Garden Villa Upsell - $17,000

[pog27]

I am booked in an A3 Courtyard Villa on the Feb 29, 2007 sailing of the Jewel. I booked it back in March of last year on my last NCL cruise. I have read a lot here on cruise critic about people getting upsell calls and have gotten great bargains. Since both Garden Villas on my cruise as well as almost all of the Courtyard Villas are still available I have been hoping for a great upsell offer to a Garden Villa. Today I got a call from my travel agent saying NCL is offering me the Garden Villa for $17,000, about twice what I paid for the Courtyard Villa. $17,000 would be the total price, not the additional cost. However, I think it's outrageous. Considering the bargains I have heard NCL offer other people, and the fact that the 14th deck is almost empty on my cruise, I was expecting a much better offer than this. I told my travel agent to offer NCL $1,000 and that I would be willing to accept a reasonable counteroffer, but 2x what I am currently paying is just ridiculous. Just a few weeks ago here on cruise critic I read of someone who was in the same category as me on the same length cruise and took an upsell to a Garden Villa for $2,500. Why is my offer more than 3x as much? It's quite frustrating...especially since I know others will be upsold into my category for a fraction of what I paid.

[pog27]

Btw I do realize the offer is a discount from the Garden Villa price on their website for this cruise which is $26,000 however since both Garden Villas are still available its obvious they have priced it way too high.

[cruise4kicks]

I think NCL's offer is nuts. :eek:

[JenDalessan]

Wow, what a ridiculous offer. I suspect that they are aiming to generate a certain amount of revenue. The fact that the floor is practically unsold means that they don't have much room to negotiate. If they were closer to meeting revenue goals they have more freedom to offer great upsells.

[Grandpaul]

Again, NCL doesn't offer upsells just because rooms are open. They offer them only if the lower levels are sold out and then they create openings by moving people up. I know, I know. I'm just saying what they do.

[pog27]

Again, NCL doesn't offer upsells just because rooms are open. They offer them only if the lower levels are sold out and then they create openings by moving people up. I know, I know. I'm just saying what they do.

 

Are you sure about that? According to the NCL website my cruise has insides, outsides, balconies, minisuites, suites, and villas available. If that were the case I'm not sure why I would be offered an upsell since 6 of the 8 cabins in the category I'm booked in (A3) are currently available.

 

I'm glad I am not the only one who thinks this is a ridiculous upsell.

[zqvol]

You don't have to take it. Everyone always says book what you will be happy with and at the price you want. You did that so go and have a good time and maybe your deck will stay empty. There is no way to explain the NCL business practices and if you get upset about them you are going to only hurt yourself.

 

I do agree that the price is outrageous, but i think the price on all of the suites, villas, etc is outrageous. if I am going to pay that I am going on one of the luxury lines.

[Cosmopolitan]

I am booked in an A3 Courtyard Villa on the Feb 29, 2007 sailing of the Jewel. I booked it back in March of last year on my last NCL cruise. I have read a lot here on cruise critic about people getting upsell calls and have gotten great bargains. Since both Garden Villas on my cruise as well as almost all of the Courtyard Villas are still available I have been hoping for a great upsell offer to a Garden Villa. Today I got a call from my travel agent saying NCL is offering me the Garden Villa for $17,000, about twice what I paid for the Courtyard Villa. $17,000 would be the total price, not the additional cost. However, I think it's outrageous. Considering the bargains I have heard NCL offer other people, and the fact that the 14th deck is almost empty on my cruise, I was expecting a much better offer than this. I told my travel agent to offer NCL $1,000 and that I would be willing to accept a reasonable counteroffer, but 2x what I am currently paying is just ridiculous. Just a few weeks ago here on cruise critic I read of someone who was in the same category as me on the same length cruise and took an upsell to a Garden Villa for $2,500. Why is my offer more than 3x as much? It's quite frustrating...especially since I know others will be upsold into my category for a fraction of what I paid.

 

Wow! That is high!

 

I believe it has been posted here before that NCL tries to get 1/2 of the original price of the cabin when they upsell. (anyone recall that)?

In that case, what is the GV selling for at regular price? What is 1/2 of that?

 

Also, you are still about 6 weeks out. They have plenty of time to make their offers and counter-offers.

 

We have refused an offer and counter-offer for the GV in the past.

 

Good luck and enjoy your cruise:)

[pog27]

You don't have to take it. Everyone always says book what you will be happy with and at the price you want. You did that so go and have a good time and maybe your deck will stay empty. There is no way to explain the NCL business practices and if you get upset about them you are going to only hurt yourself.

