Price drop

[Serengeti228]

Interesting comparison of NCL cancellation policy in different markets.

 

For NCL Asia market, booking is cancelled free up to 90 days (i.e. the final payment date). Any repricing for price drop, change of booking, or addition of favourable promo codes is possible.

 

 

[The Traveling Man]

9 hours ago, Serengeti228 said:

Interesting comparison of NCL cancellation policy in different markets.

 

For NCL Asia market, booking is cancelled free up to 90 days (i.e. the final payment date). Any repricing for price drop, change of booking, or addition of favourable promo codes is possible.

 

 

In the US, the final payment usually is due 120 days before sailing.  Any change before final payment is possible.  After the final due date, though, the process for receiving a credit or lower price is a bit more involved.  It usually can be done, but there may be some restrictions or limitations.  Some CC members from the UK (and possibly elsewhere) have reported that they have been unable to obtain price adjustments of any kind after the final due date.  I do not know for certain what the exact restrictions may be, but I have seen reports here on CC to that effect.

[insidecabin]

UK one option is to upgrade so you pay a bit more, if there is something suitable after the drops.

 

The other is don't book early stick to the late deals.

 

 

[hamrag]

2 hours ago, insidecabin said:

UK one option is to upgrade so you pay a bit more, if there is something suitable after the drops.

 

The other is don't book early stick to the late deals.

 

 

Is there a broad timeline for when such late deals kick in?

[insidecabin]

5 hours ago, hamrag said:

Is there a broad timeline for when such late deals kick in?

For UK bookings on Europe the after finals is still a good window to check 70-120 days

 

For the ones we have looking at around 6-4 weeks out seems a decent time to catch any drops then watch  as you get closer for flash sales.

Tends to be insides which may not interest you.

 

Our one next week (10n) went up from £400 to £470 yesterday I think it's getting full.

Cruise+FAS came to just under £500pp  with TA discount, $200 OBC promotion covers a chunk of the service (£15.50pppd)

 

Also look out for UK sale addons there was a 50% off free at sea and last weekend a $200OBC  some agent claim there is 50% FAS again.

 

I look at the costs to go balcony for more space but often not worth it, prefer to cruise twice or add-on land days, we don't use the balcony when we have one.

[farringtonb]

I have been following NCL Caribbean cruise here in the UK price wise for a few months. Despite lots of different promotions over that time frame, the end price had always been exactly the same.

[rattla]

38 minutes ago, farringtonb said:

I have been following NCL Caribbean cruise here in the UK price wise for a few months. Despite lots of different promotions over that time frame, the end price had always been exactly the same.

The best promotion I have seen was when the half price Free At Sea promotion was made available a couple of weeks ago, that was a genuine extra saving of maybe £100-150 per person (depending on cruise length - for mine it would have been £150pp).

The % discounts are pretty irrelevant though as you say.

[insidecabin]

56 minutes ago, rattla said:

The best promotion I have seen was when the half price Free At Sea promotion was made available a couple of weeks ago, that was a genuine extra saving of maybe £100-150 per person (depending on cruise length - for mine it would have been £150pp).

The % discounts are pretty irrelevant though as you say.

The $200 OBC last weekend was also additional no price adjustment on the ones we were watching.

 

A lot of UK TAs are saying 50% FAS is back.

[rattla]

32 minutes ago, insidecabin said:

The $200 OBC last weekend was also additional no price adjustment on the ones we were watching.

 

A lot of UK TAs are saying 50% FAS is back.

Yeah.  My cruise dropped a few days ago by £600+ and I repriced for £35pp.  As I still have a week or two until final payment, so if it does come back, I’ll look at my options. As I’ve paid the extra £70 now to get the current price, that means if I cancelled it would only cost me £130 (£200 deposit - £70)

Their website is down until 1:30 BST, so maybe will be showing once back up?

