CAS -- I am very confused

[tel2]

Hi everyone!

 

First, I am not complaining, really I am not. CAS has treated us very well and I am happy for whatever deal they give us, plus we always gets dinners and excursions etc. But every time I think I have a good grasp on the system, something happens that seems very odd and inconsistent with prior practice. Have they changed their system? Or maybe I just do not understand it as well as I thought I did.

 

By way of background -- I am a couple of points short of platinum NCL and in the last few years have pretty much only cruised on NCL. I usually earn between 7000 and 8500 points per cruise, and my husband earns another 2000 or so, and for that we are generally comped either a balcony or a mini-suite. We also both are Seven Stars at Harrahs, and for that occasionally each get a certificate for a balcony. If we sail together, NCL allows us to combine the two balcony certs for a mini-suite comp.

 

Whichever way we do it, we generally upgrade at least to a penthouse suite. When we do so, it generally works out that we end up paying -- in total for both of us including upgrade fee, taxes, port charges etc -- roughly a few hundred dollars less than the per person fare for the cabin to which we are upgrading. So, for a 7 day Alaska cruise on the Pearl in June, the pp fare for a penthouse was 2100. We were comped a balcony and upgraded to a penthouse, and our total all in cost was 1950 for both of us. And for a 7 day med adriatic on Jade, the going rate for a penthouse was 2200 pp., we were comped for a balcony, upgraded to a penthouse and our total all in cost was 2100 for both of us. A couple of other cruises worked out pretty much the same way.

 

So, we decided to do a 9 day on the Gem from NY in February 2014, a less popular cruise we thought than Alaska and Adriatic. The Penthouse price was 2029 pp, so I called thinking that even though it was a 9 day, rather than 7, since the price was comparable I would probably end up in about the same place. So, first she told me we were comped for a mini-suite. I think, so far, so good. Then I ask for upgrade price to penthouse, and she says 3350. total for both of you. I say really? that seems very high -- is that the best you can do? -- and she says yes, so I say no thank you. I waited a few days, called again, spoke to a different person and got almost the exact same price (3320).

 

I cannot figure it out because the price I was given is waaay more than the difference between the mini-suite price for which we were comped and the penthouse price. A mini-suite in the category I was comped is 1249, so the difference between the Penthouse and the mini-suite price is 1560. for both of us. The taxes/port charges are about 800. for both of us, so I dont quite understand how the upgrade price can ever be more that the difference of the cost between the comp and the upgrade price, plus the port charges etc. or in this case, 1560 plus 800, or 2360. We ended up taking the mini-suite, and paying taxes/port charges of about 800. total, but I find this very very odd.

 

So, anyone know why Gem 9 day out of NY is treated so differently on comps? Really popular cruise? More gamblers out of NY? Something else that hasnt occurred to me? I really thought since it would be competing w Breakaway, which as you know is priced very steeply, that it would be very good pricing to entice people to sail on Gem. Obviously, that theory was wrong. Anyone have any thoughts. It just drives me crazy when I cannot figure out how something works!

 

Terry

[VideoTech]

I can understand how it drives you crazy, and I'm afraid I can't do much by way of explanation.

 

Like you, we are repeat NCL cruisers, Platinum level, and all our cruises are through CAS. And like you, we take our comp cabins and upgrade them, paying the difference.

 

We have also run into what seems like arbitrary and illogical pricing at times, and the best I can come up with is that there are a lot of variables in CAS pricing. Popularity of the cruise itinerary, the ship, time of year, how full the ship already is, how much inventory CAS has to work with on each ship and each cruise...all these things (and probably others that we haven't even thought of), seem to affect what CAS will offer and what they will charge for an upgrade.

 

The best analogy I can come up with is that it's somewhat like trying to use your airline miles for those "free" seats. The number and availability of the free seats is affected by many of the same variables and you can never tell what will happen when you go to book them.

 

It sounds like we're all in the same boat (sorry!) when it comes to CAS comps.

[tel2]

Well, something is certainly better than nothing, but it still drives me crazy when I cannot figure it all out. We havent been in a non-suite for awhile -- I am going to have withdrawal symptoms, but given the amount we spend gambling on a cruise, it doesnt make sense to pony up another 2500 for a suite on this one. Thanks for your response.

[anthem]

sometimes when you are requesting a category beyond your level of comp, the pricing is based on discount level (5, 10 20%) off of the fare rather than the difference of what they give you and the next higher class room. I don't know what the criteria is where they can give you the difference between the price categories and a percentage off.

 

But you do have to remember, they have different valuation/cost of rooms than what you see available. They are an independent group responsible for their P&L as well. Which means you might qualify for a mini-suite and they have an allocation of mini-suites at $800 cost to CAS. So, the upgrade might be from the cost of the suite to their cost and not necessarily to the cost you see online.

[tel2]

That is very interesting. Never looked at it from that perspective but that would explain Why the pricing sometimes is not simply the difference. Thanks

[3DBeach]

I know school is closed sometime in Feb (for winter break i believe) so i wonder if that has something to do with it??

[boopsahoy]

I also got comped by CAS a minisuite and upgraded to aft penthouse on 9 day gem but in january. I think the total I had to pay for the upgrade was 2400 total. Maybe february is more popular? Maybe I got a better deal cause i booked over 6 months in advance?

[tel2]

I also got comped by CAS a minisuite and upgraded to aft penthouse on 9 day gem but in january. I think the total I had to pay for the upgrade was 2400 total. Maybe february is more popular? Maybe I got a better deal cause i booked over 6 months in advance?

 

I am booking 18 months in advance -- for February 2014. Already have 2 cruises booked for 2013. And it might just be that you gamble more than do we, so they are willing to give you a better deal :-)

[Atlanta07]

I've found that the best comps with Casino's at Sea is to go with a junket. If you are a member of a junket that books cruises go through them. You get better comps both before and at the end of the cruise.

 

tel2 - with you being a Seven Stars member you would likely always get offered a suite to begin with.

 

I've booked 8 cruises through my junket and always get offered a suite. I've then either stayed where offered or I've paid to upgrade to a better suite.

 

If you are a member of a junket - check into it. If not and you have questions let me know.

 

Happy cruising!