Pick cabin without freebies ???

[alwalaska]

Am I the only person who wishes that we could go back to the days when there was only a reasonable size difference in the cost of booking a "sail-away" cabin vs the lowest category cabin in that same type?

 

I don't really want any of the freebies.  I'm too anal and picky to allow NCL to pick my flights and seats.  I don't drink, so the tips and taxes on the beverage package are more expensive than a soda package without a freebie. I am platinum, and our 2 specialty dining perks are sufficient for us.  Our self booked private shore excursions are typically cheaper than their NCL counterparts, even with a $50 discount. My data plan works in most countries and the WiFi is typically so slow, I don't care to use it any way.  

 

I wish there was a way to pick a room and bypass all the "free" perks and only pay something like $75 above the sail-away prices or something.  Am I really alone in thinking this way?

[graphicguy]

9 minutes ago, alwalaska said:

Am I the only person who wishes that we could go back to the days when there was only a reasonable size difference in the cost of booking a "sail-away" cabin vs the lowest category cabin in that same type?

 

I don't really want any of the freebies.  I'm too anal and picky to allow NCL to pick my flights and seats.  I don't drink, so the tips and taxes on the beverage package are more expensive than a soda package without a freebie. I am platinum, and our 2 specialty dining perks are sufficient for us.  Our self booked private shore excursions are typically cheaper than their NCL counterparts, even with a $50 discount. My data plan works in most countries and the WiFi is typically so slow, I don't care to use it any way.  

 

I wish there was a way to pick a room and bypass all the "free" perks and only pay something like $75 above the sail-away prices or something.  Am I really alone in thinking this way?

You want to look at the GTY and SAILAWAY rates!

[alwalaska]

6 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

You want to look at the GTY and SAILAWAY rates!

But I want to pick my cabin.  That is why I was hoping NCL would consider adding a fee to simply pick a cabin that is only a small amount over the GTY price rather than hundreds of dollars more.

[victory2020]

The GTY & sailaway rates do not let you choose room. Yes, I wish I could choose room without extras.

[April42749]

16 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

You want to look at the GTY and SAILAWAY rates!

OP wants to pick a cabin.  You can't with either of the above.

I'm with OP.  The "free perks" are also valueless (and not free) to me so I end up with a "guarantee".

Sorry OP....you can't avoid "free perks" and pick your cabin for just a little more.

 

Edited April 16, 2019 by April42749

[graphicguy]

OK!

 

In that case, you can choose a GTY cabin in the particular category you want to sail in (i.e. Balcony GTY, or mini-Suite GTY).  While true, you can’t pick the exact cabin.  But, you don’t get any of the perks, per your request.

 

I’ve been on quite a few NCL ships.  If you’ve seen one particular cabin type, you’ve seen them all. With the possible exception of the EPIC, NCL cabin types are all just about the same.

 

The alternative is to sail a different cruise line (which I’ve also done) and pay more than NCL’s GTY rate to pick a cabin with no “perks” available.  I’ve actually looked at Celebrity at those types of cabins.  But, they are pretty pricey compared to NCL’s GTY.

 

I like NCL’s perks, personally.  I hope they keep them around.

[FLAHAM]

NCL PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE keep the perks.  The vast majority of passengers love them.  It wasn't that long ago that many passengers bar bills exceeded their cruise fares. 

[Two Wheels Only]

The old "Norwegian Rate" allowed people to pick their exact stateroom and also skip all promos (and the applicable service charges for SDP/UBP) but that option doesn't seem to be available at the present time.

 

As for the importance of picking your own stateroom, I wouldn't cruise without it. For every category that I would book, there are staterooms that are better than others. When they are all roughly the same price, I want to pick the best (IMO) available one.

[Até]

49 minutes ago, Two Wheels Only said:

The old "Norwegian Rate" allowed people to pick their exact stateroom and also skip all promos (and the applicable service charges for SDP/UBP) but that option doesn't seem to be available at the present time.