 

Edited June 25, 2023 by rattla

[Obobru]

On 6/24/2023 at 10:01 AM, rattla said:

 Actually while it doesn’t work the same as the US, in the U.K., NCL I’ve found out will reprice a cruise as long as it’s over 60 days before sail date, for a charge of £35pp

Unfortunately that's another NCL scam. I called them as I had heard of this but the cruise was £350 less online than I had paid yet when I called they said the price was £600 more than online and they didn't have access to those prices. Called twice told the same thing. 

[Obobru]

2 hours ago, rattla said:

The best promotion I have seen was when the half price Free At Sea promotion was made available a couple of weeks ago, that was a genuine extra saving of maybe £100-150 per person (depending on cruise length - for mine it would have been £150pp).

The % discounts are pretty irrelevant though as you say.

Strange as I found it not a discount at all as I booked on that promotion and after it ended my cruise was £350 cheaper. 

[rattla]

1 hour ago, Obobru said:

Strange as I found it not a discount at all as I booked on that promotion and after it ended my cruise was £350 cheaper. 

Certainly was discount for the ones I checked ? 🤷‍♂️

Prices do change all the time but 100% the price wasn’t increased during the offer period when the 1/2 price Free at sea offer was on. 
 

1 hour ago, Obobru said:

Unfortunately that's another NCL scam. I called them as I had heard of this but the cruise was £350 less online than I had paid yet when I called they said the price was £600 more than online and they didn't have access to those prices. Called twice told the same thing. 

certainly wasn’t a scam for me I noticed the price had reduced online so the Total cost after adding back gratuities and FAS and all my other purchases was c.600 cheaper.

I called via my TA and the reprice to the exact same price as the latest online price (after re adding those things id bought) so I saved the full amount, minus the £70 fee.  
mothers have also had the same as it was on the back of them highlighting this that I knew about it.

 

Can’t speak for you situation, I assume when recalculating the saving you’d added all those extras back on?

but this is not the first time I’ve done this and they do definitely give the current online price.

 N.B. They won’t give updated promotions, but the price is matched.  For example when I repriced there there was an extra $200 OBC for new bookings.  I couldn’t get that but did get the price matched which was the main thing.

[si_boy]

Booked direct with NCL a few months ago for cruise in October 2023, so final payment not yet due. 
Saw lower price on website and called them up, very friendly advisor who said there would be £35 charge per passenger and that the reprice would need to cover this otherwise could not be done.
I knew what the current price was from the website so knew it should be covered.

Fully expected some reason why the lower price could not be honoured or that we would have to change cabin, but no, advisor priced our cabin at current prices and was delighted that she was able to help.

We were happy with the original price which we thought was reasonable, balcony cabin with all at sea add on so overjoyed that the advisor confirmed the new price will be £1,000 lower!

Also advised if price drops after final payment made to call again as upgrade or onboard spend could be discussed.

[rattla]

7 minutes ago, si_boy said:

Booked direct with NCL a few months ago for cruise in October 2023, so final payment not yet due. 
Saw lower price on website and called them up, very friendly advisor who said there would be £35 charge per passenger and that the reprice would need to cover this otherwise could not be done.
I knew what the current price was from the website so knew it should be covered.

Fully expected some reason why the lower price could not be honoured or that we would have to change cabin, but no, advisor priced our cabin at current prices and was delighted that she was able to help.

We were happy with the original price which we thought was reasonable, balcony cabin with all at sea add on so overjoyed that the advisor confirmed the new price will be £1,000 lower!

Also advised if price drops after final payment made to call again as upgrade or onboard spend could be discussed.

Yup this approach does seem to work really well.

the only “problem” with an upgrade after final payment is that it’s not always that great or worthwhile.

For example before they confirmed the £35pp reprice was applicable for me as still over 60 days, they said they would be able to offer me a complimentary upgrade from club balcony suite to family club balcony suite.  The only difference for that is every extra beds, but there’s just two of us? 🤷‍♂️

so really a bit pointless in that situation and I may have lost my cabin that is in a great location .  So just be careful with “free upgrades” 😊