Another price drop question

[MikeBTN]

Final payment last week. As expected, price recently dropped below what we paid. We don't sail for 115 days. Call now and try to negotiate OBC, or wait until 30-ish days out and see if we can upgrade for free or negotiate OBC then? It IS a holiday cruise, but still appears to be quite a few staterooms available, so I'm expecting another price drop in the coming weeks.

[Budget Queen]

30 days isn't the magic number. :) Unfortunately no way to predict the future. Either option could be the right one for you.

[MikeBTN]

30 days isn't the magic number. :) Unfortunately no way to predict the future. Either option could be the right one for you.

 

I guess what I'm wondering is....lets say price drops again. Would they re-negotiate OBC? I wouldn't mind upgrading to a B6 (on Escape) even if it was a bit more money, either. Just trying to weigh my options.

[Shawnkat]

We were on Escape and booked connecting inside cabins. After final payment prices dropped and I called my TA who then called NCL. They offered to upgrade us for free to connecting oceanview cabins. I didn't like the location of these new cabins so I declined the offer. I was also hoping for an upsell which didn't pan out. A few days before sailing I called my TA again and this time they offered a free upgrade to connecting balconies. I took the offer. [emoji106]

 

So see what they have to offer. You're not obligated to accept it.

 

 

 

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[MikeBTN]

We were on Escape and booked connecting inside cabins. After final payment prices dropped and I called my TA who then called NCL. They offered to upgrade us for free to connecting oceanview cabins. I didn't like the location of these new cabins so I declined the offer. I was also hoping for an upsell which didn't pan out. A few days before sailing I called my TA again and this time they offered a free upgrade to connecting balconies. I took the offer. [emoji106]

 

So see what they have to offer. You're not obligated to accept it.

 

 

 

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That's a heck of a deal :-)

[tomk3212]

We always book last minute (within 2-3 weeks before sailing) so we always have to pay the full amount at booking. Normally the price doesn't drop (much) between the time we book & the time we sail but this time it did; $800!!!

 

I wrote a very nice email to our NCL CC that we booked the cruise through & he advised us to call him a week before sailing & he'd see what he could do. Sure enough, when we called we got upgraded from a Guaranteed Inside cabin to a Guaranteed Balcony!

 

For my own info, can someone please tell me why people book cruises so far in advance and then be surprised when the price drops? The only reason I can see booking a cruise so far in advance is if you want a particular cabin or are traveling with family & you want the cabins all near one another. Do cruises or particular cabin categories sell out so quickly that you have to book them far in advance? Like I said previously we always book an inside cabin at the last minute so we have relatively little experience with deposits and such.

 

Hope you have a great cruise!

 

Tom K.

[njmomof2]

For my own info, can someone please tell me why people book cruises so far in advance and then be surprised when the price drops? The only reason I can see booking a cruise so far in advance is if you want a particular cabin or are traveling with family & you want the cabins all near one another. Do cruises or particular cabin categories sell out so quickly that you have to book them far in advance? Like I said previously we always book an inside cabin at the last minute so we have relatively little experience with deposits and such.

 

Hope you have a great cruise!

 

Tom K.

 

Many book far in advance due to arranging work schedules, making flight arrangements that, if left to 2-3 weeks out, could easily overtake any savings from the cruise fare itself. If you can book last minute then many find great deals. But for a holiday or particularly special itinerary, booking in advance can make sure you're on the ship.

[BobaLouFTL]

Living in South Florida and not having to worry about travels arrangements, we used to regularly book 3 to 6 weeks out and got some great deals. Recently, those great deals have disappeared, with the most drastic price drops associated with the "guarantee" categories that include none of the perks. Because of travel companions and time off, we booked at the end of May (Memorial Day Sales) for a cruise departing on Sunday. Because of the perks being offered by the TA, we chose a cabin and the price of that cabin (mini-suite) has stayed rock solid to this day. Bottom line, there is no way to tell.

[zqvol]

Final payment last week. As expected, price recently dropped below what we paid. We don't sail for 115 days. Call now and try to negotiate OBC, or wait until 30-ish days out and see if we can upgrade for free or negotiate OBC then? It IS a holiday cruise, but still appears to be quite a few staterooms available, so I'm expecting another price drop in the coming weeks.

 

You are not going to get an OBC, they will move you to a higher category cabin but NCL doesn't do the OBC thing. If the price had gone up would you try to negotiate for the higher price?

[edawn]

We've booked our last several cruises early because for more than a year the last minute deals never materialized. So we book early, receive some promos and generally pay more for the cruise up front but pay way less in onboard charges. It all works out about the same in the end for us. For our February or March cruise for 2017 we'll wait until the last minute and see what happens. Maybe we won't cruise. Just have to see what happens.

 

 

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[MikeBTN]

You are not going to get an OBC, they will move you to a higher category cabin but NCL doesn't do the OBC thing. If the price had gone up would you try to negotiate for the higher price?

 

Sure they do....they've done it for me before. Not always, but it does happen. Usually 25%-50% of the price difference. Surprising what happens when you ask for something.

[MikeBTN]

We always book last minute (within 2-3 weeks before sailing) so we always have to pay the full amount at booking. Normally the price doesn't drop (much) between the time we book & the time we sail but this time it did; $800!!!

 

I wrote a very nice email to our NCL CC that we booked the cruise through & he advised us to call him a week before sailing & he'd see what he could do. Sure enough, when we called we got upgraded from a Guaranteed Inside cabin to a Guaranteed Balcony!

 

For my own info, can someone please tell me why people book cruises so far in advance and then be surprised when the price drops? The only reason I can see booking a cruise so far in advance is if you want a particular cabin or are traveling with family & you want the cabins all near one another. Do cruises or particular cabin categories sell out so quickly that you have to book them far in advance? Like I said previously we always book an inside cabin at the last minute so we have relatively little experience with deposits and such.

 

Hope you have a great cruise!

 

Tom K.

 

I definitely wasn't surprised the price dropped. I sort of expected it. But with it being a holiday cruise, I wasn't sure and wanted to make sure I was on the ship. Many people HAVE to book far in advance - especially if you're travelling with kids.