Prices High

[QuickieGlenn]

Looked at booking a cruise in the future, only the deposit to worry about

 

Even with all the "FREE" stuff It seems the prices are very high

 

Used to get a nice balcony room (even a aft cabin) for about  $3200, now on some dummy bookings I was looking at $4200 - 5200

 

Not too sure of the future of cruising, but they need to make some better deals then try to sell you on the FREE stuff that still costs you 3-$400 added to the room

 

Just my 2 cents

 

[Coreysgrl06]

I completely agree. The prices are somewhat shocking. I’m wondering if more people will make last minute bookings especially because of the uncertainty of everything going on. I hope to catch some decent last minute bookings next year. 

[casofilia]

Lots of people have lots of FCC to use up in the next 12-18 months so expect higher prices to try to absorb that.   I would expect serious price drops AFTER final payment dates.

[deliver42]

I priced the Bliss to Alaska  with a Sail Away price on a balcony. No perks, and they were $1,100.00 higher than RCCL on the Quantum, also with no perks, same week, both from Seattle.

[CruiseMH]

Prices are always a result from supply and demand.

As long as demand is high enough, the prices will stay high.And it seems that enough people are booking at these prices. Otherwhise they wouldn`t offer these prices.

 

 

[luv2kroooz]

23 minutes ago, CruiseMH said:

Prices are always a result from supply and demand.

As long as demand is high enough, the prices will stay high.And it seems that enough people are booking at these prices. Otherwhise they wouldn`t offer these prices.

 

 

Prices are not always a result of supply and demand. NCL artificially inflates the prices of their cruises far in advance. They hook whoever they can at these high prices. After final payment, they dump cabins at low prices in an attempt to fill their ships. They've been doing it for years and the current inflated prices are the result of the same stratgy. As the beneficiary of multiple ( as in 10-20) last minute bookings at fire sale prices over many years, I love their pricing model and am fortunate to be able to cruise last minute. It is the primary reason we sail NCL.

[CruiseMH]

The goal of every business company is to make as much money as possible. There are a lot of people who are analysing the market to find out at which price they can get the most income. If they raise the prices less people will book and so at the end they might have less income.If the prices are cheaper then more people will book and at the end they might have more income.

There is a specific price at which the income is the highest. This price might be much higher than you or i would book for.But it is not important what single people think, it is only important what the entirety of the customers do.

This has nothing to do with when the bookings are made. If two years in advance or 1 week before sailing. They will offer the price of which they are thinking they will get the most income with. This can be a very low price(for last minute this is the more likely option)  but also a rather high price.

[jskinsd]

Another thread about high price complaints.  You people make me laugh.  I have never had a problem with the price I paid for a cruise.  Some better than others.  But nobody forced me to take a high priced cruise during peak season just because I had to.  Just pick another cruise line or find another itinerary or another time.  Nobody is cruising now anyway.✌️

[dcipjr]

We have 2 cruise deposits with NCL but we’ve got a number of years to use them, so we’re going to wait.

 

I have to figure that anyone booking a cruise now is going to pay a higher rate, as NCL is going to want to recover some of its losses once sailings resume—and who knows when that will be. Prices probably won’t drop until after final payment, either.

 

No way would I make final payment right now on a cruise. When we sail again, we’ll book at the last minute, when we’re as certain as possible that the ship will sail.

[Lionkingrichard]

Just re-booked Presidents Week cruise again and after free prepaid tips and all 4 it comes out to $2700.00 for a BA for 2 Adults and 1 child.

 

Best price by far for our 4th NCL.

 

We did only get 2 meals instead of 3!

Edited July 5, 2020 by Lionkingrichard

[QuickieGlenn]

3 hours ago, jskinsd said:

Another thread about high price complaints.  You people make me laugh.  I have never had a problem with the price I paid for a cruise.  Some better than others.  But nobody forced me to take a high priced cruise during peak season just because I had to.  Just pick another cruise line or find another itinerary or another time.  Nobody is cruising now anyway.✌️

I was just comparing what I paid before and the costs now are more, I always book far in advance and around the same time and type of room. I am glad I made you laugh

[Tangiera]

Hotels, airlines, cruise lines and even camp grounds now make use of software that automatically adjusts pricing based on demand, closeness to the requested date, and any other criteria the user wants. It's harder to beat the system than it used to be. 

[Love my butler]

Anyone with any common sense knows that NCL has inflated their prices right now to soak up all the FCC's in circulation.  If they can get some ignorant people to book at these ridiculous prices, even better.  The majority of people booking cruises now, that may or may not actually sail, are using their Monopoly money, aka, Future Cruise Credits.

[pmd98052]

Prices will be high as they won't be able to sail the ships full. Would be too overcrowded to manage distancing and crowds if they sail full.

[Trimone]

Prices are high because customers took the 125% FCC, NCL have got to get the more money back somehow, your credit won’t stretch to full price! 💰🛳🚢🧐🧐🧐

[casofilia]

Remember that the 125% is composed of 100% that can be used in any way you like; spread over more than one cruise and for other things than just the cruise fare.   The 25% has to be used in one go for part of a cruise fare only.

[tomk3212]

I go along with @blcruising and almost always book last minute; we usually book "steerage" rate (SailAway Inside cabin) and have been cruising this way for over 10 years.  Once cruising restarts it will be very interesting to see if NCL can stick to the pricing policy referred to in blcruising's post.

