Price Reduction Fairy

[AndyPanda]

We recently booked our 26th cruise, and we have NEVER heard a whisper about any price reduction.

We usually book thru a TA.

Are we doing something wrong?

Thanks, Andy

[johnql]

In my experience, the consumer is the one who needs to be vigilant if he wants to take advantage of a price reduction. Reductions happen all the time. Certainly not on every cruise but often enough. Sometimes, prices fluctuate, which means that it's all about timing and making yourself aware of when the prices go down. Sometimes, this requires constant monitoring of the fares. Bottom line: you need to track the pricing yourself. Unfortunately, I don't think it's safe to assume that your TA will monitor the pricing for you. Only you can decide what your time and effort is worth. Myself, I make sure that I'm happy with the initial price. Then, every now and then (maybe every other week), I recheck the pricing but I don't do it constantly. If I miss a small window of opportunity, then so be it. That's why it's important to be happy with the price that you book at to begin with.

[cruzcntrl]

Its my understanding that for most people, they only receive price reductions after they have done the leg work to look up what their room category is currently priced at and then called NCL to request a price reduction. As far as I know, NCL (or any other cruise line for that matter) would ever call you and tell you that they reduced the price of your cruise.

 

Also, I think price reductions are possible until you've made the final payment. After that, you *may* be able to get a reduction or an upgrade, but its not guaranteed and the cruise line does not have to give you either after final payment is made.

[Mrs. H.]

I called my TA at NCL to confirm by recent booking and since he had me on the phone he check to see if the price was any lower. It wasn't.:mad:

He advised me to keep an eye out and if I see it go lower I should call him.

I've done that in the past with Carnival and it works. Love saving $$$$.:D

[CGinMTL]

I booked my NCL vacation in May 2008 for March 2009. To date, I have seen 3 price reductions and have now saved a total of $350. Yes you have to look and ask for them. But that is a pretty good payoff for a couple of e-mails.

I now post the price reductions on the roll call. We should all do that.

Finally, yes, the reduction is only until final payment. After that, NCL will give you an upgrade or an OBC.

[garycarla]

YOU have to make the call. They are not going to call you. They of course prefer not to reduce the price you were already happy with.

 

But, depending on bookings, they might have to reduce the price to encourage more people to buy a cabin. Might hurt their bottom line, but a low price is better than an empty cabin.

[CruisnGram]

We recently booked our 26th cruise, and we have NEVER heard a whisper about any price reduction.

We usually book thru a TA.

Are we doing something wrong?

Thanks, Andy

 

Hi Andy,

 

I agree with the others. Do NOT depend on your TA to watch pricings for you. Here's what I would suggest.

 

Go to the cruiselines website and see what they are listing as the price for your cabin category on your cruise. That will give you a baseline price. Write that price down and keep it handy. About every other day, go to the website and check to see if it has changed. If you see a change (downward of course) call your TA and tell them to check it out.

 

In addition, I never make final payment until the last day. I've been surprised a couple times when price actually dropped some a few days before final payment. It's much easier to negotiate any price changes if you haven't made your final payment.

 

And finally, watch the sales promotions. Many are for new bookings only, but some aren't. If you aren't sure, call your TA and ask them to check...it doesn't cost you anything to find out.

 

It certainly doens't always happen and there are many people on the boards who can tell you about their cruise price going steadily upward....no price drop ever occurred. But it does happen. I booked our upcoming June cruise back in September and have already been able to get the price reduced around $100 and get a $400 OBC. So it's definitely worth the little bit of time it takes to check out those prices yourself.

 

CG

[tdcjerry]

I check all the web-sites and the NCL site, and one call to my PCC and I got $150 off pp + a $300 OBC with our mini suite. This was $50 pp lower than any web price.

[Mrs. H.]

I booked my May '09 cruise two weeks ago today. (Fri)

I have been checking NCL's price just about every day to

see if their number changed, and it hadn't. I talked to a

new TA two days ago since the old TA dropped the ball

and I wanted to get the military papers filled out. While

on the phone he checked and there was no change.

Well, I hadn't bothered to look yesterday or today but after

reading this here board, I said to myself, check it out for the hell of it

before going to bed.

OMG! i/o the old price of $4,110 its now $4,550.20!!!:eek:

Wish I knew how much it was in October when they were running

a sale with OBC which was a lot compared to what they were offering

two weeks ago. Thank God for Military & past guest discounts.:D

Got me a fanstastic OBC.

It doesn't take but a minute or two to check it each day.

Maybe twice a day??!!??;)

[Budget Queen]

I called my TA at NCL to confirm by recent booking and since he had me on the phone he check to see if the price was any lower. It wasn't.:mad:

He advised me to keep an eye out and if I see it go lower I should call him.

I've done that in the past with Carnival and it works. Love saving $$$$.:D

 

Booking through NCL is NOT the cheapest way to go. You will pay less going through a cruise discounter, since agents have their own deals, discounts, OBC etc.

 

It is simple to transfer your NCL booking to ANY agent. You may want to do a general price search and then transfer to the best price. I do this all the time, when not late booking.

[Suni99]

I check all the web-sites and the NCL site, and one call to my PCC and I got $150 off pp + a $300 OBC with our mini suite. This was $50 pp lower than any web price.

