Another Upsell Question?

[bryan41]

Hello NCL Experts,

 

My wife, daughter and I are on the NCL Pearl on 1/25/09. We have an AF Aft mini. I'm looking at whats available and its showing that there are no rooms available for 3 people....however there are AB's, A2's and AA's available when I search for 2 people. Does this mean that there is no chance that we'll be offered an upsell for the AB's of AA's if they don't sell out? Thanks for your help!

 

Bryan

[joycep13]

No, I wouldn't take that to mean that at all - don't give up hope! At least in the case of the AB (Penthouse) suites as they can hold up to 5 passangers (lifeboat capacity limitations notwithstanding). As for A2's (Deluxe Owners Suite) and AA's (Owners Suite), they're certainly spacious enough to hold more than 2, though it seems like from what I've read on these boards, NCL never allows more than 2 in these rooms for some reason, so since you have 3, those two rooms can likely be ruled out as possible upsell options (correct, not correct anyone?).

 

Bottomline, I think an upsell is still possible becaues from what I've noticed, the stateroom search feature isn't totally accurate when it comes to number of passengers allowed in a stateroom (in our upsell from an AB + AD to a GV, the stateroom search would only allow up to 6 in the GV so it looked like that was max, but in reality NCL told us we could have up to 8, we sailed with 7).

 

Good luck, hope you get your upsell!

~Joyce

[beachchick]

The AA and A2 categories on the Pearl only hold two pax, so no on that. The AB is a definite maybe. What may have happened is that the cruise is maxed out at cabins holding more than 2 pax, even when the cabin is rated for more (e.g., the AB). There are very specific and non-negotiable limits on how many cabins can be booked with 3+ pax. There are many more cabins that have 3+ berths than can be booked for any specific cruise. That's so that parties of 3+ have more options.

 

In any case, if the maximum number has been reached for your cruise, the website is looking at your "search" as a new booking. If new bookings are now restricted to 2 pax per cabin maximum, then that's why it won't show them to you as available.

 

However, you might have a chance at an AB upsell. (Assuming they do upsells for your cruise; assuming the fairy is kind enough to put you on the list; assuming that everything aligns for you.) Your family is already part of the "count" in the 3+ pax cabins and can be upsold to the AB no problem. However, if they were then able to resell your current cabin, they could only book 2 pax into it (due to those multi-pax limitations).

 

Does that make sense or am I rambling?

 

Best of luck for an AB upsell!

 

beachchick

[ubdkjrb]

Why don't you call the upsell desk instead of waiting until they call you? Remember, though, that if you booked via travel agent you will have to have them call for you. They should have the number. Another good reason not to use a TA, but rather, book direct. That way you can do the negotiations.

 

Peter

[calmac]

Why don't you call the upsell desk instead of waiting until they call you? Remember, though, that if you booked via travel agent you will have to have them call for you. They should have the number. Another good reason not to use a TA, but rather, book direct. That way you can do the negotiations.

 

Peter

 

You (or your TA) can NOT call the upsell desk, they will call you (or your TA). This has been the case for a couple of years now.

[seamare]

we also are in an AF aft mini on the Pearl for February 15 - would sure like to hear from the fairy!!! Please post if you get a call.

[ubdkjrb]

You (or your TA) can NOT call the upsell desk, they will call you (or your TA). This has been the case for a couple of years now.

 

Interesting - just called them a few weeks ago. Are you sure the TA's don't know the number? If not, I would say not very good TA's.

 

Peter

[beachchick]

Interesting - just called them a few weeks ago. Are you sure the TA's don't know the number? If not, I would say not very good TA's.

 

Peter

 

Please confirm that you actually called the true Upsell Dept. They have not accepted incoming calls for more than 2 years because people (including members here) were abusing them. By that I mean, booking categories much lower than they actually wanted and then calling the Upsell Dept daily starting months before their cruise date to ask/plead for an inexpensive upsell. The tiny dept simply could not handle the volume of calls and the Revenue Dept was not pleased with the loss of overall revenue. This is not just a rumor or what someone thinks; this is the actual policy from NCL and the Upsell Dept.

 

A good TA will know that the policy for the Upsell Dept is "Don't call us, we might call you, and if you call and pester us we may put you on the 'do not call with an offer' list."

 

If you in fact called the Upsell Dept and a rep talked to you, you simply lucked into someone who was not busy at that moment and who was in a good mood and who was willing to overlook the normal policy. Please do not encourage people to do this or the policy might change to "Forget the upsells altogether."

 

beachchick

[calmac]

The only time that I am aware of customers calling the upsell department is when it is in respone to being contacted by the department in relation to a potential upsell. In this case a number will be given to call but the upsell department will be expecting to hear from you.

[beachchick]

The only time that I am aware of customers calling the upsell department is when it is in respone to being contacted by the department in relation to a potential upsell. In this case a number will be given to call but the upsell department will be expecting to hear from you.

 

Thanks for adding that. It's a good point to remember.

 

beachchick

[ubdkjrb]

Please confirm that you actually called the true Upsell Dept. They have not accepted incoming calls for more than 2 years because people (including members here) were abusing them. By that I mean, booking categories much lower than they actually wanted and then calling the Upsell Dept daily starting months before their cruise date to ask/plead for an inexpensive upsell. The tiny dept simply could not handle the volume of calls and the Revenue Dept was not pleased with the loss of overall revenue. This is not just a rumor or what someone thinks; this is the actual policy from NCL and the Upsell Dept.

 

A good TA will know that the policy for the Upsell Dept is "Don't call us, we might call you, and if you call and pester us we may put you on the 'do not call with an offer' list."

