Are you checking for price drops?

[LonghornLady]

Last June, I booked an Alaskan cruise on the Encore for August 21, 2022. I have constantly checked for price drops. I started at $5060 for a BB on deck 10. Five price drops later, and now two days before final payment is due, my price for the same balcony stateroom is $2927. I encourage everyone to periodically check for drops, or check virtually every day like I do!😀

 

[Jennsails]

Wow, that's a huge savings and well worth your diligence. We are exactly 100 days away from our departure and have made final payment but should check frequently as well? No drops yet but maybe as we get even closer? 

[casofilia]

@Jennsails

 

We are exactly 100 days away from our departure and have made final payment but should check frequently as well?

 

My advice, too late for you, is to make the Final Payment till as late as possible.   That way it is just a re-fare with a lower Final Payment when you get a new Confirmation email.

If you have made a final payment I have no idea how they work out any refund!!

 

However if you are actually PAST the Final Payment date then you will not get any benefit from a price drop as then it will mean a cancellation (with any cancellation loss) and rebook.   If you are VERY lucky you might get a LITTLE OBC.

 

Remember that any re-fare may also entail any loss of "perks" if you go to a new "perk" regime

 

 

[PeeDeeEX]

1 hour ago, LonghornLady said:

Last June, I booked an Alaskan cruise on the Encore for August 21, 2022. I have constantly checked for price drops. I started at $5060 for a BB on deck 10. Five price drops later, and now two days before final payment is due, my price for the same balcony stateroom is $2927. I encourage everyone to periodically check for drops, or check virtually every day like I do!😀

 

 I am on the same sailing as you and booked a MC Club Balcony suite this past February though everybody's warehouse club. Paid in full two weeks before the deadline (as per WH club policy) and saw that the prices dropped significantly two days ago. Called this morning and after two hours on the phone, most of it being spent waiting for an agent and my agent waiting for an NCL agent, I just got confirmation that I was able to save a little over $1400. 😁

[jetact]

3 minutes ago, casofilia said:

@Jennsails

 

We are exactly 100 days away from our departure and have made final payment but should check frequently as well?

 

My advice, too late for you, is to make the Final Payment till as late as possible.   That way it is just a re-fare with a lower Final Payment when you get a new Confirmation email.

If you have made a final payment I have no idea how they work out any refund!!

 

However if you are actually PAST the Final Payment date then you will not get any benefit from a price drop as then it will mean a cancellation (with any cancellation loss) and rebook.   If you are VERY lucky you might get a LITTLE OBC.

 

Remember that any re-fare may also entail any loss of "perks" if you go to a new "perk" regime

 

 

Well yes and no, I had a cruise out of NO on the Breakaway and if dropped well of $2,000.00 and that was after me final payment. I contacted NCL and they gave me half of the money back in FCC. No you are not getting your money back but its at least something. That cruise was in Jan of this year and it get cancelled but I had the $1,100 in FCC and got an extra 20% off of our next cruise to which we are booked to Alaska now in August. So my $10,000 Alaska cruise was just over $7,000 out of pocket. 

[PeeDeeEX]

12 minutes ago, jetact said:

If you have made a final payment I have no idea how they work out any refund!!

As per the travel service I used, I should see a credit on the original form of payment. I had already paid in full before doing the price adjust. 

 

YMMV

[mking8288]

Strategy for us: sit-wait-watch and track, but don't book anything less than 2 to 3 months out ... where, depending on em/dis/embarkation ports and itineraries - there are still plenty of available cabin inventories and price drops.  Find and accept the best available deals & offers, if that's important at all - keep in mind those FAS offers aren't truly "free" & the higher fares priced in the extra "freebies" - especially now that the Latitudes discounts are not stackable or combinable.  

 

Of course, if you have to plan your vacation time & get the employer to approve your time off at work, and book airfares, etc. - then, the games much not work at all.  The expected & busier summer cruise seasons could be and looking different as NCL is trying to ramp up actual occupancies but we avoid those regardless. 

 

Just booked our next cruise this month - 2 extra points per night, using 2 CruiseNext Certs, still getting WiFi & SD plus the (pretty much, worthless $50 shorex credit per stateroom) at a pretty good price - don't have any FCC to deal with, actually out of CNC but DW still has some remaining.   Prices for next month are looking "cheap" just like years ago ... 

 

Cruising is just one of the many options available for us to choose from, we can pack and go next week on a dime.  Canada's borders are open again & if we don't "like" the Canada & N.E. cruise prices this Fall, will just do something else instead - just a matter of being strategic on how to spend those discretionary leisure & vacation dollars.  

[CaptainBazz]

We have an Alaska cruise on the Bliss booked for September. Final payment due next week...checked on the pricing and it had dropped $500...called the TA we booked with and he got us the reduction within 30 mins. We always check the price before making final payment.

