Any word on new promos?

[garnet115]

I searched the boards but didn't find anything. The current "Free at Sea" promo expires tomorrow. I plan on booking when the new winter 2017/2018 itineraries are released. Any word on what the new booking promos will be after tomorrow?

 

Thanks!

[casofilia]

Sorry no; you'll just have to wait and see.

[garnet115]

Thanks. Oh well. Sometimes the cc members who are travel agents have advance intel, so I thought I would ask.

[cmh9092]

I think someone had mentioned that once this current promo ends, it will be the same Free at Sea EXCEPT inside rooms will be excluded. Not sure if that is true, though!

[littlelulu01]

If last year is any indication the promos will likely decrease as the year progresses. Overall last year started with UBP, (grats included) and UDP (grats included) and a variation of dsc, $75 per port excursion credit or Internet. Pick one for ov thru mini suite, get four for suite. Last weekend of Jan, feb and March they had pick two for many sailings and some with an additional $200 obc. Insides never got the UBP or udp but got 100 Internet, or dining credit $50 I think.

 

As year progressed they instituted customer pay grats on packages, offered dsc as perk I think only in August, and replaced udp with SDP. Prices on dining and beverage packages also increased along the way which increased grats due on perks. Dsc also increased a couple of times.

 

In October, November and December, 2015 they had a couple weekend only sales where they gave two perks even to inside cabins (best deal I've seen so far for insides)

 

I wouldn't be surprised to see insides excluded starting when this sale ends and them going back to a lesser perk such as 100 Internet or $50 dining credit for insides. I also wouldn't be surprised to see some further increases in costs of perks as year progresses and smaller windows of booking availability for good sales such as weekend only.

 

I'm actually thinking it wouldn't be out of line to increase cost of UBP again this year by a good chunk but give some more value to plan such as speciality coffees or something. Last year when they raised price they upped the covered cost of beverage to $15. It would seem a little out of line to raise included beverage to $20 when the raise plan price. An included coffee is more palatable then to say we now charge $20 for drinks on board plus if they started including some na beverages they may stop getting all the flack about being the highest priced and least inclusive. People are schocked when they find out the Ultimate beverage package doesn't even include a speciality coffee and costs almost $100 per person each day.

[scanditaly]

just clarifying that bottled water is still not included with any of the beverage plans?

[SPB in da RVA]

just clarifying that bottled water is still not included with any of the beverage plans?

 

Well it depends on how one defines 'any'. NCL offers three bottled water packages (6-pack, 12-pack, and 18-pack), with savings ranging from 30% - 50%.

[lexanna02]

Any idea on how or where we can purchase the bottled water packages?

[Moobaby214]

Any idea on how or where we can purchase the bottled water packages?

 

It is crazy expensive, I would bring your own onboard on embarkation day.

https://www.ncl.com/onboard-packages/bottled-water-packages

[lexanna02]

WOW!!!!! I thought I read somewhere that a 6 pack was more like $3.99! YIKES! I sure appreciate you sharing this important information with me! I'll definitely be bringing my own! LOL!

[LocalTracks]

With the water purification system on the ship, I've always found that the "tap" water available free of charge suited me just fine.

[lexanna02]

Thanks, LocalTracks! We usually just drink the water from the tap, as well. I'm just spoiled and like to keep a bottle of water by the bed, so I don't have to get up to get a drink....lol!

 

Thanks for replying!

[hun]

Am I reading it wrong, or are the "new" promos the same as the old promos which "expired" yesterday.... I've noticed that trend lol

[Kfamilycruise]

Definitely still the same. Read through the terms & conditions at the bottom of the page: https://www.ncl.com/cruise-deals/choice

 

Good for people still booking -- I hope they have it through the time of my cruise so I can end up booking next cruise with discounted deposit and still get pick 2!

[Sestar]

Looks the same but a small change for Specialty Dining Package.

 

The first two guests receive 3 meals on 5- to 9-night cruises and 4 meals on 10+ night sailings in our award-winning specialty restaurants.

 

Used to be 4 meals on 5-9 night cruises.

[UODuckMan]

Looks the same but a small change for Specialty Dining Package.

 

The first two guests receive 3 meals on 5- to 9-night cruises and 4 meals on 10+ night sailings in our award-winning specialty restaurants.

 

Used to be 4 meals on 5-9 night cruises.

 

And I think it used to be 6 meals for 10+ night cruises.

[kjquilts]

Another difference is that for oceanview staterooms you now only receive one promo choice instead of two.

[hawkeyetlse]

And I think it used to be 6 meals for 10+ night cruises.

It used to be:

 

• 5-6 nights: 3 meals
  
• 7-9 nights: 4 meals
  
• 10-12 nights: 5 meals
  
• 13-16 nights: 6 meals
  

Not sure what they did for cruises longer than 16 days.

 

So reducing it to 4 meal max is a significant cut-back for longer cruises. It's strange how huge they are letting the gap become between the UBP and all the other perks. The maximum value of the SDP choice is now only $84 (the retail price of the 4-meal SDP). That's only barely more than the price of a single day of the UBP ($79).

[cruiservictor]

Also, when discussing the gratuities and service charges on the packages, the fine print would always say the guest is responsible for paying them "except when booking a Haven or Suite". It does not say that this time.

[kjquilts]

Another difference is that for oceanview staterooms you now only receive one promo choice instead of two.

 

 

My statement above appears to be incorrect. I swear I checked price before posting but that was before cawfee. I just checked a different cruise and one perk is allowed for oceanview stateroom

the one in front of me now is Sun 5-8-16 8 day Alaska

 

Sorry for the error.

[hawkeyetlse]

Also, when discussing the gratuities and service charges on the packages, the fine print would always say the guest is responsible for paying them "except when booking a Haven or Suite". It does not say that this time.

Yikes :eek:, hopefully an oversight. They really do not need to alienate people who book suites. Except maybe there are no such people anymore. These days it really seems like everyone who is in a suite actually booked an inside GTY… :rolleyes:

[rocklinmom]

I noticed the same thing about the 18 percent service charges for the UDP and UBP's - it no longer says that Haven or suites are exempt from those charges. That's a big change and one that will make me not book the suite I was looking at for next summer. And yes the perks are exactly the same as before, not to mention minus one specialty dinner. Is NCL trying to get people to book or not?

[logan25]

Thought I read an e-mail which said the perk promotion would not be available for inside cabin bookings after March 15. But I find it still valid for inside cabins when I did a mock booking today.

[happy cruzin]

Looks the same but a small change for Specialty Dining Package.

 

The first two guests receive 3 meals on 5- to 9-night cruises and 4 meals on 10+ night sailings in our award-winning specialty restaurants.

 

Used to be 4 meals on 5-9 night cruises.

 

Well THAT stinks. Super glad I booked the Epic when I did. We though about waiting to book - hoping for "better" promos. But that didn't happen!! :eek:

 

Will be taking a copy of terms that were in effect when we booked....just in case! :cool:

[brookie848]

If this is true, we will not be happy. My husband doesn't really drink (maybe 1-2 drinks the entire cruise) and I would never drink enough to make the UBP logical for us. If we do have to pay the 18% for something we really don't use, this is going to be an issue.

 

Thankfully, we've had our 2017 booked since last summer. I'll be curious to see how this all plays out.