 

I do agree that the price is outrageous, but i think the price on all of the suites, villas, etc is outrageous. if I am going to pay that I am going on one of the luxury lines.

 

I know I don't have to take it, and I won't for $17,000. I will be VERY happy in a Courtyard Villa and I disagree with you that they are overpriced. I have been in an A3 before and was treated like royalty. In addition, the private space with pool and sundeck shared by 15 or so cabins is unbeatable, even compared to a luxury line. Not to mention you won't get all the activities you can only get on a larger ship. I am not upset, just dismayed that I got such a bad upsell offer when I have read about so many others who have gotten awesome deals.

 

Cosmopolitan, half price would be $13,000 so what they are offering me now is about 2/3 of the regular price. I am hoping since the cruise isn't for 6 weeks the deal will get sweeter! I have just never read on cruisecritic of such a high upsell! That's why I posted. At the very least others won't be surprised in the future. I guess most people only post when they get really sweet deals.

[Grandpaul]

Are you sure about that? According to the NCL website my cruise has insides, outsides, balconies, minisuites, suites, and villas available. If that were the case I'm not sure why I would be offered an upsell since 6 of the 8 cabins in the category I'm booked in (A3) are currently available.

 

I'm glad I am not the only one who thinks this is a ridiculous upsell.

 

I heard this a while ago from someone who would know. There might be balconies available now but there are different levels of balconies. Some might be sold out, others not. Sometimes certain travel agents can get upsells if they request them. I'm sure there's nothing in writing on how they do this. And, as you say, the price is ridiculous. I'm not sure I would call that an upsell in the way I think of an upsell. That A3 suite you have is a beautiful room.

[insidecabin]

There is time yet with 6 weeks to go, they go round averyone trying the $17k and if no one bites try again at a lower fare,, they also by selling one of the GV put a bit of pressure on those waiting for the price drops before booking.

 

What about trying to get some friends to join you, two other bedrooms and the exta cost for them will be tiny you could then counter offer much closer but add a few people.

[The Nice Family]

.

 

What about trying to get some friends to join you, two other bedrooms and the exta cost for them will be tiny you could then counter offer much closer but add a few people.

 

 

I know we're not friends but . . . I'll go, I'll go . . . pick me:p !!!!!

[VoyageVirgin]

Well the upsell fairy was busy last night - I agree that the price is high - But it would depend on what you originally paid - versus what you're willing to pay for the upsell.

 

The trip is 14 days - NCL website now shows the A3 at 6699.00 per person for a total of $14,567.04 for two cruising. The A1 Garden Villas are at 21,999.00 pp - total for two $46,367.04 :eek: The Upsell fairy offered you the Garden Villa at $17,000.00 total. You obviously got a good deal on the A3 to begin with - and now they want to move you on so they can sell the A3 at a higher total price than you paid originally. IMO - The price is high but it's less than half what they were asking for now on line.

 

Would I take the upsell? No - unless you are going to bring another 2 couples with you then it would be worth it - making it 6000.00 or so per couple for a Garden Villa (If they let you add additional passengers at this point)

 

M

[Bigdog49]

Well the upsell fairy was busy last night - I agree that the price is high - But it would depend on what you originally paid - versus what you're willing to pay for the upsell.

 

The trip is 14 days - NCL website now shows the A3 at 6699.00 per person for a total of $14,567.04 for two cruising. The A1 Garden Villas are at 21,999.00 pp - total for two $46,367.04 :eek: The Upsell fairy offered you the Garden Villa at $17,000.00 total. You obviously got a good deal on the A3 to begin with - and now they want to move you on so they can sell the A3 at a higher total price than you paid originally. IMO - The price is high but it's less than half what they were asking for now on line.

 

Would I take the upsell? No - unless you are going to bring another 2 couples with you then it would be worth it - making it 6000.00 or so per couple for a Garden Villa (If they let you add additional passengers at this point)

 

M

 

I have to agree it is a good price for the GV on an upsell considering the current retail is 20K+ pp. You will never see the GV going for the $500 or $1000 upsells that other penthouses go for last minute. They would rather sail with them empty then diminish their perceived value.

 

Normal upsell is about 50% of the difference of the cruise fare only of what you paid and the cruise fare only of the upgrade. Last week or so all bets are off.

 

My guess someone will take that deal especially if they have more then on cabin already booked.

[VoyageVirgin]

 

My guess someone will take that deal especially if they have more then on cabin already booked.

