Price drop again

[spanishguy1970]

On 8/14/2022 at 4:05 PM, kylenyc said:

Does anyone else have this experience? Is the experience different between TA and a PCC?

Even my PCC has had to wait an hour to get an agent to do a price adjustment. Maybe some TAs just don't want to call?
 

As of the last cruise which was month ago, PCC told me any post-final payment credit could be requested up to two weeks before embarkation.

You may be on to something. Our TA is very underwhelming, that's why we are looking for a new one. Our TA makes us call NCL directly for certain things sometimes being on the phone 45 minutes to one hour at a time and we asked ourselves shouldn't our TA be doing this for us?  

[Jerseygich]

An update. Current cruise in December is still 2 days away from final payment but paid it 2 days ago. Received a 25% off  future credit with it.

Started looking at an anniversary cruise for June of 2023 and was priced at $2857 with all the free at seas and an able to pick our deck and mid ship.

Called to ask what exactly the cruise would cost with the 25% credit and a 10% off for a casino credit thru Caesars. Base price consultant gave me was less than what was online while I was talking to consultant.  About $110.

so sometimes talking to PCC does pay off

[bundtkate]

On 8/18/2022 at 9:40 AM, spanishguy1970 said:

You may be on to something. Our TA is very underwhelming, that's why we are looking for a new one. Our TA makes us call NCL directly for certain things sometimes being on the phone 45 minutes to one hour at a time and we asked ourselves shouldn't our TA be doing this for us?  

I'd say they certainly should! We had a bit of a snafu with an MSC cruise in 2021 where somehow our aft balcony got swapped out for a regular balcony. For me, it was a minor annoyance. For our TA, it was hours on the phone with MSC making sure we got what we paid for before we left for Miami 2 weeks later. He even manged to squeeze $250 OBC out of them for the fuss. They should have been paying him, not me! A good agent will definitely take care of that stuff for you and while they can sometimes feel superfluous when everything is going well, it only takes one major issue for them to totally pay off.

[ChiefMateJRK]

On 8/16/2022 at 1:22 PM, cruiseny4life said:

This is why I'll continue to book at the last minute.

I'm one of a very small minority (I think there are three of us) who routinely book an inside and then just sit and wait.  If prices drop like a rock before the cruise, I'll upgrade to a balcony for pennies on the dollar.  Otherwise, I'll just enjoy my cruise. 😎

[tetleytea]

I wait to book last minute, too, and if prices go up then I'm okay with just not going.  

[QuattroRomeo]

3 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I'm one of a very small minority (I think there are three of us) who routinely book an inside and then just sit and wait.  If prices drop like a rock before the cruise, I'll upgrade to a balcony for pennies on the dollar.  Otherwise, I'll just enjoy my cruise. 😎

Sounds like an interesting strategy!  Do you pick a cabin, or go guarantee for the inside (and does getting a gty make any difference when it comes to bidding opportunities)?

 

I am guessing you pick a room so that if you stay with an inside, you are happy with location, but don't want to assume!

[cruiseny4life]

11 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I'm one of a very small minority (I think there are three of us) who routinely book an inside and then just sit and wait.  If prices drop like a rock before the cruise, I'll upgrade to a balcony for pennies on the dollar.  Otherwise, I'll just enjoy my cruise. 😎

Interesting philosophy. I think I'd be more inclined to wait on a cruise dropping after final payment, then booking. But, I am curious - how often does this work for you? I know technically it works 100% of the time as you're booked in an inside room, which means you're going cruising! But, how often does upgrading when prices drop work to your benefit? Have you done this one time? Or five times? 

 

[spanishguy1970]

7 hours ago, tetleytea said:

I wait to book last minute, too, and if prices go up then I'm okay with just not going.  

We have booked 6 months in advanced and we have also booked at the last minute always getting the best price, maybe with one or two exceptions. The best deal we have gotten was an inside cabin for 589 dollars for a 17 day Panama Canal cruise on the Jewel out of NYC, we booked that cruise 9 days before it was to set out.

[ChiefMateJRK]

9 hours ago, QuattroRomeo said:

Sounds like an interesting strategy!  Do you pick a cabin, or go guarantee for the inside (and does getting a gty make any difference when it comes to bidding opportunities)?

 

I am guessing you pick a room so that if you stay with an inside, you are happy with location, but don't want to assume!

I never book a sail away, but have gotten "stuck" with a FAS inclusive guarantee before.  I don't recall it affecting bidding opportunities.  That said, I wasn't referring to bidding for an upgrade.  Just watching prices drop and calling NCL to upgrade if/when they look good.  To answer your second question, I'm happy with any location on the ship. 😎  I can shower and sleep on deck five just as easily as I can anywhere else.  Ah, the magic of elevators!

[bones774]

2 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I never book a sail away, but have gotten "stuck" with a FAS inclusive guarantee before.  I don't recall it affecting bidding opportunities.  That said, I wasn't referring to bidding for an upgrade.  Just watching prices drop and calling NCL to upgrade if/when they look good.  To answer your second question, I'm happy with any location on the ship. 😎  I can shower and sleep on deck five just as easily as I can anywhere else.  Ah, the magic of elevators!

With you Chief!

[ChiefMateJRK]

3 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Interesting philosophy. I think I'd be more inclined to wait on a cruise dropping after final payment, then booking. But, I am curious - how often does this work for you? I know technically it works 100% of the time as you're booked in an inside room, which means you're going cruising! But, how often does upgrading when prices drop work to your benefit? Have you done this one time? Or five times? 

 

I did exactly this my last two cruises (both Encore to AK).  

 

Oct 2021:  deposit paid at $2701, final payment on inside at $2270 (after a price drop reprice), final price after balcony upgrade after final payment at $2447.

 

May 2022:  booking/final payment (just under 120 days out due to personal scheduling issues) = $2666.  Final price after balcony upgrade = $2768.

 

We enjoyed the balconies but would have been just as happy in insides.  We probably liked the small amount of extra square footage just as much as that small balcony (although I did enjoy it on a limited basis).  I'm different than most here on the forum.  The masses seem to hyper-focus on which cabin they get, while I just want a shower and a bed.  Anybody who has lived in a college dorm for four years should be like a pig in 💩 with any kind of an inside cabin.  😎