 

 

if you talked to your pcc, i am assuming you booked with NCL, I can see the prices redution since you are not at the 75 day cutt off point, but i am curious as to how you got an OBC when there are not current specials running?? hmmm

[Budget Queen]

We recently booked our 26th cruise, and we have NEVER heard a whisper about any price reduction.

We usually book thru a TA.

Are we doing something wrong?

Thanks, Andy

 

You've been overpaying for 25 cruises. :) ALWAYS keep track of pricing trends yourself. Immediately contact your booking agent if you see a drop. It pays to be flexable, so if you are attached to a specific cabin, sailing etc, you may have less availablity.

 

Count back your final payment day, YOURSELF, most agents add a week or so. Be especially agressive with your price search just prior to final payments, it's a time when all the cancelations and returned block space come back. Can offer some good deals.

 

Don't expect any adjustments with NCL after final payment. IF price is more important to you, AND space is open on a ship, then consider late booking, which have the lowest rates. You have to be very flexable. I just picked up a 16 day Panama Canal cruise in October about 10 days before sailing. Cruise only price $320. :) (++++ taxes, etc).

 

The deals are out there, and many many people don't know about them.

[CruzinFamilyof5]

Late booking is an excellent idea. We got burned on our Alaska cruise in June, because we made final payment when we booked. After that the price dropped and TA refused to rebook. I was told we wouldn't be able to find rooms near each other. I made such a fuss that we ended up with $400 on board credit and coupon books :rolleyes:

 

In April 08, we booked an NCL Med cruise with TA, found another TA offering same cruise $1000 less for 2 cabins. Since deposits were refundable, we offered the first TA to price match and supervisor said NO, even though they advertise a guarantee that they do. We canceled and re-booked with 2nd TA. Then in Sept 08 when final payment was due, I re-checked prices and discovered 2 cabins across from each other on a higher deck, mid ship. This was a better location and price dropped again $1200 for 2 cabins. TA was unable to do rebook (during the same time they were bombarded with the Carnival huricane issue in Galveston) so I booked the 2 cabins myself through their website until the same TA was able to cancel old bookings. I was reading other posts that their TA's were telling them this price drop was only for new bookings. :mad: I'm glad we refused to entertain that notion.

 

We purchased our RT air in April. LAX to Barcelona for $4200. If we waited to purchase it now, our same flight is $23000 on Swiss Air :eek:. There are excellent deals on other airlines, but we chose Swiss Air because of the onboard entertainment for kids.

 

Originally, in March when I started getting quotes from the major travel companies on the internet, they were at $13000 for 2 cabins on deck 8 aft. Ironically, this $13000 quote from TA actually ended up being the total cost for both our air $4200 and cruise $8800 for 5 people (14 day cruise on Deck 9, Inside and Balcony midship).

 

In the last week of August, we were on a Carnival cruise and sitting at table with a family who also booked a Mediterranean cruise. They had not purchased their airfare during the holidays yet. "They were waiting on a deal" I just about fell out of my chair :eek:

 

Clear your cookies when you're shopping for airfare, because I heard that even though the price is lower, you'll get the same offers. The "cookies" know you need airfare and take advantage :rolleyes:

[tdcjerry]

if you talked to your pcc, i am assuming you booked with NCL, I can see the prices redution since you are not at the 75 day cutt off point, but i am curious as to how you got an OBC when there are not current specials running?? hmmm

 

A few weeks back NCL had a sale with OBC included , so I did a rebook at that time and my PCC gave us a fare $150pp lower and the OBC. This was only out there for a couple days, I did see Oct. 16 ,2008 on my docs.

[Mrs. H.]

Booking through NCL is NOT the cheapest way to go. You will pay less going through a cruise discounter, since agents have their own deals, discounts, OBC etc.

 

It is simple to transfer your NCL booking to ANY agent. You may want to do a general price search and then transfer to the best price. I do this all the time, when not late booking.

 

I didn't book through NCL. I started to but needed an hour to think about it, go over my notes, check out where the cabins were and also to advise dh I was thinking about a cruise.:rolleyes: Well, the woman @ NCL let me go figuring I would call her back. (if only she would have put a hold on one of the cabins) I called my time share travel agency a short time later and he called NCL for a price for past guest/military and they gave him/me $500 off PLUS a big obc PLUS insurance & taxes. He put a hold on a cabin and said I had until Monday to decide. I decided right then and there and MADE him take my deposit!! lol I refused to lose out on such a good deal.

 

Don't you know that woman from NCL kept calling me ALL day. Her loss.:p

 

I'm just now keeping an eye out for NCL's price on there site and if and when I see its lower..........I PICKING UP THE PHONE AND CALLING MY TA.:D

[CruisnGram]

Late booking is an excellent idea. We got burned on our Alaska cruise in June, because we made final payment when we booked.

 

Late booking is great if you don't have to get airline tickets too. The airlines put it to you when you book late. Also, late bookers need to be aware that cabins may be limited, or prices could go up. If you don't have to fly, and are willing to bypass a cruise and look for another one if the one you have your eye on isn't available, or prices skyrocket, then late booking is fabulous.

 

Regarding final payment, NEVER make final payment before the day final payment is due. It costs nothing to wait, but can cost a lot when those prices go down and they won't talk to you cause you made your final payment.

 

CG