[vacation44]

2 hours ago, LonghornLady said:

Last June, I booked an Alaskan cruise on the Encore for August 21, 2022. I have constantly checked for price drops. I started at $5060 for a BB on deck 10. Five price drops later, and now two days before final payment is due, my price for the same balcony stateroom is $2927. I encourage everyone to periodically check for drops, or check virtually every day like I do!😀

 

I check daily too with my first cup of morning coffee.  Once the price dropped twice within 5 days for $500 a pop.

[Brian V]

Saved a bit over $300 on our last cruise by checking before final payment, well worth a few minutes of mock booking and online chat. Couple weeks to go on our next one, not seeing a lot of movement price wise but the change in exchange rates (USD to CDN) does have an effect.

 

Will check again just before final payment, even if we can save 2 or 3 hundred... totally worth it 🙂

[ChiefMateJRK]

5 hours ago, Brian V said:

Will check again just before final payment, even if we can save 2 or 3 hundred... totally worth it

I have repriced for less than $50.  It's real money.  If somebody doesn't care about $50, they can send it to me and I'll put it to good use.

[njkate]

Past final only checking to see pricing to upgrade and pay myself not through bidding process 

[LMKakaThing2]

Sailing in 10 days on the Jewel. Balcony is $300 less than what I paid for my inside room, but I took the bogo airfare when I booked in May 2020.  Tempted to call and see if I can upgrade, but I don't think I can since I have the bogo airfare and it's not offered this close to sailing.  Anyone have experience with upgrading after final payment with the bogo airfare?

[EllieinNJ]

I booked a Canada/New England cruise for September in February.  After three days the price came down $200pp so refared.  In March price came down $50pp so refared.  Last week price came down another $125 pp so refared again.  Hoping for another price drop before final payment next month.  Truthfully I had two CNs that were extended twice for previously cancelled cruises and had to use them by the end of this year or lose them.

[gknep]

I've been waiting for the September Alaska sailings to get past the final payment date before booking just to take advantage of price drops. We did the same thing last year and it worked out great. We live 3 hours from Seattle so having to fly is not an issue. 

[DCGuy64]

I look forward to the day when my wife and I can book last-minute cruises and take advantage of some of the steep price drops. But that's not possible when both of us work full time and have to request time off, often months ahead of the cruise.

[jtdlmc]

I booked back last summer, checked a couple weeks ago and it was down about $80 so didn’t bother contacting my TA.  Checked yesterday and it was down $1300!!!  Panama Canal + ABC Islands, Jan 2023, balcony BA.  Never have I seen a drop that big, even my TA was surprised.  The only thing we lost was one specialty dinner so we now get two instead of three.  

[Montanagirlalways]

keep in mind you can only make a price adjustment one time. We are a few months out from our cruise. Saw a slight drop. Will watch for larger drops-hoping anyway

[BermudaBound2014]

25 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

I look forward to the day when my wife and I can book last-minute cruises and take advantage of some of the steep price drops. But that's not possible when both of us work full time and have to request time off, often months ahead of the cruise.

 

Althought I'm retired now, I booked last minute cruises all thru my career. Work schedule and having to request time off is irrelevant. The key is flexibility and research. You can do this if you really want 🙂

[BermudaBound2014]

It seems NCL has gotten tighter with the rules applied to price drops. For those who are uncomfortable booking last minute I do understand that there are some circumstances that require a firm plan. My best advice is to keep checking right up until final payment and then walk away. After final payment prices are dropping significantly more than they have historically, and historically last minute has been a great deal. This pattern will likely continue until NCL can start filling ships again.

[Niffernay]

Yes!  A couple weeks ago, I changed my booking to the following week (same ship & itinerary) and saved almost $1,400!  

[LonghornLady]

57 minutes ago, Montanagirlalways said:

keep in mind you can only make a price adjustment one time. We are a few months out from our cruise. Saw a slight drop. Will watch for larger drops-hoping anyway

You can make numerous price adjustments. I have done this several times.

[darius427]

3 hours ago, LMKakaThing2 said:

Sailing in 10 days on the Jewel. Balcony is $300 less than what I paid for my inside room, but I took the bogo airfare when I booked in May 2020.  Tempted to call and see if I can upgrade, but I don't think I can since I have the bogo airfare and it's not offered this close to sailing.  Anyone have experience with upgrading after final payment with the bogo airfare?

I was able to upgrade after final payment on my cruise this past March and I did have the BOGO airfare.  However, the stipulation was that the upgraded cabin had to cost more than what I had paid.  So, in your situation, with the balcony cabin being $300 cheaper than what you paid, they would not let you upgrade to that cabin.  However, you may be able to upgrade to a Club Balcony for slightly more. 

[DCGuy64]

1 hour ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Althought I'm retired now, I booked last minute cruises all thru my career. Work schedule and having to request time off is irrelevant. The key is flexibility and research. You can do this if you really want 🙂

HAHA... That's a good one. I almost believed you.. 😁

[BermudaBound2014]

3 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

HAHA... That's a good one. I almost believed you.. 😁

I used this strategy for over 30 years. You need flexibility and to enjoy research but it is totally doable, and actually not that hard  🙂