 

Not sure how that would work - would they allow cancellation of say 2 other cabins to sell the Garden Villa to one passenger? If it was a family with 3 units, I think they would but again I don't know - Anyone?

 

We did receive a call from the Upsell Fairy last evening - and still travelling for less than half the original price. It all comes down to where you want to be and how much you're willing to pay for being there :)

 

I do hope the OP gets a better offer - but I agree they don't normally seem to go too low on the GV's - I love space in my room - but I have no idea what I'd do with all that space up there. I guess I'd then be tempted to talk some friends/family into going. But how do you share that big bedroom fairly? :D

 

M

[cruizinwithkids]

Tried to post Garden Villa amenities from NCL, didn't copy and paste right.

[VoyageVirgin]

Tried to post Garden Villa amenities from NCL, didn't copy and paste right.

 

http://www.nclsuitesandvillas.com/garden.html

 

Sometimes they do

[cruizinwithkids]

I actually just got a list from my T/A, who got it from NCL. The part that made me laugh was that with roll aways they can sleep up to 9 people. I just can't picture a GV full of roll aways.

[scopewest]

Thanks for upsell info, hope things work out for you.

[Guest Anorak33]

Personally I wouldn't get too excited about going on Jewel, just got off today and had an AB Penthouse suite, 11006, the Emerald Suite which unfortunately needed a bit of a refurb and some deep cleaning, way beyond what you could expect a steward to do.

I doubt they are all like that by any means but I wouldn't care to risk it again.

I have also been told by some of the excellent waiters on board that they are going to Jade and Sun in a couple of weeks.

It would seem likely that NCL will take some of the best from Jewel to train up the new crew on Jade, this often happens on "new" ships.

Unfortunately there are some waitstaff on Jewel who are sloppy and uncaring, the Maitre d' was conspicuous by his/her absence this week on there in some of the restaurants we visited except LeBistro, where the service was truly excellent and I wrote a glowing comment card, left a decent cash tip and also complimented the Maitre d' on his restaurant's food and service.

ChinChin had excellent food but atrocious service.

If you have been on Gem or Pearl in the last year or so then do not expect Jewel to be as good is all I can say, we didn't find it so but that of course was just our cruise experience and I am sure there are other people with equally valid opposing views.

[Ms belp]

As you can see by my signature, my first two cruises were on the Jewel. I found everything about the Jewel to be above my expectations. I'm sorry the original staff seems to be moving on to "bigger and better" as they gave me a cruise addiction that is still going on.:D

[Wilcoam]

Jan 4th sailing.

 

We've sailed in suites on both X and Princess, and hands down, the NCL Courtyard Villa is the finest cabin we've ever slept in at sea.

 

The bathroom is to die for....We were in 14008 and it is in immaculate condition.

 

We'd have to look real hard for complaints, only 2 I can think of. The balcony is a little small for 4, as say compared to Princess Caribe Grand Class Balcony's, but a whole damn private deck is 30 sec away (lol). Other than that, you haver to be careful taking a bath when your friends are on the balcony (lol).

 

They're are things about NCL I don't like, as compared to the likes of X-Prin-HAL, but the A3's are stupednous n then some.

 

We also had an opportunity to tour the A1, and as wonderful as it was, we thought it was too large, a waste unless you were 6-10 people.

 

Enjoy, don't get too hung on the upsell...or the price...

jc

toronto

[Bigdog49]

.........We'd have to look real hard for complaints........, you have to be careful taking a bath when your friends are on the balcony (lol).

 

 

jc

toronto

 

They fixed that on the Pearl and Gem. No more window between the tub and balcony;)

[garycarla]

Hard to tell if OP was ticked off, or just talking.

 

But - NCL is a business. If they can get $17k vs the higher price, then they will. They surely are not going to let it for for $1000 more. It really does not matter what somebody else got it for.

 

Why do people think things should always be "fair" or the same as what somebody else got? Chances are the situation was different as it relates to the capacity of the ship and what rooms were still available. Nobody here knows the big picture.

[loverboy]

Hard to tell if OP was ticked off, or just talking.

 

But - NCL is a business. If they can get $17k vs the higher price, then they will. They surely are not going to let it for for $1000 more. It really does not matter what somebody else got it for.

 

Why do people think things should always be "fair" or the same as what somebody else got? Chances are the situation was different as it relates to the capacity of the ship and what rooms were still available. Nobody here knows the big picture.

You know what I think .... the other lines are infiltrating our beloved NCL with negativism. :mad: