Prices continue to drop on 2023 Panama Canal sailings

[janice2348]

I was just able to get a price drop on my cruise.  FYI, most agents will tell you that the price is the same ( if you do a mock booking, that might be the case).  You have to be persistent until you get an agent that will actually adjust the price. If you are already booked, your booking perks should stay the same.  It depends on the agent.  Keep calling until you get someone who will adjust the price.  NCL has raised their BOGO airfares, and port taxes.  Ask that your airfare price and perks remain the same when they reprice your cruise. 
 

As a former customer service agent, I know that there are some that will only play by the rules, and some that will go above and beyond. I was the latter.  I’m pretty sure that NCL reps are being told to not reprice for price drops due to the loss in revenue in the past two years.  This results in poor customer retention.  Just MHO. 
 

I thought I would pass this along. Your experience might vary. 

[MeHeartCruising]

If you did a mock booking that showed the price was unchanged, what ACTUALLY made your price change?  
 

Whenever I truly knew the price had been reduced (via mock bookings), I have never had an agent who wasn’t willing to check it out for me.  Never once.  I’ve done it many times. 
 

The perks WILL change if the current promo giving your new price has different terms for those perks.  If the current promo terms are the same, then yes, you will still get them. 

Edited April 22, 2022 by MeHeartCruising

[jtdlmc]

Mine dropped $1300 CND yesterday from when I booked it last summer!  January 2023.  Woohoo!

Edited April 22, 2022 by jtdlmc

[Turtles06]

17 minutes ago, MeHeartCruising said:

If you did a mock booking that showed the price was unchanged, what ACTUALLY made your price change?  

My exact question. It’s either changed or it hasn’t. 
 

 

[Turtles06]

34 minutes ago, janice2348 said:

I’m pretty sure that NCL reps are being told to not reprice for price drops due to the loss in revenue in the past two years.

“Pretty sure” based on what?  Lots of folks on our January 2023 Panama Canal cruises had their cruise fares adjusted without issue a few weeks ago when prices dropped. Standard operating procedure. 
 

[njhorseman]

57 minutes ago, janice2348 said:

Ask that your airfare price and perks remain the same when they reprice your cruise. 

In my experience perks always changed to the current version when the cruise is repriced.

[janice2348]

36 minutes ago, MeHeartCruising said:

If you did a mock booking that showed the price was unchanged, what ACTUALLY made your price change?  
 

Whenever I truly knew the price had been reduced (via mock bookings), I have never had an agent who wasn’t willing to check it out for me.  Never once.  I’ve done it many times. 
 

The perks WILL change if the current promo giving your new price has different terms for those perks.  If the current promo terms are the same, then yes, you will still get them. 

Just the base price changed.  Mock booking showed the total price as more because of higher port fees and airfare charge. Yes, the promotion is basically the same. Yes they will check it out, but I’ve been denied a price drop four different times because they are cancelling and rebooking as a new reservation.  This time, the rep just repriced the base price as it was advertised.  So my base price went from $1799pp to $1539 pp.  I kept my same airfare charge ( even though a new booking would make it go up from $399 to $589). I saved $260.   Kept all my perks the same. It depends on how they reprice it.  Not sure if I am explaining this right, but it pays to keep calling.  

[janice2348]

22 minutes ago, Turtles06 said:

“Pretty sure” based on what?  Lots of folks on our January 2023 Panama Canal cruises had their cruise fares adjusted without issue a few weeks ago when prices dropped. Standard operating procedure. 
 

They wouldn’t do it for me. They kept telling me the price had “ gone up”

[Sailing12Away]

For my PC sailing in February for my particular room, my original booking is a better deal for me. From my previous experience, NCL doesn't just adjust prices like other cruise lines. You get rebooked at the current pricing with the current promos.

 

When I booked my PCC was able to include airfare when it wasn't part of the promo at the time - new mock booking does include air but the overall trip price is $1K higher than what I booked at. My base cruise fare alone went up over $1200, air went up almost $150 too.