Deceptive cruise offer by Norwegian

[Chuck2810]

Hotel Industry has always done this. The Rack Rate at the Mirage for a regular room is over $1100 a night. But most have never paid more than the advertised rate of like $250. What's customary I don't consider a rip-off, but deception is part of the industry. Who has bought a car recently?

[EyeSeaEwe]

All I see in this thread is a bunch of...

 

AM NOT

ARE TOO

AM NOT

ARE TOO

AM NOT

ARE TOO

AM NOT

ARE TOO

AM NOT

ARE TOO

[Demonyte]

I appreciate this explanation. What NCL is doing is offering a special rate for Passengers 1 and 2 in their lowest price inside room, and offering half-price for Passengers 3 and 4 BUT THERE ARE NO INSIDE ROOMS ON THE EPIC AT THE 899 RATE THAT WILL ACCOMMODATE four passengers! So the NCL Computer automatically "upgrades" the shopper to the more expensive FAMILY INSIDE ROOM. Classic bait and switch.

 

There is no bait and switch here, you are comparing different products. If there is no availability in cheaper categories for 4 pax like there is for 2 pax, of course the system will offer you something that is available. You do know what "prices starting from" means, right?

 

But I'm sorry to say that the math still does not work out.

 

 

Math works out if you get your head around the fact that 3rd and 4th pax price is not based on 1st and 2nd pax price - it never is, even without this promo.

 

Despite people explaining the facts to you, you are still making assumptions that are unfounded and use those to generate unfathomable calculations that are simply incorrect.

[travelady65]

On certain of its cruises, Norwegian Cruise Lines offers "half price" for the third and fourth occupants of a cabin. Logically, this would mean that if a family were to take their two children on a cruise, then the price for each of the two children would be half of the fare of the two adults. In fact, the two children do NOT pay half of the adult fare, but pay half of something called the "revenue calculation" fare which, of course, is a much higher amount. So on a currently advertised cruise in which the adult fare is $900, the children's "half fare" ended up being $675 rather than the $450 any logical shopper would expect. This is a blatantly dishonest offer that is being made by Norwegian Cruise Lines and prospective cruisers should be aware of the fact before booking on the NCL web site.:mad:

 

The children's half fare being $675 per child.....is that including all the government fees and port taxes? Because it sounds like that is where the extra money is coming in....and those extra fees, everyone has to pay including children.....

[zeenut]

The children's half fare being $675 per child.....is that including all the government fees and port taxes? Because it sounds like that is where the extra money is coming in....and those extra fees, everyone has to pay including children.....

 

No, all of the calculations for both adults and children were made independent of the port fees and taxes. All of the figures are strictly for the amount that NCL is attempting to collect.

[DebJ14]

We just booked an H4 for January on the Jade and our 3rd person is going for just the taxes + insurance, which comes to about $168.00 total. I would look for those cruises where 3 & 4 are free.

[zeenut]

There is no bait and switch here, you are comparing different products. If there is no availability in cheaper categories for 4 pax like there is for 2 pax, of course the system will offer you something that is available. You do know what "prices starting from" means, right?

 

 

 

 

Math works out if you get your head around the fact that 3rd and 4th pax price is not based on 1st and 2nd pax price - it never is, even without this promo.

 

Despite people explaining the facts to you, you are still making assumptions that are unfounded and use those to generate unfathomable calculations that are simply incorrect.

 

After reading your passionate endorsement of the clever NCL pricing strategies, I can see why they have been successful in selling you 15 cruises!

[Diver2014]

After reading your passionate endorsement of the clever NCL pricing strategies, I can see why they have been successful in selling you 15 cruises!

 

Have you considered going to a different cruise line since NCL's pricing strategies are so deceptive?

[fishin' musician]

If you read all the fine print you will discover that the 50% off is off of the brochure rate. There is nothing deceptive nor dishonest about the offer.

 

Upon seeing 50% off 3 & 4 passengers it is very easy to conclude that it would be 50% off the rate shown for passengers 1 & 2 as it is the only rate shown.

 

It sure smells like deception to me. And the fact that you need to refer to the fine print further bolsters the deception argument.