[casofilia]

You in North America as lucky that you are able to travel short distances to get last minute deals on cruises.  If those of us in the Southern Hemisphere wanted to do that, for other than the few local cruises, we would lose any benefit with the increased air fares (and probable hotel costs) we would have to meet so close to boarding.

[jskinsd]

19 minutes ago, casofilia said:

 

You not from North America.  Everyone deals with travel costs.  It is part of cruising.   Some not as much than others.  But the discussion is cruise rates not travel costs. 

Last minute bookings mean nothing right now.   May even be a thing of the past.  With social distancing who knows how full ships will sail with and how will the governments will monitor occupancy.  It is not up to the cruise industry to start cruising again.  Just think how a second wave of the virus will kill the cruise industry.✌️

[luv2kroooz]

9 hours ago, CruiseMH said:

But it is not important what single people think, it is only important what the entirety of the customers do.

Until they slash prices after unsuspecting passengers book at the high fares and then recognize that the prices they paid were grossly overstated and exaggerated. Then, they start complaining to Norwegian Cruise Lies complaining they were ripped off.

[jskinsd]

4 minutes ago, blcruising said:

 Norwegian Cruise Lies 

I saw that✌️

[The Traveling Man]

11 hours ago, blcruising said:

Prices are not always a result of supply and demand. NCL artificially inflates the prices of their cruises far in advance. They hook whoever they can at these high prices. After final payment, they dump cabins at low prices in an attempt to fill their ships. They've been doing it for years and the current inflated prices are the result of the same stratgy. As the beneficiary of multiple ( as in 10-20) last minute bookings at fire sale prices over many years, I love their pricing model and am fortunate to be able to cruise last minute. It is the primary reason we sail NCL.

What you describe, in fact, is a perfect example of supply and demand determining the price.  Specifically, the issue is one which economists refer to as "time and place utility."  Many passengers do not enjoy the flexibility to purchase last minute bargain-basement priced cruises as you and I (and many others) do.  They need the assurance of being able to book well in advance to be certain that they will have a stateroom on a ship traveling at a time and to a place where they want and are able to travel.  They are willing to pay more for that peace of mind and the certainty that they will not miss the boat.  For others of us who know the drill and have the flexibility to wait, we can delay our booking until the last minute in the hopes that an undersold cruise will be put on sale as the sailing date approaches.  When NCL finds themselves stuck with too great a supply of staterooms and not enough demand to fill them in advance, they drop the price until those of us who have waited can swoop in with our latent demand for a cruise at a lower price than that which was available sooner.  It's the same principle that results in after-Christmas sales and day-old bread being sold at a reduced price.  Cruise lines as well as airlines have developed very sophisticated analytical tools which enable them to forecast how many people will want to travel on a particular journey, what price they are willing to pay, and when they are likely to book their reservation.  When the reality of actual bookings does not conform closely to the predicted model, the company will adjust the prices to encourage more sales or to make an extra dollar or two when the supply begins to run short.  When the forecast is significantly off, however, either the journey sells out well in advance or the company marks down the price at the last minute to fill the available space.  Supply and demand.

[luv2kroooz]

1 minute ago, The Traveling Man said:

What you describe, in fact, is a perfect example of supply and demand determining the price.  Specifically, the issue is one which economists refer to as "time and place utility."  Many passengers do not enjoy the flexibility to purchase last minute bargain-basement priced cruises as you and I (and many others) do.  They need the assurance of being able to book well in advance to be certain that they will have a stateroom on a ship traveling at a time and to a place where they want and are able to travel.  They are willing to pay more for that peace of mind and the certainty that they will not miss the boat.  For others of us who know the drill and have the flexibility to wait, we can delay our booking until the last minute in the hopes that an undersold cruise will be put on sale as the sailing date approaches.  When NCL finds themselves stuck with too great a supply of staterooms and not enough demand to fill them in advance, they drop the price until those of us who have waited can swoop in with our latent demand for a cruise at a lower price than that which was available sooner.  It's the same principle that results in after-Christmas sales and day-old bread being sold at a reduced price.  Cruise lines as well as airlines have developed very sophisticated analytical tools which enable them to forecast how many people will want to travel on a particular journey, what price they are willing to pay, and when they are likely to book their reservation.  When the reality of actual bookings does not conform closely to the predicted model, the company will adjust the prices to encourage more sales or to make an extra dollar or two when the supply begins to run short.  When the forecast is significantly off, however, either the journey sells out well in advance or the company marks down the price at the last minute to fill the available space.  Supply and demand.

NCL pricing model is vastly different than competing cruise lines and airlines. There is nothing sophisticated about. They have some theory that their product is worth more than the comoetition. Price at $x above historical market trends knowing the ship will not sell out. Hook who you can at those rates. Then, dump whatever inventory remains at rates far below the competition. That's the strategy.

 

Your theories are spot on, but don't play out with NCL. Extreme inflation and price swings on NCL. Other cruise lines price to sell out and often do within a $100 or $200 adjustment. NCL has $500-$1,000 downward fluctuations in the final two weeks.

[sfaaa]

44 minutes ago, jskinsd said:

  It is not up to the cruise industry to start cruising again.  Just think how a second wave of the virus will kill the cruise industry.✌️

Vaccine will kill the virus and save the cruise industry.

[jskinsd]

25 minutes ago, sfaaa said:

Vaccine will kill the virus and save the cruise industry.

🤞