NCL couldn't keep that option as it showed that people were really paying for the free promos.

[PTC DAWG]

5 minutes ago, Até said:

NCL couldn't keep that option as it showed that people were really paying for the free promos.

Math must be hard for some people...

[luv2kroooz]

5 hours ago, FLAHAM said:

NCL PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE keep the perks.  The vast majority of passengers love them.  It wasn't that long ago that many passengers bar bills exceeded their cruise fares. 

Now the cost of the service charges and fees exceed the cost of the cruise fare.

[pspercy]

I booked a fourteen day cruise for next year, OV, all five perks included. Later I checked Sail Away rate, expecting to see a difference of course, I was shocked to see Sail Away was approx $2,800 cheaper in total ($1,400pp).

[Newleno]

9 minutes ago, pspercy said:

I booked a fourteen day cruise for next year, OV, all five perks included. Later I checked Sail Away rate, expecting to see a difference of course, I was shocked to see Sail Away was approx $2,800 cheaper in total ($1,400pp).

that is the ncl strategy i guess, free does not mean free, free means "fee"

[StolidCruiser]

What the OP wants is possible.  You just have to know how to get it.

[Newleno]

10 minutes ago, StolidCruiser said:

What the OP wants is possible.  You just have to know how to get it.

Yeah I am pretty sure that is why they posted  to get information from people with knowledge on how to get it.

[aeroo777]

27 minutes ago, StolidCruiser said:

What the OP wants is possible.  You just have to know how to get it.

Not for the gen public.

Edited April 17, 2019 by aeroo777

[Newleno]

2 minutes ago, aeroo777 said:

Not for the gen public. And not to be discussed.

ah so NCL and or Travel agents are hiding valuable information from the cruising public?

[SullytheBFG]

Please keep the promos! We only paid an extra £99 ea ($125) each for premium drinks package and 3 nights speciality dining on a 7 day cruise. Bargain!,

 

we don’t have to pay any extra gratuity or tax either.

[erdoran]

NCL can't advertise the perks as "free" if they charge more than the identical product minus the perks.  The differentiating factor is "pick your own stateroom", so they can't offer a special rate of zero perks plus pick your own stateroom for less than the price with perks, otherwise it would be obvious that the perks aren't free.

[perditax]

Call around to some cruise-based travel agents and ask if they can do the 'no frills' pricing for you.

[StolidCruiser]

3 hours ago, aeroo777 said:

Not for the gen public.

 

False. All you have to do is ask.

[phillyguy31]

4 hours ago, pspercy said:

I booked a fourteen day cruise for next year, OV, all five perks included. Later I checked Sail Away rate, expecting to see a difference of course, I was shocked to see Sail Away was approx $2,800 cheaper in total ($1,400pp).

What cruise are you looking at, I may have missed it but the most difference I could find is $700.00 PP and that is to the most expensive OV. Most were 300 to 400 PP different.

[aeroo777]

18 minutes ago, StolidCruiser said:

 

False. All you have to do is ask.

I stand corrected, good to know!

Your original answer was totally unhelpful. Why respond with a non answer?

 

OP ,  apparently all you have to do is ask for a no perks price for a cabin  you’re interested in.

 First I’ve heard of it so don’t know where you ask.

Edited April 17, 2019 by aeroo777

[SullytheBFG]

I think our booking portal in the U.K. is different it clearly says here is the price for just the cabin. Would you like to have some extras it costs Y I.e £99 for the week and this is what you get for it.

 

Pricing in the EU must be transparent and clear. For example you cannot offer a “free” drinks package and then charge a gratuity against it as that would be illegal.

[alwalaska]

On 4/16/2019 at 12:30 PM, FLAHAM said:

NCL PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE keep the perks.  The vast majority of passengers love them.  It wasn't that long ago that many passengers bar bills exceeded their cruise fares. 

We aren't saying get rid of the perks. Just let those of us who don't find them beneficial to book at a lower cost without them and still pick our cabin number.