[SAILPRO]

As the author of the original post, I am quite surprised that several of those who replied came to the defense of the cruise line, even employing some remarkable mathematical gymnastics in order to do so. Here are the facts which you can check if you want to go to the NCL web site and do your own calculations. Take, for example, the June 19-26, 2016 cruise on the Epic. We can ignore the port charges, as they will be the same per passenger regardless of how many persons occupy the cabin and regardless of the fare that they pay NCL. If two adults take the cruise, the price is $899 x 2 for a total of $1798. At the bottom of the chart, it states clearly: "Extra Stateroom Guests are Half-Price." In the school I attended, half of $899 would be $449.50. So the total fare to be paid by the four occupants should be $899 + $899+ $449.50 + $449.50 for a total of $2697. So now, let's go ahead and change the number of guests on the web site to FOUR. The NCL website calculates the new fare automatically, and it comes out to $3137 (again ignoring the port charges). That is $440 more than $2697. If you accept the fact that the two adults are still paying $899 apiece, then the two kids are paying $669.50 each and NOT $449.50. Call it what you want but I call it deceptive and dishonest. So, let me ask the stout NCL defenders: If you took your family out to dinner to a buffet in which the adults pay $18.00 per meal, and the kids eat for "half price", how would you react when you got the check and the restaurant charged you $15.00 for each child because they declared that the kids pay half the price of something called the "revenue calculation"? Based on the responses to my original post, I guess some folks would think that was just fine! :)

 

1000% agree with Zeenut! And the OP is correct! 100% deceptive

Guess most ncl defenders need basic math!

[luvtheships]

Upon seeing 50% off 3 & 4 passengers it is very easy to conclude that it would be 50% off the rate shown for passengers 1 & 2 as it is the only rate shown.

 

It sure smells like deception to me. And the fact that you need to refer to the fine print further bolsters the deception argument.

 

And even more deceptive is that 1/2 pax always pay 50% give or take of the brochure rate anyway!!!

 

So giving 3/4 pax 50% off brochure rate is a blatant attempt to hook the newbie uninformed first time cruiser by making them think they are getting a heck of a deal!! Lol

 

Fwiw many ships and itins are doing a true ksf. I found a few that interested us and we choose the gem and we are thrilled with our deal for 3 pax.... But as I said I knew to find a true ksf.... Not the scam 3/4 half off deal

 

 

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[dna529]

There is no bait and switch here, you are comparing different products. If there is no availability in cheaper categories for 4 pax like there is for 2 pax, of course the system will offer you something that is available. You do know what "prices starting from" means, right?

 

 

 

 

Math works out if you get your head around the fact that 3rd and 4th pax price is not based on 1st and 2nd pax price - it never is, even without this promo.

 

Despite people explaining the facts to you, you are still making assumptions that are unfounded and use those to generate unfathomable calculations that are simply incorrect.

 

I totally get what you are trying to explain. In other words, a two person room is always priced differently than a four person room. Just like when I do mock bookings on Carnival, the per person price always changes depending on 2 vs. 4 passengers. It's like comparing apples to oranges.

 

My PCC with Ncl fully agreed that the half off sailings are not good deals.

 

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[S.S.Oceanlover]

I totally get what you are trying to explain. In other words, a two person room is always priced differently than a four person room. Just like when I do mock bookings on Carnival, the per person price always changes depending on 2 vs. 4 passengers. It's like comparing apples to oranges.

 

My PCC with Ncl fully agreed that the half off sailings are not good deals.

 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Forums mobile app

 

Smoke and mirrors just like Carnival and RCI.

 

Average out the price when there are mire than 2 in a room to make it look cheaper.

 

Bill

[Demonyte]

After reading your passionate endorsement of the clever NCL pricing strategies, I can see why they have been successful in selling you 15 cruises!

 

 

Turning this discussion into personal attacks when you can't think of anything better to post doesn't change the fact that you are confused and making things up.

 

I'm definitely not defending the brochure rates for 3rd and up passengers - I do think those are outrageous, but that has nothing to do with your so called math.

[aimish]

I have not booked a non-promo room on NCL for more than 2 people yet, but on other lines I've booked, the rate for the 3rd+ passengers is always less than it is for the 1st and 2nd passengers. Is that not true of NCL?

 

I am getting confused because people keep talking about how the 1/2 price is off of the true rate for the 3rd and 4th passengers, but on every other line I've been on the true rate is less for those passengers.

