it, I would suggest not cruising.  This is standard marketing in the cruise industry.

[UKstages]

 

it is indeed standard marketing, and everyone here understands how the the game is played, but it's also terribly misleading. one only has to read the initial post to see why.

 

it's only a matter of time, but, in the american market, somebody will take this to the FTC and it will fall under scrutiny and cruise lines will likely have to be more transparent with their pricing, their advertising and their guarantees.

[RocketMan275]

Well, I see NCL has ended the 70% off 2nd cruiser sale replacing it with a 35% off both passengers.  Do the math.  Same final price.

Different folks are attracted to different pricing.  Some don't like paying gratuities so the cruise lines will sometimes offer 'free gratuities'.  Still winds up the same final price.

[Keith1951]

Liljo22, what does me not liking a store that won't tell me a price have to do with cruising? I don't understand the comment that you made.  I will always cruise.

[Liljo22]

2 hours ago, Keith1951 said:

Liljo22, what does me not liking a store that won't tell me a price have to do with cruising? I don't understand the comment that you made.  I will always cruise.

You compared what NCL does to what the store does and said you don't like it.  

 

  "This is like a store I was doing business with"

[Keith1951]

Yes, but I didn't like it (what the store did).  Maybe I said it wrong.  Cruising will never end for me, too much fun. 

[graphicguy]

So, the question becomes, and this is true of any product or service, comparing prices for 3 months, what is the fare/price?  That’s the number you should be looking at.  35% off?  70% off?  That doesn’t matter.  The amount of money you have to pull out of your wallet is the key and the only thing that matters!