How can you tell when NCL is having a legitimate sale?

BirdTravels · February 17, 2020

We’re waiting for NCL to go to non-refundable deposits like RCCL to keep people from switching up reservations.

cksv · February 17, 2020

12 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

We’re waiting for NCL to go to non-refundable deposits like RCCL to keep people from switching up reservations.

That would definitely cause me to book most of my cruises 30-60 days out. NCL is my favorite line, but I do love that Carnival still offers the option to book a completely refundable cruise up until 90 days prior to sailing.

PortFees45 · February 17, 2020

On 2/16/2020 at 12:32 PM, blcruising said:

Generally speaking, NCL beats everyone on last minute pricing. If you aren't terribly picky about stateroom location and don't need months of advance planning, you can get some great deals. I'm in my cabin from 1am-7am and then maybe late afternoon for a few hours to nap or get ready for the evening. Couldn't care less where they put me, but I've had good experiences with the guarantee stateroom.

Frank Del Rio hates you.

luv2kroooz · February 17, 2020

30 minutes ago, PortFees45 said:

Frank Del Rio hates you.

Why do you say? I'm helping him fill a stateroom that otherwise has a really high probability of going unsold and generating zero onboard revenue for at least 7 days. Well, it still generates zero onboard revenue with me in it, but at least he gets $399 base fare or so. I'm contributing to his crew wages, too, via DSC. In exchange, he takes me to some cool places, I eat his food (even though I think it has declined in quality), and enjoy his onboard entertainment . . . .incidentally, all the costs associated with me sailing have been incurred long before I booked, Fuel cost is fixed, entertainment has been hired and the cost is what it is. Food might be more variable.

Oh and tell Mr. Del Rio to redirect any anger towards his Director of Inventory Maximization and Pricing. Had they performed their job at a high level, they would not have to engage in the dreaded cabin dumping. 🙂

ziggyuk · February 18, 2020

deleted.

Sorry wrong thread.

Edited February 18, 2020 by ziggyuk

Nancy41 · February 19, 2020

Best time for us is when we can get 50,000 more American Airlines miles plus the perks package. We like to fly in the front lying down for free🤗🤗

Our AA agent stands ready to get us the one time fare reduction when prices drop...less 75%..

fshagan · February 19, 2020

On 2/16/2020 at 3:54 AM, cruiseagona said:

I don't follow their prices closely and I read that the correct 30% sale is a "fake" sale because they raised their prices before the sale. So how can you tell when they are having a legitimate sale? Do I have to follow their site daily like following the stock market? What are the indicators it is real? I am a Latitudes Platinum member. Would that give me any additional price off?

Usually, when you see a sale that is a percentage off, the price they start with is the brochure rate. Like hotel rack rates, the brochure price is almost never paid unless the cruise is very popular. Like the "manufacturer's suggested list price" on retail items, the price is usually the maximum you will ever see that cruise sell for.

If the "Black Friday Super Sale" is $1,000, and the "30% off Sale" is $1,100, you aren't getting ripped off. The first doesn't tell you the percentage of discount, while the second does. (This applies to the US; in the UK, my understanding is that the sale price has to be lower than the "regular price" the item has been sold at for the preceding month or two).

Cruise pricing is based on demand and can fluctuate wildly because, like air fares, the product doesn't have a shelf life. A cruise departing on the 5th cannot be sold to someone on the 6th. It makes sense that a cruise that hasn't sold 10% of it's cabins 6 months in advance would be discounted, while one that has nearly sold out would have the cabin price increase.

Mikiejag · February 21, 2020

The best "sales" if you want to call them that, is when they have the tax free (e.g. no port or govt taxes) that can easily knock off $1k to a cruise. The other sale that I am finding is actually a really good deal is the free reduced air.

This one is 7 people, numbers 3 & 4, and 3 in the other room were $199, and the cheapest I have found so far is $300 each.

The real savings is numbers 1 & 2, in both rooms were free. So that was like $1200 assuming I waited until last minute to buy flights.

Jerseygich · February 21, 2020

Just have to monitor. We had booked a 14 day Iceland, Ireland cruise for this May 2020 a few weeks after they came out. Got a price that had dropped over $400 and were offering 3rd person “free”. Cost came out to approx $1300 per person before port and tax fees. We ended up canceling the cruise before final payment since we’re not able to go. Today same cruise is available for $692 per person with only 2 in a room. Just need to monitor prices.

insidecabin · February 21, 2020

The price trawling sites are struggling.

I see the fish mentioned previously, the plum also has issues with cruise lines spiking prices. . The cruise lines are keeping their real prices behind their own search wall sometimes, go through to see lower pricing.

Some TAs cache prices so miss the drops. Then you have package dumping that hides cruises prices within flight/hotels....

luv2kroooz · February 21, 2020

Legitimate sales are happening now. Lots of 7 day cruises in April introductory priced under $400. 14 and 15 day transatlantic crossing also under $400. Maybe Corona having bigger impact than expected.

JamieLogical · February 21, 2020

22 minutes ago, blcruising said:

Legitimate sales are happening now. Lots of 7 day cruises in April introductory priced under $400. 14 and 15 day transatlantic crossing also under $400. Maybe Corona having bigger impact than expected.

Those aren't sales... they are just price fluctuations due to supply and demand. They may be good deals, but they aren't "sales".

luv2kroooz · February 21, 2020

7 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

Those aren't sales... they are just price fluctuations due to supply and demand. They may be good deals, but they aren't "sales".

Lol. Call them what you want. Let me know when you find a "sale" price on those voyages. Hahaha!!

JamieLogical · February 21, 2020

2 minutes ago, blcruising said:

Lol. Call them what you want. Let me know when you find a "sale" price on those voyages. Hahaha!!

Exactly. The original thread was how to recognize when NCL is having a legitimate sale and the answer is pretty much, "never."

DuckTollerFans · February 21, 2020

5 minutes ago, JamieLogical said:

Those aren't sales... they are just price fluctuations due to supply and demand. They may be good deals, but they aren't "sales".

What she said 👆

The emails promoting "sales" are enough to get me to look often. When I was looking at the supposed sales for next year I came across one for THIS year that I probably would not have looked at otherwise. And thanks to the fluctuation in supply and demand, as of 1 pm we are now booked for May 2020 at a far less expensive fare than I hoped to find. 🙂

And, as a marketing professional, I see their sales emails are doing exactly what they should --- driving traffic to the website. They win. I won, too.

(Hi Jamie! Been to Swans lately?!)

luv2kroooz · February 21, 2020

Just now, JamieLogical said:

Exactly. The original thread was how to recognize when NCL is having a legitimate sale and the answer is pretty much, "never."

I see. In any event good luck with your bargain hunting.

insidecabin · February 22, 2020

Looking through to end June stuff still priced a little high.

If Americans are avoiding travel should be some deals in Europe for us that live here hopefully on Southampton departures.

francina · February 23, 2020

On 2/16/2020 at 8:04 AM, raitch said:

Once a week I price out my cruise and see where it’s sitting. It’s a pain but as you said, their advertised sales are just lip service.

I do wish there was a site that would do this for me though...

Use shipmate on my phone and they notify me when the price goes down.