[fshagan]

I have not booked a non-promo room on NCL for more than 2 people yet, but on other lines I've booked, the rate for the 3rd+ passengers is always less than it is for the 1st and 2nd passengers. Is that not true of NCL?

 

I am getting confused because people keep talking about how the 1/2 price is off of the true rate for the 3rd and 4th passengers, but on every other line I've been on the true rate is less for those passengers.

 

Like you, I have always seen 3rd and 4th passengers at a lower cost than the first two. But I haven't paid too much attention to it as we are usually just a couple. We do have a two bedroom suite booked with friends, but it was 3rd and 5th guest free (which is pretty easy to figure out, right?)

[dudput]

Just checked my cruise price to see if sailing went down and it did, but difference was not in cabin charge is was a NCF charge. Not sure what this is? Price included NCF charge when I booked, but now price does not include NCF and cabin is a little more than when I booked. Any idea what NCF is? When do they charge it? and when they don't?

[tvguy72]

Non commissionable fare . That is the full name for NCF. This is a portion of the cruise fare that is NOT included when paying the comp to a TA.

 

For instance you cruise fare is$1000. Part of that is govt fees and port charges ($100), The NCF, cruise line admin fees, terminal fees, ect...($150).

 

So, out of that original $1000 fare $250 of that is deducted from the $1000 and the TA will be paid comp only on $750 of that $1000 fare.

[Imalismom]

I have not booked a non-promo room on NCL for more than 2 people yet, but on other lines I've booked, the rate for the 3rd+ passengers is always less than it is for the 1st and 2nd passengers. Is that not true of NCL?

 

I am getting confused because people keep talking about how the 1/2 price is off of the true rate for the 3rd and 4th passengers, but on every other line I've been on the true rate is less for those passengers.

 

Maybe this might help you - this is 4 people in a 2 bedroom suite on POA - with an AARP discount. Booked 12 months out.... the only discount was the AARP.

Edited April 29, 2015 by Imalismom

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Maybe this might help you - this is 4 people in a 2 bedroom suite on POA - with an AARP discount. Booked 12 months out.... the only discount was the AARP.

 

here is another example on the other end of the spectrum for a balcon cabin going to Bermuda July 19th.

 

Pricing Details

Item Guest 1 Guest 2 Guest 3 Guest 4

Cruise Fare $1,729.00 $1,729.00 $999.50 $999.50

Gov't Taxes,

Fees & Port

Expenses $189.01 $189.01 $175.01 $175.01

Total per Guest $1,918.01 $1,918.01 $1,174.51 $1,174.51

 

as you can see by the 2 examples you need to look very carefully before pulling the trigger.

 

Bill

[sjbdtz]

 

We should let other cruise critics cast their votes: Who is doing the "twisting"? Zeenut or NCL?

 

 

Zeenut

 

 

I agree with each of Demonyte's posts.

 

And Bait & Switch isn't a factor here. What should have happened is they should have told you that $899 wasn't available if you wanted a room for 4, that the minimum was $919 (or whatever it was). Then you'd have understood what was going on.

 

Sounds like their effort to reward you with the cheapest price for the first two, while accurately charging you the higher base for the next two has you upset.

 

I can see why they've never previously sold you a cruise.

 

 

 

Stephen

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[zeenut]

 

 

Zeenut

 

 

I agree with each of Demonyte's posts.

 

And Bait & Switch isn't a factor here. What should have happened is they should have told you that $899 wasn't available if you wanted a room for 4, that the minimum was $919 (or whatever it was). Then you'd have understood what was going on.

 

Sounds like their effort to reward you with the cheapest price for the first two, while accurately charging you the higher base for the next two has you upset.

 

I can see why they've never previously sold you a cruise.

 

 

 

Stephen

.

 

Like Lemonyde, you have 5000+ posts and have cruised almost exclusively with NCL (I count 20) and so you are quite familiar with their pricing methods. So if you see offers like "50 per cent" for the 3rd and 4th passenger, you know what it means. The problem is that "newbies" (as CC members call them....and I must meekly place myself among their number) look at these types of offers and naively accept them at face value. Anyway, I appreciate your contribution to the dialogue and I think we can agreeably conclude that sometimes two or more perfectly reasonable people can look at the same set of facts and come to different opinions. :)