 

If you in fact called the Upsell Dept and a rep talked to you, you simply lucked into someone who was not busy at that moment and who was in a good mood and who was willing to overlook the normal policy. Please do not encourage people to do this or the policy might change to "Forget the upsells altogether."

 

beachchick

 

I did, in fact, call the upsell dept (they, of course, call it their re-accomodation desk but handles upsells) and have called it a couple of times in late November. I have had this same number in my "contacts" for about five years and have successfully negotiated several good upsells. They did not discourage me from calling and in fact suggested that I call back between 10 and 20 days from sailing as "my sailing isn't on their radar yet". (direct quote) It used to be that you would call around final payment time.

 

If you are a travel agent and you are giving your beliefs about upsells out to your clients, you are doing them a disservice. Upsells are a huge positive that NCL has over every other major cruiseline.

 

Peter

[beachchick]

I am not a TA and I am not just giving out my "beliefs" about this. The Upsell Dept and the Reaccomodation Dept are not the same thing. (I have talked to employees in both departments and they confirmed that it's two different departments.)

 

If you do a search here and on other expert resources, you'll find that I am not just making this up. There have been threads pages and pages long about this, especially around the time that NCL changed the policy (early fall 2006). The information I have is from the Upsell Dept itself as well as from another NCL employee who works with a department that works with the Upsell Department.

 

Yes, Upsells are a big positive for NCL, but what I described is what happened. People were calling daily for months before their cruise date and the tiny department simply could not handle the volume of calls. NCL management changed the policy because of it. That you have a long-standing relationship with the Reaccomodation Dept, which can work with the Upsell Dept, may have helped you with this. But to tell everyone to just start calling and asking will lead to exactly why the policy was changed in the first place: They cannot handle thousands of people calling every day to ask for upsells. NCL's policy is "don't call us; we'll call you or your TA."

 

Ask some of the experts, many of them TAs, here on CC and you'll see that I'm not whistling in the wind about this.

 

beachchick

[ubdkjrb]

I am not a TA and I am not just giving out my "beliefs" about this. The Upsell Dept and the Reaccomodation Dept are not the same thing. (I have talked to employees in both departments and they confirmed that it's two different departments.)

 

If you do a search here and on other expert resources, you'll find that I am not just making this up. There have been threads pages and pages long about this, especially around the time that NCL changed the policy (early fall 2006). The information I have is from the Upsell Dept itself as well as from another NCL employee who works with a department that works with the Upsell Department.

 

Yes, Upsells are a big positive for NCL, but what I described is what happened. People were calling daily for months before their cruise date and the tiny department simply could not handle the volume of calls. NCL management changed the policy because of it. That you have a long-standing relationship with the Reaccomodation Dept, which can work with the Upsell Dept, may have helped you with this. But to tell everyone to just start calling and asking will lead to exactly why the policy was changed in the first place: They cannot handle thousands of people calling every day to ask for upsells. NCL's policy is "don't call us; we'll call you or your TA."

 

Ask some of the experts, many of them TAs, here on CC and you'll see that I'm not whistling in the wind about this.

 

beachchick

 

I don't need to do a search and I don't have to ask the experts here on CC. I am speaking from my own experiences, several of which were within the last sixty days. You say they are two different departments. That may be true, but irrelevant. The reaccomodation desk sells "upsells", but only when that sailing "hits their radar" which as explained to me was within ten to twenty days from sailing. If there is another department that calls about upsells, I don't care about that one.

 

I know all of this because I have experienced it. It baffles me why you want it kept a secret. During my conversations with the lady on the reaccomodation desk, not once was it suggested that I was doing something wrong. She, in fact, encouraged me to call back when my sailing was withing the 10-20 days. I did call her back and unfortunately for me, the upsell I was looking for wasn't available; but several others were. Had I been looking for one of those, I would have been able to make that deal. Keep in mind - I booked direct with NCL.

 

I haven't been on this NCL board for awhile since I haven't had one of their cruises booked; but when and how did this "don't call them, they'll call you" posture happen? The only change I can tell from several years ago was the change in time frame - it used to be you would call just after final payment.

 

Peter

[terrymtex01]

I don't need to do a search and I don't have to ask the experts here on CC. I am speaking from my own experiences, several of which were within the last sixty days. You say they are two different departments. That may be true, but irrelevant. The reaccomodation desk sells "upsells", but only when that sailing "hits their radar" which as explained to me was within ten to twenty days from sailing. If there is another department that calls about upsells, I don't care about that one.

 

I know all of this because I have experienced it. It baffles me why you want it kept a secret. During my conversations with the lady on the reaccomodation desk, not once was it suggested that I was doing something wrong. She, in fact, encouraged me to call back when my sailing was withing the 10-20 days. I did call her back and unfortunately for me, the upsell I was looking for wasn't available; but several others were. Had I been looking for one of those, I would have been able to make that deal. Keep in mind - I booked direct with NCL.

 

I haven't been on this NCL board for awhile since I haven't had one of their cruises booked; but when and how did this "don't call them, they'll call you" posture happen? The only change I can tell from several years ago was the change in time frame - it used to be you would call just after final payment.

 

Peter

 

It really is non of my business, but it is a public forum.. I don't think beachchick was wanting you to keep it a secrete, but rather didn't want anyone to be confused on the two different departments. Can you provide the number to the department you are talking about? I just called NCL's main number and they do not know of any such department and said that upsells at a discount are only done via outbound calls.

 

Used to, up until like two years ago, you could call the one department they had if you wanted an upsell, but as has been stated, it got to be too much for them and NCL did not like losing all the money, so they stopped the inbound calls to the upsell department.

 

Again, non of my business really, just an observation, but I don't think anyone is trying to say you are lying, etc, just wanted to make sure people know there is a difference in the two groups.